Ammin 102 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. 3. Faith commonly eyes forgiveness in a peculiar man- ner, in its relation to the mediation and blood of Christ. So the apostle directs, 1 John, 2 : 2, " If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins." If any one hath sinned, and is in depths and entanglements about it, what course shall he take l how shall he pro- ceed to obtain deliverance ? why, he must apply to God for pardon. But what shall he rely upon to encourage him in so doing i Saith the apostle, Consider, by faith, the atonement and propitiationmade for sin by the blood of Christ ; and that he is still pursuing the work of love to the suing out of pardon for us, and rest thy soul there- on. It is this, I say, on which faith most commonly rests. 4. Faith eyes actual pardon. So God proposes it as a motive to further believing: "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins; return unto me, for I have redeemed thee." Isa. 44 : 22, Actual pardon of sin is proposed to faith, as an encou- ragement to a full returning to God in all things. 2 Sam. 23 : 5. And the same may be said of all the other par- ticulars which we have insisted on. There is not one of them but will yield peculiar relief to a soul inquiring after forgiveness. Let us now take along with us the end for which all these considerations have been insisted on. It is to ma- nifest that a real discovery of gospel-forgiveness is a matter of greater consequence and importance than at first it perhaps appeared. Who is not in hope, in expec- tation of pardon l who thinks not that he knows well enough at least what it is, if he might but obtain it l But men may have general thoughts of impunity, and yet be far enough from any saving acquaintance with gospel mercy. I shall only add, that this discovery of forgiveness
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