180 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. made .partakers of this forgiveness l Go to God, spread before him this whole matter, plead with him that he himself has so far laid aside the first covenant of his own gracious will as to make a new one; and that merely because it had no forgiveness in it. This he has made on purpose that it might be known that there is . forgiveness in him. And shall not we now be made par - takers of it 2 Will he now deny that to us, of which he has given such assurances l Nothing can here wrong us, nothing can ruin us, but unbelief. Lay hold on this cov- enant, and we shall have pardon._. This God expresses, Isaiah, 27 : 4, 5. Shall we continue on the oldground of the first covenant 1 All that we can do thereon is but to set thorns and briars in the way of God, to se curd ourselves from his coming against us with his in- dignation and fury. Our sins do but this, and our righ- teousness is no better. Andwhat will be the issue l both they and we shall be trodden down, consumed, and burnt up. What way then, what remedy is left to us.? Only this, of laying hold on the . arm and strength of God in that covenant in which forgiveness of sin is provided. In this alone he saith, ". Fury is not in me;" and the end . will be that we shall have peace with him both here and for ever. IX. TuE OATH OF GOD, engaged and interposed in this matters is another evidence of the truth of for- giveness. But as this is annexed to the new covenant just considered, I shall pass it over the more briefly. We mayconsider, 1. 'The nature of the oath of God. The apostle tells us that he sware by himself; and he gives this reason of it, because he could swear by no greater. Heb. 6 : 13. An oath for the confirmation of any thing is an invoca tion of a supreme power that can judge of the truth that is spoken, and vindicate the breach of the engage .
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