Discovery of Forgiveness
“But there is forgiveness with Thee, that thou mayesibefearedy Verse 4.
Forgiveness is from a Hebrew word signifying to spare, to pardon, to be propitious, in opposition to a similar word meaning to cut off and destroy. Jerome, with the Septuagint, renders it ‘’ propitiation,” which implies more than pardon. The word is constantly applied to sin, and expresses every thing that concurs to its pardon or remission.
It implies the mind and will of pardoning, or God’s gracious readiness to forgive. ‘^ Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive j” that is, benign and meek, ov sparing and propitious. It also regards the act of pardoning, or actual forgiveness itself. ‘’ Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;” actually discharges thee of them. This is the word God uses in the covenant, in that great promise of grace and pardon, Jer. 31: 34<. It is warrantable for us, yea, necessary, to take the word in the utmost extent of its signification and use. It is a word of favor, and requires an interpretation tending towards the enlargement of it. We see it may be rendered propitiatior, or grace; and also pardon 5 and may denote these three things:
The gracious, tender, merciful heart and will of God who is the God of pardons and fofgivfeness.
A respect unto Jesus Christ, the only propiiiniion for sin, as he is expressly called, Rom. 3: 25; 1 John, 2: 2, mediating between the gracious heart of God and the actual pardon of sinners: all forgiveness is founded on propitiation.
It also denotes condonation, or forgiveness, as we are made partakers of it: comprising it both actively, as it is an act of grace in God 5 and passively, as terminated in our souls, with the deliverance that attends it. In this sense, as it looks downwards, and in its effects respects us, it is of mere grace; and as it looks upwards to its causes, and respects the Lord Christ, it is from propitiation, or atonement, as this is that pardon which is administered in the covenant of grace.
The import of these words in their connection in this psalm, and their relation to the state of the soul here mentioned, seems to be this:
^’ Although, O Lord, no man can approach unto thee, or stand before thee, if thou shouldst mark his sins and follies according to the tenor of the law, nor could he serve so great and holy a God; yet because I know, from thy revelation of it, that there is also with thee, on account of Jesus Christ the propitiation, pardon and forgiveness, I am encouraged to continue with thee, waiting on thee, worshipping thee j when, without this discovery, I should rather choose to have rocks and mountains fall upon me to hide me from thy presence. But THERE IS FORGIVENESS WITH THEE, and therefore thou shalt be feared.”
From the words thus unfolded the ensuing propositions arise:
Faith’s discovery of forgiveness in God, though it have no present sense of its own peculiar interest therein, is the great support of a sin-perplexed soul.
Gospel-forgiveness, the discovery of which is the sole support of sin-distressed souls, relates to the gracious heart or good-v/iil of the Father, the God of forgiveness 5 the propitiation made by the blood of the Son j and free pardon, according to the covenant of grace.
Faith’s discovery of forgiveness in God is the sole foundation of adherence to him, in acceptable worship and reverential obedience.
My immediate aim is to confirm and illustrate the first cf these propositions. I therefore proceed to show:
That there is not the least encouragement to a sinner to deal with God without this discovery of forgiveness in him;
That this discovery is a matter great, holy and mysterious, and which few, on gospel-abiding grounds, attain to;
That yet this is a great, sac-red and infallible truth ,• and
That it is a stable support to a sin-distressed soul.
Forjiivcness. *
There is not the LtEAst encourageme’t for a sinners approaching God without this discovery. All else is covered with a deluge of wrath; this is the only ark where the soul may repair and find rest; all without it is darkness, curse and terror.
We have an instance of it in Adam. When he knew himself to be a sinner, and it was impossible for him to discover forgiveness with God, he laid aside all thought:* of treating with him j the best of his foolish contrivance was for an escape, ‘’ I heard thy voice in the garden, and was afraid, because I was naked 5 and I hid myself.“‘Gen. 3: 10. Nothing but. Thou shalt die the death sounded in his ears. In the morning of that day he had converse and communion with God, with boldness and peace; why then does nothing but lear, flying, hiding, now possess him 1 Adam had sinned j the promise was not yet given; no revelation was made of forgiveness in God; and what other course, than that vain and foolish one, to fix upon, he knew not. No more can any of hia posterity, without this revelation. Whatever has been the resort of any one, it has been no less foolish than his hiding; and in most, more pernicious. When Cain had received his sentence from God, it is said, “He went out from the presence of the Lord.” Gen. 4: Ki. From his providential presence he could never withdraw himself; so the Psalmist informs us at large. Psalm 139: 7-9.
