The Steadfastness of Promises, and the Sinfulness of Staggering: Opened in a Sermon Preached at Margarets in Westminster, before the Parliament, February 28, 1649

Rom. 4. 20. He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief.

In the first Chapters of this Epistle, the Apostle from Scripture, and the constant practice of all sorts of men, of all Ages, Jews and Gentiles, Wise and Barbarians, proves all the world, and every individual therein, to have sinned and come short of the glory of God: And not only so, but that it was utterly impossible, that by their own strength, or by virtue of any assistance communicated, or privileges enjoyed, they should ever attain to a righteousness of their own, that might be acceptable unto God.

Hereupon he concludes that Discourse with these two positive Assertions:

1 That for what is past, every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. Chapter 3. verse 19.

2 For the future, though they should labor to amend their ways, and improve their Assistances and Privileges to a better advantage than formerly, yet by the deeds of the Law, shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God. verse 20.

Now it being the main drift of the Apostle, in this Epistle, and in his whole Employment, to manifest that God hath not shut up all the Sons of men, hopeless and remediless under this Condition; he immediately, discovers and opens the rich Supply, which God in Free-grace hath made and provided, for the delivery of his Own from this calamitous estate, even by the Righteousness of Faith in Christ, which he unfolds, asserts, proves, and vindicates from Objections to the end of the third Chapter.

This being a matter of so great weight, as, comprising in itself the sum of the Gospel wherewith he was entrusted; the honor and exaltation of Christ, which above all he desired; the great design of God to be glorious in his Saints, and in a word, the chief subject of the Ambassage from Christ, to him committed, (to wit, That they who neither have, nor by any means can attain a Righteousness of their own, by the utmost of their workings, may yet have that which is complete and unrefusable in Christ, by believing) he therefore strongly confirms it in the fourth Chapter, by testimony and example of the Scripture, with the Saints that were of old: Thereby also declaring, That though the manifestation of this Mystery, were now more fully opened by Christ from the bosom of the Father, yet indeed this was the only way for any to appear in the presence of God, ever since Sin entered into the world.

To make his Demonstrations the more evident, he singles out one for an example, who was eminently known, and confessed by all to have been the friend of God, to have been righteous and justified before him, and thereon to have held sweet Communion with him all his days; to wit, Abraham, the father according to the flesh, of all those, who put in the strongest of all men for a share in Righteousness, by the privileges they did enjoy, and the works they did perform.

Now concerning him, the Apostle proves abundantly in the beginning of the fourth Chapter, That the Justification which he found, and the Righteousness he attained, was purely that, and no other, which he before described; to wit, a Righteousness in the forgiveness of Sins, through Faith in the blood of Christ.

Yea, and that all the privileges and exaltations of this Abraham, which made him so signal and eminent among the Saints of God, as to be called the Father of the faithful, were merely from hence, That this Righteousness of Grace, was freely discovered, and fully established unto him: an Enjoyment being granted him in a peculiar manner, by Faith, of that promise, wherein the Lord Christ with the whole spring of the Righteousness mentioned, was enwrapped.

This the Apostle pursues with sundry and various Inferences, and Conclusions, to the end of Verse 17. Chapter 4

Having laid down this, in the next place he gives us a Description of that Faith of Abraham, whereby he became Inheritor of those excellent things, from the Adjuncts of it. That as his Justification was proposed as an Example of God's dealing with us by his Grace, so his Faith might be laid down as a pattern for us, in the receiving that Grace.

Now this he does, from 1 The foundation of it, whereon it rested. 2 The matter of it, what he believed. 3 The manner of it, or how he believed.

1, From the bottom and foundation on which it rested, namely The Omnipotency or All-sufficiency of God, whereby he was able to fulfill whatever he had engaged himself unto by promise, and which he called him to believe, verse 14. He believed him who quickneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not, as though they were.

Two great Testimonies are here of the power of God: 1 That he quickneth the dead, able he is to raise up those that are dead to life again. 2 He calleth things that are not, as though they were: by his very call or word, gives being to those things which before were not: as when he said, Let there be light, there was light, Genesis 1. 3. by that very word, commanding light to shine out of darkness, 2 Corinthians 4. 6.

These Demonstrations of God's All-sufficiency he considers in peculiar reference to what he was to believe; to wit, That he might be the Father of many Nations, verse 11. of the Jews according to the flesh, of Jews and Gentiles, according to the Faith whereof we speak.

1 For the first, his Body being now dead, and Sarah's womb dead, verse 19. he rests on God as quickening the dead, in believing that he shall be the father of many Nations.

2 For the other, that he should be a Father of the Gentiles by Faith, the Holy Ghost witnesseth that they were not a people, Hosea 2. 23. the implanting of them in his stock, must be by a power, that calleth things that are not, as though they were: giving a new nature, and being unto them, which before they had not.

To bottom ourselves upon the All-sufficiency of God, for the accomplishment of such things, as are altogether impossible to any thing, but that All-sufficiency, is faith indeed, and worthy our imitation: It is also the wisdom of Faith, to pitch peculiarly on that in God, which is accommodated to the difficulties wherewith it is to wrestle: Is Abraham to believe, That from his dead body, must spring a whole Nation? he rests on God, as he that quickeneth the dead.

2, His Faith is commended from the matter of it, or what he did believe: which is said in general to be the promise of God: verse 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. And particularly the matter of that promise is pointed at, verse 11. 18. that he should be the father of many Nations; that was his being a father of many nations, of having all nations blessed in his seed. A matter entangled with a world of difficulties, considering the natural inability of his Body, and the Body of Sarah, to be Parents of Children

When God calls for believing, his Truth and All-sufficiency being engaged, no difficulty nor seeming impossibilities, that the thing to be believed is, or may be attended withal, ought to be of any weight with us: he who hath promised, is able.

3, From the manner of his believing, which is expressed Four ways.

1 Against Hope, he believed in Hope: verse 18. Here is a twofold Hope mentioned, one that was against him, the other, that was for him.

1 He believed against Hope, that is, when all Arguments that might beget Hope in him, were against him.

against Hope, is against all motives unto Hope whatever. All Reasons of natural hope were against him: What Hope could arise, in, or by Reason, that two dead Bodies, should be the Source and Fountain of many Nations? so that against all inducements of a natural Hope he believed.

2 He believed in Hope: That is such Hope as arose as his Faith did from the consideration of God's All-sufficiency; this is an Adjunct of his Faith, it was such a Faith as had Hope adjoined with it: And this believing in Hope, when all Reasons of Hope were away, is the first thing that is set down, of the manner of his Faith.

In a decay of all Natural helps, the deadness of all means, an appearance of an utter Impossibility, that ever the promise should be accomplished, then to believe with unfeigned Hope, is a commendable Faith.

2 He was not weak in faith: verse 19. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], not weak, is the second thing. Minime debilis: Beza. He was by no means weak. A negation, that by a figure ([〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]) does strongly assert the contrary, to that which is denied. He was no way weak; that is, He was very strong in Faith, as is afterwards expressed, verse 20. He was strong in Faith giving glory to God.

And the Apostle tells you, wherein this his, not weakness did appear: says he, He considered not his own body being now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: verse 19. It was seen in this, that his Faith carried him above the consideration of all impediments, that might lie in the way to the accomplishment of the promise.

It is mere weakness of Faith, that makes a man lie poring on the difficulties and seeming impossibilities that lie upon the promise. We think it our wisdom, and our strength, to consider, weigh and look into the bottom of oppositions, and temptations, that arise against the Promise. Perhaps it may be the strength of our fleshly, carnal Reason; but certainly, it is the weakness of our Faith: He that is strong in Faith, will not so much as debate or consider the things, that cast the greatest seeming improbability, yea impossibility, on the fulfilling of the promise. It will not afford them a Debate or Dispute of the Cause, nor any consideration, being not weak in Faith, he considered not.

3 He was fully persuaded, verse 21. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], he was persuasionis plenus, fully persuaded: this is the third thing that is observed in the manner of his believing. He fully, quietly, resolvedly cast himself on this, That he who had promised was able to perform it. As a Ship at Sea, (for so the word imports) looking about, and seeing storms and winds arising, sets up all her Sails, and with all speed, makes to the Harbor. Abraham seeing the storms of doubts and temptations, likely to rise against the Promise made unto him, with full sail breaks through all, to lie down quietly in God's All-sufficiency. And this is the third.

4 The fourth is, That he staggered not, verse 20. This is that which I have chosen to insist on unto you, as a choice part of the commendation of Abraham's faith, which is proposed for our imitation:

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief.

The words may be briefly resolved into this Doctrinal Proposition:

All staggering at the promises of God is from unbelief.

What is of any difficulty in the Text, will be cleared in opening the parts of the Observation.

Men are apt to pretend sundry other Reasons and Causes of their staggering. The Promises do not belong unto them, God intends not their souls in them, they are not such, and such, and this makes them stagger: when the Truth is, it is their unbelief, and that alone, that puts them into this staggering condition. As in other things, so in this, we are apt to have many fair pretenses for foul faults. To lay the Burden on the right shoulders, I shall demonstrate by God's assistance, that it is not this, or that, but unbelief alone, that makes us stagger at the Promises.

To make this the more plain, I must open these two things: 1 What is the Promise here intended? 2 What it is, to stagger at the Promise?

The promise here mentioned is principally that which Abraham believing, it was said eminently, That it was accounted to him for Righteousness: So the Apostle tells us, verse 5. of this Chapter: when this was, you may see Genesis 15. verse 6. there it is affirmed, That he believed the Lord, and it was accounted to him for Righteousness. That which God had there spoken to him of, was about the multiplying of his seed as the stars of heaven, whereas he was yet childless.

The last verse of Chapter 14 leaves Abraham full of earthly glory. He had newly conquered five kings with all their host, honored by the King of Sodom, and blessed by the King of Salem. And yet in the first verse of Chapter 15, God appearing to him in a vision, in the very entrance bids him fear not, plainly intimating that notwithstanding all his outward success and glory, he had still many perplexities upon his spirit, and had need of great consolation and establishment. Abraham was not clear in the accomplishment of former promises about the blessed seed, and so though he has all outward advancements, yet he cannot rest in them. Until a child of God is clear in the main, in the matter of the great promise, the business of Christ, the greatest outward successes and advantages will be so far from quieting and settling his mind that they rather increase his perplexities. They do but occasion him to cry, 'Here is this, and that; here is victory, and success; here is wealth, and peace; but here is not Christ.'

That this was Abraham's condition appears from verse 2 of that Chapter, where God having told him that he was his shield, and his exceeding great reward. He replies, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless? As if he should have said, 'Lord God, thou toldest me when I was in Haran, now 19 years ago, that in me and my seed, all the families of the earth should be blessed, Genesis 12:3.' That the blessed, blessing seed should be of me; but now I wax old, all appearances grow up against the direct accomplishment of that word, and it was that which, above all in following thee, I aimed at. If I am disappointed therein, what shall I do? And what will all these things avail me? What will it benefit me to have a multitude of earthly enjoyments and leave them in the close to my servant?

I cannot but observe that this sighing mournful complaint of Abraham has much infirmity and something of diffidence mixed with it. He shakes in the very bottom of his soul that improbabilities were growing up, as he thought, to impossibilities against him in the way of the promise. Yet hence also mark these two things:

1. That he does not repine in himself and keep up his burning thoughts in his breast, but sweetly breathes out the burden of his soul into the bosom of his God: Lord God, (says he) what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless? It is of sincere faith to unlade our unbelief in the bosom of our God.

2. That God takes not his servant at the advantage of his complaining and diffidence, but lets that pass, until having renewed the promise to him and settled his faith, then he gives in his testimony that he believed God. The Lord overlooks the weakness and causeless wailings of his, takes them at the best, and then gives his witness to them.

This, I say, was the promise whereof we spoke, that he should have a seed of his own, like the stars that cannot be numbered, Genesis 15 verse 4, 5. And herein are contained three things.

1. The purely spiritual part of it that concerned his own soul in Christ. God engaging about his seed minds him of his own interest in the blessing-bringing seed. Jesus Christ, with his whole mediation and his whole work of redemption, is in this promise, with the enjoyment of God in covenant, as a shield, and as an exceeding great reward.

2. The kingdom of Christ in respect of the propagation and establishment of it, with the multitude of his subjects, that also is in this promise.

3. The temporal part of it, multitudes of children to a childless man, and an heir from his own bowels.

Now this promise in these 3 branches takes up your whole interest, comprises all you are to believe for, be you considered either as believers or as rulers.

1. As believers: So your interest lies in these two things: 1. That your own souls have a share and portion in the Lord Christ; 2. That the kingdom of the Lord Jesus be exalted and established.

2. As rulers: That peace and prosperity may be the inheritance of the nation is in your desires; look upon this in subordination to the kingdom of Christ, and so all there are in this promise.

To make this more plain, these being the three main things that you aim at, I shall lay before you three promises suited to these several things, which or the like you are to view in all your actings, all staggering at them being from unbelief.

1. The first thing you are to believe for is the interest of your own souls in the Covenant of Grace, by Christ; as to this I shall only point unto that promise of the covenant, Hebrews 8:12: I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins, and their iniquities I will remember no more.

2. The second is the establishment of the kingdom of Christ in despite of all opposition; and for this amongst innumerable, take that of Isaiah 60:11. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually, they shall not be shut day nor night, that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought; for the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish.

3. The quiet and peace of the nation, which ye regard as rulers, as it stands in subordination to the kingdom of Christ, comes also under the promise, for which take that of Jeremiah 30:20, 21.

These being your three main aims, let your eye be fixed on these three, or the like promises; for in the demonstration and the use of the point, I shall carry along all three together, desiring that what is instanced in any one may be always extended to both the other.

2. What is it to stagger at the promise? He staggered not. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] he disputed not; [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] is properly to make use of our own judgment and reason in discerning of things, of what sort they be. It is sometime rendered to doubt; Matthew 21:21: If you have faith [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] and doubt not; that is, not use arguings and reasonings in yourselves concerning the promise and things promised. Sometimes it simply denotes to discern a thing as it is: so the word is used 1 Corinthians 11:29 [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] discerning the body.

In the sense wherein it is here used, as also Matthew 21:21, it holds out, as I said, a self-consultation and dispute concerning those contrary things that are proposed to us. So also Acts 10:20 Peter is commanded to obey the vision, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] nothing doubting: what is that? Why, a not continuing to do what he is said to have done, verse 17: He doubted in himself what the vision he had seen should mean; he rolled and disputed it in his own thoughts; he staggered at it.

To stagger then at the promise is to take into consideration the promise itself, and withal, all the difficulties that lie in the way for the accomplishment of it, as to a man's own particular, and there so to dispute it in his thoughts as not fully to cast it off, nor fully to close with it. For instance, the soul considers the promise of free grace in the blood of Jesus, looks upon it, weighs as well as it is able the truth of God who makes the promise, with those other considerations which might lead the heart to rest firmly upon it; but withal, takes into his thoughts his own unworthiness, sinfulness, unbelief, hypocrisy, and the like, which, as he supposes, powerfully stave off the efficacy of the promise from him. Hence he knows not what to conclude: if he had a grain of faith, the scale turns on the side of the promise; the like quantity of unbelief makes it turn upon him; and what to do he knows not: let go the promise he cannot, take fast hold he dares not; but here he staggers and wavers to and fro.

Thus the soul becomes to be like Paul in another case, Philippians 1:23. He considered his own advantage on the one side by his dissolution, and the profit of the churches by his abiding in the flesh on the other; and taking in these various thoughts, he cries out he is in a strait, he staggered, he was between two, and knew not which to choose; or as David, 2 Samuel 24:14, when he had a tender of several corrections made to him, says, I am in a great strait; he sees evil in every one, and knows not which to choose.

A poor creature looking upon the promise sees, as he supposes, in a steadfast closing with the promise, that there lies presumption; on the other hand, certain destruction if he believes not; and now he staggers, he is in a great strait: arguments arise on both sides, he knows not how to determine them, and so hanging in suspense, he staggers.

Like a man traveling a journey and meeting with two several paths that promise both fairly, and he knows not which is his proper way; he guesses, and guesses, and at length cries, 'Well, I know not which of these ways I should go, but this is certain, if I mistake, I am undone, I'll go in neither, but here I'll sit down, and not move one step in either of them, until some one come that can give me direction.' The soul very frequently sits down in this hesitation and refuses to step one step forwards, till God come mightily and lead out the spirit to the promise, or the Devil turn it aside to unbelief.

