260 DIRECTIONS FOR GETTING AND KEEPING under his hand and seal made a full and free deed of gift, to you and all sinners, Of Christ, and with him of pardon and salvation? And all this on Condition of your acceptance or consent? I know the despisers ofChrist shall be miserable, for all this. But for you that would fain have Christ, is it no comfort to know that you shall have him if you will? And to find this to be the sum of the gos- pel ? I know you have often read those free offers, Rev. xxii. 17, " Whosoever will, let h;rn take of the water of life freely." "Ho, every one that thirsteth; come and drink," &c. Almost all that I have hitherto said to you is comprised in that one text, John iii. 16, " God so loved theworld, that he, gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish; but have everlast- ing life." And as I have showed it you in the causes, what comfort even general mercy mayafford, so let me a littleshow it you in the ef- fects. ï I. mean, not only in that God is now satisfied ; but as tb yourself and every sinner, these three things are produced hereby. 1. There is now a possibility of salvation to you. And certain- ly even that should be a very great comfort. I know you will meet with some divines, whowill tell you that this is no effect of Christ's death; and that else Christ should die for God, if he procured him a power to save which he had not before. But this is no better than a reproaching of our Redeemer. Suppose that a traitor had so abused a king, that it will .neither stand 'with his own honor, nor justice, nor laws, topardon him ; if his compassions were so great, that his own' son shall suffer for him, that so .the king might be capable of pardoning him, without any diminution of his honor or justice ; were it not avile reproach, if this traitor should tell the prince that suffered forhim, ' Itwas for your father that you suffer- ed, toprocure him a power of pardoning ; it was not forme ?' It is true, the king could not pardon him, without satisfaction to his bon- or and justice. But this was not through any impotency, but be- cause the thing was not fit to be done, and so was morally impos- sible. For in law we say, dishonest things are impossible. And it had been no less to the king if the traitor had not been pardoned. So it is, in our case. And therefore Christ's sufferings could not be more eminently for us, than by enabling the offended Majesty to forgive us; and so taking the greatest impediment out of the way. For when impediments are once removed, God'snature is so gracious and prone to mercy, that he would, soon pardon us when once it is fit to be done, and so morally possible in the fullest sense; only men's own unwillingness now stands in the way, and makes it to be not fully fit to be yet done. It is true, in a remote sense, the pardon of sin was always possible ; but in the nearest
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