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
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
that all the World are become guilty before God that is justly chargeable with their Crimes and liable to his Judgment The Act of Sin is transient and the Pleasure vanishes but the Guilt if not pardoned and purged away remains for ever in the Records of Conscience The Sin of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron and with the Point of a Diamond it is graven on the Tables of the Heart When the Books of eternal Life and Death shall be opened at the Last Day all the unpardoned Sins of Men with their killing Aggravations will be found written in indelible Characters and shall be set in order before their Eyes to their Confusion The righteous Judg has sworn he will forget none of their Works According to the Number and Heinousness of their Sins a Sentence shall pass upon them No Excuses shall suspend the Judgment nor mitigate the immediate Execution of it The Forgiveness of Sins contains the Abolition of their Guilt and Freedom from the deserved Destruction consequent to it This is express'd by various Terms in Scripture Pardon relates to some Damage and Offence which the offended Party may severely vindicate Now altho the blessed God in strictness of speaking can receive no Damage by rebellious Creatures being infinitely above the Impression of Evil yet as our Saviour speaks of one that looks upon a Woman with an impure Desire that he has committed Adultery with her in his Heart tho the Innocence of the Woman be unstained so the Sins of Men being Acts of foul Ingratitude against his Goodness and notorious Unrighteousness against his Authority are in a Sense injurious to him which he might justly revenge upon them but his Clemency spares them The not imputing Sin is borrowed from the Accounts of Servants with their Masters and implies the Account we are obliged to render the supreme Lord for all his Benefits which we have so wretchedly misimproved he might righteously exact of us ten thousand Talents that are due to him but he is graciously pleased to cross the Book and freely to discharge us The purging from Sin implies 't is very odious and offensive in God's Eyes and has a special respect to the expiatory Sacrifices of which 't is said that without Blood there was no Remission This was typical of the precious Blood of the Son of God that purges the Conscience from dead Works from the deadly Guilt of Sin that cleaves to the Conscience of the Sinner By the application of his Blood the crimson Guilt is wash'd away and the pardoned Sinner is accepted as one pure and innocent 2. I shall next demonstrate that Forgiveness belongs to God This will be evident by the following Considerations 1 st 'T is the high and peculiar Prerogative of God to pardon Sin His Authority made the Law and gives Life and Vigour to it therefore he can remit the Punishment of the Offender This is evident from the Proportion of humane Laws For tho subordinate Judges have only a limited Power and must acquit or condemn according to the Law yet the Soveraign may dispense with it This is declared in Scripture by God himself I even I am he that blots out thy Transgressions for my Name sake He repeats it with an Emphasis He is proclaimed with this Royal Title The Lord gracious and merciful pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin 'T is a Dispensation of Divine Soveraignty to pardon the Guilty 'T is true God pardons as a Father according to that most gracious Promise I will spare them as a Father spares his Son that serves him but as invested with the Dignity of a Soveraign Our Saviour directs us in the perfect Form of Prayer dictated to his Disciples to pray to God for the Forgiveness of our Sins as our Father sitting in Heaven upon a high Throne from whence he pronounces our Pardon His Majesty is equally glorious with his Mercy in that blessed Dispensation His Royal Supremacy is more conspicuous in the Exercise of Mercy towards repenting Sinners than in the Acts of Justice upon obstinate Offenders As a King is more a King by the pardoning humble Suppliants by the Operation of his Scepter than in subduing Rebels by the Power of the Sword For in Acts of Grace he is above the Law and over-rules its Rigour in Acts of Vengeance he is only superiour to his Enemies 'T is the peculiar Prerogative of God to pardon Sin The Prophet challenges all the reputed Deities of the Heathens as defective in this Royal Power Who is a God like unto thee pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin The Pharisees said true Who can forgive Sins but God only for 't is an Act of Empire The judicial Power to pardon is a Flower inseparable from the Crown for 't is founded in a Superiority to the Law therefore inconsistent with a depending Authority A Creature is as incapable of the Supremacy of God in pardoning Sin as of his Omnipotence to create a World for they are both truly infinite Besides the Power of pardoning Sins necessarily implies an universal Knowledg of the Minds and Hearts of Men which are the Fountains of their â—ctions and according to their Ingredâ—â—ncy the moral Good or Evil of them rises The more deliberately and wilfully a Sin is committed the Sinner incurs a greater Guilt and is obnoxious to a more heavy Punishment Now no Creature can dive into the Hearts of Men They are naked and open to the piercing Eye of God alone Add farther the authoritative Power to pardon has necessarily annex'd to it the active Power of dispensing Rewards and Punishments Now the Son of God alone has the Keys of Life and Death in his Hands It may be objected That our Saviour declares that the Son of Man has Power to forgive Sins The Answer to this will be clear by considering there are two Natures in Christ the Divine Nature that originally belongs to him