1. I shall give you the reasons.
2. The emblem and representation.
3. The profit and usefulness of this meditation.
First, The reasons. In every promise, that it be certain and firm, three things are required: —
1. That it may be made seriously and heartily, with a purpose to perform it.
2. That he that hath promised continue in his purpose without change of mind.
3. That it be in the power of him that promiseth to perform what he hath so promised. Now of all these things there can be no doubt.
[1.] Certainly God meaneth as he speaketh, when he promiseth to give eternal life to those that believe and obey the gospel. There is no question but he is so minded, when he hath written a book to assure the world of it ; for what need God to court the creature with an imaginary happiness, or to tell them of a glorious estate which he never meant to bestow upon them ? Yea, why should A men, the faithful witness, come from heaven further to assure us of it by his doctrine, die the death to purchase it for us, and afterward rise again,
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and enter into that happiness which he spake of, ' That our faith and hope may he in God ? ' 1 Peter i. 21. Why should he, as soon as he was ascended, give gifts unto men, send forth messengers into the world to preach this doctrine, and give notice of this hlessed estate to be had on these terms, and attest it by divers signs and wonders, partly to alarm the drowsy world to regard it, and assure tiie incredulous world of the truth of this salvation ? Heb. ii. 3, 4. Not to believe that God is serious in all this, is to make him a liar indeed, yea, to establish a lie and falsehood with great solemnity.
[2.] That God doth continue his purpose is beyond doubt, if we consider his eternal and unchangeable nature : Mai. iii. 6, ' For I am the Lord ; I change not : therefore ye sons of Jacob are not con- sumed ; ' and James i. 17, ' With him is neither variableness nor show of turning.' And what should alter his purpose ? Doth he meet with anything that he foresaw not, and knew not before ? God doth never repent, and call back his grant, that he hath by this act of grace insured eternal happiness to the saints on such terms : 1 Sam. xv. 29, ' For the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent ; for he is not a man, that he should repent ;' Ps. ex. 4, ' I have sworn, and will not repent : thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedeck.' Christ is instated in full power of entertaining and blessing his faithful servants, which shall never be retracted. To take off all doubt, he hath given us double assurance — his word and his oath : Heb. vi. 17, 18, ' God being willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of pro- mise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath ; that by two immutable things, whei-ein it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge,' &c. God hath ever been tender of his word ; above all that is famed or believed of God, this is most conspicuous : Ps. cxxxviii. 2, ' Thou hast mag- nified thy word above all thy name.' Now this needed not, for an oath is interposed in a doubtful matter ; but it showeth God's extra- ordinary care for our satisfaction ; his good-will is seen in the promise, liis solicitude in the oath. In short, God would never be so fast bound, but that he doth continue his purpose.
[3.] That he is able to perform it: Mat. xix. 26, 'With God all things are possible ; ' Eom. iv. 21, ' Being fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able to perform ; ' Phil. iii. 21, ' According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself He is able to find out a way whereby sinners may be reconciled, sanc- tified, subdued by his Spirit ; whereby his interests may be preserved in them against the assaults of the devil, the world, and the flesh ; finally, able to raise our bodies after eaten out by worms and turned into dust. Matters of faith being chiefly or mainly future and to come, and difficult to be performed, therefore an express belief of God's powei- is necessary. To convert such an obstinate, and to sanctify such a sinful creature, and to raise the dead, are no slight things.
Secondly, The emblem of this immutable constancy is settled in the heavens ; it is not measured by the floating estate of things here upon earth, but by the perfection of the heavens, which are tree from all changes and chances.
1. They are fit emblems of the stability of the word, for they con-
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tiniie to be whatliis word once made them to be. There is no jostlinc^ among the stars, but all obey God's word and law : Ps. cxlviii. 4-6, ' Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and waters that be above the heavens : let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded, and they were created : he hath also established them for ever and ever ; he hath made a decree which shall not pass.' So that when a believer looketh up to heaven, there he seeth the book of the creatures opened, wherein he beholdeth God's constancy and certainty written in indelible characters. God's powerful voice did first separate the waters from the waters, and those celestial bodies move in that order wherein God hath set them. Now is not this a help to us, when we open the book of scriptures, and compare the one with the other, how the stated course of nature, and the stated course of grace, agree with his power ? Por as long as you trust God's word you can never fail, for both heaven and earth are sustained by it : Heb. i. 3, * He upholdeth all things by tiie word of his power.' All is easy to God, for he preserveth the heavens in that estate wherein they are governed, and can preserve his people in the most difficult cases.