The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errours of Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially Antinomians in XXX lectures preached at Lawrence-Iury, London / by Anthony Burgess ...

LECTURE XXX.

LUKE 7.47.

Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins which are many are for∣given her, for she loved much.

THis Text is part of a famous history, which may well be cal∣led 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because of the three great things observable in it; 1. Great sinnes. 2. Great repentance and humiliation. ••. Great love and grace of God through Christ in pardoning: And there is this one peculiar thing well observed about this woman in the history, that whereas divers others addressed themselves to Christ for corporal mercies, this only cometh for spiritual, even for remission of her sins.

* 1.1For the better understanding of the text, let us briefly consider the history; and first the woman is described by her quality in∣herent, a sinner, not in a common sense as all are, but in a more notorious manner; and therefore those that mitigate her fault, out of some reverence or honour to her, do not so much encrease her honour (as Maldonat upon the place well obser∣veth) as detract from Christs honour: for the Physicians skill is most commended, where the disease is more desperate. That she was a known great sinner, appeareth, in that the Pharisee wondred at Christ, because he would have any commerce with her. Whether this woman was Mary, Lazarus his sister or no, is hotly disputed by Commentators, but impertinent to my scope. In the next place you have her great repentance expres∣sed, wherein for the generall you may see the Apostles duty accomplished, as she had given her members to be members of iniquity, so now of righteousnesse, insomuch that she is the true looking-glasse of an humble convert. Her humiliation is described: 1. In bringing of a box of oyntment to anoint his feet; not his head (say some) because she thought her self so

unworthy, she brought indeed an outward visible box of oint∣ment, but she had another invisible and spiritual one, even a con∣trite and broken heart. 2. She stands behinde Christ (as being loathsom in her own eyes) and washeth his feet with her tears; which must suppose that to be true in her, which Jeremiah desi∣reth, viz. Her head to be a fountain of water, but as long as her heart was such a fervent limbeck, it was no wonder to see such precious distillations: Chrysologus upon this fact of hers, saith, The Heavens are wont to water the Earth with rain, but ecce nunc rigat terra Coelum, here the earth watereth Heaven. Lastly, The debasement of her self further appeareth, in making her Hair, heretofore the instrument of her pride and wantonness, now a Towel to wipe his feet. In the third place, Christs love towards her is remarkable, and in the general it is so great, that the Pha∣risee puffed up with his own pride, was offended at it, not consi∣dering, First, That though she had been a sinner, yet now she manifested Repentance. And secondly, That every commerce and communion with a sinner is not forbidden, but that which is of incouragement or consent unto his sin: but our Saviours was like the communion of a Physician with the Patient to heal and cure: Hence our Saviour touched the leper, whom he heal∣ed, yet was not unclean, because he touched him to restore him to health: But as the people murmured because Moses married a Blackmore, so the Pharisees grudged, because Christ shewed mer∣cy to sinners; but Moses indeed could not make the Blackmore white, whereas Christ doth purifie the defiled soul. Now our Sa∣viour doth aggravate his love to her; First, by a diligent enume∣ration of those several acts of service, which she had exhibited to him, not mentioning any of her former sins; and all this he doth with an Antithesis, or opposition to that carriage which the Pha∣risee had presented him with. 2. To convince the Pharisee, he declareth a Parable, that so from his own mouth the Pharisee may judge her love to Christ to be greater then his. In the last place his grace to her is further declared, by pardoning her sins though so hainous, which pardon is first declared unto the Phari∣see in my Text, and afterwards to the woman her self.

In my Text is the first promulgation of her pardon; now be∣cause the words have some difficulty, and the later part is

brought to prove love to be a meritorious cause of Remission of sins;* 1.2 two Questions are briefly to be resolved: First, When this womans sins were pardoned? And the Answer is, That as soon as ever she repented in her heart of her evil wayes, and believed in Christ, her sins were forgiven her; for so God doth promise; and this was before she came to Christ, but she cometh to Christ for the more assurance of Pardon, and not only so, but that he should authoritatively absolve her from her sinne; for Christ did more then declare her sins pardoned, as appeareth by the standers by, who with wonder made this question, v. 49. Who is this that for∣giveth sins also? Whereas to declare the forgiveness of sin only, any Minister may do, as we read of Nathan to David, 2 Sam. 12.13. So that her sins were pardoned by God before, at the first time of her Faith and Repentance, but now Christ as the Media∣tor, doth particularly absolve her, and that in her own consci∣ence, therefore he bids her, Go in peace.

