VERSES 7–9
Oh this fear of jealousy! We have false hearts, ready to trust in the creature, in wits, in friends. But all that be God's children must have this fear of jealousy, to make an end of salvation with fear and trembling, for God worketh both the will and the deed. He giveth a power according to his good pleasure, and can suspend it when he list.* So much shall serve for the unfolding of this verse, which I did specially intend; the other verses are but an application of this, 'We are troubled on every side, but not distressed,' &c.
VERSES 7–9
That the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, yet not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.
I have spoken largely of the verse before, wherein you may remember that the apostle might take away all suspicion of arrogancy in taking too much upon himself, he saith, 'We carry treasures but in earthen vessels.' The end of which dispensation of God is, 'that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of man.' There we shewed there is a 'power,' and an 'excellent power' in the ordinance of God. And that this is of God, and exclusively, not of us. All which we have propounded at large.
We shewed, there is a blessed presence of God and of his power, and sweetness, and goodness, in all his ordinances. He distilleth and conveyeth whatsoever is in his Father's breast to us by his ordinance.
He doth good to us by men like ourselves. As the devil conveyeth all his mischief by men unto men, so God conveyeth all his good by men to men. But they are but the conduits, for the virtue and excellency of the power is of God.
Things otherwise seeming alike differ in regard of virtue, as cold water differs from hot water. They differ not in colour but in virtue.
It is the Spirit of God that accompanieth his ordinance, that giveth power, and virtue, and efficacy to it. For the ministers of the gospel are ministers, and no more nor no less, to be regarded as ministers and no farther. To regard them more is to make idols of them; to deny* them less is to deny them due right. This should stir up a wonderful care of diligence in all the ways and courses that God hath sanctified to convey grace by. They that be God's children love God's presence wheresoever they find it; and because God vouchsafeth his presence in his ordinance, therefore they regard it, and remember always to give the glory of all to God. For the power and excellency is of God, and not of us. 'Why gaze ye on us, as if we by our own power had cured the man?' Acts 3:12. It is not from man, but from God.
Now to come to the 8th verse, 'We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed,' &c.
The apostle's words have an elegant antithesis of things seeming contrary. 'We are perplexed, not in despair; persecuted, not forsaken; cast off, but not destroyed.' There is a kind of elegancy in the dispensation of God. And this serveth to the former argument to shew that we carry these treasures in 'earthen vessels.' That we should not despise the earthen vessels because they be weak, he sets down what befalls them in the world, and how God supports and giveth supply of comforts suitable to the distress. He grants 'we be troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in
despair.' Those that are to deal with enemies, and are to prevent objections, they must grant the worst that may be granted, that so they may make their apology better. Saint Paul freely granteth all that can be objected by any that look on the outside of the professors and ministers of the gospel. I grant these fall out, and yet it must be granted God hath a special care likewise, as you shall see in the unfolding of the words, which we will particularly go over, and then jointly raise out of them some observations.
'We are troubled on every side,' The word signifieth pressed, ζλιβόμενοι, but yet not oppressed. God suffers his children to be pressed. Afflictions, they are the wine-press of God, to press out of them all that is good, to the view and taste of others. They have liquor in them, but it is not tasted of, but by pressure. For the most part spices relish not, savour not, unless they be beaten. So it is with grapes unless they be pressed. The works the enemies of the church do to the children of God, is to press the ill that is in them, and to press out the ill that is in themselves. For at the same time they press out by trouble, and disgraceful usage, better men than themselves, at the same time they press out and make apparent their own malice and poison. So that afflictions are discoveries of their evil, and of good men's good. And it is helpful for the church, that there be both, that all men may be known, and the thoughts of men discovered; and that the graces of the good may be also manifested. And therefore he saith, 'We be troubled or pressed on every side.'
Indeed, ἐν παντὶ in the original signifieth 'in every place,' in every time, as here 'on every side,' for the children of God are on every side pressed. Sometimes from above, God seemeth to be their enemy; and sometimes from within, by the terror of conscience; and sometimes on the right hand vexed with their friends, and sometimes on the left hand vexed with their enemies; and sometimes round about them
with the states and conditions of the times; sometimes from beneath, with Satan's molestations and vexations; something before them, fear of hell, damnation, and trouble to come; and something behind them, remembrance of former sins. So that they be pressed on every side, 'yet not distressed,' στενοχωρούμενοι, or oppressed, or altogether distressed, as the word signifieth, not altogether in desperate straits; when the body is in straits and pinched, that it cannot tell what way to turn, and the mind in strait doth not know whither to retire. But God's children are not in such straits. For though they be 'troubled on every side,' yet they are not straitened in spirit, they have large hearts; as David saith, Ps. 118:5, and 18:19,
'Thou hast set my feet at large;' and Ps. 119 and ver. 92, he declares how God had enlarged his heart. And so God enlargeth the paths of his children. Though they be afflicted, yet they be not so straitened but they find inward enlargements; enlargedness of prayer to God.
They can vent their desires to God largely; before men they are bold to maintain God's cause. They find a large heart in regard of inward peace and comfort; and indeed there is never a child of God but he hath incomparably a larger heart than wicked men. All wicked men are all vainly-hearted, base-spirited persons, but the child of God hath a large heart; for the grace of God and sense of heavenly comforts enlarge the heart, and so he hath a more heroical spirit than any worldling hath. So that though they be in pressure, yet they be not overpressed. Wicked men have a prison in their own breasts.
Take a wicked man that is not besotted: when he understandeth himself, though he be never so free, though above all men, though a commander of the world, yet he is imprisoned and straitened in his own heart; his conscience upbraids him with his sins, commands him to come before the tribunal-seat of God. In greatest liberty he is oftentimes in straits for abusing that liberty. But a child of God can in all afflictions lay open his soul before God. So much for that particular.
'Perplexed, yet not in despair.' The word is elegant in the original: ἀπορούμενοι, we are perplexed, but not in extremity. The word in the original signifieth want of counsel, what course to take, when a man is in such difficulty for want.* Want of things necessary, and then want of counsel to get them supplied, breedeth perplexity. Now, saith
Paul, we want many things. And therefore among other troubles the apostle reckons hunger, thirst, fasting, 2 Cor. 11:27. God's children are oftentimes in want, not only of outward things, but seemingly in want of counsel what course to take for a time. In regard of danger, what a difficulty was Abraham in when he was to offer his son Isaac, his eldest son, his only son, the son of the promise! Gen. 22:1–3; and Jacob when he parted with Benjamin, and thought he had lost
Joseph, Gen. 43:13, 14. Exod. 14:10–12, seq., Moses at the Red Sea; present to yourselves what straits he was in. The mountains were on either side, the Red Sea before them, the Egyptians behind them. In what strait was David when they were ready to stone him? 1 Sam.
