every day The Scripture gives an Account why Execution is respited The Lord is not slack as some Men count Slackness but is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance He waits to be gracious and spares Men in order to their Salvation 5. It appears that God is ready to forgive in that upon the first Suit of humble and penitent Believers he presently pardons them If we consider how long Men continue in a Course of voluptuous or profitable Sins how many Repulses to the Offers of Mercy they are guilty of it might justly be expected that God should with Disdain reject their Petitions or not be intreated without a long Exercise of Repentance and continued submissive and earnest Solicitations for his Mercy But the King of Heaven keeps no State the Throne of Grace is always open and accessible to humble Penitents When their Hearts are prepar'd his Ear is inclin'd to hear them David after his commission of very foul Sins and long continuing in a State of Impenitency yet upon his melting in the Sense of his Wickedness and Resolution to humble himself by a mournful Acknowledgment of it he was restor'd to the Divine Favour I said I would confess my Sins and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin Repenting Ephraim is an admirable Instance of God's relenting Bowels to Sinners I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustom'd to the Yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have Mercy on him saith the Lord. The Prodigal upon his Resolution to return to his Father and debase himself as utterly unworthy of being received as a Son while he was in the way his Father saw him at a distance and ran to him fell on his Neck and kiss'd him and entirely forgave his past Rebellion The Soul-wounded Publican said Lord be merciful to me a Sinner and was justified rather than the proud Pharisee 6. 'T is a convincing Argument that God is ready to forgive Sin in that he affords Grace to Men to prepare them for his pardoning Mercy Repentance and Faith are sacred Plants that do not spring from our Earth but have their Roots in Heaven God gives Repentance unto Life Faith is not of our selves 't is the Gift of God In our corrupt State Sin is natural to Man and hath entirely possess'd all his leading Faculties The carnal Mind is Enmity against God and judges according to the carnal Affections which deprave it The Will is rebellious and strongly inclin'd to charming Lusts Temptations are so numerous and delightful that Sinners will venture to be miserable for ever to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin that die in the tasting 'T is true such are the inviolable Inclinations of the humane Nature to Happiness that no Man can love undisguised Death nor choose Damnation for it self yet the Affection to Sin is so over-ruling that they will not forsake it tho complicated with Death The Wisdom of God tells us Those that hate me love Death i. e. constructively Our Saviour compassionately reproves the Jews Ye will not come to me that ye may have Life This is the Cause of their remaining in a State of Guilt for ever Now such is the Mercy of God that he gives his Spirit to assist Men by his illuminating preventing restraining and exciting Grace to forsake their Sins that they may be saved and if they did faithfully improve the lower degrees of Grace tho they can claim nothing by right he would from his good Pleasure afford them more Grace but they are so averse from God and strongly bent to the present World that they so long resist the pure Motions of Grace in their Hearts till the Gales of the Spirit expire and revive no more according to that terrible Threatning My Spirit shall no longer strive with Man for he is Flesh. Besides the common Grace afforded to natural Men there is a Super-effluence of Grace bestowed upon some to convert them which infallibly obtains its end Those who are the Patrons of Free Will methinks should allow that God is Master of his own Will and the free Dispenser of his own Grace This special Grace works powerfully yet conveniently to the reasonable Nature There is no Charm so sweet no Constraint so strong as the Operation of it For the Understanding is convinc'd by so clear and strong a Light of our being undone for ever without God's pardoning Mercy that his Loving-kindness is better than Life and this is represented to the Will with that powerful Application that the Will certainly chooses it When there is a Wavering and Indifferency of the Will to a propounded Object 't is either from some Defects in the Object or in the Apprehension of it but when the supreme Good is so represented that it fills all the Capacities of the Soul the Will as certainly embraces it as one that is burnt up with Thirst and near a cool Stream stoops and drinks to quench it The Holy Spirit who knows the manner of his own Operations expresses the Efficacy of them in the Resemblances of the Creation and Resurrection wherein the Divine Power cannot be frustrate yet 't is so congruous to the Frame of Man's Nature that the Freedom of the Will is then in its most noble Exercise Men are drawn to Christ by the Teachings of God not by over-ruling Violence upon their Faculties but by Instruction and Perswasion sutable to them Now from hence 't is evident that all the Persons in the Godhead concur in bestowing this admirable Blessing the Pardon of our Sins they all willingly join in this undivided Work tho with different Operations The Father pronounces our Pardon from the Throne his Majesty shines without Diminution or Condescension of his Person in forgiving us The Son purchased our Pardon by the sacred Treasure of his Blood The Holy Spirit qualifies us and applies the Pardon of our Sins to us 3. I now come to the third general Head that God is abundant in Forgiveness This God has declar'd in Words so full and expressive as may exceedingly satisfy the most tender and fearful Spirits Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon For my Thoughts are not your Thoughts neither are your Ways my Ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my Ways than your Ways and my
be saved by the Death of Christ upon the Terms of the Gospel This Constitution is grounded upon the eternal Articles between the Father and the Son in the Covenant of Redemption Our Saviour declares that God gave his Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal Life Notwithstanding the full Satisfaction made for our Sins yet without our Consent i. e. an applicative Faith no Benefit could accrue to us He dwells in our Hearts by Faith and by that vital Band of our Union we have Communion with him in his Death and as entire an Interest in all the blessed Benefits purchased by it as if whatsoever he did and suffered had been for us alone He is a Propitiation by Faith in his Blood Of this full Consent of the Sinner there is an excellent Example in the Apostle He expresses it with the greatest Ardency of Affection I count all things but Dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ. Like as a poor insolvent Debtor ready to be cast into a perpetual Prison longs for a Surety rich and liberal to make Paiment for him Thus St. Paul desir'd to be found in Christ as an all-sufficient Surety that he might obtain a Freedom from the Charge of the Law The Establishment of the Gospel that Faith be the Condition of our Pardon so that none can be justified without it is from pure Grace The Apostle