First, The Goodness of God, Leads us to expect the Pardon of our sin, if we do Return to Him from all our sin. If a man have no Expectation or Encouragement for a Pardon, he will never come unto Repentance. That which Encourages a sinner, is, an Hope that God will Pardon him, if he do Repent. Impenitence will be the certain Consequence of Desperation. From his Despair, the Arabians call the Devil by the Name of Ibliso, or, The Desperate ⟨p. 16⟩One. Despair will turn a Sinner into a Devil. Well, but This is one great Point, wherein the goodness of God showe• it self. Dissolve into Tears of Repentance▪ O Hearts of Stone, when you hear of this Marvellous Goodness! Exod. 34.6.7. The Lord God is merciful, and gracious, and abundant in goodness, forgiving Iniquity, Transgression, & Sin: And, Mic. 7.18. Who is a God like unto thee, that Pardoneth Iniquity, because He delights in Mercy! Tis true, From the mere Goodness of God one could not gather a Pardon for the Repenting Sinner. For, the Justice of God requires a Satisfaction for sin; and Repentance is no Satisfaction. But since we know, that through the Tender Mercy of our God, the Day-spring from on High has visited us, and that our Lord Jesus Christ has come to make Satisfaction, and Expiation for our sin, we may now conclude it; O ye Chief of Sinners, make that Joyful Conclusion; Certainly, If I Return to so Good a God, after all the Evil that I have committed against Him, He will Pardon me, He will Accept me, He will Adopt me. Never shall I Repent of my Repentance: I that am the blackest Sinner in the world, shall by the goodness of God▪ be washed in the Blood of His Dear Son, and He will make me one of ⟨p. 17⟩His Children, and I shall stand before Him, as if I had never Sinned against Him, upon my Re••• unto Him. How, How can I go on in Sinning against such Unmatchable goodness! Truly, the Natural Inference to be drawn from this admirable Goodness of God, is That: Isa. 55.7. Let the wicked Return unto the Lord, & He will have Mercy on him, & unto our God, for He will abundantly Pardon. One would think, This were enough to break the Heart of the most obdurate and obstinate Sinner in the World. What? After all thy horrible Sinfulness, O man, will the Goodness of God, receive thy Returning Soul into its Embraces? And bestow Everlasting Righteousness and Blessedness upon thee?
First, The Goodness of God, Leads us to expect the Pardon of our sin, if we do Return to Him from all our sin. If a man have no Expectation or Encouragement for a Pardon, he will never come unto Repentance. That which Encourages a sinner, is, an Hope that God will Pa•don him, if he do Repent. Impenitence will be the certain Consequence of Desperation. From his Despair, the Arabians call the Devil by the Name of Ibliso, or, The Desperate ⟨p. 16⟩One. Despair will turn a Sinner into a Devil. Well, but This is one great Point, wherein the goodness of God showe• it self. Dissolve into Tears of Repentance▪ O Hearts of Stone, when you hear of this Marvellous Goodness! Exod. 34.6.7. The Lord God is merciful, and gracious, and abundant in goodness, forgiving Iniquity, Transgression, & Sin: And, Mic. 7.18. Who is a God like unto thee, that Pardoneth Iniquity, because He delights in Mercy! Tis true, From the meer Goodness of God one could not gather a Pardon for the Repenting Sinner. For, the Justice of God requires a Satisfaction for sin; and Repentance is no Satisfact•on. But since we know, that through the Tender Mercy of our God, the Day-spring from on High has visited us, and that our Lord Jesus Christ has come to make Satisfactio•, and Expiation for our sin, we may now conclude it; O ye Chief of Sinners, make that Joyful Conclusion; Certainly, If I Return to so Good a God, after all the Evil that I have committed against Him, He will Pardon me, He will Accept me, He will Adopt me. Never shall I Repent of my Repentance: I that am the blackest Sinner in the world, shall by the goodness of God▪ be washed in the Bloud of His Dear Son, and He will make me one of ⟨p. 17⟩His Children, and I shall stand before Him, as if I had never Sinned against Him, upon my Re••• unto Him. How, How can I go on in Sinning against such Ʋnmatcheable goodness! Truly, the Natural Inference to be drawn from this admirable Goodness of God, is That: Isa. 55.7. Let the wicked Return unto the Lord, & He will have Mercy on him, & unto our God, for He will abundantly Pardon. One would think, This were enough to break the Heart of the most obdurate and obstinate Sinner in the World. What? After all thy horrible Sinfulness, O man, will the Goodness of God, receive thy Returning Soul into its Embraces? And bestow Everlasting Righteousness and Blessedness upon thee?