It is as a thing of small weight in the air: the weight that it has carries it downwards; and the air, with some breath of wind, bears it up again, so that it waves to and fro; sometimes it seems as though it would fall by its own weight, and sometimes again as though it would mount quite out of sight, but poised between both, it tosses up and down without any great gaining either way.

The promise that draws the soul upward, and the weight of its unbelief that sinks it downward: sometime the promise attracts so powerfully, you would think the heart quite drawn up into it; and sometime again, unbelief presses down, that you would think it gone for ever; but neither prevails utterly, the poor creatures swags between both, this it is to stagger: like the two disciples going to Emmaus, Luke 24 verse 14. They talked together of the things that were happened: debated the business; and verse 22 they gave up the result of their thoughts; They trusted it had been he that should have redeemed Israel. They trusted once, but now seeing him slain and crucified, they know not what to say to it: what then? Do they quite give over all trusting in him? No, they cannot do so, verse 23, 24, 25. Certain women had astonished them, and affirmed that he was risen: yea, and others also going to his grave found it so: hereupon they have communication within themselves, and are sad, verse 17. That is, they staggered; they were in a staggering condition: much appears for them, something against them, they know not what to do.

A poor soul that has been long perplexed in trouble and anxiety of mind finds a sweet promise, Christ in a promise suited to all his wants, coming with mercy to pardon him, with love to embrace him, with blood to purge him, and is raised up to roll himself in some measure upon this promise. On a sudden, terrors arise, temptations grow strong, new corruptions break out, Christ in the promise dies to him, Christ in the promise is slain, is in the grave as to him, so that he can only sigh and say, 'I trusted for deliverance by Christ, but now all is gone again, I have little or no hope, Christ in the promise is slain to me': what then? Shall he give over, never more inquire after this buried Christ, but sit down in darkness and sorrow? No, he cannot do so: this morning, some new arguments of Christ's appearance again upon the soul are made out; it may be, Christ is not for ever lost to him. What does he then? Steadfastly believe he cannot; totally give over he will not: he staggers: he is full of self-communications and is sad. This it is to stagger at the promise of God. I come now to prove that notwithstanding any pretences whatever, all this staggering is from unbelief.

The two disciples whom we now mentioned that staggered and disputed between themselves in their journey to Emmaus, thought they had a goodly reason, and a sufficient appearing cause of all their doubtings: We hoped (say they) that it was he, that should have delivered Israel. What do they now stand at? Alas! the chief priests and rulers have condemned him to death, and crucified him, Luke 24:20. And is it possible that deliverance should arise from a crucified man? This makes them stagger. But when our Savior himself draws nigh to them, and gives them the ground of all this, he tells them it is all from hence; they are foolish and slow of heart to believe, verse 25. Here is the rise of all their doubtings, even their unbelief. While you are slow of heart to believe, do not once think of establishment.

Peter venturing upon the waves at the command of Christ, Matthew 14, seeing the wind to grow boisterous, verse 29, he also has a storm within, and cries out, Oh save me: What was now the cause of Peter's fear, and crying out? Why the wind and sea grew boisterous, and he was ready to sink: no such thing; but merely unbelief, want of faith: verse 31. O you of little faith (says our Savior) why did you doubt? It was not the great winds, but your little faith that made you stagger. And in three or four other places, upon several occasions, does our Savior lay all the wavering and staggering of his followers, as to any promised mercy, upon this score, as Matthew 6:30 and 8:26.

Isaiah 7. Ahaz being afraid of the combination of Syria and Ephraim against him, received a promise of deliverance by Isaiah, verse 7. Whereupon the prophet tells him and all Judah, That if they will not believe, surely they shall not be established, verse 9. He does not say, If Damascus and Ephraim be not broken, you shall not be established; no, the stick is not there: The fear that you will not be established, arises merely from your unbelief, that keeps you off from closing with the promise, which would certainly bring you establishment.

And this is the sole reason the apostle gives, why the word of promise being preached, becomes unprofitable; even because of unbelief: It was not mixed with faith, Hebrews 4:2.

But these things will be more clear under the demonstrations of the point; which are two:

When a man doubts, hesitates and disputes anything in himself, his reasonings must have their rise, either from something within himself, or from something, in the things concerning which he staggers: Either Certitudo mentis, the assurance of his mind, or Certitudo entis, the certainty of the thing itself, is wanting.

He that doubts whether his friend in a far country be alive or no, his staggering arises from the uncertainty of the thing itself: when that is made out, he is resolved, as it was with Jacob in the case of Joseph. But he that doubts, whether the needle in the compass, being touched with the loadstone, will turn northward; all the uncertainty is in his own mind.

When men stagger at the promises, this must arise either from within themselves, or some occasion must be administered hereunto, from the promise. If from within themselves, that can be nothing but unbelief; an inbred obstacle to closing with, and resting on the promise, that is unbelief. If then we demonstrate, that there is nothing in the promise, either as to the matter, or manner, or any attendancy of it, that should occasion any such staggering, then we lay the burden and blame on the right shoulders, the sin of staggering on unbelief.

Now that any occasion is not administered, nor cause given, of this staggering, from the promise, will appear, if we consider seriously whence any such occasion or cause should arise. All the stability of a promise, depends upon the qualifications of the promiser, to the ends and purposes of the promise. If a man make me a promise to do such and such things for me, and I question, whether ever it will be so, or no; it must be from a doubt of the want of one of these things in him that makes the promise: either first of truth, or second of ability to make good his word, because of the difficulty of the thing itself; or third of sincerity to intend me really, what he speaks of; or fourth of constant memory to take the opportunity of doing the thing intended; or fifth of stableness to be still of the same mind. Now if there be no want of any of these, in him whose promises we speak of, there is then certainly no ground of our staggering, but only from our own unbelief.

Let us now see whether any of these things, be wanting to the promises of God: and begin we with the first:

1. Is there truth in these promises? If there be the least occasion in the world, to suspect the truth of the promises, or the veracity of the promiser, then may our staggering at them, arise from thence, and not from our unbelief. On this ground it is, that all human faith, that is bottomed merely on the testimony of man, is at best but a probable opinion: for every man is a liar, and possibly may lie, in that very thing, he is engaged to us in. Though a good man will not do so, to save his life, yet it is possible, he may be tempted, he may do so: But now the author of the promises whereof we speak, is truth itself. The God of truth. Who has taken this as his special attribute, to distinguish him, from all other. He is the very God of truth; and holds out this very attribute in a special manner, in this very thing, in making of his promise. He is faithful to forgive us our sins, 1 John 1:9. Whence his word is said, not only to be true, but truth, John 17:19. Truth itself: All flesh is as grass, but his word abides for ever, Isaiah 44:1.

But yet further, that it may be evident, that from hence there can be no occasion of staggering. This God of truth, whose word is truth, has in his infinite wisdom, condescended to our weakness, and used all possible means, to cause us to apprehend the truth of his promises. The Lord might have left us in the dark, to have gathered out his mind and will towards us, from obscure expressions: and knowing of what value his kindness is, it might justly be expected that we should do so. Men in misery, are glad to lay hold of the least word, that drops from him, that can relieve them, and to take courage and advantage upon it: As the servants of Ben-hadad, watched diligently, what would fall from the mouth of Ahab, concerning their master, then in fear of death: and when he had occasionally called him his brother, they presently laid hold of it, and cry, Your brother Ben-hadad: 1 Kings 20:35. God might have left us, and yet have manifested much free grace, to have gathered up falling crumbs, or occasional droppings of mercy, and supply: that we should have rejoiced to have found out one word looking that way: But to shut up all objections, and to stop for ever the mouth of unbelief; he has not only spoken plainly, but has condescended to use all the ways of confirming the truth of what he says and speaks, that ever were in use, among the sons of men.

There are four ways, whereby men seek to obtain credit to what they speak, as an undoubted truth, that there may be no occasion of staggering.

1. By often averring and affirming of the same thing. When a man says the same thing again and again, it is a sign that he speaks the truth, or at least that he would be thought so to do. Yea, if an honest man, do clearly, fully, plainly, often engage himself to us in the same thing, we count it a vile jealousy not to believe the real truth of his intentions. Now the Lord in his promises often speaks the same things, He speaks once and twice. There is not anything, that he has promised us, but he has done it, again, and again. For instance; as if he should say, I will be merciful to your sins, I pray believe me, for, I will pardon your iniquities, yea it shall be so, I will blot out your transgressions as a cloud. There is not any want, whereunto we are liable, but thus he has dealt concerning it. As his command is line upon line, so is his promise. And this is one way, whereby God causes the truth of his promises to appear. To take away all color of staggering, he speaks once, yea twice, if we will hear.

2. The second way of confirming any truth, is by an oath. Though we fear the truth of some men in their assertions, yet when once they come to swear anything in justice and judgment, there are very few so knowingly profligate, and past all sense of God, but that their asseverations do gain credit, and pass for truth. Hence the apostle tells us, Hebrews 6:16. That an oath for confirmation, is to men an end of all strife. Though the truth be before, ambiguous and doubtful, yet when any interposes with an oath, there is no more contest amongst men. That nothing may be wanting to win our belief to the promises of God, he has taken this course also, he has sworn to their truth, Hebrews 6:13. When God made promises to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself. He confirms his promise by an oath. O felices nos, quorum causa Deus jurat, O infelices, si nec juranti Deo credimus! When Christ came, in whom all the promises of God, are, Yea and Amen, to make sure work of the truth of them, he is confirmed in his administrations, by an oath: Hebrews 7:21. He was made a priest by an oath, by him that said, The Lord swore, and will not repent, you are a priest for ever: Now I pray, what is the cause of this great condescension in the God of heaven, to confirm that word, which in itself, is truth, by an oath? The apostle satisfies us as to the end aimed at, Hebrews 6:17, 18. This was (says he) the aim of God herein, That his people seeing him engaged, by two such immutable things, as his promise and his oath, may be assured that there is an utter impossibility, That any one word of his should come short of its truth; or that they firmly resting upon it, should be deceived thereby. And this is a second way.

3. Another course whereby men confirm the truth of what they speak, is, by entering into covenant, to accomplish what they have spoken. A covenant gives strength to the truth of any engagement. When a man has but told you he will do such and such things for you, you are full of doubts and fears, that he may break with you: but when he has indented in a covenant, and you can show it under his hand and seal, you look upon that, consider that, and are very secure. Even this way also has the Lord taken to confirm and establish his truths and promises, that all doubtings and staggerings may be excluded, he has wrapped them all up in a covenant, and brought himself into a federal engagement, that upon every occasion, and at every temptation, we may draw out his hand and seal, and say to Satan and our own false hearts; see here, behold God engaged in covenant, to make good the word, wherein he has caused me to put my trust: And this is his property, That he is a God keeping covenant: So that having his promise redoubled, and that confirmed by an oath, all sealed and made sure by an unchangeable covenant, what can we require more, to assure us of the truth of these things: But yet further.

4. In things of very great weight, and Concernment, such as whereon Lives, and the Peace of Nations does depend, men use to give Hostages, for the securing each other of the Faith and Truth of all their Engagements; that they may be mutual Pledges of their Truth and Fidelity. Neither hath the Lord left this way unused to confirm his Promise. He hath given us an Hostage to secure us of his Truth: one exceedingly dear to him; one always in his bosom; of whose Honour, he is as Careful, as of his Own. Jesus Christ, is the great Hostage of his Fathers Truth: the Pledge of his Fidelity in his Promises. God hath set him forth, and given him to us, for this end. Behold the Lord himself shall give you a sign, (a sign that he will fulfill his word) A virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel, Isaiah 7. 14. That you may be assured of my Truth, the Virgins Son shall be a Hostage of it. In him are all the Promises of God, Yea and Amen. Thus also to his Saints, he gives the further Hostage of his Spirit, and the first fruits of Glory; that the full accomplishment of all his Promises, may be contracted in a little, and presented to their view: As the Israelites had the pleasures of Canaan in the Clusters of Grapes, brought from thence.

Now from all this it is apparent, not only that there is Truth in all the Promises of God, but also that Truth so confirmed, so made out, established, that not the least Occasion imaginable, is thence administered to staggering or doubting. He that disputes the Promise, and knows not how to close with them, must find out another Cause of his so doing: as to the Truth of the Promise, there is no doubt at all, nor place for any.

2. But Secondly, though there be Truth in the Promise, yet there may want Ability in the Promiser to accomplish the thing Promised, because of its manifold difficulties. This may be a Second Cause of staggering, if the thing itself engaged for, be not compassable, by the Ability of the Engager. As if a skillful Physician, should Promise a sick man a Recovery from his Disease, though he could rely upon the Truth and Sincerity of his Friend, yet he cannot but question his Ability as to this, knowing that to cure the least Distemper, is not absolutely in his power: but when he Promises, who is able to perform, then all doubting in this kind, is removed. See then whether it be so, in respect of these Promises whereof we speak. When God comes to Abraham, to engage himself in that Covenant of Grace, from whence flow all the Promises whereof we Treat: He lays this down as the Bottom of all, I am (saith he) God Almighty, Genesis 17. 1. or, God All-sufficient, very well able to go through with whatever I Promise. When Difficulties, Temptations, and Troubles arise, remember who it is that hath Promised; not only he that is true and faithful, but he that is God Almighty, before whom nothing can stand, when he will accomplish his Word. And that this was a bottom of great Confidence to Abraham, the Apostle tells you, Romans 4. 21. Being fully persuaded that he who had Promised, was able also to perform. When God is engaged by his Word, his Ability is especially to be eyed. The Soul is apt to ask how can this be? it is impossible it should be so to me: but, he is able that hath Promised. And this, Romans 11. 23. the same Apostle holds out to us, to fix our Faith upon, in reference to that great Promise of Recalling the Jews, and Reimplanting them into the Vine. God (saith he) is able to graft them in: though now they seem as dead bones, yet the Lord knows they may live, for he is able to breathe upon them, and make them terrible as an Army with Banners: Yea so excellent is this All-sufficiency, this Ability of God to accomplish his whole Word, that the Apostle cautions us, That we do not bound it, as though it could go so far only, or so far: Nay says he, Ephesians 3. 20. He is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we can ask or think.

When men come to close with the Promise indeed, to make a life upon it, they are very ready to question and inquire, whether it be possible that ever the Word of it, should be made good to them. He that sees a little Boat swimming at Sea, observes no great difficulty in it, looks upon it without any solicitousness of mind at all, beholds how it tosses up and down, without any fears of its sinking: but now, let this man commit his own life to Sea in that Bottom, what inquiries will he make? what a search into the Vessel? Is it possible (says he) this little Thing should safeguard my Life in the Ocean? It is so with us, in our view of the Promises: whilst we consider them at large, as they lie in the Word, alas! they are all true, all Yea and Amen, shall be all accomplished: but when we go to venture our Souls upon a Promise, in an Ocean of Wrath and Temptations, then every blast we think will overturn it: it will not bear us above all these Waves; Is it possible we should swim safely upon the Plank of a Pinnace in the midst of the Ocean?

Now here we are apt to deceive ourselves, and mistake the whole thing in Question, Which is the Bottom of many corrupted Reasonings and perplexed Thoughts. We inquire whether it can be so to us, as the Word holds out; when the Truth is, The Question is not about the Nature of the Thing; but about the Power of God. Place the Doubt aright, and it is this, Is God able to accomplish what he hath spoken? Can he heal my Backslidings? Can he pardon my Sins? Can he save my Soul? Now that there may be no Occasion, nor Colour of Staggering upon this Point, you see God reveals himself as an All-sufficient God: as one that is able to go through with all his Engagements. If you will stagger, you may so do; this is certain, you have no Cause to do so from hence; there is not any Promise that ever God entered into, but he is able to perform it.

But you will say, Though God be thus able, thus All-sufficient, yet may there not be Defects in the Means whereby he worketh? As a man may have a strong Arm able to strike his Enemies to the ground, but yet if he strike with a Feather, or a Straw, it will not be done; not for want of strength in his Arm, but of fitness and suitableness in the Instrument, whereby he acts. But,

1. God using Instruments, they do not Act according to their own Virtue, but according to the Influence of Virtue by him to them Communicated. Look to what End soever God is pleased to use any Means, his choosing of them, fills them with Efficacy to that purpose. Let the Way and Means of Accomplishing what you expect by the Promise, be in themselves never so weak, yet know, that from God's choosing of them, to that End, they shall be filled with Virtue and Efficacy to the Accomplishment of it.

2. It is expressly affirmed of the great Mediums of the Promise, that they also are Able, that there is no want of Power in them, for the Accomplishment of the Thing Promised.

