Use 2. Secondly, It is comfort unto such who have been sorry and grieved for their sins, who have got power against them, to be thankful for such deliverances, yea, to be thankful for all crosses in the mean time, for all such following crosses are but as wholesome medicines to cure our souls from our sins, that we may have our corruptions and the cry of sins removed. This is a great cause to rejoice, as Ps. ciii. 1, ' Praise the Lord, 0 my soul, and all that is within me praise his holy name ; which forgiveth all thy sins,' &c.
Obj. But here the trembling soul may object. Oh, but I am sinful, and full of sins !
Ans. What then, if thou believe in Christ he hath paid all. Imagine two men did owe one of them a hundred thousand pounds, the other a small sum, having one surety for both, may not a man demand the hun- dred thousand of the party, as well as the little sum ? Even so I say, it is all one to Christ thy surety, to pay thy great debts as well as thy small ones, if thou come unto him.
Ohj. Ay, but here the trembling soul may object again. But I am a daily sinner, I sin again and again, how then shall I be sure to be still forgiven ?
Ans. To this the Lord answereth, as it is in the original, in the present number, ' passing by iniquity,' arguing a constant, continual act in God of forgiving (h). He is more ready, saith he, to forgive than you to sin ; as there is a continual spring of wickedness in you, so there is a greater spring of mercy in God. It is not, as many think, that God expects that after regeneration we should sin no more ; no, he looks but that still we should be a-cleansing our bodies and souls, that we should still come unto him for new assurance. God he cleanseth us not like unto a cistern, which fiUeth* not again, but like unto a vessel that will fill* again, and so must still be emptied and filled, until it break by dissolution.
Use 3. It is for imitation. Is God thus merciful unto us, and ready to forgive ? Why, then, we must labour to be like God, and merciful one to another.
Oly. Oh, but my enemy hath a spring of evils against me.
Ans. And I answer, But God hath a greater spring of mercy to forgive thee. Oh ! but it is great ! Oh ! but God hath forgiven us much more. And yet further, as St Luke saith. It is a matter of great credit to for- give, Luke vi. 35, for thereby we are declared to be the children of our heavenly Father. It is also matter of comfort for us, for if we forgive, so shall we also be forgiven. If a poor man had a few shillings owing him, and he did owe the king many thousand pounds, were not he, think you, a mad man, that would not forgive the shillings to have the many thousand pounds forgiven him? Even so, we all owe many thousand pounds unto God; we must then forgive our shillings, that he may forgive our pounds. * Qu. ' fouleth ' and ' foul ' ?— Ed.
158 THE MATCHLESS MERCY.
And thus we see how the poor, as well as the rich, may be merciful even to forgive wrongs, to love for hatred, and the hke.
Having thus shewed you both what God doth forgive in the wonder of forgivenncss of sins by a more wonderful mercy, and also how he doth for- give, none being like unto him, now he cometh to describe.
The posous v/ho shall enjoy these great benefits; and first, he calleth them God's heritage ; whence learn,
Doct. 3. That God in a iroiulerfid and special manner respecteth his heritage, the proof whereof, I need not stand upon it, is evident enough, and known both by his working since the creation, and in our time of the gospel, I come to reasons thereof.
lleason 1. First, Because they are God's purchase; for, whereas the elect forfeited all their estates, he hath again purchased them by the blood of Christ. The rest of the world are none of his. If we then do make much of our purchases, much more will God do with his. This is the reason, because God hath paid a full and a valuable price for them all.
lleason 2. Secondly, Because of his providence, in that he keepeth a continual watch over them, as it is Isa. xxvii. 3 ; there the Lord saith, ' I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment ; lest any hurt it, I will keep my vineyard night and day.' Again, he speaketh, John xv. 2, to same purpose, 'Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.'
Reason 3. Thirdly, Because he dwelleth amongst his church, and there- fore he will have a special care of his own heritage, to do them all manner of kindnesses.
r Use 1. The uses are. Since, therefore, the Lord is so ready, present, and wiUing to defend and prune his heritage, 1 . We must labour to be fruitful unto him with some proportionable obedience, as Heb. vi. 7, 8. We see good ground will be fruitful and drink in the rain, and receiveth therefore a blessing from God ; but that which bringeth forth thorns and briers is rejected, being nigh unto cursing and burning. It is no strange thing to see brambles and thistles in a heath, but to see such weeds in a watered garden of good ground were more than strange. So let us look to it, and be sure, that now, when God hath bestowed much cost upon us, he looketh for some answerable fruits.