Serm. XLIII. Prolnifes of the Gofpel. 3 a Y Condition which he requires ; and therefore though there Promifes run in a Con- ditional Form, yet in Truth they are abfolute ; becaufe he that makes a Promife to another, upon a Condition which he will alfo perform, doth in effe&make an abfolute Promife. As if a Man promifed another fuch an Eflate, upon Conditi- onhe pay fach a Sum for it, and does promife withal to furnifh him with that Sum, this in effeét amounts to an abfolute Promife of the Eftate. And this is very well argued, if the Cafe were thus. But God hath no where promifed to work the Condition in us, without the Concurrenceofour own En- deavours. God may, and oftentimes doth, prevent Men by his Grace but he hath no where promifed togive his Holy Spirit, but to them that ark it ofhim. And he hath nowhere promifed to continue his Grace and Aflìftance to us, unlefs we will ufe our fincere Endeavours ; nay, in cafe we do not, he hath threatned to take away his Grace and Affiftance from us. And if this be fo, then the Promifes of the Gofpel, do not only firm to be Conditional, but are really fo. And ii a wonder that any Man fhould doubtof this, who confiders how frequently in the NewTeftament the Gofpel is reprefented to us under the notion of a Covenant, lince a Covenant in the very nature of it doth imply a mutual Obligation between the Parties that enter into it. But if the Gofpel contain only Bleffìngs which are promifed on God's part, without any thing required to be done and performed on our part, in order to the obtaining of thofe Bleftìngs, when the Gofpel is no- thing elfe but a Promife, or Deed ofGift, making over certain Benefits and Blef- fings to us ; but can in no propriety of Language in the World be called aCove- nant : But if there be force things required on our part, in order to our being made Partakers of the Promifes which God hath made to us (as the Scripture every where tells us there is) then the Promifes are plainly Conditional. To in- fiance in the Promife of Forgivenefs of Sins ; Repent, thatyour Sins may be blotted out g that is, upon this Condition that ye Repent of your Sins, they [hall be for- given ; and not otherwife. Can there be any plainer Condition in the World, than is in thofe Words of our Saviour ? If ye forgive Men their Trefpafes, your Heavenly Father will alfo forgiveyour Trefpafes; but ifyeforgive not Men their Tref pates, neither willyour Heavenly Fatherforgiveyour Trefpas. This is fo far from being any prejudice to the freenefs ofGod's Grace, who is infinitely gracious in offering fuch great B'leflings tous upon any Condition that we can perform ; yet it were one of the abfurdeft things in the World to imagine that God fhould grant to Men forgivenefs of Sins, and Eternal Life, let them be- have tbemfelves as they will. IV. The laft thing I propofed for the explaining of this DO&rine of the Pro- mifes of God, was to confider when Men may be faid to have a Right to thefe Promifes, foss to beableupon good grounds to apply them to themfelves? And the Anfwer to this is very plain and eafie ; namely, when they find the Conditi- ons of thefe Promifes in themfelves ; and not till then. When a Man hath truly repented of his Sins fo as to forfake them, and lead a new Life ; and when he does from his heart forgive thofe that have offet>.û'ed him, and. hath laid down all animofity againft them, and thoughts of Revenge, then hath hea Right to.the Promife of Pardon and Forgivenefs, and mayapply to himfeif in particular what the Scripture faith in general, that God will blot out all his Tranfgreons, and remember his Iniquitiesno more. When a Man cloth con- ftantly and earneftly implore the afiìftance of God's Holy Spirit, and is ready to yield to the motions of it, and does faithfully make ufe of that ftrength and aflì- fiance which God affords him, then he may expe& the continuance of hisGrace, and further degrees of it. When a Man makes it the confiant and fincere endea- vour of his Life, to pleat God, and to walk in all the Ordinances and Command- ments ofthe. Lord blamelefe, and is effellually taught by the grace of God to deny un- godlinefr and worldly lofts, and to live foberly, and righteonfly, and godlily in this. prefent world, then he may with comfort and joy waitfor the bleffed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrifi; then he may with confidencedepend upan God, in fine and certain hope of that Eternal Life, which
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