'SERMONs of tbe Forgivenefs of S 1 N s. 'the frO: belongs to. God, the other is delegated .by Commiffio·n tb the IVIi 1tiO:crs of r1 pofpcl. Bur this !s an ir~cconciteab!e Conrt-adidi~n :. for the Power tO pardon is ~~ Eillux of Suprcma~y, and mcommurucablc to the SubjeCt.. A Prince that inve!ls another w1rl~ an abfoft)te ~o~vcr to Rardon, mufi: Clthcr r~lin~mfh Ius Sovereignty, or rake 'an Affoe~ate to fl1arc m lt. Tilts Pretence of the Papt!l:s ts fuch a lame Evafion as rl \vhich they arc forced to make ufc of to clear rhcmfelvcs from rhc Charge of Id~larr/~: '!'~" Worilup ?f Angels and Saints: ThC!t Excufe ts, That thctt Worflup of Angels and Samts ls 11_1fcrrour m'degree, .and Imperfectly dtvme; as tf_ there could be different De.. grcts in Dtvinc Worfhip, wluch is ab!ol~\rely and ncccffanly Supreme. The Minif\ers ot the Goljlel have only a declarative Power, as Heralds or Embaffadors, to propofe the J.~l~'~vt~~t~~p~~:~~J~~e~1}o~~~~in~~t ~~r~~~:;?~~~et~naJ~\~p:~~e~~;d:, ~t~a~!~~ ~~ JUdtcia l Authority: for 'Tis not prefumeable that the wife God ihould inve!l Men with rhar .Aurhonty which they are utterly incapable tO exercife. , ~'dly. God is r~ady to forgive. The Powel- to pardon without an Inclination to ir ·afiords no Relief 111 the Ag01~ies . of an accufing Confcicnce, and the Terrors of erernai )udg!nent. · The merciful Will of God declared in his Word, is the Foundation of our blcfled Hope, ati.d encourages us ~n our Requcfrs bcfor.c his Th-:onc: For thou Lordart good, and reddy tO forg,iv_e, and plent~ous i1t Mercy unto all that call upon thee. The Attribute of wluch Pardon lS an Emanation, is ufha!Jy exprefi by Grace and %~~'}· b;T~.~;;~' ~~1~;~~~~o~r~!atF!~;~:. Su~~~;~ i~''fna~li~ar;~f;~~ a:l ~£fc~~n~ b~~ twecn Love and Grace. -~ove may be fer upon an ObjeCt worthy of_ it. The -primary ?hj~tt of God's Love is lumfelf, whofe exce_llent and amiable PerfeChons are worthy of 111fiJHtC Love. The Love of Parents to Cluldren is a Duty rhofl clearly natural and Dmy lcffcns t)1c Defcrr of pcrfo,ming it ; but Grace is exclu!ive of all Merit and Digmry in the Subject, and of all Obligation in the Perfon rhar fhews it. God's mo!l free preventing Grace is <::xercifed without any Motive in us that deferves it. . The Grace of God may be confider'd as exe'rcifed in our Creation and our Redemption. In the Creanbn tt was abfolurely free : for Angels and Men were in the State of Nothing, there was only a Poilibiliry of their Being. Now there could be no attraC!ive Merit before their Exi!lenct;. 'Tis true, Goodnefs is glorified and crown'd by communicating: The World is a .bright Effiux of the Divine Glory; but rlus does nor !effcn the free Goodnefs of the Maker. There Was no Con!lraint upon God to make the World for his declarative Glory : fur his effential Glory is truly infinite, and wanrs oo extetnal Appearance to make it ,cornpleat. The Univerlhl Church pays humble Homag~ to rhc Great Creator ; acknowledging, that for his Wrll and Pleafure all thiHgs were created The Divine Goodncfs to Angels and Man ~n their Original Purity, was Grace : for alrho the Image of God fl1ining in thel)l was attraCtive of his Approbation and Acceptance, yet they dcfcrvcd no Benefits fr~m him; there is fuch an infinite Difrance and Difproportion between God and the; Creatures, that they cannot by a common Right tlaun any thing as due fmm his Maje!l}': Befides, he ts the produGttve and confemtive Caufc of all their achv< Powers, and the Ellica~y of them. The creating Goodncfs of God is eclips'd in the Comparifon with his faving Grace. Jhc fir!l: fi1ppofcs us without any Dcferrs of his Favour, but this fuppofcs our exceedingly bad Dc!Crrs: The fir!l was free, but this is metctful and heahng Grace. Mercy rev ives and rcfl:orcs us when dcfervedly miferable. Tlus Grace and Mercy is of fd pure a Nature, that the moll tender humane Inclinations to relieve the Afflicted, are mix'd wirh Sclf-interefl, compared with the Mercy of God towards us. Our Bowels relent, and Affections arc melting at rhe fight ofPerfons in deep Mifery. But there is an inward ~ nd unvoluntary Confiraint of Nature that excites fuch feeling Rcfenrmcnt~: and our Compaffion is moved by Reflection upon our felves, confidering that in this open Stare we arc liable to many Difa!lers and wounding Sorrows: but God is infinitely free from all dif\urbing Pallions, and exempted from all poilible Evils. To reprcfcnt the immenfe Love and Mercy of God in its endearing Circumfiances, and to demonflrate his Readi· nefs ro forgive, we mufl: confider wha.t he has done irt order ro his pardoning Sinners. te~~/~t~i~l~;~:~n~lsda~d '~:~d~r;t,~ a~~i"rY,i;~:~~~~~~g~f 0;ll'~i!J'1~ i!sh~~em~~~i Government, it Oecame him not to pardon Sinners without the punifhing Sin in fuch a marinet as might H1tisfie his injur'd Jufii~e, and vindicate the Honour of his defpifCd Law, ~~c:S~~~~~~Jl~~ S~~~v/r~~f!~ ~1~}o~~trt~d:5~~~o~~Na~~~~: ~0~dt~~f~ufe~3~1~1~~n1;~,~~: lious Calamity of the Death on the Cro!s, to make a Propiriariotr for our Sins. Th1s was
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