Adam ; and the condition of this was, perfect obedience of the person that claimed happiness by it : this is not the condition now required ; and he that stands groping at this door, in hope to enter into life by it, shall not only find it nailed up, and no entrance to be had, but also deprives himself of any benefit of that true door, which stands open, and by which all pass that get thither ; Gal. V. 4: 'Whosoever of you is justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace.' You must thei-efore inquire what the other covenant is. It is a covenant of grace, as the other was of nature ; — of reconciliation between God and man, as the other was a covenant to preserve those friends who had never fallen out. Now the re- quisites of this covenant are repentance and faith: see Luke xxiv. 47; John iii. 36 ; Acts ii. 38, v. 31, xx. 21 ; Gal. v. 5. Labour, therefore, to give a firm assent to the truth of these promises, and hold it as an inviolable principle, that who- ever sincerely repents of his sins, and with a faith unfeigned receiveth Christ to be his Lord and Saviour, this is tlie person that hath the word and oath of a God, that cannot possibly lie, for the pardon of his sins, and salvation of his soul. What service a strong assent to this will do thee toward exerting thy hope, thou wilt by and by see : it is the very basis thereof; the weight of the Christian's whole building bears'so much on this, that the Spirit of God, when he speaks in Scripture of evangelical truths and promises, on which poor sinners must build their hopes for salvation, he doth it with the greatest averment of any other truths, and usually adds some circumstance or other that may put lis out of all doubt concerning the certainty of them. Isa. liii. 4 : ' Surely he hath borne our griefs;' there is no question to be made of it; it was our potion that he drank, our debt he paid. What end could he have besides, in such great suf- ferings ? Was it to give us a pattern of patience how we should suffer ? This is true, for some of our fellow-saints have been admirable instances of this; but surely there was more than this, — He bare our sorrows, and was wounded for our transgressions. This, this was the great business, worthy of the Son of God's undertaking, which none of our fellow-saints could do for us. So, 1 Tim. i. 15, ' This is a faithful saying, and worthy all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners:' as if he had said, Fear no cheat or impos- ture here, it is as true as truth itself; for such is he that said it : if you believe not this, you are worse than a devil : he cannot shut this truth out of his con- science, though the most unwelcome that ever came to his knowledge. ' If we confess our sins, he is just and faithful to forgive us our sins;' 1 John i. 9. What can the poor penitent fear, when that atti-ibute is become his friend, that first made God angry with him ; yea, so fast a friend as to stand bound for the performance of the promise, which was so deeply engaged to execute the threatening on him ? Heb. vi. 17: ' Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.' What security could we have asked more of a deceitful man, than the faithful God of his own accord gives? The Romans, did not give their magistrates oaths, supposing the dignity and honoiu- of their persons and place were bond strong enough to make them true and righteous. Surely then God's word would have deserved credit, though it had not an oath to be its surety ; yet God condescends to this, that he may sink the truth of what he saith deeper into our minds, and leave the print fairer and fuller in our assents to the same, when set dn with the weight of asseverations and oaths. Secondly, Having foxmd what are the requisites of the covenant, rest not satisfied, till thou findest these are wrought in thy own soul, and art able to say thou art this repenting and believing sinner. A strong hope results from the clear evidence it hath for both these. We read in Scripture of a threefold assurance. First, An assurance of understanding ; Col. ii. 2. Secondly, An assurance of faith ; Heb. x. 22. Thirdly, An assurance of hope ; Heb. vi. 11. And it is a good note which an acute Doctor hath upon them, (D.A. Tag. Sa. p. 126,) — That these three make up one practical syllogism, wherein ' knowledge ' forms the proposition, ' faith ' makes the assumption, and ' hope ' draws the conclusion. I do, saith the Christian, assuredly know from the word, that the repenting, believing sinner shall be saved ; my conscience also tells me, that I do unfeignedly repent and believe, therefore I do hope firmly that I shall, however unworthy, be saved. Now we know there can be no more in the conclusion, than there is in the pre- mises : so that as the force is, which the Christian puts forth in his assent to
AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION'. 54.9