PROMISE. Exceeding great and precious Promises.-2 Peter i. 4. PROMISE, like hope, indicates happiness in reserve; with this distinction,-hope believes in coming good, Promise gives surety for its realisation. There is a difference between the Promises of man and the Promises of God; the latter are anchors of salvation which no tide can shift from their moorings in the Christian soul; the former are illusory beacons, by following the track of which, many a heart has been wrecked; and sunk,-overwhelmed by disappointment and despair. Even in those exceptional cases where mortal Promise does not belie itself, what is the vaunted produce? Hollow and dream-like fabrics, which a breath may prostrate, which are not proof against the levelling influences of affliction and death. Earthly Promise in its unsatisfactory issue shews its feeble origin; yet it is an oracle implicitly trusted by many, who, with strange and wilful fatuity, ignore the never-waning resplendence of Divine Promise. Promise, in its more sublime sense, is frequently referred to in the Scriptures as identical with eternal life, and, maturely considered from this point, is it possible that the glorious prospect of being "heirs of salvation" can be viewed with indifference by Christian Believers? Most emphatically we are reminded by one of the inspired exponents of God's Holy Word that "This is the Promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." * And be it ever remembered, that this gracious assurance, as coming from our Heavenly Father, is one that can never fail, and is the grandest pillar of our faith. In homely, but clear and forcible language, St. Paul proclaims the unutterable truth on which the Promises of God are based :"Eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."+ Such are the promises of God-what can the whole universe offer in comparison with the least of them? Who but God can make such Promises-who but God can, in the fulness of his mercy, vouchsafe their blessed accomplishment to the souls of his servants? May all who have experienced the valueless character of mortal Promise, may all who yearn for a faith at once firm and consolatory, seek in the volume of Holy Writ for those unfading Promises, belief in which, we are told on divine. authority, will confer on us the sacred privilege of being "heins of God, and joint heirs with Christ."+ * 1 John ii. 25. + Titus i, 2. Romans viii. 17. Promise. Anger of God will not last for ever. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.— Psalm ciii. 9. I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.-Isaiah lvii. 16. I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever.Jer. iii. 12. sk in Christ's name (worshippers shall receive what they). And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.-John xiv. 13, 14. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.—John xv. 7. Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.— John xvi. 23. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.-John xvi. 24. Bless (those whom God) shall possess the earth. Such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth.-Psalm xxxvii. 22. lind in heart (od will enlighten the). Blind 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 straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.-Isaiah. xlii. 16. Blood of Christ (the) works our salvation. Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.-Rom. v. 9. Call on the Cord (salvation for those who). Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.Rom. x. 13. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.-Psalm xli. 1. He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed.—Prov. xxii. 9. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack.-Prov. xxviii. 27. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. -Eccles. xi. 1. Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, He shall in no wise lose his reward.-Matt. x. 42. Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.Mark ix. 41. When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.-Luke xiv. 13, 14. Charity covers sin. Charity shall cover the multitude of sins.-1 Peter iv. 8. Christ the Bread of Bife, partakers of which shall Live for ever. I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.-John vi. 35. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.-John vi. 51. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. - John vi. 54. hrist the Diver of Dife. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.-1 Cor. xv. 22. Christ (the kingdom of). The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. D 2 41 |