WHAT MEN MAY ATTAIN THAT ARE UNDER THIS COVENANT OF WORKS.
Third. But the third thing touched on in the question was this: What may such a one receive from God who is under the curse of the law?
1. They may sometimes receive an answer to their prayers from God for some things they need. I find in Scripture that God did hear these persons that the Apostle saith were cast out (Gen 21:17). "And God heard the voice of the lad," even of cast-out Ishmael; "and the angel of God called to Hagar" which was the bond-woman, and under the law (Gal 4:30). "out of heaven, and said unto her, Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is." Friends, you may think so because your prayers are answered in some particular things. Therefore, you may suppose your condition is very good in your eternal state. But you must know that God does hear the cry of a company of Ishmaelites, the sons of the bondwomen, who are under the law as a Covenant of Works. I do not say He hears them as to their eternal state, but He heareth them as to several straits that they go through in this life, ay, and gives them ease and liberty from their trouble. Here, this poor wretch almost perished for a bit of water, and he cried, and God heard him, yea, He heard him out of Heaven. Read also Psalm 107:23-29. "He gave them their desire, but He sent leanness into their soul" (Psa 106:15). 7
But some may say, Methinks it is even more strange that God should hear the prayers and cries of those under the law and answer them. Answ. I told you before, He does not listen to them as to their eternal state, but as to their temporal state; for God as their Creator hath care for them and causes the sun to shine upon them, and the rain to distill upon their substance (Matt 5:45). Nay, He doth give the beasts in the field their appointed food. He does hear the young ravens when they cry, which are far inferior to man (Psa 147:9). I say, therefore, that God doth listen to the cries of His creatures, and doth answer them too, though not as to their eternal state; but may damn them nevertheless when they die for all that.
2. They may receive promises from the mouth of the Lord. Many have promises made to them by the Lord in a most eminent way, and yet, as I said before, are such as are cast out and called the children of the bond-woman, which is the law—"And the angel of God called to Hagar out of Heaven," that was the bond-woman, saying, "Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; FOR I WILL MAKE HIM,"—mark, there is the promise,—"for I will make him," of the son of the bond-woman, "a great nation" (Gen 21:17,18).
3. Nay, they may go further, for they may receive another heart than they had before and yet be under the law. There is no man, I think, but those that do not know what they say, that will think or say that Saul was under the Covenant of Grace; yet after he had talked with Samuel and had turned his back to go from him, saith the Scripture, "God gave him another heart" (1 Sam 10:9). Another heart, mark that, and yet an outcast, a rejected person (1 Sam 15:26,29). Friends, I beseech you, let not these things offend you, but let them instead beget in your hearts an inquiring into the truth of your condition, and be willing to be searched to the bottom; and also, that everything which hath not been planted by the Lord's right hand may be rejected, and that there may be a reaching after better things, even the things that will not only make thy soul think thy state is good now, but that thou mayest be able to look sin, death, Hell, the curse of the law, together with the Judge, in the face with comfort, having such a real, sound, effectual work of God's grace in thy soul, that when thou hears the trumpet sound, sees the graves fly open, and the dead come creeping forth out of their holes; when thou shalt know the judgment set, the books opened, and all the world standing before the judgment-seat; I say, that then thou mayest stand, and have that blessed sentence spoken to thy soul, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt 25:34).
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