Th6 very heathen knew, by the light of nature, that f!;uilt could never drive men out of the reach of God, They knew that the vengeance cf God would not spare sinners, nor could it be avoided. Acts, 28: 4. From God’s gracious presence, which Cain never enjoyed, he could not depart. It was, then, God’s presence as to his worship, and all outward acts of communion, that he forsook and departed from. He had no discovery by faith of forgiveness, and therefore resolved to have no more to do with God, or those who cleaved to him.
‘’ The sinners in Zion are afraid, Tearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites; who among us shall dwell with devouring fire 1 who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings V Isaiah, 33: l-i. The persons spoken of arc sinners, great sinners, and hypocrites; conviction of sin, and the desert of sin, was fallen upon them; a light to discern forgiveness they had not; they apprehend God only as devouring fire and everlasting burnings — one that would not spare, but would assuredly inflict punishment according to the desert of sin; and hence there was no abiding, no enduring his presence.
The condition into which this consideration brings the souls of sinners when conviction grows strong upon Ihem, the Holy Ghost declares, Micah, G: 6, 7. “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God ^. shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year oldl will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil] shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soull” Sense of sin presseth, forgiveness is not discovered, and how does the poor creature perplex itself in vain, to find out a way of dealing with God! Will a sedulous and diligent observation of his own ordinances and institutions relieve me % “shall I come before him wdth burnt-offerings, and calves of a year old V Alas! thou art a sinner, and these sacrifices cannot make thee perfect, or acquit thee! Heb. 10? L Shall I do more than ever he required of any of the sons of men ] ‘’ Othat I had thousands of rams, and ten thousands of rivers of oil, to offer him!” Alas! if thou hadst all the bulls and goats in the world, it is not possible that their blood should take away sin. ver 4. But I have heard of them who have snatched away their own children from their mothers’ breasts, and cast them into the fire until they were
76 For.GlVENESS OF SIN.
consumed, so to pacify their conscience in expiating the guilt of their iniquities: shall I take this course 1 will it relieve me 1 I am ready to part with my first-born into the fire, so that I may have deliverance from my transgressions. Alas! to accept of such oiferings never entered the heart of God. And so is it still as to any duties man can perform. Vvliere there is no discovery of forgiveness they will yield the soul no relief, no support; God is not to be treated with upon such terms. Hence,
This discovery of forgiveness in God is great, holy, and mysterious, and which very few on gospel-grounds attain to.
All men indeed say there is forgiveness; and most men are persuaded that they think so; only men in great and desperate extremities, like Cain or Spira, seem to call it into question. Piut their thoughts are empty, yea, for the most part, wicked and atheistical. They think that “God is altogether such an one as themselves;” that indeed he takes little or no care about sin, but passes it over as lightly as they do. In the progress of this work I shall show that, notwithstanding all their pretences, the most of men never had, indeed, any real discovery of forgiveness, and point out the difference between their vain credulity and a gracious gospel-discovery of forgiveness in God. This discovery includes both the revelation of it made by God, and our understanding and reception of thst revelation to our own advantage.
The grounds of the difficulty of making this discovery consist partly in the iiinderances that lie in the way of it; and partly in the nature of the thing discovered: of both which I shall briefly treat.
1. The constant voice of conscience lies against the
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discovery of forgiveness. Conscience, if not seared, inexorably condemns, and pronounces wrath on the soul that has the least guilt cleaving to it. It lies close to the soul, and by importunity and loud speaking it will be heard. It will make the whole soul attend, or it will speak like thunder. And. its constant voice is, that where there is guilt there must be judgment. Rom. 2: 14, 15. Conscience naturally knows nothing of forgiveness; yea, it is against its very work and ofSce, to hear any thing of it. If a man of courage and honesty be intrusted to Iceep a garrison against an enemy, let one come and tell him that peace is made between those whom he serves and their enemies, so that he may leave his guard, and set open the gates, and cease his watchfulness j how wary will he be, lest, under this pretence, he be betrayed! No, saith he, I will keep my hold until I have express orders from my superiors. Conscience is intrusted with the power of God in the soul of a sinner, with command to keep all in subjection, with reference to the judgment to come; it will not betray its trust, in believing every report of peace. No! it says, and speaks in the name of God: ‘^ Guilt and punishment are inseparable j” if the soul sin, God will judge. What tell you me of forgiveness 1 I know what my commission is, and that I will abide by; you shall not bring a superior commander into my trust.