* 1.3The second Question is, Whether that expression, Much is for∣given her, for she loved much, be causal, as if her love were ante∣cedent, and a cause of her forgiveness; or consequential only, as an effect, or sign of her forgiveness; in this sense, She loved much, be∣cause God did forgive her many sins, not she loved much, and there∣fore God forgave her?

Here is a great and vast difference between these two: many Papists are for the later, the Protestants generally for the former, and there is this cogent reason for it, for that Christ doth not speak of Repentance, or Love which should go before, and be the cause of the pardon of sins, is plain by the Parable he brings of a Creditor, who forgave one Debtor more, another Debtor less: hereupon our Saviour asked the Pharisee, Which of them will love him most? Simon answered, I suppose him to whom most was forgiven: Now of such a love our Saviour speaketh, when he mentioneth the woman, which is clearly a love of Gratitude, Because much was forgiven; not an antecedent love of merit, to procure pardon; so that as from her actions of anointing and wa∣shing his feet, by way of a sign or effect, we gather her Faith and Love of Christ; so by her Faith and Love as by a sign and effect, it may be gathered, that her sins are forgiven her. But you may ask, How could she come to know her sins were forgiven, before

Christ told her? I answer, By the promise of God made to eve∣ry true Penitent and Believer: though this assurance of hers was imperfect, and therefore admitted of further degrees, where∣as then all this Repentance and Humiliation was not that sinne might be forgiven, but from Faith that they were forgiven: We may observe this,

That the sense and apprehension of pardon of sins already obtained,* 1.4 doth not beget carnal security, but a further mollifying and hum∣bling of the heart in a gracious manner.

This is a practical truth of great concernment. And for the opening of it, take notice of this distinction, as a foundation,* 1.5 viz. That there is in Scripture a two-fold Repentance or Humiliati∣on of the soul for sin; the one antecedent, and going before par∣don, and this the Scripture requireth as a necessary condition, without which forgiveness of sin cannot be obtained: of this Repentance the Scripture for the most part speaks, Ezek▪ 14.18, 30. Mat. 3.2. Mark 6.12. Luk. 13.3. Act. 3.19. and generally in most places of Scripture. In the second place there is an Hu∣miliation of heart, and brokenness of soul for sin, arising from th•• apprehension of Gods love in pardoning, whereby we grieve, that we should deal so unkindely with so good and gracious a God: This, though more rarely, yet is sometimes spoken of in Scri∣pture, as first in this woman, who out of the apprehension of Gods love in pardoning so much to her, did pour out her soul in all wayes of thankfulness. After this manner also was Davids Repentance, Psal. 51. for he was thus deeply affected after Na∣than had told him, His sin was taken away: Although it doth appear by the Psalm also, that he had not as yet that sense of pardon, which did quiet his conscience. This kinde of affecti∣on was also in Paul, 1 Tim. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. 1 Cor. 15.8, 9. in which places the Apostle remembring his former sins, confesseth them, and acknowledgeth thereby his unworthinesse of all that grace and favour he had received; so that the Apostle doth not there humble himself that he may obtain mercy, but because he had obtained mercy. The most eminent instance of this kinde of sorrow and shame, is Ezek. 16.62, 63. where God promiseth to establish his Covenant with them, and then mark the event of this, That thou may••st remember and be confounded, and never open

thy mouth more because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee.

So then both these kindes of Humiliations are to be owned and practised; and therefore it is a false and dangerous error to acknowledge no other kinde of Repentance then the later: The Papists will not acknowledge this later Humiliation at all, be∣cause they deny all Faith and Assurance that a believer may have of his sins in particular: And others, that there is only this later, and therefore the fore-mentioned Author, in his Treatise of Go∣spel-repentance, makes this only Gospel-repentance: but as Go∣spel-faith is not that reflect act of the soul in a man, whereby it is perswaded that Christ is his, but a direct act of taking and re∣ceiving Christ to be ours: so a Gospel-repentance is not that mainly whereby we are humbled, because we receive Gods love to us in pardoning, but principally in that loathing of our selves to obta••n pardon: It is therefore great ignorance in that Au∣thor, in his Treatise of Gospel-repentance, when pag. 58. he cals Repentance that goeth before this Faith, viz. that my sins are pardoned, a dead work; as if the Faith that justifieth, and with∣out which it is impossible to please God, were the believing that my sins are pardoned; whereas the Scripture makes it to be, the receiving of Christ, and laying hold on him: and seeing that the object must in order of nature be before the act that is im∣ployed about it, it followeth infallibly, that I must have Justi∣fication, before I can believe I have it: Repentance therefore may be thought to go before a two-fold act of Faith; First, That whereby Christ is laid hold upon and made ours, and so the Re∣pentance that precedeth this, may be called legal and slavish. Or secondly, Before a perswasion that my sins are pardoned, and be∣fore this act of Faith, Repentance must necessarily go, because the Covenant of Grace dispenseth pardon only to such.

