Goffiel Remáfsion. ,conciledby the death ofhis Son ; when we were Enemies,andhad bate hearts full ofenmity againft God, yet then Chrift dyed to reconcile us unto God: thou mayeff then venture to come to him for pardon , and it is no prefumption, though thou feel no changein thy fell, yet he pardons that thou mayeíi be changed ; now here is a glorious work ofGod in pardoning a firmer, that God fhould pardon, juffifie, and reconcile us when we were Enemies to him ; here is a glorious work of God for a firmer to be juftified and reconciled, andyet when the firmer was an Ene- my unto hiin. Ofthe eleventh Myfterie, Godhimfelf purchafes the Pardon. I r . When Godpardons a f nner, he himfelf is_ fa' to purchafe the pardon, and this is different from the manner of pardons among men A Prince pardons a maltfiéfor,but the Prince him- felfdoth not purchafe the pardon ; and if one have offended ycu, you pardon the offender : but you that are offended do not pur- chafe a pardon for the offender ; pollible force friend may come and purchafe a pardon at the Kings hands for an offender, but the King himfelf doth not purchafe it yet thus 'ir is with God : God lothnot pardon anyone fin, but it colts God him- felf dear before he gets it ; therefore it is not fuch a flight thing to be pardoned ; you muff not think to go to God and cry mercy, and that he will pardon you ; thus in a natural way God never pardons fin : but it toffs Goddear, yea,that which is more Virorth than all the world ; if that could. have done it, God would rather have diffolved Heaven and Earth, than have given that that he did give ; What was that ? It was the blood of his own Son : God gave him up tos death for the fin ofmankind and for the purehafing a pardon for man : But forcemay fay, What needGod havepurchafl a pardon for man ? Could he not have forgivenhim by bis abfolute Preros-ative ? I anfwer, there was need, becaufe of the fatisfac`fion of tuftice,he did purchafe it out ofthe hands ofJuftice ; God was fain to lay down a price to Tuffice,before hehimfelf could pardon one fin : Juftice muff be fatisfied before he could give out one pardon : Well, take all thefe together , Chrift muff be our Surety, take the debt s upon
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