4. The word is the security and strength of our faith — (1.) As it puts God's grace into the way of a promise ; (2.) As this promise is the promise of God.
[1.] AVe have much advantage in believing by the formality of a promise. A promise is more than a purpose, more than a doctrinal declaration, more than a prediction of prophecy.
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(1.) More than a purpose. A purpose is only the thought of the heart, a thing secret and hidden, but a promise is open and manifest A pui'pose is the intention of a person, a promise is his intention revealed, whereby we have a knowledge of the good intended to us. If God had only purposed to give us eternal life, Ave might at last have enjoyed it, but we could not have known it beforehand ; it would have been as an hidden treasure. Promises are the eruptions and overflows of God's love to us ; his heart is so big with kindness and designs of goodness that it cannot stay till the accomplishment of things : Isa. xlii. 9, ' Before they spring forth I tell you of them.' God's purposes are a sealed fountain, but his promises are a fountain broken open, bubbling forth. He might have done us good, and given us no notice, but love concealed would not be so much for our comfort. Besides, they are obligations which God taketh upon \umiiQ\i 2yromittendo se fecit debit- orerii. So far as God hath promised, so far he hath made himself a debtor. God's purpo.'^es are unchangeable, but his promises are a security put into our hands, so that we have a greater holdfast upon God now the word is gone out of his lips, Ps. Ixxxix. 34. We may put the bond in suit, throw him in his handwriting : Ps. cxix. 49, ' Piemember thy word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.' We have the pawn of the thing promised, which we must hold fast till performance cometh. His truth and holiness lie at stake, and are as it were impawned with the creature.
(2.) It is more than a doctrinal declaration. It is one thing to reveal a thing, another to promise it. A doctrine maketh a thing known, but a promise mal:eth a thing sure. A doctrine giveth us notice, but a promise giveth us right and interest if we be qualified. Christ hath brought life and immortality to light through the doctrine of the gospel, 2 Tim. i. 10 ; but he hath not only manifested, but granted, assured it to believers by the promises of the gospel, 1 John ii. 25. It is so conveyed to us as that we may be sure of obtaining it.
(3.) It is more than a prophecy or simple prediction. Scripture prophecies will be fulfilled because of God's veracity, but scripture jiromises will be fulfilled, not only because of God's veracity, but also because of his fidelity and justice. As by our promise another man cometh to have a right to the thing promised, therefore it is just it should be given unto him, so it is in God ; it was his mercy and good- ness to make the promise, but his holiness and justice biudeth him to make it good : 1 John i. 9, 'He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.' And as for pardon, so for life : 2 Tim, iv. 8, ' Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the righteous judge shall give me on that day.' It becometh a debt of grace. This may be illustrated by what divines say of an assertory lie and a promissory lie. An assertory lie is when we speak of a thing past or present other- wise than it is, and a promissory lie is when we speak of a tiling for the time to come which we never intend to perform ; and this is the worst sort of lies, because it doth not only prevent the end of speech, which is truth, but also defeateth another of that right which we seem to give him by our promise in the thing promised, which is a further degree of injustice. Now we should a])prehend God to be very far from this : Titus i. 2, ' In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot
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lie, promised before the world began ; ' and Heb. vi. 18, ' That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation.'
[2.] It is the promise of God. In every promise, that it be certain and firm, three things are required — (1.) That it be made seriously and heartily, with a purpose to perform it ; (2.) That he that promiseth continue in his purpose without change of mind ; (3.) That it be in the power of him that promiseth to perform what he hath so promised. Now in the promise of God there can be no doubt of any of these things. Certainly God meaneth as he speaketh, when he promiseth eternal life to the faithful servants and disciples of Jesus Christ ; for what need had he to court his creatures into a false and imaginary happiness which he never meant to bestow upon them ? to send his Son with a commission from heaven, to assure them of it, who also wrought miracles to confirm the message that he brought from God, died upon this truth, and rose again, and entered into the happiness that he spoke of, to give us assurance, and a visible demonstration of the truth of it ? sent abroad his apostles to invite the world to embrace it, his Holy Spirit accompanying them, and sealing their message also with divers signs and wonders ? And surely he doth continue in the same mind, for there is no repeal of this law of grace. And he is able to perform it ; for what difficulty is there which omnipotency can- not subdue and overcome? Surely what God hath promised he is fully able to perform.