2. So for threatenings ; God governeth the world by this rule. Threatenings have been accomplished : Hosea vii. 12, ' I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.' A man might have the history of the Jews, from time to time, out of the threatenings of Moses and prophetical predictions, and extract the life of Christ out of the writings of the prophets.
Object. But threatenings many times are not accomplished.
Ans. The prerogative of free grace many times doth interpose, and God worketh extra ordinem. God hath reserved this liberty to himself; he is not bound though we are. It is for his honour that it should be so ; as all human laws allow the chief magistrate a liberty of pardoning. There is difference between laws and decrees ; the threatenings are the sanction of the law.
3. Then for promises. We never waited upon God, and put forth hope according to a promise, but it was made good to a tittle : Josh. XXX iii. 14, ' Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth ; and ye know in all your hearts, and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you : all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.' He was about to die, and therefore could not be sup- posed to feign. Now he ap])ealeth to their experience, ' You know in all your hearts,' &c. So Solomon speaks, 1 Kings viii. 56, ' Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest upon his people Israel, according to all that he promised : tTiere hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.' So if a man would but observe the course of providence, after a little faith and patience, which is required of all that would inherit the promises, God never failed, but made good his word to a tittle.
Object. Many temporal mercies are promises, which promises are not accomplished.
Ans. They are promised still with exception of the cross. God is tied no further than the covenant tieth him : Ps. Ixxxix. 31-33, ' If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
VeR. 17.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 4i5
Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail ; my covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.'
Object But the scriptures do absolutely press and inculcate these hopes of temporal mercies.
Ans. No ; only they are mentioned in the promise, partly to encour- age our hearts to pray, we should not else ask them : 2 Chron. xx. 9, * If when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help ;' Ps. cxix. 49, ' Kemember thy word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.' Partly to show that God is able to keep them from such distress ; and, if it be good for them, will keep them : Dan. iii. 17, ' Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, 0 king.' Partly to show that if we have such mercies, we have them by virtue of a pro- mise : Ps. cxxviii. 5, ' The Lord shall bless thee out of Sion :' to see a mercy come out of the womb of a promise is very sweet and comfort- able. Partly to comfort them ; if they have them not, they shall have the spiritual part ; nothing shall light on them as a curse. We must go into the sanctuary to know the meaning of such promises. God will deliver, either from the lion or from every evil work : 2 Tim. iv. 17, 18, ' I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work.' If there be any temporal pro- mise, you may expect the mercy in kind, or as good. There is not a waste word in the promise; God will give them satisfaction. The people of God never complain when their thoughts are regular, partly because God seldom faileth a trusting soul ; few experiences can be given to the contrary : Ps. xci. 2, 3, ' I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortress ; my God, in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pesti- lence.' Thereby there is another engagement on God : Isa. xxvi. 3, ' Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee ;' Ps. ix. 10, ' And they that know thy name, will put their trust in thee ; for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.'
Use. Learn to regard the promises and threatenings of the word with more reverence, as if God in person had delivered them to you : 1 Thes. ii. 13, ' For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God.' Look to the threatenings. God hath left room for his mercy, and that must be sought in God's way, or else we have no security and peace.