The Triumph of a True Christian Described

IN this Verse (as I have said) the Apostle labors to strengthen God's chosen against the fear of condemnation for their sins, and to that purpose he here affirms that none can condemn God's chosen: which position he puts down as he did the former, by way of interrogation, who shall condemn? as if he had said, None is able to condemn God's chosen. Then he brings a reason as a ground of comfort against the fear of condemnation, from the death of Christ, that Christ is dead for God's chosen, and therefore they need not fear condemnation for their sins: Who shall condemn? it is Christ which is dead. And that reason and ground of comfort the Apostle further amplifies by the resurrection of Christ, and by his sitting at the right hand of his Father in heaven, and by his intercession for them: and in those four things the Apostle goes on by degrees, preventing all scruples and doubts that might trouble the minds of God's chosen touching condemnation: none can condemn them: why? because Christ is dead for them, saith the Apostle. But might some say, what can Christ being dead profit us? Indeed nothing at all if he had been swallowed up of death, but he is risen again, and hath overcome death: yea or rather which is risen again. And not only so, but he also sitteth at the right hand of God, and hath received all power for the safety of God's chosen now believing in him: and not only so, but he also is continually exercised in making intercession for them. It is Christ which is dead, or rather which is risen again, who is also at the right hand of God, and maketh request for us. And so we see the general drift of the Apostle in this verse.

Come we to the opening of the words of it, touching the sense and meaning of them. Who shall. That is as if he had said, None shall, or none can, none in heaven, in earth, or in hell, is able to do it. Condemne. The word condemn is here also a judicial term, and it signifies the act of a Judge in open court, whose act is to adjudge such as are found guilty of any crime, and justly deserve punishment, to death, or to some other punishment. And the word here is to be understood with respect to sin, as it is used, Rom. 5.18. By the offense of one. And so the meaning is, none can pronounce God's chosen now believing in Christ, worthy of punishment for sin, or truly adjudge them to any punishment, either temporal or eternal for their sins. It is Christ which is dead: the words are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Christ dying. And some read them with an interrogation, Who shall condemn? Shall Christ which is dead? but they are better thus read, It is Christ which is dead: and so they are a reason why none can condemn God's chosen, because Christ is dead for them, and by his death hath made a full satisfaction to God for their sins, his death being of infinite price and value, and fully answerable to the justice of God, as the Apostle saith, 1. Pet. 2.24. He his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree. According to that, Isai. 53.5. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes are we healed. And so the meaning of the Apostle is, that none can condemn God's chosen, now believing in Christ, because Christ hath died for them, and hath by his death fully satisfied for all their sins, and hath borne that punishment that they should have borne for their sins. Yea or rather which is risen again▪ this is a further ground of comfort, and hereby the Apostle means that Christ is not only dead for the sins of God's chosen, but is also risen again from the dead, and hath vanquished and overcome death, and made it manifest by his resurrection that he hath fully absolved and discharged them from all their sins: as Rom. 4.25. He was delivered to death for our sins, and is risen again for our justification. Who is also at the right hand of God. These words right hand of God, are used by way of similitude, they are metaphorical; for indeed in proper speech God hath neither right hand nor left, he is a Spirit infinite and incomprehensible: and these words set out the glorious state of Christ in heaven, that he is there advanced to an unspeakable height of glory: they are taken from the manner of the kings of the earth, who use to set those on high whom they purpose most of all to honor. As 1. King. 2.19. Solomon in token of honor caused a seat to be set for his mother, and she sat at his right hand. And by this form of speech here rightly applied to Christ, 2. things are signified.

First, That Christ is exalted to unspeakable glory in heaven, 1. Tim. 3.16. and is there partaker of the infinite glory of his Father. And

Secondly, that Christ is exalted to the full administration of his kingdom, to be the head of his Church, and with his Father to be Lord and governor of all things in heaven and earth, Having all power given to him, both in heaven and in earth, as himself saith, Matth. 28.18. and as the Apostle saith, 1. Pet. 3.22. He is at the right hand of God gone into heaven, to whom the Angels, and powers, and might are subject. These two things are here intended by the Apostle, in saying that Christ is at the right hand of God.

And maketh request or intercession also for us. These words are not to be conceived as if Christ now in heaven did prostrate himself and kneel on his knees, and utter words of prayer to God his Father, as he did in the days of his flesh, but Christ doth now make request by the merit of his death, he now presenting himself continually in the sight of God his Father, as Heb. 9.24. He is entered into very heaven to appear now in the sight of God for us: and by presenting the sacrifice of himself once offered on the cross, and the infinite merit of that sacrifice before the eyes of his Father, willing as he is God and man, and desiring as he is man, that his Father would accept of his perfect satisfaction, and turn away his eyes from the indignities and sins of his chosen, and be well pleased with them, in and through him. For us, saith the Apostle, that is, for me and you, and for all true believers. Now then thus take we up the sense and meaning of the words of this verse, as if the Apostle had said.

