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wait God's feafon, and perifh under their impatience. And what the faints of God themfelves have been overtaken withal in their depths and trials, we have many examples and inftances. Delight and expectations are the grounds of our abiding with God; both these are weakened by a conquering prevailing fenfe of fin, without fome relief from the difcovery of forgiveness, tho' at a distance. And therefore our perplexed foul stays. not here, but preffeth on towards that difcovery.

SECONDLY, There is a refting on this frame, that is noxious and hurtful alfo; fome finding this fenfe of fin, with other things that attend it, wrought in them, in fome measure, begin to think that now all is well, this is all that is of them required. They will endeavour to make a life, form fuch arguments of comfort, as they can take from their trouble; they think this a ground of peace, that they have not place. Here fome take up before converfion, and it proves their ruin. Because they are convinced of fin, and troubled about it, and burdened with it, they think it fhall be well with them: But were not Cain, Efau, Saul, Ahab, Judas, convinced of fin, and burdened with it; Did this profit them? Did it intereft them in the promifes? Did not the wrath of God overtake them notwithstanding? So is it with many daily; they think their conviction is converfion, and that their fins are pardoned, because they have been troubled.

This then is that which we reject, which the foul in this condition, doth carefully avoid; fo as to fatisfy itfelf with its humiliation, as to make that a ground of fupportment and confolation, being thereby kept off from exercifing faith for forgiveness: For this is,

First, A fruit of felf-righteoufnefs. For a foul to place he fpring of its peace or comfort on any thing of its own, is to fall fhort of Chrift, and to take up in felf. We must not only be juftified, but glory in him alfo, Ifa. xlv. 25. meu may make ufe of the evidence of their graces, but only as a medium to a farther end, not as

the

the rest of the foul at all; and this deprives mens very humiliations of all gofpel-humility. True humility confifts more in believing, than in being fenfible of fin; that's the foul's great felf-emptying and abafing: This may confift with an obftinate refolution to fcramble for fomething upon the account of felf-endeavours.

Secondly, Though evangelical fenfe of fin be a grace, yet it is not the uniting grace, it is not that which inte refts us in Chrift, not that which peculiarly, and in its own nature exalts him. There is in this fenfe of fin, that which is natural, and that which is fpiritual; or the matter of it, and its fpirituality. The former confifts in forrow, trouble, felf-abafement, dejection and anxiety of mind, with the like paffions; of thefe I may fay as the apoftle of afflictions, they are not joyous but grievous. They are fuch as are accompanied with the averfation of the object which they are converfant about. In their own nature, they are no more but the foul's retreat into itself, with an abhorrency of the objects of its forrow and grief. When tbefe affections are fpiritualized, their nature is not changed: The foul, in and by them, acts according to their nature; and doth by them, as fuch, but retreat into itself, with a diflike of that they are exercised about. To take up here then, must needs be to fit down fhort of Chrift, whether it be for life, or confolation.

Let there be no mistake. There can be no evangelical fenfe of fin, and humiliation, where there is no union with Chrift, Zech. xii. 10. Only in itself, and in its own nature is not availing. Now, Chrift is the only reft of our fouls; in any thing, for any end or purpofe, to take up fhort of him, is to lofe it. It is not enough. that we be prifoners of hope, but we must turn to our Strong bold, Zech. ix. 12. not enough that we are weary and laden, but we must come to him, Mat. xi. 27, 28. Ít will not fuffice that we are weak, and know we are weak, but we must take hold on the strength of God, Ifa. xxvii. 4, 5.

Thirdly, Indeed preffing after torgiveness, is the very

life and power of evangelical humiliation. How fhall a man know that his humiliation is evangelical, that his forrow is according to God? It is not from hence he may be refolved, that he doth it not, as Gain did, who cried his fins were greater than he could bear, and fo departed from the prefence of God? nor as Judas did, who repented, and hanged himself; nor as Felix did, tremble for a while, and then return to his lufts; nor as the Jews did, in the prophet, pine away under their iniquities, because of vexation of heart; nor doth he divert his thoughts to other things, thereby to relieve his foul in his trouble; nor fix upon a righteousness of his own; nor flothfully ly down under his perplexity; but in the midst of it, he plies himself to God in Chrift for pardon and mercy. And it is the foul's application unto God for forgiveness, and not its fenfe of fin, that gives unto God the glory of his grace.

