THE principal occasion of Pauls Wri­ting this Second Epistle to his Corin­thians, seems to have been, some As­persion that the false Teachers who came a­mong them, had cast upon him: which they had taken advantage to do, by a Misinterpre­tation of some Expressions that he had used in the former Epistle, which they had perversly applied to the Scandalizing of his Person and Ministry: One of these was from a promise which he made of Coming to visit them, Chap. 16.5. which it seems, he had failed in per­forming, being hindred from coming, partly by the unforeseen Troubles which he had met [Page 2] with in Asia, which providentially impeded his intended Journey; partly in respect of the unfit posture which this Church was in to receive him at that time. This they alleadg­ed against him, as if he were a light and in­constant man; very rash in promising, and very negligent in performing: which though some might think it a very small matter to raise a scandal upon, and to have proceeded rather of malice than any just occasion given: yet we see how solemn and industrious Paul is to wipe it off, and clear himself in this matter.

There are two things which our Apostle endeavours to make good.

1. That when he made that promise to them, it was without levity, i. e. that it was serious, real, according to his present intenti­on, with a due subordination to Gods Will and Providence, verse 17.2. That there was a just and necessary hindrance which interve­ned, by which he was prevented from doing what he had so purposed, and brought him under an obligation to take other measures, so that he was not in the least blame-worthy on this matter: Our Text belongs to the former of these; and in it there are two things to be taken notice of,

1. A strong Asseveration; as God is true: in the Greek it is an abrupt form of Speech; God [Page 3] True: To omit other Interpretations, this kind of expression is used in Scripture as an Ellyptical invocation of God, in adjuring him, and carries in it the nature of an [...]; it is q. d. as su [...]e as God is true, or, I appeal to the God of Truth; and thus that phrase, God lives, is di­vers times rendred, as God lives; and this shews that Paul accounted it no trifling matter to be suspected in this thing: as having been well in­ [...]cted not to use additional asseverations and appeals unto God, as words of course in his ordi­nary Communication, but only at such time as the case did require it.

2. The thing asserted by him, or that to which the asseveration is connected; Our word toward you, was not yea and nay. Our word; there be some who apply this to his Preach­ing, as if he intended that he had been stedfast in his Doctrine, and had not been off and on, as to any Article of it: but there are others who do more pertinently apply it to his word of promise, that is made mention of in the verse next foregoing. Although, because his Calumniators were ready enough to insinuate, that he who so little regarded his word of promise made unto them, would be every whit as inconsiderate in his Preach­ing; he therefore subjoyns a vindication of that too, verse 19. By yea and nay, he intends off and on, fallacious, deceitful, speak­ing without any consideration or intention at [Page 4] all, but meerly in complement, and upon pretence; and he means on the other hand, that he was real, honest, and sincere in it:

We may from hence observe this,

Paul lookt upon it as a great reflection and reproach cast upon him, that he was other­wise represented by the false Teachers; and therefore reckons it his Duty and Interest to clear up his Integrity in the matter, and be­cause no other knows the sincerity of the heart, he therefore doth it by a solemn ap­peal to God, who is the discerner of hearts.

In the clearing up of this Doctrine, there are two things which will cast for our enquiry, viz.

1. Wherein the Truth of Promises doth properly consist?

2. Of what concernment it is for the peo­ple of God to be very careful in this mat­ter? and it is to be observed that this Du­ty belongs to, and is to run through the whole of a Christian's Conversation.

[Page 5]1. Wherein the Truth of Promises doth pro­perly Consist?

A. I may here premise a few words concer­ning The nature of a Promise; and of Truth as it stands related to a promise.

1. A Promise is a Voluntary Obligation of one Person to another, wherein he stands bound to do something for him. In all Promises there are two Parties to be considered, One that makes it, and another to whom it is made. In making of a Promise the man becomes bound; he gives his word for the thing: either he was at liberty before, and now he becomes volun­tarily Obliged, and so parts with his freedom; or else it was a Debt or Duty which he before was under a Moral tie unto, & by thus promi­sing, he makes himself further engaged: hence there is supposed a Consent of the will on his part, who makes it, by which the man ties his own hands, & puts himself under the com­mand of another; and it is to do somthing for him; this differenceth it from a threat­ning, which is to do against him; & hereupon there follows a performance to be requisite by vertue of the promise: after which the man is in Conscience bound to endeavour; this is clear by the light of nature.

