Obs. II. 1 The promises of God are such as belong only to the grace of the covenant, or such as respect also the outward administration of it in this world. Those of the first sort are always, at all times, actu- ally fulfilled and made good unto all believers, by virtue of their union unto Christ, whether themselves have the sense and comfort of that accomplishment in their own souls at all times or no; but of this sort of promises we do not now treat peculiarly. Besides these, there are promises which respect the outward administration of the
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covenant, under the providence of God in this world. Such are all those which concern the peace and prosperity of the church, in its de- liverance out of trouble, the increase of light and truth in the world, the joy and comfort of believers therein, with others innumerable of the like importance; and it is those of this kind concerning which we speak.
Obs. IIT. 2. Some, yea, many promises of God, may have a full accom- plishment when very few know or take notice that so they are,—it may be none atall. And this falls out on sundry reasons; for,—(1.) Such things may, in the providence of God, fall out in and with the accomplishment of them, as may keep men from discerning and acknowledging of it. Great wisdom and understanding were ever required to apprehend aright the accomplishment of such promises as are mixed with God’s dispensations in the affairs of this world, Rey. xiii. 18; nor was this wisdom ever attained in any age by the generality of professors. Thus, when God came to fulfil his promise in the deliverance of his people from Egypt, he suffered at the same time their bondage and misery to be so inereased that they could not believe it, Exod. v. 21-23. See chap. iv. 31, compared with chap. vi. 9. Believers, according to their duty, pray for the accomplishment of the promise of God, it may be in their great dis- tress. God answers their desires. But how? “ By terrible things in righteousness,” Ps. lxv. 5. It is “in righteousness” that he answers them; that is, the righteousness of fidelity and veracity in the accomplishment of his promises. But withal he sees it necessary, in his holiness and wisdom, to mix it with such “ terrible things” in the works of his providence as make their hearts to tremble; so that at the present they take little notice of the love, grace, and mercy of the promise. There are many wonderful promises and predictions in the Revelation that are unquestionably fulfilled, Such are those which concern the destruction of the Pagan-Roman empire, under the opening of the six. seals, chap. vii Yet the ac- complishment thereof was accompanied with such terrible things, in the ruin of nations and families, that very few, if any one indivi- dual person, took notice-of them, at the time when they were under their completion. (2.) It so falls out from the prejudicate opinions that men may and oftentimes do conceive concerning the sense and meaning of the promises, or the nature of the things promised. They apprehend them to be one thing, and in the event they prove another; which makes them either utterly reject them, or not to see their accomplishment. So was it in the exhibition or coming of the Lord Christ in the flesh, according to the promise. The Jews looked for it, and longed after it continually, Mal. iii. 1,2. But they had framed a notion of the promise and the thing promised unto themselves which was no way answered thereby. They ex-
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pected he should come in worldly honour, power, and glory, to sa- tisfy them with peace, dominion, wealth, and prosperity; but he comes quite in another manner, and for other ends: hence they re- ceived him not, nor would at all believe the promise to be ful- filled when it had its exact and complete accomplishment. It may be so with others. They may misunderstand the promises, and look for such things by them as are not indeed intended in them. So many men miscarry, when they overlook the true spiritual import- ance and intention of prophetical promises, to take up with the carnal things which in the letter they are shadowed out by. (8.) Unbelief itself hides the accomplishment of promises from the eyes of men. So our Lord Christ, speaking of his coming to avenge his elect, adds unto it, “ Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke xvii. 8. Men will not ap- prehend nor understand his work through unbelief.
And this one consideration should teach us great moderation in our judgments concerning the application of promises, prophecies, and predictions, unto their seasons. I am persuaded that many have contended (thereby troubling themselves and others) about the seasons and time wherein some prophecies are to be fulfilled, which have long since received their principal accomplishment, in such a way as those who now contend about them think not of. Such are many of those which are by some applied unto a future estate of the kingdom of Christ in this world, which were fulfilled in his coming and erection of his church. And whereas many of that nature do yet doubtless remain upon record, which shall be accomplished in their proper season, yet when that is come, it may possibly very little answer the notions which some have conceived of their sense and importance. Experience also hath sufficiently taught us that those computations and conjectures at the times of fulfilling some promises which seem to have been most sedate and sober, have hitherto constantly disappointed men in their expectations. That God is faithful in all his promises and predictions; that they shall every one of them be accomplished in their proper season; that the things contained in them and intended by them are all of them fruits of his love and care towards his church; that they all tend unto the advancement of that glory which he hath designed unto himself by Jesus Christ; are things that ought to be certain and fixed with us. Beyond these we ought to be careful, (1.) That we affix no sense unto any promise which we conceive as yet unaccom- plished, that is, [1.] In any thing unsuited to the analogy of faith,— like those who dreamed of old of such a promised kingdom of Christ as wherein all the Mosaical worship and rites should be restored; [2.] That debaseth spiritual promises unto carnal lusts and inte- rests,—like them who, in the foregoing age, under a pretence of