Now, Vv’hom should a man believe, if not his own conscience ] which, as it will not flatter him, so it intends not to aflight him — but to speak tli£ truth as the matter requires. Conscience has two woiks in reference to sin; one to condemn the acts of sin, another to judge the person of the sinner; both with reference to the judgment of God. When foj’giveness comes, it would sever these offices, and take one of them out of the hand of conscience; it will condemn the sin; but it shall no more condem.n the sinner, he shall be freed from its sentence. Here conscience labors to keep its whole dominion, and to keep the power of forgiveness from being enthroned in the soul.
Nor indeed is it any easy work to deal with it. The apostle tells us, that all the sacrifices of the law could not do it, Heb. 10:2; they could not bring a man into that state in which he should have “no more conscience of sin;” that is, conscience condemning the person; for conscience, in causing a sense of sin, and the condemnation of it, is never to be taken away. And this can be no otherwise done but by the blood of Christ, as the apostle at large there declares.
It is no easy thing, then, to make a discovery of forgiveness to a soul, when conscience lies in opposition to it. Hence is the soul’s great desire to establish its own righteousness, whereby its natural principles may be preserved in their power. Let self-righteousness be enthroned, and natural conscience desires no more; it is satisfied, and pacified. The law it knows, but as for forgiveness it says, Whence is it 1 Unto the utmost, until Christ perfects his conquest, there are, on this account, secret strugglings in the heart against free pardon in the Gospel, and fluctuations of mind about it. Yea, hence are the doubts and fears of believers themselves: they are nothing but the strivings of conscience to keep its whole dominion, to condemn the sinner as well as the .sin. More or less, it keeps up its pretensions against thfe Gospel whilst we live in this world. It is a great w«rk that the blood of Christ hath to do upon the conscience of a sinner; for whereas it hath a power, and claims a right, to condemn both sin and sinner, the one part of this power is to be cleared, strengthened, made more active, vigorous and watchful; the other to be taken quite away: it shall now see more sins than form.erly, more of the vileness of all sins than formerly, and condemn them with more ab-ViOrrcnce than ever, upon more and more glorious accounts than formerly j but it is also made to see an interposition between these sins and the person of the sinner who hath committed themj which is no small or ordinary work.
2. The law lies against this discovery of forgiveness. The law is a bear a of the holiiTess of God himself; v.’hat it speaks to us, it speaks in the name and authority of God.
It is certain that ike law knows neither mercy nor forgiveness. Its very sanction lies wholly against forgiveness: “The soul that sinneth shall die. Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.” Ezek. 18: 4; Deut. 27: 26. Hence the apostle pronounces universally, without exception, that they who are “under the law are under the curse,” Gal. 3: lOj and, saith he, verse 12, “The law is not of faith.” There is an inconsistency between the law and believing; they cannot have their abode in power together. Do this, and live; fail, and die; is the constant immutable voice of the law. This it speaks in general to all, and this in particular to every one.
And further, the sinner seems to have manifold and zveighfy reasons to attend to the voice of this law, and to acquiesce in its sentence. For,
The law is connatural to him; his domestic, his old acquaintance: it came into the world with him, and hath grown up with him from his infancy; it was implanted in his heart by nature; he can never shake it off, or part with it. It is his familiar, his friend, that cleaves to him as the flesh to the bone; so that they who have not the law written, cannot but “show forth the work of the law,” Rom. 2: 14, 15, and that because the law itself is inbred in them, and all the faculties of the soul are at peace with it, in subjection to it. It is the bond of their union, harmony and correspondence among themselves, in all their moral actings j it gives life, order, motion to them all. Now, the Gospel, which comes to control this sentence of the law, and to relieve the sinner from it, is foreign to his nature, a strange thing to him, a thing he hath no acquaintance or familiarity with; it hath not been bred up with him; nor is there any thiipg in him to side with it, to make a. party for it, or plead in its behalf.
Again, the lav, speaks nothing to a sinner but what his conscience assures him to be true. There is a constant concurrence in the testimony of the law and conscience. When the law says, this or that is a sin worthy of death, conscience says, it is even so: and where the law of itself, as being a general rule, rests, conscience helps it on, and says, of this and that sin worthy of death, is the soul guilty: then die, saith the law, as thou hast deserved. Now, this must have a mighty efficacy to prevail with the soul to give credit to the testimony of the law; it speaks not one word but what he has a witness to within himself. These witnesses ahvays agree; and so it seems to be established for a truth, that there is no forgiveness.
