"the riches of his goodnefs and forbearance, "and long-fuffering, not knowing that the "goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But though this ought to be mentioned, I am very fenfible, how infufficient it is of itself to give confolation to a wounded spirit. Taking in the whole plan of providence, there are fo many tokens of our creator's difpleasure, so much to be seen of the justice and holinefs, as well as of the goodness of God, that it must leave the finner ftill under a dreadful uncertainty in a matter of fuch infinite concern. Torn by the fufpicion which is infeparable from guilt, he is full of restless anxiety; and knowing that he must shortly appear before God in an uncmbodied state, he is often putting this question to himfelf, Wherewith fhall I come before the Lord? How fhall I be able to ftand in the judgement? And therefore,

2. God hath revealed himfelf in his word, as merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, and flow to anger. This was the great truth on which the finner's hope depended ever fince the apoftafy of our first parents. Never fince that time could any man produce his title to divine favour in his own obedience: and therefore the mercy of God early intimated in the first promise, continued to make, if I may fpeak fo, the leading part of the divine character in all the discoveries he made of himself. Thus, at the giving of the law, Exod. xxxiv. 5. 6. 7. "And the Lord defcend"ed in the cloud, and ftood with him there, "and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And "the

E 2

"the Lord paffed by before him, and pro"claimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merci"full and gracious, long-fuffering, and abun"dant in goodnefs and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and tranfgreffion and fin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; "of the fathers upon the

vifiting the iniquity children, and upon unto the third and

"the childrens children, "to the fourth generation." To the fame purpofe the pfalmift David, Pfal. ciii. 8. "The "Lord is merciful and gracious, flow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." Hear alfo the prophet Micah; Micah vii. 18. "Who is a "God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity; "and paffeth by the tranfgreffion of the rem"nant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy."

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I do not here ftay to confider what hints were given in the ancient difpenfation, of the atonement which was afterwards to be made by the incarnation of the Saviour. Doubtless there was fome refpect to this in the very firft pro mife of the feed of the woman, and alfo in the promife to Abraham, that in his feed all nations of the earth fhould be bleffed. The fame thing was prefigured by the facrifices, and fhadowed out by many different rites of the Mofaic conomy. It muft, however, be allowed, that the faithful in thofe ages faw it only obfcurely, and of copfequence understood it very imperfectly. But it was on the revealed mercy of Ged, which

they

they were obliged to feek in the way appointed by himself, that they placed their entire depend

ence.

I cannot help obferving to you, how very encouraging the affurances of pardon are through many paffages of the Old Teftament; how very gracious the invitations to the finner, as if they had been contrived on purpose to remove the jealousy which the guilty are too apt to entertain; If. i. 18. "Come now and let us reason "together, faith the Lord: though your fins "be as fcarlet, they fhall be as white as fnow; though they be red like crimson, they fhall "be as wool." If. xliii. 25. I, even I am he "that blotteth out thy tranfgreflions for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins." If. xliv. 22. "I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy tranfgreffions, and as a cloud, thy "fins: return unto me, for I have redeemed "thee." If. lv. I. "Ho, every one that

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thirfteth, come ye to the waters, and "he that hath no money; come ye, buy and

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eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without "money, and without price." Is this the word of God? Are thefe paffages written for our benefit? Is there any thing more plain, than that God is merciful and gracious; nay that he delighteth in mercy? How great encouragement is this to the exercife of repentance? In this very view, indeed, it is urged by the prophet in the 6th and 7th verfes of the last cited chapter, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.

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Ser. 3. "Let the wicked forfake his way, and the un" righteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy 66 upon him, and to our God, for he will a "bundantly pardon."

I fhall only add, that as the fcripture every where bears teftimony to the readiness of God to pardon returning finners, fo there are also many paffages in which he declares his readiness to pardon the failings which continue to cleave to his own people, and treat them with the ut moft tenderness and grace: Pfal. ciii. 13. "Like "a father pitieth his children, fo the Lord pi"tieth them that fear him." If. xl. II. "He fhall feed his flock like a fhepherd: he fhall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry "them in his bofom, and fhall gently lead thofe

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that are with young." Mal. iii. 17." And

they fhall be mine, faith the Lord of hofts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will fpare them as a man fpareth his own fon that ferveth him."

3. But that nothing may be wanting for the complete illuftration of this truth, obferve, that it appears in the cleareft manner, from the gospel of Chrift, that there is forgivencfs with God. In the fulness of time, God fent his own fon in our nature, to be a victim and facrifice for our offences, to bear our fins in his own body on the tree. In this aftonishing event, indeed, the love and mercy of God thines with the brighteft luftre: John iii. 16. "God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten

"Son

Son, that whofoever believeth in him, fhould "not perish, but have everlasting life." In this great tranfaction, we have not only an af furance of obtaining, but fee the price paid for the purchase of our pardon: 1 Pet. i. 18. " For ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,

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as filver and gold, from your vain converfa"tion received by tradition from your fathers." Inftead of finding the juftice of God ftand in the way of our reconciliation and peace, justice being fully fatisfied, feals the pardon, and adds to the comfort of the finner. In the infinite value of this atonement, we may see the extent of the divine mercy. In the infinite power of this Saviour, we may fee the perfect fecurity of thofe who put their truft in him. Salvation, in all its parts, is offered to the chief of finners; so that, as the apoftle expreffes it, Heb. vi. 18. "That

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by two immutable things, in which it was "impoffible for God to lie, we might have a "strong confolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before us."

II. I proceed now to the fecond thing proposed; which was, to point out the connection between the mercy of God and his fear, or explain the import of this expreffion, "There is

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forgiveness with thee that thou mayft be "feared." The import of this expreffion must be a little different, as we understand the word fear, which is fometimes taken in a larger, and fometimes in a more limited fenfe. Sometimes, as being fo eminent a part, it is made use of to fignify