and is proper to his Person and the Humane Nature which is as it were adoptive and was voluntarily assumed Now the Divine Person is the sole Principle and Subject of this Royal Dignity but 't is exercised in its Conjunction with the humane Nature and attributed to the Son of Man As in the Humiliation of Christ the Principles of his Sufferings and the actual Sufferings are solely in the humane Nature but upon the Account of the personal Union they are attributed to the Divine Person 'T is said The Lord of Glory was crucified and the Blood of God redeemed his Church The Church of Rome with high Presumption arrogates to their Priests a judicial Power of forgiving Sins and by the easy Folly of the People and crafty Deceit of their Instructors exercise a Jurisdiction over Conscience To avoid the Imputation of Blasphemy they pretend there is a double Power of Forgiving supreme and subordinate the first belongs to God the other is delegated by Commission to the Ministers of the Gospel But this is an irreconcileable Contradiction for
Thoughts than your Thoughts The Distance is so great between the Heavens and the Earth that the Sun so vast a Globe of Light seems to be of a small Circumference and the Stars of the first Magnitude tho many times bigger than the Earth appear like glittering Points of Light This Comparison is so convincing as may assist us in our Contemplation of his Mercy The Apostle saith God is rich in Mercy 'T is not said that he is rich in Substance tho the Earth be the Lord's and the Fulness thereof He is rich in his own Perfections not in external things 'T is not said God is rich in Power tho he is Almighty nor in Justice but in Mercy This signifies that of all the Divine Perfections none do shine so radiantly as his Mercy This reflects a Lustre upon his other Attributes His Goodness is the Foundation of his Glory He pardon'd ten thousand Talents to the Servant that was insolvent and his Treasure is unwasted I will consider the Extent of his pardoning Mercy and the Entireness of it 1. The Extent of it with Respect to the Number and Quality of the Sins that are pardoned 1 st The Number of them David after an attentive Consideration of the Purity and Perfection of God's Law breaks forth in a very great Anxiety Who can understand his Errors Who can enumerate the many Defections from that strait Rule of our Duty In many things we offend all We are obliged perpetually to obey and glorify God yet in every Action even in our religious Duties there are many Defects and Defilements that want Pardon How many Swarms of vain and unprofitable Thoughts of carnal covetous proud envious and revengeful Thoughts and Desires lodg in the Hearts of Men What a Torrent of idle sensual vain-glorious and passionate Words flow from their Lips How many thousand sinful Actions proceed from them When the inlightned Conscience seriously reflects upon our Sins of Omission and Commission how astonishing is their vast Number What a mountainous Heap appears They reach as low as Hell and rise as high as Heaven It would tire the Hand of an Angel to write down the Pardons that God bestows upon one penitent Believer 2 dly Divine Forgiveness extends to Sins of all kinds and degrees habitual and actual Tho no Sins are absolutely small being committed against the Majesty of God yet comparatively with respect to their Quality and Circumstances there is a manifest Difference between them Some are of a weaker Tincture some are of a deeper Die Some slightly wound the Conscience some waste it and let out its vital Blood Some do as it were whisper against the Sinner some cry for Vengeance Sins of Ignorance and Infirmity Sins of sudden Surreption that steal upon us without observing Sins by surprise of the Passions when there is no time to deliberate have extenuating Circumstances but Sins against Light wherein there is more of the Nature of Sin Sins against Mercies which in the Language of the Apostle are a despising of God's Goodness Sins against solemn Vows wherein Men break double Bands the Law of God and their sacred Ingagements Sins committed habitually and presumptuously as if God were ignorant or indifferent and unconcern'd or impotent and without Power to punish Offenders These Sins derive a greater Guilt and expose to a more terrible Punishment Now a gracious Pardon is offer'd in the Gospel to all Sinners whatever the Quality and Circumstances of their Sins be if they apply and address themselves to the Father of Mercy through the compassionate Mediator and forsake their Sins Of this we are assured from the most solemn Declaration of God to Moses The Lord is merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sin The Promise is comprehensive of all sorts of Sins how manifold and mighty soever Besides to encourage us to repent and believe God promises Pardon for Sins of the fiercest Provocation Judah had violated the Marriage-Covenant with God by their impure Idolatries yet he offers to receive them Thou hast played the Harlot with many Lovers yet return again to me saith the Lord. Relapses into rebellious Sins argue a strong Propensity to them and exceedingly aggravate their Guilt yet God promises Pardon for them Return ye backsliding Children and I will heal your Backslidings There are eminent Instances of God's pardoning Mercy recorded in the Scripture The Apostle having enumerated many sorts of Sinners guilty of enormous Crimes Idolaters Adulterers Abusers of themselves with Mankind tells the Corinthians And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God There is one sort of Sinners excepted from the general Promise of Mercy those who sin against the Holy Ghost The Reason of the Exception is not that the Holy Spirit is superiour in Dignity to the Father and the Son for they are all coeternal and coequal but from his Operations i. e. the