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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 li 6 MICROCOPY RESOLt'TION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I 1^ tso 3.2 I4X) 2.5 j2.2 2.0 1.8 ^ y^PPLIED IIVHGE I nc 1653 East Main Street Rochester, New York 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288-5989 -Fox •^^^ J3zr ^B^^^^^B f '■ — =— — — , «;f-.-rr.> .. .. I I ll i FORGIVENESS OF SINS. ) - 1 A ' H H : 1 ■ ' / 1 I 1 WHAT 18 IT \ ^^^^^^^^^H ^^^^^1 ''^'' ^^^^^^^^^^^H ; . By C.H M. ■ , . v 1 "We have redemption through His blood, the ; forgiveness of sins."-(Eph. i. r.) 1 ^^B'^^^'--' s ■.,-'■ ■ ' ' ^H H TORONTO: HI GOSPEL TRACT DEPOSITORY, ' ' 308 YoNGE Street. •■,;'"■■ ■ t ■ f H ■ ■ : ^- ^ - ., «C___*^ --'- ■ M 'wr:~C'r/'/. FORGIVENESS OF SINS r WHAT IS IT? By a H. M. ' We hare red«mption through Hfs blood, the forgiveness of sins."— (Eph. i. 7.) TORONTO : GOSPEL TRACT DEPOSITORY, 308 TOKGE STREET, B9Q2m FORGIVENESS OF SINS: "^^H-A-T IS IT? /^H ! the blessedness — transgression forgiven — sin ^ covered ! This, truly, is blessedness, and without this, blessedness must be unknown. To have the full assurance that my sins are all forgiven, is the only foundation of true happiness. To be happy without this, IS to be happy on the brink of a yawning gulf, into which I may at any moment be dashed forever. It is utterly impossible that anv one can enjoy solid happi- ness until he 18 possessed of the divine assurance that all his guilt has been cancelled by the blood of the cross. Uncertainty as to this must be the fruitful source of mental anguish to any soul who has ever been led to feel the burden of sin. To be in doubt as to whether my guilt was all borne by Jesus or is yet on my con- science, is to be miserable. Now, before proceeding to unfold the subject of for- giveness, I should like to ask my reader a very plain, pointed, personal question, namely, Dost thou believe that thou canst have the clear and settled assurance that thy sins are forgiven I ask this question at the outset, because there are u aay, now-a-days, who profess to preach the gospel of Christ, and yet deny that any one can be sure that his sins are forgiven. They main- tain that it is presumption for any one to believe in the forgiveness of his sins, and on the other hand, they look upon It as a proof of humility to be always in doubt as to this momentous point. In other words, it is pre- sumption to believe what God says, and humility to doubt it. This seems strange in the face of such TkARafttrAa a.a fJna f/O^n-arinn, <(rru„„ ;«, ;„ — _:i.i j xu.-. It behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the FORGIVEN i:8fl OF BINS .* WHAT 18 IT ? !l!l!^?n K^' ^°^ i*^^* repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerugalem " (Luke xxiv. 46, 4^) • •'in whom wehavl redemption through His blood, the forgivenem o/s^ma, according to the riches of His grace?' (Eph i 7; Col. 1. 14.) v^F"- *• wSf fc li? ^^""^ remission, or forgiveness, of ains (the ^n^l'^T® ^"^^l^ the three possager^ preached in the name of Jesus and possefised by those who believed that K^*n!l!"