and would faine offend no more 2 The second place is Ezech. 36. 25. and 7. where many obiections are euidently answered the consolations beeing fitted of purpose so as euery word almost preuents some doubt might arise in mens mindes as 1. Ob. I am exceeding lothsome and a creature extremely filthy in respect of my sinnes Solu I will powre cleane water vpon you that is I will wash your soules in the fountain of my grace and both forgiue you and sanctifie you 2. Ob. Oh it cannot be that any meanes should doe me good I am so totally defiled Sol. Ye shall be cleane t is easie for God to clense vs t is our owne vnbeliefe hinders vs God hath promised our cleansing 3. Ob. O but my sinnes are great and grosse sins I haue offended more grieuously then other men Sol. From your Idols from your filthinesse will I cleanse you though thy sins were as great as Idolatry in the first Table or whoredom in the second yet God can forgiue and sanctifie thee 4. Ob. But my nature is so bad that if I were forgiuen I should offend againe Sol. A new heart will I giue thee where GOD forgiues our sinnes hee giues vs another disposition and changeth our natures vers 2. 6. 5. Ob. O but I am so ignorant I cannot but offend Solu A new spirit will I put within you he will giue vs vnderstanding and wisdome 6. Ob. But I am so dull and hard-hearted that I am not sensible of my own distresse or wants and cannot bee affected with the excellency of the goodnes or promises of God Solu I will take away the stony heart out of your body God will cure vs of hardnesse of heart 7. Ob. But if my heart were softned and that I had some feeling it would grow hard and senselesse againe Sol. I will giue you a heart of flesh 8. Ob. O but if all this were done for mee yet I know not how to order my selfe and what to doe to goe on in a religious course of life Solu I will put my Spirit within you verse 27. 9. Ob. If the Lord doe giue mee his Spirit yet I feare I shall not bee ruled by it but offend and grieue the Spirit of God through ignorance or want of strength Solu I will cause you to keepe my Statutes and ye shall keepe my iudgements and doe them The Lord will worke our workes for vs and teach vs to obey and giue vs power to doe what he commandeth 10. Ob. I finde a maruellous vnfitnesse in the very things of my outward estate Solu Ye shall dwell in the land the Lord will blesse vs in outward things as well as in spirituall 11. Ob. But when I come to vse the creatures me thinkes I see such vnworthinesse in my selfe that I am almost afraid to meddle with them Sol. I gaue the land to your Fathers you hold these outward blessings not by your deserts but by my gift and my gift is ancient I bestowed these things on your Fathers 12. Ob. It may bee so our Fathers were in couenant with God and more eminent men and more worthy then we Solu Yee shall be my people and I will bee your God Gods couenant of grace is with the Fathers and their generations after them if he haue beene thy Fathers God hee will be thy God also and thou shalt bee of his people 13. Ob. O but I finde such daily sins I am polluted in euery thing I doe I am many waies vnclean Sol. I will also saue you from your vncleannes God will multiply pardon hee will forgiue vs and comfort vs against our sinnes after calling 14. Ob. But how shall I beleeue all this for I see God hath plagued vs by famine and scourged vs with great want which stil lies vpon vs. Solu I will call for the corne and increase it and lay no more famine vpon you I wil multiply the fruit of the trees and the increase of the field c. 15. Ob. But is there no condition on our part Solu Yes for all this shall bee done vnto you when you remember your owne euill waies and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selues for your iniquities and for your abominations These comforts belong vnto vs when wee are throughly displeased with our selues for our faults And besides for all this must the Lord be sought vnto wee shall obtaine all or any of these but wee must aske first vers 31. 37. CHAP. XIII Shewing how a godly man may comfort himselfe against the feare of falling away HItherto of the comforts against our daily infirmities The consolations against the feare of our falling away follow Wee may three waies comfort our selues against this feare namely if wee consider God or Christ or our selues 1 In God there are two things of excellent obseruation both of them exprest in the Scriptures The first is that hee hath vndertaken to preserue vs from falling away The second shewes vs distinctly how he will performe this For the first that GOD will keepe vs from falling away we haue four things to assure vs. First the promises of God directly to that end for he assures vs that his Elect shall enioy the worke of their hands and shall not labour in vaine Esay 65. 22. 23. The smoking weeke shall not be quenched nor the bruised reed broken Esay 42. Not one of them shall bee lacking in the whole flocke Ierem. 23. 4. God will build them and not plucke them downe hee will plant them and not pull them vp Ierem. 24. 