* 1.6But because I have already spoken enough of the former kinde of Repentance anteceding Remission of sins, vindicating the necessity of it, I shall press upon this later, as being most pro∣per to my Text. And that assurance of apprehension of pardon, doth not beget security, but rather increase godliness, will appear several wayes.

And first thus: Those places which speak of Gods gracious

Properties, do represent them as grounds of duty, as well as of consolation, Psal. 130.4. There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared: Mark that expression [There is forgiveness with thee:] which implieth forgiveness to be in God as in a fountain, and therefore he doth easily, and plentifully forgive; but lest any Spider should suck poison out of this sweet flower, he ad∣deth, That thou mayest be feared; here is no incouragement to security. Thus Hos. 3.5. there is a gracious Promise of God to his children, that they shall fear him and his goodness. As it is Gods glorious Property to work good out of evil, so it is a most devilish quality to work evil out of good.

2. The Promises of God, they also require an holy and humble walking, 2 Cor. 7.1. The Apostle having in the Chapter before mentioned those glorious Promises in the Covenant of Grace, That he would be our God, and we his sons and daughters, makes this inference, Having those promises, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness, perfecting holiness in the fear of God: So that here is no danger, as long as we keep close to the genuine use of the Scripture. Thus also Eph. 4.30. Grieve not the Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed, &c. Where Assurance is so far from incouraging to sin, that by sin it is weakned and destroyed. The more gracious then we perceive God to us, the more humilia∣tion and debasement we finde in our selves. Thus the Apostle Peter, 1 Pet. 1.17. If ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth all men, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. To make therefore doubting, a duty and meritorious, as some Papists have done, is to betray great ignorance of Scri∣pture motives.

3. That Assurance of pardon is ap•• to kindle spiritual affections in us, is plain, if you consider the nature of such Assurance.* 1.7

1. Originally it is wrought by the Spirit of God: as a man by [ 1] the power of Free-will, is not able to do any supernatural good thing, so neither by the strength of natural light, can he discern the gracious priviledges God bestoweth upon him, 1 Cor. 2.12. The Spirit whereby we know the things that are freely given us of God, is opposed to the spirit of the world: If then this perswasion be not the fruit of the flesh, but of the Spirit, is it any wonder▪ that it inclineth us to holy things? Again,

[ 2] 2. This perswasion of pardon cometh in the use of those means appointed by God. 2 Pet. 1.10. By giving great diligence in the use of the means, we only come to Assurance. How then can such a per∣swasion of forgiveness cause a neglect of the means?

[ 3] Lastly, That Spirit which doth thus assure, doth work also at the same time, concomitant gracious effects, especially ser∣vent and effectual prayer, Rom. 8. Gal. 3. Now where constant powerful Prayer is, that soul is like a tree planted by the waters side.

* 1.84. That this perswasion of pardon doth inflame much to Ho∣liness, appeareth from the nature and state of those who are in it. They are sons, Now by experience we see, that in an ingenuous son, the more apprehension there is of his fathers tender love and kindeness to him, the more obsequious and serviceable he is; Can we think that the fathers great love to his prodigal son, was not like coals of fire poured on him to melt and thaw him? We rather see jealousies and suspitions of love to breed hatred at last. Hence diffidence worketh despair, and despair hatred of God: It is therefore a special duty lying upon the people of God, to entertain good thoughts of God, and to be perswaded of his loving kindeness to them.

5. That the people of God do yet mourn and abhorre them∣selves for their sins, though perswaded of the pardon of them, ariseth from the sincerity and uprightness of their heart, where∣by they hate sin as sin, and grieve for the dishonour they have put upon God. It is indeed lawful, yea a duty to repent of sin, that it may be pardoned, because the Scripture propounds this as a motive and incouragement to the duty: And it is a vain thing, to affect more high and spiritual strains then the Scripture. But Humiliation of sin, when pardoned, and after the knowledge of the pardon, doth evidently discover an upright heart, that the dishonour of God is more trouble and grief to him, then his own punishment and destruction. Whereby it is, that hedoth so accuse and condemn himself for dealing so wretchedly and frowardly with so gracious a God.

