A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

Secondly, This forgiveness is in or with God, not only so, as that we may apply our selves unto it, if we will, for which he will not be offended with us, but so also, as that he hath placed his great Glory in the Declaration and communication of it; nor can we honour him more than by coming to him to be made partakers of it, and so to receive it from him. For the most part, we are as it were ready rather to steal forgiveness from God, than to receive from him as one that gives it freely and largely. We take it up, and lay it down, as though we would be glad to have it, so God did not, as it were, see us take it; for we are afraid he is not willing we should have it indeed. We would steal this fire from Heaven, and have a share in Gods Treasures and Riches almost without his consent. At least we think that we have it from him aegre, with much difficulty, that it is rarely given and scarcely obtained. That he gives it out, [Greek or Hebrew], with a kind of unwilling willingness; as we sometimes give Alms without Cheerfulness. And that he loseth so much by us, as he giveth out in Pardon. We are apt to think that we are very willing to have forgiveness, but that God is unwilling to bestow it, and that because he seems to be a loser by it, and to forego the glory of inflicting punishment for our sins, which of all things we suppose he is most loth to part withal. And this is the very nature of unbelief. ⟨p. 228⟩But indeed things are quite otherwise. He hath in this matter through the Lord Christ ordered all things in his dealings with sinners to the praise of the glory of his Grace, Eph. 1. 6. His design in the whole mystery of the Gospel, is to make his Grace glorious, or to exalt pardoning mercy. The great fruit and product of his Grace is forgiveness. The forgiveness of sinners. This God will render himself Glorious in and by. All the Praise, Glory and Worship, that he designs from any in this world, is to redound unto him by the way of this Grace, as we have proved at large before. For this cause spared he the world, when sin first entered into it: for this cause did he provide a New Covenant, when the old was become unprofitable. For this cause did he send his Son into the world. This hath he testified by all the Evidences insisted on. Would he have lost the praise of his Grace, nothing hereof would have been done or brought about.

Secondly, This forgiveness is in or with God, not only so, as that we may apply our selves unto it, if we will, for which he will not be offended with us, but so also, as that he hath placed his great Glory in the Declaration and communication of it; nor can we honour him more than by coming to him to be made partakers of it, and so to receive it from him. For the most part, we are as it were ready rather to steal forgiveness from God, than to receive from him as one that gives it freely and largely. We take it up, and lay it down, as though we would be glad to have it, so God did not, as it were, see us take it; for we are afraid he is not willing we should have it indeed. We would steal this fire from Heaven, and have a share in Gods Treasures and Riches almost without his consent. At least we think that we have it from him aegre, with much difficulty, that it is rarely given and scarcely obtained. That he gives it out, , with a kind of unwilling willingness; as we sometimes give Alms without Chearfulness. And that he loseth so much by us, as he giveth out in Pardon. We are apt to think that we are very willing to have forgiveness, but that God is unwilling to bestow it, and that because he seems to be a loser by it, and to forego the glory of inflicting punishment for our sins, which of all things we suppose he is most loth to part withal. And this is the very nature of unbelief.