[8.] Another course whereby men confirm the truth of what they speak, is by entering into covenant to accomjjUsh what they have spoken. A covenant gives strength to the tnith of any engagement. When a man hath but told you he will do such and such things for you, you are full of doubts and fears that he may break with you ; but when he hath indented in a covenant, and you can show it under his hand and seal, you look upon that, consider that, and are veiy secure. Even this way also hath the Lord taken to confirm and estab- lish his truths and promises. That all doubtings and staggerings may be excluded, he hath wrapped them all up in a covenant, and brought himself into a federal engagement, that upon every occasion, and at every temptation, we may draw out his hand and seal, and say to Satan and our own false hearts. See here, behold God engaged in covenant, to make good the word wherein he hath caused me to put my trust ; and this is his property, that he is a God keeping cove- nant. So that having his promise redoubled, and that confi.nned by an oath, all sealed and made sure by an unchangeable covenant, what can we require more to assure us of the truth of these things? But yet farther: — •
[4.] In things of very great weight and concernment, such as whereon lives and the peace of nations do depend, men use to give hostages for the securing each other of the faith and truth of all their engagements, that they may be mutual pledges of their truth and fidelity. Neither hath the Lord left this way unused to confinn
224 THE STEADFASTNESS OF THE TROMISES,
liis promise. He liath given us a hostage to secure us of Lis trutli, — one exceedingly dear to him, one always in his bosom, of whose honour he is as careful as of his own. Jesus Christ is the sreat hos- tage of his Father's tiaith, the pledge of his fidelity in his promises. God hath set him forth, and given him to us for this end. " Behold, the Lord himself shall give you a sign" (a sign that he will fulfil his word) ; " a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel," Isa. vii. 14. That you may be assured of my truth, the virgin's son shall be a hostage of it. " In him are all the l^romises of God yea and amen." Thus also to his saints he gives the farther hostage of his Spirit, and the first-fniits of glory ; tliat the full accomplishment of all his promises may be contracted in a little, and presented to their view, as the Israelites had the pleasures of Canaan in the clusters of grapes brought from thence.
Now, from all this it is apparent, not only that there is truth in all the promises of God, but also that truth so confirmed, so made out, established, that not the least occasion imaginable is thence adminis- tered to staggering or doubting. He that disputes the promises, and knows not how to close with them, must find out another cause of his so doing; as to the truth of the promise, there is no doubt at all, nor place for any.
(2.) But secondly, though there be truth in the promise, yet there may want ability in the promiser to accomplish the thing promised, because of its manifold difficulties. This may be a second cause of staggering, if the thing itself engaged for be not compassable by the ability of the engager. As if a skilful physician should promise a sick man recovery from his disease, though he could rely upon the truth and sincerity of his friend, yet he cannot bvit question his ability as to this, knowing that to cure the least distemper is not absolutely in his power ; but when he promises who is able to perfonn, then all doubting in this kind is removed. See, then, whether it be so in respect of these promises whereof we speak. When God comes to Abraham to engage himself in that covenant of grace from whence flow all the promises whereof we treat, he lays this down as the bottom of all ; " I am," saith he, " God Almighty," Gen. xvii. 1 ; or " God all-sufficient," very well able to go through with whatever I promise. When difficulties, temptations, and troubles arise, remember who it is that hath promised; — not only he that is true and faithfiil, but he that is God Almighty, before whom nothing can stand, when he will accomplish his word. And that this was a bottom of great confidence to Abraham, the apostle tells you, Rom. iv. 21, " Being fully per- suaded that he who had promised was able also to perform." When God is engaged liy his word, his ability is especially to be eyed. The soul is ni)t to ask, How can this be ? It is impossible it should be so
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to me. But, " he is able that liath promised." And this, Kom. xi. 23, the same apostle holds out to us to fix our faith upon, in reference to that great promise of recalling the Jews, and re-implanting them into the vine. " God," saith he, "is able to graff them in;" though now they seem as dead bones, yet the Lord knows they may live; for he is able to breathe upon them, and make them terrible as an army with banners. Yea, so excellent is this all- sufficiency, this ability of God to accomplish his whole word, that the apostle cau- tions us that we do not bound it, as though it could go so far only, or so far. Nay, saith he, Eph. iii. 20, he " is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think."