2Z Gofpel 12emIs. ob,eEt. Anfw. layes in a pardon, and Chrift hathpurchas'd it for ùs, for all fins va to come : 'tis like a Son running into arrears, his Father comes and paves his debts ; but becaufe h-2 fees his Son will run further intoarrears, he layes in much as will pay all for time to come, that if he run into arrears he 'gall t.ot be cafe into Pri- fun : juft fo it is with God, God pardons all our fins at firft,and then he layes up a Pardon, that if we run into arrears we Mall not lye in Prifon to be condemned and fuller for them. This is a great mvfterie,and they that teach otherwife rob the peoplecf God ofabundance ofcomfort that'otherwife they might have, were this Truth made clearly known unto them. Is not this Do[trine a Do[brine of Liberty , If they have knowledge that God when he pardonsfor what fins are paft, and layes in a Pardonfor what fnsare yet to come ; May not People hence take, liberty tofin ? May not theyfay, thatthough they do fin, yet there is a Pardon laid inbefore hand for them ? Here thou fpeakeft as one that underftands not thegrace of the Gofpel that thus objeeaeft, it is another manner of thing than thou art aware of there is not that malignity in the grace of the Gofpel to caufe fuch effes in the hearts of believers.. Luther compares.fin to Lime, and the Law toWater,that makes the Limehotter ; but the grace.of the Gofpel fayes he is like to Oyl, and Oyl will quench Lime,but Water will not ; fo theOyl of the Gofpel will quench the fins of men ; and certainly the more there is of the grace ofGud revealed in the Gofpel, the more the Tufts remaining in the heart of a believer come to be quenched ; this is an evident Argument of the great difference between the mercy of God revealed in the Gofpel, and receiv- ed by faith ; and that which is received only in a natural way : you that are unbelievers, and receive theGofpel only in a na- tural way, your Tufts may be nourifhed, and you may take li- berty för wickednefs : But if once you come to receive the mercy ofGod in and through Chrift Jefus, then that mercywill be the greateft oppofer of thy tuffs and fin, as any thing can be in the world ; certainly, thou knoweft not the work ofGod in Chrift forgiving fin, that reafoneft thus ; I'hall [hew you plain- ly, The knowledge of the great work of the Propitiation by Chrift, brings the foul into a hatred of all fin, and is no not.- rifher
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