,,. Of P~rdon a~a Forg,ivenifs_ of Sin. natur'd Shame; we are arham'd to look GoJ in the Face, whom we hai~'·fd rttuch wrong'd b_y ous Sins. ,And, Secondly, this Shame is always joyn'd }Yith' a fiaviih and bafe Fear of GoJ, left he ihould revenge himfelf upon us for·t!\e Injuries that we hav~ done to him; and both this S11ame. ani! i'car ;akes;bff fron\ that Holy Freedom and Boldnefs, which reverently-to uf; towards' God is :he Guft and Spirit of Ot:~ Co~mlinion an4 Fellowihip w,i~h him; and fllt thefe leiTen that fweet Dehght m GoJ, that .formerly we rehfh'd in rhiinti., micy of this Heavenly Fellowihip: And what can be the fine! Product of all this., ' but a moft fad Alienation and'"'Eftrang'ement between Got/ and the Soul?; But now Pardon of Sin removes thefe ObftruCHons, and cauferh the Int~~n courfe betwixt Go.J and rh: Soul to pafs fre~, becaufe it gives t~e ?oul a I~oljr.; and .yet Aweful Boldnefs m ConverJing wah 'rh~ ~r~,at and Tcrnble Jo4aJell¥ of God. So much S·enfe of Pardon and Reconcth:lttOn as we have., fo much Boldnefs ihall we have, ordinarily in our Addreffes to God. Whar's the Reafen the Confcien~es of wicked Men drag them before God~ and they come' with fo much.Diffidence, Dejectedpe~; andJ.earoufie? Why, ;.itis bequfe, they are Confc10us to rhernfelves of Gm~r rhat.ltes upon them~ and this makes. them look on God, rather un"er the N'ouon of a Judge, than of a Friend or, Father ; and this ma'kes them perfo~m their Duties fo d~firufifully ,-as if t~ey would not have God rake any Nouce that they were m his Prefence. But, when a Pardon'J Sinner m~kes his Addrcffes to God, he n~ay go it :Vith a HolY 1 Freedom, the Face of hts Soul looks chearfully, and he treats With God wictlan open Heart: \Vhat Gn;lllnd is there now for fuch a Confidence as this is ? For poor vile Duft,and Afhes to appear thus before the Great God of HeaVen and Earth? Yes, there is; for Guilt is remov'd, his Peace is made in the. Blood of Chrift., -all Enmity is abolifit'd, all Qu.arrels are decided; and it ·be-. comes not him to ·. fetv.e God with fuch Sufpicoufnefs, as guilty Sinneis ;t;. Hence we have that Expreffion of the Apo{llt, Heb. ~ o. 22. L~t uJ draw near !o him in full Affuranc~ of Faith, having our Hearts [prinkl~d from an evil Confciencr.~ that is, from· a guilty and an accufing Conference: Now when c~e - l{e~i~t and 'Confcience is fprinkled with the Blood of Chrift:, whereby chis Guile is taken off, then hath a Man good GrOund to" d.raw near: eo GodJ in fu ll :Aifn., tance ofFaich. . . . , ... ;J Fourthly, ParJon of Sin lays a g9oJ Gi~untl for Peace"in a Man'J own Cfln[ci.t7f!f..o:. I donor fay, cl_lat ·Peace.of ConfCience is alwa)rs a~ infegaraBle Atre{1d:i"n't.. upon P~rdon of S!n: F?r 'do~btlefsAthere are , rila~y (Q ~nhapr,r.as :ro , have;, ~~ Wranghng ConfcxencG xn t~cxr ow.rr.Bofoms, .wl)_efltGod ts at Peac.l wtth.t_he_rn;., But this is certain., ~That Pardpn of Sin lays a .fo1id Ground anq..Fou~dation. for Peace in a Man's own ConfciehCe; and ~ere Chr'ifiians bur as,induftrious as they'fhould be, ifl clearing up their .Eviderice.s for Heav~n; rhcv"migl1r' ob"" tain P,eaCe wheil.ever: they are patdb"n'(t. Wha:c is there that difCiuiers Con·· fcience, but "only Guilt? Nothing bm the Guilt o(Sin doch it ; thiS i~ th~i which raghh'and ftormeth in Wicked Men, an4 i S~aya Tcmpeft wirhin rh.elrr Breafts; this i.s that unfe~pScourge .tl1at cJraws Bld6d anP Groan:;; .at eYcry Lafu; . this iS'thiu Wurmr tfat lies per'petual~y gn~\~ing:.at rh~ B.eart _of a Si.ntler ; .. ';'his)~ ~~tha'b.Rack t~a.t Dreak~ the BonCf.~ r ~n:d ,diS)Omts th~ Soul)t fetf. ... lf ~ "fprd~~ ~ut\~ " is the F)lel qfll:ell,;:',"d the• Incend~ary of Confcte!"ce :. Were 1t 1\Pf for .i3u,iJ\J' , there were not a more pleafanr-and peaceable;i:'hxn~ m all fha;"\Vorldu r~aA~a, \,1 ;M~s. own Confcience. Now Pardon of Sin ' reilioves thi~ Guilt, -and .thh~RY makes RCcorici1iation betwef!n us and OJ.Ir Confcieuc"CS.; and rherefore·f-ayJ o_l!r,. SaviOUr, Matth.' 9· i ! td the Parqlytick ManJ SOn, "" b.e of good chur, thJ Sf'I. a:)~~ forgiven thee; why ll)ight nQt fo~e fay) this is '\n ' imp~ rtinenc Speech~ t? fBY 1 W'"'one:that was brought .to be' cur'd ·of a fad Infinmry of Body J T~-'! ht J Smf. 21/.trt .:>forgivm him{ whilft yet his Difeafe was 11qt cured? ~.or b~t th~t,o.ur1 I.:oril'Glhrlft kneW, ·that there was infinitely more Caufe of Joy ana Chc;arfs!: nefs tb 'have Sin pardon'd, than w haye Difeaf~~ cur'd. To have allqlm ana ferene-within., ndrto have a Fr.t?:wn ~r Wrinkle _upon rh_e ~~ac~ of t~e ;5q~ IJ. ~ \0.1 ha\>e ill fmoot~fFhought>, an~ ~eaccful Affection>_; th iS IS fome f:um Relc!"- blarlceof!HeaVen' 1f: felf, and JS'rleYer vouchfafd .unro any, bur where Pardoq and the Senfe of it is given to the Sou'!. c~ ' • • • ""' •l· n · Fifthly,
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