SE R MoNs of the Forgivmefs of S_r_N_s_. ------=3~5~9In rhc recounti ng God's Benefits, the Pf.:1lrnill: mentions in the firfi place the Pardon of Sin who forgh.Jes all thy Iniquities, as the principal and Foundation of all the rcfl:. Th_is in ~ mofr powerful way cntr'd int? his Hc~r~, and kind.lcd a fa~rcd Fire there. I wlll briefly fhew, that the Pardon of St~I is fo dn_'I,?C ~ Benefit, rl~at It dcfcrVcs our mofr folcmn Th~nk fuJncfs, and that it inclines and dlipofcs the Soul ~o that Duty. 1ft. T hat the pardon of our Sins deferves our mofi folcmn Thankfu lncfS, will appear by ~n cv.idcnt ~ighr, if w~ confider rhe Nature _and ~ta1iry of the Benefit , the Means by wluch 'n s obtam' d, the Cucumfranccs in the dtfpenfing it, and the Confcqucnts. (, .) The Qiality and theNatu re of the Benefit. Our Blelfednefs confifls in the Forgivcnefs of our Sins. David infpired from Heaven declares, Blef!ed is t!Je Man w!Jofe lni- Pfat 3 ~. ~ quity is forgiven, and rvbofe Sin is cover'd. The worfi. Effect of Sin IS the Separation bct\vcen God and the Soul. In his prcfence is Fulnefs of Joy, in his Abfencc Fulnefs of ? arrow. Go ye curfed, is as re:rible a Part of the Sc.ntencc as the eve~laflin$. Burning. Hell ts the clement of Sin and Mtfery: wherein the Ftrc made fi erce With Bnml1onc, and the undyi ng \Vorm of Confcicncc, rormcnt the Wicked. Nowrhe Pardon of Sin fccures us from rhc Wrath of God, rhe fupreme Evil, and the Caufc of all other Evils. Befides, rhe Love of God that pardons us is our fovercign Good, and is the productive and confcrvarive Cau{C of all good : It beftows upon us celeftial Happinefs, in comparitOn of which all the Degrees of worldly Honour, and Power, and Pleafitrc, and Riches , arc but Drofs and Dung. The Pardon of Sin has infcparably annex' cl to it the Privilege of Adoption, and a Title to the Kingdom of Glory. Our Saviour dcclar'd to the Apofl:lc, that the End of the Gofpcl is to open the Eyes of Men, tmd to turn them from Aau6. t8. DarknefS to Light~ tbat they may recei'V_e the Forgivenifs of Sins, and an Inheritance among the~~dh~J;~~,{;t~~~~~ f!atf~;'~~~~:, i~;:a7~ him to a more excellent an~ fia.blc Fcli~ity. 'AJam. wasdig_mficd with Domuuon ~vcrthe~owcr World, and feared a pnncc m Paradde; but Ius Happmefs depended upon Ius Obed1ence, and that upon the Freedom of his Will, which proved a dangerous Endowmem by his Abufe of it. He was fooliil1 and fick le in the bc!l: State of Nature: he affected an independent Immortality, ancl being in Honour, 'became like the Beafls t!Jat perifh. But the Pardon of Sin is the FoJiidation of eternal Happinefs. Thofe who are juj/ijied jha/1 he .glorified, and made equal to the Angels, who are confl:anr in Good, as the Dcvtls arc ob!l:mate in Evil. The blcffcd State above is fecutc and unforfeitable : the Saints arc uncapablc of finning and dying. ( 2.). The Means whereby our Pardon is obtain'd. I lhall not dare to determine, that God could not have pardon'd us by his Sovereignty without SatisfaCtion to his Ju lbce, bur he has been pleafed to fave us in a way mofl: honourable ro himfclf, and comfortable to us. The Pfalmifl: tells us, according to the Name of God, fo is his Praife. As his excel- Pfal. -+J. lent i\.rtributes are manifdl: in his Works, underfl:anding Creatures adore and celebrate them. The Wifaom of God fo glorioufly appears in the way of our Salvation, that the admiring Angels praifc him for ever. And the Goodnefs of God is fO confpicuous in faving us by Chrifl:, that our exuberant Affections fl10uld be poured forth in Thankfulnefs. -:r:he Remiffion of our Sins is by Redempt~on in his Blood. It was an ~xpretlion of David's Piety, that he w_ould not_fCrve God WJth that rvl1ich cofl him nothmg,, bur purchafe the- ~ s~m 2 ; . ·;. Sacrifice by a Pnce: and tt was the high Exprctlion of God's Love, that he would nor · 4 '+ f.we us with that which coil: him nothing, bur with the facrcd Treafure of Heaven, the vrecious Blood of his Son. Befides, the guilty Confcience has !o quick a Senfe of Go~s re~cngingJufiice, that our Alfurancewould not bcfo entire 111 his Mercy, Without Sausfacbon made by the Sufferings of our blelfed Mediator. In this we have the Advantage of Da"Vid, who had Rot fo clear a Difcovery of the Means of our Pardon, bur a general Knowledge of theForgivencfs of Sins ·; yet that infpir'd fuch Aaming Affections 111~0 his Brcafl:, that he begins the Eucharifl:ical PfaLn for that Mercy, and concludes it With, Blefs tbe Lord, 0 my Soul: But we that btrue bad Jefus Chrijl evidently [et fort/; as crucifed before our Eyes, to reconcile God to us ; we to whom it is revealed, that the Robd of our Sal'Uation is woven out of his bleeding Bowels, in the fame Proportion as our Knowledge of this myflerious Mercy, our Thankfulnefs fl10uld exceed his. If any do not With the moll ardent Affections acknowledge the Mercy of Forgivencfs fo dearly ·purchafed, 'cis an unhappy Sign he has no Intere!l: in it. ( l ·) The Circumflances of difpenfing our Pardon. I lhall confider two that make the· Divine Mercy more glorious and worthy of out Thankfulnefs. · . •fl. That pardoning Mercy was difpenfed to us, notwi thflanding out continued RebeiJ~ons agau~fl: G?d. A Prince is fometimes induced to pardon a Criminal, by the Solicita- ~Ions of Ius Fnends, and by his Prayers and Tears ; but the Divine Goodncfs was the foie Mover for us, and imerpofed between Juflice and our Offences. !Iiflead of ap-. B b li peafing
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