revealing the Truth and Grace of God in the Gospel Now the obstinate malicious contradicting the Truth of the Gospel shining in the Minds of Men and the perverse despising the Grace of the Gospel is unpardonable to infinite Mercy Those who are guilty of that Sin have transform'd themselves into the Image of the Devil and Salvation cannot save them But no others are excluded from Repentance and Pardon 2. As the Extent so the Intireness of Pardon offer'd to Sinners declares God's abundant Mercy 1 st The Pardon is as full as free according to his excellent Goodness The Imputation of the Fault ceases and the Obligation to Punishment is abolish'd We have clear Evidence of this from the Scripture God assures those who repent and reform Tho your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow tho they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool Pardon is more than a Reprieve or Suspension of Judgment 't is a perfect Freedom from it A repenting Believer is as clear from the Charge of the Law as an innocent Angel There is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Our cleansing from the Defilements of Sin is imperfect therefore we must be always purifying our selves till we attain to absolute Purity but our Pardon is perfect 'T is irrevocable we are assured that as far as the East is from the West God removes our Transgressions from us As soon those distant Points may be united as Guilt may be fastned upon those whom God has pardoned The Prophet declares that God will subdue our Iniquities and cast them into the Bottom of the Sea From whence they can never rise God promises I will forgive their Iniquities and remember them no more Pardon is compleat and final 'T is the Misery of the Wicked they are condemned already they live by
the Power to pardon is an Efflux of Supremacy and incommunicable to the Subject A Prince that invests another with an absolute Power to pardon must either relinquish his Soveraignty or take an Associate to share in it This Pretence of the Papists is such a lame Evasion as that which they are forced to make use of to clear themselves from the Charge of Idolatry in their Worship of Angels and Saints their Excuse is that their Worship of Angels and Saints is inferiour in degree and imperfectly divine as if there could be different Degrees in Divine Worship which is absolutely and necessarily supreme The Ministers of the Gospel have only a declarative Power as Heralds or Embassadors to propose the Terms of the Gospel for the obtaining Pardon and to apply the Promise of Pardon to those who appear qualified for it But to pronounce and dispense Pardon they have no judicial Authority for 't is not presumeable that the wise God should invest Men with that Authority which they are utterly incapable to exercise 2 dly God is ready to forgive The Power to pardon without an Inclination to it affords no Relief in the Agonies of an accusing Conscience and the Terrors of eternal Judgment The merciful Will of God declared in his Word is the Foundation of our blessed Hope and encourages us in our Requests before his Throne For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy unto all that call upon thee The Attribute of which Pardon is an Emanation is usually exprest by Grace and Mercy 'T is said the Grace of God that brings Salvation has appeared unto all Men We are saved by Grace Grace implies free Favour There is in this respect a Difference between Love and Grace Love may be set upon an Object worthy of it The primary Object of God's Love is himself whose excellent and amiable Perfections are worthy of infinite Love The Love of Parents to Children is a Duty most clearly natural and Duty lessens the Desert of performing it but Grace is exclusive of all Merit and Dignity in the Subject and of all Obligation in the Person that shews it God's most free preventing Grace is exercised without any Motive in us that deserves it The Grace of God may be consider'd as exercised in our Creation and our Redemption In the Creation it was absolutely free for Angels and Men were in the State of nothing there was only a Possibility of their Being Now there could be no attractive Merit before their Existence 'T is true Goodness is glorified and crown'd by communicating The World is a bright Efflux of the Divine Glory but this does not lessen the free Goodness of the Maker There was no Constraint upon God to make the World for his declarative Glory for his essential Glory is truly infinite and wants no external Appearance to make it compleat The Universal Church pays humble Homage to the Great Creator acknowledging that for his Will and Pleasure all things were created The Divine Goodness to Angels and Man in their Original Purity was Grace for altho the Image of God shining in them was attractive of his Approbation and Acceptance yet they deserved no Benefits from him there is such an infinite Distance and Disproportion between God and the Creatures that they cannot by a common Right claim any thing as due from his Majesty Besides he is the productive and conservative Cause of all their active Powers and the Efficacy of them The creating Goodness of God is eclips'd in the Comparison with his saving Grace The first supposes us without any Deserts of his Favour but this supposes our exceedingly bad Deserts The first was free but this is merciful and healing Grace Mercy revives and restores us when deservedly miserable This Grace and Mercy is of so pure a Nature that the most tender humane Inclinations to relieve the Afflicted are mix'd with Self-interest compared with the Mercy of God towards us Our Bowels relent and Affections are melting at the sight of Persons in deep Misery But there is an inward and unvoluntary Constraint of Nature that excites such feeling Resentments and our Compassion is moved by Reflection upon our