Forgiveness is general to all that cast themselves on his free mercy
for where the conscience is enlightened it will discover what corruption it finds, and so the necessity of being delivered. So 1 John
2:1, 'If any man sin, we have an advocate;' that is, such as I am, have need of an advocate; and one reason may be, because indeed such see in their sins much more ingratitude than others, for they sin against the knowledge of God's love to their souls in forgiving former sins; and then to fall into sin again, it is as broken bones, Ps. 51:8.
And the apostle, 2 Cor. 5:20, speaking to the believing Corinthians, 'I beseech you to be reconciled to God;' for Christ was made sin for us; for you, and for me. Even we sin daily, and stand in need of reconciliation. We must daily pray, 'Forgive us our sins,' yea, the best of the disciples must do it. If we come not with this petition, 'our sins are written with a pen of iron, and with the claw of an adamant,' Job
19:24.* Forgiveness is general to all that cast themselves on his free mercy Doct. 5. Fifthly, This mercy and forgiveness is general to all that cast themselves on his free mercy. It is Satan's subtilty to persuade us at the first, that sin is nothing; but when it is committed and cannot be recalled, then he tolls us it is greater than can be pardoned. No. The gospel is the power of God to salvation to all that do believe. Let none despair. It is a greater sin than the former. Deus non est desperantium pater, sed judex. God's pardon is general, to all persons, that repent of all sin, whereby he frees them from all evil.
He pardons all persons: Manasses the sorcerer, Cornelius, Zaccheus, persecuting Paul. The parable of the lost sheep, the lost groat, the prodigal son, testifies it. God offers it freely, 'Why will you die, O house of Israel'? Jer. 27:13. He complains when it is neglected: 'O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you together'!
Mat. 23:37. 'He threatens' because men will not hear, and 'he pardons all sins.' There is no disease above the skill of this Physician.
He healeth all thy sins and all thy infirmities, Ps. 103:1–3. Yea, if it were possible that the sinner against the Holy Ghost could repent, there were hope in Israel concerning this! He hath pardon for sin long lived in. 'At what time soever a sinner repenteth, he will blot out his wickedness,' 2 Chron. 20:9. What though they be never so enormous? God's thoughts are not as ours, Isa. 55:8. Conscience may be overcharged with sin. We may play the harlot with many lovers; yet return to me, saith the Lord, Jer. 3:1. He that bids Peter forgive seventy seven times,† shall not he have plenteous redemption? What proportion is there between the sin of a creature, and the mercy of an infinite Majesty? He frees from all ill, from all punishment. His forgiveness is perfect. Though we be as red as crimson with sin, he will make us white as snow, Isa. 1:18. He removes our sins from his presence as 'far as the east is from the west,' Ps. 103:12.
Quest. But some will say, Why corrects he then his children?
Ans. I answer, not from revenging justice, for he is our Father; and what he does, it comes from love, and is mingled with love and moderated with love to our strength, and are turned by love to our good. When he follows us with prosperity, he is our alluring Father; and when he corrects us, he is our correcting, not punishing, Father,
Heb. 12 from 3d to the 12th. Yet let not this be sinisterly taken. It is spoken only to the humble heart, that is broken with sin, which is the sixth general observation; there must be first sight of sin, then sense of misery, then confession of sin and begging pardon, or else none is granted. For God bestows pardon so as may be most for his glory and our comfort. What glory can he reap by pardoning those that will sin,
'because grace may abound,' Rom. 6:1, and so 'will turn the grace of God into wantonness'? Jude 4. And what comfort can we have of the
pardon of our sins till we see our sins, and feel what it is to want pardon? Sight of sin and mercy are inseparable. Sometimes the sense of pardon is delayed, to make us hunger after it; sometimes it follows suddenly after sight of sin, as it did to Matthew and Zaccheus, Mat.
11:28. But one must go before the other: first, must the wind of the sight of God's anger come breaking and rending the rocky hard hearts that are within us; then comes the soft still voice speaking peace to the humble soul. The reasons may be, first, to set an edge on our prayers for forgiveness, else who would care for it. Secondly, to make us highly to esteem forgiveness of sin. The promises are sweet to the dejected soul, as a pardon is to the condemned person.
Thirdly, that God might have the more glory and thanks. When we find the bitterness of sin, as it is Jer. 2:19, to be sweetened by God's mercy, then 'My soul, praise thou the Lord; and all that is within me, praise his holy name.' He forgives all my sin, and heals all my infirmities, Ps. 103:1, 2, 3. And, lastly, because our sins unrepented keep good from us, and us from the fountain of all good, and must be removed before there can be any way for mercy.
This therefore justifies those ministers that in these days of the gospel do enforce the law; and people must not be offended thereat, but suffer their consciences to be laid open, that the word may come close and home to them; and secondly, they must use the means, to come to a sense and feeling of their sin. To which end let us make sin as odious and dangerous in our eyes as we can. It is odious to God.
To us it is poison and leprosy though we cherish it, and hate ministers and friends for touching it. It is abomination to God. It thrusts him out of our hearts, and puts in the devil, God's arch enemy. It causes us to prefer base pleasure, fading profits, before the favour and mercy and love of God. Must not this needs be hateful to God? But then how much more intolerable are those sins that bring neither profit nor pleasure, but causes us to thrust out God, even