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XLIV.

SERM. and that the " serpent should bruise his heel," his lower part, which he should take of the seed of the woman, that Heb. 2. 14. would be bruised, so as to be put to death, "that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil" or serpent here spoken of. So that God was here pleased to promise a Saviour to mankind who 1 John 3. 8. should destroy the works of the Devil, undo what he had now done, and so restore men to the same state from which they were fallen by his instigation, which promise being made to our first parents, when all mankind was yet in their loins, it was made equally to all, without any restriction or limitation, so that all are alike capable of receiving the benefit of it; and therefore when He who is here promised to proceed of the seed of the woman, was afterwards determined to be Gen. 22. 18. born of the seed of Abraham, God said to him, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." And when He who was thus promised to Adam, and then more plainly and explicitly to Abraham; when He, I say, was accordingly John 3. 16. born of the Blessed Virgin, He Himself said, "That God so loved the world, that He gave His Only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

This therefore was the first promise that God made to mankind, even that He would send them a Saviour who should save them from their sins, and raise them up again to eternal life. This He often renewed, repeated, explained by His Prophets in all ages, till near the time that it was to be accomplished, which His faithful people therefore earnestly expected, till it was accomplished in Jesus of Nazareth, of whom St. Paul therefore saith to the Jews, that Acts 13. 32, every day expect it, "We declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again." "The promise;" as if it was the only promise that was made unto the fathers, and so in effect it was. This being the root from whence all the other spring, and from whence they receive their whole force and virtue.

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4. For here we must further observe, that although this first grand promise was absolutely made to all mankind,

and was accordingly fulfilled, without any conditions required on their part; yet all the other promises grafted upon it, are made only to those who believe this; so that all who will not take God's word, that He would send them a Saviour, and, now that it is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, will not believe in Him, and the promise which is made in Him for all things necessary to their Salvation, they exclude themselves from the benefit of all His promises, as not belonging to them, no more than as if they had never been made; for the Apostle putting the Ephesians in mind of the sad condition they were in before they believed in Christ, saith, "At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens Eph. 2. 12. from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope." No hope, because no promise; and elsewhere speaking of the Israelites, he saith, "That to them pertained the adoption and the glory, Rom. 9. 4. and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises." The promises pertained to them, and to them only as they were the Church of God, and His faithful people, believing in Him, and the promise He had made of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world; so it is at this day; "All that are not within the Church, are without the promises;" and so are they too who are admitted into the Church, unless they are sound members of it. It is true, all that are baptized, and so are brought into the Church, so long as they outwardly profess to believe in Christ, although they really do it not, yet they live under the outward dispensation of the promises, suitable to their outward profession, and accordingly have the promises offered to them, if they will accept of them; but none can lay claim to any of them until they believe in Christ, so as to" receive power from Him to become the sons of God," [John 1. and are both made and accepted of as righteous in IIim; for it is to such only that all the promises confirmed in Him are made; and therefore the Apostle saith, "That godliness 1 Tim. 4. 8. hath the promise both of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." Godliness, not sin and wickedness; until men be sanctified, or made godly by faith in Christ, they are utter strangers to all the promises; but all the godly, all that are made truly the children of God by faith in Christ,

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SERM. they are all heirs of the promises, and may claim them as their inheritance for ever.

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This will further appear in our last observation, which is concerning the several sorts of promises, which it hath pleased the Most High God to make to His faithful people upon earth, for He hath made them promises of several kinds, and of all things too that they can desire; and therefore I shall not undertake to give you a particular account of all His promises, but shall take notice only of such general heads, to which they may be all referred, so that you may understand how to make use of them, and apply them to yourselves as occasion shall require.