6. He will confirme vs in and to the end that we may bee blamelesse in the Day of our Lord Iesus Christ for God is faithfull who hath called vs to the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. 2. Secondly the decree of GOD concerning which the Apostle saith That the foundation of God remaineth sure he knoweth who are his Though Hymeneus and Philetus fall away yet none that call vpon the name of the Lord and depart from iniquity can neuer bee lost 2. Tim. 2. 19. Thirdly the attributes of God and so there bee three things in God may wōderfully settle vs against this feare The one is his faithfulnesse The other is his power The third is his immutable loue All three are laid to pawne for the performance of this preseruation so pleaded in Scripture For his faithfulnes the Apostle therethēce concludes that the godly shall bee confirmed to the end as was alleadged before 1. Corin. 1. 8 9. and so hee reasoneth writing to the Thessalonians The Lord is faithfull who shall stablish you and keepe you from euill 2. Thess. 3. 3. And of the power of God these places speake Wee are kept by the power of God to saluation 1. Pet. 1. 5. I know saith Paul whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him
must preface about fiue things which tend to make vs more fit to receiue them First it will be profitable for vs to consider briefly the worth of the promises they are called the vnsearchable riches of Christ to assure vs that he is a very rich man that hath his heart stored with the promises of God wel applied The Apostle Peter saith that they are great and precious promises which God hath giuen to vs. Promises in our hearts are better then pearles or precious stones in our chests They are the inheritance God giues to his people in this life and therefore they are called the heyres of promise a greater portion then any King on earth can giue to his childe The very keeping of the Records of these promises was a great prerogatiue to the Iewish nation and it is accounted a singular happinesse for the Gentiles that they may now partake of those promises Little doe wee know what wrong we doe to our soules when wee keepe them ignorant of the promises and it is one of the greatest offices vnder the Sunne to dispense these promises to man 2. Tim. 1. 1. Titus 1. 1. 2. 3. Secondly before I enter vpon the explication of the promises I must likewise tell you to whom they belong and who they are that haue interest in them For all vnregenerate men that liue in their sins without repentance are strangers from the couenants of promise The children of the bond-woman haue no part in the testament of Grace onely they that are Christs haue the benefit of the promises in Christ. The children of God are the heyres of promise Men must haue godlinesse that haue the promises eyther of this life or that to come In short all those that haue repented them of their sinne and belieue in Iesus Christ may come to these promises with large hearts as knowing that they reade and heare that which they haue clear and full interest in Thirdly concerning the vse these promises may be put vnto all our life long They will driue away griefe discouragement or feares that at any time may seize vpon vs They will sweeten all our afflictions they will exceedingly nurse vp and confirme our faith and further they will haue a singular vse in preseruing vs against the inticements of the profits pleasures and lusts of the world and against the cares of this life Our affections are the feete of our soules and with the promises wee may bee daily shod so as neyther thorny cares pricke vs nor foule pleasures defile vs Eph. 6. The Gospel shewes vs still a better proiect when the Deuill or the world intice vs. And a true reason why many times wee are not able to resist inticements is because our hearts are not filled with the promises which else would shew vs so much sweetnesse as all other things would seeme but base in comparison of them When we are tempted with the pleasures of sinne if wee haue not a more delightfull proiect to offer to our hearts it is easie for vs to be seduced And further these promises soundly studied and laid vp in our hearts will breed cheerefulnesse of spirit and that contentation which makes godlines to be so great gaine And besides they will daily excite in vs all encouragements to well-doing and they doe also set out maruellously the glory and splendor of Gods loue power presence prouidence and grace toward vs. What shall I say the promises giue vs euen heauen vpon earth and set out the incomparable gaine of true godlinesse yea by them we approch so neere vnto God that as Peter saith By them we partake of the Diuine nature A fourth thing which I would preface about is concerning the infallibilitie of these promises For that may much enflame in vs the desire to store our hearts with them hauing heard of their worth if we likewise be fully assured concerning the certaine accomplishment of all the good which is contained in them I suppose no man doubts but that if it could be made good that a poor Christian might haue all those excellent things which are contained in all the promises of the Bible he were in a matchlesse estate Now there are many things which may put vs out of all doubt in that point marke them heedfully for they may do thee singular good First obserue that the promises are in some scriptures called in the singular number the Promise and why so As for other reasons so to assure thee it is as sure and as easie for God to fulfil al that goodnesse contained in al those promises as if they were but one onely promise 2 Consider the Nature of God hee cannot lye it is impossible for him to deny his word he may as easily deny himselfe If God haue said it it must needes come to passe This argument is vsed in this point Titus 1. 