Commentary on 2 Corinthians 1, Commentary · Commentary on verse 20
VERSE XX.
For all the Promises of God in him are Yea, and in him Amen.
THis comes in after this manner, My Preaching to you (saith he) was invariable, and constant, because Christ himself is alway yea: if Christ the matter of my preaching be alwayes yea, and I preach nothing but Christ, then my preaching is invariable and constant. How doth he prove the minor? how doth he prove that Christ is alway yea? All the Promises of God in him are Yea, and in him Amen. Christ is invariable, and my preaching of him was not yea, and nay. Christ is not yea, and nay, because all the Promises of God in him are Yea, and Amen.
The Promises of God in him are Yea, that is, they are constant; and in him they are Amen. There is some diversity in reading the words. But most constantly the best Expositors have it as this Translation hath it, All the Promises of God in him are Yea, and in him Amen. The literal meaning is this, All the Promises of God in Christ are Yea, that is, they are certain, they are made in him: and in him they are Amen, that is, they are accomplished in him; in him they are made, and in him they are accomplished.
I might spend a great deal of time to shew the acception of the word Amen, but it is not pertinent to my purpose.
Amen, is here certain, undoubtedly certain, as it is here to make way to that which is to be understood.
There are three main senses of Amen; It signifies that a thing is positively so, and not no, it is so. Yea, and Amen, signifie that such a thing is; as, Three senses of Amen.Let your yea be yea; such a thing is. But now, Amen is more, not onelyonly that a thing is, but it is so truly, and so unchangeably; it is Yea, and Amen. The Promises are yea, they are made in Christ, and then they are true in him, undoubtedly, eternally, unchangeably true.
So take it in the strictest, in the strongest sense you can; all the Promises of God in Christ they are so true, that they are invariably, constantly, eternally true in him, they are made in him, and performed in him; they are Yea in him, and Amen in him. So the whole carriage of the Promises is onelyonly in Christ.
The truths we are to deliver out of the words are these:
First of all we must know, That since the fall of man, it hath pleased the Divine Nature, the three Persons in Trinitie, to stablish a Covenant of God since the Fall hath made a Covenant of Grace.grace, and so of salvation in Jesus Christ; and to make him a second principle, a second Adam, by whom mankind is restored to a better estate then ever we had in the first Adam. God now since the fall takes another course to bring us back again to him. He doth not leave us as he left the Angels that fell, in a state of perdition for ever: but as we fell by infidelity and distrust of him, so now we are recovered again by Promises, and by faith in them.
There can be no intercourse between God and man, but by some promise on his part.
God deales with man by Promises.Observ. God deals with man by Promises.
The reason is this; How can man dare to challenge any thing of the great Majestie of God without a warrant from himself? How can the conscience be satisfied? The conscience looks to God, it is a knowledge together Reason 1. Else man dares look for nothing from God.with God; how can conscience rest but in that it knowes comes from God? Therefore for any good that I hope for from God, I must have a promise.
For this is Gods constant dispensation, while we live in this world we are alway under hope, we are children of hope, We are saved by hope, we rejoyce Reason 2. To exercise faith and hope.in the hope of glory: and hope looks to the promises, whereof some part is unperformed. How doth heaven and earth differ? heaven is all performance: here is some performance to encourage us, and there is alway some promise still unperformed. We are alway under some Promise: and therefore the manner of our apprehending God in this world differs from heaven: here it is by faith and hope, there by vision: vision is fit for performance; faith and hope looks to the Promise alway here: Therefore God rules his Church by Promises: partly (I say) to secure the soul of man, we cannot have any thing from God but by the manifestation of his own good will. How can we look for any thing from God but by promise? can we look for any thing from God by our own conceits? that is a fooles Paradise.
Further, God will have his Church ruled by Promises in all ages, to exercise faith, and hope, and prayer, and dependance upon God. God will try of what credit he is among men, whether they will depend upon his promise, or no: so that knowing he is true, by promise it may be certain to them, they shall have performance in time: he gives men Promises to see if they will trust him.
God will have this manner of dispensation to rule his Church by Promises, to arm us in this world against feares and discouragements; therefore Reason 3. To arm us against discouragements.we have alway some Promise. He might have done us good, and have given us no promise; but now having given us Promises, he will try the graces that are in us, and arm us against all discouragements and difficulties, till the thing promised be performed. For we must know, that a Promise is a Divine thing, better then any earthly performance. Let God give a man never so much in the world, if he have not a promise of better things all will come to nothing at the last. Therefore God supports the soules and spirits of his Children with Promises, to arm them against all temptations on the right hand, and on the left, that would draw them from trusting in his Promise; he will have them live by faith, and that hath alway relation to the Promise.Quest.
This is a general ground then, That God now in Christ Jesus hath appointed Answ. Promise what.this way, to govern the Church with Promises.
Now what is a Promise?
A Promise is nothing but a manifestation of love, an intendment of bestowing some good, and removing some ill; a manifestation of our mind Three degrees of love.in that kind is a promise, of conferring of a future good, or removing of a future ill, therefore it comes from love in the party promising.
There are three degrees of loving steps, whereof a promise is the last. The first is inward love: The second is real performance: And the third is a manifestation of performance intended before it be; and this (I say) is a degree of love. For love concealed, it doth not comfort in the interim, in the time that is betwixt. Now God who is love, doth not onelyonly love us, and will not only shew his love in time; but because he will have us rest sweetly in his bosome, and settle our selves on his gracious Promises, in the mean time, he gives us rich and precious Promises. He is not onelyonly love, and shewes it in deed, but he expresseth it in word. And we may well build on his Word, as verily as if he had performed it in deed: for whatsoever he saith is Yea, and Amen. This is the nature of a promise; It is not only love, and the expression of love in deed; but the expression of it in word, when he intends to solace, and comfort, and stablish, and stay the mind of man till the good promised be performed.
Therefore even from this we see how God loves us, that not onelyonly he hath an inward love in his breast, and doth good to us, but he manifests it by No promise, no faith nor hope.word: he would have us (as I said) live by faith, and stablish our selves in hope.
Faith and hope are two graces altogether from Promises: if there were no promise, there could be no faith nor hope: what is hope? nothing but the expectation of the things that the Word saith. And what is faith but a building on the Word of God. Faith looks on the Word that God will give such a thing, and hope looks upon the thing that the Word promiseth: as the distinction is good, faith looks to the Word of the thing, and hope looks to the thing in the Word: faith looks to the Word promising; hope looks to the performance of the thing promised. Faith is the evidence of things not seen, because it sets the things that are absent as if they were present; hope is for the accomplishment of that. If there were no promise to hope, what needed hope? and where were a foundation for faith? Now God being willing to exercise faith and hope, feeds them both, and satisfies both, that we may be heavenly wise in trusting and believing, and not Observ. 2. All Promises in Christ.foolish as men in the world: Therefore God hath given us promises, and sealed them with an oath, as we shall see afterward.
Now all promises coming from love, what love can there be in God to us since the fall, but it must be grounded on a better foundation then our selves? If God love us, it must be in one that is first beloved: hereupon comes the ground of the Promises to be Jesus Christ, God-man: For all intercourse between God and us, it must be in him that is able to satisfie God. God will so in the Covenant of Grace entertain covenant and league with us, as that he will have his Justice have full content, he will be satisfied; and therefore he that will be the foundation of intercourse between God and us, he must be God-man, perfectly able to satisfie Divine Justice; he must be a friend of Gods, and a friend to us; hereupon the Promises must come from Gods love in Jesus Christ: and he must first receive all good for us, and we must have it at the second hand from him. Hereupon it is said here, that All the Promises of God in him are Yea, and Amen.
It is a rule, The first in any kind is the cause of all the rest. Now Christ Christ first beloved.is the first beloved thing; therefore in Coloss. 1. 3. he is called the Sonne of Gods love. Christ being the only begotten Son of God, he looks on him first before he looks on any thing else; and whatsoever is lovel, y he looks 1. As God.on it as it is in him in whom his love is first, because he being his onelyonly begotten Son, he is the first object of all the respect that God hath; therefore whatsoever is beloved, it is as it hath a consistence in Christ. Therefore Christ he must first be loved, and then we in him. Consider him as the Son of God.
Consider him as man, he is the first beloved, being a holy man above all 2. As Man.other men: for the nature of man hath a subsistence in the second person in Christ: therefore Christ as man is beloved before all others, having a subsistence in his Godhead which is first beloved: he is the prime, and most excellent creature as man. God looks first upon Christ as his onelyonly begotten Son, and upon Christ as man secondarily: Upon the Church in the third place as united to Christ; and all other creatures in reference to the Church: and therefore there was never any thing in the world, nor shall be, that ever was or shall be loved, but in the first-beloved Christ Jesus.
Again, Christ is first, because Christ is the Mediatour between God 3. As Mediatour.and man by office. Consider what relation he hath between God and man, and we may easily see that God first respects him, and us for him. For Christ being God and man, and Mediatour therefore between God and man, he is loved of both; he is a friend to both, to bring both together; he is first regarded as Mediatour, and then we for whose cause he is Mediatour.
Then again, Consider Christ not as he is between God and us, but as he 4. As our Head, and Husband.is to us, so he is first beloved. To God, he is his first begotten; to God and us a Mediatour. To us a head, to us a husband to us a brother; a head from whence there is all influence of life and motion: a husband from whence we have all riches; he is all in all to us in the relations he stands in to us: therefore he is first in all things, as the Apostle saith, In all things he must have the preheminence; and it is fit it should be so.
Especially since the fall; leave the consideration of Christ, and this may Our nature odious to God since thn fall.be a reason, consider us since the fall, as we are in the masse of corruption, are we fit objects for Gods love? are we not fuel for consuming fire? is not he a consuming fire, and we stubble for his wrath? is not our nature defiled, and tainted, and can it otherwise be amiable, then considered as knit to him that is first amiable, that is Christ? it cannot be. So look to Christ as the Son of Gods love, whether as God, or as man: look to his Office as Mediatour, look on him as in relation to us as our husband and head; look on us without him, you may see that Gods love is first founded in Christ, and then in us.
I mean in regard of execution in the passages of our salvation: For at Gods love first in Christ, and then in us in regard of execution.first it was a free love that gave Christ to us, and us to Christ, So God loved the world, that he gave his Son, that was the first that set all the world in execution: but in the execution from predestination to glorification, before all worlds he loved us in Christ to everlasting: from the everlasting in election, to everlasting in glory, all is in Christ in regard of execution. We subsist in him, we are sanctified in him, we are justified in him, his righteousnesse is ours, we are glorified in him, we are loved in him: God blesseth us with all spiritual blessings in him, Ephes. 1. 5, 6. God hath made us accepted in his beloved: In him who is his beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased: not onelyonly with whom, but in whom, in him and all his, in him as mystical Christ, head and members. God now looks upon our nature as it is united to the person of his onelyonly begotten Son; and thereupon our nature is lovely in the eyes of God, and enriched, and honoured, and advanced in Christ.
Even as a base woman by marriage with a great person is advanced; so our nature being mean of it self, taking our nature when it was defiled with sin: (though that particular masse was sanctified by the Holy Ghost) it was much advanced and ennobled, by having a subsistence in the second person: so God looks on us in Jesus Christ, and loves us in him, and bestowes all spiritual blessings in Christ.
Therefore whatsoever we have, Christ must have it first for us; whatsoever All in Christ first.is done to us, must be done first to Christ. Christ is first predestinate, as it is, 1 Pet. 1. he is the predestinate Lamb of God, he was ordained before all worlds, to be a sacrifice for us, and to be the head of his Church, he was ordained before we were ordained. Christ is first beloved, and then we are beloved in his beloved. He is well pleased in him, and then in us: he is first loved, and then we; he is predestinate, and then we: he is the Son of Gods love by nature, therefore we are sons of Gods love by adoption and grace▪ what we are by adoption, he is by nature first of all: therefore we are said to be elected in him, and sanct…fied in him: he first of all removes all ill, and then we have it removed, because he hath removed it. He is first justified from our sins, he is first quitted and freed from our sins, when he took them upon himself, and on the tree satisfied the wrath of God: He bore our iniquities, and by his stripes we are healed: if he had not been freed from our sins, we had for ever layen under them: therefore saith S. Paul, If Christ be not risen, you are yet in your sins: we are free from our sins, because Christ our surety is out of the prison of the grave, he is in heaven.
He must first rise from the dead; he is the first fruits of them that sleep: the first begotten from the dead, Rev. 1. 1 Cor. 15. for though some rose before, yet it was in the vertue of Christ, who rose altogether by his own strength; therefore he hath made a living way to heaven: We are born again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead; we have a lively hope, a hope that makes us lively in good works, because our surety is in heaven: Now we hope for an inheritance immortal and undefiled; because he is risen, we shall rise: he is ascended, therefore we shall ascend: we do ascend in the certainty of faith now, and shall ascend indeed hereafter.
Whatsoever we do, he doth it first: and whatsoever we have from God, it is at the second hand, he hath it first, and conveyes it to us: the Natural Son to the adopted sons; therefore all the Promises come to be made in him, and not directly to us alone abstracted from Christ.
It is a point we should often think of, and seriously consider of: for it Use. Ground of boldnesse to God.doth wondrously stablish our hearts. Doth God love me, and doth he do good to me abstracted from Christ, my self alone? no; for then alas, I should flye from his presence: but he looks upon me, and considers me as I am in his Son; therefore in Joh. 17. in that blessed prayer of Christ, saith he, That thou mayest love them with the same love wherewith thou lovest me. God loves us with the same love that he loves his Son with; That the love wherewith thou lovest me, may be in them. He loves him first, and then he loves us with that love that he loves him. Here is the reason that God looks on us with a forbearing eye notwithstanding all the matter of anger and wrath in us; he looks on us in his Son, as members of his Son: his love to us, is founded on his love to his Son.