This I know, may seem an uncommon subject, and perhaps not very grateful to some sort of people, such I mean, who think we ought to insist altogether upon moral duties, not upon such as are purely evangelical, as if we were not the Ministers of the Gospel, but only of the law; but such would do well to consider, that trusting on God, is one of the highest moral duties that we owe Him, and yet can never pay it to Him as we ought, without knowing the promises which He hath given us whereupon to ground it; and besides, this is that great duty, without which we can never perform any other, for we can do nothing aright without the assistance of God's grace, and we can never have that, without trusting on the promises which He hath made us of it, which therefore it is necessary for us to understand, as ever we desire to do any thing that may be acceptable in His sight; upon which account, although a discourse concerning the promises of God, will relish but little with other people; yet they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and have their senses exercised to discern between good and evil, they will taste the sweetness, and feel the benefit of it, for whose sakes therefore I shall search into, and lay open the several sorts of promises that God hath made, that they may know how to have recourse unto them, and exercise their faith upon them, in the various changes and chances of this mortal life.

First therefore we must know, that it hath pleased Almighty God to make us many promises in the same way and manner as we are wont to make them to one another, by saying that He will do us such or such a kindness, or

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such a favour shall happen to us; as where He saith to Israel, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with Isa. 43. 2. thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Thus His promises most commonly run; but sometimes He is pleased to make them only by declaring what He is or doth for His people; as where He proclaimeth His Holy Name, saying, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long- Exod. 34. 6, suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin." For He having proclaimed this of Himself, His people have the same ground to believe that He will be gracious and merciful to them, as if He had said in express terms, that He would be so; as we see in the Prophet Micah, who having said, "Who is a God like unto Thee, Mic. 7. 18, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy." The Prophet immediately adds, " He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities, and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." Because God is so merciful as to pardon iniquity, therefore the Prophet peremptorily concludes that He will do it; and so He Himself explains it, saying, " I, even I am He that blotteth Isa. 43. 25. out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins;" whereby He hath given us to understand, that when He saith He doth it for His people, it is the same in effect as if He had said He would do it. Thus where it is said, "The eye of the Lord is upon them that Ps. 33. 18. fear Him;" it is the same in respect of our trusting on Him for it, as if He had said, "that His eye shall be upon them;" and when it is said, "That all things work together Rom. 8. 28. for good to them who love God;" it is the same as if He had said they shall do so; and where our Lord saith, “Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, Matt.18.20. there am I in the midst of them," is the same as if He had said, I will be there. There are many such places in Holy Scripture, which do not seem to be promises, yet really are such foundations of our faith and trust in God, that they

XLIV.

SERM. may be justly reckoned among His promises; in that we have thereby His own Word to build our faith upon, as much as if it had been a formal promise, which I therefore observe, because it will be of great use towards our understanding the nature of His promises, and likewise towards our exercising our faith aright upon them.

In the next place we may observe, that Almighty God in His Holy Word hath made some promises to His whole Church in general, others only to particular persons. The whole Church or congregation of faithful people dispersed over the face of the earth, He hath promised to preserve, so. as always to have a Church upon earth, notwithstanding all the opposition that men or devils can make against it, saying Matt.16.18. to St. Peter, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." And for that end He hath promised that He and His Holy Spirit will be always with the Ministers or Officers which He hath appointed to administer His Word and Sacraments in it, saying to His Apostles, and in them Matt.28.20. to all that should succeed them in the ministry, "Lo, I am John 14. 16. with you alway unto the end of the world." "And I will

pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever." And as He hath made these promises to His whole visible Church or body of Christ, so He hath made another to all the sound members of it, the whole communion of saints, or truly righteous persons of all sorts and stations in it. Indeed all His promises are made in a peculiar manner to this His invisible Church, which He looks upon as His household or family; and Amos 3. 2. among others, that also where He saith, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." For although this at first sight may look like a threatening, it is really a great promise that He will take particular care of His people, as a loving father doth of his children, in correcting them for their faults, in order to amendment. According to that of the Heb. 12. 6. Apostle, "Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." Which also is a promise to the same purpose, according to what I before observed.

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