An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 124
SERM. CXXIV.
Of Gods Promiſes to man.
2 COR. 1. 20.
For all the Promiſes of God in him are yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us.
THis Verſe is a further confirmation of the conſtancy and immutability of the Lord Chriſt, and ſo by conſequence of Pauls doctrine. For that Chriſt is unchangeable, he proveth, in that all the promiſes which God hath made, they receive their fullneſſe and complement in him, and ſo are therefore true, becauſe fullfilled both in him and by him. This is the Apoſtles ſence in this aſſertion, which Calvin doth well call, memorabilis ſententia, &c. a memorable ſentence, and one of the chiefeſt Articles of our Religion; for herein is all our faith and confidence ſeated, that in Chriſt God maketh his gracious promiſes to us, by whoſe efficacy and impetration they be accompliſhed; ſo that a promiſe is fullfilled, not becauſe of any worth or dignity in us, but becauſe of of the fulneſſe and worth that is in Chriſt.
1. The words may be taken as an entire Propoſition; wherein we have the ſubject and predicate, with the amplification of it from the finall cauſe.
The ſubject is deſcribed from the nature of it, foreign promiſes.
2. From the univerſality and extent, foreign all promiſes, as many as are made.
3. From the efficient cauſe, the promiſes of God.
4. The predicate, are yea, and are amen in him: Of which in their order.
Let us begin with the Subject, foreign the promiſes, many times in the plurall number, at other times in the ſingular; for indeed the covenant of grace is but one large promiſe, or an ocean emptying it ſelf into many ſtreams; yet ſometimes called promiſes, becauſe of the many things both ſpirituall and temporall that are particularly promiſed by God, the ſumme whereof is contained in that great promiſe, or Magna Charta of the Church, I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people: or elſe it may be promiſes in the plurall number, becauſe of the frequent repetition and reiteration of the grand promiſe of Chriſt to the Church. Now the word promiſe is ſometimes uſed for the things promiſed; as when any are ſaid to inherit the promiſe, Heb. 6. 12. and ſometimes for the promiſe it ſelf. The Greek word, foreign is uſed often in the New Teſtament, whereas the Ancients did uſe the word foreign more frequently for a promiſe: though the Apoſtle Peter uſeth that alſo twice, 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 13. The theme of it is foreign, which cometh of foreign, ſay ſome; and for better pronunciation, foreign. But Euſtathius maketh it to come of foreign. From this root we have the word foreign in the ſingular number, and foreign applyed to the Goſpel; Whereas among humane Authours the word is for the moſt part in the plurall number, ſignifying both glad tidings, and alſo the reward given to thoſe that brought them; but the Goſpel doth only deſerve this name of glad tidings, and therefore the word is now appropriated unto that, though ſometimes it ſignifieth, beſides the good thing preached, the very preaching it ſelf, as 1 Cor. 4. 15. and therefore when the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of one whoſe praiſe is in the Goſpel, 2 Cor. 8. 18. the meaning is, one whoſe praiſe was in preaching the Goſpel, and labouring therein; not of the Goſpel written by Evangeliſts: for Evangelium and Evangeliſt, in that ſence, as it ſignifieth the Goſpel written, or a writer of the Goſpel, is not uſed in the Scripture, but came in afterwards by Eccleſiaſticall uſe. The Greek word foreign ſignifieth in the generall to declare, to denounce, ſometimes to accuſe; hence is that phraſe foreign ſpoken of by Budeus; but in Scripture uſe it is often taken more particularly for to promiſe: Hence Heſychius, and out of him Varinus rendreth foreign and foreign; but this is enough for the word: the thing itſelf hath much comfort and treaſure in it, and ſo obſerve,
That God hath made promiſes to his people, all the promiſes of God in Chriſt God hath made many promiſes in Chriſt to us.are Amen.
This doctrine deſerveth to be opened theologically, as being the foundation of all our hope; for on Gods promiſe only we can pleade, as we ſee the godly often in their prayers urging that; Not any thing of ours, O Lord, but meerly thy promiſe we do pleade before thee.
And 1. take notice, That God might only have dealt with man by his abſolute 1. God might have dealt with man by abſolute ſoveraignty.Soveraignty and dominion; impoſing only upon him commands to do his duty, without adjoyning any promiſe of a reward, eſpecially ſuch a reward as eternall happineſſe, and truly this maketh much as for our comfort, ſo alſo for our humiliation under all the holy works we do. For it is of Gods meer goodneſſe, that he hath promiſed glory to thy repentance, to thy obedience; after thou haſt done all, God might have annihilated thee; neither would he have done thee any wrong, if he did not put a crown of glory upon thee, after thy holy life; ſo that its gods great condeſcention to deal by way of promiſe with us, and not by way of dominion and command alone; as he might do, he being our Creator and we his creatures.
