I come now to prove, that notwithstanding any pretences what- ever, all this staggering is from unbelief
The two disciples, whom we now mentioned, that staggered and disputed between themselves in their journey to Emmaus, thovight they had a good reason, and a sufficient appearing cause of all their doubtings. " We hoped," say they, " that it was he that should have redeemed Israel." What do they now stand at ? Alas ! the " chief priests and rulers have condemned him to death, and cntcified him,"
220 THE STEADFASTNESS OF THE TROMISES,
Luke xxiv. 20. And is it possible that deliverance should arise from a crucified man ? This makes them stagger. But when our Saviour himself draws nigh to them, and gives them the ground of all this, he tells them it is all from hence, — they are " foolish, and slow of heart to believe," verse 25. Here is the rise of all their doubtings, even their unbelief Whilst you are slow of heart to believe, do not once think of establishment.
Peter venturing upon the waves at the command of Christ, Matt. xiv., seeing " the wind to grow boisterous," verse 30, he also hath a storm within, and cries out, "Lord, save me !" What was now the cause of Peter's fear and crying out ? Why, the wind and sea grew bois- terous, and he was ready to sink ; — no such thing, but merely unl)elief, want of faith, verse 3L "0 thou of little faith," saith our Saviour, " wherefore didst thou doubt?" It was not the great wind, but thy little faith that made thee stagger. And in three or four other places, upon several occasions, doth our Saviour lay all the wavering and staggering of his followers as to any promised mercy upon this score, as Matt. vi. 30, viii. 26.
Isa. vii., Ahaz being afraid of the combination of Syria and Eph- raim against him, received a promise of deliverance by Isaiah, verse 7. Whereupon the prophet tells him, and all Judah, that " if they will not believe, surely they shall not be established," verse 9. He doth not say. If Damascus and Ephraim be not broken, you shall not be established ; no, he doth not stick there. The fear that you will not be established ariseth merely from your unbelief; — that keeps you off from closing with the promise, which would certainly bring you estab- lishment.
And this is the sole reason the apostle gives why the word of pro- mise, being preached, becomes unprofitable, even because of unbelief: it was not " mixed with faith," Heb. iv. 2.
But these things will be more clear under the demonstration of the points, which are two.
1. When a man doubts, hesitates, and disputes, any thing in him- self, his reasonings must have their rise, either from something within himself, or from something in the things concerning which he stag- gereth ; — either " certitude mentis," " the assurance of his mind," or " certitude entis," the " certainty of the thing itself," is wanting. He that doubteth whether his friend in a far country be alive or not, his staggering ariseth from the uncertainty of the thing itself; when that is made out, he is resolved, as it Wixs Avitli Jacob in the ca«e of Joseph. But h(^ that doubteth whether the needle in the compass, being touched with the loadstone, will turn northward, all the uncertainty is in his own mind. '
When men stagger at the promises, this must arise either from
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within tliemselves, or some occasion must be administered hereunto from the promise. If from within themselves, that can be nothing but unbelief; — an inbred obstacle to closing with and resting on the promise, — that is unbelief If, then, we demonstrate that there is nothing in the promise, either as to matter or manner, or any at- tendancy of it, that should occasion any such staggering, we lay the burden and blame on the right shoulders, — the sin of staggering on unbelief
Now, that any occasion is not administered, nor cause given, of this staggering from the promise, wUl a^^pear if we consider seriously whence any such occasion or cause should arise. All the stability of a promise depends upon the qvialifications of the promiser to the ends and purposes of the promise. If a man make me a promise to do such and such things for me, and I question whether ever it will be so or not, it must be from a doubt of the want of one of these things in him that makes the promise; — either (1.) of tmth; or (2.) of ability to make good his word, because of the difficulty of the thing itself; or (3.) of sincerity to intend me really what he speaks of; or (4.) of constant memory to take the opportunity of doing the thing intended ; or (5.) of stableness to be still of the same mind. Now, if there be no want of any of these in him whose promises we speak of, there is then certainly no ground of our staggering, but only from our own unbelief
Let us now see whether any of these things be wanting to the promises of God ; and begin we with the first.