---- CHAPTER XIII: That in every object there is some special attractive to affect the faculties and
might have improved into two strong arguments for the thing in hand, that mercy is substantially and properly in him.
Ans. 3. That bowels, though a metaphor, yet in its analogy is peculiarly fitted and adapted singularly to express what the inward natural disposition of any one is. For, 1st, It imports a natural affection, for it is put to express that which we call storge, or the natural affection that is in parents.
And, 2dly, with all the most inwardness and depth of that affection.
The eye that served to express God's omiscience, the arm, his omnipotence, these are outward parts; but the bowels are of all most inward, and therefore of all other speak what is most inward in God himself, and imports a principle of being mercifully moved from within himself.
CHAPTER XIII
That in every object there is some special attractive to affect the faculties and principles in man's heart, to excite them to act on it.
That this general maxim holds true, as to all the main acts of faith, for forgiveness: and that the mercies of God have the most proper influence into the faith of forgiveness of sins, of all other attributes of God.—This assertion carried through, and made good, in all the eminent acts of faith.
We all know and acknowledge, that, in the nature of the thing, the whole being and subsistence of all sorts of mercies vouchsafed to us, hold of those mercies that are in God; so as were it not that mercy is with him, our faith would be in vain, and we should have no such
things or subject-matter at all for us to believe. But that which I endeavour to demonstrate is, that take all sorts of mercies, with the particular promises made of them, as they come to be made objects of our faith, and in that respect the original mercies in God's nature are the great fundamental which doth give and contribute an esse credibile, a credibility, or a believableness unto all the promises of mercies,* and a hopefulness to obtain them, so as not only an apprehension that God, who is faithful in his nature, hath made such promises, and useth to bestow such mercies, but the thought that there are such riches of mercy in his heart and nature plentifully and naturally to afford them, wonderfully addeth to the credibility and believableness (as I call it) of those promises and particular mercies, to be derived from that fountain, which we need or desire. For as all particular mercies promised have their dependence upon the mercies of God's nature, in esse rei, in the nature of the thing (for they have their being thence, as from the Father of them), so further, our knowledge and apprehensions that such a treasure of grace is in his nature, mightily strengtheneth, and encourageth, and enhanceth faith in us. There is that in all other objects, whether of sense or knowledge, which philosophers term motivum objectum, viz., that thing or consideration in the object proposed or apprehended, which is apt and fitted most properly to move, affect, and make impression upon that faculty, principle, or habit, that God hath made for it and suited to it; as that beautiful colour should affect the sight or fancy.
The like by analogy holds in the objects of divine faith. And what those naturalists term the objective motive, or that which the object moveth, that in divine objects proposed to faith, the Holy Ghost (as we shall see), using the same language, styles persuasivum fidei, the persuasives of faith. There are some special things in these objects that chiefly persuade the soul unto believing them, or bringing the heart over to believe, and so to embrace them accordingly. We find in Scripture the great act of believing to be from our being first
'persuaded;' as Heb. 11:13, 'Having seen the promises afar off' (there is the object), 'they were persuaded,' it is said, 'and embraced them.'
And again, the same word is used of Abraham's faith; 'being persuaded,' &c., Rom. 4:21. The schoolmen do therefore accurately
inquire, what in divine objects principally it is that constitutes them in esse credibile, or that gives their being of credibility to them.
To bring this down to our purpose. From hence it follows, that what thing or things in divine objects revealed are found to be the most fit and powerful in the way of object, to make a persuasion in the heart to a believing or embracement of them when they are proposed to us, that thing or those things we must acknowledge to give unto them their esse credibile, or their being of believableness. Let us therefore now consider if that the view of the sight and light of the mercies in God's nature let into the soul, and shining upon the promises of mercy, like as the light upon colours, do not superadd a lustre and life upon them, and impregnate them, as the sun doth the plants, and all things below that have either life, spirit, or virtue in them. Let us try if the thoughts of these mercies in God will not put life into and quicken the soul of him that views them together with those promises, yea, and contribute so much to persuade to the faith of them, although the promises be hut indefinite promises or declarations of God's will touching the forgiveness of sins, although these promises be indefinite, I say, as to persons, not naming who, nor excluding any; yet let us [see] if the thoughts of God's mercies do not contribute and bring with the consideration of them the most of what is or may be supposed motivum, or persuasivum fidei, that which may persuade or draw out a faith on such promises. The truth of this will best appear by a survey made of what are the most eminent acts of faith. There are three more eminent acts of faith for forgiveness and all other spiritual blessings.