1. There is the Means procuring it, and that is Jesus Christ: the Promises, as to the good Things contained in them, are all purchased by him: And of him, the Apostle affirms expressly, That he is ABLE to save to the uttermost, them that come to God by him: Hebrews 5. 27. No Want here; no Defect: He is able to do it to the uttermost; able to save them that are tempted: Hebrews 2. 18.

2. There is the great Means of Manifestation, and that is the Word of God: and of this also it is affirmed that it is able. It has an All-sufficiency in its kind. Paul tells the Elders of Ephesus, That the Word of Grace is able to build them up, and to give them an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified, Acts 20. 32.

3. There is the great Means of Operation, and that is the Spirit of Grace: He works the Mercy of the Promise upon the Soul: He also is able, exceeding powerful, to effect the End appointed. It has no bounds, nor measure of Operation, but only its own Will: 1 Corinthians 12. 11.

Hence then it is apparent in the Second Place, That there is no Occasion for Doubting; yea, that all staggering is excluded, from the Consideration of the Ability of the Promiser, and the means whereby he worketh: If you continue to stagger, you must get a better Plea than this, it cannot be, it is impossible: I tell you nay, but God is able to accomplish the whole Word of his Promise. But,

3. There may be want of Sincerity in Promises and Engagements, which whilst we do but suspect, we cannot choose but stagger at them. If a man make a Promise to me, and I can suppose that he intends not as he says, but has Reserves to himself of another purpose, I must needs doubt, as to the Accomplishment of what he has spoken. If the Soul may surmise, that the Lord intends not him sincerely in his Promises, but Reserves some other Thing in his Mind, or that it shall be so to others and not to him, he must needs dispute in himself, stagger, and keep off from Believing. This, then must be Demonstrated in the Third Place, That the Promises of God; and God in all his Promises, are full of sincerity, so that none need fear to cast himself on them, they shall be real unto him. Now concerning this, Observe,

1. That God's Promises are not Declarative of his secret Purposes and Intentions. When God holds out to any a Promise of the pardon of Sin, this does not signify to any singular man, That it is the Purpose of God, that his Sin shall be pardoned. For if so, Then either all men must be pardoned to whom the Word of Promise comes, which is not: or else God fails of his Purposes, and comes short of his Intentions; which would render him, either Impotent, that he could not; or Mutable, that he would not establish them: but, who has resisted his Will? Romans 9. He is the Lord, and he changeth not: Malachi 1. So that though every one, to whom the Promise is held out, has not the fruit of the Promise; yet this derogates not at all, from the sincerity of God in his Promises; for, he does not hold them forth to any such End and Purpose, as to declare his Intentions, concerning particular persons.

2. There are some absolute Promises, comprehensive of the Covenant of Grace, which as to all those that belong to that Covenant, do hold out thus much of the Mind of God, That they shall certainly be Accomplished, in, and towards them all. The Soul may freely be invited to venture on these Promises, with Assurance of their Efficacy towards him.

3 This God principally declares in all his Promises, of his Mind and Purpose, That every Soul, to whom they shall come, may freely rest on; to wit, That Faith in the Promises, and the Accomplishment of the Promises, are inseparable. He that believes, shall enjoy; This is most certain, this God declares of his Mind, his heart towards us, That as for all the good Things, he has spoken of to us, it shall be to us, according to our Faith. This I say the Promises of God do signify of his Purpose, That the Believer of them, shall be the Enjoyer of them: In them, the Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith, Romans 1. 17. From the Faith of God Revealing, to the Faith of Man Receiving: So that upon the making out of any Promise, you may safely Conclude, That upon Believing, the Mercy, the Christ, the Deliverance of this Promise, is mine. It is true, if a man stand disputing and staggering, whether he have any share in a Promise, and close not with it by Faith, he may come short of it; and yet without the least Impeachment of the Truth of the Promise, or sincerity of the Promiser: for God has not signified by them, That men shall enjoy the good Things of them, whether they believe, or not. Thus far the Promises of Grace are General, and carry a Truth to all, that there is an inviolable Connection between Believing, and the Enjoyment of the Things in them contained. And in this Truth, is the Sincerity of the Promiser, which can never be questioned, without Sin and Folly. And this wholly shuts up the Spirit from any occasion of staggering. O you of little Faith! why do you doubt? Ah! lest our share be not in this Promise; lest we are not intended in it: Poor Creatures! there is but this one way of keeping you off from it, that is, Disputing it in yourselves by Unbelief. Here lies the Sincerity of God towards you, That Believing, you shall not come short of what you aim at. Here then is no Room for staggering. If Proclamation be made, granting Pardon to all such Rebels, as shall come in by such a season, do men use to stand questioning whether the STATE bear them any good will, or no? No, says the poor Creature, I will cast myself upon Their Faith & Truth engaged in Their Proclamation whatever I have deserved in particular, I know They will be Faithful in Their Promises. The Gospel-Proclamation is of Pardon to all Comers in, to all Believers: it is not for you, poor staggerer, to question, what is the Intendment towards you in particular, but roll yourself on this, There is an absolute Sincerity in the ENGAGEMENT, which you may freely rest upon. But,

4, Though all be present, Truth, Power, Sincerity; yet if he that makes the Promise should Forget, this were a ground of staggering. Pharaoh's Butler, without doubt, made large Promises to Joseph, and probably spoke the Truth according to his present Intention: afterwards standing in the presence of Pharaoh, restored to Favour, he had doubtless Power enough to have procured the liberty of a poor Innocent Prisoner: but yet this would not do, it did not profit Joseph; because, as the Text says, he did not remember Joseph, but forgot him: Genesis 39. 23. This forgetting made all other things useless. But neither has this, the least Color in Divine Promises. It was Zion's infirmity to say, The Lord has forsaken me, and my God has forgotten me: Isaiah 49. 14. For, says the Lord, Can a woman forget her nursing Child, that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb? yes, they may forget, but I will not forget you: behold, I have graven you upon the palms of my hands, and your walls are continually before me: verses 15, 16.

The Causes of forgetfulness are, 1 Want of Love. The things that men Love not, they care not for: the matters of their Love are continually in their thoughts. Now says God to Zion, Why say you, I have forgotten you? Is it for want of Love? Alas! the Love of a most tender Mother to her nursing Child, comes infinitely short of my Love to you: My Love to you, is more fixed than so, and how should you be out of my mind? How should you be forgotten? Infinite Love will have infinite Thoughtfulness and Remembrance.

2 Multiplicity of business: This with men is a Cause of forgetting. I had done says one, as I Promised, but multiplicity of Occasions thrust it out of my mind, I pray excuse me: Alas! though I Rule all the World, yet, you are graven upon the palms of my hands, and therefore your walls are continually before me. See also Psalm 77. 9. Neither then is there as to this, the least color given us, to stagger at the Promise of God.

5, But lastly, Where all other things concur, yet if the person Promising be changeable, if he may alter his Resolution, a man may justly doubt and debate in himself, the Accomplishment of any Promise made to him: It is true, may he say, He now speaks his heart and mind, but who can say he will be of this mind tomorrow? May he not be turned, and then what becomes of the Golden Mountains, that I Promised myself upon his Engagement? Wherefore in the last place, the Lord carefully rejects all sinful surmises concerning the least change or alteration in him or any of his Engagements. He is the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning; James 1. 18. no shadow, no appearance of any such thing. I am the Lord (says he) I change not; therefore you Sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3. 6. The Lord knows, that if anything in us, might prevail with him to alter the Word that is gone out of his mouth, we should surely perish. We are poor provoking Creatures, therefore he lays our, not being consumed, only on this, even his Own unchangeableness: This we may rest upon, he is of one mind, and who can turn him?

And in these Observations, have I given you the first Demonstration of the Point: All staggering is from our own unbelief.

The Experience which we have of the mighty Workings of God, for the Accomplishment of all his Promises, gives light unto this thing. We have found it true, That where he is once engaged, he will certainly go through unto the appointed Issue, though it stand him in the laying out of his Power and Wisdom to the uttermost. Habakkuk 3. 9. Thy Bow was made quite naked according to the Oaths of the Tribes, thy Word. If God's Oath be passed, and his Word engaged; he will surely accomplish it, though it cost him the making of his bow quite naked, the manifestation of his power to the utmost.

It is true: Never did any wait upon God for the Accomplishment and fulfilling of a Promise, but he found many difficulties fall out between the Word and the Thing. So was it with Abraham in the business of a Son: and so with David in the matter of a Kingdom. God will have his Promised Mercies to fall, as the Dews upon the parched gasping Earth; or as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land, Isaiah 32. 2. very welcome unto the Traveler, who has had the Sun beat upon his head in his travel all the day. Zion is a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord, as a royal Diadem in the hand of her God: Isaiah 62. 3. The precious Stones of a Diadem, must be cut and polished, before they be set in Beauty and Glory. God will have often times the precious living stones of Zion, to have many a sharp cutting, before they come to be fully fixed in his Diadem: but yet in the close, whatever Obstacles stand in the way, the Promise has still wrought out its passage: As a River, all the while it is stopped with a Dam, is still working higher and higher, still getting more and more strength, until it bear down all before it, and obtain a free course to its appointed place: Every time Opposition lies against the fulfilling of the Promise, and so seems to impede it for a season, it gets more and more Power, until the appointed hour be come, and then it bears down all before it.

Were there anything imaginable, whereof we had not Experience, that it has been conquered to open a door for the fulfilling of every Word of God, we might possibly, as to the Apprehension of that thing, stagger from some other Principle, than that of Unbelief.

What is there in Heaven or Earth, but God and his ministering Spirits, that has not at one time or other, stood up to its utmost Opposition, for the frustrating of the Word, wherein some or other of the Saints of God have put their trust? Devils in their Temptations, Baits, Subtleties, Accusations, and Oppositions: Men in their Counsels, Reasonings, Contrivances, Interests, Dominions, Combinations, Armies, Multitudes, and the utmost of their Endeavors: the whole frame of Nature, in its Primitive Instituted Course, Fire, Water, Day, Night, Age, Sickness, Death; all in their Courses have fought against the Accomplishment of the Promises: And what have they obtained by all their Contendings? All disappointed, frustrated, turned back, changed, and served only to make the Mercy of the Promise, more amiable and glorious.

I would willingly Illustrate this Demonstration with an Instance, that the Almighty, all conquering Power that is in the Promise, settling all staggering upon its own Basis of UNBELIEF, might be the more evident.

I might here mention Abraham, with all the difficulties and appearing impossibilities, which the Promise unto him did pass through, and cast to the ground, the Mercy of it at length, arising out of the grave; for he received his Son from the dead in a Figure: Hebrews 11. 19. Or I might speak of Joseph, Moses, or David: but I shall rather choose a Precedent from among the Works of God, in the Days wherein we live: and that in a business, concerning which, we may set up our Ebenezer, and say, Thus far God has been a helper.

Look upon the Affair of Ireland. The Engagement of the great God of Revenges against Murder and Treachery, the Interest of the Lord Christ and his kingdom, against the man of Sin, furnished the undertakers with manifold Promises to carry them out to a desired, a blessed Issue. Take now a brief view, of some Mountains of Opposition, that lay in the way against any Success in that Place; and hear the Lord saying to every one of them, Who are you, O great Mountain? before my People you shall be made a Plain: Zechariah 4. 7.

Not to mention the strivings and strugglings of two manner of People, in the womb of this Nation, totally obstructing for a long time the bringing forth of any Deliverance for Ireland: nor yet, That mighty Mountain, (which some misnamed a Level) that thought at once to have locked an everlasting Door upon that Expedition: I shall Propose some few (of many) that have attended it.

1 The silence that has been in Heaven for half an hour as to this Business: The great Cessation of Prayers in the Heavens, of many Churches, has been no small Mountain in the way of the Promise. When God will do good for Zion, he requires that his Remembrancers give him no rest, until he do it. Isaiah 62:7. And yet sometimes in the close of their Supplications, gives them an Answer, by terrible things, Psalm 65:5. He is sometimes Silent to the Prayers of his People, Psalm 28:1. Is not then a grant rare, when his People are silent as to Prayers? Of how many Congregations in this Nation, may the Prayers, Tears, and Supplications for the carrying on of the Work of God in IRELAND, be written with the lines of emptiness? What a Silence has been in the Heaven of many Churches, for this last half hour? How many that began with the Lord in that Work, did never Sacrifice at the Altar of Jehovah Nissi: nor considered that the Lord has sworn to have War with such Amalekites as are there, from Generation to Generation? Exodus 17:15, 16. They have forgotten, That Ireland was the first of the Nations that laid wait for the blood of God's People desiring to enter into his rest; and therefore their latter end shall be, to perish for ever: Numbers 24:20. Many are as angry as Jonah, not that Babylon is spared, but that it is not spared. Has not this been held out as a Mountain? What will you now do, when such or such, these and those men, of this or that Party, look upon you as the grass upon the house tops, which withers before it grows up: with which the Mower fills not his hand, nor he that binds sheaves his bosom, That will not so much as say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you, we bless you in the name of the Lord? But now! shall the faithlessness of men, make the Faith of God of none effect? Shall the kingdom of Christ suffer because some of those that are his, what through Carnal Wisdom, what through Spiritual Folly, refuse to come forth to his help, against the mighty? no doubtless! The Lord sees it, and it displeases him; he sees that there is no man, and wonders that there is no Intercessor: (even marvels that there are no more Supplications on this behalf) therefore his own Arm brought Salvation to him, and his own Righteousness it sustained him: He put on Righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of Salvation upon his head: and he put on the garments of Vengeance for clothing, and was clad with Zeal as a Cloak: according to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies, to the Island he will repay recompense: Isaiah 59:15, 16, 17, 18. Some men's not Praying, shall not hinder the Promises accomplishing. They may sooner discover an Idol in themselves, then disappoint the living God. This was a Mountain.

2 Our own Advices and Counsels have often stood in the way of the Promises bringing forth: This is not a Time nor Place for Narrations: so I shall only say to this in general; That if the choicest and most rational Advices of the Army, had not been overswayed by the Providence of God, in all probabilities, your Affairs had been more than ten degrees backward, to the Condition wherein they are.

3 The visible Opposition of the combined Enemy in that Nation, seemed as to our strength, unconquerable. The wise man tells us, That a Threefold Cord is not easily broken: Ireland had a Fivefold Cord to make strong bands for Zion, twisted together: Never (I think) did such different Interests bear with one another, for the compassing of one common End.

He that met the Lion, the Fox, and the Ass traveling together, wondered quo una iter facerent: whither these ill-matched Associates did bend their Course! Neither did his marveling cease, when he heard they were going a Pilgrimage, in a business of Devotion.

He that should meet Protestants, Covenanted Protestants, that had sworn in the Presence of the great God, to extirpate Popery and Prelacy, as the Scots in Ulster; Others, that counted themselves under no less sacred bond, for the maintenance of Prelates, Service-Book, and the like; as the whole Party of Ormond's adherents: joined with a mighty number, that had for eight years together, sealed their Vows to the Romish Religion, with our blood and their own; adding to them those that were profound to revolt up and down, as suited their own Interest, as some in Munster; All closing with that Party, which themselves had labored to render most odious and execrable, as most defiled with Innocent Blood: He, I say, that should see all these, after seven years mutual conflicting, and embruing their hands in each others blood, to march all one way together, cannot but marvel, quo una iter facerent, whither they should journey so friendly together: Neither surely, would his Admiration be lessened, when he should hear, That the first thing they intended and agreed upon, was, To cover the innocent Blood of 41; contrary to that Promise: Behold the Lord comes out of his place, to punish the Inhabitants of the earth, for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her Blood, and shall no more cover her slain: Isaiah 26:21. And Nextly, To Establish Catholic Religion, or the Kingdom of Babel, in the whole Nation, in Opposition to the Engaged Truth, and in our days visibly manifested Power of the Lord Jesus: with sundry such like things, contrary to their Science and Conscience, their Covenant and Light, yea the Trust and Honesty, of most of the chief Leaders of them.

Now how can the Promise stand in the way of this Hydra? What says it to this combined Opposition? Why First, says the Lord, Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: Proverbs 11:21. Their Covering shall be too short, and narrow, to hide the blood which God will have disclosed.

