When men come to close with the promise indeed, to make a life upon it, they are very ready to question and inquire whether it be possible that ever the word of it should be made good to them. He that sees a little boat swimming at sea, observes no great difficulty in it, looks upon it without any solicitousness of mind at all, — beholds how it tosses up and down, without any fears of its sinking. But now, let this man commit his o^vn life to sea in that bottom, — what inquiries will he make ! what a search into the vessel ! Is it possible, saith he, this little thing should safeguard my life in the ocean ? — It is so with us, in our view of the promises : whilst we consider them at large, as they lie in the word, alas ! they are all true, — all yea and amen, — shall be all accomplished ; but when we go to venture our souls upon a promise, in an ocean of wrath and temptations, then every blast we think will overturn it; it will not bear us above all these waves. Is it possible we should swim safely upon the plank of a pinnace in the midst of the ocean ?
Now, here we are apt to deceive ourselves, and mistake the whole thing in question ; which is the bottom of many corrupted reasonings and perplexed thoughts. We inquire whether it can be so to us as the word holds out ; when the truth is, the question is not about the nature of the thing, but about the power of God. Place the doubt aright, and it is this : Is God able to accomplish what he hath spoken? — can he heal my backslidings ? can he pardon my sins? can he save my soul? Now, that there may be no occasion or colour of staggering upon this point, you see God reveals himself as an all- sufficient God, as one that is able to go through with all his engage- ments. If you wiU stagger, you may so do. This is certain, you have no cause to do so from hence, — there is not any promise that ever God entered into but he is able to perform it.
But you will say, Though God be thus able, thus all-sufficient, yet may there not be defects in the means whereby he worketh ? — as a man may have a strong arm, al^le to strike his enemies to the gTound, but yet if he strike with a feather or a straw, it will not be done ; —
VOL. VIIL 15
22G THE STEADFASTNESS OF THE PROMISES,
not for want of strength in his ami, but of fitness and suitableness in the instnunent whereby he acteth. But, —
[1.] God using instruments, they do not act according to their own virtue, but according to the influence of virtue by him to tliem com- municated. Look to what end soever God is pleased to use any means, — his choosing of them fills them with efiicacy to that purpose. Let the way and means of accomplishing what thou expectest by the promise be in themselves never so weak, yet know that, from God's choosing of them to that end, they shall be filled with virtue and efiicacy to the accomplishment of it.
[2.] It is expressly affirmed of the great mediums of the promise, that they also are able, — that there is no want of power in them for the accomplishment of the thing promised.
1st. There is the means procuring it, and that is Jesus Christ: — the promises, as to the good things contained in them, are all pur- chased by him. And of him the apostle afiirms expressly, that " he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him,"' Heb. vii. 25. No want here, no defect; he is able to do it to the utter- most,— able to save them that are tempted, Heb. ii. 18.
2cUy. There is the great means of manifestation, and that is the word of God. And of this also it is affirmed, that it is able. It hath an all -sufficiency in its kind. Paul tells the elders of Ephesus, that " the word of gi'ace is able to build them up, and to give them an inheritance among all them that are sanctified," Acts xx. 32.
Sdly. There is the great means of operation, and that is the Spirit of grace. He works the mercy of the promise upon the soul. He also is able, exceeding powerful, to effect the end appointed. He hath no bounds nor measure of operation but only his oa\ti will, 1 Cor. xii. 11.
Hence, then, it is apparent, in the second place, that there is no occasion for doubting; yea, that all staggering is excluded, from the consideration of the abihty of the promisor, and the means whereby he worketh. If thou continuest to stagsjer, thou must get a better plea than this, — It cannot be, it is impossible. I tell thee, nay, but God is able to accomplish the whole word of his promise.
(3.) There may be want of sincerity in promises and engagements; which whilst we do but suspect, we cannot choose but stagger at them. If a man make a promise to me, and I can suppose that he intends not as he says, but hath reserves to himself of another purpose, I must needs doubt as to the accomplishment of what he hath spoken. If the sold may surmise that the Lord intends not him sincerely m his promise, but reserves some other thing in his mind, or that it shall be so to others and not to him, he must needs dispute in himself, stagger, and keep off from behoving. This, then, must be demon- strated, in the third place, — that the promises of God, and God in all