^- A proclamation was sent to the Ephesians and Colossians, as belongmg to the "all nations,'' telling them of forgiveness of sins, in the name of Jesus They believed this proclamation, and entered on the possession of the forgiveness of 'sins. Was thl pre by wicked works." Some of them had doubtless, bowed the knee to Diana. They had liv^d in gross Idolatry and all manner of wickedness. But then, "for- giveness of sinS" had been preached to them in the wI^^?/^?S^' ^^^ *^^«. preaching tru3, or was it not I Was It for them oi was ii not ? Was it all a dream-a shadow-amyth? Did it mean nothing? Was there nothing sure, npthmg certain, nothing solid about it. These are plain questions, denpanding a plain answer from those who assert that no oSe canlnow for certafn ,-f nn w^ 7r ^''k fo'-eivea. If, indeed, no one can know It now then how could any one have known it in apostolic times? If it coufd be known in the first centunr, then why not in the nineteenth? "David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying 'Blessed lllo^^^ ^hcse iniquities are forgiven, and^hose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will "Tb^A^i^"''- z^?^""- 'y- ?:«•> Hezekiah could sly, xxxv^?i ?? . "^"^T '^^ r^ ^^^'^"^ Thy back." (Isaia^ll xxxviii 17. J The Lord Jesus said to one, in His dav (Matt:ix^2') *'^^^''' *^^ ^'''^ ^® forgiven thee''' Thus, at all times, forgiveness of sins was known vith all the certainty which the Word of God could give Any one of the cases adduced above is sufficient to overthrow the teaching of those who asseit that no one can know that his sins are forgiven. If I finH frnm \ c i c 1 ( r tl n f] tl t) hi X, >» rOROlVENESS OF 8IN8 : WHAT 18 IT ? 5 for Z very vilest Lintr t^fV^"^*^^* '^ ^« P«««ib1e certainfxr fL7 if- ^}^^^^ *<> know now, with divino 8criDt,Zi'»™"* **"" *>? "«««» recorded in the Holr ri|hteo neii^^rbe' i^.SH ^aS iCTevl"!! Now. the OIlARfinn iq 1X7U-4. J.- J XI ., _ Paul mean whan'VTl^ '« " "'*" "^^^ ''H? aposues Feterand ^am mean when they so unreservedly preached the for- 6 FORGIVENESS OF 8INB ! WHAT IS IT? giveness of sins to those who listened to them ? Did they really mean to convey to their hearers the idea that n?S^t?*^'^J^^''''fu*^^* *^® possessed this forgiveness of sins ? When in the synagogue of Antioch, Paul said to his audience, "We declare unto you glad tidings,'^ did he entertain the notion that no one could be sure thkt hi& ??t?oT«l-f ^,T^f I ^^T ^^^^^ *^® gospel ever be called • ^i^'*ui^*°§^ ^^. ^^ ^^^y effect were to leave the soul in doubt and anxiety ? If indeed it be true that no one can enjoy the assurance of pardon, then the whole stylo of apostolic teaching should be reversed. We mieht then expect to find Paul saying to his hearers, bI it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, t^at no one can ever know, in this life, whether his sIm are for- given or not. Is there aught like this in the entire range of apostolic preaching and teaching ? Do not the apostles everywhere set forth, in the fullest and clearest manner, remission* of sina as the necessary result of believing in a crucified and risen Saviour ? Is there the most remote hint of that which is so much insisted upon by some modem teachers, namely, that it is a dangerous presumption to believe in the full forgiveness of 111 our sms, and it argues a pious and humble frame of soul to live in perjpetual doubt ? Is there no possibility of ever enjoying, m this world, the comfortable certainty of our eternal security in Christ ? Can we not rely upon