OBJECTION. But would you not have us rejoice at the sight and sense
of the forgiveness of our sins?
ANSWER. Yes; but yet I would have you, and indeed you shall when God
shall tell you that your sins are pardoned indeed, "rejoice with
trembling;" for then you have solid and godly joy: a joyful heart
and wet eyes in this, will stand very well together; and it will be
so, more or less. For if God shall come to you indeed, and visit you
with the forgiveness of sins, that visit removeth the guilt, but
increaseth the sense of thy filth; and the sense of this, that God
hath forgiven a filthy sinner, will make thee both rejoice and
tremble. O, the blessed confusion which will then cover thy face,
while thou, even thou, so vile a wretch, shalt stand before God to
receive at his hand thy pardon, and so the first-fruits of thy
eternal salvation. "That thou mayest remember, and be confounded,
and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am
pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord
God." Jer. 33:8, 9; Ezek. 16:63.
Since the NAME of God is that by which his nature is expressed, and
since he naturally is so glorious and incomprehensible, his name
must needs be the object of our fear; and we ought always to have a
reverent awe of God upon our hearts at what time soever we think of
or hear his name; but most of all when we ourselves do take his holy
and fearful name into our mouths, especially in a religious manner;
that is, in preaching, praying, or holy conference.
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