[1.] It occasioned God and Christ to become both believers, and to trust one another ; and Christ is a believer to this day : Heb. x. 13, ' From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.' God promised Christ, and Christ promised God, and they took each other's word for the salvation of all the world. Oh, what an encou- ragement is it to believe when you have such high patterns ! If you will not believe God upon his oath, believe him upon his engagement to Christ. It is an honour to be a believer, because God and Christ were both believers : as great personages among men are an honour to the society and fellowship into which they come. You may fetch
3S4 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [TSA. LI 1 1. 10.
a reason lionce ; tliey trusted one another, and shall not I trust them both? Now you have a willing God and an able Saviour, and they both in covenant with you. Christ would not let go the assur- ance that he had of God's love by this covenant in his agonies : Mat. xxvii. 4G, ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?' Though there were a suspension of the discovery of love, yet he could say my God, my God. Oh, why should not we believe now, and silence all doubts ? Who would not believe God with his surety ?
[2.] Consider the manifold engagements that are upon God. God is bound to Christ, and God is bound to you ; the heart should not be loose in believing when God is thus bound. You have his purpose, his promise, his oath, both covenants. Is it not a high affront put upon God to distrust him now ? God was angry with Sarah for laughing, when she had but a bare promise. Gen. xviii. 13. Certainly, then, he has just cause to be angry with you for unbelieving, when he hath so deeply engaged himself to 3'ou. Num. xxiii. 19, it is said, ' Hath he said, and shall he not do it ? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good ? ' So I may say much more, Hath he not sworn, hath he not covenanted, and will he not make good his engagement to Christ ?
[3.] Here is comfort against the sense of our unworthiness : you are vile wretches, you can expect nothing ; but consider, Christ is not unworthy : God made the i)romises to him ; he hath the oversight of the covenant of grace : God hatli a bond, a covenant with him ; and though you have given him occasion to break with you, yet he will not break with his own Son. Jesus Christ did not fail in his undertaking with God, but fulfilled the will of his heavenly Father, even to a tittle. Therefore God M-ill make good his word to Jesus Christ for you, though humble and vile in yourselves. No matter though you be base in your own eyes ; consider the truth of God plighted to his Son, who was not unfaithful.
[4.] Against fears of apostasy. Oh, you shall not keep faithful with God ! Why, consider God doUi not deal first with you as with par- ticular persons, but with Jesus Christ. The covenant is not com- mitted to the indeterminate freedom of your wills, and the \vanderings of your hearts, but to the care of Jesus Christ ; and there is no breach likely to be on Christ's part. It is a dishonour to God to think we are out of favour upon every uffence. In the state of innocency we had perfect jieace, but it was such an estate as was capable of enmity, because the covenant was made with ourselves ; but now it is made with Christ, that is a firm foundation. If we were still left to our own free will, it were not certain that any should be saved.
2. The matter of the covenant ; this yields ground of comfort also. Do but consider what Christ was bound to, or what God promised Christ. Do you struggle with unbelief, and you cannot tell how to settle upon any comfoit ? If you belong to Christ, God hath given him a charge to look after your souls, you shall not perish ; Christ is h>()und to ap])ly the virtue of his sufferings, as well as to merit by theni. Are you feeble r* God hath provide<l a place for you in Christ's bosom. Christ's shoulders are for lambs that c.innot go of their own feet. Do you want knowledge ? It is one of the things given Christ in charge:
ISA. LIII. 10.] TUE FIFTY-THIRD CUAPTER OF ISAIAH. 385
He sliall be ' a light to the Gentiles.' Do you want freedom and liberty towards God ? Christ is to jireach freedom to the ca[)tives. Still study the covenant between God and Christ, and you shall see the Lord Jesus received a charge to supply your wants. Is a natioa stubboin and averse from Christ '? Is it not said, ' He shall set judg- ment in the earth, that the isles shall wait for his law' ? Is there opposition against Christ, his glory, and servants ? Is it not said, ' He shall not fail, nor be broken in judgment' ? Alas ! these adversaries can do nothing ; like angry bees, they may sting, but they leave their life behind them. God will still uphold the hand and head of Christ. This is the first ])art to meditate on.