5. If the covenant be settled, never expect to alter it, or model it, and bring it down to your fancies and humours. It is God only that can prescribe conditions and laws of commerce between us and him ; man is not allowed to prescribe the conditions, or treat about the making of them, but is only bound to submit to what God was pleased to prescribe, and to fulfil the conditions Avithout disputing. They are not left free and indifferent for us to debate them, and modify, and mitigate, and bring them down to our own liking and humour. We are to take hold, not to ajipoint, Isa. Ivi. 4, and Kom. x. 3 ; so that it bindeth our duty as well as assureth our comfort. Our vote cometh too late to retract and alter Gods eternal decrees. What would you have to be done for your freedom from hell and the wrath of God ? Oh, that God would alter those severe constitutions which he hath made, and not insist so strictly on the self-denying duties required in the gospel covenant for the salvation of sinners ! You may as well ask that God should repeal the ordinances of nature, turn night into day, and day into night for your sakes. But if the gospel covenant were repealed, that you may be more secure, what then ? In what a case are you then ? What will you hold by then ? You have no hope if the gospel stand in force ; but what hope would you have if the gospel were abolished ? Must the whole world be ruined to establish your security and indulgence to sin ? Oh ! surely this gospel thus stated hath more stability than the foundations of heaven and earth. Therefore, expect nothing to be altered for thy sake. The gos])el con- stitution was settled long before thou wert born, and it is an unalterable decree, which cannot be reversed. All this is spoken to confute tliem that look upon the gospel as true and to be believed, till they meet with something which crosses them, and then they hope it is not so. In short, God is true when he promises, true when he threatens, true when he commandeth. Or thus, if the gospel covenant be false, thou has no ground of hope ; if true, it doometh licentious sinners to eternal destruction.
VeR. 90.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 407
SERMON XCV.
Tliy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abidefh. — Ver. 90.
These words contain a truth wliich is — (1.) Asserted; (2.) Repre- sented by a fit and lively emblem, thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. He had before said, ' Thy word is settled in the heavens ; ' now he speaketh of it as manifested in the earth. There the constancy of God's promises was set forth by the duration and equal motion of the heavenly bodies, now by the firmness and immovableness of the earth. God's powerful word and providence reacheth to the whole world, this lower part here upon earth, as well as the upper part in heaven.
Boot. That in all ages God ever showed himself a true God, and faithful in all his promises. It is here confirmed by experience, and re})resented by an emblem.
1. God's faithfulness relateth to some promise wherein he hath engaged himself to his people: Heb. xi. 11, ' She judged him faithful who had promised.' It is his mercy to make promises, but it is his faithfulness and truth to fulfil them. His truth is pawned Avith the creature till he discharge it, Micah vii. 20.
2. His truth dependeth upon his unchangeable nature, but it is con- firmed to us by experience. His unchangeable nature, Heb. vi. 18. If a promise can be made out to be of God, we have no more reason to doubt of it than of the nature and being of God. Yet, quoad nos, it is confirmed by experience : Ps. xviii. 30, ' The word of the Lord is a tried word.' We are led by sensible things, and what hath been done doth assure us of what shall be done, or may be expected from God.
3. That therefore God hath been ever tender of his truth, that the event may answer the pi'omise, and we migiit know that God that hath been faithful, and kept touch with the world hitherto, will not fail at last. The heathens ascribed a double perfection to their gods — d\f]dev6Lv KoX evepyerelv. So the true God is known by his mercy and his fidelity ; he never failed to perform his part of the covenant wit!i any : Ps. cxxxviii. 2, ' 1 will praise thy name, for thy loving- kindness and thy truth ; for thou liast magnified thy word above all thy name.' As he hath made us admirable and great promises of giving his Son, and with him all things, so he will certainly i)erform all to the utmost importance of them. The matter of his word is mercy and loving-kindness, and in the performance thereof there is great truth and fidelity ; as he hath made great and excellent pro- mises, so he performeth them most punctually. So that in fulfilling liis word, God will be known above all that is named, or famed, or be- lieved, or apprehended, and spoken of them. Here is his great glory and excellency.