Use 3. Take occasion from hence likewise to shame ourselves for our infi- delity * in the promises. When we are in any disconsolate estate, we are in Job's case. Being in trouble, the consolation of the Almighty seemed light to him, Job. xv.ll. These be the comforts of God. When we come to comfort some, though the sweet promises of the gospel be opened, yet they do not consider them as being the word, the consolations of the Almighty, and therefore they seem light to them. But it should not be so. Consider they be the comforts of the word, and therefore we should hear them with faith, labour to afiectf them, and shame ourselves. Is this God's word that giveth this direction, that giveth this comfort, and sh:ill I not regard it ? Is it the consolation of the Almighty, and shall not I em- brace it ? Therefore we should be ashamed, not to be more afiected with the heavenly sweet things promised of God than we are.
A man that refuseth heavenly comforts to embrace comforts below, how should he reflect upon himself with shame ? Hath God promised such things, God that cannot lie ? and shall I lose my hope of all these glorious things, for the enjoying of the pleasures of sin for a season ? I profess myself to be a Christian, where is vaj faith ? where is my hope ? A man must acknowledge either I have no faith ; for if I had faith believing God speaking these excellent things, I would not venture my loss of them to get the enjoyment of poor temporary things here, for the good things jiromised in another world. Labom% therefore, to bring men's hearts to beUeve the word, and desire God to seal it to om* souls that it is so.
Means. I will give one dii'ection. Labour for the Spirit of God, that writ the word, that indited the word. Beg of God to seal to our souls that it is the word, and that he would sanctify our hearts to be suitable to the
* That is, ' disbelief,' or ' unbelief.'— G. f That is, to ' love' them. — G.
ISA. XXY. 8.] BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH. 497
word, and never rest till we can find God by his Spirit seasoning our hearts, so that the relish of our souls may suit to the relish of divine truths, that when we hear them we may I'elish the truth in them, and may so feel the work of God's Spirit, that we may be able to say, he is oui* God. And when we hear of any threatening, we may tremble at it, and any sin dis- covered, we may hate it. For unless we, by the Spirit of God, have some- thing wrought in us suitable to the word, we shall never believe the word to be the word. And therefore pray the Lord, by his Spirit to fi'ame our hearts to be suitable to divine truths, and so frame them in oui* aflections, that we may find the word in om- joy, in our love, in our patience, that aU may be seasoned with the word of God. When there is a relish in the word, and in the soul suitable to it, then a man is a Christian indeed to purpose. Till then men will apostatize, turn papist, turn atheist, or any thing, because there is a distance between the soul and the word. The word is not engrafted into the soul. They do not know the word to be the word by arguments fetched from the word, and therefore they fall from the power of the word. But if we will not fall from divine truths, get truth written in the heart, and our hearts so seasoned by it, and made so harmo- nious and suitable to it, that we may embrace it to death, that we may live and die in it.
To go on :
' In that day shall it be said, Lo, this is our God ; we have waited for him.'
Here is a gi-acious promise, that shutteth up all spoken before. He spake of great things before. And now here is a promise of a day, wherein he will make all things promised, good to the soul of every believ- ing Chi-istian.
' In that day it shall be said, This is our God ; we have waited for him ; he will save us.'
It is an excellent portion of Scripture to shew the gracious disposition that the Sph'it of God wiU work in all those that embrace the gracious pro- mises of God. The time shall come when they shall say, ' Lo, this is our God ,• we have waited for him, and now we enjoy him.'
The points considerable are these :
1. First of aU by supposition that there be glorious excellent thin r/s pro- mised to the j>eople of God ; rich and precious promises of feasting, of taking away the veil, of conquest over death by ^-ictory, of wiping away tears and removing rebukes. Great things, if we go no farther than my text.
2. Secondly, these have a day v:hen they shall he j^eiformed, which is not presently ; for the end of a promise is to support the soul till the perfonn- ance. God doth not only reserve gi-eat things for us in another world, but to comfort us in the way, doth reach out to us promises to comfort us tUl we come thither. There is a time when he will perform them, and not only a time, but there are likewise promises of performance. At that time the promises of these great things shall be performed.