Hereupon back again is our boldnesse to God the Father, that we go to him in his beloved Son, and present his Son to him. Lord, look on thy Son that thou hast given for us, in whom we are members; we are not as in our selves, but in thy beloved. For as all things descend from God to us, so our soules should ascend to him. All descends from God to us in his Son: why, all our comfortable considerations of God must be in his Son Christ; thereupon we have boldnesse to God through him, not in our selves, but in and through Christ. Let us bring Benjamin with us, bring Christ, and then we shall be welcome. If we come in the garments of our elder Brother, then we shall get the blessing.
But of our selves God cannot endure to look on us: therefore this is a Heathenish conceit, in our prayers to presume to go to God otherwise then he hath cloathed himself with the comfortable relation of a Father in Christ. If we consider him as a just God, as a God of vengeance, as a holy God, the more it makes to our terrour, if we be not besotted. But go to him as he is now in his Son Christ, and go boldly. The Heathens otherwise conceived wavering, and doubtingly of a God: alas, conceiving him out of Christ, he was nothing but a consuming fire to them.
How dares that man that knowes himself, and that knowes God, how dares he think of God? he thinks basely of God, that can think of him, and not think of him as he is to him in Christ. Darest thou think of God who is a consuming fire, and not think of him as he is pleased, and pacified in thy nature in Christ, that hath taken thy nature to be a foundation of comfort, to be a second Adam, a publike person for all that are in him, and members of him? to see God fully appeased in him who is God-man, thou mayest think of him with comfort then. Never think of the Promises of grace, or comfort, or any thing without Christ.
Therefore S. Paul saith, Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed was the Promise made; He saith not to seeds, as to many, but to thy seed: As speaking of one, even Christ. All the Promises of good to us are made to Christ, and conveyed from Christ to us: the Promises, and likewise the things promised; He hath promised to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son, 1 Joh. 5. and so grace, and whatsoever, it is in him: the Promises, and the things promised they are conveyed from God to Christ, and so to us. They are a deed of gift, we have them from, and by Christ. Why are the Angels attendants upon us? The Angels attend upon Jacob's ladder, that is, Christ. It is he that knits heaven and earth together: so the Angels because they attend upon Christ first, they become our attendants: whatsoever we are, whatsoever priviledges we have, it is in Christ first, it belongs to us no further then we by faith are made one with Christ. Thus we see whatsoever we have from God, it is by promises. And these promises are not abstracted from love, for they are the fruits of love; and this love is seated in Christ, who hath satisfied Gods justice; we have promises, and promises in Christ.
In the third place, the Apostle saith that all the promises of God in him Observ. 3. All the promises yea in Christ.are yea, they are constant and sure in him; they shall be performed.
All promises are either Christ himself, or by Christ, or from Christ, or for Christ. All promises that ever were made to Gods People, they were either of Christ himself, when he was promised, or such as were promised for Christ. The promise of Christ himself is the first grand promise, that he should be made man, the promise in his own person. But whatsoever promise was made by the Prophets and Apostles, they were made by his Spirit, they were made for him, for his sake, and in him, and they were made to those that are in him too. For as Gods love is founded in him to those that are in him mystically as the Son of his love: so the promises are made, and given over to him of all good: he takes all the promises of good from God for us, and then they are made to us as we are in him.
He himself is the first promise that runs along in all the Scripture: and Christ the first promise.all the promises of Christ are yea: for whatsoever was promised of Christ before he came, it was fufilled when he came: for all types were fulfilled in him, and all Prophecies, and all promises they were all accomplished in him.
All types whether personal, or real.
For personall types, he was the second Adam, Adam was a type of him, All types fulfilled in Christ.he is the true Adam. He was the true Isaac, the ground of laughter. He is the true Joseph advanced now to the kingdome, to the right hand of 1 Personal types.God: he is the steward of his Church to feed his Church here, and bring her to Heaven with himself afterward. He is the true Joshua that brought Israel out of the wildernesse to Canaan; he brings us from Moses, from the law to heaven: he is the true Joshua that brings us through Jordan, from death, and miseries in this world, to heaven. He is the true Solomon, the Prince of peace: so all personal types of Kings, and Priests, as Aaron was a type of him, &c. they were yea in him, they were fulfilled in him.
And all reall types, he is the true MercieMercy-seat wherein God would be 3. Real types.heard, and prayed unto: for he covers the Law, the curse of it, as the MercieMercy-seat did. He is the true brazen Serpent, that whosoever looks on him with the eye of faith, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. He is the true Mannah, the bread of life, that type had its yea in Christ. He is the true sacrifice, the Passeover Lambe, the Lambe of God that takes away the sins of the world: if our hearts be sprinkled with his blood, the destroying Angell hath nothing to do with us. The Passeover hath its yea in him, therefore that which is affirmed of the Passe-over is affirmed of him, Not abone of it shall be broken; that is attributed to Christ, that was performed in the type: that is applied to Christ that was spoken of the Passeover: to signifie the identitie of the type, and the thing signified. He was the yea of that, & of all comfortable types that were real, & personal, all have their yea in him.
Therefore saith our Saviour Christ, the last words of his almost upon the crosse, All is finished, all the types real, and personal.
And all promises, and prophecies have their yea in Christ. The first promise 2. All promises and prophecies.what was it but Christ? The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head, it was nothing but Christ, it was yea when he was born: and when he died, he crushed the Serpents head: By death he overcame him that had the power of death, that is, the divel. So the promise that was renewed to Abraham, In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed, that is, in Christ. And so to David that he should come out of his family. And that particular promise of I say, that a Virgin should conceive. And the Baptist points him out, Behold, the Lamb of God. All the particular things that befel Christ in time, they were prophesied of before, and Christ was the yea of all, that is, all had their determinate truth in Christ when he came. This is one reason why S. Paul saith, All the promises in Christ are yea; whatsoever was promised concerning Christ, or foretold, it was yea in him, concerning his birth, and the place of it: concerning his death, and the manner of it: concerning his resurrection, and ascension; concerning his offices, all was foretold: as we see in Scripture, in the New Testament it is the foot of diverse verses, that It might be fulfilled; so this that was foretold in the Old, it was fulfilled in the New. So Christ is the first promise, and whatsoever was said of him is Yea, and Amen. Whatsoever was spoken of Christ, it was Yea in the Old Testament, and Amen in the New: it was made to them in the Old Testament, and performed in the New.
And what is the Old and New Testament but this syllogisme. He is the Blessed seed, that is the Son of the Virgin Mary, born in Bethlehem, that shall come in the end of Daniels weeks, that shall come when the Scepter shall be departed from Juda, &c. He is the true Messias, the true Christ, saith the Old Testament; here is the yea: Amen, saith the New Testament to this: But Christ is the Son of the Virgin Mary, he suffered these things, that it might be fulfilled; so all is Amen in the New Testament. I say, this is the main reason that all is built on; He in whom all these agree, is the true Messias; But, saith the New Testament, all these are Amen in Christ: therefore Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary he is the true Messias. We see whatsoever was prophesied concerning Christ himself, was yea.
And not onelyonly so, but all the prerogatives and good things that come by Christ are yea, they are undoubted in Christ, and they were yea before All good things by Christ yea.he was: he profitted before he was, he was yea to Adam: because however he that was the seed of the woman, came not till the latter end of the World, till 4000. years after the beginning or thereabouts, yet the faith Benefit to former ages by Christ.of Adam, and of Abraham made him present: Abraham saw Christs day, and rejoyced. There was a vertue from Christ to all former ages, they all had benefit by Christ, as it is proved at large, Heb. 11. And in Acts 15. We hope to be saved by Christ, as well as they: insinuating that they hoped to be saved by Christ as well as we: so he was yea for comfort to all that were before him, as well as now: all the promises were yea, even to the Patriarchs and Prophets.
Even as if a man should undertake three or four years hence to pay a debt that is due by one that is subject to be carried to prison, and on that Simile.condition that this man shall be freed, I undertake at such a time to pay such a debt; so though the debt be paid three or four years hence, he is let go free that was obnoxious to go to prison for the debt; though it be to be paid after: So it was with Christ, he the second person in the Trinity undertook being so appointed by God the Father: the blessed Trinity stablished this, that Christ should pay the debt by death; the debt to divine justice should be satisfied by the cursed death of the crosse, that those that before should have gone to hell else for the debt, should be all freed that had any part and interest by faith in Christ, who should pay the debt afterwards. Christ undertook at such a time to be incarnate, and to pay it for us: God the Father to whom we were obnoxious, that was the creditor for the payment of that 4000 years after, let them go: so Christ was yea to them, they had benefit by Christs death.
Hereupon the Prophets spake of him as a thing present, To us a son is Inlargment of Grace by Christs coming.born, to us a Child is given. Faith mounts over many years, 600 years before Christ in the Prophet it mounted, and made the time of Christs coming, and his death to be present: because they had benefit by him as if he had been present. OnelyOnly with this difference, in the time present when Christ came in the flesh they had some comfortable inlargement of Grace. When he came in the flesh (I say) there was a new world as it were, there was grace poured out in abundance.
So you see that all the promises concerning Christ, they were performed: They were Yea, and Amen, and the good things by Christ. Saint Paul saith excellently, Heb. 13. Christ yesterday, to day, and the same for ever. Yesterday to the Patriachs, to day for the present time he is Yea, and for the time to come he is Yea, the same alway.
He is yea to all ages; he is yea to us as well as to those that were in Christs time. Christ is then crucified to thee when thou believest in Christ crucified. If we now by faith look to Christ crucified, and sent from his Father to take our nature on him, we have as much benefit by Christ as those that beheld him crucified. As they before looked forwards by the eye of Faith, so we look backward, we have benefits by Christ, he is yesterday, to day, and the same for ever. All the promises are yea in him, that is, they are constantly yea for all ages. The promises of Christ as the spirits in the body they run through all ages of the Church. Without him there is no love, nor merciemercy, nor comfort from God: as I said before, God cannot look on our cursed nature out of Christ; therefore whosoever will apprehend any thing mercifull in God, must apprehend it in Christ the promised seed; All the promises in him are yea.
He is called Logos, the Word, why is he so? both actively, and passively. Actively, the Word, because how should we ever have known Christ the word how.the mind in the breast of God hidden, and sealed there, unlesse Christ had been the Logos, the Word? For a word is exprest from reason, and there is a word that is essentiall, that is reason, Logos: and so the word coming from it, speech, the issue of reason. So Christ is the essentiall Word by nature, and by office the Word to discover the inward will and purpose of God to us: All the promises of God are discovered by Christ, as the Angel of the Covenant. And passively he is the Word, Logos, of whom all the Prophets spake, as Peter saith, Act 3. who was fore-signified by all the types, as I shewed: Christ he is truly all in all.
It is a comfortable way to study Christ this way: to see him, foretold Use. A comfortable way to study Christ in promises and acplishment.in the Old Testament, and to see the accomplishment in the New: to parallel the Old and New Testament; it is an excellent way of studying the Gosspel. For we know men are delighted to know divers things at once, when a mans knowledge is inriched diverse waies at once it delights him: as when a man knowes the history of a thing and the truth with it: when he knowes a promise, and the truth: a type, and the ttuth, how doth it delight! When a man sees the type in the Old, and the truth in the New: the history there, the promise, and the accomplishment here, it is a wondrous delightfull thing. For why doth proportion delight the eye, but because it is an agreement of different things, a sweet harmony of different things? Why doth musick so please the ear? because it is a harmonie of different things. When we see a type different from the truth performed, and a promise different from the performance, and yet a sweet agreement, from agreement a man is delighted. A man is not delighted with colours at colours, but as they hold proportion with the rest of the body: he is not delighted with a limb as a limb, but as it holds proportion with the man; if there be no proportion, and comelinesse, it delights not. So in this case it is good to consider both together. God therefore for this end and purpose would have truths conveyed in the Old Testament, by way of types, and prophecies, and promises, that it might delight us now to hear them, and to study them the more: (for as I said) when we know many things at once, it is delightful.
That is the reason why comparisons and allusions are so delightful, because we know the comparison, and the thing to which it is compared. And that is the reason why our Saviour Christ, besides types, and figures, and promises, and prophecies, is set out by whatsoever is excellent in nature in the Scriptures. There is nothing in nature that is excellent, but there is something taken from it to set forth the excellencie of Christ. He is the Sun of righteousnesse: he is the water, he is the way, he is the bread, he is the vine, he is the tree of Life. Whatsoever is excellent in nature either in heaven or earth, it serves to set forth the excellencie of Christ, why? to delight us, that we may be willing, and chearful to think of Christ; that together with the consideration of the excellencie of the creature, some sweet meditation of Christ, in whom all those excellencies are knit together, might be presented to the soul. When we see the sun, oft to think of that blessed Sun that quickens and enlivens all things, and scatters the mists of Ignorance. When we look on a tree, to think of the tree of righteousness; on the way, to think of him the way: of life, of him that is the true life. When we think of any thing that is excellent, think of Gods love in Scripture to set out Christ, that he would shadow him in all: for he is the true Sun, all creatures must vanish ere long, and whatsoever is excellent in the creature, and what will stand then? only he in whom all these excellencies are comprised in one; All the promises in him are Yea and Amen.
If this be true then, that the promise of Christ himself, (who is the chief All other promises Amen for Christ.good promised) is in the New Testament Amen, all of him is Yea and Amen, then comes this as a deducted truth, all other promises must needs be Yea, and Amen: for God, he that performed the grand promise in giving Christ in the fulness of time, will for Christs sake perform all other promises. Therefore the incarnation, the life, the death, and resurrection of Christ our blessed Saviour, it is a pawn and pledge to us of the performance of all things to come.
God promised to the Jewes that they should come out of Babylon, he promised that he would deliver them from the enemy; and he usually prefixeth this promise. A Virgin shall conceive and beare a son, and to us a Child is borne, and a son is given: to signifie that therefore they should have deliverance, because God would give them a better thing then that; he would give them Christ in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen: and because Christ should come of that people they should not miscarrie in captivity under their enemies; for then how should Christ come of them?