6. That ingenious principle of Gratitude and Thankfulness which reigneth in the godly, will put them upon all these servi∣ces. Godliness in the lives of the godly may be considered two

wayes: First, as a means wherein they attain to eternal life: Se∣condly, as an expression of Thankfulness unto God. Hence Ʋr∣sine in his Catechism inscribeth that part of Divinity, which con∣taineth our duty, de gratitudine, of Thankfulness. Bern. Ep. 107. Justus quis est, nisi qui amanti se Deo vicem rependit amoris? quod non fit nisi revelante spiritu per fidem aeternum Dei propositum de sua salute. Who is a righteous man, but he that returneth love to God, for Gods loving of him? And how can this be, but by Gods Spirit revealing his purpose of Election, concerning the just mans Salvation?

Use of Instruction, Doth the apprehension of great pardon,* 1.9 breed great Humiliation, then we may see the necessity of that Ministery and preaching, which doth discover the depth,* 1.10 length and breadth of sin. They take the best way to set up grace and magnifie Christ, who do amplifie the pollution of sin in us: Now that we may come to be convinced how much God doth for∣give us, two points are much to be insisted upon.

1. The Doctrine of original corruption,* 1.11 for thereby we shall see our selves guilty of more sins then ever we thought of; a man without this Scripture-light, is like one in a dark dungeon, which is full of Serpents, Toads, and all venemous creatures, but is not able to see any of them, and so thinks himself without any danger at all. If therefore thou wouldst see how much is forgi∣ven, reckon up all the debts thou owest. The mercy and skill of the Physician will then appear, when the worst of thy disease is made manifest.

A second Point much to be pressed, is the pure,* 1.12 strict and exact obligation of the law, which being set as a pure glass before thee, all thy deformities will appear. In this sense it is good to be a le∣gal Preacher and a legal Hearer often: that so knowing the ho∣liness of the Law, and our imperfection, we may esteem the more of Gods Grace in pardoning so much; As God in the outward passages of his providence doth therefore suffer one trouble to follow another, like so many waves, that so the greater their ca∣lamities have been, his wisdom, power and goodness may be the more conspicuous in delivering of them. Thus it is also in his spi∣ritual administrations, he will not reveal the riches of Grace, but to the poor in spirit, nor will he give ease and refreshment, but to

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those that are heavy laden and burdened. And this is the reason, why a Pharisee, a formalist, a moral man, a self-righteous man, doth not love Christ, as converted Publicans and sinners do.

* 1.13Use second of Admonition, to those who have sinned much, and so have had much forgiven them, let such know their expen∣ces of practised grace, must be according to the receipts of justi∣fying Grace. Let such know, the pardon of many sins is a talent to be greatly improved. As thou hast abounded in many sins, and God in many pardons, so do thou in much thankfulness. How thankful would we be to a man who hath delivered us often from a temporal death! but behold a greater love is manifested here. Thou who hast (it may be) been the chiefest sinner of ma∣ny thousands, be now the chiefest Believer of many thousands; If thou hast been a great sinner, and art not now a great actour, and spiritual merchant negotiating for God, fear the truth of thy grace; much love should be like much fire that consumes all dross; quicken up thy self with such thoughts as these, Lord, who was more plunged into sin then I? whose diseases were greater then mine? It may be thousands and thousands for less and few∣er sins then I have committed, are now taking their portion in hell. O Lord, this thy overflowing goodness doth overcome me, oh that I had the hearts of all men and Angels to praise thee.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An Entrance into the Text, from the con∣sideration of the history.
• * 1.2

  Two Questi∣ons resolved for cle••ring the Text. Answ.
• * 1.3

  1 When this Penitents sinne was pardone••. 2. Whether the expression in the text favour any causality in the Peni∣tents love in reference to h••r pardon.
• * 1.4

  Observ. 1.
• * 1.5

  A two▪fold re∣pe••ta••ce in Script••re.
• * 1.6

  The Observa∣tion proved from Scripture
• * 1.7

  By reason,
• * 1.8

  Further evi∣dence from ex∣perience.
• * 1.9

  Ʋse 1.
• * 1.10

  To press this use upon us, two things e∣specially to be insisted upon.
• * 1.11

  1. The doctrine of o••i••inal co••ruption.
• * 1.12

  2. The strict obligation of the Law.
• * 1.13

  Ʋse 2.