multitudes. A professor may be wise in doctrinals, and able to vindicate the truth against its opposers; while his heart, far from being right with God, is entirely carnal; cold as ice, and barren as a rock. "Though I understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have not charity," love to God and love to his people, "I am nothing." Vain then are the pretensions of all such, whatever knowledge they may have of the gospel, who live in sin; who love not God, nor seek his glory. They may shine in religious conversation; they may display their talents, and feed their vanity, by defending truth, and refuting error; and, conscious of superior abilities, may look down with a solemn pride on persons of meaner parts and less understanding in the doctrines of grace; but their superior knowledge will only aggravate their future woe, and render damnation itself more dreadful.

CHAPTER V.

Of Grace, as it reigns in a full, free, and everlasting Pardon.

PARDON of sin is a blessing of superlative worth, being absolutely necessary to present peace and future salvation. Without it, no individual of Adam's race can be happy. When the conscience of a sinner is wounded with a sense of guilt, and oppressed with fears of divine wrath, it is sought with ardour, as the most desirable thing; it is received with joy, as the first of all favours.

But, great and necessary as the favour is, had it not been for that revelation contained in the Bible, mankind would have lain under a sad uncertainty, whether there was any such thing as "forgiveness with God." Being conscious of guilt, yet partial in their own favour, they might have pleased themselves with conjectures, that he would not condemn and destroy all his offending creatures; but they could never have arrived at certainty. For, by whatever mediums they might have come to the knowledge of a Deity, as the great Author of nature, and Sovereign of the world; by the same means they must have known, that perfection is essential to the divine character, and, consequently, infinitely opposite to moral evil. But whether such

as had rebelled against him might be forgiven, consistently with his perfections and purposes, and without impeaching his honour, as a righteous Governor; this, unassisted reason could not have determined. But, adored be the condescension and goodness of God! we are not left to grope in the dark, and to form a thousand wild conjectures about an affair of such vast importance. We have a revelation, a divine revelation, of the richest grace and tenderest mercy; from which we learn, with absolute certainty, that there is forgiveness with our Maker and Sovereign. This revelation of mercy is of great antiquity, and almost coeval with time itself. It was known to the patriarchs; it was revived and exhibited, in a fuller, clearer manner, under the Mosaic economy. But, by the incarnation and work of the Son of God; by the commencement of the gospel dispensation, and the

spread of the Redeemer's interest; it has received the highest confirmation, and shines in all its glory. Jehovah's pardoning goodness was loudly proclaimed to Moses, and makes a conspicuous figure in that sacred name by which the God of Israel was known to the church in the wilderness. "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin." Yes, to the eternal Sovereign belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him.

This capital blessing of the new covenant, is represented in the book of God by many strong metaphors, and in a rich variety of language; yet all in exact correspondence to the different views which are there given of the dreadful nature and complicated evil of sin.-Is the sinner represented as all over defiled and loathsome with the most hateful impurity? His pardon is signified by the perfect cleansing of his person, and the covering of all his filth.* Is he compared to a wretched insolvent, and his offences to a debt of " ten thousand talents?"-his pardon is described by a blotting out of the debt, or by a non-imputation of it.+ Is he likened to a person who labours under the weight of a heavy burden, which galls his shoulders and sinks his spirits?

* Psal. xiv. 3. xxxii. 1. and lxxxv. 2. 1 John i. 7. Rev. i. 5. † Psal. xxxii. 2. and li. 1. 9. Matt. xviii. 42.

-his forgiveness is designed by a lifting up, and a removal of the pressing incumbrance.* Are his transgressions, for their nature, number, and effects, represented by clouds, black, louring, low-hung clouds, which are ready to burst in a storm, and deluge the country?-his pardon is described by their total abolition, by blotting them out from the face of heaven, so that the least trace of them shall not remain, nor any mortal be able to tell what is become of them. Is sin pronounced rebellion against the Majesty of heaven, and the sinner considered as a convict just going to be executed?—forgiveness is a reversing the sentence, and a remission of the penalty due to his crimes. Under such a consideration, which is the proper notion of pardon, the language of a gracious God is, "Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom." The Lord is pleased to represent the same invaluable blessing, by casting our sins behind his back; by casting them into the depths of the sea; by removing them as far from us as the east is from the west; by remembering them no more; and by making scarlet and crimson offences white as wool, yea, whiter than snow.

In this forgiveness, grace reigns, and the riches of grace are displayed. It is an absolutely perfect pardon; and to make it so, three things are required. It must be full, free, and everlasting. That is, it must extend to all sin; it must be vouchsafed without any conditions to be performed by the sin

* Psal. xxxviii. 4. and xxxii. 1. Matt. xi. 28.

+ Isa. xliv. 22.

ner; and absolutely irreversible. But these things deserve a more particular consideration.

That forgiveness which is equal to the wants of a sinner, must be full; including all sins, be they ever so numerous; extending to all their aggravations, be they ever so enormous. Every sin being a transgression of the divine law, and every transgression subjecting the offender to a dreadful curse, it is plain, that if the guilt attending every sin be not removed, if the penalty due to every sin be not remitted, the curse must fall upon us, and wrath must be our portion. Hence appears the necessity of a full pardon, in order to happiness. And as it is essentially necessary, so it is granted. The Scriptures declare, abundantly declare, that when our offended Sovereign pardons any of the human race, he forgives all their sins. For, says the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, "I will cleanse them from ALL their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon ALL their iniquities whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me." Charming declaration! To forgive sin, is a divine prerogative. None can dispense the unspeakable favour but God. This he declares he will do; and that he will not only forgive some sins, or a few, but all-all entirely.

Let us hear another ambassador from the court of heaven. The prophet Micah, with an air of thanksgiving and joy, declares, "He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities and Thou wilt cast ALL their sins into the depths of the sea."-" He will turn again ;" not as an incensed adversary, to pour out his vengeance;