Therefore because a Virgin should conceive, and because a Child shall be born, and a Son given, therefore you shall have outward deliverance. All other things are Yea, and Amen for Christ, as St. Paul divinely reasons Rom. 8. If he spared not his onelyonly begotten Son, but gave him to death for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things else? All other promises are made in Christ, and performed for him. And since the grand promise it self is now Amen, that Christ is come, it is a pledge of all other things that are to come. Is Christ come in the flesh according to the promise? hath he done all, and suffered all according to the prophecies, as it was written of him? Then why shall we not look for the accomplishment of all that are to come, on the same ground? have we not a pledge? Why shall we not look for the resurrection of the bodie, for the day of judgement, for the second comming of Christ? is not his first comming a pledge of it?
When God is become man, and was mortall, why should we doubt that man being mortall should be immortall? is not the greater performed already? Is it not a greater matter for God to become man, and to die in our nature, then for we that are mortal to become immortall by Christ? Why should we not expect that which is to come since the greater is done? why should we doubt that we shall be taken up to God since he is come down to man? Therefore since it is upon the same ground let us look for the performance of all to be Yea, and Amen.
Since the comming of Christ, many promises have been performed in the Church, and many yet remain: some have been performed, as the calling of the Gentiles, and the discovery of Antichrist foretold by Saint Paul, and the consuming of him in part. There is somewhat unfulfilled: the Pròmises yet unfulfilled.conversion of the Jewes, the confusion of Antichrist, the resurrection to glory with Christ, &c. Why should we doubt of them that are to come, having such a pledge of truth of God and Christ in the reall performance of that which is past? Let us not doubt of it; for in Revelations 9. when he speaks of the destruction of Antichrist, It is done, it is done, saith the Angel. As Christ said when he was on the Crosse, all was finished: so it is as true of his adversaries, all is done, it is as sure as if it were done already.
Therefore the Church and people of God should comfort themselves for the time to come, in the destruction of the implacable malicious enemies of the Church, that glory in the flesh, that set up an outward Religion that is opposite to the power of Christ, that the time shall come that all shall be done to them, and that all other promises shall be finished: for as in the first coming of Christ all was finished for the working of our salvation, so in his second coming there will be a time when it will be said, all is finished for the accomplishment of that which was done in his first coming. Therefore let us stablish our soules in the expectation of the blessed promises, for All the promises in Christ are Yea and Amen, and shall be for ever.
All the promises are infallibly true as God and as Christ himself is true, Christ shall as soon fail, and God shall as soon fail, as any promise that we have made us in the Gospel, if we apprehend it in Christ, and believe it in Christ.
Then here you see for the direction of our judgment, what to think of a Use. Direction of judgment, that every man cannot be saved by his own Religion.rotten opinion that some have that are unacquainted with divine truth, and the alsufficiencie of Christ, and the mercy of God in Christ, that consider not the vilenesse of our nature, and the infinite Majesty of God: they will have the Gentiles saved by the light of nature, and the Jewes by the Law of Moses, and Christians by the Gospell of Christ: as if there were some other meanes to come to heaven, and to the favour of God, then by Christ. Whereas now all that we have must be by promises, and all the promises we have are in Christ: they are all Yea in him: without him there is no intercourse between the Majestie of God and us: Therefore, Act. 4. There is no name under heaven whereby we can be saved, but by the Name of Jesus. Which not onelyonly confutes the divellish opinion, & conceit that some have, but also the charitable errour of others that think the Heathens that never heard of Christ shall be saved; I leave them to their Judge. We must go to the Scriptures, all the promises are in Christ, in him they are Yea, in him they are made, in him they are Amen, in him they are performed: out of him we have nothing, out of the promises in him we have nothing.
How are we to magnifie God that we live in the sun-shine of the Gospel, Use. To magnifie God for promises.that in Christ we have precious, and rich promises? A precious Saviour we have, and precious faith to lay hold on him, and precious promises: all precious, both promises to be believed: and our Saviour in whom they are apprehended, he is a precious stone: and the faith that laies hold on him is precious. How are we to blesse God that we have these advantages? that we have Christ laid open, and precious, and rich promises, whereby we may have precious faith to lay hold on these precious promises? we are much to blesse God for it.
Again, are all the promises of God in Christ and in him Yea, and Amen? This should direct us in our dealing with God, not to go directly to him, but by a promise: and when we have a promise, look to Christ in whom Use Direct in to go to God in Christ.it is performed. Go to God in the blessed promises that we have for Christs sake that he would perform all. If we ask any thing of God in Chrsts Name, we shall receive it, because the promises are in him. If we thank God for any thing, it must be in Christ, for that we have in him.
What a comfort is this, that we may go to God in Christ, and claime the promises boldly: because we see out of the love he beares to Christ, he loves us, and hath made us promises in him, and as verily as he loves him, so he loves us, and will perform all his gracious promises to us? If we lay fast hold on Christ, I say, he can as soone alter his love to Christ as to us; for the loves us with the same love that he loves Christ with, he loves us in his beloved. He hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in him, he hath made us sons in him, that is the naturall Son; and as his love is unchangeable to his Son, so it is to us in Christ.
If a Princes, love to any man be founded and grounded upon the love he bears to his son, if he loves his son he loves such a man because his son loves him: surely he may have great comfort that it it will hold; because his affection is naturall, and unalterable; he will alway love his son; therefore he will love him whom his son loves alway. Now Christ is the Son of God, he loves us in his Son; he hath given us rich promises in his Son. He hath given him, the first promise, and all other promises of forgivenesse of sins, and life everlasting in and through him. As long as he loves Chrst, he will love us, and as sure as he loves Christ, he will love us.
Nothing in the world can separate his love from his own Son, and nothing in the world can separate Gods love from us, because it is in his Son. Christ loves his mysticall bodie as well as his natural bodie: and God loves the mysticall bodie of Christ, as he loves his naturall bodie: he hath advanced that to glorie at his right hand, and will he leave his mysticall bodie the Church? will he not advance that? Doth he not love whole Christ? Yes, God loves whole Christ. Our nature that he hath taken to him, it is the chief thing, the most lovely thing in heaven or earth, next to God: And he loves all that are in him, his mysticall body. For indeed he gave us to Christ, he hath sealed and anointed him; he is anointed by God the Father for us.
Upon what an unchangeable, eternall ground is the love of God built, and the faith of a Christian? How can the gates of hell prevail against the Faith of a Christian, when it carries him to the promises, and from the promises to the love of God, and from thence to Christ, upon whom the love of God is founded? Before the faith of a Christian can be shaken, the promises must be of no effect, they must be yea, and nay; and not yea; and if the promises be shaken, the Love of God must be uncertain, and Christ uncertain: heaven and earth must be overturned to overturne the faith of a Christian. There is nothing in the world that is so firme as a believing Christian that casts himself on the promises, that are alway yea: and to make them yea, they are founded on Christ the Son of Gods love.
Well, these promises comming from such love, may be ranked into diverse Severall kinds of promises.ranks: I will touch some of them, to shew how we are to carrie our selves, to make comfortable use of this, that All the premises are yea and amen in Christ.
There are some universall promises, for the good of all mankind: as 1. Universal to all mankind.that God would never destroy the world again. Or promises that concern more particularly his Church. And those are promises either of outward things, or of spirituall, and eternall things, of Grace, and glory.2. Concerning the Church.
Now for the manner of promising, they admit of this distinction: All the promises that God hath made to us, either they are absolute Manner of promisingwithout any condition, so was Christ. God promised Christ, let the world be as it will, Christ did, and would have come. And so the 1. Absolute.promise of his glorious comming, he will come, let men be as they will: there will be a resurrection.
Some promises be conditional in the manner of propounding, but yet absolute in the real performance of them. As for example, the promises 2. Conditionally propounded, but absolutely performed.of Grace and Glory to Gods children: the promise of forgivnesse of sins, God will forgive their sins, if they believe, if they repent: they are propounded conditionally, but in the performance they are absolute, because God performes the Covenant himself: he performes our part and his own too. For since Christ though he propounded the promises of the Gospel with conditions, yet he performes the condition; he stirs us up to attend upon the meanes, and by his Spirit in the Word he works faith and repentance, which is the condition: faith and repentance is his gift.
He writes his law in our hearts, and teacheth us how to love: So, though they be conditionally propounded, (for God deales with men as men by way of commerce; he propounds it by way of Covenant and condition:) yet in the Covenant of Grace (which is truly a gracious Covenant) he not onelyonly gives the good things; but he performs the condition, by the Spirit, working our hearts to believe and to repent.
Again, there are promises not only propounded conditionally, of Grace, and comfort; but of outward things. All outward things are promised conditionally, Conditional of outward things.as thus: God hath promised protection from contagious sicknesses, from war, and troubles. Generall promises there are of protection every where. Psal 91. God will be a hiding place, and he will deliver his Children, there are privative promises: and then positive promises, that he will do this and that good for them: but these are conditional, so far forth as in his wise providence he sees it may serve spirituall good things, Grace, and the inward man: for God takes liberty in our outward estate, and in our bodies to afflict them, or to do them good, as may serve the main.
For do what we will these bodies will turn to dust and vanity, and we must leave the world behind us; but God looks to the main state in Christ, to the new Creature. Therefore as far as outward blessings may incourage us, and as far as deliverances may help the maine, so far he will grant them, or else he denies them: he takes libertie in outward things.
Therefore that sort of promises they are conditionall, with exception of necessary affliction. For we cannot have the blessings of this life, positive, or privative, we cannot be delivered alwaies, and have blessings: but our corrupt nature is such, that except we have some what to season them we shall surfet of them, we cannot digest them, and therefore they are all with the exception of the crosse; As Christ saith, he that doth any thing for him, he shall have an hundred-fold here: but with affliction and persecution; he shall be sure of that, whatsoever else he hath: let him look for that. All the crosses we have in the world, are to season the good things of this life. Many other distinctions and differences we might have to lay open the kinds of promises in Scripture: but this shall suffice to give you a taste. Now all these are made in Christ, and performed in Christ, so far forth as is for our good.
Are all the promises of what kind soever, spirituall, or outward, temporall, and eternall, are they all made to us in Jesus Christ, and are they Use. To get into Christ.certain, Yea, and Amen in him? Then make this use of it, let us renew our former exhortation, get into Christ by all means: for out of him we have nothing savingly good.
But you will say, Doth not God do many good things to them that are Object.out of Christ? doth not the rain fall upon the ill as well as the good? and doth not he fill the bellies of the wicked with good things?
Yes he doth, he doth: but are they blessings? no, they are not: but as God saith to Moses, If you do this, and this ill, I will curse you in your dough, Answ. The good things wicked men enjoy, are not blessings.I will curse you at home, and abroad, I will curse you in your Children, &c. They are cursed in their blessings. There is no man that is a carnall brutish man, but though he live, and have revenues and pleasures, he is cursed in his blessings: For what? is he made for this life onelyonly? no, he is but fatted on to the day of destruction; they are snares to him. How do you know they are snares? because they make him secure, and careless How to know blessings are snares.of the worship of God: they make him prophane, they make him despise the power of Religion; a man may see by his conversation they are snares; they are not promises in Christ; for then they would come to him out of Gods Love. Therefore get into Christ, rest not in any thing abstracted from Christ: Let us not rest in any blessing, except we have it in Gods love in Christ.
And I may know that I have any thing in this world, any deliverance from ill, or any positive good thing from Gods love in Christ, if I have How to know we have them in loveit with a heart wrought on to the best things, to value Christ, and to account all dung in comparison of him. When I esteem my being in Christ above all beings, above being rich, or honourable, or in favour: alas, this I know is fading, but my being in Christ is Yea, and Amen, that will stand by me when all these beings will fail. This is comfortable, if I can do this, and have other things, I have them with the Love of God, and Christ. Let us get into Christ therefore.
For this purpose attend upon the meanes of salvation, that the Word may Attend on the meanes to get into Christ.be effectuall by his Spirit accompanying his own Ordinance, to open the excellencies of Christ to us, to make us love him, and get our affections into him. How are we in Christ? By knowing him; and then knowledge carries our hearts: For our wills cleave to that that we know to be excellent and necessary. Christ is discovered as excellent and necessary, and so the will cleaves to him as a good so discovered; and the affections follow the will. When the will cleaves to Christ as excellent and necessary, then I love him, then I rest on him, then I have peace in him. I may know that I am in Christ, upon my knowledge of him, and cleaving to him, and finding peace in my conscience. For he that is in Christ, hath rest: Faith Rest in Christ.in Christ hath a resting, stablishing power. If I be in Christ, my soule rests: for I know that all is Yea, and Amen in him. My soule rests in him, whatsoever I find in the world to unsettle me: things are amisse, and otherwise then I would have them: but I rest in the Love of God in Christ. Let us get into Christ by knowledge: Let the will follow that, and our affections follow that: and then we shall find the rest and peace that will secure us that indeed we are in Christ.
Alas, what is a man out of Christ? as a man in a storme, that hath no cloathes to hide his nakednesse, to cover him from the violence of the storme;
As a man in a tempest, that is out of a house to hide him: As a stone out of the foundation, that is scattered here, and there as neglected: As a branch out of the Vine, out of the root, what shape is in such a branch? it will be cast into the fire afterwards. A man out of Christ that is not cloathed with him, that is not built on him, and settled on him, and planted in him, he is a man destitute. We pittie such mens cases in the World: but if we had spirituall eyes to look on these men, on prophane civill wretches, that pride themselves in a little moralitie (and have scarce that perhaps,) and neglect grace, and the mystery of Christ, such a man deserves pittie: there is but a step between him and Hell, if he be out of Christ, and live and die so, and at the Day of Christ he will account him so.
O, saith St. Paul, Philip. 3. I account all dung and drosse in comparison of Christ, not having my own righteousnesse, but to be found in him, having the righteousnesse of God in Christ. O happie man indeath, and at the day of judgement that is found in Christ, and not in himself, not in his own righteousnesse; though that there must be, not to give us title to heaven. The best thing is to be found in Christ, to have his righteousnesse, and obedience, that is so excellent that Saint Paul accounted all dung and drosse in comparison of that, to be found in that. Get into Christ by all meanes; for in him all the promises are Yea, and Amen, not out of him.
