SERMoNs of the Forgivenefs of SINs. melting in the Senfc of hi_s Wickednefs at,td Refoluti?t~, to humble himfC!f by a mourn. ful A_cknowlcdgment of tt, he w_as _rdl:or d to t~1e Dtvtne F~vour. I J!ti~- I would corifrjS my Sms, and tbou,forga-vefi. tbe lnzqutty of. my Sm. Repentmg Epbrtum ts an admirable r~~foif~ ~0:~~; ,~:~ifed~e~0a::/~ ~~a~~~~fl[:}ed1a~:7)1.~t:3 ':(::~u~~~~i~o ~~;oy;;.;~ TUrn thou me, and I }halt be turned; for tbou art tbe Lord my God. Surely after I was fur~ ;~~~ ~::}::,;;;~i, /,~:"!;r!~~~;:~' :tr;~~;~,{~7;; "f::t;~ ~'if~t"~:~"~;;;~t~s;;;; ~/;~:,t:~~~~;t ~~~:J~otz;~~Jp;:~a'1::f(y~Jj;;;e1 ;:e;n:jt r~7~~J~/hl~fei~~r1:er~~~ Prodigalupo~ hts R~folution to return to Ins Father, and de~afe htmfelf as utterly unworthy of bemg received as a Son, While he was in the w..ry, hu Father Jaw bim at a di- {f~71~e, ~i~~rs~~l-~:;,a~~ o;ut~c~~'fatd,d::f:~db;i;;,~fi~~~ti:e;~ ~i~g~::~ ~~~J~~~]:ni~ fi ed rather than the proud Pharifee. . 6. 'Tis a convincing Argument, that God is ready to forgi\'C Sin, in that he affords Alh 1 r • ~~~~t~t~1~d~t~!tr~~~~e:~:a:f~~; 1~!:l~~o~~~fl~=~}!ejr ~~~~~~~a~:a~~~.Fa~~d~~~~:c~: Ephef. 2 • P,~nt~Jtcc unto Life. Faith is not of o~r fel'Ves, 'ti~ the Gift of G_od. ~In our corrupt Stare Rom. 8 · ~;i:1J ~sat~~~:~ ~;a~~Jt~~J,la:~Jj~~~e~~s ~~~~dfn_;~~ 1~~l~e~~~~~l F~ffl~~~~s ~il~id~'J;! prave it. The 'VJllisre~ellious, andfl:rongly in_chn'dto charnung_Lufts: Temptatiom arc fo numerous and dclt~lttful, that Sinners wtll venrure to be mtfCrable for ever, to enjoy the Pleafures of Sm that die in the rafting. 'Tis true, filch arc the inviolable Inclinations of the humane Nature to Happinefs, that n? Man can_love undifguifcd Death, nor. choofe Damnation for it ~elf: yet the AffeChon to Sin IS fo over-ruling, that they w1ll not forfake it tho' complicated with Death. The Wifdom of God tells us, Ptov. 9· ~~~- 1"'/;ife that /;ate mt! IO'Ve Deatb, i. e. confhuClively. Our Saviour c?m_paffionately rcJohn 5. proves the_ Jews_, Te will not come to me that ye may ba'Ve Life. Th1s JS the Cautc of their remaming m a State of Guilt for ever. Now fueh is the Mercy of God, that he gives his Spirit, to aili£t Men by his illuminating, preventing, reftraining and exciting .Grace, to forf:.1ke their Sins, that they may be !aved: and if they did faithfully improve the lower degrees of Grace, ( though they can claim nothing by right) he would from his good Pleafure afford them more Grace: but they are fo avede from God, and £trongly bent to the prefent World, thar they to long refi£t the pure Motions of Grace in their Hearts, till the Gales of the Gen. 6. Spirit exEire, and revive no more; according to that terrible Threarning, li'IJ Spirit jha!l no longer jlrive with lflan, for he is Flejh. Befides the common Grace afforded to natural Men, there is a Super-effluence of Grace be£towed upon fome to convert them, which infallibly obtains its end. Thofe who are the Patrons of Free Will methinks fl10uld allow that God is Maller of his own Will, and the free Difpenfer of his own Grace. This fpecial Grace works powerfully, yet conveniently, to the reafonable Nature. There is no Charm fo 1\veet, no Conftrainr. fo fl::rong, as the Operation of it : For the Undedl:anding is convinc'd by fo clear and fl:rong, a light of our being undone for ever without God's pardoning Mercy, that his LO'Vi11g-kindnefs is better than Life; and this is reprefented to the Will with that powerful Application, that the Will certainly choofes ir. When there is a Wavering and Indifferency of the Will to a propounded ObjeCt, 'tis either from fome DefeCts in the ObjeCt, or in rhc apprehenfion of it: but when the fupreme Good is fo reprefcnted, that it fills all the Capacities of the Soul, the Will as certainly embraces it, as one that is burnt up with Thirfi, and near a cool Stream fioops and drinks to quench it. The Holy Spirit, who knows the manner of his own Op.crari~ns, cxpreffes the Efficacy of rhem in the Rcfemblances of the Creation and RefilrrcCbon, wherein the Divine Power cannot be fruO:rate ; yet 'tis fo congruous to the Frame of ~:~:a~a;~~hr~a~ ~;J~ ~e:~~~;~s o~r~:d~~;: ~~e~:;r_ ;~sli~~0ti~~~~l~e ~;,~i~f~~ir1~ culties, but by Initrucrion and Perfwafion futab!e to them. Now from hence ' ris evident that all the Perfons in rhe Godhead concur in bcfiowing this admirable Bleiling, the Pardon of our Sins: they all willingly join in this undivided Work, rho' with differe_nt Op_erations. !he Father pronounces our. Pardon from r_hc Throne: his Majcfly flnnes Without Dimmution or Condefccnfion of h1s Perfon in forg,v~ ing us. The Son purchafed our Pardon by the facrcd Treafure of his Blood. The Holy Spirit qualifies us, and applies the Pardon of our Sms to us.
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