Great Precious Promises, Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
2 Pet. 1.4.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
THere are three most glorious and excellent gifts that God hath bestowed upon man, there is that comprehensive gift of heaven, Iesus Christ, who is so called, Iohn 4.10. and sure such a gift as …hat, ought in some sense to blind our eyes, …nd make us look upon all things that are be…ow him, as nothing. The second royal Gift that the Lord hath given, is the precious promises of the everlasting Covenant, which are given to us thorow him: A Christian …hat is united unto him by the bloud of Faith▪ … may write this above the head of every promise of the everlasting Covenant, this is …ine, and this is mine. His third precious gift, is the gift of Faith, which is that grace that maketh use of the former two: and wee conceive, that our little making use of …hese three excellent gifts, is the great occasion and cause why these four most sad …nd lamentable evils have befallen us. …. The evil of a silent conscience, that though we be profound to commit iniquity, and do love a reward under every green tree, yet our conscience doth not speak nor reprove us; and if at any time they do speak; yet there are some that are so possessed with a dumb and dea… spirit, they can neither hear what God doth speak, nor can they hear their cons…ience. 2. The evil of a … nod, wee know not the voice of our rod, and who is he that hath appointed it; God doth not now open our ears to discipline, nor seal up our instruction. 3. There is that evil of silent mercies, the mercies that we receive of God, we understand not the language of them: ar… not our mercies Barbarians unto us, speaking to us in an unknown tongue? and yet we may say, there is not a rod nor a mercy a Christian meets with, but it hath a voice, if wee did understand it. And lastly, there is that evil which hath befallen us, and alas, this is the capestone of all, a silent God, who doth not hearken unto the voice of our cryes, but turneth about the face of his Throne, covering himself with a cloud in his anger, so that our prayers cannot passe through. Alas, may not each Christian of this time cry out▪ Call mee no more Naomi, but call me Mara, because th… Lord hath dealt bitterly with me. In short, I think there are these two things that may b… our lamentation upon the high places of Israel. First, That we live without sight of God; And secondly, that wee live without sight of our selves, and all this, because wee live without a sight of these precious Gifts▪ Christ and his Promises.
But now to the words; We to…d you▪ tha… in them there were these four things holden …orth concerning the promises. 1. The original and fountain of the promises, in that word, Whereby, or by whom: 2. The properties of the promises which we told you, were these four. The first was, that the promises were free▪ holden forth in that word, they are Given; all the promises of the everlasting Covenant being the noble gifts of God. The second (of which we are to speak at this time) is this, that the promises of the Covenant they are unchangeable, which is imported also in that word▪ they are given, the gifts of God being indeed without repentance; And as to this: 1. Wee shall prove the truth of the point: and for this end, consider that place, Numb. 23.19. which was a part of Balaams song, Hath hee not spoken it, and will hee not also d… it? Hath hee said it, and shall it not also come to passe? and Psal. 89.34. I will not break my Covenant, nor alter the word that hath gone out of my mouth: and the point is clear also, from the name that the promises getteth in Scripture, are they no called the sure mercies of David, Isa. 55.3. and are they not sometimes in Scripture called Truth, as wee may see from Micah 7.20. Thirdly, The nature of the Covenant proveth it; in that it is called an everlasting Covenant, and sometimes a Covenant of Salt, because that Covenant is above the reach of alteration or putrifaction: And fourthly, It may be likewise shown from the constant experience that the Saints have had of the unchangeablenesse of the promises. This Ioshua taketh notice of, Chap. 23.24. where when he was a dying, There hath not failed (saith he) one thing of all these good things that God hath spoken; and hee is so confident of this, that he is forced to repeat that word over again in that verse: and hee taketh notice of it, Iosh. 21.45. where hee hath tha… same expression again, There hath not failed (saith he) one thing of all the good things that God hath spoken: and this Solomon hee took notice of, 1 King. 8.56. There hath n…t failed one thing that God hath spoken unto us by Moses; and indeed, there is near six thousand years experience that preacheth this truth, the promises are unchangeable, so that wee may now say, The word of the Lord i… tried as silver is purified in a furnace of earth hot seven times: If there had been any falshood in the precious promises of the everlasting Covenant, six thousand years triall should have brought it to light; but doth not every one of the cloud of witnesse… that have gone before us, leave this testimony upon record, Faithfull is he that hath