Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_500.lzh/D_546.TXT

Text File | 1994-08-24 | 6KB | 128 lines

5+6                                   OF TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN GOD.

Book I.

Zeph. iii. 12. believing, that when they pass through
the waters of adversity, and fiery trials, the Lord will
be with them and preserve them, and carry them
through them, and not suffer them to be overwhelmed
by them; will make all things work together for their
good, and deliver them out of all their afflictions. -----
4. In the hour of death, they are encouraged to trust
in the Lord, and believe, that when strength and heart
fail, the Lord will be the strength of their heart and
their portion for ever; that he will be, not only their
God and Guide unto death, but through it; and that
even when they walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, they shall fear no ill; God will be with
them, and his rod and staff shall comfort them, Psalm
lxxiii. 26. and xlviii. 14. and xxiii. +.
Thirtlly, What that is in the Lord which gives en-
couragement to trust in him; and that is every thing
in God, and belonging to him; his nature, and the ex-
cellencies of it; all his perfections and attributes; the
several names by which he has made himself known;
his covenant and promises; his word and oath; his
gospel, and the doctrines of it; the methods of his
grace; and the dispensations of his providence: in
particular.--t. He is EI-Shaddai, God all-sufficient;
and therefore to be trusted in for every thing that is
wanted for soul and body, for time and eternity.
Creatures are insufficient, and therefore not to be de-
pended on; friends oftentimes would help, assist, and
supply, but cannot; but God is an help in every time
of need, and is a never-failing supply, an inexhaustible
fountain of all goodness; he has a sufficiency in him-
self and for himself, and for all his creatures, who all
wait on him, and whom he satisfies with his good
things; and his grace is sufficient for his people at all
times, in all places, and in all ages; and therefore
they have always encouragement to trust in him.-----
2. He is Jehovah, the rock of ages, the everlasting
strength of those that put their trust in him; Trust
ae in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah (in
h-JehovahJ is everlasting strength, Isa. xxvi. 4. to
support his people Under all their trials and exercises;
to carry them through all their difficulties and dis-
tresses; to bear them up under all their temptations
and afflictions; to enable them to do and suffer what
is his will and pleasure; to bring them on in their
journey through the wilderness of this world, and out
of it: he has promised, that as their day is, their
strength shall be; and which is continually experi-
enced by them; and therefore they have reason to
trust in him.--3. The loving-kindness, grace, mercy,
and pity of God, give great encouragement to trust
in him; How excellent is thy loving-kindness, 0 God /
therefore the children of men put their trust under the
shadow of thy wings, Psalm xxxvi. 7. the proclama-
tion the Lord has made of himself, as gracious and
merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness
and truth, Exod. xxxiv. 6. is sufficient to engage trust
and confidence in him; says David, 1 trust in the
mercy of God for ever and ever, Psalm lii. 8.-
4. His truth and faithfulness in his covenant and pro-
mises, strongly induce to trust in him; he will not
suffer his faithfulness to fail, nor break his covenant, nor
alter the thing that is gone out of his lips; to which he

has added Iris oath for the confirmation thereof, Psalm
lxxxix. 33, 34, 35.----5. The experience of the saints
in all ages, and a man's own, animate him to put his
trust in God; our fathers trusted in thee, they trusted,
and thou didst deliver them; they cried unto thee, and
were delivered; they trusted in thee, and were not con-
founded/ Psalm xxii. 4, 5. and having such a cloud
of witnesses before them; and such gracious expe-
riences of their own in times past of the goodness of
God unto them, they encourage themselves in the
Lord their God.
IV. The happiness of those that trust in the Lord:
it is often said, Blessed are they that trust in. the Lord !
Psalm ii. 12. and xxxiv. 8. and lxxxiv. 12. Jet. xvii.

I. They are in great peace, and will be in greater
still; Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind
is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee, Isa. xxvi .
3. they have peace with God through Christ; they
peace in him, when in the world they have tri-
bulation; a peace which the world ca:mot take away;
great peace have they which love the Lord and trust
in him; even perfect peace, at least hereafter; for
the end of such a man is peace, everlasting peace.----
2. They are in great safety; They that trust in the
Lord shall be as mount Zion, whioch cannot be removed,
but abideth for ever; they are like mount Zion, well
fortitled with the towers, walls, and bulwarks of salva-
tion; and are as immoveable as that, fixed in the love
of God, settled in the covenant of grace and peace,
and secured in the hands of Christ, and can never be
removed from either; but will abide in the state of
grace until they come into the unalterable state of
glory; the Lord is round about them, as the moun-
tains about JerUsalem; a wall of fire about them, and
they are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation.       3. They need be in no fear of any enemy
whatever: Behold, God is my salvation, says the church,
I will trust and not be afraid, Isa. xii. 2. not of' men,
the greatest, most powerful and numerous; nor of
devils, Satan, and all other enemies, are conquered
ones by Christ; he has destroyed him that had the
power of death, the devil, and spoiled his principali-
ties and powers; he has abolished death, and made an
end of sin; he has ransomed his people from death
and hell, so that they shall not be hurt of the second
death, and has saved them from wrath to come; and
therefore they have nothing tO fear now nor hereaf-
ter; happy men that trust in the Lord.--4. They
want no good thing, nor ever shall; 0 taste, and see
that the Lord is good, says the Psalmist; Blessed is the
man that trusteth in hini / they that seek the Lord shall
not .want any good thing, Psalm xxxiv. S, 9, 10. no
good thing is withheld now from them that trust in
the Lord; and great goodness, inconceivable and un-
speakable, is laid up for them to be enjoyed here-
after, Psalm lxxxiv. 11, 17.. and xxxi. 19.