A treatise of the divine promises in five bookes : in the first, a generall description of their nature, kinds, excellency, right use, properties, and the persons to whom they belong : in the foure last, a declaration of the covenant it selfe .../ by Edvvard Legh ...

2. GODS Promises are full and of large extent, in respect of

• 1. Persons.
• 2. Things.

In respect of persons;

They are propounded gene∣rally

with such termes as these, every one, or whosoever, Ioh. 3.15, 16. Matth. 11.28. Revel. 22.17. Esay 55.1, 2. Acts 10.43. Ioh. 7.37. Iohn 6.37, 40. & 5.24. & 11.26. Ezek. 33.11. 1 Iohn 2.1.

They are offered to all, none excepted: the Angell brought glad tidings for all people, Luke 2.10. no sort of men are exclu∣ded, but in CHRIST they may have their part in these pro∣mises, as the Apostle sheweth, Gal. 3.27, 28, 29. Hee will blesse them that feare the LORD, both small and great, Psal. 115.13. The LORD is rich unto all that call upon him, Rom. 10.12. In every nation hee that feareth him, and worketh righteousnesse,* 1.1 is accepted with him, Acts 10.35.

The Promises are propoun∣ded promiscuously to all, toge∣ther with the commandement of beleeving; but they are not performed to all, because they

faile in performing the conditi∣on, but power is given to the Elect to performe the conditi∣on, Ephes. 2.8. Act. 5.31. & 11.18.

There is therefore a twofold offering of CHRIST:

1. Externall in the preaching and publishing of the Gospell or the promises of CHRIST, Act. 9.15.

2. Internall, a certaine spiri∣tuall Illumination whereby those promises are pro••ounded to the hearts of men,* 1.2 as it were by an in∣ward word.

* 1.3The promises are indefinite in regard of all and every man, and to beleevers onely they are uni∣ve••sall, Iohn 3.16. & Mark. 16.16. R••m. 1.16. & 10.4. GOD undertakes with them, not for themselves onely, but for their seed aft••r them, I am thy GOD, and the GOD of thy seed: hee sheweth mercy to a thousand ge∣nerat••••ns of them that feare him, and keepe his Commandements.

He maintaines not onely such is serve him, but all their hou∣••hould▪ yea and all th••••r po∣sterity too: for the promises are made to you,* 1.4 and to your seede, and to as many as GOD shall call.

2. In respect of things;

His Promises are likewise large for things. No good thing will he withhold; all that is in heaven, in ea••th, will GOD bestow on his.

In Deut. 28. Psal. 37. & 128. whatsoever is good for the soule, the body, the estate, the name, the posterity of m••n, is promised to them that feare GOD, and obey his Comman∣dements.

The Promises in the Word extend themselves to all estates, to all conditions, and to all kind of distresses whatsoever, they are a Christians Catholic••n; being a helpe to all duties, a quickner of all graces, and a

Comfort in all Troubles.

The people of GOD streiten promises, and enlarge pre∣cepts,* 1.5 but the generality of the promises may comfort any gracious person: Whosoever beleeveth, shall bee saved, none is excluded but such as exclude themselves. This is singular comfort in temptation, no matter for thy sinnes; who∣soever beleeveth in CHRIST, shall be saved, though his sinnes be never so great. This may comfort the godly also in their meane estate in the world, who∣soever beleeves, the hainous sin∣ner as well as the lesser; the poore begger as well as the mightiest Monarch, shall not perish, but have life eternall.

* 1.6The indefinite promises are to be appropriated by particu∣lar application: Gal. 2.20. 1 Tim. 1.15. The Articles of the Creed

* 1.7 concerning remission of sinnes and life everlasting doe include, and we in them acknowledge our speciall faith concerning our owne salvation. Hee that hath not this particularity of applying, hath nothing of faith more then a Divell, as two of our wor∣thy Divines * 1.8 have well obser∣ved. The Divels hold generalls, of CHRISTS death; re∣mission of sinnes thereby purcha∣sed unto the Church: herein on∣ly they faile, that they apply not these to themselves, nor can be∣leeve that they are sharers in these benefits; and let it be thought no presumption, for GODS child to out-strip the Divell one step at least, in beliefe of the Articles of his Creed.

The Apostles applied the pro∣mises to them whom either they did instruct or confirme in the faith, 1 Cor. 1.4, 9, 30. & Chap. 12.27. Ephes. 1.13. & Chap. 2.5. Acts 2.39. & 13.38. Col. 2.10. 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. 1 Iohn 2.12. The faithfull also apply them to themselves, 2 Cor. 3.18. & 5.1. Ephes. 1.4. & 2.5. Col. 1.12. 1 Pet. 1.3. 1 Iohn 3.1, 2. & 3.24.