selves considering that in this open State we are liable to many Disasters and wounding Sorrows but God is infinitely free from all disturbing Passions and exempted from all possible Evils To represent the immense Love and Mercy of God in its endearing Circumstances and to demonstrate his Readiness to forgive we must consider what he has done in order to his pardoning Sinners 1. If we consider God as the supreme Lawgiver and Judg of the World as the Protector of Righteousness and Goodness and the Revenger of all Disorders in his moral Government it became him not to pardon Sinners without the punishing Sin in such a manner as might satisfy his injur'd Justice and vindicate the Honour of his despised Law and declare most convincingly his Hatred against Sin Now for these great Ends he decreed to send his Son from his Bosom to assume our Nature and to suffer the contumelious Calamity of the Death on the Cross to make a Propitiation for our Sins This was the Contrivance of his high Wisdom which the most enlightned Angels had no presaging Notions of Now can there be a more clear Evidence and convincing Reality that God is ready to forgive Sins than the giving his only begotten Son a Person so great and so dear the Heir of his Love and Glory to be a Sacrifice that he might spare us In this Dispensation Love was the regent leading Attribute to which his Wisdom Justice and Power were subordinate they were in exercise for the more glorious Illustration of his Mercy We have the strongest Argument of God's Love in the Death of his Son for our Pardon was the end of it From hence 't is evident that God is more willing to dispense his pardoning Mercy than Sinners are to receive it 2. God's Readiness to forgive appears in the gracious and easy Terms prescribed in the Gospel for the obtaining Pardon There are two ways of Justification before God and they are like two Ways to a City One is direct and short but deep and unpassable the other lies in a Circuit but will bring a Person safe to the Place Thus there is a Justification of an innocent Person by Works that secures him from the Charge of the Law and a Justification of a Sinner by Faith in our all-sufficient Saviour The first was a short way to Man in the State of Integrity the second such is the Distance of the Terms takes a Compass There is a shorter Passage from Life to Action than from Death to Life There is no Hope or Possibility of our legal Justification The Apostle saith That which the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the Likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh. The Expiation of
Sin and renewing us into the Image of God are obtained by the Gospel The Law is called the Law of Sin and Death which must be understood not as consider'd in it self but relatively to our depraved Nature The Law supposes Men in a State of uncorrupted Nature and was given to be a Preservative of our Holiness and Felicity not a Remedy to recover us from Sin and Misery It was directive of our Duty but since our Rebellion the Rod is turn'd into a Serpent The Law is hard and imperious severe and inexorable the Tenor of it is Do or die for ever It requires a Righteousness entire and unblemish'd which one born in Sin cannot produce in the Court of Judgment Man is utterly unable by his lapsed Powers to recover the Favour of God and to fulfil his Obligation by the Law to Obedience But the Gospel discovers an open easy way to Life to all that will accept of Salvation by the Redeemer The Apostle expresses the Difference between the Condition of the Law and the Gospel in a very significant manner Moses describes the Righteousness which is of the Law that the Man that does those things shall live in them but the Righteousness which is of Faith speaks on this wise Say not in thine Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above Who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring Jesus Christ again from the dead but what saith it The Word is nigh thee that if thou shalt confess with thy Mouth and shalt believe in thy Heart that God hath raised him from the Dead thou shalt be saved The meaning of the Apostle is that things in Heaven above or in the Depths beneath are of impossible Discovery and Attainment so 't is equally impossible to be justified by the Works of the Law The anxious Sinner seeks in vain for Righteousness in the Law which can only be found in the Gospel It may be objected that the Condition of the Law and the Condition of the Gospel compar'd relatively to our deprav'd Faculties are equally impossible The carnal Mind and Affections are as averse from Repentance and receiving Christ as our Lord and Saviour as from obeying the Law Our Saviour tells the Jews Ye will not come to me that ye may have Life and no Man can come to me unless the Father draw him Which Words are highly expressive of our utter Impotence to believe savingly in Christ. But there is a clear Answer to this Objection the Difference between the two Dispensations consists principally in this The Law requires compleat and constant Obedience as the Condition of Life without affording the least supernatural Power to perform it But the Gospel has the Spirit of Grace a Concomitant with it by whose Omnipotent Efficacy Sinners are revived and enabled to comply with the Terms of Salvation The Spirit of the Law is stiled the Spirit of Bondage from its rigorous Effects it discover'd Sin and terrified the Conscience without implanting a Principle of Life that might restore the Sinner to a State of Holy Liberty As the Flame in the Bush made the Thorns in it visible without consuming them so the firy Law discovers Mens Sins but does not abolish them But the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus i. e. the Gospel has freed us from the Law of Sin and Death I will more particularly consider the