The returning backslider, or, A commentary upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy…The returning backslider, or, A commentarie upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy…

We have an error crept in amongst some of the meaner ignorant sort of people, who think that God sees no sin, when he hath once pardoned men in Justification, who falsely smooth themselves in this wicked sensual conceit, think they can commit no sin offensive to God; as though God should frame such a Justification for men, to blindfold him and cast dust (as it were) in his eyes: or justify men to make them loose and idle. No, it is false, as appeareth by this place; for how can God heal that he sees not? He sees it not to be revenged on them for it, but he sees sin, to correct it and to heal it. He sees it not after a revengeful wrathful justice to cast us into Hell and damn ⟨p. 171⟩us for it; but he sees it after a sort to make us smart and lament for it, and to have many times a bitter sense of his wrath and forsaking, as men undone without a new supply of comfort and peace from Heaven. Let a man neglect Sanctification, daily sorrow and confession of sin, and now and then even craving new pardon for sins past, casting all upon a fantastic conceit of faith in their justification: what follows, but Pride, Hardness of heart, Contempt of others and neglect of better then themselves, and proneness, out of Gods judgement, to fall from ill to worse, from one error to another? In this case the heart is false and deceitful, for whilst it pretends a glorious faith to look back to Christ, to live by faith, and lay all on him by justification; it winds it self out of all tasks of Religion, sets the heart at liberty, neglects Sanctification and Mortification of lusts, and beautifying the image of God in them, giving too much way to the flesh. Therefore away with this false and self-conceited opinion: which draws poison out of that which God speaks to confirm and stablish us, That he sees no iniquity in Jacob, &c. Whence from these Hyperbolical speeches, they think that God seeth not that which we our selves see. But, he heals our backslidings, therefore he sees them, for how can he heal a wound, if he see it not? He sees it, but not to their destruction who are freely justified by his grace. But we will leave this point, it being too much honour to them to ⟨p. 172⟩spend time in confutation of it and will rather say unto it, as Isay speaks of a menstruous cloth, get thee hence.¹

We have an error crept in amongst some of the meaner ignorant sort of people, who thinke that God sees no sinne, when he hath once pardoned men in Justification, who falsely smooth themselves in this wicked sensuall conceit, thinke they can commit no sinne offensive to God; as though God should frame such a Justification for men, to blindfold him and cast dust (as it were) in his eyes: or justifie men to make them loose and idle. No, it is false, as appeareth by this place; for how can God heale that he sees not? He sees it not to be revenged on them for it, but hee sees sinne, to correct it and to heale it. He sees it not after a revengefull wrathfull justice to cast us into Hell and damne