Who can pronounce God's chosen, now believing in Christ, worthy of punishment for sin, or truly judge them to any punishment, either temporal or eternal for their sins? Surely none in heaven, in earth, or in hell can do it: for why, Christ hath died for them, and by his death which was of infinite worth, hath fully satisfied for all their sins, and hath borne that punishment that they should have borne for their sins: and not only so, but Christ hath vanquished and overcome death, and made it manifest by his resurrection, that he hath fully absolved and discharged them from all their sins, and he is now also exalted to unspeakable glory in heaven, and to the full administration of his kingdom, to be the head of his Church, and with his Father to be Lord and governor of all things in heaven and earth; and he doth now also make request, by the merit of death presenting himself and the sacrifice of himself once offered on the cross, and the infinite merit of that sacrifice continually before the eyes of his Father, willing as he is God and man, and desiring as he is man, that his Father would accept of his perfect satisfaction, and turn away his eyes from the indignities and sins of his chosen, and be well pleased with them in and through him: and this he doth for me, and you, and all true believers.

Now first in that the Apostle puts down this for a certain truth, that none can condemn God's chosen now believing in Christ, none can adjudge them to any punishment, either temporal or eternal for their sins, and then gives this reason of it, it is Christ which is dead, because Christ hath died for them; hence in the first place we are given to understand thus much.

[Doct. 1] That God's chosen, now believing in Christ, and now having part in the death of Christ, they cannot possibly be condemned, John. 5.24. Neither Satan, nor the Law of God, nor yet the justice of God, can truly adjudge them to any punishment, either temporal or eternal for their sins. And to show this to be a truth in these particulars.

First, Satan hath no power to require judgment and condemnation against true believers for whom Christ died, because Christ by his death hath spoiled and stripped him of that power, Colos. 2.15. Hath spoiled the principalities, and powers, and hath made a show of them openly, and hath triumphed over them in his cross. Heb. 2.14.15. the holy Ghost saith, that Christ through his death destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. And hath delivered them which for fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage. And Revel. 12.10.11. we read, after the battle between Michael and the great Dragon, that is, between Christ and the devil, Christ ouercoming, John saith, I heard a loud voice saying, now is salvation in heaven, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before God day and night, but they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. By the blood of Christ all power is taken from Satan to accuse, or to require judgment and condemnation against true believers.

Again, the Law of God hath no power to bind true believers for whom Christ died to the curse of the Law for the transgression of it, because Christ by his death hath redeemed them from the curse, in that he was made a curse for them, as the Apostle speaks plainly, Galat. 3.13. Christ hath redeemed us, when he was made a curse for us.

And thirdly, though the justice of God be such, that where there is guiltiness of sin, there damnation is due, yet the justice of God is fully answered by the death of Christ, his death being of infinite merit, it is every way answerable to the justice of God, it hath fully satisfied God's justice for the sins of all true believers. And hence it is that Christ is said to be the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, John. 1.29. And Heb. 10.14. it is said, that Christ with his own offering hath consecrated forever them that are sanctified. This then we may resolve on as a certain holy truth of God, that God's chosen, now believing in Christ, and now having part in the death of Christ, they cannot possibly be condemned; neither Satan, nor the Law of God, nor yet the justice of God can truly adjudge them to any punishment either temporal or eternal for their sins. Come we to make some use of this: and,

First this being a truth, it meets with that rashness of the [Use 1] world, and gives a just check to profane men of the world, who sometimes are so bold and rash, as they dare adjudge God's children and true believers to the bottom of hell, and in their hasty sentence they send them to hell, and stick not to say, fie on them, they will one day be hanged, or they will one day go to the devil. Poor souls, they show themselves ignorant and sottish, and rash headed, they do but vent their poison and malice against God's children, their sentence cannot hurt any child of God, it is but as we use to say, a fools bolt soon shot, neither they nor their father the devil can truly adjudge any true believer, any child of God, to any punishment, either temporal or eternal.

