136 ,FORGIVENESS OF SIN. sorrow, instead of . coming to him, he bids him the ut- most defiance, and hangs himself. What it is in particular, in this faith of forgiveness, which is indispensably necessary to render repentance acceptable, I do not here attempt to define. It is not an assurance of the acceptance of our persons in general. It is not, that the particular sin wherewith, it may be, the soul is perplexed, is forgiven. A general, if it be a gospel-discovery, that there is forgiveness in God, will suffice. It is expressed, Hos. 14 : 3, " In thee the fa- therless findeth mercy ;" and Joel, 2 : 14, " Who knows but he will return and repent'!" " I have this ground," saith the soul ;." God is in himself gracious and merci- ful; the fatherless, the destitute and helpless, that come to him by Christ, findmercy inhim. None in heaven and earthcan show, but that he may return to me also." Now, let a man's convictions be ever -so great, sharp, wound- ing ; his sorrow ever so abundant, overflowing, abiding; his confession ever- so full, free, or open ;'if this one thing be wanting, all is nothing but what tends to death. 2. To prescribe to sinners repentance as a duty, with- out a foundation of .pardon and forgiveness in God, is inconsistent with the wisdom, holiness, goodness, faith- fulness, and all the other excellencies and perfections of his nature. The apostle represents it as the great foundation of all consolation, that God cannot lie or deceive. Heb. 6 : 18. And again, he engages the faithfulness andveracity of God to the same purpose. Tit. 1 : 2. " God, who can- not lie, bath promised it." The very proposal of repent- ance.to a sinner conveys the idea that there is forgive- ness withGod. Repenting is for sinners. " I came not," saith our Savior, " to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." It is for them, and them only. No such call was addressed to Adam in Eden; none is to the an- gels in heaven, or to the damned in hell. What then is
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