cease to " hew out to ourselves broken cisterns," when we may have access to " the fountain of living waters?" shall we still grasp at a shadow, while we lose the substance 1 " Where- fore " act we thus ? What reason can we assign to ourselves for such obstinacy ? and what shall we assign to God, when he shall interrogate us respecting it in the day of judgment ? shall we plead a want of information ? God has informed us. Shall we say that the blessings of salvation were out of our reach ? God has freely offered them to every one of us : nor can any thing but a deliberate rejection of his mercy ever finally destroy us ]
Lest any thing should be wanting to affect our hearts, God confirms his invitation with,
III. A promise —
There is not any thing which God will not do for those who obey his call —
[Whatever a carnal man may enjoy, he has no right or title to eternal life. On the contrary, whatever a spiritual man may want, this privilege he shall assuredly possess, " his soul shall live." Nor shall this life be terminated like the life of the body ; for God will make a covenant with him, " an everlasting covenant," a " covenant ordered in all things and sure ;" so that every thing necessary for the maintaining and perfecting of this life shall be secured to him. And as the Father gave unto his Son " the sure mercies of David" by raising him from the dead, and setting him at his own right hand in heaven b, so will he bestow on his believing people every thing that he ever promised unto his Church. Notwith- standing he may suffer them for a time to be reduced to a most forlorn and desperate condition, as was the state of Christ when enclosed in the tomb, his mercies shall be "sure" to all his seed, and every soul amongst them shall in due season be exalted to a throne of glory in heaven.
Lest we should still remain unmoved, God calls our atten- tion to this promise, repeating his entreaties with all the energy and affection that words can express. " Hearken," says he, ' as to a distant sound which you are solicitous to hear : hearken " diligently," not suffering any thing to divert your attention for one moment: "incline your ear" as one that is afraid of losing a single word that is spoken to him : " hear," determining to judge with candour, and to follow the dictates of sound wisdom. Do this,' says God, ' and the promise shall be yours : I pledge myself by covenant and by oath that your soul shall live, and that nothing that is good shall be wanting to you either in time or in eternity.']
b Acts xiii. 34.