A30582:217
Gospel remission, or, A treatise showing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin…Gospel remission, or, A treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin…
Gospel remission, or, A treatise showing 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 symptoms 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.]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.]
London: printed for Dor. Newman, 1668
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Seventhly, This is a great dishonour to Gods pardoning mercy, for men to put off the seeking of it to the worst times that possible can be; Is it not the ordinary way of most people, to put of the seeking of the grace and favour of God, Pardon of sin, and Reconciliation, till the time of sickness, and the time of death? they go on all their life time in sinning against God; but when they are lying upon their sick-beds and death-beds, Lord have mercy upon me, pardon me, forgive me, a wicked wretch that I have been; these kind of words we hear from men at that time: O that God would forgive and pardon such and such sins, and then perhaps they will tell some particular sins if they think they shall die, they will open themselves to the Minister, or to some faithful Neighbour in the disclosing of their particular sins, and beseech them to pray to God for mercy; but if they have any hopes to escape, they will keep them in, and be loath to rip open the sins of their lives: This I say, for any to put off ⟨p. 100⟩the seeking unto God for his pardoning grace till that time, it is to put a great dishonour upon God, for it is a putting of it off to the worst time that possible can be. And that makes much to the dishonour of God: For
First, Those men seek pardon of sin, when sin is leaving them, or they must leave sin whether they will or no; when you have served your own turn of sin, after you have had as much supposed pleasure as you can, then you think to be delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin; what is there but a mere selfish spirit in seeking God now, and God sees it so; it is not seeking after pardon of sin that you may honour God in his infinite grace, for then you would seek after it now, and the honour of God would be dear to you now; but you seek it at such a time merely out of respect to your selves, this is a great dishonour to God, It is the first born of Gods glory to pardon sin; and for God to see men and women have no higher ends in seeking pardoning grace, but merely to save their own skins; How may God look upon them with disdain? What shall I magnify the riches of my grace so wonderfully in this work of my pardoning mercy? And shall my creatures seek after it for no other end, nor higher aims, but merely to save their own skins? you bring down the grace of God, that that is the top of his infinite Majesty and Glory you put to a low and base end; therefore put not off seeking it to the last, 'tis a great dishonour to his grace.