him yin.] FATTfl IN ITS LOWEST DEGREES. 229 xxxii. 39, 43. See now, that I, even I am he ; 'and there is no God with me ; I kill, and I make alive"; I wound and I heal ; neither is there any that can' deliver out of my hand. Rejoice therefore O ye nations, yë gentiles together with hispeople Israel ; for he will ren- der vengeance to his adversaries, and be mercifidto his land; Is. xliii. 11. 13. 1, even I, am the Lord ; and be- side me there is no Saviour. Iwill work ; andwho shall let it.? Thus it appears, that there is abundant 'ground from the words of my text, for a poor perishing sinner to raise his hope to assurance that he shall be saved, if he does but sincerely, answer this gracious invitation from he .ven, and trust in God, as he is revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ, for salvation, according to that description of true faith which is given us in the word ofGod. All the improvements I shall make of this discourse at present, shall be contained in these four reflections. 1st Reflection. We may learn from this scripture, how extensive and glorious is the salvation of Christ ! How answerable is it in every respect to the weaknesses and thewants, to the miseries, dangers, and fears, of a con- vinced, and awakened sinner ! It reaches to those who are perishing in the ends of the earth. Let us survey them a little more particularly. 1.. Is our .guilt and distress exceeding great and dreadful ? Behold here a salvation of rich fulness and divine all-sufficiency: for it is a God that provides it. The riches'of grace, the depths of wisdom, and the efforts of almighty power are employed in this blessed. work ; and the mercy is expressed in the manner of a speaking God :.He who said, Let there be light, and there was light, says also, lookand be saved : And the sinner looks, and receives salvation. It is a God who commands de; liverançes for Jacob, and salvation for his people ; Ps. xliv. 4. 2. Are our enemies great and mighty ? Are the flesh, and the world, and the powers of hell engaged against ,the safety of our souls ? yet our salvation is perfectly and eternally secure; for he that saves us is God : No creature can diiièst us of it, and there is no other God besides hin. "Neither height, nor_ depth, nor principa- lities, nor powers nor life, nor death, nor any creature, (2 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=