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[2.] There are some absolute promises, comprehensive of the covenant of grace, which, as to all those that belong to that covenant, do hold out thus much of the mind of God, that they shall certainly be accomplished in, and to- wards them all. The soul may freely be invited to venture on these promises, with assurance of their eflScacy towards him.
[3.] This God principally declares in all his promises of his mind and purpose, that every soul, to whom they shall come, may freely rest on, to wit ; that faith in the promises, and the accomplishment of the promises, are inseparable. He that believeth shall enjoy. This is most certain, this God declares of his mind, his heart towards us, that as for all the good things he hath spoken of to us, it shall be to us according to our faith. This I say the promises of God do signify of his purpose, that the believer of them shall be the enjoyer of them: in them, ' the righteousness of God is re- vealed from faith to faith;' Rom. i. 17. From the faith of God revealing, to the faith of man receiving. So that upon the making out of any promise, you may safely conclude, that upon believing, the mercy, the Christ, the deliverance of this promise is mine. It is true, if a man stand disputing and staggering, whether he have any share in a promise, and close not with it by faith, he may come short of it ; and yet without the least impeachment of the truth of the promise, or sincerity of the promiser ; for God hath not signified by them, that men shall enjoy the good tilings of them, whether they believe, or not. Thus far the promises of grace are ge- neral, and carry a truth to all, that there is an inviolable connexion between believing, and the enjoyment of the things in them contained. And in this truth is the sincerity of the promiser, which can never be questioned without sin and folly. And this wholly shuts up the spirit from any occa- sion of staggering. * O ye of little faith ! wherefore do ye doubt?' Ah ! lest our share be not in this promise ; lest we are not intended in it. Poor creatures ! there is but this one way of keeping you off from it, that is, disputing it in yourselves by unbelief. Here lies the sincerity of God to- wards thee, that believing, thou shalt not come short of what thou aimest at. Here then is no room for staggering. If pro- clamation be made, granting pardon to all such rebels as.
278 THi; STEADFASTNESS OF PROMISES,
shall come in by such a season ; do men use to stand question- ing whetlier the state bear them any good will, or not ? No, saith the poor creature, I will cast myself upon their faith and truth engaged in their proclamation, whatever I have deserved in particular, I know they will be faithful in their promises. The gospel proclamation is of pardon to all comers in, to all believers : it is not for thee, poor staggerer, to question what is the intendment towards thee in parti- cular, but roll thyself on this, there is an absolute sincerity in the engagement which thou mayest freely rest upon. But,
(4.) Though all be present, truth, power, sincerity; yet if he that makes the promise should forget, this were a ground of staggering. Pharaoh's butler, without doubt, made large promises to Joseph, and probably spake the truth a'ccording to his present intention : afterward standing in the presence of Pharaoh, restored to favour, he had doubt- less power enough to have procured the liberty of a poor innocent prisoner ; but yet this would not do, it did not pro- fit Joseph, because, as the text says, ' he did not remember Joseph, but forgat him;' Gen. xl. 23. This forgetting made all other things useless. But neither hath this the least colour in divine promises. It was Zion's infirmity to say, ' The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me;' Isa. xlix. 14. For, saith the Lord, * Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, but I will not forget thee : behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of ray hands, and thy walls are continually before me ;' ver. 15, 16.
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 in- finitely short of my love to thee. My love to thee is more fixed than so, and how shouldest thou be out of my mind ? How shouldest thou be forgotten? Infinite love will have infinite thoughtfulness and remembrance.
[2.] Multiplicity of business. This with men is a cause
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of forgetting. I had done, says one, as I promised, but multiplicity of occasions thrust it out of my mind, I pray, excuse me. Alas ! 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 Psal. Ixxvii. 9. Neither then is there as to this the least colour given us to stagger at the promise of God.