Use 2. To put us upon self-reflection. Do we entertain this offered pardon as such a singular thing deserves ? Sure if there be none like God in pardoning, we should not be affected with it as some ordinary thing. Here, therefore, I shall inquire what impression it should leave upon us.
1. The sense of God's glorious grace in pardoning should work in us a great love to God, and commend and endear him to our hearts, or else we do not entertain it with that singular affection which so great a benefit and so glorious a project of his love deserveth, but lightly pass it over as a common thing, or a piece of stale news : Eom. V. 8, ' God commendeth his love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly ; ' Luke vii. 47, ' Her many sins
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are forgiven to lier, therefore she loved much.' Certainly the self- condemning sinner will he deeply affected with this grace, and the saints are always admiring, Eph. iii. 18, 19. Did you ever feel in your hearts what a glorious work of mercy he hath wrought in our redemption ? Are your souls more engaged to him ? Have you any of the saint's admiration of the height, length, breadth, and depth of this love and grace ?
2. Where it is rightly entertained it breedeth admiring thoughts. Everything about God is marvellous, but especially his mercy : ' He hath called us into his marvellous light,' 1 Peter ii. 9. We never have any true apprehension of Grod in any of his attributes till he filleth us with wonder : 1 Sam. ii. 2, ' Is any holy as the Lord ? ' Dent, xxxii. 31, ' There is no rock like our rock ; ' Ps. Ixxxvi. 8, ' Among the gods there is none like thee, 0 Lord ; neither are any works like thy works.' Now, since the chief glory of Grod consists in his grace, and one special act is the remission of sins, therefore we do not rightly entertain this discovery of God unless we are raised into some admiration of his grace. This was God's end : Eph. i. 6, ' That we might be to the praise of the glory of his grace.'
3. Such as breedeth a reverence of God : Ps. cxxx. 4, ' There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared ; ' and Hosea iii. 5, ' They shall fear the Lord and his goodness.' That sense of pardon which worketh no reverence, but rather a contempt and commonness of spirit in all our transactions with God, is justly to be suspected.
4. It confirmeth us in the true religion, Jer. vi. 16, Mat. xi. 28, 29. In a consultation the inquiry is, Where shall I have any rest of soul ? Carnal comforts tickle the senses. False religions leave us in darkness and perplexity ; and doubtful, uncertain, loose proposals of grace breed a vanishing delight, which is lost upon the increase of knowledge and a little serious consideration ; but the grace of Christ truly propounded soon brings ease and peace. Now this is a confirmation : 1 John v, 10, ' He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself ; ' an argument in our own bosoms.
5. It taketh off the heart from other things, and bringeth us back from the flesh to God ; for where this comfort maketh a due impression, the sensitive lure hath less force. No joy like joy in God and recon- ciliation with him by Christ, Eom. v. 11. Delight is not abrogated, but preferred ; it is most chaste, rational and pure ; an holy delight in a pardoning God.
6. It giveth us strength and encouragement to new obedience. Who would not serve a pardoning God, such a pardoning God ? Titus ii. 11, 12, ' The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,' &c. Teacheth, not by way of instruction, but persuasion. If it doth not engage us to ready gospel obedience, our apprehensions are not right, 2 Cor. v. 14. As God is matchless and singular in his mercy, we should be singular in our obedience.
7. It melteth us into the forgiveness of others. God doth exceed man so far that it is a shame to retain our anger, Hosea xi. 8, and Isa. Ivii. 8, 9. We must not measure God by our scantling. He
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parcloneth ; none like him. Man is revengeful, inexorable, but God is a God of pardons ; his pardoning mercy is suitable to his greatness, and other excellences of his nature. Now, what impression doth this make upon us ? Eph. iv. 32, ' Forgiving one another, as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.' We have been a thousand times more disingenuous to God, Mat. xviii. 26, 27. He that owed ten thousand talents, upon his entreaty the lord forgave him the debt ; but he was inexorable to his fellow-servant that owed him but an hundred pence. The implacable, inexorable nature of man is one of the greatest degeneracies of human nature. To retain a sense of wrong, to watch opportunities of revenge, is to represent the image of the devil in its proper colours.