[3.] To the perishing world. Hence the time of his kingdom in this world is called the time of his " patience," Rev. i. 9. He " endures the vessels of wrath with much long-suffering," Rom. ix. 22. Whilst the gospel is administered in the world he is patient toAvards the men thereof, until the saints in heaven and earth are astonished and cry out, "How long?" Ps. xiii. 1, 2; Rev. vi. 10. And themselves do mock at him as if he were an idol, 2 Pet. iii. 4. He endures from them bitter things, in his name, ways, worship, saints, promises, threats, all his interest of honour and love ; and yet passeth by them, lets them alone, does them good. Nor will he cut this way of pro- ceeding short until the gospel shall be preached no more. Patience must accompany the gospel.
Now, this is the word that is to be kept, that we may be kept from " the hour of temptation."
(2.) Three things are unplied in the keeping of this word: [1.] Knowledge; [2.] Valuation; [3.] Obedience: —
[1.] Knowledge. He that will keep this word must know it, be ac- quainted with it, under a fourfold notion: — Is^. As a word of grace and merer/, to save him ; 2dli/. As a word of holiness and purity, to sanctify him; Sdly. As a word of liberty and power, to ennoble him and set him free; 4i/i??/. As a word of consolation, to support him in every condition : —
1st. As a word of yrace and mercy, able to save us : "It is the power of God unto salvation," Rom. i. 1 6 ; " The grace of God that bringeth salvation," Tit. ii. 11; "The word of grace that is able to build us up, and to give us an inheritance among all them that are sanctified," Acts XX. 82 ; " The word that is able to save our souls," James i. 21. When the word of the gospel is known as a word of mercy, grace, and pardon, as the sole evidence for life, as the conveyance of an eternal inheritance ; when the soul finds it such to itself, it will strive to keep it.
2dly. As a word of holiness and purity, able to sanctify him : " Ye are clean through the word I have spoken unto you," saith our Sa- viour, John XV. 3. To that purpose is his prayer, chap. xvii. 1 7. He that knows not the word of Christ's patience as a sanctifying, cleans- ing word, in the power of it upon his own soul, neither knows it nor keeps it. The empty profession of our days knows not one step towards this duty ; and thence it is that the most are so overborne under the power of temptations. Men full of self, of the world, of
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fuiy, ambition, and almost all unclean lusts, do yet talk of keeping the word of Christ! See 1 Pet. i. 2; 2 Tim. ii. 19.
3dl7/. As a word of liberty and power, to ennoble him and set him free; — and this not only from the guilt of sin and from wrath, for that it doth as it is a word of grace and mercy ; not only from the power of sin, for that it doth as it is a word of holiness; but also from all outward respects of men or the world that might entangle him or enslave him. It declares us to be " Christ's freemen," and in bondage unto none, John viii. 32 ; 1 Cor. vii. 23. We are not by it freed from due subjection unto superiors, nor from any duty, nor unto any sin, 1 Pet. ii. 1 6 ; but in two respects it is a word of freedom, liberty, largeness of mind, power, and deliverance from bondage: —
(Is^.) In respect of conscience as to the worship of God, Gal. v. 1.
(2dly.) In respect of ignoble, slavish respects unto the men or things of the world, in the course of our pilgrimage. The gospel gives a free, large, and noble spirit, in subjection to God, and none else. There is administered in it a spirit " not of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind," 2 Tim. i. 7; a mind " in nothing terrified," Phil. i. 28, — not swayed with any by-respect whatever. There is no- thing more unworthy of the gosj)el than a mind in bondage to per- sons or things, i^rostituting itself to the lusts of men or affrightments of the world. And he that thus knows the word of Christ's patience, really and in power, is even thereby freed from innumerable, fi-om unspeakable temptations.
4thly. As a word of consolation, to support him in every condition, and to be a full portion in the want of all. It is a word attended with " joy unspeakable and full of glory." It gives supportmcnt, relief, refreshment, satisfaction, peace, consolation, joy, boasting, glory, in every condition whatever. Thus to know the word of Christ's pa- tience, thus to know the gospel, is the first part, and it is a great part, of this condition of our preservation from the hour and power of temptation.
[2.] Valuation of what is thus known belongs to the keeping of this word. It is to be kept as a treasure. 2 Tim. i. 14, Ttjv KuXr,v TapaxaraO^zriv, — that excellent " depositum" (that is, the word of the gospel), — "keep it," saith the apostle, "by the Holy Ghost;" and, " Hold fast the faithful word," Tit. i. 9. It is a good treasure, a faith- ful word; hold it fast. It is a word that comjiriscs the whole interest of Christ in the world. To value that as our cliiefest treasure is to keep the word of Christ's patience. They that will have a regard from Christ in the time of temptation are not to be regardless of his concernments.