Ans. I answer. No.
Quest. How then is it done, seeing he hath decreed that without blood shall be no remission ? Heb. ix. 22.
Ans. I answer. This is done in Christ.
Quest. But why is he not mentioned here, nor in the Old Testament neither ?
Aj-hs. I answer. He was laid down to us in the Old Testament, in types and promises ; for what other was the paschal lamb but * the Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world,' by sprinkling our hearts with his blood ? He was the priest that, before he could open an entrance into the holy of holies for us, must first shed blood and offer sacrifice. What signified the ark with the law covered within it, the mercy- seat upon it, and over them two cherubins covering one another, but Christ our ark covering the curses of the law, in whom is the ground of all mercy ? ' which things the angels desire to pry into,' 1 Pet. i. 12, as into the pat- tern of God's deep wisdom. And whenas any prayed in the temple they looked towards the mercy-seat, what meanethit other than that, whenever we do pray to God, we should behold Christ, through whom God appears to be merciful and gracious ? What signified the temple, towards which they looked when they prayed, 2 Chron. vi. 38, Dan. vi. 10, but that we in our praj^ers should evermore have reference to our temple Christ Jesus ? And being thus assured, we may safely pass the flaming fire of God's jus- tice. If there were any other to be trusted besides Christ, there would be no peace of conscience. The sinner would argue, I am a creature, my sin is infinite ; no creature can satisfy, they are not infinite ; angels cannot stand; it must be an infinite majesty that must satisfy, and it must be with blood. Now, Christ by his blood hath obtained eternal redemption for us, and therefore none but Christ, none but Cluist I He is God-man, making
174 THE saint's comforts:
God and man at one. It is his nature, and it is his office. So as God is just as well as mcrcifal ; for as it is Horn. iii. 21th and 25th verses, ' God the Father hath proposed or set forth Christ' in types and figures ' to bo a propitiation,' aUading to the mercy-seat, ' to dechire his righteousness and justice, that ho may he just in punishing sin,* that is in Christ ; ' and a justifier of the sinner that beheves in Christ Jesus,' because he accepted of Christ's satisfaction, so as his mercy devised a remedy to satisfy his justice. Thus much in general ; now to come to particulars. First, take it exclusively, and we may observe,
Doct. 1. That only God can release a pdlty conscience ; only he can speak peace to a soul in distress. Ministers indeed have keys to open and shut heaven ; but they use them only ministerially, as they find persons dis- posed, but Christ independently. Now, then, whenas man assumes this prerogative to himself, as the popes were wont to do, giving indulgences, it is no other than to set them in the place of God. ' I, even I, forgive sin,' saith God, Jer. xxxi. 31. None can quiet the conscience but one that is above the conscience, which is God, who is only* the party offended ; though there be also an offence against men. This ouf/Iit to comfort vs, that n-c have to do ivith a forgiving God, Neh. ix. 31. There is none like to him, to whom it is natural to remit and forgive sin. It is his name : Exod. xxxiv. 6, ' Forgiving iniquities, transgressions, and sins,' all manner of sins ; sins against knowledge and against conscience ; with him is plentiful forgiveness.
Doct. 2. Secondly, Observe that as God only forgives sin, so he ever forgives sin. It is always his nature, as the fire always burns ; as he is Jehovah, he is merciful. John i. 29, Christ he is * the Lamb of God,' that doth take away the sins of the world. It is a perpetual act; as we say the sun doth shine, the spring doth run. He is, Zech. xiii. 1, that 'fountain that is opened for sin and uncleanness.' Mercy is his nature, and forgive- ness is an effect of his mercy.
Ohj. Therefore it is no satisfying objection that the distressed soul will be ready to make, that God was merciful to David and Peter, but how can he be to me, miserable sinner ? For God, as he forgave Peter, Paul, David, so he forgives now. He is a fountain of mercy never drawn dry. He is unchangeable; and therefore we are not consumed, Mai. iii. G; and Christ is the same ' yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.' The consideration of this should be as a perpetual picture in our hearts.
Doct. 3. Thirdly, Hence we may gather, that God's mercy is free, and from himself. Though in us is sin and iniquity, yet in thee is mercy; and therefore God saith, I do not this for your sakes, but for mine own sake, Ezek. xxxvi. 22. Yet must not this be understood so as if it were freely and only from God the Father, excluding Christ. But therefore it is, in that we shall stand in need of no satisfactory merits of our own. Away therefore with popish doctrines of satisfactions by our own works. The holy man saith not, with thee is justice to take my works as satisfaction for my sin. No ; though this holy man were a gracious man, yet mercy is all his plea. And if the question be, how the sinner stands free from punishment and entitled to all good, it is from forgiveness, which is from God's mercy, grounded on Christ's satisfaction. All is laid upon him, Isa. liii. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions; he bore our sorrows; he was made sin for us, that knew no sin, 2 Cor. v. 21. The nature of man will hardly stoop to this divine truth. But the Spirit teacheth us to rely * That is, 'alone is,' — G.