Let us now, therefore, put these things together : — God requires of us that there shoidd be forgiveness in us for those that do offend us, forgiveness without limitation and bounds. The grace hereof he be- stoweth on his saints, sets a high price upon it, and manifests many ways that he accounts it among the most excellent of our endow- ments, one of the most lovely and praiseworthy qualifications of any person. What, then, shall we now say? Is there forgiveness with him or no? " He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?" He that thus prescribes forgiveness ta us, that bestows the grace of it upon us, is there not forgiveness with him? It is all one as to say, " Though we are good, yet God is not; though we are benign and bountiful, yet he is not." He that finds this grace wTOught in him in any measure, and yet fears that he shall not find it in God for himself, doth therein and so far prefer himself above God ; .which is the natural effect of cursed unbelief
But the truth is, were there not forgiveness with God, forgive- ness in man would be no virtue, with all those qualities that incline thereto, — such are meekness, pity, patience, compassion, and the like ; which what were it but to set loose human nature to rage and mad- ness? For as every truth consists in its answerableness to the prime and eternal Verity, so virtue consists not absolutel}' nor pri- marily in a conformity to a rule of command, but in a correspond- ency unto the first absolute perfect Being and its perfections.
Properties of forgiveness — The greatness and freedom of it.
The arguments and demonstrations foregoing have, we hope, un- deniably evinced the great truth we have insisted on ; which is the life and soul of all our hope, profession, religion, and Avorship. The end of all this discourse is to lay a firm foundation for faith to rest upon in its addresses unto God for the forgiveness of sins, as also to give encouragements unto all sorts of persons so to do. This end remains now to be explained and pressed ; which work yet before we directly close withal, two things are farther to be premised. And the first is, to propose some oi' those adjuncts of, and consider- ations about, this forgiveness, as may both encourage and necessi- tate us to seek out after it ; and to mix the testimonies given unto it and the promises of it with faith, unto our benefit and advantage.
Ver. 4.] PROPERTIES OF DIVINE FORGIVENESS. 499
The other is, to show how needful all this endeavour is, ujDon the ac- count of that great unbelief which is in the most in this matter. As to the first of these, then, we may consider, —
First, That this forgiveness that is with God is such as becomes him; such as is suitable to his greatness, goodness, and all other ex- cellencies of his nature ; such as that therein he will be known to be God. What he says concerning some of the works of his providence, " Be still, and know that I am God," may be much more said con- cerning this great effect of his gTace. Still your souls, and know that he is God. It is not like that narrow, difficult, halving, and manacled forgiveness that is found amongst men, when any such thing is found amongst them ; but it is full, free, boundless, bottom- less, absolute, such as becomes his nature and excellencies. It is, in a word, forgiveness that is with God, and by the exercise whereof he will be known so to be. And hence, —
1. God himself doth really separate and distinguish his for- giveness from any thing that our thoughts and imaginations can reach unto; and that because it is his, and like himself. It is an ob- ject for faith alone, which can rest in that which it cannot compre- hend. It is never safer tha.n when it is, as it were, overwhelmed with infiniteness. But set mere rational thoughts or the imagina- tions of our minds at work about such things, and they fall incon- ceivably short of them. They can neither conceive of them aright nor use them unto their proper end and purpose. Were not for- giveness in God somewhat beyond w^hat men could imagine, no flesh could be saved. This himself expresseth: Isa. Iv. 7-9, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts : and let him return unto the- Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." They are, as is plain in the context, thoughts of forgiveness and ways of pardon whereof he speaks. These our apprehensions come short of; we know little or nothing of the infinite largeness of his heart in this matter. He that he speaks of is Vyn , " an impiously wicked man," and P.? tJ^X^ "a man of deceit and perverse wickedness;" he whose design and course is nothing but a lie, sin, and iniquity ; such a one as we would have little or no hopes of, — that we would scarce think it worth our while to deal withal about, — a hopeless conversion ; or can scarce find in our hearts to pray for him, but are ready to give him up as one profligate and desperate. But let him turn to the Lord, and he shall obtain forgiveness. But how can this be? is it possible there should be mercy for such a one? Yes; for the Lord