110 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. lieved, without a man's assurance of his own personal interest in the things mentioned. Now, where they are believed with the faith the Gospel requires, that faith is saving, and the root of gospel, acceptable obedience. The ransom, the atonement by Christ, the fulness of the redemption in him, and so forgiveness in his blood for believers, from the good-will, grace, and love of the Father, is the first gospel-discovery in which a sinner, in a saving manner, rests. Particular assurance arises, or may arise, afterwards; and this also is supposed in the assertion. The point AFFIRMED is, that a discovery of forgive- ness in God, without any particular assurance of per- sonal interest therein, is a great support to a sin-en- tangled soul. And let no man despise the day of this small thing, small in the eyes of some, and those good men also, as if it did not deserve the name of faith. This discovery of forgiveness is the soul's persua- sion, on gospel-grounds, that however it be with him, and whatever be his condition, God in his own nature is infinitely gracious, and that he hath determined, in a sovereign act of his will, from eternity, to be gracious lo sinners; and that he hath made way for the adminis- tration of forgiveness by the blood of his Son, accord- ing as he bath abundantly declared in the promises of the Gospel. However it be with me, yet thus it is with God ; there is forgiveness with him. This is the first thing that a soul in its depths rises to. And it is a sup- port for it; enabling it to perform all present duties, until consolation come from above. We may observe how far this relief extends, and to what it enables the soul. As, 1. The soul is enabled thereby to resign itself to the disposal of sovereign grace, in self- abhorrence and a re- nunciation of all other ways of relief, " He putteth his
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