5. How reviving and delightful are such discoveries as these !

2. In the word of God are the most comfortable promifes, fitted to yield delight from their nature, their number, and their extent.

Thick and richly is the bible fet with these, like the firmament with stars: and what condition can a faint be in, which fome of these will not fuit? How endless would it be to inftance in the particulars of these. There are promises of fupply in want, of fupport under burdens, of direction in doubts, of fuccour when tempted, of strength in weakness, of help when faint, and of falvation when dying. Where can a believer open his bible, when in any condition, but he may find matter of delight in what God has affured? Particularly in his promifes of pardon and acceptance at prefent, of heaven at laft, and of his being kept fafe, and having all things to work together for his good, in his way thither.

(1.) How fweet is the promife of the pardon of fin, and acceptance with God, when read with application? This removes the ground of all trouble and difquiet, as freeing the foul from the fears of the wrath to come, and the danger of the second death, and is the foundation of that peace of God within, that paffeth underftanding. Bleed is he whofe tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofe fin is covered. Bleed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, Pfal.

xxxii. 1, 2.

What joy may diffuse itself over that foul to whom God fays, 1, even 1 am be that blotteth K 3

out

out thy tranfgreffions for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins? Ifa. xliii. 25. What has he to fear, who is freed from condemnation, whofe guilt is washed off by the blood of atonement, and being juftified by faith, has peace with God thro' our Lord Jefus Chrift? To fuch every affliction may well feem light and little, and every mercy may be doubled, as coming from the hand of love.

(2.) All happiness is fummed up in the promife of heaven at laft, and fo can't but be big with the trueft delight now. This is the promije that he hath promifed us, even eternal life, 1 John ii. 25. What can he meet with that fhould break his peace, or damp his joy, that has an interest in this promife? Let his crofs be as heavy as it will, he has a crown before him, to put in the balance against it: and no fuffering of the present time, is worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed. What comfort must it yield a child of God, as often as he looks to heaven, to be able to fay; There is my Father, That is my Inheritance: I have a promise of it now, made me by one who cannot lie, and e'er long, I fhall have it in full poffeffion. Tho' it be a vale of tears I am now in, and death itself what I must pafs through; how reviving is it to think, that I am now in the Way to that place, where all tears fhall be wiped away from mine eyes, and where is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore? And shall my ftate be fo bright and bleffed in the end? What delight then should it yield me now? Add hereto,

(3.) The

(3.) The promife of God's prefence by the way, that all things fhall work together for his people's good. He fpeaks to every one of them by name, I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee, Heb. xiii. 5. And we know that all things fhall work together for good, to them that love God, Rom. viii. 28. No temptation fhall overtake them, but what they shall be enabled to bear, 1 Cor. x. 13. And whatever trials they meet with, they fhall keep their standing under them, and through them by the power of God through faith unto falvation.

3. In the word of God are the most comfortable examples. There are examples of God's compaffion and grace in appearing for his people; as in the cafe of David, Job, and the three Hebrew Worthies that were caft into the fiery furnace, and brought out unhurt. And what God has done for thofe that are gone before them, he is able to do for others, and would hence encourage them to expect it, in fubmiffion to his wifdom and will: and it is for this end that fuch examples are recorded, that we from the scripture may have comfort and hope.

4. In the word of God are the most comfortable provifions, and these suitable to the various characters which his faints are to bear, and the ftates they are in while they are,in this world.

As they are pilgrims and ftrangers, its precepts and directions mark out their way; fhewing them the narrow path in which they are to walk; and its warnings and threatenings dif cover the fnares they are to avoid, that they may be fafe. The word of God is a lamp un

to our feet, and a light unto our path; a light fhining in a dark place, unto which we are to take heed, and shall find it our interest and comfort to do fo, Pfalm cxix. 105. 2 Pet. i. 19.

As engaged in a warfare, this acquaints us what armour we are to put on, and make use of; who are our adverfaries, and what are their policy and ftrength, and in what way we are to fight, with affurance of fuccefs, against

them.

As running a race, it cautions us against that which would clog and hinder us; bidding us lay afide every weight, and the fin that does easily befet us; and then directs us in what manner we are to run, namely, with patience, looking unto Jefus, who, for the joy that was fet before bim, endured the cross, defpifing the fhame, and is now fet down at the right hand of the throne of God. And the crown for which we are to run, is held up, as it were, in view, with this title, To him that overcometh, fhall it be given.

As probationers for eternity, we are acquainted with our work, and where our ftrength lies for the doing it; and how it is to be fetched in, and then improved. It fhews much of the bleffed world we are paffing towards, and the marks and characters by which we are to try our title to it, and know if we are heirs of it, as being fanctified, and made meet to be partakers of that inheritance of the faints in light.

These are some of the things in the word of God, which may be faid to be greatly delightful.

II. As

1

II. As to the perfons to whofe delight it actually conduces, They are the children of God, and none else.

None but they are prepared to take in the confolation of the word; and it hath enough in it for the delight of all that are fuch.

None but the children of God are prepared to take in the confolation of the word.

1. As they only are fpiritually enlightened to difcern the great and comfortable things contained in it, enlightened in a manner in which no others are: The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishnefs unto him; neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned, 1 Cor. ii. 14.

2. As they have the highest value for the word of God, this prepares them for receiving confolation from it. This Pfalmift often discovered his value for it; O how love I thy law! faith he, Pf cxix. 97. And Pfal. xix. 10. The judgments of the Lord are more to be defired than gold, yea, than much fine gold, fweeter also than honey, and the boney-comb.

3. As they have their hearts and ways suited to the word of God, this is another reason of the delight they fetch from it. For they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh, and take pleasure in them; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the fpirit. The comforts of the word are fpiritual; and only the spiritual heart, as it is renewed by grace, can taste and relish them, Rom. viii. 5. The delight which the people of God have from the word, is a privilege peculiar to themselves: and this word hath enough