XIII. CHAP. God, because we are unexceptionably just before him. Hence it follows, that the doctrine of justification is perverted and utterly overthrown, when doubting is cast into souls, the assurance of salvation shaken, and free and undaunted prayer retarded: yea, when rest and tranquillity, with spiritual joy, is not established." See what follows, and it will appear that Calvin useth almost the same arguments with us. IX. And IX. Of innumerable others, to Calvin I Charnock. choose to add Charnock, a Divine of recent memory in England, who in his meditations on Psal. xxxii. in the supplement to his works, p. 107. speaks thus, "Christ was made sin for us, that he might take away all sin. Truly it would have been an imperfect satisfaction, if he had paid the interest, and not the principal: or the principal, and not the interest. There is no condemnation at all to them who are in Christ Jesus. Therefore no guilt, or cause of damnation left. Otherwise Paul's challenge had been foolish, which God forbid, whereby he challenges the whole creation to lay any crime to the charge of God's elect; if even the least sin had remained unremitted, upon which, either the justice of God, or the severity of the law, or the acuteness of conscience, or the malice of the devil himself, could have drawn up a charge. Since Christ came into the world for this purpose, that he might destroy the works of the devil, by which that wicked XIII. spirit had acquired a certain power over men, CHAP. not any one sin indeed of the believer remained, for which he did not so satisfy, that on that account the devil could claim the least right over a believer." Now, let that author, otherwise very celebrated, go, and contrary to all reason, mark as a paradox, a sentiment so much received and so clear, that nothing occurs more frequently among the reformed writers of every nation. X. Ob jections an X. I hear him declaiming, that it is con-. trary to all reason, and unworthy of God, swered. to pardon before hand sins not yet committed. But I wish that very wise man would tell me, why it is less contrary to reason, and less unworthy of Christ, to satisfy before hand for debts, not yet contracted? But, says he, "No father, no king, no prince, ever came to such a degree of absurdity, that while he pardons past sins, he should also forgive those which were to be perpetrated in time to come." I would not deny this. But who is so blind in matters of divinity, as not to see the evident reason of the difference? When a father or a prince forgives a crime, he does it from mere favour, without satisfaction of any surety, who suffers the punishment due to all the crimes of the delinquent, whether past or future. But when God pardons pasts sins to one believing in Christ, and applying to himself all his merits, in order to certain and complete salvation, he intimates at the same time, that future sins shall not be im any XIII. CHAP. puted to him unto condemnation: -becaus both rest upon the consideration of the ran som paid by Christ as well for future sins, as for past. [23.] XI. XII. XI. He urges: "There is no forgiveness of sins, except after repentance." Now, repentance is that after-thought and after-care which follows the commission of sins. I answer, that this general forgiveness of all sins whereof we speak, is also preceded by the believer's universal sorrow, shame, and humiliation, not only on account of sins actually committed, but also because of that inherent perverseness of his nature with which he must perpetually struggle, and from whence he foresees that many sins will proceed in time to come: this universal sorrow answers, in a certain proportion, to that universal justification. XII. But if the justified person happen to bring himself again under the guilt of some atrocious sin, I believe that such is the order of God's clemency, that he does not specially apply that general sentence to the forgiveness of this particular sin, nor does he intimate it to the accusing, the upbraiding, and convincing conscience, in order to consolation, joy, and re-admittance into fatherly familiarity, unless after a serious and suitable repentance for that sin: of which more immediately. Anthony Tuckney, once Regius Professor of Divinity in the college of Cambridge, has Note [23.] in a learned and juidicious manner, handled CHAP this controversy in his Prelections, Quest. 13. XIII. page 118, &c. where he at once studies both truth and peace, as we also attempt; and shows that this problem, may, in a different sense, be either affirmed, or denied, without the least injury to truth. God does tified, so as to condemn he sees it -XIII. But neither can it be denied, that XIII. God does not see sin in the justified, since not see sim that is so often expressly asserted in scripture. in the jusBut it must be well understood, he does not so see it, that he purposes, on its account, to them: but condemn them. For in this sense, he is said with holy "to cover their sins, to cast them behind his displeasure. back, yea, to cast them into the depths of the sea, that they may never come into his sight." Charnock's elegant observation on Psal. xxxii. in the supplement to his works, p. 102, deserves its place and its praises here. "A crossed book will not stand good in law. Because the crossing of the book implies the payment of the debt. Such a debt may perhaps be read; it cannot be demanded. Nothing hinders, but that God may read pardoned sins in the book of his omniscience: but he will never charge them at the bar of his justice." God doth not altogether forget sin: for nothing slips out of his knowledge or memory. His not remembring sins, is an act of his will, rather than of his understanding. That forgetfulness is not natural, but legal. God is not ignorant of the fact; but he removes the punishment, M XIII. CHAP. and the fear of punishment; by laying aside the memory of his wrath, not of his knowledge. He remembers as a father, to chas- ! tise: not as a judge, to condemn. Though sin be not imputed, yet it is inherent. Its being is not taken away, but its power is dethroned. It is taken away, not as to the spot, but as to the guilt." Excellently: for surely God sees the sins of believers: he beholds them as a stain, wherewith the soul is defiled; as blemishes, where with a fair face is disfigured; as filthiness, wherewith the beautiful robe of holiness is polluted; as a leprosy, wherewith the whole man is infected; which David confessed when he desired to be purged with hysop. And he sees them with remarkable displeasure. For he is not a God who hath pleasure in iniquity; no, not in that of those who are his own. XIV. And with the wrath XIV. He sees it also with anger and wrath, not the wrath of a rigid and a condemning not indeed judge, but of a holy and an angry father. of a rigid So he was angry with Aaron and Moses, judge, but of an angry though otherwise a pardoning God; angry father. with Miriam, as if a father had disdainfully |