thence is that dread and fear which furprifeth men at an apprehenfion of the prefence of God, or of any under him, above them, that may feem to come on his errand. This notion, of God's avenging all fin, exerts itfelf fecretly, but effectually: So Adam trembled, and hid himself; and it was the faying of old, I have seen God, and fhall die. When men are under any dreadful providence, thundrings, lightnings, tempefts, in darknefs, they tremble, not fo much at what they fee, or hear, or feel, as from their fecret thoughts that God is nigh, and that he is a confuming fire.

Now thefe inbred notions ly univerfally against all apprehenfions of forgivenefs, which must be brought into the foul from without doors, having no principle of nature to promote them.

It is true, men by nature have prefumptions, and common ingrafted notions, of other properties of God, befides his holiness and juftice, as of his goodnefs, benignity, love of his creatures and the like; but all this have this fuppofition inlaid with them in the fouls of men, namely, that all things ftand between God and his creatures, as they did at their first creation; and as they have no natural notion of forgiveness, fo the interpofition of fin weakens, disturbs, darkens them, as to any improvement of thofe apprehenfions of goodness and benignity, which they have. If they have any notion of forgiveness, it is from fome corrupt tradition, and not at all from any univerfal principle that is inbred in nature, fuch are thofe which they have of God's holinefs and vindictive justice.

And this is the firft ground. From whence it appears, that a real, folid discovery of forgiveness is indeed a great work, many difficulties and hindrances ly in the way of its accomplishment.

Falfe prefumptions of forgivenefs difcovered.----Differences between them, and faith evangelical.

Before I proceed to produce and manage the remain

ing evidences of this truth, because what hath been fpoken lies obnoxious and open to an objection, which muft needs rife in the minds of many; that it may not thereby be rendered useless unto them, I fhall remove it out of the way, that we may pafs on to what remains.

It will then be faid, Doth not all this ly directly contrary to our daily experience? Do ye not find all men full enough, moft too full of apprehenfions of forgivenefs with God? What fo common as God is merciful? Are not the confciences and convictions of the moft ftifled by this apprehenfion? Can you find a man that is otherwife minded? Is it not a common complaint, that men prefume on it, unto their eternal ruin? Certainly then, that which all men do, which man every can fo easily do, and which you cannot keep men off from doing, though it be to their hurt, hath no fuch difficulty in it. as is pretended. And on this very account, hath this weak endeavour to demonftrate this truth, been by fome laughed to fcorn, men who have taken upon them the teaching of others, but, as it feems, had need be taught themselves, the very firft principles of the oracles of God.

Anfw. All this, then, I fay is fo, and much more to this purpose may be spoken. The folly and prefumption of poor fouls can never enough be lamented; but it is one thing to embrace a cloud a fhadow, another to have the truth in reality. I fhall hereafter fhew the true nature of forgiveness, and wherein it doth confift, whereby the vanity of this felf-deceiving will be difcovered and laid open. It will appear in the iffue, that notwithstanding all their pretenfions, that the moit of men know nothing at all, or not any thing to the purpofe, of that which is under confideration. I fhall therefore, for the prefent, in fome few obfervations, fhew how far this delufion of many differs from a true gofpel discovery of forgiveness, fuch as that we are enquiring after.

Firft, The common notion of forgiveness, that men

have in the world, is twofold, 1ft, An atheistical prefumption on God, that he is not fo juft and holy, or not juft and holy in fuch a way and manner, as he is by fome reprefented, is the ground of perfuafion or forgiveness. Men think that fome declarations of God are fitted only to make them mad, that he takes little notice of these things, and that what he doth, he will easily pafs by, as they fuppofe better becomes him Come, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrrw we shall die. This is their inward thoughts, The Lord will not do good, nor will be do evil, which, fays the rfalmift, is mens thinking that God is fuch a one as themfelves, Pfal. li. 21. They have no deep nor ferious thoughts of his greatnefs, holinefs, purity, feverity, but think that he is like themfelves, fo far as not to be much moved with what they do. What thoughts they have of fin, the fame they think God hath. If with them a flight ejaculation be enough to expiate fin, that their confciences be no more troubled, they think it is enough with God, that it be not punished. The generality of men make light work of fin; and yet in nothing doth it more appear what thoughts they have of God: He that hath flight thoughts of fin, had never great thoughts of God. Indeed mens undervaluing of fin arifeth merely from their contempt of God. All fin's concernments flow from its relation unto God; and, as men's apprehenfions are of God, fo will they be of fin, which is an oppofition to him. This is the frame of the moft of men, they know little of God, and are little troubled about any thing that relates unto him. God is not reverenced, fin is but a trifle, forgiveness a matter of nothing, who fo will, may have it for afking. But fhall this atheistical wickedness of the heart of man be called a difcovery of forgivenefs? Is not this to make God an idol? He who is not acquainted with God's holiness and purity, who knows not fins defert and sinfulness, knows nothing of forgiveness.

