Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

to this, there are two things I would mention, which this doctrine doth prefùppofe,

1. In that fome are the children of promife by grace, it fuppofes that all are children of wrath by nature, Eph. ii. 3. Becaufe of the breach and violation of the law of works in Adam, we forfeited the promife of life, and incurred the threatening of death, according to the tenor of the covenant, "Do and live," and if thou do not, thou fhalt die and being children of difobedience, we are children of the curfe, and not of the promife; for, "Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things, written in the book of the law to do them," Gal. iii. 10. There is the fad ftate wherein all Adam's natural offfpring are fince the fall: we are Ishmaelites; children of the bond-woman; born after the flesh; under the curfe; and in bondage to fin, Satan, death, and hell; aliens to the common-wealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers to the covenant of promife, Eph. ii. 12. It is true, there was a promife of life in the covenant of works, under which we are by nature; but it being upon condition of our perfect and perfonal obedience, now impoffible, it can give no relief to the awakened confcience, but leaves all, whofe eyes are open, to everlasting defpair, if they get not a view of the covenant, and better promise. Therefore,

2. In that fome are the children of promife, it fuppofes that furely, there is another promife, according to which God propofes to deal with fome of the children of men; a promife, not built upon the filly foundation of any mere man's perfonal obedience, but a promife eftablished on a better foundation, and ftanding faft in another Head; and it is called a promife of life in Christ Jefus, 2 Tim. i. 1. And that not according to our works, but according to his own purpofe and grace, which was given us in Chrift Jefus before the world began, ver. 9. compared with Tit. i. 2. Not according to the tenor of the covenant of works; for, while finners look to that covenant, nothing is to be feen there but confuming fire; nothing to be heard but thunder and threatenings; nothing to be expected but death and vengeance; therefore man is under no difpenfation

but

but that of a terrible threatening, till the promise in Chrift appear. There is a fourfold capacity wherein man hath had to do with God.

(1.) As a commanding God; men, even as creatures, being obliged to yield obedience to the great Creator's law and commandment, which was engraven on their hearts, in the original make and conftitution of our first parents, when they dropt out of his creating hand.

(2.) As a covenanting God; I mean, in the covenant of works, which God entered into with man, as a covenant of life and death, upon his doing or not doing what God commanded.

(3.) As a threatening God, upon the violation of that covenant; and this is the capacity wherein all mankind have to do with God; they that fee God out of Chrift with their eyes open, while they are in a natural flate, can fee him no other ways than arrayed with threatenings and wrath, until he pleafe to difcover himself.

(4.) As a promifing God, upon a better foundation than the first covenant, even his promife in Jesus Christ, before the world began.-Now, there is no dealing with God for eternal life and falvation, unless he fhew himfelf to be God in a promife.

Having premifed thefe things, I come now to speak a little concerning the promife, whereof believers are the children. And, in general, the promife is the fame with the covenant of grace, in oppofition to the covenant of works: or, the promife is the fame with the gofpel, in oppofition to the law; hence the promife and the gofpel are made one and the fame thing in this epiftle, Gal. iii. 8.; and hence the promise and the law are fet in oppofition to one another, verse 18. But more particularly, for opening up the promife, whereof believers are children; we may confider, concerning the promife, 1. The Subject, or Author of it. 2. The matter of it. 3. The nature of it, 4. The object of it.

Ift, The Subject of this promife, or whofe promise it is. And,

1. It is the promise of GoD, even God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; therefore called the promife of God, Gal. iii. 21. Indeed all the divine perfections are engaged for the accomplishment thereof, that our faith and hope might be in God. God the Father is the great author, the grand contriver, and original fountain of the covenant; "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began," Titus i. 2. And the great promise of the covenant is called the promife of the Father, Acts i. 4. And hence the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift is faid to blefs us with all fpiritual bleffings, Eph. i. 3.

2. It is the promife of Chrift; he alfo is the promifer; and therefore, when he left his people, and went out of this world, he opened his mouth to them in manifold promifes, John xv, xvi, xvii. chapters. And hence alfo he invites finners to himself, by the encouragement of a promife; "Come to me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” Matth. xi. 28.