gracious Terms prescribed in the Gospel for the obtaining Pardon Repentance towards God and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The requiring of them is not an arbitrary Constitution but founded in the unchangeable Nature and Congruity of things Repentance signifies a sincere Change of the Mind and Heart from the Love and Practice of Sin to the Love and Practice of Holiness upon Evangelical and Divine Motives The principal Ingredients in it are Reflections with Grief and Shame upon our past Sins with stedfast Resolutions of future Obedience 'T is a vital Principle productive of Fruits sutable to it 'T is call'd Repentance from dead Works Repentance unto Life 'T is the Seed of new Obedience Repentance in order of Nature is before Pardon but they are inseparably join'd in the same Point of Time David is a blessed Instance of this I said I will confess my Transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin The Sum and Tenour of the Apostles Commission recorded by St. Luke is That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in the Name of Christ to all Nations That a repentant Sinner only is qualified for Pardon will be evident in considering 1. That an impenitent Sinner is the Object of revenging Justice and 't is utterly inconsistent that pardoning Mercy and revenging Justice should be terminated upon the same Person at the same time in the same respect 'T is said The Lord hateth all the Workers of Iniquity and his Soul hates the Wicked The Expression implies the intense Degrees of Hatred In the glorious Appearance of God to Moses when proclaim'd with the highest Titles of Honour The Lord God gracious and merciful pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin 't is added he will by no means spare the Guilty i. e. impenitent Sinners We must suppose God to be of a changeable flexible Nature which is a blasphemous Imagination and makes him like to sinful Man if an impenitent Sinner may be received to Favour without a Change in his Disposition God cannot repent of giving a holy Law the Rule of our Duty therefore Man must repent of his breaking the Law before he can be reconciled to him The Truth is Man consider'd merely as a Sinner is not the Object of God's first Mercy i. e. of Pity and Compassion for as such he is the Object of God's Wrath and 't is a formal Contradiction to assert that he is the Object of Love and Hatred at the same time and in the same respect But Man consider'd as God's Creature involv'd in Misery by the Fraud of the Tempter and his own Folly was the Object of God's Compassion and the Recovery of him from his forlorn wretched State was the Effect of that Compassion 2. Tho Mercy consider'd as a separate Attribute might pardon an impenitent Sinner yet not in Conjunction and Concord with God's essential Perfections Many things are possible to Power absolutely consider'd which God cannot do for his Power is always directed in its Exercise by his Wisdom and limited by his Will It would disparage God's Wisdom stain his Holiness violate his Justice to pardon an impenitent Sinner The Gospel by the Promise of Pardon to such would foil it self and frustrate its principal End which is to purify us from all Iniquity and to make us a People zealous of good Works 3. If an impenitent Sinner may be pardoned as such he may be glorified for that which qualifies a Man for Pardon qualifies him for Salvation and the Divine Decree establishes an inseparable Connexion between them
and humbly accept of the Terms of Mercy 't is very pleasing to him We are assur'd by Jesus Christ who is Truth that there is Joy in Heaven over one Sinner that repents more than over ninety nine Persons that need no Repentance God himself declares with a solemn Oath that he delights not in the Death of a Sinner but rather that he should turn and live The Holiness and Mercy of God are two of his most Divine Perfections his peculiar Glory and Delight Now what can be more pleasing to that most pure and compassionate Being than to see a sinful Creature conform'd to his Holiness and saved by his Mercy If the internal Joy of God wherein he is infinitely blessed were capable of new Degrees it would rise higher in the Exercise of his forgiving Mercy There is a clear Representation of this in the Parable of the Prodigal At his Return his Father received him with a Robe and a Ring with Musick and a Feast the signs of Joy in its Exaltation But if Sinners are hardned in Obstinacy and notwithstanding God is so willing to pardon them are wilful to be damn'd with what Variety of Passions does he express his Resentment He incarnates himself in the Language of Men to make them understand his Affection to them Sometimes he expostulates with a tender Sympathy Why will ye die as if they were immediately falling into the bottomless Pit He expresses Pity mix'd with Indignation at their chosen Folly and Ruine How long ye simple ones will ye love Simplicity and Fools hate Knowledg What Reluctancy and Regret does he express against proceeding to exterminating Judgments How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine Heart is turned within me my Repentings are kindled together With what a melting Passion does the Son of God foretel the decreed Destruction of Jerusalem for rejecting their Saviour and Salvation When he came near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes Like a mild Judg that pities the Man when he condemns the Malefactor Those who interpret some Expressions of Scripture that God laughs at the Calamity of the Wicked and mocks when their Fear comes and is inexorable to their Prayers in such a Sense as evacuates most gracious Declarations of God to induce Sinners to repent and believe for their Salvation they draw Darkness out of Light for those Threatnings are directed against obstinate Rebels that frustrate