Fa lfe Prefúmptionr ofFórgivene. Pfai.i 3ó,. fay then, where pardoning mercy is truly apprehended, where faith makes a difcovety of it to the foul, it is endeared unto God, and poífeifed of thegreatBrings, ofLove, Delight,Fear; and Reverence, Pjal. 116. I, 5, 6, y. Fourthly, This notional apprehenfson of the pardon of fin, be- gets no ferious throughhatred and deteftaticn offin ; nor is pre- valent to a relinquiíhment of it; nay, it rather fecretly infi- nuates into the foul encouragements unto a continuance in it. lt is thenature of it to leífenand extenuate fin, and to fup- port the foul againft its convidions. So Jude tells us, that Come turn the Grace of God into lajcivioufneft, v. . and Cayes he, they are ungodly men ; let them profefs what they will,, they are ungodly men; But how can they turn the grace ofour God into lafivioufnefl ? Is Grace capable of a converfion into Luft or Sin ? Will what was once Grace, ever become Wanton- nef ? It is Objective not Subjeltive Grace ; the Doarine, not the real fubflance ofGrace, that is intended. The Do&ine offor- givenefs, is this Grace of God, which may be thus abufed. From hence do men who have only a general notion of it, ha- bitually draw fecret encouragements to finand folly. Paul al- to lets us know, that carnal men coming to a doarinal acquain- tance with GoCpel Grace, are very apt to make fuch conclu- fions, Korn. 6. And it will appear at the Taft day, how un- fpeakably this glorious Grace hath been perverted in the world. It would be well for many, if they had never heard thename of forgivenefs. ht is otherwife where this Revelation is received indeed in .the foul by believing, Rom. 6. 14. Our being under Grace, under the power of the belief of forgivenefs , is our great prefervative from our being under the power of fin. Faith of forgivenefs is the Principle of Gofpel Obedience, Titus 2. I I , /2. Fifthly, Thegeneral notionof forgivenefs brings with it no fweetnefs, no Reft to the foul. Flafhes of joy it may, abiding refi it doth not. The truth of the Dot`rine fluctuates to and fro in theminds of thofe that have it, but their Wills and Af- fe1ions, have no folid'`delight nor tell by it. Hencenotwith- ftanding all that profeffion that is made in the world of for- givcneCs,.xhe moti of men ultimately , refolve their peace and corn- fort
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