we must " lay hold on that covenant," and on " Jesus the Mediator of that covenant," before we can possess the bless- ings of it. Let not this be forgotten. Let us not suppose that we are to obtain mercy in ways of our own devising. We must come to God by Clirist : we must plead what Christ has done and suffered for us : we must trust in him alone. There is "no access to God, for any of us, but by Him"":" "nor is there any name but His, whereby any man can be saved ^."]
2. We must treasure them up in our minds, in order to plead them before God —
[In going to God, we greatly honour him, when we remind him of his promises, and declare our entire dependence on them. See the example of Jacob, who for his power in prayer was surnamed Israel*. He had been assured, in a dream, that God would be with him in all places, and never leave him till he had fulfilled to him his promises in their fullest extent". Full twenty years afterwards, Jacob, in a season of great dis- tress, reminded God of this promise, saying, " O God of my father Abraham, and God of my Father Isaac, the Lord which saldst unto me, Return unto thy country and to thy kindred, and I tvill deal tvell ivith thee : deliver me, I pray thee ! for THOU SAiDST, I will surcly do thee good^." Thus we should bear in mind the promises which God has given us, and pre- sent before him those which are in a more peculiar manner suited to our state. This will give us confidence before God ; and it will secure to us infallibly an answer of peace : for " this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his wdll, he heareth us : and, if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him^."]
3. We must wait with patience for the fulfilment of them —
[God may not answer, either at the time, or in the manner, that our impatient spirits may wish. But though we may ask of him, we are not to dictate to him. We must wait His time, and leave every thing to His disposal. The saints of old " saw the promises afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them^." Thus must we do. Times and seasons must be left to God, who alone knoweth what will be eventually best for us. If we " have found it in our hearts to pray unto
>• Johnxiv. 6. Eph. ii, 18. « Acts iv. 12.
t Gen. xxxii. 24 — 28. ^ Gen. xxviii. 15.
^ Gen. xxxii. 9, 11, 12. >' 1 John v. 14, 15. 2 Heb. xi. 13.
316.1 Nathan's parable. 265
him," we may be sure of two things : first, that God himself has put it into our hearts to pray ; and next, that he therefore put it into our hearts to pray, because it was previously in his heart to give. It is " through faith and patience that we are to inherit the promises =':" and the more dark his dispensations, whether of pro\ddence or of grace, may be, the more must we " hold fast our confidence in him," saying, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him^."]
a Heb. vi. 12. ^ Job xiii. 15.