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 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 ¹call upon him in trueth, and also he is immutable in his comforts. And were the creature a sufficient ground of comfort to Gods people, then to want the creature were a sufficient ground of misery to them: but a man may want health, wealth, liberty, and the like, and yet through and in Christ, his soul may have satisfying comfort: but if he want Christ, though he hath a fullness of the creature, he is most miserable and without all satisfying comfort; the promise only is able to afford comfort to the soul in health, in sickness, in life, and in death.

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 profite or comfort the ⟨p. 6⟩beleeving soule; 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 doe 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 doe comfort us, yet another time they faile us: but Christ, to whom the soule is led by the promise, not onely hath comfort and is able to comfort us, but he is willing also to give comfort to us, who knoweth our wants, and is neere to all that