lievers will move from an absolute compliance. If the contrary reasons, insinuations, and objects prevail, the soul "consults with flesh and blood," and is under the power of spiritual sloth; and so are men, by frivolous pretences and arguings from self and the world, kept off from the most important duties. Although this sloth may have various causes and occasions, yet the principal of them are those which I have mentioned-unbelief and carnal affections.

(1.) Unbelief is the principal cause of it, as faith is of that diligence and watchfulness, which are opposite to it. As faith will remove mountains out of our way, or help us to conquer the greatest oppositions, so unbelief will make mountains of mole-hills, it will make every hindrance like an unconquerable difficulty. The soul made slothful by it cries, "There is a lion in the way, a lion in the streets," Prov. xxvi, 13.

(2.) Carnal affections do variously promote this evil frame of mind. Love of ease, wealth, profit, pleasure, will quickly make men spiritually slothful: where these are prevalent, every thing in the way of holiness and obedience is difficult and irksome. Strange representations will be made to the mind of all duties, if not in general, yet in all particular instances that offer themselves; wherefore, if we see a man slothful, negligent, careless in the duties of religion, we may be sure that one carnal affection or other is powerful in him.

The effects of this spiritual sloth are in general,—A neglect of known duties, in matter or manner; and where this evil is predominant, clear duties will be debated: what more clear duty, than that we should open our hearts to Christ when he knocketh, or diligently receive those intimations of his love and mind which he tendereth in his ordinances? Yet this will a soul dispute, when under the power of sloth, Cant. v,

2,3. Again-regardlessness of temptations, and dangers by them. When men begin to walk as if they had no enemies, as if in their course of life, there were no snares, spiritual sloth hath possessed their minds. To which we add, as another effect-Weariness and heartless despondencies in a time of troubles and difficulties.

$36. Obs. 17. Faith and patient long-suffering are the only way whereby professors of the gospel may attain rest with God in the accomplishment of the promises. This will appear when we consider;

(1.) Those reproaches to which the profession of a saving grace will expose men. When men said to David, "Where is now thy God?" or, what is become of thy religion and profession, thy pretended trust in God? he says it was a killing sword in his bones, it pierced deep and pained greatly, Psalm xlii, 10. And it is spoken in the person of our Savior, "Reproaches have broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness," Ps. Ixix, 20. They "shook the head at him, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him, let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him," Ps. xxii, 8-11; Matt. xxvii, 43. What befell Christ on the cross, teacheth the church what it is to expect under it; and patient long suffering is our only relief.

(2.) Violence and persecutions. Some come with the fury of a storm, as if they would bear all down before them; others by their long duration, in vexing and consuming troubles, are intended gradually to"wear out the saints of the Most High," Dan. vii, 25. Here we have need of patient long-suffering if we intend to inherit the promises. This is that grace which calmeth and supporteth the soul under all such pressures.

(3.) Many great promises concerning the kingdom of Christ in the world. For instance, with respect to

the judgments which God in his own time will execute on the antichristian persecuting world, it is said, "He that leadeth into captivity, shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the sword, must be killed with the sword; here is the patience and faith of the saints," Rev. xiii, 10. Until these things are accomplished, the saints must exercise patient long-suffering, waiting in prayer for what they have not yet received, with a ready application of mind to present duties. John xxi, 22.

(4.) The principal concerns of our personal obedience. New storms arise; corruptions grow strong, and grace is under decays; temptations abound, and consolations are afar off. It may be they are frequently exercised with changes and disappointment. This fills them with many perplexities, and often makes them ready to faint. Unless this "patient longsuffering" accompany us in our whole course, we shall not finish it with glory to God, or comfort to our own souls.

§37. Obs. 18. All believers, all the children of God, have a right to an inheritance; an inheritance, incomparably the best, both for security and value. Let an inheritance be never so excellent and valuable in itself, yet if it be not secure, if a man's title to it be not firm and unquestionable, its worth to him is proportionably diminished. But this inheritance is conveyed, settled, and secured by the promise, covenant, and oath of God, 2 Sam. xxiii, 5; Rom. iv, 16. These secure it from all possibility of our being defrauded. Besides, the value of it is inexpressible; it is a kingdom, Matt. xxxv, 34; Jam. ii, 5. Salvation, Heb. i, 14. grace of life, 1 Pet. iii, 7. Eternal life, Titus iii, 7. God himself, who hath promised to be our reward, Rom. viii, 17.

The

$38. Obs. 19. The providing of examples for us in the holy scriptures, which we ought to imitate, is an effectual way of teaching, and a great fruit of the care and kindness of God towards us. And if we "follow" them not, it is nothing but spiritual "sloth," or the love of the world and sin, that retards us. If their examples move us not to the like duties of obedience with them, it is an evidence that we have not the same spirit of faith with them. The courage of a valiant man is enflamed by a noble example, but a coward shrinks back and trembles at it.

There is great force in that direction, James v, 10, "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience." Let a minister of the gospel, for instance, who is made partaker in his measure of the same Spirit, consider how Elijah, Jeremiah, Peter, Paul, and the rest of those holy souls who spake in the name of the Lord carried themselves under their afflictions and trials, and it will enflame his heart to engage cheerfully in the like conflicts. All those holy souls that are now at rest with God in glory, as having "inherited the promises," were sometimes as we are, conflicting with corruptions and temptations, undergoing reproaches and persecutions, laboring in duties and a constant course of obedience to God: if, therefore, we "follow" them in their work, we shall not fail to partake with them in their reward.

VERSES 13--16.

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swear by himself, saying surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee; and so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater; and an oath for confirmation is to them an enɑ of all strife.

$1. Introduction. $2. (I) The words explained. God's promise to Abraham. $s. His blessing him. $4 The promise confirmed. $5. Abraham by patience obtained the promise. §6. The nature, end, and use of an oath. 87, 8. (II.) Observations. $9. Where the promise of God is absolutely engaged, it will break through all difficulties. $10, 11. Other observations. §12-14. That a solemn oath, in some cases, becomes the necessary duty of Christians.

§1. In the close of the foregoing verse the apostle expresseth the end of all his exhortations, viz. that all who comply with them, in faith and obedience, may inherit the promises, or enjoy the things promised of God to them that believe and obey. Of all intercourse between God and sinners, the promise on his part, is the sole foundation whereby he expresseth his goodness, grace, truth, and sovereign power to men; and, on our part, the inheriting of those promises, is the end of all our obedience: wherefore the apostle, having arrived in the series of his discourse to the mention of this great period of his whole design, stays a while to consider and explain it in these verses. From what he had just said about enjoying the promises, he takes occasion to declare to them the nature of the gospel, and the mediation of Christ therein proposed to them. To this end he lets them know that "the promises" were nothing but the accomplishment of the great promise made to Abraham. In that promise both the great blessing of Christ himself, and the whole work of his mediation, were included. Wherefore on this account doth he insist so largely on this promise and the confirmation of it; for it was not given him merely on his own account, or for his own sake; but he was singled out as a pattern and example for all believers; and hence he became "the father of the faithful and heir of the world."

§2. (I.) That which is affirmed concerning this person is, that God made promise to him (exayseidaμevos o OEO.) Divine promises are-express declarations of the grace, goodness, pleasure, and purpose of God to