1. 2. 3 The antiquity of these promises much adde to our assurance The Apostle in Titus 1. 2. saith that these promises were made before the world was and hitherto in all this time God neuer failed of one word of his goodnes 4 We haue the writing of God to shew for them they are vpon Record in the Scripture and shall we mistrust when we haue Gods owne hand to shew for it His word is true and righteous altogether Ps. 19. 8 5 Yea we haue the oath of GOD too that by two things in which it is vnpossible for God to change the heyres of promise might haue abundant consolation whensoeuer they make recourse vnto the promises Hebr. 6. 17. 18. 6 Wee haue these promises preached vnto vs by Ambassadors sent of purpose at the commandement of God who hath enioyned them to make it manifest that God will bee as good as his word in all those Titus 1. 3. 7 Yea Christ Iesus himselfe did imploy his Ministry to assure and confirme the promises made before to the Fathers as the Apostle shewes Rom. 15. 8. 8 Yet more wee haue the bloud of Christ and the death of the Testator to cōfirme this new Testament and all the promises contained therein Hebr. 9. 16. so as in Christ they are now all yea and Amen there can bee no nay nor deniall of them they well may be now pleaded in any Court of the Iustice of God 9 The Anointing that is vpon vs may assure vs establish vs. Was there euer any King anointed of God to be a King that made doubt of the Kingdome Why The annointing of God is vpon our hearts the graces of the spirit powred out vpon vs are our assurance that God will not with-hold from vs our regall priuiledges if wee seeke them 2. Cor. 1. 20. 21. 10 It is some setling to vs to consider the extent of the right to those promises For God hath excepted no sort of men but in Christ they may get to
haue their part in those promises as the Apostle shewes Galath 3. 27. 28. 29. 11 The Law was the onely thing that might hinder vs of the enioying of the promises And the Apostle hath proued that the Law cannot disanull the Promises in which the nations of the earth should be blessed made 400. yeers before the Law was giuen on Mount Sinai Galat. 3. 17. 21. 12 We haue the seale of GOD to this writing now God hath sealed four waies First in his Counsell the booke of his eternall counsell was written within and without and it had seuen seales to signifie that it was perfectly ratified and though none in heauen and earth could reade it yet for our comforts wee know that the Lambe of the tribe of Iuda the Lord Iesus Christ our Sauiour hath opened it now and made it manifest Reuel 5. 1. 2. c. 2 In his Sonne for him hath God the Father sealed Iohn 6. 27. God made all sure when hee sent out Christ he sealed his commission in all things that concerned the happinesse both of Iewes Gentiles 3 In his Spirit and thus all the belieuers are said to be sealed by the Spirit of Promise and this is Gods priuy Seale 4 God hath sealed to all his promises in the Sacraments which are giuen vs as Gods broad Seales and outward tokens and pledges to confirme our Faith 13 We haue the experience also of all the saints who in all ages found God as good as his word and had euer reason to say as Dauid did In the Lord will we praise his word Psalm 56. 10. The Patriarchs embraced the Promises as the chiefe stay of their liues in their pilgrimage on earth Heb. 11. 13. Thus of the fourth point 5 A fift thing I would preface about is concerning certaine rules to bee obserued if we would euer receiue the sound profit of these promises and so wee must looke to sixe directions First when wee come to these promises we must renounce our own merits all opinion of our owne worthinesse and acknowledge from our hearts that all the grace we find in the promises is in through Iesus Christ. All the promises are yea and Amen through him and onely in him 2 When wee haue the promises laid open before vs we must beleeue them and apply them to our selues or else they will doe vs no good 3 We must be further carefull to hide them in our hearts to commit them to memory that wee may be often thinking of them and musing vpon them It will not serue the turn that wee haue them written in the Bible or in our note-bookes but wee must get them written in our hearts too wee must bee at the paines to acquaint our selues distinctly with them and to fill our heads with store of them 4 When any thing ayleth vs we must flye to him for refuge and cast the anchor of our hope vpon them that God himselfe may see that our hearts are bent to trust vpon his Word 5 We must neuer cast away our confidence in them but wait with patience and not limit God to the time or manner or meanes of accomplishment but hold fast to his promises and â—eaue the rest to God as in many places of Scripture may appeare especially Hebr. 10. 