414 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. promise in the word, is what our faith especially re- gards in our hope, trust, and waiting on God; and it is suited to answer to the immediate actings of our souls therein. From this word of promise, or in other words, thepromise of God, the soul in its distresses takes en- couragement to continue waiting on him. The end and use of the promise is to declare, reveal, and make known God to believers, what is in an es- pecial manner in him and concerning him, which may give them encouragement to wait for him. The promises are a declaration of the nature of God, especially of his goodness, grace, and love. God has put an impression of all the glorious excellences of his nature in his word, especially as he is in Christ, in the word of the Gospel. There, as in a glass, do we behold his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. As his commands express to us his holiness and his threatenings, his righteousness and severity; so do his promises declare his goodness, grace, love and bounty. And in these things do we learn all that we truly know of God; that is, we know him in hisvord. The soul, therefore, that in this condition is waiting on God, or for God, con- siders the representation which he makes of himself and of his own nature in the promises, and receives sup- port and encouragement in its duty. For if God teach us by the promises what he is, and what he will be to us, we have firm ground to expect from him all the fruits of benignity, kindness and love. Let the soul frame in itself the idea of God which is exhibited in the promises, and it will powerfully prevail with it to continue in an expectation of his gracious return ; they all expressing goodness, love, patience, forbearance,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=