God's workings are squared to his engagements. This is still the close of all gracious issues of providence, God hath done all 'according as he promised;' Josh. xxii. 4. 2 Sam. vii. 21. He brought out his people of old, 'with a mighty hand, with temptations, signs, and wonders, and a stretched out arm, and all because he would keep the oath which he had sworn,' and the engagement which he had made to their fathers, Deut vii, 8. What obstacles soever
140 A MKMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE
may lie in the way, he hath done it, he will do it. Take one instance ; particular jilaces are too many to be insisted on. It was the purpose of his heart to bring his elect home to himself, from their forlorn condition. This he engageth himself to do. Gen. iii. 15. assuring Adam of a recovery from the mi- sery he was involved in by Satan's prevalency. This surely is no easy work. If the Lord will have it done, he must lay out all his attributes in the demonstration of them to the uttermost. His wisdom and power must bow their shoul- ders, as it were, in Christ unto it : he was ' the power of God, and the wisdom of God ;'■" his engaged love must be carried along through so many secret mysterious marvels, as the angels themselves 'desire to look into,'" and shall for ever adore. Though the effecting of it required that which man could not do, and God could not suffer; yet his wisdom will find out a way, that he shall both do it, and suffer it, who is both God and man. To make good his engagement to his elect, he spared not his only Son : and in him were hid, and by him laid out, 'all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.'"
Now this is a precedent of God's proceeding in all other engagements whatsoever. Whatever it cost him, he will spare nothing to make them good to the uttermost. He is our rock, and his work is perfect. A good man, if he want not power, will go through with his serious promises, though he be engaged to his own hurt; Psal. xv. 4. The power of the mighty God is serviceable to his will to the uttermost. He cannot will what he cannot do : his will and power are essen- tially the same. And his power shall not be Avanting to exe- cute what his goodness hath moved him to engage unto, for his own glory. The reasons of this are,
1. Deut. xxxii. 4. 'He is the rock, and his work is per- fect; all his ways are judgment; a God of truth, and without iniquity.' Here are many attributes of God to make good this one thing, that his work is perfect. His avTctpKua, self- sufficiency, perfection, righteousness. I will pitch on one, he is a God of truth. So he is again called, Psal. xxxi. 5. and in other places. The truth of God in his promises and engagements requires an accomplishment of them whatever it cost, what power soever is required thereunto. This the
» 1 Cor. i. 24. n 1 Pet. i. V2. " Col. ii. 3.
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saints make their bottom to seek it: 'Remember thy loving- kindness, which thou swarest in thy truth ;' Psal. Ixxxix. 4. It is impossiljle but that should come to pass, which thou hast sworn in thy truth. Xo stronger plea than, 'Remember the word, wherein thou hast caused thy servants to put their trust.' Jacob says, he is 'less than all the mercy, and all the truth of God;' Gen. xxxii. 10. He sees God's truth in all his mercy, by causing all things to come to pass, which he hath promised him. It is true, some particular promises have their conditions, whose truth consists not in the rela- tion between the word and the thing, unless the condition intercede. But the great condition under the gospel beino- only the good of them, to whom any engagement is made, we may positively lay down, that God's truth requires the accomplishment of every engagement for his people's good ; Rom. viii. 28. It is neither mountain nor hill, king, king- dom nor nation, hell nor mortality, nor all combined, that can stand in the way to hinder it; Matt, xvi. 18.
2. His people stand in need of all that God hath engaged himself to them for. God's promises are the just measure of his people's wants. Whatever he hath promised, that his people do absolutely want; and whatsoever they want, that he hath promised : our wants and his promises are every way commensurate. If thou knowest not what thou standest in need of, search the promises and see. Whatever God hath said he will do for thee, that thou hast absolute need should be done. Or if thou art not so vvell acquainted with the pro- mises,search thine own wants, what thou standest absolutely in need of for thy good, that assuredly God hath promised. If then this be the case of engagements, they shall all be made good. Think you, will God let his people want that, which they have absolute necessity of? By absolute ne- cessity I mean such as is indispensable, as to their present estate and occasions. That may be of necessity in one ge- neration, which is not in another, according to the several employments we are called to. Does God call forth his saints, 'to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punish- ments upon the people, to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute upon them the judgment written,' as Psal. cxlix. 7 — 9? Doth he bring them forth to burn the whore, to fight with the beast, and overcome