[Use 2] Again, the truth now delivered further meets with some erroneous conceits of some erring spirits; as first that of the Anabaptists, in that they boldly affirm and say, that those that Christ hath bought with his precious blood may be damned, these be their very words: a damnable opinion, and in flat contradiction to the truth now delivered, and to the truth of the word of God in many places of it. None can possibly perish and be damned for whom Christ died. Oh but they think they have ground for their assertion, 2. Pet. 2.1. Some saith he shall privily bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that hath bought them, and bring on themselves swift damnation. See (say they) those whom Christ hath bought with his blood may be damned. They are deceived, and they conclude without ground, they are too shallow braind to look into the depth of that text, there is not a word in that text of the death of Christ, or of his blood, or of Christ himself expressly, no nor yet by implication. It is said, denying the Lord, the word is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which word signifies master, or ruler, and is commonly attributed to God the Father. And it is said, denying the Lord, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that bought them, because false teachers who come professing the name of God and the name of Christ, they seem to be taken out of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord, and of the Savior Christ Jesus, as the Apostle describes them verse 20. and in some-sort free from the corruption by external profession: and they themselves acknowledge, that God is their Lord and master, and say they are his messengers and ministers, and they profess his name amongst his bought and purchased servants, and so in their own opinion and in the judgment of others, they are in the number of the bought servants of God, but in deed and truth they are not: and so that place rightly understood makes nothing for the opinion of the Anabaptists.

Again, secondly the truth now delivered serves to overturn that conceit of the Papists, that for the merit of Christ his death God doth pardon the fault and eternal punishment of sin, but he retains a temporary punishment to be inflicted on them that have sinned: now what is this but to adjudge them who have part in the death of Christ to some punishment for their sins, clean contrary to the truth of doctrine now delivered? And indeed if God inflict any punishment on him whose fault is remitted, and whose sins are taken away by the blood of Christ, then he is unjust, which is blasphemy once to think: it is all one, as to require the payment and satisfaction of a debt forgiven or already paid, which whosoever doth, is unjust.

Object. [Object.] But (say they) some whose sins are pardoned, have sickesses, poverty, contempt, and the like, yea death inflicted on them, which are punishments of sin, and therefore though the sin be forgiven in regard of the fault and eternal punishment of it, yet the temporary punishment is not removed.

Answ. [Answ.] Sicknesses, poverty, and the like, laid on them whose sins are pardoned, are not punishments of sin forgiven, neither do they come from an angry and displeased God, and from a God revenging sin, but they are corrections and fatherly chastisements, and tokens of God's love to them. Heb. 12.6. Whom he loveth he chasteneth: and they are laid on such as have their sins pardoned, for the exercise of their faith, trial of their patience, stirring up of the languishing graces of God that are in them, and to make them draw nearer to God, and to walk more humbly before him: and therefore this makes it not good, that for the merit of Christ God doth pardon the fault and eternal punishment of sin, but retains a temporary punishment to be inflicted on the sinner. No, no, they that have part in the death of Christ, they cannot be truly adjudged to any punishment, either temporal or eternal for their sins.

There is yet an use of comfort to be added: Is it so that [Use 3] God's chosen, now believing in Christ, and now having part in the death of Christ, they cannot be condemned, neither by Satan, nor by the Law of God, nor yet the justice of God can truly adjudge them to any punishment, either temporal or eternal for their sins? Surely then here is a ground of sweet and of admirable and heavenly comfort for every true believer, for everyone who is sure that he hath part in the death of Christ: this truth tells thee, whosoever thou art that art a true believer, and hast part in the death of Christ, that thou art in a most happy and blessed state and condition, thou needest not fear the yelling and roaring of the devil thundering out hell and damnation for sin, nor the fearful sentence of the Law of God, denouncing judgment and the curse for every transgression of it: no, nor yet the sin revenging justice of God, which is most strict, and most sharp and severe against all ungodliness and wrong: and what an happy and blessed state is that? How may the consideration of this affect thy soul, and fill thine heart with comfort and joy unspeakable? We know, if a man that is to stand before an earthly Judge to be tried touching some matter of crime, persuade himself that neither any enemy of his, though most malicious and thirsting after blood, hath power to require sentence against him, nor the law it self hath power to bind him over to any penalty, nor yet the Judge himself, if he deal truly, can adjudge him to any punishment, it is a marvelous comfort to him, and it cheers him up exceedingly: though indeed the law of man may be wrested, and an earthly Judge may be carried aside, and may give unjust judgment, yet this is his comfort, that neither his enemy, nor the Law it self, nor the Judge himself can justly proceed against him, & adjudge him to any punishment. Oh how much more may it cheare up thy heart, thou that art a child of God, truly believing in Christ, and hast part in the death of Christ, and on that ground art sure of this, that neither the devil that thirsts after thy blood and the precious life of thy soul, nor the Law of God, which is terrible in the curse of it against unbelievers, nor yet the justice of God, which cannot but give sentence of damnation against unrepentant sinners, that none of these can truly adjudge thee to any punishment, either temporal or eternal for thy sins? Think on this to thy comfort when thou art troubled with the sight of thy sins, yea even of those sins thou hast often fallen into of weakness, and against thy purpose and holy resolution to the contrary: and when thou art troubled with fear of punishment due to thee for thy sins, oh then call to mind this ground of comfort, that Christ hath suffered that punishment that thou shouldst have undergone for all thy sins, and that he was condemned in thy room, and in thy stead, and that he hath fully satisfied the justice of God for thy sin; and therefore in the justice of God thou canst not be condemned. No, know it to thy comfort, it is as possible for thee to be damned for any of thy sins, though often fallen into of weakness, and committed after thy true believing in Christ, as it is for God to be unjust, which is impossible: and what a sweet comfort may that be to thy soul? Exercise thy thoughts in this ground of comfort, yea exercise thy faith in it, and labor thou more and more to be settled in this ground of comfort. Many poor Christians wrong themselves exceedingly, in that they measure their happy estate & condition by their feeling of comfort: when their feelings fail them, then they call all into question. Oh learn then to measure thy happy state and condition by this, that thou art a true believer, and hast part in the death of Christ, and so art in such a blessed state and condition as thou canst not be condemned for any of thy sins, no not for those sins that have deprived thee of the feeling of comfort: and how may this cheer up thine heart? Surely the due consideration of this may cheer thee up, and comfort thee against the fear of that which follows after death; for howsoever as we have it, Hebr. 9 27. After death comes judgment, and hereupon to the wicked and unbelievers death is most terrible, and the * king of fear, as Bildad calls it, Job 18.14. because they go out of the body not only comfortless, but also certain of condemnation, having received the sentence within themselves that they shall never see the face of God to their comfort; yet it is not so to thee, thou being a true believer, and having part in the death of Christ, thou art sure thou shalt not come into the judgment of condemnation, and thou art sure of it before thou be removed out of the world by death, that thy sentence after death shall be a comfortable sentence, even the sentence of absolution, and thou art sure that when thy soul goeth out of thy body, it shall come before a Judge who is most just indeed, but yet whose justice is already answered and satisfied by the death of his own Son: yea thou art sure that thy soul and body shall one day stand before his judgment seat who is thy redeemer, even before the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus, who hath shed his own precious blood to set thee free from hell, and from damnation, and therefore certainly thou canst not be condemned, and what a comfort may that be to thee?

