[afes about pm·do11 of fill. 107 Q!~fl, 3· lithe dJy of g>·m and pardon fVtr pajl in thif life? ~ejl. 3 , A~jw. ~he day ot gr~cc and pard?n to thepenittm, is n~ver p~fi in this life : There is no day or s m1 ~ fpc.tk hour 10 wh1ch ~ tr_ue penitent perfon 1s not pardoned ; or 111 wh1ch the impenitent is not conditionally roo igr.onntly; .pudoncd~ that IS,_ If he.Will truly r_cpc:nt and believe in ChriH: And as for the day of trm ptnitenct, it and dangerIS m~t pa!t ~o the 1111pemtc!l~ ; for Hnever yet came: that is, They never truly rcpemed. · But rhere ~h~11 J'l)~:~uc lS a mne, w1th fom: provok~ng forfakc~ finnc~s, when God who was wom to call 1hem to repentance gucc bl:'ing by out~ard Prc_achmg aPd mward mouons, will call and move them fo no more, but leave them more ~aft in this quietly tn the bimdnefs and hardncfs of their heart~. hfc. Q!tfl. 4· May we becertailt of pardon of fi• in thillife ? 0!_ejl. '\-• /lN[w•. Y..s: .every man that.underHa.nde.rh the Covenant of Grace, may be ecruin ·of pardon 1 fo far as he IS certatn of the linccnry of h1sfaith and repentance, and no further: And if a mm could not be furc of that, the confolJtory promifes of pudon would be in a fort in vain: And we could not lt 11 how to brliei1eand repent, if we cannot tell when we truly do it. Q!_dl. 5· Can any man p~rd.unfins againft God? and howfar? ~fff• 5• An{w· Pardon is the remit_ting of. a Psmijhm~nt. So far as man i_s to punijh finners ~gainfi: God, fo far they may partlo;r, that 1s, rermt that pum(hment (Whether they do well in fo doing? is another queHion. ) Mlgll\ratcs .are to execute corporal penalties upon fubjects for many fins againfi God: and they may pardon accordmgly. The Pafiors of the Church, who arc its Guides as eo publick Church· l·ommunion) mar remove offenders from the faid Communion; and they may abfolve them when they are penitent, and they may (rightfully or wron~fully,) remit the penalty which they may in .. flid-. 2 • The PaHors of the Church may as Gods officers, decl.ue the conditional general pardon, which is containe4 in the Covenant of grace; and that wirh p.uticulu application ro the finner, for 1he comforting at f1is mind: q. d. [H,ving examined your Rt:pentance, I declare ro you as the Mmifter of Chritl) th~t if it be as you exprefs ir, withom diffcmb"ling or mifial<e, your Repentance is tincere, and your hn i,; pardoned.] 3· On the fame terms a Pafior rnay as the Minifh.:r or Mef.. lt.:ngcr of Chrift, ddiver this fame c~mdirional pardon cont1ined in the Covenant of grace, as fc~led by (heSacraments of B1prifm and the Lords Supp!!r; which·is an act of invefiiture : q· d. [I do as the M~nifter of Chril\, hereby feal and deliver to you in his name, the pardon of all your fins through his blood; fuppofing yout profdfed filith and repenunce be fincere: otherwife it is void and of no fuch effect. J But this is, I· But a conditional pudon, though with particular applicJ.tion. z. And it is but a·Minilterta1 aCt of Delivery or invef\iture, a:nd not the at! of the D onor by himfelf; nor the gift of the firH title : fo that it is no whit proper to fay, that the Minifttr pardonetbyou; bm that tbt Mi· 11 ijlcr bri11gcth, atrd delivtrttb ;•ou tht pardon, agd fealcth it in his M.1ficrs name ; or that Chrift doth pardon you, and fend it you by his Mininer. As it is utterly improper to fay, that the Kings Mef~ ; {enger pardoncth a Traytor, bce>ufc he bringeth him ll pardon from the S.ing. And though (if 1vc · agree of this fcnfe) the Connoverfie remaining will be hut de ttomine, y~t is it not of fmall moment f when abu{(d wordJ do tend ro abufc the peoples underfiandings; and he that faith, I forgive your fint; doth teach the people to take him for a God, whatever he meaneth in hirnfelf; and blafpheamous words will not be fofficiently excufed, by faying that you have not a blafpheaming fenfe. So that a · PJ.Uor may r. Dtcl.Jre Chriftt p!Jrdon; 2· And fealand deliverit conditionally in Chrifis name : But he cannot pardon the internal puniChments in this life, nor the eternal punifhments of the next 3• But the puniO,mcnts of Excommunication he may pardon, who mull execute them. ~eft.6. Dotb God forgivt fin beforr it be commiuetl ( 0"1' jufliftt tbt finner from it?) ~eft. 6• .tJ 11 [w. No : for it is a conrradielion, to forgive that which is not, or to remit a penalry which is not due: Eut he will indeed juftifiethe perfon, not by Chrif\s righteoufnefs, but by his own innocency in talttttm fa far as he is no Jinntr : He that ha.th not committed a tin, needeth no pudon of it, nor an~ righteoufnefs but his innocency, to jul~i.fie him againfi the faUC accufacion of doing that which he never dii:J. God doth prepare the facnfice and remedy before upon the forefight of the rin : And he hath made an univerfal ad of pardon, before hand ; which fhall become an 2 Cfual pardon to him who penitently accepteth ir : A~d he is purpofc:d in himfelf to pardon · all whom he will pardon :, fo that he hath the d-:creuve mtlc p1mire before. But none of this is proper p1rdon or the jufiification of a finner, in the Gofpel fcnfe, as fi11ll be lurthel' OJCwcd. Qlc!l. 7 . Is an Ele/J pcrfon pardotiCd andjujliji~d, befvre faith and ref!e•tancr ? ~efl. 'J• An[rv. (Laying ahde the cafe of lnhnts, whtch dependeth on the tanh of others) the former anf wer will ferve for this qndlion. Qj]e!l. g, Is p"d'" or jujlification perfe/1 btfure death? ~cfl. 8. Anfw. 1 , De re: 1· The pudon which you have this year, extenderh not to the fins which you commit the nex ryear, or hour ; but there mufi be a renewed aCt of pardon for renewed fins; rhough not a new Gofpcl, or Covenant or act of Ob\i•ion to do ir : But the fame Gofpel-Covenant, doth morally perform a new act of pardon, according to the Redeemers mind and will. 2· The pardon which we have now, is but conjlitutive ~ i11 jurr, an~ but virt~al as to fenttmj!Jl JuftificatWn: But the [e 11 tence of the Judge is a more pcrfeC\:;ve act: or 1f any thmk tha~ God doth now [tnttnct us jnlt before the Angels) in any Ccelcfi1~l Court, yet that at Ju?g~n:ent will be a more full .Pe_rfe~ dive act. 3· The exem.tive p:~r~mt wh1ch we have now, wh1ch. IS oppo~te to actual pun.~flung, is n')t pttfrct till the d1y of Judgement : Becaufc all the puntfhment IS not removed, ttll the h.n cr.emy D ~ath be overcome) and the body be raifed from the Earth. 2. And now the Cor.- . ' • ' D d d d d d d d 2 trov"fie
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