eing
pardoned he becometh just before God; yet we dare not say, but
conscience afterward, being alarmed with new transgressions, may
mistake, as people suddenly put into a fight are ready to do; nor dare
we say, that God will not permit Satan to upbraid us with those sins,
which have been blotted out long ago, as he suffered Shimei, who was but
an instrument of Satan, to cast up to David his blood-guiltiness, which
had been pardoned long before. The Lord may think good to suffer this,
that his people may be kept humble, and made more tender and watchful in
all their ways.

5. Believers would not misimprove or abuse this great condescendency of
free grace, and take the great liberty to sin, because there is such a
sure, safe, and pleasant way of getting those sins blotted out and
forgiven. "Shall we sin because we are not under grace, but under the
law? That be far from us," saith the Apostle, Rom. vi. 15. This were
indeed to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness. And it may be a
question, if such as have really repented, and gotten their sins
pardoned, will be so ready to make this use of it; sure sense of pardon
will work some other effect, as we see, Ezek. xvi. 62, 63.

6. The believer, in going about this work of nailing his sins to the
cross of Christ, and of improving Christ's death, resurrection, and
constant intercession, for the obtaining of pardon, would not think of
going alone, or of doing this in his own strength; for of himself he can
do nothing. He must look to Christ for grace to help in this time of
need, and must go about this duty with dependence on him, waiting for
the influence of light, counsel, strength, and grace from him, to repent
and believe; for he is a prince exalted to give repentance, first and
last, and he is the author and finisher of faith; so that without him we
can do nothing.

7. Let the believer beware of concluding, that be hath got no pardon,
because he hath met with no sensible intimation thereof by the flowing
in of peace and joy in his soul. Pardon is one mercy, and intimation of
it to the soul is another distinct mercy, and separable from it: shall
we therefore say, we have not gotten the first, because we have not
gotten both? The Lord, for wise reasons, can pardon poor sinners, and
not give any intimation thereof; viz. that they may watch more against
sin afterward, and not be so bold as they have been; and that they may
find more in experience, what a bitter thing it