If so be all the promises be Yea, and Amen in Christ, then here again see the stabilitie of a Christians estate, that hath promises to uphold him, compare Use. The stability of the estate of a Christian.it with a man that hath present things onelyonly, with an Esau that hath the things of this life. The men of this world, as the Psalmist calls them, they have present things, they have performance; he gives them their portion here, as he saith to Dives, Thou hadst thy good; that which thou caredst for, thou hadst it here: and Lazarus had Pain, and miserie, and povertie here; now the case is altered, he is advanced, and thou art tormented.
A Christian as a Christian he hath a great many promises, some of them are performed: for God is delivering him, and comforting him, and protecting him, and speaking peace to his conscience: but the greatest part are yet to be performed, the perfection of Grace, and Glorie to come; he is a Child of the promise, a son of the promise, here is his estate. Another man hath present payment, and that is all he cares for: he hath something, and he swells in the conceit of that, that he is some bodie; What is the difference? what hath the one but a great deale of nothing? what saith Solomon that had tried all the world? All is vanity and vexation of spirit: all is uncertain, and we are uncertaine in the use of them, if we have no better life then the life of nature: But the promises they are yea, they are certain, they contain undoubted certain good things, that will stick by us when all else will leave us.
A Christian, take him, and strip him in your thoughts from all the good things in the world, he is a happier man then the greatest Monarch in the world out of Christ, why? He hath nothing but present things, with a great deale of addition of misery: and his greatnesse makes him more sensible of his misery, it makes him more tender and apprehensive then other men. The other he wants many comforts of this life, he wants the performance: he is rich in bills and bonds, God is bound to him, he hath promised he will not forsake him; but he will be his God in life, to death, and for everlasting: he hath title to all the promises: Godlinesse hath the promises of this life, and of that which is to come, 1 Tim. 4. Happie man, he hath so much performance for the present, as is usefull for his safe conduct to bring him to heaven, he shall have daily bread: he that will give him a Kingdom, will not deny him bread: he that will give him a countrey, will give him safe conduct. And besides that he hath here by performance, he hath rich and precious promises, and they are all Yea and Amen, they are certain.
His life is uncertain, his estate in the world is changeable here, his life is as a vapour: and the comforts of life, are lesse then life: when life it self (the foundation of these comforts) is but a vapour, so uncertain, what are all the comforts of life? yet a Christian hath comfort here, the promises are invested into him, and lodged in his heart, and made his owne by faith.
Faith hath a wondrous peculiarizing vertue, it makes a man own that which is generally propounded in the Gospell. Now faith making the promises his own, and they are certain, a Christian take him at all uncertainties, he hath somewhat to build on, that is Yea, and Amen, that is undoubtedly constant and certain, that will stick by him when all things fail him.
I speak this to commend the estate of a believing, repentant Christian, to make you in love with it. In all the changes and varieties in this world a Christian hath somewhat to take to; And likewise in all the dangers of this life he hath a rock to go to, a hiding place; God hath chambers of Providence, as it is, Isay 26. he bids the Church come into thy Chambers; God hath a hiding place, and secret roomes to hide children in, when it is good for them, in the time of Pestilence and War, in the time of publike disturbance when there is a confusion of all things, Come into thy Chambers; God is a resting place, and a hiding place, he is stiled so every where in the Psalmes, Psalme 18. My Rock, and my shield: as if David had said, I have many troubles in the world, but in God is my defence: for he is my Rock, my Shield, and all: whatsoever is defensive, I have it in him.
What a comfort is this in all dangers? a Christian knowes either he shall be safe here or in heaven: and therefore he doth rest: He dewells in the Comfort in dangers.secret of the Almighty, Psalme 91. that is, in the love, and the protection of God Almighty: and as Moses saith, Psalme 90. Thou art our habitation from everlasting to everlasting: that is, God is a dwelling place for him that builds on his promise: for God and his Word are all one. Thou art our dwelling place, &c. He saw they dropped away in the wildernesse by the wrath of God, as we do now by the *1625.Pestilence, and Moses made that Psalme, he took occasion to meditate of the frailty of mans life. We are as grasse, as a tail that is told; but what is our estate in God, in the promises? Thou art our habitation from everlasting to everlasting. We dwell not long in the world, sicknesse may come and sweep us away, but thou art our habitation: we dwell in God when we are dead, when we are out of the world; we dwell in God in Christ for ever. Our estate in Christ is an everlasting estate. Therefore in Psalme. 112. the Psalmist saith of the righteous man there, That he is not troubled for ill newes. He is not senselesse, he is very sensible: but yet notwithstanding he is not shaken from his rest, from his rock and stay for no ill newes, or tydings, why? The Psalmist gives the reason, his heart is fixed: upon what foundation? upon the promises, and providence of God: God hath promised to provide for him, he is his Father: and therefore he is not afraid of ill tydings.
What a blessed estate then is it to be in Christ, and to have promises in Christ to be protected and preserved here so as is for our good: and to have such a state in God for him to be our habitation, and hiding place from everlasting to everlasting? If our hearts be fixed here, let us hear of ill tydings, of war, of this sicknesse, and contagion, let it be what it will, if our hearts be fixed, blessed men are we. But if we have nothing to take to when trouble comes, we are (as I said before) as a man in a storme without a hiding place. Now every Word of God (saith the Ps…lmist) is a tried Word, as silver tryed in the fire. The promises are tryed promises that we may rest on them, and as we are Christians what are we but men of promise? the best is behind, and what is our comfort in this world? God lets down his love to us in gracious promises; and he gives us a taste of the performance: as Children have somewhat of their inheritance in their nonage to keep them; so somewhat of heaven to comfort our soules we have, but the main is to come, and the performance is left till then: therefore we cannot too much consider of this comfortable point. Consider how many promises we have in the Word: the certainty of them, that they are Yea, and Amen: and in whom they are founded, in him that is Amen himself; for Christ is Amen, the true, and faithfull witnesse, Revel. 1. these are comfortable considerations.
Are the promises of God in Christ Yea, and Amen? Let us divide men who may make any use of them; all men they are either such as are in Christ, or such as are not in Christ.
All the promises being made in Christ, what comfort or what Quest.good can those that are not yet in Christ have by the promises?
I answer, till they be in Christ, none at all: for a man out of Christ is Answ. Till a man be in Christ he hath no good by the promises.out of the favour of God; God cannot look on such a man but as the object of his wrath, and as fuell for his vengeance: and therefore there is no hope for such a man till he be in Christ. All other things in the world cannot comfort such a man: for (alas!) his being in the world, his being rich, his being in favour with such or such, what are they? fading beings, that fail, and himself with them, he stands on the Ice; they slip and he slips with them. What are all beings in death, ifa man have not a more stable being in Jesus Christ?
What comfort is there then for such a man by the promises in Jesus Quest.Christ?
This, that while there is life, there is hope to get into Christ, and so to get interest in the promises: for the promises are free, the word is Epangelia, Answ. Hope of wicked men while they live.free promise, it is not a promise on this or that condition: but a free promise, out of meere love, a merciemercy. Then though thou be yet in the state of corruption in Old Adam, yet the promise is free.
But I have no worthinesse in me, thou wilt say: I have no faith, no grace in me at all.Object.
But remember the promise is free, the condition is onelyonly if thou wilt receive Christ, which is not properly a condition of worth in thee: it is not Answ.propounded by way of condition of any worth, but thou must come with an empty hand, with a receiving hand: as a man must let fall what he hath, before he can hold, and take any thing. A man must let go other things, he must let go his hold of the creature; he must not be so proud of the creature, and so confident in it as he was; he must see the emptinesse of the creature, and of all things in the world: thou must see that if thou be not in Christ, thou art a wretched, damned creature. The hand of thy soul must be empty, and then a sight of thy unworthinesse is all that is required before thou come to Christ, and the promises, a sight of thy unworthinesse and a comming to graspe with Christ and the promises; for what is faith but a beggars hand, empty of all things, comming to receive a benefit? They are most unworthy that find themselves most unworthy.
But you will say, the promise is made to the poor in spirit, and to those that hunger and thirst.Object.
It is true, but it is by way of preventing an objection of these men that Answ. How the promise is made to the poor in spirit.are cast down in the sight of their unworthinesse. As if Christ had said, You think these men the unworthiest men in the world, that are poore, and hungry, and thirsty, you think you are destitute and have nothing; but you are blessed, you have interest in Christ, and in the promises, they are for you. Let no man therefore be discouraged, the promises are free; therefore be not rebellious, stand not out against Gods command; God layes a command upon thee, though thou be not in Christ, and hast no right to the promises, he laies a command on thee to believe.
Thou wilt ask, what ground, or title, or right hast thou to believe, to Quest. What right a man out of Christ hath to claim the premises.claim Christ and the promises?
This right thou hast, thou hast the offer of Gods love in Christ. And thou hast not onelyonly Gods offer, but his command: God commands thee to do it, as St. John saith, he hath commanded us to believe in his Son Christ, as well as not to commit adultery, or murther: and thou art guilty Answ.if thou break this command, as if thou break the other of murther or adultery. And men that live under the hearing of the Gospell, they shall be damned more at the day of judgement for disobeying this command, for not receiving of Christ, then for the other; for the breach of all other commands may be forgiven if this were obeyed. Therefore there is an offer of Christ with a command to receive him, and a promise if thou receive him all shall be well, all thy sins shall be forgiven: is not here incouragement enough?
And then there is an invitation, Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy-laden. And put case thou hast nothing, yet notwithstanding come and buy without silver, saith the Prophet. If thou say thou hast nothing, yet all is free here, Come whosoever will, and drink of the water of life.
And he threatens damnation if thou wilt not, the wrath of God hangs on thee if thou do not come in.
I but I am a sinner.
But where sin hath abounded, Grace shall more abound. So if a man stand out of Christ, and come not in to him; there are many incouragements for him to come, and terrible denunciations of wrath if he come not, the wrath of God hangs over his head; for if he be not in Christ, he sinks into hell when this short life is ended.
So there is this to incourage a man, there is Gods command, and his sweet invitation, Come unto me. And add to that his beseeching, We are Ambassadours in Christs Name, to beseech you to be reconciled to God, to come to Christ, to come out of the state of nature, and out of the curse of God that you are under, to come out of the uncertain condition that the world affords: we beseech you to be reconciled to God, to cast away your weapons whereby you are enemies to God: he seeks to you for your love. And if you have nothing, come and buy without money, have you a will to come? If you be besotted, and will continue in your estate, then be damned, and rot in your estate: but if you will, come and drink of the waters of life freely.
Let none be discouraged, Christ and the promises are open to all. Therefore how will Gods vengeance be justified at the day of judgment, when these courses have been taken, and yet men will not come in? As Christ said to the Jewes, You will not believe in me, that you might have life. Men will not, men are in love with the profits and pleasures, and fading things, they will not imbrace the promises that are Yea and Amen. It is nothing but wilfull rebellion that keeps men off, that rather then they will leave their sins, and come under the government of Christ, they will reject Wilful rebellion keeps men from Christ.the offers of merey: if they cannot have Christ with their sins, away merciemercy. If they can have him to lead them to hell, to swear, and cozen, &c. then welcome Christ; if he will come on those tearms he is welcome, but rather then they will have him upon his own tearms, they reject him.
So there is great reason for God to justifie the damnation of wretched hard-hearted persons, that rather then they will alter their course, they will reject mercy, and Christ, and all. If they may have half Christ they will: they will have him with merciemercy to forgive them, but they will not have whole Christ as a King to govern them. So there is ground for those that are not yet in the state of grace to come to Christ: if they will receive him upon his own termes, to take him as a King as well as a Priest, to take him as a King to rule them, as well as a Priest to reconcile them to his Father. Nay, God (as I said) in the Ministery intreats them to receive Christ, to cast away the weapons of their rebellion, to come under his government, and all shall be well with them.
But for them that are in Christ, that have imbraced, and clasped him Comfort from the promises to them that are in Christ.in some comfortable measure, what comfort is it for them that all the promises in Christ are Yea, and Amen?
I answer, when we are once in Christ, & believe in Christ, all the Scripture speaks comfort to us; if we come in, and receive him as he is offered upon his terms, to be our Governour, our King, our Priest, and Prophet; then all the promises are Yea, and Amen to us.
As for instance, forgivenesse of sins: if we receive Christ, God will forgive us our sins, and be reconciled to us for Jesus Christs sake; We have an Of forgivenesse.advocate with the Father, and he is the propitiation for our sins. The blood of Christ shall cleanse us from all sins. These promises shall be Yea, and Amen to thee: if thy sins trouble thee, they shall be done away. How many promises to this purpose have we of the forgivenesse of sins.
Again, if so be thou find want of Grace all the promises in Christ are In want of Grace.Yea and Amen: he hath promised his holy Spirit to them that ask him, Luke 11. There is a promise shall be Yea, and Amen, if thou beg it. He hath promised the fundamentall graces: He will put his fear in our hearts, that we shall never depart from him. He will teach us to love one another, you are taught of God to love one another. He hath promised private blessings in this kind, to circumcise, and cut off the fore-skin of our hearts: If a naughty, and stonie heart vex thee, he will take away that, and give thee an heart of flesh, a tender heart. So these promises in Christ shall be Yea, and Amen, if we apply, and believe them, to take away our corruption, and subdue that; and to give, and plant Graces, he hath promised to do this: therefore make use of them, not only of the promises of pardon and forgivenesse of sins, but of grace necessary.
Art thou sensible of thy imperfections, that thou canst not go about the duties of Religion, and of thy particular calling? what saith Moses? In imperfections.Who gives a mouth? is it no tGod that gives a mouth? And, Be not afraid (saith Christ) you shall have speech, and a spirit given you that all shall not be able to withstand. Be not afraid, God that calls us he will enable us.
You have a promise of sufficiencie of gifts: If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God. If any man lack wisdom, to manage his affaires, to beare crosses and afflictions, let him ask it of God: a rich promise in that kind.