1. There is a sight of the things promised, or to be believed; but then that sight must be such a sight as hath an ὑπόστασις or subsistence of the things promised, made, and given to the heart of a believer, together with the proposal of them.
2. There is a discerning of a goodness in them, to allure the will and affections to embrace them, and cleave to them.
3. There is a trusting on God, and a relying on him for the performance of them.
I need not quote scriptures that these are the acts of faith. Two of them, viz., sight and embracing them, you have seen in the forementioned Heb. 11:13. The other of trusting you meet with everywhere almost where faith is spoken of. I shall carry the reasons of the present assertion through each of these three acts, and shew how it holds good in each of them.
1st. The first act of faith is a sight of the things believed, with a real subsistence given to them in the soul until the time of performance.
Now the mercies in God apprehended, do give the most real subsistence unto forgiveness, and all other benefits whatsoever.
The nature of faith requires that its object be presented to it, not with bare knowledge thereof only, but with a subsistence and reality given to it in the heart of a believer: for faith is defined to be the ὑπόστασις, 'the substance,' or subsistence, 'of things hoped for,' Heb.
11:1, and likewise 'the evidence,' or sight, 'of things though not seen.'
For which compare Heb. 11:1, 19, 27. God in the mean while, during the space and time that comes between the promise and the performance itself, is pleased to vouchsafe an aforehand image and substantial impress or ὑπόστασις, to the end to support the heart.
Look, as the Son of God, the second person, being at last actually to be made flesh, it was meet and proper for him in the mean time, while he was but in the promise, that he above any other of the persons should be the person who should vouchsafe these precursory forehand apparitions unto the fathers of the Old Testament, which gave an ὑπόστασις unto their faith, until the great promise of his coming in the flesh, personally united, should be performed, so in some analogy it is in the matter before us. I have alleged this but by way of illustration only of God's gracious dispensation to his people in respect of a subsistence vouchsafed to their sense, which bears some resemblance unto this subsistence vouchsafed to faith inwardly, whereby the things as yet remaining in the promise are set
before the soul; which things therefore, when believed, must be some way made real and subsistent; otherwise, indeed, it is not a true sight or spiritual faith, but vanisheth with its object proposed into an empty notion and speculation. It is therefore that thing in God, the revelation of which gives a subsistence to the object of faith, that doth put it into an esse credibile, a being of believableness.
I now proceed then to demonstrate that our first real believing the mercies in God do give a subsistence unto forgiveness in the promises.
The subsistence that any divine object hath, is from a real and true knowledge of God himself made subsistent, first to the soul, and then explicitly or implicitly it concurreth to every true act of faith of any other particular object. Our Saviour therefore, instructing them in particular acts of faith, Mark 11:23, 24, first proposeth this general rule to them requisite to all true faith: ver. 22., 'Have faith in God,' or have the faith of God, because into that faith of him, or something in him (as his power or truth, &c.), is the subsistence of every particular thing promised resolved. 'He that comes to God must believe that he is,' &c., Heb. 11:6. This is general to all true faith, but more particularly that attribute or relation in God which is the most proper and direct cause of the thing promised in esse rei, in the being thereof; that very same attribute being viewed by faith, together with the promise, is of all other fitted most properly to give this subsistence to our faith. Thus when Abraham found that his body was dead, and Sarah's womb dead as to procreation, Rom. 4:19, and that yet God had promised him a son; that attribute in God, on which this thing promised did most directly and proximately depend, that attribute accordingly was with the promise presented to Abraham's faith, and 'he was persuaded that what he had promised, he was able to perform, and so became strong in faith, giving glory to God,' Rom.
4:20, 21. Where we see that persuasion the apostle speaks of, the most proper ratio credendi, or ultimate ground of believing, and persuasive of his faith in that very particular thing, was that special attribute that in God was the most proper cause of the thing
promised; and the same was it which gave the subsistence to the thing and to his faith.
