1 cannot but observe, that this sighing, mournful complaint of Abraham, hath much infirmity, and something of diffidence mixed with it. He shakes in the very bottom of his soul, that improbabilities were growing up, as he thought, to impossibilities against him in the way of promise. Yet hence also mark these two things : First, That he doth not repine in himself, and keep up his burning thoughts in his breast, but sweetly breathes out the burden of his soul into the bosom of his God. " Lord God," saith he, " what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless?" It is of sincere faith, to unlade our unbelief in the bosom of our God. Secondly, That God takes not his servant at the advantage of his complaining and diffidence ; but lets that pass, until having renewed the promise to him, and settled his foith, then he gives in his testimony that he believed God. The Lord overlooks the weakness and causeless wailings of his, takes them at the best, and then gives liis witness to them.
This, I say, was the promise whereof we spake, — that he should have a seed of his own, " like the stars that cannot be lunnbered," Gen. XV. 4, 5. And herein are contained three things.
1. The purely spiritual part of it, that concerned his own soul in Christ. God engaging about his seed, minds him of his own interest in that seed which brings the blessing. Jesus Christ, with his Avhole mediation, and his whole work of redemption, is in this promise, with the enjoyment of God in covenant, '' as a shield, and as an exceeding great reward."
2. The kingdom of Christ, in i-espect of the propagation and estab- lishment of it, with the multitude of his subjects, — that also is in this promise.
3. The temporal part of it, — multitudes of children to a childless man, and an heir from his own bowels.
AND SINFULNESS OF STAGGERING. 21 7
Now this promise, in these three branches, takes up your whole interest, comprises all you are to believe for, be you considered either as believers or as rulers. As believers : — so your interest lies in these two things: That your own souls have a share and portion in the Lord Christ ; and that the kingdom of the Lord Jesus be exalted and established. As rulers: — That peace and prosperity may be the inheritance of the nation, is in your desires. Look upon this in subordination to the kingdom of Christ, and so all these are in this promise.
To make this more plain, these being the three main things that you aim at, I shall lay before you three promises, suited to these several things, which, or the like, you are to view in all your actings, all staggering at them being from unbelief
The first thing you are to believe for, is the interest of your own souls in the covenant of grace by Christ. As to this, I shall only point unto that promise of the covenant, Heb. viii. 12, "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."
The second is the establishment of the kingdom of Christ, in despite of all opposition. And for this, amongst innumerable [passages], take that of Isa. Ix. 11, "Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought : for the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee sliall perish."
The quiet and peace of the nation, which ye regard as rulers, as it stands in subordination to the kingdom of Christ, comes also under the promise; for which take that of Jer. xxx. 20, 21.
These being your three main aims, let your eye be fixed on these three, or the Hke promises; for in the demonstration and the use of the point I shall carry along all three together, desiring that what is instanced in any one may be always extended to both the others. II. What is it to stagger at the promise? " He staggered not," oi Siixpidi^, " he disputed not." Aiaxpivo/Mui is, properly, to make use of our own judgment and reason in discerning of things, of Avhat sort they be. It is sometimes rendered, "to doubt," Matt. xxi. 21, "If ye have faith" (xai iJbri diaxpidT^rs), "and doubt not:" that is, not use arguings and reasonings in yourselves concerning the promise and things promised. Sometimes it simply denotes to discern a thing as it is: — so the word is used, 1 Cor. xi. 29, Aiaxplvuv to ac:j,u,a, "Discerning the body." In the sense wherein it is here used, as also Matt. xxi. 21, it holds out, as I said, a self-consultation and dispute concerning those contraiy things that are proposed to us. So also Acts x. 20, Peter is commanded to obey the vision, /^jj^b dia%piv6,ws\iog, " nothing doubting." What is that? Why, a not continuing to do what he
218 THE JJTEADFASTNESS OF THE PROMISES,
is said to have done, verse 1 7, " H*.- doubted in himself what the vision he had seen should mean ;" he rolled and disputed it in his own thoughts; he staggered at it.