7. and lastly, The last inference is, That here we may see. the wonderful wisdom of God, in twisting his glory with the eternal concerns of the children of men, and that both in the saving of the elect, and in the perdition of the unhappy remnant; for the elect are sometimes called the remnant, and the reprobates are sometimes also called by the same name. The remnant are blinded, says Paul, Rom. xi. In the same place, within two or three verses, the elect are called the remnant ace cording to the election of grace, and the reprobates are called the rest that were blinded. The Lord, I say, hath herein linked his glory marvellously with the eternal concernments of men. Thus, as to the salvation of the elect, God gives Christ for them, according to the eternal promise of his heart: he gives the purpose to them; he gives them faith, to lay hold on the promise; and he glorifies himself, and saves them in the performance of the promise: all these things are framed so together, that the glory of God shall be greatly advanced in saving of poor man. There is glory in electing love, there is glory in redeeming grace, there is glory in God's faithfulness in his word, this is glorified by the believing of the perishing sinner; and in and upon this believing, the performance of the promise, the applying of the redemption, the accomplishment of the purpose of his grace, is at last reached. On the other hand, a great many under the gospel perish. Christ was never given for them, but he is offered unto them. The promises were never meant for them, but they are offered to them. No man perishes, because Christ died not for him; no man misses of the performance of the promise, because the promise was not made to him; but he perishes because of his unbelief, because the testimony of God was not looked upon as sufficient ground to venture his soul upon, therefore he perishes. And thus the Lord gets the glory of his justice and faithfulness upon those wretches, that have denied to trust him. The apostle joins both, 2 Thess. i. 8, 9, 10. Qur Lord is to take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and this, when he shall come, says he, to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, (because our testimony "You that have beamong you was believed), in that day,

lieved the testimony of God in the gospel," says the apostle, "our Lord will be admired in you, and glorified in that "day." So much shall serve for the doctrinal inferences from this truth.

There is only one practical exhortation, but it is a large one, that I would deduce from it, and name it now; that is, Since believers should answer the faithfulness of God, I exhort you in the Lord's name, to come with your faith and answer this faithfulness; believe as he hath promised.

I shall not enter upon the particulars of it now, only conclude in general with these three :

1. If you would answer the faithfulness of God by your faith, you must believe much, for God hath promised a great deal; our faith, I say, must be a great one, it must be a large one, we must believe a great many things, for God hath promised greatly; the covenant, if I may so speak, is a large charter, and our faith must seal every word in it; we must put the amen of our faith unto every true and faithful saying of God, Rev. xix. 9. xxi. 5. and

xxii. 6.

2. If you would answer the faithfulness of God by your faith, you must believe greatly; not only much, but strongly. The promises are strong in themselves, so should your faith be.

3. You must believe long. If your faith answers God's faithfulness as it ought, you must believe always, as long as promises are promises; and promises are promises still, till they be performed; and therefore faith should be faith still, and acted still, till the performance come. Ye have need of patience, says the apostle, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise, Heb. x. 36. God's promises are for a great while to come, as David's word is concerning the Lord's kindness to him, Thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house, for a great while to come, 2 Sam. vii. 9. So that the answering of God's faithfulness by our faith, should bear proportion unto the greatness, largeness, freeness, and length of the promise. We should look to the promise, and say, Here is a great blessing, when is it to be? Here is a promise leads

into eternity, I will believe till then, says the believer; till I launch into eternity; for there the grand expectation of the main fulfilments is to be.

SERMON IX.

HEBREWS X. 23.

For he is faithful that promised.

YOU have all great need to study your Bibles well. Ac

cording to their diligence in using of the word of God, is the thriving of mens souls. There are these four things, that should still be minded in our using the Bible:

1. To look on it all as the word of God. When this is impressed on the soul by faith upon opening the book. All this is the word of God, this is scripture inspired by the Holy Ghost, what a great savour does it leave upon the heart!

2. In using your Bibles, be sure to pick out the promises thereof. This is the main thing in the word, the testimonies of God's good-will to the children of men. People's spirits are discerned by this, what it is in that word they chiefly mind. Some folks read the Bible as they read another history, and the historical part they like very well; some like the wise precepts of the word for the conduct of their lives, of which the scripture is full. But if so be you be Christians indeed, the main thing you will spy out in the word, is, Where does God's good-will appear? What has God said for me? What good word has God passed that I may trust to, and be saved by?

3. When we have picked out the promises, we must then lay them to the heart; they never do good till they meet

with the heart. What gracious changes hath God wrought, when he hath laid a warm promise to a cold heart! The fire of heaven kindles immediately. We cannot put life into the promise, that is God's gift; we cannot put life into our own hearts, that is God's gift too; but we should strive to bring the heart and God's promise as near as may be. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, says David, Psal. cxix. 11. God's people do as it were eat the word, Jer. xv. 16.

4. Lastly, In using your Bibles, be sure to pray over the promises. I assure you, wherever faith hath got but a bit of the bread of life in the promise, it will immediately lift itself upwards in desires, and in breathings towards the Lord for performance. For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house, therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. David was a great believer, and he argues like one, 2 Sam. vii. 27. David needed those blessings that God promised, and in the sense of his need of them, he should, and did pray for them: but when God gives him a promise, he prays then better for performance; and it is more of the nature of faith to pray upon a promise, than to pray for the supply of a want. The desires of supplies of wants are somewhat of the voice of nature, but breathings for the performance of promises are the very breathings of faith

itself.

Now, this text that I have spoken from to you so often, is indeed but a short one, but it is in a manner the key of the Bible, Faithful is he that promised. I have spoke at large unto the observations from these words, besides what was taken notice of in the words with respect to their scope; as,

1. That the Christian's God is a promising God; he is made known by promising; and he is never rightly known, but when known as a promising God.

2. That this promising God is faithful in all his pro mises.

3. That the faith of believers should answer the faithfulness of God; their faith should come up in some measure of correspondency with the faithfulness of the promiser. Of this

last I have spoke several times in opening up the doctrine, and began to apply it first in doctrinal inferences.

My work now is to enter upon the exhortation unto this answering of divine faithfulness by your faith, and I would extend it to these three :

1. Answer divine faithfulness in the promise of salvation by Christ in the gospel. This is the beginning of faith, Heb. iii. 14.

2. Answer divine faithfulness in all the promises of grace and glory made to believers. This is the course and race of faith, Heb. xii. 1. 1 Cor. ix. 24, 26.

3. Answer the faithfulness of God in the grand promise of eternal life, to be possessed upon our departure out of this body. This is the beginning, this is the life, and this is the end of believing, 1 Pet. i. 9.

For the first of these, the exhortation is this, (and it is an exhortation to every one of you, whether you be believers or unbelievers), Answer the faithfulness of God in the promise of salvation by Christ in the gospel, answer it by faith. This is that which is the scope of all the gospel, this is the design of God in writing to us the gospel. But these are written, saith the apostle, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name, John xx. 30. This is what our Lord charges his apostles with: Go, saith he, and preach the gospel to every creature; and as the apostle saith, which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, Col. i. 23.: that is, Every man and woman that lives in this world, preach the gospel to them; what gospel? Tell them that there is life and salvation for them in Jesus Christ; if they will believe it, well and good; if not, they shall be damned, Mark xvi. 15, 16. Upon this now, because it is a matter of great concernment unto people to be well informed about it, to be well roused up unto the practice of it, I would shew,

1. The nature of this promise that is to be believed.

2. The nature of that faith which is to answer the faithfulness of God in the promise.

First, For the nature of the promise of salvation by Christ in the gospel, which is the sum and substance of all the right