world : if he tells thee thou must be mean and poor in the world for his sake, thou art resolved to beg with him, rather than reign without him, yea, die for him, than live without him. Come forth, thou blessed of the Lord, and put on the bracelets of the i)romiscs ; they are the love-tokens which I am to deliver in his name to thee. Thou art the happy soul that Christ betroths to himself. Languish no longer in thy unbelieving fears. For thy comfort know, it is not Christ's custom to entangle souls' affections, and when he has got their love, then to denv his to them, and cast them off.
Section IL — Inquire what effect the promises have upon thy soul. All who have a right to the promise are transformed bj' the promise. As Satan shed his venomous seed into the heart of Eve by a promise, Gen. iii. 4, — ' Ye shall not surely die ;' whereupon she presently conceived with sin, and was assimi- lated into the likeness of his diabolical nature, — wicked as the devil himself, so God useth the promises of the gospel, called therefoi'e the immortal seed, to beget his own hnage and likeness in the hearts of his elect, 2 Pet. i. 4, — ' Exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine natiu-e;' that is, be partakers of such heavenly, holy qualities and dispositions as will make you like God himself. The promises of the gospel have in them a fitness, and (when by the Spirit of God applied) a virtue to purify the heart, as well as to pacify the conscience. ' Now ye are clean,' saith Christ to his disciples, ' through the word which I have spoken to you,' John xv. 3. Lay, therefore, thy hand upon thy heart, and speak freely. Have the promises had a sanctifying, transforming virtue upon thee? AVhat of God dost thou find in thy heart more since thy acquaintance with the promises than before ? Some use promises as a protection for sin, rather than an argument against it. As sin takes occasion by the commandment to work in the carnal heart all manner of concupiscence, so many are from the promise emboldened to sin more freely ; like mountebanks that drink poison in confidence of their antidote. Now, which way works the promise upon thy heart ? If the seal of the promise leaves not the impress of God's image on thee, it ratifies no good to thee. If it produceth no holiness in thee, it brings no joy to thee. In a word, if the promise be not to thee a seed of grace, it is no evidence for glory : but if thou canst find it leaves the super- scription of God upon thee, then it assures the love and favour of God to thee. Section III. — Inquire in what posture thy heart stands to the word of command. The promise, may be, is sweet to thy palate ; this thou rollest like a lump of sugar under thy tongue, but are not thy teeth set against the command, as if it were gall and wormwood ? Thou smilest on the promise, but when put in mind of thy duty to the command thy countenance is changed, and a frown sits on thy brow, as if God were some austere master that breaks his servants' backs with heavy burdens ; and thou couldst wish, with all thy heart, that a dispensation might be procured for thee, to break now and then a connnand without forfeiting thy claim to the promise ; but because that is not to be hoped for, thou art so kind to thyself as to give thyself leave to bow down to some idol of pleasure or profit that thou hast set up in thy heart, and hopest God will be merciful to thee because it is only in this or that one way thou makest bold with him in. If this shoe fit thy foot, this be the true character of thy heart, wliich God forbid ! thou hast no lot which belongs to thee in the lap of the promise. We have a comfortable promise, Psa. 1. 15, but a guard is set about it, that no disobedient wretch slumld gather its sweet fruit, ver. 16, 17 : ' But unto the wicked Ciod saith. What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my word behind thee V On the other hand, if thou canst in truth say, that it is not the holy command thou art offended with, but with thyself, because thou canst not obey it perfectly ; that it is not grievous for thee to keep, but to break the laws of God ; and though thy foot too often slips, yet thy heart cleaves to them, and will not let thee lie where thou fallest; but up thou gettest to mend thy pace, and mind thy steps better ; know, poor soul, this sincere respect thou hast to the commandment is a most comfortable evidence for thy true title to the promise. When David was able to vouch his love to the connnand, he did not question his title to the promise, Psa. cxix. 11. "J : there he asserts his sincere atiTcction to tlie precepts, — ' I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love.' Mark, he doth not say he is free from vain thoughts, but he hates them ;
QIQ AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.