" and thee only" (i. e.) thee mainly or especially, " have I sinned." Hence sins are inetonymically called debts, debts to God, Mat. vi. 12. Not that we owe them to God, or ought to sin against him ; but as pecuniary debts obliges him that owes it to the penalty, it* he satisfy not for it ; so do our sins. And who can discharge the debtor, but the creditor ?
It is a gracious act to discharge. " I, even I, am he that blotteth " out thy transgression for mine own name sake," Isa. xliii. 25. And yet sin is not so forgiven, as that God expects no satisfaction at all ; but as expecting none from us, because God hath provided a surety for us, from whom he is satisfied, Eph. i. 7. " In whom " we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, " according to the riches of his grace."
It is a gracious discharge from the guilt of sin. Guilt is that which pardon properly deals with. Guilt is an obligation to pu- nishment. Pardon is the dissolving that obligation. Guilt is a chain with which sinners are bound and fettered by the law. Par- don is that Aquafortis that eats it asunder, and makes the prisoner a free man. The pardoned soul is a discharged soul, Rom. viii. 53. " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is "God that justifieth, who shall condemn? It is Christ that " died."
It is GocVs discharge of a believing penitent sinner. Infidelity and impenitency, are not only sins in themselves, but such sins as bind fast all other sins upon the soul. " By him, all that believe are " justified from all things," Acts x. 43. So Acts iii. 19. " Repent " therefore, that your sins may be blotted out." This is the me- thod in which God dispenseth pardon to sinners.
Lastly, It is for Christ s sake we are discharged ; he is the meri- torious cause of our remission, " As God, for Christ's sake, hath " forgiven you," Eph. iv. 32. It is his blood alone that meritori- ously procures our discharge.
This is a brief and true account of the nature of forgiveness.
Secondly, Now to evince the possibility of forgiveness, for such as ignorantly oppose Christ, let these things be weighed :
First, Why should any poor soul, that is ^iow humbled for its enmity to Christ in the days of ignorance, question the possibility of forgiveness, when this effect doth not exceed the power of the cause ; nay, when there is more efficacy in the blood of Christ, the meritorious cause, than is in this effect of it? There is power enough in that blood, not only to pardon thy sins, but the sins of the whole world, were it actually applied, 1 John ii. 2. There is not only a sufficiency, but also a redundancy of merit, in that precious blood. Surely then thy enmity to Christ, especially, be-
376 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XXX,
fore thou knowest him, may not look like an unpardonable iniqui- ty in thine eyes.
Secondly, And as this sin exceeds not the power of the merito- rious cause of forgiveness ; so neither is it any where excluded from pardon, by any word of God. Nay, such is the extensive- ness of the promise to believing penitents, that this case is mani- festly included, and forgiveness tendered to thee in the promises, Isa. lv. 7. " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighte- " ous man his thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, and " he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abun- " dantly pardon." Many such extensive promises there are in the scriptures: and there is not one parenthesis in all these blessed pages, in which this case is excepted.
Thirdly, And it is yet more satisfactory ; that God hath already actually forgiven such sinners ; and that which he hath done, he may again do : yea, therefore he hath done it to some, and those eminent for their enmity to Christ, that others may be encouraged to hope for the same mercy, when they also shall be, in the same manner, humbled for it. Take one famous instance of many ; it is that of Paul in Tim. i. 13, 16. " Who was before a blasphemer, " a persecutor, and injurious. But I obtained mercy, because I " did it ignorantly in unbelief. — Howbeit for this cause I obtained " mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suf- " fering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on " him to everlasting life." It is no small encouragement to a sick man, to hear of some that have been recovered out of the same disease, and that prevailing in an higher degree than in himself.
Fourthly, Moreover, it is encouraging to consider, That when God had cut off others in the way of their sin, he hath hitherto spared thee. What speaks this but a purpose of mercy to thy soul ? Thou shouldest account the long-suffering of God thy salvation, 2 Pet. iii. 15. Had he smitten thee in the way of thy sin and en- mity to Christ, what hope had remained ! But in that he hath not only spared thee, but also given thee a heart ingenuously ashamed, and humbled for thy evils : doth not this speak mercy for thee ; surely it looks like a gracious design of love to thy soul.
Inference L And is there forgiveness with God for such as have been enemies to Christ, his truths, and gospel ? Then certain*, ly there is pardon and mercy for the friends of God, who involun- tarily fall into sin, by the surprisals of temptation, and are broken for it, as ingenuous children for offending a good Father. Can any doubt, if God have pardon for such enemies, he hath none for chil- dren ? If he have forgiveness for such as shed the blood of Christ with wicked hands, hath he not much more mercy and forgiveness for such as love Christ, and are more afflicted for their sin against him,
THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 37"
tlian all other troubles they have in the world ? Doubt it not, but he who receives enemies into his bosom, will much more receive and embrace children, though offending ones.
How pensive do the dear children of God sometimes sit, after their lapse into sin? Will God ever pardon this? will he be recon- ciled again? May I hope his face shall be to me, as in former times ? Pensive soul ! if thou didst but know the largeness, tender- ness, freeness of that grace, which yearns over enemies, and hath given forth thousands, and ten thousands of pardons to the worst of sinners, thou wouldst not sink at that rate.