GRACE REIGNING IN THE EVERLASTING PARDON OF SIN

This forgiveness is everlasting and irreversible. This is the last and crowning requisite of a complete pardon. Various passages in sacred writ evince the glorious truth. Among many others, that charming clause in the new covenant is not the least remarkable: "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." This declaration is made by truth itself. This declaration and the blessing signified by it enter into the very essence of the new, and better, the unchangeable covenant. If then He, who alone has a power to punish and a right to pardon the criminal, declares that He will remember his iniquities no more, we may rest assured that it is an everlasting forgiveness, a pardon never to be reversed. This declaration is not simply a promise, though a mere promise from the God of truth is irrevocable, but it is a promise in a covenant form — an absolute promise, which faithfulness itself is engaged to make good. The continuance of a pardoned state not depending on conditions so to be performed by the sinner but on the perpetual efficacy of the atonement of Christ and the inviolable faithfulness of the eternal God, there is all possible security that a full and free pardon, once granted, shall ever abide in its full force and in all its glory.

The same comfortable truth is taught and confirmed by David. "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." Hence we infer that the sins of those who are forgiven shall never come against them to their condemnation; unless those two opposite points should ever meet, and so cease to be what they are. Nor can the blessedness which the Psalmist in another place ascribes to the pardoned sinner be accounted for on any other supposition. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven." For if all his offences were not forgiven, all entirely, and that for ever, what peace for his conscience here, what hope and glory hereafter could he enjoy? If the continuance of his pardoned state depended on his own obedience, if by a relapse into sin he would again be liable to condemnation and wrath, all his present enjoyments and future hopes would not deserve the name of blessedness, the tenure by which they are held being so precarious. Precarious? I retract the expression. There would be all the certainty on the opposite side that could be had; not the least probability in his favour, or the least ground to suppose that he would ever obtain eternal happiness. And where the conscience is awake, present peace will always keep pace with a hope of future felicity.

Another inspired penman thus expressed the joyful trugh: "Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." The trangressions of the pardoned sinner are here compared to a stone or some ponderous thing which, when cast into the fathomless deep, is absolutely irrecoverable by all the art and power of man, The loftiest towers, the most enormous mountains, with all the cumbrous load of rocks and forest, if cast into the ocean, would all entirely disappear and be lost forever. By this expressive and striking image does the Holy Ghost represent the perpetuity of that forgiveness which is with God, and is vouchsafed to the believer. Conformably to which the Lord says: "The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found." The reason of the assertion is contained in the following words: "For I will pardon them whom I reserve." A convincing proof that they who are pardoned by the God of grace have all their sins forgiven, and that for ever.

Isaiah, the evangelist of the Jewish church, has a passage much to our purpose. He represents the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, addressing His people in the following manner: "As I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." Here we have not only the word but the oath of Jehovah in attestation to the glorious truth. And if these fail,

"The pillar'd firmament is rottenness,
And earth's foundation stubble. "

But why should I multiply testimonies, when we find the apostle of the Gentiles, having this glorious truth full in his view, is bold to challenge every enemy and to defy every danger? What less can be the import of that herioc language: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who shall condemn?" If the blessing of pardon were ever to be reversed, if a sinner, having been once acquitted from the condemnation, should again come under the curse and be liable to perish, there would be but a slender foundation for such bold and confident expressions.

The doctrine of pardon is an essential branch and a capital article of that truth, which is by way of eminence called the gospel. For the cheering language of that heavenly message is: "Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this illustrious Jesus is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." Such is the import of the evangelical testimony, and the glorious blessing is received by faith in the dying Redeemer. "To Him give all the prophets witness, that, through His name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." Believing the infallible record which God has given of His own Son, we receive the atonement. The propitiating blood of Christ is sprinkled on our hearts, pardon is applied to our consciences, and peace enjoyed in our souls.

Nor is it any objection against the truth advanced that the Lord lays His chastening hand on the objects of this forgiveness. For though He does afflict and correct them, and frequently with some degree of severity on account of their backslidings, disobedience and ingratitude, yet these chastisements and corrections are instances and evidences of His paternal affection for them and constant care over them. And they have the strongest assurances that He "will never take from them His lovingkindness, nor suffer His faithfulness to fail."

Nor is it in any way inconsistent with the doctrine maintained that believers are expressly commanded to pray for the pardon of sin, and that this command has been frequently exemplified in the conduct of the most eminent saints, whose lives and character are recorded in the holy scriptures. For, to use the words of a learned author (Dr. Gill): "Very frequently when the saints pray, either for the forgiveness of their own or other's sins, their meaning is that God would in a providential way deliver them out of present distress, remove His afflicting hand which lies heavy upon them, or avert such judgments which seem to hang over their heads and very much threaten them; which when He does is an indication of His having pardoned them. We are to understand many petitions of Moses, Job, Solomon and others in this sense. Besides, when believers now pray for the pardon of sin, their meaning is that they might have the sense, the manifestation and application of pardoning grace to their souls. We are not to imagine that as often as the saints sin, repent, confess their sins, and pray for the forgiveness of them, that God makes and passes new acts of pardon. But whereas they daily sin against God, grieve His Spirit and wound their won consciences, they have need of the fresh sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, and of renewed manifestations of pardon to their souls; and it is both their duty and then-interest to attend the throne of grace on this account.

