I 9i 1 o6 What Faith refe Js in Forgivenef. . Pfal.130, This is the Lin, of' his Grace ; the declaration of the myfterie of his love, before infiffed on. Secondly, There is the bringing home, and Application of all this mercy to the foul of a (inner by the Holy Ghoff ; wherein, we are _freely forgiven all our TrejJiafs, Col. 2. 13 what faith Gofpel Forgivenefs I fay, refpeds all thefe things , there refpehs in Principles, they have all an influence into it. And that which Refs. e- makes this more evident, wherewith I fhall clofe this confi- deration of the nature of it, is,that Faith in its Application cf it felt unto God about and for Forgivenefs, doth difftnòtly ap- ply it felfunto, and clofe with, fometimes one of there feve- rally and tingly, fometimes another ; and fometimes jciintly takes in the confideration of them all exprefly. Not that at any time it fixes on any or either of them exclufrvey to the others ; but that eminently it finds fame fpecial encouragement at fome feafon, and fome peculiar `actra6tive from fume one of them, more than from the ref(; and then that proves an in- let, a door of entrance unto the treafures that are laid up in the reff of them. Let us go over the feveralls by Inffances. Firff, Sometimes faith fixes upon theName and infinite Good- nefs of the natureof God, and draws out forgivenefs from thence. So doth the Pfalmift, Pfal. 86.6. Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive. He rolls himfelf in the purfuit and ex- peâation of pardon, on the infinite goodnefs of the nature ofGod, So Nehem. 9. 17. Thou art a God ofpardons, or ready to forgive ; of an infinite, gracious, loving nature ; not fevere and wrathful ; And this is that which we are encouraged unto, Ifa. so. io. to flay on thename of God, as in innumerable other places. And thus Faith oftentimes finds a peculiar fweetnefs and encouragement in and from the confiderationof Gods gracious nature. Sometimes this is the firff thing that it fixes on, and fometimes the lait that it refis in ; and oft-times it makes a flay here, when it is driven from all other holds ; It can fay, however it be, -yet God is gracious; andat leaft make that con- chifion which we have from it, Joel z.13,14. God isgracious and
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