on the Lord's Prayer. could be pHdoned before it were, or Guilt removed before ir be conrtaaed; bur ofll v Wharfoever Sins God pardons he dot h ir not graduallr. Nothing ofGUilt is leH Upon the Soul when God pardonsir, tho~g? !lil_l t~ere be _fomething_ofFi!di tefi: in .i.t when God fimCti!ies it. And rheretoreas lt IS the great Gnefof God~ Ch1ldren thJ t their inherent Holinefs is fo imperf~Et:. affromed by Temptations, foiled hy Corruptions, oppreffed and almoll fiifled ro Dearh by a Body ofSiri that !yes he>vyupon ir,yer this on the other Hand may be thetr exceeding great Comfort and ReJOICing, rhar God's Pardoning Grace is not as his SanE\:if}ring Gr:tce is, nor granred ro rhem by rbc: fame Stint and MeafLJre. A Sin truly repr,nted of is not pardoned to us by h.1lves, half the Guilt remim.:d, and halfretained, (as the Papijlr fancy ro efiablifh their Parga• rory :) No, 0 Sinner, there is not any Guilt lefc fOr .thee to f.:Hisfie foi-, n?t any ReH:rve ofPunilbment for thee tO undergo, but all thy Smsare fo pardoned char they are in God·s Account as if they bad never been commirred againft him. And therefote bt: thy Comforts never fo firong and fl.Jwing, and thy Senk ofGod's p~rdoning Grace neve·r iO.dear, yet know that rhy Pardon is fiill infinitely more pcrfea than thy Joy in it can be fadsfaO:ory : For Affurance, and che Senfe ot Pardon, is a Work of Goers Spirit wrought ir. us, and is commonly mixed with fame Hefit ation, and Mifg\ving Doubts . bur our Parddn is an A8: of God in hiffifdf, where it meets with norhing comrar/, and therefore with no Abatement, bur is as perf(:Et and abfolu te as ever i[ !hall be in Heaven itfelf. Thirdly, Is it God that Pardons~ Then for thy ComfOrt know rhat he can as ealily fOrgive great and many Sins as few and fmall ; for the Greatnefs arid MultitudeS of thy :S·ins can make no odds in Infinite Grace and M.ercy , only repent and believe. God pwclaims his Name, Exud. 34· 7· T he Lord Gvd, A1ercrjul and Gracious, Long-fuffiring, and abundant inGoodnefs and Truth, forgiving Iniquity, Tranfi:re/.fi011, and Sin~ that is, all Sorts and Sizes of Sins. The greateH Siris repented ofa re no more without the Ex.tem ofhis Mercy, tbantbe lean unrepented of are without the Cognizance of his Juftice. And that there is any one, (though bUt one,) Sin unpardonable, arifeth not iO much from the Atrocioufnefs of rhe Faft.as if ic exct:eded Mercy, but only from the 1lalignitt ofirs Narurc , hardning the Heai'r againit God, and making it uncapable of Repentance_, otherwife could they who commit this Sin repent, even they alfo fhould obtain Pardon. Say not therefore, ffline lni']itity is greater than Ctln he forgiven: r have outfinn'd Mercy, and there is no Portion for me in God, his fiery Indignation will eternally devour me. This is robe injurious untoGod1 and to flint rhat Grace and Mercy which heharh made infinite: And thou may 'fr wirh 3s much Truth and Reafon fay that thou art greater rhanGod, as that thy Sins are gteater than his Mercy. Yet here, befOre I leave this, let me caution you that you de not abufe this comfOrtable Do8:rine ofGod's pardoning Sin, and turn that inro Prefumprion that was intended only to arm you againft Dcjpair. Indeed both Prifumprion and Dejpair tend, in a diverfe Manner, to encourage and harden Men in Sin: The De [pairing Sinner argues, If l mufi not be faved, if my Sins be fo many' and great that there is no Pardon for them, ro what Purpoferhen fhould !live llriClly ~To what Purpofe fhould I crofs and vex my felf by an unprofitable Severity? Jr is too great Nicenefs to fcruple fanher finning when I am already fure of Damnation; and therefore ifl muft go to Hell I will make my Way thither as pleafanr as I can. This is a .kind of Difpair rbatproduceth not Honour, as ir doth in forrie, but a moft wrecched CarelefnetS What become~ of them. . On rhe other hand, Prcfu>»Piz<out Mtn argue, God is able ro pardon the Grearetl: and Vile!l Sinners ; they cannot Sin beyond rbe Reach and Extent of his Grace and Mercy ; and therefore what need rhey yet trouble themfelves to Repent and Reform, they will yet indulge themfeh•es a linle longer in their Sins; for i[ is as eafie for God ~o pardon tbem ar the !all Moment of their Lives as upon many Years Preparataon. We fee Iniquity everywheremoft fearfully ro aboun4 in rhe World, :ind doubrlefs horh D<{pa~r and Prifumption have roi> great ,an Influence, Both upon the Minds and Ltves of M(:n, to make them Carelcfs in tbeit Erernal Concernmems. Enough have been fpoken to the Defpairing, which are bur few; bur ro rhe ·Prefiemptuous let me add a Word. It is the moft unworthy. and difingenious llfe. they ea~ ma~c o~ the Mercy of God, to prefs it to ferve againft ics AuthQricy: Shall rcc conllnue m Szn thaz Gratt may abound? God forbid. Shall we Sic Jiccncioufly be· tauftt
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