(4thly) When God pardons, he doth no longer account of us sinners.

Indeed, after pardon, we still retain sinful and corrupt na tures; and there is that original pollution in us, that can never be totally dislodged in this life. But, yet, when God pardons, he looks not upon us as sinners, but as just. The malefactor, that is legally discharged, either by satisfying the law or by his prince's grace and favour towards him, is no more reputed a malefactor; but as just and righteous, as if he had never offended. So is it with us: we are both ways discharged of our guilt both by satisfying the penalty of the Law in Christ our Surety; and by the free grace and mercy of God, who hath sealed to us a gracious act of pardon: and therefore we are just in the sight of God, as if we had never sinned.

(5thly) Pardon of sin is one great part of our Justification. Justification consists of these two parts, Remission and Acceptance. We have them both joined together, Eph. i. 6, 7. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Remission of sins takes away our liableness to death: acceptation of our persons gives us a title unto life. Now to be free from

our obnoxiousness to death, and instated in a right to eternal life; these two constitute a perfect Justification. For, to be accepted of God in Christ, is no other than for God, through the righteousness and obedience of Christ imputed to us, to own and acknowledge us to have a right to heaven. And, therefore, we have mention of pardon and an inheritance together, in St. Paul's commission to his ministry: Acts xxvi. 18. that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified.

It is not, therefore, O Soul, a bare negative righteousness, that God intends thee, in the pardon of thy sins. It is not merely to remove the curse and wrath thy sins have deserved; though that alone can never sufficiently be admired: but the same hand, that plucks thee out of hell by pardon, lifts thee up to heaven, by what he gives thee together with thy pardon, even a right and title to a blessed and glorious inheritance. Thy pardon, thou hast from the Passive Obedience of Christ in his sufferings: a right to heaven, thou hast through the Active Obedience of Christ in fulfilling all righteousness: and, through both, hast thou obtained a complete Justification; God looking upon thee as innocent through the

satisfaction of his Son, and as worthy through his obedience, both which are made thine by faith.

Now this pardon of sin is, in Scripture, set forth by very sweet and full expressions. It is called, a blotting out of transgression a metaphor taken from a creditor's crossing the debt-book, signifying thereby a discharge of the debt. And, lest we might possibly fear God will implead us for them without book, the prophet adds forgetting unto blotting out: Is. xliii. 25. I, even I, am he, that blotteth out thy transgressions for my name's sake; and I will not remember thy sins. It is called, a covering of our sins: Ps. xxxii. 1. Blessed is the man, whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Yea, we have a farther ground of comfort, for it is not only a covering of our sins, but it is a covering of God's face from them: Ps. li. 9. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. It is a casting of them behind God's back, as a thing that he will never more regard: Is. xxxviii. 17. Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. And, lest we should suspect he should turn again to behold them, it is called, a casting of them into the bottom of the sea: Mic. vii. 19. as we do with things we would have irrecoverably lost and gone. It is a scattering them as a thick cloud: Is. xliv. 22. when the vapours of it are so dissipated, that there shall not remain the least spot, to obstruct the shining of God's face and favour upon our souls. Yea, and so perfect an abolition shall be made of all our iniquities, that, though divine justice should enter into a strict search and scrutiny after them, they shall not be found against us: so the prophet Jeremiah tells us, Jer. 1. 20. In those days, shall the iniquity of Israel be sought for; and there shall be none: and the sins of Judah; and they shall not be found. How hath God heaped up expressions of his grace and mercy one upon another! and studied words, as it were, to assure us of the validity of our pardon; giving to us abounding consolations, as our sins have been abounding!

And thus much shall suffice to shew the nature of pardoning grace and mercy, as expressed in these words, Forgive us our debts.

2dly. Let us consider unto Whom this petition for pardon is directed.

And that is, as all the rest are, to our Father: whose laws we have violated, whose justice we have offended, whose displea sure we have incurred, and to whose vengeance we have

made ourselves liable and obnoxious, to him we sue for pardon and remission.

Hence we may collect this note: That it is the high prerogative of God alone to forgive sins.

God assumes this particularly to himself, and seems to triumph in the glory of this attribute. I, even I, am he, that blotteth out thy transgressions. And, therefore, when Christ cured the Paralytic, the Scribes and Pharisees stormed at him for a blasphemer, for saying, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee. Thou blasphemest, say they for who can forgive sins, but God alone? Mark ii. 7*. And this charge of blasphemy, which they laid against Christ, had he not been the True God, had been unanswerable. And therefore our Saviour denies not their principle, which is most certain and infallible but, to convince them that they themselves were blasphemers, in applying it to him, proves his deity, by a miracle; and demonstrates his authority to forgive sins, by his power in healing diseases.

