24. FORGIVENESS OF SIN. sistency between a sense of sin unto humiliation, and peace with strong consolation. After the apostle had described the whole conflict that believers have with sin, and the frequent wounds which they receive there- by, which makes them cry out for deliverance, Rom, 7: 24, he yet concludes, chap. 8 : 1, that there is no con- demnation to them : which is a sufficient and stable foundation of peace. So, 1 John, 2: 1, "'These things write I unto you, that ye sin not ; and if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Our great business and care ought to be, that we sin not; but yet, when we have done our ut- most, "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." What then shall poor, sinful, guilty creatures do l Why, let them go to the Father, by their Advocate, and they shall not fail of pardon and peace. And, saith Paul, " God is abundantly willing, that we might have strong consolation, who fly for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us." Heb. 6 : 17, 18. What was his condi- tion who fled of old to the city of refuge for safety, from whence this expression is taken'? He was guilty of blood, though shed unawares; and so that he was to die for it, if he escaped not to the city of refuge. Though we may have the guilt of sins on which the law pronounces death, yet flying to Christ for refuge, God has provided not only safety, but strong consolation. Forgiveness in the blood of Christ not only takes guilt from the soul, but trouble also from the conscience ; and in this respect the apostle at large sets forth the excellency of his sacrifice. Heb. 10. 'The sacrifices of the law, he tells us, could not make perfect the wor- shippers; which he proves, because they did never take away, thoroughly and really, conscience of sin, that is, depths or distresses of conscience about sin. But now, saith he, Jesus Christ, in the covenant of grace, bath "for ever perfected them that were sanctified ;" provid
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