The law, also, though it speaks against the soul’s interest, yet speaks nothing but what is so just, righteous and equal, that it forces the soul’s consent. So Paul tells us, that men “know this voice of the law to be the judgment of God.” Rom. 1: 32. They know it, and cannot but consent to it, that it is the judgment of God, — that it is good, righteous, equal. And indeed what can be more righteous than its sentence! It commands obedience to the God of life and death, promises a reward, and declares, that for non-performance of duty, death will be inflicted. These terms are good, righteous, holy; the soul accepts them, and knows not what it tan desire better or more just. This the apostle insists upon, Rom. 7: 12, 13. “Wherefore
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the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good; was then that which is good made death unto me I God forbid: but sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.” Wherever the blame falls, the soul cannot but acquit the law, and confess that what it says is right. Now, though the authority and credit of a witness may go very far in a doubtful matter, when there is a concurrence of more witnesses it strengthens the testimony; but nothing is so prevalent to beget belief, as when the things spoken are themselves just and good, not liable to any reasonable exception. And so is it in this case; unto the authority of the law, and concurrence of conscience, is added the reasonableness and equity of the thing itself, even in the judgment of the sinner; namely, that every sin shall be punished, and every transgression receive a meet recompense of reward.
But yet farther: what the law says, it speaks in the name and authority of God: what it says, then, must be believed, or we make God a liar. It comes not in its own name, but in the name of Him who appointed it. You will say then, Is it so indeed 1 Is there no forgiveness with God 1 for this is the constant voice of the law, which you say speaks in the name and authority of God, and is therefore to be believed. I answer briefly, with the apostle, “What the law speaks, it speaks to them that are under the law:” it doth not speak to them that are in Christ, whom the ‘Maw of the Spirit of life hath set free from the law of sin and death.” But to them that are under the law it speaks, and it speaks the very truth; and it speaks in the name of God, and its testimony is to be received. It says there is no forgiveness in God to them that are under the law; and they that flatter themselves with a contrary persuasion, will find themselves wofully mistaken at the great day.
From these and similar considerations, I say, there seems a great deal of reason why the soul should conclude that it will be according to the testimony of the law, and that he shall not find forgiveness. Law and conscience close together, and insinuate themselves into the mind and judgment of a sinner. They strengthen the testimony of one another, and greatly prevail. If any are -otherwise minded, I leave them to the trial: if ever God awakened their consciences to a thorough performance of their duty, if ever he opened their souls and let in the light and power of the law upon them, they will find it no small work to grapple with them. I am sure that generally they prevail so far, that, in the preaching of the Gospel, we have great cause to say, ‘* Lord, who hath believed our report 1” We come with our report of forgiveness, but who believes it 1 by whom is it received 1 Neither do the light, or conscience, or conversation of most men allow us to suppose it is embraced.
The prevnhnt impressio?is of men, concerning the nature a?id justice of God, also lie against this discovery. There are in all men by nature, indelible impressions of the holiness and purity of God, of his justice and hatred of sin, of his invariable righteousness in the government of the world. Their inward thought is, that God is an avenger of sin; that it belongs to his government of the world, his holiness and righteousness, to take care that every sin be punished. All men know, as already observed, Rom. 1: 32, that it is a righteous thiyg with God to render tribulation to sinners. From thence is that fear which surprises men at an apprehension of the presence of God; or of any thing that may seem to come on his errand. This notion, of God’s avenging all sin, exerts itself secretly, but effectually. So Adam trembled, and hid himself: and it was the saying of old, “I have seen God, and shall die.” When men are under
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any dreadful providence, thunuerings, lightnings, tempests, or in darkness, they tremble, not so much at what they see, or hear, or feel, as from their secret thoughts that God is nigh, and that he is a consuming fire.
Now, these inbred notions lie universally ag’ainst all apprehensions of forgiveness; which must be brought into the soul from without, having no principle of nature to promote them.
Thus it appears that a real, solid discovery of forgiveness is indeed a great work; many difficulties and hinderances lie in the way of its accomplishment.
