4. I say, these discoveries of God's good-will are made through Christ, as the only medium of their accomplishment, and only pro- curing cause of the good things that, flowing from the good-will of God, are inwrapped and tendered in them, 2 Cor. i. 20. And they are said to be in Christ, as, — (1.) The great messenger of the covenant, as in him who comes from the Father, because God hath confirmed and ratified them all in him ; not in themselves, but unto us. He hath in him and by him given faith and assurance of them all unto us, declaring and confirming his good-will and love to us by him. He reveals the Father (as a father) from his own bosom, John i. 18, declaring his name or grace unto his, chap. xvii. 3. " All the pro- mises of God in him are yea, and in him amen, to the glory of God by us," 2 Cor. i. 20. In him, and by his mediation, they have all their confirmation, establishment, and unchangeableness unto us. (2.) Because he hath undertaken to be surety of that covenant whereof they are the promises: Heb. vii. 22, he is "the surety" of the covenant ; that is, one who hath undertaken, both on the part of God and on ours, whatever is needful for confirmation thereof And, (3.) Because that himself is iha great subject of all these promises, and in hira (it being of his own purchase and procuring, he "having obtained
' John iii. 16; Rom. viii. 32; ] Cor. i. 30; Phil. i. 29; Eph. i. 3. 2 Gen. viii. 21, 22. s Eph. ii. 4, 5, 8.
V.J THE PKOMISES OF GOD. 231
eternal redemption for us," Heb. ix. 1 2) there is treasured up all the fulness of those mei'cies which in them God hath graciously engaged himself to bestow, they being all annexed to him, as the portion he brings with him to the soul/ Then, I say, —
5. That they are discoveries of God's good-iuill in a covenant of grace. They are, indeed, the branches, streams, and manifesting con- veyances, of the gTace of that covenant, and of the good-will of God putting itself forth therein. Hence the apostle mentions the " covenants of promise," Eph. ii. 12, either for the promises of the covenant or its manifestation, as I said before. Indeed, as to the subject-matter and eminently, the promise is but one, as the covenant is no more ; but both come under a plural expression, because they have been variously delivered and renewed upon several occasions. So the covenant of grace is said to be established upon these pro- mises, Heb. viii. 6; that is, the grace and mercy of the covenant, and the usefulness of it to the ends of a covenant, to keep God and man together in peace and agreement, are laid upon these promises, to be by them confirmed and established unto us, God having by them revealed his good-will unto us, with an attendancy of stipula- tion of duty. Their use, for the begetting and continuing commu- nion between God and us, with the concomitancy of precepts, places them in the capacity of a covenant. And then, —
6. I mentioned the foundation of the certainty and uncliange- ahleness of these promises, with our assurance of their accomplish- ment. The engagements and undertakings of God, upon his truth and faithfulness, are the stock and unmovable foundation of this respect of them. Therefore, speaking of them, the Holy Ghost often backs them with that property of God, "He cannot lie:" so Heb. vi. 17, 18, "God, willing more abundantly to show unto the^eirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie," etc.; so Tit. i. 2, "God, which cannot lie, hath promised us eternal life." There is no one makes a solemn promise, but as it ought to proceed from him in sincerity and truth, so he engageth his truth and faithfulness, in all the credit of them, for the accom- plishment thereof what lieth in him; and on this account doth David so often appeal unto and call upon the righteousness of God as to the fulfilling of his promises and the word which he caused him to put his trust in.^ It is because of his engagement of his truth and faithfulness, whence it becometh a righteous thing with him to perform what he hath spoken. How far this respect of the promises extends, and wherein it is capable of a dispensation, is the sum of our present controversy. But of this afterward. Then, —
1 John i. 16 ; Col. i. 18, 19, ii. 19, etc. ; Rom. Tiii. 32. 3 Ps. xxxi. 1, 5, 14 ; Isa. xlv. 19 ; 2 Pet. i. 1.
2;?2 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTs' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
7. A Lrief description of the matter of these promises, and what God freely engageth himself unto in them, was insisted on. Of this, of the promises in this regard, there is one main fountain or spring, whereof there are two everlasting streams, whence thousands of refreshing rivulets do flow. The original fountain and spring of all good unto us, both in respect of its being and manifestation, is that he will be our God: Gen. xvii. 1, 2, " I am the Almighty God ; walk before me and be thou perfect : and I will make my covenant," etc. So everywhere, as the bottom of his dealing with us in covenant: Jer. xxxi. S3, " I will be their God, and they shall be my people;" Isa. liv. 5 ; Hos. ii. 23 ; and in very many other places. Now, that he may thus be our God, two things are required :—