1III. Gods appointment of Repentance unto sinners, doth reveal that there is forgiveness in himself. I say the prescription of Repentance is a Revelation of forgiveness. After the Angels had sinned, God never once called them to Repentance. He would not deceive them, but let them know what they were to look for at his hands; he hath no forgiveness for them, and therefore would require no Repentance of them. It is not, nor ever was a duty incumbent on them to repent. Nor is it so unto the damned in Hell God requires it not of them, nor is it their duty. There being no forgiveness for them, what should move them to repent? Why should it be their duty so to do? Their eternal anguish about sin committed, hath nothing of Repentance in it. Assignation then of Repentance is a Revelation of forgiveness. God would not call upon a sinful ⟨p. 145⟩creature to humble it self and bewail its sin, if there were no way of recovery, or relief. And the only way of recovery from the guilt of sin, is pardon, so Job 33. 27, 28. He looketh on men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. In the foregoing Verses he declares the various ways that God used to bring men unto Repentance. He did it by dreams, ver. 15, 16. by Afflictions, ver. 19. by the preaching of the Word, ver. 23. What then doth God aim at in and by all these various ways of teachings? It is to cause man to say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right. It is to bring him to Repentance: What now, if he obtain his end, and man cometh to that which is aimed at? Why then there is forgiveness for him, as is declared, ver. 28. To improve this evidence, I shall confirm by some few obvious considerations these two things.
1III. Gods appointment of Repentance unto sinners, doth reveal that there is forgiveness in himself. I say the prescription of Repentance is a Revelation of forgiveness. After the Angels had sinned, God never once called them to Repentance. He would not deceive them, but let them know what they were to look for at his hands; he hath no forgiveness for them, and therefore would require no Repentance of them. It is not, nor ever was a duty incumbent on them to repent. Nor is it so unto the damned in Hell God requires it not of them, nor is it their duty. There being no forgiveness for them, what should move them to repent? Why should it be their duty so to do? Their eternal anguish about sin committed, hath nothing of Repentance in it. Assignation then of Repentance is a Revelation of forgiveness. God would not call upon a sinful ⟨p. 145⟩creature to humble it self and bewail its sin, if there were no way of recovery, or relief. And the only way of recovery from the guilt of sin, is pardon, so Job 33. 27, 28. He looketh on men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. In the foregoing Verses he declares the various wayes that God used to bring men unto Repentance. He did it by dreams, ver. 15, 16. by Afflictions, ver. 19. by the preaching of the Word, ver. 23. What then doth God aim at in and by all these various wayes of teachings? It is to cause man to say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right. It is to bring him to Repentance: What now, if he obtaine his end, and man cometh to that which is aimed at? Why then there is forgiveness for him, as is declared, ver. 28. To improve this evidence, I shall confirm by some few obvious considerations these two things.
- 1Forgiveness with God, manifested by his Prescription of Repentance.