assigns this Reason why all Works are excluded those performed in the State of Nature or by a Principle of Grace from being the procuring Cause of our Salvation that it is to prevent Vain-glory in Men that would result from it You are saved by Grace through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God The Pardon of Sin is a principal Part of our Salvation He positively declares that Justification is therefore of Faith that it might be by Grace If Justification were to be obtain'd by a Condition of impossible Performance it were no Favour to offer that blessed Benefit to us but it being assur'd to a Believer that humbly and thankfully accepts of it the Grace of God is exceedingly glorified To make this more clear Faith may be considered as a productive Grace or a receptive As a productive it purifies the Heart works by Love and in this Consideration we are not justified by it Faith hath no Efficiency in our Justification 't is the sole Act of God But Faith as a receptive Grace that embraces Christ with his precious Merits offer'd to us in the Promise entitles us to Pardon And in this way Divine Grace is exalted for he that entirely relies upon the Righteousness of Christ absolutely renounces his own Righteousness and ascribes in solidum the obtaining of his Pardon to the Clemency and Favour of God for the sake of the Mediator 3. That God is ready to forgive is fully proved by many gracious Declarations in his Word the infallible Expression of his Will We are commanded to seek his Face for ever his Favour and Love for the Countenance is the Christal wherein the Affections appear Now all the Commands of God assure us of his approving and Acceptance of our Obedience to them it follows therefore that 't is very pleasing to him that we pray for the Pardon of our Sins and that he will dispense it if we pray in a due manner When he forbad the Prophet to pray for Israel it was an Argument of decreed Ruine against them Pray not for this People for I will not hear thee To encourage our Hope God is pleased to direct us how to address our Requests for his Mercy He directs Israel that had fallen by Iniquity to take Words and turn to the Lord and say unto him Take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Praise of our Lips To this is added a solemn renouncing of those Sins that provoked him to Anger His gracious Answer follows I will heal their Backslidings I will love them freely If a Prince draws a Petition for an humble Suppliant to himself 't is a strong Indication that he will grant it God joins Intreaties to his Commands to induce Men to accept this Mercy The Apostle declares Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as tho God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to God Astonishing Goodness how condescending how compassionate The Provocation began on Man's part the Reconciliation is first on God's That the King of Heaven whose Indignation was incens'd by our Rebellions and might justly send Executioners to destroy us should send Embassadors to offer Peace and beseech us to be reconciled to him as if it were his Interest and not ours is a Mercy above what we could ask or think With Commands and Intreaties he mixes Promises of Pardon to encourage us to come to the Throne of Grace Whoever confesses and forsakes his Sins shall find Mercy This Promise is ratified by the strongest Assurance If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness The Pardon of a repenting Sinner is the Effect of most free Mercy but 't is dispensed to the Honour of God's Faithfulness and Justice who is pleased to engage himself by his Promise to do it And tho the Word of God be as sacred and certain as his Oath for 't is impossible for him to change his Will or to deceive us in the one as well as the other yet to overcome the Fears to allay the Sorrows and satisfy the Desires of repenting Sinners he was pleased to annex his Oath to the Promise which is the most infallible Character and Note that the Blessing promised is unchangeable He adds Threatnings to his Invitations that Fear which is an active and strong Passion may constrain us to seek for his Mercy Our Saviour said to the Jews who did blind and harden themselves in their Infidelity If ye believe not that I am he the promised Messiah and come to me to obtain Life ye shall die in your Sins The Threatning implies a State final and fearful beyond all Expression for they who die in their Sins shall die for them to Eternity Hell is the sad Mansion of lost Souls fill'd with extreme Wrath and extreme Despair and where Despair is without Remedy Sorrow is without Mitigation for ever From hence we may be convinc'd how willing God is to pardon and save us in that knowing how we are intangled with pleasant Sins he reveals to us what will be the eternal Consequence of Sins unrepented and unforgiven a Punishment above all the Evils that are felt or fear'd here and above all the Patience and Strength of Sinners to endure If Men yield themselves to the Call of his Word without and of his Spirit within
Efficacy with God than a Torrent of natural Sorrow Repenting Sorrow is an indispensable Qualification in order to our Pardon not merely from the Will of the Law-giver as the Reason of our Duty but from the Congruity of the thing it self 'T is observable that 't is the Wisdom and Kindness of the God of Nature that the Food that preserves Life is pleasant to our Taste to invite us every Day to eat and renew our Strength but Physick that is necessary for the Recovery of Health is very distastful that our Aversion from it may make us circumspect to prevent all Excesses that are the Causes of Diseases Thus the sorrowful Confession of Sin which is medicinal to the Soul is very afflicting it wounds the Spirit and breaks the Heart that we may be jealous of our selves lest we eat of the forbidden Fruit that requires so bitter a Remedy Godly Sorrow tho it be very afflicting to Nature yet the Exercise of it is more satisfying to a sincere Penitent than all the Pleasures of Sin In two cases Grief is pleasant when 't is upon the account of a Person dearly loved a Parent indulges his Sorrow for the Death of a Child that was the Life of his Life Or when Pain is beneficial and an Advantage as in the Application of a Plaister we are pleased with the Pain it causes that being a Sign and Effect of its healing Operation Now both these Considerations are mix'd with repenting Sorrow for it principally arises from the Reflection upon Sin as that which has so dishonour'd and displeased the blessed God our Maker Preserver and Redeemer that we have preferr'd the pleasing our corrupt and licentious Appetites before the obeying his holy just and good Will The repenting Sinner declares his Love to God by his Grief for offending him and voluntarily remembers his past Sins and is pleased in overflowing Sorrow for them And this Sorrow is preparative for Peace Vnutterable Groans are introductive of unspeakable Joys the Holy Spirit that convinces of Sin is the blessed Comforter 2. The Confession of Sin must be mix'd with Shame All the just Causes of Shame Guilt Turpitude Folly and Disappointment are complicated in Sin The repenting Sinner by Consciousness and Reflection upon Sin that induces so heavy a Guilt that defiles the Soul with so deep a Pollution that no Ray of its Original Purity remains that debases it infinitely below its heavenly Descent mourns with