EXHORTATION TO BELIEVE. 253 they think, that going to heaven is a thing of course, which menneed not much trouble themselves about. Do they know what they have done 1 Hitherto all their days they have positively refused the salvation that has been freely tendered to them in Jesus Christ. " Not we," theywill say, " we never had such a thought, nor would for all this world." Be it known unto you, inasmuch as you have not effectually received him, you have refused him ; and whether your day and season be passed or not, the Lord only knows. 5. This way is safe. No soul ever failed in it. There is none in heaven but will say it is a safe way ; there is none in hell can say otherwise. It is safe to all that venture on it, so as to enter it. In the old way, we were to preserve ourselves and the way. This preserves itself and us. This is the way which, in the wisdom and love of God in Christ, was provided in the room of another, removed out of the way, because it was not safe, nor could bring us unto God. And here observe, He tells us the first covenant was notfaultless; for had it been, there would have been no need ofa second. Heb. 8 : 7, 8. The commandment, indeed, which was the matter of that covenant, the same apostle informs us to be holy, just and good. Rom. 7 : 12. But it was faulty to all ends of a covenant : considering our state as sinners, it could not bring us to God. So he acquaints us, " It was made weak through the flesh," Rom. 8 : 3, that is, by the entrance of sin, and so became useless as to the saving of souls. Be it so then ; through our sin and default, this good and holy law, this covenant, was made unprofitable to us : but what was that to God 1 Was he bound to desert his own institution and appoint- ment, because, through our own default, it ceased to be profitable to us 1 Not at all; he might righteously have bound us all to the terms of that covenant, to stand or fall by them to eternity ; yet he would not do so,
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