426 THE EVERLASTING COVENANT,
2. The next thing to be done is, an actual resting upon God, or casting of ourselves upon him for all things.
Where these things are not, we do, in speaking of the covenant, but flatter God with our lips. There is no solemn covenant between God and us. This God required when he came to Abraham. Saith he, "Fear not, Abram." Why so? "I am thy shield, and exceeding great reward." Why so? Consider the condition of Abraham, and you will see what reason there was for God to give himself that title in this renewing of the covenant unto him. Abraham was in a wandering condition up and down the world, — exposed to dangers, injuries, distresses, from every hand. He knew not whether there was the fear of God in any place where he came. " Fear not, Ab- ram," saith God; " I am thy shield;" — " Trust me for thy protection, trust me for thy deliverance out of danger." But saith Abraham, " I am engaged in a long and wearisome pilgrimage ; ' and now, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless?' " Men will la- bour and take pains for their posterity in an ordinary way. Abraham had not only that thought about his posterity, but also about the promise. Why, saith God, " I am thy reward, — a sufficient reward unto thee for all thy labour, and travel, and sufferings." We would be glad to be freed from danger, freed from trouble in our pilgrimage, which encompasses us on every hand ; and there is none of us but would be glad to see some reward, — some prosperity of the church of God in this world, and deliverance from trouble. But if we truly enter into covenant with God, we are to take him as a full satisfac- tion for all our dangers, for ail our labours, though we see not the fruit of them in this world. He that enters into covenant with God, takes God for his protection and reward, and him alone. Had we but the power of these things in our hearts, it would alleviate all our troubles, and ease us under all our dangers, fears, distresses, and dis- appointments.
Fifthly. If we would find relief in the covenant, we may do well to consider upon what terms we did enter into covenant with God. Now, entering into covenant with God is twofold : —
1. It may be explicit, — as Avhen it comes to these express terms mentioned, Hos. iii. 8, "Thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee." Some persons have laid the foundation of their obedience in direct, express covenanting with God. And, —
2. Sometimes it is implicitly wrought; as where God, in the con- version of men, deals with them as he saith he will do with the church, Hos. ii. 14, "I will allure them into the wilderness, and there speak comfortably unto them." God, by little and little, various workings and reasonings of the Spirit by the word upon the heart and affec- tions, doth allure them from their former state, draws them aside to
THE BELIEVER'S SUPPORT UNDER DISTRESS. 427
himself in the wilderness, there treats with them, and by little and little speaks comfort unto them ; and so at length makes up the mar- riage covenant, which he mentions in verse 19, and "betroths them to himself for ever." So it is with many: God hath, as to this cove- nant with himself, allured them ; though it would be useful, if not needful, for such persons solemnly and expressly, upon some occa- sions, to renew their covenant with God, as Jacob did.
Now, as to those whom God hath thus taken into covenant, whom he hath thus allured, there are always these two things upon their minds, in their thus entering into covenant with God, which we may do well to consider and remember, —
(1.) That they do surely accept God in Christ for himself, and make no conditions about peace, and prosperity, and freedom from trouble, in this world. Naaman made a reserve, that he would bow in the house of Rimmon; and that spoiled his whole covenant. Whoever hath in sincerity thus engaged in covenant with God, his own soul will bear him witness that he made no condition, had no reserve: and the proffer of any one condition to God or Christ whatever, is enough to ruin the whole marriage contract he tenders to us. Now, for a man to faint and sink under any thing that befalls him, let him retreat unto the covenant, and inquire there whether ever he made a condition against it, — against imprisonment, banishment, poverty, losses, troubles, distresses. Did he say, " If God would keep him from all these?" God made no such condition with him. What God hath actually engaged before in promise, that we may plead with him as a condition,- — -for Jacob did so, "If thou wilt be with me, and bless me:" God had given him that promise, " Thou saidst, I will deal well with thee, and I will surely do thee good/' — but not else.
(2.) You may remember with what affections you engaged unto God. It is a marriage covenant, Jer. iii. 14, " I am married unto you," saith God ; and Isa. liv. 5, " Thy Maker is thy husband ; the Lord of hosts is his name." And there is nothing more eminent in the marriage covenant than a mighty prevalency of affection. I should much doubt whether I had really entered into covenant with God, if I had never found any thing of entire marriage affections to- wards God in Christ for himself. That soul that can, under his dis- tresses, repair to some sense and experience of the prevalency of his affections in it formerly, — it will relieve him against all his troubles, and only make him cry out for such affections unto God again, that will fully satisfy, when they are drawn out unto him. The remem- brance and calling over of these things will greatly relieve and support a soul, whatever its distress or perplexity may be.