So carnal men, ' they mock and deride the counsel of the poor,' as the psalmist saith, Ps. xiv. 6. The children of the promise that depend upon God's mercy in Christ, they are persecuted by fleshly justiciaries, and they that look to be saved by themselves without a promise, they will not be beholden to God so much. Their proud, swelling hearts rise against Chris- tians that honour God by trusting in his promises, and will be saved by promises.
A proud popish person, his heart riseth against a holy Christian that is a son of the promise ; he scorns him. You intend to be saved by the righteousness of another. No ! we will not be so much beholden to God, we will satisfy for ourselves ; we will merit heaven oui'selves. God shall not be beholden to us to trust in him, we will bring somewhat om'selves, we will buy it out. Can these men have humble hearts ? Nay, can they have any other than malicious, persecuting hearts against humble, believing Christians, that honour God by trusting in his promises ?
You know Isaac was ' a son of the promise.' How was he born ? Not according to the course of nature. Sarah's womb was dead. Christ was the Son of the promise. How was he born ? Not according to the course of nature, for his mother was a virgin. So a Christian is a son of the pro- mise. He is begotten where there is nothing in the course of nature likely, where there is breeding for sin, no works, no righteousness, then he believes in Christ. Isaac was a notable type of Christ and a son of promise. He was begotten besides the course of generation. So a Christian is not * Qu. ' crack ? ' — Ed.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 20. 417
begotten as a proud justiciaiy, by ■works ; but he shews himself theraua to be a true beUever. He is begotten against the course of nature when he sees a barren heart, and sees as Uttle disposition in his heart to be a Chris- tian as was in the virgin's womb for Christ to be born.
How was the promise made to the virgin ? She could not conceive how this should be since she knew not man. It was replied again, ' The Holy Ghost shall overshadow thee,' Luke i. 85. Her heart closed with that speech, and Christ was conceived then. So the barren heart of a Christian if it can believe, his sins shall be forgiven, and he shall have life everlast- ing,— if he can honour God in believing that he will keep him in life and death. Let the heart close with these promises, and a Christian is begotten. He is a son of the promise.
As for the proud justiciar}^ that will have something in himself to vaunt of, and will persecute others that are true Christians, he relies on no pro- mise. A Christian when he sees nothing to rely on but the pi'omise, he closeth with the promise, and Christ is begotten in him at that very instant. To name no more evidences, you see how we may examine ourselves whe- ther we trust in and cast ourselves upon the promises of God or no. If we do, we shall find them ' yea and amen.'
Consider it therefore, and be glad of these promises ; and when you have them, go to God in Christ for the performance of them. Take the counsel of that blessed man, that in these latter times brought the glorious light of religion to light, Luther, I mean (to whom we are beholden for the doctrine of free grace more than any other divine of later times). Go to God in Christ in the promises. Christ is wrapped up in the promises. The promises are the swaddling-clothes wherein Christ is wrapped, as he saith (xxx). We must not think of God out of Christ. There is, saith he, God absolute in himself; so, he is 'a consuming fire,' Heb. xii. 29. But there is God incarnate, go to God incarnate, to God making good his promises in Christ incarnate ; go to Christ sucking his mother's breast, lying in the manger, living humbly, talking with a sinful woman, inviting sinners to come to him, conversing ynth sinful creatures, altering and changing their natures, that never refused any that came to him.
Go not to God absolute. He is a ' consuming fire.' Go to Christ in- carnate, God-man ; go to him abased, and there is sweet converse for thy faith ; for ' all the promises are made in him yea and amen.'
I beseech you, therefore, be acquainted with the myster}' of Christ more and more. We have the promises in him. And you must know besides, that the Father and the Holy Ghost, they have a part, a hand in Christ's abasement ; for Christ did all by his Father's appointment, and therefore it is as much as if the Father had been abased ; for Christ was anointed to be so. Therefore think, that God the Father allm-es and invites you when Christ doth it, because he is anointed to invite you. Think that the Father is as peaceable as Christ was, because Christ was so by his Father's appointment, by his anointing. See all the three Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in Christ. See God incarnate making all the promises before, and as the ground of all that is made good to us. See the wondrous love of God incarnate. And then go and see Christ raising that flesh that he was abased in ; see him ascended into heaven, and sitting in it at the right hand of God. Then think of God in Christ glorious, think of Christ a public person, and we all in him. So as Leo saith, ' Only Christ was he that died, in whom all died ; he was crucified, in whom all were crucified ; and he rose again, in whom all rise, he being a public person ; other par-