Let us every day take these promises to be cordials in these dangerous times ; and then come life, come death, all shall be welcome. Why ? Be- cause we are in Christ, and have embraced the promises and Christ ; and all in Christ is ' yea and amen :' it shall go well with us. What a wondrous comfortable life would a Christian's life be, if he could yield the obedience of faith answerable to the promises ! What a shame is it, that having such rich promises we should be so loose, so changeable, that we should be cast down with crosses, and lift up with prosperity ? It is because we believe not the promises of better things, therefore we are proud of present things, and cast down with present crosses, and are fast and loose. Now we have good things for the present, afterward the devil comes between us and the promises, and makes us let go our hold. Religion stands on this, which makes me to press it the more. If this were well taken to heart and digested, we should know what reHgion means ; if we know Christ and the promises, all other things will come ofi". All others are but formalities. They will never comfort without the consideration of knowing God in Christ, and the rich promises to us in Christ.
Likewise, if this be so, that the promises of God in Christ are ' yea and amen,' this teacheth us how to make use of all former examples of others, and of all former goodness to ourselves. Was God merciful to Abraham and to David? ' Our fathers trusted in thee, and were not confounded,' Ps. xxii. 4. Therefore he reasons, if I trust in God I shall not be confounded ; for the ' promises are yea and amen.' They are true to one as well as another. And ' whatsoever was written afore, was written for our comfort,' Rom. xv. 4.
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And tliis is a singular good use we may make of reading of the stories of the Scripture, and of holy men, that the same God ho hves for ever, ' his arm is not shortened, he that was, is, and is to come,' Isa. Ux. 1 ; and therefore we should read histories with application. Did God make suro his promises to them ? Surely he will make sure his promises to us. Had David forgiveness of sins upon his confession '? Surely so shall we. ' Abraham believed, and it was accounted to him for righteousness,' Gal. iii. (), and so it shall to us if wo believe. It is alleged for that end. And St Paul pretixeth his exaniplo to all posterity, ' God was merciful to me, and not so only, but to all that believe in him,' 1 Tim. i. IG.
This is an use that we may make likewise of the story of our own lives, as well as the story of others ; for, consider the former times, why, Lord, thy promises heretofore have been 'yea and amen,' thou hast delivered me from such and such dangers, thou hast been so good, and so good to me, thou art not changed. Let us store up experience out of the story of our own lives. God is ' Yea and Amen,' and ' his promises are yea and amen,' constant to all his chikben, and to their childi-en ; and they are alike in all ages ' from generation to generation,' as Moses saith, Ps. xc. 1, ' Thou art our God from generation to generation for ever.'
Thus we see how to make use of the promises ; for promises, we must know, are either directly to particular persons, or implied. A promise made to any directly, to any in particular, is an implied promise to me in the general equity in matter of grace, and glory, or the removal of some true misery. What was made to Joshua, is applied to all the church, Heb. xiii. 10, seq. ; that which was directly promised to him, is an imphed promise to all that will make use of that example.
Again, if so be that all the promises of God be ' yea and amen,' that is, certain and constant ia Christ, this should comfort us ivhen men deal loosely with us, and fail in their j^romises, whereon perhaps we have builded too much, when men deal falsely with us. And indeed, there is nothing that makes an honest heart wearier of this wicked world, than the consideration of the falsehood of men in whom they trust. Oh ! it is a cruel thing to deceive him, that unless he had trusted he had never been deceived by thee. It is a treacherous thing, but this world is full of such treacherous dealing, that a man can scarce trust assurances, much less words. But there are things thou mayest trust, if thou have a heart concerning the best good, there ai'e promises that are ' yea and amen ;' there is a God that keeps covenant. It is his glory to do so li'om generation to generation. Here is the comfort of a Christian, when he finds falseness in the world, to retii'e to his God, and hide himself there.
And in the uncertainty of all things below, in all changes, as this world is full of changes— now poor, now rich ; now in favour, now out of favour — why, what hath a Christian to cast himself on ? The promises of God in Christ, they are ' yea and amen ;' they are promises that never fail. They that know thy name will trust in thee, Ps. ix. 10. What is the reason ? It follows, ' Thou never failest those that trust in thee.' Therefore in the vicissitude and intercom'se of all earthly things under the moon, that are like the moon, changeable, let us stablish om- souls upon that which is un- changeable, and that will make us unchangeable, if w^e build on it, ' For the word of the Lord endures for ever,' Isa. xl. 6, which is alleged by Peter, 1 Peter i. 25, ' All flesh is grass, and as the flower of the grass,' that is, it fades as the grass, and as the flower of the grass ; all the excellency of wit and learning, it is but as the flower of the grass, but ' the word of the