Ver. 4.] EVIDENCE OF FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 489
being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his per- son, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." This is he who was sent. In nature he was glorious, even "over all, God blessed for ever ;" — in answerableness unto the Father, " the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person," possessed of all the same essential properties with him, so that what we find in him we may be assured of in the Father also ; for he that hath seen him hath seen the Father, who is in him ; — in jioiver om- nipotent, for he made all things, and " upholding all things," with an unspeakable facility, " by the word of his power;" — in office exalted over all, sitting " on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" — in name, " The mighty God, The everlasting Father:" so that whatever he came about he will assuredly accomplish and fulfil; for what should hinder or let this mighty one from perfecting his design?
Now, this consideration raiseth our evidence to that height as to give an unquestionable assurance in this matter. Here is a near and a particular object for faith to be exercised about and to rest in. Wherefore did this glorious Son of God come and tabernacle amongst poor sinners? " We beheld the glory of the eternal Word, the glory of the only-begotten of the Father, and he was made flesh {%ai Isx/jvoogi), and pitched his tabernacle amongst us," John i. 14. To what end? It was no other but to work out and accomplish the eternal counsel of peace towards sinners before mentioned ; to procure for them, and to declare unto them, the forgiveness of sin. And what greater evi- dence, what greater assurance can we have, that there is forgiveness with God for us? He himself hath given it as a rule, that what is done by giving an only-begotten or an only-beloved son gives assured testimony of reality and sincerity in the thing that is con- firmed by it. So he says unto Abraham, Gen. xxii. 12, " Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me." This way it may be known, or no way. And they are blessed conclusions that faith may make from this consideration: " Now I know that there is forgiveness with God, seeing he hath not withheld his Son, his only Son, that he might accomplish it." To this purpose the apostle teacheth us to reason, Rom. viii. 82, " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" What farther can any soul desire? what ground remains for un- belief to stand upon in this matter? Is there any thing more to be done herein? It was to manifest that there is forgiveness with him, and to make way for the exercise of it, that God sent his Sou, that the Son of God came into the Avorld, as will afterwards more fully appear.
490 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Ver. 4.
Tliirdly, To this sending of the Sou of God to this purpose, there is evidence and security added from the manner luherein he was sent. How was this? Not in glory, not in power, — not in an open discovery of his eternal power and Godhead. Had it been so, we might have thought that he had come merely to manifest and glorify himself in the world ; and this he might have done without thoughts of mercy or pardon towards us. But he came quite in another man- ner: he was seen in the "likeness of sinful flesh," Rom. viii. 8; in " the form of a servant," Phil. ii. 7; being " made of a woman, made under the laiw/' Gal, iv. 4. What he endured, suffered, underwent in that state and condition, is in some measure known unto us all. All this could not be merely and firstly" for himself. All that he ex- pected at the close of it was, to be " glorified with that glory Avhich he had with the Father before the world was," John xvii. 5. It must, then, be for our sakes. And for what? To save and deliver us from that condition of wrath at present, and future expectation of venge- ance, which we had cast ourselves into by sin; that is, to procure for us the forgiveness of sin. Had not God designed pardon for sin, he would never have sent his Son in this manner to testify it; and he did it because it could no other way be brought about, as hath been declared. Do we doubt whether there be forgiveness with God or no ? or whether we shall obtain it if we address ourselves unto him for to be made partakers of it? Consider the condition of his Son in the world, — review his afflictions, poverty, temptation, sorrows, sufferings, — then ask our souls, " To what end was all this?" And if we can find any other design in it, any other reason, cause, or neces- sity of it, but only and merely to testify and declare that there is forgiveness with God, and to purchase and procure the communica- tion of it unto us, let us abide in and perish under our fears. But if this be so, we have sufficient warranty to assure our souls in the expectation of it.