The Difference Between the Old and New Covenants, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Of the Uſe of Abſolute Promiſes.
THe Queſtion will now be, What Uſe is there of abſolute, better Promiſes? When or in what caſes are they to be made uſe of?
Anſw. 1. They are of Uſe for the manifeſtation of the riches of Divine Grace and Love to ſinners: if there may be ſome Grace in promiſing great bleſſings upon a very ſmall condition, certainly there muſt be more Grace and Love in promiſing the ſame abſolutely, without any condition. This maketh to the magnifying of the Lord in his owning Iſrael above all people; that he loved becauſe he would love, Deut. 7. 6, 7, 8. not becauſe they were greater, or more lovely than others, or had any beauty or comlineſs in them, but for his own ſake, as is often intimated. Abſolute Promiſes are high expreſſions of Divine Love, as Heb. 8. 10, 11, 12. They proclaim rich mercy and great Love, Eph. 2. 4, 5. That the Lord ſhould break through all unworthineſs and undeſervings, this may work into the greateſt ſelf-emptineſs and ſelf-abaſement. The Lord peremptorily promiſed the eſtabliſhing of Davids throne for ever, 2 Sam. 7. 13, 16. and this Grace melts his heart into a deep ſenſe of his own nothingneſs, ver. 18, 19. Who am I, O Lord God; what is my houſe, &c. Thou haſt ſpoken alſo of thy Servants houſe for a great while to come, and is this the manner of man, O Lord God?
So that abſolute Promiſes of Divine Grace are of great efficacy to render deeply humbled and abaſed; and he breaketh forth into admiration of God on this account, ver. 22. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord, for there is none like thee—
And as the abſoluteneſs of the Promiſes, ſetteth forth the excellency of the New Covenant above the Old; and the gloriouſneſs of this diſpenſation above any that was preceeding: ſo it may help againſt that temptation to live in the Spirit of the Old Covenant, and it is mentioned in the Epiſtle to the Hebrews for this purpoſe.
2. They are of uſe in the impartation or communication of firſt Grace unto the Souls of men: their firſt intereſt therein, is by the efficacious operations of the Spirit in abſolute Promiſes. Theſe are called by ſome, Promiſes of Grace, which preſuppoſe a being without it, thus Heb. 8. 10, 11, 12. Immediately before writing the Law in the heart, another Law of ſin was found in its power there. The moment before the Lords becoming their God, they were without God in the world (Eph. 2. 12.) The inſtant before the remiſſion of ſin, the guilt of it was found there. All firſt Grace is compriſed under theſe Promiſes, ſo that the bringing Souls over to a firſt cloſe with Jeſus Chriſt, …s by an abſolute Promiſe: though they may have their eyes upon thoſe called conditional Promiſes in converſion, yet if ever they arrive at any Drachme of eſpecial Grace, it is in an abſolute way; it is the fruit, the reſult and iſſue of an abſolute Promiſe: for as all firſt Grace is contained therein, ſo till that be accompliſhed upon them, no qualifications or conditions are wrought in their Souls altering their ſtate, or which are acceptable and pleaſing unto God. The inſtant before quickening, Souls were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, Eph. 2. 4. Immediately before reconciliation, they ſtood at enmity againſt the Lord, Col. 1. 21. The moment before Sanctification they were under ſin and pollution. It is groundleſly therefore, that any Souls ſtand off from Jeſus Chriſt and the Free Promiſe, upon the account of a want of any qualifications; they ſhould rather immediately cloſe with him therein, as the way to gracious qualifications which are derived to them through the abſolute Promiſe. The Lord is a free Agent, may work how he pleaſeth, but hath not warranted any Souls to ſtay one moment before cloſing with Jeſus Chriſt, upon the want of any qualification, or upon any account whatſoever: indeed if he had, then he muſt teſtifie his allowance of their perſiſting ſo long in unbelief; whereas that hateful and abominable to him.
3. They are of Uſe as a provocation to ſeek, and a direction where to find, all ſupplies of Grace wanted: Other Promiſes may referr to ſome particular ſtate or condition, but there are abſolute Promiſes that are of generaluſe, whatever the condition or compliant be, Heb. 8. 10, 11, 12. As firſt Grace is promiſed there, ſo all after degrees of it, in that of writing the Law in the heart. As firſt intereſt in God is promiſed, in that of his being their God, ſo all after communion with him is included in it. As firſt Juſtification is promiſed, in his remembring ſin no more, ſo all after remiſſion of ſin that is afforded to thoſe in Covenant with him.
