and put them into eternal possession of all the pro

mises.

With what rich and copious matter does this scripture abound, tending to shew the absolute safety of resting upon God's promises! How strong are the ar guments to persuade the heirs of promise, to put their whole trust and confidence in the faithfulness of their God! who having provided an infinitely glorious and everlasting inheritance for them, was willing to make it over to them in the strongest manner of conveyance, and therefore he has given them the promise and the oath of God, which cannot possibly change or alter, that their faith might never doubt or waver, and their hope might at all times be sure and stedfast. And until he bring them to the inheritance itself, he has given them many sweet and blessed promises of all things needful for their temporal and spiritual estate, upon which he would have them not only to live comfortably at present, but also to receive them as part of the inheritance, allowed them for their maintenance, till they come to age, and enter upon the possession of the whole. And what God intended in his promise and oath, has its effects in a good degree among those, who have the word of God abiding in them. They cast their anchor where he commands them, and they are not only safe, but also, in time of the greatest troubles and temptations have strong consolation. When enemies come, corruptions arise, and difficulties are in the way; they have a promise, and a promise-keeping God to depend upon. Whatever straits they are in, the word abiding in them brings some promise of support and deliverance: the promise shews what God has engaged to do, and faith receives the fulfilling of his engagements. When they draw nigh to God in duties, in ordinances, they know what he has promised, to them that wait upon him, and they judge him faithful who hath promised, and lo, he is present with them. In short, while they live like themselves as the heirs of promise, they are preserved from all evil, and want no

manner of thing that is good. This is their happy case, thrice happy because the means used to deprive them of their happiness are over-ruled of God for the establishing it. The enemy rages against them, but in vain. He was a liar from the beginning. The word is truth, and he abode not in it, therefore he hates it, and with a greater hatred because the Lord has made it the means of strengthening those believers. He knows that all his temptations will be fruitless, while the word abideth in them. He fears no weapon formed against him, like the sword of the Spirit: he has felt its sharpness and its power: with it the Captain of our salvation cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon, and with it all his good soldiers resist the devil, and make him flee from them. For these reasons he has a great variety of temptations to weaken the believer's trust in the word, and his reliance upon the promises of God.

Sometimes he attacks them in a matter where his hopes are founded in their ignorance: he is cunning to spy out the particular way in which they have been led, and their readiness to maintain their ground, by making use of the promises suited to that way. He resolves therefore upon some new temptation, with which they have never been exercised: and he watches the favourable opportunity to inject it with all his strength. Upon his doing it, the soul is put into a great hurry, because it has no promise ready to apply to the present case: for want of which the understanding is confused, faith wavers, doubt enters, and Satan carries his point. This demonstrates the necessity of searching the scriptures, and meditating upon them night and day. In them God has graciously treasured up all sorts of promises. There is not a possible case for a believer to be in of spiritual or temporal concern, but there is a promise suitable to it, which he ought to have ready against the hour of temptation. If he has not, he neglects the Lord's kind provision, and lays himself open to the enemy's attack. Reader, if thou wouldst not be ignorant of Satan's devices, follow

Christ's counsel-Search the scriptures. Remember, they are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith, in Christ Jesus: therefore store up his promises -pray him to sanctify thy memory to retain them, and to enable thee to make use of them in every time of need.

If this temptation fail, the enemy will soon have another ready. I have known him often try, and often succeed in endeavouring to take off the attention from the most easy parts of scripture, and to fix it upon those parts which are hard to be understood. Upon those the believer dwells too much, and puzzles himself. His head grows confused. He consults commentators, and they confuse him more. And if he does not fall from hence into questioning the truth of scripture, yet he certainly neglects the right use of it, forgetting it is the means of building himself up in his most holy faith. Reader, whenever thou art tempted about difficult texts, look up to the incarnate Word, and pray him by his Spirit to open thine understanding, that thou mayest know what thou readest, and if thou still dost not find the meaning of them made plain to thee, pass them by for that time. Do not puzzle and distress thyself about them. Perhaps when thou meetest with them again, they will appear easy, and Christ will give thee light to see and to comprehend them.