36. Rom. 4. 22. 6 In short wee must â—ooke to it that we be not slothfull and idle and such as will not be at the paines to study and commit to memory and rest vpon these glorious comforts but wee must follow them which through faith and patience doe inherit the promises Thus of the Preface CHAP. II. The diuision of the Promises THE Promises may bee diuided into three parts 1 The first may containe such places of Scripture as shew the Priuiledges of the godly aboue other men and that is one chiefe way by which the Lord doth refresh the hearts of his people by assuring them in generall of such such prerogatiues which hee will confirme vpon them and vpon none but them 2 The second may containe comforts that is places of Scripture which do foretell what goodnes the Lord will shew to his people in affliction For hither-vnto belong all those promises which are giuen of purpose for the comforting and supporting of the godly in all their trialls 3 The third part may containe such Promises as are made to certaine particular Graces in the godly as promises made to praier faith trusting in God or such like It is the second sort of promises which I intend here more at large to intreat of I would shew what variety of comforts there are with which a godly man may inflame his heart according to the seuerall distresses may fall vpon him and these may be thus subdiuided All afflictions are eyther outward or inward For outward afflictions it were too tedious and to little purpose to gather comforts against euery particular crosse and therfore one head may suffice for the Generall viz. the promises or consolations against all outward afflictions Now because godly people are oftentimes more troubled with the stormes and reproches of the world which are cast vpon them for well-doing then with the ordinary afflictions of life therefore I would in the second place gather the comforts against reproches and withall I would adde in the third place consolations against aduersaries Now for inward afflictions they are the afflictions of the spirit of man and arise eyther from the temptations of Sathan or from the trouble of the conscience vnsatisfied in diuers scruples I would therfore in the fourth place shew how wee might bee comforted against the temptations of Sathan and because the trouble of conscience ariseth vsually eyther from the burthen of our daily infirmities or from the feare of our falling away I would in the fifth place shew how we may bee comforted against our daily infirmities and then in the last place I would vnfold those promises that may assure vs of perseuerance Now suppose a Christian soule clearely informed with the knowledge of those priuiledges wherein he excels all the people of the world and withall that he knew how to comfort himselfe against any outward afflictions and had store of consolations in his heart against the temptations of Sathan and did know how to support himselfe against the sence of his daily weakenesses and withal were setled out of feare for falling away would you not thinke such a one wonderfull happy And this may be heere attained vnto if wee be not slothfull and what can in this life bee grieuous vnto vs if wee be soundly fenced in those things There can be nothing that can seeme a misery vnto vs but wee may find comforts vnder some one of these titles CHAP. III. Shewing the priuiledges of the godly aboue all other people THe first sort of promises or comfortable places of Scripture are such as in general
shew the happinesse of the godly in all estates of life these I call priuiledges These are such comforts as are not restrained vnto some certaine time but are such as he is inriched with all at all times These we ought to know as the foundation of all the rest and wee should striue to haue them perfectly in our memories so as any time we could number them if need were Euery godly Christian hath twelue priuiledges wherein hee excels all the men of this world 1 The first is the loue and fauour of God the especiall grace of God toward him this is the foundation of all his happinesse and if hee could order his owne heart aright hee could easily see that hee could not be miserable so long as he was in fauor with his God If the fauour of great persons be so much accounted of what reckoning is to be made of Gods fauour who is Lord of Lords yea King of all Kings and the more should a Christian fill his heart with ioying in this prerogatiue if hee consider three properties in the loue of God For first it is a free loue hee stands not vpon desert he is gracious looking vpon his owne goodnesse and not on ours Hosea 14. 4. Secondly it is an eternall loue and vnchangeable God will neuer bee weary of louing him Ierem. 31. 