Thus far then have we accompanied the foul in its depths; it is now looking out for forgiveness; which, what it is, and how we come to have an interest in it, the principal matter in this difcourfe intended, is next to be confidered.

VERSE IV.

The Words explained, and the Defign or Scope of the Pfalmift in them difcovered.

THE

HE ftate and condition of the foul making application unto God in this pfalm is recounted, ver. 1. It was in the depths; not only providential depths of trouble, affliction and perplexities thereon; but alfo depths of confcience, diftrefs on the account of fin, as in the opening of those words have been declared.

The application of this foul unto God, with reftlefs fervency and earnestness, in that state and condition; its confideration, in the first place, of the law, and the feverity

feverity of God's juftice in a procedure thereon; with the inevitable ruin of all finners, if God infift on that way of dealing with them, have alfo been opened and manifefted from the foregoing verses.

But in this estate, perplexed in itself, loft in and under the confideration of God's marking iniquity according to the tenor of the law, that which it fixes on, from whence any relief, ftay, or fupportment might be expected in fuch a condition, is laid down in this verfe.

VER. 4.

But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayeft be feared.

I fhall first open the words as to their fignification and importance; then fhew the defign of the pfalmift in them, with reference to the foul whofe condition is here represented; and, laftly, propofe the general truths contained in them, wherein all our concernments do lie.

There is forgiveness, is fay the LXX and Hierom accordingly propitiatio, propitiation; which is fomewhat more than venia or pardon, as by fome it is rendered.

Condonatio ipfa, forgiveness itself. It is from to fpare, to pardon, to forgive, to be propitious; and is oppofed to a word compofed of the fame letters varied, which is common in that language, fignifying to cut off, and defroy.

Now, it is conftantly applied unto fin, and expreffeth every thing that concurs to its pardon or forgivenefs. As,

First, It expreffeth the mind or will of pardoning, or God's gracious readiness to forgive, Pfal. lxxxvi. 5. Thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive, xensès nac iwiens, benign and meek, or fparing, propitious, of a gracious merciful heart and nature. So Neh. ix. 17. Thou art, a God propitiationum, of propitiations or pardons; or as we rendered it, ready to forgive, a God of forgiveneffes; or all pleaty of them is in thy gracious heart,

Ifa. Iv. 8. So that thou art always ready to make out pardons to finners. The word is ufed again, Dan. ix. 9. to the fame purpose.

Secondly, It regards the act of pardoning, or actual forgiveness itself, Pfal. ciii. 3. in the Heb. who forgiv eth all thine iniquities, actually dischargeth thee of them; which the apoftle refpecting, renders the word by xapiμevos, Col. iii. 13. Having freely forgiven you, for fo much the word imports, all your trefpales.

And this is the word that God ufeth in the covenant, in that great promife of grace and pardon, Jer. xxxi. 34. It is warrantable for us, yea neceffary to take the word in the utmost extent of its fignification and ufe. It is a word of favour, and requires an interpretation towards the enlargement of it. We fee it may be rendered inaouds or propitiation, xps or grace, and venia or pardon, and may denote thefe three things.

First, The gracious, tender, merciful heart and will of God; who is the God of pardons and forgiveness, or one ready to forgive, to give out mercy, to add pardon.

Secondly, A refpect unto Jefus Chrift, the only us or propitiation for fin, as he is exprefly called, Rom. iii. 25. 1 John i. 2. And this is that which interpofeth between the gracious heart of God, and the actual pardon of finners: All forgivenefs is founded on propitiation.

Thirdly, It denotes condonation or actual forgiveness itfelf, as we are made partakers of it; comprizing it both actively, as it is an act of grace in God, and paffively, as terminated in our fouls, with all the deliverance that attends it. In this fenfe as it looks downwards, and in its effects refpects us, it is of mere grace; and it looks upwards to its caufes, and refpects the Lord Chrift, it is from propitiation or atonement; and this is that pardon which is adminiftred in the covenant of grace.

Now, as to the place which thefe words enjoy in his pfalm, and their relation to the ftate and conditi

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