Thirdly, There is in forgiveness free condonation, discharge, or pardon, according to the tenor of the gospel; and this may be con- sidered two ways: —
1. As it lies in the j^romtse itself; and so it is God's gracious declara- tion of pardon to sinners, in and by the blood of Christ, his covenant to that end and purpose, which is variously proposed, according as he knew [to be] needful for all the ends and purposes of ingenerating faith, and communicating that consolation which he intends therein.
This is the law of his grace, the declaration of the mystery of his love, before insisted on.
2. There is the bringing home and a]j];)lication of all this mercy to the sold of a sinner by the Holy Ghost, wherein we are freely forgiven all our trespasses. Col. ii. IS.
Gospel forgiveness I say, respects all these things, these principles; they have all an influence into it. And that which makes this more evident (wherewith I shall close this consideration of the nature of it), is, that faith, in its application of itself unto God about and for forgiveness, doth distinctly apply itself unto and close with some- times one of these severally and singly, sometimes another, and sometimes jointly takes in the consideration of them all expressly. Not that at any time it fixes on any or either of them exclusively to the others, but that eminently it finds some special encouragement at some season, and some peculiar attractive, from some one of them, more than from the rest; and then that proves an inlet, a door of en-
408 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM cxxx. [Ver.4.
trance, unto the treasures that are laid up in the rest of them. Let us go over the severals by instances: —
(1.) Sometimes faith fixes upon the name and infinite goodness of the nature of God, and draws out forgiveness from thence. So doth the psahnist: Ps. Ixxxvi. 5, "Thou, Lord, art good and ready to for- give." He rolls himself, in the pursuit and expectation of pardon, on the infinite goodness of the nature of God. So Neh. ix. 17, " Thou art a God of pardons," or ready to forgive, — of an infinite gracious, loving nature, — not severe and wrathfid ; and this is that which we are encouraged unto, Isa. 1. 10, to stay on the name of God, as in innumerable other places.
And thus faith oftentimes finds a peculiar sweetness and encourage- ment in and from the consideration of God's gi'acious nature. Some- times this is the first thing it fixes on, and sometimes the last that it rests in. And ofttimes it makes a stay here, when it is driven from all other holds; it can say, however it be, "Yet God is gracious;" and at least make that conclusion which we have from it, Joel ii. 13, 14, "God is gracious and merciful; who knoweth but he will return?" And when faith hath well laid hold on this consideration, it will not easily be driven from its expectation of relief and forgiveness even from hence.
(2.) Sometimes the soul by faith addresseth itself in a peculiar manner to the sovereignty of God's will, whereby he is gi'acious to whom he will be gracious, and merciful to whom he "will be merciful ; Avliich, as was showed, is another considerable spring or principle of forgiveness. This way David's faith steered him in his great strait and perplexity : 2 Sam. xv. 25, 26, " If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again. But if he thus say, I Jiave no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeih good unto him." That which he hath in consideration is whether God hath any delight in him or no; that is, whether God would graciously remit and pardon the great sin against which at that time he manifesteth his indignation. Here he lays himself down before the sovereign grace of God, and awaits patiently the discovery of the free actfol ^^^^ "^^^^^ concerning him; and at^his "door, as it were, enters into the coI^Sideiatio'^ ^of those oti^r springs of pardon which faith inquires after and closeth withal. This sometimes is all the cloud that appears to a distressed soul, which after a while fills the heavens by the addition of the other considerations mentioned, and yields plentiful refreshing showers. And this condition is a sin-entangled soul ofttimes reduced unto in looking out for relief, — it can discover nothing but this, that God is able, and can, if he graciously please, relieve and acquit him. All other supportments, all springs of relief, are shut up or hid from him. The springs, indeed, may be nigh, as
Ver. 4.] WHAT FAITH EESPECTS IN FORGIVENESS. 409
that was to Hagar, but theii* eyes are withheld that they cannot see them. Wherefore they cast themselves on God's sovereign pleasure, and say with Job, " ' Though he slay us, yet will we trust in him ;" we will not let him go. In ourselves we are lost, that is unquestion- able. How the Lord will deal with us we know not; we see not our signs and tokens any more. Evidences of God's grace in us, or of his love and favour unto us, are all out of sight. To a present special interest in Christ we are strangers ; and we lie every moment at the door of eternity. What course shall we take? what way shall we proceed ? If we abide at a distance from God, we shall assuredly perish. ' Who ever hardened himself against him and prospered ? ' Nor is there the least relief to be had but from and by him, ' for who can forgive sins but God?' We will, then, bring our gmilty souls into his presence, and attend the pleasure of his grace; what he speaks concerning us, we will Avillingly submit unto." And this sometimes proves an anchor to a tossed soul, which, though it gives it not rest and peace, yet it saves it from the rock of despair. Here it abides until light do more and more break forth upon it.