SIX DIRECTIONS how we may strengthen our hope 2/7

  (1.)  There is a covenant of nature, or law-covenant, which God made with innocent Adam; and the condition of this was perfect obedience of the per­son that claimed happiness by it.  This is not the con­dition now required; and he that stands groping in at this door in hope to enter into life by it, shall not only find it nailed up and no entrance that way to be had, but he also deprives himself of any benefit of the true door which stands open, and by which all pass that get thither.  ‘Whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace,’ Gal. 5:4.  You must therefore inquire what the other covenant is; and that is,

           (2.) A covenant of grace, as that other was of na­ture; of reconciliation to make God and man friends, as that was a covenant to preserve those friends who had never fallen out.

           Now the condition of this covenant is, repen­tance and faith.  See for this Luke 24:47; John 3:36; Acts 2:38; 5:31; 20:21; Gal. 5:5.  Labour therefore to give a firm as­sent to the truth of these promises, and hold it as an indisputable and inviolable principle, that ‘whoever sincerely repents of his sins, and with a ‘faith un­feigned’ receiveth Christ to be his Lord and Saviour, this is the person that hath the word and oath of a God that cannot possibly lie, for the pardon of his sins and the salvation of his soul.’  What service a strong assent to this will do thee towards exerting thy hope thou wilt by and by see.  It is the very basis thereof.  The weight of the Christian’s whole building bears so much on it that the Spirit of God, when he speaks in Scripture of evangelical truths and prom­ises, on which poor sinners must build their hopes for salvation, doth it with the greatest averment of any other truths, and usually adds some circumstance or other that may put us out of all doubt concerning the certainty and unalterableness of them.  ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs,’ Isa. 53:4.  There is no question to be made of it; but it was our potion he drank, our debt he paid.  What end could he have besides this in so great sufferings?  Was it to give us a pattern of pa­tience how we should suffer?  This is true, but not all; for some of our fellow-saints have been admirable instances of this.  ‘He carried our sorrows,’ and ‘was wounded for our transgressions.’  This, this was the great business worthy of the Son of God's undertak­ing, which none of our fellow-saints could do for us. So, ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all accep­tation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,’ I Tim. 1:15. As if he had said, ‘Fear no cheat or imposture here; it is as true as truth itself; for such is he that said it.’  If you believe not this you are worse than a devil.  He cannot shut this truth out of his conscience, though the unwelcomest that ever came to his knowledge.  ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,’ I John 1:9. What can the poor penitent fear when that attribute is become his friend that first made God angry with him.  Yea, so fast a friend as to stand bound for the performance of the promise, which even now was so deeply engaged to execute the threatening on him? ‘Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath,’ Heb. 6:17.  What security could we have asked more of a deceitful man, than the faithful God of his own accord gives?  The Ro­mans did not give their magistrates oaths—supposing the dignity and honour of their persons and place were bond strong enough to make them true and righ­teous.  Surely then God's word would have deserved credit, though it had not an oath to be its surety, yet God condescends to this, that he may sink the truth of what he saith deeper into our minds, and leave the print fairer and fuller in our assents to the same when set on with the weight of asseverations and oaths.