Tears of Confusion for what he has done Repenting Ephraim bemoans himself that he had been rebellious against the Methods of God's Mercy like a refractory Bullock unaccustom'd to the Yoke and his recoiling Thoughts made him to smite on his Thigh to be ashamed to the degree of Confusion for his Disobedience How affecting an Object he was in God's Eye the immediate Answer declares Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have Mercy upon him saith the Lord. The Psalmist reflecting upon his being almost vanquish'd by a vexatious Temptation degrades and vilifies himself so foolish was I and ignorant and like a Beast before thee Ezra in the Confession of the Holy Seed's mixing with Heathen Idolaters saith O Lord I blush and am ashamed at the foul Deformity of their Sin The Apostle upbraids the Romans with a stinging Reproach What Fruit have you of those things whereof ye are now ashamed the End whereof is Death When a foolish Choice is made and the Folly is detected and Experience disappoints the Expectation the natural Consequent is Shame At the last Day when the Filthiness and Folly of Men shall be publish'd before God and all the Angels and Saints how much rather would they be hid in the Darkness of their Graves than be clothed with Confusion before that glorious and immense Theatre The sorrowful Confession of Sin with deep Shame here will prevent the exposing the Sinner to publick Shame hereafter 4. Confession must have Concomitant with it the judging our selves as unworthy of the least Mercy and deserving severe Punishment The Apostle assures us If we would judg our selves we should not be judged He does not say if we are innocent we shall not be condemn'd for then who can appear before the high and inlightned Tribunal of Heaven but if we acknowledg our Guilt and the Righteousness of the Sentence to which we are obnoxious we shall be spared We cannot satisfy God's Justice but we must glorify it In this the admirable Mercy of God appears Suppose a Court on Earth wherein the Rule of Judgment were that all the Faults which the Guilty confess and condemn themselves for should be pardoned and only those they conceal should be deadly to them how willingly and humbly would those who are conscious of many capital Crimes and are summon'd to appear accuse themselves In the Court of Heaven if we are faithful to God and our own Souls in the confessing our Sins and passing Sentence upon our selves we prevent his Sentence against us 5. Prayer for Pardon must be joined with the Confession of Sin The Lord is good and ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy unto all that call upon him God who is rich in Mercy has appointed Prayer as the Means of our receiving it it being most honourable to him that we should have a serious Sense of our Wants and Unworthiness and our absolute Disability to supply them and by our Desires we should glorify his Power and Love whereby he is all-sufficient and ready to bestow upon us his Blessings Prayer for Pardon must have these Ingredients 1 st Humility is the most becoming Qualification of a Suppliant to the high Judg of the World to reverse the Sentence of eternal Death The deep Apprehension of our Guilt will humble us before his dreadful Tribunal 2 dly Fervency which is the Life of Prayer A cold Prayer the spiritless Motion of the Lips is so far from inclining the Divine Mercy to pardon us that it increases our Guilt and provokes God's Displeasure If our Apprehensions were as real and quick of our spiritual Wants as of our temporal our Prayers would be as ardent for Supplies Our Desires should be raised in the most intense degrees in some proportion to the Value of the Blessing they should be strong as our Necessity to obtain it The Pardon of our Sins is the Effect of God's highest Favour of that Love that is peculiar to his Children 't is the Fruit of our Saviour's bloody Sufferings without it we are miserable for ever and can we expect to obtain it by a formal superficial Prayer It deserves the Flower and Zeal of our Affections How solicitous and vehement and unsatisfied should we be till we have the clear Testimony that we are in a State of Divine Favour Only fervent Prayers are regarded by God and recorded in Heaven We disvalue his Pardon by our
SERMONS UPON Psalm CXXX Ver. 4. But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared BY WILLIAM BATES D. D. LONDON Printed by J. D. for Brabazon Aylmer at the three Pigeons over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1696. SERMONS OF THE Forgiveness of Sins PSAL. CXXX 4. But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared THE Psalmist in the first and second Verses addresses to God with earnest Desires for his saving Mercies Out of the Depths have I cried to thee O Lord Lord hear my Voice let thine Ear be attentive to my Supplication He humbly deprecates the severe Inquiry of Divine Justice ver 3. If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand If God should with an exact Eye observe our Sins and call us to an account who can stand in Judgment who can endure that firy Trial The best Saints tho never so innocent and unblameable in the sight of Men tho never so vigilant and watchful over their Hearts and Ways are not exempted from the Spots of humane Frailty which according to the Rigour of the Law would expose them to a condemning Sentence He relieves and supports himself under this fearful Apprehension with the Hopes of Mercy But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared 'T is in thy Power and thy Will to pardon repenting and returning Sinners that thou mayst be feared The Fear of God in Scripture signifies the humble holy Reverence of him as our heavenly Father and Soveraign that makes us cautious lest we should offend him and careful to please him For this Reason the Fear of God is comprehensive of all Religion of the whole Duty of Man to which it is introductive and is a principal Ingredient in it The Clemency and compassionate Mercy of God is the Cause of an ingenuous filial Fear mix'd with Love and Affiance in the Breasts of Men. Other Attributes his Holiness that fram'd the Law Justice that ordain'd the Punishment of Sin Power that inflicts it render his Majesty terrible and cause a Flight from him as an Enemy If all must perish for their Sins no Prayers or Praises will ascend to Heaven all Religious Worship will cease for ever But his tender Mercy ready to receive humble Suppliants and restore them to his Favour renders him amiable and admired and draws us near to him There are two Propositions to be considered in the Verse 1. That Forgiveness belongs to God 2. That the forgiving Mercy of God is a powerful Motive of Adoration and Obedience I propound to discourse of the first and to touch upon the second in the Application In managing the Point with Light and Order 't is requisite to consider 1 st What is contain'd in Forgiveness 2 dly The Arguments that demonstrate that Forgiveness belongs to God 1. What is contained in Forgiveness This necessarily supposes Sin and Sin a Law that is violated by it The Law implies a Sovereign Law-giver to whose declared Will Subjection is due and who will exact an Account in Judgment of Mens Obedience or Disobedience to his Law and dispense Rewards and Punishments accordingly God by the clearest Titles is our King our Law-giver and Judg for he is our Maker and Preserver and consequently has a full Propriety