promise. Tit. i. 2., " In liope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath pro- mised." ' Eternal life,' there is the sweet- ness of the promise : ' God which cannot lie,' there is the certainty of it. Mercy makes the promise, trutii fulfils it. God's providences are uncertain, but liis promises are the ' sure mercies of David,' Acts xiii. 24. ; " God is not a man that he should re- pent," 1 Sam. XV. 29. The word of a prince cannot always he taken, but (Jod's promise is inviolable. God's truth is one of the richest jewels of his crown, and he hath pawned this jewel in a promise, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5., '• Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlast- ing covenant, ordered in all things and sure." Although my house be not so, that is, though I fail much of that exact purity the Lord requires, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, that he will pardon, adopt, and glorify me ; and this co- venant is ordered in all things sure : " The elements shall melt with fervent heat;" but this covenant abides firm and inviolable, being sealed with tlie truth of God ; nay, God hath added to his word, his oath, Heb. vi. 17., wherein God pawns his being, life, righteousness, to make good the promise. If as oft as we break our vows with God, he should break promise with us, it would be very sad ; but his truth is engaged in his promise, therefore it is like the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be al- tered. " We are not (saith Chrysostom) to believe our senses so much, as we are to be- lieve the promises," &c. Our senses may fail us, but the promise cannot, being built upon the truth of God ; God will not deceive the faith of his people, nay, he cannot; " God, who cannot lie, hath promised ;" he can as well part with his Deity, as his veri- ty. God is said to be abundant in truth Exod. xxxiv. G. What is that ? viz. If Ciod hath made a promise of mercy to his ])e()ple, he will ]je so far from coming short of his word, that he will be better tlian his word. God often doth more than he hath said, never less. He is abundant in truth.
1. Tlie Lord may sometimes delay a promise, but he will not deny ; he may de- lay a j)romise, Gpd's promise may lie a good while as seed under ground, but at
last it will spring up into a crop. God ])romised to deliver Israel from the iron furnace, but this promise was above four hundred years in travail before it brought forth. Simeon had a promise that he should not depart hence, " till he had seen the Lord's Christ," Luke ii. 26., but it was a long time first, but a little before his death, that he did see Christ. But though God delay the promise, he will not deny. Hav- ing given his bond, in due time tlie money will be j)aid in.
2. God may change his promise, but he will not break his promise. Sometimes God doth change a temporal promise into a spiritual, Ps. Ixxxv. 12., " The Lord shall give that which is good," perhaps this may not be fulfilled in a tonipoial sense, but a spiritual. God may let a Christian be cut short in temporals, but God makes it up in spirituals. If he doth not increase the basket and the store, he gives increase of faith, and inward jieace ; here he changeth his promise, but he doth not break it, he gives that which is bettor. If a man promiseth to pay me in farthings, and he pays me in a better coin, in gold, he doth not break his promise ? Ps. Ixxxix. 33., " I will not suffer my faith- fulness (ofuil." In the Hebrew, it is to lie.
Obj. 1. Bid how doth this consist icith the truth of Gud? He saith^ He will have all to he saved, 1 Tim. ii. 4., yet some perish.
Alls. St. Austin understands it, not of every individual person, but some of all sorts shall be saved ; as in the ark, God saved all the living creatures, not every bird or fish were .saved, for many perished in the flood, but all, that is, some of every kind were saved, so God will have all to be saved, that is, some of all nations.
Obj. It is said, Christ died fur all ; "' he is the Lamb o/ God that takes away the sins of the jcorld," John i. 29., how doth this con- sist with God's truth, when some are vessels of wrath, Rom. ix. 22."
Ans. 1. We must distinguish of world. The word is taken either in a limited sense, for the world of the elect ; or in a larger sense, for both elect and reprobates. " Christ takes away the sins of the world," that is, the world of the elect.
A. 2. We must ■ distinguish of Cluist's
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dyiiic: for the world. Christ died suffi- ciently for all, not effectually. There is the value of Christ's hlood, and the virtue; Christ's hlood hath value enough to redeem the whole v/orld, hut the virtue of it is ap- plied only to such as hclieve. Christ's hlood is meritorious for all, not efficacious. All are not saved, hecause some put away salvation from them, Acts xiii. 46., and vi- lify Christ's hlood, counting it an unholy thing, Heb. x. 29.