3. His louing kindnesse is better then life for it lasts vnto all eternity without alteration The fauour of man in this world is mutable Kings may extremely loath whom they yer-while loued with their intirest affection but in God there is no shadow of changing hee loues with an euerlasting loue Thirdly it is infinitely immense and great no affection in any or in all the creatures in this world if they could be fastned vpon one man can reach to the thousand part of Gods loue to vs Ephes. 2. 47. Esay 49. 15. 16. This light of Gods countenance shining vpon vs makes vs at all times more rich then they that are encreased most in corne and wine and oyle Psal. 4. 7. 8. 2 The second is the donation of Christ Christ is his God hath giuen him Christ Rom. 8. 32. so as all Christ is his proper portion and how is Christ his euen in all dearenesse of relation He is his Prince his Priest and Redeemer his Father his Lord his Master his Friend his Brother c. All these titles are giuen to Christ to signifie he is all that which those things could shaddow out No father brother friend could so loue their childe brother or friend as Christ loues the Christian. No Lord Master Prince can so prefer prouide or care for their seruants or subiects as Christ cares for the Christian Look what the fauor or power of any of those or al those could doe Christ is wil become much more vnto the godly Christian. 3 The third priuiledge is Deliuerance the Christians deliuerāce is exceeding great if hee consider seriously how he is deliuered from the Kingdome of darkenes from this present euill world frō the dominion of sin from the handwriting of ordinances that was against him from the rigour and curse of the Law and from condemnation The fourth is free pardon of all his sins past his soule being washed in the bloud of Christ from all his sins so as now they were as white as snow though they had beene redde like scarlet 1. Ioh. 1. 7. Esay 1. 18. What rest peace would this breed in our hearts if we did daily thinke of it in our owne particulars that wee had obtained pardon and remission of all our sinnes The fift priuiledge is the inhabitation of the Holie Ghost The soule and body of a Christian is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of God doth verily and truly dwell within the brest of a Christian and that not in a naked presence but the holy Ghost is there to teach him to guide him into all truth to tell him when hee is ready to goe out of the way on the right hand or on the left and to comfort him in all distresses and to seale the promises to his heart and to anoint him with the oyle of true knowledge and grace and to bee as a pledge and earnest of his inheritance looked for from heauen and to teach him to pray when he knowes not how to pray for himselfe and many other excellent benefits hee reapeth from this spirit of God whom the world cannot receiue Hee hath for this respect a very spring of knowledge and ioy and grace in his belly The sixth priuiledge is the Image of God restored in him by the mighty power of Christs voyce in his first resurrection being made now a new creature to God and so partaking of the diuine nature in respect of the qualities wherin hee doth excellently resemble God The seuenth priuiledge is the freedom to Gods house and to all the feasts Diuine entertainment which God makes there Psal. 36. 9. and 65. 4. Esay 25. 8. Luk. 14. 17. Reue. 2. The Word and Sacraments are his he is Gods bidden ghest he may alwaies come and welcome The fatnesse and pleasures of Gods house Oh how sweet are they Who can tell the excellency of the Manna that is hid The eight priuiledge is entrance and accesse and audience with God in all his suites He may aske almost what he will of God hee will not deny him any thing he askes in the name of Christ. And sure he is worthily miserable that will not make himself happy when hee may haue what hee will aske of him that is able to giue what he can aske Marke 11. 24. Ephes. 2. 19. The ninth priuiledge is The seruice and attendance of the Angels The Angels doe pitch their Tents about those that feare God Psa. 34. and are ministring spirits to euery heire of saluation Heb. 1. vlt. Oh the dignity and safety of that man whom the glorious Angels doe guard and attend vpon The poorest Christian hath a better guard about him then the greatest Monarch in the world that is not a Christian. The tenth priuiledge is the Communion of Saints hee is mystically vnited in one bodie to all the worthies that are in heauen or earth and doth effectually enioy the benefit of communion of Saints too large to be heere reckoned vp If it were no more but the profit hee hath by the prayers of the godly all ouer the world were it not a great fauor Ephes. 2. 19. and 3. 6. Philip. 1. 5. Colos. 2. 29. besides al the comforts hee hath in the fellowship with the godly The eleuenth priuiledge is the inheritance of the Earth which is restored to him in Christ so as hee now passeth that which he hath of the earth by as good a Title as euer Adam held Paradise yea so as whatsoeuer in the whole earth is good for him shal not bee with-held from