And Nextly, Though they will give their Power to the Beast, and fight against the Lamb, consenting in this, who agree in nothing else in the World; yet they shall be broken in pieces; though they Associate themselves, they shall be broken in pieces: If Rezin, and the Son of Remaliah, Syria and Ephraim, old Adversaries, combine together for a new Enmity against Judah; If Covenant and Prelacy, Popery and Treachery, Blood and (as to that) Innocency, join hand in hand, to stand in the way of the Promise; yet I will not in this join with them says the Lord. Though they were preserved all distinctly in their several Interests for seven years, in their mutual conflicts, That they might be scourges to one another; yet if they close, to keep off the Engagement of God in the Word of his Promise, not much more than the fourth part of one year, shall consume some of them to nothing, and fill the Residue with indignation and anguish.

By what Means God has mightily and effectually wrought, by mixing Folly with their Counsels, putting Fear, Terror, and Amazedness upon all their Undertakings, to carry on his own Purpose, I could easily give considerable Instances. That which has been spoken in General, may suffice to bottom us on this, That while we are in the way of God, all staggering at the Issue, is from unbelief; for he can, he will do more such things as these.

Use 1 My First Use shall be as unto Temporals; for they also (as I told you) come under the Promise, not to be staggered at, with the limitations before mentioned. Learn hence then to live more by Faith in all your Actings: Believe, and you shall be established: I have in the days of my Pilgrimage seen this evil under the Sun: Many Professors of the Gospel, called out to Public Actings, have made it their great Design to manage all their Affairs with Wisdom and Policy, like the men of the residue of the Nations. Living by Faith, upon the Promises, has appeared to them, as too low a thing, for the Condition and Employment wherein they now are: Now they must Plot, and Contrive, and Design, lay down Principles of Carnal Fleshly Wisdom, to be pursued to the uttermost: And what I pray has been the Issue of such Undertakings?

1 First, The Power of Religion has totally been devoured, by that lean, hungry, never to be satisfied Beast of Carnal Policy: No signs left that it was ever in their bosoms. Conformity unto Christ in Gospel Graces, is looked on as a mean Contemptible Thing: Some of them have fallen to downright Atheism, most of them to wretched Formality in the Things of God. And then,

2 Secondly, Their Plots and Undertakings, have generally proved Tympanous and Birthless: Vexation and Disappointment has been the Portion of the Residue of their days. The ceasing to lean upon the Lord, and striving to be Wise in our Actings, like the men of the World, has made more Rehoboams, than any one Thing in this Generation.

What now lies at the Bottom of all this? merely staggering at the Promise, through Unbelief. What building is that like to be, which has a staggering Foundation? When God Answers not Saul, he goes to the Devil. When the Promise will not support us, we go to Carnal Policy: neither can it otherwise be. Engaged men, finding one way to disappoint them, presently betake themselves to another. If men begin once to Stagger at the Promise, and to conclude in their fears, That it will not receive accomplishment, That the Fountain will be dry, they cannot but think it high time, to dig Cisterns for themselves. When David says, He shall one day perish by the hand of Saul, (whatever God had said to the contrary) His next advice is, Let me go to the Philistines: and what success he had in that Undertaking, you know. Political diversions, from pure dependence on the Promise, do always draw after them, a long time of entanglements.

Give me leave to give a Word of Caution, against One or Two Things, which men staggering at the Promises through Unbelief, do usually in their Carnal Wisdom run into, for the Compassing of the Thing aimed at, That they may not be found in your Honorable Assembly.

1 Take heed of a various management of Religion, of the Things of God, to the advantage of the present Posture and Condition of your Affairs. The Things of Christ should be as Joseph's Sheaf, to which all others should bow. When they are made to cringe, and bend, and put on a flattering countenance, to allure any sort of men into their Interest, they are no more the Things of Christ. I would it had not been too evident formerly, That men entangled in their Affairs, enjoying Authority, have with all industry and diligence, pursued such and such an appearance of Religion; not that themselves were so passionately affected with it, but merely for the satisfaction of some in that, whose Assistance and Compliance they needed for other things. Oh let not the Things of God, be immixed any more with Carnal Reasonings. His Truths are all eternal and unchangeable. Give them at once the Sovereignty of your Souls, and have not the least thought of making them bend, to serve your own Ends, though good and Righteous. Think not to get the Promise like Jacob, by representing yourselves in the Things of God, for other than you are.

2 Hide no Truth of God, as to that way of manifestation which to you is committed, for fear it should prove prejudicial to your Affairs. That Influence and Signature of your Power, which is due to any Truth of God, let it not be withheld by Carnal Reasonings. I might further draw out these, and such like things as these; the warning is, To live upon the Faith of that Promise, which shall surely be established, without turning aside to needless crooked paths of your own.

Use 2. Secondly, be faithful in doing all the work of God whereunto you are engaged, as he is faithful in working all your works whereunto he is engaged. Your work whereunto (whilst you are in his ways) God is engaged, is your safety and protection. God's work whereunto you are engaged is the propagating of the Kingdom of Christ, and the setting up of the Standard of the Gospel. So far as you find God going on with your work, go you on with his. How is it that Jesus Christ, is in Ireland only as a Lion staining all his garments with the blood of his Enemies? and none to hold him out as a Lamb sprinkled with his own blood to his friends? Is it the Sovereignty and Interest of England that is alone to be there transacted? For my part, I see no further into the MYSTERY of these things, but that I could heartily rejoice, that innocent blood being expiated, the Irish might enjoy Ireland so long as the Moon endureth, so that Jesus Christ might possess the Irish. But God having suffered those sworn vassals of the Man of Sin, to break out into such ways of villainy, as render them obnoxious unto vengeance, upon such rules of government amongst men, as he hath appointed: Is there therefore nothing to be done, but to give a Cup of Blood into their hands? Doubtless the way whereby God will bring the followers after the Beast to condign destruction, for all their enmity to the Lord Jesus, will be, by suffering them to run into such practices against men, as shall righteously expose them to vengeance, according to acknowledged principles among the sons of men. But is this all? Hath he no further aim? Is not all this to make way for the Lord Jesus to take possession of his long since promised inheritance? And shall we stop at the first part? Is this to deal fairly with the Lord Jesus? Call him out to the battle, and then keep away his Crown? God hath been faithful in doing great things for you, be faithful in this one, do your utmost for the preaching of the Gospel in Ireland.

Give me leave to add a few motives to this duty.

1. They want it: No want like theirs who want the Gospel. I would there were for the present, one Gospel preacher, for every walled town in the English possession in IRELAND. The land mourneth, and the people perish for want of knowledge: Many run to and fro, but it is upon other designs; knowledge is not increased.

2. They are sensible of their wants, and cry out for supply. The tears and cries of the inhabitants of Dublin, after the manifestations of Christ, are ever in my view. If they were in the dark, and lived to have it so, it might something close a door upon the bowels of our compassion: but they cry out of their darkness, and are ready to follow every one whosoever, to have a candle. If their being Gospelless, move not our hearts, it is hoped, their importunate cries will disquiet our rest: and wrest help, as a beggar does an alms.

3. Seducers and blasphemers will not be wanting to sow their tares, which those fallowed fields will receive, if there be none to cast in the seed of the Word. Some are come over thither already without call, without employments, to no other end, but only to vaunt themselves to be God; as they have done in the open streets, with detestable pride, atheism and folly: So that as IRELAND was heretofore termed by some in civil things, A Frippery of Bankrupts, for the great number of persons of broken estates that went thither: So doubtless in religion, it will prove A Frippery of Monstrous, Enormous Contradictious Opinions, if the work of preaching the Word of Truth, and soberness, be not carried on. And if this be the issue of your present undertakings, will it be acceptable, think you, to the LORD JESUS, that you have used his POWER and MIGHT, to make way for such THINGS, as his soul abhors?

1. Will it be for his honor, that the people whom he hath sought to himself with so high a hand, should at the very entrance of his taking possession, be leavened with those high and heavenly notions, which have an open, and experimented tendency to earthly, fleshly, dunghill practices? Or,

2. Will it be for the credit and honor of your profession of the GOSPEL, that such a breach should be under your hand? That it should be (as it were) by your means? Will it not be a Sword, and an Arrow, and a Maul in the hands of your observers? Who can bear the just scandal that would accrue? Scandal to the magistrates, scandal to the ministers of this generation, in neglecting such an opportunity of advancing the GOSPEL; sleeping all the day, whilst others sow tares.

3. Where will be the hoped, the expected consolation of this great affair, when the testimony and pledge of the peculiar presence of CHRIST amongst us, upon such an ISSUE, shall be wanting?

What then shall we do? This thing is often spoken of, seldom driven to any close!

1. Pray; pray the Lord of the Harvest, that he would send out, that he would thrust forth laborers into his harvest. The laborers are ready to say, There is a Lion in the way: Difficulties to be contended withal: And to some men it is hard seeing a Call of GOD, through difficulties: When if it would but clothe itself with a few carnal advantages, how apparent is it to them? They can see it through a little cranny. Be earnest then with the Master of these laborers, in whose hand is their life and breath, and all their ways; that he would powerfully constrain them, to be willing to enter into the fields, that are white for the harvest.

2. Make such provision, that those who will go, may be fenced from outward straits and fears, so far as the uncertainty of human affairs in general, and the present tumultuating perturbations will admit. And let not I beseech you, this be the business of an unpursued order. But,

3. Let some be appointed (Generals die and sink by themselves) to consider this thing, and to hear what sober PROPOSALS may be made by any, whose hearts God shall stir up to so good a work.

This I say is a work wherein God expects faithfulness from you: Stagger not at his promises, nor your own duty. However by all means possible, in this business, I have strived to deliver my own soul.

Once more, to this of faith, let me stir you up to another work of love: and that in the behalf of many poor perishing creatures, that want all things needful for the sustentation of life. Poor parentless children, that lie begging, starving, rotting in the streets, and find no relief: Yea, persons of quality, that have lost their dearest relations in your service, seeking for bread, and finding none. Oh that some thoughts of this also, might be seriously committed to them, that shall take care for the Gospel.

Use 3. I desire now to make more particular application of the doctrine, as to things purely spiritual: Until you know how to believe for your own souls, you will scarcely know how to believe for a nation. Let this then teach us, To lay the burden and trouble of our lives upon the right shoulder. In our STAGGERINGS, our doubtings, our disputes, we are apt to assign this and that reason of them; when the sole reason indeed is our unbelief. Were it not for such a cause, or such a cause, I could believe; that is, were there no need of faith. That is faith must remove the mountains that lie in the way, and then all will be plain. It is not the greatness of sin, nor continuance in sin, nor backsliding into sin, that is the true cause of your staggering, whatever you pretend: The removal of all these is from that promise, whose stability and certainty, I before laid forth: but solely from your unbelief, that root of bitterness which springs up and troubles you. It is not the distance of the earth from the sun, nor the sun's withdrawing itself, that makes a dark and gloomy day, but the interposition of clouds and vaporous exhalations. Neither is your soul beyond the reach of the promise; nor does God withdraw himself, but the vapors of your carnal unbelieving heart, do cloud you. It is said of one place, Christ could do no great work there: Why so? For want of power in him? Not at all: but merely for want of faith in them; it was because of their unbelief. The promise can do no great work upon your heart, to humble you, to pardon to quiet you; Is it for want of fullness and truth therein? Not at all: but merely for want of faith in you, that keeps it off. Men complain, that were it not for such things, and such things, they could believe; when it is their unbelief that casts those rubs in the way. As if a man should cast nails and sharp stones in his own way, and say, Verily I could run, were it not for those nails and stones; when he continues himself to cast them there. You could believe, were it not for these doubts, and difficulties, these staggering perplexities, when alas! they are all from your unbelief.

Use 4. See the sinfulness of all those staggering doubts and perplexities, wherewith many poor souls have almost all their thoughts taken up: Such as is the root, such is the fruit. If the tree be evil, so will the fruit be also. Men do not gather grapes from brambles. What is the root that bears this fruit of staggering? Is it not the evil root of unbelief? And can any good come from thence? Are not all the streams of the same nature with the fountain? If that be bitter, can they be sweet? If the body be full of poison, will not the branches have their venom also? Surely if the mother (unbelief) be the mouth of hell, the daughters (staggerings) are not the gates of heaven.

Of the sin of unbelief, I shall not now speak at large: It is in sum, The Universal Opposition of the Soul unto God: All other sins arise against some thing or other of his revealed will: Only unbelief sets up itself in a direct contradiction, to all of him that is known. Hence the weight of condemnation in the Gospel, is constantly laid on this sin. He that believeth not, on him the wrath of God abideth: he shall be damned. Now as every drop of sea-water retains the brackishness and saltness of the whole, so every staggering doubt that is an issue of this unbelief, has in it the unsavoriness and distastefulness unto God, that is in the whole.

Further to give you a little light into what acceptance our staggering thoughts find with the Lord, according to which, must be our esteem of all that is in us.

Observe, that 1. They grieve him. 2. They provoke him. 3. They dishonor him.

1. Such a frame grieves the Lord. Nothing more presses true love, than to have any appearance of suspicion. Christ comes to Peter and asks him, Simon, Son of Jonas, lovest thou me? John 21:15. Peter seems glad of an opportunity to confess him, and his love to him, whom not long since he had denied; and answers readily, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. But when Christ comes with the same question again and again, the Holy Ghost tells us, Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? It exceedingly troubled Peter, that his love should come under so many questionings, which he knew to be sincere. The love of Christ to his, is infinitely beyond the love of his, to him. All our doubtings are nothing but so many questionings of his love. We cry, Lord Jesus, lovest thou us? and again, Lord Jesus, lovest thou us? and that with distrustful thoughts, that it is not, it cannot be. Of the Unbelieving Jews, the Holy Ghost tells us, Jesus was grieved for the hardness of their hearts: Mark 3:5. And as it is bitter to him in the root, so also in the fruit. Our staggerings and debates when we have a Word of Promise; is a grief to his Holy Spirit, as the unkindest return we can make unto his love.

2 It provokes him. How can this be, (says Zechariah) that I should have a Son? This shall be, (says the Lord) and you yourself for your questioning shall be a sign of it, You shall be dumb and not speak: Luke 1. His Doubting was a Provocation: And our Savior expresses no less in that bitter reproof to his Disciples upon their wavering, Matthew 17. 17. O faithless and perverse Generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? How long shall I suffer you? That is, in this Unbelieving frame. Poor Souls are apt to admire the patience of God in other matters; That he spared them in such and such sins, at such and such times of Danger, but his exceeding patience towards them in their carnal Reasonings, and fleshly Objections against Believing; this they admire not. Nay, generally they think it should be so: God would not have them one step further. Nay, they could be more steadfast in Believing as they suppose, might it stand with the good Will of God: when all this while, this frame of all others, is the greatest provocation to the Lord; he never exercises more forbearance, than about this kind of Unbelief.

When the Spies had gone into Canaan, had seen the Land, and brought of the good Fruit of it, then to repine, then to question whether God would bring them into it or no: This caused the Lord to swear in his wrath, that they should not enter into his rest. When God has brought men to the Borders of Heaven, discovered to them the Riches and Excellency of his Grace, admitted them to enter as Spies into the Kingdom of Glory, then to fall a staggering, whether he intends them an Entrance or no; is that which lies heavy on him. The like may be said of all Promised Mercies, and deliverances whatsoever.

That this is a Provocation, The Lord has abundantly testified, in as much, as for it, he has oftentimes snatched sweet morsels from the mouths of men, and turned aside the stream of Mercies, when it was ready to flow in upon them. If (says he) you will not believe, you shall not be established: Isaiah 7. 9. The very Mercy but now Promised, concerning your deliverance, shall be withheld. Oh stop not Success from Ireland, by Unbelief.

3 It dishonors God. In the close of this Verse, it is said, Abraham was strong in Faith (or staggered not) giving glory to God. To be established in Believing, is to give God the greatest glory possible. Every staggering Thought that arises from this Root of Unbelief, robs God of his Glory.

1 It robs him of the Glory of his Truth. He that believes not, has made him a Liar, because he believes not his Record: 1 John 5. 10. Let men pretend what they please, (as most an end, we give in specious pretenses for our Unbelief) the bottom of all is, The questioning of the Truth of God, in our false hearts.

2 It robs him of the glory of his Fidelity or Faithfulness in the discharge of his Promises: If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins: 1 John 1. 9. He has engaged his faithfulness in this business of the forgiveness of Iniquities: He whose Right it is, calling that in Question, calls the faithfulness of God in Question.

3 It robs him of the Glory of his Grace: In a word, If a man should choose to set himself in an universal opposition unto God, he can think of no more compendious way than this. This then is the fruit, this the advantage of all our staggering, we rob God of Glory, and our own Souls of Mercy.

