the remiffion of fins that are past. The remiffion of fins is the thing aimed at, but this must be so brought about, as that therein not only the mercy, but the righteoufnefs of God may be declared; and therefore must it be brought forth by a propitiation, or making of an atonement in the blood of Chrift. So John iii. 16. 1 John iv. 9. Rom. v. 8. This, I fay, alfo lies in the mystery of that forgiveness that is administered in the gofpel; it comes from this eternal purpose of making way, by the blood of Chrift to the difpenfation of pardon: And this greatly heightens the excellency of this difcovery. Men who have flight thoughts of God, whofe hearts were never awed with his dread or greatnefs, who never seriously confidered his purity and holiness, may think it no great matter that God should pardon fin; but do they confider the way whereby it is to be brought about, even by fending of his only Son, and that to die, as we shall fee afterwards? Neither was there any other way whereby it might be done. Let us now lay afide common thoughts, affent upon reports and tradition, and rightly weigh this matter; doubtless we fhall find it to be a great thing, that forgiveness should be fo with God, as to be made out unto us (we know fomewhat what we are) by fending his only Son to die. Oh! how little is this really believed, even by them who make a profeffion of it? and what mean thoughts are entertained about it, when men feek for pardon? Immunity from punishment is the utmoft that lies in the aims and defires of moft, and is all that they are exercised in the confideration of, when they deal with God about fin. Such men think, and will do fo, that we have an easy task in hand, namely, to prove that there is forgiveness in God; but this eafe lies in their own ignorance and darkness. If ever they come to fearch after it, indeed, to enquire into the nature, reafon, caufes, fountain and fprings of it, they will be able to give another account of these things. Chrift is the centre of the mystery of the gospel, and forgivenefs is laid up in the heart of Chrift, from the love of the Father; in him are all the treafures of it

hid: And furely it is no fmall thing to have the heart of Chrift revealed unto us. When believers deal about

pardon, their faith exercises itself about this, that God, with whom the foul hath to do, hath fent the Lord Christ to die, for this end, that it may be freely given out. General notions of impunity they dwell not on, they país not for; they have a clofer converfe with God, than to be fatisfied with fuch thoughts. They enquire into the graciousness of his nature, and the good pleasure of his will, the purpofe of his grace; they ponder and look into the mystery of his wifdom and love in fending his Son. If these fprings be not clear unto them, the ftreams will yield them but little refreshment. It is not enough that we feek after falvation, but we are to enquire, and fearch diligently, into the nature and manner of it. Thefe are the things that the angels defire to bow down and look into, 1 Pet. i. 11, 12, 13. And fome think, if they have got a form of words about them, they have gotten a fufficient comprehenfion of them. It is, doubtlefs, one reason why many, who truly believe, do yet fo fluctuate about forgiveness all their days, that they never exercifed faith to look into the fprings of it, its eternal fountains; but have merely dwelt on actual condonation. However, I fay, these things ly utterly out of the confideration of the common pretenders to an acquaintance with the truth we have in hand.

Secondly, There is another fovereign act of God's will to be confidered in this matter, and that is, his eternal defignation of the perfons who fhall be made partakers of this mercy. He hath not left this thing to hazard and uncertainties, that it fhould, as it were, be unknown to him who fhould be pardoned, and who not. Nay, none ever are made partakers of forgiveness, but those whom he hath eternally and graciously designed thereunto. So the apostle declares it, Eph. i. 5, 6, 7. the rife, is his eternal predeftination; the end, the glory of his grace; the means, redemption in the blood of Chrift; the thing itfelf, forgiveness of fins. None

ever are or can be made partakers thereof, but by virtue of this act of God's will and grace; which thereupon hath a peculiar influence into it, and is to be refpected in the confideration of it. I know this may be abufed by pride, profanenefs and unbelief, and fo may the whole work of God's grace; and fo it is, even the blood of Chrift, in an efpecial manner; but, in its proper place and ufe, it hath a fignal influence into the glory of God, and the confolation of the fouls of men.

There are also other acts of this purpofe of God's grace, as of giving finners unto Chrift, and giving finners an interest in Chrift, which I fhall not infift upon, because the nature of them is fufficiently difcovered in that one, explained already.

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THIRDLY, Forgiveness hath refpect unto the propitiation made in and by the blood of Chrift the Son of God: This was declared in the opening of the words. Indeed here lies the knot and centre of gofpelforgiveness; it flows from the crofs, and fprings out of the grave of Chrift.

