Gospel remission, or, A treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin wherein is discovered the many Gospel mysteries therein contained, the glorious effects proceeding from it, the great mistakes made about it, the true signs and symptomes of it, the way and means to obtain it / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being several sermons preached immediately after those of The evil of sin by the same author, and now published by Philip Nye ... [et al.]

CHAP. VIII. Of Pardoning Mercy being a Perfect Mercy.

BLessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven, for this mercy is a perfect mercy, that is, where God doth pardon any sinner, such a one stands as perfect before God in point of Justification as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or any of the Prophets or righteous men that ever lived in the world: thou poor Soul, Man or Woman, Youth or Servant, if God come unto thee, & pardon any of your sins, thou standest as fully justified as Abraham, Paul, Peter, or any of the Apostles and Prophets; though in Sanctification thou fallest short of them, yet though art justified as perfectly as ever they were: Justification is an act that is done altogether and at once, therefore a perfect work; and this is an Argument of infinite Consolation to the Saints of God, that the great busi∣ness between God and them in point of Justification is per∣fected; Psal. 51.7. David prays to God that he would purge him with Hysop and he should be clean, that is, that he might be cleansed by Justification, by having the guilt of sin taken from his Conscience by a renewed act of pardon; and then as it fol∣lows, I shall be whiter than Snow: the Saints of God though they be Sanctified, they are not whiter than the snow in San∣ctification, but in Justification they are whiter than the snow; no spot at all in them, Ephes. 5.27. Christ presents his Church unto himself without spot; in point of Justification every be∣lieving soul is without spot before the Lord, Numb. 23.21. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob; that is, though God knows there is iniquity there, yet he sees is not to charge them with it, or impute it to them; all is done away in that regard by Justification: it is observable to this purpose, what we have

in Cant. 4.7. Thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee, no spot in thee; there are spots in respect of Sanctification; yea, but in respect of Justification it may be said of her, There is no spot at all in thee; Thou art all fair my Love, it is the words of Christ, he comes forth and says, Thou art all fair my Love: Alas, when the Believer looks upon himself, his own duties and performances, he sees nothing at all but spots, all besmear'd and bespatter'd all over; why, though thou lookest on thy self be spotted, yet Christ looks upon thee without spot, and God the Father looks upon thee through Christ without spot, and says, Thou art all fair, there is no spot in thee; thou thinkest it may be, that if God should make a discovery of thy heart to all thy Christian friends and acquaintance, thou would'st ap∣pear so foul, that they would cast thee out of their society, and never have to do with thee more; yet for all this, Christ says, Thou art all fair, there is no spot at all in thee. Justification ad∣mits of no degrees, no not in Heaven, thou art not more justi∣fied there than thou art here; thou art now as perfectly ju∣stified as ever, and accepted of Christ as ever: Sanctification is renewed day by day, it being a work of God within us, we in∣crease in it dayly; but Justification is a work of God without us, and so is perfected at once; and hence then this makes a pardoned soul blessed, because pardon of sin is of such a nature, that it is a perfect work. Hence then I will but touch it, Here is

1. Abundance of comfort to a pardoned soul, though thou art weak in Sanctification, and it troubles thee to think, how far thou comest short of Abraham's faith, Moses his meekness, David's love, Paul's zeal, Solomon's wisdom, and Job's pati∣ence; yet this know, that thou art equal in Justification with Abraham, Moses, David, and all the Prophets; and this may be a mighty comfort to thee against the weakness of thy Sancti∣fication.

2. This should be a mighty ingagement upon thy spirit; Has God made thee equal to them in Justification? how should'st thou labour to be like to them in Sanctification? think thus with thy self, Is the mercy of God so rich and glorious come, though I be a poor, wicked, wretched vile sinner, that I should be made equal to the greatest Saints in Justification? Oh how

should I labour to follow hard after them, and get as near to them as I can in point of Sanctification: this Argument should come with power and strength upon our hearts, to stir up all our endeavours to be like to them in point of Sanctification, that are equal with them in point of Justification. How should we imitate Moses his Meekness, David's Love, Paul's Zeal, and Job's Patience.

Notes

• 8. Argu∣ment.