How glorious then is that "forgiveness which is with God," that pardon I have been describing! It has every requisite to make it complete in itself, and suitable for the indigent, miserable sinner. It has not one discouraging circumstance attending it in the least to forbid the most unworthy applying to the ever-merciful Jehovah for it. Cheering, charming, ravishing truth! It is full, free and everlasting; every way complete and worthy of God. Less than this would not have supplied our wants or served our purpose. If it had not been full, taking in every kind and every degree of sin, we must have suffered the punishment due to some part of it ourselves, and then we had been lost for ever. If it had not been entirely free, we could never have enjoyed the inestimable blessing, for we have nothing, nor can we do any thing to purchase it or qualify for it. And if it had not been everlasting, never to be reversed, we should have been under continual anxiety and painful apprehension lest God should recall the blessing when once bestowed on account of our present unworthiness or future failings. But being possessed of these properties, none, no not the vilest, have any reason desponding to say, "My sins, alas! are too many and great for me to expect a pardon." None have any cause to complain: "I long for the blessing, it is dearer to me than all worlds; but my strong corruptions and utter unworthiness render me incapable of ever enjoying it." Nor have any the least occasion to fear, after the comfortable enjoyment of the superlative privilege, lest they should forfeit it, and again come under condemnation and wrath.

"What shall we then say to these things? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound," in a perfect pardon? "God forbid!" So to act would, if possible, be worse than devilish, and more than damnable. Rather let the pardoned criminal say (yes, he will say with the warmest gratitude): "Bless the Lord, O my soul! and all that is within me, bless His holy name, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies."

Before I conclude this momentous part of my subject, I would beg leave to transcribe a few lines from a celebrated author in the last century, celebrated not more for his very superior learning than for his great penetration in spiritual things and experience in the Christian life (Dr. Owens). Treating about divine forgiveness, he says: "The forgiveness that is with God is such as becomes Him; such as is suitable to His greatness, goodness and all other excellencies of His nature; such as that therein He will be known to be God. What he says concerning some of the works of His providence, Be still and know that I am God, may be much more said concerning this great effect of His grace: Still yourselves and know that He is God. It is not like that narrow, difficult, halving and manacled forgiveness that is found amongst men, when any such thing is found amongst them; but it is full, free, bottomless, boundless, absolute, such as becomes His nature and excellencies. It is, in a word, forgiveness that is with God. and by the exercise of which He will be known to be. If there be any pardon with God, it is such as become Him to give. When He pardons, He will abundantly pardon. Go, with your half-forgiveness, conditional pardons, with reserves and limitations unto the sons of men. It may be it may become them; it is like themselves. That of God is absolute and perfect; before which our sins are as a cloud before the east wind and the rising sun. Hence He is said to do this work with His whole heart and His whole soul; freely, bountifully, largely to indulge and forgive unto us our sins, and to cast them into the bottom of the sea. Remember this, poor souls, when you are to deal with God in this matter." Again: "If we let go the free pardon of sin without respect unto any thing in those that receive it, we renounce the gospel. Pardon of sin is not merited by antecedent duties, but is the strongest obligation of future duties. He that will not receive pardon, unless he can one way or other deserve it or make himself meet for it; or pretends to have received it, and finds not himself obliged to universal obedience by it, neither is nor shall be partaker of it."

And now, reader, what think you of this glorious pardon? Is it suitable to your wants; is it worthy of your acceptance? You are peradventure one of those careless mortals that are at ease in their sins, and eargerly pursuing the tantalising pleasures of this uncertain life. But can you be content to live and die in utter ignorance of this forgiveness? Is pardon a blessing of small importance, or have you no occasion for it? Sinned you have, condemned you are, and without forgiveness, you die to eternity. Start, O start from your stupor! Your state is dreadful, though not desperate. Your sins are upon you, the law of God curses you, and you are in extreme danger of eternal damnation. You are tottering, as it were on the brink of a dreadful precipice, and nodding on the verge of the burning lake. Can you sleep in your sins, can you rest in an unpardoned state, when it is all uncertainty whether the next hour may not transmit you into an eternal world, place you at the bar of God and put you beyond the possibility of relief? May divine grace forbid that you should continue another moment in such a perilous situation! For another moment, and your life may be gone; another moment and your soul may be lost! and then your loss will be irreparable, inconceivable, and eternal!

Is my reader sensible of his want, and longing for the matchless blessing? Then look to Jesus, the dear, the dying Jesus. Your iniquities, it is true abound; but pardoning mercy, through His atonement, superabounds. Be of good cheer, take encouragement for the favour you so earnestly desire is a free gift. Blessed be God for the amazing mercy! Such are the methods of grace and such is the nature of this forgiveness that, as your eternal salvation is bound up in the enjoyment of it, so the everlasting honour of Jehovah is unspeakably advanced by freely bestowing it. There is no reason therefore that you should stand at a trembling distance, as if there were no such favour for you; but with boldness you may look for it in a way of grace through the blood of Christ, and the truth itself has most solemnly declared that you shall not be disappointed.

Once more. Are you acquainted, comfortably acquainted, with the pardoning goodness of God? Having much forgiven, you should love much. The remembrance of a blessing so immensely rich, the sense of a favour so extremely high, should enlarge your heart with all holy affections towards the Lord Redeemer, should animate all your devotional services, should cause you to compasssionate your offending brother in forgiving him his hundred pence, considering that God has forgiven you ten thousand talents; and make you zealous for every good work. This forgiveness, far from being an incentive to vice, will win over your affections on the side of virtue, will cause you to love God as infinitely holy, and to abhor sin as a direct opposition to His immaculate purity and revealed will. Yes, a sense of pardon, when warm on your mind, will work in you a godly sorrow for all sin, for the latent corruptions of your heart no less than the open trangressions of your life, and will cause you to confess them before God with shame and grief. Such are the genuine effects of divine forgiveness. These fruits will necessarily appear in some degree; and he who professes to know the pardon of his sins but does not forgive his offending brother, or walks in the ways and under the dominion of sin, "is a har, and the truth is not for him."

Abraham Booth (1734–1806)

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