(2.) We have privileges offered to us by a sure covenant in Christ's name, Luke xxiv. 47, and Acts v. 31. Tlie gospel is an indenture drawn between God and us, wherein is required repentance, and pro- mised forgiveness of sins ; or, if you will, a testament, wherein precious legacies are left to us by our dying Lord ; and pardon of sins is the first. This sealed and solemnly conveyed to us in the Lord's supper, Luke xxii. 20 ; the new testament, that is, Htj/xelov koi a(f)pd'yi<;, Mat. xxvi. 28, ' My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.'
(3.) It is dispensed upon rational terms, such as faith and repent- ance, (1.) Faith: Acts x. 43, ' To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remis- sion of sins.' It is fit that those who would have benefit by Christ should acknowledge their Redeemer, and thankfully accept of the bene- fit procured by him and ottered in his name, and heartily consent to his conduct and government, that he may bring them home to God again, and put them into a capacity of pleasing and enjoying him.
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Faitli is our thankful owning of our Eedeemer unto the ends for which God hath appointed him, (2.) Eepentance is required : Acts iii. 19, ' Eepent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.' It was agreeable to the honour and wisdom of God that those who would be reconciled to him should be sensible of this weighty debt which is upon them, and heartily confess their sins, and with brokenness of heart sue out their pardon, 1 John i. 9 ; for it was not meet that sin should be pardoned till the creature doth relent, nor for the honour of God's majesty that we should take pardon otherwise than upon our knees; Jer. iii. 13, ' Only acknowledge thine iniquity.' Our case is not compassionable till we are sensible of our wrongs, and willing to return to our duty. An absolute pardon, without any stoop- ing on the creature's part, would open a flood-gate to all profaneness and indulgence to our lusts. Thus there is a condecency to God's nature in the terms required.
(4.) In the manner of dispensing forgiveness. God doth it in a free, full, and universal remission of our sins. It is a free pardon : Isa. xliii. 25, ' I, even I, am he that forgiveth your iniquities for my name's sake, and will remember your sins no more.' It is not given without our desiring, yet without our deserving. God doth it for his name's sake, pitying our misery, and for the glory of his own mercy, Isa. Iii. 3. As the sale was without any gain and benefit to us, so the redemption and recovery without any cost to us. It cost Christ dear, but to us it Cometh freely. It is a full pardon ; for God pardoneth not by halves, and so as to reverse it again, but fully ; Micah vii. 19, ' Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.' The persons accepted to grace and favour are made capable of salvation, Eom. v. 10. So universally : Mat. xii. 3, ' All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.' No reservation of any one sin but that sin for which men will not ask pardon. Our sins are infinite, many of them in every pardoned sin- ner, Ps. xix. 12; Ps. xl. 12, 'They are more than the hairs of my head ; ' and those not ordinary infirmities, but sometimes heinous transgressions ; yet free grace pardoneth all, not only in one, but in all believers ; and doth remain as full and overflowing in God to pardon seH-condemned sinners as evei'.
Application. 1. Information. To show us the excellency of the christian religion above other religions in the world, because it dis- covereth pardon of sins upon such terms as may be most commodious for the honour of God and satisfactory to our souls. The heathens were mightily perplexed about the terms how God might dispense it with honour, and man receive it with comfort. That man is God's creature, and therefore his subject ; that he hath exceedingly failed and faltered in his duty and subjection to him, that therefore he is obnoxious to God's just wrath and vengeance, were truths evident by the light of nature and common experience. Therefore they had their terrors and convictions, and that God needed to be atonecl and pro- pitiated by some sacrifice of expiation ; and the nearer they lived to the original of this institution, the more clear and pressing hath been the conceit hereof ; and the more remotely, the more have these notions degenerated and been gradually depraved. But in all their cruel and
446 A SERMON ON MICAH VII. IS.
dark superstitious there is no rest for souls. They knew not the true God, nor the proper ransom, nor had any sure way of covenant to con- vey pardon to them, but were still left to this puzzle and distraction of thoughts, that they could not make God just without some diminu- tion of his mercy, nor apprehend God merciful, without making him unjust. Somewhat they conceived of the goodness of God, but they could not apprehend him reconciled to the sinner without debasing his holiness, and not such an enemy to the sin : ' Thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thyself ; ' and therefore had not such notions of the remission of sin as would breed repentance and true holiness, or work in them any true change of heart and life. Their pardon of sin was but a probability, their rites to procure it slight and ridiculous, or else barbarous and unnatural, giving their ' first-born for the sin of their souls ; ' and the eiffects of this apprehended expiation were too weak and ineffectual to reduce them to God. The Jews had many sacrifices of God's own institution, but such as ' did not make the comers thereunto 7)erfect as appertaining to the conscience,' Heb. ix. 9. The great price and ransom that was given to provoked justice was known to few. They saw much of the patience of God, but little of his forgiveness. Their ordinances were rather a bond acknowledg- ing the debt than an acquittance revealing the discharge ; therefore called ' The handwriting of ordinances against us,' Col, ii. 14, and Kom. iii. 24, 25. And therefore the redemption of souls is spoken of as a great mystery, which then was but sparingly revealed : Ps. xlix. 4, 5, * My mouth shall speak of wisdom ; ' and again, ' I will utter my dark saying.' What was that wisdom, that dark saying ? See ver. 7, 8, ' None can give God a ransom for his brother ; the redemption of the soul is precious.' Eternal redemption by the Messiah was a dark thing in those days. No mere man is able to rescue a sinner from the power of death, to which he is sentenced by the law of God. So again, in more early days, in Job's time, it was ' an interpreter, one of a thousand,' that brought this message to the distressed sinner, that ' God had found a ransom,' Job xxxiii, 23, 24. They were persons rarely found that were employed in that work, or had a discovery of the mind of God about it. So that you see what an hidden thing this atonement, that lieth at the bottom of pardon of sins, was in those days : they knew little of this great transaction. Oh ! what cause have we then to bless God for a more clear and open discovery of this blessed truth !