30:6. Certainly exceedingly great. In what strait was Jonah in the belly of hell, the whale in the depth of the sea? Jonah 1:17. And so God's children are oftentimes not only in want of help, but in want of counsel. So they be almost at their wits' ends, not knowing what course to take.
'Yet we are not in despair,' ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐξαπορούμενοι. For God at the pinch of time cometh, and as it was in Abraham's case, in the mount, appeared. When the knife was ready to cut the throat of Isaac, then
God sheweth himself. So Moses at the Red Sea, he was in wonderful straits perplexed. And he crieth to God. Why dost thou cry to me? saith God, though he said nothing, Exod. 14:15. God made way for him through the Red Sea. God makes his way where he findeth none.
He can divide the Red Sea, and cause Jordan to fly back. When the ways be desperate, and the plunges extreme, then God makes way for his children. God is wonderful near to them in their extremities. He
was nearer to Daniel than the teeth of the lion, Dan. 6:16, seq., and nearer Moses than the water was, when he was swimming in his basket, Exod. 2:3. God is nearest in danger when it is nearest of all.
When Jonah was in the whale's belly, he was in wonderful perplexity, Jonah 2:1. It could not be otherwise; and yet at the same time God enlarged his heart that he did not despair. So that you see the words are true. Though God's children are perplexed, yet they be not in 'despair.' They have a God to go to at all times. At the worst they can send forth their sighs and groans, though they cannot speak; and those sighs and groans are great cries in God's ear. God knoweth the desires of their souls; God hath an ear in their very hearts, and knoweth the meaning of his own Spirit joining with their spirits. No man is in desperate condition that can pray, and though he cannot pray in words, yet prayer being matter of affection and desires to God, and any man being in such extremity may do that. There is no prayer but it fetcheth help from heaven. There is not a groan lost that is sent to heaven, and therefore 'though they be perplexed, yet not in despair.'
The church seemed to be in a perishing condition, and David saith, 'I am cast out of thy sight, yet thou heardest the voice of my prayer,' Ps.
31:22; yea, a prayer joined with such expressions that I said, 'God hath forsaken me.' The spirit sighs and groans, and God regardeth such a prayer. And so, that howsoever in regard of the flesh we be in desperate conditions, yet the Spirit hath an eye to God, and moveth a sigh and tear to him, and at the same time fetcheth help from heaven. You see then the point is clear.
Verse 9. 'We are persecuted, but not forsaken.' διωκόμενοι. The Greek word signifieth to pursue. God sometimes personates an enemy, and seemeth to be against us, and that is a heavy case. It was
Job's case: 'Thou writest bitter things against me,' Job 13:26. In
divine temptations God seemeth to be our enemy. We are persecuted and pursued; sometimes by the arm of the Almighty, sometimes again by Satan, and by his instruments. When we have made by conversion to God escape from the world, the world sendeth hue and cry out after the saints, pursuing and labouring to bring them to their old conditions and labours, to trip them in their ways. The children of God have been from the beginning of the world so pursued, that they never leave pursuing them, till they have driven them to death, and even to hell itself. And this is the state of all God's children if once any will be righteous. 'Whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution.' He may be civil,* and no man will say black is his eye; but if he have power of religion, and labour to express it in his conversation, he shall have persecution of the tongue or of the hand. Saint Austin saith well, Though we live well in times of peace, yet, audi, audi mi frater, begin to live as a Christian should live, and see if you be pursued; you shall find a Babylon in Jerusalem (s). And truly in times of peace a man will find enemies enough at home. For it is almost equally difficult to be truly righteous at all times. In the primitive church the doctrine of religion was opposed in applying the truth of doctrine. Now the power of practisers. At all times religion hath been so much persecuted, as may stand with salvation. The devil is content with profession. The thing may stand with lust and sin, but so much as is necessary to bring to heaven that hath been always under persecution in one kind or other. 'Though persecuted, yet not forsaken,' viz., of God. No. So far from being forsaken of God, that God is never nearer them than when trouble is nearest of all. 'Be not far off,' saith the psalmist, 'for trouble is nigh,' Ps. 22:11. Then there is most use of God's presence and comfort. In persecution usually the souls of God's people fly under the shadow of his wings, and being driven to him they find more support and succour than at other times. It was a good speech of the Landgrave of Hesse, Philip the First, that was of fame and note, to Charles the Fifth, when not
only the Duke of Saxony, but he, was taken prisoners, and a great while continued so. How did you all the time demean yourselves?
Said he, 'I found those divine comforts that I never felt before.* So that there is certain evidence of God's presence in persecution and standing out in a good cause, which God's children never felt before, as after. There is a hidden manna conveyed to them, which is appropriated to those times. So saith he, 'We be persecuted, but not forsaken;' nay, God is never nearer than at that time.
When there is a new moon, the space between the old and the new is interlunium (t), that it is as good as lost now, yet hath more light in itself than ever it had, for it is nearer the sun than ever, though it appears not to the world. And though the comforts of the soul appear not in afflictions, yet then God shineth more upon them than at any other time.
'Cast down, but not destroyed.' Cast down, by persecution prevailing.
Persecution prevailing doth cast men down, and give them the worst in the eye of the world, but yet we are not destroyed. The children of God go masked, many thousands of them, to the sight of flesh and blood, and in appearance of flesh destroyed. But they be nothing less than destroyed. For to take it at the worst, though their meat is taken from them, yet they are not distressed.
(1.) For what is the worst the world can do? They take away their lives which they must leave ere long, and thereby they are made partakers of their wish, which every child of God hath, 'to depart and to be with Christ,' Phil. 1:23. Now when they drive them out of the world, they make them partakers of what they most desire, for they have more communion with God in heaven than ever they had before; they are in their seats and proper place.
(2.) Again, though in regard of some particulars the church may seem to be destroyed, some boughs are cut, yet the body remains, so in regard of the whole body they are not destroyed.
(3.) In regard of the 'inward man,' they are not destroyed. They take courage still, and comfort still, while they are in the world. When they go out of the world they have accomplishment of all desires. Put case God deliver them not, but give them up to death: he delivereth them in not delivering them. For what is death but delivering them from all trouble? When he delivereth not in particular danger, he giveth them a general deliverance by death from all trouble whatsoever.
