A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

Thirdly, The one (which we reject) worketh no Love to God, no Delight in him, no Reverence of him, but rather a contempt, and commonness of Spirit in dealing with him. There are none in the world that deal worse with God, than those who have an ungrounded persuasion of forgiveness. And if they do fear him, or love him, or obey him in any thing, more or less, it is on other motives and considerations, which will not render any thing they do acceptable, and not at all on this. As he is good to the Creation they may love, as he is great and powerful they may fear him; but sense of pardon, as to any such ends or purposes, hath no power upon them. Carnal boldness, formality, and despising of God, are the common issues of such a notion and persuasion. Indeed this is the generation of great sinners in the world; men who have a general apprehension, but not a sense of the special power of pardon, openly, or secretly, in fleshly or spiritual sins, are the great sinners among men. Where faith makes a discovery of forgiveness, all things are otherwise. Great Love, Fear, and Reverence of God, are its attendants. Mary Magdalen loved much, because much was forgiven. Great Love will spring out of great forgiveness. There is forgiveness with thee, saith the Psalmist, that thou mayest be feared. No unbeliever, doth truly and experimentally know the truth of this inference. But so it is when men fear the Lord, and his Goodness, Hos. 3. 5. 1 ⟨p. 92⟩say then, where pardoning mercy is truly apprehended, where faith makes a discovery of it to the soul, it is endeared unto God, and possessed of the great springs, of Love, Delight, Fear, and Reverence, Psal. 116. 1, 5, 6, 7.

Thirdly, The one (which we reject) worketh no Love to God, no Delight in him, no Reverence of him, but rather a contempt, and commonness of Spirit in dealing with him. There are none in the world that deal worse with God, than those who have an ungrounded perswasion of forgiveness. And if they do fear him, or love him, or obey him in any thing, more or less, it is on other motives and considerations, which will not render any thing they do acceptable, and not at all on this. As he is good to the Creation they may love, as he is great and powerful they may fear him; but sense of pardon, as to any such ends or purposes, hath no power upon them. Carnal boldness, formality, and despising of God, are the common issues of such a notion and perswasion. Indeed this is the generation of great sinners in the world; men who have a general apprehension, but not a sense of the special power of pardon, openly, or secretly, in fleshly or spiritual sins, are the great sinners among men. Where faith makes a discovery of forgiveness, all things are otherwise. Great Love, Fear, and Reverence of God, are its attendants. Mary Magdalen loved much, because much was forgiven. Great Love will spring out of great forgiveness. There is forgiveness with thee, saith the Psalmist, that thou maist be feared. No unbeliever, doth truly and experimentally know the truth of this inference. But so it is when men fear the Lord, and his Goodness,