2. There are the free acts of his will and power, or his free, eter- nal purposes, with the temporal dispensations that flow from them. Now, of this sort is the forgiveness that we are inquiring after. It is not a property of the nature of God, but an act of his will and a work of his grace. Although it hath its rise and spring in the infi- nite goodness of his nature, yet it proceeds from him, and is not exercised but by an absolute, free, and sovereign act of his will. Now, there is nothing of God or Avith him of this sort that can be any ways known but only by especial revelation; for, —
(1.) There is no inbred notion of the acts of God's will in the heart of man; which is the first way whereby Ave come to the know- ledge of any thing of God. Forgiveness is not revealed by the light of nature. Flesh and blood, Avhich nature is, declares it not; by that means "no man hath seen God at any time," John i. 18, — that is, as a God of mercy and pardon, as the Son reveals him. Adam had an intimate acquaintance, according to the limited capacity of a creature, Avith the properties and excellencies of the nature of God. It Avas implanted in his heart, as indispensably necessary unto that natural worship whicli, by the laAv of his creation, he Avas to perform. But Avlien he had sinned, it is evident that he had not the least ap- prehension that there Avas forgiveness Avith God. Such a thought Avould have laid a foundation of some farther treaty Avith God about his condition. But he had no other design but of flying and hiding himself. Gen. iii. 10; so declaring that he Avas utterly ignorant of any such thing as pardoning mercy. Such, and no other, are all the first or purely natural conceptions of sinners, — namely, that it is hixaiuiia rou ©soD, " the judgment of God," Rom. i. 32, that sin is to be punished Avith death. It is true, these conceptions in many are stifled by rumours, reports, traditions, that it may be otherAvise; but all these are far enough from that revelation of forgiveness Avhich we are inquiring after.
Ver. 4.] FORGIVENESS NOT REVEALED BY CREATION, ETC. 429
(2.) The consideration of the luorks of God's creation will not help a man to this knowledge, that there is forgiveness with God. The apostle tells us, Rom. i. 20, what it is of God that his works reveal, " even his eternal power and Godhead," or the essential properties of his nature, but no more ; not any of the purposes of his grace, not any of the free acts of his will, not pardon and forgiveness. Besides, God made all things in such an estate and condition, — namely, of rec- titude, integrity, and uprightness, Eccles. vii. 29, — that it was impos- sible they should have any respect unto sin, which is the corruption of all, or to the pardon of it, which is their restitution, whereof they stood in no need. There being no such thing in the world as a sin, nor any such thing supposed to be, when all things were made of nothing, how could any thing declare or reveal the forgiveness of it?
(3.) Ifo works of God's providence can make this discovery. God hath, indeed, borne testimony to himself and his goodness in all ages, from the foundation of the world, in the works of his providence: so Acts xiv. 15-17, " We preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: who in times joast suf- fered all nations to walk in then' own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Ovx, dfidprvpov saurhv d(p7Jxi, — " He left not himself without witness;" that is, by the works of his providence, there recounted, he thus far bare testimony to himself, that he is, and is good, and doth good, and ruleth the world ; so that they were utterly inexcus- able, who, taking no notice of these works of his, nor the fruits of his goodness, which they lived upon, turned away after rd f/^uTaia,, " vain things," as the apostle there calls the idols of the Gentiles. But yet these things did not discover pardon and forgiveness; for still God suffered them to go on in their own ways, and winked at their ignorance. So again. Acts xvii. 23-27, " Whom ye ignoi'antly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things ; and diath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth" (where, by the way, there is an allusion to that of Gen. xi. 8, " The Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth"), " and hath de- termined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habi- tation ; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us." By arguments taken from the works of God, both of creation and provi-