Now in that God's chosen, now believing in Christ, none can truly adjudge them to any punishment, either temporal or eternal for their sins, and he gives this reason & ground of it, Christ died for them; we may easily see, and hence we may conclude.

[Doct. 2] That Christ his death is expiatorie, it is an expiation, and that a sufficient expiation of the sins of all God's chosen. It is the death and suffering of Christ that takes away the guilt and punishment due to God's chosen for their sins, and his death and suffering doth sufficiently satisfy for their sins, and free them from all punishment for sin, both temporal and eternal. Ephes. 1.7. the Apostle saith, We have redemption through the blood of Christ: and the same word he hath Colos. 1.14. And 1. Tim. 2.6. the Apostle saith, He gave himself 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a ransom, a price for all men, that he might satisfy for the sins of God's chosen. And Heb. 7.27. it is said, that Christ offered himself a sacrifice to God for our sins: and to offer himself a sacrifice for sin, is to expiate sin, and to take away the guilt and punishment of sin. Heb. 9.26. Now in the end (saith the Author of that Epistle) hath Christ appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And Heb. 10.14. it is said, With one offering Christ hath made perfect forever them that are sanctified. Thus the Scripture runs on it in many places, and doth plainly evidence to us, that Christ his death was the expiation of sins, and that Christ by his death and suffering hath taken away the guilt and punishment due to God's chosen for their sins, and hath sufficiently satisfied for them, and freed them from all punishment for sin, both temporal and eternal: and the ground of this is.

Because Christ in his suffering did endure the extremity of God's wrath, [Reason.] and did bear in his body and soul the curse that was due to God's chosen for their sins, so far as he might, neither the union of the person nor yet the holiness of his nature any whit diminished: and so by his death hath expiated and fully satisfied for the sins of God's chosen.

And this truth, to make use of it, in the first place it serves [Use 1] to inform us in a point of weight; it makes known to us that though Christ his active obedience was most exact, and perfect, and meritorious, yet that was not the expiation of sin, that was not the thing that did expiate and take away the punishment due to God's chosen for their sins, but the passive obedience of Christ, his death and suffering was that which was the expiation of sin, and Christ only in his suffering was the propitiation ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) for our sins. And therefore it is monstrous and intolerable pride in the Papists, in that they take on them to expiate sin, and to satisfy for sin, by things done by themselves, yea by some things done by them for which they have no warrant in the word of God, but are things merely devised by themselves, as by their Masses, Diriges, pilgrimages, willful poverty, vow of single life. Jesus Christ the righteous did not expiate sin, and satisfy for sin by his perfect fulfilling of the Law of God in his life, and yet the proud Papists dare challenge it to themselves, [Use 2] that they satisfy for sin by their will worship, and by their devised obedience, which indeed is monstrous, and most abhominable pride and presumption.

