AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. 175
on the free forgiveness of God in Christ ; and therefore Christ and his apostles bid such ' beheve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thcu shalt be saved.' , We may think this an easy lesson. But hereafter, vhen God shall open our sins and lay them upon our consciences, they will then tell us fearful things. There is no hope ! thou must be damned ! Against such times lay up grounds of comfort ; and let this text be a haven to resort to. It is true, ' if thou markest what is done amiss, who can stand? but there is mercy with thee that thou be feared.'
Doct. 4. Fourthly, We may from hence observe, that the best Christian and most (fracious man alive needs forgiveness of his sins; for where the con- science is enlightened it will discover what corruption it finds, and so the necessity of being delivered. So 1' John ii. 1, ' If any man sin, we have an advocate ; ' that is, such as I am, have need of an advocate ; and one reason may be, because indeed such see in their sins much more ingratitude than others, for they sin against the knowledge of God's love to their souls in forgiving former sins ; and then to fill into sin again, it is as broken bones, Ps. li. 8. And the apostle, 2 Cor. v. 20, speaking to the believing Corinthians, ' I beseech you to be reconciled to God;' for Christ was made sin for us ; for you, and for me. Even we sin daily, and stand in need of reconciliation. We must daily pray, ' Forgive us our sins,' yea, the best of the disciples must do it. If we come not with this petition, ' our sins are written with a pen of iron, and with the claw of an adamant,' Job xix. 24.*
Doct. 5. Fifthly, This mercu and forgiveness is general to all that cast them- selves on his free mercy. It is Satan's subtilty to persuade us at the first, that sin is nothing ; but when it is committed and cannot be recalled, then he tells us it is greater than can be pardoned. No. The gospel is the power of God to salvation to all that do believe. Let none despair. It is a greater sin than the former. Dens non est dcsperantium pater, sed judex. God's pardon is general, to all persons, that repent of all sin, whereby he frees them from all evil. He pardons all persons : Manasses the sorcerer, Cornelius, Zaccheus, persecuting Paul. The parable of the lost sheep, the lost groat, the prodigal son, testifies it. God ofiers it freely, ' Why will you die, 0 house of Israel'? Jer. xxvii. 13. He complains when it is neglected : ' 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you together' ! Mat. xxiii. 37. ' He threatens' because men w^ill not hear, and ' he pardons all sins.' There is no disease above the skill of this Physician. He healeth all thy sins and all thy infirmities, Ps. ciii. 1-3. Yea, if it were possible that the sinner against the Holy Ghost could repent, there were hope in Israel concerning this ! He hath pardon for sin long lived in. * At what time soever a sinner repenteth, he will blot out his wicked- ness,' 2 Chron. xx. 9. What though they be never so enormous ? God's thoughts are not as ours, Isa. Iv. 8. Conscience may be overcharged with sin. We may play the harlot with many lovers ; yet return to me, saith the Lord, Jer. iii. 1. He that bids Peter forgive seventy- seven times, f shall not he have plenteous redemption ? What proportion is there be- tween the sin of a creature, and the mercy of an infinite Majesty ? He frees from all ill, from all punishment. His forgiveness is perfect. Though we be as red as crimson with sin, he will make us white as snow, Isa. i. 18. He removes our sins from his presence as ' far as the east is from the west,' Ps. ciii. 12.
Quest. But some will say, Why corrects he then his children ?
* Cf. A. B. Davidson's ' Commentary' in loc, and also Caryl. — G.
t Rather seventy seven-times ; that is, seventy times seven times. — G.
176 THE saint's co:jforxs:
Ans. I answer, not from revenging justice, for he is our Father ; and what he does, it comes from love, and is mingled with love and moderated "W'ith love to our strength, and are turned by love to our good. "When ho follows us with prosperity, he is our alluring Father ; and when he corrects us, he is our correcting, not punishing, Father, Heb. xii. from 3d to the 12th. Yet let not this bo sinistcrly taken. It is spoken only to the humble heart, that is broken with sin, which is the sixth general observation ; there VI list be first sujht of sin, then sense of misery, then confession of sin and hef)f/in (J pardon, or else none is granted. For God bestows pardon so as may be most -for his glory and our comfort. "What glory can he reap by pardoning those that will sin, ' because grace may abound,' Rom. vi. 1, and 60 ' will turn the grace of God into wantonness' ? Jude 4. And what comfort can we have of the pardon of our sins till we see our sins, and feel what it is to want pardon ? Sight of sin and mercy arc inseparable. Sometimes the sense of pardon is delayed, to make us hunger after it ; sometimes it_ follows suddenly after sight of sin, as it did to Matthew and Zaccheus, Mat. xi. 28. But one must go before the other : first, must the wind of the sight of God's anger come breaking and rending the rocky hard hearts that are within us ; then comes the soft still voice speaking peace to the humble soul. The reasons may be, first, to set an edge on our prayers for forgiveness, else who would care for it. Secondly, to make us highly to esteem forgiveness of sin. The promises are sweet to the dejected soul, as a pardon is to the con- demned person. Thirdly, that God might have the more glory and thanks. "When we find the bitterness of sin, as it is Jer. ii. 19, to be sweetened by God's mercy, then ' My soul, praise thou the Lord ; and all that is within me, praise his holy name.' He forgives all my sin, and heals all my infirmities, Ps. ciii. 1, 2, 3. And, lastly, became our sins unrcpentcd keep qoodfrom us, and us from the fountain of all good, and must be removed before there can be any way for mercy.