3. It is the promife of the Spirit; hence he is called the Spirit of promife, Eph. i. 13. both because he is promifed, and becaufe he is the promifer: and what are all the promifes of the new covenant, but the language of the Holy Ghoft, the voice of the Spirit, the Spirit of the Father, and of the Son, whofe voice we are called to hear? And hence in the epilogue of all the epiftles to the feven churches of Afia, Rev. ii. and iii. chapters; the conclufory promifes are all backed with this advertisement, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit faith to the churches." And again,

4. It is the promife of God in Chrift, by the Holy Ghoft. That it is the promife of God in Chrift, is plain from Gal. iii. 17. where it is called the covenant confirmed of God in Chrift; and 2 Tim. i. 1. "The promise of life, which is Chrift Jefus ;" and given us in Christ, verfe 9.; yea, 2 Cor. i. 20. "All the promises of God are in him Amen:" they have all their establishment and ratification in his blood: hence that joyful found and glad tidings, 2 Cor. v. 19. "God was in Chrift

recon.

reconciling the world to himself, and not imputing their trefpaffes to them; and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation, bearing that he hath made him to be fin for us, that we might be made the righteousnefs of God in him." Again, that it is the promise of God in Chrift, by the Holy Gott, is plain, not only from his being the third perfon exifting in the Godhead, and proceeding from the Father and the Son; but allo from his office in the work of redemption, which is to make the powerful application thereof, as the great Teacher and Remembrancer, for bringing home the promise to the hearts of his people appointed unto life; "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghoft, whom the Father will fend in my.name; he fhall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatfoever I have faid unto you," John xiv. 26. Again, "He fhall convince the world of fin, righteoufnefs, and judgment: He fhall glorify me, for he fhall receive of mine, and fhew it unto you," John xvi. 8. 14.So much for the fubject, the Author of the promife, or whofe promise it is.

2dly, Let us confider a little the matter of the promife, whereof believers are the children; what is the good contained in God's promife. And,

1. God himself is the great matter of the promise, as well as the author of it; as he is the promifer, fo he is the thing promised, Ezek. xxxvi. 28. compared with Jer. xxxi. 33. and Heb. viii. 10. "I will be to them a God, and they fhall be to me a people: I will be your God, and you fhall be my people." It is the greatest promife in all the Bible, and contains the moft ineftimable and invaluable treasure in heaven and earth. O what a great matter is here! God himself giving over himself, and a true propriety in himfelf, to every foul that will receive him, and fay AMEN, by a faith of divine operation even as the hufband gives himfelf up to his wife in marriage, fo does God to the believer; "I will betrothe thee to me for ever, in truth, in righteoufnefs, and in judgment, and in loving-kindnefs." Where-ever the covenant of grace, the covenant of promife is repeated in fcripture, that is always the burden of the fong,

tt

"I will be their God, and they fhall be my people." O what excellent matter is here! Eternity diving into this deep, will never reach the bottom of it. Again,

2. CHRIST himfelf is the great matter of the promife as God promifes himfelf, fo he promifes his Son; Chrift is the great promife, the great fum, centre, and fubftance of the covenant; yea, the all, the fum-total of it: "I will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayeft be my falvation to the end of the earth," Ifa. xlii. 6. and xlix. 9. It is he, that is made of God to us, wifdom, righteousness, fanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30. He is called the mercy promifed, Luke i. 72. The gofpel promises are nothing else but that opening up of the unfearchable riches of Chrift, where there is more precious treasure than ever can be told by all the arithmetic of men and angels to eternity. The first promife that ever was made after the fall, was a promife of Christ, "The feed of the woman fhall bruife the head of the Terpent;" and all the reft of the promifes of the new covenant, are ftreams flowing from that fpring- God never defigned to fave any man by a covenant of works, but he defigned to take occafion by man's fall to glorify his grace; therefore, no fooner does fin come, and a curfe with it, than grace comes in, and a promise with it fo foon as Adam is arraigned before God for fin, the womb of the promife is open, and it is a promise of Chrift, which, in all the after-promifes, is made always gradually more and more clear; and ever fince God drew up the fluice of the promife, it hath been running to this day; and it is flowing to this day, while the promife of Chrift, as the Lord our righteoufnefs and firength, is fet before us as the ground of our faith and hope.

3. The SPIRIT himfelf is alfo the great matter of the promife, or the good things promifed; "I will put my Spirit within you," fays God, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. "I will fend the Comforter," fays Chrift, John xvi. 7. So that, as God promifes himself, and promises his Chrift; fo God and Chrift promife the Spirit: the Spirit in his miffion and motions is here promifed, in his influ

ences

« PreviousContinue »