Use 5 Be ashamed of, and humbled for, all your staggerings at the Promises of God, with all your fleshly Reasonings, and carnal Contrivances issuing therefrom. For the most part, we live upon Successes, not Promises: unless we see and feel the print of Victories, we will not Believe. The engagement of God, is almost quite forgotten in our Affairs. We travel on without Christ, like his Mother, and suppose him only to be in the crowd: but we must return to seek him where we left him, or our journeying on, will be to no purpose.

When Job, after all his complaining had seen the End of the Lord, he cries out, Now I abhor myself in dust and ashes. You have seen the End of the Lord in many of his Promises: Oh that it might prevail to make you abhor yourselves in dust and ashes, for all your Carnal Fears and Corrupt Reasonings, upon your staggerings.

When David enjoyed his Promised Mercy, he especially shames himself, for every thought of Unbelief, that he had while he waited for it: I said (says he) in my haste, That all men were Liars. And now he is humbled for it. Is this to be thankful, to forget our provoking Thoughts of Unbelief, when the Mercy is enjoyed? The Lord set it home upon your Spirits, and give it to receive its due manifestation.

1 If there be any Counsels, Designs, Contrivances on foot amongst us, that are bottomed on our Staggering at the Promise under which we are, Oh let them be instantly cast down to the ground. Let not any be so foolish, as to suppose that Unbelief will be a foundation for quiet Habitations. You are careful to avoid all ways that might dishonor you, as the Rulers of so great a Nation: Oh be much more careful about such things as will dishonor you as Believers: That's your greatest Title, That's your chiefest Privilege. Search your own Thoughts, and if any Contrivance, any Compliance be found springing up, whose seed was sown by staggering at the Promise; root them up, and cast them out, before it be too late.

2 Engage your hearts against all such ways for the future: Say unto God, How faithful art thou in all thy ways! How able to perform all thy Promises! How hast thou established thy Word in Heaven and Earth! Who would not put their Trust in thee? We desire to be ashamed, That ever we should admit in our hearts, the least staggering at the stability of thy Word.

3 Act as men bottomed upon unshaken things: that are not at all moved by the greatest appearing Oppositions: He that believes, will not make haste: be not hasty in your Resolves, in any distress. Wait for the Accomplishment of the Vision, for it will come. So long as you are in the way of God, and do the Work of God, let not so much as your Desires be too hasty, after appearing Strengthenings, and Assistance. Whence is it that there is amongst us, such bleating after the Compliance of this or that Party of the Sons of men, perhaps priding themselves in our Actings upon Unbelief; as though we proclaimed, That without such and such, we cannot be protected in the Things of God. Let us (I beseech you) live above those things, that are unworthy of the great Name, that is called upon us.

Oh that by these, and the like ways, we might manifest our self-Condemnation, and Abhorrence, for all that Distrust and Staggering at the Word of God, which arising from Unbelief, has had such deplorable Issues upon all our Counsels and Undertakings.

FINIS.

Romans 4:20 — He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief.

In the opening chapters of this letter, the apostle draws from Scripture and from the consistent practice of all kinds of people across all ages — Jews and Gentiles, wise and barbarians — to prove that the whole world, every individual in it, has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Not only that, but he proves it was utterly impossible for anyone to attain a righteousness of their own by their own strength, by any communicated assistance, or by any privileges they enjoyed — a righteousness that would be acceptable to God.

He concludes that discussion with two positive assertions.

First, regarding what is past: every mouth must be stopped, and the whole world stands guilty before God. Romans 3:19.

Second, regarding the future: even if people were to reform their ways and make better use of their assistances and privileges than before, by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God. Romans 3:20.

Since the apostle's main purpose in this letter — and in his entire ministry — was to show that God has not left all humanity hopeless and without remedy under this condition, he immediately discloses and unfolds the rich provision God has made in free grace for the deliverance of His own from this calamitous state. That provision is the righteousness of faith in Christ, which he explains, asserts, proves, and defends against objections through the end of chapter 3.

This was a matter of the greatest weight, for it contained the sum of the Gospel with which he was entrusted, the honor and exaltation of Christ which he desired above all, and the great design of God to be glorious in His saints. In short, it was the central message of the commission Christ had given him: that those who neither have nor can attain a righteousness of their own, by any effort of their own, may yet have a complete and unassailable righteousness in Christ through believing. He therefore confirms this powerfully in chapter 4 through the testimony and example of Scripture and the saints of old, also showing that although this mystery was now more fully revealed through Christ from the Father's presence, this had always been the only way for anyone to appear before God, ever since sin entered the world.

To make his case as clear as possible, the apostle singles out one example who was widely known and acknowledged by all to have been the friend of God, to have been righteous and justified before Him, and to have enjoyed sweet fellowship with Him throughout his life — namely, Abraham, the physical father of all those who made the strongest claim of all to righteousness through privileges enjoyed and works performed.

Regarding Abraham, the apostle proves thoroughly in the opening of chapter 4 that the justification Abraham found and the righteousness he attained was purely what he had described — a righteousness of forgiveness of sins through faith in the blood of Christ.

Moreover, all the privileges and exaltations of Abraham that made him so distinguished and eminent among the saints of God as to be called the father of the faithful came from one source alone: this righteousness of grace was freely revealed and fully established to him. He received in a unique way, through faith, an enjoyment of that promise in which the Lord Christ with the whole spring of the mentioned righteousness was wrapped up.

The apostle develops this through various inferences and conclusions to the end of Romans 4:17.

Having laid that groundwork, he next gives a description of Abraham's faith — the faith by which he became an heir of those excellent things — by looking at its characteristics. Just as Abraham's justification was offered as an example of how God deals with us by grace, so his faith was to be set down as a pattern for us in receiving that grace.

He does this by examining three things: first, the foundation on which Abraham's faith rested; second, what he believed — the content of his faith; and third, the manner of his believing — how he believed.

First, the foundation on which his faith rested: the omnipotence and all-sufficiency of God, by which He was able to fulfill whatever He had committed Himself to by promise — and which He called Abraham to believe. Romans 4:17: He believed God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that do not exist.

Two great testimonies to the power of God appear here: first, that He gives life to the dead, meaning He is able to raise those who are dead back to life. Second, He calls things that do not exist into being — by His very word He gives existence to things that were not before, as when He said, 'Let there be light, and there was light' (Genesis 1:3), commanding light to shine out of darkness (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Abraham considers these demonstrations of God's all-sufficiency specifically in relation to what he was to believe: that he might be the father of many nations (Romans 4:17) — the father of Jews by physical descent, and the father of both Jews and Gentiles through the faith of which we speak.

Regarding the first — since his own body was now as good as dead and Sarah's womb was dead (Romans 4:19) — he rests on God as the one who gives life to the dead, believing that he will be the father of many nations.

Regarding the second — that he would be a father to the Gentiles through faith — the Holy Spirit testifies that they were not a people (Hosea 2:23). Grafting them into his line would require a power that calls things that do not exist into being, giving a new nature and existence to those who did not previously have it.

To ground ourselves on the all-sufficiency of God for the accomplishment of things that are entirely impossible apart from that all-sufficiency is genuine faith, and it is worthy of our imitation. It is also the wisdom of faith to fasten especially on that attribute of God which fits the particular difficulty it must wrestle with. Was Abraham to believe that from his dead body an entire nation must spring? He rested on God as the one who gives life to the dead.

Second, Abraham's faith is commended by its content — what he believed. In general terms, this is said to be the promise of God: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief (Romans 4:20). More specifically, the content of that promise is indicated in Romans 4:11 and 4:18 — that he would be the father of many nations, that all nations would be blessed in his seed. This was a promise entangled with a world of difficulties, given the natural inability of both his body and Sarah's body to produce children.

When God calls for believing and His truth and all-sufficiency are engaged, no difficulty or apparent impossibility in the thing to be believed should carry any weight with us — for He who has promised is able.

Third, the manner of Abraham's believing, which is expressed in four ways.

First, against hope he believed in hope (Romans 4:18). Two kinds of hope are mentioned here: one that was against him, and one that was for him.

He believed against hope — that is, when all arguments that might produce hope in him were against him.

To believe against hope means to believe against every natural motive for hope. All reasonable grounds for hope were against him. What hope could arise, by any natural reasoning, that two bodies as good as dead would be the source and fountain of many nations? And yet against all inducements to natural hope, he believed.

Second, he believed in hope — a hope that arose, as his faith did, from considering God's all-sufficiency. This hope was an attribute of his faith; it was a faith that had hope joined to it. This believing in hope — when all natural reasons for hope were gone — is the first thing noted about the manner of his faith.

When all natural supports have failed, when every means has grown dead and the promise seems utterly impossible to fulfill, to believe with genuine hope is a commendable faith.

Second, he was not weak in faith (Romans 4:19). The Greek expression means he was by no means weak — Beza renders it 'Minime debilis.' This is a negation that, by a figure of speech, strongly asserts the very opposite of what is denied. He was in no way weak — that is, he was very strong in faith, as is later expressed. Romans 4:20: He was strong in faith, giving glory to God.

The apostle explains what this strength looked like: he did not consider his own body, now as good as dead when he was about a hundred years old, nor did he consider the deadness of Sarah's womb (Romans 4:19). His strength of faith showed itself in this — that his faith carried him beyond the consideration of every obstacle that might lie in the way of the promise's fulfillment.

It is sheer weakness of faith that makes a man dwell and brood on the difficulties and apparent impossibilities lying against the promise. We think it wisdom and strength to carefully consider, weigh, and probe the depths of every opposition and temptation that rises against the promise. Perhaps this is the strength of our fleshly, worldly reason — but it is certainly the weakness of our faith. The person who is strong in faith will not even debate or dwell on the things that cast the greatest apparent improbability — even impossibility — on the fulfillment of the promise. Strong faith will not grant them so much as a hearing, because, being not weak in faith, Abraham considered not.

Third, he was fully persuaded (Romans 4:21). The Greek word means he was full of persuasion — completely convinced. This is the third thing noted about the manner of his believing. He fully, quietly, and resolutely cast himself on this: that He who had promised was able to perform it. Like a ship at sea — for this is what the word pictures — seeing storms and winds rising, raises all its sails and makes for harbor with all speed. Abraham, seeing the storms of doubts and temptations likely to rise against the promise made to him, drove through them all with full sail to rest quietly in God's all-sufficiency. This is the third characteristic.

Fourth, he did not stagger (Romans 4:20). This is what I have chosen to press upon you as a prized part of the description of Abraham's faith, proposed for our imitation.

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief.

These words can be summarized in this doctrinal proposition.

All staggering at the promises of God is from unbelief.

Whatever is difficult in the text will be clarified as we unfold the parts of this observation.

People are quick to claim various other reasons and causes for their staggering. They say the promises do not apply to them, that God does not intend their souls in them, that they are not the right kind of person — and these things make them stagger. But the truth is, it is their unbelief, and that alone, that puts them in this staggering condition. As in other things, so here, we are prone to offer many fine-sounding excuses for foul faults. To place the burden on the right shoulders, I will demonstrate with God's help that it is not this or that reason, but unbelief alone, that makes us stagger at the promises.

To make this clear, I must first open two things: first, what is the promise here intended? And second, what does it mean to stagger at the promise?

The promise primarily in view is the one Abraham believed when it was said of him that it was counted to him as righteousness. The apostle tells us this at Romans 4:5, and you can see when this occurred at Genesis 15:6, where it is affirmed that he believed the Lord and it was counted to him as righteousness. What God had spoken to him about at that moment was the multiplying of his seed as the stars of heaven, even though he was still childless.

The last verse of Genesis 14 leaves Abraham at the height of earthly glory. He had just conquered five kings with all their armies, been honored by the king of Sodom, and blessed by the king of Salem. And yet in the very first verse of Genesis 15, God appears to him in a vision and at the outset tells him to fear not — plainly showing that despite all his outward success and glory, he still carried many deep anxieties in his spirit and needed great consolation and grounding. Abraham was not at peace regarding the fulfillment of earlier promises about the blessed seed, and so though he had every outward advantage, he could not rest in them. Until a child of God is at peace in the main thing — the matter of the great promise, the business of Christ — the greatest outward successes and advantages will do nothing to quiet his soul; they will only deepen his perplexities. They only occasion him to cry, 'Here is this and that, here is victory and success, here is wealth and peace — but here is not Christ.'

That this was Abraham's condition is clear from Genesis 15:2, where after God told him He was his shield and his exceeding great reward, Abraham replies, 'Lord God, what will you give me, since I am going childless?' As if he were saying, 'Lord God, you told me when I was in Haran, now nineteen years ago, that in me and my seed all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3).', You promised the blessed and blessing seed would come from me — but now I am growing old, every appearance is working against the direct fulfillment of that word, and that promise was the very thing I was aiming at above all else in following you. If I am to be disappointed in this, what shall I do? And what good are all these other things to me? What benefit is it to have a multitude of earthly possessions and leave them in the end to my servant?

I cannot help observing that this sighing, mournful complaint of Abraham has much weakness in it, and something of distrust mixed in. He was shaken to the very core of his soul, as it seemed to him that improbabilities were growing into impossibilities against the promise. Yet from this we can also note two things.

First, he did not brood silently or keep his burning thoughts buried in his chest, but sweetly breathed the burden of his soul into the bosom of his God: 'Lord God,' he says, 'what will you give me, seeing I go childless?' It is a mark of sincere faith to unburden our unbelief in the bosom of our God.

Second, God did not hold his servant's complaining and distrust against him, but passed over it — renewing the promise to him, settling his faith, and only then giving His testimony that he believed God. The Lord overlooks the weakness and groundless laments of His own, receives them at their best, and then bears witness to their faith.

This was the promise we are speaking of — that he would have a seed of his own, as countless as the stars that cannot be numbered (Genesis 15:4-5). And in it are contained three things.

First, the purely spiritual part that concerned his own soul in Christ. When God engaged with him about his seed, He reminded him of his own share in the blessing-bringing seed. Jesus Christ, with His entire mediatorial work and the whole work of redemption, is in this promise, along with the enjoyment of God in covenant as a shield and as an exceeding great reward.

Second, the kingdom of Christ — its spread, its establishment, and the multitude of His subjects — is also in this promise.

Third, the temporal part: multitudes of children for a childless man, and an heir from his own body.

This promise in its three branches covers your entire interest and comprises everything you are to believe for, whether considered as believers or as rulers.

First, as believers: your interest lies in two things — that your own souls have a share and portion in the Lord Christ, and that the kingdom of the Lord Jesus be exalted and established.

Second, as rulers: that peace and prosperity may be the inheritance of the nation is among your desires. View this in subordination to the kingdom of Christ, and it too falls under this promise.

To make this even plainer — since these are the three main things you are aiming at — I will lay before you three promises suited to each one. These are what you are to keep in view in all your actions, remembering that all staggering at them is from unbelief.

First, what you are to believe for is the interest of your own souls in the covenant of grace through Christ. For this I will simply point to that promise of the covenant in Hebrews 8:12: 'I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more.'

Second, the establishment of the kingdom of Christ despite all opposition. For this, among countless promises, take Isaiah 60:11: 'Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day or night, so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, and their kings may be led to you. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish.'

Third, the peace and quiet of the nation, which you care about as rulers — as this stands in subordination to the kingdom of Christ — also comes under the promise. For this take Jeremiah 30:20-21.

These being your three main aims, fix your eyes on these three or similar promises. In the demonstration and application of the point, I will carry all three together, asking that what is illustrated in any one be always extended to the other two.

Second, what does it mean to stagger at the promise? He staggered not. The Greek word means he did not dispute or reason against it. The word is properly used of making use of one's own judgment and reason to weigh and evaluate things. It is sometimes translated 'to doubt,' as in Matthew 21:21: 'If you have faith and do not doubt' — that is, do not use internal arguments and reasonings about the promise and the things promised. Sometimes it simply means to discern or distinguish a thing for what it is, as in 1 Corinthians 11:29, where it is used of 'discerning the body.'

In the sense used here, as also in Matthew 21:21, the word describes a kind of internal dispute and self-consultation about contrary things being presented to us. In Acts 10:20, Peter is commanded to obey the vision, 'nothing doubting' — literally, without disputing within himself. What does that mean? It means not continuing to do what he is said to have done in Acts 10:17: 'He was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision he had seen could mean' — he was turning it over and debating it in his own mind, staggering at it.

