The wels of salvation opened: or, a treatise discovering the nature, preciousnesse, usefulness of Gospel-promises, and rules for the right application of them. By William Spurstowe, D.D. pastor of Hackney near London. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy.

CHAP. IV. In which is discovered the noble effect of the Promises.

FOurthly, the promises of the Gospel are exceeding great and precious, in regard of that high and noble effect which they work in beleevers; who by the energie and powerful operation of the promises, are rai∣sed to the utmost pitch both of perfection, and blessednesse in their being and estate, being by them made partakers of the divine nature, as the Apostle tells us: Not by ha∣ving a share, and partnership in the sub∣stance and essence of God, and thereby to become drops, beames, particles of the Deity, as some have most fondly dreamed: But by

a participation of divine qualities and excel∣lencies, whereby beleevers are made con∣formable unto God; having those perfecti∣ons which are in the holy nature of God, and Christ by way of eminency, to be formally, or secundùm modum creaturae, imprinted and stamped on their souls, so farre as the image of his infinite holinesse is expressible in a li∣mited, and restrained being. As the wax when it doth receive an impression from the seale, doth not participate of the essence of the seale, but only receives a signature and stamp made upon it: so when God leaves a character and print of his holi∣nesse or other excellencies upon the soule, he doth not communicate any thing of his substance or essence, but effecteth only a resemblance in the creature of those perfe∣ctions that are truly in himselfe, which being originally, and totally derived from him, may in some sort be said to be the divine nature. In the Painters table that is called a face, or hand, which is onely the lively image or representation of such things to the eye: and so those divine lineaments of beauty and holinesse which are drawn by the finger of God upon the soul of believers, may be called the divine nature, as they are

shadowy representations of his own glorious being: but not as they are any particles or traduction of it. The highest honour that any creature can attaine unto, is to be a living picture of God; to shew forth as the Apostle saith, 1 Pet. 2. 9. the vertues of God, and Christ: and he that raiseth it any higher, must have swelling and lofty thoughts of the creature, and low and dishonourable thoughts of God. Now this likenesse to God, or this Deiformitas, Christiformitas, as the pious Ancients were wont to style it, is wrought by the promises.

SECT. 1. The Promises the Word of life.

First, as they are the words of Spirit and life, John 6. 63. As they are the im∣mortal seed, 1 Pet. 1. 23. whereby a man is begotten again and made partaker of a se∣cond birth, in which he beares the image of the second Adam, the Lord from heaven; as in the other he did beare the similitude of the first Adam who was of the earth earthy, 1 Cor. 15. 47. The promises they have in them a vim 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a formative ver∣tue and power to mould and fashion the

heart to holinesse, and to introduce the I∣mage of Christ into it, in regard of that native purity which dwels in them, and is above gold that hath been seven times tried in the fire, Psal. 12. 6. therefore our Saviour tells his Disciples, that they were cleane through the Word that he had spoken unto them, John 15. 3. and when he prayed unto God to sanctifie them; his prayer is, Sanctifie them through thy truth, thy Word is truth, Joh. 17. 17.

Secondly, beleevers may be said to be par∣takers of the divine nature by the promises, as they are the Objects of Faith and Hope. Both which are graces that have in them a wonderful aptitude to cleanse and purifie the Subjects in which they dwell, and to in∣troduce true holinesse in which the lively image and resemblance of God doth chiefly consist.

First, Faith it believes the truth of those things which God hath promised, and ap∣prehends also the worth and excellency of them to be such as that thereby it is made firme and constant in its adherence, vigorous and active in its endeavours to use all means for the obtaining a conformity to God and Christ, and the escaping of the corruption that is in the world through lust. For till a

man come to be a believer he is by the tem∣ptations of Satan, and the specious promises with which they usually come attended, drawn aside to the commission of the worst of sinnes, in which though he weary himself to finde what first was seemingly promised, yet he meets with nothing but delusions and disappointments of his expectation. Balaam hath an edge set upon his spirit to curse the people of God by a promise of preferment made unto him and he tires him∣self in going from place to place to effect it▪ but God hinders him from doing of the one, and Balack denies the giving unto him the other. So Judas by a baite that suits his covetousnesse undertakes to sell his Lord▪ but when he hath accomplished his wick∣ednesse, and received his wages, he throws it away, and dares not keep what before he so earnestly thirsted after: the blood of his Ma∣ster makes every piece of the silver look gastly, so that now he sees another image upon it then Cesars, and cries out that he had sinned in betraying innocent blood. Now faith it enables a beleever to discern a snare, a defilement under all the gilded al∣durements of Satan and the world: And therefore he rejects with scorne those tem∣ptations