Now therefore, to come home to the thing in hand. It is hence to be observed by this general rule or maxim, that whensoever the heart of a sinner shall attempt to believe the forgiveness of sin, there is nothing can be supposed to be in God, or concerning God, revealed, that should give a greater reality, and subsistence, and certainty of the promises in and to the heart of a believer, than the consideration of those mercies in God, which are the most eminent cause of that forgiveness, which is the thing promised. When the soul considers, that he who is so great a God, and so greatly merciful and gracious, is the same God who hath promised it, and hath means in him to make it good, what other thing (I say) can be so great a persuasive to believe as the light hereof? And the greater the light thereof is, which is brought down into such a promise, and with the promise shines into the heart, the more, and in the greatest degree, doth the light of the true subsistence of forgiveness shine with it, and becomes realized to the soul, and appears clothed with such an evidence and subsistence as will efficaciously strike, move, and draw out real faith, that being the principle which is properly and specially suited to that object. And seeing it is the light of God himself shining in some attribute or other, either habitually or actually, implicitly or explicitly, immediately or remotely, that must be the bottom of faith, and accompany faith always, and in every promise give that subsistence spoken of unto faith (whether it be his truth, faithfulness, goodness, or the like); then certainly that which of all other must needs be most effectual and genuine, in this case of forgiveness, is this light and faith into God's mercies; for they are those which move God most to forgive, and therefore move us most to believe in God for it.
And the reason of this further is, that although all benefits whatever are the effects of mercy, and so styled (as the call of the Gentiles is,
Rom. 15:9, and the 'Gentiles glorify God for his mercy,' and the splendour of the whole of their salvation from conversion
downwards, as a people 'that had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy,' 1 Pet. 2:10), yet forgiveness of sins doth of all other most purely, immediately, and directly, depend upon mercies.
Forgiveness is a pure act of and from grace; as old Zacharias speaks in his song: Luke 1:77, 78. 'To give the knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins, through the tender mercies (or bowels) of our
God.' To give other things, or to do for us in another kind, may require the calling in the help of some other attribute immediately to effect it; as the resurrection of our bodies and glorifying of us, which (though it be a work of infinite mercy), requires the aid of power to effect it, even that 'power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself,' Philip. 3:21. But forgiveness and pardon of sin peculiarly and immediately hold of mercy, and own and adore mercy for their immediate founder and benefactor. Pardon and forgiveness are a pure emanation from grace, and issue in the glory thereof, above all other in God: Eph. 1:7, in Christ we have 'the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;' Exod. 34:7, 'The Lord God, gracious and merciful'; and then, 'pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin.' This is a stream that springs and flows out immediately from that fountain: Ps. 86:5, 'The Lord is good, and ready to forgive; plenteous in mercy.' His being ready to forgive, flows gushing forth from his goodness, and his being plenteous in mercy. God is 'the Father of mercies,' all mercies bestowed being the most natural and immediate children of mercy in himself, and he thereout giving existence and being to them, as a father doth to his children. And from hence the heart of a humble sinner, when it is to seek any mercies at the hand of God, or hath received any, may and will readily know and acknowledge mere mercy, infinite mercy, to be the father of them. But above all other, pardon (when either we come to seek it, or to be thankful for it, this forgiveness of sins being the firstborn of benefits in our calling) will own and know its Father, the Father of mercies, and cause the heart to fall upon its knees, and ask blessings for it.
The truth of that general maxim holds in any other attribute, as touching that particular dependency which its proper effects have
upon it: as when God is styled 'the Father of lights,' in relation unto wisdom to be asked and given; and when he is called 'the Lord of hope,' when joy and peace in believing are spoken of; and the 'God of all comforts' and 'Father of glory,' when comfort and glory are to be bestowed. But there is a farther reason why this or that attribute in God, that gives the subsistence to the performance, should, above all other, most properly conduce to give the subsistence to the faith of a believer (although the subsistence of the performance is differing from the subsistence given to faith in the mean time), because that hereby faith doth see all along, even until the performance of the promised blessings, the existence of them in what are their native roots and direct immediate causes. Thus it is said, Heb. 11:13, 'They saw the promises afar off, and were persuaded.' That phrase, afar off, refers not, wholly or altogether, to an importing the distance of time to come ere performed (though take that in also), but also to the words that went before, 'they saw them afar off,' that is, though the mercies were at a distance as to their individual existence, which was afar off, and remote out of sight, yet however this act of their faith was a sight, for they saw them really subsisting, or else their faith had not been worthy the name of sight. So then they were presented as if really subsisting afar off. Now, wherein or whereby should it be that they saw them thus subsisting aforehand, when the things had not any actual existence? There certainly was a seeing them in God, and in God by viewing those attributes especially that were to be the most direct and native causes of them. The knowledge of philosophy holds some resemblance, or like kind of existence, with this.