in us and absolute Authority over us and by his sovereign and singular Perfections is qualified to govern us A derived Being is necessarily in a State of Dependance and Subjection All the Ranks of Creatures in the World are order'd by their Maker his Kingdom rules over all Those in the lowest degree of Being are order'd by Power Sensitive Creatures are determin'd by the Impulses of Nature to their Actions for having no Light to distinguish between moral Good and Evil they have no Choice and are incapable of receiving a Law Intelligent Creatures endowed with judicious and free Faculties an Understanding to discern between moral Good and Evil and a Will to choose or reject what is propounded to them are capable of a Law to direct and regulate their Liberty To Man a Law was given by the Creator the Copy of his Wisdom and Will that has all the Perfections of a Rule 'T is clear and compleat injoining what is essentially good and forbidding what is essentially evil God governs Man conveniently to his Nature and no Service is pleasing to him but the Result of our Reason and Choice the Obedience of our supreme leading Powers Since the Fall the Light of the Understanding compared with the bright Discovery it afforded of our whole Duty in our Original State is either like the Twilight of the Evening the faint and dim Remains of the Light of the Day when Night draws a dark Vail over the World or like the dawning of the Morning when the rising Sun begins to scatter the Darkness of the Night The latter Comparison I think is more just and regular for 't is said that the Son of God enlightens every Man that comes into the World The innate Light discovers there is a streight Line of Truth to regulate our Judgment and a streight Line of Vertue to regulate our Actions Natural Conscience is a Principle of Authority directing us to choose and practise Vertue and to avoid Vice and according to our Neglect or Compliance with its Dictates reflects upon us 'T is hardly presumable that any are so prodigiously wicked as not to be convinc'd of the natural Rectitude in things they can distinguish between what is fair and what is fraudulent in Dealings and acknowledg in the general and in judging of others the Equity of things tho they elude the Force of the Conviction in the Application to themselves Now since common Reason discovers there is a common Rule there must be a common Judg to whom Men are accountable for the Obliquity or Conformity of their Actions to that Rule The Law of God is revealed in its Purity and Perfection in the Scripture The Law binds first to Obedience and in neglect of it to Punishment Sin is defin'd by St. John to be the Transgression of the Law The Omission of what is commanded or doing what is forbidden is a Sin Not only the Lusts that break forth into Action and Evidence but inward Inclinations contrary to the Law are Sin From hence results a Guilt upon every Sinner which includes the Imputation of the Fault and Obligation to Punishment There is a natural Connexion between the Evil of Doing and the Evil of Suffering the Violation of the Law is justly revenged by the Violation of the Person that breaks it It is an impossible Imagination that God should give a Law not enforc'd with a Sanction This would cast a Blemish upon his Wisdom for the Law would cancel it self and defeat his Ends in giving it it would reflect a high Dishonour upon his Holy Majesty as if he were indifferent with respect to Vertue or Vice and disregarded our Reverence or Rebellion against his Authority The Apostle declares
Whom God justifies he glorifies If a Sinner dies immediately after his Pardon is past nothing can intercept his being received into Heaven Now this is utterly impossible the exclusion of such is peremptory and universal for without Holiness no Man shall see God The Admission of an impenitent Sinner into Heaven would pollute that holy Place and unconsecrate the Temple of God wherein his Holiness shines in its Glory It is objected by some that the requiring Repentance to qualify the Sinner for Pardon eclipses the Grace of the Gospel I willingly acknowledg that a religious Jealousy lest the Freeness and Honour of Divine Grace in our Pardon should be lessen'd is very becoming a Christian but 't is ill-grounded and ill-guided in this Matter This will be evident by considering 1 st Repentance is an Evangelical Grace the Gift of the Redeemer Him has God raised to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Forgiveness of Sin The Law did not allow of Repentance nor promise Pardon The Design of it was to keep us in the Favour and Communion with God but afforded no Means of Reconciliation after our offending him Repentance was no Degree of Perfection before Man's Fall but is a Relief of his Imperfection after it The Law call'd the Righteous to Obedience the Gospel calls Sinners to Repentance 2 dly There is no Causality or Merit in Repentance to procure our Pardon The Mercy of God for the most precious Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ is the only Cause of Pardon A Flood of repenting Tears an Effusion of our Blood are of too low a Price to make any Satisfaction to God to deserve a Return of his Favour The most sincere Love of Holiness and stedfast Resolution to forsake Sin which is the principal part of Repentance can be no Satisfaction for our past Offences for 't is the natural Duty of Man before the commission of Sin Repentance is only a vital Qualification in the Subject that receives the Pardon 3 dly The Grace of God is very conspicuous in dispensing Pardon according to the Order of the Gospel to repenting Sinners For first Repentance renders the Divine Mercy most honourable in the Esteem of those who partake of it Our Saviour tells us The whole need not a Physician but those who are sick He that feels his Disease and is strongly apprehensive of its Danger values the Counsel and Assistance of a Physician above all Treasures The repenting Sinner who is under the strong Conviction of his Guilt and his being always obnoxious to the Judgment of God and eternal Misery the Consequent of it he values the Favour of God as the most sovereign Good and accounts his Displeasure as the supreme Evil. Repentance inspires flaming Affections in our Prayers and Praises for Pardon The repenting Sinner prays for Pardon with as much Fervency as Daniel pray'd in the Den to be preserved from the devouring Lions or as Jonah pray'd out of the Belly of Hell for Deliverance He addresses not with faint but fainting Desires for Mercy Give me Pardon or I die The insensible Sinner that is secure in the Shadow of Death may offer some verbal Requests for Pardon but his Prayer is defective in the Principle for he never feels the Want of a Pardon he prays so coldly as if unconcern'd whether he be accepted or no. And with what a Rapture of Admiration and Joy and thankful Affections doth the pardon'd Penitent magnify the Divine Mercy The Christian Niobe that was melted into repenting Tears loved much because much was forgiven her 2. This Establishment that Repentance qualifies a Sinner for Pardon is most beneficial to Man and consequently most illustrates pardoning Mercy We must observe that Sin does not only affect us with Guilt but leaves an inherent Corruption that defiles and debases the Sinner and strongly inclines him to relapse into Rebellion Now Repentance gives the true Representation of Sin in its