1. In the privileges offered to us, which are pardon and life. In these benefits, pardon and life, there is due provision made for the desires, necessities and wants of mankind. Pardon answereth the fears of the guilty creature ; and life, those desires of happiness which are so natural to us, and therefore are the most powerful and inviting motives to draw our hearts to God.
[1.] The consciousness of God's displeasure, and the fear of his wrath, should make offers of pardon acceptable to us. Wlien sin entered into the world, fear entered with sin. The grand scruple which liaunteth the guilty creature is, how God shall be appeased, and the controversy taken up between us and his justice: Micah vi. 6, 7, ' Wherewith shall he be appeased, and what shall I give for the sin of my soul?' We fear death and punishment from a holy and just God, and this is the bottom cause of all our troubles. Therefore till the forgiveness of sin be procured for us, and represented to us upon
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commodious terras, we know not how to get rid of this bondage, the justice of the supreme governor of the world will be ever dreadful to us. These fears may be for a while stifled in men, but they will ever and anon return upon us. Now let us admire the wisdom of God, who hath pro'ided such a suitable remedy to our disease as reconciliation and remission of sins by Jesus Christ ; and that God showed himself so ready to pardon us, who are so obnoxious to his wrath and vindic- tive justice.
[2] Tiie other great privilege offered in the covenant is eternal life, which suiteth with those desires of hapjiiness which are so natural to us. Corrupt nature is not against the oilers of felicity ; we would have immunity, peace, comfort, glory; none would be against his own benefit, but every one would be willing to be freed from the curse of the law, and the flames of hell, and enjoy happiness for evermore. Though we be unwilling to deny the flesh, and renounce the credit, pleasure, and profit of sin, and grow dead to the world, and worldly things, yet never was there a creature heard of that would not be happy, for there was never a creature but loved himself Now, the Lord in his cove- nant ' hath brought life and immortality to light/ settled our happi- ness and the way to it ; he promises that which we desire, to induce us to that which we are against. As we sweeten pills to children, that they may swallow them down the better, they love the sugar though they loathe the aloes. God would invite us to our duty by our interest ; he hath told us of a happiness full, sure, and near, that he may draw us ofi" from the false haj>piness wherewith we are enchanted, and bring us into the way of holiness, that we may look after this blessed hope.
2. The terms he hath required of us. The terms are either for entrance, or making covenant with God ; or continuance, or keeping covenant with God ; for entrance, faith, and repentance are required.
[1.] Faith in Christ. The world thinks faith quits reason and intro- duceth fond credulity. No ; there is much of the wisdom of God to be seen in it. For faith hath a special aptitude and fitness for this work : — (1.) Partly in respect of God. Forhe having designed to glorify his mercy and free grace, and to make our salvation from first to last a mere gift, and the fruit of his love to us, hath appointed faith for the accept- ance of this gift: Rom. iv. IG, 'It is of faith, that it might be by grace.' Faith and grace go always together, and it is put in opposi- tion to the merit of works, or the strictness of the old covenant. (2.) As it is fittest to own Christ the Redeemer, the fountain of life and hajjpiness, and our head and husband, whom we receive, and to whom we are united and married by faith. (3.) With respect to the pro- mi.ses of the gospel, which offer to us a hajjpiness and blessedness, spiritual, and for the most part future. Unseen things are properly objects of faith: Heb. xi. 1, ' Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' (4.) It is fittest as to our future obedience, that it may be comfortable and willing. Now, we owning Christ in a way of su])jection and dependence, and consenting to become his disciples and subjects, other duties come on the more easily, 2 Cor. viii. 5.
[2.] For repentance. This is the most lively and powerful means of
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bringing men to new life and blessedness. (1.) It is most for the honour of God that we should not be pardoned without submission, without confession of past sin, and resolution of future obedience. Common reason will tell us that our case is not compassionable while we are impenitent, and hold it out against God. Who will pity those in misery who are unwilling to come out of it ? Besides, it would infringe the honour of God's law and government that one continuing in his sins, and despising both the curse of the law and the grace of the gospel, should be pardoned and saved. Eepentance is often called a giving glory to God : Mai. ii. 2, ' Ye will not lay it to heart, and give glory to my name ;' Josh. vii. 19, ' My son, give glory to God, and make confession to him ;' Rev. xvi. 9, ' They repented not to give glory to God.' Repentance restoreth God's honour to him, as it acknowledges the justice of his laws. The self-condemning sinner acknowledges that God may destroy him, and if he save him it is mere mercy. (2.) The duty of the creature is best secured, and the penitent person more bound to future obedience, by the vow itself, or the bond of the holy oath into which he is entered, and the circum- stances accompanying it, which surely induce a hatred of sin and a love of holiness. There will be a hearty consent to live in the love, obedience, and service of our Creator, with a detestation of our former ways. When we feel the smart of sin, such a sense of it will ever stick by us ; and when we are in the deepest and freshest sense of his pardoning mercy, when we see at how dear rates he is pleased to have us, and upon what free terms to pardon all our wrongs, we shall love much, Luke vii. 47. Surely they that are brought back from the gibbet and the very gates of hell by such an act of pardoning mercy are most likely to remember the vows of their distress, and are more engaged to love God and please him than others are. (3.) It is most for the comfort of the creature that a stated course of recovering our- selves into the peace and hope of the gospel should be appointed to us, which may leave the greatest sense upon our consciences. Now what is likely to do so much as this apparent change, whereby we renounce and utterly bewail our former folly, and solemnly devote and give up ourselves to God by Christ ? Those things that are serious and advised leave a notice and impression upon the soul. This is the most important action of our lives, the settling of our pardon and eternal interest. The heart is hardly brought to this, to renounce what we dearly love ; therefore it is usually rewarded with some notable tastes of God's love : Isa. Ivii, 15, God delights ' to revive the hearts of his contrite ones.'