To stagger at the promise, then, is to take the promise into consideration along with all the difficulties that lie in the way of its fulfillment for oneself, and to dispute it in one's thoughts in such a way that one neither fully casts it off nor fully embraces it. For example: the soul considers the promise of free grace in the blood of Jesus, looks at it, weighs as best it can the truthfulness of God who makes the promise, along with other considerations that might lead the heart to rest firmly on it — but then also brings into view its own unworthiness, sinfulness, unbelief, and hypocrisy, which it supposes powerfully block the promise's effectiveness toward itself. The result is that it does not know what to conclude: if it had a grain of faith, the scale tips toward the promise; a like measure of unbelief tips it back — and it does not know what to do. It cannot let go of the promise, yet it dares not take firm hold of it; and so it staggers and wavers back and forth.

The soul in this condition is like Paul in another situation, in Philippians 1:23. He weighed his own advantage through departing on one side, and the profit to the churches through remaining in the flesh on the other, and taking in these conflicting thoughts he cried out that he was in a strait — he staggered, caught between two options, not knowing which to choose. Or like David in 2 Samuel 24:14, when offered a choice of punishments, who said, 'I am in a great strait' — seeing evil in every option and not knowing which to choose.

A poor soul looking at the promise sees what it supposes to be presumption in firmly embracing it, and yet certain destruction if it does not believe — and so it staggers, caught in a great dilemma, with arguments rising on both sides and no way to resolve them, hanging in suspense and staggering.

It is like a traveler on a journey who comes to two paths that both look promising and cannot tell which is the right way. He guesses and guesses, and at last cries, 'I do not know which of these roads I should take, but I know this much — if I take the wrong one, I am ruined. So I will take neither, but sit down here and not move one step in either direction until someone comes who can show me the way.' The soul very frequently does exactly this — sits down in hesitation and refuses to move forward, until God comes mightily and draws the spirit toward the promise, or the devil turns it aside into unbelief.

It is like a light thing floating in the air: its own weight pulls it downward, while the air and a breath of wind carry it upward, so it drifts back and forth — sometimes seeming as though it will fall by its own weight, sometimes as though it will rise out of sight, but poised between both, tossing up and down without making much progress in either direction.

The promise draws the soul upward while the weight of unbelief sinks it downward. Sometimes the promise attracts so powerfully that you would think the heart had been drawn fully up into it; other times, unbelief presses down so heavily that you would think it lost forever. But neither fully prevails — the poor soul swings between the two. This is what it means to stagger. It is like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:14 — they talked together of the things that had happened, debating among themselves, and at Luke 24:22 they gave the result of their thoughts: 'We had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel.' They had hoped once, but now, seeing Him slain and crucified, they did not know what to say. Did they give up entirely on trusting Him? No, they could not do that. Luke 24:23-25: certain women had astonished them, saying He was alive, and others who had gone to the tomb had confirmed it. So they talked it over among themselves, and they were sad. That is, they staggered — they were in a staggering condition: much appeared in His favor, something appeared against it, and they did not know what to do.

A poor soul who has long been troubled and anxious finds a sweet promise — Christ in a promise suited to all its wants, coming with mercy to pardon, with love to embrace, with blood to cleanse — and is lifted up to roll itself in some measure upon this promise. Then suddenly terrors arise, temptations grow strong, new corruptions break out, Christ in the promise seems to die — Christ in the promise is slain and buried as far as this soul is concerned — so that it can only sigh and say, 'I had hoped for deliverance through Christ, but now all is gone again, I have little or no hope; Christ in the promise is slain to me.' What then? Should it give up entirely, never again seek this buried Christ, but sit down in darkness and sorrow? No, it cannot do that. This morning, some new signs of Christ's presence in the soul appear again — perhaps He is not lost to it forever. What does it do then? It cannot steadfastly believe; it will not totally give up. It staggers — full of inner conflict and sadness. This is what it means to stagger at the promise of God. I come now to prove that, regardless of any pretense whatever, all this staggering is from unbelief.

The two disciples we just mentioned who were staggering and debating on the road to Emmaus thought they had a fine reason and an apparently sufficient cause for all their doubting: 'We had hoped,' they said, 'that He was the one who would have delivered Israel.' What were they now stumbling over? The chief priests and rulers had condemned Him to death and crucified Him (Luke 24:20). How could deliverance come from a crucified man? This made them stagger. But when our Savior Himself drew near and explained the root of all this, He told them it came from one source: 'O foolish men and slow of heart to believe' (Luke 24:25). Here is the origin of all their doubting — their unbelief. While you are slow of heart to believe, do not expect to find stability.

Peter, venturing out onto the water at the command of Christ (Matthew 14), saw the wind grow violent (Matthew 14:29), and a storm arose within him too, and he cried out, 'Lord, save me!' What was the cause of Peter's fear and crying out? Was it that the wind and sea had grown violent and he was about to sink? Not at all. It was simply unbelief — a lack of faith. Matthew 14:31: 'O you of little faith,' said our Savior, 'why did you doubt?' It was not the great winds but your little faith that made you stagger. In three or four other places, on various occasions, our Savior traces all the wavering and staggering of His followers concerning any promised mercy back to this same cause, as in Matthew 6:30 and Matthew 8:26.

In Isaiah 7, Ahaz was frightened by the alliance of Syria and Ephraim against him, and received a promise of deliverance through Isaiah (Isaiah 7:7). Whereupon the prophet told him and all Judah: 'If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established' (Isaiah 7:9). He did not say, 'If Damascus and Ephraim are not broken, you shall not be established' — the problem is not there. The reason you fear you will not be established is simply your unbelief, which keeps you from embracing the promise that would certainly bring you stability.

And this is the sole reason the apostle gives for why the word of promise, when preached, becomes unprofitable: it was not mixed with faith in those who heard it (Hebrews 4:2).

But these things will become clearer under the two demonstrations of the point.

When a person doubts, hesitates, and argues things within himself, his reasoning must arise either from something within himself or from something in the matter about which he staggers. Either the assurance of his mind or the certainty of the thing itself is lacking — what the Scholastics called 'Certitudo mentis' (assurance of mind) or 'Certitudo entis' (certainty of the thing).

A man who doubts whether a friend in a distant country is still alive is staggering because of the uncertainty of the thing itself — and when that uncertainty is resolved, so is he, as it was with Jacob in the case of Joseph. But a man who doubts whether a compass needle, once touched with a lodestone, will turn northward — all the uncertainty is in his own mind, not in the thing itself.

When men stagger at the promises, it must arise either from within themselves or from some occasion given by the promise itself. If it arises from within themselves, it can be nothing but unbelief — an inborn resistance to embracing and resting on the promise. If then we demonstrate that there is nothing in the promise — neither in its content, its manner, nor its circumstances — that should give any occasion for staggering, then we rightly place the burden and blame where it belongs: the sin of staggering on unbelief.

That no such occasion or cause is given by the promise will appear when we seriously consider where any such cause might come from. All the reliability of a promise depends on the qualifications of the one who makes it, relative to the ends and purposes of that promise. If someone makes me a promise and I question whether it will ever be fulfilled, my doubt must arise from suspecting a lack of one of five things in the promiser: first, truthfulness; second, ability to make good his word given the difficulty of the matter; third, sincerity in genuinely intending for me what he says; fourth, a reliable memory to seize the opportunity to do what was intended; or fifth, steadfastness in remaining of the same mind. Now if none of these things is lacking in the one whose promises we are speaking of, then there is certainly no ground for our staggering — it comes only from our own unbelief.

Let us now examine whether any of these things is lacking in God's promises, beginning with the first.

First, is there truth in these promises? If there is the slightest ground in the world for suspecting the truth of the promises or the truthfulness of the one who makes them, then our staggering at them might arise from that — and not from our unbelief. This is why all human faith that rests merely on the testimony of men is at best a probable opinion: every man is a liar, and may possibly lie even in the very thing he has committed himself to. A good man would not do so to save his life — yet it is possible he could be tempted and might do so. But the author of these promises is truth itself. He is the God of truth, who has taken this as His special distinguishing attribute. He is the very God of truth, and He displays this attribute especially in the making of His promises. He is faithful to forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9). This is why His word is said not only to be true, but to be truth itself (John 17:19). All flesh is like grass, but His word endures forever (Isaiah 40:8).

But even beyond this, to make clear that no occasion for staggering comes from here: this God of truth, whose word is truth, has in His infinite wisdom condescended to our weakness and has used every possible means to help us grasp the truth of His promises. The Lord could have left us in the dark, requiring us to piece together His mind and will from obscure expressions. And given the value of His kindness, it would be fair to expect us to do so. People in misery are glad to seize on the faintest word from anyone who can help them — as the servants of Ben-hadad watched anxiously for anything that fell from the mouth of Ahab concerning their master, who feared for his life, and when Ahab had happened to call him his brother, they immediately seized on it and cried, 'Your brother Ben-hadad!' (1 Kings 20:33). God could have left us to gather up fallen crumbs and occasional drops of mercy and supply, and we would have rejoiced to find even one word pointing that way. But to shut every objection and silence unbelief forever, He has not only spoken plainly but has condescended to use every method of confirming the truth of what He says that was ever used among the sons of men.

There are four ways by which people seek to establish credit for what they say as undoubted truth, so that no occasion for staggering remains.

First, by repeatedly affirming the same thing. When a man says the same thing again and again, it is a sign he speaks the truth — or at least that he wishes to be believed. Indeed, if an honest man plainly, fully, and frequently commits himself to the same thing, we consider it a base suspicion not to believe his genuine intentions. Now the Lord in His promises repeatedly speaks the same things — He speaks once and twice. There is nothing He has promised that He has not promised again and again. It is as if He were saying: 'I will be merciful to your sins — I pray believe Me, for I will pardon your iniquities, yes it shall be so, I will blot out your transgressions like a cloud.' There is no need we face that He has not addressed in this way. Just as His commands are line upon line, so are His promises. This is one way God causes the truth of His promises to be evident. To remove all pretext for staggering, He speaks once, yes twice, if we will hear.

Second, the second way of confirming any truth is by an oath. Though we may question some men's simple assertions, once they come to swear in justice and judgment, very few people — even the most degraded and spiritually calloused — fail to credit their words and accept them as true. So the apostle tells us in Hebrews 6:16 that an oath for confirmation is among men an end of all dispute. Even when the truth was before ambiguous and doubtful, once an oath is interposed, the argument is over. So that nothing might be missing to win our belief in the promises of God, He has taken this course as well — He has sworn to their truth (Hebrews 6:13). When God made promises to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself. He confirms His promise with an oath. As the Latin says: 'O how blessed we are, for whom God swears — O how wretched, if we do not believe even the God who swears!' When Christ came, in whom all the promises of God are yes and amen, to make the truth of them absolutely secure, He is confirmed in His priestly office by an oath (Hebrews 7:21): 'He was made a priest by an oath by Him who said, The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, You are a priest forever.' Now what is the purpose of this great condescension by the God of heaven — to confirm by oath a word that is in itself truth? The apostle answers in Hebrews 6:17-18: God's aim was that His people, seeing Him bound by two unchangeable things — His promise and His oath — might be fully assured that it is utterly impossible for any word of His to fall short of its truth, or for those who rest firmly upon it to be deceived. This is the second way.

Third, another way people confirm the truth of what they say is by entering into a covenant to accomplish what they have spoken. A covenant gives added strength to any engagement. When someone has merely told you he will do certain things for you, you are full of doubts and fears that he may break his word. But when he has drawn up a covenant and you can produce it under his hand and seal, you look at it, reflect on it, and feel very secure. This way also has the Lord taken to confirm and establish His truths and promises, that all doubting and staggering might be excluded. He has wrapped them all up in a covenant and placed Himself under a solemn binding engagement, so that at every temptation we can draw out His hand and seal and say to Satan and our own false hearts: 'See here — behold God bound in covenant to make good the word in which He has caused me to put my trust.' It is His very character that He is a God who keeps covenant. So with His promise restated, confirmed by an oath, and sealed by an unchangeable covenant — what more could we ask to assure us of the truth of these things? But there is still more.

Fourth, in matters of the greatest weight and consequence — such as those on which lives and the peace of nations depend — people customarily give hostages as pledges to secure one another's faithfulness and truth in all their commitments, so that each serves as a mutual guarantee of fidelity. The Lord has not left this method unused to confirm His promise either. He has given us a hostage to secure His truth — one exceedingly dear to Him, always in His bosom, whose honor He guards as carefully as His own. Jesus Christ is the great hostage of His Father's truth, the pledge of His faithfulness in His promises. God has set Him forth and given Him to us for this very purpose. Isaiah 7:14: 'Behold, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign — a sign that He will fulfill His word — a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.' As if to say: so that you may be assured of My faithfulness, the virgin's Son shall be the pledge of it. In Him all the promises of God are yes and amen. Beyond this, to His saints He gives the further pledge of His Spirit and the firstfruits of glory, so that the full accomplishment of all His promises may be compressed into a little and presented to their sight — as the Israelites had a taste of the pleasures of Canaan in the clusters of grapes brought back from there.

From all this it is clear not only that there is truth in all the promises of God, but that this truth has been so confirmed and established that not the slightest occasion for staggering or doubting has been given from that side. Whoever disputes the promises and cannot bring himself to embrace them must find another cause — because as to the truth of the promise, there is no doubt at all, nor any room for any.

Second, even if there were truth in the promise, there might still be a lack of ability in the one making it to accomplish what was promised, given its many difficulties. This could be a second cause of staggering — if the thing committed to is beyond the ability of the one who committed to it. For example: a skilled physician may promise a sick man recovery from his disease, and though the man trusts his friend's truthfulness and sincerity, he cannot help questioning his ability in this, knowing that curing even the smallest illness is not absolutely within his power. But when it is He who promises who is able to perform — then all such doubting is removed. Consider whether this applies to the promises we are speaking of. When God came to Abraham to bind Himself in that covenant of grace from which all these promises flow, He laid this down as the foundation of it all: 'I am God Almighty' (Genesis 17:1) — or God all-sufficient, fully able to carry through whatever He promises. When difficulties, temptations, and troubles arise, remember who it is that has promised — not only He who is true and faithful, but He who is God Almighty, before whom nothing can stand when He purposes to accomplish His word. That this was a great source of confidence for Abraham, the apostle tells us in Romans 4:21: 'being fully persuaded that He who had promised was also able to perform.' When God is bound by His word, His ability is what should especially be kept in view. The soul is prone to ask how this can be, that it seems impossible for me — but He who has promised is able. The same apostle holds this out in Romans 11:23 to anchor our faith in the great promise of the recall of the Jews and their being grafted back into the vine: 'God is able to graft them in again.' Though they now seem like dead bones, the Lord knows they may live — for He is able to breathe upon them and make them 'terrible as an army with banners.' Indeed so excellent is this all-sufficiency, this ability of God to accomplish His entire word, that the apostle cautions us not to set boundaries to it as though it could go only so far: 'He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think' (Ephesians 3:20).

When people genuinely come to embrace the promise — to stake their life on it — they are very quick to question and ask whether the word of it could ever be made good to them. A man watching a small boat floating at sea, with no personal stake in it, observes it easily, watches it toss about without any anxious fear of its sinking. But let that same man commit his own life to sea in that little vessel — what questions will he have then? What searching scrutiny of the boat? 'Is it possible,' he asks, 'that this little thing can safeguard my life in the ocean?' This is exactly how it is with us in our view of the promises. When we consider them from a distance, as they lie in the Word, of course they are all true, all yes and amen, and will all be accomplished. But when we go to venture our souls upon a promise in an ocean of wrath and temptation, every wave seems like it will overturn it. We think it cannot hold us above all these waves — is it possible to float safely on a plank in the midst of the ocean?

Here we are prone to deceive ourselves and mistake the entire question — which is the root of many distorted reasonings and troubled thoughts. We ask whether things can be for us as the Word declares, when in truth the question is not about the nature of the thing but about the power of God. Put the doubt where it belongs, and it is this: Is God able to accomplish what He has spoken? Can He heal my backslidings? Can He pardon my sins? Can He save my soul? Now, so that there may be no occasion or pretext for staggering on this point, God reveals Himself as the all-sufficient God, as one who is able to carry through all His commitments. If you choose to stagger you may do so — but this much is certain: you have no cause to do so from this direction. There is not a single promise God has ever entered into that He is not able to fulfill.

But you may say: though God is so able and all-sufficient, might there not still be defects in the means by which He works? A man may have an arm strong enough to strike his enemies to the ground, but if he strikes with a feather or a straw, nothing will happen — not for lack of strength in his arm, but for lack of fitness in the instrument he uses. But consider this:

First, when God uses instruments, they do not act by their own inherent power but by the power He communicates to them. Whatever end God is pleased to use any means toward, His choosing of them fills them with the effectiveness needed for that purpose. However weak in themselves the way and means of accomplishing what you expect from the promise may seem, know this: because God has chosen them for that end, they will be filled with power and effectiveness to accomplish it.

