The Rev. Stephen Charnock, commenting on Isa. 1.18 (Works, Vol. 5, p. 527):
God loves to discourse with men about this argument of pardon, and he loves that men should hear him speak concerning it. He would dispute them out of their sins into good and right apprehensions of his mercy; so ‘Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted,’ Isa. 31:6. Revolted! there is their sin; deeply, there is the aggravation of it; and being also children of Israel, a people of much mercy and miracles, there is another aggravation; yet turn unto him against whom you have thus sinned. The great objection of a penitent is, I have sinned, and I know not whether God will receive me. Consider, God knows thy sin better than thou dost, yet he kindly calls to thee, and promiseth thee as good a reception as if thou hadst never sinned.
