5o6 Chap. 34. An Expofition upon the Book,ofJ o B. Verf.3.t. fowl and private revenge. We canna forgive the offence again.t God. For-when Chrifi faith (Johe z t. zo.) Whofoever fins dye remit, they are remitted ; that remilfion is but the declaringofa parc'on, it is not the beftowing of a pardon, or it is only a mini- fl i it fargivenefle, not an authoritative f©rgivenefhe ; fo to for- give is Gods Royalty ; He faith, I forgive. Secondly , Te God whofaith, I forgo4, &c. Forgive ! what ? forgive l whom ? Here's neither what nor whom , neither things norperlons named, Godbarely faith, 'forgive. Hence obferve. Thepardoning mercy of God is boundleffeandunlimited. ,Here's no fin named, thereforeall are included, no finner fpe- cified, thereforeall are intended. I forgive, I pardon ; the par- doning mercy of God knows no limits ; it is net limitted ; Firfl, to any fort offins orfinners ; Secondly, it is not limited to any degree of finsor finners; let fins or finners be of what fort they will, let fins or fanners be of what degree they will, they are within the compafleof Gods pardoning mercy. And as this text intimates,that the pardoning mercy of God is boundleffe,becaufe it expreffeth no bounds ; Soother Scriptures tell us expreflÿ that it is boundleife, extending it felfe to all forts and degrees of fins and finners ( Math: z zr 31.) Every fin and blafphemy (hall be forgiven. That afinis great, that it is extremely aggravated, is no barre at all to the pardoningmercy ofGod ; he canas eafily pardon great fins as little fins ; even fins that are as Crimfon and fcarler, aswell as thofe of the lightefl tin6ure. The die or cólour of force cloaths or fluffs,is fo fading,that(as we fay) the next wind will blow it off, or caufe it todye away, but fcarlet and crimfon in graine never change their colour ; yet the pardoning grace of God caufeth critnfon and fcarlet fins tochange colour,and makes them as white as the naturall wool or fnow, that is, takes them quite and clean away.Yea the greatneffe of fin is fo far from be- ing a flop to pardon, that it is ufed asan argument to prove God to pardon. Davidprayeth ( Plat. z 5. i. ) Eer thy namesfakeO Lord, pardon mineiniquity ; why?doth he fay ? becaufeit is little, or only a fmall fin, a fin committed raflily, unadvifedly, or but once ; no he ufeth none of thefe excufatory pleas for pardon, but faith, pardon my fin for it is ,great. Mofes was not afraid to fpeake
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