A49255:412
The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin…
The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin and the privilege of the pardon of sin : together with a discourse of Christs ascension into heaven and of his coming again from heaven : wherein the opinion of the Chiliasts is considered and solidly confuted / being the sum and substance of several sermons preached by that faithful servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love ...The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin and the priviledge of the pardon of sin : together with a discourse of Christs ascension into heaven and of his coming again from heaven : wherein the opinion of the Chiliasts is considered and solidly confuted / being the sum and substance of several sermons preached by that faithful servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love ...
London: printed for John Rothwell, 1657
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.
Secondly, It is for this reason, to raise up in mens hearts a higher esteem of pardoning grace; things hardly come by, are highly set by; what is the reason that birds do chirp and sing more sweetly in the spring then in any other part of the year? it is for this, because after the vanishing away of a long and tedious winter the refreshing Spring comes in: Beloved, The Lord makes his people chirp and sing in the sense of pardoning grace, rejoicing in that the more, the longer the winter of desertion hath been: when God lets them have long desertion, then they do the more rejoice and sing when pardons are attained: Men do then prize the shore, when they have been tossed by a tempest on the sea. Those that have been tossed on the waves of spiritual trouble, that have had a storm and tempest in their conscience, they will prize pardoning grace most.
Secondly, It is for this reason, to raise up in mens hearts a higher esteem of pardoning grace; things hardly come by, are highly set by; what is the reason that birds do chirp and sing more sweetly in the spring then in any other part of the year? it is for this, because after the vanishing away of a long and tedious winter the refreshing Spring comes in: Beloved, The Lord makes his people chirp and sing in the sense of pardoning grace, rejoycing in that the more, the longer the winter of desertion hath been: when God lets them have long desertion, then they doe the more rejoyce and sing when pardons are attained: Men do then prize the shore, when they have been tossed by a tempest on the sea. Those that have been tossed on the waves of spirituall trouble, that have had a storm and tempest in their conscience, they will prize pardoning grace most.
Thirdly, God doth sometimes pardon a mans sin, yet not tell him of it; and it is for rebuke to him, because ⟨p. 93⟩he hath not lived in the exercise of grace: thou keepest back obedience from God, and God keeps back comfort from thee: this is a main reason why sometimes God pardons a sinner, and yet doth not tell him of it in his own conscience. It is done in heaven, the pardon is written there; but it is not done in the conscience, it is not written here: It is to give thee a rebuke, a check in thine own heart; surely I have not exercised grace, therefore surely God will not give me the comforting work of his Spirit: when thou art not much in grace, then thou shalt be but little in peace, it is just with God so to do.