(4.) Again, there is a double deliverance. There is an inward secret deliverance, and an apparent open deliverance. Put case they be cast down, and not openly delivered, yet secretly they are delivered, that is, from fear and despair. The soul is set at liberty within. So that though they be cast down, yet not destroyed.
(5.) If they be destroyed to the appearance of the world, it is but seed sown. Saints are the seeds out of which grow many other. The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.* As often as we are mowed and cast down, saith Tertullian, by your cruelty, it is but an allurement to our profession. So when they seem to be destroyed, they be but seed sown, and out of their ashes many rise out of them. How much are we beholding to the bloody times in this kingdom, for this afterglorious church!
(6.) 'Not destroyed' in this world, while they have any work to do.
You may imprison them, fetter them, but God will work a miracle rather than his children shall be taken out of the world before they have done their work. The three young men in the furnace, the fire shall cease to burn rather than they shall before their hour cometh,
Dan. 3:27. In the gospel Christ was not hurt by them, for his hour is not yet come; they cannot hurt one hair of the head. 'They are afflicted, but not oppressed; they are persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.'
From all which we may raise some general truths, and make use of all that hath been spoken.
Doct. First of all we may from hence observe, that troubles and afflictions of God's people in this world they are many, and they are great and growing. They wax greater and greater till God's time be appointed. Here is distress, persecution, perplexity, casting down, they be many and manifoldly different in their kind. And then they be great, for here he reckons the greatest troubles than can befall, except death itself, which is usually included. And then there be degrees of them; to be afflicted is less than to be perplexed, and persecution added to perplexity. Then to persecution without is added the trouble following. And not only afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, but cast down.
That is no matter, mille mali species, mille salutis erunt, if a thousand ways of trouble, there will be a thousand ways of deliverance. God is never at a loss to help his children. Therefore God grant we are so. So, but we are not in distress, we despair not, we are not forsaken, we are not destroyed.
'We,' that is, Paul, and not only we as men, and we as Christians, but we as eminent men. For the troubles of God's children happen to them as men. Sometimes sickness, death, losses, crosses. Sometimes as Christians, as they be maligned and opposed by the wicked world.
Sometimes in an eminent calling, as Pharaoh, that desired to slay the male children especially, that were strong and able to do service; they were objects of malice, Exod. 1:16. Now we are thus used not only as
men and Christians, but as eminent men. So that it is the condition of the most eminent of all to be thus used. It pleaseth God to let his children endure many and manifold and great troubles. Now what is the reason of this? I might be large, but I will give a few.
Reason 1. Of necessity there must be a conformity between the members and the head. It behoved Christ to suffer, that he might enter into glory. And all we in our time must suffer, and so enter into glory. 'We are predestinate to conformity to our head,' Rom. 8:29.
We are not only predestinate to salvation, but to all between us and salvation. We are ordained to pass through such and such good actions, such and such turnings. There is no man but hath so many actions to perform, so many sufferings to endure, to which they be by God ordained.
Reason 2. And again, the best of God's children have something to be wrought out of them by a spirit of burning and affliction; the best need refining.
Reason 3. And again, grace needeth trials and exercise and increase.
Now God sanctifieth all these, passing from 'vessel to vessel,' Jer.
48:11. These transfusions [are] to work out what is evil, to try, exercise, and increase what is good.
Reason 4. And if there were no more but the malice of Satan and his cursed seed, the seed of the serpent, it is not possible to avoid the cross. And God, that his children may not love the world, hath made the world hate them. And it is safe for God's people to have the hatred of the worst people. Their hatred will do them more good than their love. Their hatred breeds a separation, and commands a separation in conclusion. For what shall we do with familiarity and acquaintance with them whose company we cannot enjoy in heaven?
And therefore God will have his children exercised with the worst
men; and then he desires to take them out of the world, and to set God up in his due place. God is God, and the Creator, when we be stript of all worldly comforts. Then vanity is vanity. God will not have us idolize anything below, and therefore suffers us to fall into extreme wants and dangers. Many other reasons there be, which I do give you but a taste of.
You see then the state of God's children in regard of the world. But what is it in regard of him? They be not forsaken, they be not utterly cast off. So they are patient in both; patient in regard of the trouble they meet with in the world, patient in regard of God's dealing with them. God forsakes them not so as to destroy them. He leaveth them not in a desperate condition, as he doth the wicked.
Doct. 2. Again, observe this, that the life of God's children in this world is a mixed life, woven of afflictions and of comforts, intermixed of both. It tastes of both the malice of the world and the goodness of God.
They oftentimes enjoy sickness. They be sometimes in dumps and sadness. Their life is woven of comfort and discomfort, and it is good for them in this world to be so, till they be in their proper place in heaven. And this is our comfort always, though troubles be many, and manifold, and great, and growing, and the last day worst, yet as the waters of afflictions grow, so do their comforts and the graces of the Spirit grow like waters of the sanctuary;* as troubles increase, so the waters of consolation increase. And it is better to be in trouble than to be kept from the trouble without the comfort. There is more sweetness in affliction than in freedom from it without the sweetness. If we look to the world, you see what we may look for. If we look to heaven, you may see what to expect thence.
Use. If this be so, that their condition is thus mixed, it is good in our prayers to allege to God our ill condition, to argue extremity. 'Help,
Lord: for vain is the help of man,' Ps. 60:11. 'Save, Lord: the water is entered into my soul,' Ps. 69:1. Help, Lord: if thou wilt not, none will; if thou canst not, none can. God will be bound with these arguments.
It was the speech of Philo, 'A man's help faileth, where God's begins'
(u).
And it [is] a good argument to allege to God in matters of sin, 'Lord, pardon, Lord, forgive, for my sins are many and great,' Ps. 25:11. This is a good argument with God, for he is infinite in mercy; therefore allege it as a binding argument.
But if God himself seem to be our enemy, What course shall we take then? Sometimes God acts a part that is not his own, that he may shew afterward a greater mercy. In such times we must get the eye of faith, and break through the clouds between the soul and God's face, and see his fatherly countenance in Jesus Christ. Faith hath piercing eyes, and breaks through the clouds between God and us, and bindeth him with his own nature and promise, whatsoever part he acts. 'Lord, howsoever thou dealest, thy nature in Christ is gracious, merciful.' 'Thou hast made rich promises that thou wilt not fall from.'
'Forsake me not.' Bind him with his word, with his nature; he cannot deny his word, his nature, himself; allege them to him in Christ, and allege his own promise, and they will be effectual.
