These things have I fpoken, that you may not think we dwell too long on this confideration. And I And I pray God, that your confolation and establishment may abound in the reading of these meditations, as I hope they have not been altogether without their fruit in their preparation.

Further evidences of forgivenefs with God.-----Teftimonies that God was well pleased with fome that were finners.The patience of God towards the world, an evidence of forgiveness. Experience of the faints of God to the fame purpose.

IV. Let us then, in the fourth place, as a fourth evidence of this truth, confider thofe, both under the Old Testament and the New, concerning whom we have the greatest affurance that God was well pleafed with them, and that they are now in the enjoyment of him. And this argument unto this purpose the apostle infifts upon, and preffeth from fundry inftances, Heb. xi. How many doth he there reckon up, who of old obtained a good report, and had this teftimony, that they pleased God; verfe 25. All these inherited the promifes through believing; that is, obtained the forgiveness of fin. For whereas by nature they were children of wrath, and under the curfe as well as others, obtaining an infallible intereft in the favour of God, and his testimony, that they pleased him, it could no otherwise be. For without this, on a juft account, every one of them would have continued in the state wherein Adam was, when he heard the voice of God, and was afraid. Wherefore it being evident, that fome perfons in all generations, have enjoyed the friendship, love and favour of God in this world, and at their departure out of it have entred into glory; it makes it evident, that there is forgiveness of fin with him, without which these things could not be.

Let ·

Let us, after, the example of the apostle, mention fome particular inftances in this matter. Look unto Abraham; he was the friend of God, and walked with God; God made a folemn covenant with him, and takes it for his memorial throughout all generations, that he is the God of Abraham : And he is doubtlefs now at reft with God. Our Saviour calls the place or condition whereinto bleffed fouls are gathered, Abraham's bofom. He is at reft with whom others are at reft.

The condition was the fame with Ifaac and Jacob; they also are in heaven, being alive unto and with God. Our Saviour proves it from the tenor of the covenant, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, the God of Jacob; God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, Matth. xxii. 32. They are yet alive, alive unto God, and with him by vertue of the covenant; or after their death, God would not be faid, to be their God. Then death had not reached their whole perfons: They were still alive with God in heaven; and their bodies, by vertue of the fame covenant, were to be recovered out of the duft.

The fame is the ftate with David. He was a man after God's own heart, that did all his will, and fulfilled all his pleasure. And although he died, and his body faw corruption, yet he is not loft, he is with God in heaven. Hence he ended his days triumphantly, in a full apprehenfion of eternal reft, beyond what could in this world be attained, and that by vertue of the covenant. For thefe are the laft words of David, Altho' my house be not fo with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, afcertaining unto him fure and eternal mercies, 2 Sam. xxiii, 5.

Peter alfo is in heaven. Chrift prayed for him that his faith fhould not fail; and in his death he glorified God, John xxi. 19.

So is Paul; he also is in heaven; he knew that when he was diffolved, he should be with Chrift, Here then we are encompaffed about with a cloud of witneffes. For,

ist, It

ift, It is moft certain, that they were all finners: They were all fo by nature; for therein there is no difference between any of the children of men. And perfonally they were finners alfo; they confeffed fo of themselves, and fome of the fins of all of them ftand upon record. Yea, fome of them were great finners, or guilty of great and figual mifcarriages. Some before their conversion, as Abraham who was an idolater, Joh. xxiv. 2, 3. and Paul who was a perfecuter and a blafphemer. Some after their converfion; fome in fins of the flesh against their obedience, as David; and fome in fins of profeffion against faith, as Peter. Nothing then is more evident, than that no one of them came to reft with God but by forgiveness. Had they never been guilty of any one fin, but only what is left upon record concerning them in holy writ, yet they could be faved no other way. For he that tranfgreffeth the law in any one point, is guilty of the breach of the whole, James ii. 10.