Again in a second place, was Christ his death the expiation of sin, and was his death and suffering sufficient to satisfy for the sins of God's chosen, and to free them from all punishment for sin, both temporal and eternal? what need then is there of any other real and external sacrifice for sin? The Papists hold and teach, that in the Sacrament of the Supper the very body and blood of Christ are offered up to God the Father under the forms of bread and wine, as a propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead. Now this cannot stand with the ground of truth now delivered, but doth exceedingly derogate from the full satisfaction that was made by Christ his sacrifice of himself for the sins of God's chosen, and from the infinite and eternal virtue and efficacy of that sacrifice. [Object.] Oh but, say the Papists, Though the sacrifice of Christ on the cross be of infinite and eternal virtue to satisfy, yet there must be other sacrifices to represent and to apply the virtue and fruit of that sacrifice to us. [Answ.] They are easily answered, There is no more reason why Christ should again be sacrificed, that his own perfect sacrifice once offered on the cross might be applied to us, then there is that he should be again incarnate, that the fruit of his incarnation might be applied to us. And as for their distinction of the bloody sacrifice of Christ and unbloody, that Christ offered himself on the cross after a bloody manner, and is offered in the Sacrament after an unbloody manner, it is idle, and very absurd and foolish; for the sacrifice and offering of Christ, and his death and suffering (which cannot be without effusion and shedding of blood) are made all one by the holy Ghost: Christ cannot be offered without dying and suffering, Hebr. 9.25.27.28. and therefore this distinction of the bloody sacrifice of Christ and unbloody, was never known to the holy Ghost: the sacrifice of Christ once offered on the cross was a full satisfaction for the sins of all God's chosen, and it is of infinite and eternal virtue and efficacy, and able to free them from all punishment for sin, both temporal and eternal: and therefore all other real external sacrifices, whether bloody or unbloody, are needless and superfluous, and indeed abhominable.

Come we now to the Apostles amplification of his reason, and ground of comfort and strength against the fear of condemnation, from the death of Christ. Christ is dead for God's chosen, and therefore they need not fear condemnation, none can condemn them. This reason and ground of comfort our Apostle further enlargeth by the resurrection of Christ, and by his sitting at the right hand of God in heaven, and by his making intercession there for God chosen; that Christ is not only dead for God's chosen, but is also risen again from the dead, ascended up into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God in heaven, and there makes continual intercession for God's chosen. And here from this amplification in general, before I come to stand on the particular branches of it, note we, that the Apostle here conioynes and couples together inseparably these four things, The death of Christ, his resurrection, his ascension, and sitting at the right hand of God, and his intercession: and the Apostle limits and restrains these four things only to God's chosen, now believing in Christ. First then it is clear from hence, that it is very gross, and is to be exploded and utterly to be rejected which the Arminians and others of their mind and judgment hold, that the death of Christ belongs to many to whom his resurrection and intercession belongs not, for so they affirm, that Christ died for all men both good and bad, but he rose again and makes intercession not for all, but only for believers. Now if Christ died for all, and rose not again for all, then he suffered death for some for whom he never overcame death, which is very absurd and gross once to think, and clean contrary to this text of the Apostle, he here conioyning the death of Christ, his resurrection, and intercession together. Again, in that the Apostle here limits and restrains the death of Christ, & his resurrection, his sitting at the right hand of God, and his intercession, only to God's chosen, it makes directly against universal redemption wrought by the death of Christ, and held likewise by the Arminians and others: for if Christ redeemed all universally by his death, then he also rose again for all, and sits at the right hand of God for all, and makes continual intercession for all, which is directly contrary to the plain evidence of this text, and so erroneous and false. Let it suffice to have touched these things in a word.

Come we now to the first degree of the Apostles amplification, Yea or rather which is risen again: that is, as I shown, it is Christ which is dead for the sins of God's chosen, and not only so, but he is risen again, and hath vanquished death, and made it manifest by his rising again that he hath fully absolved and discharged them from all their sins: that is the purpose of the Apostle in these words, Yea or rather which is risen again. Hence then we have ground for this point of divine truth, it is hence plainly offered to us.