Use. Again, we see here that it is a good art, and needful in times of trouble, to look to the good, as well as to the ill. The apostle doth not only confess ingenuously all the ill that the enemies might object to weaken the reputation of the gospel, they are people cast down and despised. All this is true, but we are not forsaken, we are not in despair, not destroyed. This is a good art in every affliction. It is
better to have our eyes on the good, than to have our eyes altogether upon the ill. God hath taken away one child, he might have taken many. God hath afflicted with sickness, but he might have taken away our wits. Therefore have not both eyes fixed upon the grief, for that is Satan's policy, to rob God of his glory, and our souls of comfort.
Use. Therefore learn a blessed skill from hence. When there is objected anything by Satan to disgrace the gospel or discourage it, reject* the objections of Satan with better. It is so, I confess; but [while] God seemeth to be displeased, and I am afflicted, God is yet a gracious God, hath left many comforts, his word, and promises, and therein I will trust: he hath given me his Spirit to support me. Thus return all the temptations of Satan, learn to be as witty and ingenious to argue that, for the strengthening of our faith, which may drive us to the acknowledgment of God's goodness and mercy, as Satan is to do the contrary: Judges 6:13, 'God be with thee, thou valiant man;' but if God be with us, 'why is it thus with us?' And so God's people look all to the grievance; why are we persecuted, and in distress, and want, and at our wits' end? Now, but consider the comfort as well as the discomfort; learn that heavenly wisdom from St Paul.
Let no man be discouraged, if he findeth himself sensible of the grief he lieth under. We be flesh, not spirit. God knoweth whereof we are made; and therefore he layeth not whole loads upon us, but in anger he remembers mercy. You see how he deals with the apostle Paul, and others in his case. Therefore, if we be sensible of trouble, God can help. No man more sensible of grief than Christ, Christi dolor, dolor maximus. For he had perfect wisdom to apprehend, and a sound body (v). St Paul speaks of these things as wonderfully sensible, but here is true patience, when we be sensible to the uttermost of the grievance, and yet withal are but sensible of the
grievance. 'Why should I smite them any more?' Isa. 1:5, saith God to the prophet. It is not only sin, but judgment, to be given up to hard hearts, not to feel the condition. Well, St Paul was sensible of his condition.
Obj. Thou wilt object, What is this to us? We live in calm times, and enjoy health and prosperity, and know not what these things mean that Paul speaks of.
Ans. Beloved, the more we be beholding to God. But do we know to what times the Lord may call the best of us all? Therefore we must be prepared before hand. Comforts are not found in adversity that were not sought for in prosperity, as Austin saith (w). In times of peace, people should provide for war and defence; and so in times of peace let us think of these things. Our conditions may alter. Howsoever the state may continue, yet we that live under our vines and fig-trees, do we know how the Lord may exercise us? May not he exercise us with afflictions of mind and persecutions of body? May not he exercise us with trouble of conscience, and bring us into straits, which is a spiritual martyrdom too? In times of prosperity, God's children know better what to do and whom to depend on, because then he keeps them off from inward troubles. And therefore, seeing we know not how long in our personal condition we may be as we are, it is not amiss to think on these things.
And to direct us a little what to do now in times of peace and quietness.
(1.) Labour to preserve our peace with God by all means, that when changes come, as changes may come, and will come one way or other, we may say with the apostle, 'I am afflicted, but not forsaken.'
If we make not God now our friend; if we shall now multiply sin and guilt, and run into God's books more and more, it will be a hell when
trouble, and sickness, and persecution come. And therefore as we will have God our friend when we stand most in need of him, so let us labour to keep God our friend now at this time. The desperate course that many loose persons take: they run into an old course, they let the reins loose to licentiousness, let their tongue lie and swear, and deny nothing that they affect. 'Is there not times and months for these wild asses to be taken in? In their months you may take them.' There be months of trouble and months of sickness; and when their former courses have been nothing but a perpetual provoking of God, what comfort can these persons have? And therefore, as we desire to have God stand by us and help at every pinch, labour for peace with him now in time of prosperity.
(2.) Let us be constant in his cause, in his religion, that is so constant to us. And this constancy of the Spirit and the best things will be an evidence to us that we have found him constant in his love to us.
(3.) And that we may quiet ourselves the better, if such times come, be careful, and treasure up promises for the time to come, that we may allege them to God. Get good liquor into our hearts, that when times of pressing come, there may be good wine. If good knowledge be not gotten beforehand, what will afflictions press out but murmurings and despair, and something that was there before.
Therefore treasure up now all we can; there is a spending time will come. Joseph's hard years may overtake us; we know not into what distress we may be brought. And because God is the best friend in extremity, be sure we offend not him for any creature, because let the creature do his worst, yet God will always be sure to be our friend.
And if God be our friend, it matters not who is our enemy. I cannot press all that may be pressed out of this point.
(4.) Labour at all times to maintain a good conceit of God and his goodness. If Satan suggest he will cast us off, and that there is no hopes for us in our God, answer again, It is not so. Labour to have a spirit of faith to beat back all such temptations. You shall see strange temptations, and yet excellently answered. 'Yet God is good to Israel,'
Ps. 73:1. When the child of God is low, yet he keeps good conceits of God, though things go strangely. I know not what to make of my condition and of the churches,* 'yet God is good.'
The reason is, when we be at worst, God can help us. And therefore come those comfortable exceptions in the Psalms. 'Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of all,' Ps.
34:19. 'They were afflicted sore, but not delivered to death,' Ps.
118:18. So here mark the exceptions: we be in straits, persecuted and cast down, but yet delivered.
Thus labour for a good conceit of God. The like things you may observe out of these words of the apostle; and I beseech you, let us make use of them for the right knowledge of these things. Hence it is said, Rom. 8:37, 'That in all these we are more than conquerors;' a strange speech, in affliction, pressures, casting down, 'we are more than conquerors.' And how cometh this? 'We are more than conquerors in him that loved us, in Jesus Christ;' more than conquerors, because we are overcome when we seem to be overcome; because religion hath grown even by blood and suffering. St Austin saith, by straits and afflictions the church hath been delivered and spread abroad to the uttermost parts of the world (x).
'We are more than conquerors' in all these in a treble regard.
[1.] Specially in regard of ourselves; for the devil aimeth at separation between God and us. 'Now, what shall separate us?' saith the apostle, Rom. 8:35.
