78 Forgivene agreat Mffierie. Praia I 30, perted or acquit thee, Heb. 10 r. Shall I do more than ever he required of any of the Sons ofmen ? 0 that Ihad thoujandr ofRamms, and ten thoufands of Rivers of Oyl to eff r to himV Alas, if thou hadft all the Bulls and Goats in the world, it is not poffible that their blood fhouid take away fins, v. 4. But I have heard of them who have fnatched their own Childr(n from their Mothers brealls, and call them into the fire , until they were confumed, fo to pacifie their confcietìces in expiating the guilt of their iniquities ; (hall I take this courfe? Will it relieve me ? I am ready to part with my ftr/i born into the fire, fo I may have deliverance from my Tranfgrefons. Alas, this never came into the heart of God to approve, or accept of. And as it was th.n, whilft that kind ofWorfhip was in force, fo is it Rill as to anyduties, really to be performed, or imaginarily. Where there is no difcovery of forgivenefi ; they will yield the foul no relief, no fupportment ; God is not to be treated upon fuch terms. Greatneft and rareneß of the Difcovery of Forgivenf? inGod. Reafins of it. 7effimonies.of Confcience, and Law againft it, &c. Forgive- Secondly, This difcovery of Forgiveneßin God if great, holy and nefs a great ¿4yßerious, andwhich very fewon GüJJel grounds do attain unto. il4yílcrie All men indeed fay there is; moll men are perfwaded that they think fo. Only men in great and defperate extremities, like Cain, or Spira, .feem to call it into queflion. But their, thoughts are empty, gróundlefs, yea, for themoll part wicked, and Atheißieal. Elihu tells us, that todeclare this aright to a linful foul, it is the work ofa A7efnger, an Interpreter, one among t: thoufand Job 33. 23 . that is indeed, of Chrift himfclf. The common thoughts of men about this thing are flight and fool- i(h ; and may be refolved into thofe mentioned by the Pfalmift, Pfa/. 50. 21. They think that God is altogether fuck a one as themfelves. That indeed he takes little or no care about thefe things, but pa(feth them over as flightly- as they do them- felves ; That, notwithftanding all their pretences,, the mofi of men never had indeed, any real difcovery of forgivenef?, (hall be
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