Here, then, "we are compassed about Avith a cloud of Avitnesscs;" for, —
L It is most certain that they were all siJinej's. They Avcrc all so by nature; for therein there is no difference betAvcen any of the children of men. And personally they Avere sinners also. They confessed so of themselves, and some of the sins of all of them stand upon record. Yea, some of them Avere great sinnei-s, or guilty of great and signal miscarriages; — some before their conversion, as Abraham, Avho Avas an idolater, Josh. xxiv. 2, 3, and Paul, avIio Avas
Ver. 4.] EVIDENCE OF FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 445
a persecutor and a blasphemer; some after their conversion; some in sins of the flesh against their obedience, as David; and some in sins of profession against faith, as Peter, Nothing, then, is more evident than that no one of them came to rest with God but by forgiveness. Had they never been guilty of any one sin, but only what is left upon record concerning them in holy writ, yet they could be saved no other way; for he that transgresseth the law in any one point is guilty of the breach of the whole, James ii. 10.
What shall we now say? Do we think that God hath forgiveness only for this or that individual person? No man questions but that all these were pardoned. Was it by virtue of any especial personal privilege that Avas peculiar unto them? Whence should any such privilege arise, seeing by nature they were no better than others, nor would have been so personally had not they been delivered from sin, and prepared for obedience by grace, mercy, and pardon? Where- fore, they all obtained forgiveness by virtue of the covenant, from the forgiveness which is with God. And this is equally ready for others who come to God the same way that they did ; that is, by faith and repentance.
2. Many of those concerning whom we have the assurance men- tioned ivere not only sinners hut great sinners, as was said ; which must be also insisted on, to obviate another objection. For some may say, that although they were sinners, yet they were not such sinners as we are ; and although they obtained forgiveness, yet this is no argument that we shall do so also, who are guilty of other sins than they were, and those attended with other aggravations than theirs were. To Avhich I say, that I delight not in aggravating, no, nor yet in repeating, the sins and faults of the saints of God of old. Not only the grace of God, but the sins of men have by some been turned into lasciviousness, or been made a cloak for their lusts. But yet, for the ends and purposes for which they are recorded by the Holy Ghost, we may make mention of them. That they may warn us of our duty, that we take heed lest Ave also fall, that they may yield us a relief under our surprisals, are they written. So, then, Avhere the mention of them tends to the advancement of sovereign grace and mercy, which is the case in hand, Ave may insist on them. I think, then, that, Avithout mention of particulars, I may safely say that there is no sin, no degree of sin, no aggravating circumstance of sin, no kind of continuance in sin (the only sin excepted), but that there are those in heaven Avho have been guilty of them.
It may be, yet some Avill say that they have considered the sins and falls of Lot, David, Peter, Paul, and the thief himself on the cross, and yet they find not their oAvn condition exemplified, so as to conclude that they shall have the same success with them.
446 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM cxxx. [Ver.4.
Ans. 1. I am not showing that this or that man shall be pardoned, but only demonstrating that there is forgiveness with God, and that for all sorts of sins and sinners; which these instances do assuredly confirm. And, moreover, they manifest that if other men are not pardoned, it is merely because they make not that application for for- giveness which they did.
2. Yet by the way, to take off this objection also, consider what the apostle says in particular concerning tlie several sorts of sinners that obtained mercy: 1 Cor. vi. 9-11, "Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified." Hell can scarce, in no more words, yield us a sadder catalogue. Yet some of all these sorts were justified and par- doned.
3. Suppose this enumeration of sins doth not reach the condition of the soul, because of some especial aggravation of its sin not ex- pressed;— let such a one add that of our Saviour: Matt. xii. 81, " I say unto you. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost." They are not, they shall not be, all actually remitted and pardoned unto all men; but they are all pardonable unto those that seek to obtain pardon for them according unto the gospel. There is Avith God for- giveness for them all. Now, certainly there is no sin, but only that excepted, but it comes within the compass of "All manner of sin and blasphemy;" and so, consequently, some that have been guilty of it are now in heaven.