Gods word, or comnait our souls to the sacrifice of Christ ? Can It be possible that the only effect of God's glad tidings 18 to leave the c oul in hopeless perplexity ? Christ has put away sin; but I cannot know it! God has spoken ; but I cannot be sure 1 The Holy Ghost has come down ; but I cannot rely upon His testimony ! It is piety and humility to doubt God's word, to dishonor the atonement of Christ, and to refuse the faith of the heart to the record of the Holy Ghost! Alas! alas! if JJihf^ ?o®*^K^Pf •' *^!'' ^1?^'' ^P Pe*^e ^°''"ier fills me with gloomy tt^oo*.''*^ ^^^^ ' ***® ^***«^ i°iPa^ divine certe^n?/ ^;^^^i^ "PJ« W, r ?.^ffor*s ; this, upon a finishe^d 7^!^A *' ^1^^^ ^?*" ^ ?**®°<* ? Is there a shadov\r of fh«''jJ^*'*'°vi^P"^*'°"* *^® ^'i^i'® volume of God, for lation H S??i?a T ?*'' ^l"*"! °^ *^is eternal' sal^ ftSVm^hio^S^^w^®^'**^]?'.^^^ **»er® is not. So far wS:i it' *^® 11''''*^,'** ^^' ^^ ^^^^T section of it, sets hfw. "f ' "". **»e clearest way, the privilege o^ the ^ J^^r H^^Joy **^e «i?st unclouded certeinty as to his pardon and acceptance in Christ. o«^'}?i^ H,"*l ^^V i^ i* 11*^* <^"e ^ Good's faithful Word fn «fe* " ^""'^^^^ n^^' **^«* ^*ie soul confiding there- Sifww®"^^^^ *^® *""®st assurance ? True, !t is by faith that any one can so confide, and this faith w nZ'i^^ii'' V"^ ^^^""^ ^y *?« ^°1^ <^»^^st. But all this iS nowise affects our present question. What I desire is that my reader should rise From the study ot this pape^ with a full and firm conviction that it is possible fo^him to possess the present assurance that he is as safe S Christ can naake him. If any sinner ever fining fK^! assurance, then why may not my reader now enioVitl Is Christ's work finished ? Is God's word tTue ? ^eV 8 FORGIVENESS OF SINS : WHAT 18 IT ? Them Sf m«f o»'%""f* tree.*" Xv^^S tnr«fl «il?f?t ?J®** for our sms according to the Scrio- tures, and that He, was buried and rose aeain thA H,iwi tfcee. God sees thee to be what Christ has made th«> £J be He sees thee in Christ and as Chrirt Wherefor^ c^ \l ^'"^ thee, tread no more those Soomv SdS ^SdV;srwith*thi^\*«4ey'"^'^^^^^ glory lorever m His own mansions of heavenly and, m doing so, we shaU nr«sAnf. ,f „rii- .u. V,°™' anri i«^ '--6"':'ucbb ui Bins, as untolded in ^d,_m doing so, we shaU present it nndp? .o«uwmg neaas ; namely, First, the ground on which FOEGIT VES8 OF 8INS : WHAT 18 IT ? 9 m- i^ Ood forgives ru^d ; secondly, the extent to which He Svf r8Tns''''T^«r«1; **^r^^y' *5? 'V ^^ ^hich He for! gives sms. There is value m this threefold presentation «8 It gives clearness, fulness and precision trouraDDrel tension of the subject as a whole The more cleaS?- we understand the j^ound of divine forgivress the moTI Ihe" or ^PP^"^^^*« *^« «^te°t' and admi?!' the S?ll THE GROUND OF DIVINE FORGIVENESS. ^^I^if ^l *^S ^^^ **'^* importance that the anxious reader should understand this cardinal point It is quite impossible that a divinely convicted conscienci can enjoy true repose until the ground of foJgfvenesa tLlT^^ ^i""' '^^'« '"^y *>« certain vagueTougSs respecting the mercy and goodness of God hS readi- ness to receive sinners ani pardon tLSSnfffis un- willingness to enter the place of judgment and ffis promptness to enter the place of mercy,-aU this there S^JnT'iL''^ "?