It is the known voice of the gospel itself, as Isa. Iv. 1-3; Prov. ix. 1-5. And
It is the voice of all the saints in heaven and earth, who have been made partakers of forgiveness; they all testify that they received it freely.
Some, indeed, endeavour to abuse this concurrent testimony of God and man. What is spoken of the freedom of the grace of God, they would wrest to the power of the will of man; but the riches and freedom of God's mercy do not in the least interfere with the efficacy of his grace. Though he proclaim pardon in the blood of Christ indefinitely, according to the fulness and excellency of it, yet he giveth out his quickening grace to enable men to receive it as he pleaseth ; for he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy. But this lies in the thing itself; the way is opened and prepared, and it is not because men cannot enter, but because they will not, that they do not enter. As our Saviour Christ tells the Pharisees, " Ye
VOL. VL 34
5 so AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Ver. 4.
therefore hear not God's Avord, because ye are not of God/' John viii. 47, vi. 44; so he dotli, " Ye will not come to me that ye might have life," John v. 40. In the neglect and inadvertency of the most excusable, there is a positive act of their will put forth in the refusing of Christ and grace by him ; and this is done by men imder the preaching of the gospel every day. There is nothing that at the last day will tend more immediately to the advancement of the glory of God, in the inexcusableness of them who obey not the gospel, than this, that terms of peace, in the blessed way of forgive- ness, were freely tendered unto them. Some that hear or read this word may perhaps have lived long under the dispensation of the word of grace, and yet it may be have never once seriously pondered on this way of coming to God by forgiveness through the blood of Christ, but think that going to heaven is a thing of course, that men need not much trouble themselves about. Do they know what they have done? Hitherto, all their days, they have positively refused the salvation that hath been freely tendered unto them in Jesus Christ. Not they, the}'' will say; they never had such a thought, nor would for all this world. But be it known unto you, inasmuch as you have not effectually received him, you have refused him; and whether your day and season be past or no, the Lord only knows.
5. This way is safe. No soul ever miscarried in it. There is none in heaven but will say it is a safe way ; there is none in hell can say otherwise. It is safe to all that venture on it so as to enter into it. In the old way we were to jjreserve ourselves and the way ; this preserves itself and us. This will be made evident by the ensu- ing considerations: —
(].) This is the way which, in the ivisdom, care, and love of God in Christ, was provided in the room of another, removed and taken out of the way for this cause and reason, because it was not safe nor could bring us unto God: Heb. viii. 7, 8, " For if the first covenant had been faidtless, then should no place have been sought for the second. But finding fault with tliem, he saith," etc. And, —
[1.] He tells us that the first covenant tuas not faidtless ; for if it had, there would have been no need of a second. The " command- ment," indeed, which was the matter of that covenant, the same apostle informs us to be " holy, and just, and good," Rom. vii. 12. But this was faulty as to all ends of a covenant, considering our state and condition as sinners; it could not bring us luito God. So he acquaints us, chap. viii. 3, " It was weak through the flesh," — that is, by the entrance of sin, — and so became unuseful as to the saving of souls. Be it so, then : through our sin and default this good and holy law, this covenant, was made unprofitable unto us; but
Ver.4.] EXHORTATIONS UNTO BELIEVING FORGIVENESS. 531
what was that unto God? was he bound to desert his own institu- tion and appointment, because through our ovm default it ceased to be profitable unto us? Not at all. He might righteously have tied us all unto the terms of that covenant, to stand or fall by them unto eternity; but he would not do so. But, —
[2.] In his love and grace he "finds fault with it," Heb. viii. 8; not in itself and absolutely, but only so far as that he would provide another way, which should supply all its defects and wants in refer- ence to the end aimed at. What way that is the apostle declares in the following verses to the end of that chapter. The sum is, verse 12, " I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." It is the way of pardon, and forgiveness. This is substituted in the room of that insufficient" way that was removed.