And so, art thou doubtful for the time to come what shall befall thee? God in Christ Jesus hath made a Promise, That where he hath begun, he will make an end, Philip. 1. 6. He that hath begun a good work will finish it to the day of the Lord. Christ is Alpha, and Omega too; and What shall separate us from the Love of God in Christ? Neither things present, nor things to come, nor any thing else: why? because it is the love of God in Christ. Gods love is founded in Christ, and he will love thee eternally: There is a ground of perseverance. Therefore be sure to take in trust the time to come, as well as the present; he will be thy God for the time to come, as well as for the present: he will be thy God to death. Jesus Christ is yesterday, to day, and to morrow, and the same for ever. He was, and is, and is to come. He was good to thee before he called thee; he is good to thee now in the state of Grace, and he will be for ever. Why shouldest thou stagger for the time to come? Take in trust all that shall befall thee for the time to come, as well as for the present: for he is Yea, and Amen himself, and all his Promises are Yea, and Amen. Christ is Amen, the true witnesse, Thus saith Amen, Rev. 1. and all his Promises are like himself, Amen.
Oh but I may fall away, my grace is weak, I stagger often.Object. Against falling away.
But are the Promises founded upon thee? No, the Promises are founded in Christ. Christ receives Grace for thee, and he is a King for ever, and a Priest for ever to make intercession for thee, and he is faithful. He is beloved for ever, and as long as he is beloved, thou shalt be beloved, because thou art in him. God is in Christ, and thou art in Christ, how canst thou miscarry? God is in Christ for ever, and thou art in Christ; will he lose a limb? will he lose a member? No, the Promises in him are Yea, and Amen, and not in thee. They are in thee Yea, and Amen, thou hast the benefit of them, because they are in him Amen first.
I, but for the troubles of this world, for afflictions, and crosses, what promises have we to build on for them?In Troubles of this world.
God in Christ is Yea, and Amen to us; and the promises are Yea, and Amen in that kind: In all things necessary for this life, Heb. 13. Let yourconversation be without covetousnesse: for he hath promised, he will not fail thee, nor for sake thee. It is taken along from Joshuah's time: it was a promise made to Joshuah, and is enlarged to all Christians, He hath promised, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee: Therefore Let your conversation be without covetousnesse. Insinuating the reason why men are covetous, because they do not trust that promise, I will not fail thee, nor for sake thee.
For if men in their calling as they should do, would trust in God, without putting forth their hands to ill meanes, their conversation would be without shifting, and covetousnesse. Therefore covetous men are faithlesse men, they believe not the Promise, that God will not fail them, nor forsake them; for then they would not live by their wits, and by their shifts, but by faith in this very promise which is Yea, and Amen to all that believe it.
God is a Sun and shield, Psal. 84. and no good thing shall be wanting to those that lead a godly life. Would you have more? he is a Sun for all good; he is a Shield to keep from all ill. I am thy buckler, and thy exceeding great reward, saith God to Abraham: I am thy buckler, to keep thee from all ill; and thy exceeding great reward, to bestow all good: having these promises, why should we stagger; they are Yea, and Amen in Christ: God is Al-sufficient in Christ.
For the issue in our labours, Oh, what will become of it? we take pains For issue of our labours.to no purpose, we rise early, and go to bed late, what will become of all in the issue? What saith Saint Paul? 1 Cor. 15. Be constant, alway abounding in the work of the Lord: be ye abundant in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord: therefore abound you in the work of the Lord: let the issue go to God, you have a rich promise, Knowing this, that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Therefore you know, when Peter had fished all night, and had caught nothing; when Christ bids him cast the net into the Sea: saith he, We have fished all night, and catched nothing, to what purpose should I cast it? yet in thy Word, in thy command I will cast it; he obeyed, and he drew so many, that the net brake again with the fish. So, I say, it is thy command, Lord, that I should go on in the duties of my calling, that I should do that that belongs to me; and in well doing, to commit my self to thee as to a faithful Creator, and a gracious Redeemer, and to cast my self on thy Promises, do what thou wilt: you shall see then as the Apostle graciously speaks, Your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Cast your care on him: for he cares for you.In weak performances.
I but when we have done, there are so many imperfections cleave to that we do, that they discourage us. Why look, the Promise is Yea, and Amen for acceptance, a cup of cold water is accepted: offer that thou doest in the mediation of Christ: God will pardon that which is faulty, and accept that which is good. So we have Promises of acceptance in Christ, God will pardon, and spare us as a Father spares his child. Doth not a father accept the endeavour of his poor child, and pardon his weaknesse when he cannot do as he would? God looks on us as a Father on his children. Therefore let us not fear this, we have a promise of acceptance of what we do, though it be weak, and maimed, and lame obedience. If we cannot do as much as others, yet bring two Turtles. They that could not bring an Oxe, a great sacrifice; a lesse was accepted, two Pigeons: if thou canst not do as much as others, a little sacrifice shall be accepted.
Oh that we had faith, we might run through all the passages of our life, justification, sanctification, perseverance for the time to come; the duties of our calling, the issue of our labours, whatever you can imagine. There is no passage of our life, but our soules would be supported, if we could think that these promises are Yea, and Amen in Jesus Christ. There is no estate that we are in, but there are Promises made to it: we want no good, but we have a promise of supply: we are under no ill, but we have a promise, either for the removall of it, or for the sanctifying of it, which is better.
We may enlarge it likewise to posterity: If the Promises in Christ be Promise to posteritysYea, and Amen, that is, true to us, and to them that succeed us: for as I said, Christ is yesterday, to day, and the same for ever. He was yesterday to our ancestors; to day to our selves; to morrow, to our posterity. Therefore saith Peter to the believing Jewes, Act. 2. The Promise is made to you, and to your children; your children are in the Covenant, and God is the God of thee and of thy seed: For the Promises in Christ are Yea, and Amen: they are constant to us, and to our children, to the end of the world.
It is a comfort to parents that can leave their children no inheritance, Comfort to Parents.they leave them God in Covenant, and he is a good portion: I will be thy God: for the grand promise is the promise of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. God hath promised to be a Father, and the Father gives his Son, and the Father and Son give the Holy Ghost. Well then, God is the God of us, and of our children; he is the Father of us, and of our children: Christ is the Christ of us and them; the Holy Ghost is the Spirit that sanctifies us and them. Is not this a comfort to those that can leave their children nothing else, that they leave them God in Covenant?
And this is a comfort for children if they have good Parents, that they Comfort to Children.may say when they pray, O God of my father Abraham. And as David, Psal. 116. I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid, I am thy servant my self, and the son of one that was thy servant. Is not this a comfort to a Christian to say, I am thy servant, and the son of thy servant, therefore there is a double bond why thou shouldest respect me? I cast my self on thee, and I am the son of a believing father, of a believing mother. Oh it is a blessed thing to be in Covenant with God, that those that can leave their children little else, can leave them a place in the Covenant by their own goodnesse, and faith.
Wicked Parents are cruel, they damn their own soules, and they are Wicked Pare. cruel to poste rity.cruel to posterity. Jeroboam hurt his posterity more then all the world besides, for his sin God cursed his posterity, They walked in the wayes of Jeroboam. God many times will not punish men themselves, but their posterity. Wicked Kings, God spares them themselves sometimes, but he punisheth their posterity. Jeroboam was spared for his own life, but his posterity was punished: when wicked men dye, others applaud their wisdome; they dye thus and thus, &c. and their posterity applaud their wisdome: God therefore curseth their posterity, walking in their wayes. Jeroboam's children I say, had cause to curse their father; they had a prejudice in his example: they thought him a very wise man, that by setting up the Calves he could make such a rent, but it turned to their destruction. I say, parents are cruel to posterity: for God revengeth their sins on their posterity. Let this be a strong motive to men to believe in Christ, that they may leave a good posterity, a posterity in Covenant with God.
Men are very Atheists in this point: for they are more careful a great deal to leave them rich, to leave them great, then to leave them good; and so they leave them a little goods perhaps, but they leave the curse and vengeance of God with it. I beseech you therefore enlarge this comfort, that the Promises of God concerning all good things are made in Christ, they are Yea, and Amen to our selves, and to all ours, to our posterity.
Thus I have laboured to lay open a little to you the Promises, you may enlarge them your selves: Therefore take this course,
First, consider your present estate, if you would make use of this portion, it is our portion, our best inheritance are the Promises, and indeed they are a good childs portion; though the world take all from us, though God strip us of all, if he leave us his Promises we are rich men. Therefore the Psalmist calls them his portion, and his inheritance; and indeed so they are: because they are so many bonds whereby God is bound to us; they are so many obligations.
And if a wretched exacting man think himself as rich as he hath bonds, though he have not a penny in his purse: (He that hath a thousand pound in bonds, thinks himself richer then he that hath an hundred pounds in money, and he thinks he hath reason to be so, because he hath good security.) Certainly, a Christian that hath rich faith in the rich promises, he is a rich man, because he hath many bonds, and when he pleaseth he can sue his bonds, and God is well pleased with it. Therefore indeed there is little difference between a Christian in poverty, and a rich Christian; onelyonly the one hath more for the present, but God is the riches of the other. As for a worldling, he hath but a Cistern when he hath most, the other hath the spring, he hath God in Covenant, and Gods promises.
Let us therefore consider every day the exigents we are in, whether in How to make use of the Promises.want of grace, or want of assistance, and necessaries, or want of comfort; and according to that let us consider what we are to do, are we at our wits end now? is there no hope for this in Israel? Yes, God hath left us rich and precious promises, let us look to them. In the next place then, from our To suit the promises to our wants.wants look to the Promises, and proportion the promises to our wants, ranck the promises, it were a good work. Oh, that we should have so many promises, and yet have them to seek when the Devil besiegeth us: he layeth siege to shake our consciences, and we are to seek in the time of temptation. Let us remember the promises answerable to our necessities.
If we be troubled with sin, call to mind the promise of forgivenesse. If we be troubled with want, call to mind the promise of supply. If we be troubled with fear for the time to come, call to mind the Covenant of grace, the marriage for everlasting; God whom he loves, he loves to the end. God loves us in Christ, he loves Christ for ever, therefore he will love us for ever. So, as I said before, suit the promises to our present estate.
And from the promises have a higher rise yet, go to him in whom they Look to Christ in whom they are made.are made: they are rich promises indeed, good promises; but how shall I know they shall be performed? in whom are they made? In whom! God loves thee in Christ. What is he? God, and man: he is God, and therefore able to perform them: he is man, and therefore he loves thee as his own flesh, and therefore he will perform them. He is the Son of Gods love, God for his sake as Mediatour will perform them: heaven and earth shall conspire for thy good, rather then thou shalt misse of the performance of the least promise. Therefore from thy wants go to the promises, and from the promises go to Christ, and consider him, he is anointed of God for thee: he is anointed that he might be thy Christ, and thy Jesus, that he might be thy Saviour, Immanuel, God with us, that he might reconcile God and us, that in office he might be so, that he might bring God and us together, Consider him.
And then go to God, and consider what relation in Jesus Christ God hath Look to God in Christ.put upon him. In Christ God is a Father, and what can a Father deny to his adopted son in Christ, whom he looks on in his natural Son Christ?
Yea, and to settle our minds the more, let us consider the relations that God and Christ have put upon them, and the relations we stand in; and the many promises we have in Christ, who is anointed, and sealed by God the Father to be our Saviour, and to bestow good upon us. God is become God our Father.our Father; what a world of promises is in that word Father? what will a father deny to his son? What if God had not left particular promises in Scripture, if he had left but the relation of a Father, it had been promise enough, what can a father deny his child?
And then Christ, what relation hath he taken on him? he is our Husband: God our Husband.what a world of promises is there in that? what can a loving husband deny his spouse, that he hath given himself for?
He hath taken upon him to be our head, what want of influence can Christ our Head.there be from such a head, that hath taken all upon him for the body? the head sees, and hears, and doth all for the body; so Christ heares, and sees, and doth all for us. What a world of promises is in this relation of a head, if there were no particular promise?
Again, Christ stiles himself sweetly our brother: what a world of promises Christ our brother.are in these relations? God the Father is ours, Christ is ours: here is the grand Promise, I will be your God, and will give you my Son.
And then in the third place, he hath promised his Spirit; he will give The Spirit ours.his Spirit to them that beg him: what a world of Promises is in that promise of the Spirit? It is a comforting Spirit, a sanctifying Spirit, a quickening Spirit, a strengthening Spirit, all is in the Spirit. As our soul doth all that the body doth: so it is by vertue of the Spirit, all the grace, and all the comfort we have. God hath promised himself, and Christ, and the Spirit, the whole Trinity. There is the grand Promise, I will be your God, Christ shall be your Christ, and I will give you my Spirit. If we had not other promises, what a world of comfort have we in these?
Now in what relation stand we to these? We are children, we are heires, What to do when we remember not particular Promises.we are Temples of the Holy Ghost, &c. put case our memories do not serve to call to mind particular promises, in the time of trouble. Consider in Christ how God loves thee, he is thy God in Christ: how Christ loves thee, he hath taken thy nature on him to be thy husband; he makes love to thee, and desires thee to be reconciled. And the Spirit is given thee by Christ, he hath promised to give him if thou ask him, the holy Spirit is the Spirit of Promise. Think therefore of the general, of the Covenant of grace; and these relations that have the force of promises; for sometimes particular promises may not come to our mind perhaps; and these will stablish a man against the gates of hell, and against all particular temptations.
This course we ought to take then to feed our thoughts with the promises: the promises are the food of faith: let not our faith languish and famish for want, for want of meditations of God, and Christ, what relations they have put upon them; and for want of meditating on particular promises in all kinds. How well thriving might our faith be, if we would oft think of these things?
And to make us the more to think of these things, consider, that all other things, alas, what are they, when we have not a promise of them in Christ? They are all vain, fading things, they will all come to nothing. That which we have by promise, grace, and comfort, and glory, they are ours for ever. God is ours for ever, Christ is ours for ever, the Spirit is ours for ever, the relations we are in are for ever; all other things are nothing, they will come to nothing ere long. This course we ought to take then, that we may have comfort by the Promises.
Again, in the next place, if we look to the kinds of the promises, whether Rules touching the Promises.to the promises for this life, or the promises of Grace.