Philosophy instructs us that though roses in winter have no existence, and though tulips have no flower nor stalks above ground for the greatest part of the year, and so they have not an actual existence for so long time, yet that in a true sense they may be said to have a real being and existence in nature, the mother and womb of all things. If vulgar apprehensions might be judges of this, they will say, Where is it? they are not, for we see no such things extant. But a philosopher or a wise gardener will tell you that they have a being in their roots; yea, and that each and every kind of those flowers have a several being in their several roots proper to their kind, in which, as
in their causes, they have a latent hidden existence and being, which reason assures them to be true. And therefore a gardener doth, before summer comes, put a high value upon such roots as those that will bring forth such flowers. He sees them afar off in those roots, as their causes, many months before, and expects their growing up in their seasons. Even thus, and more satisfyingly, doth faith see in God a subsistence of the promises, whilst it views them in those attributes which are the proper originals of them, according to their kind.
I shall now consider the second act of faith, which is, 'embrace the promise'; and I shall demonstrate that an enlarged consideration of the mercies of God's nature do wonderfully persuade the heart to embrace the promises of forgiveness. The promises do thus persuade, by mercy's super-adding a real taste of transcendent goodness and sweetness, an overcoming sweetness, unto this grand benefit of forgiveness, and the promises thereof, by which the will and affections are demulced, and effectually drawn to embrace them.
That these benefits of salvation are in themselves good, and must needs be most welcome, or, as the apostle expresseth it, 1 Tim. 1:15,
'worthy of all acceptation,' by a sinner sensible of his own sinful misery, we may very well and readily conceive, for they are suited unto all self-love in such a soul. But farther, that unto a truly broken, humbled sinner, the mercies that are in God, out of which he pardons, should have, as needs they must, infinitely more of goodness and sweetness in them than pardon, or all things else that are in the promises, or apprehended with them, is that which a soul that hath tasted how good the Lord is will instantly acknowledge. A promise of life to a condemned man is sweet, for life is sweet, as we say; but 'thy loving-kindness,' said David, who had tasted how good the Lord is, 'is better than life,' and infinitely sweeter, Ps. 63:3. And again says David, 'Because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me,' Ps.
109:21. Deliverance was good; yea, but the mercy in God apprehended therewith was infinitely more good to him, which was the greatest inducement to him to seek deliverance. And indeed
God's mercy doth eminently bear the style of goodness. Thus God himself says to Moses (Exod. 33:18, 19 compared), 'I will make all my
goodness pass before thee; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.' And David in this psalm first laid hold on the goodness that is in the mercy of God, and then prays and pleads, Deliver me.
The same again you have Psalm 69:16, 'Hear me, for thy lovingkindness is good;' that is, it is sweet, it is pleasant.* And when the thing sought for comes to be granted and obtained, a believer rejoiceth more in the mercy and loving-kindness he finds to be in God's heart towards him, than in the benefit vouchsafed, and that is it which takes his heart: Ps. 31:7, 'I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities.' That God's mercy and kindness should own his soul at such a time, was more than the deliverance. And as the mercy of God stirs up the soul thus to a rejoicing at the performance, so it pleasantly allures and obligeth the soul to trust on the promise in hope of performance; as those words, 1 Peter 2:3, imply, 'If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' As we find them in the apostle, they do refer unto the psalmist's speech—Ps. 34:8, 'O taste and see that the Lord is good!'—for his grace and mercy are his goodness: for so the apostle renders it, 'If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.'