We proceed to expose some of the false presui.iptions OF FORGIVENESS, with which men deceive themselves. It may be objected as to the considerations just adduced, that we find men abundantly ready to expect forgiveness from God. What so common as, ‘’God is mercifull” Are not the convictions of most men stifled by this soothing apprehension 1 Is it not a common complaint, that men presume on it, to their eternal ruin 1
I answer, the folly of poor souls in their presuming on forgiveness, can never be enough lamented; it is one thing to embrace a cloud, a shadow, and another to have the truth in reality. I shall hereafter show the true nature of forgiveness, and wherein it consists, whereby the vanity of this self-deceiving will be exposed. It will appear in the issue, that notwithstanding all their pretensions, the most of men know nothing at all, or not any thing to the purpose, of true forgiveness. I therefore proceed to show, in some few observations, how far this delusion of many differs from a true gospel-discovery of forgiveness.
n atheistical presumption that God is not so just and holy, or not just and holy in such a manner as he is represented, is the ground on which multitudes persuade themselves of forgiveness. Men think that some declarab4t FOKGIVENrSS OF SIN.
tions of God are fitted oply to make them mad: that he takes little notice of their sins, and those he does notice, he will easily pass by, as they suppose better becomes him. Come, “let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” Their inward thought is, ‘^ The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil,” which, says the Psalmist, is men’s “thinking that God is such a one as themselves.” Psalm 50: 21. They have no deep nor serious thoughts of his greatness, holiness, purity, severity, but think he is like themselves, so far as not to be much moved with what they do. What thoughts they have of sin, the same they think God has. If, with them, a slight ejaculation be enough to expiate sin so that their consciences are no more troubled, they think the same is enough with God, so that it will not be punished. The generality of men make light of sin; and he that has slight thoughts of sin, had never great thoughts of God. Indeed, men’s undervaluing of sin arises from their contempt of God. The evil of sin flows from its relation to God; and as men’s apprehensions are of God, so will they be of sin. This is the state of most men j they know little of God, and are little troubled about any thing that relates to him. God is not reverenced, sin is but a trifle, forgiveness a matter of nothing; whose will, may have it for asking! But shall this atheistical wickedness of the heart of man be accounted a discovery of forgiveness? Is not this to make God an idol 1 Ke who is not acquainted with God’s holiness and purity, who knows not sin’s desert and sinfulness, knows nothing of forgiveness.
From the doctrines of the Gospel commonly preached there is also a vague notion in the minds of men that God is ready to forgive — a mere speculative apprehension of this truth, without any real satisfactory foundation of that apprehension as to themselves. This they have heard, this they have been often told, and a general persuasion spreads itself over all to whom the sound
PRESL’MniO.XS OF rOllGIVE^ESS. 85
of the Gospel comes. It is not a real reception of the Gospel, but is an opinion growing out of the report of it. Hence I shall brieliy show the differences between this comiTion prevailing apprehension of forgiveness and faith’s discovery of it to the soul in its power.
1. The prevailing apprehension is loose and vague — a truth received speculatively, and not in its power. It wants fixedness and foundation; which defects accompany all notions of the mind that are only retained in the memory, not implanted in the judgment. They hear that God is merciful, and as such they intend to deal with him. For the true foundation on which the pure and holy God, who will do no iniquity — the righteous God, whose judgment it is, that they who commit sin are worthy of death — should yet pardon iniquity, they weigh not, they consider not. They take it for granted that so it is; and never seriously inquire how it comes to be so; and that because they have no real concern about it. How many thousands may we meet, who take it for granted that forgiveness is to be had with God, and yet never had any serious exercise in their souls about the grounds of it, and its consistency with his holiness and justice! But those who know it by faith, have a sense of it fixed particularly and distinctly on their minds. They have ascertained the grounds of it in Christ; so that, on a good and unquestionable foundation, they can go to God and say, ‘^ There is forgiveness with thee.” They see how more glory comes to God by forgiveness than by punishing sin; which is a matter that the other sort of men are not at all solicitous about. If they may escape punishment, wdiether God have any glory or not, for the most part they are indifferent.
2. Those who indulge this false apprehension, have not been brought by the power of their convictions and distress of conscience to make the earnest inquiry whether this be so. Their confidence is not the result of a deep inquiry after peace and rest; it is antecedent to trial and experience j and so is not faith, but opinion. For although faith be not experience, it is inseparable from it. Distress in the conscience has been prevented by this opinion, not removed. The reason why most men are not troubled about their sins to any purpose, is a persuasion that God is merciful and will pardon; when, indeed, none can really, on gospel-grounds, have that persuasion, but those who have been deeply troubled for sin. Those who make this discovery by faith have had conflicts in their own spirits, and, being deprived of peace, have made diligent search whether forgiveness were to be obtained. The persuasion they have of it, be it more or less, is the issue of a trial they have had in their own souls, of an inquiry how things stood between God and them, as to their acceptance with him.
