left without any means of pardon provided for them by the law : nor was any presumptuous sin to be reckoned among those for which sacrifices were appointed f. But under the Gospel there is no exception whatever : " All manner of sin shall be forgiven unto men," provided they repent of it, and believe in Jesus Christ for the remission of it : and, if the sin against the Holy Ghost be excepted, it is not because the blood of Christ would not cleanse from that, as well as from every other, but because the man who has committed it must have arrived at such a degree of blindness and obduracy, that he never will repent of his iniquity, nor ever look to Christ with sincerity of heart for the remission of it. We confidently declare, that sins even of a scarlet or crimson dye shall be forgiven s ; yea, we declare that every sin we have ever committed is actually forgiven, the very instant we truly believe in Christ: even " the little children in Christ" may glory in this, as a truth on which they may most confidently rely, that on their believing in Christ, they not only shall be, but actually, as our text expresses it, " are justified from all things11."]
To impress this blessed truth the more deeply on your minds, let us consider,
II. The admonition with which it is enforced —
Glorious as this salvation is, it is too generally de- spised—
[All the prophets prophesied respecting it with more or less clearness': but all had reason to complain, "Who hath believed our reportk?" In the days of the Apostles the same complaint was made1 : and it may but too justly be repeated by us at this day. If this be doubted, let any man tell us, where " has the offence of the cross ceased?" Where is not the faith- ful exhibition of a crucified Saviour derided as enthusiasm? and in what place are not the followers of Christ gazed upon
" as signs and wonders ? " But it is not the infidel only
or the scoffer that despises Christ : for every man is guilty of despising him, who complies not with the invitations of his Gospel, and withholds from him the affections of his heart. O let us examine ourselves carefully on this head, and see whether the warning in our text may not justly be applied to us ]
If we be found among the number of his despisers, woe be to us —
f Numb. xv. 30. with ver. 39. of the text.
B Isai. i. 18. Ps. li. 7. h Col. ii. 13. 1 John ii. 12.
1 Acts x. 43. k Isai. liii. I. ' Rom. x. 16.