Secondly, The promiſes that God maketh to us are truly and properly promiſes; 2. The promiſes of God are properly promiſes.They are more then ſimple and bare aſſertions of what good he will do to us. We know amongſt men, there is a great difference between a bare affirmation what he will do, and a promiſe; for that addeth a new bond and obligation to a man, for fullfilling his word. Now ſome have thought, that thoſe paſſages which we call promiſes are not ſo properly and truly promiſes, as meer inſinuations and ſignifications of Gods will and purpoſe what he will do. Thus Durand expreſſeth himſelf, lib. 2. diſt. 27. queſt. 2. becauſe happily it may be thought that we attribute imperfection to God, when we ſay, that he promiſeth properly; for then thereby would accrue juſtice on mans part, and a right or claim in him to the things promiſed, hereby alſo the liberty of God would ſeem to be infringed, as if he could not beſtow his gifts any other way then he promiſed, but theſe are no cogent reaſons. And ſeeing the Scripture doth ſo often call them promiſes, and doth ſo conſtantly ſay, God doth promiſe; there is no reaſon why we ſhould go from the proper ſignification of the word to an improper, eſpecially there being no imperfection in the act of promiſing. For meerly as ſo, that denoteth a dominion and power in him that promiſeth: and certainly if the actuall giving and collation of any good thing, doth not declare any imperfection in God, why ſhould the promiſing of it do? For when God hath beſtowed any thing upon us, that is not ſo alienated, as it were, but that ſtill it is his, and at his diſpoſing, to continue or takeaway, as he pleaſeth: we therefore conclude, that God doth truly and properly, not in a metaphoricall ſence make promiſes to his people. Yet
In the third place, the reaſon of Gods promiſing, is not as if that were to adde 3. Gods promiſes do not adde to his ſimple affirmation, but only are to confirm our faith.more confirmation to his ſimple affirmation, but for condeſcenſion to confirm us againſt our unbeleef and diffidence. Hence there is a vaſt difference between mans promiſe and Gods promiſe. For the promiſe of a man doth adde a new tye and obligation to his word, and ſo his word is made ſurer in it ſelf, as well as to thoſe whom he promiſeth; but when God doth barely declare his will to do ſuch good things for a beleever, this hath truth enough, yea, ſo much that nothing can be added to make it truer; only becauſe we are apt to conceive of God, after the manner of men, it doth greatly conduce to ſtrengthen our faith, as well as his affirming word; yea, ſometimes to his promiſe, God is alſo pleaſed to adde his oath; all which is not in reſpect of himſelf, as if his word could be made truer, but only to antidote the more ſtrongly againſt that diffidence and diſtruſt which is apt to riſe up in our hearts. This the Apoſtle notably conſidereth, Heb. 6. 7. when he ſaith, That God to declare the immutability of his counſell, confirmed the promiſe by an oath, ſo that by two immutable things in which it was impoſſible for God to lye, we might have a strong conſolation. It is not for his own ſake that he promiſeth, yea, that he ſweareth, but for our ſakes, that we might have not only conſolation but strong conſolation. O beatos nos, &c. cryed Tertullian, Oh happy us, for whoſe ſakes God doth thus ſwear; but oh us wretched and miſerable, if we do not beleeve him thus confirming his promiſe: ſo that the right underſtanding of Gods promiſe will make us ſee, that it is not for his own ſake, but our ſakes, that he dealeth in a promiſe-way with us.