If they be promises of this life, take heed we abuse not our selves in them. 1. Not to abuse Promises of this life.There have been grosse miscarriages even from the beginning of the world, & will be to the end of the world in the false application of outward promises. We see the Jews cryed, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Loed, as if God had tied himself to that by a perpetual promise: Trust not to lying words, saith the Prophet, you think you are Gods people, and that he will alwayes keep you out of captivity, challenge not temporal promises without reservation, and subjection to Gods will, as he shall see goood. Babylon saith, I sit as a Queen, and I shall for ever.
So mystical Babylon in the Revelation saith, I sit as a Queen, till her Judgment and destruction come in one day; because she trusted to her present temporal estate. Let no man promise himself that that God doth not promise in his Word, immunity from the crosse: for whatsoever Promise of protection, and provision we have, all is with the exception of the Crosse: remember therefore to construc the Promises aright.
Then again, another rule about the Promises is, That it is usual with 2. Gods Promises wondrously performed.God to perform them in a wonderful manner, that men know not how: he doth perform them notwithstanding: (take that for a rule) How is that? As Luther was wont to say, Gods carriage is by contrary meanes; he performs them wonderfully.
He promised Abraham a child, but his body was dead in a manner first, and Sarah's womb. He promised Joseph to raise him up so high; but alas, the iron entred into his soul first. He promised that Christ should come, but all was desperate first, The Scepter was departed from Judah. So he hath promised, that we shall rise from the dead, but we must rot in our graves first. He hath promised forgivenesse of sins, that he will be mercifull to us, but he will waken our consciences to see our desperate estate, that we are forlorn creatures first, and unworthy of any respect from him. He hath promised us happinesse, we that are Christians are the happiest creatures in the world, yet in the sense and eye of the world for the present we are the most forlorn creatures that are: yet he performes his promise with comfort here, and at last will fully manifest his love to us. So at the last his Promises shall be wonderfully performed.
God doth not perform his Promises according to humane policy; he will not do thus, because we look he should do thus and thus: he will crosse our expectation, and yet perform his promise. Saint Paul looked to come to Rome, but he thought not of coming to Cesar by whipping, and perill, and ship wrack. Moses knew he should come to see Canaan, did he think to have such a conflict in the Wildernesse? alas, he thought not of it. God doth wondrous strangely perform his Promises, by contraries; he crosseth our imaginations and conceits directly, and yet he is true of his promise.
Another branch of this is, That though Gods Promises be Yea, and Amen in his time, yet he usually defers his promises for a time, and why? Among 3. God deferreth his performance.many other reasons, To mortifie self-confidence, to fit us for his blessings: for except he deferred them, we should not be fit for them: he defers them, that we may be fitted for them long before they come; That we might mortifie self-confidence, to see that he immediately and graciously performs his promise. And in the mean time to exercise faith, and repentance, and desire, and prayer, therefore he defers them; but yet they are Amen at last, though he defer.
Gods time is better then ours, he knowes better then we: the Physician knowes his time better then the Patient. Hereupon comes a duty consequently To wait Gods time.upon this dispensation of God: if he perform his promises wondrously, and unexpectedly, and perform them in delay; let thy duty be answerable to his dealing, wait, wait upon God, tie him not to such and such courses: he can transcend, and go beyond thy imagination, and do more then thou art able to conceive, as the Apostle saith: therefore wait his good time, H… that shall come will come: Stay Gods leisure, prevent him not, run not before him.
And as he doth things by contraries: so when thou art in contraries look Believe contraries in contraries.for contraries: when thou art in fin, and feelest it on thy conscience, believe that he is made righteousnesse to thee; he hath promised it, it is Yea, and Amen in Christ. When thou shalt be turned to dust in the grave, believe that he will raise thy body: this promise is Yea, and Amen, and as a pledge of it Christ is gone to heaven: when thou art miserable, remember the Promise, thou shalt be glorious with Christ as he is glorious: All his Promises are Yea, and Amen: in contraries believe contraries: because in contraries he performs contraries: and say as Job doth, Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him. I know thou canst not deny thy self, and thy Promises are Yea, and Amen.
In the worst estate that befalls us, let us learn to wrastle with God in the Promises, and implead his Promises. Why, Lord, thou hast promised forgivenesse of sins to them that ask it: thou hast promised grace, and mercy, and favour; remember thy promise, thou canst not deny thy self, thou canst not deny thy gracious promise, thy Word is as thy self, thou art Amen, and thy Word is Yea, and Amen, onelyonly give me grace to wait thy good leisure: yet I will not let thee depart without a blessing, I will hold thee till I have received a gracious answer, as Jacob wrastled with him till he had the blessing. Let us labour to answer the promise with our faith, and labour to bring our soules to be like his Promises; they are Yea, and Amen, though they be not presently performed: let us constantly believe a constant Promise, let us cleave to God, let us have a Amen for Gods Amen. Are the Promises Amen? Amen let the soul say; Lord, So be it, so it shall be, I will To have Amen for Gods Amen.seal thy Amen in thy promise, with my Amen in my faith: so let us have an Amen for Christs Amen. They are all, and will be all Amen in Christ in fit time: all the gracious Promises will be Yea, and Amen, let our soules echo, and say, Amen. For our faith must answer the Promises: faith, and the Promises be correlatives: for the promise is not except it be applyed: Let faith answer the promise; let us labour to be established in the Promises in Gods Word.
Shall we have certain Promises, and shall we waver and stagger? Therefore Complaint of Unbelief.let us complain, Lord, thy Promises are sure and certain as thou hast said, what is the reason I cannot build on them? Oh my unfaithful heart! Let us condemn our unbelieving, our lying hearts, that call the truth of God into question, and make that which is yea, and amen, to be yea, and nay. We make truth a lie, and do rather believe our own lying hearts, then Gods immutable, and unchangeable Promises. Therefore let us see the fulnesse of our hearts, and complain of them to God, and desire him to cure it, and redresse it, and he will do it.
This is to give glory to God indeed; we cannot honour God more then to believe his Promises, and build on him. This will breed love, when we Faith in the Promises honours God.feel the comfort of the Promises. Foolish men think to honour God by complements, by dead performances: filly men consider that the principal honour in the world to God; is to seal his truth, that thou shouldest not make him a liar. Hath he promised all things in the world? get faith, that will honour him, and he will honour thy faith.
What makes God honour faith so much? He that believes he will Why God honors faith so much.bring him to heaven. Faith honours him; it gives him the glory of his truth; the glory of his goodnesse, of his mercy, of his truth, &c. as it honours him, he honours it.
The Believer shall come to heaven, when the idle fashionable Christian shall vanish with his conceits, that thinks to serve God with empty vain shadowes. Honour God with the obedience of faith, man; cast thy self upon him, trust in him, in life and death, and then thou givest him the honour that he requireth at thy hands: For as the honour of his mercy is the greatest honour he will have in this world, more then that in the Creation: so thou honourest him more in the Gospel, to cast thy self on him for forgivenesse of sins, and life everlasting, and for the guidance of thy daily course of life; thou honourest him more then by looking on the creature, or by doing him any service. He is honoured more by faith in Christ, then by any other way. Let faith go to him, as faith honours him, so he will honour it, Let it be according to thy faith.
Let not all be lost, let us bring vessels for the precious Promises, the vessel of a believing heart. Shall all this be lost for a vain heart that will not lodge up these promises? shall we have a rich portion, and neglect it? shall we have so many promises, and not improve them, and make use of them?
Therefore I beseech you, let it be our practice continually every day, To make the Promises familiar.of all portions of Scripture make the Promises most familiar to us: for duties follow promises: if we believe the Promises with our heart, they are quickning Promises, we will love God, and perform other duties. Faith works by love. If we believe, love will come kindly off. Therefore he saith here, All the Promises are Yea, and Amen: insinuating, that all is included in the Promises.
Let us empty our hearts of confidence in any thing, and fill them with the Promises in Christ that are Yea and Amen. Let us stablish our hearts with the Promises, let us warm, and season, and refresh our hearts every day with these.
In these times of infection, what do we? those that are careful of themselves, that go abroad in dangerous places, they have Preservatives; they take something to preserve their spirits, and to strengthen them against the contagion abroad: and it is wisdome so to do, it is folly to neglect it, and to tempt God, not to be careful in this kind: it is very well done. But what is this, if thou do not fence thy soul and thy spitit, and take a draught of the Promises every day afresh? Let us take out our pardon of course every day of the forgivenesse of sins. We sin every day, let us go for our pardon; If we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, and he is the propitiation for our sins. And the blood of Jesus Christ shall purge us from all sin. And he is in justifying us still every day, he is acquitting our soules: and there is a pardon of course to be taken out every day. Let us renew and refresh our hearts with the Promises of pardon and forgivenesse of sins every day. Let us strengthen our soules with renewing the Promises of grace for that day to walk comfortably before God, that he will keep us by his Spirit from sin, that he will be a shield, and a Sun to us, that he will give us wisdome to carry our selves as we should, and he will give us his holy Spirit if we beg it.
Let us every day take these Promises to be Cordials in these dangerous times; and then come life, come death, all shall be welcome: why? because we are in Christ, and have imbraced the Promises, and Christ; and all in Christ is Yea, and Amen: it shall go well with us. What a wondrous comfortable life would a Christians life be, if he could yield the obedience faith answerable to the promises? What a shame is it, that having such rich promises we should be so loose, so changeable, that we should be cast down with crosses, and lift up with prosperity? It is because we believe not the promises of better things, therefore we are proud of present things, and cast down with present crosses, and are fast and loose. Now we have good things for the present, afterward the devil comes between us and the promises, and makes us let go our hold. Religion stands on this, which makes me to presse it the more. If this were well taken to heart and digested, we should know what Religion means; if we know Christ, and the promises, all other things will come off. All others are but formalities, they will never comfort without the confideration of knowing God in Christ, and the rich promises to us in Christ.
Likewise, if this be so, that the promises of God in Christ are Yea, and How to make use of former examples.Amen; This teacheth us how to make use of all former examples of others, and of all former goodnesse to our selves. Was God merciful to Abraham, and to David? Our fathers trusted in thee, and were not confounded, Psal. 22. Therefore he reasons, If I trust in God I shall not be confounded: for the Promises are Yea, and Amen; they are true to one as well as another: And whatsoever was written afore, was written for our comfort, Rom. 15. And this is a singular good use we may make of reading of the stories of the Scripture, and of holy men, that the same God he lives for ever, his arm is not shortened: he that was, is, and is to come: and therefore we should read histories with application: Did God make sure his Promises to them? surely, he will make sure his Promises to us. Had David forgivenesse of sins upon his confession? surely so shall we. Abraham believed, and it was acc…ed to him for righteousnesse, and …o it shall to us if we believe. It is alledged for that end, Rom. 4. And S. Paul prefixeth his example to all posterity, God was mercifull to me, and not so onelyonly, but to all that believe in him, 2 Tim. 2.
This is an Use that we may make likewise of the story of our own lives, What use to make of the story of our own lives.as well as the story of others: for consider the former times, why, Lord, thy Promises heretofore have been Yea, and Amen, thou hast delivered me from such and such dangers, thou hast been so good, and so good to me, thou art not changed. Let us store up experience out of the story of our own lives: God is Yea, and Amen, and his Promises are Yea, and Amen, constant to all his Children, and to their children: and they are alike in all ages from Generation to Generation, as Moses saith, Psal. 90. Thou art our God from Generation to Generation for ever.
Thus we see how to make use of the Promises: for Promises we must know, are either directly to particular persons, or implyed. A promise made to any directly, to any in particular, is an implyed promise to me in the general equity in matter of grace, and glory, or the removal of some true misery: what was made to Joshua, is applyed to all the Church, Heb. 13. that which was directly promised to him, is an implyed promise to all that will make use of that example.
Again, if so be that all the Promises of God be Yea, and Amen, that is, Comfort in the false dealing of men.certain, and constant in Christ; this should comfort us when men deal loosely with us, and fail in their Promises, whereon we have perhaps builded too much, when men deal falsly with us. And indeed there is nothing that makes an honest heart wearier of this wicked world, then the consideration of the falshood of men in whom they trust. Oh it is a cruel thing to To deceive trust, odious.deceive him, that unlesse he had trusted he had never been deceived by thee; it is a treacherous thing, but this world is full of such treacherous dealing, that a man can scarce trust assurances, much lesse words. But there are things thou mayest trust, if thou have a heart concerning the best good, there are Promises that are Tea, and Amen: there is a God that keeps Covenant, it is his glory to do so from Generation to Generation. Here is the comfort of a Christian, when he finds falsenesse in the world, to retire to his God, and hide himself there.
And in the uncertainty of all things below, in all changes, as this world is full of changes, now poor, now rich; now in favour, now out of favour: Comfort in all changes in the world.why what hath a Christian to cast himself on? The Promises of God in Christ, they are Yea, and Amen; they are promises that never fail. They that know thy Name will trust in thee, Psal. 9. what is the reason? it followes, Thou never failest those that trust in thee. Therefore in the vicissitude and intercourse of all earthly things under the Moon, that are like the Moon, changeable, let us stablish our soules upon that which is unchangeable, and that will make us unchangeable, if we build on it, For the Word of the Lord endures for ever, Esay 40. which is alledged by Peter, 1 Pet. 1. All flesh is grass; and as the flower of the grasse, that is, it fades as the grasse, and as the flower of the grasse: all the excellency of wit, and learning, it is but as the flower of the grasse, but the Word of the Lord endures for ever. How doth the Word of the Lord endure for ever? Saint John expounds it, 1 Joh. 2. A true Christian How the Word of the Lord endures for ever.endures for ever by the Word of the Lord: he that believes in the Word, he endures for ever, because his comforts endure for ever, they are Yea, and Amen, his grace endures for ever, Gods love endures to him for ever. Therefore by building upon that which is certain, we make our selves certain too, when the Word is ingraffed, it is S. James his phrase, when it is ingraffed into our hearts, it turns our hearts to be like it self, it is eternal it self, and it makes us eternal: He that doth the will of the Lord abides for ever, saith S. John. The world passeth and the lust thereof; but he that doth the will of the Lord abides for ever. And the Word of the Lord abides for ever, as it is in another place, the one expounds the other, that is, we by believing, and doing the Word of the Lord abide for ever.
