A90291:104
The steadfastness of promises, and the sinfulness of staggeringThe stedfastness of promises, and the sinfulness of staggering
The steadfastness of promises, and the sinfulness of staggering: opened in a sermon preached at Margarets in Westminster before the Parliament Febr. 28. 1649. Being a day set apart for solemn humiliation throughout the nation. By John Owen minister of the Gospel.The stedfastness of promises, and the sinfulness of staggering: opened in a sermon preached at Margarets in Westminster before the Parliament Febr. 28. 1649. Being a day set apart for solemn humiliation throughout the nation. By John Owen minister of the Gospel.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1650
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3, There may be want of Sincerity in Promises and Engagements, which whilst we do but suspect, we cannot choose but stagger at them. If a man make a Promise to me, and I can suppose that he intends not as he says, but hath Reserves to himself of another purpose, I must needs doubt, as to the Accomplishment of what he hath spoken. If the Soul may surmise, that the Lord intends not him sincerely in his Promises, but Reserves some other Thing in his Mind, or that it shall be so to others and not to him, he must needs dispute in himself, stagger, and keep off from Believing. This, then must be Demonstrated in the ⟨p. 28⟩Third Place, That the Promises of God; and God in all his Promises, are full of sincerity, so that none need fear to cast himself on them, they shall be real unto him. Now concerning this, Observe,
3, There may be want of Sincerity in Promises and Engagements, which whilest we do but suspect, we cannot chuse but stagger at them. If a man make a Promise to me, and I can suppose that he intends not as he sayes, but hath Reserves to himself of another purpose, I must needs doubt, as to the Accomplishment of what he hath spoken. If the Soul may surmise, that the Lord intends not him sincerely in his Promises, but Reserves some other Thing in his Mind, or that it shall be so to others and not to him, he must needs dispute in himself, stagger, and keep off from Believing. This, then must be Demonstrated in the ⟨p. 28⟩Third Place, That the Promises of God; and God in all his Promises, are full of sincerity, so that none need fear to cast himself on them, they shall be real unto him. Now concerning this, Observe,
1 That God's Promises are not Declarative of his secret Purposes and Intentions. When God holds out to any a Promise of the pardon of Sin, this doth not signify to any singular man, That it is the Purpose of God, that his Sin shall be pardoned. For if so, Then either all men must be pardoned to whom the Word of Promise comes, which is not: or else God fails of his Purposes, and comes short of his Intendments; which would render him, either Impotent, that he could not; or Mutable, that he would not establish them: but, who hath resisted his Will?