The causes of forgetfulness are, —
[1.] Want of love. The things that men love not, they care not for: — the matters of their love are continually in their thoughts. Now, says God to Zion, Why sayest thou I have forgotten thee? Is it for want of love ? Alas ! the love of a most tender mother to her sucking child comes infinitely short of my love to thee. My love to thee is more fixed than so, and how shouldst thou be out of my mind? how shouldst thou be forgotten? Infinite love will have infinite thoughtfulness and remembrance.
[2.] Multipllcitij of business. This with men is a cause of forget- ting. I had done, says one, as I promised, but multiplicity of occa-
AND SINFULNESS OF STAGGEEING. 229
sions thrust it out of my mind ; I pray excuse me. — Alas I though I rule all the world, yet thou art graven upon the palms of my hands; and therefore thy walls are continually before me. See also Ps. Ixxvii. 9. Neither, then, is there as to this the least colour given us to stagger at the promise of God.
(5.) But lastly, where all other things concur, yet if the person pro- mising be changeable, if he may alter his resolution, a man may justly doubt and debate in himself the accomplishment of any promise made to him. " It is true," miay he say, " he now speaks his heart and mind ; but who can say he will be of this mind to-morrow? May he not be turned ? and then what becomes of the golden mountains that I pro- mised myself upon his engagement ?" Wherefore, in the last place, the Lord carefully rejects all sinful surmises concerning the least change or alteration in him, or any of his engagements. He is " the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," James i. 1 7, — no shadow, no appearance of any such thing. " I am the Lord," saith he, " I change not ; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed," Mai. iii. 6. The Lord knows, that if any thing in us might prevail with him to alter the word that is gone out of his mouth, we should surely perish. We are poor provoking creatures, therefore he lays our not being consumed only on this, even his own unchangeableness. This we may rest upon, " He is in one mind, and who can turn him ? "
And in these obsei-vations have I given you the firsi demonstration of the point : all staggering is from our own unbelief.
2. The experience which we have of the mighty workings of God for the accomplishment of all his promises gives light unto this thing. We have found it true, that where he is once engaged, he will cer- tainly go through unto the appointed issue, though it stand him in the lajdng out of his power and wisdom to the uttermost, Hab. iii. 9, " Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, thy word." If God's oath be passed, and his word engaged, he will surely accomplish it, though it cost him the making of his bow quite naked, — the manifestation of his power to the utmost.
It is true, never did any wait upon God for the accomplishment and fulfilling of a promise, but he found many difficulties fall out between the word and the thing. So was it vnth Abraham in the business of a son : and so with David in the matter of a kingdom. God will have his promised mercies to fall as the dews upon the parched, gasping earth, or "as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land," Isa. xxxii. 2, — very welcome unto the traveller who hath had the sun beat upon his head in his travel all the day. Zion is a croAvn of glory in the hand of the Lord, as a royal diadem in the hand of her God, Isa. Ixii. 3. The precious stones of a diadem must be cut and polished, before
230 THE STEADFASTNESS OF THE PROMISES,
they be set in beauty and glory. God will have ofttimes the precious living stones of Zion to have many a sharp cutting, before they come to be fully fixed in his diadem ; but yet in the close, whatever obsta- cles stand m the way, the promise hath still Avi'ought out its joassage ; — as a river, all the while it is stopped with a dam, is still working higher and higher, still getting more and more strength, until it bear down all before it, and obtain a free course to its appointed place. Every time opposition lies against the fulfilling of the promise, and so seems to impede it for a season, it gets more and more power, until the aj)pointed hour be come, and then the promise bears do\vn all before it.
Were there any tiling imaginable whereof we had not exj^erience that it had been conquered, to open a door for the fulfilling of every word of God, we might possibly, as to the apprehension of that thing, stagger from some other principle than that of unbelief
What is there in heaven or earth, but God and his ministering spi- rits, that hath not, one time or other, stood up to its utmost opposi- tion, for the frustrating of the word wherein some or other of the saints of God have put their trust? Devils, in their temptations, baits, subtleties, accusations, and oppositions ; — men, in their counsels, rea- sonings, contrivances, interests, dominions, combinations, armies, mul- titudes, and the utmost of theh endeavours; — the whole frame of nature, in its primitive instituted course, — fire, water, day, night, age, sickness, death, all in their courses have fought against the accom- pUshment of the promises. And what have they obtained by all their contendings? All disappointed, frustrated, turned back, changed, and served only to make the mercy of the promise more amiable and glo- rious.