But, you will say, "If it be the incommunicable prerogative of God only to forgive sins, how is it that we find this privilege and power ascribed unto men also: John xx. 23. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted? It seems, therefore, that the Apostles, and Ministers of Jesus Christ their successors, stand invested by Christ with a power to forgive sins."

I answer: Remission of sins is twofold, either authoritatively and judicially; or, secondly, ministerial and declarative.

The Former belongs only to God: who, by the mere authority of his grace and mercy, doth freely and fully acquit us of our guilt; without requiring anything at our hands, by way of recompense or punishment. Now for any creature, either in heaven or earth, to assume this to himself, is a most insolent and blasphemous pride; which while the Pope of Rome doth, he hath given us the strongest argument that can be, to assert and prove him to be the Antichrist, and that Son of Perdition; for, among the many characters that are given of Antichrist, all

* This is a remarkable instance of inaccurate quotation: for these words are not found, totidem verbis, in the account of the miracle given by any one Evangelist, but are gathered from them all; adding also a phrase from John x. 36. EDITOR.

of which do more than sufficiently belong unto him, this is one, that he exalteth himself above all that is called God: 2 Thess. ii. 4.

For

Not only above Titular Gods, as Kings and Magistrates are (for it is notoriously known what power he arrogates unto himself, in disposing crowns and transferring states, making princes themselves far more inferior to him, than their subjects are to them) but also above the only living and true God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, in pretending to a judicial authority to forgive sins and offences committed against God. it is clear and evident, whosoever can pardon the offences of one person against another must himself be superior to both, and have authority and jurisdiction over both; but chiefly over the person offended, to make him cease the prosecution of his right, and sit down by the wrong received: for if a prince should pardon the injury that one subject doth the other, he must command the person grieved not to molest or prosecute him that hath done the wrong, and so disable him from taking revenge. Now what a wretched and damnable insolence is it for any vile sinful man to pretend to such a power of forgiving sins committed against God; as if, by his authority, he could command God to surcease his suit, and to require no farther recompense, but to rest himself contented that it is the Pope's will and pleasure to have it so! What is this, but to exalt himself above all that is called God, not only on earth, but in heaven itself? a most horrid blasphemy! and so proper a character of Antichrist, that there needs no other to describe him by.

There is a Ministerial, declarative remission of sins: and this is either internal, in the Court of Conscience; or external, in the Court of the Church of Christ here upon earth. The former remission is the office or ministry of the Holy Ghost, sealing of us up unto the day of redemption; by his silent and most comfortable testimony, witnessing unto us that our sins are pardoned and our persons accepted. The external declaration of remission of sins, is an open publication to all humble penitent sinners of the absolution and pardon of their offences, according to the tenor of God's faithful promises. And, in this sense alone, the ministers of Jesus Christ have. power to pardon and remit sins. Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted; that is, whose sins you declare that God hath remitted, they are remitted: not absolutely, but conditionally; in

case men come up to the performance of those conditions, upon which God hath promised pardon and forgiveness, which are faith and repentance. And, therefore, in our Public Prayers, where the whole congregation hath made an humble confession of their sins, the Minister, according to his office and power given him by Christ, declares to them, that God "pardons and absolves all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel." Or if, on any other occasion, the Minister say, "I absolve thee from thy sins;" yet the meaning is the same: he absolves him officially, not judicially he absolves, by declaring him absolved and pardoned upon his sincere faith and repentance: which if people did but better understand, they would not be so forward to carp at, lest they carp at the very Gospel itself. Nor doth this at all intrench upon God's prerogative: for the Minister, only as the officer and messenger of God, declares that it is he alone who pardons and absolves penitent sinners: a practice, as far` from bordering upon the intolerable arrogance of Antichrist; as it is, on the other side, from yielding enough to the express authority of Christ to adjudge it vain and fruitless. As it is the prince that pardons, the herald only proclaims it so here, it is God only who pardons sinners: the Minister's part, is, in a solemn and official manner, to pronounce and proclaim this pardon, to all that shall accept it upon the terms on which it is offered by God.

And this may suffice in answer to that objection.

But then again it may be objected: "How is it God alone who forgives sins, whereas we likewise are bound to forgive those that trespass against us?"

To this I answer: Every trespass against man is also an offence against God: for, so merciful is our God unto us, that he hath taken his creatures under the protection of his law, and fenced us round with the authority of his commands; so that no injury can reach us, but it must commit a trespass the divine law, and break through those bounds that God hath set about every man's propriety and right to defend it against unjust invaders. But, yet, if any shall dare to violate this, we must forgive them so far forth as it is a wrong to us; as I shall shew more largely hereafter: but we cannot pretend to forgive the wrong that they have done to God, in wronging

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