***i*^® convicted soul fs ledtosfehow iist O^d^ni^"* ^"f ^^^ *^^ Justifier-how He can bel iwifS^ ^R? y®* * Saviour-God-how He has been glorified with respect to sin-how all the divine attr^ Butes have been harmonized, it must be a stranger to the peace of God which truly passeth all understaf dLg A conscience on which the light of divine truth his poured itself in convicting power, feels and owns thtt 8in can never enter into tie presence of God-That siS wherever it is found, can only be met by the fist judgment of a sin-hating God. Wee, until the divSie metTiod of dealing with sin is understood and believed h^fLTt^ ^^ '"^^?"« ^°^^^*y- Sin is a reality Q^d's S?n?^^^ '^ * ""^fi'^y' conscience is a reality, juclgment Ind Sfw^ ^ ''^^L'*^-^ -^^i *^^«^ *^^°^« mustlbe looked at and duly considered. Justice must be satisfied- con- done ^^'c^nfllvV^^^*^'*' '^T^'^- ^«^ *« a" this tS be aone ? Only by the cross of Jesus. «.S®''®fru ®*^' ^? ^^^^ th® *^"® ground of divine forgive- ?r*l«* 1 P/®^^^"^^*®^®*"®^* of Christ forms thel)ase «f«™* P*^*^?'■°' ^^ ^*^i^h a j"«t C^od and a justified smner meet m sweet communion, in iha.^ of^^^^l"" t ?£«S^ condemned justice satisfied,"the laVma^TfiTd. the sinner saved, the adversary confounded. Creation 10 FORGIVENESS OF SINS I WHAT IS IT? never exhibited aught like this. There, the creaturA enjoyed the manifestation of power, w4dom aSd 5ood Jh^'I*^* tl»e fairest fields of tfie whoirSoS prSt ed nothing like "grace reigning through righteousnefs^ -nothing like a glorious cSmbfnation of "rfgKSsneL and peace, mercy and truth." It was rf^rved f^ Calvary to display all this. There, thaTgrand Ind III important question How can God be just and the justi- fier ? received a glorious reply. Th^ death of dhrist P?Z^¥^ ^^A ^^r^/' . ^ "l^s* »ood has been siSsfiedTsTo Ssci^ce finX «^if "'®' ^®^® Py S"il*y. t'^ouWed conscience nnds sweet ^epose. I have seen mv sin« nsing like a dark mountain before me threateSLmf tT«m!m"'^^^"***k5 5,"***^« blood o? Jesus h^Wo^tted them all out from God's view. They are cone and ^nnA foSuTneS^J^i"?^ ^°^*^« mighty wis Jf'te wif nSlpd ^A fh.V a°^/ree-aa free m the One who trthrlf wUhtuCm'^^ "^ ""«' '"* "^^ '' -'^ - a B^o'lfd ground" ^^'^tn""^ of divine forgiveness. What ^as o wlJS S T^?° ""k, "^^^^ ^a? *°"eb it ? Justice *=5fttnn^?o/ 'i T*^e troubled conscience may rest in it ^ a Ju^tlS^f ^nS'^^^l^^ \ ^«d has revealed Himself as a Justifier, ^nd faith walks in the light and power of that revelation. Nothing can be simp^ notMnlcEer jSs&Th"^ satisfactory. If God ?eveals SseH afa aS JJ^^i^^'J^^t^^ed through faith in the revel the LnlT h? «^ ""^^ glories of the cross shine upon ine sinner, he sees and knows, believes and owns that ^m?n^Iu'r^e'c^^i'^^' ^^« «^- ^ ^-*»^' hasTstifiel h.nSfi?"i!;*^«£^.':' ^l^^J beseecb thee, that thou appre- • -" ^"^ "uc gruuna or tiio forgiveness of Bins. F0BGIVENES8 OF SINS : WHAT IS IT ? II There is no use in our proceeding to consider the extent and style until thy ppor troubled conscience has been led to rest upon the imperishable ground of forgiveness Le> me reason with thee. What is to hinder tEee from «fev,I5''^of°'''°'^''*;r^^i°^^^.