A30582:263
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.
Answ. These are the things I would have you do.
First I would have you turn your fears of presuming, into fears of dishonouring the grace of God. I would have you be as fearful that Gods grace should be dishonoured by unbelief, as now you are fearful lest you should presume upon Gods grace; those that are secure, they fear not lest they should presume; but those whose consciences are awakened, their great fear is least they should presume upon Gods grace, and dishonour it by presumption; if thou fearest thou shouldst dishonour the grace of God by presumption, why shouldst thou not fear lest thou shouldst dishonour it by unbelief, as well as by presumption? certainly the strength of this temptation is from the Devil. Those that have their consciences troubled for sin, he labours to keep them from venturing on the grace of God, least they should presume; but the way to cut the Sinews of this temptation, is to fear rather least thou shouldst dishonour the grace of God by unbelief; many look not at unbelief as a great sin, but God is displeased at thy unbelief, as much as by those that do presume.
Secondly, The thing I would have you to do, you that are under the checkings of Conscience for sin, and full of doubts that God will not pardon, and you cannot be persuaded your sins are pardonable. Labour to set the greatness of the pardoning grace of God in the fullness of it, to the utmost you can, before the eye of your souls, That it may be before you; though you cannot reach to it, yet set it before you; you do not know what an efficacy the pardoning grace of God hath, by being presented before your souls, and kept there; no marvel you find not the power of it, when as you set it not before your eyes, the efficacy of Gods grace lies much in presenting it before your souls. The Brazen Serpent, if they looked not to it, it would never heal; So though the pardoning grace of God, be in books and Sermons; yet unless it be before your eyes, and you fix and fasten the eye of your souls upon it; it will never heal