FORGIVENESS OF SIN. God, seeing that he hath not withheld his Son, his only Son, that he might accomplish it. To this purpose the apostle teaches us to reason, " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freelygive us all things ?" Rom. 8 : 32. What further can any soul desire ? What ground re- mains for unbelief to stand upon in this matter ? Is there any thing more to be done l It was to manifest . that there is forgiveness with him, and to make way for the exercise of it, that God sent his Son; that the Son of God came into the world. 3. To this sending of the Son of God for this pur- pose, there is evidence and security added from the . manner wherein he was sent. How was this? Not in glory, not in an open discovery of his eternal power and Godhead. Had it been so, we might have thought that he had come merely to glorify himself in the world. And this he might have done, without thoughts of mercy or pardon towards us. But he came quite in another manner; he was seen in the "likeness of sin- ful flesh," Rom. S : 3, " in the form of a servant," Phil. 2 : 7, " being made of a woman, made under the law." Gal. 4 : 4. What he endured in that condition, is in some measure known to us all. All this could not be merely for himself. All that he expected at the close of it, was, " to be glorified with that glory which he had with the Father before the world was." John, l7: 5. It must then be for our sakes; and for what l To save and deliver us from that condition of wrath at present, and future expectation of vengeance, into which we had cast ourselves by sin; that is, to procure for us the forgiveness of sins. Had not God designed pardon for sin, he would never have sent his Son in this manner to testify it; and he did it because it could in no other way be brought about. Do we doubt whether there is forgiveness with Godl or whe-
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