Doct. 8. Those icho have their sins subdued whilst they Jive, shall have them all drowned when they are dead. We see, 1 Cor. xv. 26, it is said, ' The last enemy we have is death;' but this is only in regard of nature — to them it is a passage to heaven, for the others, unto hell. Rev. xiv. 13, the dead in the Lord are pronounced blessed, for then all their enemies are quite subdued. Here we labour under the burden of many crosses and afilictions, but then is deliverance; here we are troubled with many sins, but then cometh freedom from sin, then we labour no more, then all shall have an end. Wait but a little until then, and all shall appear most exceeding glorious; for then, for our comfort, all our sorrows and troubles, wherewith * That is, = ' sometime.' — G.
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we are now fined* in the furnace of affliction, shall be quite forgot, as though they had never been : former things shall be remembered no more.
Use 1. The use of all this is for us, since all our sins and sorrows shall then be subdued and forgot, to fight our battles cheerfully here, and look up unto heaven for help.
Use 2. Secondly, Again, that we should be exceedingly comforted in this, that our battle is so short, our victory so sure, and our reward so infinite and eternal; since after a little while all our sins and crosses shall be drowned, they shall be put as far from us as the east is from the west, as heaven is from hell : then, then our long tedious enemies shall all fly away. Use 3. Thirdly, It is infinite consolation for us against the fear of death, that that death which parteth body and soul, shall also part us from all our sins, sorrows, and crosses for evermore. All those means we now do use, serve but to weaken sin, but death, this kills and vanquisheth it for ever- more. So that the speech of Moses to the Israelites may as truly be said of our enemies, ' The Egyptians whom you have seen to-day, you shall never any more see,' Exodus xiv. 13. Even so, I say, though thou be vexed and troubled with many sins, crosses, and afliictions, yet stand still but a while, yet a little while, nay, a very little while, and all these crosses and sins which vex you, you shall never see any more : he will drown them all [in] the bottom of the sea.
I now come unto the reasons of these doctrines, which are in number two, wherein I must use brevity : 1, His mercy; 2, his truth.
I will only touch them, and so make an end. The first is, because he delighteth in mercy. If we will needs speedily and earnestly perform that wherein we do delight, much more will God. The point is, that,
Doct. 9. That liherein God delighteth, it is im})0ssible but it must needs come to ^;rt^s. Now he, delighting in mercy, therefore it is of necessity that he must needs pour upon us abundance of all his mercies ; for he is the perfection of goodness, the perfection of love. Nothing can stay him from performing that wherein he delighteth, therefore all these excellent mercies must needs be bestowed upon his children.
The next reason, as I shewed in the opening, is' taken from the truth of God, aided with many reasons: of antiquity, often repetition, many wit- nesses, and the oath of God confirming the same. So that the giving of these mercies, and certain assurance thereof, dependeth upon God's truth. Whence learn,
Doct. 10. God is hound, in regard of his truth, to fulfil all his former mer- cies unto his children; and therefore as certainly as God is true, as certainly all his benefits and mercies shall be given unto them.
Use 1. The use hereof is unto us, notwithstanding all these promises, to see our weakness, how in tentationf we are ready to rob God of his truth, neglecting the promises, because we find not present help. Behold how we deal with God ! If a man promise us a thing again and again, we believe him; but if he swear and confirm the same with an oath, then we doubt no more ; and yet when God he promiseth again and again unto us many precious promises, yea, and giveth us the earnest in hand, and sweareth unto us, yet, lo our wretchedness, we trust not with assured con- fidence in him ; a mortal man would take it ill to be thus used at oui* hands. So every small tentationf maketh us to rob God of his truth, and to think that he will not be as good as his word.
* That is, 'refined ' = purified. — G. t That is, ' temptation.' — G.
164 THE MATCHLESS MERCY.
Use 2. Secondly, It must be matter of instruction for us all, that when we come unto God wo must promise ourselves to have good speed, since God is most true of his promises, and we must labour by all means to re- member and apply them, and so to turn them into prayers ; thus reasoning the matter, What ! I am in this and this necessity, God he hath promised to help ; since ho is true, it must needs be that he will have a care to fulfil his truth; for howsoever I should not be heard, yet God he should be the greatest loser, to lose his truth. 0 beloved, it is easy for us to speak, but in the evil day to put on our armour, to fly unto prayer, to hang upon God, to fight against tentations, to give unto God the praise of his attributes, that as he is true, loving, just, merciful, all-sufiiciency, infinite, omnipotent, so to expect infinite love, infinite truth, infinite mercy from him, — this is no small matter, yea, it is true Christian fortitude, in tenta- tion and afilictiou thus to reason the matter, to rely upon God, and as it were to bind his help near unto us with the chains of his loving promises. If a promise bind us, much more it bindeth God; for all our truth is but a small spark of that ocean of truth in him. And therefore to conclude all with this promise, worthy to be engraven in everlasting remembrance upon the palms of our hands, God he hath promised that all the afilictions of his children they shall work for the best, Rom. viii. 28. This is as true as God's truth, I shall one day see and confess so much if I wait in patience ; why, therefore, I will wait. God is infinite in wisdom and power, to bring light out of darkness; so also he is true, and he will do it. Therefore because I believe ' I will not make haste;' I will walk in the perfect way until he shew deliverance. This must be our resolution, and then it shall be unto us according to our faith ; which God, for his Christ's sake, grant unto us all !