256 Of COMMUNION with the difputer of this world, with all their wifdarn ? Their voice muff be that of the hypocrites in Sion, Ifa. xxxiii. 14, 15. That wifdom which cannot teach me that God is love, (hall ever pafs for folly. Let men go to the fun, moon andOars, to fhowers of rain and fruitful feafons, and anfwer truly, what by them, they learn hereof? Let them not think themfelves wifer or better than thofe that went before them, who, to a man, got no- thing by them, but being left unexcufable. 2.) Pardoning mercy or grace; without this even his love would be fruitlefs. What difcovery may be made of this by a finful man, may he feen in the Father of us all ; who when he had finned had no referve for mercy, hut hid himfelf, Gen. iii. 8. He did it =1` r115 when the wind did but a little blow at the prefence ofGod ; and he did it foolifhly thinking to hide himfelf among trees, Pfal. cxxxix. 7, 8. The law was given by Mo- fes, grace and truth came by Jefus Cleriff, Joh. i. 17. Grace in the truth and fubflance, pardoning mercy, that comes by Chrift alone, that pardoning mercywhich is manifeied in the gofpel, and wherein God will be glorified to all eternity; Ephef. i. 6. Imean not that general mercy, that velleity of acceptance which force put their hopes in, (a) that y,í96, which to afcribe unto God is the greatei difhonour that can be done him, Ihines not with one ray out of Chrift; it is wholly treafured up in him, and revealed by him. Pardoning mercy is God's free gracious acceptance of a fanner upon fatisfaftionmade to his Jaftice in the blood of Jefus. Nor is any difcovery of it, but as relating to the fatisfa&ion of Juftice, contient with the glory of God. It is a mercy of inconceivable condefcention in forgivenefs, tem- pered with exalt juftice and feverity, Rom. iii. 25. God is Paid, to fet forth Chri/i to be apropitiation in his blood to declare his righteoufnefs in the for- givenefs of'fins (b) his righteoufnefs is alfo manifefted in the butnefs of for- givenefs of fins ; and therefore it is every where faid to be wholly in Chrift, Eph. i. 7. So that this gofpel grace, and pardoning mercy is alone purchaf- ed by him, and revealed in him. And this was the main end of all typi- cal iniitutions, to manifeft that remifliion, and forgivenefs is wholly wrapt up in the Lord Chrift, and that out of him there is not the leai conjecture to he made of it, nor the lea(t morf l to be tatted. Had not God fee forth (e) the Lord Chrift, all the angels in heaven and men on earth could not have apprehended, that there hadbeen any fuels thing in the natureof God, as this grace, of pardoning mercy. The apoite affects the full manifeiation, as well as the exercife of this mercy to be in Chrift only; Tit. iii. 4, 5. After that the kindnefo and love ofGod oste Saviour towards man appeared; namely, in the fending of Chrift, and the declaration of him in the gofpel, then was this pardoning mercy, and falvation not by works difcávered. And thefe are of thofe properties of God, whereby he will be known, whereof there is not the leal glimpfe to he obtained, but byand in Chrift; and whoever knows him not by thefe, knows him not at all. T(aeyknow an idol, and not the only true God. He that bath not the fón, thefasse bath not the father, i Yoh. ii. 23. And not to have God, as a father, is not to have him at all; and he is known as a father only, as he is love, end full of pardoning Mercy its Chrilt (cl). Haw this is to he had the holy Giroft tells us a Yoh. v. zo. The fou of God is come and bath given us an underflanding that we may know him that is true, by him alone we have our underftanding, to know him that is true. Now thefe Properties of (4)"C5. Jr; xsO-, rl,,, Ir a'7 maovootss unni ,Sugnxüxaì. ru.as5t, :ñ p,a;ia ;eyuR », y, RAet. Quid a e m-- '.lerlcurdia, n'.fi el c:,o milerin quacam in neltro oeeree emnpa'lio; a,:a a cuth m polluus fubrenfecompellin:ur+ A,¿eft. de roar. Dei. bb. 9. cap. 5. (b) tta,uxamt mr xF:T xoeas fiseu. lel. , 7. ye) .ae.t ts' ,. ,ter. i. r e, (a) Jot, s. 55. God,
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