372 V rf;26. Eon E'epofition upon the Booltof B. Chap. 36. God. Therefore be not difcouraged at anytime at the greatnefs_of danger. 7boughyou walk through the very valley of the fhadowof death (that's to be in the greaten danger) yet as David didnor,fo do not you fear, no not that great danger, while thegreat God is with you. Thirdly, Be not dtfcotdraged though your ins are great when you come to ask the pardon of them. As the greatnefs of fin puts avery great damp upon the fpirit of man in asking pardon, fo the great- nefs of God should take off that damp. My thoughts are not your thoughts ( faith the Lord Ifa, g ç. 7,8,9.) in this matter. There is nothing wherein God doth more exceed man than in pardoning fin (<Yiic. 7. 18.) If fin be great, the mercy of God is great too, infinitely greater than the fin of man ; if fin be grear, re- member wehave t great highPrieft (Heb. 4. 14. ) not only a Priefi, but a high Priefi, and agreat high Prier ; thetefore fear n©tto ask the pardon, even of, the greaten fin, in his name and for 1tis fake. And this is true if we refpeCt either national or perfon- all ins ; it May encourage us in asking pardon for nations, how great foever their fins are. Mofes, when the Peoplehad greatly finned againft God, had recourfe CO this ( Numb. 14. 18, 19.) The Lord is ofgreat mercy ; pardon I befeech thee the iniquity of this people, according to the greatnefs of thy mercy, as thouhaftfor- given thispeople from Egypt even until sew. Do thus alto with re- fpe& toperfonal fns. David made the greatnefs ofhis perfonal fin an argument togo to Cod for mercy ( Pfal. 2 ç. 1 1 .) Par- don myßx, O Lord, for it is great. He was fo far from beingdif- heartenedby tha greatnefs o;his fin, toak the pardonof it, that (according toour zeading) he had great hope ofpardon,as well as fì-.whe had great need of pardon;and all becaufe he knew_God was great in mercy. Or, if we read that text tfuv, Pardon myfn, p Lord, though it begreat , the fenfe is match the fame ; for as the former makes the greatnefs of his fin a reafon p ovoking him to hafien unto God for pardon (as great difeafes batten us in reek- ing remedies) fb the tarter Thews that the greatnefs of fin is no fop to the mercy and free grace of God in Chrif}, for thepardon of it. Chris# in that Parable ( Mat. a 8. 24. ) gives inftance of the greatefi debt ; he tellsus of one that owed his Lord ten those- fand talents, a vat film, a very vat frm ; a talent being, accord- ing to the lowefi computation, three hundred pounds of money; ten.
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