**^® foundation of accom- YX^^t »*o°e°»ent ? Say, does thy conscience need something more to satisfy it than that which has satis fied the inflexible justice of God ? Is not the ground on which Goi reveals Himself as a righteous Jiistififir sufficiently strong for thee to stand ufon as a jSfied smner ? W^t.sayest thou, friend ? Art thou siusfied ? ]l^^}'''^\^<^^^^\loT thee ? Art thou still searching thoughts, thy feelings ? If so, give up the search aa utterly vain. Thou wilt never finlanythW And even though thou couldst find something, it would only be In for gSJ"w'&-* *r' ^«,l»indrance.^' Christ is si^dent for God, let Hun be sufficient for thee likewise. Then- but not until then-wilt thou be truly happv May God the Holy Ghost cause thee to rest thia SJ-n^n^^fT"^ *". all-sufficient sacrifice, as the' only ground of divine forgiveness, so that thou mayest be able to enter with real intelligence and interesrupon namlly*- "•''''' "" ^^^ ^^''''''^ P°^°* '"^ *>"^ »"^«ctl THE EXTENT OF DIVINE FORGIVENESS. f i,y^7i ^^"^^ are perplexed as to this. They do not see the fulness of the atonement; they do not grasD the emancipating fact of its application to all tfefr ^sins^ thev do not enter into the fulfforce of those lines which ' perhaps, they often sing, - »« "u«8, wnicn, " All thine iniquities who doth Most graciously forgiye." wJ«nm?J?.^®"'''^^''*^® impression that Christ only of fhS^L^^ their sms namely, their sins up to the timi ot Jhpfr TJiT' • °- ^^^^ fr *^«"^*«d ^« *« the question nLn?!^4^'^^ ®'''^' ^V^ *h®«^ ^ere to be disposed of SFi^ ^^^ifferent ground from their past sins, thus are S;i •* i™®^:u^"*^V ^*^t ^^"^^ and sorely beset. Nor the deaf h^^f ^.^S^-T^se with them until they see that in tne death of Christ, provision wa« mad« fm- th^ f,,n f^^. h'^l^h^ ni """-K th?»> sins. True it is" that the child of God who commits sm has to go to his Father and confesa 12 FOBG1VENE88 OF 8IN8 : WHAT 18 IF ? other meaAs, oou(5 fS^F7yerZtJ!^n%l7A^Zf?f'^ f **«' do it i,^. faithfua™„Z^^^^^ 18 to Eta praise and our exoeecfing comfo?t J'ou"mLno'rftTat"^r,"'',^' «='?■'''"'"«. ^hatt do lor ! To this it^Dlr f h?^.^"*"'* ""^ ^"^ »" atoned cieaiuess and decision, 'witliouT-^i^;71^^^1,^^'^; FOBGIVENESS OF SINS I WHAT IS IT ? 1$ hesitation, '«Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thv back." To say this is but faith's response to God's ow5 declaration, when He says, "Their sins and their iniqui- ties will I remember no more " ; " Jehovah hath made to meet on Him the iniquities of us all " Let us, by way of illustration, take tbe case of the- thief on the cross. When he, as a convicted sinner, cast the eye of faith upon that blessed One who hunt? beside bim, was he not, then and there, rendered fit to enter the paradise of God ? Was he not furnished with a divme title to pass from the cross of a malefactor into the presence of God ? Unquestionably. Did he need any tiling more to be done for him, in him or with him in order to fit him for heaven ? By no means. Well, then suppose that, instead of passing into heaven, he had been permitted to come down from the cross, -suppose the nails had been extracted and he allowed to so at liberty ; he would have l:ad sin in his nature, and, having sm in his nature, he would have been liable to commit Mo'f^H^^S • ^S5' ^o^d and deed. Now, could he ever lose- his title, his fitness, his meetness? Surely not. Kis title^ was divine and everlasting. All his sins were borne bv &fi*.