163 in him for us all. The rich man in the parable thought it would be a great means of converfion, if one fhould rife from the dead and preach: But here we fee, that all the faints departed, and now in glory, do jointly preach this fundamental truth, that there is forgivenefs with God.

Poor fouls are apt to think, that all thofe whom they read or hear of to be gone to heaven, went thither because they were fo good and fo holy. It is true, many of them were eminently and exemplarily fo in their generations. All of them were fo according to their degrees and measures; for without holiness no mạn can fee God. And it is our duty to labour to be like unto them in holiness; if ever we intend to be fo in happiness and glory. But yet not one of them, nor any one that is now in heaven, Jefus Chrift alone excepted, did ever come thither any other way but by forgiveness of fin; and that will alfo bring us thither, tho' we come fhort of many of them in holiness and grace.

And this evidence of forgiveness I the rather urge, because I find the apostle Paul doing of it eminently in his own perfon, 1 Tim. i. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the miniftry; who was before a blafphemer, and a perfecutor, and injurious. But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jefus Chrift came into the world to fave finners, of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jefus Chrift might fhew forth all long-fuffering, for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. A great fin ner, faith he, the chiefeft of finners, I was, which he manifefts by fome notable inftances of his fin. I was, faith he, a blafphemer, the highest fin against God 1; a perfecutor, the higheft fin against the faints; injurious, the highest wickednefs towards mankind: But, faith he, I obtained mercy, I am pardoned, and that

X. 2

with

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with a bleffed effect. First, That he should after all this be fo accounted faithful as to be put into the ministry. And then, that the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift in him and towards him, was exceeding abundant. And what was the reafon, what was the caufe, that he was thus dealt withal? Why, it was that he might be a patteru, an evidence, an argument, that there was grace, mercy, forgivenefs, to be had for all forts of finners that would believe to life everlafting.

To conclude then this evidence. Every one who is now in heaven, hath his pardon fealed in the blood of Christ. All these pardons are as it were hanged up in the gofpel; they are all inrolled in the promises thereof, for the encouragement of them that ftand in need of forgivenefs, to come and fue out theirs alfo. Fear not then the guilt of fin, but the love of it, and the power of it. If we love and like fin better than forgivenefs, we shall affuredly go without it. If we had but rather be pardoned in God's way, than perifh, our condition is fecure.

V. The fame is evident from the patience of God towards the world, and the end of it. For the clearing hereof we may obferve,

1. That upon the first entrance of fin, and breach of that covenant which God had made with mankind in Adam, he might immediately have executed the threatned curfe, and have brought eternal death upon them that finned. Juftice required that it fhould be fo, and there was nothing in the whole creation to interpofe fo much as a reprieve or a refpite of vengeance. And had God then fent finning man with the apoftate angels that induced him into fin, immediately into eternal deftruction, he would have been glorified in his righteoufnefs and feverity, by and among the angels that finned not, or he could have created a new race of innocent creatures, to have worshipped him and glorified him for his righteous judgment; even as the elect at the laft day, fhall do for the deftruction of ungodly men.

2. God hath not taken this courfe. He hath continued the race of mankind for a long feafon on the earth; he hath watched over them with his providence, and exercised exceeding patience, forbearance, and long fuffering towards them. This the apostle Paul at large difcourfeth on, Acts xiv 15, 16, 17 chap. xvii. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. as alfo, Rom. ii. 4. And it is open and manifeft in their event. The whole world is every day filled with tokens of the power and patience of God. Every nation, every city, every family is filled, with them.

3. That there is a common abuse of this patience of God vifible in the world in all generations. So it was of old; God faw it to be fo, and complained of it, Gen. vi. 5, 6. All the evil, fin, wickedness, that hath been in the world, which no heart can conceive, no tongue can exprefs, hath been all an abuse of this patience of God. This with the moft is the confequent of God's patience and forbearance. Men count it a feafon to fulfil all the abominations that thein evil bearts can fuggeft unto them, or Satan draw them into a combination with himfelf in. This the ftate of things in the world proclaims, and every ones experience confirms.

