____ S_E_R_ll·_l o_N_s _of_t_he_F,_or-=g'-iv_e_ne_fs_o_f--:-S_r_N-:--s:____ ~3 3 I_ from rhc Accounts of Scrvams with their Mafl:ers; and implies the Ac~ounr we are obliged eo render rhc fu_prcmc Lord for all his Benefits which we have fo wretchedly. mifimprovcd: he might nghteoufly exaCt of us Ten thoufand T~len ts that are due to h~m, bu~ he is graciouOy pleafed ro cro!s· the Book,. and freely ro difcharge us. The purgmg from Sin, impiics 'u.s very odious and o~enfive m God's Eyes, and has a fpcctal refped .ro rhe expiatory Sacnflcc~, . of which 'ris £11d, that wit bout Blood there wa:r no Renii_fioJt. Tlus was rypical of the preciOus Blood of the Son of God that purges the ConfCience from de<td Works; ~ron? rlic d~adly Guilt of ?in_ that c_lea.ves to ~he ConfctCilCC or the Sumcr.. By rhc appltcatwnof lus Blood rhc crunfon Gtult 1s wafhd away, and the pardoned Smncr is accepted as one pure and innocent. 2. I flJall next demonfirate, rhat For~i\'enefs belongs to God. Tliis will be evident by the following Confiderations.' . . . Ij/. 'TIS the high and peculiar Preroganve of God tO pardon Sm: HIS Authority made the Law, and gives Life and VIgour ro it, therefore he can remit the Pundhment of the Offender. This is evident fcom the Proportion of humane Laws: For rho' iUbordinate Judges have only a limit~d Power, and mufi. a~quit or co!~dem~ according to the Law, yet the Sovereign may dtfpenfe with it. Thts IS declared 111 Scnprurc by God hiJ.nfdf: /, even I am h~, tbat h~ots out thy Tranfgre.flions.for my namefa/..:e: ~e repeats itl fa. 43· w1rh an. Emphafts. He IS proclaimed with this Ro_yal T~tle; TIJe Lord, $ractous andn:erciful, pardoning /niq~ity, lranfgreJlion and Sin. 'T1s a D1fpcnfarion of Dtvinc Sovereigntyro pardon the Guilty. . . . 'Tis true, God,pardons as a Father, accordmg t~ that moil: .graciOus ~rontife, ! wii/Mll. 3 • Jtt~~!:t~e i~I~ Fc;~:r/I~~~r ~::e~~ ~;~t/;;rt~l~ ~:e~f~;~~:! ~~;~~~~;~~~;J~~e~1r~11:1r~ Difciplcs, to pray to God for the Forgivenefs of our Sins, as our FatherJ!ttilfg in Hea- ;~~a~~~0~1!o~i~~~h'~~{~ rl~i1~eM~rr~~ i~vl~Y::~e ~~~ife~o~~~~~~t?~;~. P~f~Roy?t1Su~:~{y ~~ more cpnfpicuous in. the Exerctfe of Mercy t~wards repenting Sinners, than u~. rh~ Acts of JuOice upon obllmate Offenders. As a Kmg is more a King by the pardonmg hun1 - ble Suppliants by the Operation of his Scepter, than m fubdumg Rebels by the Power of the Sword: For in Acts of Grace he is a~ove the Law, and over-rules its Rigour, in ACts of Vengeance he is only fuperiour to lus Enemies. · 'Tis the peculiar Prerogative of God to pard?n Sin. The Prophet challenges all the reputed Dcttics of the .H~athcns as defeChvc 111 dus Royal P?wer: 'fVho is a God like Mic. i. u~to thee, pardoning lntqutty, ,1,ranfgrej{ton, and S~n ? The Pl.1ar~f~cs faid true, Who can forg,L-ve Sin.s hut God only ? For tts an Act o~ Emptre,. .The JUdtc!al. Power to pardon is a .1' low.cr mfCparablc frcm the Crow11: fer 't.IS founded 111 a Supenonty to the La\v, therefore tnconfificnt with a ~cpcn.ding Auth~nty. ~ Creature is as incapable of the Supreb~~l;'r~;! ~i~~~~~tt.ar~~fid~s~1:l;e a~o~;e~~f~~~1 ~~~~~~1 ~~~1~~ ~~~~ffi~~~~~~!~l:ie~0~1~~~~v~r~ 1ai Knowledge of the Minds and Hearts of Men, \Vhich arc the Fountain$ of their ACtions : and :~ccorcling to their Ingredicncy the moral God or Evil of thet11 rifCs1 The more deliberately and wilfully a Sin .is committed, the SinnCr ipcurs a greater Guilt, and is obnoxious eo a more heavy Puniilm1ent. Now no Creatt\re can dive into the Hearts of ~Cl~: They are 11al:ed and open to the p~ercing Ey~ of Gotl alone. .Add Htrthcr, rl~c authontaovc Power to pardon, has necdfanly annex d to it the aC:bve Power of dtfpcnling Rewards and Pumfhmcnts. Now the Son of God alone has the Keys of Life and Death in his !-lands. It may be objeCted, That out Saviour declares, that tbe Son of li'Ian has Po'"er td forgi'Ve Sins. The Anfwcr to this will be clear by conlidering, there arc two Natures in ;~dri~~ ~~m~~~~i~:u~~~r~;h~~1l~t i~r1;n~ll~v~;;o~~~;t~v~~11~nd"~v~~ p~~iu~t~~i!~sa~~~;i Now dtc Divine Pe;fon is the foie Principle and SubjeCt of this Royal Dignity, but 'tis exerc1fcd m tts ConJunChon With the humane Nature, and attnbuted tQ the Son of Man; As in the Humiliation of Chrifi, the Principles of his Sufferings, and the actual Sufferings, arc folcly in the humane Nature, but upon the Account of the perlonal Union ~2~YB~~~/~Ji~~~e~etdc~:e~1~/~1~:r~~~· 'Tis faid, Tbe Lord of Glory w~s crucifrd, and The Church of Rome, with ·higll Prefuniption, arrogates to their Priell:s a judicial Power of forgiving Sins: And by the eaiie Folly of the People, and craCty Deceit of rhc1~ In11ructors, cxcrct(e a JunfdiCliOn over Confctence. To avoid the Imputation of Blalphemy, rhey pretend there is a double Power 9f Forgiving, litpreme and fubordinatc; . Yy2 ~~
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