The

nefs of fins, according to the riches of his grace. grace or mercy of God is greatly glorified, by his abundantly pardoning of finners.

1. God himself does hereby glorify his own mercy. God then glorifies himfelf, when he fhews forth, or gives an illuftrious difplay of, any of his glorious excellencies. Glory is the manifeftation of excellency. And therefore when God caufes any of his divine excellencies. to fhine forth, he glorifies them. And the more bright and full the manifeftation of them is, the more they are glorified. Thus with refpect to the mercy of God, his pardoning of fin is a glorious manifeftation of that perfection. And his abundantly pardoning of fin, is an abundant manifeftation of his mercy. So that in forgiving many, and great, and aggravated fins, God does exceedingly glorify his mercy, or make the glory of it to appear wonderfully. As God glorifies his juftice by punishing finners, efpecially with great and remarkable punishments; fo he glorifies his mercy by pardoning fin, especially great and heinous fins.

2. Pardoned finners are hereby brought to glorify the. mercy of God. The creatures glorifying God, is their fuitably owning and acknowledging the glorious excellencies of God manifefted to them. When they take notice thereof, with thanksgiving, admiration, and praife, &c. they do then glorify God. Thus when the mercy of God is adored, admired, loved, and delighted in, it is then glorified by creatures. And fo it is by all pardoned ones, efpecially by thofe who are abundantly pardoned. Thus did the apostle Paul admire and praise the abundant mercy of God towards him, who had been one of the chief of finners. 1 Tim. i. 13, 17. I was a blafphemer, and a perfecutor, and injurious; but 1 obtained mercy. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invifible, the only wife God, be honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Such abundant mercy fhewn to fuch great tranfgreffors, will draw forth their higheft praifes of merey, both in this world, and that which is to come. As they will be the eternal monuments E e 4

of

of mercy, in whom the glory of it will be manifefted; fo they will be eternally active inftruments of magnifying the fame, proclaiming the glory thereof. For ever will they blefs and praise God, as a God merciful, and gracious, pardoning iniquity, tranfgreffion and fin.----Now, because God will have his mercy thus to be magnified, therefore does he abundantly pardon. God is rich in mercy to us, that he might bew forth the exceeding riches of his grace, (Eph. ii. 4, 7.) and that we might fhew forth the praises thereof.

Anfw. 2. God will abundantly pardon, in order to glorify his Chrift. The heart of God is fet upon glorifying his Son Jefus Chrift. He will have him to be honoured, even as he himself is honoured, Joh. v. 23. Now one way whereby Jefus Chrift is glorified, is that of God's abundantly pardoning of finners. For,

1. Thereby God himself does exceedingly glorify Jefus Chrift. We are to remember, that Jefus Christ died for fin, gave himfelf a facrifice for fin, to make aronement for it, and to procure the pardon of it. And we are alfo to remember, that God never forgives fin, but with respect to the facrifice of Chrift, and for the fake thereof. Eph. iv. 32. God for Chrift's fake hath forgiven you. All pardon of fin is granted on the account of Jefus Chrift. Now, when God does for Chrift's fake abundantly pardon, he does therein and thereby declare, that he is abundantly well pleafed in Jefus Chrift, and that his blood is abundantly fufficient to cleanfe from all fin. Now this is a glorifying of Jefus Chrift. God does therein teftify unto the glorious excellency of Chrift's perfon, and the infinite vertue and merit of his blood, fhed for the remiffion of fin.

2.. Thereby pardoned finners are brought to glorify Jefus Chrift. It is Jefus Chrift, that has merited forgivenefs; and it is for his fake alone, that forgiveness is bestowed on any. Those therefore that are made the fubjects of pardoning mercy, will glorify and praife Jefus Chrift for this purchafed mercy. And the more abundantly they have been pardoned, the more abun

dantly

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dantly will they blefs and praise Jefus Chrift, who has obtained fuch abundant mercy for them. To whom much is forgiven, they will love much, and be much in praises to Chrift. Upon this account, we find the redeemed abfcribing praises to Jefus Chrift, the redeemer from fin. Rev. i. 5, 6. To him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own` blood,---to bìm be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. So again, chap. v. 9. Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the feals thereof; for thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood. Thus do they, and will they for ever, glorify Jefus Chrift their Saviour. So much for the firft Propofition.