The Papists scoffe at this par∣ticular assurance, and say, there must be a particular word, for a particular faith. Where is it said by name (say they) to any man; Thou Peter or Iohn shalt be saved? Wee may retort this argument upon themselves: for where is it said to any by name, Sanctifie the Sabbath, sweare not? and yet the commandements be∣long to us, why not then the Promises, though not spoken to us by name? The word of pro∣mise is as particular, as the word of threatning, command,

or prohibition. The Generals include their particulars;* 1.9 When a Prince gives a pardon to all theeves, every one can apply the same unto himselfe, though his name be not set downe in the pardon. To mee (saith D. S••la∣t••r) it sounds as particular in case of my faith and repentance, as if our Saviour himselfe should say unto mee, as to him in the Gospell, Sonne, thy sinnes be for∣given thee.

The wicked enlarge the pro∣mises, and streighten the pre∣cepts, they take liberty to sinne, presuming on pardon from those two generall maine promises, Hee that beleeveth, shall be sa∣ved, Mark. 16.16. At what time soever a sinner repents him of his sinnes, I will have mercy on him, saith the LORD, Ezek. 18.21, 22.

Here are two sweet promises, the one annexed to Faith, the other to Repentance; but out of these fragrant flowers, the

wicked sucke poyson.

It is an easie matter to beleeve (saith the worldling) though in∣deed it be as hard as to keepe the Law, for GOD must inable to both. And true repentance (saith hee) is never too late: GOD hath promised pardon to the penitent, there is no excep∣tion of a 1.10 sinne, b 1.11 times, or c 1.12 per∣sons, but at what time soever, what sinner soever repents him of what sinne soever, he shall be forgiven.

This cannot be denied; but yet though true repentance be never too late, late * 1.13 repentance is seldome true: and though GOD hath promised pardon to the penitent, yet hee hath not promised repentance to the sin∣ners. Thirdly, thou knowest not whether ever thou shalt have time, for hee promiseth not to¦morrow to the offendour, who is alwaies ready to receive the penitent. One saith, GOD hath left man time past to repent

of, and time present to repent in, but the time to come he hath re∣served in his owne hands.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Cove∣nant is actu∣ally made with belee∣vers onely, Act 13.48 Gal. 3.••. but it is offered unto all by the Gospel, Mat. 28.1••. Acts 17.30. Col 1.23. Tit. ••.11.
• * 1.2

  Ioh. 6, 45 7 Ephes. 1.17.
• * 1.3

  〈…〉〈…〉 in Comment. ad Rome. 3. v. 2.
• * 1.4

  Acts 2.39.
• * 1.5

  The large∣nesse of the Promise ser∣veth not onely to as∣sure all be∣leevers of salvation, but to en∣courage all that heare of Christ to beleeve in him: as the brazen Serpent had a promise an∣nexed to it, Numb. 21.8, 9. Ioh. 3.14, 15, ••6. that all that loo∣k••d toward it, when they were stung with a Ser∣pent should be he healed; that promise served not onely to assure the lookers of recovery, but also to encourage and warrant every one to looke to the Serpent.
• * 1.6

  The Sacra∣ments par∣ticularize the genera∣lity of the promise.
• * 1.7

  Perkins re∣formed Ca∣th••like. Abbot a∣gainst Bish.
• * 1.8

  D. Prideaux Lect 7 de salutis cer∣titudine.

  D Sclater on Rom 18.

  The Papish say it is ar∣rogancy and presumption by a speciall faith to ap∣ply the pro¦mises to our selves; but it is a nota¦ble glorify∣ing of God: the glory of his truth is given him, when a man doth as it were sub∣scribe to GODS Word, and set his Seale to i••. Ioh 3.33 Rom 4 20. not to beleeve is hor¦ri••le pre••umption, for that we presume to give God the lie, •• Ioh 5. ••0 for he that doth not in speciall apply the promise unto him∣selfe, doth not in heart beleeve the generall promise. Non en••m hic sensus est quem fingit Bellarminus, credo in Ecclesia dari remissionem peccatorum; quod Diabolus at{que} desperabundus quivis potest credere: sed credo diri remissionem peccatorum, per Christum mihi, quia in illum Credo. Episc Daven, in Col.
• * 1.9

  Generals of promise, blessing or comfort, de∣livered in Scripture, are inten∣tionally meant, to particulars rightly qua∣lified.

  Quod omni∣bus promi••ti∣tur, singulis promittitur.
• a 1.10

  1 Ioh. 1.7. Esay 1.8. Ezek. 18.22.
• b 1.11

  Ezek. 3••.12
• c 1.12

  Mat. 1••.28.
• * 1.13

  Poenitentia vera nunquā sera; at poeni∣tentia sera rarò vera. Austen.

  Qui promisit ••oenitenti ve∣niam, non promisit pec∣canti poeni∣tentiam.

  Peccanti crastinum non promisit. Nemo pro∣mi••tat sibi, quod Evan∣gelium non promittit.