To stir us up to rely constantly upon this Word, the promises, and the grace of God brought to us by the promises. As I said before, Shall we To rely constantly on the constant Promises.have certain promises of God that never lie, and shall we not build on them? What is there in the world to build on, if we cannot build on this? and yet the froward heart of man will believe any thing, rather then Gods truth. The Merchant man he commits his estate, his goods to the Sea, he hath no promise that they shall come again, it is onelyonly in the providence of God, he hath made no promise for it. The Husbandman commits his seed to the ground, though he have nothing left of his seed; and though he sowe in tears, yet he commits all to the earth in hope of a return; and yet he hath no promise for this, but Gods ordinary providence, that may sometimes fail.
Are we in such hope when we commit our seed to the ground, and when we commit our goods to the Sea, to the Waves, and yet have not a promise for this; but Gods ordinary providence, which oft-times failes, having not bound himself that it shall be alway so: because God will shew himself the God of nature, that he can command nature? and shall we not trust him when we have his providence, and his promise too? when he is bound by his Promise, when he hath made himself a debtor to us? when the free God, who is most free, hath made himself a debtor by his promise, and hath sealed his promise by an oath, and by Sacraments.
Alas, God hath made all things faithful to us, therefore we trust them: but we trust not him that hath made other things so, and is so faithful to us. Therefore let us build on these Promises in Jesus Christ.
Now to direct us a little further, to train our selves up to make use of To observe how God daily fulfills his Promises.the Promises of God in Jesus Christ; Observe every day, how God fulfills his promises in lesser matters. Parents train up their children by education, that they may trust them for their inheritance. So God traines us 1. For temporals.up to believe his providence, that he will provide for us, without cracking our consciences by ill means: will we not believe his Promises for these things, and will we believe him for life everlasting? no, certainly we cannot: therefore let us exercise faith to believe the promises for provision, that he will not fail us, not forsake us, but be with us in our callings, using lawful means for the things of this life.
Sometimes again take another method: when faith begins to stagger 2. For spirituals.for the things of this life, quicken it with the grand Promises. Will God give me life everlasting? and hath he given me Christ? are his Promises in him Yea, and Amen? will he give me the greater, and will he not give me the lesse? Sometimes by the lesser, be encouraged to hope for the greater; sometimes quicken our deadnesse and dulnesse in believing the lesser, with the undoubted performance of the greater. Will God give me life everlasting, and will he not give me provision in my pilgrimage till I come there? undoubtedly he will: Fear not little flock, it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome, saith Christ. They were distrustful for the things of this life; Do you think, saith he, that he will not give you the things of this life, that keeps a Kingdome for you? Fear not.
Again, when we hear any promise in the Word of God, turn it into a Turn Promises into Prayers.prayer, put Gods bond in suit (as it were) his promises are his bonds, sue him on his bond, he loves to be sued on his bond: and he loves that we should wrastle with him by his promises; Why, Lord, thou hast made this and this promise, thou canst not deny thy self, thou canst not deny thine own truth; thou canst not cease to be God: thou canst as well cease to be God, as deny thy promise, that is thy self. So let us put the promises into suit, as David, Psal. 119. (if it be his) Lord, remember thy promise, wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust: as if God had forgotten his promise, Lord, remember thy primise, I put thee in mind of thy promise, wherein th… hast caused thy servant to trust. If I be deceived thou hast deceived me, thou hast made these promises, and caused me to trust in thee, and thou never failest those that trust in thee.
What makes a man faithful? Trust to a man makes him faithful; so when God is honoured with our trusting of him, it makes him faithful. Let us therefore put in suit his promises of provision, and protection every day in the way of our calling; and for necessary grace and comfort, that he will not fail us in any necessary grace to bring us to heaven, considering that he hath filled our nature with all grace in Christ.
Again, let us take this course, when we hear of rich and precious promises Labour to know the Promises.that are made, labour to know them. What? shall we have an inheritance, a portion, and not labour to know it? Let us labour to know all our portion, and to know it of those that search the Word of God, to be glad to hear any thing, concerning the priviledges, and prerogatives of a Christian, those that dig the Mines of the Scripture, which is the office of the Ministers: let us labour to know all our priviledges.
Let not Satan rob us of one priviledge. Every promise is precious, they are rich promises, yet they are no more then God thought necessary for us; he thought all little enough to stablish our faith, let us not lose one, we cannot be without one: let us labour to know them.
And when we know them, work them upon our hearts by meditation, and shame our selves upon it: say, is it true, are these promises so? is it true, Work the Promises on our hearts.that God hath revealed these things in his Word? To whom hath he made them? to Angels, or to beasts? No, to men, to sinners, to men in the world to comfort them; they are their provision, their inheritance, as David saith, Psal. 119. Thy word is my inheritance, and my portion: they are sweeter then the honey, and the honey-comb. Are they so? Do I believe this, or do I not believe it? Yes, I do: If I do, can I believe them, and be so uncomfortable? Let us shame our selves: do I believe the promises of life everlasting, the promises of perseverance, the promise that God will hide me in danger, that he will be my habitation, and my hiding place? and do I look to unlawful means? Do I live without God in the world, as if there were no Promise? what a shame is this? There is a weaknesse in my faith certainly: when a branch withers, there is a fault in the root; so there is a defect in the radical grace, that it drawes not juice out of the promises as it should: there is a defect in my faith; therefore I will look where the defect is, and strengthen my faith.
Thus we should shame our selves; Can I hear these Promises, and be no more joyful, and be no more affected? Can I use indirect means, and yet believe that God is Al-sufficient to me in the Covenant? Certainly I cannot.
Therefore let us come to the tryal, to some few evidences, that a man doth believe in the promises.
He that believes the promises of God in Christ to be Yea, and Amen, doubtlesse he will be affected answerable to the things promised: saith David, Evidences of believing the Promises.Thy Statutes they are the joy of my heart. The Promises will be the joy and rejoycing of our heart. He that can hear of promises, and not be affected, 1. They breed joy.certainly he believes them not. When a man thinks of his inheritance, and of his evidences, that they are clear, that he shall enjoy it without suit, or trouble, it comforts him, he cannot think of it without comfort. Cannot a man think of a little pelf of the earth without comfort, when he knowes he hath assurance to it? and shall we think of heaven, and happinesse, and not rejoyce? will not these be the joy of a mans heart? certainly they will affect him. When good things are apprehended by faith, will they not work upon the affections? certainly they will.
Again, where the promises are believed, they will quicken us to all 2. They quicken to obedience.chearfull obedience: certainly, if God will assist me with strength, and comfort if I go on in his wayes, and in the end of all give me life everlasting, this will quicken me to all obedience. Therefore those that go deadly and dully, as if they had no encouragement here, nor promise of glory after, they believe not the promises. For God doth not set us on work as Pharaoh set the children of Israel to make brick without straw: but when he bids us do any thing, he promiseth us grace, and gives us his Spirit, and after grace he gives glory. If men did believe this, they would go about Gods work without dulnesse, and staggering: so far as we are dull, and stagger in the work of God, so far our faith is weak in the promises of God.
Again, as they quicken in regard of comfort, so they purge in regard of holinesse: for they make men study mortification, and sanctification, 2 Cor. 3. They purge.6. and the beginning of the 7th. Having these promises, Let us purge our selves from all filthinesse of flesh, and spirit, perfect sanctification in the fear of God. Having these promises: So that the promises as they have a quickning, so they have a purging power; and that upon sound reasoning. Doth God promise that he will be my Father, and I shall be his son? and doth he prcmise me life everlasting? and doth that estate require purity? and no unclean thing shall come there? certainly these promises being apprehended by faith, as they have a quickning power to comfort, so they purge with holinesse. We may not think to carry our filthinesse to heaven: Doth the swearer think to carry his blasphemies thither? filthy persons; and liars are banished thence, there is no unclean thing. He that hath these promises purgeth himself, and perfecteth holinesse in the fear of God. He that hath this hope purifieth himself, as he is pure, 1 Joh. 3. So these promises affect, and quicken, and purge.
And then the promises they do settle the soul: because they be Yea, 4. They quiet the soul.and Amen; they make the soul quiet. If a man believe an honest man on his word, he will be quiet; if he be not quiet he doth not believe: so much faith, so much quiet; Being iustified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So much faith, so much peace, Philip. 4. In nothing be carefull, but let your desires be known to God in prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving; and when you have done this, The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall preserve your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. So where there is prayer, and thanksgiving, and doing of duty; The peace of God which passeth all understanding, will keep the mind in Christ: and where there is not quiet and peace to preserve the heart & mind, there is neglect of duty before, not committing our selves to Gods promises to build on them.
Again, where there is a believing the promises, there is not only a staying of the soul in generall, but when all things are gone; when all things 5. A staying of t…e soul when all i… contrary.are contrary; that is the nature of faith in the promises. Put the case, that a Christian that is of the right stamp, have nothing in the world to take to, only Gods Word and Promises: surely he knowes they are Yea, and Amen. It is the Word of God al-sufficient, he is Jehovah: he gives a being to his Word, and to all things else, therefore he hath the Name Jehovah: therefore thinks the soul, Though I have nothing, yet I have him that is the substance of all things: all other things are but shadowes; God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are the substance that give all things a being, and therefore I will cast my selfe on God: here now is the Tryumph of faith, when there is nothing else to trust to: nay, when all things else are contrary, when it is faith against faith: and hope against hope; when there is such a conflict in a man, that he sees nothing but the contrary: here faith will shut the eye of sense, and not look to present things too much: though I see all things contrary, though I see rather signes of anger then otherwise, yet I will hope, and believe in God; for this, or that. Here is the wisdom of a believing Christian that believes the promises he will shut his eyes, and not look on the waves, on the troubles, they will carry him away, and dazle him; but he looks to the constant love of God in Christ, and to the constant promises of God: his nature is constant, and his truth is as his nature: he cannot deny himself and his own Word when he hath made himself a debtor by his promise, and bound himself by his Word.
Therefore in contraries say as Job, Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him. True faith when it is in strength will uphold a man when all failes: nay, it will hold a man when all is contrary. This our Saviour Christ, in whom all the promises are Yea, and Amen, did excellently teach us by his own example: For when all was contrary, and our blessed Saviour felt the wrath of God, which made him sweat drops of blood, and made him cry out, My God, My God, why hast thou for saken me? yet here faith wrastled with, My God, my God, still, even under the wrath of God. He brake through the seeming wrath of God, into the heart of God.
Faith hath a piercing eye, it will strive through the clouds, though they be never so thick; through all the clouds of temptation. Christ had so piercing a faith, it brake through all; he saw a Fathers heart under an angry semblance. So a Chistian triumphs by faith in oppositions to faith: when all is contrary to faith, yet notwithstanding he can say My God still. This is an evidence of a strong faith in the promises.
Again, an evidence of faith in the promises is faithfulnesse in our selves, in 6. Faithfulnesse in our Promises to God.our promises to God: for surely the soul that expects any thing of God, that he should be faithfull, it studies to be faithful in the Covenant, Psal. 25. All the wayes of God are mercy, and truth. All his dealings to his Children are mercy, and truth, to them that keep his Covenant. For you know, the promises have conditions annexed: and where God fulfils his promise, he gives grace to perform the condition, to walk before him, to allow our selves in no sin: for if we allow our selves in any sin, we perform not the Covenant on our part. Now God will give grace to perform the Covenant where he will perform his own. Therefore those that are unfaithful in their Covenant, and yet think God will be faithfull to them, it is presumption.
When we come to the Communion, we think we do God a great deal of service: but we must consider we enter into Covenant with God, as well as he binds himself to us. He gives us Christ, & all his blessings: he reacheth forth Christ with all in him, if we will receive him. I but we bind our selves to God, to lead a new life, and to be thankful, and to shew it in obedience. And so in Baptisme: we do not only receive in the Sacraments, but we yield, we bind our selves to God. And we must be careful of what we promise to God, as well as expect that which he promiseth to us: if we expect his truth, we must be faithful, and careful of performing our Covenants to him.
Oh but how shall I do that, saith the distressed soul? I have no grace.Quest.
God knowes that well enough: therefore he that promiseth, he promiseth Answ. God gives grace to perform the Covenant.grace to perform the condition: that is one part of the Covenant, to give grace to fulfil the Covenant. For he that saith, If we believe, and repent, &c. he will give us hearts to repent, if we ask them: he hath promised to circumcise our hearts, to give us new hearts, and to give us his holy Spirit if we ask him. Why, Lord, thou knowest I have no grace in my self to fulfil the Covenant: no, but thou must perform both parts; thou givest the grace, and good thing promised, and grace to keep the Covenant too: therefore let none be discouraged.
Many things are required it is true; but the things are promised that God promiseth the things be requires. Promises, Legacies.are required, if in the use of means we depend on him by prayer. For the promises are Legacies as well as promises, what is the difference between a legacy, and a Covenant? A Covenant is with condition, with stipulation: a Legacie is an absolute thing, when a man gives a thing freely without any condition. So, though the promises be propounded by way of Covenant, with stipulations to and fro in the passages of them, as a Covenant: yet in regard of Gods gracious performance, to them that depend upon him, all the promises are Legacies.
Therefore Gods promises, and Gods Covenant they are called a Testament, Covenant, a Testament.as well as Promises. They are called a Will. A Will, shewing what God will give us freely in the use of means, as well as what our duty is in the Covenant. Therefore our estate is happy in Christ, if we depend upon God in the use of means: He will give us all things that are necessary that he hath promised; nay, he will give grace to fulfill the Covenant, if we beg it.
If a man be carelesse and live in sinnes against the Covenant, he cannot perform the Covenant; and let him not alledge this, that he cannot: for God will give grace to them that are careful to fulfill it. Let such a man as neglects the performance on his part, expect no good from God while he is so, let him expect vengeance: for all the threatnings of God are Yea, and Threatnings of God Amen, as well as Promises.Amen, as well as his Promises, to them that live in sins against conscience. Those that will not expect grace to serve him for the time to come, all the threatnings are Yea, and Amen; there is no comfort for such.