2. Truth, as it refers to a promise, is firstly a Conformity between the mind of the pro­miser, and the thing which is promised; which [Page 6] Truth farther discovers it self by his practical pursuit of the thing, Truth of words in Ge­neral, is when men speak as the thing is: A promise is a word past by a man concerning any matter, and it may then rightly be said to be true when it is according to the thing: and this firstly relates to the mind of the speaker, then secondarily to the action depending there­upon, for there is a necessary Connexion be­tween these two, to make the word true: here then we may particularly take an account of th [...]s Duty, and lay down some special Rules by which it is to be attended, & that,

1. In the making.

2. In the performing of them.

1. In the making of a promise, let these things be observed.

1. That in all the promises we make, we owe a Subordination to the will of God; and therfore we ought to have an eye or respect thereunto always in our making of them: There was a Law in Israel that if an inferiour person made a vow (and a promise partakes in the nature of a vow) the Superiour, who had a power over that person, might vacate the vow, upon the hearing of it, if he would; and we are all of us Gods Servants, and he hath incomparably more power over us then any second being can have over his fellow crea­ture▪ every promise is therefore presumed to be [Page 7] the disposal of Gods pleasure; and it is [...] for us, in acknowldgement thereof, explici [...] to say if God will; and there is a double r [...]spect to the will of God which is here to [...] had.

1. To his preceptive will; we ought always to be satisfied in the lawfulness of the thing, before we Dare to bind ourselves; if we bring ourselves under the Obligation of doing any sinful action, we forfeit our Truth, for in the very act of doing such a thing we prove our­selves false unto God, and then what Truth can there be in us? every sin is a ly, accor­ding to Scripture-account, and then to pro­mise to commit a sin, is to engage unto a Ly.

2. To his Providential Will, we have not our power in our hands, for the performance of any thing that we promise; God both can, and also doth whatsoever he sees meet, put in an unforeseen, and unavoidable impedi­ment, which shall altogether disenable us from doing the thing which we intended; he can give obstruction to the thing, and lay unconquerable difficulties yea impossibilities in the way of performance; or he can cut us off from our designs, & make all our thoughts to perish at once: we are then always to ac­knowledge, and carry about with us the con­sideration of this in all that we engage our selves about, or plight any promises for the [Page 8] doing, else we despise Gods Providences, and may well expect to be frustrated; hence that caution, Jam. 4.14 and such a limitation had this very promise to which Paul refers in our Text, see verse 16.7. if the Lord permit.

2. There must be a true and sincere intention to do the thing, if God do not prevent it. This is the proper conformity between the mind and the tongue; when our words are the expressions of our hearts, and our promises are the true mani­festations of our real purposes: this is it which makes our yea to be yea; when our words are a true glass in which we do shew our hearts; when in the very act of promising we carry that reso­lution in our minds, that nothing but the uncon­trolable will of God shall in any wise prevent us from doing the thing, according to the true pur­pose and meaning of our words, opposite hereunto are;

1. An inward resolution never to perform: men promise one thing, and resolve upon the con­trary at the same time; say they will do such a thing, and mean not to do it: this is direct and positive lying; for herein the tongue contradicts the mind; and as there is a ly materially con­tained in every contradiction, so the guilt of it lies heavy upon that man who doth it knowingly, thus Ananias is charged for lying, Act. 5 begin. He said that it was but so much, when he knew that it was a great deal more.

[Page 9]2. An irresolution in the mind of the man about it, this is the levity which the Apostle makes mention of, Context, verse 1 [...]. A pro­mise made without due deliberation before­hand; a cursory obligation that a man makes without so much as thinking, or having any regard to what he saith, when his word pas­seth from him: and when it is so, that which naturally follows upon it, is that he takes no more thought about it afterwards, nor in the least concerns himself to see that it be discharged: this also is inconsistent with the Truth that is herein concerned, which lays the man under bonds, whereas this frame of spirit leaves the man insensible of any, and there can be little expectation that ever he should fulfil according to his word.