The devil intends a divorcement; but when by a spirit of faith we draw near to God, and cleave fast to God, then the devil's policy is overthrown. The more the world driveth us from God, the faster we cleave to God; and then we be more than conquerors.
[2.] In regard of spiritual courage. The more God's Spirit is depressed, the higher it riseth. The enemy labours to quail the spirits of them that be good, but they cannot do it, for the Spirit of God is invincible. And the spirit of a Christian being supported by an higher
Spirit than their own, 'I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me,' Philip. 4:13. Therefore they are more than conquerors by the invincible Spirit of Christ.
[3.] And then they be more than conquerors in regard of the cause.
The devil labours to drive men to the dislike of the cause and religion by suffering disgrace, but he cannot.
Use. Firstly. And therefore, I beseech you, let me conclude with a point of encouragement, considering it is spoken with a great deal of courage. 'We are afflicted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;' let it encourage us to take the cause of God in hand, and go through with it in spite of Satan and his instruments, and fear nothing that shall befall us. Why should we fear the devil? Let no man think what the devil threats, but what God promises. Therefore fear nothing, for God will make it good; he will be never nearer than when we stand most in need of help. And therefore set upon God's cause with courage; and not only on the cause of religion, but cause of honesty and justice. The truth of God in any kind is dearer than our lives. The worst that can befall us is to be persecuted and distressed. You shall have more comfort from heaven than discomfort from the world; and what do you lose then?
Therefore let us all support ourselves with this. There is more force in God's help from heaven to secure and support by an inward invincible strength, than there is in the world, or Satan the prince of the world, to cast us down; we have more for us than against us.
When we be stripped of all, yet know, that God is the God of all; when he hath taken all, yet he leaveth himself. We have all at the fountain, all at the spring. Therefore let that be ground of resolution;
'If I perish, I perish,' saith the good woman, Esther 4:16. But never depart from God, from religion, from justice, from the cause of the church; because I know God will be like himself; he cannot deny himself, but constantly deals with his church and children, as in former times. It cannot be otherwise with me, than Paul the great apostle of the church. If that befalls me that did befall Paul, as I am in Paul's distress, so I may look for Paul's support and comfort.
The apostle, to avoid the objection of the scandal of the cross, by which they were the less accepted in the hearts of many, sets down the state of the people of God in this world, take them at the worst.
He speaks here of himself not only as a man (since the fall of our weak nature is subject to many calamities), but he speaks of himself as a Christian, opposing the sins of the world. And he grants what they may object. 'We are troubled on every side, but not in distress.'
The apostles take advantage from the troubles they were in, to advance the love and mercy of God in those troubles. We lose nothing by them, for that which is gained in any trouble, is better than that that can be lost. 'We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed,' so as we know not what to do, when we are in such straits. Take a Christian at the worst, yet he hath freedom to the throne of grace by the spirit of prayer; and God looks upon him in the worst condition. The more strait his condition is, the more large his [supply of the] Spirit is; therefore though troubles increase, yet his comforts increase.
Secondly, 'We are persecuted with wants, and by reason of wants we know not what course to take,' so that we are oftentimes 'perplexed, but yet not in despair,' for God supplieth. This I unfolded before.
A Christian man hath some bottom, in his worst condition, to uphold him, but take a man out of the state of grace, and he hath no bottom to stand upon, but he sinks presently in any trouble of mind or conscience to hell, though never so strong in wit and parts. He cannot encounter with a divine temptation, he hath no power with him above himself. We see Ahithophel, that wise politician. He was a bad man; and what became of him? He hanged himself.* So Cain,
Judas, and Saul. What saith Saul in his perplexity? 'The Philistines are upon me, trouble is upon me, and God hath forsaken me,' 1 Sam.
28:15, a pitiful complaint; and this may be the complaint of all carnal men, 'The Philistines are upon me, trouble is upon me, and God hath forsaken me.' But the children of God, when they are perplexed, they do not despair. It is a pitiful case with those that shall desire the mountains to cover them, Rev. 6:15. Your wicked persons that now outlook anybody, that despise every one but themselves, the time shall come when they shall desire the mountains to cover them, a pitiful strait that they cannot tell where to betake themselves, as Christ saith, Mat. 24 [throughout]. Oh, but the child of God in his worst he hath something to stay himself upon. Though he be in deep troubles, there is a help above him, a power of God to support him on the left hand and on the right. If there be a height and depth of troubles, there is a height and depth of mercy to support them.
Thirdly, 'Persecuted, but not forsaken.' Grant what is to be granted.
'We are persecuted.' How far? They will never leave us till they have taken us out of the world; and what hurt do they then? Drive us nearer to God. God owneth his children most when the world owneth them least, and there is a blessing pronounced upon all those that
suffer for good causes. 'Blessed are you when men persecute you, for great is your reward in heaven,' Mat. 5:10. As he said, It is a kingly thing to suffer evil, &c. (y). I am sure it is a Christian's condition to do good and suffer evil.
In sufferings let us look to three things.
(1.) First, To the cause, considering that it be free from sin.
(2.) To look to our carriage in the cause, that we carry not ourselves tempestuously.
(3.) Look to those that persecute. Let them persecute; and though they do, you shall not be forsaken. Though a man may desert him that stands for him and his cause, yet when the children of God shall stand for God, he will not desert them in his cause; 'though persecuted, yet not forsaken.'
Fourthly, The fourth is, 'cast down, but not destroyed.' Persecution prevails sometimes to casting down, but 'yet we are not destroyed.'
We are cast down, trodden down, insulted over, but not 'destroyed.'
Beloved, you see the great persecution of the church. What a pitiful condition the church hath been brought unto within these late years: trodden down, 'yet not destroyed.' For they are partakers with Christ that is now in heaven, and they are assured of a blessed resurrection; and therefore not destroyed, when they seem to be destroyed in the eyes of the world. As he said before, they 'are earthen vessels.' So every man is but an 'earthen vessel,' but it is much that an earthen vessel should be cast down and yet not broken; they may be cast down, but not destroyed. For when the enemies have done the worst they can to destroy them, that destruction is no destruction, but salvation.