penal Consequences the Anger of the Almighty the Terrors of Conscience and makes it evident and odious to the Soul David had a piercing Conviction what a foul Sin Adultery was when his Bones were broken Repenting Sorrow strikes at the Root of Sin the Love of Pleasure This makes us fearful to offend God and to fly all the alluring Temptations that will betray us to Sin This makes us obedient The melted Metal is receptive of any Form Contrition is join'd with Resignation Lord what wilt thou have me to do was the Voice of repenting Saul It may be objected that we read God justifies the Vngodly but the Answer is clear The Apostle does not intend by the Ungodly an impenitent Sinner but makes the Opposition between the Ungodly and one that perfectly obeys the Law and is consequently justified by Works and in this Sense the most excellent Saints here are ungodly Besides the Apostle does not assert that God absolutely pardons the Ungodly but qualifies the Persons To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Now justifying Faith and Repentance are like Tamar's Twins Repentance is first felt and then Faith exerts it self in applying the Merits of Christ's Death for our Pardon It is replied by some that all Grace is communicated from Christ as our Head and supposes our Union with him of which Faith is the vital Band and consequently the first Grace by which all other Graces are derived to us To this I answer there are two Means of our Union with Christ The principal is the quickning Spirit descending from Christ as the Fountain of the supernatural Life and a lively Faith wrought in us by his pure and powerful Operation that ascends from us and closes with him 'T is said the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit and he that is join'd to the Lord is one Spirit As the Parts of the natural Body are united by the vital Influence of the same Soul that is present in the whole so we are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit that was given to him without measure and from his Fulness is derived to us 'T is clear therefore beyond all Contradiction that Faith is not antecedently requisite as the means of conveying all Graces to us from Christ. 2. There are two Acts of Faith the first respects the General Offer of Pardon in the Gospel to all repenting believing Sinners The second is the Application of the Promise of Pardon to the Soul The first is antecedent to evangelical Repentance The second is clearly consequent in the Order of Nature for the Promise assures Pardon only to the weary and heavy laden that come to Christ for Rest. In short there is a perfect Agreement and Sympathy between Reason and Divine Revelation in this Doctrine that God pardons only the repenting Sinner The contrary Assertion is an Impeachment of the Rectitude of his Nature and directly contrary to the Design and Tenour of the Gospel If a Man be justified as
a Reprieve and Suspension of Judgment 't is the blessed Security of Believers they shall not fall under Condemnation There is such an Inconstancy in the Nature of Men that they often repent and revoke the Favours and Privileges they have bestowed they like to day and loath to morrow the same Persons but the blessed God is not subject to Change or Contingency His Love his Purpose his Promise to his People are unalterable From the Sense of God's pardoning Mercy Conscience is freed from those just Terrors that are the Consequents of Guilt The Blood of Christ purges our Conscience from dead Works from the deadly Guilt of Sin that cleaves to the Conscience A temporal Prince may pardon a Murderer and Conscience with a Countenance of Despair may summon him to appear and be accountable for his bloody Crime before the High and Everlasting Judg but those who are justified by Faith have Peace with God When the Original Bond is cancell'd the Counter-part has no Force Conscience is subordinate to God and when he justifies has no Authority to condemn When God blots out the Iniquities of his People as a thick Cloud there is a clear Sky a divine Calm and Serenity in Conscience It may be enquired how the compleat Pardon of Sin is consistent with the temporal Evils inflicted upon the Children of God for their Sins The Answer is obvious and easy Temporal Evils inflicted on the Children of God are declarative of his holy Displeasure against Sin but are not for Satisfaction to vindictive Justice This would be derogatory to the Love of God and the meritorious Sufferings of our Saviour who did not compound with God but made full and absolute Satisfaction for our Sins In the 12 th Chapter to the Hebrews where the Apostle so divinely and accurately treats of this Argument there is a clear Account of the Cause the Nature and the Product of the temporal Sufferings of God's Children The Cause of them is the Love of their heavenly Father displeased for their Sins Whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every Son whom he receives Earthly Parents in their various Fits of Folly sometimes chasten their Children only for their Pleasure and sometimes spare the Rod to their Ruine but our heavenly Father is equally wise and compassionate and uses such Discipline as is requisite for their Profit to prevent their Continuance in Sin that would be destructive to them Believers are chasten'd of the Lord that they may not be condemned with the World And the Wisdom and Love of our Father and Physician mixes such bitter Ingredients and in that Proportion as are requisite for the Quality of the Disease and the Strength of the Patient He corrects them in measure he will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able Their Afflictions are deliberate Dispensations The Nature of them is signified in the word Chastisement The Correction of a Child is in order to his Amendment They are medicinal and have a main Relation and Prospect to the future to make us more fearful to offend God and careful to please him They are more lively and sensible Lessons of our Duty than the Instructions of the Word and are of the same Order The Product of the Chastisements of God's Children is the pleasant Fruit of Righteousness to them who are exercised thereby that is the sanctifying Graces of the Spirit Repentance Faith Hope Patience Self-denial Contempt of the World Resignation to the Divine Will are exercised illustrated and increas'd in those Christians who with unfainting Perseverance endure Affliction In short Death that was the penal Effect of Sin for the first Man while innocent was immortal tho continued yet the Sting is taken away the Quality of it is changed The Issues of it are vastly different to the Saints and the Wicked To the Saints 't is the Period of their Fears and Sorrows the final Remedy of all their Miseries to the Wicked 't is the Beginning of their Woe The Saints pass through the Darkness and Corruption of the Grave into the Kingdom of Glory the Wicked pass to the Blackness of Darkness for ever 2 dly The Intireness of this great Benefit is evident in that God restores his Love and forfeited Favour to all that are pardon'd Princes sometimes pardon Offenders but never receive them into their Favour Absalom was recall'd from Banishment but for two Years was not admitted to see the King's Face But God does magnify and manifest his Love to those whom he pardons He does not distinguish them from the Angels that always obeyed him He forgives our Sins as entirely as if