Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

3. God is the sole and sovereign author of all spiritual blessings. Who forgives all thy iniquities, and heals all thy diseases. He refers all to God, nothing to himself in his own merit and strength. All, not the pardon of one sin merited by me, not the cure of one disease can I owe to my own power, and the strength of my free will, and the operations of nature. He, and he alone is the Prince of pardon, the Physician that restores me, the Redeemer that delivers me; 'tis a Sacrilege, to divide the praise between God and our selves. God only can knock off our fetters, expel our distempers, and restore a deformed Soul to its decayed beauty.

3. God is the sole and soveraign author of all spiritual blessings. Who forgives all thy iniquities, and heals all thy diseases. He refers all to God, nothing to himself in his own merit and strength. All, not the pardon of one sin merited by me, not the cure of one disease can I owe to my own power, and the strength of my free will, and the operations of nature. He, and he alone is the Prince of pardon, the Physitian that restores me, the Redeemer that delivers me; 'tis a Sacriledge, to divide the praise between God and our selves. God only can knock off our fetters, expell our distempers, and restore a deformed Soul to its decayed beauty.

4. Gracious Souls will bless God as much for Sanctification as for Justification. The initials of Sanctification (and there are no more in this Life) are worthy of solemn acknowledgement. 'Tis a sign of growth in Grace when our Hymns are made up of acknowledgements of Gods sanctifying, as well as pardoning Grace. In blessing God for the one, we rather show a love to our selves, in blessing God for the other, we cast out a pure beam of love to God: because by purifying Grace we are fitted to the service of our maker, prepared to every good work which is delightful to him; by the other, we are eased in our selves. Pardon fills us with inward peace, but Sanctification fills us with an activity for God. Nothing is so capable of setting the soul in a heavenly tune, as the consideration of God as a pardoner, and as a healer.