Again, 'We are cast down, but not destroyed.' We see here is a kind of eloquence of things as well as words. Here is a sweet harmony of things: 'they are afflicted, but not in despair; perplexed, but not distressed; persecuted, but not forsaken.' Every one of these are greater than the former. I shewed you God's children are troubled in this world, and their troubles grow more and more till they are scarce able to bear them, and then God giveth a gracious promise, 'that he will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength,' 1 Cor. 10:13. For God limits the time and the measure of all troubles in this world. He stands by and turneth the glass,* and limits the measure. 'Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther,' Job 38:11, as we may see in Job's case; and his promise is, 'that the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the back of the righteous,' Ps. 125:3. This is one comfort, that a Christian's times are not in the enemies' hands, but 'our times,' as David saith, 'are in thy hands,' Ps. 31:15. Our times of coming into trouble, and our times of going out of trouble, are in the hands of God. As he made all things, in the first creation, in number, weight, and measure, so he rules and governeth all things in number, weight, and measure, especially his church. He will not put in a dram too much; he weigheth their strength, and weigheth their crosses, and exactly observeth what their strength is able to bear. For he is a most wise father; and that is our comfort, whatsoever falls upon us. If troubles grow upon us, comforts shall grow; if they grow great in number and measure, comforts shall grow great in number and measure too; for he is a God of comfort. He comforts in every trouble, as we see here, 'perplexed, cast down, persecuted,' yet God hath comfort for every one of these.
Last Obs. Again, here see the comfortable condition of God's children in this world. All their happiness is not reserved for heaven, but they are happy in affliction itself. In them there is comfort. There is support not only in heaven, but in the very time of affliction, as we
may see it in Ps. 94:19: 'According to the multitude of my thoughts, thy comforts delighted my soul.' According to my distracted thoughts, thy comforts have refreshed my soul. There be present comforts in troubles that keep God's children from despair. St Paul nameth the lowest comforts that God's children have here. Though they are 'persecuted, yet they are not forsaken;' though they are 'cast down, yet they perish not.' He sheweth here, that if we regard not the great matters that we shall have in heaven, yet God dispenseth his comforts here now in the time of troubles. Here is matter of comfort, and not of despair. Miserable heathens, that had not the knowledge of God in Christ, what condition were they in? As one saith, 'I would pray, but my prayers are in vain' (z). They were in great misery.
Wanting the knowledge of God in Christ, they fell into despair. So in the church: those that are not acquainted with God, in great troubles fall to despair; but you see the comfortable condition of a Christian, take him at the worst.
Ver. 10. It followeth, 'Always bearing in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies.' Here he addeth a comfort to those that suffered before, shewing the end of all that God intends. 'We bear in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus.' He calls all troubles by the name of dying.
This is the first.
All the troubles God's children are exercised with here, are named with the name of dying.
(1.) Because troubles are little deaths. Death is not the last parting of soul and body, but every separation from comfort is a kind of death.
Therefore he calls afflictions dyings, because they make way for greater deaths. He calls afflictions dyings, from the intent and
purpose of the persecutors, for their intent is, if it were in their power, to kill.
(2.) Likewise it is called a dying, because this is in the preparation of spirit that they are ready to die; for no man is a true Christian but he labours to deny father and mother, and all comforts, and resigns himself to Christ. If I can serve him with mine honour, yea, with my life, he shall have it, so that I am ready to die upon all occasions, as you may see in the next verse. 'We are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake,' that is, the enemies expose us to death, and if it were in their power they would kill us.
Quest. But why doth he call his troubles a dying 'of the Lord Jesus?'
Ans. [1.] There be some troubles that Christ suffered, which we cannot; as the curse of the law, and the wrath of God due to our sins.
These Christ suffered alone. 'He trod the wine-press of God's wrath alone,' Isa. 63:3. In these there is no partaking.
Ans. [2.] There is another dying, a dying in his mystical body, his church. He suffers affliction in every Christian. He was stoned when
Stephen was stoned, Acts 7:59. Christ was beheaded when John Baptist was beheaded, and in prison when Paul was in prison. Christ suffered in all the martyrs, by reason of that union between him and his church. So that besides that, he suffers in every Christian, this is called 'the dying of the Lord Jesus.'
Ans. [3.] Because he measures out to every one their cup. Afflictions are called a cup, and therefore they are his, because they are measured out by him.
Ans. [4.] And then they are his dyings, because by them they are made like unto him. He suffered first; and then every Christian must
express that suffering. As he suffered and entered into glory, so 'we must suffer with him, if we mean to reign with him,' 2 Tim. 2:12.
Ans. [5.] And then again, they are called the dying of the Lord Jesus, because Christ hath a fellowship and communion with them in all their dyings. As a Christian hath communion with Christ when he dieth, we are 'crucified with him;' so Christ suffers with us. He is afflicted with us, reproached with us, as Moses, Heb. 11:26, counted
'the rebukes of Christ' greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt.
Christ enters into prison with us, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' Acts 9:4. Christ takes upon him all the wrongs done to his children as done to himself. As it argueth madness in those that persecute, so a sweet comfort to them that do suffer, that they have
Christ to suffer with them. The presence of Christ so sweetens everything, as he said, 'The presence of Christ made the gridiron sweet unto Lawrence' (aa). A beam of Christ's presence that is now in heaven scatters all troubles. The presence of Christ made Paul sing in prison, Acts 16:25. The presence of Christ sweetens all conditions and all places whatsoever, because our dyings are the dyings of Christ; Christ hath fellowship and communion with us in them.
Ans. [6.] Then again, they are the dyings of Christ, because they divorce and wean us from the world. Now we being separated from worldly comforts, are fitter for farther fellowship and communion with Christ, as you shall see afterward.
Thus we see some reasons why all the miseries of a Christian are called 'the dyings of our Lord Jesus.'
We see then there must be a dying of the outward man; first there must be little dyings, and then a consummation of all. And why?
Because sin is so invested and so sunk into our natures, that without death it cannot be divorced. Afflictions are to make a divorce
between sin and our nature, for 'no unclean thing can enter into heaven,' Rev. 21:27. As the Spirit did separate sin in the nature of Christ, so doth the Spirit of God purify the nature of every man by afflictions. Because grace needs help, therefore afflictions join as fire with grace, to make a more perfect separation between the soul and sin. Together with the sanctified spirit there is a spirit of burning.
When the canker hath seized deeply on metals, it must pass through the fire before it can be purged; so the nature of corruption hath so eaten into our natures, that we need fire to purge it out.
'Flesh and blood,' saith the apostle, 'shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,' 1 Cor. 15:50. What is the meaning of that? That is, there be some remainders of corruption in it. Until this body be returned to dust, till the Lord make this body of ours new again, which is now so stained with sin, it shall never enter into heaven. Our blessed
Saviour's body the third day, before he saw corruption, did rise again, because there was no sin in him, and therefore it was not necessary he should see corruption.
