A Goodly Heritage

We learn in this text what must be in the great day . When you pass from life without any part in Christ , you are not saved according to the covenant of grace , and God will not come out of His covenant to save those who despised His warning all the day of grace . When His own well beloved was bearing wrath for sin , when His own beloved cried ,"My God , my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" so firm and sure was the covenant for the redemption of Christ's people , that it would not , could not yield to save Christ from suffering what was due to sin . Oh ye who , in a life of worldly ambition , cherish a vague hope that Christ will in the end be tender , and not visit you with wrath , I bid you reflect . Christ did not , Christ could not , contrary to the provisions of his covenant , save himself ; and he will not , cannot , contrary to the provisions of the covenant ,save you .

We speak of a revival; we pray for it ; perhaps we long for it . But all this , and an hundredfold more in the same direction, will not bring it about. God's arm is not shortened: his ear is not heavy. Our iniquities separate between us and him. The way to invite his presence is to put away the evil of our doings ; for he cannot dwell with sin . And if anyone , conscious of his knowledge and jealous of orthodoxy , should say in opposition, it is God's presence , sovereignly vouchsafed , that makes the visited man put away his evil;  we answer , that is a glorious truth , but is not an argument against our injunction.  That is the upper end of a revealed truth which reaches from earth to heaven: it is too high for us :if you put forth your hand to touch it at the top , it will consume you. That high thing is for God to handle , and not man. The end that leans on earth and lies to your hand is -"turn you at my reproof." The only safe way  of moving the heaven-high extre...