SERMONS of the Forgivwefs of Sr Ns. . 357 'Tis ~he cruel Character of Satan, he accufes the Saints before God Day and Night: He is an ardeJlt AccuJcr, and watchful always to find Matter to provoke God's Difpleafurc againfl: us. 'Tis therefore a Ducyof daily Revolution, to pray for our Pardon. BeC.des, the Neglect of feek111g for rhe daily Pardon of our Offences agai nfl: God,_ ar- ~~r~/~~~o~~~~~;,.g ~~ !~g~;~~!d~;r:~~~~ri~r ~i~~ ~:~p~nz;:su~~v;~r ~:~!}):5 ~~~~~ tejs upon Gods. Repentance IS nor an mirial ACt of Sorrow, but mull: be rencwe~ all_otu; Lives. God's pardoning us is not a rranfient ACt, but continued, as Confervanon ts a co~;~~~~:lf;;r~~~~~~ mufl be ~ix'd with Faith in our 'uejfed Advocat~, who e.ver lbes t~ make lnterceffron for us_. ~f we co_uld fill the Air wirh our Sighs, ~nd Hc~vc n \~1 id1 our ~c:3i~~'wa~1d0J~il: pna~~~~~~:~c:2:r~~h~e~~fcd11}!:~!{a~~d.:i~ G;r~~~ ~~ci~t~~ J~~~fr~5a:fd M ediation of his Son we arc reconciled to him. Jeiits Chrifr is the fame p,owerful comp~lTionatc Saviour, yefl~rday, to day, a)J(I for e-uCr. His obedient Suffcrings are of infi~ mtc Valu.e, and evcrlafimg Efficacy. • · . . L.jlly, Confcilion of Sin is a relative Dmy, and mufl: be joined with forfaking of Sin. The flmpe£1 Sorrow, t he mofl: confounding Shame for Sin, the fl:rongefl: .Delires for ~crcy, without the forfaking of Sin, arc ineffectual. There mufi: be a .renouncing of Sm in our Hearts, a Rcfolution firm and permanent againfi: it, an avoidmg the Appearance and Approaches of Sin, and an actual leaving ir. If it be faid, 'tis impoflible WC flJOuld prdcrvc our fclves from all Sm : St. John tells us, If a"Y Man faith he has no Sin, he is a Lrar, there ir no Jrutb in hrm. I anfwer, we mufl: difiinguifh between Sms: There arc 10mc, which while we are united to Flclh, that is a Principle of Weaknefs, and arc in this open State, furroundcd with Temptations, we cannot abfolutely be freeq from. Such arc Sins of I gno rance and Inadvertence, and of fudden Surreption: for Grace is not bd1:owed in fuch a degree of Eminence to the Saints here, whereby they may obtain ('! clear and final ViCtory over them : But if we pray, and watch,. an9 ilrive againfr them, and mourn for their Adherence to us, God will !par~ us as a Father, fiarei his Son tbat ferves him. And ' ris a certain Sign of our Sincerity, if we arc gradually deanfing our fclves from them. If they .grow and mcreafe, 'ris a fad I.ndication : as 'tis faid, if a Scald in the Head fpreads, 'n s a Leprofie. But there are Sms of a more Lev. S. rJ. heinous Nature, the not forfaking whereof excludes from fleavcn: fuch ar~ e~um~rared by rhc Apofl:Jc, l'he Works of tbe Flejh are manifejl, Adultery, Fornication, Unclean- G•l ;. nefs, L afci-uioufnefs, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Pariance, .Emulations, fVratiJ, Strife, Seditions, I-lerefies, Em;ying.s, Murders, Drunl:ennefs, Re-uellings, a.11d fuc!J like: of the whicb I IHrve told y(lu in. time pafl, tiJat they wbich do fuch tiJi11gs, }hall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Bcfides, 1( the Love of any Sin remains in the Heart of a Man, he cannot be jufl:ilicd here, nor glorified hereafter. An indulged Sin, tho' fmaJJ in rlie Matter, is great in the Difpofltion of the Sinner. la fhort, God requires iince re Repentance, exprcfS'd in the confe!ling of our Sins, not to inform him, for neither the Solitude or Secrecy wherein Sin is committed, can hide us from his all-difcerning Eye : tho' there is no Wirncfs to accufe and give Evidence, nay if tha Sinner cOuld extinguiJh his Cbn{Cicncc, yet God will :iCt the Sins of Men in order before them, and cOnvince the Guilty, he needed not their Confeilion to difcover them: bur the humble, i1igefiuous and. forrowful Confcllion of Sitt is required, that his Mercy may be QlOre illufirious In rhc Par?on of our Sins , and ~hat the Sinner may fear to return to Folly. And . this Confeilton mu11: be attended With the forfaking of Sin~, in order to our .Pardon, becaufe of his immmablc Perfections. A Malefactor may jufl:ly be co11demned for his Crimes, and tho' he remains impenitent and obftinare in Evil, may be pardoned, becaufe a. temporal Prittce is capable of vadous Apprehenfions and Pallions, and may ~eRect from the Rule of )ufl:ice : but the Judge of the Wotld i• unchangably righ>cims and hol~, and cannot pardon Sinners to the Difparagcment of hi s MaJefiy, hts Punty and Jufl:,cc. . 2. Our pardoning the Offences of others is ;1~ evangcli,cal Condition of our ob~:ii.n- , . mg Pardon : \Vc arc commanded, When ye ./land praying, forgi1J~ if ye have ought aia!nfl M,rk .,..,_ 2 9, any: thattour Fathu alfo l.viJich is in .J-Ieaven may forgi-ve you your JrefPaffes. But Jfl6. you do 110! o;gfue, 11eitber wtll yo~r Father w'hich is in Heaven forgi-ue your Trefpa_[fes. The Co~man 1s peremptory and univcrfal, fr.eq?ently and fev~rely ~t~gc? upon us J:>y our Savwur. T he Rcafonablenefs and Congruity of it is mofl: evident, 1f we confider rhe Difparity of the Object, or the Numhcr of Offences. Our Sins againfl: God arc rclanve!y m finite, for Jus Majefl:y and Authority are truly infinite, which are defpifed and , abu!ed by the Tranfgrcflion of )tis Laws : they are againfl: all the Duty and Motives of Jtilhce
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