Now the way to have it cured, both in the pardon and likewise in sanc- tification, we have it in the context. "What doth God say ? ' I will heal their backsliding,' &c. After they had searched their hearts, and there- upon found iniquit}^, and then prayed, ' Take away all iniquity ;' after they had desired a divorce from their sins, ' Asshur shall not save us ;' and when they had some faith that God v;ould cure them, and accordingly put confi- dence in God, ' the Father of the fatherless ;' then saith God, ' I will heal then* backsliding.' So that sense of pardon in the forgiveness of sins, and sense of grace, comes after sight, sense, weariness, and confession of sin. God doth not pardon sin, when it is not seen, sorrowed for, nor con- fessed, and where there is not some degree of faith, to come to God, ' the
HOSEA XIV. 4.] THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER, 315
Father of the fatherless,' and the gi-eat Physician of souls. When vre do this, as it is said in the context, then we find the forgiveness of sins, with the gracious power of God's Spirit heaUng of our diseases, ' I will heal their backsliding.'
Let us therefore remember this, lest we deceive our souls, for it is not so easy a thing to attain unto forgiveness of sins as we think.
And then again, though forgiveness of sins be free, yet notwithstanding there is a way whereby we come to forgiveness of sins that costs us some- what. God humbles the soul first, brings a man to himself, to think of his course, to lay open his sins and spread them before God in confession, and working upon the soul hearty repentance ; so to come to God, and wait for forgiveness of sins, perhaps a good while before there be a report of it. There are none who have sins forgiven, but they know how they come by it. For there is a predisposition wrought in man's soul by the Spirit, which teacheth him what estate he is in, and what his danger is, whereupon follows confession ; and upon that, peace. God keeps his chil- dren many times a long while upon the rack before he speaks peace unto them in the forgiveness of sins, because he would not have them think shghtly of the riches of his mercy. It is no easy matter to attain unto the sense of the forgiveness of sins, though indeed we should strive to attain it, that so we may walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost. The difiiculty of obtaining or recovering the sense of forgiveness, may be seen in David after his fall. Did he easily obtain sense of pardon ? Oh no ! God held him on the rack a long time, ' He roared all the day long, his moisture was turned into the drought of summer,' Ps. xxxii. 3, 4. But when he had resolved a thorough, and no slight, confession ; when he had resolved to shame himself and glorify God ; then saith he, ' And thou for- gavest my sin.' But till he dealt thoroughly with his soul without all guile, he felt no comfort. So it is with the children of God. When in the state of grace they fall into sin, it is no slight ' Lord, have mercy upon me ' that will sen^e the turn ; but a thorough shaming of themselves before God, and a thorough confession, resolving and determining to be under another government ; to have Christ to govern them as well as to pardon them. God will no otherwise do it. Because he would glorify his rich mercy herein ; for who would give mercy its due gloiy, if forgiveness were easily attained, without shaming of ourselves ? If it came easily, without protestation and waiting upon God, as the church here, we should never be thoroughly humbled for our sins, and God would never have the gloiy of his mercy, nor known to be so just in hating of sin in his dear children, who long ago upon such terms have attained sense of forgiveness of sins. It is worth our trouble to search our souls and to wait at Christ's feet, never to give over until we have attained the sense of forgiveness of sin. It is heaven upon earth to have our consciences enlarged with God's favour in the pardon of sin.
What is the reason that many profess that God is merciful, and Christ hath pardoned their sins, &c. ? If the ground be right, it is a high conceit of mercy ; and such have been soundly humbled for their sins. But dost thou profess so, who livest carelessly in thy sins, and licentiously still '? Sui'ely * thy ground is naught, for hadst thou been upon the rack, in God's scalding-house, and smarted soundly for sin, wouldst thou take pleasure still to hve in sin ? Oh no ! Those that go on carelessly in their actions and speeches, not caring what they are, did they ever smart for sin, * That is, ' assuredly.' — G.
316 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON VI.
who carry themselves thus ? Surely these were never soundly humbled for sin, nor confessed them with loathing and detestation. Therefore let us mark the context here inferred. After they had confessed, prayed, and waited, resolvijig reformation in their false confidence, then God promiseth, ' I vdll heal their backsliding.' It is a fundamental error in a Christian course, the slighting of true humiliation, which goes along in all Ihe fabric and frame of a Christian course. Let a man not be soundly humbled with the sight of his sins, his faith is weaker, and his sanctification and comfort the slighter. Whereas, if a man would deal truly with his own heart, set up a court there, and arraign, judge, and condemn himself (which is God's end in all his dealings, afflictions, and judgments inflicted upon us), the deeper we went in this course, the more would om- comfort be, and the report of God's mercy, in the sense of that which follows, ' I will love them freely : for mine anger is turned away.'