(1.) For promises of temporal mercies.
1st. They are to be understood with limitation of convenience. God knows what is best and fit for us, therefore we must trust his choosing. Agur prays, Pi'ov. xxx. 8, ' Give me neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with food convenient for me.' A garment too short will not cover our nakedness, and a garment too long will be a dirty rag to trip up our heels. God is bound in covenant only to do that is convenient for us, and that we must leave to God to judge ; the sheep must not choose the pastures, but the shepherd. If a man were left to carve out his own portion, he would be hi^ own greatest enemy ; a sick man would make
314 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. XLVII.
liis palate his physician , children think green fruit the best diet. Many things suit with our appetite that do not suit with God's wisdom. What strange creatures should we be if we were at our own finding!
2dly. In these temporal promises God will either give us the thing s])ecified (and then it comes sweetly when it comes from a promise), or lie will give us that whicli is equivalent. Our Saviour says, Mat. xix. 29, ' Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or lather, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred-fold.^ Julian was wont to mock the christians with that promise, that they should have a hundred fathers and a hun- dred mothers, &c. The meaning is, they shall have an equivalent, and what they lose in this world shall be abundantly made U]) to them.
3c%. All temporal mercies are promised with an exception of the cross and persecution, when it is for God's glory, or for the honour of the truth, or for the correction of our sins. When David had sinned, David must be punished : 2 Sam. xii. 13, 14, ' The Lord hath put away thy sin ; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou liast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.' God hath reserved this liberty in the covenant to visit our transgressions with rods, though he will not take away his love : Ps. Ixxxix. 31-33, ' If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their trans- gression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes ; nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithful- ness to fail.' In all these temporal promises we must expect what God sees convenient and best for us, and may conduce to his gloiy, and that shall be made up to us another way.
(2.) For spiritual promises, understand the tenure of them. God hath promised to give necessary grace to all such as have an interest in Ciu-ist, but for the perfection of grace that God hath not promised in this life, and for the measures and degrees of grace, and the actual motions and assistances of his Spirit, here he works according to his own pleasure. Perfection we cannot have in this life.
(3.) For eternal promises, they are always sure and safe, and these things chiefly faith should keep in its eye. Though we are miserable creatures, accompanied with weakness and infirmities, yet we shall have n happy state hereafter in another world.
2. Acquaint yourselves with the promises, make them the men of your counsel : Ps. cxix. 24, ' Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.' We cannot think too often of them : Ps. cxix. 97, ' Oh how love I thy law ; it. is my meditation all the day.' If they have gained U])on heart and affections, your thoughts will be more taken up with them, that you may not have them to seek in an hour of trial. It is good to make them familiar to us.
3. Work them into the heart. The promises are given us, not only that we may plead them with God in prayer, but that we may plead with ourselves. As Paul, when he had laid down the privileges of believers : Kom. viii. 31, ' What shall we say to these things ? ' so we should reflect upon ourselves if we have such great privileges, and such great hopes, Why do we not live more holily, and go about our duty more cheerfully ? Soul ! what dost thou say to these things ? So
VkR. 13.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 315
David : Ps. xlii. 11, 'Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? and why art thou disquieted within me ? ' If God, Christ, and heaven be thine, and all the blessings of the covenant thine, why art thou so dejected ?
4. Make use of them in all your straits. Our wants lead us to the promises, which are as many and as particular as our wants ; the pro- mises bring us to Christ, in whom they are all yea and amen, and shall be accomplished and fulfilled to us as we are united to him, found in him, and one with him ; and Christ brings us to God as the fountain of grace, and there we turn them into prayers, put the bond in suit, plead with God, and show^ him his handwriting. Suit the promise to your exigence, and then go to God in the name of Christ with confi- dence. Our addresses to God take their rise from our wants : James i. 5, ' If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God.'