(2.) This faith and repentance is wrought in us by the word, and mainly acted in prayer. First, It is wrought in us by the word, wherein God is pleased to propound free and easy conditions of pardon and mercy, praying us to be reconciled, and to cast away the weapons of our rebellion, and submit to the law of grace ; for here in verses 18-20, he doth not only reveal the mystery, but beseecheth us to enter into covenant with him, and to yield up ourselves to his service. Secondly, Prayer, by which in the name of Christ we sue out this benefit. This is the means appointed both for regenerate and unre- generate ; the unregenerate : Acts viii. 22, ' Repent therefore of thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart be forgiven thee ; ' the regenerate : 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is just and faithful to forgive us our sins.' Believing, broken- hearted prayer doth notably prevail ; the publican had no other suit but, 'Lord, be merciful to me a sinner,' Luke xviii. 13. The Lord describeth the poor sinners that came to him for pardon, Jer. xxxi. 9, ' They shall come with weeping and supplications.'
5. We are sensibly pardoned, as well as actually, when the Lord giveth peace and joy in believing, 'and sheddeth abroad his love in our hearts by the Spirit.' We must distinguish between the grant and the sense ; sometimes a pardon may be granted, when we have not tlie sense and comfort of it. We may hold a precious jewel with a trembling hand, as the waves roll after a storm when the wind is ceased. God may keep his people humble, as a prince may grant a
268 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXV.
pardon to a condemned malefactor, but he will not have him know so much till he come even to the place of execution. David's heart was to Absalom, yet he would not let him see his face. There are two courts, the court of heaven and the court of conscience. The pardon may be passed in the one, and not in the other ; and a man may have peace with God, when he hath not peace of conscience. To assure our hearts before him, and know our sincerity, 1 John iii, 9, is a thing distinct from being sincere ; and a man may be safe, though not com- fortable. Every one that believeth cannot make the bold challenge of faith, and say, ' Who shall condemn ? ' Kom. viii. 33.
6. The last step is when we have a complete and full absolution of sin — that is, at the day of judgment : Acts iii. 19, ' Your sins shall be blotted out when days of refreshment shall come from the presence of the Lord ;' when the judge, pro iribunall, shall sententionally, and in the audience of all the world, pronounce our pardon. To make title to pardon by law is comfortable, but then we shall have it from our Judge's own mouth. Here we are continually subject to new guilt, and so to new sins, whereby arise new fears ; so till our final absolution we are not fully perfect, not till the day of redemption, Eph. iv. 30. When the evils of sin do fully cease, then is our adoption full, Eom. viii. 23 ; then will our regeneration be full. Mat. xix. 28 ; then all the effects of sin will cease. Death upon the body will be no inter- rujition of pardon ; we shall be fully acquitted, and never sin more.
Tldrdhj. That it is a branch and fruit of our reconciliation with God ; the other is the gift of the Spirit, or all things that belong to the new nature ; for God giveth sanctifying grace as the God of peace. But this also is a notable branch and fruit of reconciliation,
1. Because when God releaseth us from the punishment of sin, it is a sign his anger and wrath is appeased and now over : Isa. xxiv. 7, ' Fury is not in me.' God hath been angry for a little moment, but when he pardoneth sin then he is pacified, for sin is the make-bate between us and God.
2. That which is the ground of reconciliation is the ground of pardon of sin : Eph. i. 7, ' In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace ; ' viz. the price paid by the mediator to his father's justice ; and therefore a principal part of our reconciliation and redemption is remission of sins in justification..
3. That which is the fruit of reconciliation is obtained and promoted by pardon of sin, and that is fellowship with God and delightful com- munion with him in a course of obedience and subjection to him : Heb. X. 22, 'Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.' Our general pardon at first is to put us into a state of new obedience, our particular pardon engageth us to continue in a course of acceptable obedience, that we may maintain a holy commerce with God : 1 John i. 7, ' If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood uf Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.'