^i'^i''^'°^*'^** 5*^^ ^^ t« enter at the firstT had fitted him once and forever, so that if he had remained on earth for fifty years, he would, at anv moment, have ceen equaUy fit to enter heaven. irue It IS, It the pardoned sinner commits sin hi» communion IS interrupted, and there must be the hekrtv confession of that sm ere his communion can be restored ."If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and ivalk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." 6u?thrs is obviously a different point altogether. My communioiL may be interrupted, but my title can neve? be forfeited All was accomphshed on the cross. Every trace of sin «nf ^^^Z^l ^^''''^^ for by that peerless, priceless sacr? nS«n^/ *?^* ^r'^S® the believer is traiiSerred from a position of guilt and condemnation into a position of innS*'- "^ ^K- El^^^^*i^^°^- H« i« translated from a condition in which he had not a single trace of richteous ness, into a condition in which heSas not a single ^^^^^^ of ffuilt, nor ever can have. He stands in grace he is under grace, he breathes the very atmosphere of grace and lie never can be otherwise, according to God's view* J^P^.l^?i^°^\*l!^° J^?i ^Vioes not ?f there must b^ K .^^ __1 J. XI n niiu VVllUL LUeii; Forgiveness and cleansing^ 14 FORGIVKNE88 OF 8IN8 : WJIAT IS IT ? ts founded an the cross. The tl^thhLi^^f''P^- ^^^ God, the advocacy of ChrL onr A^® ?**?** J^s^'ce of forgiveness, our perfect cleSnefh«t^''*^!^^ ^"'" *»» communion, all rests imnnfhlf'iu ^storation of our blood of Christ. ^^"^ ^^'^ «^^*^ ^a«»« of the preciouj My reader will bear in min/i *»,„♦ occupied with the one p^nHame^vthf ^?' at present, forgiveness. There arVoSie^nSn t^' n?® ^""1^?* <^^ 'divine which might be looked at in i^"„-^^ importance believer's Oneness with Christ h^«n^'''°;-^"^^ «« ^^^ family of God, the indwelling of th« HnP*'Si ^"*° ^^^ which necessarily imply the ful? for ®^ ^^ost, all of we must confineLZC to o^iS^^ but havmg endeavored to hp^ f^-V if *i ®°^^*^® theme, and we shSl close wi?h a fewVords on' ^'"""^ ^^^ ^^^^'^t' THE STYLE OF DIVINE FOROIVENESa. sty'l^'orlnlUfortLed^Zr^t ^'^'^^' "P«° t^e power in the stv e than i^ Sf Jo w^^"^''*^^ ^ar more Bave we heard sVch words as ?he^^^^ ^^^ ^^^'^ me a favor: but then b^ /?,v?u • ®® " 7®^' ^ own he did away all the good of it N^w Vb^^'r^'^'^^'^^^r^^ *o take doing things,^ble8sed be felme^'l^tfnr' f^\^ ^^ great things, but He does them l^such « w« J """l^ *^^®« vmce us that His heart i« in fi^ a • ^ ^f^ ^« *o con- only is the subs4nce of m« *^t'*'''"^ ^/ '^^«°»- Not most charming ^'^ ^^*^ K"^"". but the style Ch'Sst^^oScLng^^P^to'simon JC^'^^- ^°«*^^-«' -* vii. "When thef had notbw f^^® Pharisee, in Luke gave them both -Now so far L f^v.^^' ^e frankly for- debt was concemeT Ve rS wn,?w ""k ^^^l^*" «^ *^^ same whatever stvle had h?i„ ^S"^1 5^^^ been the heart does not pirceive the mornf'lfP*^**- .^"* ^^at "frankly"? Wfio would tmrf^^fS* P?"^^^, ^^ the word to.see tlfe subslt^rsTripp^eToTfs stvleT^Tbr'^J^^^ ffi^mS^wttd ir^T?^^-^ tL'\r^si' heart, rob th^e^^t'^ii'iiTts ct/m's^^ th^^ oVel-T^T ttiSSe'^ollbli^K^^^^^^^^ . ^ FORGIVENESS OF SINS : WHAT IS IT ? 15 f,.,w?f 1 ' ^?^' ^"^^c^- ™onient. at that familiar but ever fruitful section of inspiration, Luke xv. Each of the parables illustrates the power and beauty of stvle When the man finds his sW what does he^do? Does fhJ'T^^T ""^ ?". the troubfe, and commence to drivl the sheep home before him ? Ah ! no ; this would never HnwT^^^n* *^r^ "He layeth it oA His shouldere - ?