latfi, A pardoned soul needs not fear death. He may look on death with joy, who can look on forgiveness with faith. To a pardoned soul death hath lost his sting. Death, to a pardoned sinner, is like the ar- resting a man after the debt is paid ; death may arrest, but Christ will shew the deht- book crossed in his blood. A pardoned soul may triumph over death, " O death, where is thy sting ! O grave, where is thy victory !" He who is pardoned needs not fear death, it is not a destruction, but a de- liverance; it is to him a day of jubilee or release ; it releaseth him from all his sins. Deatli comes to a pardoned soul, as the an- gel did to Peter ; it smote him, and beat off his chains, and carried him out of pri- son ; so doth death to him who is j)ardone(l, it smites his body, and the chains of sin fall off. Death gives a pardoned soul a quietus est, it frees from all his labours. Rev. xiv. 13. Ftlix transitus a lahore ad requiem, Bern. Death, as it will wipe off our tears BO it will wipe off our sweat. Death will do a pardoned Christian the greatest good turn, therefore it is made a part of the in- ventory, 1 Cor. iii. 22., " Death is yours," Death is like the waggon which was sent for old Jacob, — it came rattling with its wheels, but it was to carry Jacob to his son Joseph ; so the wheels of death's chariot may rattle, and make a noise, but they are to carry a believer to Christ. Wliile a be- liever is here, he is " absent from the Lord," 2 Cor. V. 6. He lives far from court, and cannot see him whom his soid loves : but death gives liim a sight of the King of glo- ry, " in whose presence is fulness of joy." To a pardoned soul, death is transitus ad regnum, — it removes him to the place of bliss, where he shall hear the triumphs and anthems of praise sung in the choir of an- gels. No cause hath a pardoned soul to fear death ; wliat needs he fear to have his oody buried in the earth, wiio hath his sins
buried in Clwist's wounds? Wliat hurt can deatli do to him ? It is but bis ferry-man to ferry him over to the land of promise. The day of death to a pardoned soul, is his asrension-<l:>y to lieavcn, his coronation-day, when he shall \h\ crowned with those de- lights of paradise wliicli arc unspeakable and fidl of glory. Thus you see the rich consolations which belong to a pardoned sinner; well might David proclaim him blessed, Ps, xxxii. 1., " Blessed is he whose trangressiou is f(»rgiven ;" in the Hebrew it is in the plural, hfcsscdncsscs. Here is a plurality of blessings. Forgiveness of sin is like the first link of a chain, which draws all the links after it; it draws these fif- teen privileges after it ; it crowns with grace and glory. Who tlieii would not la- bour to have his sins forgiven ? " Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven, whose sin is covered,"
Now fidlow the duties of such as liave their sins forgiven. Mercy calls for duty. Be much in praise and doxologv.
1. " Bless the Lord, O my soul, who forgiveth all thy iniquities." Hath God crowned you with pardoning mercy ? set the crown of your ])raise upon the head of free -grace. Pardon of sin is a discrimina- ting mercy, a jewel hung only upon the e- lect : this calls for acclamations of praise. You will give thanks for " daily bread," and will you not much more for pardon ? You will give thanks for deliverance from si'kncss, and will you not for deliverance from hell ? God hath done more for you in forgiving your sin, than if he had given you a kingdom. And that you may be more thankful, do but set the unpardoned condition before your eyes : how sad is it to want a pardon ! All the curses of the law stand in full force against such an one. The unpardoned sinner dying, he drops in- to the grave and hell both at once ; he must quarter among the damned ; and will not this make you thankful, that this is not your condition, but that you are " deliver- ed from the wrath to come ?"
2. Let God's pardoning love inflame your hearts with love to God. For God to par- don freely without any desert of yours, — to pardon so many offences, — that he should pardon you and pass by others, — that he
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should lake you out of the ruins of man • kind, and, of a clod of dust and sin, make you a jewel sparkling with heavenly glory, --will not this make you love God much ? Three prisoners that deserves to die, if the king pardon one of these, and leave the o- ther two to the severity of the law, will not he that is pardoned love his prince, who bath been so full of clemency ? How should your hearts be endeared in love to God ? The schoolmen distinguish of a twofold love, amor gratuitus, a love of bounty, that is, God's love to us in forgiving : and amor de- hitus, a love of duty ; that is, our love to God by way of retaliation. We should shew our love by admiring God, by sweet- ly solacing ourselves in him, and binding ourselves to him in a perpetual covenant.