I beseech you therefore consider, it is a terrible thing to live in a State without God, and without Christ; to have no care of the performance of that that we have bound our selves to God by the Sacrament, and in our particular vowes: for his threatnings are effectual as well as his promises: In Zech. 1. 5. there he tells the Jewes of the Prophets that had threatened many things: The Prophets are dead (saith he) that threatned your fathers: but for all that, the threatnings lighted on them. The Prophets where are they? They were but men, but when they were gone the threatnings lighted on your fathers. Jeremy dyed, but the Captivity that he threatned it did not dye; they were carried captive 70. years. So we threaten the vengeance of God on obstinate sinners, that will not come in to the Gospel: we are not Yea, and Amen, in regard of our being, we die; but our threanings are Yea, if they be not reversed by repentance, the threatnings are Amen, as well as the Promises. It is an evidence therefore we do not believe, if we have not care to make good the Covenant on our part.
Again, another evidence of a Child of the promises, of a man that believes 7. Opposition of flesh, and fleshly men.the promises; it is inward opposition of the flesh, and hatred of fleshly men: for as it is, Gal. 4. The son of the bond-woman persecuted the son of the free-woman. A true down-right Believer is a son of the free-woman, a son of promise; and the flesh in us opposeth it, like Ishmael, like Job's wife, and like Sarah, that laughed when the promise was made; we have an Ishmael, and a Sarah in us. I, can this Promise of life everlasting when I am rotten, and this promise of forgivenesse of sins, and that good will be good to me if I crack not my conscience? if I take this and that course, shall these promises be performed? here is opposition. We cannot believe the Promises without much opposition.
So carnal men, they mock and deride the counsel of the poor, as the Psalmist Carnal men despise those that trust in Gods Promises.saith. The children of the promise that depend upon Gods mercy in Christ, they are persecuted by fleshly Justitiaries, and they that look to be saved by themselves without a promise, they will not be beholding to God so much: their proud swelling hearts rise against Christians that honour God by trusting in his promises, and will be saved by promises.
A proud Popish person, his heart riseth against a holy Christian that is a son of the promise, he scorns him: You intend to be saved by the righteousnesse of another; no, we will not be so much beholding to God, we will satisfie for our selves: we will merit heaven our selves. God shall not be beholding to us to trust in him, we will bring somewhat our selves, we will buy it out. Can these men have humble hearts? Nay, can they have any other then malicious persecuting hearts against humble, believing Christians, that honour God by trusting in his promises?
You know Isaac was a son of the Promise, how was he born? not according to the course of nature; Sarah's womb was dead. Christ was the Son of the promise, how was he born? not according to the course of nature: for his mother was a Virgin. So a Christian is a son of the Promise, he is begotten where there is nothing in the course of nature likely, where there is breeding for sin, no works, no righteousnesse, then he believes in Christ. Isaac was a notable type of Christ, and a son of promise, he was begotten besides the course of generation: so a Christian is not begotten as a proud Justitiary, by works; but he shewes himself therein to be a true believer, he is begotten against the course of nature, when he sees a barren heart, and sees as little disposition in his heart to be a Christian, as was in the Virgins womb for Christ to be born.
How was the Promise made to the Virgin? She could not conceive how this should be since she knew not man. It was replied again, The Holy Ghost shall overshadow thee: her heart closed with that speech, and Christ was conceived then. So the barren heart of a Christian if it can believe, his sins shall he forgiven, and he shall have life everlasting, if he can honour God in believing, that he will keep him in life, and death: let the heart close with these Promises, and a Christian is begotten, he is a son of the promise.
As for the proud Justitiary that will have something in himself to vaunt of, and will persecute others that are true Christians, he relies on no promise. A Christian when he sees nothing to rely on but the promise, he closeth with the promise, and Christ is begotten in him at that very instant. To name no more evidences; you see how we may examine our selves whether we trust in, and cast our selves upon the Promises of God, or no: if we do, we shall find them Yea, and Amen.
Consider it therefore, and be glad of these Promises, and when you have them, go to God in Christ for the performance of them. Take the counsel To go to God in Christ to perform the promises.of that blessed man, that in these latter times brought the glorious light of Religion to light; Luther I mean: (to whom we are beholding for the doctrine of free grace more then any other Divine of later times,) Go to God in Christ in the Promises. Christ is wrapped up in the Promises; the Promises are the swadling cloathes wherein Christ is wrapped, as he saith. We must not think of God out of Christ. There is (faith he) God absolute in himself; so he is a consuming fire: but there is God incarnate; go to God incarnate, to God making good his promises in Christ, incarnate: How to think of Christ.go to Christ sucking his mothers breast, lying in the manger, living humbly, talking with a sinful woman, inviting sinners to come to him, conversing with sinful creatures, altering, and changing their natures, that never refused any that came to him.
Go not to God absolute, he is a consuming fire; go to Christ incarnate, God-man: go to him abased, and there is sweet converse for thy faith: for All the promises are made in him Yea, and Amen.
I beseech you therefore be acquainted with the mystery of Christ more and more, we have the promises in him. And you must know besides, that the Father, and the Holy Ghost, they have a part, a hand in Christs abasement: for Christ did all by his Fathers appointment, and therefore it is as much as if the Father had been abased: for Christ was anointed to be so. Therefore think, that God the Father allures, and invites you when Christ doth it, because he is anointed to invite you. Think, that the Father is as peaceable as Christ was, because Christ was so by his Fathers appointment, by his anointing. See all the three Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in Christ. See God incarnate making all the Promises before, and as the ground of all that is made good to us. See the wondrous love of God incarnate. And then go, and see Christ raising that flesh that he was abased in: see him ascended into heaven, and sitting in it at the right hand of God: then think of God in Christ glorious; think of Christ a publick person, and we all in him. So as Leo saith, OnelyOnly Christ was he that dyed, in whom all dyed: he was crucified, in whom all were crucified: and he rose again, in whom all rise, he being a publick person: other particular men dyed, and themselves dyed onelyonly. Let us look upon God incarnate, and see our selves in him, see God in Christ, see Christ a publick person: for therefore the second Person took the man-hood, that he might be a publick person.
Christ took not our persons, but our nature; that our nature being knit to the second Person, he might be a publick Person: as Adam was a publick man for all mankind. Therefore think of all the Promises in Christ as God-man, that he was the man Christ, made man for us. This is wondrous comfortable, let us solace our selves with it.
Take away Christ, and the promises in Christ, and what is there in the All in the world nothing without Christ.world? nothing but Idolatry, and Superstition, staggering, and wavering, and darknesse, and blindnesse, and Popery, and divellishnesse. Who reigns in the world but the Devil, and Antichrist; Heathenism, and Paganisme, and all filthinesse? Take away Christ, the sound knowledge of Christ incarnate, and the sound knowledge of the Promises, the clear settled promises in Christ; and what is the life of man, but a horrible confusion, even a hell upon earth? Where Christ is not known, what are the lives of men, the utmost quintessence of them, but onelyonly projecting for an estate here in this world, and then to slip into hell? To live a Civil life, as morality perhaps may fit a man for that, and then to be cast into hell.
Out of Christ there is no salvation, no certain comfort, no life, no light, nothing to be reckoned on out of Christ, and the promises in Christ. Therefore let us love them, and build on them, and make much of the truth we have, and get into Christ; for All the Promises in him are Yea, and Amen. God hath no commerce with us immediately, but by Christ the Mediatour, through whom he looks on us, and in whom he conveyes all good to us.
The Scripture is termed a Paradise; it is like a Paradise, wherein we have the streams of the water of life, and the tree of life, Jesus Christ: and wherein we have the Promises of life. And there is no Angel to keep the door, or gate, or entrance of this Paradise; but rather we are allured to come to it to refresh our selves. There is God himself walking, there is Christ himself the tree of life. Therefore we should make the Scriptures wondrous familiar to us, especially single out the Promises, make use of them: learn what it is to live by faith in the Promises: for All the Promises in Jesus Christ, in him are Yea, and in him Amen.
To the Glory of God by us.
The end of all this, that God will engage himself by promises; that he will stablish these promises so sure in Christ Jesus the Mediatour, God, and man; that he will make them Yea, and Amen in him, it is for his own glory: And to the glory of God by us Ministers; for we preach these promises to the people, and people believe them, and they believing give glory to God.
Gods glory is manifested in the Gospel, especially when it is believed in the Observ. Gods glory manifested in the Gospel.Promises.
What wondrous glory hath God in the promises in Christ?
More a great deal then in the Creation. In the Creation man was made according to Gods Image. Now in the Gospel we are created according More then in the Creation.to Jesus Christ God man. There God added light to light, comfort to comfort: he made man good, and would have continued him good: but here is the glory of his mercy and goodnesse in Christ: here he doth good to sinners, he raiseth a sinner to mercy; he doth not adde light to light, but he brings light out of darknesse. In the Gospel, mercy strives with misery, and strives with sin, and overcomes all our ills: it is Gods will in the Gospel to do good to sinners; mercy is added to sinful men, contrary against contrary: Gods goodnesse triumphing over the misery of man.
The righteousnesse that Adam had, it was the righteousnesse of a creature, of a man: but the obedience we have in Christ, it is the obedience of Our estate in Christ better then Adam's.God-man: therefore that being imputed to us, it is a more exquisite righteousnesse; it brings us to God, and intitles us to heaven, it is infinitely more then Adam's was, God manifests greater glory then in the Creation: there is greater love, and greater mercy, and greater goodnesse manifested in the Gospel, then to Adam in innocency.
Our estate in Christ is more perfect; his estate was not Yea, and Amen, for it was yea to day, and nay to morrow, he stood but a while: but in Christ the Promises are Yea, and Amen. He had no promise, we have; our estate by promises in Christ is better then ever Adam's was, as we are in a better root then he. For he was not in Christ the Mediatour: we by faith are united to Christ Mediatour; and by vertue of the promise, God where he begins, he will make an end; where he is Alpha, he will be Omega. What a glory is this to God, that he can repair man to a better estate then ever he had at the first: as Gods mending is ever for the better. The state of grace and glory is better then ever the state of nature was; spiritual is better then natural. Therefore it is much for the glory of the wisdome of God, that he can in Christ reconcile justice, and mercy, and shew more mercy then ever he did in making man out of the dust of the earth, and all is to the glory of God. These attributes especially are glorious in the promises in Christ.
His Justice is glorious in punishing sin in Christ: there sin is odious in Glory of Gods Justice.the punishing of Christ God-man: if we speak of justice, there is justice.
If of Mercy, to put it upon our surety, for God to give his Son for us; His Mercy.there is transcendent mercy, and transcendent justice in the punishing of our sin, how could it be punished greater?
And then the glory of his Wisdom, to bring these together (infinite mercy, Wisdome.and infinite justice) in Christ.
Infinite Power, for God to become man, and without sin, to be so farre abased; a humble omnipotency, to descend so low, that God could be mortal, Power.and then to raise himself again.
And then the glory of his Truth, that whatsoever was promised to Abraham, Truth.to David, to the Prophets, all was performed in Christ, all the Types: here is glory by Christ, of Mercy, Justice, Wisdome, Truth: for all are Yea, and Amen in Christ. Therefore he may well say, all this is To the glory of God.
Therefore consider how the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus To see Gods Attributes in Christ.Christ, as the Apostle saith. If you would see God, see him shining in the face of Jesus Christ: see his Mercy shining in Christ, and his Justice in the punishing our sin in Christ: see his Truth, his Power, his Wisdome, shineing in Christ, and shining more then in the Creation, or in any thing in the world besides.
Can you honour God more then in believing the Gospel? Can you To honour God by believing the Gospel.dishonour him more, then to call his truth into question, that is Yea, and Amen? If you believe the Gospel, you set to your seal that God is true, 1 Joh. 3. What an honour is this, that God will be honoured by you? in setting to your seal that he is true, you give him the glory of all his attributes. In not believing, what a dishonour do you do to God? you deny his Mercy, his Wisdome, his Justice, his Truth, you deny all his attributes, you make God a liar: what a horrible sin is unbelief?
Therefore fortifie your faith. The Devil layeth siege to our faith above all other things, if he can shake that, he shakes all: for holy life goes when faith goes. Who will love God, or obey God, when he knowes not whether he be his God, or no? Let faith flourish, and it will quicken life in the heart. Let the promises grow in the heart, and the Word be graffed in the heart, and all will flourish in a Christians life, all will come off clearly and freely: obedience will be chearful, and free, when we see God reconciled in Christ. Then love will be full of devices, when I see Gods love to me, what shall I do to shew love again, to shew thanks to God? where is there any that for Cods sake I may do good unto? How shall I maintain the truth, and resist all opposers of the truth? Can I do too much for him, that hath done so much for me? Love quickens. The Devil knowes, if he can shake faith, he shakes all. Let us fortifie faith, and we glorifie God more then by any thing else. He is glorious in the Gospel, and how shall he be so by us, except we set our hearts to believe him? Therefore let us seal Gods truth by our faith, and set to our seales that God is true. God vouchsafes to be honoured by weak sinful men believing of him: and that faith that honours him, he will be sure to honour.
By us.
By us Ministers. How? When the Gospel is preached, God is carried in triumph, as it were, and his banner is set up, and the Promises displayed, Glory of God by the Ministery.and sinners called unto him: and God is glorified by the discovery of these things, and faith is wrought in people to whom they are discovered; and they glorifie God when they believe, they blesse God that ever they heard these tydings: so every way God is glorified.
The Ministers they open as it were the box of sweet oyntment, that the savour of it may be in the Church, and spread far. They lay open the tapestry, the rich treasures of Gods mercies: they dig deep, and find out the treasure. Therefore these Promises in Scripture being so made, and performed in Christ, they tend to Gods glory, but by us, by our Ministery. God, to knit man and man together, will convey the good he means to convey by the despised Ministery.
The enemies therefore of the Ministery of the Gospel, what are they? here is a double prejudice against them: they are enemies of the glory of God, and of the comfort of Gods people, for they glorifie God in the sense of his mercy: when it is unfolded to them, God gets glory, and they comfort.
What do we think then of Popish spirits, that feed the people only with dead and dull ceremonies? but let them go. I go on to the next Verse, having dwelt somewhat long on this.