I answer — The comfort of our condition doth not depend on outward provisions so much as in God's promises ; therefore, tliough you have little, be content. If God denieth the creature, he will vouchsafe his own presence ; and what need we care for the want of a candle when we have the sun ?
Once more, the connection between the dissuasive and exhortation and the promise is to be observed : ' Be not covetous ; be content ; for he hath said, I will never leave thee ; ' and men would have less trouble if they could learn to cast themselves upon God's allowance ; if we could depend more, we should crave less. The promise well applied would not only allay our fears but moderate our desires. Lust is ravenous, and therefore suspicious. If we believe his word, we shall have enough to glorify God, enough for that condition wherein God will make use of us. Fixing upon carnal hopes doth but make trouble for yourselves. Carnal affections prescribe God a task which he will never perform : Ps. Ixxviii. 18, ' They ask meat for their lusts.' Not meat for their necessities, but meat for their lusts. God never
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undertook to maintain us at such a rate, to give us so much by the year, such portions for our children. The sheep must be left to the shepherd to choose their pastures, bare or better grown. Be content, and then faith will be more easy. We may pray for a competency, and are bound to submit to an extremity.
' He hath said.' Where hath he said it ? Everywhere in the word, more especially to Joshua in particular : Josh. i. 5, ' As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee ; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.' To all his people in general : Deut. xxxi. 6, 8, ' Be strong, and of a good courage ; fear not, nor be afraid of them : for the Lord thy God he it is that doth go with thee ; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.' David bids Solomon be confident of it : 1 Chron. xxviii. 20, ' David said to Solomon his son, Be strong, and of good courage, and do it ; fear not, nor be dismayed : for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee ; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.' So Jacob : Gen. xxviii. 15, ' I will not leave thee till I have done all that I have spoken to thee of.' It is pleaded by Solomon : 1 Kings viii. 57, ' The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers ; let him not leave us nor forsake us.' You see it is a known truth, and to be made use of upon all occasions of trial. It was spoken to Joshua when he was to fight the Lord's battles ; to Israel when they had not as yet a foot of land to possess ; to Jacob when to pass through many services ; to Solomon when to go about a costly work. And God having said it so often, delights to be challenged upon his word, and to have this promise put in suit.
Before I come to show you the full purport and drift of this promise, let me observe —
1. Though the promises were made upon a particular occasion, to some of God's people, yet they are of a general use. Well, then, promises made to one saint concern another also. Why?
[1.] Because God is alike affected to all his children ; he beareth, them the same love. His saints now are as dear to him as ever ;, therefore, as he would not leave Joshua, or Jacob, or Solomon, so he will not leave others that trust in him : * This honour have all his saints,' Ps. cxlix. 9.
[2.] They have the same covenant. It is a common charter : Acts ii. 39, ' For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even to as many as the Lord our God shall call.'
[3.] They have the same Kedeemer : 1 Cor. i. 2, ' Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours.' Kich and poor gave the same ransom : Exod. XXX. 15, 'Half a shekel.' One has not a more worthy Christ than another : Eom. iii. 22, ' Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference.'
[4.] The faith of the one is as acceptable to God as the other: 2 Peler i. 1, ' Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.' The same for kind, though not for degree, laoTtfiov Triariv. A jewel held by a child's hand is a jewel, as well as that held by a man's.
Well, then, the expressions of God's love to his people of old have
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their use for the establishment of our comfort and hope : Eom. xv. 4, ' Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learn- ing, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope ; ' Eom. iv. 23, ' It was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, but for us also.' As judgments on the wicked are for oar admonition: 1 Cor; x. 6, 'These things were our examples;' so promises are for our consolation. The word is not only a history, but a book of precedents. As a painter hangeth forth his masterpieces to draw custom, so here God's kindnesses to his people are advanta- geous to us ; only let us take heed that we have the same Spirit.