378 Of9odsprom/èr this conclufion,Chrift bathdyed, be bold tofinne. It is good therefore for amanto watch himfelfe, whether inhearing thepromifes of God hebath a colde feare comming onhint for hisvnworthineffe, whichif he haue, thatmanmay hope wellof himfelfe. For duna: ture of apromife fromGod,excludes fecuritie, and therefore itmull endeinfeare. Theomitnot z Wepronouncethatthenature ofapromifeexcludethdeferts ,defertsI fay, not debt ofGad (for fowee fhouldieareofitfo oftenasmention'is made of paying, rewarding,and red_ butfree. dering.) Againft the Papiftswee, fay thereforethere aretwo debtes, the oneofdefert,as hire is due toa labourer , forhe hashdeferued it : the other, a debt ofpromife,which isas ronekindref well tobe rendered, as a debt of defers. For example, becaufeI would make it plain, debts. when the daughter of Herodias daunted before Herod, bee in the vanitieof hisbrain Note. made a promifeof gluingher any thingfhe would aske, even totheonehalfeofhis kin,.. dome : and after for therenderingofthe promife,bee made a confcienceof hisoath. Now no man I fuppofe,that is of any valour , thinkes, thatthisvaineexercifedeferued- halfca Againftmerit kingdome,tn lus valuation (for it deferued-ratheranotherthingfarre worfe) butthe debt 01 norkr, that is dueisnot ofdefers but of romife. She could not come and fa giuenie, becaufe s P Yrg I haue deferued, but giueme, becaufe thouhaftpromifed. Nomorecan we fayinto God, we hauedone this,pay vs,but thouhalt promifed to vs,therefore grauntvswhat thouhalt promifed, though notto vs immediatly,yetto Chrift by defert,andto vs for Chrift hisfake by promife,thouhalt madeit a debt: andtogoe yetmore narrowly to the nature ofapro- m ife,itis rather paid rothepromifer,then tohim towhô it is promifed,as one ofthefathers faith,God paiethhis promife tohimfeif, &the accomplifhmentofit moltrefpedts himfelfe: The nature of a promife is nut prefently toyceldethethingpromifed (for if o had that, wee hauenot aprotnife ofd thingto bee perfourmed,buta perfourmance ofaching, thathathbeenepromifed ) wee:ftapde infaith, and receyue inhope, andwhatmoeuer wee are,wee arebút on hope,which is our tenant, andtakes vp our polleffion of things to comefor our behoofe. Our lifefaith Jowl is hiddewith Chrift. And it appearesnot,faith John, Whitwee¡hall bee. Butthe heftthatmaybemadeof thewicked, is here tobefeene to thevttermoft. And feting our WeisinChrift, allthat are onthe frage of theworide, it is knowne, who they be,namely thewicked, butwhatfoeuer is theprice of theggdly,it is yet hiddeir. Chrift, weehauenothing, butthe hopeofir. Nowe leaft fome fhould fay, ifwe haue nothing but in liopeeiitwere betterto lianefomethiug certayne. To them I fay, wee doe notfpeakeof'aprwnilefromaman. TheApoftlefaith,theLordeisfaithfull. If the lifeof aChriitian be compared to a warfare, thenhope is ourhelmet, Eplyef.chap.6. If itbecompared to a fea-faring; then ourhope is asan anchour, whichwee muff caft in- Hope. to theftswith them, AELchap.28.to ftoppeour fhippein dangers,vntillthe day appeare. Laftly this is our flay, God isfaithful!,bee bathpromded,therefore he will furely performe it. Firfthefpeaketh the worde, thenhepromifeth, that is, faith itdoubly : In blefiingthee, Iwillbleffe. Thenhe addeth anoath: AsVise,faith the Lord, lwill vifitthee o andyetmore, hebath left vspledges, furtherto affure vs of thetrueth of lois.word : if neitherhis word, his promife norhis oathwilferue vs wehauenothingbutpromifes :for coiicerningriches, God,cbildren glory, countrey,andfucio like,Godhis children oftenwant them.Come to Godhtsgrace, coant'aften and topeace of confcience, which onewould thinktheyfhouldhaue,they often bauethem peaceofeon- not: but faith they liane,the promifethey haue, entrythingdfe theyhaue not : Rill they [ciaste. haue the promifes,them they haue : Our faith takes Isoldeon our firmes pardoned ,onthe aflurance ofthelife to come:thefe we banewithout peraduenture,wehaue the otherthings butbyperaduenture.The beltthings wehaue wepoflefíeand banethemby hope and they that pane outward things,are beholden highly toGod,but they benot hisheft blelfings. Thepromires q Howfoeuer fotneelunke but meanelyof Godhis promife, yetnothing is more woe- ofGodare a thie our confederation and thankefulnetle. That that is, z.Sam.r8.t8.,tu the fpeechof grea'm74% Daaid, when one tolde him that dif ofed to ruehim one of his daughters in andke P g vstbankefaii. marriage, may herebenoted,for what, faithhee, feemerh it fmallto pa tobeaKingsforme: wisst soul? or what ismy life?or timefaniiiy ofmyf atherinIlrael,thatIthouldbetheIonne inlawvino a King? So maywee fay, whatare wee? or what is our life, or the familie of our father, thatthe Lorde fhouldvouchfafe tomake fuch promifes vnto vs ::Daaid made
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