SERMoNs ofi~'tbe Forgivenejs of S r N s..- temptet! above wh~t tbey_ are ~Ue. Their Affii~hons arc deliberate Difpenfation:. _ Tl~c Narurc of them 1s figmfied m the >V-'lrd><l:haili!hhent •:. The Correction of a Child IS m order ro his Amendment: They arc mcdicjnaJ, and l~avc a main ~clario~1 a~d Proipcct to the furure, w make us more fear'fi1f ro offend G,od,tli:md careful to pleafe him. They are more lively and fenfible Leifons.o.f our .Duty, han-.tl1e Li!l:ructions of the Word, and are of the fJmc Order. · r< 1 1 v_bt: > ,.1 J 349 The ProduCt of the Cha!l:ifcmentst>f .God's Children, is the pleafant Fruit of RigiJte- H<b. "· oufnefs to them r_vbo are exercife~ thereby: rha~tS~ .t~hc.f~tlChfywg _ Graces of rhe' Sp'ihr, Rcpcnrat~c:, F at~h, Hope, Panenc~; Scl&dclllai ri<llintc~lpt of rhe \Vo~ld, Refignat:I_on ro rhe Dtvmc Will, are cxcr:cifed, )l!ut1rated, and,it~rtc'as'd in rhofc GhnfHan.:i who 'wttli unfainting Pcrfcverance endure Affiidion. . In fuort, Death that was the penall:ffeet ·of tSi;f, '(for the fir!l: Man while iimoccnt was immorral) rho' continued, yer' the Sting is t'aktn ~\vay, cl1C Quality of it i s~ clllhPcd : The Iffi1es of it are vaflly different · to rhe_$:1inrs and the Wicked: Tothe- Saints ris the Period of theu; Fears and Sorrows, the final Remedy of all thetr MtfcriCs; to the Wicked 'tis the Bcginnin& of their Woe. The Sarnrs pafs through the Darkrlefs and Corruption of the Grave 1nto the Kmgdoln of Glory': i tl!c Wicked"pa(s to the BlacKncfs of DarkncfS for ever. ·r .: Jl -.,. r . • 2d!y. The ImireneiS of this great ~eacfit ~s cvid_en; i~ tlut God r<i:fiorcs hiS ~bve anci forfeited Favour to all tha~ arc pardon d. Prmces- fomcttmes. pardon offenders, but 'never receive them into their Favour. Abfir/om was recall' cl from Banifhmcnt, but for Two Years was not admincd ro fee the King's Face. B_ut_Go~ ~oes ma~nifie and manifefl: his Love to rhofc whom he pardons. He does not dtil:ll1J?uifi1 them from rh~ Angels that 2lways o~eycd h:~1. He. forgtvcs our Sws as ennrcly as tf they had never been com_mit- ~~~y ~~dtl~sr~~o;;~r~a~~bl~ 1~/~~~ I~r:li~~n ~~~~~~~· ha~~c ~~~~~ et~~e~~~' ~l~=~ l~sif~~: ther ll10uld have reproach' cl him for h.1s obfb~are deifrtin~ Ius Houfe, his wailing his Portion in Lewdncfs and Luxury, and that hitter Conf):ramr forced _him to return: No, he dearly embraces him, and cancels all rhe Debt of his pail: Offences with a moll: affeCtionate Kifs : and whereas the poor Penitent prcfum'd only to be received as a Servant, he was reflor'd in the moft affeCtionate manner to the Dignity ?nd Relation of a Son; aad univer[al Joy was diffufed through all rhe . Family for his Return. If our Saviour had not made this Relation with all its endearing Circumilances, our narrow Hea~to du_rfl: never prcfUmc and p~omife to us f~1c h ~on1paffioilate Love of God to repentmg S1nners. Bur wh_oever inurates the Prod,galtn his Retu~n, fl1all find the Reality to exceed the Rcprcfcntauon, I fl1all add fome Examples of this Love of God to rho('e who_ repent. Mary Magdalen had been g_uilry oi foul Sins, yet our ~aviour graciou11y recet\'ed the tender Expreilions of her Gncf and Love, to the Aftonlfhment of Simon : SIJe wajh"d his Feet.wit/; her Tears, and wiped them wit/; tbe Hair of ber Head, and k~[(ed tbem : And after lus Refi1rreCtion appeared firfi to her as his endeared Favourite. 'Tis recorded by the Evangcliff, with an infinite Emphafis of his Love, that he firjl atpear't! t o Mary Magdalen, out of IVhom be bad cafl [even Devils. Peter, tn whoiC Denial of ChriO: rhcr~ wa~ Ht~h a Mixtu~c of Infidc!iry, Ingratitude, an~ Impiety, he promifed he would dte wrth lu~1 or for bun ; yet bcmg qnefiion.ed .not \~lth Terror by an armed Magifintc, not ftitpnzed by a fubtlc Examiner, but at the ~1e!l:wn of a Maid renounc'd him, yet he was refl:or'd to the Honour of his Office, and the-Affection of his Mafl:er. 'Tis rcry obfervablc, that when he appeared to Mary Magt!a,n, he direCts her to tell his DJk1pJcs and Peter of his Rcfi1rreCtion; he particularly mentions Peter, to raife his drooping Spirit by this new Affurance of his Love. This happy Privilege belongs to all penitent ·Believers, for whomfoever God pardons he prefers, and adopts mro hts Family, and makes rhem Hetrs of Heaven. The fidl: Beam of Mercy fhincs in the Pardon of our Sins, which is an infallible Affurance of freeing us from. rhc Punifhmcnr of ?in in Hell, and of om obtaining th~ Joys of Hea- ' en. Our Savwur has by his nv:ntorious and voluntary Sufferings pa1d our Ranfom from eternal Death, and purchafed for us a Right to eternal Life : accordingly whom God J'}flifies he glorifies. The formal Etfeel of Ju!l:ification is the re!l:oring us to the forfeited Favour of God, and from that Fountain all bleffed Benefits ftow. God declares concerning his People: They jha/1 /;e mine in the day that I make up my Jewels, and [will M•!. 1 . Jjw·e tbem as a Man !pares his Son tbat ferves bim : Which two ACts of the Divine Mercy arc mfCparable. . The
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