Promises Concerning Spiritual Things
T^hete Promiaea are appUcabk to BeHeven on the foBounng occasions.
OF SIN.
If thou fndest nothing in thysdf that may move the Lord to have mercy.
EVBN I, am he that blotted out thr transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.^ I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins: return unto me, for I haye redeemed thee.<^
*^I will forgive their iniquity, and remembjsr their sin no more’
**I will sprinkle «lean water upon you,
and ye shall be clean from all your filthi-Bess.*
“I have seen his ways, and will heai hint;: I wilt lead him |ilso, and restore comfort unto him, and to his mourners.*”
These promises are free| made by the Lord, not for any thing that is in man; for the Lord saith,^ They had not called upon him but wearied the Lord; brought him na offering) yea wearied him with their sins; and yet, for his own sake, he ‘would forgive their sins.
These promises we shall have alwaja need of; as at our conversion, so after-’ wards, many times, we shall, in our owa feeling, find nothing in ourselves to persuade us of the pardon of our sins; then we must fly to these free promises When thou seest nothing in thyself why the Lord should pardon thy sins, and therefore doubt* est of the pardon of them, apply, <*I am he that puts away thy sins for my own sdke.^
When thy sins rise up as a cloud, that thou canst see nothing but them, apply» ^^I have put away thy sins as a cloud.^^
When thou fearest the multitude of thy gins, apply, ‘^ You shall be clean fromoS your sins.’’
ff you fear God tviU remember your svns 6«- fire-committed to punish you for them. ’
^<I will remember his sin no more.<» His Isa. lvii, 18. b Isa. zliii,23to 25. cJer xzxi»34.
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transgressions which he hath coniTnitted shall Dot be mentioned to him; but in the righteousness which he hath done, shall he live.””
‘*None of hisr sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned to hira.*»”
If often-sinning cause thee to doubt of
pardon.
He “looketh upon men, and if anj say, / have sinned and perverfed that which was rights anditprqfiteth me not he will deliver his soul froih going into the pit, and his lif shall see the light Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man.*”
Wherefore, believe not Satan that persuades the contrary: nor let thy corruptions make thee bold to presume of pardon; for though God promise pardon, yet it is to the penitent, not to the presumptuous.
ff thou despair.
When thou art at the pit’s brink of despair, and art dried up with sorrow, then go to some faithful preacher that is able to preach Christ unto thee and apply, “Then ne is gracious unto him, und sfaith, deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s; he shall return to the days of
Ezek. zviii, 23. Ezek. xxziii, 16. c Job xxxiiit 3r, 28, 29.
his TOtttli. He shall pray unto God, and he shall be favourable unto him, and he shall see his face with joj: for he will render vnto man his righteousness.*
**I create the fruit of the lins; peace, peace to him that is afar offhand to nim that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him»> ‘*
When thou comest to the uttermost eX” tremitj for sin, apply,” I will have mercy on him, and deliver him, that he go not down to thepit?^
When thou fearest that God. or his ministers will not speak peace unto thee, apply, I have received a reconciliation; I create the fruit of the lips, to he peace to them that are far off, and to them that are near.”
When thy sorrows have withered thee up, apply, He shall return as in the days of his yotUhi and his flesh shall be as the flesh •fa child.’’
If in this estate thou fearest God will not hear prayers for theep apply/^ He shall prar to God, and he wUl be faoourabU to him.’’
When thou fearest thou shalt not be aUe to look upon the Lord with joy, apply, He shall see his face wUh joy.
When thou seest not any thing in thyself, that should cause thee not to believe this, apply, ‘*He will render to man his righteousness:’’ which is (I think) Christ’s right- .eousness, (or whose sake he will do it
If thou findest sin a heaoy burden, and
Satan pursuing.
When thou feelest sin a heavy burden, and Satan pursuing thee with many fears by reason of the same, fly to Christ, and apply/^ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest* He shall save his people from their sins.^
«’And the God of peace shall bruise satan under ygur feet shortly.® “And a man shall be as a hiding-|>lace from the wind, and a covert from me tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.^”
Thus dothChrist to the soul thatflies to him.
It satan pursue thee, apply, He is a
Uding’pUtce.^^, ^..
If storms of temptations and afflictions do arise, apply ‘*He is a refuge against the tempest*
If thy soul be ready to faint with weakness, apply, ‘*He is a river of water in a dry place,” to revive thy spirits; “and as the shadow of a great rock,** — under which thou mayest safely repose thyself.
When thou findest thy sms very heavy, apply, ‘*I will ease you.”
When ihou Rast no rest in thy soul because of sin, apply, “You shall find restixi your souls. He snail save his people from
theinsins,’’ — both from the punishment and the power.
It thou fearest length of time in temptations, apply, ‘*The God of peace shall bruise satan under your feet shortly.
If thou turn from «iw, and yet doubt ofpar*
don*
**Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they hie red like crimson, they shall be as wool.*
*/Let the wicked irsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on himj and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.^
“W ho is* a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his herHager He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he deHghteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities, and will cast our sins into the deptha of the sea.^ He that confesseth and forsaketn his sins, shall find mercy .<^ If we confess our sin9» he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.®”
When thou seest thy soul of a sinful colour, apply, ••Though they be red like crimson, they shall be white as wool.’’
ft Isa. i* 18. bisa. ly, 7, cMicah vii, 18» 19. ProT. zxriii, IS. 1 John i, 9.