3. It must be in that which is in the man's power to perform, in the ordinary course of Gods Providence. It is not lawful for men to promise impossibilities, whether in them­selves so, or in their circumstances; nor ought they to be rash in promising improba­bilities, there are many things which a man hath not in his own hands, nor is it in his view, how he shall be able to obtain them; some things a man is able to do for any thing that is in them, but he cannot do them in such a time: now to promise in any of these considerations, is to necessitate him­self [Page 10] to ly; and it is profaneness added to false­hood: for him to impute his disappointment of doing them, to the Providence of God, because in very deed God's Providence, if he had any regard to that, did plainly forbid him from making of any such engagements. There are al [...]o some things that are very ha­zardous such as things ventured at Sea, and men had need to be very cautious, and plain dealing in such promises, else they may impose upon others, and that is so far against the Truth: For any to promise a payment by such a day, when he neither hath it in his hands, nor hath a prospect of a way in which he shall probably come by it, is a meer pur­pose to deceive, and may well be branded for a Cheat: to say he hopes it, when he hath no rational hope at all, in the ordinary course of second causes, is but very little better, if any thing at all: To promise more work to be done within the compass of such a time, then it will allow him to do, with all the diligence that he is able to use, is like­wise of the same nature: But to promise that which he may do, and is in the power of his hand, in case God shall please to con­tinue his health and limbs, or if he preserve his Estate unto him which he hath in posses­sion, this must he acknowledge to be within a mans ordinary compass or ability: and the [Page 11] Promiser ought always to have a respect to that.

2. In the performing of Promises. Here also there is Truth to be regarded as well as in the other; and this is that which is cal­led Faithfulness: which fidelity is nothing else, but our carefully verifying, or giving being to the word which we have past; the word which is given, is a pattern or pledge for some deed which is to be done; the rea­son of a promise, is, because there is some time to intervene in order to the doing of the thing, which is secured by such a word, so far as it will go.

Here then these Rules are to be minded.

1. That if God by some unforeseen Provi­dence, disable a person from doing according to his Word, it is not to be imputed to him for a sin, if he do come short of performing: it doth not make the man guilty of an un­truth, tho he should fall behind in the thing: always provided that his intentions were ho­nest, and there were no fallaciousness in the management▪ and for men to asperse him with knavery or cheating on this account, it is to throw dirt in the face of Gods Pro­vidence; it is the duty of all men to accept of anothers word, under such a proviso, and not to think that any can forestal him, Who doth his pleasure in the world, or to think any Christian so mad as to intend, I will do so, [Page 12] whether God will or no; if it be labour, and God lays the man up sick: if it be money, and God takes all from him, he is to be pitied and not reproached: Paul for this Reason, counts it hard Measure for him to be Consumed in this regard, when unfore-suspected Troubles in Asia had prevented his truly intended Journey.

2. That somtimes the case of the Party unto whom the promise is made, makes it a duty, at least to suspend the doing of the thing: A promise is always supposed to in­tend the doing something for another, i. e. for his good, that which is to do him harm is of the name of a threatning, and is often a mis­chievous thing; If then it shall afterwards prove (as sometimes it doth so fall out that it doth so prove) to be apparent for his [...], especially if it be very pernicious. The promiser is hereby brought under the Obligation of another duty, which supposes the former: and this is a great Truth; Viz: that two actions the one whereof is necessari­ly subversive of the other, cannot be a mans duty at the same time, to the same person; for Gods Command never involves us in con­tradictions: Paul intended to come to Christ, at such a time, hoping that his Epistle would have prepared them to give him a good wel­come; but it falls out that if he now comes it would be to his Grief▪ and not to their comfort, hence he Pleads this Ver. 2 [...]. I pro­mise [Page 13] a man to furnish him with such a wea­pon, by such a day, but in the Interim; I am fully assured that he intends to Mur­der himself with it; I am bound to withhold it: and in keeping the sixth Command, I do not violate the N [...]m [...]: only we must not frame such things on surmize, to Cover our own Infidelity.

