And, 0 blessed God, I cannot but observe that in the new covenant thou hast engaged thyself to pardon all my sins : ' I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I re- member no more,' Heb. viii. 12 ; Jer. xxxi. 34. ^ Here are two things worthy of our notice : (1.) The reconciliation of God with his people, ' I will be merciful to their unrighteousness ; ' he will be merciful or propitious, appeased and pacified towards them ; which hath respect to the ransom and satisfaction of Christ. (2.) That God will pardon the sins of his people fully, completely, perfectly. Here are three words, ' unrighteousness,' ' sins,' and ' iniquities,' to shew that he will for- give all sorts, kinds, and degrees of sins. The three original words here expressed are all in the plural number; 1. ABiKiai,<;, unrighteous- nesses. This word is by some appropriated to the wrongs and injuries that are done against men ; 2. AfjuapriSiv, sins, is a general word, and according to the notation of the Greek, may imply a not following of that which is set before us ; for he sinneth that followeth not the rule
^ The new covenant can never be broken. 2 Chron. xiii. 5 ; Ps. Izxxiz. 34 ; Isa. 1. 7 2 Sam. xxiii. 5 ; Heb. vii. 25 ; 1 John ii. 1, 2 ; Isa. liv. 10.
* He is a forgiving God, Neh. ix. 31. None like him for that, Micah vii. 18. He forgives naturally, Exod. ii. 2 ; abundantly, Isa. Iv. 7, 3 ; constantly, Ps. cxxx. 4 ; Mai. iii. 6.
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that is set before him by God. The third word, Avofjuiwv, iniquities, according to the notation of the Greek, signifies in general, transgres- sions of the law. This word is by some appropriated to sins against God. The Greek word 'Avo/xla, that is frequently translated ' iniquity/ is a general word, which signifieth a transgression of the law, and so it 18 translated, 1 John iii. 4. The word iniquity is of as large an ex- tent as the word unrighteousness, and implieth an unequal dealing, which is contrary to the rule or law of God. And all this heap of words is to intimate to us that it is neither the several sorts of sins, nor degrees of sin, nor aggravations of sin, nor yet the multitude of sins, that shall ever prejudice those souls that are in covenant with God. God hath mercy enough, and pardons enough, for all his cove- nant-people's sins, whether original or actual, whether against the law or against the gospel, whether against the light of nature or the rule of grace, whether against mercies or judgments, whether against great means of grace or small means of grace. The covenant remedy against all sorts and degrees of sin, doth infinitely transcend and surpass all our infirmities and enormities, our weaknesses and wickednesses, our follies and unworthinesses, &c. What is our unrighteousness to Christ's righteousness, our debts to Christ's pardons, our unholiness to Christ's holiness, our emptiness to Christ's fulness, our weakness to Christ's strength, our poverty to Christ's riches, our wounds to that healing that is under the wings of the Sun of Righteousness ! 1 Cor. i. 30 ; Ps. i. 3, 9, 10 ; Mai. iv. 2. Parallel to this, Heb. viii. 12, is that noble description that Moses gives of God in that Book of Exodus : chap, iii. 4, 6, 7, 'The Lord, the Lord merciful and gracious ; forgiving ini- quity, transgression, and sin.' Some, by these three words, do under- stand such sins as are committed against our neighbour, against God, or against ourselves. A merciful God, a gracious God will pardon all sorts of sinners, and all sorts and degrees of sin, by what names or titles soever they may be styled or distinguished. Some by iniquity do understand sins of infirmity ; and by transgression they understand sins of malice ; and by sin they understand sins of ignorance. God is said to keep merdy, and to forgive all sorts of sins, as if his mercy were kept on purpose for pardoning all sorts of sinners and all sorts of sins. The Hebrew word ]1^, Gnavon, that is here translated iniquity, signi- fies that which is unright, unequal, crooked or perverse ; it notes the vitiosity or crookedness of nature ; it notes crooked oflfences, such as flow from malice, hatred, and are committed on purpose. Secondly, the Hebrew word yit^SI, from V^^, Pashang, that is here translated transgression, signifies to deal unfaithfully ; it notes such sins as are treacherously committed against God, such sins as flow from pride and contempt of God. Thirdly, the Hebrew word HNtDm, Cliataah, generally signifieth sin, but is more especially here taken for sins of ignorance and infirmit3^ Oh, what singular mercy, what rich grace is here : that God will not only pardon our light, our small off'ences, but our great and mighty sins ! &c.
And I cannot, 0 dear Father, but further observe that in the new covenant thou hast frequently and deeply engaged thyself, that thou wilt remember the sins of thy people no more ! 0 my God, thou hast told me six several times in thy word, that thou wilt remember
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