Fourthly, There is no promise in all the word of God, made for §4the pardon of a sin before it be committed and repented of. If therefore the Word of God give no such encouragement, what presumption is it to make a faith, that all sins are pardoned, the Gospel-faith? for grant that such a thing were true, and to be believed, viz. That all sins are pardoned, yet that could not be the Gospel-faith, for the Gospel-faith is justifying faith: now the object of justifying faith, is not ens complexum, a proposition, such as this is, All my sins are pardoned; but ens incomplexum, a single object, which is Christ himself, received and applied by faith, I am not justified by believing my sins are pardoned, but by relying upon Christ for pardon; But this by the way. The strength of the Argument lieth in this, God hath made no promise for the pardon of a sin before it be committed and repented of. Therefore none may either believe or claim such a thing. The grand charter or privilege for pardon, as it is laid down in the Covenant of Grace, is contained in Jer. 31.34. which is also repeated, Heb. 8.12. Now this Covenant of Grace, as it promiseth pardon of sin, so also a new heart, and actual exercise of grace, so that they shall walk in all Gods ways. Now the way wherein pardon is to be had, is repentance and faith. We must not therefore conceive of the Covenant of Grace, as promising ⟨p. 250⟩pardon and forgiveness, without any qualification in the subject: this would contradict other places of Scripture. Therefore in the Covenant of Grace some things are promised absolutely, supposing nothing to go before, such are regeneration, the working of faith in us, giving his holy Spirit to us, and union with Christ. 2. There are many privileges in the Covenant of Grace, and those are given, where God hath wrought some former effects of his grace, and suppose them to be: such are Justification, pardon of sin, increase in grace, Glorification, all these things are promised in the Covenant of Grace, but made good where there are the former effects of Gods grace wrought in them. We do not therefore say, God doth not pardon sin, unless repentance go before, as if God needed repentance, as if he could not do it without repentance, as if repentance made God the better, or made him amends. These are idle calumnies cast upon this Doctrine in some Pamphlets.
Fourthly, There is no promise in all the word of God, made for §4the pardon of a sin before it be committed and repented of. If therefore the Word of God give no such encouragement, what presumption is it to make a faith, that all sins are pardoned, the Gospel-faith? for grant that such a thing were true, and to be beleeved, viz. That all sins are pardoned, yet that could not be the Gospel-faith, for the Gospel-faith is justifying faith: now the object of justifying faith, is not ens complexum, a proposition, such as this is, All my sins are pardoned; but ens incomplexum, a single object, which is Christ himself, received and applied by faith, I am not justified by beleeving my sins are pardoned, but by relying upon Christ for pardon; But this by the way. The strength of the Argument lieth in this, God hath made no promise for the pardon of a sin before it be committed and repented of. Therefore none may either beleeve or claim such a thing. The grand charter or priviledge for pardon, as it is laid down in the Covenant of Grace, is contained in Jer. 31.34. which is also repeated, Heb. 8.12. Now this Covenant of Grace, as it promiseth pardon of sin, so also a new heart, and actual exercise of grace, so that they shall walk in all Gods waies. Now the way wherein pardon is to be had, is repentance and faith. We must not therefore conceive of the Covenant of Grace, as promising ⟨p. 250⟩pardon and forgiveness, without any qualification in the subject: this would contradict other places of Scripture. Therefore in the Covenant of Grace some things are promised absolutely, supposing nothing to go before, such are regeneration, the working of faith in us, giving his holy Spirit to us, and union with Christ. 2. There are many priviledges in the Covenant of Grace, and those are given, where God hath wrought some former effects of his grace, and suppose them to be: such are Justification, pardon of sin, increase in grace, Glorification, all these things are promised in the Covenant of Grace, but made good where there are the former effects of Gods grace wrought in them. We do not theref•re say, God doth not pardon sin, unless repentance go before, as if God needed repentance, as if he could not do it without repentance, as if repentance made God the better, or made him amends. These are idle calumnies cast upon this Doctrine in some Pamphlets.
