Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_000.lzh/D_083.TXT

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CHAP. XXIII.                             OF THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.                                                                83

men have the promise of the life that.now is, of things
belonging to it, as well as of that which is to come, 1 Tim.
iv. 8. these their heavenly'Father knows they have need
of, and therefore provides them for them, and promises
them unto them. He has said, that they that seek the
Lord shall not want any good thing, Psalm xxxiv. 10.
they shall have that which is good, as every creature of
God is good, good food and good raiment; though it may
be but mean, yet it is good, and better than the best of
men deserve; and they want not any, that God, in his
infinite wisdom, sees is good for them; for though they
and others may think it would be better for them if they
had a greater affluence of the things of this life; but God
thinks otherwise, and knows it would be to their hurt, as
sometimes riches are: he has bid his people trust in the
Lord, and do good, and has promised, they shall be fed,
Psalm xxxvii. 3. not all of them with dainties and de-
licious food, but with food convenient for them; hc has!
assured them, their bread shah be given them, and their:
waters shall be sure, Isa. xxxiii. 16. and this is sufficient
to support and confirm his faithfulness: nor is the po-
verty of some of God's people any objection to it, since
he has nowhere promised them the riches of this world,
and has given them no reason to expect them; but he
has promised them better riches, durable riches, and
righteousness, the riches of grace and glory, and these he
gives to them; see a testimony from David's experience
of the faithfulness of God, with respect to temporal
things, Psalm xxxvii. 25. God has not promised his
people security from outward afflictions; but rather has
suggested to them that they nlay look for them; since iris
people are described as a poor and afflicted people; and
it is their cormnon case; tnany are the afflictions of the
righteous; it is what they are appointed to, and what are
appointed for them; but then God has promised that
they shall work for their good; either for their temporal
good, as Jacob's afflictions worked for his; or for their
spiritual good, the exercise and increase of grace and ho-
liness; and always for their eternal good, 2 Cot. iv. 17.
and also that he will be with them in them, support them
under them, and deliver out of theIn in due time: all which
is faithfully performed by hiln,.! Cot. x. l&
2. Others are of a spiritual nature; and the principal
S                       1
of these is, and which is the um of the covenant, 7
shah be roy people, and I will be their God, Jet. xxxii. 38.
and which appears in their election, redemption, and ef-
fectual vocation; which is saying, that he has a special
love and affection for themr and will continue it, as he
does: nor are his cllastiscnlents of them, his hiding his
rice from them for a time, his displeasure at them, and
being angry with them, ally objection to the perpetuity of
his love; since these are not contrary to it, but rather the
fruits of it, and for their good: it signifies, that they shall
have his gracious presence with them, and nlay expect it,
and which they have; nor do their doubts, and fears, and
complaints disprove it, Isa. xli. 10. and xlix. 14, ]5, 16.
whicll arc generally owing to their ignorance and tinbe-
lief; God is with them, and they know it; however, hc
is never far from thcnl, nor lollg; lie does not depart from
them, nor withdraw his gracious presence from them
totally and finally: it assures tllcln of his protection, that
he will be all-arotmd them, guard theni, and secure thein,
preserve and keep them by his power, tllrough faith unto

salvation, as he does; for though they may fall into sin,
yet they rise again by his grace; and though they fall into
temptation, and by it, yet they are delivered out of it;
they are kept from a final and total falling away; they
are not of them that draw back unto perdition: m a word,
this promise is expressive of their enjoyment of God here,
and for evermore; and he is their shield, and exceeding
great reward; their portion in life, at death, and for ever;
their Ann in ALL
There are many particular spiritual promises made to
the people of God; and which are made good by him;
as, that he will sprinkle clean water upon them, and
cleanse them from all their sins; which is to be .under-
stood of justifying grace, through the blood of Christ;
that he will forgive their iniquities, and remember their
sins no more; and he is just in doing it, upon the ac-
count of the blood of his Son, and faithful to his own
promise, 1 John i. 9. that he will give them new hearts
and new spirits, which he does in regeneration; and
take away the heart of stone, and give an heart of flesh;
as he does, ,ahen he removes the llardness of the heart,
and gives evangelical repentance unto life; that he will
put his laws in them, and write them in their minds; not
only give knowledge of them, but both a disposition and
grace to observe them; working in them both to will
and to do of his good pleasure: that he will put his
Spirit into them, and give them spiritual strength to
keep his statutes, and perform every duty; that he will
carry. on his good work of grace in them, and perform it,
until the day of Christ; of which they may be confident,
since he has promised it; that he will give them more
grace, a sufficiency of it, and supply all their need out
of the fulness in Christ; and that his fear shall be con-
tinually in their hearts; and they shall not depart from
him, but persevere in faith and holiness to the end. All
which promises, and more, are faithfully and truly per-
formed in all his people; see Jer. xxxi. 33, 34. and xxxii.
38, 39, 40. Ezek. xxxvi. 0,5, 0,6,
3. Tilere are other promises which respect the life to
come; the eternal happiness of tile saints in another
world: the apostle speaks of the promise of this, as the
promise, by way of eminency, as if it was the only pro-
mise, or, however, the principal one, in which all others
issue and end; This is the promise that he has promised
us, even eternal life, 1 John it. 25. and this is an ancient
one, made before the world began, and by God, that
cannot lie, Tit. i.2. who is faithful and true, and will
most certainly perform it; wherefore, .Blessed is the man
that endureth temptation; .for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised
to them that love him, James i. 12.
Fourthly, The faithfulness of God appears in ful-
filling Iris threatentags, as well as Iris promises. God
threatened Adam, that in the day he eat of the forbidden
fruit, he should surely die; and he immediately became
mortal, death began at once to work in him; his soul
was seized directly with a spiritual or moral death, guilt,
and terror of conscience, a sense of divine wrath, and de-
privation of the divine presence, and he became liable to
eternal death; nor had he any reason to expect any other,
until he heard that the seed of the woman should bruise
the serpent's head; and the sentence of death passed on
him, and all his posterity in him, as soon as he had sinned,
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