Second, it is expressly affirmed of the great means of the promise that they also are able — that there is no lack of power in them for the accomplishment of what was promised.

First, there is the means of procuring the promise's fulfillment, and that is Jesus Christ. The good things contained in the promises are all purchased by Him. Of Him the apostle expressly affirms that He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25). No lack here, no defect: He is able to save to the uttermost, able to help those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:18).

Second, there is the great means of making the promise known, and that is the Word of God. Of this also it is affirmed that it is able, that it has an all-sufficiency in its own sphere. Paul told the elders of Ephesus that the word of grace is able to build them up and to give them an inheritance among all who are sanctified (Acts 20:32).

Third, there is the great means of working the promise upon the soul, and that is the Spirit of grace. He applies the mercy of the promise to the soul. He also is able — exceedingly powerful to accomplish the appointed end. His operation has no limit or measure except His own will (1 Corinthians 12:11).

It is therefore clear, in this second respect, that there is no occasion for doubting — all staggering is excluded when we consider the ability of the one who made the promise and the means by which He works. If you continue to stagger, you need a better argument than 'it cannot be' or 'it is impossible.' I tell you plainly: God is able to accomplish the whole word of His promise. But consider a third potential cause.

Third, there may be a lack of sincerity in promises and commitments, and while we suspect this we cannot help but stagger at them. If someone makes me a promise and I suspect he does not mean what he says — that he has secret reservations about a different intention — I must doubt whether what he spoke will ever be accomplished. If the soul can suspect that the Lord does not sincerely intend it in His promises but reserves some other purpose in His mind, or that it will be so for others but not for that soul, it must inevitably dispute within itself, stagger, and hold back from believing. It must therefore be demonstrated, in this third place, that the promises of God and God in all His promises are full of sincerity, so that none need fear to cast themselves on them — they will prove real. On this point, observe the following.

First, God's promises are not declarations of His secret purposes and intentions toward specific individuals. When God holds out a promise of the pardon of sin to any person, this does not mean it is God's purpose that that particular person's sin will be pardoned. If it did, then either all to whom the word of promise comes must be pardoned — which is not the case — or God falls short of His purposes and intentions, which would make Him either powerless (unable to accomplish them) or changeable (unwilling to). But who has resisted His will? (Romans 9). He is the Lord, and He does not change (Malachi 3:6). So although not everyone to whom the promise is offered receives the fruit of the promise, this in no way diminishes God's sincerity in His promises, because He does not hold them forth for the purpose of declaring His intentions toward particular individuals.

Second, there are some absolute promises that encompass the covenant of grace. As to all those who belong to that covenant, these promises do declare this much of God's mind: that they shall certainly be accomplished in and toward every one of them. The soul may freely and confidently venture on these promises, assured of their effectiveness toward him.

Third, what God principally declares about His mind and purpose in all His promises — the thing every soul to whom they come may freely rest on — is this: faith in the promises and the fulfillment of the promises are inseparable. He who believes will receive. This is most certain. God declares His heart toward us this way: for all the good things He has spoken of to us, it shall be to us according to our faith. This is what the promises of God declare about His purpose — that the one who believes them will be the one who enjoys them. In them the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith (Romans 1:17) — from the faith of God revealing to the faith of man receiving. So upon the giving of any promise, you may safely conclude that in believing, the mercy, the Christ, the deliverance of that promise is yours. It is true that if a man stands disputing and staggering over whether he has any share in a promise, and does not embrace it by faith, he may come short of it — yet without the slightest impugning of the truth of the promise or the sincerity of the one who made it. For God has not declared by them that people shall enjoy the good things of the promises whether they believe or not. In this sense the promises of grace are general and carry a truth to all: that there is an unbreakable connection between believing and enjoying the things contained in them. In this truth lies the sincerity of the one who made them, which can never be questioned without sin and foolishness. And this shuts every door on any occasion for staggering. O you of little faith! why do you doubt? Ah — you fear that you have no share in this promise, that you are not intended in it. Poor souls! There is only one thing that can keep you from it — disputing it within yourselves through unbelief. Here lies God's sincerity toward you: that in believing, you will not fall short of what you are seeking. There is therefore no room for staggering here. If a proclamation were made granting pardon to all rebels who come in by a certain deadline, would people stand questioning whether the state bears them any goodwill? No — the poor soul says, 'I will cast myself on their faithfulness and truth as engaged in their proclamation. Whatever I may have deserved personally, I know they will be faithful to their promises.' The gospel proclamation offers pardon to all who come in, to all who believe. It is not for you, poor staggerer, to question what is intended toward you in particular — but to roll yourself on this: there is absolute sincerity in the engagement, and you may freely rest on it. But consider another potential cause.

Fourth, even if truth, power, and sincerity are all present, if the one who makes the promise should forget — that would be a ground for staggering. Pharaoh's cupbearer, no doubt, made large promises to Joseph and probably spoke them with genuine intent at the time. Standing afterward in Pharaoh's presence, restored to favor, he certainly had power enough to secure the release of a poor, innocent prisoner. But it did Joseph no good, for as the text says, he did not remember Joseph but forgot him (Genesis 40:23). That forgetting made everything else useless. But this provides not the slightest pretext in the divine promises. It was Zion's weakness to say, 'The Lord has forsaken me, and my God has forgotten me' (Isaiah 49:14). But the Lord replied: 'Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands, and your walls are continually before Me' (Isaiah 49:15-16).

The causes of forgetfulness are two. First, a lack of love. Things a man does not love he does not care about — but the things he loves are continually in his thoughts. So God says to Zion: 'Why do you say I have forgotten you? Is it for lack of love? The love of the most tender mother to her nursing child falls infinitely short of My love to you. My love to you is far more fixed than that — how could you be out of My mind? How could you be forgotten?' Infinite love will produce infinite thoughtfulness and remembrance.

Second, the pressure of many obligations. With men, being pulled in too many directions causes forgetting. One says: 'I would have done as I promised, but the press of other responsibilities drove it from my mind — please excuse me.' But God says: 'Though I govern all the world, you are engraved on the palms of My hands, and therefore your walls are continually before Me.' See also Psalm 77:9. So there is not, in this respect either, the slightest pretext given us to stagger at the promise of God.

Fifth and finally, where all other things are in place, yet if the one making the promise is changeable — if he may alter his resolution — a man may justly doubt and debate within himself whether any promise made to him will be fulfilled. He may say: 'It is true that he now speaks his heart and mind, but who can say he will hold the same mind tomorrow? He may change, and then what becomes of the golden mountains I promised myself based on his commitment?' Therefore, in the last place, the Lord carefully dismisses all sinful suspicions about any change or alteration in Him or any of His engagements. He is the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning (James 1:17) — no shadow, no trace of any such thing. 'I am the Lord,' He says, 'I do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, are not consumed' (Malachi 3:6). The Lord knows that if anything in us could move Him to alter a word that has gone out of His mouth, we would surely perish. We are poor, provoking creatures — therefore He rests our not being consumed solely on this: His own unchangeableness. We may rest on this: He is of one mind, and who can turn Him?

In these observations I have given you the first demonstration of the point: all staggering is from our own unbelief.

The experience we have of God's mighty workings for the fulfillment of all His promises sheds further light on this. We have found it true that once He is engaged, He will certainly carry through to the appointed end, even if it requires laying out His power and wisdom to the uttermost. Habakkuk 3:9: 'Your bow was made quite bare, according to the oaths to the tribes, even Your word.' If God's oath has been passed and His word engaged, He will surely accomplish it, though it cost Him the full laying bare of His bow — the fullest display of His power.

It is true: no one has ever waited on God for the fulfillment of a promise without finding many difficulties arising between the word and its fulfillment. So it was with Abraham in the matter of a son, and so with David in the matter of a kingdom. God wills that His promised mercies fall like dew upon parched, gasping earth, or like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land (Isaiah 32:2) — very welcome to the traveler who has had the sun beating on his head all day. Zion is a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem in the hand of her God (Isaiah 62:3). The precious stones of a crown must be cut and polished before they are set in beauty and glory. Often God wills that the precious living stones of Zion endure many a sharp cutting before they are fully fixed in His crown. Yet in the end, whatever obstacles stand in the way, the promise has always worked out its passage. Like a river that is dammed — it keeps rising and gaining more and more strength, until it bears down everything before it and reaches its appointed place — so every time opposition blocks the fulfillment of a promise and seems to hinder it for a season, the promise only gains more force, until the appointed hour comes and it sweeps all before it.

If there were anything at all that experience had not shown being overcome to open a way for the fulfillment of every word of God, we might conceivably stagger over it from some cause other than unbelief.

What is there in heaven or earth — apart from God and His ministering spirits — that has not at one time or another risen in fullest opposition to frustrate the word in which some of God's saints had put their trust? Devils in their temptations, baits, subtleties, accusations, and opposition; men in their counsels, reasonings, schemes, interests, dominions, alliances, armies, and the full extent of their efforts; the whole frame of nature in its originally instituted course — fire, water, day, night, age, sickness, death — all in their courses have fought against the accomplishment of the promises. And what have they gained by all their striving? All disappointed, frustrated, turned back, transformed — and serving only to make the mercy of the promise more striking and glorious.

I would gladly illustrate this demonstration with a specific example, so that the almighty, all-conquering power that lies in the promise — which traces all staggering back to its proper basis of unbelief — might be made more evident.

I might here speak of Abraham, with all the difficulties and apparent impossibilities the promise to him had to pass through and cast down, until the mercy of it at length arose, as it were, from the grave — for he received his son from the dead in a figure (Hebrews 11:19). Or I might speak of Joseph, Moses, or David. But I will rather choose a precedent from God's own works in our own day — something in which we may set up our Ebenezer and say, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'

Look at the affair of Ireland. The engagement of the great God of vengeance against murder and treachery, and the interest of the Lord Christ and His kingdom against the man of sin, furnished those undertaking the work with many promises to carry them toward a desired and blessed outcome. Now consider briefly some of the mountains of opposition that lay in the way of any success there, and hear the Lord saying to each one: 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before My people you shall become a plain' (Zechariah 4:7).

Without mentioning the strivings and conflicts of two very different kinds of people within this nation, which for a long time utterly blocked the bringing forth of any deliverance for Ireland — nor yet that great mountain (which some mistakenly called a level) that seemed ready at one stroke to shut an everlasting door on that expedition — I will set before you a few of the many obstacles that attended it.

First: the silence that has prevailed in heaven for half an hour, so to speak, regarding this business. The long cessation of earnest prayer from many churches has been no small mountain in the way of the promise. When God purposes to do good for Zion, He requires that His watchmen give Him no rest until He accomplishes it (Isaiah 62:7). Yet sometimes even at the end of His people's supplications He gives an answer by terrifying things (Psalm 65:5). Sometimes He is silent to the prayers of His people (Psalm 28:1). Is it not then all the more remarkable when He grants a request even when His people have grown silent in prayer? How many congregations in this nation could have their prayers, tears, and supplications for the carrying on of God's work in Ireland described as written with the lines of emptiness? What a silence has prevailed in the heaven of many churches for this last half hour! How many who began with the Lord in that work never sacrificed at the altar of Jehovah Nissi, nor considered that the Lord has sworn to have war with such Amalekites as are there from generation to generation (Exodus 17:15-16)? They have forgotten that Ireland was the first of the nations to lie in wait for the blood of God's people seeking to enter into His rest, and that therefore their latter end shall be to perish forever (Numbers 24:20). Many are as angry as Jonah — not that Babylon is spared, but that it is not spared. Has this not stood as a mountain? What will you do when certain people and parties look upon you as grass on the rooftops that withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the one who binds sheaves his arms — people who will not even say, 'The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord'? But shall the faithlessness of men make the faith of God of no effect? Shall the kingdom of Christ suffer because some of His own — whether through worldly wisdom or spiritual folly — refuse to come forth to His help against the mighty? Surely not! The Lord sees it and it displeases Him. He sees that there is no man and wonders that there is no intercessor — marveling that there are not more prayers on this behalf. Therefore His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness sustained it. He put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and was wrapped in zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, so He will repay — fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies, and to the islands He will repay their due (Isaiah 59:15-18). Some men's failure to pray will not hinder the promises from being accomplished. They may more easily discover an idol in themselves than disappoint the living God. This was a mountain.

Second, our own counsels and strategies have often stood in the way of the promises coming to fruition. This is not the time or place for full accounts, so I will say only this in general: if the best and most rational strategies of the army had not been overridden by God's providence, there is every probability that your affairs would have been set back by more than ten degrees from where they now stand.

Third, the visible opposition of the combined enemy in that nation seemed, by our own strength, unconquerable. The wise man tells us that a threefold cord is not easily broken — but Ireland had a fivefold cord twisted together to make strong chains against Zion. Never, I think, did such different interests bear with one another to accomplish a single common end.

A person who encountered a lion, a fox, and an ass traveling together would wonder where these ill-matched companions were bound. And his wonder would not cease when he heard they were going on a pilgrimage in a matter of devotion.

Consider someone who should encounter Protestants — covenanted Protestants who had sworn before the great God to extirpate Popery and Prelacy, as the Scots in Ulster — alongside others who felt themselves bound by an equally sacred obligation to maintain Prelacy, the prayer book, and the like, as the whole party of Ormond's adherents; joined with a great number who for eight years had sealed their vows to the Roman religion with the blood of others and their own; adding to these those who were inclined to revolt back and forth as suited their own interests, as some in Munster — all closing with the party they themselves had worked hardest to make odious and execrable as being stained with innocent blood. Seeing all these, after seven years of mutual conflict and bloodshed, marching all in the same direction together, a person could not help but wonder where they were all heading so agreeably together. And surely his astonishment would not lessen when he heard that the first thing they intended and agreed upon was to cover the innocent blood of 1641, contrary to that promise: 'Behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also will disclose her blood and will no longer cover her slain' (Isaiah 26:21). And next, to establish the Catholic religion — the kingdom of Babylon — throughout the whole nation, in opposition to the engaged truth and the visibly manifested power of the Lord Jesus in our day, along with various other things contrary to their knowledge and conscience, their covenant and their convictions, indeed the trust and honor of most of the chief leaders among them.

Now how can the promise stand against this many-headed monster? What does it say to this combined opposition? First, says the Lord: 'Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished' (Proverbs 11:21). Their covering shall be too short and narrow to hide the blood which God will have disclosed.

And next: though they give their power to the beast and fight against the Lamb — agreeing in this who agree in nothing else in the world — yet they shall be broken in pieces. Though they unite together, they shall be broken in pieces. If Rezin and the son of Remaliah — Syria and Ephraim, old adversaries — combine in a new enmity against Judah; if covenant and Prelacy, Popery and treachery, bloodguilt and (as to that matter) innocence join hand in hand to stand in the way of the promise — yet 'I will not join in this with them,' says the Lord. Though they were kept in their separate interests for seven years of mutual conflict, serving as scourges to one another, yet if they close ranks to block God's engagement in the word of His promise, not much more than a quarter of a year shall reduce some of them to nothing and fill the rest with rage and anguish.

As for the ways God has worked mightily and effectively — mixing folly into their counsels, spreading fear, terror, and confusion over all their undertakings — to carry forward His own purpose, I could easily give substantial examples. What has been said in general is sufficient to ground us in this: while we are in the way of God, all staggering over the outcome is from unbelief, for He can and will do more such things as these.

First application: the first application concerns temporal matters, which as I noted also come under the promise and are not to be staggered at, within the limits previously mentioned. Learn from this to live more by faith in all your actions. Believe, and you shall be established. In the course of my life I have observed this evil under the sun: many professing Christians who were called into public life have made it their great design to manage all their affairs with cleverness and political strategy, like the people of the surrounding nations. Living by faith upon the promises appeared to them as too lowly a thing for the condition and employment they now held. Now they had to plot and scheme and strategize, laying down principles of worldly, fleshly wisdom to be pursued to the fullest extent. And what, I ask, has been the outcome of such undertakings?

