1, it 224 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. in the profession of this faith, to say to this 1 Let them speak clearly, and they must say that indeed they never found the least difficulty in this matter ; they never doubted of it; they never questioned it, and know no reason why they should. It is a thing which they have so taken for granted, that it never cost them an hour's anxiety, prayer, or meditation about it. Have they had secret struggles in their hearts about it 1 No. Have they considered how the objections that lie against it may be removed 1 Not at all. But is it so indeed that this persuasion is thus produced in you, you know not how 1 Are the corrupt natures of men and the Gospel so suited, so complying 1 Is the new covenant grown so congenial to flesh and blood 1 Is the greatest secret that ever was revealed from the bosom of the Father become so familiar and easy t® the wisdom of the flesh 1 Is that which was folly to the wise Greeks, and a stumbling-block to the wondering Jews, become, on a sudden, wisdom and a plain path to men of the same principles that were in them 1 The truth of the matter is, that such men have a general, useless, barren notion of pardon, which Satan, pre- sumption, tradition, common report and the custom- ary hearing of the word have furnished them ; but as for that Gospel discovery of forgiveness of which we have been speaking, they are utterly ignorant of it, and unacquainted with it. To convince such poor creatures of the folly of their presumption, I would but desire them to go to some real believers who are or may be known to them : let them be asked whether they came so easily by their faith and apprehensions of forgive- ness, or not 1 Alas! saith one, these twenty years have I been following after God, and yet I have not arrived to an abiding cheering persuasion of it. I know what it cost me, what trials, difficulties, temptations I wrestled with, and went through withal, before I ob-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=