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 ...

Promises. 1. Of Faith.

GOD promiseth to give Faith to whom hee meanes to

save. The Apostle saith, It is the gift of GOD,* 1.1 Ephes. 2.8. and Iude 3. That it was once given to the Saints. Heb. 12.2. CHRIST is said to be the Author and fini∣sher of our Faith. And Rom. 12.3. That GOD hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith. All that the Father giveth mee, that is, by election; shall come to mee, that is, by Faith, Iohn 6.37. See verse 35.

Promises. 2. To Faith. Many Promises are made to Beleevers.

1. Beleefe in GOD brings good successe. Beleeve in the LORD your GOD, so shall yee be established; beleeve his Prophets, so shall yee prosper, 2 Chron. 20.20.

2. Forgivenesse of sinnes: righteousnesse and justification

are promised to Beleevers, Acts 10.43. Rom. 10.4. & 4.5. & 5.1. Acts 13.39.

3. Wee are made the sonnes of GOD by adoption, when wee beleeve in CHRIST, Ioh. 1.12. Gal. 3.26, 29.

4. GOD will give his Spi∣rit to them that beleeve: Hee that beleeveth in mee, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living wa∣ter, Ioh. 7.38.

5. GOD hath promised to heare the prayers of such as be∣leeve, What things soever yee de∣sire when yee pray, beleeve that yee receive them, and yee shall have them, Mark. 11.24. Whatsoever yee shall aske in prayer, if yee beleeve yee shall receive it. Matth. 21.22.

6. Eternall life is promised to Beleevers, Iohn 3.16.* 1.2 Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. It is not onely said hee shall have eter∣nall life, but already he hath it, often in Iohn, Chap. 3.36. Chap. 5.

24. Chap. 6.47, 54. 1. In regard of right, because hee is instated into it in the Covenant of grace, Mat. 5.3. 2. CHRIST in his Ascention hath taken full posses∣sion for us, Ephes. 2.6. 3. In re∣gard of initiall fruition in this life, the life of grace is an im∣perfect life of glory.

Beleevers are said to be blessed, John 20.29.* 1.3 Every man that be∣leeves shall be saved, Mar. 16.16. There is the gracious promise: now the Faithfull man assumes the Minor, but I beleeve, and out of these two premises, in∣ferreth this saving Conclusion, therefore I shall be saved. Bellar∣mine saith, this particular propo∣sition, such or such a man is tru∣ly justified, hath eternall life, is not contained in the Word of GOD, either immediatly or by consequence. Some Divines

say, that such places as these, Psal. 103.3. Rom. 10.9. Gal. 2.20. intimate and imply such a parti∣cular proposition immediatly, but this is deduced by evident consequence out of the word, from such generall promises and propositions as these: Whosoe∣ver beleeveth in him, shall receive remission of sinnes, Acts 10.43. And by him all that beleeve, are iustified from all things, &c. Acts 13.39. He that beleeveth on the Sonne, hath everlasting life, Iohn 3.36. follow by good conse∣quence these particulars, Paul, Peter, Calvin, Bradford, or any other particular man beleeving in him, receives remission of sinnes, is justified and hath eter∣nall life; as it followes directly and infallibly, every man is a rea∣sonable creature, therefore Iohn, Thomas, &c. is endued with reason.

For all Generalls comprehend and include their particulars; otherwise how shall it be proved,

that GOD made Hens and Ducks, &c. but by this, that hee made all the world, and gave being to every creature.

One meanes to get Assurance is a serious meditation on the Promises of GOD, and an hum∣ble and sound application of them to thy selfe, Heb. 10.22, 23.

When the LORD acquaints us with his Word and Promises, and causeth us by his Spirit to put our trust in them, this is a sound and true Assurance, Iob 33.26.

* 1.4 The smallest measure of Faith that can be, is when a man not being able to apply the promises to himselfe, and to say, I am perswaded my sinnes are forgiven, yet out of a troubled heart doth unfainedly desire the favour of GOD above all the world.* 1.5

To this thirsting the Promises are made, Mat. 5.6. Psal. 107.9. The LORD will fulfill the

desires of them that feare him, Psal. 145.19.

See Esay 55.1, 2. Esay 44.3, 4. Rev. 21.6. & 22.17. Iohn 7.37. Psal. 10.17. Luke 1 53.

Promises of Assurance, Psal. 50.23. that is, I will cause him to see and know that hee shall be saved, Mal. 4.2. Psal. 85.9. & 97.11. GOD hath first com∣manded the faithfull to make their calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1.1. and to beleeve his pro∣mises, Mar. 1.15. 1 Iohn 3.23. Se∣condly, promised that hee will certifie and assure his people of his favour, Ezek. 34.30. Thirdly, GOD hath given his people in all ages experience of the truth of this his promise in themselves, Rom. 8.15, 16. Gal. 4.6.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Christ is cō¦ceived in our soule by faith, as hee was concei∣ved in the Virgins wombe by her yeal∣ding to the promise. So we closing with the promise, then faith is wrought, and Christ comes to live in the heart.
• * 1.2

  Ioh. 3.18. & 6.35, 11, 25, 16 & 12.•••• 2 Thess. 1.10.
• * 1.3

  Acts 16.30, 31. The Evan∣gelicall pro∣mises of grace con∣cerning ou•• reconcilia∣tion made by Christ and remissi∣on of sins, are so to be beleeved of us, that they may bring firme and solid com∣fort, but un∣lesse I be∣leeve in speeciall, that I am reconciled and that my sinnes are pardoned, I cannot have this consolation, Ergo, I am to beleeve this. The Maior is manifest, because the end of Evangelicall grace and the Di∣vine promises, is that wee may have firme consolation, Heb. 6.18. B. Dav. on Coloss.
• * 1.4

  The smal∣lest measure of true grace that can be, is to hunger after grace in the want thereof, faith a reve∣rend Divine on the fourth of Iohn.
• * 1.5

  Such as un∣feinedly de∣sire & aske grace of God, shall be sure to obtaine it.