FREENESS OF FORGIVENESS. 219 1. The forgiveness with God is manifested, revealed, declared. This manifestation of it is what makes it the object of our faith. We believe things to be in. God,not merely and formally because they are so, but because he bath manifested and revealed them so to be. 1 John, 1 : 2. What he sodeclares, it is our duty to believe, or wefrus- trate the end of his revelation. 2. We are expressly commanded t10 believe, and that upon the highest promises and under the greatest pen- alties. This command is that which makes believing formally a duty. Faith is a grace as it is freely wrought in us by the. Holy Ghost, the root of all obedience and duties as it is radically fxed in the heart.; but . as it is.com- manded, it is" a duty ;" and these commands, youknow, are variously expressed, by invitations, exhortations, propositions, which all have in them the nature of com- mands,,and which take up a great part of the books of the New Testament. 3. It is : a duty, as we have showed, of the greatest concern to the glory. of God; and, 4. Of the greatest importance to our souls, here. and hereafter.. These things were necessary to be added, to ground our ensuing exhortations on. PREVAILING UNBELIEF OF FORGIVENESS. We should nownaturally proceed to the improvement of the truth all along aimed at; namely, to give exhorta.. tions and encouragements to believing. But I can take few steps in this work wherein, methinks, I do not hear some saying, `:` Surely all this is needless : who is there that does not believe all you are laboring to .prove l" And so these pains are spent to little .orno purpose. I shall, therefore, before. I persuade any to it, endeavor to show that theydo it not already. Many, I say, the most of menwho live under the dispensation of the Gos-
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