Treatise of the Divine Promises, Book 3 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. SPIRITVALL PROMISES. 1. In regard of Good.
1. GODS
1. Love of them, which hath three properties, it is
1. Free.
2. Infinite.
3. Eternall.
2. Presence with them:
1. Each of the godly in particular.
2. The whole Church in generall.
3. Providence over them, keeping them
1. Immediatly, by himselfe.
2. Mediatly, by his Angels.
1. Promises of GODS Love.
For spirituall blessings in Generall, Ephes. 13. he hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings, 2 Pet. 1.4. He hath given us all thngs pertaining to life and godlinesse.ANd he will love thee, and blesse thee, &c. Deut. 7.13. Hee crowneth his people with loving kindnesse, and tender mercies, Psal. 103.4.
There are three properties of GODS Love.
1. It is a free Love; he stands not upon desert, Hosea 14.4. Exod. 33.19. 1 Ioh. 4.10, 19. The LORD did not set his Love upon you, nor choose you, because yee wore more in number then any other people, but because the LORD loved you. Lo he loved you, because he loved you,Deut 7.7, 8. Amat, quia amai. Bernard. to shew the freedome and independancy of his love unto them.
2. It is an infinite & transcendent Love, Eph. 2.4.7, 18, 19. GOD *There is a Sic without a Sicut.so loved the world, &c. Iohn 3.16. that is, so infinitely, so transcendently, so incomprehensibly, 1 Ioh. 3.1.
Ier. 32.40. 2 Sam. 7.15.3. It is an eternall and unchangeable Love, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, Jer. 31.3. Behold I will betroth thee unto mee for ever, Hosea 2.19. With everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee, Esay 54.8.
2. Promises of GODS speciall and gracious presence.
This is the most sweete comfort, wherewith GOD anciently used to sustaine his children.
Each in particular.
Isaac, Gen. 26.3, 24. Moses,Iacob, Gen. 28.15. & 3….3. I will be with thee, that is, to do thee good, Gen 32.12 Exod. 3.12. & 4.12. Josh. 1.5, 9. & 3.7. Ezek. 3. Jer. 1.8, 19. David incouraged his sonne Salomon with this, 1 Chron. 28.20.
And the whole Church in generall. Zach. 2.10, 11. Ioel 2.17. Christ is spiritually present with all true beleevers. Rom. 16.24 2 Cor 13.14 Phil. 4.23.Esay 41.10. & 43.2. Rev. 1.13. & 2.1. CHRIST left this comfort for his farewell to his Disciples and their Successors. Lo I am with you to the end of the world, Matth. 28.20. And [With you] Comprehends under it not onelyonly Pastors, but people also; For where two or three are gathered together in my name (saith CHRIST) there am I in the midst of them, Mat. 18.20.
3. Promises of GODS providence over his children.
They have an honourable guard.
1. GOD himselfe keepeth his Israel who neither slumbreth nor sleepeth. Psal. 121.4, 5. He keepeth his under the shadow of his wings, Psal. 91.14. The LORD compareth himselfe to an Eagle which safely carrieth her young, Deut. 1.31. & 32.11. and to a carefull Shepheard, Ezek. 34.12. Psal. 23.1, 2, 3. Iohn 16.12. Esay 30.21.… Chron. 16.9 Psal. 13.18 19 Deut. 11.1…. There are two sweet Psalmes for promises of future protection, Psal. 91. & 121.
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, Psal. 34.15. a mans eye is upon one that hee loves, ubi amor, ibi oculus. The LORD hath a care of them, he loves, defends and protects them. He saith, Psal. 32.8. I will guide thee with mine eye. Hee will guide his children by his speciall providence in all their waies, Psal. 121.8. Esay 46 4. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, but with Kings are they on the throne, yea hee doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted, Job 36.7. Hee keepeth all his bones, not one of them is broken, Psal. 34.20.
There shall not a haire of your head perish,All the haires of your head are numbred Luk. 12.7. and it is Austens inference thereupon, Si fic custodiuntur su perstua tua, in quanta securitate est animatua. The eye is kept most diligently, and strongly guarded by nature with tunicle; Luke 21 18. Matth. 10.30. Acts 27.34. Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye, Zach. 2.8. To expresse the tendernesse of his love, he named the tenderest part of the body, saith Salvian, that he might shew that hee is troubled with the least contamelie offered to his Saints, as we are with the least hurt of our eye. Nay hee saith not, hee that toucheth you toucheth his eye, but the apple of his eye, the tenderest piece of the tenderest part, the Chrystall humour as the Philosophers call it, Psal. 17 8. Deut. 32.10Ishon in Hebrew of Ish, pupilla in Latine of pupa, because therein appeareth the resemblance of a little man, or because as a man is to be prized above all other creatures, so GOD esteemeth his people above all the world. David found by his owne experience, Psal. 17.8. Psal. 63.7. and 41.12. that GOD preserved him as the apple of his eye: and so may all Christians. What was said to Iacob, Gen. 28.15. and to Ioshua by Moses, Deut. 31.8. and by GOD himselfe, Iosh. 1.5. Paul applieth generally to all Christians, Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Hee guides them in all their waies. Hee that hath mercy on them (saith the Prophet) shall leade them, even by the springs *The world is like a wildernesse, the wicked like wilde beast, in a de…art; Gods children are so provided for, that God preserve… them, yea and himselfe s…ds them out meanes of singular refreshing all their daies.of water shall hee guide them, Esay 49.16.
2. Christians have the guard of Angels.
He shall give his Angels charge ov…r thee, to keepe thee in all thy waies, they shall beare thee up in their hands least thou dash thy foot against a stone. Psal. 91.11, 12. The Angels keepe us, and that universally, in all our waies: they keepe us, and that very charily and tenderly, they beare us in their hands, and they keepe us very safely and surely, so that we dash not our feete against a stone.
The Angell of the LORD encampeth about them that feare him, and delivereth them,Exod. 33 2. & 32.34. Psal. 34.7.