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Christ. There is nothing that we are so prone to as to distrust the promise of God; nothing that we are with more difficulty won over to than to mix them with faith. There are secret thoughts in the hearts of men (which are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked) that neither the promises nor threatenings of God are true in the terms and sense wherein they are proposed to them. They neither think that it shall be so bad with any as he threateneth, nor so well as he promiseth; they think that there are still some reserves and latent conditions in the promises and threatenings of God, and that God knows it shall be otherwise than they seem to pretend. Whatever may be the truth of the promise, yet they cannot conceive that God intends them therein; whereas yet there is no declaration or intention of God, whereby our duty is to be regulated, and whereon we shall be judged, but what is contained and expressed in the proposal of the promise itself. The curse of the law having, by the guilt of sin, been admitted to exercise dominion over the whole soul, it is a great thing to receive and admit of a testimony to the contrary, such as the promise is. What the law speaks, it speaks to them that are under it, as all men are by nature; and it speaks in the heart of every man, that "the sinner must die:" conscience complies also, and adds thereto its ready suffrage; this fixeth a conclusion in the mind, that so it will be, whatever may be offered to the contrary. The testimony of God in the promise is, that there is a way of life and salvation for sinners,. and that God offereth this way and an interest therein to us; now nothing but the exceeding greatness of the power of grace can enable a guilty sinner, thus circumstanced, to "set to his seal that God is true:" on these grounds it is that poor sinners have such need of the reduplication of divine assurances.

$21. Obs. 9. Sense of danger and ruin from sin is the first thing which occasions a soul to look out after Christ in the promise. It is implied in the word (nalaQuyen) which we render "fly for refuge." As the Lord Christ came to seek and save that which was lost, so if men are not sensible of their lost condition, of the sin and sickness of their souls, they will never in good earnest look out after him; and, therefore, those by whom conviction of sin and humiliation for it are despised, as they are by many, Christ himself also, who is the end of the law (and all its convictions) for "righteousness," is despised.

§22. Obs. 10. A full conviction of sin is a great and shaking surprisal to a guilty soul; hence is such a one here tacitly compared to him who had killed a man at unawares. He was just before in a condition of peace and safety, fearing no man, but with quietness and assurance attending his own occasions; but having now slain a man at unawares, he finds all things on a sudden changed around him: fear from within, and danger from without, beset him on every hand. If he seeth any man, he supposeth him the avenger of blood; and if he seeth no man, solitude is dreadful to him. No otherwise is it with them who are thoroughly convinced of sin. They were "alive," as the apostle speaks, Rom. vii, and at peace, fearing no more evil than they felt; perhaps persuading themselves that all things were well between God and their souls, or not much solicitous whether they were or no. In this state the commandment comes and discovers their guilt and danger, and unveils the curse which until now was hidden from them, as the avenger of blood ready to execute the sentence of the law. This being a thing which they never expected nor feared, fills them with great surprisals. Hence are those cries

of such persons, "What shall we do to be saved?" That argues a great distress and no small amazement; and those who know nothing of these things, are utterly ignorant both of sin and grace.

$23. Obs. 11. The revelation or discovery of the promise, or of Christ in the promise, is that alone which directs convinced sinners in their proper course and way. This is the "setting of an hope before them;" and they are called to turn into this strong tower, as prisoners of hope, that they might be brought out of the pit through the blood of the everlasting covenant, The manslayer probably may have many contrivançes suggested in his mind how he might escape the danger to which he was exposed; but, alas! all these things did but keep him out of his way, and divert him from his duty; and the longer he entertained them in his thoughts, the more his danger was increased, and his life hazarded. It was the remembrance alone of the city of refuge, set before him in the divine appointment, that directed him to his proper work, and set him in his way to safety: just so it is with persons under convictions of sin.

$24. To these observations we may subjoin the following brief ones:

1. Wherever there is the least degree of saving faith, upon the first discovery of Christ in the promise, it will stir up the whole soul to make out towards him, and a participation of him. As faith is begotten in the soul by the promise, so the first natural genuine act of it tends to a farther participation of that promise.

2. It is the duty and wisdom of all those to whom Christ in the promise is once discovered, by any gospel means or ordinance once set before them, to admit of no delay of a thorough closing with him.

3. There is a spiritual strength and vigor required to the securing of our interest in the promise, (pain) to lay fast and firm hold upon it.

4. The promise is an assured refuge to all sin-distressed souls who betake themselves to it.

5. Where any souls convinced of sin betake themselves to the promise for relief, God is abundantly willing that they should receive strong consolation.

$25. From what the apostle says about hope, "hope as an anchor," &c. we may observe,

1. That all true believers are exposed to storms and tempests in this world; this makes anchors so necessary for them. The wise God would not have provided an "anchor" for them, and enjoined its use, if he had not known they would be exposed to storms. He that dwells at peace in his house, of all things thinks least of an anchor; but we are to look for storms.

2. These storms would prove ruinous to the souls of believers, were they not indefeasibly interested by faith and hope in the promise of the gospel.

3. No distance of place, no interposition of difficulties, can hinder the hope of believers from entering into the presence of God, and fixing itself on him in Christ. It pierceth through the clouds, passeth through the heavens, stops not at their glorious veil, until it comes to the eternal ground of all grace and mercy.

4. The strength and assurance of the faith and hope of believers is invisible to the world; they enter in "within the veil," where no eye of reason can pursue them; however it is effectual to their good; for,

5. Hope firmly fixed on God in Christ, by the promise, will hold steady, and preserve the soul in all the storms and trials that may befall it; it is an anchor "both sure and steadfast."

6. It is our wisdom at all times, but especially in times of trial, to be sure that our anchor has a good holdfast in heaven; this alone will be our preservation and security that we are fixed on "that within the veil."

7. After the most sincere performance of the best of our duties, our comforts and securities are centered in Christ alone: our hope entering within the veil is a safe anchor, because Christ is there. And,

$26. From the character of Jesus, as our "forerunner," we may observe,

1. This same Jesus is our Savior in every state and condition; the same on the cross, and at the right hand of the Majesty on high; hence he is represented in heaven as a Lamb slain, Rev. v, 6.

2. The Lord Jesus being thus entered into heaven as our forerunner, gives us manifold security for entering in thither also at the appointed season.

3. Again, if the Lord Jesus Christ be entered into heaven as our forerunner, it is our duty to be following him with all the speed we can; and that we burden not ourselves with any thing that will retard us, Heb. xii, 1. Hence also,

4. We may see whereon the security of the church depends, as to the trials and storms which it undergoeth in this world. It is Jesus our forerunner who is within the veil, taking care of all our concerns, that is alone our security. And,

5. What will he not do for us, who in the height of his glory is not ashamed to be esteemed our forerunner? What love, what grace, what mercy, may we not expect from him? And,

6. When our hope and trust enter within the veil, it is Christ, as our forerunner, that in a peculiar manner they are to fix and fasten themselves upon.