promised, who will also do it ▪ his promise … with the night and with the day, it cannot bee altered, the ordinances of heaven continue to this day, much lesse can this Covenant of love be broken or altered, only wee would have you taking this Caution by the way, that there are some conditional promises that God passeth unto his people▪ which in the depths of his spotlesse wisdom hee doth not accomplish unto these who never fulfill the condition; such was that promise that he gave to the Israelites in the land of Egypt of their possessing the land of Ca…aan, who yet died in the wildernesse: And …ence is that strange word, Numb. 13.34. see shall know my breach of promise, saith the Lord, which is a word spoken after the man…er of men, not importing any change of pur…ose in God, but only shewing that because …hey did not believe, and so fulfill the condi…ion of the promise, therefore it was not to …e fulfilled personally to them▪
The second thing that we shall speak to …pon this, that the promises are unchange…ble, shall be to propose these six golden …illars and excellent foundation…, upon which the unchangeablenesse of the promises … built. And the first of them is the omni…otency of God, that there is nothing that he …ath promised, but he is able to effectuate …nd to bring to passe, Therefore, 2 Cor. 6.8. when God had been passing many ex…ellent promises, he strengtheneth their faith with this, Thus saith the Lord God Almighty: …nd no doubt, Where the word of this King …, there is power, and who can say unto him, …hat dost thou: O misbeliever of the pre…ious promises of the Covenant; be ashamed …o cast up your eyes to heaven above, or to …he earth beneath; we think the Stars, the …un, the Moon, and all the works of God, they …ay speak out that to you, do not misbelieve God, but trust in him, That is wonderfull in …ounsell and excellent in working. The se…ond is, the wisdome and infinit counsel of God, hee hath not only complea… ability to accomplish the promise that hee hath given, but hee hath the depths and treasures o… knowledge, by which hee hath contrived th… way of the accomplishment of such a promise: Hence is that word, 2 Sam. 23.5▪ that the Covenant is well ordered, which speaketh out the wisdome of God: and the… that word is subjoyned, the Covenant is sure… yea, the Covenant of Grace is such a thing… that there is so much of the arte of heaven… so much of infinite wisdom shining in it, tha… it is called the counsel of God, Heb. 6.17. Tha… ye might know the immutability of his counsel. The third golden pillar, is, the infinite love … God, that though there be nothing in us tha… can put him to …complish the promises, ye… he will take an argument from his own love, to make out such a promise to us; there i… sometimes (if not alwayes) nothing in us, but that which may speak forth delayes o… the accomplishment of the promises; but when God can bring no argument from us, he can bring an argument from his own love, … Deut. 7.7, 8. where giving a reason of the accomplishment of many promises, and o… his love to them, I loved you, saith he, because I loved you; there being no reason that ca… bee given for love, but love. The fourth is, The unchangeablenesse of the Promiser, that he is the same, yesterday, and to day, and for ever, and without all alteration and shaddow of change: Hence yee may see, Exod. 3.14. when God is repeating many preciou… promises unto Moses, Hee (as it were) …trengtheneth Moses faith with this, I am, …aith he, that I am, which wee conceive to point sorth the unchangeablenesse of God, …hat what he hath said, he will certainly ac…omplish in its own time, and though the …ision do tarry, yet at last it shall speak. The … i…, The faithfulnesse of God, and that hee … one that cannot lie, but certainly will …ake out what hee hath spoken. Love, it …aketh the promises, the faithfulnesse and …ower of God accomplisheth the promises, …nd the infinite wisdom of God chooseth the …ost fit time f…r the performing of them. …ence it is said, Psal. 119 89, 90. Thy word … Lord, is for ever setled in heaven, and the …round of it is in the following verse; For …y faithfulnesse is unto all generations: Hence …ou may see, that oftentimes when God is …aking promises to his own, he putteth to …at word, I that speak in righteousnesse, Isa. 5, 19. and Isa. 63.1. O! must not the …omises be unchangeable that are made by … Father who is the God of Truth? Must … the promises bee unchangeable that are …ceived and merited by the Son, that is …ruth it self, and the faithfull Witnesse, and …men? Must not the promises be unchange…le that are applyed by the holy Ghost, that … the Spirit of Truth? And must not the …omises bee unchangeable that are made …own unto us by the Gospel, that is the …ord of Truth? Was there ever any who … leave that upon record of God, that he …as unfaithfull in the accomplishment of his …omises. O what a clear sight of the faithfulnesse of God shall a Christian get, whe… he shall be standing upon the outmost li… between Time and Eternity, then he will … God faithfull in accomplishing all his pr…mises unto him from first to last. The … golden pillar, is, The justice of God, … justice, it now putteth him to accompli… his promises, mercy and righteousnesse ha… now kissed each other: Hence is that wor… 1 Joh. 1.9. He is just and faithful to forgiv… So that now the accomplishment of t… promises, it is not only an act of love, but … is an act of justice also: We confesse indee… love and mercy maketh the promises, … justice and truth also putteth God to the ac…complishment of them: Hence is that word Micah 7.20. To perform the truth to Iaco… and the mercy to Abraham: Why is it mercy to Abraham, and it is truth to Iacob? It i… in short this, because mercy made the promises to Abraham, but truth did accomplis… the promises to Iacob?
