But that all do not continue in that deplorable condition, will appear by considering,
II. The state to which they are introduced by the Gospel —
Every living man once was in the state above described ; but in conversion, men " who were some- times afar off, are made nigh to God" —
[In what the nearness of converted men to God consists, will appear by the very same considerations as have already been used to illustrate their distance from him in their uncon- verted state. The Gentiles had no liberty of access to God among the Jews : they had an outer court assigned them : and it would have been at the peril of their lives, if they had pre- sumed to enter the place appropriated to the Jews. But on
« Rom. ii. 26, 27. d Exod. v. 2. e Ps. xiv. 1.
conversion to Judaism, they were admitted to a participation of all the rights and privileges of the Jews themselves. Thus persons truly converted to God have liberty to approach the Majesty of heaven ; yea, since the vail of the temple was rent in twain, a new and living way is opened for them into the holiest of all : they may go even to the throne of God, and draw nigh to him as their reconciled God and Father. As soon as ever they are " in Christ Jesus," united to him by faith, and interested in his merits, they have every privilege which the most eminent saints enjoy : their sins are pardoned ; they have peace with God ; and, though they may not be so full of joy as others, yet they have the same grounds of joy, inasmuch as " their Beloved is theirs, and they are his."]
To this happy state they are brought " by the blood of Christ"—
[It was the blood of the sacrifice that availed for the restoration of sinners to the Divine favour under the law : and in the same manner it is the blood of Christ, and that only, that can avail for us. But as in the former case, so also in this, two things are necessary : the blood must be shed as an atonement for sin ; and it must be sprinkled on the offender himself, to intimate his entire affiance in it. Now the shedding of Christ's blood was effected on Calvary, many hundred years ago : and that one offering is sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Nothing more therefore is wanting to reconcile us to the Deity. But the sprinkling of his blood upon our hearts and consciences must be done by every one for himself: we must, as it were, dip the hyssop in the blood, and apply it to our own souls : or, in other words, we must exer- cise faith on the atonement of Christ as the only ground of our acceptance before God. In this way, and in this only, are we ever brought to a state of favour with God, and of fellowship with his people.]
This subject being mentioned as that which was deserving of continual remembrance, we would call upon you to " remember" it —
1. As a criterion whereby to judge of your state —
[It is evident, that, if once we were afar off from God, and now we are nigh to him, there must have been a transition from the one state to the other, or, as the Scripture expresses it, a " passing from death unto life." Has this transition then ever taken place in your souls ? It is not necessary that you should be able to trace the precise time when it began, and the various steps by which it was accomplished : but there is an impossi- bility for it to have taken place, without your having sought it