What shall we now fay? Do we think that God hath forgiveness only for this or that individual perfon? No man queftions but that all thefe were pardoned. Was it by vertue of any special perfonal privilege, that was peculiar unto them? Whence fhould any fuch privilégé arife, feeing by nature they were no better than others, nor would have been fo perfonally, had not they been delivered from fin, and prepared for obedience by grace, mercy, and pardon? Wherefore, they all obtained forgiveness by vertue of the covenant, from the forgiveness which is with God. And this is equally ready for others, who come to God the fame way that they did; that is, by faith and repentance.

2dly, Many of thofe concerning whom we have the affurance mentioned, were not only finners, but great finners, as was faid, which must be alfo infifted on, to obviate another objection. For fome may fay, that although they were finners, yet they were not fuch finners as we are, And although they obtained forgivenefs, yet this is no argument that we fhall do fo alfo,

who

who are guilty of other fins than they were, and those attended with other aggravations than theirs were. To which I fay, that I delight not in aggravating, no, nor yet in repeating the fins and faults of the faints of God of old. Not only the grace of God, but the fins of men, have by fome been turned into lafcivioufnefs; or been made a cloak for their lufts. But yet, for the ends and purposes for which they are recorded by me: Holy Ghoft, we may make mention of them; that they may warn us of our duty, that we take heed left we alfo fall, that they may yield us a relief under our furprifals, are they written. So then, where the mention of them tends to the advancement of fovereign grace and mercy, which is the cafe in hand, we may infift on them. I think then, that without mention of particulars, I may fafely fay, That there is no fin, no degree of fin, no aggravating circumftance of fin, no kind of continuance in fin, (the only fin excepted) but that there are thofe in heaven who have been guilty of them.

It may be yet, fome will fay, that they have confidered the fins and falls of Lot, David, Peter, Paul, and the thief himself on the crofs, and yet they find not their own condition exemplified, fo as to conclude, that they fhall have the fame fuccefs with them.

Anfw. 1. I am not fhewing, that this or that man fhall be pardoned, but only demonftrating, that there is forgiveness with God, and that for all forts of fins and finners, which these instances do affuredly confirm. And moreover, they manifeft, that if other men are not pardoned, it is merely because they make not that application for forgivenefs which they did.

1

2. Yet by the way, to take off this objection alfo, confider what the apostle fays in particular concerning the feveral forts of finners that obtained mercy, I Cor. vi. 9, 10, 11. Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abufers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners fhall inherit the

X

kingdom

kingdom of God; and fuch were fome of you. But you are washed, but you are janctified, but you are juftified. Hell can fcarce, in no more words, yield us a fadder catalogue. Yet fome of all thefe, forts were juftified and pardoned.

3. Suppofe this enumeration of fins doth not reach the condition of the foul, becaufe of fome efpecial aggravation of its fin, not expreffed. Let fuch a one add that of our Saviour's, Matth. xii. 31. I fay unto you, all manner of fin and blafphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blafphemy against the Holy Ghost. They are not, they fhall not be all actually remitted, and pardoned unto all men; but they are all pardonable, unto thofe that feek to obtain pardon for them according unto the gospel. There is with God forgiveness for them all. Now, certainly there is no fin, but only that excepted, but it comes within the compafs of all manner of fin and blafphemy, and fo confequently fome that have been guilty of it are now in heaven.

We take it for a good token and evidence of a vertuous healing water, when, without fraud or pretence, we fee the crutches of cured cripples, and impotent perfons hung about it, as a memorial of its efficacy. And it is a great demonftration of the fkill and ability of a phyfician, when many come to a fick perfon, and tell him, that he had the fame distemper with you, it had the fame fymptoms, the fame effects, and by his fkill and care we are cured: Oh, faith the fick man, bring him unto me, I will venture my life in his hand Now, all the faints of heaven stand about a fin-fick foul; for in this matter we are encompaffed with a cloud of witneffes, Heb. xii. 1. And what do they bear witness unto? What fay they unto a poor guilty finner? As thou art, fo were we; fo guilty, fo perplexed, fo obnoxious to wrath, fo fearing deftruction from God. And what way did you fteer, what courfe did you take, to obtain the bleffed condition wherein now you are? Say they, We went all to God through Chrift for forgivenefs. and found plenty of grace, mercy, and pardon