So that abſolute Promiſes are uſeful at all times; when Souls are ready to ſay, What have we to do with other Promiſes, there is enough in theſe to help and ſuccour in all caſes, when Souls are at the greateſt loſs, and cannot find other Promiſes mentioning their particular conditions; to be ſure, they muſt either want ſome Grace, or fellowſhip with God or pardon of ſin; and the abſolute Promiſes extend and reach to all theſe; that they are a ſtanding relief, bread that never fail, waters that are for ever ſure; all is laid up here that ſouls can groundedly deſire at the hands of God.
And being Abſolute, they are Free Promiſes, no diſcouragement laid in the way of ſouls for cloſing with them. Often men do ungroundedly take diſcouragement for meddling with other Promiſes, becauſe they cannot ſee that they have the qualifications which they are annexed to; but to be ſure thoſe that are abſolute, do not preſuppoſe any ſuch qualifications as neceſſarily antecedaneous to the cloſing with them, but they promiſe all gracious qualifications that ſouls have the deepeſt ſenſe of the want of. Whatever Grace or degree of it they want, it is here; they are directed to turn in hither.
No ground to ſtand off from theſe one moment upon the account of a want of humiliation, &c. but the rather ſhould they repair hither for it, and for firſt Grace when they ſeem to be without it, for Evangelical ſorrow, and all ſpiritual frames of heart deſirable; when there is nothing diſcerned as the qualification but ſinfulneſs, then they had the more need look to, and faſten upon the Lord in abſolute Promiſes, that all deſirable qualifications may be wrought within them. How ſhould they obtain theſe, but by looking to the Free Promiſe? The abſolute Promiſes are theirs, ſo far as to make uſe of them, and venture upon the Lord in them, for the obtainment of Grace wanted; though they cannot claim an intereſt ſo as to conclude a good eſtate thence, or that Grace is injoyed, before a powerful application of them.
4. They are uſeful for the ſtrengthening againſt, and ſupporting under all temptations that gracious Souls can be attended with: If it be ſuggeſted, that the Promiſe is none of theirs, they have nothing to do to meddle with it. Here is enough to anſwer, poſſibly other Promiſes may be theirs, though at preſent they cannot diſcern it; there are ſuch cloudings, as all experiences, all qualifications may be out of ſight; they may thus ſit in darkneſs and ſee no light, and yet may be Children of light, Iſa. 50. 10. But however though they cannot claim any Promiſe ſo as to conclude intereſt in Salvation and Eternal Life thence, yet they may, ſo far as to ſeek an intereſt therein. The abſolute Promiſe is theirs in the offer of it, if they ſhould yet be without the ſpecial Grace offered therein. All, where the Goſpel cometh, have ſo far a right and Title to the abſolute Promiſe, as it is their duty to faſten upon it, for the begetting all gracious qualifications that they ſeem to be or are without, elſe they could not be blamed, condemned, and puniſhed for unbelief, as many are, Mark 16. 16. Joh. 3. 18. Ro. 11. 20.
If the temptation be, that it would be preſumption to meddle with the Promiſe which is none of thine:
It is anſwered, thou art to look to the Lord in the abſolute Promiſe, that it may be thine, that Grace may be thine, that God may be thy God, that pardon of ſin may be thine, though thou canſt not diſcern at preſent, that theſe are thine.
Such a looking to the Promiſe, as thence to take incouragement to indulge itſelf, or perſiſt in ſin, this indeed is preſumption; but a cordial looking to the Lord in, and venturing to take hold of the abſolute Promiſes for the gaining a freedom from ſin, and every gracious frame, this is duty, and the neglecting of it is preſumption, as being a ſtanding out againſt a Divine Call.
There is a ground for putting forth direct acts of Faith upon the Lord in the abſolute Promiſe for all Grace wanted. When there is not a preſent diſcerning by a reflexive act, that gracious qualifications are injoyed, yet there may be an outgoing of heart in the Promiſe to God in Jeſus Chriſt for them, or that they may be afforded. It is a great miſtake, to think that we are to exerciſe Faith upon the Lord in the Promiſe, only upon a ſight of a condition in our ſelves; this were to ground our Faith rather upon ſomething of our own, than upon the Lord in his Free Promiſe; it were to ſubject the abſolute Promiſes and make them depend upon thoſe that are called conditional as to their efficacy and uſefulneſs, whereas the truth lieth the contrary way; for the New Covenant is as it were the Fountain of all the Promiſes to us, and that runneth altogether upon abſolute Promiſes, and therefore thoſe which are called conditional Promiſes, being ſtreams flowing thence, and branches of that Tree, they muſt be reducible to, and partake of the Nature of the New Covenant, and ſo are really abſolute in themſelves, only as a quickening means to our ſeeking after the bleſſings of them, they are repreſented ſometimes as if they were diſpenced out in a conditional way: but the Lord doth not confine himſelf to that way, for when Iſrael was deſtitute of commendable qualifications, had failed in the worſhip of God, and wearied him with their ſins, yet he turned their eye upon an abſolute Promiſe, Iſa. 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions for my Names ſake.
