810 Chap. 34. An Expofrtion upon the Book. of J o B. Ver1.3 t- thatpardon of fin is from fòmthing in us, file repented much, be lievdmuch, loved much, therefore muchwas forgiven her ? I anfwer, That Scripturedeclares her great love, tobe the ef- fe& of great pardoning mercy, not thecaufe of it. "Chrift faith. to Peter, much is forgiven her ; this woman was anoted firmer, and it appears plainly, that muchhath been forgiven her, for fhe loved much. That her many fins are forgiven her,this is the tefti- mony, fhe lovedmach: The love of God to us,not our love tohim, is the reafon and original of pardon, (Ifa. 43.25) l a e ke that blotteth out thy tranfgrefensfor my, own fake. God pardoneth fin, for his own fake, and for Chrifts fake, not for ours. In oneScri- pture God faith (Erod. 34.6, 7.). I willby nomeans clear thegut!- ty. In another (John 6. 37) Chrift faith, He that comes to mey l will in no wife call out. Till the (inner cometh to"Chrïft, his fins are upon his own account ; that is,he Rands guilty, andGod faith, Iwill byno means clear the guilty ; no man !hall ever be clear'd of the punifhment due tohis fin, while the guilt of his finisuntaken off by the blood of JefusChrilt : but befides refpeót to the blood of Ch rift (which is the ranfomepaid for us) God refpe&s nothing out of himfelf as the reafon why he pardoneth us. I forgive. I will not deflroy. Our Tranflatiòia reads it, Iwill not offend. The word lignifies fi to atfend or fan ; it lignifies elfo to deftroy ; andbecaufe de- ftru&ion is a fruit or etfe& of fin, one word may well ferve for both ; fo we render is (Micah 2.10.) This is not your refl,becaufe it is polluted, it 'hall defiroy you, even with aforedeltrudlion,Canaan was the refting place of God himfelf, (Pfe 1. t 3 2.14.) and it was the reftingplaceof the Jewes after their travel through the wil- 1 dernefs, (Ter. 31. 2.) but when once they hadpòlluted the land by fin, the land gave them no ref+, but deftroyed them ; that ìs, theywere dettroyed out of the land. Here Goddeclaring him- felf gracious in pardoning penitent finners,promifeth ref+ to them, and freedome.from deft,uc+ion.. I forgive, Twill not deffroy. Hence obferve firfi, Cod isable to de/roy. Thus God reported himfelf bÿMofes, (Deut.32.39) See now, that I, even I am.he, and there is nò God with me ; I kill, and I rna,é
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