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I. ONLY GOD CAN RELEASE A GUILTY CONSCIENCE; only He can speak peace to a soul in distress. This ought to comfort us, that we have to do with a forgiving God (Nehemiah 9:31). There is none like to Him, to whom it is natural to remit and forgive sin. It is His name (Exodus 34:6): "Forgiving iniquities, transgressions, and sins," all manner of sins; sins against knowledge and against conscience; with Him is plentiful forgiveness.

II. AS GOD ONLY FORGIVES SIN, SO HE EVER FORGIVES SIN. It is always His nature, as the fire always burns; as He is Jehovah, He is merciful. Christ is "the Lamb of God," that doth take away the sins of the world. It is a perpetual act; as we say the sun doth shine, the spring doth run. He is (Zechariah 13:1), that "fountain that is opened for sin and uncleanness." Mercy is His nature, and forgiveness is an effect of His mercy.

III. GOD'S MERCY IS FREE, AND FROM HIMSELF. Though in us is sin and iniquity, yet in Thee is mercy; and therefore God saith (Ezekiel 36:22). Yet must not this be understood so as if it were freely and only from God the Father, excluding Christ. But therefore it is, in that we shall stand in need of no satisfactory merits of our own.

IV. THE BEST CHRISTIAN AND MOST GRACIOUS MAN ALIVE NEEDS FORGIVENESS OF HIS SINS; for where the conscience is enlightened it will discover what corruption it finds, and so the necessity of being delivered. We must daily pray, "Forgive us our sins," yea, the best of the disciples must do it. If we come not with this petition, "our sins are written with a pen of iron, and with the claw of an adamant" (Job 19:24).

V. THIS MERCY AND FORGIVENESS IS GENERAL TO ALL THAT CAST THEMSELVES ON HIS FREE MERCY. It is Satan's subtility to persuade us at the first that sin is nothing; but when it is committed, and cannot be recalled, then he tells us it is greater than can be pardoned. No; the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to all that do believe. Let none despair. It is a greater sin than the former. He pardons all persons: Manasses the sorcerer, Cornelius, Zaecheus, persecuting Paul. The parable of the lost sheep, the lost groat, the prodigal son, testifies it. God offers it freely, "Why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Jeremiah 27:13). He complains when it is neglected: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you together!" (Matthew 23:37). "He threatens" because men will not hear, and "He pardons all sins." There is no disease above the skill of this Physician. He healeth all thy sins and all thy infirmities (Psalm 103:1-3).

( Sibbes, Richard.)

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KJV: But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

WEB: But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared.