An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 125
SERM. CXXV.
A further Diſcovery of the Nature and Sorts of Gods Promiſes.
2 COR. 1. 20.
For all the promiſes of God, are in Chriſt, Yea and Amen, &c.
OUr work is to enlarge more upon this uſefull and neceſſary ſubject, viz. 1. Of the ſeveral ſorts of promiſes. 1. The promiſes of God are either Legal or Evang elicalThe promiſes of God. And
In the firſt place, we may give in diviſions of the Promiſes, or the diſtribution of them, as there are Legal Promiſes and Evangelical Promiſes; the ignorant confuſion whereof hath cauſed much miſchief in the Church of God. The Legal Promiſe is nothing but the Covenant of works, contained in that expreſſion, Do this and live. For as they are curſed, who continue not in all things that the Law requireth: So again, they are bleſſed, and eternal life is promiſed to all ſuch, who perfectly obey the Law of God. By this promiſe God dealt with Adam. And although God never tranſacted with man, when fallen, by this way of promiſe; yet he was pleaſed to have the Doctrine of the Law in its full perfection manifeſted to the people of Iſrael; but in an Evangelical intention, that ſo the Iſraelites being humbled under their utter impotency and inability ever to performe it, might make their earneſt applications unto Chriſt for help and ſuccour. For what was impoſſible by the Law, through our weakneſſe, Chriſt made poſſible through his obedience. Now this Legal Promiſe the Jewes generally attended unto, neglecting the Evangelical conſideration of promiſes in Chriſt. The promiſes to works made unto Adam are not intended in this Text: they were not Yea and Amen, ſeeing there was no need of a Mediator, if Adam had not fallen; onelyonly now all the promiſes of grace become firme and ſure in him. But naturally we regard the Legal promiſe more than Evangelical. What labour did the Apoſtle ſhew to bring the Jewes off from the Covenant of works? And whence is that Phariſaical and Popiſh principle of ſelf-righteouſneſſe; but becauſe we truſt in our works, and not in the promiſe? So that it is an excellent proficiency in Chriſtianity, when perſons are taken off from being Legal, to be Evangelical; when they doe not ſlaviſhly relie upon their works done, but filially depend upon the promiſe. The Apoſtle doth excellently, and at large declare the difference between theſe two, Galat. 3. and 4. Chapters. It is ſtrange that any ſhould deſire to be under the Law, rather than the promiſe; yet all Phariſaical Juſticiaries are propenſe that way. What is this but to deſire to be under a curſe, and perpetual malediction? Whereas the Evangelical promiſe is like the City of refuge to the purſued malefactour. It is better than Jonah's gourd againſt the ſcorching heat of Gods wrath, becauſe of ſinne; for no worme can ariſe and conſume this. So that the Evangelical promiſe being wholly of free-grace, God thereby pardoning us freely, ſanctifying us freely, juſtifying us freely, is like the Land of promiſe flowing with milk and honey. It's to … is promiſe, that every humbled ſinner muſt look, as the Iſraelites ſtung did upon the brazen ſrepent. Let therefore the people of God look more to the promiſe without them: They poreupon their own hearts; they perplex themſelves with many doubts and feares; but if thou didſt conſider what an Evangelical Promiſe meaneth, this would be like oyle poured into thy wounds, when temptations aggravated by Satan, have left thee not ſo much halfe dead, as halfe damned.
In the next place, Promiſes are divided in respect of their object matter into 2. Promiſes are either ſpiritual or temporal.ſpiritual and temporal. Spiritual are ſuch as concern the welfare of the ſoul: Temporal are ſuch as relate to the body and the outward man; for there is no external mercy, but God hath promiſed it to the godly. Therefore godlineſſe is ſaid to have the promiſe of this life, and that which is to come, 1 Tim. 4. 8. In deed in the Old Teſtament temporal promiſes were more frequent, and ſpiritual more rare; and many times ſhadowed out by the temporal ones. In the New Teſtament, ſpiritual promiſes are farre more frequent, and temporal ones more rare; yet the New Teſtament doth abundantly teſtifie this, That all things are the godly mans, whether life or death, 1 Cor. 3. 23. and that onelyonly they have the promiſe of this life, as well as that which is to come. And certainly, If God hath given us Chriſt, as the Apoſtle argueth, Rom. 18. how ſhall he not with him give us all things elſe? So that we ſee the treaſure of a Chriſtian, it lieth in Gods promiſes, both for this life, and the life to come. So that as it falleth out ſometimes, a man may have little money for his preſent uſe, and yet be very rich in bonds and bils. Thus it is ſometimes with a godly man, though he hath a promiſe of all things, yet for the preſent he may want all things. As Abraham had a promiſe for the poſſeſſion of the Land of Canaan; and yet for the preſent had not where to ſet his foot, as upon his own ground. OnelyOnly we muſt diſtinguiſh between the ſpirituall and temporal promiſes, theſe later are not abſolutely promiſed, but with the exception of the Croſſe, and with this limitation, when they are good for us. For ſeeing theſe earthly mercies are not ablutely and as indipenſably neceſſary, as Chriſtand grace are, ſo therefore no wonder if they be not abſolutely promiſed. If a godly man could not be ſaved, unleſſe he had riches and wealth, unleſſe he had health and ſtrength, then he was as ſure to have them, as he hath Chriſt; but that not being ſo, therefore it is that they have Chriſt, and yet many times want other things. They have the Ocean, when they cannot have a drop. Again, Temporal good things are not abſolutely good, but conditionally, and upon ſuppoſition; though they may be good in themſelves, yet not to thee. As wine may be in it ſelf comforting, but not unto a man in a feaver: Thus it may be, if thou ſhouldſt have riches, they would doe thee hurt; if thou ſhouldſt have health and ſtrength, thy corruptions alſo would be the ſtronger. Thoſe things are not called good, becauſe they make us good; no, we may make them good or evil. But now Chriſt is ſuch an infinite good, that thy having of him can never be hurtfull to thee:? Yea, when he finds thee evil, he can make thee good. It is good to informe our ſelves thus about the nature of temporal promiſes; for we are ready to murmure and repine, when we find not theſe promiſes made good to us; whereas we ſhould rather be thankfull and rejoyce, in that God will not give us that which would doe us ſo much hurt. And certainly, if thou wert ſpiritual, as thou ſhouldſt be, this would be enough to thee, that ſpiritual things are abſolutely promiſed, that thou art ſure to have Chriſt, to have Heaven, how ſad and afflicted ſoever thy portion may be in this world. Doth it not argue thy heart to be too carnal, when thou mourneſt for want of outward mercies, and yet Chriſt is thine, God hath ſanctified thee, God hath converted thee. Alas hath not God in this done more for thee, than the greateſt Emperours in the world, that have not godlineſſe? What if thou haſt not riches, the greatneſſe others have? It may be they have not the Chriſt, the grace that God hath beſtowed on thee. OnelyOnly when we ſay ſpiritual things are abſolutely promiſed, you muſt diſtinguiſh of ſpiritual things: ſome are eſſential and neceſſarily conjoyned with eternal glory; ſo that if he have them not, he cannot be ſaved; ſuch is Regeneration and Juſtification. Againe, others doe much conduce to our eternal happineſſe, but are not inſeparably joyned with it; ſuch are the degrees of grace, ſpiritual conſolation and joy, as alſo the aſſurance of Gods favour. Theſe are precions-advantages; more to be deſired than the gold of Ophir, but they are not abſolutely promiſed to every godly man.
In the ſecond general place, We are to know, that the promiſes of God, 2. Gods promiſes are the executions of his Decrees.they are the executions in time of what he had decreed to doe from all eternity. Inſomuch that from Gods promiſe, we may argue to his predeſtination; when God promiſeth Juſtification, and pardon of ſinne to thee, it is becauſe he hath purpoſed this according to the counſel of his own will. So when he promiſeth to give grace to thee, and the encreaſe thereof, it is becauſe he hath in mercy ordained thee for this. If you ask then, why is it, ſuch and ſuch promiſes are fullfilled? You muſt not have recourſe to mans free-will, or any workes that he doth, but to the will of God and his gracious counſel. Hence ſome expound that place, (Titus 1. 2. where it is ſaid; That God who cannot lie, had promiſed eternal life before the world began;) of his decree to promiſe: for it is not proper to ſay, God promiſed before the world was. Seeing then there was no men to whom the promiſe could be made; therefore (ſay they) the meaning is, He decreed to promiſe. But there is another interpretation more probable, which is to render the Greek words, foreign, before the ancient ages, alluding to the firſt promiſe that God made to Adam upon his fall concerning the womans ſeed, which was Chriſt. For till that promiſe was manifeſted, there was no difference in reſpect of hope and comfort between loſt mankind, and the Apoſtate Angels. The promiſes then of God are but Gods predeſtination put into execution.
Hence in the third place, No wicked men have any promiſes of God belong to them. Therefore the ſtate of the Heathens, Epheſ. 2. is ſaid to be 3. No wicked men have any promiſes belong to them.without Chriſt, and without the promiſes; which argueth as deſperate a condition, as when thoſe of the old world, were without the Ark, there was a neceſſity of periſhing. It is true, all wicked men, who live within the Church, they cannot in that ſenſe be ſaid to be without the promiſes, as Heathens are; for they are under the offer of promiſes, they are under the external diſpenſation of them; and becauſe they manifeſt an outward acceptance of Gods offer with the conditions tendered, therefore we may call them the children of the promiſe in an externall ſenſe. In which ſenſe, Rom. 9. 4. the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the Iſraelites in the general, ſaith, Of whom is the ſervice of God and the promiſes. In this ſenſe many were the ſeed of Abraham, not onelyonly after the fleſh, but of the promiſe alſo; elſe circumciſion, the ſeal of the promiſe had not been applied to them: yet they were not the ſeed of the promiſe, in the ſenſe the Apoſtle intendeth, as Iſaac was; that is, ſo as to have the true and real benefits of the promiſe; and in this reſpect we ſay, no ungodly man hath any promiſe of any priviledge made to him, abiding in that condition. No promiſe of pardon, no promiſe of Gods favour, no promiſe of any earthly comfort, not a morſel of bread, or droppe of drinke; he cannot plead any promiſe in his prayers. And therefore when we may enjoy many outward mercies, theſe come not by vertue of a promiſe to him, but onelyonly through the providence of God, God out of a general love doth beſtow ſuch comforts upon him, it is not from any promiſe made to him. And indeed ſeeing the Text ſaith, The promiſes of God are confirmed in Chriſt; unleſſe a man be in Chriſt, there is no promiſe can be effectual to him. Oh the ſad condition of all ungodly men! For if thou haſt no promiſe, what hope canſt thou have? Are not the Devils therefore eternally wretched, becauſe they have no promiſe? Hope in this is compared to an Anchor, Heb. 6. 19. Now what ſhipwrack muſt that ſhip needs endure, which under waves and tempeſts hath no Anchor for a defence?
Fourthly, Gods promiſe for the accompliſhing of it, doth ſuppoſe faith on 4. Gods promiſes to us ſuppoſe faith in us.our part; for the promiſe on Gods part, and faith on our part, are correlates. We cannot put forth faith for any mercy, where we have not Gods promiſe; neither is Gods promiſe accompliſhed to any but the believer. Thus the Apoſtle, Rom. 4. 16. ſaith, The promiſe is of faith, that it might be not only by grace, but alſo made ſure to ſuch who do believe. So that it is with a godly man according to his faith. Chriſt saith to thee, Be thou juſtified according to thy faith; receive pardon and comfort according to thy faith. If thou complaineſt God hath made great and precious promiſes, but I cannot taſte of this honey, I periſh notwithſtanding this fullneſſe: Then remember it is not, becauſe there is not enough in the promiſe, but thy faith is weak, thy veſſel is narrow to receive: As if the woman ſhould have refuſed to borrow veſſels, when the Prophet multiplied her oyle. For the oyl did not ceaſe, till her veſſels ceaſed: So neither will Gods promiſe ceaſe working, till thy faith ceaſe to operate. Indeed in Gods comminations and threatnings they are fulfilled, whether man will or no: Let him believe, or not believe, God will throw the ungodly into Hell; but in the promiſes it is otherwiſe; then they do good to us, when by faith we imbrace them. So that by this we ſee how dangerous and noxious it is, not to put forth faith; it both diſhonours God, and depriveth us of all good: it diſhonours God, as if he were not true, as if it were not impoſſible for him to lie, as if he were no more than a man. Therefore Abraham is ſaid, To give glory unto God by believing, Rom. 4. 20. becauſe he did not regard the dead womb, or the improbability in ſecond cauſes, but reſted upon the promiſe alone. If it be ſo hainous a matter to accuſe man of a lie, who yet is by nature a lyar, as the Scripture pronounceth of him, how unſufferable is it to attribute it unto God. And then it is a very deſtructive ſinne; for it evacuateth all promiſes as to us; it maketh thy condition as hopeleſſe, as if never any promiſes had been made: This is to cut the Conduit-pipes of all comfort and conſolation. This is with the Philiſtims, as it were to throw earth into all the Wells of water. Therefore above all things look to thy faith, for it maketh God no God, Chriſt no Chriſt, promiſes no promiſes, as to thee.
Fifthly, That our faith may be the more confirmed, he is not onelyonly pleaſed 5. God hath ſealed his promiſes to us.to make promiſes to his people, but alſo to give ſignes for the confirmation thereof. Therefore Sacraments are confirming ſignes of Gods promiſe, they are viſible promiſes: ſo that our unbelief will ſtill be the greater ſinne; if neither the promiſes nor the ſeales viſibly annexed thereunto, ſhall not eſtabliſh us againſt all doubting and uncertainty. It is true, the Sacraments cannot make Gods word ſurer in it ſelf, but they do in reſpect of us, God graciouſly condeſcending to our humane weakneſſe: By which mercifull proviſion of God, that his people might live a life of faith in his promiſe', we may gather as the neceſſity of faith, ſo alſo the great proneneſſe that is in us to unbeliefe, that we rather live by ſenſe, than by ſaith. Hence it is that when we have outward ſupports and comforts, our hearts are kept up; but when all theſe leave us, are taken away, then like Peter upon the water, we are afraid, and ſhould even ſinke, did not the Lord ſupport us.
Sixthly, It is therefore a very great skill to make uſe of the promiſes of 6. 'Tis great skill to make uſe of promiſesGod by faith. It is the Goſpel-wiſdome, a myſtery it is, that even the Diſciples of Chriſt are a long while ere they can learne it. For though God doth promiſe to doe ſuch and ſuch wonderfull things, yet he ſuffereth ſo many croſſe providences to fall out, that we would think God had wholly forgot his promiſe. Hence the Church complaineth; Doth his promiſes fail for ever? Yea the Apoſtle Peter doth ſpeak of ſome prophane ſcoffers, that asked, Where was the promiſe of his coming? 2 Pet. 3. 4. becauſe they ſaw all things continue as they did, therefore they thought Gods promiſe was in vain. It behoveth the people of God therefore to acquaint themſelves with Gods Riddles, to plough with the Scriptures Heifer: for their unskilfullneſſe herein, is that which maketh them ſo full of dejections, which doth ſo often perplex them, not knowing what to think or ſay: yea they are apt to queſtion the truth and righteouſneſſe of God: but take heed of this, it is a very great ſinne, when God giveth thee a ſufficient teſtimony of his grace and favour to thee, by his promiſes and ſeals thereof, ſtill to queſtion and doubt, whether God will doe it or no. This is grievouſly to tempt God, as the people of Iſrael did, Exod. 17. 7. who though they had ſo many miraculous diſcoveries of Gods preſence with them, yet ſtill they ask, Is the Lord amongst us, or not? Oh take heed of ſaying, Is the Lord mine? Will he do good to me? When he hath given proof enough, both by his promiſes, and ſeals, of his favour. Oh ſatisfie thy ſoul with this! Lord, I have thy promiſe, before thou promiſedſt, thou waſt free whether thou wouldſt do it or no; but ſince thy mouth hath promiſed it, how can thy hand but fulfill it? Let thy temptations, thy ſtraits be never ſo great, yet know the promiſe of God cannot be ſtraitned. Though thy friends die, though thy goods are loſt, yet Gods promiſe cannot die, neither can that periſh. And if thou ſayeſt. Oh but I am unworthy, I am a poor wretch! What then? Say, Lord though I am noworthy to be helped, yet thy promiſe is worthy to be made good! O Lord, though I have ſinned, yet thy promiſe hath not ſinned! But more of this in the next particular, which is the Predicate in the Propoſition.