Now divers reasons there were why he should not see corruption. But all our bodies must be turned to dust, or changed, which shall have the force of a death, as 1 Cor. 15:52: 'And therefore we bear in our bodies the dyings of the Lord Jesus.'
Use. This should sweeten all our afflictions, that we are dying with Christ, whereby Christ hath communion with us, and whereby we are fitted for communion with Christ; as put case we have sickness or trouble, &c. Christ took upon him flesh, but what? As it was in Adam unpassible?* Christ took upon him our passible nature, as subject to suffer cold, and hunger, and pain, of weariness, and it is fit our bodies should be conformable to the body of Christ, 'for we are predestinate to be conformed to Christ,' Rom. 8:29, and therefore
when we are put to pain in our callings, or troubled for good consciences, and thereby wear out our bodies, it is but as Christ's body was used. He took a body that he might suffer, and going about doing good, and be put to hardship. Therefore, if we be put to hardship, it is no more than our Lord Jesus Christ did. And therefore those that be so delicate that will take no pains, endure no sickness, the wind must not blow upon them, the sun must not shine upon them, they love no saving goodness, nothing of the Spirit of Christ, who out of love took our nature upon him, obnoxious to all pain and labour; though not infirmities of our particular persons, yet of our nature. He took upon him our miserable nature, our passible nature, and then he hath our nature in heaven. If ever we will be glorified with him in heaven, we must be content to take upon us his miserable nature here, that our flesh may be used as his was, even to death if there were occasion. If we be humbled to death, happy is that mortification that brings us to conform with Christ, whatsoever it is.
And therefore be not discouraged; let what will come, come on this body of ours.
Now if you ask me, who are the happy men in the world? Truly those that are most active in good, and suffer most for good, for they are the flesh of Christ. What did the flesh and nature of Christ? He did all the good he could, and suffered all the evil that the pride and malice of man's nature could possibly lay upon him. He therefore that doth most good, and suffers most ill, he cometh nearest to Christ, and carrieth about with him the 'marks of the Lord Jesus.'
To pass on in the words.
To what end is all this? 'That the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies.' What is the life of Jesus? You all know what life is. I will speak of it as a Divine especially.
(1.) You know that the life of Jesus is either the life secret in himself; and therefore he is called 'our life.' 'I am the way, the truth, and the life,' John 14:6, when 'Christ our life shall appear,' Col. 3:4. Christ is life, as having life in himself as God. Or,
(2.) Else the life of Jesus as mediator, and as God and man; and so it is here meant. Life is first founded in the Godhead. He is the living
God, and therefore wise and powerful, and all because he is living.
But life as it is in God doth not comfort us a whit, but rather is a matter of terror, because we have no communion with God, considered absolutely, without a mediator. And therefore we must consider of life as derived to a middle person, a mediator, God-man.
So that life is derived to us by Christ our brother, who hath taken our nature. Our Christ is derived to us in our nature. God alone doth not comfort us; mere man alone doth no good, John 6:32, seq. The argument is profoundly followed by our Saviour. The flesh profiteth nothing. The human nature without the divine profiteth nothing. It is the Spirit that quickens. Look to the death of Christ. Consider Christ dying as man, he doth us no good at all if he had not been God. As God he could not have died, but the person of God dying in our nature makes his flesh bread indeed, and his blood drink indeed; that is, the soul may feed upon the satisfaction, the sacrifice of Godman, as full satisfaction to God's divine justice. So that the Spirit and the flesh, the divine and human nature, is the ground of all life.
[1.] First, of the life of sentence, whereby we are freely acquitted from sin; for there is life of sentence when a malefactor waiteth for death, and hath a life of sentence given him. So Christ is the fountain and author of this life of sentence, for that God in our nature died to satisfy God, and therefore we be acquitted. The guilt of our soul is taken away, and a life of sentence is conveyed to us.
[2.] The life of Jesus is as the life of an head. We have not only life through Christ, but life in Christ; and not only life through Christ as mediator, but life in Christ as an head, conveying the same Spirit that is in himself to every member. So that if you will have the fountain of life, here it is. God is the first living, he is life itself. God conveyeth life to the mediator, God-man. He restores life to us, the life of sentence, and hath likewise conveyed the life of sanctification to us.
Sometimes ye read both of God and Christ mediator. 'The Father liveth, and I live; and because I live, you shall live also,' John 14:19.
But to come nearer to ourselves.
(3.) The life that cometh from Jesus, cometh first upon his own person, then by the second on us. Christ exercised this life first upon himself in raising himself from the grave. Christ as God raised himself as man from the grave, and so he is called the Lord of life; he hath the key of hell and of the grave; Lord of life, Lord of death, because being dead he as Lord of life raised himself again.
Now after he had exercised this power in giving his body life again, so by the same power by which he raised his own dead body, by the same he raiseth every Christian's. So that every Christian is raised and quickened by the life of Jesus; that is, by the power by which Jesus quickened himself being dead in the grave; and that is St Paul's meaning, Phil. 3:10, 'That we might find the power of his death, and the virtue of his resurrection.' There is virtue in Christ's resurrection.
What is that? It is nothing but the quickening power whereby the body of Christ was raised out of the grave; and Paul desires to feel the power and virtue of that resurrection from the life of Jesus.
And therefore in particular, what is the virtue of Christ's resurrection, whereby Christ doth raise himself?
The virtue of it in us is, first of all, the same Spirit that raised his body out of the grave doth raise us out of any affliction, or quickens and strengthens us in it.
The argument is from the greater to the lesser. If Christ hath such an almighty power to quicken his own body when it is dead, hath not he power to quicken and strengthen a man in any poor and miserable condition in this world? Doubtless he hath; and therefore Paul desires the virtue of this in all his troubles and dying. And so the life of Jesus is manifested to a man in trouble, when he findeth divine power supporting him above nature in any trouble, or else bringing him out of that condition to a glorious one. Take a man in any uncomfortable condition of soul, perplexed, deserted, cast down by sense of sin: he may be raised to the divine power of Christ to comfort, and to stand stronger by his falls, grow better by his sins.
And because death is the consummation of all trouble, the life of Jesus is manifested there, when our bodies are in the grave, as Rom.
8:11, 'If the Spirit, that raised Jesus from the grave, be in us,' the same shall raise up our bodies when they be turned to dust and rottenness.
So then, in a word, the life of Jesus is made manifest in us, when we find this life powerful in the midst of all our worst conditions, supporting us in our falls, and making us better and more comfortable afterward; and at length the spiritual life that raised him from the grave, shall raise up our bodies to be conformable to his glorious body now in heaven. St Paul was content to suffer the dyings of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in him; that is, the power of Jesus. To add another thing.
