264 FOROIVEZESS OF SIN. Ih his love and grace he finds fault with it, Heb. 8 : g, not in itself and absolutely, but only so far as that he would provide another way, which should supply all its defects in reference to the end aimed at. What way that is, the apostle declares in the following verses. The sum is, ver. 12, " I will be merciful to their unrighte- ousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remem- ber no more." It is the way of pardon and forgiveness. This is substituted in the room of that insufficient way that was removed. Let us consider, then, whether the infinitely wise and holy God, pursuing his purpose of bringing souls to himself, laying aside one way of his own appointment as unavailing because of the coming in of sin, against which there was no relief found in it, and substituting another way in the room of it, would not provide such a one as should be absolutely free from the faults which he charged upon that which he removed. That which alone rendered the former way faulty was sin : it could do any thing but save a sinner : this then was to be, and is principally provided against in this way of forgive- ness. And we see here how clearly God bath severed, yea, and in this matter opposed these two things; namely, the way of personal righteousness, and the way of forgiveness. He finds fault'with the first ; what course does he then take 1 Does he mend it, take from it what seems to be redundant, mitigate its severity, and supply it where it is wanting by forgiveness, and so set it up anew 1 This, indeed, is the way that many proceed in their notions, and the most in their practice. But this is not the way of God; he takes one utterly away and establishes the other in its place ; and men's endeavors to mix them will be found of little use to them at the last. I can have no great expectation from that which God pronounced faulty. Also, the unchangeable principles and foundations
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=