First, the power of genuine religion was entirely consumed by that lean, hungry, never-satisfied beast of worldly policy. No trace remains that it was ever in their hearts. Being conformed to Christ in gospel graces is looked upon as a mean and contemptible thing. Some of them have fallen into outright atheism, and most of them into wretched formalism in the things of God. And then:

Second, their plots and undertakings have generally proved swollen and empty — producing nothing. Frustration and disappointment have been the portion of their remaining days. Ceasing to lean on the Lord and striving to be wise in human ways — like the people of the world — has produced more Rehoboams than anything else in this generation.

What lies at the root of all this? Simply staggering at the promise through unbelief. What kind of building is that which rests on a staggering foundation? When God does not answer Saul, he goes to the witch. When the promise will not hold us up, we turn to worldly policy — it cannot be otherwise. People who find one road blocked will immediately try another. If people begin to stagger at the promise and conclude in their fears that it will never be fulfilled — that the fountain will run dry — they cannot help but think it high time to dig cisterns for themselves. When David said, 'I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul' — whatever God had said to the contrary — his next course was, 'Let me go to the Philistines'; and you know how that turned out. Political detours from pure dependence on the promise always draw a long time of entanglement in their wake.

Allow me to give a word of caution against one or two things that people who stagger at the promises through unbelief typically run toward in their worldly wisdom — so that they may not be found in your honorable assembly.

First, take heed of handling the things of God and managing religion to serve the advantage of your present circumstances and political posture. The things of Christ should be like Joseph's sheaf — the one to which all others bow. When they are made to cringe and bend and put on a flattering face to attract some group into their interest, they are no longer the things of Christ. I wish it had not been too plainly evident in former times that people tangled in their affairs and holding authority have pursued with all diligence some particular appearance of religion — not because they were themselves passionately committed to it, but merely to satisfy certain people whose help and cooperation they needed for other purposes. Oh, let the things of God no longer be mixed with worldly calculations. His truths are all eternal and unchangeable. Give them at once the full sovereignty of your souls, and have not the slightest thought of bending them to serve your own ends — however good and righteous those ends may be. Do not think to obtain the promise as Jacob did, by presenting yourselves in the things of God as something other than you are.

Second, do not suppress any truth of God — in that sphere of expression which has been committed to you — out of fear that it might be harmful to your affairs. Whatever influence and authority flows from your power that is due to any truth of God, do not withhold it through worldly calculations. I could elaborate on these and similar things further, but the warning is simply this: live upon the faith of that promise which shall surely be established, without turning aside into needless and crooked paths of your own making.

Second application: be faithful in doing all the work of God to which you are engaged, just as He is faithful in doing all your work to which He is engaged. Your work — the work to which God is committed on your behalf, while you walk in His ways — is your safety and protection. God's work — the work to which you are committed — is the propagation of the kingdom of Christ and the raising up of the standard of the Gospel. As you find God going forward with your work, go forward with His. How is it that Jesus Christ is in Ireland only as a lion staining all His garments with the blood of His enemies, with no one to hold Him out as a lamb sprinkled with His own blood to His friends? Is it the sovereignty and interest of England alone that is to be accomplished there? For my part, I see no further into the mystery of these things than this: I could heartily rejoice that the innocent blood being atoned for, the Irish might possess Ireland as long as the moon endures — so long as Jesus Christ might possess the Irish. But God, having allowed those sworn servants of the man of sin to break out into such villainy as justly exposes them to punishment, under such principles of government among men as He has appointed — is there therefore nothing to be done but to put a cup of blood into their hands? Surely the way by which God will bring the followers of the beast to their deserved destruction, for all their enmity against the Lord Jesus, will be by allowing them to commit such acts against men as will righteously expose them to judgment, by acknowledged principles among the sons of men. But is this all? Does He have no further aim? Is not all of this meant to make way for the Lord Jesus to take possession of His long-promised inheritance? And shall we stop at the first part? Is it fair to the Lord Jesus to call Him to battle and then withhold His crown? God has been faithful in doing great things for you — be faithful in this one: do your utmost for the preaching of the Gospel in Ireland.

Allow me to add a few motivations for this duty.

First, they are in desperate need. There is no want like that of people who lack the Gospel. I wish there were at present at least one Gospel preacher for every walled town in the English-held territory in Ireland. The land mourns, and the people perish for want of knowledge. Many run to and fro, but it is on other business; knowledge is not increasing.

Second, they are aware of their need and are crying out for help. The tears and cries of the inhabitants of Dublin longing for the preaching of Christ are ever before my eyes. If they were in the dark and content to remain there, it might somewhat close the door on the compassion of our hearts. But they cry out from their darkness and are ready to follow anyone — anyone at all — just to have a candle. If their being without the Gospel does not move our hearts, perhaps their urgent cries will disturb our rest and wring help from us, as a beggar wrings alms.

Third, if we do not act, deceivers and blasphemers will not be slow to sow their weeds — and those unplanted fields will readily receive them if no one sows the seed of the Word. Some have already come over there without any call or appointment, for no other purpose than to boast that they are God — as they have done openly in the streets, with detestable pride, atheism, and folly. So, just as Ireland was once described in civil terms as a dumping ground for bankrupts — because of the great number of people with failed estates who went there — it will surely prove in religion to be a dumping ground for monstrous, outrageous, and contradictory opinions, if the work of preaching the Word of truth and sound doctrine is not carried on. And if that is the outcome of your present undertakings, will it be acceptable to the Lord Jesus — do you think — that you have used His power and might to make way for the very things His soul abhors?

First, will it be to His honor that the people He has claimed for Himself with so mighty a hand should, at the very moment of His taking possession, be leavened with those lofty and heavenly-sounding notions which have a clearly demonstrated tendency to earthly, fleshly, and degraded practices? Or:

Second, will it be to the credit and honor of your profession of the Gospel that such a breach should occur under your watch — and by your means, as it were? Will it not be a sword, an arrow, and a hammer in the hands of your critics? Who can bear the just scandal that would follow? Scandal upon the magistrates and ministers of this generation for neglecting such an opportunity to advance the Gospel — sleeping through the day while others are busy sowing weeds.

Third, where will be the hoped-for and expected consolation of this great undertaking, when the testimony and pledge of Christ's special presence among us is lacking — given such an outcome?

What then should we do? This matter is often spoken of but seldom brought to any conclusion!

First, pray. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out — to thrust forth — workers into His harvest. The workers themselves are ready to say, 'There is a lion in the way' — there are real difficulties to contend with. And for some people, it is hard to see the call of God through difficulties. If only a call would clothe itself in a few earthly advantages — how plain it becomes to them! They can see it through the tiniest crack. Be earnest therefore with the Master of these workers, in whose hand is their life and breath and all their ways, that He would powerfully press them to be willing to enter the fields that are white for harvest.

Second, make such provision that those who are willing to go may be shielded from outward hardship and anxiety, as far as the uncertainty of human affairs in general and present turbulent conditions permit. And I beg you, let this not be the kind of action that is resolved on and never followed through. But also:

Third, let some people be appointed — generals die and fade on their own — to give this matter serious attention and to hear whatever sound proposals any person may bring whose heart God has stirred for so good a work.

This, I say, is a work in which God expects faithfulness from you. Do not stagger at His promises or at your own duty. By every means possible in this matter, I have striven to discharge my own soul of its obligation.

Once more, alongside this call to faith, let me also stir you to a work of love — on behalf of many poor, perishing people who lack all the basic necessities of life. There are parentless children lying begging, starving, and dying in the streets with no one to help them. There are also people of standing who have lost their dearest loved ones in your service and are now seeking bread and finding none. Oh that some serious thought might be given to these as well, by those who will take up the care for the Gospel.

Third application: I now wish to make a more personal application of the doctrine as it concerns purely spiritual matters. Until you know how to believe for your own souls, you will scarcely know how to believe for a nation. Let this therefore teach us to lay the burden and trouble of our lives on the right shoulder. In our staggerings, our doubts, and our disputes with ourselves, we are prone to assign this and that reason for them — when the real and only reason is our unbelief. We say: 'If such and such a cause were removed, I could believe' — as though faith were only needed when there were no obstacles. Faith must remove the mountains that lie in the way, and then all will be plain. It is not the greatness of sin, nor continuance in sin, nor backsliding into sin, that is the true cause of your staggering — whatever you claim. The removal of all these things comes from that promise whose stability and certainty I have already set forth. The sole cause of staggering is your unbelief — that root of bitterness which springs up and troubles you. It is not the distance of the earth from the sun, nor the sun's pulling back, that makes a dark and gloomy day — it is the blocking of the light by clouds and vapors. Neither is your soul beyond the reach of the promise, nor does God withdraw Himself. It is the vapors of your unbelieving heart that cloud you. It is said of one place that Christ could do no great work there. Why? Was it for lack of power in Him? Not at all — it was simply because of their unbelief. The promise can do no great work upon your heart — cannot humble you, pardon you, or quiet you. Is it for lack of fullness and truth in the promise? Not at all — it is simply for lack of faith in you that keeps it at a distance. People complain that if only such and such things were removed, they could believe, when in fact it is their unbelief that throws those obstacles in the way. It is like a man who scatters nails and sharp stones in his own path and then says, 'Truly I could run, were it not for those nails and stones' — while he himself continues to put them there. You could believe, if not for these doubts and difficulties and staggering perplexities — but they all come from your unbelief.

Fourth application: see the sinfulness of all those staggering doubts and perplexities that consume the thoughts of many poor souls. As the root is, so is the fruit. If the tree is bad, so will its fruit be. People do not gather grapes from thorn bushes. What is the root that produces this fruit of staggering? Is it not the evil root of unbelief? And can any good come from that? Are not all the streams of the same nature as the fountain? If the fountain is bitter, can the streams be sweet? If the body is full of poison, will not the branches carry venom too? Surely, if the mother — unbelief — is the mouth of hell, the daughters — staggerings — are not the gates of heaven.

Of the sin of unbelief I will not now speak at length. In short, it is the universal opposition of the soul against God. Every other sin rises against some particular aspect of His revealed will. Only unbelief sets itself in direct contradiction to everything of Him that is known. This is why the weight of condemnation in the Gospel rests consistently on this sin. He who does not believe has the wrath of God resting on him; he shall be condemned. Now, just as every drop of seawater carries the bitterness and saltiness of the whole ocean, so every staggering doubt that flows from this unbelief carries in it the same offensiveness and displeasure to God that is in the whole.

Let me offer a little further light into how the Lord receives our staggering thoughts — since our estimate of everything within us must be shaped by how He receives it.

Notice that such staggering: first, grieves God; second, provokes Him; and third, dishonors Him.

First, this frame of mind grieves the Lord. Nothing presses genuine love more than any appearance of suspicion. Christ came to Peter and asked him, 'Simon, son of Jonas, do you love Me?' (John 21:15). Peter, glad of an opportunity to confess his love for the One he had not long before denied, readily answered, 'Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.' But when Christ came with the same question again and again, the Holy Spirit tells us that Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' It deeply troubled Peter that his love should be questioned so many times, when he knew it to be sincere. The love of Christ for His own is infinitely beyond the love of His own for Him. All our doubting is nothing but so many repeated questionings of His love. We cry, 'Lord Jesus, do You love us?' and again, 'Lord Jesus, do You love us?' — and with distrustful thoughts that He does not, that He cannot. Of the unbelieving Jews, the Holy Spirit tells us that Jesus was grieved over the hardness of their hearts (Mark 3:5). And as unbelief is bitter to Him at the root, so also is it in the fruit. Our staggering and debating when we have a word of promise is a grief to His Holy Spirit — it is the unkindest return we can make for His love.

Second, it provokes Him. Zechariah said, 'How can this be — that I should have a son?' And the Lord replied: it will be so, and you yourself for your questioning will be a sign of it — 'You shall be mute and unable to speak' (Luke 1). His doubting was a provocation. Our Savior expresses no less in that sharp rebuke to His disciples over their wavering (Matthew 17:17): 'O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?' He meant: how long shall I put up with you in this unbelieving frame. Poor souls are quick to marvel at God's patience in other areas — that He spared them in such and such sins, at such and such moments of danger. But His extraordinary patience with them in their worldly reasonings and fleshly objections against believing — this they do not marvel at. Indeed, they generally think it should be so — that God would not have them one step further. They even suppose they could be more steadfast in believing if only it pleased God to let them be — when all along, this very frame, above all others, is the greatest provocation to the Lord. He never exercises more forbearance than He does toward this kind of unbelief.

When the spies had gone into Canaan, seen the land, and brought back samples of its good fruit — and then repined and questioned whether God would bring them in — this caused the Lord to swear in His wrath that they would not enter into His rest. When God has brought people to the very borders of heaven, showed them the riches and excellency of His grace, even allowed them to enter as spies into the kingdom of glory — and then they fall to staggering over whether He intends to let them in — this lies heavy on Him. The same can be said of all promised mercies and deliverances whatsoever.

That this is a provocation, the Lord has abundantly shown — for it has caused Him many times to snatch sweet morsels from the mouths of men and to turn aside the stream of mercies when it was ready to flow in upon them. 'If you will not believe, you shall not be established' (Isaiah 7:9). The very mercy just promised concerning your deliverance shall be withheld. Oh, do not stop the progress in Ireland through unbelief.

Third, it dishonors God. At the close of Romans 4:20 it is said that Abraham was strong in faith — that is, did not stagger — giving glory to God. To be established in believing is to give God the greatest glory possible. Every staggering thought that rises from this root of unbelief robs God of His glory.

First, it robs Him of the glory of His truth. He who does not believe has made God a liar, because he does not believe His testimony (1 John 5:10). Whatever pretenses people offer — and most of the time we offer very fine-sounding ones for our unbelief — the bottom of it all is the questioning of God's truth in our false hearts.

Second, it robs Him of the glory of His faithfulness in the fulfillment of His promises. If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9). He has engaged His faithfulness in the business of forgiving iniquities. Whoever calls that faithfulness into question is calling God's faithfulness itself into question.

Third, it robs Him of the glory of His grace. In short, if a man wanted to place himself in universal opposition to God, he could think of no more efficient way than this. This, then, is the fruit and the gain of all our staggering: we rob God of His glory and our own souls of mercy.

Fifth application: be ashamed of and humbled for all your staggering at the promises of God, along with all the worldly reasonings and schemes that flow from it. For the most part, we live on successes, not promises. Unless we see and feel the evidence of victories, we will not believe. God's engagement is almost entirely forgotten in our affairs. We travel on without Christ, like His mother, supposing Him to be somewhere in the crowd — but we must go back and find Him where we left Him, or all our pressing forward will be to no purpose.

When Job, after all his complaining, had seen the end of the Lord, he cried out, 'Now I abhor myself in dust and ashes.' You have seen the end of the Lord in many of His promises. Oh that this might move you to abhor yourselves in dust and ashes for all your fleshly fears and corrupt reasonings in your staggering.

When David had received his promised mercy, he was especially ashamed of every thought of unbelief he had harbored while waiting for it: 'I said in my alarm,' he confesses, 'that all men are liars' — and now he was humbled for it. Is it true gratitude to simply forget our provoking thoughts of unbelief once the mercy has arrived? May the Lord press this home on your spirits and give it its proper effect.

First, if there are any counsels, designs, or schemes currently underway among us that are rooted in our staggering at the promise we are under, oh let them be brought immediately to nothing. Let no one be so foolish as to think that unbelief can be a foundation for peaceful dwellings. You are careful to avoid everything that might dishonor you as rulers of so great a nation — be far more careful about what dishonors you as believers. That is your greatest title; that is your highest privilege. Search your own thoughts, and if any scheme or compromise is found taking root that was seeded by staggering at the promise, tear it up and cast it out before it is too late.

Second, commit your hearts against all such ways in the future. Say to God: 'How faithful You are in all Your ways! How able to fulfill all Your promises! How completely You have established Your word in heaven and earth! Who would not put their trust in You? We desire to be ashamed that we ever admitted, even for a moment, the slightest staggering at the steadfastness of Your word.'

Third, act as people grounded on unshakable things — people who are not moved at all by the greatest apparent opposition. He who believes will not act in panic. Do not be hasty in your decisions when under pressure. Wait for the fulfillment of the vision, for it will come. As long as you are in the way of God and doing the work of God, do not let even your desires become too anxious for visible supports and reinforcements. Why is there such bleating among us after the compliance of this or that faction of men — men who perhaps pride themselves on the very unbelief they see in our actions — as though we were proclaiming that without such and such parties we cannot be kept safe in the things of God? I beg you: let us live above these things, which are unworthy of the great name that is called upon us.

Oh that by these and similar ways we might demonstrate our self-condemnation and our hatred for all that distrust and staggering at the word of God which, arising from unbelief, has had such deplorable effects on all our counsels and undertakings.

The End.