GREATNESS OF FORGIVENESS. 211 CHAPTER XI. TIIE GREATNESS OF FORGIVENESS. PREVAILING UNBELIEF. The preceding arguments and demonstrations have, we hope, undeniably evinced the great truth that there is forgiveness with God, which is the life and soul of all our hope, religion, and worship. The end of all this discourse is to lay a firm foundation for faith to rest upon, in its addresses to God for the forgiveness of sins, and to encourage all sorts of persons to this duty. This end remains now tobe explained and pressed; but two things are further to be premised. And the first is, to propose some considerations about this forgive- ness which may encourage us to seek after it, and to mix the testimonies given to it with faith, for our bene- fit. The other is to show how needful all this endeavor is, on account of great and prevailing unbelief. As to the first of these, then, we may consider, I. The forgiveness that is with God is SUCH AS BE- COMES 111M; such as is suitable to his greatness, good- ness, and all other excellences : it is GREAT such that therein he will be known to be God. What he says concerning some of the works of his providence, "Be still, and know that I am God," may be much more said concerning this great effect of his grace. It is not like that narrow, halving, and manacled forgiveness found amongst men. It is full, free, boundless, bottom- less, absolute, such as becomes his nature and excel- lences. It is, in a word, forgiveness that is with God, and by the exercise of which he will be known to be God. Hence,
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