A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

Secondly; When must you meditate on God's Word and Oath? Answ. Very often. The less you apply God's Promise and Oath, the weaker will your Consolation be in Christ; and the oftener, the stronger: for by these two immutable things we have strong Consolation. Christians lose much of their Peace and Comfort, because they do not exercise themselves in thinking of the Condescension and Satisfaction which God hath given them in this kind, that he should lay all his Holiness, his Life, his Excellency at Pledge with poor Creatures. I am confident, if you did but think of these unchangeable Grounds and Advantages of Faith mentioned before, your Comfort would not be upon such loose terms. But there are some solemn Times when it must be done.

Secondly; When must you meditate on God's Word and Oath? Answ. Very often. The less you apply God's Promise and Oath, the weaker will your Consolation be in Christ; and the oftner, the stronger: for by these two immutable things we have strong Consolation. Christians lose much of their Peace and Comfort, because they do not exercise themselves in thinking of the Condescension and Satisfaction which God hath given them in this kind, that he should lay all his Holiness, his Life, his Excellency at Pledg with poor Creatures. I am confident, if you did but think of these unchangeable Grounds and Advantages of Faith mentioned before, your Comfort would not be upon such loose terms. But there are some solemn Times when it must be done.

1. Whenever you are conversant about the Seals of the Covenant, and go to the Lord's Table: Why should I doubt, when I have God's Promise and Oath? The Sacraments are visibilia Juramenta, visible Oaths; here God reneweth his Oath to us, and we to God. It is an Oath of Allegiance to Christ, to walk in all his Ways; and it is God's Oath of Assurance to us, that he will perform the Promises of the Covenant. As under the Law, the Blood of the Covenant was to be sprinkled half upon the Altar, and half upon the People, Exod. 24.6, 7, 8. God takes an Engagement upon himself, and reneweth his Oath to be good and gracious to us in Christ; and we take an Obligation upon our selves to walk before him in all Obedience. There is a mutual Stipulation, therefore there is a special time to meditate of the sureness on God's part; God that cannot lie, hath said and sworn it.