(4.) It is not only a manifestation of the divine power in our falls and raising us from the grave by the life of Jesus, but withal he infuseth a
life to every one; he sanctifieth the soul and body, and worketh the same impression in others that is in him; that is, his life. When he is meek, we are framed to be meek; he obedient, we are framed to be obedient; he humbled, we are framed to be humbled; he is good and holy, we are framed to be answerable. This is the life of Jesus. And the more we bear in our bodies the life of the Lord Jesus, the more we are like to Jesus, and fashioned to him.
Therefore it may be well called his 'power,' and his 'inward grace;' because it cometh from him, and it makes us like to him altogether, and it tendeth to Jesus. It is from Christ, and maintained by Christ, and it carrieth the soul to Christ, makes us like to Christ; therefore it is called the life of Jesus.
We all know life is a sweet thing. We desire it above all, and fear the contrary, death, above all. Now blessed is that mortification, that dying, that makes us partakers of the life of Jesus. If life is sweet, what is this life of Jesus? Alas! what is a life to the life of Jesus; that is, to the divine power shewed in us, which was shewed in him.
Use. You see then that dying to Jesus Christ makes way for the life of Christ. If we will live with Christ, then we must die first. You know all life springs from death, so the life of Christ springeth from death; his own life that he liveth, any spiritual life, it was after his death. And so spiritual life in us cometh after dying. The papists will have a life of their own; others will have power in corrupt nature; but there is no resurrection without death before; there must be dying before there is a living.
If we will feel the life of Christ, we must be content to carry bodies dying to Christ. If we will have strength and power and joy, and the presence of Christ, then endure the dying of the Lord Jesus. Endure
whatsoever he will please to exercise us withal. And if we carry his dyings, we shall be sure to be partakers of his life.
Use 2. I beseech you, consider whether we be partakers of this life, strength, and power, and grace, and comfort. And let us be content then with any condition in the world wherein we may have communion with Christ by anything, that we may be subject to Christ; to be poor that we may be rich with Christ; to die to all, that so we may live to Christ; to be nothing to all others, that so we may be all in all to Christ. By dying to Christ we lose perhaps health, but we gain it in strength; we may lose countenance and friend, we gain it in spiritual things. God takes nothing from his children, but he giveth better in a better kind. And happy is that parting that is recompensed in an higher kind; happy is that death that is made good by a better life; happy that self-denial that is made up in Christ; happy that discomfort that is made up with comfort in Christ; and therefore let us not be against any suffering, fear nothing that God may call us to in this world; no, although death itself. Life with Christ is better incomparably than anything we lose. Our life is but a dying life, take it at the best; die we must. Now if we die suffering afflictions, which are the passage to life, why then there is a benefit made of necessity. We owe to God a death by nature, and now we get an advantage by anything we suffer for Christ's sake. For we have a hundred fold for anything we suffer in this world. It is hard to persuade this reason to flesh and blood, but they that find experience in it once, as Christians do in sufferings, they find peace and comfort from the presence of Christ's Spirit in their souls; they know what a benefit it is to suffer for Christ's sake, though with loss of anything in this world. Would Saint Paul have wanted those whippings and imprisonments, or wanted his comforts of Christ's presence? Would the martyrs have wanted that sweet comfort they had for present life? Surely they had it offered, they might have entertained it if they
would, but they would not. And if glimpses of glory, the little life derived to us now, supporteth under the troubles of the world, what is the 'exceeding weight of glory' reserved for us in another world?
We can soon fathom and compass the things we suffer. We know what contempt meaneth, and poverty meaneth, but the life in this world passeth understanding.
'The peace of God passeth understanding,' Philip. 4:7, and 'is joy unspeakable and glorious,' 1
Peter 1:8. Therefore if there be a measure and narrow measure of trouble in this world, and that there be inward peace and glory immeasurable, then we be gainers here, setting aside consideration of heaven.
Therefore, I beseech you, let us be willing to undergo anything God shall call us to; for, (1.) We shall find a divine energy of God's Spirit, which we never perhaps had before, nor ever shall have hereafter. Therefore fear nothing God shall call us to. The comforts of God's Spirit, from the life of Christ manifested in the hearts of his children, are above the course of nature, for it is an high life. The life of Christ is above the life of reason or sense. Therefore suppose troubles lie in sense, the large peace and enlargement of spirit is above them all.
Now as the life of reason is above the life of sense, so the life of grace is above all conditions whatsoever. No inferior subordinate condition can prejudice the life of grace and comfort. Therefore if all tyrants in the world conspire to make a man miserable, they vex his outward life, but there is a life of Jesus, and they cannot hinder the influence of grace and comfort to the soul. They cannot hinder the inward peace of inward joy, they be comforts of an higher rank. And therefore if ever God calleth us to stand in a good cause, for justice, for religion, never go off: we shall have comforts of an higher rank.
(2.) Consider, the worst they can do is, to take this life of ours, which we cannot keep long. These things be easy to be known, for matter of understanding, but hard to practise upon occasion; therefore we ought to think of them beforehand, and to labour more and more, persuaded of the love of God in Christ. And to see the life of Christ quickening them to all holy actions and duty, this is a spiritual life.
As Christ, when he rose, never dieth more, so he that hath this spiritual life hath an eternal life, he never dieth more. When Christ begins to quicken our souls by joining our spirits with his Spirit, that conjunction is everlasting. And it is nearer after death than before; when death separates the soul from the body, then cometh the conjunction of the soul to Christ. Therefore labour after the spiritual life that makes us happier and happier still. The longer we live the nearer we are to Christ, and when we die nearest of all. Labour to feel the power of Christ's Spirit quickening our spirit, putting life into them, vigour into them, beauty on them, strength into them by his
Holy Spirit.
(3.) Again, when the body is severed from the life of the soul, we see how deformed it is, how stiff and inactive it is; we cannot endure the sight of our dearest friend if life be gone. If the life of Christ be severed from our souls, what carrion souls have we to God. There is no beauty on the soul, no strength to duty. But now if we enter upon the first degree of life here, and find the beginning of it in altering and changing our natures, we are sure to leave* farther degrees of it in our death, and the consummation of it at our resurrection; then body and soul shall enjoy the same life that Jesus doth now. But the scope of the apostle, which I desire you mainly to remember, is this, that you should fear nothing; nothing can befall us, though never so grievous to the outward man.