PROP. 2. It is a great encouragement unto finners to repent and return to God, in that he will thus abundantly pardon. This abundant mercy of God, carries in it most abundant encouragement to finners, to forfake their fins, and to return unto the Lord. For, this anfwers all the objections that can be made by finners, who are deeply fenfible of their guilt, and apt hereupon to doubt of finding mercy with God. They are prone to think, that their fins have been fo many, fo great, fo long continued in, that God will not, cannot, forgive them. But this truth before us ferves to remove fuch a difcouraging thought. God will most abundantly par don, even, beyond our conceptions; as may be fhewn under the following verfe. If fin bas abounded, the grace of God does much more abound, and will do fo, to all that repent of their fins, and turn to him.

Two things may here be further mentioned, concerning the way and manner, in which God will abundantly pardon. Both of which will afford great encouragement to finners to repent.

1. God will thus pardon moft freely. He will abundantly pardon, and that most freely too. He will abundantly pardon, without demanding the leaft fatisfaction from us, for all the injury that we have done unto him by cur fins. He has appointed his Son Jefus Chrift,

to

to give him fatisfaction for fin, in our room and that for this very end, that we might be freed from all obligation to make fatisfaction for fin, and fo might be moft freely pardoned. God then looks for no merit in us; but will freely, of his own grace, forgive our fins, though they be very many, and very great. This is what our Lord Jefus Chrift has affured us of, in two Parables. The firft is that, Matth. xviii. 24, 27. One was brought to him, which ought him ten thousand tar lents-Talents, denote the greatnefs of fins; ten thou fand, denotes the multitude of fins and yet the Lord of that fervant, bad compaffion on bim, and forgave him the valt debt. The other Parable is that, Luk. vii. 41, 42. There was a certain creditor, who had two debtors; the one ought five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, be frankly forgave them both. He as freely forgave him that owed most, as him that owed leaft: which fhews, that God will as freely pardon the greateft finners, as the leaft. He will no more exact fatisfaction from the one, than from the other. God forgives fin most freely, without refpect to any worthiness in the creature moving him thereto. He is gracious, because he will be gracious. And therefore he can forgive great fins, as well as fmall; many, as well as few. The fame grace, thạt inclines him to pardon at all, inclines him to pardon abundantly, and to pardon most freely, of his own good. pleasure, without any thing in the finner to move him thereunto.

2. God will thus pardon moft readily. He will abundantly pardon, and that most readily too. He will forgive the greatest finners, without the least reluct ancy, or backwardness, This readinefs of God to

forgive, is once and again exprefly affirmed. Neb. ix. 17. Thou art a God ready to pardon. Pfal. lxxxvi. 5. Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive. He is indeed mare, willing to forgive, than finners are to be forgiven; more ready to grant a pardon, than finners are to accept of a pardon. Hence it is, that God follows, even, obsti

nate

nate finners, with his calls to come to him for mercy. Rom. x. 21. day

hands unto a difeng I have stretched forth my

and gainfaying

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alfo it is, that God condefcends to befeech finners to be reconciled to him. 2 Cors v. 20. There is then an incon ceivable propenfity in God to forgive finners, and receive them into his favour, though their fins have abounded. And how great an encouragement is this unto finners to repent, and return to God !

APPLICATION.

USE 1. Of Caution: Let us take heed, that we do not make an ill ufe of this truth, that God will abundantly pardon. This is no needlefs caution: for we are very apt to make an ill ufe of all the doctrines of grace, efpecially this, of God's being one that will abundantly pardon. The corrupt hearts of men, are very ready to pervert this, to a quite contrary ufe, than what it is de figned for. This abundant mercy of God revealed to us, is intended as an encouragement to finners to for fake their fins; but men are apt to make it an encouragement to continue in fin. Instead of using it as a means to prevent defpair, they make ufe of it as an occafion for cherishing prefumption. Becaufe God will abundantly pardon, therefore they neglect repentance for paft fins, and more freely venture upon the com miffion of further fins. This is a moft vile and notorious abuse of the abundant mercy of God. Rom. vi. I. What fhall we fay then? Shall we continue in fin, that grace may abound? God forbid. This is an expreffion fhewing the apoftle's deteftation of it, and great in dignation at the very mentioning of it. And in truth, every gracious foul will tremble at the thought, of being emboldned to fin, from the abundance of God's pardoning mercy. This is to make the glorious attri bute of rich grace, fubfervient to our base lufts. O beware of being guilty of fuch horrid iniquity, which endangers our being excluded from an intereft in the pardoning