This is a vast difference: the one class might possibly have had trouble in their consciences about sin, had it not been for their opinion of forgiveness: this has prevented or stifled their convictions, not healed their wounds, which is the work of the Gospel; but it has kept them from being wounded, and lulled them into security. Yea, here lies the ruin of most who perish under the preaching of the Gospel: they have received the general notion of pardon; it floats in their minds, and promptly presents itself to their relief on all occasions. Does God at any time, in the dispensation of the word, under an affliction, or the outbreaking of some heinous sin, begin to deal with their conscience; before their conviction can ripen they choke it, and heal their conscience with this notion of pardon. Many a man, between the house of God and his dwelling, is thus cured. You may see them go away shaking their heads, and striking on their breasts, and, before they come home, be as whole as ever: “Well! God is merciful, there is pardon,” hath wrought the cure. But the other class l»are obtained their persuasion as a result of the discovery of Christ in the Gospel, upon a full conviction.
3. These delusive hopes of forgiveness work no love to God, no delight in him, no reverence of him. None deal worse with God than those who have an ungrounded persuasion of forgiveness ‘, and if they seem to fear him, or love him, or obey him in any thing, it is from other motives and considerations, which will not render any thing they do acceptable. Carnal boldness, formality, and despising of God, are the common issues of such a persuasion. Indeed, this is the generation of great sinners in the world; men who have a general apprehension, but not a sense of the special power of pardon. Where faith makes a discovery of forgiveness, all things are otherwise. Great love, fear, and reverence of God are its attendants. Mary Magdalen loved much, because much was forgiven. Great love will spring out of great forgiveness. “There is forgiveness with thee, (saith the Psalmist,) that thou mayest be feared.” No unbeliever truly and experimentally knows the truth of this inference.
4. This delusive apprehension of the pardon of sin begets no serious thorough hatred and detestation of sin but rather secretly insinuates into the soul encouragement to continue in it. It tends to lessen and extenuate sin, and to support the soul against its convictions. So .Tude tells us, that some ‘^ turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.” But how can they do this] Will what was once grace ever become wantonness 1 It is their perversion of the doctrine of grace, not of real grace, that is intended. The doctrine of forgiveness may be thus abused. From hence do men, who have only a general notion of it, habitually draw secret encouragements to sin and folly. Paul informs us that carnal men are very apt to make such conclusions. Rom. C: 1. And it will appear at the last day, how unspeakably this glorious grace hns been perverted in the world. It would be well for many if they had never heard the name of forgiveness. It is otherwise where this revelation is received indeed in the soul by believing. Rom. 6: 14. Our being under grace, under the power of the belief of forgiveness, is our great preservative from being under the power of sin. Faith of forgiveness is the principle of gospel obedience. Titus, 2:11, 12.
D. This vague notion of forgiveness brings vjith it no sweei?iess, no rest to the soul. Flashes of joy it may, abiding rest it doth not. The truth of the doctrine fluctuates to and fro in the minds of those that have it, but their wills and affections have no solid delight nor rest by it Hence, notwithstanding all the professions made in the world, of forgiveness, most men ultimately seek for peace and comfort from themselves. Every one, in his several ways, pleases himself with what he does in answer to his own convictions, and is disquieted as to his state according as he seems to himself to come short of the mark he had fixed. One duty yields him more repose than many thoughts of forgiveness. But faith finds sweetness and rest in forgiveness with God: it is the only harbor of the soul: it leads a man to God, to Christ as his rest. Fading vanishing joys do oft-times attend the one; but solid delight, and constant obedience, are the fruits of the other only.
6. Those who have the former only, take up their persuasion on false grounds a?id cannot but use it to false ends and purposes. Self-righteousness is their dependence, and when that is too short or too narrow to cover them, they piece it out by forgiveness. Where conscience accuses, this must supply the defect. Faith, on the contrary, lays it on its proper foundation, and uses it to its proper end, as the sole and onlj’- ground of our acceptance with God. That is the proper use of forgiveness, that all may be of grace; for when the foundation is pardon, the whole superstructure must be grace. Thus it is evident that, notwithstanding the pretences to the contrarj’, insinuated in the objection now removed, it is a great thing to have gospel-forgiveness discovered to a soul in a saving manner.