bim, in thofe that hope in his mercy. If now it be a plea fure to God, to fhew mercy to you, and that you hope in bis mercy, you may then with humble boldnefs go to the throne of grace for all grace and mercy needed by you. Be encouraged then, O repenting finner, unto a firm expectation of mercy from the Lord. He loves, that you fhould have favourable thoughts of him; and not think him an bard mafter, but a moft gracious and merciful God. Satan may endeavour to perfwade you, that there is nothing but wrath with God, that he is a devouring fire which you may not dare to approach, on any terms. But in this cafe, as in other things, Satan is a liar, and mifrepresents God unto you. Hearken rather to what God fays of himself, who beft knows himself: Jer. ix. 24. I am the Lord, which exercife loving kindness,-for in this I delight, faith the Lord. Ohen do not give way to unbelieving defpondencies; but hope in God, and that because of his mercy. If you have an humbling, abafing, forrowing fenfe of your fins, your expectations of mercy can be no prefumptions. Only fee to it, that you expect mercy, not for the fake of your repentings, but meerly for the fake of Jefus Chrift, who has merited mercy for you. In the way of repentance therefore, let all your dependance be on the fatisfaction and merit of Jefus Chrift, for an intereft in the mercy of God. Plead that with God, and rely on it; and as fure as God is true, you fhall obtain mercy of God. You then that have repented of your fins, and that. may come to the table of the Lord, the next Lord's day, you have this fatisfactory facrifice of Jefus Chrift there fet before your eyes, for this very end, that you may prefent it to God with dependance on it, for finding mercy with God. See then, that you there fly to the blood of that facrifice, and make it the foundation of your hope of mercy then will God for Chrift's fake forgive all your fins, and with everlafting kindness will be bave mercy on you. DOCT DocT. V. It is a great encouragement to finners, to repent and return to God, in that be will abundantly pardon.-Says our text, "Let the wicked forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Under two propofitions, this doctrine may be handled. 1. God will abundantly pardon. 2. This is a great encouragement to finners to repent and return to God. PROP. 1. God will abundantly pardon. The doctrine of pardon of fin, is one of the main articles of revealed religion. 'Tis the gofpel alone, which brings to us the joyful tidings, of God's being a fin pardoning God, This is one part of that glorious name, by which God has made himself known unto a finful world. Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. And the Lord paffed by before bim, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful, and gracious, long fuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, tranfgreffion and fin. It is now moft clearly revealed to us, that there is forgivenefs with God. Pfal. cxxx. 3. Our Lord Jefus Chrift commiffion'd and appointed his apoftles to preach to the whole world, that pardon of fin was to be had from God, in the way of gospel repentance. Luk. xxiv. 47, 48. That repentance and remiffion of fins fhould be preached in bis name, among all nations, beginning at Jerufalem. And ye are witneffes of thefe things, i. e. appointed to teftify these things. It is then one part of the work of the gofpel- miniftry, to declare unto repenting finners, that God will pardon, yea, that he will abundantly pardon. For the clearing and confirming this evangelical truth, four. things may be enquired into, viz. 1. What is it for God to pardon fin? 2. What is it for God abundantly to pardon? 3. How does it appear, that God will abundantly pardon ? 4. Wky, 4. Why, or for what realons, will God abundantly pardon ? Queft. 1. What is it for God to pardon sin ? Anfw. It is to take away the guilt of fin, or to releafe the finner from bis obligation to punishment.-In order to the better and more diftinct understanding this pardoning act of God, we may take notice of feveral things relating to fin, that we may fee what it is that is taken away in pardon.As now, there is the demerit of fin; or what it deferves, what is juftly due to it. Now this is death, even eternal death, which is the proper wages of fin, Rom, vi. 23. This is the defert of fin, and what the finner is worthy of on the account of fin. Now this defert of fin, is not, nor can be, taken away. It will ever be true of fin, that it is worthy of death and damnation. And though the penitent finner shall not have eternal damnation inflicted on him, nevertheless he is worthy of it on the accouut of his fins. They deserve eternal damnation, as much as the fins of others. Pardan of fin then, does not take away the merit or desert of fin; for that eternally abides.