[Doct. 3] That Christ his rising from the dead is a manifestation of the full redemption wrought by the death of Christ. Indeed the resurrection of Christ did add nothing to the price of redemption which was paid in the death of Christ, yet it is a plain evidence and demonstration of the full redemption wrought by the death of Christ. By his rising from the dead he hath made himself known to be a most Almighty, strong, and powerful Savior and redeemer, and hath made it manifest that by his death and blood shedding he hath fully redeemed God's chosen believing in him from all their sins, and set them free from sin, from hell, from death, and from damnation, and from all punishment due to them for sin, both temporal and eternal. And for this we have evidence in other places of Scripture. Rom. 1.4. the Apostle saith, Christ was declared mightily to be the Son of God, touching the Spirit of sanctification, by the resurrection from the dead: and so a most powerful, mighty, and strong Savior and redeemer by his resurrection from the dead. And Rom. 4.25. he saith, Christ was delivered to death for our sins, and is risen again for our justification. His meaning is, that the resurrection of Christ is an evident demonstration of our justification, that is, of our acquitting and full discharge from all our sins (we believing in Christ) purchased by the death of Christ. And hence it is that the Apostle puts it down for a certain truth, 1. Corinth. 15.17. that if Christ be not risen our faith is vain, we that believe in Christ are yet in our sins: we are not yet freed from the guilt and punishment due for our sins. Where we see he makes the clearing of God's chosen from their sins, and setting of them free from sin, and from hell and damnation, and the resurrection of Christ, to go together, that if Christ be risen from the dead, then they are free from sin: if he be not risen from the dead, they are yet in their sins. And so be strongly confirms the truth of the point in hand, that Christ his rising from the dead is a manifestation of the full and perfect redemption wrought by the death of Christ; and he thereby hath made himself known to be a most mighty, strong, and powerful Savior and redeemer, and thereby manifested that by his death he hath fully redeemed God's chosen from all their sins, and set them free from hell, from death and damnation, and from all punishment for sin, both temporal and eternal: and the reason and ground of it is this.

Christ became surety for God's chosen, [Reason.] and he undertook to pay that which was due for their sins, and to satisfy for them, and to be answerable to his Father for their sins, and he voluntarily and of his own accord did submit himself to death for the sins of God's chosen, and put himself under the power of death, as he saith, John. 10.18. No man taketh away my life, but I lay it down of myself. Christ by voluntary dispensation having thus taken on him the sins of God's chosen, and to satisfy for them, and having of his own accord put himself under the power of death, if he had not satisfied for the sins of God's chosen to the full, he had not risen again; if any one of their sins had not been satisfied for by him he had not risen from the dead, or being risen, he should return again to die: for where sin remains unsatisfied for, there of necessity death hath power, it being the stipend of sin: but Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, Death hath no more power or dominion over him, saith the Apostle, Rom. 6.9. And therefore doubtless Christ his rising from the dead is a manifestation of the full redemption wrought by the death of Christ, and thereby Christ hath made himself known to be a most mighty, strong, and powerful Savior and redeemer, and hath made it manifest that by his death he hath fully redeemed God's chosen from all their sins, and set them free from sin, from hell, from death, and from damnation, and from all punishment for sin both temporal and eternal.

And for the use, this ground of truth serves to teach us a special comfort, that we may take from the consideration of the resurrection of Christ. We being true believers, we are not to make the resurrection of Christ a matter of speculation and of knowledge only, but a ground of comfort: and the due consideration of it ought to teach us thus much for our comfort, that we may safely and securely rest on the death of Christ as a full satisfaction for all our sins. Yea on this ground, that Christ is risen from the dead, we may be assured of it to our comfort (we being true believers) that none of our sins are vnexpiated or unsatisfied for by the death of Christ, no not our most heinous sins, no not those wherein we have continued long, and have doubled and repeated often, no not those we have done with much boldness and presumption; we now believing in Christ, and having good evidence of it that we are true believers, we may assure our selves that we have full deliverance and freedom from the guilt and punishment of all our sins by the death of Christ: and Christ by his rising from the dead hath made it manifest y ^t by his death, and by the shedding of his blood he hath fully redeemed us from all our sins, and set us free from sin, from hell, from death, and from condemnation, and that he as our Sampson hath carried away the gates of death, yea the gates of hell, & the gates of death and of hell shall never be able to prevail against us. And what a sweet comfort may that be to us if we duly consider it? Think on it to thy comfort thou that art a true believer; and when thou art troubled and terrified with the sight of thy most foul and heinous sins, and they grate and rub on thy conscience, and the devil he gals thee with the remembrance of them, then consider to thy comfort that none of thy sins, no not the most heinous and foulest of them, shall sink thee to hell, and bring damnation on thee, Christ hath died for them, yea he is risen again from death, and hath made it manifest to men and Angels, and the devil himself cannot deny it, but that by his rising again he hath given evident demonstration of it, that by his death he hath fully satisfied for thy foulest sin, and for all thy other sins, and freed thee forever from the guilt and punishment of them all. For thou being a true believer, assuredly Christ undertook to satisfy for all thy sins, and he put himself under the power of death for thy sins; and if any of thy sins had not been satisfied for, he had not risen from the dead, but now he being risen from the dead, thou mayest thereupon assure thyself and build on it, that by his death he hath fully redeemed the from sin, from hell, and from damnation, and from all punishment for thy sins, both temporal and eternal. Oh then think on this to thy comfort, and give the Lord Jesus his due honor, rest on him and on his death as a full redemption and deliverance of thee from all thy sins: yea know to thy comfort, that Christ is able, and he will also free thee from the power of sin, yea from the power of that sin that is most strong and powerful in thee. He took our nature on him to chase sin and death out of it, as Saint John saith, 1. John. 3.8. He appeared that he might loose the works of the devil. And hath he broken the bars of death when he was under the power of it, and hath he overcome sin and death by his rising from the dead, and will he now leave thee for whom he died and rose again, and set free from sin, hell, death, and damnation, under the power of sin? Was he able to break the bars and gates of death when he was under the power of it, and is he not now much more able to break into thy dead soul, and to free thee from the deadness of heart, and the like of which thou complainest? Will he leave thee under the power of corruption? No, no, he is able to free thee, and he will in his good time free thee from the power of thy strongest corruption and sin: think on that to thy comfort.

