3tbe JLife ofJraitb --~- ~---~~--- accomplilh, as the Promifc of the MeffiahJ[a. 7· '-!··and of the calling ofthe_ Gentiles, Rom. rr. 26. Some Promifes are conditional, wh1ch God w1ll accomphlh mhis own order, in his own time and in his own manner and meafure; in a word, they arc 110 further promifcd, then'God fceth in wifdom to be moll: meet for his glory, and our good; as, all temporal bleffings, leffe pnnc1pal Graces, and the meafure of all fanc!i. fying Graces: now in all thefc expeCt nothing from them, but that which is fuitablc to the nature thereof. 3. That done, then '!Ye t~tparticula,r good in the homif<which w~ frand in need of, at.d fet Gods power, an~ falthfulnefs, and w1fdom a work, to bnng lt about; for in– fiance, thou art in pcrfecution, and either thou would'fr have dt;liverancc out of it, or comfort and refrelhment in it : In this cafe fee all this in the Promtfc (referring the order, and time, and manner to God) and then fetGods power and faithfulndfea– work that can do it, and his wifdom awork to contrive iti which way he knows bell: pf,! 17 • 1 • This is the meaning of that Text, Commit thy wap unto-the Lord, t>·~tjlin him, and he 1 Y". f· 7. 'fha/1 bring it to pafs ; and httrlY""' care ~tpon the' Lord, f or he careth f wyjm. 4· By faith wait upon God, in that way he hath appointed; it is true, God will work that good for us,yet we mull: ufe the means, & meet God in the courfe of his pro– vidence,otherwifc we livenot byFaith,bllt tempt God,~ndthrow awafhis promifes& a11. i 5. Set it down and conclude, that God will do whatfocver he hath' prJnifed, and we lhall receive it in the ways of his providence : This is the very work of faith it felf, thus it draws fap and vertue from the promi[<, when it concludes, That according tQ the good in the promife, it is fure to be done. 6. But imagine the Lor\l delays, and doth not fuddcnly accomplilh, then mull Jf•· 28 • 1 6. faith take up its frand, 'and fiay till it come: He that bclieverh, maksth nor hajfe, the vijion isfor an appoimed time, and therefore wait for it: fo the Pfalmift, A,- theeyes ofa fcrvant Look._to the hands ofhis M after, and the eyes of a maiden f(J 'her M iftr/s, Jo vur eyes pfal. IH2 • Jrait ~tpon the Lord o~tr God, ltntil he have mercy ~<pun ,,.,. not until we will, or until we fee it fit, but until he will have mer<y upon rts. 7· Imagine the Lord not onely delays, but feems to frown, ·and to fay, H e will not hear: In this cafe, labor with an holy humility to contend with our God, and by ilrong hand to overcome him, for the LordJoves to be overcome thus. \.Vhen Jacob wrellled with God, Let mego, faith the Lora; I will not let theego, faith )acob: So do we catth Gen. I•· _26. the Lord Jefus, and frrive with.him,~ and leave him not, till we have thofe colJllortshe hath promifed, and which we have begged: Surely this is the glory and vill:ory, and triumph of faith, when the Lord is fain 'to lay down his weapons, and to yield himfelf as conquered; Thy na)/tt jha/1 be no more caBed Jarob bttt lfrael, becaufc tholt haft prevatlJed with God. · 28 Two cau;ioQS concerning p-romifes, and the life offaith, are mainly to be obferved in ·the general. ·. i. That not barelythepromifes, butthe pcrfon of Chrift, is the objell: offaith : We ~re not to reil: on the promifcs alone, but to dofc with Chrift in thofe promifes; prbmifts are the pillars of the foul, Chrifr is the fubfbntial pillar of the foul; the promifes ~re declarative pillars, and therefore in receiving of, or having rccourfc unto a promifc, we are firft to feek out for Chrifr in it, as being the foundation of it, and fo to take hold of the promife in him: Thus Philip direll:s the Eunuch, l>elieve on the Lord JeJi'" The p> omife is but the Casket, and Chrift the Jewel in it; the promifc but the field,Chri~ All, p; ;I. ~r~hnco~~:r~;:~~~;~;~;~?n~:,~~~~~~~;~1~ ~~~;~~; !~i::~;~ffi;~a~{;;;:;[~al~,;:;f[~; 1 pardon;but Gods promifes are made in his Son,and are as if a Prince lhould offer to pardon a Traytor, upon marriage with his child, whom in and with that pardon he ten– ders: The reafon hereof is, becaufe Chrift is the grandpromif e, in whom all the pr~- 2 Cor. 1. ~9· mifes are Yea, and Amen. 2. That promifcs in things temporal and fpiritual (not aBfolutely neceffary to falvat~ on) are not univerfal, but inde'finite, (i.e.) he makes ftlch promifes, becaufe fomctimcs Jam: S• Is. (though not always) he grants accordingly. For inflance, that 1promife ofhealing the jick.. cannot be univerfal, for it might then be fuppofed that fick men lhould never dye, fee– lng the Elders may at all fuch times ofdanger of death, frill come and pray with them, H<·h. 9 . 1 7. but we all know it is appointed for all men pnce to dye ; the meaning_thereof is, that pray- • er is at\ Ordinance to whjch God hatb .made fuch a gracious promife, and he often doth te11ore the fick at their.prayers; an~ therefore upon every fuch particular occafion, we arc
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=