[Knowledge is here, as in many other places, put for love'': in this sense it is represented as a seal of the covenant. Love is stamped, as it were, on every part of the covenant, gives a kind of validity to it, and is inseparable from it.]
This unchanging love is the stabihty of the cove- nant—
[We should continually forfeit our interest in it: no believer whatever, if left to himself, would be steadfast in it. Our daily transgressions are sufficient to exclude us from it for ever; but God's love changeth not'. He betroths us to him- self in faithfulness for ever™. He loves and keeps us, not for our sake, but for his own name's sake " : hence all our security arises".]
The covenant, however, does not make void our obhgations to hohness, III. The improvement we should make of it —
The privileges of Christians are exceeding great : but we are in danger of turning the grace of God into licentiousness. Hence the Apostle cautions us against abusing this covenant ^ —
[They " who name the name of Christ" are those who profess Christ's religion ; and that profession supposes them to be interested in the covenant. But continuance in sin would be inconsistent with that profession: the covenant prohibits the indulgence even of the smallest sin. It provides 'strength for the mortification of every lust; it secures holiness to us as w^ell as salvation ; it engages for our salvation only in a way of holiness. Let it not then be made a ground of presumptuous security: let it rather operate as an incentive to diligence; let it incline " every one" to stand at the greatest distance from sin^.]
Infer —
What rich consolation is here for every true be- liever !
k Ps. i. 6. 1 Jam. i. 17. Rom. xi. 29.
m Hos. ii. 19. n Deut. vii. G— 8.
0 St. Paul considers the steadfastness of the foundation as connected with, and depending on, God's immutable regard for his people ; and to this is their final salvation to be ascribed, Mai. iii. 6.
P If Kcil were translated " huf the sense would be incomparably more clear : it has this sense in many places ; and is so translated, 2 Tim. iii. 11. and 1 Cor. xvi. 12.
1 'AnoarijTU} ctVo.