the most powerful Methods of Mercy and reject the Call of God in the Day of his Grace and by way of Retaliation their Prayers are ineffectual and rejected in the Day of his Wrath. And that he is so highly and irreconcileably provoked for their despising his Mercy is a certain Indication how highly he would have been pleased with their humble accepting it Let none then by a vile and wretched Suspicion that God's repeated Calls to Sinners to return and live do not signify his serious Will detract from the Glory of his Goodness and blaspheme his unspotted Holiness His excellent Greatness secures us of his Sincerity Why should the glorious Majesty of Heaven court despicable Creatures to be reconciled We are infinite Descents below him and no Advantage can accrue to him from us Temporal Princes may be swayed by Interest to send false Declarations to Rebels in Arms to reduce them to Obedience but what can the most High gain by our Submission or lose by our Obstinacy Counterfeit Kindness proceeds either from the Hope of some Good or the Fear of some Evil and of both God is absolutely uncapable We are all obnoxious to his severe Justice There is no occasion that he should intend by the gracious Offer of Pardon to aggravate the Sin and Sentence of those who refuse it Whosoever with Heart-breaking Sorrow and unfeigned Hatred of his Sins seeks for Pardon by the Mediator he shall find his Experience of sparing Mercy equal to the highest Expressions of it in Scripture and exceeding all his Thoughts 4. It appears that God is ready to pardon in that he is so slow to punish Tho all the Divine Attributes are equal in God and there is an intire Agreement between them yet there is a Difference in their external Operations St. John declares God is Love that signifies his communicative Goodness the Exercise whereof is more free and pleasing to him than the Acts of revenging Justice He does not afflict willingly the Children of Men. His Mercy in giving and forgiving flows as Water from a Fountain Acts of Justice are forc'd from him like Wine from the Grapes by the pressing Weight of our Sins In the first Day of Judgment a Saviour was promised before the Curse was threatned Notwithstanding sinful Men break his Laws and trample on them before his Face they resist and grieve and quench his Spirit yet he delays the Execution of Judgment that his Long-suffering may lead them to Repentance This will appear by considering that God's forbearing Sinners is not 1. For want of Discovery of their Sins Humane Justice may suffer a guilty Person to escape Punishment for want of clear Evidence but this Case is not incident to the Justice of Heaven God is Light with respect to his Purity and Omniscience His firy Eye pierces through the thickest Darkness wherein Sins are committed and all the Arts of Concealment used to cover them He sees all the Sins of Men with the Eye of a Judg All things are naked and open before his Eyes with whom we have to do Therefore 't is said God will require what is past and will observe what is to come in order to Judgment 2. 'T is not from a Defect of Power that the Wicked are spared Great Princes are sometimes hindred from the Exercise of Justice when the guilty Person is supported by a prevalent Party against them for the Power of a Prince is not in himself but in those who are his Subjects Thus David was constrained to spare Joab after the Murder of Abner because of his Interest in the Army the Sons of Zerviah were too hard for him he fear'd their rebellious Resistance But the Power of God is inherent in himself and depends upon no Creatures O Lord be exalted in thine own Power He fears none and is to be fear'd by all With one Stroke of Omnipotency he can destroy all his Enemies for ever He can with more Ease subdue the most stubborn Rebels than we can breathe His Strength is equal to his Authority both are truly infinite 3. The Guilty are spared sometimes from the vicious Partiality of Princes to their Favourites or a wretched Neglect of Justice But the high and holy King is without respect of Persons He hates Sin with a perfect Hatred and is angry with the Wicked
instructive Inference in the Text There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared that is with a Fear of Reverence for his amiable Excellencies for the Attractives of his pardoning Mercy and of Caution lest by abusing we should make a deadly Forfeiture of it If God should appear as an irreconcileable Judg arm'd with Terrour against all Offenders the Apprehension would produce Hatred and a dreadful Flight from him it would make Men boldly wilful and harden them in their Rebellions for if they cannot be pardoned for their past Sins and can be but damned for their Continuance in them they will give Licence to their roving and impetuous Appetites and commit Iniquity with Greediness Now God has appointed a Way for the Pardon of Sin wherein there is a bright and equal Discovery of his Greatness and Goodness his Purity and Righteousness that his Law may be more sacred and inviolable more remembred and obeyed by us He has declared in the Death of his Son wherein the equal Extreams of Ignominy and Torment were combin'd what an Evil Sin is that requir'd such a mighty Expiation We may from the Depth of his Sufferings conceive the Excess and Height of our Provocations We may understand the deadly Guilt of Sin that can only be wash'd away in the Blood of Christ the Fountain of Remission To turn the Grace of God into Wantonness to be more loose and secure in committing Sin is to turn the Antidote into Poison and defeat his blessed End 'T is a main Article of our Reconciliation The Lord will speak Peace to his People but let them not return to Folly We may conceive that God speaks to the pardon'd Sinner what our Saviour said to the Man whom he miraculously heal'd Go away sin no