Again, there are promises not only propounded conditionally, of grace and comfort, hit of outward thim/s. All outward things are promised con- ditionally, as thus : God hath promised protection from contagious sick- nesses, from war, and troubles. General promises there are of protection everywhere. ' God will be a hiding-place,' Ps. xci. 2, and he will deliver his children. There are private promises, and then positive promises,
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that he will do this and that good for them ; but those are conditional, bo far forth as in his wise providence he sees it may serve spiritual good things, grace and the inward man. For God takes liberty in our outward estate, and in our bodies to afflict thein, or to do them good, as may serve the main.
For do what we will, these bodies will turn to dust and vanity, and we must leave the world behind us ; but God looks to the main state in Christ, to the new creature. Therefore as far as outward blessings may encourage us, and as far as deliverances may help the main, so far he will grant them, or else he denies them. He takes libei-ty in outward things.
Therefore that sort of promises they are conditional, with exception of necessary affliction. For we cannot have the blessings of this life positive or privative, we cannot be deUvered always, and have blessings, but our corrupt nature is such, that except we have somewhat to season them, we shall surfeit of them : we cannot digest them, and therefore they are all with the exception of the cross.* As Christ saith, he that doth anything for him, he shall have ' an hundredfold here,' Mat. xix. 29, but with afflic- tion and persecutions ; he shall be sure of that ; whatsoever else he hath, let him look for that. All the crosses we have in the world are to season the good things of this life. Many other distinctions and difierences we might have to lay open the kinds of promises in Scripture ; but this shall suffice to give you a taste. Now, all these are made in Christ, and per- formed in Christ, so far forth as is for our good.
[7s^. Ai-e all the promises, of what kind soever, spiritual or outward, temporal and[eternal — are they all made to us in Jesus Christ, and are they certain, yea and amen in him ? Then make this use of it, let us renew our former e.rhortatiou , get into Christ by all means; for out of him we have no- thing savingly good.
Ohj. But you will say. Doth not God do many good things to them that are out of Christ ? Doth not the rain fall upon the ill as well as the good ? And doth not he ' fill the bellies of the wicked with good things ? ' Ps. xvii. 14.
Ans. Yes, he doth, he doth ! But are they blessings ? No ! they are not. But as God saith to Moses, if you do this and this ill, ' I will curse you in your dough, I will curse you at home and abroad, I will curse you in your children,' &c., Deut. xxvii., xxviii. They are cursed in their bless- ings, Mai. ii. 2. There is no man that is a carnal, brutish man, but though he live and have revenues and pleasures, he is cursed in his blessings. For what ? Is he made for this life only ? No ! he is but ' fatted on to the day of destruction ;' they are 'snares' to him. Josh, xxiii. 13. How do you know they are snares ? Because they make him secure and careless of the worship of God ; they make him profane, they make him despise the power of religion. A man may see by his conversation they are snares. They are not promises in Christ, for then they would come to him out of God's love. Therefore get into Christ, rest not in anything abstracted from Christ. Let us not rest in any blessing except we have it in God's love in Christ.
And I may know that I have anything in this world, any deliverance from ill, or any positive good thing from God's love in Christ, if I have it with a heart wrought on to the best things, to value Christ, and to account all dung in comparison of him. When I esteem my being in Christ above all beings, above being rich, or honourable, or in favour, alas ! this I know * That is, the cross is to be always on the other side of the balance. — Ed.
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is fading ; but my being in Christ is 'yea and amen,' that will stand by me when all these beings will liiil. This is comfortable, if I can do this, and have other things, I have them with the love of God and Christ. Let us get into Christ therefore.
For this purpose, at tend vpoii the virans of salvatio)!, that the word may be effectual, by his Spirit accompanying his own ordinance, to open the excellencies of Christ to us, to make us love him, and get our affections into him. How are we in Christ '? J3y knowing him ; and then knowledge carries our hearts. For our wills cleave to that that we know to be excel- lent and necessary. Christ is discovered as excellent and necessary, and so the will cleaves to him as a good so discovered ; and the affections fol- low the will. When the will cleaves to Christ as excellent and necessary, then I love him, then I rest on him, then I have peace in him. I may know that I am in Christ, upon my knowledge of him and cleaving to him, and finding peace in my conscience. For he that is in Christ hath rest. Faith in Christ hath a resting, stablishing power. If I be in Christ, my soul rests ; for I know that all is ' yea and amen in him.' My soul rests in him. Whatsoever I find in the world to unsettle me ; things are amiss, and otherwise than I would have them ; but I rest in the love of God in Christ. Let us get into Christ by knowledge ; let the will follow that, and our affections follow that ; and then we shall find the rest and peace that will secure us that indeed we are in Christ.