[7.] Seventhly, He that can clear his right to any one promise,, he may safely and boldly conclude Ids interest in every promise. The promises are a golden chain, and he that has a right in one link of the chain, has a right in every link of the chain, 2 Peter i. 5-7; Eph. v. 22, 23 ; 2 Peter i. 4. As there is a chain of graces, so there is a chain of promises. He that can lay his hand upon any one promise, and truly say, This is mine, he may safely lay his hand upon every promise, and say. These are mine ; he that is an heir to any one promise, he is an heir to every promise. Hence it is they are called ' heirs of promise/ Heb. vi. 17 ; not heirs of this promise or that, but
Chap. I.] a cabinet of jewels. 257
of promise ; that is, of every promise, or the covenant which com- prehends all the precious promises of the gospel in it. Though the promises may be distinguished one from another, yet they may not be severed one from another ; he that has a right to any one promise, he may safely infer his right to every promise. The whole covenant, which is a bundle of promises, is certainly thine, if any one promise be thine. The promises by a divine hand are mutually tied and linked together; and those whom God has joined together no man may put asunder. The promises can be no more divided than Christ can be divided, or than heaven can be divided. The promises are not Hke loose and unstringed pearls, but as pearls made into one entire chain. He that can lay his hand upon that promise, Mat. v. 6, ' Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be satisfied,' and truly say, This promise is mine, he may safely lay his hand upon that promise, ver. 8, ' Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see God,' and say. This promise is mine ; and the same he may say of the rest of the precious promises that are specified in vers. 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11 of that chapter. He that can lay his hand upon any one promise that God has made to them that love him, and truly say, This promise is mine, he may safely lay his hand upon every promise that God has made to them that love him, and say. These are all mine. He that can lay his hand upon any one promise that God has made to them that fear him, and truly say, This promise is mine, he may assuredly lay his hand upon every promise that God has made to them that fear him, and say, These are all mine. He that can lay his hand upon any one pro- mise that God has made to faith in Christ, to believing in Christ, and truly say. This promise is mine, he may safely lay his hand upon every promise that God has made to faith in Christ, to believing in Christ, and say, All these promises are mine. He that can lay his hand upon any one promise that God has made to the returning sinner, and truly say. This promise is mine, he may securely lay his hand upon every promise that God has made to the returning sinner, the repenting sinner, and say, All these are mine. He that can lay his hand upon any one promise that God has made to the waiting soul, and truly say. This promise is mine, he may without all peradventure lay his hand upon every promise that God has made to the waiting soul, and say, All these are mine. Prove but your right in one, and you may safely infer your right to all. But,
[8.] Eighthly, // in the times of your greatest outward and invjard straits and trials, when you are most sadly and sorely jnd to it, you fly to the precious promises, as to your surest and choicest city of refuge, then certainly you have an interest in them. Thus Abraham did, Rom. iv. 17-22 ; and thus Jacob did. Gen. xxxii. 6-12 compared ; and thus Sarah did, Heb. xi 11 ; and thus Moses did. Num. x. 29 ; and thus Jehoshaphat did, 2 Chron. xx. 1, 10 compared with the 7th, 8th, and 9th verses of that chapter ; and this was David's common practice : Ps. xxvii. 12, 13, and Ps. Ix. 1-10, compared, and Ps. cxix. 49, 50. Turn to these scriptures, and ponder upon them. And so when a man is under the guilt of sin, he flies to promises of pardon and forgiveness, as to his surest and choicest city of refuge, Num. xiv. 19 , Isa. Iv. 7 ; Jer. xxxiii.
2o8 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. I.
8 ; Isa. xl. 1, 2 ; chap, xliii. 25 ; Micah vii. 18 ; Jer. xxxi. 34 ; Exod. xxxiv. 7 ; Dan. ix. 9. And so when a man is under the strength, power, and prevalency of sin, he runs to such promises wherein God has engaged himself to subdue the sins of his people, and to purge and cleanse away the sins of his people, Micah \di. 19 ; Rom. vi. 14 ; Ps. Ixv. 3 ; Isa. i. 25 ; Mai. iii. 3 ; Zech. xiii. 9; Isa. xxvii. 9; Mat. iii. 12 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 33 ; Jer. xxxiii. 8, as to his surest and choicest city of refuge. And so when a man is deserted, he runs to such promises as are proper to that state, as to his surest and choicest city of refuge, Micah vii. 19 ; Isa. liv. 7-10 • Ps. V. 12; Ps. Ixxxiv. 10; Ps. xcvii. 11 ; Ps. cxii. 4 ; Isa. xlix. 14-] 6. And so when a man is tempted, he runs to such supporting, succouring, and encouraging promises as are most suitable to that state, as to his surest and choicest city of refuge, 1 Cor. x, 13 ; Heb. ii. 18 ; Rom. xvi. 20 ; James iv. 7. Now certainly, such as in all their inward and out- ward straits run thus to the promises, as to their surest and choicest city of refuge, they have an unquestionable interest in the promises. The rich man's wealth is his strong city, Prov. x. 15. Wealthy world- lings, in times of distress and danger, do run to their hoards and heaps of riches, as to a strong city that is able to outstand all sieges and assaults, and to be safety and security to them ; so when once a man makes the precious promises to be his strong city, and runs to them in the day of his distress and dangers, as his only safety and security, then he has doubtless an interest in them. Bat,