more lest a worse thing befal you 'T is both the Duty and Disposition of those who have received the Pardon of their Sins to fear the Lord and his Goodness There is no Principle more clearly natural and sensible than this Dependance includes Observance the receiving Benefits obliges a Person to the Benefactor Accordingly the Psalmist expresses the Affections of the humane and the holy Nature What shall I render to the Lord for all his Benefits and breaks out in an Extasy of Thankfulness O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant thou hast broken my Bands The repenting Believer receives Pardon from God with joyful Admiration that fastens his Mind in the Contemplation of his glorious Mercy the serious Thought of it kindles a sacred Fire in his Breast as 't is said of Mary Magdalen Much was forgiven her for she loved much Love to God that results from his pardoning Love to us is singular and supreme and necessarily produces an ardent Desire to please and glorify him and an ingenuous grateful Fear of offending him The Soul that has felt the Terrors of the Lord as the holy and righteous Judg of the World and afterward has been revived by the Light of his Countenance and has tasted how good the Lord is how is it possible to resist such dear and immense Obligations How prodigious to turn the strongest and sweetest Ingagement to Reverence and Obedience into an Encouragement to do that which is odious and offensive in his Sight To sin against Light heightens a Sin into Rebellion but to sin against revealed Love makes it above-measure sinful This is so contrary to natural Conscience and super-natural Grace that 't is the Leprosy of the Wicked not the Spot of God's Children Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish People and unwise The upbraiding reduces them to a defenceless Silence and covers them in black Confusion When Divine Grace pardons our past Sins it cures our depraved Inclinations to future Sins The clearest Discovery of the Heart is by Reflections on God's Mercy The Fear of God's Justice is natural the reverent Regard of his Goodness is a spiritual Affection There is a great Difference between filial Fear of the divine Goodness that is so becoming the Breast of a Christian and so congruous to our present State and servile Fear that is the proper Character of one in the Bondage of Sin The Filial Fear of God is an ingenuous voluntary Affection flowing from Love and freely exercis'd and esteem'd the Treasure of the Soul Servile Fear the Sequel of Guilt is a judicial Impression from the sad Thoughts of the provoked Majesty of Heaven and if the Offender could dissolve the Bands of Conscience he would throw it off Filial Fear is mix'd with Joy 't is the Preservative of God's Favour to us it makes us more circumspect but not less comfortable it opposes Security but establishes the Assurance of Faith the Fear of the Lord and Hope in his Mercy are united Graces Servile Fear has Torment 't is an Alarm within that disturbs the Rest of the Sinner 't is a fretting Fire that secretly torments him in his most luscious Fruitions Filial Fear restrains from all Sin in the Heart and Life because it dishonours and displeases God it denies the carnal Appetites with Sweetness and Satisfaction to the Soul it excites us to obey God with Choice and Complacency Servile Fear induces an Abstinence from some Sins which fly in the Face of Conscience and which the Sinner loves and urges to the outward Performance of Duties which he hates The slavish Spirit is afraid to burn not to sin he is fearful to be damn'd not to displease God Filial Fear is a serious and habitual Constitution of the Soul inseparable from it in all Times and Places 't is influential into the whole Life Servile Fear is a sudden Passion and transient sometimes a sharp Affliction a piercing Sermon awakens a secure Wretch into a Fit of Terror Filial Fear keeps the Soul close to God makes it solicitous lest any Sin should intercept the Light of his Countenance and obstruct Communion with him which is the Paradise of a Saint 't is the gracious Promise of God to his Children I will put my Fear into their Hearts and they shall never depart from me Servile Fear makes the Sinner shy of God's Presence and as unwilling to find him as a Saint is to lose him He is not pleased with Solitude lest the guilty Conscience should have time of Recollection and should look to the Judg above He takes no Delight in the Society of the Saints and the Enjoyment of the Ordinances because God is peculiarly present there and above all things he is afraid to die because then the Spirit returns to God that gave it In short the filial Fear of God ascends with the Soul to Heaven and is the eternal Respect that the blessed Spirits continually pay to his adorable Perfections Servile Fear attends the Sinner to Hell and settles into Despair for ever 2 dly The Doctrine of Divine Forgiveness affords strong Consolation to those who are wounded in Spirit in the Sense of their Sins Those only who feel the intolerable Burden of
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