The vulgar translation, whenever the psalmist says 'God is good,' do still render it Suavis est Dominus, 'the Lord is sweet;' and his mercies indeed are the primum dulce, the original sweetness of all other, which diffuse deliciousness both into the promises and the benefits vouchsafed, and make them to be as honey to the taste; and it is that taste of his graciousness which causeth us joyfully to receive and embrace them, and then to trust in him (which is the next act), for it follows in the next words of that verse of that psalm, 'Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.' The apostle in that place mentioned instanceth in those that were and are but new-born babes in Christianity; of whom yet he says, 'If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' What is it especially that Christians, whilst babes, do from the first of their faith seek out in the first and chief place for?
It is the forgiveness of their sins; and that benefit it is which God first vouchsafes them as to their sense. And therefore most suitably to that state of theirs the apostle speaks thus to them, with difference from others grown up, 'I write unto you babes, because your sins are
forgiven you,' 1 John 2:12. He writes it as the most welcome news to them, and as that which whilst babes they are in the most eager pursuance of, and thence they seek out in the word for promises that speak forgiveness, and those they suck and lie tugging at, even as infants use to do the breast for the milk that is in it, and this from the first of their birth, next after crying. And if they could come at variety of breasts, they would and do affect the sweetest milk; and hereto they are led by a taste of that sweetness. And the apostle's allusion is unto this, whilst he exhorts us 'as new-born babes, to desire the sincere milk of the word,' and subjoins, 'if so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious,' namely, in his having forgiven you all your trespasses, which so earnestly you then sought. And he joins these two together; for whilst we are seeking or sucking of forgiveness out of particular promises of forgiveness, we find God come at last, and his mercy and grace that forgive we meet with therein, and feel them to flow in with the promise, for they are the fountain of forgiveness, and of the promises also. It is God, you see, who is said to be tasted, and the sweetness of his mercies. It is not said so much that the sweetness of pardon, or that salvation, or the promise, are tasted; but over and above all it is God's grace that is tasted in and with them all, and that is it which makes us so greedy and desirous to suck comfort out of those breasts of consolation. For that desire, the apostle says, flows from taste, and this our sucking and tasting are through faith, and in the exercise of that we taste the grace that is in God's and Christ's heart towards us, whereof that grace in God's nature is the spring, or ocean rather, and we find that to be the most delicious of all other. My advice therefore to those that seek to believe is, to put in all of this sugar they can gather and grasp out of the original cane itself, as in the Scriptures they find it sprouting up, and therewith to sweeten all the promises they do or would lay hold on, as that which will most overcomingly persuade their wills to embrace them.
We will now consider the third act of faith, which is trust in God, and will prove that the view and intuition of the mercies in God doth mightily strengthen the heart to trust and stay itself upon God for forgiveness. And I shall shew how this is done, by persuading the
heart even of the very truth and faithfulness of God in the promises, and of the assured performance of them, and how they give the most real evidence: 1st, of God's real intention; and, 2dly, of ability in the event to fulfil them; which two are the main causes of trust on the truth of any promise. And God's mercies do sufficiently alone assure us of all these, though we had no other evidence thereof.
It is needless to insist that trust is an act of faith, and an eminent act thereof, and how a saint is characterised to be one that 'hopes in God's mercy,' Ps. 33:18, Ps. 147:11; and one that 'trusteth in his mercy,' Ps. 13:5; and Ps. 52:8, 'I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.' That which is specially incumbent on me is to give demonstration that the ample meditation of God's mercies will prove most effective to cause (as David's word is, Ps. 119:49) the heart to trust in God, over and above the consideration of the promises alone.
It may be thought that God having once given forth promises of forgiveness in his word, we should need the consideration of his mercies no more; for out of mercy it is that the promises are given, and of mercy it is they speak, and carry it in the mouth of them. Of what use then can it be to have a distinct view of these mercies whereof we treat, in order to draw forth trust on them, since the ground of that is the truth of God? If therefore our faith needed an establishment in those promises, it may have recourse rather unto the truth of God, or unto the assurance that God is true in his word and faithful in his promises; and as for mercy, that is sufficiently supposed in his promises themselves.
