That the word of God may be divided into three parts;1 Into Commandments, Threatenings, and Promises: And though a Christian must not neglect the commanding, and threatening word, yet if ever he would make the word a Channel of Divine comfort, ⟨p. 106⟩he must study the promising-word, for the Promises are a Christians Magna Charta for Heaven. All comfort must be built upon a Scripture promise, else it is presumption, not true comfort. The Promises are pabulum fidei, & anima fidei, the food of faith, and the soul of faith. As faith is the life of a Christian, so the promises are the life of Faith: Faith is a dead Faith, if it hath no promise to quicken it; As the Promises are of no use without Faith to apply them, so Faith is of no use without a Promise to lay hold on. And the great reason why the people of God walk uncomfortably in their afflictions, is, because they do not chew the Promises; they are rare Cordials, but as a man cannot taste the sweetness of a Cordial, unless he chew it, no more can we receive any spiritual refreshment from the Promises, unless we meditate on them. The promises are as a Mine full of rich treasure, but as Mines, unless we dig deep into ⟨p. 107⟩them, we can never get the gold and silver hid in them: no more can we enjoy the soul-ravishing comfort of the promises, unless we dig into them by a serious consideration of them. They are as a garden full of rare flowers, able to sweeten any condition. But because we do not walk in this garden, and pick out these flowers; hence it is that we live so disconsolately and dejectedly under our afflictions. There are many rare stories declaring the comfort that some of Gods Saints have received from the promises in the day of their distress. Mr. Bilney that blessed Martyr was much wounded in Conscience, by reason of the great •n he committed, in subscribing to the Popish errors, but he was much comforted by reading those words, 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners, of which I am the chief. Beza was supported under his troubles, by the words of Christ, ⟨p. 108⟩John 10. 27, 28, 29. Mr. Bolton tells us of one, that was upheld under great affliction, and comforted from Isa. 26. 3. Of another, from Isa. 57. 15.
That the word of God may bee divided into three parts;1 Into Commandements, Threatnings, and Promises: And though a Christian must not neglect the commanding, and threatning word, yet if ever hee would make the word a Channel of Divine comfort, ⟨p. 106⟩hee must study the promising-word, for the Promises are a Christians Magna Charta for Heaven. All comfort must bee built upon a Scripture promise, else it is presumption, not true comfort. The Promises are pabulum fidei, & anima fidei, the food of faith, and the soul of faith. As faith is the life of a Christian, so the promises are the life of Faith: Faith is a dead Faith, if it hath no promise to quicken it; As the Promises are of no use without Faith to apply them, so Faith is of no use without a Promise to lay hold on. And the great reason why the people of God walk uncomfortably in their afflictions, is, because they do not chew the Promises; they are rare Cordials, but as a man cannot taste the sweetness of a Cordial, unless hee chew it, no more can wee receive any spiritual refreshment from the Promises, unless wee meditate on them. The promises are as a Mine full of rich treasure, but as Mines, unless wee digge deep into ⟨p. 107⟩them, wee can never get the gold and silver hid in them: no more can wee injoy the soul-ravishing comfort of the promises, unlesse we digge into them by a serious consideration of them. They are as a garden full of rare flowers, able to sweeten any condition. But because wee doe not walk in this garden, and pick out these flowers; hence it is that wee live so disconsolately and dejectedly under our afflictions. There are many rare stories declaring the comfort that some of Gods Saints have received from the promises in the day of their distresse. Mr. Bilney that blessed Martyr was much wounded in Conscience, by reason of the great •n hee committed, in subscribing to the Popish errors, but hee was much comforted by reading those words, 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Iesus Christ came into the VVorld to save sinners, of which I am the chief. Beza was supported under his troubles, by the words of Christ, ⟨p. 108⟩Iohn 10. 27, 28, 29. Mr. Bolton tells us of one, that was upheld under great affliction, and comforted from
- 1The word of God divided into the commanding, threatening and promising Word.The word of God divided into the commanding, threatning and promising Word.
