144 ForgiveneFwithGodmaniffledby Pfal. i 30. Glared thereby. Wherefore thould God appoint poor finful men to come together, to take a Goat or Lamb, and to confefs over his head all their fins and tranfgreflions, and to devote him to dcflrudionunder that confeflion ? Had men invented this themfelves, it had been a matter of no moment. But it was an Inflitution of God which he bound his Church to the obfervation of upon the penalty of his highefi difpplcafure. Certainly this was a fo!emn declaration that there is forgiveneßi with him. Would that God who is infinitely Good, and fo will not, who is infinitely True, holy and faithful, and fo can- not deceive, call men out whomhe loved, to a folemn Reprefen- tation of a thing wherein their chided, their eternal concern- ment did lye, and fuff.r them Lo feed upon Afhes ?' Let men take heed that they mock not Geld; for ofa Truth God mocketh not man, until he be finally rejected by him. For four thou- fand years together then, did God declare by Sacrifices, that there is forgiveneßl with him, and lead his people by them to make a publick Reprefentation of it in the face of the world. This is a fecond uncontrolable Evidence of the Truth al ferted, which may poffibly be of ufe to fouls that come in- deed deeply and ferioufly to deal with God; for though the Prallice be ceafed, yet the Inffruaion intended in them con- tinues. forgive- I I I. Gods appointment of Repentance unto inners, doth reveal nefs with that there is forgiveneßs in himfelf. I fay the prefcription of Re- d, ma- pentance is a Revelation of orgivenef? After the Angels had nifeí}ed by p f hisPreCcri. finned, God never once called them to Repentance. He would ption of not deceive them, but let them know what they were to Regen- ranee° look for at his hands ; he hath no forgiveneß for them, and therefore would require no Repentance of them. It is nor, nor ever was a duty incumbent on them to repent. Nor is it fo unto the damned in Hell. God rtquires it not of them, nor is it their duty. There being no forgiveneß for them what íhould move them to repent ? Why fhould it be their duty fo to do ? Their eternal anguifh about fin committed , hath no- thing ofRepentance in it. Aflignation then of Repentance is a Revelation of forgiventf4. -God would not call upon a finful creature
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