Thus Elihu defcribes it, Job xxxiii. 24. God is gracious unto him, and faith, deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom. The whole of what is aimed at, lies in these words 1. There is God's gracious and merciful heart towards a finner; He is graci ous unto him. 2. There is actual condonation itself, of which we shall treat afterwards; He faith, deliver him from going down to the pit. And, 3. There is the centre of the whole, wherein God's gracious heart and actual pardon do meet, and that is the ranfom, the propitiation or atonement, that is the blood of Chrift, of which we fpeak, I have found a ransom.

The fame is expreffed, Ifa. liii 11. My righteous fervant fball justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Of the juftification of finners, abfolution or pardon is the first part: This arifeth from Chrif's bearing their iniquities. Therein he finished tranfgreffion, made an end of fin, and made reconciliation for iniquity, Dan. ix. 24.

Even all the facrifices, and fo confequently the whole worship of the Old Teftament, evinced this relation between forgivenefs and blood-fhedding; whence the apoft' concludes, that without bedding of blood there is no rniffon, Heb. ix. 22. that is, all pardon arifeth from blood-fhedding, even of the blood of the Son of God. So that we are faid to have redemption, even the forgivenefs of fins, Eph. i. 17. Our redemption in his blood is our forgiveness, not that we are all actually pardoned in the blood of his crofs, for thereunto must be added gofpel-condonation, of which afterwards; but thereby it is procured, the grant of pardon is therein fealed, and fecurity given, that it fhall in due time be made unto us, To which purpofe is that difcourfe of the apostle, Rom. iii. 24, 25, 26. The work there mentioned, proceeds from grace, is managed to the intereft of righteoufnefs, is carried on by the blood of Christ and iffues in forgivenels Now the blood of Christ relates variously to the pardon of fin.

Firft, Pardon is purchased and procured by it. Our redemption is our forgivenefs; as the caufe contains the effect. No foul is pardoned but with refpect unto the blood of Chrift, as the procuring caufe of that pardon. Hence he is faid to have washed us in his blood, Rev i. 5. In himself, to have purged our fins, Heb. i. 3. by one offering to have taken away fin, and for ever to have perfected them that are fanctified, Heb. x. to be the ranjom and propitiation of our fins, 1 John ii. 2. to have made an end of fin, Dan. ix. 24. and to have made reconciliation for the fins of his people, Heb. ii. 17. God hath enclofed his rich ftores of pardon and mercy in the blood of Jefus Christ.

Secondly, Becaufe in his blood the promise of pardon is ratified and confirmed, fo that nothing is wanting to our compleat forgiveness, but our pleading the promise by faith in him, 2 Cor. i. 20. All the promises of God are in him Yea, and in him Amen; that is, faithfully, and irrecoverably, and immutably established. And therefore the apostle having told us, that this is the covenant

of

of God, that he would be merciful to our fins and iniquities, Heb. viii. 12. He informs us, that in the undertaking of Chrift, this covenant is become a teftament, chap. ix. 15, 16, 17. So ratified in his blood, that mercy and forgiveness of fin is irrevocably confirmed unto us therein.

Thirdly, Because he hath in his own perfon, as the head of the church, received an acquitment for the whole body: His perfonal difcharge upon the accomplishment of his work was a pledge of the difcharge which was in due time to be given to his whole myfti cal body. Peter tells, Acts ii. 24. that it was impoffible. he fhould be detained by death. And whý fo? because death being penally inflicted on him, when he had paid the debt, he was legally acquitted. Now, for whom, and in whofe name and ftead he fuffered; for them, and in their name and ftead, he received his acquitment.

Fourthly, Because upon his death, God the Father hath committed unto him the whole management of the business of forgiveness, Acts v. 31. He (now) gives repentance and the forgiveness of fins. It is Chrift that forgives us, Col. iii. 13. All forgiveness is now at his dif pofal, and he pardoneth whom he will, even all that are given unto him of the Father, not cafting out any that come to God, by him. He is intrufted with all the ftores of his Father's purpofe, and his own purchase; and thence tells us, that all things that the Father hath, are his, John xvi. 15.

In all these refpects doth forgivenefs relate to the blood of Chrift. Mercy, pardon and grace, could find no other way to iffue forth from the heart of the Father, but by the heart blood of the Son, and fo do they ftream unto the heart of the finner.

Two things are principally to be confidered in the refpect that forgivenefs hath to the blood of Chrift. The way of its procurement. 2. The way of its adminiftration by him. The fir is deep, myfterious, dreadful. It was by his blood, the blood of the cross, the travel of his foul, his undergoing wrath and curfe.