For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:24-28)

Here we have in this chapter that covenant of God’s Sovereign Free Grace which was ordained before the world began.  This is that same covenant that David trusted upon His death bed saying “Thou hast made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in ALL THINGS and SURE!”  (2 Samuel 23:5)

This covenant of God is an everlasting covenant, an eternal covenant which God made with Himself for all of His elect people. This eternal agreement, or decree of God in the Trinity of His Sacred persons was predestinated, planned and done in the purpose of God before the world began. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

Therefore, it is by this covenant promise of God through Jesus Christ that every believer may find perfect comfort and assurance of our salvation. (Hebrews 6:17-20)  Behold that God has purposed to save us by His free grace for His own glory. God purposed to take us from the same lump of Adam’s fallen race. (v.24)  God purposed that Jesus Christ should accomplish all our righteousness and redemption and that we should be cleansed from all our unrighteousness. (v.25)  The Holy Spirit of God was purposed to come and give us a  heart and live within us. (v.26-27)  And seeing that this covenant promise was given to us before the world began, and having now experienced this work of grace in our hearts through faith in Christ, what then shall be able to disannul God’s purpose and oath?  We may be confident that nothing and no one shall thwart or pervert God’s eternal covenant of Grace that He has purposed for every one of His elect people. For God has said “You shall be my people and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness” (v.28b-29a).  And it is even the purpose of God that all of His saints loathe themselves for their sins. (v.31).  And we most surely do loathe the old man of our nature and look only to Jesus Christ for all our salvation (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Therefore God says to us his preachers: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to  Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.”  (Isaiah 40:1-2)

                                                                                                                                                                               – F.E

“All your children shall be taught of the Lord.” Isaiah 54:13

God’s teaching does not leave a man where it found him– dead, stupified, worldly, unfeeling, and carnal. If he is in distress, it does not leave him in distress; if he feels guilty, it does not leave him guilty; if he is in darkness, it does not leave him in darkness; but it lifts him out of these evils. Thus God’s people are continually led to come unto him for his instruction, because they feel that without his special teaching they can know nothing as they ought to know. No– the more they have, the more they want to have; for no sooner is the light withdrawn, than the darkness is more sensibly felt. If any text of scripture has been opened up to them, it makes them want to have others made known in a similar way; if they have had any consolation, and it is taken away, it makes them want it again. So that the more wise and spiritual God’s people become; the more foolish and carnal they appear in their own eyes; the stronger they are in the Lord and in the power of his might; the more sensibly do they feel the weakness of their flesh– and the more they are enabled to walk closely with the Lord, the more they discover the wretched wanderings of their base and sinful hearts.

Here, then, we see how God’s people are distinguished from all heady, high-minded professors. They grow upward– but God’s people grow downward. Special and divine teachings do not lead the soul into pride, arrogance, and presumption– but they lead to humility, simplicity, sincerity, contrition, brokenness of heart, low views of self, and admiring views of the Lord.

‘Natural wisdom’ only hardens a man’s heart, sears his conscience, and makes him more worldly-minded– spiritual teachings make the heart tender, the glory of God its great object, and spiritual communion with the Lord ardently desired.

– J.C Philpot