The saints jewel, showing how to apply the promise In a sermon preachedThe saints iewell, shevving hovv to apply the promise In a sermon preached

The first reason is this, that his people might have a fit object for their faith to lay hold upon, for if you look upon all the creatures in the world, you shall find in all of them jointly, or any of them apart, a fit object for faith to work upon, or be satisfied in: it is with faith as with a poor woman that hath a child, and hath nothing in the world to give it, she takes the child at her back and goeth from door to door, and what she getteth she giveth to the child, so faith takes the soul, and carrieth it to promise after promise, and what ever she finds there she gives it to the soul.

The first reason is this, that his people might have a fit object for their faith to lay hold upon, for if you looke upon all the creatures in the world, you shall finde in all of them jointly, or any of them apart, a fit object for faith to worke upon, or be satisfied in: it is with faith as with a poore woman that hath a child, and hath nothing in the world to give it, shee takes the child at her back and goeth from doore to doore, and what shee getteth shee giveth to the child, so faith takes the soule, and carrieth it to promise after promise, and what ever she findes there she gives it to the soule.

The second reason, why God hath made many promises unto his people is, that they may have a ground of comfort: for as it is the object of their faith, so it is the ground of their comfort: for all other things of this world cannot profit or comfort the ⟨p. 6⟩believing soul; as suppose we should go to friends for comfort, it may be they want comfort for themselves, and so are unfit to comfort us, or it may be they will not comfort us, or it may be they are a great way off, and so cannot do it: or perhaps though able and sometimes willing, yet they are mutable in their comforts, so as though at one time they are willing and do comfort us, yet another time they fail us: but Christ, to whom the soul is led by the promise, not only hath comfort and is able to comfort us, but he is willing also to give comfort to us, who knoweth our wants, and is near to all that