The

If thou sayest, I do look up to him to teach me, but nevertheless, I find many hard and difficult texts. Remember thou knowest but in part, and therefore thou standest in need of daily teaching. These texts are profitable, if they humble thee, and make thee live more upon the teaching of the divine prophet. The humbler thou art, thou wilt be the more teachable. lower thou sittest at his feet to hear his words, thou wilt learn the most. The master himself has declared, "Whosover shall humble himself as a little child, the "same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." If these difficult texts thus humble thee, and make thee live more upon Christ' inward teaching, they will be

the means of thy growth in saving knowledge. Thy hearing and reading the word in a constant dependence upon him, will keep the from thee dangerous errors, and heresies of the times. Most of those arise from unlearned and unstable men, full of pride and self-conceit, whom God resisteth, but he giveth grace to the hum

ble.

If he has given thee grace to hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast learned and been assured of, the enemy will change his attack, and pursue thee with new temptations. Envious of thy happiness he will be often assaulting thee, and trying to move thee from thy stedfastness. He will at times insinuate every lie that he can raise against the word of God, and he will not begin with reason or argument, but by way of surprise, with sudden injections darting into the mind doubts, like these-How do I know the scripture is inspired? What proof have I? And if these be not immediately rejected, he will follow them like lightning with others: How can that be inspired which is full of contradictions, and full of doctrines above reason ? Who can defend the matters of fact related in it? The language is low and mean, unworthy of God-The scripture is false-perhaps there is neither God nor devil.

These blasphemous thoughts sometimes put the be liever into a hurry and confusion, and through the suddenness and violence of them greatly distress him. The apostle calls these assaults" the fiery darts of the "wicked one"-darts, because he throws them with all his might against the soul, and fiery, because he would have them to catch hold of, and to enflame its corruptions and lusts. And they do, if the shield of faith he not ready to stop their force, and to quench their fire. This is a piece of the armour of God prepared for the believer's safety at such times, and the right use of it is this: The Lord having promised to be a shield to them that put their trust in him, and to compass them about with his favour as with a shield, the believer looks

up when these fiery darts are flying thick about him, and says," O Lord God of hosts, who hast promised "that thy faithfulness and truth should be my shield "and buckler, now establish thy word unto thy servant. "In thee, O my God, do I put my trust, save me in "this hour of temptation." Then the battle becomes the Lord's. He is engaged to put forth his strength to shield thee from the enemy. Thus thou shalt conquer, and shalt happily experience what is writtenResist the devil, and he will flee from you."

He will flee for a season, but will return again. He has other temptations, and he will try them all to disparage the word of God, and to lessen the believer's confidence in it. Sometimes he will insinuate-how can these things be-in what way or by what means can such a promise be fulfilled? If you begin to reason upon the point, he will get you from your strong-hold and conquer you. Beware of his lies, and have always your answer ready-" It is written." What God hath said put your trust in, if all the world gainsay it: for he is faithful who hath promised, and all things are possible with him.

If this temptation does not succeed, and he cannot bring you to doubt of the truth of the promises, then he will try you about your right to them. When you are in darkness or walking heavily, in sickness or any trouble, and you have been praying for deliverance, but Christ does not presently answer you, then he has a favourable opportunity to suggest-Now you see the promises do not belong to you, Christ will not hear you, and therefore you have been deceiving yourself with a vain notion of faith. This is a common temptation, against which still oppose" It is written." Thy case be it what it will, has a promise, either of support or deliverance. If thou art not delivered, yet if Christ support thee, so that thy faith and patience fail not, does not this shew his infinite goodness to thee? He will have thy faith tried, and he will put it into the fire, not to consume it, but that it may come like gold out of the