left to fin, and to juftify their fin. I will be loth to fay, that they are all wicked that juftify their finful proceedings in public matters at this day, and that juftify their perfecuting rage and anger at their brethren, when I confider how Jonah juftified his anger against God, faying, "I do well to be angry." So it is poffible that even fome, that have met with God, may juftify their anger at their brethren, faying, "We do well to be angry even unto death,” and angry even to fufpenfion, depofition, excommunication*. I hope none need be offended, if I have charity for fome that are of that opinion, thro' their ignorant zeal, while carried away like Barnabas, with the diffimulations of the day, and whofe eyes God will open in due time, to fee that their anger was as ill founded as that of Jonah's. For, if ever God met with them at Bethel, when he is pleafed to return, their eyes will readily be opened, and they will fee they did ill to be angry with their brethren that were contending for the rights of their mother's house: yea, another merciful turn upon their hearts will make them fay, as Jacob's fons once did of Jofeph, We are verily guilty concerning our brother." So we hope of fonie, if ever they have met with God at Bethel, furely upon the Lord's return they will regret their mifcarriage, and fay, "We have verily been guilty concerning our brother."-However, as fome that have met with God may come under dreadful clouds of fin; (for we are not to unfaint them all, and every one that are carried down the ftream of defection, though we are to have no charity for their ways, yet let us not meddle with their flate, till we fee if God fhall reclaim them) fo in point of mifery, fome that have met with God may be put to fay, Oh! he breaks me with breach upon breach, and runs upon me like a giant; yea, while fuffering his terrors, they have in a manner been diftracted, and fometimes curfed the day wherein they were born. Thus you may fee what dark days may follow upon Bethel-interviews

*Our author is here alluding to the conduct of the church-judicataries; in the profecution, at this time, carrying on against the reverend Mr. Ebenezer Erskine, and his brethren, formerly laid open, Vol. V. Serm. LXXXIV. See likewise Serm. LXXXII, LXXXIII.

with God; and yet, after all, the promife ftands good to all the feed of Jacob that have met with God at Bethel. He will not leave them, till he hath done that which he hath spoken to them of.

III. The third general head propofed was, To confider and explain this promife, I will not leave thee, till I bave done that which I have Spoken to thee of. For explaining hereof there are these following queftions that we would propound and anfwer. 1. How God fpeaks to his people? 2. How he doth or accomplisheth that which he hath spoken to them of? 3. When is it that he will do that which he hath promised? 4. What is the import of this privilege, that he will not leave them? 5. In what fenfe it is faid, he will not leave them, till he hath done what he hath promifed?

ift, How God fpeaks to his people, when they have a Bethel-vifit of him? I anfwer, in a few words,

1. He fpeaks divinely, he fpeaks like himfelf, letting them know that it is he that fpeaks: as he faid to the woman of Samaria, John iv. 26. "I that fpeak to thee, am he;" fo fays he here to Jacob, "It is I that fpeak to thee: I will not leave thee, till I have done that which I have fpoken. Never man fpake like this man:" man's speaking only reaches the ear, but God's fpeaking reaches and touches the heart. Hence,

2. He fpeaks powerfully, as it is faid of Chrift, "He fpake as one having authority, and not as the fcribes:" fo, when the Lord fpeaks, there is power and authority accompanying the word, either in its first coming, or in its after-working, upon the heart."Ye received the word, not as the word of man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which worketh effectually in you that believe," Theff. ii. 13.

3. He fpeaks particularly, as here to Jacob, I will not leave THEE, till I bave done that which I have Spoken to THEE of. People may hear the word delivered in general to all the congregation: but it doth them no good, till they hear it in particular spoken to them. Then God calls the perfon by name, and fays, To thee I fpeak; and the heart fays, It is to me that God is VOL. V. + C fpeak

fpeaking. O hath God fpoken to thee, man, to thee,

woman?

4. He fpeaks kindly and comfortably; Hof. ii. 14. "I will allure her, and bring her to the wilderness; and then speak comfortably to her." His kindness in speaking appears moft evidently when it is in a wilderness-cafe he communicates himfelf: every word he speaks to Jacob here, is a word of kindnefs. O the light, life, ftrength and comfort that the word brings when God fpeaks it! He hath a view both to their prefent comfort and their future fupport, when he speaks with them in Bethel.

5. He fpeaks plainly and not in parables: for he opens their understandings to apprehend, and their hearts to apply; "For to them it is given to know the myfteries of the kingdom of heaven; to others it is not given," Mat. xiii. II. The word of grace is a fealed book, till the Lion of the tribe of Judah open the feal.

