888 s N A D E B T. Book IV. Hand in red CharaCters in God's B-JOk: · And on the contrary, a Sin may be blotted out there, yet be wry heavy and terrible in a Man's Feeling and ApprehenGon. So Sin pardcned is faid to be covered or hid, not in relptct of m, as if it were taken from our Sio-ht, but from God's Sight; and he is faid to ca!t our Sins behind his Back. ( j. )"This Explication, as the whole Senfe of the Petition, would overthrow all other Scriptures, which make no Pardon of Sin to be, but where the SubjeCt bath fuch ~alifications as this in the Text, viz. forgiving others, &c. . (+) This which thefe Men fay, would make no Difference between Sins repented of, and Sins not repented. \'/here do we read, that God doth, like the Pope, ame– date his Pardon, before the Sin be committed, or repented of? Burges. 6. We pray, That as God cloth forgive Sin, fo alfo he would releafe the Punifhment, and take away all the Wrath that doth belong to it. It is but a Mockery which Pa– pifrs mJkc about Pardun, as if indeed God did pardon the Sin, but not the Punifh– ment; that that abides frill, and we mufr work out a Releafc from that by our own– felves. It i• true, God, though he doth pardon Sin, yet be may grievouOy afflict; but thefe are only fatherly Chafiifements, and not judicial Punifhments. But in this Prayer we deore, as the Sin is removed, fo alfo whatfoever Troubles, A ffii<'l:ions, or Chafiife– ments do remain, that they likewife may be taken away; that as the Gulph of Hell is removed, fo every Cloud alfo may be difpelled. 7· We pray not only for Pardon, but alfo for the gracious Concomitants and Effec1s of it, which are Peace with God, and Joy in the Holy Ghof1:, &c. Rom. i. 5· From the Whole we may infer, I. That Man is a guilty Sinner, nay, that Believers are not without Sin, as they are in themfelves; Man, as conGdered in his fallen State, is accufed and charged by the Law, and mufi plead, and he cannot plead, Not gui!ty, being under the Impeach– ment of his own Confcience, Il!e uofcens fe damnat quo peccal die. This might have been the Plea of Adam before his Fall, but none elfe, I Kings viii. 46. 'I' here is no Man that jinneth not, Ecclef vii. 20. I John i. 8. Our Plea then mufr be, Guilty; and in this Cafe we muCt plead Mercy for the fake of Mercy, or Mercy for the fake of Chrifr, or upon the Account of the SatisfaCtion he hath made. 11. There is no pleading Mercy for the fake of Mercy, for, as one well obferves, that were not to plead, but to beg; nor were it at all to be jufiified , but meerly par. cloned; it were to be dealt with alone upon the Score of Grace, and not at all upon the Score of Righteoufnefs, whereas Jufiificatioa is an A<'l: of Jufiice rather than Mercy: Though it is true, in the Salvation of Sinners both Grace and J ufiice, as hath been n1ewed, meet together; we are both pardoned and jufiified. God is, faith one, as merciful as we can delire, and yet as righteous as himfelf can ddire; there is the freefr Grace, and the fulleft J ufiice. As God pardons Sin, he difplays his Mercy; as he jufiifies us from Sin, he manifefrs his Righteoufnefs. Pardon is free to us, but it cofi Chrift dear; there is a Myfrery in the Remillion of Sin; it is not forgiven without Atonement, Satisfa<'l:ion, and Reconciliation made for it by Jefus Chrifi. Which appears, 1. ln that thofe who are pardoned, are faid to be juftified through him, ACts xiii. 39· 2. Becaufe Chrifr is faid to bear our Sins, or the Punifhment of them, I Pet. ii. 24, !fa. liii. 4• 5, 6. He died in our Stead, for that is the meaning of his bearing our Sin, as might be largely !hewed from the Old Teltament, where we read of Perfons that God faid !hould bear their own Sins. 3· Becaufe the Scripture faith, Without jhedding of Blood there is 110 Remijfion, Heb. ix. 22. And that it is through that one Offering of Jefus Chrift, that we are both par– doned and accepted. Redemption, and Forgivenefs of Sin, is through his Blood, Rom. iii. 25. 4· Becaufe Chrif1: is faid to reconcile us, and pacify the Wrath of God for our Sins, 2 Cor. v. I9, 20. Rom. v. 5· Becaufe we are faid to be bought with a Price : Chri)l gave himfelf a Ranfom for many, 1 Cor. vi. 20. I Pet. i. IS . Matt. xx. 28. 6. Becaufe he is faid to be made unto us, 1/ifdom and Righteoufnefs, &c. called, 'I"ht Lord, our Rigbteoufnefs. Our Jufrification conGtleth in the Non· imputation of Sin, and the Imputation of his Righteoufnefs, that fo Salvation might be wholly of Grace, and all Boafiing excluded. 2 SIN
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