276 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. And so does he acquit every one that is discharged by the word of the Gospel. What we have to do is to re- ceive by faith his sentence in the word. His process herein we have recorded : " His soul," that is, of the sin- ner, " draweth near to the grave, and his life to the de- stroyers." This seems to be his state; it is so indeed he is at the very brink of the grave and hell. What then'? why, if there be with him (or stand over him, in the Hebrew) the angel interpreting, or the angel of the covenant, who alone is the One of a thousand, what shall he do ? He shall show to him his uprightness. Job, 33 : 22, 23. He shall give him a right determination of his interest in God, and of the state of his heart to- wards God : whereupon God shall speak peace to his soul, and deliver him from his entanglements, ver. 24. Jesus Christ has, in the word of the Gospel, stated the condition of every man. He tells us that sinners, of what sort soever they are, who believe, are accepted with him, and shall receive forgiveness from God, and that none shall be refused or cast off that come to God by him. The soul of whom we are treating is now up- on the work of coming to God for forgiveness by Jesus Christ. Many and weighty objections it hath in and against itself why it should not come, why it shall not be accepted. Our Lord Jesus, the Wisdom of God, fore- saw all these objections; he knewwhat could be said in the case. In general, men's arguings against them- selves arise from sin and the law. Christ knows what is in both. He tried them to the uttermost, as to their penal- ties : and yet he hath so determined as we have showed. Particular objections also arise from the consideration of particular sins; their greatness, their number, their
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