A glimpse of God, or, A treatise proving that there is a God discovering the grounds of atheism, with arguments of divers sorts against atheists : shewing also, the unity of the Godhead, and the trinity of the persons ... / by ... Mr. Thomas Byrdall ...

Sect. 2.

Now as touching those Promises that concern each particular member of the Church: First, concerning Promises about Grace, and spiritual Mercies, we are to observe these Rules.

1. That God will make good his Promises to all Believers, concerning pardon of sin, sanctification, adopti∣on, perseverance, life eternal; and a Believer may be confident, that God will bestow these things undoubtedly upon him: by this name Jehovah he will be made known to all, and for these things thou mayest absolutely pray.

2. That God will give such a mea∣sure of grace, of comfort, and assist∣ance,

as he knowerh to be fit for thee, not such and such a measure of grace and assistance as thou thinkest needful. Your heavenly Father knoweth what grace, what comfort, what assistance you most need: Be sure, what the Lord Jehovah doth fot thee, it is for the best.

3. That the Lord performeth his Promises in his own time, not in times that we prescribe to him; Heb. 4. 16. He will give grace and mercy in a time of need, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in opportunum auxilium, for a seasonable aid. It is said, 2 Cor. 6. 2. In a time accepted have I heard thee, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee. Therefore blessed is the man that waiteth always; when Gods time be∣gins to dawn, then mercy shall shine forth. The Israelites did endure a long and sore bondage in Egypt, did groan heavily; yet Moses came not to deliver them, till the appointed time came.

4. When God's determinate time

is come, then he will be made known by his Name Jehovah: the Lord is very punctual in the observation of moments, days, and years: as the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt was at the end of 430. years determined before, and then Moses came: at the fulness of time Christ came in the flesh: so in the fulness of time, par∣don of sin, peace of conscience, com∣fort and deliverance shall come, or whatsoever it be thou standest in need of. When we would have things done in our time, the Lord answers us, as Christ did his Mother, complaining there was no Wine; Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. Joh. 2. 4. When his hour was come, then he turned Wa∣ter into Wine: So, when thou art in affliction, thou prayest, Lord, com∣fort now, send deliverance now, send assurance now; our Saviour answer∣eth, My time is not yet come; when that is come, then will I turn thy Wa∣ter into Wine, then be it unto thee according to thy faith.

5. Now the Rule for temporal Pro∣mises is; though godliness hath an interest, title and claim to all the Promises of this life, yet the Lord performeth not all the promises of this life to all that are Godly; but gives to all that which is good for them▪ Now the goodness of an outward thing lies not in the nature of a mer∣cy, as in the conveniency and fitness of the mercy to thy heart.

Though godly men can lay claim to all Promises, yet all godly men have not fit hearts for all Promises. As for instance; Every godly man hath the promises of Riches, of Ho∣nours, of Long-life; but every god∣ly man hath not an heart fit for Riches or Honours: Should God give them Riches, they would perhaps wax proud, careless, loose, wanton, and their hearts, being puffed up, would make them kick and spurn against God; therefore God in his wisdome debarreth them from Riches. When godly men put temporal promises in suit in the Court

of Request, God answereth them as our Saviour answered the Mother of Zebedee's children, that desi••ed, that her two sons might sit, one at his right hand, the other at his left hand in his Kingdome; Ye know not what ye ask; can ye be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? So ye may ask for Honours and Riches, but ye know not what ye ask, saith our Saviour; can ye be poor? can ye be contented? can ye be meek and lowly? can ye en∣dure tribulation and persecution for righteousness sake?

Notes

• Rule 1.