, If thou fearest God will hardly be intreated, apply, “He will have mercy, for he is ready toforgive.^^
If we fear that our sins have taken such strong hold upon us, as we shall never get from them, apply, “He will cleanse us from attourunrighteousnesaJ^^ Seeing God promiseth to be the cleanser, fear not for the hardness of the work.
jy thou wouldat have thy manifold rebellions
stibdued.
When thou feelest many rebellions in thine heart and life, and wouldst have them not only pardoned, but subdued, apply, “I will heal their backaltdinss:^ *’ Which promise (as I think) contains Ais much-that God will not onl v pardon; but heal us; and, instead of rebellious hearts and lives, will give us obedient hearts and lives* For as healing followeth the curing of sickness, so obedience doth the curing of rebel lion«
“He will subdue our iniquities.^” When thou feelest sm very strong, fly to his promise; and hpply the strength of him that promiseth, against the streolkof sin. It IS the Lord that hath promised to subdue it* What though sin and satan join their force together? Yet the Lord is stronger than all their force, we need not.doubt
<^Hofeaiiv,4. l>Mic. vii, 19. 12 thy heart be hard, and ftdl of corrvption.
“A new heart also will I give you, and a Bew spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh»<^
“And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed to love the liord thy God with all thine hearty and with all thy soul that thou roayest live.^”
When thou feelest thine heart worldly carnaU apply* “I ^iH circumcise thy heartt a new heart will I give.”
When nothing will break thine heart, ap» ply the powers of Jehovah, who hath prooiisto cure thee, in taking away thy stony heart.
IJ tmbridkd nature break out into vioknt passion and contention.
**The wolf also shall dwell with thelaml and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead theni.<^ “•^Such shall be the power of the gospel, tha those which are by nature like wolves and devouring beasts, shall dwell very peaceably. And if we find our nature sucn, we must apply, **The wolf shall dwell with the lamb.’’
•Eceky zxxYiy 26. t>Deut xszp 6. <^l3a. xi. 6, “He will subdae our iniquities, and will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea.*” That which is cast into the sea, as it appeareth not in sight, so we cannot get it ain, though we would: so will God do by your sins,’ — -cast them out of his sight, so as we shall not return to them any more. Press him with his promise, and you shall find more than you think.
If thou be in bandage to some sin.
*’You shall know the truths and the truth shall make you free.
“Sin shall not have dominion over you.’’^’
When thou feelest thy bondage, that thou canst not do good, or keep thyself from evil, apply, “The truth shall make you /rcc”
If thy sins often prevail against thec» applvt “Sin shall not have dominion over you.’’
‘<He shall redeem Israel from all his iniqttities.d”
i/* thou fearest the breaking out of sopie
* strong iin to Chds dishonour and the blemishing of religion.
“That your whole. spirit’, soul, and body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our iiord Jesus Christ Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.«”
That God which hath called thee, will keep thee blameless unto the comiDg of Christ: therefore use the means, and rest upon the Lord’s faithfulness, which never faileth them who trust in him.
“But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil.* If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unnghteousnes.b” By cleansing fron all unrighteousness, is meant not onlydeliverance from the guilt and power of sin* but from its indwelling remains.
When sin pursues thee hard to make thee fall, do thou pursue the Lord with prayers for performance of this promise and doubt not of the issue.
<*He will subdue our iniquities.^ ‘’ And to those add the prayer of Christ, — “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.**” Now, what greater evil than sin? Therefore, though thy pray* ers be but weak against it, yet He hath prayed that was always heard; therefore fight, and be sure of victory.
When thou art stayed Jrom sin by admonition.
<’If thou warn the righteous man, that
•3 Theft, ill, 3. bi yn i, 9. ciHetdb iay» 1^. John xv 15. ’ the righteous sin not, and he doth not si«, he shall surely live because he is warned.* “When any admonish thee, obey, and it shall be life to thy soul; therefore receive the admonition and apply, “He shall live, because he is admonished.”
If thou fearcMt Chdwill destroy thee for thy
sins. “Turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so miqnity shall not be your ruin.^ He shall save his people from their sins.^^” When thou fearest the greatness or multitude of thy sins will be thy destruction, apply, •^Iniquity shall not be yourruin.^^
when thou seest no means of safety, apply, <*He (that i«, Christ) shall save his people from tneir sins.”
If thou be tempted to uncieanness.
“He shall deliver thee from the strange woman.
Thy body shall be kept blameless until the coming of Christ. «”
If thou canst not find out the sin for which God corrects thee
“If they be tied with the cords of affliction, then will I shew them their work and their sins.’”
A wise father will not correct his child but he will shew him wherefore: How else
ft£zek. ill, 2i. t»Ezek. scvHi, 30. cMat i. SI. f Prov. ii, 16. n Tbe«. n Job xuvii 8, 9. should he amend his faalt? Mach more will the Lord. But we enjoy not many promises, because we sue not for them.