^th. An heart without guile is faithful in his friendship; he is what he pretends; his lieart goes along with his tongue, as a well- tnade dial goes with the sun. He cannot flatter and hate, commend and censure. Counterfeitiiig of love is hypocrisy. It is too usual to betray with a kiss : 2 Sam. xx. 9., " Joab took Abner by the beard to kiss him, and smote him in the fifth rib that he died." Many deceive with sugar words. Physicians use to judge of the health of the body by the tongue; if that look well, the body is in health. But we can- not judge of friendship by the tongue ; the words may be full of honey, when the lieart hath the gall of malice ; sure his heart is not true to God, who is treacherous to his friend. Thus you see what an heart without guile is ; now, to have such an heart is a sign sin is pardoned : " God will not impute sin to him in whose spirit there is no guile." What a blessed thing is this, not to have sin imputed ? If our sins be not imputed, it is as if we had no sin ; sins remitted, are as if they had not been com- mitted ; this the blessing belongs to a sin- cere soul, God imputes not iniquity to liim in whose spirit is no guile.
9^/t. He whose sins are forgiven, is will- ing to forgive others who have offended him, Ejdi. iv. 32., " Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." An hypocrite will read, — come to church, — give alms, — build hospitals, — but cannot forgive wrongs : he will rather want forgiveness from God than he will forgive his enemies. A pardoned soul argues thus ; " Hath God been so good to me, to forgive
me my sins, and shall not I imitate him in this ? Hath he forgiven me pounds, and shall I not forgive pence." It is noted of Ci'anraer, nihil oblivisci sulet prater hijurias^ Cicero. He was of a forgiving spirit, and would do offices of love to them that had injured him ; like the sun, which having drawn up black vapours from the earth, re- turns them back in sweet showers. By this touchstone we may try whether our sins are pardoned ; we need not climb up into heaven to see whether our sins are for- given, but let us look into our hearts ; are we of forgiving spirits ? Can we bury in- juries,— requite good for evil? A good sign we are forgiven of God. If we can find all these things wrought in our souls, they are happy signs that our sins are par- doned, and are good letters testimonial to shew for heaven.
Use. 3d. Consolation. I shall open a box of cordials, and shew you some of the glo-, rious privileges of a pardoned condition. This is a peculiar favour, — it is a spring shut up, broached for none but the elect. The wicked may have forbearing mercy, but only an elect person hath forgiving mercy. Forgiveness of sin makes way for solid joy, Isa. xl. I., "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem," — or, as in the Hebrew, " speak to her heart." What was this must cheer her heart ? " Toll her that her iniquity is pardoned." If any thing would comfort her, the Lord knew it was this. When Christ would cheer the palsied man, Mat. ix. 2., he says, " Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee." It was a greater comfort to have his sins forgiven, than to have his palsy healed. This made David put on his best clothes, and anoint himself, 2 Sam. xii. 20. It was strange, — his child was newly dead, — and God had told him the sword should not depart from his house, — yet now he spruceth up him- self, he puts on his best clothes, and anoints himself: whence was this? David had heard good news ; God sent him his pai-- don by Nathan the prophet, 2 Sam. xii. 13., " The Lord also hath put away thy sin." This could not but revive his heart, and in token of joy, he anoints himself. Philo saith, it was an opinion of some of the phi
OF THE FIFTH PETITION IN THE LORDS PRaYER.
545
losopliers tliat among the heavenly spheres there was such sweet harmonious meh)dy, what if tlie sound of it could reach our ears, it would affect us with wonder and deliglit : sure lie who is pardoned luith such a divine melody in his soul, as doth replenish him with infinite delij^ht. A^Hien Christ liad said to INIary Magdalene, " thy sins are for- given ;" he presently adds, " go in peace," Luke vii. 50. More particularly,
Isf, Comfort. God hjoks upon a pardon- ed soul, as if he had never sinned. As the cancelling a bond nulls the bond, and makes it as if the money had never been owing, fortrivinsf sin makes it not to be. Where sin is remitted, it is as if it had not been com- mitted, Jer. 1. 20. So that, as Rachel wept because her children were not, so a child of God may rejoice because his sins are not. God looks upon him as if he had never of- fended ; though sin remain in liim after pardon, yet God doth not look upon him as a fynner, but as a just man.