4. Let us therefore confider what is the true and proper end of this patience of God towards the world, enduring it in fin and wickedness, for fo long a season, and fuffering one generation to be multiplied after another. Shall we think that God hath no other defign, in all this patience towards mankind in all generations, but merely to fuffer them all and every one, without exception, to fin against him, difhonour him, provoke him, that fo he may at length everlaftingly destroy them all? It is confeffed, that this is the confequent, the event of it with the moft, through their perverse wickedness, with their love of fin and pleasure. But is this the defign of God? his only defign? hath he no other purpose but merely to forbear them a while in their folly, and then to avenge himself upon them?

Is this his intendment, not only those who are obftinate in their darkness, ignorance and rebellion against him, whofe damnation is juft, and fleepeth not; but alfo towards thofe whom he ftirs up by his grace to feek after a remedy and deliverance from the ftate of fin and death? God forbid; yea, fuch an apprehenfion would be contrary to all thofe notions of the infinite wisdom and goodnefs of God which are ingrafted upon our hearts by nature, and which all his works manifest and declare. Whatever therefore it be, this cannot be the defign of God, in his patience towards the world. It cannot be, but that he must long fince have cut off the whole race of mankind, if he had no other thoughts and purposes towards them.

5. If this patience of God hath any other intention towards any, any other effect upon fome, upon any; that is to be reckoned the principle end of it, and for the fake whereof it is evidently extended unto fome others, confequentially unto all. For thofe concerning whom God hath an especial design in his patience, being to be brought forth in the world after the ordinary way of mankind, and that in all ages during the continuance of the world, from the beginning unto the end thereof, the patience which is extended unto them, muit also of neceffity reach unto all, in that variety wherein God is pleased to exercife it. The whole world therefore is continued under the patience of God, and the - fruits of it, for the fake of fome that are in it.

6. Let us therefore fee what is the end of this patience, and what it teacheth us. Now it can have no end poffible, but only that before rejected, unless there be forgiveness of fins with God. Unlefs God be ready and willing to forgive the fins of them that come to him according unto his appointment, his patience is merely fubfervient unto a defign of wrath, anger, feverity, and a resolution to deftroy: Now, this is an abomination once to fuppofe, and would reflect unspeakable difhonour upon the Holy God. Let a man but deal thus, and it is a token of as evil an habit of mind, and per

verfe, as any can befall him. Let him bear with thefe, that are in his power in their faults, for no other end, or for no other defign, but that he may take advantage to bring a greater punishment and revenge upon them; and what more vile affection, what more wretched corruption of heart and mind, can be manifeft? and fhal! we think that this is the whole design of the patience of God? God forbid.

It may be objected, that this argument is not cogent, because of the inftance that lies against it, in God's dealing with the angels that finned. It is evident, that they fell into their tranfgreffion and apoftafy, before mankind did fo: For they led and feduced our firft parents into fin; and yet God bears with them, and exercifeth patience towards them to this very day, and will do fo unto the confummation of all things, when they shall be caft into the fire prepared for the devil and bis angels. And yet it is granted, that there is no forgiveness in God for them; so that it doth not neceffarily follow, that there is fo for man, because of his patience towards them.

I answer, That this must be more fully spoken unto, when we come to remove that great objection against thiswhole truth which was mentioned before, taken from God's dealing with the finning angels, whom he fpared not; at prefent two or three oblervations will remove it out of our way. For.

1. That the cafe is not the fame with the fianing angels, and the race of mankind in all generations. There are no other angels in this condition, but only thofe individuals who first finned in their own perfons. They are not in the providence and patience of God, multiplyed and increased in enfuing times and feafons; but they continue the fame individual perfons who firft finned, and no more. So that immediate execution of the whole punishment due unto their fin, would not have prevented any increase of them: But now with man it is otherwife. For God continues his patience towards them, to the production of millions of other perfons, who were

not