SE RMoNs of the Forgivenefs of SI ' ' s. - ----- Diffivatives are tlor effeCtual to make them forfakc their Sins. They arc fecurc, rho' nor fafc one Hour: for 'tis in rhe Power of their Judge, and they have Rcafon to fear 351 in his Purpofc,, tq dejlroy them fudden!J, and witJJ~ut Remedy. Tl~c prcfumptuous Con- Prov. ;9 ceit of immenfe Mercy has fo fully poffefs'd rhe1r Minds, that hke a powerful Opiate it makes them ile~p fecurely up~n the .Bnnk of Ruinc.: but Confctencc IS of an t_mmorral Nature, and rho' ~t may be fl:uptficd, tt can no~ be exm!g_uifh'd. In the prefcn~ Ltfe fomc~ rimes a !harp Aflhction awakens it into a funous Acbvtty; and then prefummg Sinners rhat have been indulgent to their Lufl:s, defpair of Pardon : Fo r when Mercy, r_har is our oi1ly Advocate in his Bof~m to av_erc Wrath for _Sins , againfi the orh~r. Atrnbutes, fhal1 turn our Accufcr, and fohcite Ju(bcc to revenge ItS Difhonour upon thoie who have abufed ir, there remains no Shadow o( Hope tO refrefh their Sorrows. llur it1ppofC the Charm be not unbound, and the Self-deceiver continues his evil CourfC to the end of Life, and perill1es_plcaf~ntly ':irh the v~in Hopes of Mercy, yet immediately after I?eath his Confcicncc wtll be uretiihbly convmc'd of his ourrag10us Provocations of the nghrcous God, and be more tormenting than the hotrefi Flames of HelL Let us attend to the infirudive Inference in the Text, lbue is ForgJvenefs with tbee . that thou maJ'eJl. be feare~: that i~, with a Fear of Rcvcrcn.cc for his amiable Exellencies, for the Attractwes of Ius pardomng Mercy; and of Catmon, left by abuting we fhould make a dead ly FO<feiture of it. lfGod fhould appear as an irreconeileable judge, ann'd \vith Terror againfl:all Offenders, the Apprehention would produce Hatred, and a dreadful Flight from him : It would make Men boldly wilfnl?. and harden them in their Rebel~ions : For if tl~ey cannot be pardon~d for their pall: Sms, and can b~ bur damned for thetr Continuance m them, they will g1ve Liccn1C to the ir roving and unpcruous Appetites, and commit Iniquity with Grecd!nefs. Now God has appointc~ a \V ay for rhe Pardon of Sin, \Vherein there is a bnghr and equal Difcovcry of Ius Grcatncfs and Goodnefs, his Purity and Rightcoufi1ciS, that his Law may be more facred and inviolable, more remembred and obeyed by us. He has declared in the Death of his Son, wherein rhe c~ual ~xtreams of Igno~i?Y and Torment were corn bin'~, What an evil. Si1~ is, that requ ir d fueh a mighty Expratwn. We may from the Depth of his Suffenngs conceive the Excefs and Height of out Provocations : We may underfl:and the deadly Guilt of Sin, that can only be wafir'd away in the Blood of Chrifl:, the Fountain of Remiflion. To turn the Grace of God into Wanron::~efs, to be more loofe and fecure iri com~itti n~ Sin, is to rum rh.e. A.nridote i11i:o Poifon, and dcfea~ his blelfed End. 'Tis a mam Amcle of our Rcconcihatton, lh: Lord will !peak Peace to his People, but let them not retunt to Folly. \Vc may concctve, that God fpcaks to the pardon'd Sinner what our Saviour faid to the Man whom he thiraculoully hcal'd, Go away, jiu no more, left aworfet bing befall you.. . . . . 'T1s both the Duty and D1fpofirion of rhofe who have received the Pardon·of rherr Sins, to fear .the Lord and his .Goodnefs. There ts no Princtple ~nore clearly na~ural and fcnfible ~t~=~~~~5f~ct~~~e!~~~~~d1/t~~l~d~~c~~~e:~n~~i)r~ffesr~~~~i~~gi~~~~~} cl~~~~~~~=n~~~~d1 tl~~ holy Nature, Wbat jhall I render to the Lord for all his Benejits? and breaks out in an pf,J. , .~, I.:':: ;!.Jsha•~f,~';~~;n~i;;il:;;g ;.~~:;{r::d:,";{r.!n:o~Y,~~~~;;t-u;':d·;r;,;r;;,~: that f.1flens his Mind m the Contemplation of his glorious Mercy : The lcrious Thought of it kindles a facred Fire in his Breall: as 'tis f<1id of Marj Magdalen, Much was forgiven her, for jhe loved much. Love to God that refults from his pardoning Love to u~, is ~ngular and fupremc, and neceffarily produc~s an ardent I?etire to pleafe and ~k~r~~r~~~1;f•;;,~ ~o!:t~~~~! ~~~~f~!J~~~~~o~~eJ~d~~l~if);heT;~~d:Il.~lda~i,~~w~~~ has been revived ~y the Light of lns Countenance, and lias tafl:ed how good the Lord 1s, How is 1t pollrble to refi(l fuch dear and immenle Obligations? How prodigious to t~rn the fironge!l: and fwccre!l: Engagement to Reverence and Obedience, into an Eneo~ragement to ~o that whi.ch is odious ahd offenfive in his Sight ? To fi11 againtl: Light hetghtens a S_in mto Rebelhon, .but to fm againfi: revealed Love makes it aboveLmeafore Ji11fu!. This IS fo ~ontrary to narur.al Confcience and .rupee-natural Grace, ~hat 'tis rh~ Leprofie of the Wrcked~ not the Spot ofGod's Children: Do you tbns re~uite ihe Lord,. 0 foolijh People and umvife? The upbrardmg reduces them to a defencelefs Silence, and covers them 111 bl~ck Confution. When Dtvme Grace pardons our pafi Sins, it cures our depraved Inchnations to future Sins. . T,he cleatefl: Difcovery of the Heart is by ReAeC.Hons on God's Mercy. Tl1e Feat of Gods Jufl:1ce 1s natural, the reverent Regard of his Goodnefs is a fplritual AffeCtion. There lS a great D1fference between Filial Feat of the Divine Goodnefs that IS fo becomA a a in·g
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