S ERMoNs of the Forgivenefs of S 1 i'< s. pard~ning Me_rcy recorded in the ~cripture . The Apofilc having enumerated many fOrt') of Sm.ners gmlry of cn<:'rm~us Cnmcs, Idolaters, Adulterers, abufers of rhemfi::-h es With Man~md, tell~ the ~or:nrlu~ns, And fu~h were fome of you, but ye are wajhed, but J'e are f,mHifed, but )e are ;uf/ifiet! z~ the Name of the Lord Jefus Chrij/, and by the Spirit of our God. There. ts one fort of Smners excepted_from the general ~ro~ife of M::!rcy, rhofe who fin agamll the HolyGholl. The Realon of the ExceptiOn IS not, that the Holy Sptrit is fupcnour ~n Dtgmrr to the Father and the Son, for they are all coeternal and 00 _ equal, but from Ius Op~ratwns,. i._ ·e. the reveali1~g the Truth and Grace of God in dH! Gofi>el. Now rhe Obfhnate Irtahcwus eonrradichng the Truth of the Gofpel fi1ining ia the Mmds of Men, and the perverfe de! piling the Grace of the Gofpd, >S unpardonable to mfinite Mercy. Thofc who are .guilty of that Sm, have transform' cl thcmfe1ves imo the Image of the Devil, and Salvanon cannot fave them. Bur no others are excluded from Repentance and Pardon. 2. A>the Extellt, fo the intirenefs of Pardon offer'd to Sinners declares God's abundant Mercy. of/. The Pardon is as full as free, according to his excellent Goodnefs: The Imputation of the Faultceafes, and the Obligation to Punilhment is abolifh'd. We have clear Evidence of this from the Scripture.. God atTurcs thofc who repent and r~form, J!Jo'y011 , Sins be as Scarlet , th") jhallle as whtte as Snoov ' tho' they ~e red fixe Cnmfon they fh•ll he as Wool. Pardon IS more than a Reprieve or Sulpenfion of Judgment, 't1; a perfel! Freedom from it : A repenung Believer is as dear from the Charge of the Law as an inRom. s. nocent Angel. there is no Condemnation to thofe tbat are in Chrifl Jejus, who wall not after the Flejh, but after tl;e Spirit. . Our deanfing fromrhe Defilements of Sin is imperfect, therefore we mull be always purifying out felvcs, till we attam to abfolure Purity: bur our Pardon is perfect. 'Tis irrevocable; we are atTured, that as far as the Eafl: is from. Pfal. ,o3 • , th~ Weft, God removes: our Tranfgrellions from us. As foon thofe difranr Points maybe wuted, as Guilt 1nay be £1!\ned upon thofe whom God has pardoned. The Prophet Mich. 7 . declares, that God rvzll fubdue .our lntquities, a~d caj! th.em into tJJe Bottom of the Sea: J~ r. 3 ,_ H · ~;~~:1b:~e~hce~r~~~~~;~ n~:~d~~ei.s co~ 0 p~e~tr~~cffi~;af. U:~f;~;vM[fe~; :;ia~~~;;i~k~d~ they are condemnedalready; they live by a Reprieve and Sufpenfion of Judgment ; 'tis the blelfed Security of Believers, they jhall not fall under Condemnation. There is filch an ln· confl:ancy in the Narure of Men, that they ofreu repent and revoke rhe Favou-o; and Privileges they have befl:owed ; they like to day, and Joarh to morrow the fame Perfons: but rhe blclfed God is not ft1bjdl: to Change or Contingency. His Love, his Purpofi:, his PromifC to his People, are unalterable. From the Senfe of God's pardoning Mercy, Confcience is freed from thofe ju!t TcrH,b 9· •+· rors that are the Confequents of Guilt. The Blood of Cbrif/ purges our Conjiience from t!ead Works : from the deadly Guilt of Sin that cleaves to the Confcience. A temporal Prince may pardon a Murderer; and Confciencc with a Countenance of Defpair may .fummon him ro appear and be accountable for hi' bloody Crime before the High and ~~~~i~~i!lfi!~~g~s: c~~:~~}~~e :h~oC~~t;~~~:rta~4:::'F~~~: ,PC~~i~::~c~0~ fu~~~d1tn~~~ to God, and when he jufrifies, has no Authority to condemn. When God blots out the Iniquities of his People as a thick. Cloucl, there is a clear Sky, a di\ ine Calm and ,')crcn~ty in Confcicncc. I t may be enqmred how the compleat Pardon of Sin is confificnt W1rh the temporal Evils inflicted upon the Children of God for their Sins. The Anfwer is obvious and ealie. Temporal Evils inflicted on the C:uldrcn of God, are dedarativc of his holy Difpleafure again!\ Sin, bur are nor for <;atisfaction to vindictive Jullice: This wottld be derogatory to the Love of God, and the mcntorious Sutfenngs o f our Sav1~ our, who did not compound with God, bur made.. l.t! l and abfolme SatisfaCtion for our Sins. In the 12th. Chapter to the Hebrews, where rhe Apoflle fo divinely and accurately treats of this Argument, there is a clear Account of the Caufe, the Nature, and the Product of the temporal Sufferings of God's Children. The Caufe of them is rhe Love of rheir' heavenly Father difpleafed for their Sins : Whom the Lord ltnJes be cho· f:;;;~ri~~~{';;;;j~:~;z_s~;ijJr~; ~;(yefo~v;~~i;~~~!}u;:,re~~~~i iFo~~:;~"~~~i~;asr~i:~~i~~~{~ 'their Ruine: bur our heavei1ly Father is equally wife and compaffionate, and ufes fuch Difcipline as is rcquilite for their Profit, to prevent their Continuance in Sin, that would 1Cor. 11. 32. he dcfuuCl:ive to them. Believers arechaflen'd of the Lord, that they may not !JecondemH~d with the World. And the Wifdom and Love of our Father and Phyfician mixes lirch botter Ingredients, and in that Proportion, <tS are requif1re for the ~tality of rhe Difcafe, and the Strength of the Paticnr. H( correfls them i11 me1t_[ure; he will not flllfcr th~~:~~~!J
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