What is hope but the expectation of those things that the word saith ? And what is faith, but a building on the promise of God ? Faith looks to the word of the thing ; hope to the thing in the word. Faith looks to the thing promised ; hope to the possession and performance of it. ' Faith is the evidence of good not seen,' Heb. xi. 1, making that which is absent as present to us. Hope waits for the accomplishment of that good contained in the word. If we had nothing promised, what need hope ? and where were the foundation of faith ? But God being willing to satisfy both (that we may be heavenly-wise, in relying upon a firm foundation ; and not as fools, ' trust in vanity,' Ps. iv. 2), in mercy gives us jiromises, and seals them with an oath for our greater supportment. That love which engaged the Almighty to bind himself to us in ' precious promises,' 2 Pet. i. 4, will furnish us likewise with grace needful till we be possessed of them. He will give us leave to depend upon him, both for happiness and all quiet- ing graces, which may support the soul till it come to its perfect rest in himself.
Now these gracious expressions of our good God may be reduced into divers ranks. I will but touch some few particulars, and shew how we should carry ourselves to make a comfortable use of them.
First, There are some universal jjromises for the good of all manldnd ; as that God would never destroy the world again, &c.. Gen. ix. 11.
Secondly, There are other promises that more particulavly concern, the church. And these are promises.
* That is, 'love,' ' have an affection for.' — .G.
] 22 YEA AND AMEN ; OR,
(1.) Either oi outivard tkinns.
(2.) Or oi sjtiritiKtl and eternal thhujs, of tjrace and glory.
In the mauuer of promising tboy admit of this distiuctiou. All the pro- mises of God arc made to us either,
(1.) Ahsolateli/, without any condition. So was the promise of sending Christ into the world, and his glorious coming again to judgment. Let the world be as it will, yet Christ did come, and will come again, with thousands of angels, to judge us at the last, 2 Tim. iv. 1.
Or (2.) Conditional ; as the promise of grace and glory to God's children, that he will forgive their sins, if they repent, &c. God deals with men (as we do by way of commerce one with another), propounding mercy by covenant and condition ; yet his covenant of grace is always a ' gracious covenant.' For he not only gives the good things, but helps us in perform- ing the condition by his Spirit ; he works our hearts to believe and to repent.
Thus all promises for outward things are conditional ; as thus, God hath promised protection from contagious sickness, and from trouble and war ; that he will be 'an hiding-place,' Ps. xxxii. 7, and a 'deliverer' of his people in time of danger, Ps. xl. 17 ; that he will do this and that good for them. But these are conditional ; so far forth as in his wise providence he sees they may help to preserve spiritual good things in them, and advance the graces of the inward man. For God takes liberty in our outward estate to afflict us or do us good, as may best further our soul's welfare. Because, do what we can with these bodies, they will turn to dust and vanity ere long. We must leave the world behind us. Therefore he looks to our main estate in Christ, to the ' new creature ; ' and so far as outward blessings may cherish and increase that, so far he grants them, or else he denies them, to his dearest ones.
For we cannot still enjoy the blessings of this life, but our corrupt nature is such, that, except we have somewhat to season the same, we shall surfeit, and not digest them. Therefore they are all given with exception of the cross ; as Christ saith, he that doth for him anything, ' shall have a hun- dredfold here,' Mat. xix. 29, but ' with persecution.' Be sure of that, what- soever else he hath. Let Christians look for crosses to season those good things they enjoy in this life.
Use. To come now to some use of the point. Are all the promises, of what kind soever, whether spiritual or outward, tefeiporal or eternal, are they all made to us in Jesus Christ ? And are they certainly true, * yea and amen ' in him ? Then I beseech you (let into Christ betimes, strengthen your interest in him by all means, out of ivhom we have nothing that is sav- *",'/^i/ good. Rest not in anything abstracted from him, so as to be accepted with God.
Obj. But you will say. Doth not God do many good things to them that are out of Christ ? Doth not the sun shine, and the rain fall, upon the just and the unjust ; upon the evil as well as the good ? Doth he not clothe, and feed, and protect wicked men daily ?
Ans. He doth indeed, it cannot be denied. But are they blessings ? Are these favours to them ? No ; but as God saith to Moses, Deut. xxviii. 16: 'If thou sin against me, cursed shalt thou be in thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fi-uit of thy bodj'-, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep : cursed at home, cursed abroad.' They are cursed in their very blessings. A graceless, brutish person, though he swim with worldly pleasures, and have never such