"

2dly, From the doctrine of the gofpel commonly preached and made known, there is a general notion be

gotten

gotten in the minds of men, that God is ready to forgive. Men, I fay, from hence have a doctrinal apprehenfion of this truth, without any real fatisfactory foundation of that apprehenfion as to themfelves. This they have heard, this they have been often told, fo they think, and fo they refolved to do. A general persuasion hereof, fpreads itself over all to whom the found of the gospel doth come. It is not fiducially refolved into the gofpel, but is an opinion growing out of the report of it.

Some relief men find by it,in the duties of worship which they do perform, as alfo in their troubles and distresses, whether internal and of confcience, or external and of providence, fo that they refolve to retain it.

And this is that which I fhall briefly speak unto, and therein manifeft, the differences between this common prevailing apprehension of forgiveness, and faith's difcovery of it to the foul in its power.

First, That which we reject is loofe and general, not fixed, ingrafted or planted in the mind. So is it always, where the minds of men receive things only in their notion not in their power. It wants fixednnfs and foundation, which defects accompany all notions of the mind that are only retained in the memory, not implanted in the judgment. They have general thoughts of it, which they ufe as occafion ferves. They hear that God is a merciful God, and as fuch they intend to deal with him, For the true bottom, rife, and foundation of it, whence or on what account, the pure and holy God, who will do no iniquity, the righteous God, whofe judgment it is, that they that commit fin are worthy of death, fhould yet pardon iniquity, tranfgreffion and fin, they weigh it not, they confider it not, or if they do, it is in a flight and notional way, as they confider the thing itfelf. They take it for granted that fo it is, and are never put ferioufly upon the inquiry, how it comes to be fo; and that because indeed they have no real concernment in it. How many thousands may we meet withal, who take it for granted, that forgiveness is to be had with God, that

M 2

never

never yet had any ferious exercife in their fouls about the grounds of it, and its confiftency with his holiness and juftice. But thofe that know it by faith, have a fenfe of it fixed particularly and distinctly on their minds. They have been put upon an enquiry into the rife and grounds of it in Chrift, fo that, on a good unquestionable foundation, they can go to God, and fay, There is forgiveness with thee. They fee how, and by what means, more glory comes unto God by forgivenefs, than by punishing fin; which is a matter that the other fort of men are not at all follicitous about. If they may efcape punishment, whether God have any glory or no, for the moft part they are indifferent.

Secondly, The first apprehenfion arifeth without any trial upon enquiry in the confciences of them in whom it is. They have not, by the power of their convictions, and diftreffes of confcience, been put to make enquiry whether this thing be fo or no. It is not a perfuafion that they have not arrived unto, in a way of feeking fatisfaction to their own fouls; it is not the refult of a deep enquiry after peace and reft; it is not antecedent unto trial and experience, and fo is not faith but opinion. For although faith be not experience, yet it is infeparable from it, as is every practical habit. Dif treffes in their confciences have been prevented by this opinion, not removed. The reafon why the moft part of men are not troubled about their fins to any purpose, is from a perfuafion that God is merciful and will pardon; when indeed none can really, on a gofpel-account, ordinarily, have that perfuafion, but thofe who have been troubled for fin, and that to no purpose. So it is with them that make this difcovery by faith: They have had conflicts in their own fpirits, and being deprived of peace, have accomplished a diligent fearch, whether forgiveness were to be obtained or no. The perfuafion they have of it, be it more or lefs, is the iffue of a trial they have had in their fouls, of an enquiry how things flood between God and them, as to peace and acceptation of their perfons. This is a vaft differ

ence;