A SERMON ON MICAH VII. 18. 443
encourageth us to the liearty service, worship, and obedience of God, whereunto otherwise we could have neither hand nor heart. But since he will forgive the penitent supplicant, and pardon the slips and frailties of our lives, this draweth us to obedience ; whereas a despera- tion of his mercy would certainly avert us from it. We are not in a desperate and hopeless condition ; God will allow pardon to the peni- tent. If our condition were altogether hopeless, it would engage us in a course of sin, without any thought of returning or repenting ; as they said, Jer. xviii. 12, ' There is no hope,' &c.
[3.] Natural light giveth some evidence of this truth, that God is placable. The gentiles were all of this opinion, that their gods were inclined to pardon. Thence came all their sacrifices and expiations. They thought their gods Avould be propitious to sinners if they did come humbly and ask pardon. We see in the daily course of God's providence that God forbeareth the worst, doth not stir up all his wrath against them. They have life, and food, and raiment, and ease, and liberty, and friends, and wealth, and honour, Eom. ii. 4. All these forfeited mercies are continued to us ; and God doth not deal with men in utmost rigour, which showeth that he is willing to be appeased and ready to forgive upon terms consistent with his honour and the common good. Yea, his commanding us to forgive one an- other is an argument that mercy and forgiveness are pleasing unto God. It is the glory of a man to pass by an offence. If this be a perfection or gloiy in man, reason will tell us that somewhat of this may be ex- pected from God. Certainly our condition is not desperate and past all hope while we are yet in the way, and under an obligation to use means for our recovery. And the Lord inviteth us by daily mercies, Acts xiv. 17. This showeth the possibihty of a pardon to fallen man- kind. We are not in termino, as the fallen angels are.
[4.] It showeth a possibility, yea, a probability. In all false reli- gions there can be no solid and firm persuasion of pardon. Partly because there is no sufficient expiation of sin, even in the judgment of those who knew least of the nature of sin and the malignity of it. They were still at a loss for a recompense to appease angry justice. They were sensible that sin is a wrong done to God, and that its wages is death ; that there must be satisfaction given, some amends for the wrong done, and some means used to appease God. Therefore they had several ways and inventions how to wear off this sense of sin ; sometimes by mock sacrifices, as many now would droll away con- science. So Alexander ab Alex. Thucydides. They offered painted sacrifices. The gods of the heathens were false gods, and therefore contented with an imaginary satisfaction. Sometimes real sacrifices, wherein they hoped to prevail by the pomp and cost of them, hundreds of beasts ; sometimes by dolorous impressions on their own bodies, as Baal's priests gashed themselves. The devil delighteth in the torture and destruction of the creature ; he ruleth by fears, and all the dark superstitions in the world are supported by a spirit of bondage, and this fear of provoked justice. Sometimes offer their children in sacri- fice, or chose out some men who should die for the rest. Caesar telleth us of the old Gauls, Quod pro vita hominis nisi vita hominis red- datur, non posse Deorum immorialium numen placari arhiiraniur.
444 A SERMON ON MICAH VH. 18.
(2.) The otlier reason is, because there was no law of commerce established between them and that which they conceived to be God ; no certain promise to build upon. The gentiles are described to be, Eph. ii. 12, ' Strangers to the covenants of promise.' Something the}' knew of vice and virtue, but nothing of sin and righteousness in order to a covenant. "\Ve have a covenant, wherein remission of sins and salvation by Christ is put into a stated course. The covenant is the church's charter, whereby she holdeth these i)rivileges. (3.) They had no advocate to plead for them, as we have, who is to make our peace with God in case of breaches, 1 John ii. 1, 2. Indeed, they had a conceit of a sort of middle powers. They had their mediators, 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6, Aeyofxevoi Oeol, Xeyofj^evoc Kvpcoc ; but no true mediator to go between God and them. As they had their celestial and supreme deities called by this title among the heathens, so inferior deities, a second order, agents between the gods and men. But all this is a fabulous supposition, no way satisfyiug the heart of a reasonable crea- ture.
[5.] In the christian religion all things are provided for which are necessary to establish a regular hope of pardon.
(1.) There is full satisfaction given to divine justice, and the founda- tion laid for pardon in the death of Christ, Eph. i. 7. If God will pardon sins, there must be some course taken to keep up the honour of his justice and the authority of his law, or else the government of the world could not be kept up. God is not to be considered as the wronged party only, as a private man may forgive the wrong done to him, but as the judge and governor of the world. Sin is a disobed- ience to his law. He that liath offended God as a lawgiver shall be punished by him as a judge, unless some course be taken. God must be known to be a righteous God still, Eom. iii. 25 ; leave some brand upon sin, Eom. viii. 3 ; check those thoughts of impurity which indul- gence to carnality breedeth in the hearts of men, Deut. xxix. 19, that God's law and government may not be brought into contempt, and sinners take liberty to sin without fear. Now, to all these ends Christ came, to purchase forgiveness for us by his own blood.