Now let us come to the main point intended, and that is this, that Boct. All the benefits that believers have by the new covenant, and so by the death of Christ, they are all of them given them in the remission of their sins. And therefore remission of sins is here put for the whole covenant, for all the privileges of the covenant, because all the rest are given in this and with it. Look what time God forgives a man's sins, at that time he gives him all other things, sanctification, and whatsoever else, as we see at large in Ezek. xxxvi. 26, the Lord speaks there of the intention of his goodness to his people : ver. 26, he shews what he will do, he will cleanse them from all their idols, and forgive all their sins, and then he will give them a new heart, he will cause them to walk in his ways ; and then he comes with outward mercies too, as far as shall be good for them ; he pro- miseth them deliverance from their enemies, and other good things, in the rest of the chapter, but all other things come in with remission of sins. A
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man that hath his sins forgiven, he hath the other things given with it. This point we are to prove and apply, it is a point of great weight, it is the very key of the gospel, which requires great attention in the hearer, and great care in the speaker ; there is much in it, for the very not distinct and clear understanding of this causeth a world of doubts and scruples, and gives advantage to Satan for many temptations, as we shall shew when •we come to open certain cases about this.
1. First, We must open the point, and make it appear to be a truth, that all other jjrivileges and benefits of the new covenant are (jiven to believers in, and icith the remission of tlieir sins, so that a man may conclude, he that hath his sins remitted and forgiven, he hath, and shall have all the rest of the promises of the new covenant ; and therefore David, Ps. xxxii. 1, 2, saith, ' Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin.' The apostle, Rom. iv., expounding that text in the point of justification, he shews wherein the blessedness of a man consists ; that is, in that he may appear before God without his sin, without his filth, without that that makes him abominable to God. And therefore such a man is truly blessed, for he hath with this all that can make him blessed. Look whatsoever a man would have to make up his blessedness, and to prove to his own soul that he is a blessed man, he hath all that here with remission of sins ; you know, that other things, sancti- fication and the rest, are part of our blessedness, and therefore they must go along with this remission of sins. And so in another place of Scrip- ture that speech of the apostle. Acts x. 43, is for us, ' To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name we have remission of sins.'
Now the prophets gave witness concerning Christ of many other things besides remission of sins. That we have in his name, that we have by him, but all other things come with this, and therefore he would have them chiefly to mark, that that which all the prophets would have the church to understand to be the great benefit they have by Christ, is the remission of sins. They all join in this, that this is the general benefit, as it were, the great gift of all, that supposeth and includeth all the rest in it, that 'whosoever believes in him shall have remission of sins;' 2 Cor. v. 19, * God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their sins.' God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, a marvellous great mercy ! This consists in this, that their sins were not imputed. Ay, but there are many other things that a Christian would desire besides this ; for what man that hath, in truth, his sins forgiven, that hath his faith working by love, by love to Christ, but he would desire also, that as his sins past might be pardoned, so he might walk before God in newness of life ; and therefore that is that which David so much prayed for : ' Oh that my ways were so direct, that I might keep th}^ statutes,' Ps. cxix. 5. Now we have this into the bargain, we have this into the agreement, as it were, in with the rest, that our sins are not imputed. When this is granted, we have this also with it, that they shall not condemn, as we see, Rom. viii. 1, ' There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, which walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit;' there is no condemnation to them. This is a great mercy, and this is one mercy that we have by Christ ; but this is not all, for, saith he, ' they walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit ; ' to shew that this walking after the Spirit, it is a thing that the Spirit of grace works in them, that is given to them by Christ ; for ' the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ hath freed me from the law of