June 22

But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.—Psalms 130:4.

It is well known that the fear of God is commonly used in Scripture to signify, not only the whole of his worship, but all pious affections whatsoever, and consequently the whole of true religion. And some translate the expression here, that thou mayest be reverently worshipped; and it is thus used with the greatest propriety. I speak of that fear which is so far from denoting the servile, hostile dread and terror which some might think of, that, on the contrary, it entirely excludes it, being properly a reverence tempered with love. Yet I do not think that we are to exclude all dread of punishment and vindictive justice under the name of a servile and disingenuous fear; nay, I apprehend such a fear to be necessary even to those who most ardently love, as long as they live in the flesh, in order to tame and rein in the petulancy of it; yea love itself places fear as a kind of bit and bridle to the flesh. My flesh trembles for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments. Let us serve God with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. This is the fear which is called the beginning of wisdom, and which is marked with other very high titles of honor in the sacred Scriptures; without which, we can neither conceive the beginning of divine wisdom and true piety, nor pursue the improvement of it.

As this holy and pure fear is the compendium and summary of religion, so this pardon and free remission of sins is the great foundation and support of that fear and religion. As the whole human race is defiled with sin, the despair of pardon would entirely drive us away from God, and precluding all ways of returning, would plunge the offender headlong into eternal banishment and eternal hatred.

With thee there is forgiveness, that thou mayest be feared; that men may not dread thee and flee thee as an inexorable judge and enemy, but may reverence, love, and serve thee, as a mild and gracious Lord, as a most merciful and loving Father. And this is that joyful message of the gospel, to which sinners run, as soon as they hear and understand it, prostrating themselves with all humility at the feet of so mild a Lord and so gracious a King. "For no one," as Ambrose says, "will think of repenting, but he who hopes for indulgence." This merciful God calls back to his favor, those who are as it were flying from it, saying, Return, ye apostates and rebels, and I will pardon and heal your back-slidings. And they, as if their bowels sounded to the unison note of mercy, with reciprocal penitence and love, answer, Behold we come unto thee, for thou art Jehovah our God. And this is what the great messenger and author of our salvation preached and set forth: Repent, says he, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. You are not now pursued by wrath and vengeance,

1 threatening utterly to extirpate you and cut you off, but the kingdom of heaven, the dispensation of love, mercy, and grace, opens its bosom to embrace you, and freely offers you the full pardon of all your former obstinacy and rebellion. Behold the compassionate father meeting that prodigal son who had so basely run from him, while yet afar off on his return, and, instead of chiding and upbraiding him, burying not only all his sins, but even his very confession, as in a deluge of love, amidst the tenderest embraces, kisses, and tears. Make me to hear, says David, the voice of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. By that lamentable fall, he had as it were dashed himself against the rock of Divine justice, so that all his bones were broken; but what a voice of joy and gladness is that which should restore full soundness and strength to bones which had thus been crushed and shattered to pieces! Surely, it is no other voice than that so often used by our Saviour in the gospel, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee. That was the grace, softer than oil, sweeter than roses, which flowed from his lips into the sinner's wounds, and which being poured into the contrite heart, not only heals, but blesses it, yea, and marks it out for eternal blessedness. But alas! the greater part of sinners sleep in their misery, and though their distempers are mortal, feel them not. It is therefore no great wonder, that this grace, this precious, this invaluable remedy, is despised by them. But oh, how sweet is the voice of pardon to a soul groaning under the burden of sin!

"Sweet as the living stream to summer thirst."

But as one well expresses it, "He that has never known discomfort, knows not what consolation means. Men of this world, entangled in the cares of life and in its crimes, insensible of misery, attend not to mercy." But if any who imagine themselves partakers of this forgiveness, do not at the same time feel their hearts struck with a pious fear of the Divine Majesty, let them know that their joys are self-invented dreams, since it is for this very end there is forgiveness with God even that he may be feared.