344 SERMO l\S of the Forgivenefs of SrNs. Princ~ draws a Petition ~o~ an humble Suppliant to himfclf, 't!s a 1l:rong Indication rhar he will grant it. God JOlllS Imrearics to his Commands, to mducc .Men ro accept this 2 c,. >· Mercy. The Apoftle declares, Now tl~en we are EmbajJadors for Chrif/ , as tho' God did befeech you ly us, we pray you in Chrif/ s j/ead be reconcded to God. AO:om01mg Good ncfs! how . c.on_dcf~ending, how ~ompalfionatc! !he Provocation beg~n on_Man's parr) ~he R~concthanon IS fi:fr on Gods. Tl~ar the Kmg _of He_aven, whoic IndJgnatiou wa-. 1 1~1ccns d by our Rcbellto.ns, and might JU~ly fend Exccunonc_rs to de~roy us, fhoul d J~nd Embaff.1dors ro oflcr _Peace, and beicech us to be reconciled to ~um, as if it were Ius Inrcrcil: and not ours, I S a Mercy above what we could ask or tlunk. With Com. mands and In treaties he mixes Promifes of Pardon to encourage us to come ro the Thron~: of Grace : Whof!<Ver confeffes and fdrfakes bis Sins , fhall find llfercy. This Promife is • John t rat1fied by the _firongef1: Aili1qncc: If we confejS our Sins, be is faitlful mu/ jujl to forgive us our Sms, and to cleanft us from all Unrig,/;teoufnefs. The Pardon of a rcocnting Sinner is the EffeCl: of moO: free Mercy, bur ' ri s difpenfed ro theHonour of God's Fa!thfu lncfs andJnO:rce, who rs plcafed ro engage himfclfby his Pronufe ro do it. And rho' the \Vord of God be as facted and certain as his Oath, for 'ris impollible for him to change his \V 1ll, or to deceive us in :he one as well as the other: Yet ro overcome the Fears, to allay the Sorrows, and fattsfie the Dcfircs of repenting Sinners, he was 1-hb. 6. 18. plca!Cd to annex his Oath to the Promi1C, which is the mofl: infallible Character and Note, rhat rhe Blefling promjfed is unchangeable. He adds Thrc_atnings to his Invir~tions, rhat Fear which is an active and firong Pa/11on, may conn-ram-us ~o feck for h1s Mercy. Our Saviour faid to tl_1c Jews wl10 did Joh. s. 21-. bl! nd and harden themfclves in their Infidelity, If )'e /;~tie:ve not that I am he, the pro- ~~~~:,t~.:~eg~:~~ fi~~=l c:~:J ;~a;~1(,0 b!;~;~dL1tl' l~/:e~o~1~ %/cl~~ys~:I;o d~~1~1~~~~~~rg:~~ Jhall die for them to Eternity. Hd1 is the fad Manfion of loO: Souls, fill'd with extrcm: \Vrath and extreme Dcii_Jair : And where Dcfpair is without R~medy, Sorrow is withou r Mitigation for_ ever. From hence we may be convinc'd, how willing _God is ro pardon and H1vc us, 111 char knowing how we arc intanglcd with plcafant Sms, he reveals to us what will be the eternal Confequencc of Sins unrcpentcd and unforgivcn, a · PuniOuncnt above all rhc Evils that arc felt or fear'd here, and above all the Patience and Strength of Sinners to endure. If Men yield thcmiClves to rhc Call of his ~ord without, and o~ his Spirit within, and humbly accept of the Terms of Mercy, us very plcafmg to hnn. We arc affur'd by Jcfus Chrifl:, who is Truth, that there is Joy in Hem.mz O'Ver one Sinner that repents, more tban O'Ver ninety nine Perfons that need no Repentance. God himfelf declares wirh a ~~~~E~e?a~~l;et~~~::t~ge~~~t£d~%~not/J~~~a~~co{,;os~;'j~~ ~:~c(~f:~t~h~~:f~~:~:, ~~~; peculiar Glory a~td Delight. Now what can be more pleafing t? rhat mofi pure and com1?aiTionate 13emg, rl:an to fee a iinfnl Creature _conform'_d to_ Ius Holinefs, and taved by l11 s Mercy ? If rhe mrernal Joy of God, wherem he is rnfimrely bleffed, were capa· ble of new Degrees, it would rife higher in the Exercife of his forgiving Mercy. There is a cl ea r Rcprefentation of this in the _Parable of the Prodigal: At his Return his Fa~ rher received him, with a Robe and a Ring, with Mufick and a Feafl:, the ligns of Joy in its Exaltation. 13ut if Sinners arc hardned in Obfl:inacy, and not\vithllanding God is 10 willing to pardon them> are wilful to be damn'd, with what Variety of Paaions does he exprctS his Re~entment _? He incarnates him_fclf in the Language of Men, ro make them underfl:and Ius AffeChon ro rhem. Somettmcs he expofiu lares with a tender Sympathy, Wby will_Je die_? as ~f they were immediately falling into the ~ottomlcfs Plt. He expretTcs Pity, nux'd Wtth Indignation, at their chofen Folly and Rume; How ~;~ ft~t:!!t~e~n~~~ ~~~~f/:~~~;t~~~~~dd~::t~0~~~:~:~~~~~~;'J~~eg~=:~a~ %~~%~J~ Hof. 1 i. 8. gi'Ue thee up, Ephraim? H01~ jhall !_deli-ver thee, Iii:ael? Ho~v jhall I make t/;~e as Admah~ How Jball I Jet tbee as Zeb01m? Mme Heart is turned withm me, my Repentrngs are kindled togetlm. With whar a melting PaJlion does the Son of God forerel rhe decreed DcHruChon of Jerufalem, for rejeCting tlte1r Saviour and Salvation! Whe-n he ctrme 1:e.zr he bebeld tbe City and wept 11'1Jer it, faying, If tbou badj/ kHown, at leaf/ ;, this thy d"J, t};e tbings that belong to thy Peace! but now they are bid from tbi11e Eyes. Ltkc a nu!d Judge that pities the Man, when he condemns _rhc Malefactor. . Thofe who interprer fomc Exprellions of Scnpture, that God laughs at tbe Calamity_ of tbe Wicket!, and mocks wben their Fear comes, andts inexorable to their Prayers, in ft1ch a Senfe as evacuates moll gracious Declarations of God, ~o induce Sinners to rtpcnt and believe for their Salvation, they draw Darknefs our of Lrght: for thole Threarn:J:f;ci~d
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