DEPTHS OF SIN. 23 them to fall into these depths that have been mentioned. Under the first covenant there was no mercy or forgive- ness provided for any sin. He made man upright, and it was necessary that he should be preserved from every sin, or that covenant could in no way benefit him. But it is not so in the covenant of grace : there is in it par- donprovided in the blood of Christ. It is not, therefore, of indispensable necessity that there should be adminis- tered grace in it, effectually preserving from every sin : yet it is on all accounts to be preferred before the other; for besides the relief by pardon, which the other knew nothing of, there is in it also much provision against sin, which was not in the other. 1. There is provision made in it against all and every sin that would disannul the covenant, and make a final separation between God and a soul that hath been once taken into it. This provision is absolute ; God bath taken upon himself to make it good, to establish this law of the covenant, that it shall not by any sin be Jis- annulled. "1 will," saith God, " make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart fromme." Jer. 32:40. This securitydepends not on any thing in ourselves. All that is in us is to be used as a means for the accomplishment of this promise; but the event or issue depends abso- lutely on the faithfulness of God. And the whole cer- tainty and stability of the covenant depends on the effi- cacy of the grace administered in it to preserve men from all such sins as would disannul it. 2. There is in this covenant of grace provision made for constant peace and consolation, notwithstanding the guilt of such sins as, through their infirmities and temp- tations, believers are daily exposed to. Though they fall into sins every day, yet they do not fall into depths every day. In the tenor of this covenant there is a con-
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