they had never been committed and is reconcil'd as if he had never been offended We have the most clear Discovery of this in the Parable of the Prodigal It might have been expected that his Father should have reproach'd him for his obstinate deserting his House his wasting his Portion in Lewdness and Luxury and that bitter Constraint forced him to return no he dearly embraces him and cancels all the Debt of his past Offences with a most affectionate Kiss and whereas the poor Penitent presum'd only to be received as a Servant he was restor'd in the most affectionate manner to the Dignity and Relation of a Son and universal Joy was diffused through all the Family for his Return If our Saviour had not made this Relation with all its endearing Circumstances our narrow Hearts durst never presume and promise to us such compassionate Love of God to repenting Sinners But whoever imitates the Prodigal in his Return shall find the Reality to exceed the Representation I shall add some Examples of this Love of God to those who repent Mary Magdalen had been guilty of foul Sins yet our Saviour graciously received the tender Expressions of her Grief and Love to the Astonishment of Simon She wash'd his Feet with her Tears and wiped them with the Hair of her Head and kissed them and after his Resurrection appeared first to her as his endeared Favourite 'T is recorded by the Evangelist with an infinite Emphasis of his Love that he first appear'd to Mary Magdalen out of whom he had cast seven Devils Peter in whose Denial of Christ there was such a Mixture of Infidelity Ingratitude and Impiety he promised he would die with him or for him yet being questioned not with Terror by an armed Magistrate not surprized by a subtle Examiner but at the Question of a Maid renounc'd him yet he was restor'd to the Honour of his Office and the Affection of his Master 'T is very observable that when he appeared to Mary Magdalen he directs her to tell his Disciples and Peter of his Resurrection he particularly mentions Peter to raise his drooping Spirit by this new Assurance of his Love This happy Privilege belongs to all penitent Believers for whomsoever God pardons he prefers and adopts into his Family and makes them Heirs of Heaven The first Beam of Mercy shines
Guilt will come to Christ to find Rest and only those our Saviour invites and promises graciously to receive A tender and timorous Conscience does often impute the Guilt of Sin when 't is abolish'd a seared Conscience does not impute it when it abounds God has revealed his Mercy in so full a manner as to answer all the Allegations of a repenting Sinner against himself He objects his Unworthiness of Pardon but this cannot exclude him from it for the Grace of God springs from within and has no original Cause without it self 'T is like celestial Fire that feeds it self God declares his sovereign Pleasure in the Exercise of Mercy I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew Mercy to whom I will shew Mercy If Mercy were bestowed only upon the worthy none could be saved for all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God The humble Penitent urges against himself that he has been a singular and extraordinary Offender that none is like him in sinning but we are assured none is like God in pardoning The Number of our Sins is terrifying This so affected the Psalmist that he fainted with desponding Fear My Sins are like the Hairs upon my Head therefore my Heart fails me But the Multitude of God's Mercies incomparably exceed our numerous Sins They are renewed every Moment of our Lives Stupendous Infinity they are over all his Works and over all his Attributes God is Love and Love covers a Multitude of Sins The killing Aggravations of our Sins strike us through but there is not so much Evil in Sin as there is Goodness in God Our finite Acts cannot preponderate his unlimited Essence He declares I am God and not Man therefore ye are not consumed We hardly forgive a few Pence he forgives ten thousand Talents He is God infinite in Mercy and as liberal as infinite Delight in Sin is an aggravating Circumstance but God delights in Mercy Continuance in Sin inflames the Guilt but his Mercy extends to Eternity I shall add for the Support of returning Penitents some Examples of God's forgiving great Sinners recorded in Scripture He charges the People of Israel Thou hast made me serve with thy Sins and wearied me with thine Iniquities It might be expected that the next Words should have been I will revenge your dishonouring of me according to the Glory of my Majesty and the Extent of my Power but he promises Pardon I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my Name sake and will not remember thy Sins By the Comparison of their Sins he illustrates the Glory of his Mercy Lot guilty of Incest with his Daughters David of Murder and Adultery Manasseh a Sorcerer and Idolater that burnt his Children alive in Sacrifice to the Devil and fill'd Jerusalem with innocent Blood Mary Magdalen out of whom seven Devils were cast Peter who was so faint-hearted and false-hearted that with Execrations he denied his Master Paul that was a bloody Persecutor are the Instances of the astonishing Omnipotent Mercy of God who can as easily pardon the greatest Sins as the least and makes no Difference when our Repentance is sincere and our Faith unfeigned tho according to the degrees of their Guilt Conscience should be affected How many pardon'd Sinners Miracles of the Divine Mercy are in Heaven happy in the Love of God and glorious in Holiness who were as deeply guilty and polluted as any that now mournfully seek the Favour of God These are Examples of Grace so excellent and so divine to encourage us in our Addresses for Pardon The Apostle Paul tells us That for this Cause he obtained Mercy that in me Jesus Christ might shew all Long-suffering for a Pattern to them who shall hereafter believe on him to everlasting Life There is the same Motive in God he forgives Sins for his Name sake The Treasures of his Mercy are not wasted by communicating There is the same Merit in Christ his precious Blood shed upon the Cross is pleaded in Heaven He ever lives to make Intercession for us and if we obtain the same precious Faith we shall have the same Acceptance In short let those who are overwhelmed with Fear consider 't is not only our Privilege but Duty to trust in the Divine Mercy We are commanded to believe in the Mediator Despair is more dishonourable to God than Presumption in that 't is a Sin directly against a superiour Attribute the Exercise of which is his Delight and dearest Glory 3 dly Let us be excited to seek the pardoning Mercy of God with Humility with Fear and all possible Diligence lest we should not obtain it Our Hearts should be set upon this with the most intense Zeal for 't is our Life Every impenitent Sinner is under the condemning Sentence of the Law and there is but a step between him and Death the only Hope is that 't is not yet ratified by the Judg nor inflicted but 't is reversible by suing out a Pardon in the superiour Court of the Gospel Now 't is astonishing that when the Danger is so great and present for 't is as morally impossible to be sure of time to come as to recal time past that Men should be so unconcerned and secure and neglect the main Work for which they are spared by the admirable Patience of God Time is certainly short and uncertainly continued