8 OfGonfIng and Forfaking Sin, Vol. II.. Preacb'd en Alh- wednef- day. SERMON CV. OfConfeffing and ForfakingSin, inorder to Pardon. P R o v. XXVIII. r3. He that cavereth his Sins Mall not profper : but whofo confeffeth and forfa4eth then, /hall have Mercy. Cluewe areall Sinners, and liable to the Jufticeof God, it is a matter ofgreat moment toour comfort and happinefs, tobe rightly informed by what Means, and upon what Terms, we may be reconciled to God, and find mercy with him. And to this purpofe the Text gives us this advice and dire&tion, whofo confeth and forfaketh his Sin Jball have mercy. In which Words there is a great Bleffing and Benefit declared and promifed to Sinners, upon certain Conditions. The Bleffing and Benefit promifed, is the mer- cy and favour ofGod, which comprehends all the happy Effeâs of God's Mercy and Goodnefs to Sinners. And the Conditions upon which this Bleffing is pro- mifed are two, Confelionofour Sins, and forfaking of them ; and thefe two contain in them the whole nature of that great and neceffaryDuty of Repentance, with- out which aSinner can have no reafonable hopesof the Mercy of God. I. Here is aBleffing or Benefit promifed, which is the mercy andfavour ofGod. And this in the full extent of it, comprehends all the Effects of the Mercy and Goodnefs ofGod toSinners, and doth primarily import the pardon and forgive- nefs ofour Sins. And this probably Solomon did chiefly intend in this Expreffi- on g for fo the mercyof God Both molt frequently ftgnifie in the Old Teftaatent, viz, the forgivenefs ofour Sins. And thus the Prophet explains it, Ifa. 55. 7. Let the Wicked forfake his ways, and the unrighteous Man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy, and to our God, for he will abundant- ly pardon. But now Gnce the clear revelation of the Gofpel, the mercy ofGod doth not only extend to the pardon ofSin, but to poweragainft it; becaufe this alfo is an Effect ofGod's free Grace and Mercy to Sinners, toenable them, by the grace of his holy Spirit, to matter andmortifie their Lufts, and to perfevere in Goodnefs to theend. And it comprehends an our final pardon and abfolution at the great Day, to- gether with the glorious Reward of eternal Life, which the Apoftle expreffeth, by findingmercywith the Lord in that clay. And this likewife is promifed to Re- pentance, A1'fs 3. r g. Repentye therefore, and be converted, that your Sins may be blotted out, when the times of refrefbing (hall come from theprefence of the Lord; and he (hall fend 7efus Chrifi, whobefore was preached untoyou ; that is, that when Je- fus Chnft, who is now preached unto you (hail come, you may receive the final Sentence of Abfolution and Forgivenefs. And thus much (hall fuf ice to have fpokenof theBleffing and Benefit here pro- mifed, the mercyof God ; which comprehendsall the Bleffed Effects of thedivine Grace and Goodnefs to Sinners, the prefent pardon of Sin, and power to mortifie Sin, and to perfeverein a good courfe, and our final Abfoluton by theSentence of thegreat Day, together withthe merciful and glorious Rewardof eternal Life. II. We will confider in the next place, the Conditions upon which this Blefling ispromifed, and they are two, the Confejing and Forfakingof our Sins, Whofo con- feffethand f rfaketh-hisSin, Jball havemercy ; and thefe two do contain and conftitute the whole natureof Repentance, without which a Sinner can have no reafonable hopes to find mercy with God, I begin with the Firfl,
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