«T. Kn^'.T^^'^''?*"^, °L ^^^ ^^'Sht or the trouble ? Nay: but '^r^oicmg:' Here we have the lovely stvle Th« ^.^""^^ \T^ ^^^ *« P^ ^^ «heep back^aga^' ,> w ?!P "^T^^ 5^''u^ been safe on the shoflder howeC It had been placed there; but who would part with the word "rejoicing"? Who would bear to see Sie sub stance of the action stripped of its charming stj^l '"*" of siiv^er''' '^h^^iXt ^^t*^« r™an and hir lost piece seeks "Hnw? ^}^A i?^""^^®' ^"^^.^P^ ^^^ house: and fntls ^ ^ With dullness, weariness and indiffer- ence? By no means; but "diligently," like one whose tW^ti^^^^^'Si™ '\^r ^«rk. It w4s quite manifest Ht^&^^r^&1*^' '' ^^' the lost piece of silvfr' Lastly, mark the style of the father in receiving the poor returning prodigal. "When he was yet a Ireat 7nJ^5 ? n ^^*^^^ '*^. *^^^' «°d had comp^assion^and mn and fell on his neck and kissed him." ^He does not send out a servant to tell the erring one to turn as?de into one of the out-offices, or betake himself to ttilkit^ Chen, or even to confine llimself to his own room No • he himself rum. He, as it were, lays aside his mternai dignity m order to give expression to his father?y affeS tion He IS not satisfied with merely r^eivine the tTefecentfon ^an^^^ T'\^'7^ '^^' ^^« whol^hrrf is in ine reception: and this he does, not merely by the sub- stance ot the act, but by his style of doing it thlSi^o^f ^^""P^^*^^®^ "^'^^^ ^® adduced to illustrate the style of divine forgiveness, but the above will suf- whlo^ PTV*"^! ^""^ graciously recognizes ?hl power which style has to act upon the human heart. I sbllT therefore, m closing this paper, make an earnest appeai to my reader, as to what he*^ now thinks of thegfffl the extent and the style of divine forgiveness. ^ ' Beloved reader, thou seest that the ground is as stable as the very throne of God itself, that the extent s infinite, and the style- all that the heart cmVnn««*hW dusire. »ay, tnerelore, art thou satisfied as to tfee great 16 FOBGIVENK88 OF SINS : WHAT IS IT ? 3nnhf ^« ^i,*^e forgiveness of sins ? Can you any longer extent to which, and the style in which, He forgives sin ? Can you hesitate when he actually ^o'^K^ves. "?PS°"v*"' °^ J^***"' to thee, And shews His thoughts how kind they be"? f i,S^^*?u **^ ^^^^ °?®^ ^^"^8 to receive thee. He points t?onof%!?rtvT'' ''^^''S ^'^ ^^'^ »^««d laid the fo^unda tion of f oTMveness, and assures thee that all is done and ?nThf^'H •^'tf ^° l^'* '^°^' henceforth and for evermore m that which He has wrought for you Mav the WpsSS &uKs*'s?thTtl'*^^^^ *^n^^^^ ana tuiness, so that thou mayest not only believe in the I (I RKPRINTID FROM "THINGS NBW AND OLD." ''^■i^*'7^'l'-Z ■•-*■' ':•■'■: ■ I t V, ~$;.:^.ir%^j ■- •- -■*,. _ ^ " •-:^y' >>^ if .":--'"-■'' v:*-!'^^^^^-^^^--'----' '.. ■'"' ^1 ■t'-" '•■- ' ''•■'' *■ ^^^^^^^^1 Is. ' V ■ -■ ■' ':y. ^^^^^^^^1 ;, '",CT; V'^ -..-"" w5' i'-;*^-. ,; .^ . --^ - . "■ *. ' *- « ^^H ■-/r.;- "-- _■ ;■■..•■■ . ■ i- -,,,■ ^'^ -■. 1-' . . I^B , . .' ,''„..- , ... .,.,■. -— — i- .^T^J^^^l =■' >; - h','*'".^" ■■- ' .■_. V _,- - -^j^^^^^^^H . ' ■; .'.'_.-. . ■" , : ^ - . »'*«'>-'- , - , ' , « t ~'!^^^^^^^H ■-, .-"' ^- "'^3KtUt/tK/KKKMttliH . 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