Lastly, There is the word of consolation or promise, 1and that is worthy of all acceptation, as when a man takes a thing with both his hands; It's called embracing the Promises, Heb. 11. as gladly and cheerfully as we do a dear Friend; ⟨p. 184⟩Oh it's not enough in a dull cold manner to think and hear of the promise, but thou art to run and embrace it as one overjoyed, as Simeon did Christ in his arms, and then to think, thou even hast enough; This is fiducial recumbency on Christ, a holy boldness in God as a Father, and herein the people of God are many times to be blamed, you receive the true doctrine of God to believe it, his Commandments to obey them, his threatenings you tremble under, but the promises by strong acts of faith you do not embrace, you do not take him for your Mediator on whom you trust in the midst of all your infirmities and weaknesses, yea, you rather doubt whether you may or no lay hold on the promise, you say of it as Peter to Christ, Depart from me for I am a sinner; you think Christ would be angry with you as that woman thought If you touch the promise; Oh remember that the godly will keep the word of promise, receive that as well as the command; They know it's a sin of an high nature to refuse God comforting as well as commanding, yea in some respects it's worse, for when you sin against the command of God, you sin against his Sovereignty, but when against his promises you sin against his love and goodness; That wherein he intends to get himself the greatest glory by, oh then when Satan tempts and thy heart is cloudy, Thou puts off the promise, think how can I do this and sin against God? If it were a command I could not refuse it, and doth not the same God urge faith to the promise.
Lastly, There is the word of consolation or promise, 1and that is worthy of all acceptation, as when a man takes a thing with both his hands; It's called embracing the Promises, Heb. 11. as gladly and chearfully as we do a dear Friend; ⟨p. 184⟩Oh it's not enough in a dull cold manner to think and hear of the promise, but thou art to run and embrace it as one overjoyed, as Simeon did Christ in his arms, and then to think, thou even hast enough; This is fiducial recumbency on Christ, a holy boldnesse in God as a Father, and herein the people of God are many times to be blamed, you receive the true doctrine of God to beleeve it, his Commandments to obey them, his threatnings you tremble under, but the promises by strong acts of faith you do not embrace, you do not take him for your Mediatour on whom you trust in the midst of all your infirmities and weaknesses, yea, you rather doubt whether you may or no lay hold on the promise, you say of it as Peter to Christ, Depart from me for I am a sinner; you think Christ would be angry with you as that woman thought If you touch the promise; Oh remember that the godly will keep the word of promise, receive that as well as the command; They know it's a sin of an high nature to refuse God comforting as well as commanding, yea in some respects it's worse, for when you sin against the command of God, you sin against his Soverraignty, but when against his promises you sin against his love and goodnesse; That wherein he intends to get himself the greatest glory by, oh then when Satan tempts and thy heart is cloudy, Thou puts off the promise, think how can I do this and sin against God? If it were a command I could not refuse it, and doth not the same God urge faith to the promise.
- 14. The word of Consolation.