-Again, there is the dominion of fin: that reign, which it naturally has in the hearts of all finners. This is the ruling, governing principle in fallen man. Now this dominion of fin, is taken away in the work of mortification. The holy Spirit, by his almighty power, frees from the reign of indwelling fin, and enables perfons to mortify and keep it under.. Rom. viii. 13. Again, there is the pollution of fin. In all fin there is filthiness, whereby the perfons and actions of men are defiled, and made loathfome to God. Now this fpiritual ftain, or fpot, and filth, is taken away in. fantification. By the holy Spirit they are renewed, and washed from their fpiritual defilement, and beautified with gifts and graces. Again, there is the inherence of fin, in its principle. Sin has a being and indwelling in the hearts of all men, even, the beft of men. Now, this is taken away in glorification, and not before. Then believers fhall be glorious in holiness, not having any Spot, Spot, or wrinkle, or blemish, or any fuch thing. Eph. v. 27. Finally, in fin there is guilt. This guilt, is the liableness, or binding over a perfon, to punishment, by reafon of an offence committed by him. When a man fins, he tranfgreffes the law of God. And when he does fo, he falls under the threatning of God's law, and is bound over to undergo the punishment denounced against fin. He becomes guilty of eternal death. Now this guilt of fin is taken away by the remission of pardon of fin. Herein properly confifts the nature of forgivenefs. It does not lie in taking away the defert, or power, or pollution, or being of fin, but only the guilt of fin. When God therefore pardons a finner, he difcharges him from his obligation to fuffer the punishment due to his fin. And God will no more punish him for his fins, than if he had never committed them. They fhall be all blotted out, and no more be remembred against him, to his condemnation. Heb. viii. 12.-This it is for God to forgive fin. Queft. 2. What is it for God to pardon abundantly ? Anfw. 1. It means, that he will pardon frequently. Our text may be rendred, he will multiply to pardon. God has a multiplicity of pardons. He will pardon once, and again, and oftentimes. As often as finners truly repent, fo often will he forgive them. Thus God has required of us, to forgive those that fin against us, and that not only feven times, but even seventy times feven, in cafe they repent. Matth. xviii. 21, 22. And much more will the mercy of God extend itself to a multitude of iniquities; as our Lord fhews in vér. 24. One was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents, and be forgave him the debt. It is faid of God, Dan. ix. g. That to bim do belong forgivenesses, in the plural number. As there is with men a multitude of iniquities, fo there are with God a multitude of tender mercies, to blot them out. (Pfal. li. 1.) As there are manifold fins with men, fo there are manifold mercies with God. (Neb. ix. 19.) Yea, as the fins of men do abound, fo the grace of God does does fuper-abound. (Rom. v. 29.) There is then an abundance, a variety of pardons with God, a frequent repetition of forgiveness. 1 Anfw. 2. It means, that God will pardon fully. A pardon that is abundant, anfwers to the abundance of guilt lying upon finners; and accordingly, removes it all. An abundant pardon, is a fufficient and full pardon. Thus God will pardon all fins, to repenting finners; not leaving one of them unpardoned. All their fins of omiffion and commiffion, in thought, in word, or deed, fhall be wholly forgiven...And the guilt of all their fins, fhall be totally taken away; fo as that they fhall be freed from all obligation to punishment, properly fo called. They fhall be wholly deli wered from the wrath to come. And all the evils that may befal them in this world, fhall not be punishments inflicted on them by God as a fevere Judge, but only the chaftifements of a Father, for their good. So that God will take away all the iniquity of repenting and returning finners. Thus he has directed them to fay, in prayer to him, Hof. xiv. 1. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously. Anfw. 3. It means, that God will pardon finally and for ever. An abundant pardon, is an ever-abiding pardon; extending itfelf beyond the bounds of time. Were it only of a temporary and fhort duration, it would rather be a meer reprieve, than an abundant pardon. An abundant pardon then, is a pardon that fhall never be revoked, nor fuffer the fubject of it to become miferable. None of their fins fhall any more be imputed to them, or punished. This is what God affures repenting finners of, Ezek. xviii. 21, 22. If the wicked will turn from all bis fins that he hath committed,--all his tranfgreffions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him, i. e. they fhall never be charged unto him. So again, Heb. viii. 12. Their fins, and their iniquities, will I remember no more God will never revive the memory of them, unto their condemnation. The pardon which he has granted to them fhall ftand for ever. Eve 'Gofpel |