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righteousness arise with healing in his wings." Malachi

4:2.

(3.) Another resemblance you have from the sea, the great abyss, that vast congregation of waters whose depth no line can fathom. Veer out as much line as you will, you cannot touch the bottom. To this unfathomable ocean the pardoning grace of God is also compared: "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 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.' Micah 7: 18, 19. If the loftiest pyramid or highest mountain were cast into the depth of the sea, it would never be seen more by the eyes of men. God has chosen these emblems of his grace, to obviate the common discouragement of Satan, taken from the greatness and aggravation of sin; and thou art to make use of them, and bless the Lord for them. He never designed them for encouragement to sin, but for encouragement to repentance and faith.

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EVIDENCE 5. The truth of this conclusion will also appear from the character and properties of the grace and pardoning mercy of God towards penitent sinners. There are three glorious characters of divine grace, which all assure such sinners of welcome to Christ, whatever they have been or done.

(1.) It is superabounding grace. Waters do not so abound in the ocean, nor light in the sun, as grace and compassion in God towards broken-hearted sinners. 'Let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isa. 55:8. The compassion of God inserted that word on purpose to relieve poor souls fainting under the sense of their abounding iniquities. Here is abundant pardon for abounding

guilt; and, lest a desponding sinner should not find enough here to quiet his fears, the Lord goes yet further in the expression of his grace: "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Rom. 5:20. It overflowed all the bounds, it rose quite above the high-water mark of guilt; but these overflowings of grace run only through that channel of all grace, Jesus Christ, to broken-hearted and obedient sinners.

(2.) The grace of God to such souls is free-every way free; it is the design of the gospel to exhibit this its glory. It costs you nothing but acceptance; it is free without merit; yea, free against, merit, You can deserve nothing of God, therefore his grace is free without merit; yea, you have deserved hell as often as you have sinned against him, and so it is free against merit. If a pardon were to be purchased by us, we are wholly without means for such a purchase; neither could we borrow from men or angels a sufficient sum blessed be God, therefore, that it flows freely to us without money and without price. Isa. 55:1.

(3.) Grace glories in another property also, which is very encouraging to the soul of a drooping sinner-it is the attribute which God greatly delights to exercise. The mother gives not her breast with such delight to her hungry crying child, as the Lord does his mercy to broken-hearted and hungry sinners. In this attribute his people therefore admire him: "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy." Micah 7:18. You cannot give Jesus Christ more delightful employment than to bind up the wounds of convinced and humbled sinners. Let every such soul come to Christ and welcome; for he greatly delights in such employments.

EVIDENCE 6. Such sinners need not doubt a welcome reception with Christ; for should he reject such as these, then none can have the benefit of his blood, and conse

quently it was shed in vain, as water spilt upon the ground. The blood of Christ is invaluably precious, and it cannot be lost; it would be an impeachment of the wisdom and goodness of God to think so; yet so it must be, if brokenhearted and willing souls are rejected and turned back from him. There are but two sorts of sinners in the world, the hardened and the broken-hearted, willing and unwilling sinners. As for impenitent and obstinate sinners, they can have no benefit by the blood of Christ; they shall die in their sins; the gospel cuts them off from all expectation of pardon and mercy. Now there is but one sort of sinners more left in the world, and they are convinced and humbled sinners, who are made heartily willing to receive Christ upon his own terms-who stretch forth the hand of desire to him, and pant after an interest in him. Should Christ reject these also, who shall receive the benefit of his blood? Did Christ die in vain; or can the counsels of heaven prove abortive? No; fear not therefore to go to Christ, thou broken-hearted sinner, thou panting, longing soul; fear not, he will not cast thee out.

EVIDENCE 7. Moreover, for the encouragement of all such souls, mercy and pardon are designed for and bestowed upon the greatest sinners, to enhance the glory of freegrace to the highest. God chooses such sinners as you are, on purpose to illustrate the glory of his grace in and upon you: he knows that you, to whom so much is forgiven, will love much. Luke 7:47. Ye that have done so much against his glory, will excel others in zeal and obedience. 1 Cor. 15:9, 10. You will go beyond others in service for God, as you have done in sinning against him.

INFERENCE 1. Learn hence what an invaluable mercy it is to enjoy the gospel, which is so great a relief to the distressed consciences of sinners. Here only is that balm that heals your spiritual wounds. little prized among us, the Lord pardon the guilt thereof to

The gospel hath been too

us. Ah, brethren, if you were in the heathen world with your sick and wounded consciences, what would you do? There are no Bibles, ministers, or promises, not a breath of Christ, or the blood of sprinkling, which are the true remedies of sick souls. That is a pitiful cry, Micah 6:6, 7, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burntofferings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" Behold here the anguish of a distressed, sin-burdened conscience; it would give up any thing in the world for peace; men would cast their dearest children, their first-born into the burning flames, if that might be an atonement for their sins. O the power of conscience, and the misery of an unrelieved conscience; but the gospel which you enjoy leads you to the fountain of pardon and peace. "With his stripes we are healed." Isa. 53:5. The voice of the gospel is peace to every one that believeth-a rational peace, founded upon the full satisfaction of Christ, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.' Eph. 1:7. Here you see justice and mercy embracing each other; God is satisfied, and the sinner justified; for conscience demands as much to satisfy it, as God to satisfy him; if God be satisfied, conscience is satisfied. "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound." Psalm 89:15. And doubtless it is a joyful sound to every convinced and humbled soul. "Beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace." Isa. 52:7. It is a gospel worthy of all acceptation. 1 Tim. 1:15. It brings with it a fulness of blessings among the people. Provoke not God to extinguish this blessed light. Great is our wantonness, and ominous is our barrenness and ingratitude. "Yet a little

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while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth." John 12:35. Should God put out this light, whither would ye go? Who shall pour balm into your distressed consciences?

2. Hence it follows that the heinousness of past sins is no bar to believing and accepting Christ upon gospel-terms. Let no sinner be dismayed by the atrocity of sins past from coming to Jesus Christ for remission and peace. I am aware what mischievous use Satan makes of former sins to discourage souls from the work of faith. By heaping them together, he raises a mountain between Christ and the distressed soul; but behold this day Christ leaping over these mountains. Could this objection be rolled out of the way, sinners would go on in hope; but certainly, if God has given thee a broken heart and a willing mind, the greatness of thy sin need not discourage thee from believing. For,

(1.) Thou hast sufficient encouragement from the sufficiency of the causes of pardon, whatever thy particular enormities have been. There is a sufficiency in the impulsive cause, the free-grace and mercy of God. Exod. 34 : 6, 7; Mic. 7:18, 19; Isa. 55:7–9; there is mercy enough in God to heal and cover all. And there is no less sufficiency in the meritorious cause of pardon, the blood of Jesus Christ, which taketh away all sin. 1 John, 1:7; John 1:29. And it must needs be so, because of its divine blood. Acts 20:28. Neither is there any defect in the applying cause, the Spirit of God, who has already begun to work upon thy heart, and is able to break it and bow it, and bring it fully to Christ, and to complete the work of faith upon thee with power. Thou complainest that thou canst not mourn nor believe as thou wouldst; but he wants no ability to supply all the defects of thy repentance and faith. If, then, the mercy of God be sufficient to pardon the sins of a creature— if the blood of Christ, the treasures and revenues of a king,

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