When God is become man, and was mortal, why should we doubt that man being mortal should be immortal ? Is not the greater performed already ? Is it not a greater matter for God to become man, and to die in our nature, than for we that are mortal to become immortal by Christ ? Why^should we not expect that which is to come, since the greater is done ? Why should we doubt that we shall be taken up to God, since he is come down to man ? Therefore, since it is upon the same ground, let us look for the performance of all to be ' yea and amen.'
Since the coming of Christ, many promises have been performed in the church, and many yet remain. Some have been perfoimed, as the calling of the Gentiles, and the discovery* of antichrist foretold by St Paul, and the consuming of him in part. There is somewhat unfulfilled : the eon- version of the Jews, the confusion of antichrist, the resurrection to glory with Christ, &c. \Vhy should we doubt of them that are to come, having such a pledge of truth of God and Christ in the real performance of that which is past ? Let us not doubt of it ; for in Rev. xvi. 17, et alibi, when he speaks of the destruction of antichrist, ' It is done, it is done,' saith the angel. As Christ said when he was on the cross, all was finished, so it is as true of his adversaries, all is done ; it is as sure as if it were done already.
Therefore the church and people of God should comfort themselves for the time to come, in the destruction of the implacable, malicious enemies of the church, that glory in the flesh, that set up an outward religion that is opposite to the power of Christ, that the time shall come that all shall be done to them, and that all other promises shall be finished. For as in the first coming of Christ all was finished for the working of our salvation, so in his second coming there will be a time when it will be said, all is finished, for the accomplishment of that which was done in his first coming. There- fore let us stablish our souls in the expectation of the blessed promises, for ' all the promises in Christ are yea and amen,' and shall be for ever.
All the promises are infallibly true, as God and Christ himself is true. Christ shall as soon fail, and God shall as soon fail, as any promise that we have made us in the gospel, if we apprehend it in Christ, and believe it in Christ.
Use 1. Then here you see for the direction of our judgment, what to think of a rotten opinion that some have that are unacquainted with divine truth, and the all- sufficiency of Christ, and the mercy of God in Christ, that consider * TLat is, ' manifestation.' — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 20. 393
not the viloness of our nature, and the infinite majesty of God. They will have the Gentiles saved by the light of nature, and the Jews by the law of Moses, and Christians by the gospel of Christ ; as if there were some other means to come to heaven, and to the favour of God, than by Christ. Whereas now all that we have must be by promises, and all the promises we have ai'e in Christ. They are all yea in him. Without him there is no inter- course between the majesty of God and us. Therefore ' there is no name under heaven whereby we can be saved, but by the name of Jesus,' Acts iv. 12 ; which not only confutes the devilish opinion and conceit that some have, but also the charitable error of others, that think the heathens that never heard of Christ shall be saved. I leave them to their Judge. We must go to the Scriptures. All the promises are in Christ, in him they are ' yea,' in him they are made; in him they are ' amen,' in him they are performed. Out of him we have nothing, out of the promises in him we have nothing.
Use 2. How we are to mwinifij Gud that we live in the sioiahine of the gospel, that in Christ we have precious and rich promises ! A precioiis Saviour we have, and precious faith to lay hold on him, and precious pro- mises ; all precious, both promises to be believed, and our Saviour in whom they are apprehended. He is ' a precious stone,' 1 Pet. ii. 6 ; and the faith that lays hold on him is ' precious,' 1 Pet. i. 7. How are we to bless God that we have these advantages ! that we have Christ laid open, and precious and rich promises, whereby we may have precious faith to lay hold on these precious promises ? We are much to bless God for it.
Use 3. Again, are all the promises of God in Christ, and in him yea and amen ? This should direct us in our deeding uith God, not to go directlg to him, but bg a promise ; and when we have a promise, look to Christ in whom it is performed. Go to God in the blessed promises that we have for Christ's sake, that he would perform all. ' If we ask anything of God in Christ's name, we shall receive it,' 1 John v. 14, because the promises are in him. If we thank God for anything, it must be in Christ, for that we have in him.