October 29

"Precious promises."—2 Peter 1:4.

THE promises are the foundation, food, life, and soul of faith. As a promise is of no avail without faith to apply it; so faith is nothing without a promise to lay hold on. The treasure of a mine will never enrich without it is dug; the fragrance of the sweetest flower will never refresh unless it is inhaled; and amid all the consolations of the Gospel, we may go to the grave in despair, if the precious promises are not applied. In what respects are they precious?

IN THEIR NATURE. They assure us of invaluable things. Every thing that is included in our anticipations, rests on the promises; heaven itself is the enjoyment of the promises. Heaven is the promises unfolded; and the promises are heaven folded. The purposes of God are his concealed promises; and the promises are his revealed purposes. They discover all good things here and hereafter, as the inheritance of believers, and so are justly styled precious. They stamp a value on our common mercies. We enjoy much by way of providence, but much more by way of promise, I Tim. iv. 8. A small blessing, by way of promise, is worth a thousand by way of providence. "A little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked."

IN THEIR FREENESS. The promises are the discoveries of God's eternal love to his people. These things are freely given to us of God. The wealth of the rich cannot purchase them; the poverty of the indigent is no obstacle in the way of their receiving them.

IN THEIR FULNESS. The promises are the Christian's spiritual treasury—his unsearchable riches. He who can claim the promises as his own must be rich indeed. He has grace in possession, and glory in prospect. How insignificant are all worldly portions when compared with the heavenly inheritance! Let us rejoice in the fulness of the promises; plead the application of them to our own cases, and pray that we may finally inherit them above.

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