5. They are of Uſe for the evidencing intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt, and clearing up how the caſe ſtande thas to their Eternal conditions: The Lord can make a ſaving change (i. e. ſuch as hath Salvation and Eternal Life, infallibly in connexion with it) in the opening of any Promiſe, but it is from abſolute Grace. The begetting of Faith, or firſt Grace in the Souls of any, is by an abſolute Promiſe; For, what condition can there be, in any Soul before firſt Grace, to have a Promiſe annexed to it? It were to fruſtrate and make void the undertaking of Jeſus Chriſt, to aſſert, that the Lord hath promiſed Eternal Life to a work of nature, or that Souls are in a ſtate of Salvation before union with Jeſus Chriſt, which they muſt be, if they had any qualification which had Salvation certainly promiſed to it. The Lord ſaith, Ezek. 36. 26. 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. What precedent qualification was here, but ſtonyneſs and hardneſs of heart, and ſo uncleanneſs before the ſprinkling, ver. 25. Here then is a Promiſe of firſt Grace, and it is abſolute, and the operations of the Spirit herein are ſo ſupernatural and tranſcendently glorious as they are evidencing. The Word of the Goſpel cometh in ſuch power, for the accompliſhing the very end which the Promiſe is appointed to, and there are ſuch ſparklings of Divine excellency in the impreſſions that are made upon the Spirits of men hereby, that without having recourſe to any other promiſes (which are called conditional) they may read or ſee their perſonal intereſt in an abſolute Promiſe. By its efficacious application or the fulfilling of it, by their actual injoyment of what is promiſed, they may diſcern their ſharing in it. And ſeeing all gracious qualifications are begotten or firſt wrought by an abſolute Promiſe, why ſhould not that give evidence, as well as the after ſanctified frames?
Beſides, the abſolute Promiſes are made to ſome perſons, even to the houſe of Iſrael and Judah, Ezek. 36. 21, to the end, Jer. 31. 31. and being expreſſions of the determinate Will of God, hence they muſt needs be evidencing; For, the chief intendment of Promiſes, is, to give aſſurance how the heart of God ſtandeth towards perſons under them; the Lord is ever ſpeaking to them therein after this manner, I will be your God, and your ſins and iniquities will I remember no more, Ezek. 36. 28. Heb. 8. 12. This is the natural Language of the Covenant to them. And, though unbelievers (who are out of Covenant) may fancy the ſame things, and delude themſelves, yet this hindreth not, but that the Lord may really ſpeak thus to Believers, who are undoubtedly under it. So ſometimes, the ſtate or condition of a Soul is evidenced, by ſuch Words or Promiſes as theſe, Iſa. 41. 10. Be not diſmayed, for [I am thy God] Ezek. 34. 31. I am your God ſaith the Lord God. Iſai. 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy tranſgreſſions, and as a cloud thy ſins, &c.
The Divine Spirit oftentimes maketh ſuch a powerful application of ſuch promiſes, and maketh ſuch glorious diſcoveries, of the loving kindneſs and free grace of God to the ſoul, as he giveth it clearly to underſtand that God is ſpeaking to it therein, and it is the voice of God and not of man or of Satan, and thus it is evidencing.
The Lord is ſo ſhining upon his own graces, as then a ſoul uſually can diſcern theſe; yet it is not meerly a reflection upon faith or other graces, that now give the evidence; but faith receiveth it as it were upon a Divine teſtimony.
6. They are of uſe for the filling ſouls with conſolation in the ſaddeſt conditions, and under the moſt trying diſpenſations: Jeremiah was ſent to propheſie of the Jewiſh captivity, procured by their ſin, for the ſpace of ſeventy years, yet to keep them from deſpair and utter deſpondency, and to comfort them againſt all their trials, he not only aſſureth them of a return, but propheſieth of the New Covenant, and its being put into an abſolute form, Jer. 31. 31. Therefore the abſolute promiſes are of comforting uſe againſt the ſaddeſt trials that ſin it ſelf may bring us under. The Apoſtle turneth their eye upon thoſe two immutable things, the Promiſe and the Oath of God, Heb. 6. 18. as thoſe which the Lord appointed on purpoſe to uſher in ſtrong conſolation.
Thus we ſee, that when the Condition of ſinners ſeemeth moſt deſpicable, and when the graces of Saints are moſt out of ſight, yet then they may have recourſe to the Abſolute Promiſes, and look unto the Lord therein, for all grace and ſupply that is wanted.