I acknowledge that these other attributes of truth and faithfulness have their share, and a great share too, in influencing the support of our faith. We cannot want the knowledge of any of his attributes, but our faith will be the weaker for it. We cannot be without the knowledge of truth especially, which is therefore so frequently mentioned with mercy. But yet still our hearts being too 'slow to believe' (as Christ hath told us), when deeply humbled once, do foment and harbour so many jealousies of God, and are as full of
dark cells of fears, doubts, suspicions of God, as full of unbelief, carnal reasonings against itself, as the earth is of damps, stifling vapours contained in vast caverns within the womb of it. Our hearts,
I say, do therefore stand in need of the most spiritual cordials (as those that dig in mines, and work in the earth's caverns, are wont ever and anon to take); which cordials, the most sovereign to such a fainting soul apt to sinkings, are the rich mercies in the heart of God, which like to a box of the most costly ointment, do, when opened, fill the whole house (the heart) with the savour thereof; a savour (if any) of 'life unto life,' as the apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 2:16. But over and above what spirit of life and consolation God's mercies in themselves immediately afford, my undertaking further is to shew, that an ample view of these infinite mercies entertained by us doth by inference or consequence wonderfully conduce to our very belief of the truth, and faithfulness, and willingness of God manifested in those promises to forgive and pardon us upon that account. And I shall also still continue the prosecution of my begun exhortation, to press and urge this practice and course upon the spirits of believers, or souls endeavouring to believe, viz., to fill and possess their souls with the most comprehensive apprehensions of the mercies of God, as to the drawing forth of trust or affiance on the promises of forgiveness, to be the most behoveful of all other. It is certain that in all trust and confidence upon another, whether in human matters on man, or divine on God, the knowledge of the person whom we trust, and the inward qualifications, and dispositions, and habilities that are in that person, are a greater basis and ground for trust than all or any sorts of declarations of that person, or any obligations by promises, oaths,
&c., can be supposed to be: 2 Tim. 1:12, 'I know whom I have believed,' or 'trusted,' as it is varied in the margin. His perfect knowledge of the person, viz., of God, did weigh above all with him, unto which fully accordeth that of the psalmist: Ps. 9:10, 'They that know thy name will trust in thee.' And though promises are the means by which we believe, yet it is the promiser that is the basis or the foundation on whom our hearts ultimately and quietly rest for the performance. All our confidence is therefore resolved into the person, and what he is. Indeed, the greatness of the sum or thing
promised, and the security given (whether it be by bond or the like), do greatly conduce to cheer the heart of one that trusts; but still all these are in the virtue of what we apprehend the promiser to be in his inward and innate disposition and habilities.
There are two things especially that give the real truth to any promise made, and chiefly beget the adherence thereto in the soul of any that confide thereon.
1. The honesty of the promiser, in respect of a real intention in him when he made the promise, and still continuing in him to perform it.
2. That in the event it will assuredly de facto be performed.
The reason why I add the latter to the first, and join both together, is, that the truth of a promise notes a respect and relation unto an actual performance, as that without which the promise cannot be said to be, or at least will not prove true in the reality of the thing, though it should be never so faithfully intended by him that promised. Hence then he that doth believe the truth of the promises of forgiveness, must necessarily be assured of the latter as well as the first, and indeed of both these two things fore-mentioned.
I shall speak to each particularly, and shew how much our faith on these two is confirmed, even by our belief of this, that so great and infinite mercies are in the heart and nature of God.
1. As to the truth and faithfulness of God's intention in these promises, that (say I) is as abundantly if not more confirmed to us by our firm belief of the mercies in God, than by any other arguments whatsoever; for it was mercy in God that wholly made those promises, and was the founder of them; and God had no other motive to make them than his mercies, and could have no other or greater design in the making, but firmly to resolve to perform them to the glorifying of his mercy, which is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and ending, of all therein. And therefore the belief of his
mercies must needs have as great an influence into our belief of the truth of the promises as any other thing whatever.
1st, Mercy, pure mercy, tenderness of mercy, made the promises, and caused him first thus to declare of himself, 'I will be merciful,' as Rom. 9, Exod. 33. Yea, and his mercy was utterly free in his doing this. The grace we are saved by is the freest principle in God's nature.
He might have chosen whether ever or no he would have let fall a word of mercy to any of mankind, and yet to choose he did it. And it was mercy, pure mercy, that was the head of and leader on of all the rest of the attributes to concur in this design.