The third thing that we shall speak to fro… …his, That the promises are unchangeable shall be, to presse these six duties upon yo… from this point.
O Christians and Expectants of Heaven, who have Christ in you, the hope of Glory, rejoyce and be exceeding glad that the promises are unchangeable. 1. This is a duty that is pressed from that ground, Heb. 6.18. That by two immutable things we might have strong consolation: There is exceeding much joy that may come to a Christian from this, that the promises shall be accomplished i… their own time. We conceive that the word unchangeable, it is engraven upon the head of many a Christians mercies. Is not unchangeable written above the head of our promises? Is not unchangeable written upon the head of our blessednesse? Is not unchangeable written above the head of our enjoyment of God? That day is coming when we shall have unchangeable love, unchangeable enjoyment of God, and all things unchangeable: A…d we conceive, that if these two were believed, the truth of the promises, and the unchangeablenesse of the promises, a Christian might walk through this valey of tears with joy, and comfort himself in hope.
The second duty we would presse, is this, that ye would sursease and give over your disputings and carnal reasonings about the accomplishment of the promises, since the promises of God are unchangeable, ought not we with this to silence misbelief, and all that blind humane reason can say: This is pressed, Heb. 6.16. An oath for confirmation, it is an end of all strife. Gods confirming of his Covenant by an oath, it ought to cut short the disputings of misbelief; And here give me leave to point out a little these grounds upon which it is that Christians doth so much dispute the accomplishment of promises: and to let you see how all these grounds may be answered from these six pillars that were given of their unchangeablenesse.
The first is, When dispensations seemeth to contradict the truth of the Promises, the promise it speaketh one thing, and dispensations seem to speak another: and this is the occasion that oftentimes Christians cry out, Doth his promise fail for evermore. This is clear from the practice of David, 1. Sam. 27.1. when dispensations were upon the top of the accompl…shment, and truth of the promises, then misbelief it ariseth as a Champion mighty to war, and cryeth out, I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul: And wee conceive, that dispensations contradicting the truth of the promises, was the occasion of his speaking that word, Psal. 116.11. I said in my haste, all men are liars. And I would only say to you that dispute the truth of the promises upon this account, that dispensations contradicteth them: Do but consider this: God in his way is not like unto you: Would ye know the time when the promises are nearest their accomplishment, it is then when we can least see that they are to be accomplished, the promises are never nearer their performance, then when wee think that they are furthest off from it: And therefore let the faith of the omnipotency of God, uphold your spirit under such a debate, then let dispensations speak what they will, yee may answer all with this, There is nothing too hard for him, there is nothing too hard for the Lord. I grant this may try the strength of the strongest faith, yea, we finde it hath made the best to stagger when they had no probabilities to tell them that the promise shall be accomplished: this was the ground of Sarahs misbelief, Gen. 18.12. that when she heard she should bear a son in her old age, shee laughed within her self, and did, as it were, mock at such a promise: and this was the ground of Moses his misbelief, Numb. 11.21, 22. hee did not see a probability that such a multitude should be …ed with flesh, and therefore hee did call in question the truth of that promise: this was the ground of the misbelief of that Lord that is made mention, 2 King. 7.2. and this was the ground of Zecharies misbelief, Luk. 1.20. But I would only say to you that do so much consult with probability in the exercise of your faith, these two things. 1. There is nothing too hard for God, this was the very argument that God took to convince Sarah in the 14. vers. of that 18 Chapter, Is there any thing too hard for God? And, 2. Faith is never in its native and spirituall exercise, till once probabilities contradict the truth of the promise, then faith it is put upon the stage, and then faith doth act; but as long as faith and probabilities think one thing, then the day of the trial of the strength of faith is not yet come.