righteous and holy and cannot pardon Sinners to the Disparagement of his Majesty his Purity and Justice 2. Our pardoning the Offences of others is an evangelical Condition of our obtaining Pardon We are commanded When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you your Trespasses But if you do not forgive neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your Trespasses The Command is peremptory and universal frequently and severely urged upon us by our Saviour The Reasonableness and Congruity of it is most evident if we consider the Disparity of the Object or the Number of Offences Our Sins against God are relatively infinite for his Majesty and Authority are truly infinite which are despised and abused by the Transgression of his Laws they are against all the Duty and Motives of Justice and Gratitude that oblige reasonable Creatures to obey their Maker Now the Offences and Injuries done to us are incomparably less for we are mean Creatures far less in comparison to God than a Worm is to an Angel and by our Sins are viler than the Earth Besides the Obligation that should restrain Men from being injurious to us are of infinitely a lower Nature The Disparity in the Number is very considerable Our Sins against God are like the Sand upon the Sea-shore their Number is astonishing Our Imaginations have been continually evil from the dawning of our Reason but Offences against us are comparatively few for the Variety of Objects in the World often divert the Thoughts and Passions of our Enemies from us We owe to the Lord 10000 Talents a vast Sum that can never be paid if it be not forgiven and shall we be unwilling to forgive a few Pence What is more becoming than that we who want a great Pardon should give a little one The Divine Mercy is proposed as a Model for our Imitation We must pardon intirely and take no Revenge for Injuries done to us but return Love for Hatred Good for Evil for so God does to us We must not only forgive but forget Injuries in the Sense of Love not like those who pardon in Words but retain the Memory of Offences and upon a slight Occasion renew their Resentments We must forgive great Offences as well as small and renew our Pardon as often as Offences are repeated unless we will set Bounds to the Divine Mercy We must rejoice more in pardoning than in revenging Injuries and seek to be reconciled to those who are averse from us for that is according to our Pattern 'T is pretended that by bearing a single Injury we expose our selves to a double Injury but we must imitate our heavenly Father If we do not follow him in forgiving he will follow us in retaining our Sins The Psalmist tells us With the Merciful God will shew himself merciful but with the Froward he will shew himself froward A holy and righteous Punishment in Retaliation of their sinful Disposition The pardoning Injuries is contrary to corrupt Nature and the Duty is difficult but the Reward is infinite Tho it seems to vilify us as if defective in our Minds not to understand Injuries or in Courage not to repay them which makes Men hard to forgive yet upon calm Consideration we shall esteem it a Duty easy and honourable for it prevents the inflaming our Passions and the troubling of our selves and others 't is an Act of Royalty and makes us superiour to them 't is the noblest Victory and often conquers and changes an Enemy into a Friend And above all Motives this should recommend it to us it seals our Pardon from God and conveys the most clear and comfortable Sense of it to us For as the Psalmist excellently argues He that planted the Ear shall he not hear He that formed the Eye shall he not see If we are by Divine Grace inclin'd and enabled to pardon frequent Offences against us shall not the God of all Grace be ready to pardon our many Offences against him Our Saviour reasons from the Love of natural Parents If you that are evil know how to give good things to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those that ask it The Illation is as strong in forgiving Love If we who are of an unforgiving Nature sincerely forgive those who injure us and restore them to our Favour how much more shall God who is Love forgive our Sins and be reconciled to us 4. The Divine Forgiveness should be a powerful Motive to Thankfulness David addresses to his Soul in an ardent and lively manner Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name He excites every Faculty the Understanding to consider and value the Mercies of God the Memory to register them and retain a thankful Sense of them the Affections to celebrate them He repeats the Call Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits We are apt to forget Favours and remember Provocations Benefits are written in the Dust Injuries are engraven in Marble But strong Affections will make indelible Impressions of Thankfulness If we duly consider the Greatness and Goodness of God and our Meanness and Unworthiness that we are less than the least of his Mercies we must be convinc'd every Benefit we receive from God deserves to be remembred and acknowleged with serious Thankfulness That God draws a Curtain of Rest about us in the Night provides for us in the Day regards us with a compassionate Eye and relieves us in our Wants and Sorrows should cause such deep Affections as flow into outward Declarations of Praise 'T is true our most solemn Recognition of his Benefits is but a poor Duty compar'd with his immense Bounty to us our Thanksgiving is an Echo to God's Mercies that repeats a few Syllables what can our fading Breath add to his Blessedness and Glory that are in the highest degree of Perfection and truly infinite But 't is most reasonable that as all our Blessings flow from his Mercy they should fall into the Sea of his Glory and when our Souls bless him he accepts our Sincerity and does not despise our Thanksgivings for want of Perfection In the recounting God's Benefits the Psalmist mentions in the first place the Pardon of Sin who forgives all thy Iniquities as the Principal and Foundation of all the rest This in a most powerful way enter'd into his Heart and kindled a sacred Fire there I will briefly shew that the Pardon of Sin is so divine a Benefit that it deserves our most solemn Thankfulness and that it inclines and disposes the Soul to that Duty 1 st That the Pardon of our Sins deserves our most solemn Thankfulness will appear by an evident Light if we consider the Nature and Quality of the Benefit the Means by which 't is obtain'd the Circumstances in the dispensing it and the Consequents 1. The Quality and the