Hence in the 4th place, The meer originall and riſe of Gods promiſing any 4. The riſe of all Gods promiſes is his free mercy.good to us, is the bounty, liberality, and free mercy of God. The Apoſtate Angels have not the leaſt promiſe of any good to them, ſo that being without a promiſe, they are in that reſpect altogether miſerable; but the Lord having a love to mankinde, did freely and graciouſly make his promiſe of Chriſt, and in him all bleſſedneſſe to thoſe that are his; Inſomuch that the ſpring of all our happineſs is Gods promiſe. We cannot pleade any worthineſs, only thy promiſes (Lord) that we put thee in minde of, which is like the rainbow, when God beholdeth, that he will not drown the world more; and when God remembreth his covenant, then he worketh all good for his people. Thus when God would delay his help no longer, but deliver his people groaning under their oppreſſions; It is ſaid, God remembred his Covenant with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, Exod. 2. 24. there was no natural neceſſity, nor no morall neceſſity that could induce God to make theſe promiſes to us. No naturall neceſſity, for God is a free agent, and ſo doth not as the Bee, that neceſſarily maketh his honey, God doth not neceſſarily communicate his goodneſſe to us: As God is a free agent, ſo he is alſufficient; he is perfect and bleſſed in himſelf, he needeth not man, he wanteth not his ſervice; and therefore he did not upon this account make any promiſe, but it was his meer voluntary goodneſſe. Again, there was no morall neceſſity, that is, there was no ſuppoſed worth or dignity in us, for which it behoved God to make ſuch promiſes; He found nothing in us but matter of his diſpleaſure and wrath: to us all the threatnings in the Law did belong, and not one promiſe, Inſomuch as the damned in hell have not any promiſe made to them; they have not the leaſt ground for any hope, no not for a drop of water to releeve them in thoſe ſcorching flames, ſo it might be with every man if Gods grace did not interpoſe; not any promiſe might have been made for thee, to have the leaſt dependance upon. Thus you ſee Gods mercy alone to be the 5. Therefore the fullfilling of his promiſes is only of grace.ground of all promiſes.
Fifthly, Becauſe God doth this out of his meer bounty, make a promiſe of good things to us, the fullfilling of them is not of debt to us, but from his grace and verity. And thus it differeth from the promiſes between man and man, that are made in contracts, or otherwiſe; there a promiſe is made, but upon ſome conſideration or work done, which is equivalent to the thing promiſed: but it is otherwiſe with God, he promiſeth out of grace, and fullfilleth it likewiſe out of grace. Thus when God hath promiſed pardon to the humbled ſinner, and beleeving not only the promiſe, but the actuall pardoning is of grace; neither is God by his promiſe become a debtor to us, as if God would be unjuſt, if he did not beſtow ſuch a priviledge upon us; but becauſe, as the Scripture ſaith, he cannot lye, or he cannot deny himſelf. So that the reaſon why he maketh good his promiſes, is not becauſe we have any condignity in our ſelves to claim thoſe things, but becauſe he is immutable and unchangeable: ſo that upon this account he maketh good his promiſes, even becauſe he is God, and cannot lye, or change his minde. Therefore Divines ſpeak well of a twofold debitum about Gods promiſes, debitum fidelitatis, and debitum juſtitiae; a debt of fidelity, and a debt of juſtice. When God maketh a promiſe of eternall life to a godly man, he may urge God with his promiſe; and there is a debt of fidelity, whereby God hath engaged himſelf to do this; but we cannot ſay, God is a debtor to man hereby; no, he is a debtor, as it were, to himſelf, he cannot go againſt his own word, his truth will not ſuffer him to change; but in no reſpect muſt we ſay he is a debtor to man, reddis debita nulli debens, it was ſaid of old. This is neceſſarily to be underſtood, that ſo under all the promiſes of God made to us, we may not look upon our ſelves, but Gods promiſe only. But then there is a debt of juſtice and righteouſneſſe, and herein many Papiſts are proud and arrogant; for they diſtinguiſh of Gods promiſes, thoſe that are for the firſt grace, and thoſe that are for the ſecond and after grace. They grant the promiſe of the firſt grace to be only from a debt of fidelity, but then for the ſecond grace, they maintain a debt of juſtice. Hence it is that they conclude, that heaven and ſalvation, though we have it by the promiſe of God, yet it is by debt of juſtice, and not meer grace. Hence we reade of a dying Monk, who blaſphemouſly uttered theſe words, Redde mihi, Domine, vitam aeternam, quam debes, ſive velis, ſive nolis; but a gracious heart cannot but tremble at ſuch arrogancies. It is true, Paul calleth God a righteous Judge, who will give him a crown of glory: and he telleth the Hebrews, that God is not unrighteous to forget their labour of love, Heb. 6. 10. but righteouſneſſe is not here taken ſtrictly for proper justice, but for fidelity and faithfulneſſe. If God ſhould not give heaven to his people, who endure perſecution for his Name ſake, he would go againſt his own nature, he would deny his truth, and ſo even ceaſe to be God; not that he would be unjuſt properly to man, as if man by doing or ſuffering any thing for his ſake, did that which was equivalent to eternall glory. We ſee the Apoſtle defying this, 2 Cor. 4. 17. calling it, but a light affliction, and for a moment, in reſpect of that eternall weight of glory. And Ariſtotle obſerved, that there cannot be juſtice, or righteouſneſſe between us and the gods, and our Parents; for their is no equality, and we owe all to them. And as Durand well argueth, it is ſo far from juſtice or righteouſneſſe that we may claim glory, that the more grace God hath given us to prepare thereunto, the more we are beholding to him, and can the leſſe pleade for our ſelves, by how much the more we receive of his grace; ſo that the more gracious acts we do, we are ſo far from meriting, that we are the more obliged to God. Yet
Sixthly, Leſt becauſe all the promiſes of God are ſaid to be fullfilled of his 6. The promiſes of God are abſolute or conditional.grace only, and becauſe all works of ours are rejected as cauſall and meritorious, we ſhould fall into Antinomianiſin, and fancy to our ſelves ſuch abſolute and irreſpective promiſes, that though abiding and wallowing in our ſins, yet we might think it lawfull to run to them as to a city of refuge, and there to be delivered from the guilt of our ſins: we muſt know that the promiſes of God are of two ſorts, abſolute and conditionall; Abſolute, and ſuch are the promiſes of God, for the working of our firſt grace in us of converſion, and taking away the heart of ſtone from us, of which promiſe the Prophets Jeremiah and Ezechiet ſpeak; Though ſome will not allow thoſe to be promiſes, but predictions, yet the very tenour of them doth evidence it. Now theſe do not ſuppoſe, but work all conditions and qualifications in us for other mercies, for it would be abſurd to ſay, God promiſeth to give us faith if we do beleeve, or to renew and change our wils if we will: Theſe abſolute promiſes then are the executions of his decrees of grace and ſalvation upon the Elect. But then there are conditional promiſes, and ſuch are the promiſes of pardon to the beleever, of eternal glory to him that is godly; only you muſt know, that they are conditions only in a large ſence; they are more properly called qualifications and determinations of thoſe who are thus to be juſtified and ſaved: faith indeed in our juſtification hath a peculiar notion of being an inſtrument or ſupernaturall means to lay hold on Chriſt, and is not to be called a condition, when we ſpeak exactly: You ſee then that there is no ground for licentiouſneſſe and diſſoluteneſſe, to venture all upon the gracious promiſes of God, for they are determined and ſpecified by ſuch qualifications, who ſhall have either pardon here, or ſalvation hereafter: Only you muſt know, that when we call them conditionall promiſes, the meaning is not as if we had power of our own to fullfill theſe conditions, and ſo the promiſes remain ſuſpenſe till we perform them; no, theſe conditions we are enabled to accompliſh by the grace of God, they are his gifts as well as our duties; ſo that there are no conditions required of us, which alſo we are not enabled unto by the grace of God; that all may glory in Gods grace, and not in themſelves, and therefore God hath appointed an order between his gracious gifts; this god… neſſe is for happineſſe, holineſſe is for glory, faith is for juſtification, and if we ſpeak exactly, we cannot ſo well ſay, Gods promiſes are conditionall, as the things promiſed may be conditions to one another by Gods appointment.
Laſtly, There may be good reaſons aſſigned why God is pleaſed thus to promiſe; 7. There may be reaſons given why God made ſuch promiſes. As 1. To exerciſe our faith.he might have given and never have made any promiſe at all; but before he is pleaſed to beſtow the actuall benefits, he is pleaſed to give us many ſure and gracious promiſes, that he will do ſuch things for us in time: The reaſons may be
Firſt, Becauſe hereby God would exerciſe our faith, and teach us to live upon him only; for when we cannot ſee any poſſibility in ſecond cauſes, when they with Sarah have a dead womb, yet becauſe of Gods promiſe we ſhall keep up our hearts, as Abraham did: Why is it then that the promiſes of God are in no more eſteem and requeſt with us? were it not for them, how many times might thy heart break. Yea, to put our faith to greater experiment, hence it is, that though he hath promiſed ſuch things, yet his providences ſeem to croſſe all, and after Gods promiſe, as it was in the Iſraelites deliverance, all things ſeem to be more unlikely than before.
A ſecond Reaſon (for I ſhall inſtance in no more) may be to teach us humility 2. To teach us humility.and thankefulneſſe, acknowledging Gods promiſe alone to be the fountain of all the good we enjoy; by the promiſe we are regenerated, by the promiſe we are juſtified, by the promiſe we are glorified; we are what we are only by the promiſe: hence all the godly are ſaid with Iſaac to be the children of the promiſe, Gal. 4. 28. by the promiſe we had our ſpirituall being, and by the promiſe we are Preſerved in it; but this deſerveth more improvement.