7. Such as are unpardoned must needs lead uncomfortable lives, Deut. xxviii. (iO., " Thy life ishall han|2: in doubt before tliee, and thou slialt fear day and night." Tlius the unpardoned sinner must needs have a palpitation and tremblin<T at tlie heart : he fears every bush he sees, 1 John iv. 18., " Fear hath torment." The Greek word for torment, [hohisis,) is used sometimes for hell : fear hath hell in it. A man in debt fears every step he goes, lest he should be arrested; so the un])ardoned sinner feai's, what if this night death, which is God's sergeant, should arrest liim ? Job vii. 21., " Why dost not thou pardon my transgres- sion ? For now shall I sleep in tlie dust." As if Job had said, " Lord, I shall shortly die, I shall sleep in the dust ; and what shall I do if my sins be not pardoned ?" What comfort can an unpardoned soul take in any thing ? Sure no more than a pri- soner can take in meat or music, that wants his pardon ! Therefore, by all these power- ful motives, let us labour for the forgive- ness of sin.
Ob J. L But I am discouraged from going to God for pardon, for lam umcortlnf of for- giveness ; what am /, that God should do such a favour for me ?
Ans. God forgives, not because we are worthy, but because he is gracious, Exod, xxxiv. 6., " The Lord, the Lord, merciful and gracious." God forgives out of his cle- men('y ; acts of pardon are acts of grace. What worthiness was there in Paul before conversion ? He was a blasphemer, and so he sinned against the first table ; he was a persecutor, and so he sinned against the second table ; but free-grace sealed his ])ar- don, 1 Tim. i. 13., " I obtained mercy ;" ] was all bestrewed with mercy. What wor- thiness was in the woman of Samaria? She was ijrnorant, John iv. 22. She was un- clean, v. 18, She was morose and chur- lish ; she would not give Christ so much as a cup of cold water, v, 9., " How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me wliich am a woman of Samaria .''" What worthiness was here ? Yet Christ overlook- ed all, and jjardoned her ingratitude ; and though she denied him water out of the
well, yet he gave her tlie water of life. Gratia non iuvenit dignos, sed facit. Free- grace doth not find us worthy, but makes us worthy. Thercfore, notwithstanding unworthiness, seek to God, that your sins may be pardoned.
Oi5j. 2. But I have been a great simier^ and sure God ivill not pardon me.
Ans. David brings it as an argument for pardon, Ps. xxv. 11., " Pardon mine iniqui- ty, for it is great." When God forgives great sins, now he doth a work like him- self. The desperateness of the wound doth the more set forth the virtue of Christ's blood in curing it. Mary Magdalene, a ^ great sinner, out of whom seven devils were cast, yet she had her pardon. Some of the Jews, who had an hand in crucifying of Christ, upon their repentance, the very blood they shed did seal their pardon. Consider sins either for their number as the sands of the sea; or for their weight as the rocks of the sea, yet there is mercy enough in God to forgive them, Isa. i. 18., "Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow." Scarlet signifies twice dipped, which no art of man can get out; yet God can wash out this scarlet dye. There is no sin excepted from pardon, but that sin which despiseth pardon, viz. the sin against the Holy Ghost, Mat. xii. 31. Therefore, O sinner, do not cast away thy anchor of hope, but go to God for forgiveness. The vast ocean hath bounds set to it, but God's pardoning mercy is boundless. God can as well forgive great sins as less ; as the sea can as well cover great rocks as little sands. Nothing hinders pardon, but the sinner's not asking it.
That a great sinner should not despair of forgiveness, consult that scripture, Isa. xliii. 25., " I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions." If vou look on the foreco- ing words, you would wonder how this verse comes in, v. 24-., " Thou hast made me CO serve with thy sins, thou hast wea- ried me with thy ini(|uitles ;" and then it fidlows, " I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions." One would have thought it should have run thus, " Thou hast wearied me with thy ini(|uities ; 1, e- ven J, am he that will ])unish thy iniqui- ties ;" but God comes in a mild loving
OF THE FIFTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
539