SERMoNs of the Forgivene(s of Sr N s. was the Contrivance of his Wifdom, which the mofr ·enlighmed Angel s had no ptef2gi"g Notions o£ Now can there be a more clear Evidence and conv'incingRcaliry, rhar God is ready to forgive Sins, than the giving his only begotten Son, a Petfon fo great and fo dear, rhe Heir of his Love and Glory, to be a Sacnficc, that he mtgh~ fpare us? In this Difpenfation Love was the regent leading Attribute, to which his W1fdom, Juflice and Power were fubordinate : they were m excrctfe for the more glonqus Illufiratton of Ius Mercy. We have the llrongefr Argument ~f God"s Love in the Death of his Son, for 'Om Pardon was the end of it. From hence ns ev1dcnt, that God 1s more \Vtllmg ro dtfpcn1C his pardonit~g Mercy, tl~~n Sinners are ro receiv_c it. . . .. rhe2 G~~~~ 5 f~r~~fl~n~~r~~nf~~g~:~d3Jf.ar.fl~~~etl~~c~:~~o,~~y~0~f J~fuZ~~~~ b:%cr~~:~~ ~nd they are hke two Ways to a-. Ctry ~ On.c is dtrcd an~ fuorr, .bur deep and unpa!Table; the othCr lies in a Circuit, but w11l bnng a Pcrfon 1afc to .rhc Place. Thus there is a Juflilication of an imlocent Perfon by Works, that fccures bun from the Charge of the Law; and a Jufl:ilication of a Sinner by ~ai~h in our all-.fufficictit s.aviour. The firfl: was a flwrt Way to Man in the State of Integmy : the fecond, filch ts the Diilance of the Terms, rakes a Compafs. There is a fhorrcr Paif.1gc from Ltfe to Action, than 339 from Death ro Life. There is no Hope or Poflibility of ?ur legal Jullification. The , Apo!Uc faith, lhat which th~ Law could not do .in that it was. weak through t!Je. F!~fo, G~d Rom. 8. fending his own Son in the Ltkenefs . of jinful Fltjh, and for Sm condemned Sin zn the Flejh. The Exptanon of Sin, and rencwmg us mto the Image of God, are obtained by the Gofpcl. The Law is called, the Law of Sin and Death: _Which mull be underll.ood not as conlidcr'd inlt felf, Out rclarjvcly to our depraved Nature. · The LaW fi1ppofcs Men in a State of uncorrupted Nature, and W~s ~ivert to be. a Prefcrvarive of our Holinefs and Fe~i ciry, not a Rem~dy to recover us froni .Sin. and M1fery. It was direCtive of our Duty, but lincc our Rebellion the Rod is rurn'd 1rtro a Serpent. . The Law is hard and im';' pt:ri.ous, iCvcre and incxorab!c, rhe Tenor Of it is, Do, or Jie for e11er. : It requires a Righreoufi1cfs entire and unblemilh'd, which one born in Sin carmot produce in the Courrof Judgment. Man is utterly unable by his lapfed POwers to recover the Favour of God, and to fulfil his Ol:lligation by the Law to Obedience. But the Gofpcl difcovers an open, eafie Way to Life, to all that will accept of Salvation by the Redeemer. The Apollle expreffes the Difference betwc~n the Conc!ition of the Law and the Gofpc! : , in a very fignilicant manner. Mofe~ def!rihs the Rigbteoufnefs which is_of the.Law, that Rom. Io, rhe Mmz that Joes thofe tbings foalllwe 111 them : But the Righteoufnefs which IS of Faitb fpeaks M .this wife, Say not in thine Heart, , ~ho fhall afcend into Heaven, that is to hing down Chrif/ from abO'Ue; Who jhall defcend i»to the Deep, that is to bring Jefns Chrij/ again. {~;mjl;:;:,t,e::) ft,;~, 1~/f~:i:; :J;.Jl:/;:%~/~;JZ.~ze~~:};;/ :fmtJ,:!:f~ CO:l'!J, ~h~~ jhalt le .(aved. The meanmg of the Apollle is, that things in Heaven above, or in the Depths beneath, are of impoflible Difcovery and ,Attairiihent, fo 'tis equally impoflible to be Jlliltfied by the Works of the Law. The. anxious Smner feeks m vam for RighteoulilcfS Ill rh.c Law, wluch can only be found m the Gofi_:>el. It may be objected, that the Conditionllf the Law, and the Condition ~f the Gofpel, compared rclattVcly to our deprav'd Faculties, ate equally impoflible. TlJe carnal Mmd a1_1d AffeCtions are ~s avcrfe from Repentance and receiving Chrifl: as our Lord and .-sa-. vwur, as from obeymg the Law. Our Saviour tells the Jews, Te will not come to me tbat ye mtry btrve Life: and no Man can come to me unlefs tbe Father draw him. Which Words are highly expreflive of our utter Impotence to believe favingly in Chrill. But there is a ~!car A.nf\~' cr ro this ObjeCtion; the Difference between the two D~fpenfations conftlls ptmcipally 111 this: The Law requires compleat and confiam Obed1ence as the Conditi~n of Life, wi.rl~out affording the lcail: fupcrnatural Power to pe~~orm it. pur the G~tpcl has the ~pmt of Grace a Concolnitan~ with it, ~y whofe O~nipotent Effitacy Smners ar~ revtved, and.cnabled to comply w~th r~1e Terms of Salvp.tt~n. TheSpi~ ~i~d0;c~;1i~~f~~~~s g~~~i~~~~p~~th!t~~~d;l~~tf:,~n:'~r~~c~~l:~f~~s ',fi~td~~~~~~r·~~b;~ the S111ner to a State of Boly. L1berry. As the Flame in the Bufl1 made the Thorns in ic vi0blc, without confllming them~ fothe fiery Law difcovefsMens Sins, .but does not abohfl1 them : But tbe Law of tbe Spirit of Life in Cbrlji Jefni , i.e. th~ Gofpel, has freed us fro~ the. Lmv of Szn and Death. I wtll more pamcularly confider the gractoQS Tqms :rrefcnbcd m the Gofpel for the obtaimng Pardon ; Repenta11ce towards God, a!'d Faith, id the Lord .Je.fus Chrifl. The requiring of them is not an arbitrary e:onllitution, but founded 111 the. unchangeable Nature and Congruity of things. Repemanc~ figmfies a fincere Change of the Mmd and Heart from the Love and Pracl:ice of Siti', to the Lbve ;t!a
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