Object. All the fear is, these terms are too easy and cheap to give a solid comfort, and many miscarry by sudden and delusive hopes, and this makes christians stand at a distance from their own comfort.
Ans. When a man hath God's warrant to show for his confidence, why should he doubt ? If men were once serious in the business of salvation, there is no fear of delusion. You will find comfort cannot be counterfeited, as the life of a creature cannot be painted. Carnal men, that feed themselves with delusive hopes, who make an account they shall go to heaven, are not serious, and mind not what they do, as appears by their contradictions, for they blow hot and cold. They think that he is in a dangerous condition that doubts of his salvation, and yet they say it is presumption for a man to say he is assured of his salvation. The one saying suiteth with their carelessness, and the other with their own private feeling. They have no deliberate and advised confidence, only a rash presumption. And because of their miscarrying, we have no reason to weaken our own hopes ; because a man that is in a dream thinketh that he is awaked when he is not, shall not a man that is really awake know himself to be so ? Shall we suspect all our interest in Christ and the terms of the gospel as too free and easy ? Let me tell you, by experience you will find, when you are serious and deliberate, it is not so easy a matter to have rest for your souls. Certainty and solid assurance is not so soon had. Guilty nature is subject to bondage, and presagious more of evil than of good,, more prone to fear than hope, and to mourn than to rejoice ; therefore go on with your business, wait upon God, and take his way without jealousy and doubting. Thus I have showed how you should meditate on these two immutable things.
[2.] AYhen must you meditate on God's word and oath? Ans. Very often. The less you apply God's promise and oath, the weaker wdll your consolation he in Christ ; and the oftener, the stronger ; for by these two immutable things we have strong consolation. Christians lose much of their peace and comfort, because they do not exercise themselves in thinking of the condescension and satisfaction which
SERMONS UPON HEBREWS VI. 18, 313
God hath given them in this kind, that he should lay all liis holiness, his life, his excellency at pledge with poor creatures. I am confident if you did but think of these unchangeable grounds and advantages of faith mentioned before, yom* comfort would not be upon such loose terms. But tliere are some solemn times when it must be done.
(1.) Whenever you are conversant about the seals of the covenant, and go to tlie Lord's table. Why should I doubt, when I have God's i:)romise and oath? The sacraments ave visibiUa Juramenfa, Yisible oaths ; here God reneweth his oath to us, and we to God. It is an oath of allegiance to Christ, to walk in all his ways ; and it is God's oath of assurance to us, that he will perform the promises of the covenant. As under the law, the blood of the covenant was to be sprinkled half upon the altar and half upon the people, Exod. xxiv. 6-8, God takes an engagement upon himself, and reneweth his oath to be good and gracious to us in Christ ; and we take an obligation upon ourselves to walk before him in all obedience. There is a mutual stipulation, therefore there is a special time to meditate of the sureness on God's part ; God that cannot lie, hath said and sworn it.
(2.) In times of outward trouble, when you are in danger of faintiug and making revolt from God, meditate of the unchangeableness of his word and oath : ' Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction,' Ps cxix. 92. God's word and oath were given on purpose to revive a fainting soul. This is the design of the text ; the apostle is dissuading from apostasy, and pressing to keep our hopes to the end : ver. 11, ' We desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end.' Why? We are not upon conjectures and probabilities ; and though outward encouragements fail, yet God's promise and oath is a sure ground of comfort in the midst of all difficulties and hardships. This revivetli the soul ; we have a glorious inheritance in reversion, and we have God's word and oath to show for it, as much as the patriarchs had to show for Christ. It is notable that when the patriarchs were exercised with any new trouble, then God renewed his oath, implying this is a sure holdfast we have upon God. When outward encourage- ments in the service of God are like to fail, then think of the two immutable grounds of comfort.
(o.) In pangs of conscience, when guilt lies heavy and burdensome upon the soul, God's word and oath is a proper meditation. The Lord hath sworn that if I will, out of a sense of this misery that is upon me, take sanctuary in Christ, I shall have strong consolation. And we have not only an assuring, but an inviting oath, to help us in such a case : Ezek. xxxiii. 11, ' As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.' Count me not a living God if I delight in your scruples and in your death.