and when the Oil that feeds the Lamp of Life is spent the next State is the Blackness of Darkness for ever to all unpardoned Sinners Now the Scepter of Grace is extended to us we are within the Call of pardoning Mercy God waits to be gracious but there is a sad Assurance if we do not sue out our Pardon in the present Life the time of our Reprieve Death is immediately attended with eternal Judgment the Belief of which makes the Prince of Darkness with the most stubborn Spirits of Hell to tremble yet Men continue in the Guilt of their unrepented Sins without Fear and wretchedly deceive themselves with a vain Presumption that the Door of Mercy will be open when they leave the World or bear up themselves by the numberless Multitude of stupid Sinners and make a resolute Reckoning they shall do as well as the most They are studious and contriving active and ardent about the Affairs of this low Life and careless of being reconcil'd to God a Matter of the highest Concernment and eternal Consequence Prodigious Folly never enough lamented though Vengeance from above is ready to fall upon them and Hell below with its dark Horrors is open to swallow them up yet they are stupid and fearless The Remembrance of this will rack and torment them for ever for when extreme Folly is the Cause of extreme Misery the Sufferer is the most cruel Enemy to himself Let us therefore seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Now God offers his Pardon to the greatest
Sinners that will humbly submit to the gracious Terms proposed in the Gospel for our obtaining it Besides what has been said of Faith and Repentance I will more particularly consider what God requires of guilty Creatures in order to their Pardon First The Confession of our Sins is indispensably required to qualify us for Pardon The Promise is express and full He that confesses and forsakes Sin shall find Mercy That we may not be deceived in the Application of this Promise I will briefly consider what is preparatory to this Duty the Properties of it and the Connection of Pardon with it 1 st The Understanding must be enlightned by the Divine Law to discover Sin The Law is the Rule of our Duty and the Obligation to obey it is immediately conveyed by Conscience While there is a Cloud of Darkness in the Mind there will be a Silence in the Conscience Paul declares that he was once alive without the Law i. e. not understanding his Guilt he presum'd of his Justification but when the Commandment came in its Light to convince him of the Transgression of it the Apparition of Sin in the clear Glass of the Law struck him dead There must be a Discussion of Conscience a comparing our Actions with the Rule to discover their Obliquity for Sins unknown and unconsider'd cannot be confest Some Sins are notorious and present themselves to our Knowledg and Memory others are of a weaker Evidence Inquiry must be made after them 'T is an unpleasant Work to rake in the Sink of a corrupt Heart but 't is necessary 2 ly The Properties of Confession are 1. It must be free and ingenuous That which is extorted by bitter Constraint is of no Value and Acceptance Pharaoh an obstinate Rebel upon the rack acknowledg'd he had sinned 'T is true the Penal Effects of Sin may be the first Excitation of Sinners to consider their Ways but the Holy Spirit by that Means so deeply affects them with the Evil of Sin that they voluntarily confess them before the all-discerning Judg. David declares When I kept Silence my Bones waxed old I said I will confess my Sins and thou forgavest them He came to a deliberate Resolution I will confess them 2. Confession must be sincere and full that our Sins may be more evident and odious to us The covering of Sins is like the keeping a Serpent warm that will sting more fiercely The concealing Sin argues the Love of it and is a Bar against Pardon Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputes no Iniquity in whose Spirit there is no Guile 'T is not said In whose Spirit there is no Sin but no Guile no reserved allowed Sin The sincere Penitent pours forth his Heart like Water before the Lord. Of all Liquids none are so clearly pour'd out of a Vessel as Water Wine or Oil leave a Tincture We should in Confession pour out all our Sins and leave no Tincture of Affection to them If it be said How can we confess our Sins that are above our counting 'T is true but we must reserve none We must confess the kinds of our Sins against the first and second Table that were both written with God's Hand Sins of Omission and Commission and particular Sins of greater Guilt we must wash off their deceitful Colours that they may appear in their hellish Shape and more deeply affect us Men are very averse from this Duty and apt to conceal or extenuate their Sins The Art of concealing and Excuses is learnt from the first Transgressor When God called to Adam Where art thou tho his Dread to appear before the Divine Presence was a tacit Confession of his Fault and his hiding himself discovered his Sin yet he does not acknowledg his Sin but alledges the Consequence of it his Shame to be the Cause of his guilty Fear I heard thy Voice and was afraid because I was naked And to extenuate his Offence transfers his Guilt on the Woman and constructively reflects upon God as the Cause of it The Woman which thou gavest me gave me of the Fruit and I did eat The wicked Excuse did infinitely aggravate his Sin The Woman lays her Fault at the Serpent's door The Serpent beguiled me Aaron pretends that the People compell'd him to Idolatry and that the golden Calf was not the Effect of Design and Art but of Chance I cast the Gold into the Fire and there came out this Calf Saul coloured his Rebellion with the Pretence of Religion He kept the best of the Cattel for Sacrifice In short as in Sweating 't is observed that a general Sweat of the Body is for its Advantage but the Sweat of a Part only is the Symptom of a Disease So a clear unfeigned Confession is for our Profit but a semi-Confession is counterfeit an Indication of Hypocrisy 3. Confession must be mix'd with Sorrow and Shame in the Remembrance of our past Sins 1. A piercing deep Sorrow from spiritual Principles and Perswasives is the Ingredient of an acceptable Confession There is a natural Sorrow proceeding from the Impression of afflicting Evils Sense is very tender and apt to resent what is oppressive to it A Sinner that has wasted his Estate blasted his Reputation shortned his Life by his Excesses and hasten'd his Damnation may feel Anguish in his Breast for his Sins the procuring Causes of his Punishment But this Sorrow proceeds only from the Sense of external Evils not from the melted Heart for the intrinsick Evil of Sin As Marble Pillars are wet from the Moisture of the ambient Air. 'T is the miserable Man not the miserable Sinner that mourns This Sorrow is consistent with the Love of Sin and when the penal Evil is removed the Sinner returns to the Practice of it Carnal Sorrow only respects a Man's self as a Sufferer 't is in Hell in the extreme Degrees there is weeping for ever There is a godly Sorrow of which the Holy Spirit is the Spring 'T is the Promise of God to his People I will pour forth the Spirit of Grace and Supplication upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and they shall see him whom they have pierced and mourn over him as one mourns for the Death of his First-born The Perswasive of our Sorrow is answerable to its Principle The serious Contemplation of our bleeding dying Saviour is a spiritual and powerful Motive to melt us into the Tears of Repentance How congruous is it if the Purchase of our Pardon cost our Saviour his bloody Agony that the applying of the Pardon to us should cost us the most bitter Sorrow Divine Grief is more from the Memory of the Evils we have committed against our heavenly Father than from the Evils we suffer Carnal Sorrow is barren and unprofitable It may be said of it what the wise Preacher says of wild Mirth What dost thou only that Sorrow that comes from Heaven is accepted there One spiritual Tear is of more Value and
