_::_3_:_5 o_____ S_E_R_. rv_l o_N s of the Forgivenefs of SI N s. T!Je 4PPLICAilON. . The fidl Ufc .'hall be of Cam:on, !dl Men abufe carclcfly and contcmptuoufly the DoCtrine of Dinnc Forgivencfs. · Many fin freely, as if they believed the Permillion of Sins, or prcfumcd Upon a ready Remedy, and arc without 'Fear of Judgmem to come. This is rhc Language of their ACtions, rho' nor of their Tongues. There arc nor a worfc fOrt of Sinners our of Hell. If that which.,ihould foften and reclaim Sinners har- (!cns them, the Cafe is dcfperate and incurable. To correCt the vile Concci~:s Men have ~f obtaining an cafie Pardon of rheit Sins, rho' habitually committed upon that Account, let them conlidct, 1 , The Angels who were the firll i nd brightefr Olfspring of the Creatot, for one Sin w_crc decreed and doom' cl to an Ex~ufion from the Glory of Hcavc1~ for e\· ~r: Mercy j~~ :~~~ 1}:~)~~:;~ :~~~ j~d~~1~~:·tl~h~~rocl~gl~~ ~~~~~f1~~1~11d.;t~::;l:~~\~~l~h~l~~l\~~~~i~~~ of powerful Jufiicc, and have perpetual Hell within rhem. And /hall rebellious Men, wl:o arc bur J?ufi: in theit o!iginal Compofition and final Refoluti<:>n, exped to cfcapc VcPgcan~c? Ifw~ Jhould fee a Hundred Noble Men ~xecured m a Day , the Sight would fl:nke us With Terror 1 How much greater Rcafon IS there awfully to adore the inflexible Judge, for !itch a dreadful Execution and Example of Ju!\.ice u~on an innumc' rabic Company of Angels ? 2. To pardon Sin .is an aCt of greater Power than to create the World: If we confider the Difl:ancc of the Terms, and the Difficulty of the Means, rhere is a wider Di- _,. Hanc.c between a righteous God infinitely provok'd by Sin, and the guilty Creature, than between a State of not being, and the aCtual Exifience of rhe World. One pow. crful Word rais'd this great World from. its native N9thing. But ro accord the Divine Attributes between which there iCcm'd a Repugnance, and reconcile God to finful Mic. 7· Men, cofi the dcarefl: Price. The anxious Sinner makes Inquiry~ Shalt I give tJg Firj/-born of my Body for the Sin of my Soul r That is too mean an Olfering: No lds than the Firll-born of the Almighty could by the Sacrifice of himfelf make an Aronel'ncm for our Offences. Rom. " l· Vengcanco belongs ro God as well as Forgivenefs. liJe Wrath of God is reveafd from Hea7Jen againj/ all Vngodlinefs and Vnrighteoufnefs of Men. Ir was decreed in Heaven, 'ris denou nced in his Word, and ihall be executed by his jufi: Power in its Scafon. There is a time ro pardon, and a rime to punifh. God is fiilcd tbe God of Patie1ue: in the prcfent 'Vorld his Patience has its perfefl Work. But in the next lVorld Jufhcc will gloriouny appear againll the Wicked who are devoted ro Dellruct.ion. Forbearance i1 nor Forgivencfs. The !all Day will clofc rhc Accounts of the Judge of the World with Sinners, and a terrible Arrear will be exacted of them for all rhc Treafurcs of his Goodncfs and Clemency walled by them. . 4· Thofc who indulge themfelves in a Courfe of Sin upon the Prefumption of an cafie Pardon, arc the mofi unworthy and uncapable of the Dtv.ine Mercy. They fin agamll rhc Nature and End of Grace: and by an immediate and direCt Oppofition to it in the proper Notion of Grace, cut off all their Pleas for it. 'Tis true, God is very merciful, and eafie eo be intreated by thofe who fincercly repent and reform their Lives: Bur he is inexorable ro all thofe who harden rhcmfelvcs in their Sins by the falfc and prefumptuDeur. :19 ous Hopes of his Mercy. He declares in his Word, that wben Sinners de!pife the Curfe threatned againfl them, and b!efs themfelves in tbeir Hearts, tbat they jhalt hi1'Ve Peace, tbo' tbey walk in the Imagination of tbeir own Hearts, to add Drunl·ennefs to lhirfl; the Lord 10ill not .JPare them, but then the Anger of the Lord and his Jealoujie fhallfmoke againfl tbem, and alt the Curfes written in tbis Book jhalllie upon them without (rlittgatJ011 or lntermiffio,z, No lcfs PuniJhmcnt than eternal Damnation is equal to their S111. They refifi and renounce Mercy by their abufing it eo the worfl: ends, yer are confident of their IntcreO: in ir. What a prodigious ContradiCtion is there between the Hopes .of prefumptuous Sinners and their PraCtices? They kindle his Anger every day, and mflame Anger .into Wrath, and Wrath into Vengeance, and yet llrongly fanfte they flJal! find Mercy. What a diabolical Wonder is it, as afionifhing as extraordmary Mtra~lcs, buc that ' tis commonly feen, t hat Men without a Promife, .and againfr the Thrc~tnlll~, :fhould expeCt the Favour of God , that is the Porcion of Ius Ch_ildren, an~ ~ont~nuc '.n high and aCtual Rebellion? If a Spark of Rcafon or Grain of Fatth were flumng tn cl1m Brealls, they would be rcfilefs in the Apprchenfiot! of his fie ry Difpleafure. The Temp· tcr over-reaches their Minds by a double Del ufion, that they fl1>ll have Time and Grace tq repent, and over-rules their Wills, that the mofi terrible Threatnings ~i~!'aifi~:~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=