3. That it is our Duty to make Conscience of performing Our Promises, according to the true tenour and intent of them; there is a great care which is incumbent on us in this respect; if once our word be past from us, we have now parted with our liberty, & ought to account ourselves to be under a Conscientious tie: A promise is a kind of a Vow; and we have the wise mans advice, Eccl. 5 5· better it is that thou shouldest not Vow, then to Vow and not Pay. We should not account our selves to be at our own dis­pose, but to know that our Truth lyes at the stake, which ought to be very dear to us, & carefully Preserved by us; we ought not there­fore to forget it; but to bear it in our minds, and to be in Travail till we have brought it to pass. And we must be sure that there be no fallacy in it, no Deceit, or Evasion, our word should be according to our intention, and then our Performance must keep pace with our word; else the very end and use of words is perverted, which is the imparting of [Page 14] our minds one to another.

4. There must be no seeking of excuses, or shifting of the thing by evasions: men som­times promise, and then repent of it, they did not so well consider, and afterwards up­on reflection, they begin to think, there is some inconvenience in the thing, they have Disadvantaged themselves by it; & now they sat themselves to study some cunning Evasion, so to put off the Performances; here the contra­ry is given as one of the Characters of an honest and good man. Psal. 15 4 He swea­reth to his own hurt, and Changeth not. Not as if he doth Designedly study harm to himself, but if it prove so through want of foresight, that he will not for that reason revoke his word: it is not our own Personal Damage that should make us shift off a promise, if our word be once given; we must rather suffer in our Personal interest, then Violate our Engagement,

5. We ought therfore to do nothing after­wards that will impede our performances, and necessitates us to fail in our promise. If God sees meet to put in an obstruction, we are to adore his providence & submit quietly to his Supre­macy; but if we do it our selves, it will bring us under blame; if it be heedlesly, we are faulty by it, but if it be designedly, this will be imputed to our fallacious mind; and render us al together inexcusable; he that en­gageth [Page 15] to do one thing, and then sets about that which will certainly put him by from being able to attain it, practically sets him­self against the truth, and voluntarily necessi­taets himself to tell a ly.

2. Of what concernment it is for the people of God to be careful in this matter.

A. Promises are made either to God or man, the former of these are by a mere peculiar ap­propriation called vows; and do not belong to our present discourse: the latter are pro­perly second-Table-Duties, and are a part of that love which we owe unto men: but yet the second great comprehensive command is like unto the first, inasmuch as it is stamped with the same authority, and hath the same ultimate end, leading unto the glorifying of God as well as the other: and there are sun­dry weighty considerations which will repre­sent this to us as a momentous Duty; es­pecially,

1 The honour of God is herein deeply con­cerned. Truth is one of the Divine Perfections, it is a vertue wherein we should strive to be perfect as God is: and there are some who Put such an interpretation upon our text: as God is True; so would I be True too, I would be like him▪ It is for children studi­ously to imitate their parents in that which is good and commendable; and in so doing [Page 16] they come to be a credit to them, and ho­nour themselves too; it greatly pleaseth a Fa­ther to see this in his child: now God hath so much testified to his approbation of Men of Truth, in the scripture, & so awfuly threat­ned the lying tongue, to shew how much he esteems himself to be honoured by the one, and dishonoured by the other: yea, how ma­ny have bin the signal Testimonies of Gods providence against Promise breakers; this was the ruine of Zedekiah and Jerusalem 2 chron. 36.13. and see how the prophet com­ments upon it, Ezek 17 15. all the world expect that they who profess the fear of God, should be under the aw of him, so as not to dare to falsifie their word: and therefore the name of God suffers exceedingly by it, if such do fall behind in their performances, and therefore;

2. The credit of Religion hath a deep interest herein. Gods people have to do with a great ma­ny men that have but little knowledge of the true Religion, and who care not to concern themselves to be acquainted with the Mysteries of it: but all men understand something about moral ho­nesty, which, without doubt, appertains to the practicks of Christianity, and every one that calls himself Christian, makes a profession of, and would be thought to be singularly concerned about: and it is certain, the men we are speaking of, do [Page 17] measure all Religion by it, it is the Standard by which they try it; and they account men just so much Religious as they are morally honest: this fidelity therefore gives a lustre to a Christian's Profession, and gains unto Religion it self a com­mendation from them; they will say such a man is sure a good man, he makes conscience of his word: whereas a bare neglect of this, will ex­pose the whole of a mans profession to contempt; it will make those to think and say, such men use Religion to no other purpose than to be a cloak for their knavery; and might it stop here, it were not so much, but how ready will they be to inferr from hence, that Christianity it self is nothing else but a license given men to indulge themselves in immo­ralities? I am sure Paul met with this reflection more than once, though he gave no occasion for it; much more is it to be expected where there is.

