that God is still the same, and that his grace is as eifectual as ever for the reviving and the comforting of the contrite soul '^'i Be it known to all, that " God wiH not contend for ever ; neither will he be always wroth ; lest the spirit should fail before him, and the souls which he has made ^."]
We may learn from hence,
L What folly it is to " make a mock at sin" —
[Yes truly; they are justly called fools" who do so: for whilst sin robs us of our innocence, it can create a very hell upon earth. And who is he, against whom it may not prevail? Look at David, the man after God's own heart ; see from what an eminence he fell, and into what an abyss of guilt and misery ! Does not his example speak loudly to us all ? Does it not say to every one of us, " Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall ?" Beware, then, of sin : beware of the very first motions of sin in the soul. " Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth !" And let all of us " flee from sin, as from the face of a serpent ;" and cry daily unto God to " hold us up in his arms, that our footsteps slip not."]
2. What a mercy it is that the Gospel is sounding in our ears —
[Where can the weary and heavy-laden soul find rest, but in Christ Jesus ? What hope could David ever have enter- tained, if he had not looked to the great sacrifice to purge away his sin ? The Law did not so much as prescribe any ofi^ering for such sins as his : and if he had not looked forward to the Gospel, he must have died without hope. But his broken bones were healed by a sight of Christ ; and so shall ours be, if we " flee for refuge to Him, as to the hope that is set before us." To all, then, I will say, Improve your privileges : and if your bones be broken with a sense of sin, the prophet's counsel is given you this day by my mouth : " Come, and let us return unto the Lord : for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up^."]
<= Isai. Ivii. 15. ^ Isai. Ivii. 16. s Hos. vi. 1.