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In this cafe, the trembling finner may find fome encouragement from fuch declarations of the divine word as the following. "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they fhall be my people. A new heart will I give you, and a right spirit will within you. Him that cometh to me, I will

I put in no wife cast out. It is written in the prophets, They shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. He that fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him alfo freely give us all things?"

In a word, the returning finner wants a difcovery of his being received into the favour and friendship of God, through Jefus Chrift. This would be worth more to him than all the world. He is confcious of his crimes, he is oppreffed with loads of guilt, and almoft overwhelmed with fearful and defponding apprehenfions. He trembles to approach the awful Majefty of heaven, but ftanding afar off, he fmites upon his breast, and like the Publican in the temple cries, "God be merciful to me a finner. Satan, and my own mifgiving heart would drive me from thee; but the sense of my neceffity urges me on to seek that relief at thy hand which can be found no where elfe. Yet

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how can fuch a wretch as I am, expect any token of mercy from thy offended Majefty! I have finned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy fon; yet make me as one of thy hired fervants; let me but be taken into thy family, and I shall be happy, though I should occupy the meaneft place, and stand in the lowest order. Lord, what fhall I fay unto thee? Is there yet any mercy for my poor helplefs and polluted foul? Shall I ever obtain favour in thine eyes? O look upon me, and be gracious unto me, for the fake of him who died the loft to fave.

"I will not defpair, but endeavour to hope even against hope. Thou, O God, who art infinitely great, art alfo infinitely good and kind. Thy mercy is above the heavens. Thou haft had long patience with me, and kept me alive from going down to the pit of deftruction, I would hope, with the compaffionate defign of bringing me to the knowledge of thy great falvation. For whom did Jefus, thy beloved Son, fhed his blood; for whom did he agonize and die, but for finners? Lord, I am a finner, and though my crimes far exceed the crimes of many others, yet I find, in the days of his fojourning here below, he fhewed mercy on great finners; they obtained forgiveness, as patterns of future grace to others. O Lord, look

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down upon me with an eye of pity; I am greatly perplexed between hopes and fears, and know not what to do. If I look at myself, I fee nothing but grounds of difcouragement, and of defpair. To me belongeth confufion of face; but to thee belong mercies and forgiveneffes, through the death of thy dear Son. This is all my hope, the only ground of my expectation of pardon, of peace, and of reconciliation with thee.

"And

So numerous are our offences, and fo violent our provocations, that, were not the bleffed God equally fuperior to us in goodness, as he is in power; and in pardoning mercy, as he is in wifdom; we could not have the leaft ground of hope. Among men, when a breach of private friendship has taken place, the aggreffor, being conscious of the injury he has done, is commonly very backward to admit, that the aggrieved party has any benevolence for him. Thus it is with finners, when their confciences are awakened, in regard to God. Extremely backward they are to admit, that there is forgivenefs with God, for fuch aggravated crimes as theirs. To relieve the diftreffed foul, by obviating this very common and prefsing difficulty, the Great Sovereign condefcends ta-citly to admit, that were he like us, neither pardoning nor fparing mercy would ever be exercifed towards any of Adam's offspring. But, he is GOD and not MAN. His thoughts, relative to pardoning mercy, are not our thoughts; nor his ways, refpecting that

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"And is there indeed any hope for a wretch fo miferable and forlorn as I am? The very poifibility of obtaining favour with thee, alleviates my forrows, and half removes the heavy load which oppreffes my foul. Wilt thou be pacified towards me! Let me not deceive myself! Is not this too good news to be true! Have I any warrant from thee, O merciful God, for the hope I am cherish. ing? Yes! I this moment recollect what is written in the fcriptures of truth; "Let the wicked forfake

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Offences, compa

important affair, like our ways. rable to a debt of only fifty pence, are often with difficulty forgiven by us: while he, through the blood of atonement, freely obliterates a debt of ten thousand talents. Among mortals, it is an inftance of love extremely rare, that any one fhould lay down his life, even for a good man, or a public benefactor; but God recommends his love towards us, in that, while we were yet finners, and his enemies, he fent his own Son to die for us. Far from regulating the manifestations of his compaffion according to the puny inftances of human kindness; he not only bleffes, but aftonishes, by the difplays of his matchlefs favour to finners.

Yes, God is LOVE; and, therefore, he delighteth in mercy. What, then, could be more encouraging; or what, by neceffary confequence, could more ftrongly authorife, a guilty, perifhing wretch, to rely on the Lord Jefus, in whom this boundless mercy is manifefted?" BOOTH's Glad Tidings, pag. 26. 27.

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his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their fins no more. I even I am he that blotteth out thy tranfgreffion for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins. Whofoever believeth in Jefus fhall receive remiffion of fins.

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Lord, on the declarations of thy own mouth I venture my foul's everlasting concerns. O help me fo to believe what thou haft fpoken, as that my fears and anxieties may be removed, and my foul be fatisfied of its intereft in thy favour which is life."

Guilty and felf-condemn'd I lie,
Before thy awful throne;

I know I have deferv'd to die,
Yet fave me through thy Son.

In his dear name may I partake
The pardon I implore;

And, for thy fov'reign mercy's fake,
My wand'ring feet reftore.

Thy healing grace, O God, impart;
Relieve my trembling foul;
O let thy favour cheer my heart,.
And all my fears controul.

CHAP.

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