s a c T,. "' in GodsSta$rrtes, and keepinghis yud: ensents. 5 5 oilspromife : Now a Promfle is only of that which is got d, either temporal Or fprntual, buta Prophecie or PrediFtionmay be of that which is evil, as well as what is good : All the defolacions and cal mines that cache upon ereefòbm, were prophefied of ; but wecannot fay they were promifed, forspromi es are ro ;,e im- braced, as Pant excellently expreffeth it, He6.1 r. r 3. to thewhow harry, joy- ful, glad and ready the heart Mould be, to, receive them : (h remember, thou that art exercifedwithdiffidence and difcouragement,a promd ,:s tobe imbeced, as thou wouldeft thedearefl, welcomcftfriend in the world ! Again a Promife dorh induce tome tie and obligation in him that promifsth, but fv doth not a meet Pred ffion; and becaufe God promrfrngcannot properly to faid eobe bound co as, or tiedtous; Therefore he is by his Promife a debtor to his own fidlity ; he cannot deny himtèlf or his ownword, Reddiedebitacalli deben, fo that the foul urging God. witha promife, mayfay, OLord, it was in thy chcice whether theta wouldft do fuck a thing or no, but fnce thou haft promifed it, and the word is gone out of thymouth; Thy truth, thy congaacy, thy fidelity mull needs make good chyPromífe. Secondly, The T'romifet of Coddefor thematter of them rbey are tuvo fold, fome a. are temporal, and fome are tpiritual; fofor the 'manner they are either Abfolute Of Promife,.. or Conditional; Abfolute Promifes are frith asGod h th made, and he wig fill,. fill, though we believe not at all. Such Promifes doe not depend upon any Grace in us fore-going, neither doe they fuppofç any good qualification in us; Thus that temporal promife, that God Will not drown the world, is abfolutely determined, though men do not believe it, yet Godwill makeit good : So I/i. g. The promife of fending a Chrilt, a Meßae into the world , was an Abfolute Promfee. The callingof the Gentiles, and the calling of the Jews again after the degruffian ofthe Gentiles: Thefe are abfolutely promifed. Foras God bath fomeabfolute Threatnings for adefheudhion of a people; and then though there were Noah, fob andDaniel, they Were not Xs ro deliver that Land ; (o he hash many abfolute Promifes, which all the wickedneffe and unbeliefof men (hall not make void ; andof their Abfoluce.Promifes it is that Paxl faith, He iefaith idl and cannot denyhimfelf, a Tim.2.13. and thatour unfaithfulreffealaall not make void the faith of God, Rcm.3.3. For it is plain in many Promilis, if we doe not be= lieve Goddoth not fulfill them; as if wedo not believe, wecannot be juflified:but he fpeaks there of fach abfolute Promifes, as God will certainly accomplifh, ta- king away allobltrnftions that hinder. a. There areConditional Promifes, but that mull be underftood ina right feet; not as ifthere were any Conditions tobe performed by our, ftréngeh and power, as if theree Conditionswerecaufes and merits of the grace promifed. No, they areearly Qualificationsof the fubjedk, without Which he could t7oe be partaker of the grace promifed. Thus Jollification is promifed toFaith , pardon of fume toRepentance, overcomingof temptationstohim that perfevereth, growth and ínereafeof grace tohim that improvcth the grace he bath, and finely glorifica- tion is promifed to him only that'is fanetified, Here you fee are fome Promifes made enely to Each ashave,grace already, Grace is theCondition for Grace, on- ly there is no Condition or Qualification required ,'Which is not the Abtolute Gift of God at fielt ; for although juftificationbe promifed tohim that belleveth; If you ask, How a man comes to believe, here that we may not tonne in inftni- tam, wemutt fay it is abfolutely promifed had wrought by God himfelf. I doe not herecarload/ difpute about a Qualification and a Condition, nor of the Na. tureof Conditions; that is to be expeited in the controverfal part. Now this Promifein the Text, is of the former fort, an Abfolute Promife, making way for its own Pelf ; As Kings ufe to carry their own Furniture for their ens. tertainment ; So it is here, Grace doth qualifie and worke the very ini- tiall preparations fo, that all is from God io tt, Promife. Nothing is our
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=