504 A SERIOUS ADDRESS TO blasphemies shall be forgiven them through faith in my blood : God was in me reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them : and now, I beseech thee, be thou (for one) reconciled to God ; for in me God is reconciled to thee, thy sin is covered, and thine iniquity forgiven. " Great as thy crimes are, poor mourner in Zion, I upbraid thee not with them ; my infinitely meri- torious sacrifice bath long, ago atoned for their hein- ousness, and I now cast the mantle of my pardoning love over their multitude : thou art ashamed of them, and shall I be ashamed of thee ? Far be the thought from thee I glory in extending my boundless mercy to such miserable objects as thou art. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all men to be received, that I came into the world to save sinners : and if, with my servant Paul, thou seest thyself the chief of them, let me do the chief part of the errand on which I came ; look unto mepartake within of my richest salvation lose thy cares in the bosom of my mercy and receive the atònement II made for thee ; but receive it now : for . I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee : behold, now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salvation, the day in which I bind up the breach of my people, and heal the stroke of their wound."- - " Whence arise, O poor sinner, thy backwardness and misgivings ! I have ransomed thee from the power of the grave, and thou art mine : I come to heal thee, and reveal to thee the abundance of peace and truth : I bring thee a cure for thy wounded conscience, and saving health for thy sin - distempered soul ! " In a little wrath, and for a small moment, I have hid my face from thee; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee : for I am the Lord the Redeemer. Believe it, and faith will work by love, and love will cast out fear : thus shalt thou take hold of my strength, that thou mayest make peace with me ; and thou shalt make peace with me; and I am strength to the needy in his distress, a hiding -place
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