SERMONS of the Porg,ivmefs of Sr Ns. 2 . The Pardon of our Sins allays and mitigates all Affli~ions in the prcfCm Stare: The Confciencc of Guilt mix'd with. AffliCtion, is like the poiiOning a Sword that makes it wound more deadly. The Spirit of a Man may bear temporal Eyils ; that is, by Coun1Cl and ConO:ancy tnay filpport himielf under them; Put a wom~ded Spirit wbo can bear i' Con~cicncc in Anguifh ~Y rh~ feeling of G?d's Wrath for o~Ir. Sms, and_ Fear of the Ex-: rrcnmy of it hereafter, IS an lllrolcrabic En!. Let d1c AffhCbon be a bght Touch upon ~he omward lv!"an, yet w.hc1_1 rhc a~iCted PGrfon c~nfidcrs, rha~ 'ris ~em fron~ G~d ~~an Enemy, anLl 'ns the 13c~mmng of h1s \Vrarh th~r IS a confummg F~re, h<: IS d1f))mtcd and links under the Wc1ghr. of it. ~ow can ~ratl Ma;~~ . encounter Wtth offended Omt~ipotcncc, finfu l Man conAtC:C immedtatcly Wtth the Holy God_? _The Senf~ of G~tlt makes a ·Man a Terror to lumfclf, and confequcnrly makes AffiuShons to be more piercing ::t!ll..l_dol?ro t~s . Whc~cas when the Soul is dl:abli~1 'd in the Peace of God, it fin?-s Confolanon m Ius pardonmg Love, fi..tperiour to all ku_1ds and degrees of external. Ev1ls that can afHiCl: us here. 'Tis the happy Pri vilege of the Inhabitants of Zion, the holy City, lbey /hall not J~y they a._rejick, for ~beir Iniquities jhall_beforgh.Je~t . T~1e Di~ine Ifa. n s:Jr# Comforter fort i ries thctr Fatth 111 the PronufCs of the blcfTed Htue ou~ of all then AffhC"tions : All t~Jhtgs wo~·/..: together for the G~ocl of tbofe wbo love Go~ O_m Love to God is the ReAechon of Ius Love to us, that IS powcrft1l lo to order all Ev1ls, that they fl1all harmonioufly confpirc to our1eternal Happinefs . The IJ?1_prc11iotl of this in rhe Spirits of God's Children, makes them patient and fubmiffive with Refignarion under a!l Affii..- C:tions. 'Tis certain the fJ.t1cning of the Mind in Contemplation of an exccllem: ObjeCt, may caufC fO fircng a Diveriion, that ~odily Pains arc much miti~ared. · The M~qyrs, by r~1c p_owerful _lmprenlon of the glono~s Reward, fccm'd to be m an Extafie, Without Fecl1ng 111 the nudO: of their cruel Suffenngs: The Prophet Habalkuk trilllnpbanrly declares , Altbo tbe F1g-tret Jh-rllnot blo.f{om, nett!Jcr jhall Fnut be 111 the f/mes : tbe Labour of the Olive jhall fail, aud tbe Fields _/hall yield no Meat : lhe Flock jhall be cut off from tbe Fold, and tbere jhall be no Herd iu the Stalls. Tho' .all the Supports and Comforts of Life fa il , yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy i!l the God of my Sal7.1ation. Joy is the Aflcction of Prof]1erity; but as the fcalding Drops of God's Wrath upon the ConiCicnce turn all the Comforts of a Man into Torment, fo the cordial Drops of his Love change Afflictions into Confolarions. l· I will 01ew that the Pardon of our Sins produces an excellent Temper and Difpofition of Soul to praife God. Love to the Benefactor, and Joy in the Benefit, are the InccntiYes of Thankfulnds. They rune the Heart and Tongue in the Mulick of. Praife. When they arc raifed to a Flame, they have a kind of Charm, of Rapture and extatick Force, and rr::tnfport the Soul above it fClf in Expreflions of Praifc. Thefe holy Affet..'l:ions in the Angels and Saints above are tn their Exaltation : and the Circle of thei r Employmcm is, to acknowledge and admire, to reverence and magnifi.e God, for his abfOlurc Excellencies, and his relative Benefits. Love and Joy arc regulated by their Objects and Motives. Exceeding Love and Joy, when terminated on worldly things, are exceeding Folly: they arc empty and vanifl1ing, a fudden Blaze that dies in a Moment. Bur the Pardon of our Sins in fi nitely endears God to us, and produces a fubftamial permanem Joy . His Love, rho' our Hearts be as hard as a Rock, as cold and dead as the Grave, will melt us, and kindle a holy Heat of Affection, a Love 1ingular and flipream to God, according to the Excellency of the Benefit. Love will ingeminate the Pra ifes of God: Tbou art my God, I wi(l praifc thee: tbou art my God, !will exalt thee. Our Joy PfaJ. t 18. in the Benefit Will be accordtng to our exrream want of it, and the Strength of our De-· fires to obtain it. Wi thout the Pardon of our Sins, it bad been better for ru we had neve~ bee" born ; or m~de in a lower Rank of Crea~ures uncapablc of Dat~marion. A~- ccrdmg to the ConviChon of the Grearnefs ofour Mtfery, our Longings will be for Dehveranec : i!Je Deftre accomplijh'd is a iree of Life. The Tree of Life was in the midh: ?f Paradi fc, the Centre o\ ~ts Plcafurcs. According to the Degrees of our Defires, fuch 1s the SwcctncfS of Fnunon. Now when the Soul is ovcrwhclm'd with the fearful Apprchentions of cverlafiing Death, how ardent are the DcfirCs of Pardon ? how unfarisficd without it? and what Impretlions of Joy are felt from the fcaling its Pardon? Solomon _tells us, That good News from a fzr Country_ _is like cooling Water to o;;e burnt up with Thuj! . How much more rcfrefhing IS the Tcfhmony of the bleffed Comforter from HeJ·. en, to one f~inting in_ the Efluations of Confcience, that his Sins are pardoned ? Da7.11d cxprcffes Ius Valuation and carnefl: Longing for the Favour of God, and his joy- fu! Scnfc of it: ihere be many tbat Jay, Wbo will .flwv us any Good ~ Lord, l~ft up tbe PfaJ. f . L_tgbt nf thy .Co1mtenance ttfOJI ~e : Thou haft p_ut Gladnifs i~t my l:leart, more tban iJt tbe t1me tbat _tberr ~orn and Wtne tncreafed: An unvard cord tal Joy, that far exceeds the counrerfcu Joy 111 the Countenance, that ends in HcavincfS. Now the thankful Senfc Bbb2 cl
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