546 THE WORD OF GOD coMPARED To LIGHT, Book Ill. 5· But if all this be not enough, God hath engaged himfelf by Oath to make them good; he hath, if l may fo fpeak, pawned his own Bein,;, Life, PJwtr, Truth an<l Holinefs upon the performing whatloever he hath promifed to his own Covenant-peo– ple, for when God made a Pr~mife to Abraham, becaoie he could lw• ar by no greater, he fwore by hunfelf, Gen. XXI!. 16, 17. Saying, Surely in blejfing I will Mefs thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thee. And fo after he had patiently endured, he ob– tained the .Promife; For Men verily [wear by the greater, and an Oath of Confir– mation is to them an End of all Strife. Wherein God more abundantly to jhew zmto the Heirs of Promife the Immutability of his Counfel, confirmed it by an Oatb: '1hat by t·wo immutable 'Things in which it was impojjible for God to lie,_ <ve might ban a flrong Confola– tzon, whc have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope jet before us, Heb. vi. 13, If, r5, 16, 17, 18. May not this caufe a Believer to venture upon a l'romife of God, and ro reft fatisfied until it be accomplifhed. X. Gofpel Promifes are glorious Promifes, becaufe they are nenerally and more efpecially Soul or fpiritual Promifes. What is it to have a Pron~lc of fuch or fuch an Eftate or Lordfhip, or to be bleffed in the Bafket and Store, or with all earthly aood Things 1 thefe are the Bleffings, it is granted, that worldly Mrn feek after; /'have Goods, Luke xii. '9· faith the rich Glutton, laid up for many Years; blind Wrct,h! but how poor and miferable was his Soul! Now gofpel Promifes are of a fpiCitual, heavenly, and fublime Nature, as you have heard before; Soul-food, Soul-flrength, Soul-health, Soul-riches, Soul-peace, Soul liberty, Soul· life ; a Chnfl, a Kingdom, and Crown tha~ fadeth 1\ot away, for the 5oul. Xl. Gofpel Promifes are glorious Promifes, becaufe it is by Virtue of thefe thou comeft to take hold of, and obtainefl an Intnefl in the Lord ]efus Cbrift. Is not that a precious Promife that will make thee fure of a Savior? a bare Promife for (of hts) lntereft, is Security enollgh, though he has condefcended in a gracious Manner to us not only to make over himfelf and eternal Life to our Sou Is by Promife; but hath given us an Earnefl alfo in our Hearts; nay, more than that, fealecl us alfo by his Spirit unto the Day of Redemption, Eph. i. '3· and iv. 30. See Earnefl, aild Seal, under the Head of Metaphors reJPefling tbe Spirit. The Promifes are the Ground of Faith and Hope; that Faith is a Fancy, and that' Hope will be but as a Spider's Web that is not grounded upon the Promik of God. XII. Gofpel Promifes are glorious in a comparative Senfe above the Promifes of the Law. r. Better in refpect of Perfpicuity or Clearnefs of them, thofe were Promifes under obfcure Types and Shadows; J uflification was held forth by leveral Sacrifices, Burnt· offerings and Sin-offerings, &c. Sanctification held forth under feveral ceremonial Wafhings. 2. Better in regard of the Nature or Q9ality of them ; the former were generally Promifes of temporal or earthly Things, Dmt. xxviii. 34· · 3 . ln refpeC\: of the Efficacy and Po_wer that is in thefe, over what was in the other. The Law made nothing perfect, Heb. vu. '9· Many Bleffings we~e made mdeed m cafe Qf Obedience, but the Law gave no Power to perform the Condmon or help the Soul in that Obedience. 4 • They are better in regard of Extent or Duration. XIII. Gofpel Promifes are glorious in refpeC\: of the Variety of them; there is variety of all good Things promifed therein, anfwering to every Condition the Creature may be under. They tend in a fweet Manner to remove all Objections, Doubts and Dif– coura<>ements of the Soul whatfoever, as you may perceive by taking a bnef Tafle. obJ I am a vile Sinner, faith the Soul, mine Iniquity is gone over mine Head as a heavy Burden; they are more than can be numbered, and are ever before me, I have finned againft Light and Knowledge and hated ln{huB:<On.. b thne any Hope or Promife for fuch a Wretch, fuch a Rebel and Monfler of Wrckednefs as lam? Anfw. See the Promife, How long, ye. fimple Ones, will ye love Simplicity, rmd the Scorners delight in their Scornzng, and Fools hate Knowledge ? turn at my Reproof: Be– hold I will pour oul my Spirit upon you, I wzll make known my Words unto you. L<t the Wicked forfake his Way, and the zmrighteous i\llan hzs 'fhoughts, and l<t hzm retum unto the Lord and he will have i4ercy upon him, and to our God, and be will abunaantly • 3 pardon.
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