Nature of the Benefit Our Blessedness consists in the Forgiveness of our Sins David inspired from Heaven declares Blessed is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven and whose Sin is cover'd The worst Effect of Sin is the Separation between God and the Soul In his Presence is Fulness of Joy in his Absence Fulness of Sorrow Go ye cursed is as terrible a Part of the Sentence as the everlasting Burning Hell is the Element of Sin and Misery wherein the Fire made fierce with Brimstone and the undying Worm of Conscience torment the Wicked Now the Pardon of Sin secures us from the Wrath of God the supreme Evil and the Cause of all other Evils Besides the Love of God that pardons us is our sovereign Good and is the productive and conservative Cause of all Good It bestows upon us celestial Happiness in comparison of which all the Degrees of worldly Honour and Power and Pleasure and Riches are but Dross and Dung The Pardon of Sin has inseparably annex'd to it the Privilege of Adoption and a Title to the Kingdom of Glory Our Saviour declar'd to the Apostle that the End of the Gospel is to open the Eyes of Men and to turn them from Darkness to Light that they may receive the Forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance among them who are sanctified by Faith that is in me God permitted the Fall of Man to raise him to a more excellent and stable Felicity Adam was dignified with Dominion over the lower World and seated a Prince in Paradise but his Happiness depended upon his Obedience and that upon the Freedom of his Will which proved a dangerous Endowment by his Abuse of it He was foolish and fickle in the best State of Nature he affected an independent Immortality and being in Honour became like the Beasts that perish But the Pardon of Sin is the Foundation of eternal Happiness Those who are justified shall be glorified and made equal to the Angels who are constant in Good as the Devils are obstinate in Evil. The blessed State above is secure and unforfeitable the Saints are uncapable of sinning and dying 2. The Means whereby our Pardon is obtain'd I shall not dare to determine that God could not have pardon'd us by his Sovereignty without Satisfaction to his Justice but he has been pleased to save us in a way most honourable to himself and comfortable to us The Psalmist tells us according to the Name of God so is his Praise As his excellent Attributes are manifest in his Works understanding Creatures adore and celebrate them The Wisdom of God so gloriously appears in the way of our Salvation that the admiring Angels praise him for ever And the Goodness of God is so conspicuous in saving us by Christ that our exuberant Affections should be poured forth in Thankfulness The Remission of our Sins is by Redemption in his Blood It was an Expression of David's Piety that he would not serve God with that which cost him nothing but purchase the Sacrifice by a Price and it was the high Expression of God's Love that he would not save us with that which cost him nothing but with the sacred Treasure of Heaven the precious Blood of his Son Besides the guilty Conscience has so quick a Sense of God's revenging Justice that our Assurance would not be so entire in his Mercy without Satisfaction made by the Sufferings of our blessed Mediator In this we have the Advantage of David who had not so clear a Discovery of the Means of our Pardon but a general Knowledg of the Forgiveness of Sins yet that inspir'd such flaming Affections into his Breast that he begins the Eucharistical Psalm for that Mercy and concludes it with Bless the Lord O my Soul But we that have had Jesus Christ evidently set forth as crucified before our Eyes to reconcile God to us we to whom it is revealed that the Robe of our Salvation is woven out of his bleeding Bowels in the same Proportion as our Knowledg of this mysterious Mercy our Thankfulness should exceed his If any do not with the most ardent Affections acknowledg the Mercy of Forgiveness so dearly purchased 't is an unhappy Sign he has no Interest in it 3. The Circumstances of dispensing our Pardon I shall consider two that make the Divine Mercy more glorious and worthy of our Thankfulness 1 st That pardoning Mercy was dispensed to us notwithstanding our continued Rebellions against God A Prince is sometimes induced to pardon a Criminal by the Solicitations of his Friends and by his Prayers and Tears but the Divine Goodness was the sole Mover for us and interposed between Justice and our Offences Instead of appeasing God by humble and mournful Submission and ardent Addresses for Mercy we repeated the Provocations of his Displeasure every day How long did he with unwearied Patience wait to be gracious If after ten thousand Denials of accepting his Mercy he had forsaken us we had been as miserable as we are sinful But notwithstanding our being inflexible to the innumerable Calls of his Word impenetrable to the pure Motion of his Spirit and insensible of his excellent Goodness that leads Sinners to Repentance tho the Love of Heaven or Fear of Hell could not prevail with us to forsake our Sins when we were prepared for Wrath and averse and utterly indisposed for the receiving his Mercy then his Grace as free as omnipotent gave us Repentance unto Life and qualified us for Pardon and bestowed it upon us The Extenuation of our Sins is inconsistent with the Exaltation of Grace but the more humble we are in the deep Sense of our Guilt the more thankful for the Divine Clemency That God was pleased to crown us with Loving-kindness and Mercy when a killing Charge of innumerable Offences was levell'd against us O Goodness truly Divine and Infinite and should accordingly affect us with Admiration 2 dly Pardoning Mercy distinguishes between Sinners of equal Guilt and often saves those of greater Guilt when others die eternally This Comparative heightens God's Love and our Thankfulness How many are surpriz'd and cut off in a Course of Sin how many die without Repentance and are under a notorious Necessity of perishing yet we that were as bad or worse neither melted and made pliable by his Goodness nor better'd by his Judgments he spared and by his Grace cleansed and changed us that we might partake of Mercy In this Dispensation the Question of the Apostle may be put in its full Force Who made thee to differ Nothing within us nothing without us distinguish'd us from those that perish there were the same polluted Principles in our Hearts and the same rebellious Sins in our Lives only the Mercy of God that has no moving Cause but it self made the Difference Let the Comparison be contracted between us and our Associates in Sin and as the Sun-beams concenter'd in a Burning-glass it will more inflame our thankful Affections How many