where is thy pain ? wliat is it troubles thee ? is it the fear of shame which sliall come u- pon thee and thy wives ? is it the fear of the sword whicli God hath threatened sliall not depart from thy liouse ?" lie would have said, " No, it is only my sin pains me, — ' my sin is ever before me.' Were but this removed by forgiveness, though the sword did ride in circuit in my family, I would be well enough content. When the arrow of guilt sticks in the conscience, no- thing is so desirable as to have this arrow pluclved out by forgiveness. O therefore seek after " forgiveness of sin !" Can you make a shift to live without it; but how •will you do to die without it? Will not death liaA'e a sting to an unpardoned sin- ner ? How do you tliink to get to heaven without forgiveness ? As at some solemn festivals, there is no being admitted unless you bring a ticket : so, unless you have this ticket to show, " forgiveness of sin," there is no being admitted into the holy place of heaven. Will God ever crown those that he will not forgive? O be ambitious of par- doning grace ! When God had made Abra- ham great and large promises, Abraham re- plies, " Lord, what wilt thou give me, see- ing I go childless ?" Gen. xv. 2. So, when God hath given thee riches, and all thy heart can wish, say to him, " Lord, what is all this, seeing I want forgiveness ? Let my pardon be sealed in Christ's blood." A prisoner in the Tower is in an ill case, notwithstanding his brave diet, great atten- dance, soft bed to lie on, because, being im- peached, he looks every day for his arraign- ment, and is afraid of the sentence of death : in such a case, and worse, is he, that swims in the pleasures of the world, but his sins are not forgiven, — a guilty conscience doth impeach him, and he is in fear of being ar- raigned and condemned at God's judgment- Beat. Give not then sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eye-lids, till you have got- ten some well-grounded hope that your sins are blotted out. Before I come to press the exhortation to seek after forgiveness of sin, I shall propound one question.
Quest. If pardon of sin be so absolutely necessary^ without it no salvatio7i, what is the reason that softtv in the world seek after it ? Jfihey want healthy they repair to the physi-
cian : if they want riches, they take a voyage to the Indies ; but if they want forgiveness of sin, they seem to be unconcerned, and do not seek after it : whence is this ?
Ans. 1. Inadvertency, or want of consi- deration ; they do not look into their spiri- tual estate, or cast up their accounts to see how matters stand between God and their souls, Isa. i. 3., " My people do not consi- der." They do not consider they are in- debted to God in a debt of ten thousand ta- lents, and that God will, ere long, call them to account, Rom. xiv. 12., " So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God." But people shun serious thoughts; " my people do not consider." Hence it is they do not look after i)ar(l(tn.
A. 2. Men do not seek after forgiveness of sin, for want of conviction. Few are convinced what a deadly evil sin is, — it is the spirits of mischief distilled, — it turns a man's glory into shame, — it brings all plagues on the body, and curses on the soul. Unless a man's sins be forgiven, there is not the vilest creature alive, — the dog, serpent, toad, — but is in a better con- dition than the sinner ; for when they die, they go but to the earth ; but he dying without pardon, goes into hell-torments for ever. Men are not convinced of this, but play with the viper of sin.
A. 3. INIen do not seek earnestly after forgiveness, because they are seeking other things : they seek the world immoderately. When Saul was seeking after the asses, he did not think of a kingdom. Tlie world is a golden snare. Divilice sa'culi stmt laquei diaboli, Bern. The wedge of gold hinders many from seeking after a pardon. Minis- ters cry to the people, " Get your j)ardon sealed !" But if you call to a man that is in a mill, the noise of the mill drowns the voice, that he cannot hear : so when the mill of a trade is going, it makes such a noise, that the peoj)le cannot hear the mi- nister when he lifts up his voice like a trumpet, and cries to them to look after tlie sealing of their pardon. He who spends all his time about the world, and doth not mind forgiveness, will accuse himself of folly at last. You would judge that priso- ner very unwise, that should sj)end all his time with the cook to get his dinner rea-
OF THE FIFTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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(ly, and should never mind getting a par- don.