Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Containing a Second Argument drawn from God's Promiſes.
I Proceed to a Second Argument drawn Arg. 2 drawn from God's promiſes. Iſa. 12. 3. Iſa. 66. 11. Judg. 16. 17.from God's Promiſes; And they are as ſo many Wells of Salvation, and Breaſts of Conſolation. Divine Promiſes are the Magna Charta, or Title and Intereſt, whereby the Saints make a claim to Heaven. It was ſaid of Samſon, that his great Strength, lay in his Hair; So a believers great ſtrength lies in the divine Promiſes. All the Promiſes atteſt the truth of the Doctrine, That God is All-Sufficient. And if we make a ſurvey of particular Promiſes, we ſhall by an Induction of particular caſes, and particular promiſes ſuitably applyed, clear our aſſertion, or point of Doctrine.
For Inſtance, one Man is in great want and neceſſity, hunger-bit, and by reaſon of extream poverty, afflicted with great cares and troubles, and is ſtill a carking and projecting, and contriving, which way to go about; what means to uſe for ſupply of his preſſing wants and exigencies. Let ſuch ſtudy the Promiſes, and they will ſpeak to them abundance of Incouragement, viz. Pſal. 34. 9, 10. Pſal. 37. 19. Pſal. 84. 11.foreign. Phil. 4. 19. It's ſaid there, My God ſhall ſupply all your need (i. e.) ſhall fill up all your neceſſities; we have a Promiſe for ſupply of neceſſities, not for ſuperfluities. |Deus cui ſervio abunde ſufficiet, quicquid vobis opus erit. Calv. in loc.Calvin obſerves on the place, That God whom I ſerve, will abundantly ſuffice you, what ever you have need of.
Another is much perplexed with variety of Fears, as of loſs of Life, Livelyhood, Liberty, &c. He's oftentimes afraid of the fury of malitious and violent Adverſaries: To ſuch the Promiſe ſpeaks Comfort and Counſel, Iſa. 8. 13. But it will be further replied, that the …ondition is dangerous, and the hazards are apparent. To ſuch replies, I'le rejoyn, Iſa. 43, 1, 2. Yet further, ſome will complain. O! We are a deſpiſed, a ſhiftleſs, and helpleſs People, weak, diſtreſſed, impotent, and apt to be trod down, and trampled upon, by every Foot. Let ſuch Read, Iſa. 44. 10, 14. 15. Iſa. 51. 12. Mat. 10. 28. What ſhall I add further? Read alſo, Iſa. 33. 23. Jer. 37. 10. Nay, more than all this, even Dry Bones ſhall become an Army of Men, |Haec viſio prophetica imago quodam modo fuit futur Reſurrectionis, licet ad literam, reſtitutio Iſraelis in ierram ſuam per eam ſignifi…tur. Cl…rius inter critic. ſacr.Ezek. 37. 3, 10. Some underſtand this, concerning the deliverance from Babylon. Others hence allude to the converſion of the Jews, in the days of the Goſpel. The Church may be in a dying condition; yet it ſhall revive, Iſa. 26. 19. There will be a Reſurrection of the Church, a Reſurrection of the Names, and Reputations of the People of God, however blaſted and defamed. There will be a Reſurrection of the Cauſe of the Church, againſt Anti-Chriſt that Man of Sin. And although the Witneſſes, and Profeſſors thereof, may be Dead for a time, yet they ſhall Riſe again; and their Reſurrection will be Glorious and Aſtoniſhing, even in the ſight of their Perſecutors. Theſe things ſhall certainly be fulfilled in their Seaſon, although the punctual inſtant▪ when this ſhall be, is not within our cognizance to Determine: We can reſolve no otherwiſe than according to Pſal. 74. 9. We ſee not our Signs, there is no more any Prophet, neither is there among us, any that knoweth how long. Eligat opportunitatem, qui libere dat miſericordiam. Aug.However, it is a grand Duty incumbent on us, to be earneſt in Prayers and Supplications, in the behalf of the Church, as Pſal. 14. v. ult. Pſal. 126. 4. Iſa. 62. 1, 7, 8.
Some others there are, who are inwardly Wounded, and that Wound muſt needs be more full of dolour andProv. 18. 14. anguiſh. A wounded Spirit, Who can bear? God withdrawsDeus unus animum fractum & quaſſatum erigere & reſtaurare poteſt, idque verbo ſuo, …u… innitentes e naufragio emergemus, & caput attollemus. Carthw. the Light of his gracious. Countenance from them; and this is their greateſt affliction. They complain frequently of their Troubles, by reaſon of Gods hiding his Face from them: The Terrours of the Almighty affright them, and Sorrow drinks up their Spirits. To ſuch are many ſuitable Promiſes to be applyed; and the Application of them, to themſelves in particular, is matter of ſingular Conſolation. Particularly, let them Read, and Meditate on what they Read, viz. Pſal. 94. 11. Pſal. 112. 5. Iſa. 50. 10. He that Woundeth, can only Heal, Hoſ. 6. 1. Una eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit. Whether the Wound be outward on the Body, or Eſtate, or inward on the Soul and Spirit, we muſt make our Adreſſes, and Applications to that one only Healer, the great God of Heaven and Earth, Exod. 15. 26. For I am the Lord that healeth thee. And our Duty is, to make uſe of Gods healing Medicines, Jer. 8. 22. What then is our great Duty, but to hearken what God ſpeaks in his Word, and beware of Relapſes? Corporal Relapſes are dangerous▪ but Spiritual much more, Pſal. 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will Speak: For he will Speak Peace unto his People, and to his Saints: But let them not turn again to Folly.