61. But what need have we of distant witnesses? You have a witness in our own breast. For am I not speaking to one that loves God? How came you then to love him at first? Was it not, because you knew that he loved you? Did you, could you love God at all, ’till you tasted and saw that he was gracious? That he was merciful to you a sinner? What avails then controversy, or strife of words? Out of thy own mouth! You own, you had no love to God, ’till you was sensible of his love to you. And whatever expressions any sinner who loves God uses, to denote God’s love to him, you will always upon examination, find, that, they directly or indirectly imply forgiveness. Pardoning love is still at the root of all. He who was offended is now reconciled. The new song which God puts in every mouth, is always to that effect, O Lord, _I will praise thee: tho’ thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song: he is also become my salvation_, Isaiah xii. 1, 2. 62. A confidence then in a pardoning God, is essential to saving faith. The forgiveness of sins is one of the first of those unseen things, whereof faith is the evidence. And if you are sensible of this, will you quarrel with us concerning an indifferent circumstance of it? Will you think it an important objection that we assert, that this faith is usually given in a moment? First, let me intreat you to read over that authentic account of God’s dealings with men, the Acts of the apostles. In this treatise you will find, how he wrought from the beginning on those who received remission of sins by faith. And can you find one of these, (except perhaps St. _Paul_) who did not receive it in a moment? But abundance you find of those who did, besides _Cornelius_ and the three thousand, and to this also agrees the experience or those who now receive the heavenly gift. Three or four exceptions only have I found in the course of several years, (perhaps you yourself may be added to that number, and one or two more whom you have known.) But all the rest of those, who from time to time among us have believed in the Lord Jesus, were in a moment brought from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.