Come we now to the second degree of the Apostles amplification of his reason and ground of comfort taken from the death of Christ, It is Christ which is dead, yea or rather which is risen again: and he adds further, Who is also at the right hand of God, that is (as I shown) who is now exalted to unspeakable glory in heaven, and to the full administration of his kingdom, to be the head of his Church, and with his Father to be Lord and governor of all things, both in heaven and in earth. Diuerse particulars might from hence be derived, but I desire to point out those things that are proper to this place: and two things especially are here offered, I will speak of them in order. And first, in that the Apostle saith, It is Christ which is dead, yea or rather which is risen again, and then adds, Who is also at the right hand of God, we are given to understand thus much.

[Doct. 4] That Christ in that nature of his in which he died and rose again from the dead, even in his manhood and human nature, is exalted to unspeakable glory in heaven. Christ Jesus as man is now in heaven, possessed of such glory as far exceeds the glory of all creatures, yea of the most holy and glorious Angels: and to this purpose the Apostle speaks plainly, Ephes. 1.20.21. where he saith, that The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, hath raised up Christ from the dead, and set him at his right hand in heavenly places, far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not in this world only, but also in that which is to come. So Philip. 2.9. God (saith the Apostle) hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name. And Heb. 1.13. saith the Author of that Epistle, Unto which of the Angels said he at any time, sit at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. Thereby implying, that the glory of Christ in heaven is far above the glory of the most glorious Angels: yea such is the visible glory and brightness of Christ his manhood in heaven, as it is said to be the light of the heavenly Jerusalem, Revel. 21.23. and so it far exceeds the glory of the most glorious creatures, yea of the most holy and glorious Angels: and it must needs be so, there is reason & ground for it,

[Reason.] From the personal union of Christ his Godhead and manhood. For as amongst men the nearer any person is to the blood royal, the nearer he is in conjunction to the person of an earthly king, the more he hath prerogative, and honor, and dignity above others that are further off: so Christ his manhood being personally, and so most nearly united to his Godhead, and made one personally with God, it is meet and fit that in his manhood he should have preeminence in glory above all creatures, yea above the most glorious creatures, they being not in that manner made one with God. And therefore doubtless Christ in his manhood and human nature in which he died and rose from the dead, is exalted to unspeakable glory in heaven, and as man he is now in heaven, possessed of such glory as far exceeds the glory of all creatures, yea of the most holy and glorious Angels.

And the consideration of this in the first place ought to [Use 1] strike us with the due admiration of the glory of the Lord Jesus, which now he is possessed of in heaven. Earthly dignities do commonly so dazzle our eyes, as we know not how sufficiently to admire them: oh then what honor, and reverence, and admiration is due to the Lord Jesus, now advanced to such glory in heaven, even in his human nature, as far exceeds the glory of the most glorious Angels! Did the Papists duly consider this excellency and glory the Lord Jesus is now possessed of at the right hand of God his Father in heaven, they would not so derogate and so detract from his glory as commonly they do. And without question their too much admiring and magnifying of the Angels, hath been the cause of their giving too much to them, even divine worship and adoration. We are to have our hearts taken up with a due admiration of the excellency and glory of Christ now at the right hand of God in heaven, and there in his human nature possessing unspeakable glory. [Use 2]

And for a second use: the consideration of this, that Christ in his human nature is now advanced to such glory in heaven as far exceeds the glory of the most holy Angels, may yield matter of great comfort to the believing members of Christ: for Christ being now possessed of unspeakable glory in heaven in our nature, it is even as a pawn or a pledge to the believing members of Christ, that their bodies and souls shall one day be made partakers of the like glory: Christ will in his due time draw up all his members to partake with him in his glory, and as he is in his own blessed body and soul most glorious, so will he one day be most glorious in his members, and he will make them partakers, though not of equal glory, yet of like glory with himself: it is one part of his prayer, John. 17.24. that his members should be with him, and be partakers of his glory. And the Apostle saith expressly, Philip. 3.21. He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. What then though thy body lie under some lingering disease and pain, or be pinched with hunger, cold, nakedness, and such like, and thy body is tossed up and down from prison to prison, and many ways abused and hardly entreated, yet thou being a believing member of Christ, that distressed or any way abused body of thine shall one day be advanced to unspeakable glory in heaven. Christ thy head and Savior is now possessed of that glory in his blessed body, and he will in due time advance thy body to the like glory: and that duly considered may yield thee matter of sweet comfort.

