146 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. of conversion, if one should rise from the dead and preach ; but here we see that all the saints departed, and now in glory, do jointly preach this fundamental truth, that there is forgiveness with God. Poor souls are apt to think, that all those whom they read or hear of as gone to heaven, went thither because they were so good and so holy. It is true, many ofthem were eminently so in their generation. All of themwere so according to their degrees and measures; for "with- out holiness no man can see God." And it is our duty to labor to be like them in holiness, if ever we intend to be so' in happiness and glory. But yet not one of them not any one that is now in heaven, Jesus Christ alone excepted,ever came thither any other way but by forgiveness of sin: and that will also bring us thither, though we come short of many of them in holiness and grace. This evidence of forgiveness I the rather urge, be- cause I find the apostle Paul doing it eminently in his own person : "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering,for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." 1 Tim. 1; 12, 13, 15, 16. A great sinner, saith he, the chief of sinners I was, which he manifests by some no- table instances of his sin. I was, saith he, a blasphemer, the highest sin against God; a persecutor, the highest sin against the saints; injurious, the highest wickedness tolvards mankind : but " I obtained mercy," I am par- doned, and that with most blessed effects. After, all this, he was so accounted faithful as to be put into the minis- try, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ towards him was exceeding abundant. And what was the reason that he was thus dealt with? Why; it was that he might be
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