Chapter 21

He proceeds in the discourse of God's mercy, which he showeth to them that cordially ask pardon. This is a consideration, of power to conquer all Despair.

A Cup¹ of dangerous poison doth he drink who committeth sin. A most deformed and terrible face it hath, in the eyes of such as truly consider of it; and very able to affright any man, though he be never so stout; if he pause and consider with a lively feeling, what that is, which he hath done thereby; and against whom he hath done it; and the promises of happiness which he hath lost, and the threats of misery that hang over his head. David, beholding these things, doth cry out, though he were full of courage, My hart hath failed me.

But this so great misery, is no● left by God, without remedy, as hath been said. And to the end that he, who needeth remedy, may have it; I will declare somewhat of the greatness of the mercy of God, which he useth towards sinners, that ask his pardon. The Devil will not fail to play his part, and will fright thee, as hath been said, by representing the greatness of thy sins. But make thou no answer; only turn thyself to God, and say, For thy name's sake O Lord, pardon my sin,² for it is great. And if God will give thee grace to find out the mystery of these words; certainly thou wilt be fare from despair, how much soever thou have sinned. Didst³ thou ever see, or hear of any Tribunal of a judge, where a man, being accused of many, and grievous crimes, (with intention that he might be condemned & punished, according to his demerit) himself should confess his fault, and admit of the accusation; and should take, for the means of his pardon, the confession it self, of that very thing, which the accuser did so much exaggerate, and whereby he laboured so to condemn him? So as, thou art to make account, that the guilty person speaketh thus; O Lord, I grant all, and I confess that I have sinned much; but thou shalt pardon me for the honour of thy name. And this course taketh effect with him, both in respect of God, and in regard of himself.

Our⁴ Lord God, hath both justice and mercy; and when he beholdeth our faults with justice, they provoke him to wrath; and the more sins we have committed, we urge him to inflict the greater punishment. But again, when he looketh upon our sins with mercy, they move him not to anger, but to compassion; because⁵ he doth not consider them, as an offence of his, but as a misery of ours. And as there cannot happen to us, a thing that hurteth us so much as sin; so also is there not to be found, so fit an object for his mercy to work upon, as the same sin; if it be considered, as I have said. And so much more as we have sinned, so much more hurt have we done ourselves; and so much more do we provoke to mercy, the hart which hath it. and which is disposed to use it; as is the hart of our merciful Lord, who is the true shower of mercies.

Know therefore now, that the men who have sinned much, do carry themselves in one of these two manners. Some,⁶ despairing of remedy like Cain, do turn their backs to God, and deliver themselves over, (as S Paul saith) to all filthiness, and sin; and their hearts do harden daily, more, and more, against all goodness. So fare, at that, even when they are in the deep bottom of iniquity, it never troubleth them; but they take pride therein; and so much more is it fit to have compassion of them, as they have none of themselves. The thing which happeneth to these men, is that, whereof the scripture speaketh; With the hard hart, it shall go ill, in the latter end. And woe be to him, who is to feel this ill; for it were better for him, that he had never been borne.

There⁷ are others, who having committed many sins, do, by the help of God, return to themselves; and wounding their hart with grief, and being full of confusion, and shame, do humble themselves before the mercy of God; and that, with so much more humility, and cordial sorrow, as their sins have been greater & more. And because God doth lodge his eyes, upon an humbled and contrite hart; and when men are humbled, he giveth them grace; more grace he giveth, to such as he findeth more humbled; and the occasion thereof, was the having committed so many sins, which they confess, and bewail, but without despair. And they do thus allege, and beg before the mercy of God, That since their misery, and ruin is very great, his mercy may be also plentiful, and very great. Thus said David, Have mercy, O Lord, upon me, according to thy great mercy. Now because God, as hath been said, looketh with eyes of mercy upon the sinner, who is contrite, and humbled. there, doth he give a greater pardon, and a larger grace, then where there were not so many sins, nor so much humiliation. Fulsilling that, which S. Paul⁸ hath said, That where sin abounded, grace did superabound, and thus a man's greater fall, doth result to the greater praise of God; since he giveth him greater pardon, and more grace.

And⁹ where now is he, who understanding this, will despair, for being subject to many debts; since he seethe, that the liberality and bounty of our Lord, is more discovered, & more glorified, in making such a large and general release: and that God, taketh it as a point of honour to his Name, to pardon, and to pardon much. Nay knowing that it is but justice, that our Lord, and his Name should be glorified, we will say without despair, yea and not without great confidence. For thy name O Lord, thou shalt pardon my sin, even because it is great.

But¹⁰ Now, the glory which God draweth from hence, doth no way grow from this sin of ours; for sin, is, of itself, a high contempt, and a great irreverence against God,¹¹ but this proceedeth, from his omnipotent divine bounty; which draweth good out of evil; and procureth, that his enemies may serve him, by giving matter for his friends to praise him. Call to mind, that when the people of God remained in Egypt, men found themselves in great affliction; and they did but expect their death, by the hands of their enemies, who came close upon them. Yet Moses said to them; Fear¹² nothing; for these Egyptians shall perish, and you shall never see them more. And when the sea had drowned them, and cast them up upon the shore, the children of Israel made a stand, to look upon them. And although they saw them, yet they saw them dead, and consequently, without fear of seeing them, as if they had seen them no more. Hereby they took occasion to give glory to him that slew them; and they said, Let us sing unto our Lord, for he hath been gloriously magnifyed; and he hath drowned both horse, and horsemen in the sea.

All this is a figure, of that straight affliction, wherein our sins do put us; representing themselves unto our souls, as enemies of mighty strength, who are about to kill, and swallow us up. But the word of God, (being full of all reason to make us hope) doth give us hart, by requiring that we despair not; and that we turn not back upon the vices of Egypt; but that (proceeding in the good purpose, whereby we began to walk, in the way of God) we should keep on foot; being comforted in his assistance; to the end that we may see his wonders. Which are, that in that sea of his mercy, and in the crimson blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, our sins are drowned; & so also, is the Devil, who came mounted upon them, like a Cavalier, that so, neither he, not they may do us hurt. But¹³ rather we remembering them (although they grieve us (as it is fit they should) they may yet give us occasion, to render thankes, and glory to our Lord God, for having been such a father of pity in pardoning us; and of supreme wisdom in drawing good out of our evil, by giving true death, to sinne which killed us. And that which remaineth thereof in us alive (which is the memory of having committed it) doth but serve, that his elect may grow the better by it, and become the exalters of his honour.

Footnotes

1. What a hideous thing sin is, if it be truly considered. ↩

2. A strange reason, but so good is God, as that it works upon him. ↩

3. Be sure to mark this well. ↩

4. A consideration of unspeakable comfort for us. ↩

5. No●e. ↩

6. Obstinate, and insolent, despairing sinners. ↩

7. The sinner, who is penitent. ↩

8. Rom. ●● ↩

9. A most sovereign remedy against despair. ↩

10. Note. ↩

11. See how artificial the dear goodness of God is, to wicked mankind. ↩

12. A place of Holy Scripture divinely pondered. ↩

13. A circumstance, excellently applied. ↩