30 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. wisdom work not towards all in the same manner. God is pleased to continue peace to some, notwithstanding great provocations. Love shall humble them, and re- bukes of kindness shall recover them from their wander- ings. Others he is pleased to bring into the depths we have been speaking of. But yet I may say generally, signal provocations meet with one of these two events fromGod. 1. Those in whom they are, are left to some signal barrenness and fruitlessness in their generation; they wither, grow barren, worldly, and sapless, and are much cast out of the hearts of the people of God. Or, 2. They are exercised in these depths, from whence their way of deliverance is laid down in this psalm. Thus, I say, God deals with his saints in great variety. Some have all their bones broken, when others have only the gentle strokes of the rod. We are in the hands of mercy, and God may deal with us as seems good un- to him ; but great sins ought to be attended with ex- pectations of great depths and perplexities. III. WIIAT SINS usually bring believers into great spiritual distresses. Sins in their own nature wasting conscience, are of this sort. Sins that rise in opposition to all of God that is in us; that is, the light of grace and nature also ; such are the sins that cast David into depths. Such are the sins enumerated, 1 Cor. 6: 9, 10. "Be not deceived," said the apostle, "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." Certain it is, that believers may fall into some of the sins here mentioned. Some have done so, as is left on record : the apostle says, not those who have commit- ted any of these sins, but such sinners, shall not inherit the kingdom of God ; that is, who live in these, or any
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