The second ground upon which Christians dispute the accomplishment of the promises, …s their much disputing of their interest in God? Sometimes a Christian will believe … promise, and before the accomplishment of …he promise come, their hope will be darkned, their interest in Christ will be obscured, and then they do quite their faith in adhering to the truth of that promise. These two are joyned together, want of the faith of our interest, and want of faith of the accomplishment of the promise, as it is clear from that word, Psal 77.8. Is his mercy clean gone. There is disputing of his interest, and presently this is subjoyned, Doth his promise fail for evermore. Except a Christian can read his name in the ancient records of heaven, and can seal this conclusion, I am my beloveds, and my beloved he is mine, it will be a hard, and a difficult task for him, if not impossible to believe the promises.
The fourth ground of a Christians disputing the truth of the promises, is, their mistaking the way how the promises are to be accomplished, There are some that suppose that when ever they close with a promise by faith, there is no more but to enter to the possession of such a promise; but do not mistake it, between your believing the promise and the accomplishment of it, there may bee sad and dark dayes interveening, according to that word in Mark 10.30. where Christ passing great promises to his Disciples, He, as it were doth adde, do not mistake me that ye shall have these promises without trouble and affliction, Ye shall receive (saith he) an hundred fold in this life with persecutions. A Christian when he believeth the promises, he must resolve to have a winter before the spring time come, wherein the promise shall bud and flourish.
The fifth ground of a Christians disputing the truth of the promises, is, when the promises are long in their accomplishing. A Christian when first hee meeteth with a promise, he will cry forth, O I believe, but when …ime is taken for the accomplishment of it, …hen his faith beginneth to faint, and his hope beginneth to languish and give over; yea, sometimes Christians they fall in this …a…lt, when they believe a promise, they fix … day for the accomplishment of it, which …f God do not keep, but go over; then they …mmediately cry forth, What is my strength …hat I should wait, and what is my confidence …hat I should prolong my dayes. This is clear in the practice of Abraham, where the promise of having a numerous seed being given …o him, Gen. 2.12. the long time before that promise was accomplished in part to him, was the occasion of his misbelief, that hee vented, Gen. 15.3. O Lord, what wilt thou give me, since I go childelesse: But yee must know, that before the vision shall speak, there is an appointed time that ye must wait, according to, 1 Pet 5.9, 10. After yee have suffered a while, then the promises shall bee accomplished, and yee shall bee made perfect.
The sixth ground upon which Christians call in question the accomplishment of the promises, is, The consideration of the greatnesse of the thing that is promised, when they compare it with their own worth and deserving, then they begin to dispute, O shall such a thing be, shall unworthy I, shall sinfull I, shall self-destroying I, shall I that am lesse then the least of his mercies, receive the accomplishment of such a mercy▪ This we may suppose was one ground o… Abrahams misbelief, Gen. 17.18. when h… cryed forth at that same time, when the Lord was giving him the excellent promise of … Isaac, O that Ishmael might live: He though… an Isaac such an excellent mercy, that he… could not without presumption, expect th… accomplishment of that promise. And Zach. 8▪ 6. this was the ground of their misbelief which God doth sweetly obviate, If i… be wonderfull in the eyes of the remnant of th… people in these dayes, should is also bee wonderfull in mine.