Nor, secondly, had he any other end to attain upon the sons of men which he should have aimed at, or would obtain by his giving and uttering those promises, but that truly and really he should forgive, must be all and the whole of his intent, and utmost of the design.
Forgiveness of our sins is wholly ascribed unto mercy, as being from 'the riches of his grace,' Eph. 1:7.
Nor, indeed, 3dly, could he have any other design but this; it could not be to gain or bring us unto himself under the pretensions of offers of mercy, and the overtures thereof; for himself knew and foreknew that we all were and would be such wretched reckless creatures in ourselves, that all the promulgations and offers that should or could be made would not stir or move our hearts a jot unto the least attempt of nearer access unto God, unless himself first moved us thereunto. Mercy itself must work with the promises, or we should sit still and move not: Eph. 2:4, 5, 'But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together,' &c. And faith, it is 'the gift of God, and not of ourselves,' as there it follows. And therefore it had been in vain to have made pretensions of promises, in hopes or expectation of our being willing, or of our coming in, if God himself were not really resolved. No; the apostle hath resolved us it must be
God himself must shew us that mercy to cause us to will and run,
Rom. 9:16. Therefore, as mercy was the first and sole mover, so it must itself be the performer, or all is in vain.
4thly. Besides this, let us weigh that our great God did, long before he put forth those promises, both know and perfectly consider with himself what riches of grace and mercy lay by him, whereby he found his own sufficiency over and over abundantly to perform such promises, which to perform is more easy for him than for us to think or speak a word. 'I say unto thee' (says Christ, ὁ λόγος, the Word),
'thy sins are forgiven thee,' Mat. 9:2. It was but a word of his mouth.
The all-sufficiency of his own heart told him how merciful he could for ever find in his heart to be (as our phrase is of ourselves), and he first reckoned with himself, and told over what his 'riches in mercy' were, and to what an infinite sum they arose, and found, by the largeness of his heart therein, that he could never be disenabled or impoverished in the expense of them, nor his heart grow narrower or scantier in process of time afterwards, when men should have acted and perpetrated their sins, than now it was when he made the promise before they had sinned. 'I know my thoughts towards you, thoughts of peace,' &c., Jer. 29:11. And thereupon and withal there declares how in the end and event, as I have phrased it, the thing will assuredly be fulfilled which he had promised; so it follows, 'to give you an expected end.' For 'I know my thoughts towards you,' says he;
I have summed and cast up all. I know what I have resolved I am able to do, and therefore wait you, and expect the issue. And likewise he found in himself that he had for ever the absolute and full power of his own will. And upon this and such forethoughts within himself it was that he both took up those purposes of forgiveness, and issued out from thence those promises adequate thereunto.* When the covenant of grace and mercy, the sure mercies, were given forth to David under the type of him and his house, but signifying his seed
Christ, and those that were to be of him, David, in totum, and in the whole, resolveth all those promises into God's own greatness and allsufficiency within himself, as that from which alone, together with the consideration of his Christ, he was moved to make those promises: 2 Sam. 7:21, 'For thy Word's sake' (which I would interpret
of Christ, ὁ λόγος, the Word), and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things.' And the great things he speaks of as done by God were his uttering those promises by Nathan, ver. 11–16, which David indigitates, ver. 19, 'But thou hast spoken,' &c., all which was in the reality intended of Christ, and those children whom God gives him (as the apostle calls them), so Ps. 89:28, 29; Isaiah 55. And the consideration that God made these promises so freely, and out of his own heart, was that great foundation which confirmed David's heart in the faith of those promises, and may abundantly strengthen ours. Yea, the promises themselves that were made being so high and illustriously great, this became an invincible argument to David's faith, that God that made them was the true God, and he alone: so ver. 22, 'Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee.' For he considered with himself that it could not enter into the hearts of men, or of any mere creature, to make such promises, of so large and ample extent, of such and so great mercies and forgiveness: 'Is this the manner of men, O Lord God?' ver. 19. And therefore, if there were no other evidence, this alone sufficiently testified to him the greatness of God,
'Thou art God alone;' and his heart being thus filled and enlarged with the mercies of God, and the greatness of God in them, he thereupon readily gave up his faith to the belief of the truth of them.
