1. A Promise. For if God had not revealed to us, what he would do for us, there could not be any trusting in him. Hence Gods promise, and mans trusting, they must always go together. To trust for such things he hath never promised, is presumption, and a temptation of God; and not to trust for such things as he hath promised, though they seem never so improbable or impossible to us, is to limit God, and to measure him according to our apprehensions. This is to make trusting an act of sense or of reason, not of faith. The Rule then of our trusting is Gods promise. It is not Gods Infiniteness and Eternity as such, but we must also have a promise. Therefore though God be so full of Goodness and Mercy, yet the damned cannot trust in him, because they have no promise from God, that he will do good to them. But though we have a promise, yet if it were the promise of a man, who is a liar, who is inconstant and mutable, ready to repent of what he hath promised, then our trusting would be weak and uncomfortable; but God is unchangeable in his promise, Heaven and Earth shall sooner pass away, than this gracious word of God. James 1. 17. With him there is no variableness, nor shadow of change. God then being the supreme verity, and it being impossible for him to lie, as Hebr. 6. 18, 19. No wonder that our hope and trusting in God under all waves of temptations, be a sure and steadfast Anchor, as the Apostle calleth it. Why then is it, that you see even the people of God tossed up and down with such uncertain thoughts and workings of heart? Why is it they have not a serene and quiet frame of heart all the day long? It is because they let go this Anchor; They intermit this trusting in God; otherwise because God is the same, and his promise is the same, they also would be the same. You see then, why God is the Adequate Object of our trust, because he hath promised, and because he is unchangeable in his promise. What folly is it to trust in any earthly greatness and power? It is but as the shadow that passeth away. The Apostle calleth it, The fashion of the world, 1 Corinth. 7. because it is so transitory. Therefore our name we customarily use to express things by, is most absurd and improper, if we regard Scripture-expression. For we use to say, A Kingly State, A Christian State; and so Statu• Magnatum; Status is à stando, and denoteth ⟨p. 318⟩what is stable;
1. A Promise. For if God had not revealed to us, what he would doe for us, there could not be any trusting in him. Hence Gods promise, and mans trusting, they must alwayes go together. To trust for such things he hath never promised, is presumption, and a temptation of God; and not to trust for such things as he hath promised, though they seem never so improbable or impossible to us, is to limit God, and to measure him according to our apprehensions. This is to make trusting an act of sense or of reason, not of faith. The Rule then of our trusting is Gods promise. It is not Gods Infinitenesse and Eternity as such, but we must also have a promise. Therefore though God be so full of Goodnesse and Mercy, yet the damned cannot trust in him, because they have no promise from God, that he will doe good to them. But though we have a promise, yet if it were the promise of a man, who is a liar, who is inconstant and mutable, ready to repent of what he hath promised, then our trusting would be weak and uncomfortable; but God is unchangeable in his promise, Heaven and Earth shall sooner passe away, than this gracious word of God. James 1. 17. With him there is no variablenesse, nor shadow of change. God then being the supreame verity, and it being impossible for him to lie, as Hebr. 6. 18, 19. No wonder that our hope and trusting in God under all waves of temptations, be a sure and stedfast Anchor, as the Apostle calleth it. Why then is it, that you see even the people of God tossed up and downe with such uncertain thoughts and workings of heart? Why is it they have not a serene and quiet frame of heart all the day long? It is because they let goe this Anchor; They intermit this trusting in God; otherwise because God is the same, and his promise is the same, they also would be the same. You see then, why God is the Adequate Object of our trust, because he hath promised, and because he is unchangeable in his promise. What folly is it to trust in any earthly greatnesse and power? It is but as the shadow that passeth away. The Apostle calleth it, The fashion of the world, 1 Corinth. 7. because it is so transitory. Therefore our name we customarily use to expresse things by, is most absurd and improper, if we regard Scripture-expression. For we use to say, A Kingly State, A Christian State; and so Statu• Magnatum; Status is à stando, and denoteth ⟨p. 318⟩what is stable;