3. The Christians Conscience is herein laid to Pawn. Suppose the man was Entirely at his own liberty before, and under no necessi­ty of making such a promise, yet if once he doth make it; he is now Tied unto it by his own act; & what is the Security that is given unto him to whom the Promise is made, but that now the mans Conscience is become a Pledge: if therefore he perform the thing which he hath undertaken, he now saves his Conscience, takes up his Pawn, but if he breaks that, he forfeits this; and [Page 18] what hath that man left him, that is of a­ny worth at all, who hath Forfeited and lost his Conscience? if once it comes to Pass that a man hath no regard to that, he hath not only lost his Religion, but his Morality too: and he who despiseth his Conscience, Despiseth God, who is the Lord of Consci­ence and unto whom it is accountable for all that is done by the man.

4 The mans Personal Credit is here also interested. Every man hath a Concern ly­ing upon him, to get and keep a good Name; & that being a thing of great worth, his Concernedness ought to be so much the more about it, Eccl. 7.1. and the Christian hath more reason than any man to be Careful in this matter, because his own name cannot be lost, without some reflection upon the name of God. It is true, Christians, who live a­mong them that are Enemies to Christ, are warned to expect to suffer from the world, in Name Estate, Liberty, and every way, nor can they Escape it by all their Holy and Righteous Conversation, but may rather ex­pect to meet wi [...]h the more of it; yet have we the Rule given us for Caution, that though we cannot avoid suffering, yet we take heed, What we suffer for, 1. Pet. 4.16. But the world will throw this dirt upon him; it hath ever been their Endeavour to As­perse [Page 19] good men with immoralities; but it is our care to see that these Aspersions be not true; but Notorious lies. Let a man Brag never so much of a Profession, tell the world never so many stories of his Conversion▪ yet if he be not a Morally honest man, he is nothing at all: what saith the Apostle to this? Jam. 1, 26. & 1. Joh. 4.20▪ Nay such an one, not only Forfeits his Reputation for a Good man, with the ungodly, but with those that are Godly, who are to judge of the Tree by it's Fruits: he that makes it a customary and little matter to falsify his word, deserved­ly incurs this discredit; if it may be tru­ly said of him, that he regards not his Pro­mise, there is no trust to be put in that man nor is he to be believed in any thing.

5. The Wellfare of Humane Society is very much Concerned in this matter. Man is made a sociable Creature, and the Comfort of Mankind is maintained by mutual Entercourse and Communion: Man is a Dependent Crea­ture, and not only have all men their abso­lute Dependence upon God; but one man hath a great deal of Dependence upon ano­ther, without which the Affairs of this life cannot be carried on for the support of our Livelyhood, there are many things man wants, and there are many Vocations are needful for the supply of them, one man cannot Car­ry [Page 20] on all by himself; and hence it comes to pass, that there is mutual Traffick between men and Transactions among them in the Management of it: nor can all things be car­ried so, as that there should be no more but Present commutation, but men must trust one another; and therefore Covenants and Promises must pass beween them for the fu­ture doing this or that, which may Answer the ends of each: & that which makes these promises to pass for currant between man & man, is truth in the promiser; it is the Opinion of that which gives him Credit with the other party; but for which Opi­nion he would refuse to take his word or cre­dit him on the value of it: if therefore there be a failure upon this account, man­kind is disappointed; & if it should grow to be a common thing, the Ligament of Hu­mane society is dissolved and Communities must be disbanded: if Truth fail all is put to a rout: if once a man cannot be believed, what should any others have any more to do with him? by this means secrets come to be revealed to mens great detriment; ex­pectations are hereby frustrated, businesses of greatest moment disappointed and humane traffick wofully entangled; hence arise quar­rellings, tedious law-suits, yea Contention & every evil work: whereas on the other hand [Page 21] were men but True & faithful, how happily might they live together? what helps and Comforts might they be mutually one to a­nother? it is indeed the Ligature of all so­cieties & if it be broken they will fall in pieces: & when all those things are put to­gether, It will tell us what reason the Apostle had to be so Careful in defending his credit in this Respect.