The last ground upon which Christian… dispute the accomplishment of the promises is, When in the time between their believing and the accomplishment of the promise they fall into some grosse iniquity, … maketh them exceedingly debate, whethe… the promise shal be accomplished unto them for since they have transgressed the Covenant of God, and have broken their purposes and resolutions, they cannot suppos… God will abide faithfull to them, and … accomplish his promises unto them, … the only way how to answer this dispute, is to look to the faithfulnesse of God, and … that word, 2 Tim 2.13. Though we believ… not, yet God doth abide faithfull, he cannot … himself.
And now to shut up this second duty tha… we presse from the unchangeablenesse of th… promises: I shall only say these two word… unto you, 1. Assure your selves of thi… …at these accomplishments of promises that … not through the lively exercise of …, doth loose much of their sweetnesse, …uch of their luster, and much of their ad…ntage: Sometimes a promise will bee ac…mplished unto a Christian, when he hath … been much in the constant lively exer…se of Faith in believing such a promise; … then the disadvantage that attendeth …ch a one, are not easily experessed: How …ften may hee cry out, The Lord was in this …ace, and I was not aware: How little of … doth hee see in it, how short is hee in …raises and rendering to the Lord according … the good hee hath received? How negli…ent in improving or keeping the mercy, …nd how loath to lay it out for God, when …ee saith, The Lord hath need of it: and many …ing… more of this kinde which may presse … to be stedfast in believing. And, 2. O …ispute lesse, and believe more, what pro…te shall yee have of your disputings; and … yee would produce all your strong argu…ents why yee should not believe the pro…ises, yee may drown them in this immense …epth, God is unchangeable. Let mee say …ut this further, There are three most re…arkable changes in a Christian, in his ma…ing use of the promises: Fi…st, Sometimes …ee will believe the promises and make …pplication of them, and ere many hours …o about, hee will misbelieve that promise …hich presently he believed. Will not some…me a Christian in the morning cry out, I …m my beloveds, and my beloved he is mine, and ere twelve hours come, they will chang… their note and cry out, My hope and … strength is perished from the Lord: Some…times a Christian in the morning will cry out My mountain standeth strong, I shall never b… moved, and ere many hours go about, he wi… change his note, and cry out, Thou hast … thy face from me, and I was troubled. Secondly Sometimes a promise will bee to a Christia… sweeter then the honey & the honey comb: Some…times a Christian would die and live upon … promise: Sometimes the believing of a pro…mise will bee to a Christian as the valey … Achor for a door of hope, that will make hi… to sing, and yet ere many dayes go about, h… may come to that same very promise, and i… will prove tastelesse to him as the white of … egge; so that he may cry out, O that it … with mee, as in months past, and in the ancie… times: And O where is the sweetnesse tha… found in such a promise? O it is gone, it … gone, and I am left desolate. Thirdly, Some…times when a Christian will be believing su… a promise, and resting upon it, he wil (throug… the Spirit of the Lord) see much light an… clearnesse in that promise, hee will take … the deep things of God that shineth therei… and at another time hee may come to th… same promise, and it may be dark to him, … that his light hath evanished: and sometime the joy of a Christian in the promise will be gone when his light that hee had in it, … remain with him. A Christian may come … the promise, and finde his ancient light, ye… not his ancient joy, nor his ancient delight. Therefore if yee would have the promises …lwayes sweet unto you, pray over them, …ray that God might breath upon such a pro…ise, and make it lively to you.
