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doth upon his diseased patient. Did they but see with the same light you do, they would be as far from hating Christ, or his ways, as you are. As soon as they cease to be ignorant, they cease to hate, saith Tertullian.

5. How needful is it before we engage against any person or way, to be well satisfied that it is wickedness we oppose! You see the world generally mistakes in this matter. Oh beware of doing you know not what! for Satan will know what he is doing by you: he blinds your eyes, and then sets you to work. You may eternally reflect on and lament what you have done. Oh beware what you now do!

Proposition 2. There is forgiveness with God, for

such as oppose Christ through ignorance.

If "all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men," Matt. 12: 31, even those whose wicked nands crucified Christ may receive remission by that blood they shed. Compare Acts, 2: 23, 38. And here I must show what forgiveness is, and the possibility of it, for such as ignorantly oppose Christ.

I. Forgiveness is God's gracious discharge of a believing penitent sinner from the guilt of all his sin, for Christ's sake.

It is God's discharge. None can forgive sin but God only. Mark, 27. The primary and principal wrong is done to him: "Against thee, thee only," that is, thee mainly or especially, "have I sinned." Psalm 51: 4. Sins are called debts, debts to God, Matt. 6: 12; and as pecuniary debts oblige him that owes them to the penalty, if not discharged, so do our sins. And who can discharge the debtor but the creditor?

It is a gracious act of discharge. "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake." Isa. 43: 25. And yet sin is not so forgiven, that God expects no satisfaction at all; but none from us, because God hath provided a surety for us, by whom he is satis

fied: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Eph. 1: 7.

It is a gracious discharge from the guilt of sin. Guilt is that which pardon properly deals with, involving obligation to punishment. Pardon is the dissolving of that obligation. The pardoned soul is a discharged soul: "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died." Rom. 8: 33.

It is God's discharge of a believing penitent sinner. Infidelity and impenitence are not only sins in themselves, but such as bind all other sins upon the soul. "By him, all that believe are justified from all things." Acts, 10 43. So Acts, 3:19, "Repent therefore, that your sins may be blotted out :" this is the method in which God dispenses pardon to sinners.

It is for Christ's sake we are discharged; he is the meritorious cause of our remission: "As God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you." Eph. 4: 32. It is his blood alone that meritoriously procures our discharge. This is a brief and true account of the nature of forgiveness.

II. Now to evince the possibility of forgiveness for such as ignorantly oppose Christ, let these things be weighed :

1. Why should any poor soul, now humbled for its enmity to Christ in the days of ignorance, question the possibility of forgiveness, when there is more efficacy in the blood of Christ, the meritorious cause, than is requisite to the forgiveness of the most aggravated sins? There is power enough in that blood, not only to pardon thy sins, but the sins of the whole world, were it actually applied. 1 John, 2: 2. There is not only a sufficiency, but a redundancy of merit, in that precious blood.

2. And as the sin of ignorantly opposing Christ exceeds not the power of the meritorious cause of forgiveness; so neither is it any where excluded from pardon by the word of God. Nay, such is the extensiveness of the promise to believing penitents, that this case is manifestly included, and forgiveness tendered to thee in the promises: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isa. 557. There are many such extensive promises in the Scriptures; and not one parenthesis in all these blessed pages, in which this case is excepted.

3. And it is yet more satisfactory; that God hath already forgiven such sinners, and those eminent for their enmity to Christ, that others may be encouraged to hope for the same mercy, when they also shall be, in the same manner, humbled for it. One striking example is that of Paul, 1 Tim. 1: 13, 16, "who was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting."

4. Moreover, it is encouraging to consider, that when God had cut off others in the way of their sin, he hath hitherto spared thee. What speaks this but a purpose of mercy to thy soul? Thou shouldst account the longsuffering of God thy salvation. 2 Pet. 3: 15. Had he smitten thee in the way of thy sin and enmity to Christ, what hope had remained? But if he hath not only spared thee, but also given thee a heart ingenuously humbled for thy sins; doth not this speak mercy for thee? surely it looks like a gracious design of love to thy soul.

INFERENCE 1. Is there forgiveness with God for such as have been enemies to Christ, his truth, and Gospel? Then certainly there is pardon and mercy for the friends of God, who involuntarily fall into sin by the surprisals of temptation, and are penitent for it, as ingenuous children for offending a good father. Can any doubt, if God have pardon for such enemies, he hath it for children? If he have forgiveness for such as shed the blood of Christ with wicked hands, hath he not much more mercy and forgiveness for such as love Christ, and are more afflicted for their sin against him, than by all other troubles?

How sorrowful do the dear children of God sometimes sit, after their lapse into sin! Will God ever pardon this will he be reconciled again? May I hope his face shall be to me as in former times? Mourning soul! if thou didst but know the largeness, tenderness, freeness of that grace, which yearns over enemies, and hath given forth thousands and ten thousands of pardons to the worst of sinners, thou wouldst not sink thus.

2. Is there pardon with God for enemies? How inex-. cusable then are all they that persist and perish in their enmity to Christ! Surely their destruction is of themselves. Mercy is offered to them, if they will receive it. Isa. 557. Proclamation is made in the Gospel, that if there be any among the enemies of Christ, who repent of what they have been and done against him, and are now unfeignedly willing to be reconciled, they shall find mercy but "God shall wound the head of the enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses." Psa. 68: 21. "If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors." Psa. 7: 12, 13. This lays the blood of every man that perishes in his enmity to Christ, at his

own door; and vindicates the righteousness of God, in the severest strokes of wrath upon them. This also will be a cutting thought to their hearts eternally: I might once have had pardon, and I refused it: the Gospel trumpet sounded; gracious terms were offered, but I rejected them.

3. Is there mercy with God and forgiveness, even for his worst enemies, upon their submission? How unlike to God then are all implacable spirits! Some there are that cannot bring their hearts to forgive an enemy; "to whom revenge is sweeter than life." 1 Sam. 24: 16. "If a man find his enemy, will he let him go?" This is hell-fire, a fire that never goeth out. How little do such poor creatures consider: if God should deal by them, as they do by others, what words could express the misery of their condition! It is a sad sin, and a sad sign, a character of a wretched state, wherever it appears. Those that have found mercy, should be ready to show mercy; and they that expect mercy themselves, should not deny it to others.

Proposition 3. To forgive enemies and beg forgive

ness for them, is the true christian spirit.

Thus did Christ: "Father, forgive them." And thus did Stephen, in imitation of Christ: "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Acts, 7:59, 60. This accords with the rule of Christ, "But I say unto you, love your enemies; bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." Matt. 5: 44, 45. And here I shall show what a forgiving spirit is, and how well it becomes all that call themselves christians.

I. Let us inquire what this christian forgiveness is.

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