with which others are miserably cap∣tivated, & resists with resolution all the cour∣tings and solicitations of the flesh, to which others yield, beholding onely a stability and preciousnesse in those promises which have the oath of God to make them sure, and his love to make them sweet. And these only have a prevailing power with him, to cause him so to order his conversation in all manner of holinesse, that he may walk as it becomes an heire of heaven, and an ad∣opted sonne of the most high God to walk.

Secondly, as Faith by beleeving the pro∣mises doth purifie the heart; so also doth hope which expects the performance of what faith beleeveth, work and produce the same effects. He that hath this hope in him, puri∣fieth himself, even as God is pure, 1 Joh. 3. 3. The expectation which beleevers have by the promises, is not a supine oscitancy, where∣by they look to be possessed of life and glo∣ry without any care or endeavours of theirs for to obtaine it: like to callow and unfea∣thered birds, that lie in the nest, and have all their food brought to them, gaping one∣ly for to receive it: But it is an expectati∣on accompanied with diligence and industry

for the fruition of what they do expect. The grace of God (saith Paul,) teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, Tit. 2. 11, 12. And the ground of this he subjoyneth, Vers. 13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. He that truly expects glory, earnestly pur∣sues grace, Heb. 12. 14. He that hopes to be with God in heaven, useth all meanes to be like God on earth. An heavenly conversa∣tion is the natural fruit of an heavenly ex∣pectation, Phil. 3. 20. Our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Sa∣viour the Lord Jesus Christ. The Heathen could say that labour was the husband of hope. There is hope the harlot, and hope the wife. Hope the married woman is known from hope the harlot by this, that she alwayes accompanieth with her husbands labour. True hope looks to enjoy nothing but what is gotten by travel and paines, and therefore useth all meanes to obtaine that good which faith apprehendeth in the pro∣mise: It seekes glory by grace, it endea∣vours after communion with God in hea∣ven, by working a conformity to God

in a beleever while he is on earth.

Thirdly, beleevers are made partakers of the divine nature by the promises as they are the irreversible obsignations and declara∣tions of God, which he hath freely made un∣to them of his taking them unto himself in an everlasting communion of life and glo∣ry. Heaven is (as Prosper calls it,) Regio bea∣titudinis, the onely climate where blessednesse dwells in its perfection. While we are here below, we are but as Kings in the cradle: the throne on which we must sit, the robes with which we must be clothed, the crown which must be set upon our heads, are all reserved for heaven. In this life there is onely a taste of celestial delights, and in the other there is a perpetual feast. Here we see through a glasse darkly; but then face to face, 1 Cor. 13. 12. Grace doth as Cameron ex∣presseth it, adsignificare infirmitatem, con∣notate a weaknesse and imperfection; and glory that signifies an abolition, and do∣ing away whatsoever is weak or imperfect. But all this absolute perfection of happinesse which is laid up in heaven for beleevers, is ratified and made sure unto them in the promises; and therefore they are said to be heires of the promise, Heb. 6. 17. Yea, by

the promises, they have the pledges and first∣fruits of all that happinesse which they shall enjoy in heaven, given unto them in this life. We are now the sonnes of God, (saith the Apo∣stle) though it doth not yet appeare what we shall be, 1 John 3. 2. That is, we now beare his image and likenesse, though in a more dark and imperfect character. Our know∣ledge, our grace, our comforts are all incom∣pleat: But when he shall appeare, we shall be like him. That is, when Christ shall come to receive us unto himself, we shall beare upon us his resemblance in a full and abso∣lute manner, being made one with him in an everlasting fellowship of blisse and glory. Deservedly therefore may the promises that seale heaven to believers in the other life, and begin it in this life, be said to make them partakers of the divine nature.