The third thing that wee would presse …pon you from the unchangeablenesse of the …romises, is that which by proportion yee …ay gather even from this, that the threat…ings of God are unchangeable; these two …re conjoyned, yea, Ioshua seemeth to infer …he unchangeablenesse of the threatnings …rom the unchangeablenesse of the promises, Chap. 23.14▪ compared with verse ▪ 15. and …hese two are conjoyned, Zech. 8.14, 15. That as I thought to punish you, and it hath …ome to passe, so I have thought to build you up, and it shall come to passe. And I would from this desire you to stand in awe, lest you come under the lash of the unchangeable threat…ings of God; for know, that as God is unchangeable in the promises, and there is not one word in all the everlasting Covenant that shall not bee accomplished; so likewise know, there is not a curse in all the Book of the Covenant, but it shall bee accomplished in its time: And know this likewise, that the day is coming when that sad word that is in Hos. 7.12. shall bee accomplished, I will chastise them as their Congregation hath heard. And O yee that live in this place, if all the threatnings that your Congregations hath heard, shall bee accomplished in their time, yee may take up the last words of Baalams song, alas, Who shall live when God shall do these things: And therefore, since the threa…nings of God are unchangeable, as also th… promises, life and death is set before you and either yee shall bee the Object of …he …changeable threa…nings of God, or yee mu… be the Object of the unchangeable promise… of God: And therefore, I would from th… charge you, that as you would not be help…full to the destruction of your own immo…tal souls, you would not undervalue th… threatnings that ye hear in your Congreg… tions, since there is a declaration past, th… the threatnings in your Congregations sha… be accomplished.
Now there is that fourth duty that we… would presse upon you from this, that th… promises are unchangeable, have an unchange…able love to the Promiser; let this comme… the Promiser, let this constrain your hearts t… delight in the Promiser. O what a blessed dispensation of love is this, that an unchangeabl… God should make unchangeable promises u…to changeable Creatures. If the promises … the Covenant of Grace were as changeable i… their nature as we are changable, there shoul… not one of us go to Heaven; but know, it i… the blessed design of love, and it hath been … blessed practice of the infinit wisdom of God that when he hath to do with changeable creatures, he will give them unchangeable promises. And I would once invite you again that you would come near and imbrace thi… unchangeable Promiser: I shall speak these five words that may perswade you. First Christ is easily to bee gotten if yee will take …im, ye will get Christ if ye will but hear; …ea, for one listening of your ear to his …oice ye shall get him: according to that word, Isa. 55.3. Hear, And what of that, …nd your soul shall live; Is not this to get Christ at an easie rate: and as we spake be…ore, ye will get Christ for a look, and is …ot that an easie rate, Isa. 45.22. Look unto … all ye ends of the earth and be saved: Have ye a desire to take Christ, ye shall get him for that desire; according to that word, Isa. 55.1. Ho every one that thristeth, let him …ome and he that wills let him come: Will ye …ut consent to take him, ye shall have him, and what can you have at a lower rate then …his: Shall never your cursed hands take the … and put to your name to the blessed con…ract of Marriage? Shall never these cursed hearts of ours cry forth, Even so I take him, and do promise to live to him, and to die to him. O strange, will ye not do it, upon what terms would the world have Christ, is …t possible to have him without a consent to take him? Oh if ye would but open to him, he would condescend to come in unto you, and to sup with you, and ye with him; do ye but stir to open, Christ hath the Keyes in his own hand, and he would help you to open. O what if Christ the precious Gift of Heaven, the eternal admiration of Angels, that branch of Righteousness shall be despised, being offered upon so easie terms; then cursed eternally shall be that perso… that thus undervalueth Christ, it had been better for him that he had never been born: Cursed shall ye be in your birth, and in yo… life, and in your death, all the curses of th… Persons of the Trinity will light upon yo… yea, believe it: O wife that hath a believin… husband, in the day that the great sentenc… of eternal excommunication from the pre…sence of the Lord, shall bee past against th… undervaluers of Christ, a believing husban… will say amen to that sentence, even to hi… wife that did thus undervalue that Nobl… Plant of renown: and the wife upon th… other part will say with hearty consent, ame… to that sentence against the unbelieving husband, and the father to the son, and the so… to the father.
