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Then he reqiiireth a duty of us, that we fly for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.
1. For the excellency of our privileges. You know, that which will minister solid comfort to the soul, it had need be excellent. A small matter, though never so sure, will not occasion a strong consolation ; the joy is according to the object. Now, whether a christian look back- ward or forward, there is matter of rejoicing to the heirs of promise. Backward, there is the immutability of his counsel ; forward, there is a hope set before us. From one eternity to another may a believer walk, and still find cause of rejoicing in God. If he looks backward, there God reveals to him the unchangeable purposes of grace before the world was ; if he looks forward, there is an eternal possession of glory, when the world shall be no more. It is sweet to know what is past and what is to come ; there is naturally a curiosity in us which would be satisfied. We know what God was doing before the world was, and what he will do when the world shall be no more. We may know, for our comfort, God was treating and dealing with Christ about our sal- vation, putting it into an unchangeable course ; and he hath for ever provided for the comfort and welfare of our souls, that we may enjoy him, love him, and delight ia him for evermore. Man, out of a natural curiosity, hath a great delight both in history and prophecy, to read what is past, and to foreknow what is to come, especially what concerns his own destiny. Now God in condescension tells us, under the assurance of an oath, what he has done for us, what thoughts of love he had towards us from eternity, what he will do, and how happy our estate shall be for ever. God doth not only satisfy the curiosity of our nature, that desireth knowledge, but the bent of it, that poiseth us to our own happiness. It is sweet to read our names written in the book of God's everlasting decree : Luke x. 20, ' Eejoice because your names are written in heaven ; ' that God hath set us down as heii's of all that grace and mercy he hath dispensed in his covenant. It is sweet and pleasant to reflect upon his ancient purposes of grace ; and by the eye of faith to read our names written and recorded in the rolls of heaven ; when you hear any ofler in the gospel, to say, This was God's purpose and eternal counsel to bestow this upon me before all worlds ; he thought of me then. And then there is an hope set before us ; thy lot is fallen to thee in a fair ground. Oh ! what joy is this to believers, that their souls are fully provided for for ever and ever, and they shall have what infinite mercy can bestow, and what infinite merit hath purchased !
2. Another cause of strong comfort is interest and propriety. Besides the excellency of the privilege, there must be the clearness of our interest. The object of joy is not only good in common, but our good, ra avTMv irdcriv ijSea. That which is a man's own is sweet to him. It doth not enrich a man to hear there are pearls and diamonds in the world, and mines of gold in the Indies, unless he had them in his own possession ; so it doth not fill us with comfort and joy to hear there are unchangeable purposes of grace, and that there was an eternal treaty between God and Christ about the salvation of sinners, and that there is a possible salvation, but when we understand this is made over to us. When God led Abraham through the land of promise to view the
318 SERMONS UPON" HEBREWS VI. 18.
breadth and the length of it, sjiid see the goodness of it, he saith, ' All this will I give thee,' Gen. xiii. 15. So here we speak of rich comforts, but happy is the man that can apply them. We speak of abundance of comfort, but it is to those tliat have an interest in it, not to those that live in their sins. Here is a description of the parties, which must be regarded if Ave would establish this comfort. When once we take sanctuary in Christ, and run to him as our city of refuge, then God saith, All this will I give thee ; this hope is thy own, and you are those to whom belong these unchangeable purposes of grace ; otherwise it is but a joy in fancy and conceit. It is said of David, 1 Sara. xxx. 6, ' But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.' He comforted himself not only in God, but in the Lord his God. That God is ours, this is a ground of comfort. As the father said, Tolle meum, tolle Deum — Take away mine, and take away God ; so the church, Hab. iii. 17, 18, ' Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall ; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.'