First, It is free, 1in its general designation, in that God hath designed and purposed to forgive the sins of all the World, if they will believe and repent. It is the Universality of Grace, that mightily exalts its freeness; now what can be more universal, than that Proclamation of Pardon that God makes to poor sinners, in Acts 10.43. Whosoever believes in him, shall receive remission of sins. The whole World is under this Conditional Promise, not one Soul of Man excepted: Be thy sins more than the Sands, greater than Mountains, though the cry of them reacheth up to Heaven, and the guilt of them reacheth ⟨p. 34⟩down to Hell; yet thou hast n• Reason, O Sinner, to exclude thy sel• from Pardon, for God hath not; only believe and repent. But as general a• this pardon is, yet is there somewhat that is discriminating in it, that make• it more illustrious; for it is not tendered to Devils and Damned Spirits: Christ i• not appointed to be a Saviour unto them, nor is his Blood a propitiation for their sins; they are not under any Covenant of Grace, nor have they any promise of Mercy, no not so much as Conditional: It is not said unto them, believe, and you shall be rescued from the everlasting residue of your Torments; believe, and those unquenchable Flames, you are now burning in, shall be put out: No, God requires no such Duty from them, neither hath he made any such Promise to them; yea, should it be supposed, that they could believe, yet this their Faith would not at all avail them, because God hath ordained no Ransom for them, and resolves to receive no other satisfaction to his Justice, than their personal Punishment. But while we are alive, we are all the Objects of God's free pardoning ⟨p. 35⟩Grace. And for any Man that hears the sound of the Gospel, and upon what terms God hath proclaimed forgiveness of Sin; if any Man, notwithstanding shall perish in his sins, it is not because God hath excluded him from Pardon, which he doth seriously, and with vehement importunity, offer and urge upon him; but because he excludes himself by his own Impenitency and Unbelief, in not accepting of it.
First, It is free, 1in its general designation, in that God hath design'd and purposed to forgive the sins of all the World, if they will believe and repent. It is the Universality of Grace, that mightily exalts its freeness; now what can be more universal, than that Proclamation of Pardon that God makes to poor sinners, in Acts 10.43. Whosoever believes in him, shall receive remission of sins. The whole World is under this Conditional Promise, not one Soul of Man excepted: Be thy sins more than the Sands, greater than Mountains, though the cry of them reacheth up to Heaven, and the guilt of them reacheth ⟨p. 34⟩down to Hell; yet thou hast n• Reason, O Sinner, to exclude thy sel• from Pardon, for God hath not; only believe and repent. But as general a• this pardon is, yet is there somewha• that is discriminating in it, that make• it more illustrious; for it is not tendre• to Devils and Damned Spirits: Christ i• not appointed to be a Saviour unto them, nor is his Bloud a propitiation for their sins; they are not under any Covenant of Grace, nor have they any promise of Mercy, no not so much as Conditional: It is not said unto them, believe, and you shall be rescued from the everlasting residue of your Torments; believe, and those unquenchable Flames, you are now burning in, shall be put out: No, God requires no such Duty from them, neither hath he made any such Promise to them; yea, should it be supposed, that they could believe, yet this their Faith would not at all avail them, because God hath ordained no Ransome for them, and resolves to receive no other satisfaction to his Justice, than their personal Punishment. But while we are alive, we are all the Objects of God's free pardoning ⟨p. 35⟩Grace. And for any Man that hears the sound of the Gospel, and upon what terms God hath proclaimed forgiveness of Sin; if any Man, notwithstanding shall perish in his sins, it is not because God hath excluded him from Pardon, which he doth seriously, and with vehement importunity, offer and urge upon him; but because he excludes himself by his own Impenitency and Unbelief, in not accepting of it.
- 1Pardoning Grace is free in its Designation.