Now there is this fifth duty that we… would presse upon you from this, That th… promises are unchangeable, that ye woul… be perswaded to make the promises your portion and your inheritance; What can ye wan… that will choise the promises for your portion? I know, our cursed eyes doth not love to make invisible promises, and that invisibl… crown, and an invisible God our portion, w… look to walk by sight, not by faith. But … if you knew once what it were but to clai… a relation to Christ! Did ye once know wha… it were to have but Christ a moment between your breasts, ye would cry forth, O! wh… would not love him who is the King of Saints … who would not be content to quite all thing… that they might get Christ that noble pearl o… price.
And there is this last duty that wee would presse upon you from this, That the promises are unchangeable; read a lecture from his, O Christian, even your misbelief; God …ath confirmed his everlasting Covenant …ith an oath, with the Bloud of his Son, by … two great broad Seals of heaven, the Sa…ament of Baptism, and the Lords Supper; …nd what doth all these confirmations speak …ut our dreadfull misbelief, and that wee now not what it is to be resting on a naked …ord of promise. I shall say no more, but …esire that yee would consider and take no…ce of these three. First, Ye have been …lemnly and often invited by the Ambassa…ors of Christ to close with him, and to …ke him for your Husband and your Lord, … will you consider presently, that all … Angels in heaven, and all that are about … Throne, and the three most glorious …ost blessed Persons of the Trinity, that they … witnesses, and shall bee to your dissent. …nd are there not many here whose hearts …ould never be brought up to give a hearty …onsent to close with Christ that is the great …omiser, and who hath laid all the bonds …at heaven or earth could contrive to gain …ners hearts unto himself: O precious …hrist, what could hee do to perswade us to …ve him which hee hath not done; and yet … may bee your name, which is in Ephes. 2. Children of disobedience. Or as the …ord is, Children of Imperswasion, wee can…t bee perswaded. Secondly, I fear if …hrist Himself would come from heaven … invite you, and say, here am I, imbrace …, there are some here who would close not only their eyes, but their ears, they would close their eyes lest the beauty o… Christ should allure them, they woul… close their cursed ears lest they should be gained and captivate by the sweet enchaunt…ing voice of that blessed Charmer, when h… should charm so wisely. And, lastly, wi… thou tell mee, O Christian and expectant o… heaven, what a day shall it be when all th… unchangeable promises of God shall bee a…complished? What a day shall it bee whe… that promise shall be accomplished, Ye sh… see him as he is? What a day shall it b… when that promise shall bee accomplished▪ Yee shall bee made like unto him? What a da… shall it be when that promise shall be accom…plished, yee shall know as yee are known? … are ye not longing for the day of the full ac…complishment of the precious promises o… God, when yee shall sit down and comfor… your selves in the eternal and unspeakabl… fruition of them? O let us long and wa… till the day shall bee when that voice shall … heard in heaven, That the mysteries of God … finished, till the day when that voice sha… be heard in heaven, Behold, the Bridegroo… cometh, go yee out to meet him. Oh how … willing are wee to leave a world. And ho… gladly would wee take up our rest on th… side of Iordan. I think if this were th… night that that blessed voice were to be heard in heaven, Behold, the Bridegroo… cometh, go yee out to meet him; some, if no… many of the Christians (that are so indeed… in this time would cry forth, Oh spare little that wee may recover strength, before wee go hence and shall bee no more. Are yee not longing to bring the King over Iordan, and to bring him home to your self, and to have your heart brought home to him? O blessed, blessed are these that are above; Is not the voice of these that shout for victory heard …mongst them? Is not the voice of these that sing for joy heard among them? Iob doth not now any more complain, Why dost …hou make mee to possesse the iniquities of my …outh, and setteth a print upon my heels? David doth now no more complain, Why doth …hy promise fail for evermore, but rather doth …weetly sing, How is thy promise fulfilled for …vermore? Heman doth now no more complain, While I suffer thy terrours I am di…racted, but rather cryeth ou…, While I feel …hy comforts I am ravished. The voice of …ourning is now sweetly gone away, and …he voice of Hallelujah and of eternal prais…ng of him that sitteth upon the Throne is …ow heard in the place of it: O such a day …hat shall never admit of a following night. …ow to him that is upon his way, that will …ome, and shall come, and shall not tarry, …e desire to give praise.