And no wonder if we find in that first proclamation, Exod. 34:7, 'The Lord God, gracious, merciful, abundant in goodness or kindness,' set first, and then to follow 'abundant in truth' also; for the abundancy and overflowing of that kindness and mercy that God in those declarations professeth to be in himself, is that which assures us of the truth and reality of God's heart in the whole of it, as also of those promises which next do follow, of 'pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin.' His truth in his promises doth spring, and hath its rise, from that fountain, his super-abundancy of mercy. And as the promises are said to be 'true in Christ,' 2 Cor. 1:18, 20, because he purchased them, so upon the like ground they may also be said to be true in God, because mercy is the founder and maintainer of them.
And from hence it follows, that as God's own knowing his own heart, and riches, and all-sufficiency to perform what he should promise,
caused him to engage his truth at first in making these promises, so answerably it is operative in the soul of a believer, the more it comes to believe the truth of those promises, as there is a good reason it should do so. For this is a sure and undeniable rule, that what most moves God's heart to do a thing, that, when declared and revealed by God, must needs be most efficacious to cause the heart of a sinner to believe that he will do it.
The second thing I proposed, as that which goes to make up the truth of a promise, is the assured reality of the performance of it in the event, or, as the prophet speaks, that 'though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry,' Hab. 2:3; that is, that it will certainly in the issue be fulfilled, for otherwise the promise is not re ipsa true as to the thing itself, and so not such as he that is to confide in it may build upon it. And the reason of this is, not only that the substantialness and essentiality of a promise relates to the actual execution of it, but farther, likewise, because often it falls out that the person promising may have honestly and faithfully intended it, and promised it, and yet in the issue prove unable to perform, as we see amongst men it often falls out; and then in that case and respect the promise doth in reality fall short of its eventual truth.
Hence, therefore, to constitute a promise true, there must be added unto the sincerity of the intention of the promise the reality of making the promise good; and that as necessarily doth farther depend upon a full and sufficient ability in the promise to perform it, as it doth upon the honesty of his intention. Hence, therefore, in like manner it must be acknowledged that in and to the full confidence of faith of him that depends upon the promise of another, there must necessarily also be a persuasion of the full and perfect ability of the promise in the issue certainly to perform it, so that on his part it shall not nor can any way be hindered. And this belief of the ability of the promiser to accomplish, is as great an ingredient into trust as any.
This we may see in the apostle's faith: 2 Tim. 1:12, 'I know whom I have trusted, that he is able,' &c. Thus that wherein God's greatest sufficiency and ability, de facto, or actually to forgive our sins, doth lie, the apprehension and belief thereof must needs be judged the
strongest inducer of us to trust on God for the forgiveness. Now it is evident that his all-sufficiency and ability to forgive doth properly and peculiarly consist in his being merciful. Not to cite many scriptures, this 34th of Exodus may suffice, 'The Lord strong, merciful and gracious, pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin.'
Likewise Ps. 86:5 (which is an extract from this), 'For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy, unto all them that call upon thee.' You see here that his readiness to forgive flows from his goodness, and his being 'plenteous in mercy.' And in analogous reason this may be seen in its shadow, the mercy that is in man. What is it that enables a man to forgive?
Merely the goodness and mercy that is in him, so as a weak woman, or the poorest and otherwise most impotent man (if they abound in bowels of mercy, and be of tender hearts and natures), are able to forgive an injury, when yet they are utterly unable to do any other good thing, especially not any great thing, for the party whom they forgive. But the mercy that is in them alone sufficiently empowereth them unto forgiveness, when to nothing else. So, then, if a firm belief of the ability of the person be the strongest persuasive unto trust and confidence, joined with that of his honest intention, further to confirm us of the certain real performance itself, then although from other topics we may come to believe that God is true in those his promises of forgiveness, yet more abundantly, as the apostle says in a like case, this belief springs from the intuition of the abundancy of the mercies that are in God, than from any other whatsoever; and the firm belief of the ability to perform is that which most of all causeth trust. Thus it was in the faith of Abraham, that he staggered not at the truth of the promise as to the real performance, because he chiefly believed God's all-sufficiency to make it good: Rom. 4:20, 21,
'He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able to perform;' and so was assured thereby that the event would be accordingly. If a great person that had promised to give such or so vast a sum of money as is necessary to furnish a private man's house with household stuff and utensils,