carry it towards him as fuch ought to do. Have you received a full pardon of your fins? See then that you carry it anfwerably. And improve this,

1. To thankfulness. Oblefs God for this great benefit. Thus the Pfalmift, Pfal. ciii. 2, 3. earneftly bleffes God, who forgave all bis iniquities. So fhould we, from our hearts, blefs and praife God for his marvellous rich grace, in forgiving to us thofe exceeding many and great fins, which we have been guilty of. This is a diftinguishing favour, a most free favour, an everlasting favour, a favour tranfcending all of the like kind that's ever feen or known among men, a favour that fecures to us all other divine favours, and compleat bleffedness in the end for which therefore we can never be enough thankful to God.

2. Improve this, to love God and Chrift much. The pardon of our many fins calls for exceeding great love to God and our Saviour. (Luk. vii. 47) The wonderful love of God does thine forth in the free forgiveness of all our fins for Chrift's fake and this love of his to us fhould inflame our love to him. We can never enough love him, who has fo loved us. Let our love to him

grow more and more.

3. Improve this, to be careful to ferve God, and no more to fin against him. If God has pardoned your many fins, fee that you no more return to folly. Your fins will be greatly aggravated, will greatly difhonour God therefore watch against fin. And fee that you walk before God, in all chearful obedience to his commandments. Be willing and ready to do much for that God, who has forgiven much to you. In thus doing you will answer God's kindness to you and have alfo a good evidence, that God has indeed forgiven all your fins. Pfal. cxxx. 3, 4. If thou, Lord, fhouldft mark ini· quity: O Lord, who shall and 2 But there is forgiveness with thee; that thou mayeft be feared

God's WORD compared to the Rain and SNOW, in their ORIGINAL, and their

For as the Rain cometh down, and the Snow from Heaven, and returneth not thither,but watereth the Earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give Seed to the Sower, and Bread to the Eater: So fhall my Word be, that goeth forth out of my Mouth; It fhall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I pleafe, and it • fhall profper in the Thing whereto. I fent it.

218228 N thefe verfes God further encourages repenting

Ifinners to hope in him for pardon, inafmuch as 2822 he will certainly make good his promife of pardoning mercy. God had before faid, that he would have mercy on the penitent finner, and that he would abundantly

abundantly pardon him. Now in thefe verfes God affures him, that this his word of promife fhould moft infallibly be accomplished. And this is fet forth in the way of comparison or fimilitude. Wherein we may

obferve,

1. The things compared, viz. Snow and Rain, and the word of God. God's word is often times in fcripture compared to rain, and fometimes to snow; as here in our text. In what refpects the word of God is like unto fnow and rain, may be fhewn hereafter.

2. The things wherein the fnow and rain, and the word of God, do resemble one another: viz.

1. In their original. The rain and fnow come down from beaven, fo does the word. They are all of a divine original; as hereafter will be fhewn.

2. In their efficacy. The fnow and rain return not to beaven, useless; but water the earth, and make it to bring forth and bud, that it may give feed to the fower, and bread to the eater: i. e. that it may yield to men, not only plenty of bread for food, but alfo fufficient feed for the following year, So that the fnow and rain, when attended with God's bleffing, never fail of effecting that good end, which God fends them for. So likewife the word of God never returns to Him void; but accomplishes God's good pleasure, and profpers in that gracious errand, on which he fends it.

DOCT. 1. The word of God is like unto now and rain. In the prophetical fong of Mofes, the word of God is compared to rain. Deut. xxxii. 2. My doctrine fball drop as the rain: my speech fhall diftill as the dew, as the fmall rain upon the tender herb, and as the fhowers upon the grass.-The fimilitude or refemblance between the word of God, and the fnow and rain, may be seen in thefe following particulars..

1. The fnow and rain do come down from beaven; fo does the word of God.-The foow and rain fall upon the earth, from the heavens over us. Hence the rain is

called

called the rain of beaven, Deut. xi. 11. Not as if thế heavens were the firft caufe of the rain, but only the place from whence it is shower'd down upon the earth. The rain comes from the God of heaven, the God that is above. And therefore God is faid to be the Father of the rain. Job xxxviii. 28. Haib the rain a father, i. e. any father befides God? No, it has not. Hence allo God is faid to be the giver of rain. A. xiv. 17. Hè gave us rain from heaven. God is also faid to be the giv. er of fnow. Pfal. cxlvii. 16. He giveib fnow like wool. God is the author and giver both of fnow and rain. Tis his royal prerogative to give them.-Thus the word of God is from heaven. It comes immediately from God, by divine revelation. We could never have known the mind and will of God, had not he himself made it known to us. The gofpel is of a divine original, 'tis a doctrine that is of God, Job. vii. 16, 17. My doctrine is not mine (only) but bis that fent me. If any man will do bis will, be shall know of the doctrine, wheiber it be of God. Though men have been made ufe of to impart the mind of God to us, yet they were only inftruments in the hand of God for doing it. 2 Pet. i. 21. For the prophecy in old time came not by the will of man: but boly men of God fpake as they were moved by the Holy Gboft...

2. The fnow and rain are difpofed of by God in a fovereign way; fo is the word of God.-Snow and rain are under the governing providence of God, and made to fall here and there according to his fovereign pleasure. Amos iv. 7. I bave caused it to rain upon one city, and cauled it not to rain upon another city. He gives fhowers of bleffing to one place, and witholds them from another place. So the word of God is under the fpecial direc tion of divine providence, ordering all the motions of it. He fends his word to fome people, and witholds it from other people, according to his holy pleasure. Pfal. cxlvii. 19, 20. He fhewerb bis word unio Jacob: be baib not dealt fo with any nation.—It is not meerly cafual, or from the pleasure of men, that the gofpel is preached to fome,

and

and not to others; but 'tis from the disposing hand of God, who prefides in that affair. Ats xvi. 6, 7. Now when they bad gone through Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Alia, after they were come from Mysia, they effayed to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit fuffered them not. God difpofes of the gofpel, and means of grace, when, and where he pleases.

3: The Snow and rain foften the earth; so the word of God foftens the bearts of men.-When the ground is hardned by froft in the winter, the fnow falling and lying on it, thaws and foftens it: and when the earth in fummer is hardned by the heat of the fun, the rain falling on it, foftens it. Pfal. lxv. 10. Thou watereft the ridges thereof abundantly, thou jettleft the furrows thereof: tbou makeft it foft with fhowers. Thus the word of God foftens the hard hearts of finners. The hearts of finners are naturally hard, and by reason of cuftom in finning do contract greater hardness. Now, the word of God, is the great means of foftening thefe hard hearts of finnets. Indeed mercies and afflictions, are fometimes inftrumental means of foftening the hearts of finners; but ordinarily it is by the word of God, efpecially the word preached, that their hearts are foftened. By this it is that God ufually diffolves and melts the hearts of finners into penitential tears and mourning for their fins. Acts ii. 37. Now when they beard this, they were pricked in their bearts, and faid unto Peter, and the reft of the apostles, Men and brethren, what fhall we do? The word which they heard, was effectual, to make their hearts tender and truly penitent. This turned the heart of stone into a heart of fleft.

4. The fnow and rain are of a cleansing nature; fo is the word of God. There is a cleanfing vertue in fnow and rain, to purify the air, and cleanse the earth, to take away dirt and defilements.So,there is in the word of God a cleanfing vertue to purify the heart from the fpiritual fpots and pollutions of fin. Sinners are defiled creatures,

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