The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errors of Papists, Arminians,…The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errours of Papists, Arminians,…

Thus it would be with the people of God, how can they in their prayers entreat God to turn away his anger from them, to hide his face from their sins, if he were not indeed angry? Now that the petitions of Gods people are for this end, will appear by several places. I shall not here mention that petition, we are directed to in the Lords prayer, viz. forgive us our sins, for that is a noble instance, and deserveth a single consideration of its self; but we have many other instances, as Psa▪ 51.9. Hide thy face from my sins. It is plain by this prayer, Gods face, and so his eyes were upon Davids sins though justified, and that a godly man falling into grievous sins, hath them not presently covered from Gods eyes; for his meaning by this phrase, is, that God would not regard them to ⟨p. 62⟩visit them on him, the contrary whereof is Psa. 119.15. Let their sin be continually before thee; and this is observable, that David doth again and again petition for pardon, whereby is showed how difficult a thing it is to obtain the favour of God after we have offended him by our sins. Neither let that be replied, that this is done by Believers in the Old Testament; for Paul bringeth a proof from Psa. 32.1. to show what is the nature of Justification, even under the Gospel. And that I may once for all this dissolve this objection of theirs, I shall handle distinctly this question, Whether the Justification of believers under the Old Testament and New, be not uniform and altogether the same? which is to be affirmatively maintained, and therefore remit you to that question. For the present, we see how David here doth twice and thrice with much vehemency desire that Gods face would not be upon his sins. ¹Here may be one considerable question made, seeing Nathan the Prophet had told David his sin was forgiven him; Was not this great unbelief and diffidence, to pray for pardon after that consolation? To this it may be answered,

Thus it would be with the people of God, how can they in their prayers entreat God to turn away his anger from them, to hide his face from their sins, if he were not indeed angry? Now that the petitions of Gods people are for this end, will appear by severall places. I shall not here mention that petition, we are directed to in the Lords prayer, viz. forgive us our sins, for that is a noble instance, and deserveth a single consideration of its self; but we have many other instances, as Psa 51.9. Hide thy face from my sins. It is plain by this praier, Gods face, and so his eyes were upon Davids sins though justified, and that a godly man falling into grievous sins, hath them not presently covered from Gods eyes; for his meaning by this phrase, is, that God would not regard them to