NATURE OF FORGIVENESS. 99 nor mercy, nor Christ, nor any thing of the mystery of the Gospel. Others look on the outside of the cross : but to see into the mystery of the love of the Father, working in the blood of the Mediator; to consider, by faith, the great transaction of Divine wisdom, justice and mercy therein, how few attain to it ! To come to God, by Christ, for forgiveness, and therein to behold the law issuing all its threats and curses in his blood, and losing its sting, putting an end to its obligation to punishment; in the cross to see all sins gathered up in the hands of God's justice, and made to meet on the Mediator; and eternal love springing forth triumphantly from his blood, flourishing into pardon, grace, mercy, forgiveness this the heart of a sinner can be enlarged to only by the Spirit of God. IV. There is, in forgiveness, FREE DISCHARGE OR PAR- DON, according to the tenor of the Gospel; and this may be considered, 1, as it lies in the promise itself, or God's gracious declaration of pardon to sinners by the blood of Christ, which is variously proposed, according as he knewwas needful, whether for their faith or consolation ; and, 2, as the application of all this mercy to the soul of a sinner by the Holy Ghost ; wherein we are " freely forgiven all our trespasses." Col. 2: 13. Gospel -forgiveness, I say, respects all these things these principles have all an influence in it. And that which makes this more evident, wherewith I shall close this consideration of its nature, is, that faith, in its ap- plication to God for forgiveness, distinctly applies itself, sometimes to one of these, sometimes another, and some- times takes into consideration all of them expressly. Not that it ever rests on any one of them, exclusively of the others; but that eminently it finds some special encou- ragement at some season, and some peculiar attraction
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=