Vert.+. Forgiven ß believed by few. 233 themfclves: floral, ¿atill it be' afrefh dircoverid unto them ? Is this the frame of the moil of men ? The Lord knows it is not. They talkof forgiveneß, but (Item it nor, prize it not, make noparticular enquiries after it. They put it to an ten- grounded venture, whether ever they,be partakers of it or no for a relict againfl tome pangs ofCot,1cience it is called upon, or elfe fcar,:e though of at all. Let not any fo minded flatter thcmflves that they have any acquaintance with the myllerie ofGofpel fogiveneß. 3 Let it be enquired of them who pretend unto thisper - fmafan, hów they carne by it; that we may know whether it be of him who calleth us, or no; that we may try whether they have broken through the difficulties in the Entertaining of it, which we have manifefhLd abundantly to lye in the way of it. When Peter confeffed our Saviour to be the Chrift the Son of the living God ; He told him thatfhjh and blood did not+reveal that unto him, but his Father who it in Haven. Match. 16. 17. I t is fo with them who indeed believe forgivenefs in God : Flefh and blood bath not revealed it unto them. It hath not been furthered by any thing within them or wiThout them, but all lyes in oppofition unto it. This is the work of God that we believe, John 6. 29.,A great work, the greatejt work that God requireth of us. It is not only a great thing in it Elf (the Grace of believing is a great thing, ) but it is great in refp:_& of its Objel`f, or what we have to believe, or forgivenefs jt Cell. The great honour ofAbrahams faith lay in this, that dead; and difficulties lay . in the way of, it. Rom. 4. 18, 19, 20. But what is a dead body, and a dead womb, to an accscfinn.Confci- ence, a k,%lling Law, and apprehenfons of a God terrible as a confuming fire ? all which, as was fhewvd, oppof -e thetrrfelves unto a foul called to believe forgivenef What now have the moF of men, who are confident in the prefeffion of this faith, to lay unto this thing? Let them fpeatc 'clearly, and they mutt fay, that indeed they never found thé haft difficulty in this matter ; they never doubted of it ; they never queffioned it, nor do know any reason why they fhould do fo. It is a thing which they have fo takgn for granted, as H h that
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