6. He fpeaks fuitably to their cafe; for, he hath the tongue of the learned, to fpeak a word in feafon to the weary, Ifa. 1. 4. He adapts his words here to Jacob's weary cafe, as I fhewed in the explication. He gives them a word that fuits their difficulties. Sometimes they have difficulty about this, and fometimes about that and the other affair, and they come with their burdens before the Lord, and he prefents a word relative to them. Sometimes they are burdened about their provifion; and he gives a word for that: "Bread fhall be given thee, and thy water fhall be fure."-They are burdened with fears of danger: and they get a word for that: "Fear not, for I am with thee: The eternal God is thy refuge."-Sometimes they want direction; and get a word for that: “I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things ftraight."-They want the Spirit; and they get a word for that: "I will put my Spirit within you: and the water that I give fhall be in you a well of water fpringing up to everlafting life." They want ftrength for duty or trial; and they get a word for that: My grace fhall be fufficient for thee, and my ftrength

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fhall be perfect in thy weaknefs."-They want pardon: and they get a word for that: "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy tranfgreffions, for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins."-They want to have fin fubdued and mortified; and get a word for that: "Sin fhall not have dominion over you."-They want fomething for the church; and they get a word for that: "That the wall fhall be built in perilous times; that at evening time it fhall be light; and upon all the glory there fhall be a defence."-They want a blefling for their children; and they get a word for that: "I will be thy God and the God of thy feed."*

2dly,. The next queflion here, was, How he doth what he hath fpoken to them?" I will do what I have fpoken of to thee." Why,

1. He will do it faithfully: "Not a word fhall fail of what he hath spoken," Jofh. xxi. 45. The hiftory of Jacob fhews how faithfully God accomplished his promife, and all that he fpoke to him; and he hath faithfulnefs for the girdle of his loins, "God is not man, that he fhould lye, nor the fon of man that he fhould repent." He will do what he hath fpoken, furely, and certainly; "The vifion fhall fpeak, it fhall furely come."

2. As he will do certainly what he hath fpoken, sʊ he will do it wonderfully, and he will work wonders before he do it not; "Heaven and earth fhall pass away, before one jot of his word fall to the ground." And it is in a very marvellous and myfterious way, that God doth accomplish his word thro' a world of dark difpenfations, "Thro' fire and water he brings them to a wealthy land." Tho' impaffable mountains be in the way; yet he will come and do what he hath faid, and give his people occafion to fay when he comes, "It is the voice of my Beloved, behold he cometh fkipping upon the mountains, leaping upon the hills."

3. He will do what he hath spoken, and do it remarkably. Thus he did what he faid to Jacob; and if the believer may put a remark upon the Bethel-vifit, when

* See a vast many more of the cafes of the faints ftated and solved, Vol. V. Serm. LXXXVII.

he comes to promife; much more upon the Peniel-vifit, when he comes to perform what he hath promifed. In the Bethel-vifit, we fee him by faith in his word: but in the Peniel-vifit we fee him by fenfe in his work; for then he not only fays, but does what he hath faid, and fhews himself face to face.

4. When he doth what he hath fpoken, he doth it surprisingly. Jacob was not expecting fuch a way of God's accomplishing his word. Pfal. cxxvi. I. "When the Lord turned back the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream." He fweetly furprizes when he comes to do what he hath fpoken: "Then was our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with fongs: the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad." Again,

5. When he doth what he hath fpoken, he doth it glorioufly. His glory fhines in all his works, and efpecially in accomplishing his promifes, that are Yea and Amen in Chrift. He makes the glory of his wisdom, power, holiness, the glory of his mercy, truth, and faithfulnefs to fhine in the accomplishment; he doth more than he hath spoken, and is better than his word, Exodus xv. I. When God accomplished his, promife of delivering Ifrael out of Egypt, and out of the hand of Pharaoh and his hoft, then their voice was lifted up, faying, "I will fing unto the Lord; for he hath triumphed glorioufly."

6. When he doth what he hath fpoken, he doth it feasonably; "The vifion is for an appointed time, but at the end it fhall speak and not lye: though it tarry, wait for it because it will furely come, it will not tarry," Hab. ii. 3. It will not tarry beyond the appointed time, nor beyond the proper time: and therefore, let faith wait upon a faithful God, who will do as he hath faid.This leads,

3dly, To the third queftion, When is it that he will do what he hath fpoken to them of? You may take the anfwer of this in the following particulars.

1. Some things he hath fpoken, relative to a day of trouble; and when that day comes he will do what he hath spoken to them of; "I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him," Pfalm xci. 15.

Hence