You have a promise of sufficiency of gifts. ' If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God,' James i. 5. If any man lack wisdom, to manage his aliairs, to bear crosses and afflictions, let him ask it of God ; a rich promise in that kind.
And so, art thou doubtfnl for the time to come what shall befall thee ? God in Christ Jesus hath made a promise, that whei-e he hath begun he will make an end, ' He that hath begun a good work will finish it to the day of the Lord,' Philip, i. 6. Christ is ' Alpha and Omega,' too. Rev. i. 8 ; and ' What shall separate us from the love of God in Christ ? Neither things present, nor thmgs to come, nor anything else,' Rom. viii. 35, seq. Why ? Because it is the love of God in Christ. God's love is founded in Christ, and he wiU love thee eternally. There is a ground of perseverance. There- fore be sure to take in trust the time to come, as well as the present : he will be thy God for the time to come, as well as for the present ; he will be thy God to death. Jesus Christ ' is yesterday, to-day, and to-morrow, and the same for ever,' Heb. xiii, 8. ' He was, and is, and is to come,' Rev. i. 8. He was good to thee before he called thee ; he is good to thee now in the state of gi'ace, and he will be for ever. Why shouldst thou stagger for the time to come ? Take in trust all that shall befall thee for the time to come, as well as for the present ; for he is ' yea and amen' himself, and ' all his promises are yea and amen.' Christ is ' Amen,' the true witness. * Thus saith Amen,' Rev. i. 18, and all his promises are like himself, ' amen.'
VOL. in. c c
402 COMMENTARY ON
Obj. Oh but T may fall away, my grace is weak, I stagger often !
But are the promises founded upon thee ? No ! the promises are founded in Christ. Christ receives gi'ace for thee, and he is a King for ever, and a Priest for ever, to make intercession for thee, and he is faithful. He is be- loved for ever, and as long as lie is beloved, thou shalt lie lieloved, because thou art in him. God is in Christ, and thou art in Christ, how canst thou miscany ? God is in Christ for ever, and thou art in Christ. Will he lose a limb ? Will he lose a member ? No ! the promises in him are ' yea and amen,' and not in thee. They are in thee 'yea and amen,' thou hast the benefit of them, because thoy are in him ' amen ' first.
Aye, but for the troubles of this world, for afflictions, and crosses, what promises have we to build on for them ?
God in Christ is ' yea and amen ' to us ; and the promises are ' yea and amen ' in that kind, in all things necessary for this life. ' Let 3''our conver- sation be without covetousness : for he hath promised he will not fail thee nor forsake thee,' Heb. xiii. 5. It is taken along from Joshua's time. It was a promise made to Joshua, and is enlarged to all Christians. He hath promised, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.' Therefore 'let your conversation be without covetousness,' insinuating the reason why men are covetous, because they do not trust that promise, ' I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.'
For if men in their callmg, as they should do, would trust in God, with- out putting forth their hands to ill means, their conversation would be without shifting and covetousness. Therefore covetous men are faithless men. They believe not the promise, that God will not fail them nor forsake them ; for then they would not live by their wits and by their shifts, but by faith in this very promise, which is ' yea and amen ' to all that believe it.
' God is a sun and shield,' Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, ' and no good thing shall be wanting to those that lead a godly life.' Would you have more ? He is a sun, for all good ; he is a shield, to keep from all ill. ' I am thy buckler, and thy exceeding great reward,' saith God to Abraham, Gen. xv. 1. 'I am thy buckler,' to keep thee from all ill; 'and thy exceeding great reward,' to bestow all good. Having these promises, why should we stagger? They are ' yea and amen ' in Chiist ; God is all-sufficient in Christ.
For the issue in our laboiu's, Oh ! what will become of it ? We take pains to no purpose, we rise early, and go to bed late, what will become of all in the issue ? W^hat saith St Paul ? 1 Cor. xv. 58, ' Be constant, alway abounding in the work of the Lord : be ye abundant in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.' Therefore abound you in the work of the Lord : let the issue go to God, you have a rich promise, ' Knowing this, that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.' Therefore you know, when Peter had fished all night, and had caught nothing, when Christ bids him cast the net into the sea, saith he, ' We have fished all night, and catched nothing,' Luke v. 5, to what purpose should I cast it ? yet in thy word, in thy command I will cast it. He obeyed, and he drew so many, that the net brake again with the fish. So, I say, it is thy command, Lord, that I should go on in the duties of my calling, that I should do that that belongs to me ; and in welldoing to com- mit myself to thee ' as to a faithful Creator,' 1 Peter iv. 19, and a gracious Redeemer, and to cast myself on thy promises, do what thou wilt : you shall see then, as the apostle graciously speaks, ' Your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord,' 1 Cor. xv. 58. ' Cast your care on him ; for he cares for you,' 1 Peter v. 7.