Now the second thing offered from these words, Who is also at the right hand of God, being understood as they have been formerly expounded, and that agreeable to the purpose of the Apostle in this place, is this.

[Doct. 5] That Christ Jesus not only died for the sins of God's chosen, and rose agine from the dead, but he also hath received power over all creatures in heaven, and in earth, and in hell also: and he not only as God, but as man also, hath now power in his hand to save and to destroy, and he is now Lord and King of all things. And to this purpose speaks Christ himself after his resurrection, Matth. 28.18. All power is given unto me: that is, such power whereunto every creature is subject. Act. 2.36. saith Peter, Let all the house of Israel know for a surety, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye have crucified And this is further manifest by that Ephes. 1.22. where the Apostle saith, that Christ sitting at the right hand of God, is made head to his Church, governing it as an head, and that all other things are made subject under his feet: and especially the enemies of his kingdom are subject under his feet, to tread them down at his pleasure. And hence it is said, Revel. 1.5. that He is the Prince or ruler of the kings of the earth. And Revel. 19.16. he hath this royal style written on his garment and upon his thigh, THE KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORD'S, and so all earthly powers are subject to him. And that he hath power over the Angels both good and bad, it is plain: the good do him reverence, and yield him obedience willingly and religiously, Heb. 1.6. Let all the Angels of God worship him: and the bad they yield subjection unto him, either deceitfully and to wrong ends, or by force compelled, as the Apostle saith, Philip. 2.10. They bow their knees: the meaning is, they are subject to him, and they yield subjection to him. This then we see to be confirmed and made good to be an holy truth of God, that Christ Jesus hath received power over all creatures in heaven, in earth, and in hell, and that he not only as God but as man also, hath power in his hand to save and to destroy, and is now Lord and King over all things. [Object.] Haply some will say, It seemeth then that the human nature of Christ is made truly omnipotent, and so also truly omnipresent, everywhere present, as the Lutherans hold. I answer: [Answ.] Indeed the human nature of Christ by reason of personal union doth concur with his divine nature in the same effect and in the same work, yet each nature worketh that which belongs to it, and the properties of both natures remain distinct and are not confounded: and so though Christ have power to save and to destroy, not only as God but also as man, by reason of the personal union, yet it follows not, that the human nature of Christ is made truly omnipotent, and that the omnipotency of the divine nature is become the omnipotency of the human nature, the personal union cannot cause it so to be, but only by reason of the personal union there is a concurrence of both natures in Christ in the same effect. So it may be truly said, that Christ not only as God but also as man, hath power in his hand to save and to destroy. Come we now to make use of this.

This truth first discovers the folly of those that will not [Use 1] subject themselves to Christ, nor yield obedience to him, he having so great power, even power over all things. You will say: Be there any such? Too many, not only professed enemies of Christ and of his Gospel, as Turks, Jews, Infidels, but many others who live in the bosom of the Church, and take on them the name of Christians. Are not many such careless, to get knowledge, to believe and repent of their sins? Christ calls them in the preaching of the Gospel, to knowledge, to faith, and to repentance, and they will not yield to his call, but willfully go on in their ignorance, and unbelief, and hardness of heart, and willfully refuse to yield obedience to him: and so doing, they discover their folly exceedingly, they refuse to submit themselves to him who hath all power in his hand, and is able suddenly to bring them to utter confusion. And take thou notice of it thou that livest under the sound of the Gospel, and art called in the preaching of it, to knowledge, faith, and repentance, and thou willfully goest on in thy ignorance, and in thy sins, thou refusest to yield obedience to Christ, who ha • h power to destroy thee, to open the mouth of hell on thee, and suddenly to throw thee down to the bottom of hell: and mark what doom abides thee, put down by the Apostle, 2. Thes. 1.8. Christ Jesus will one day show himself from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only to his open professed foes a • d enemies, but to such also as live under the sound of his Gospel, and yield not obedience to it, by believing in him, and repenting of their sins. Learn therefore to kiss the Son, as Psal. 2.12. Kiss the Lord Jesus, and salute him with the kiss of obedience, lest his wrath be kindled against thee: if it once be kindled, woe be to thee, it will burn thee down to the bottom of hell.

[Use 2] Now for a second use. Is it so that Christ hath not only died for the sins of God's chosen, and risen again from the dead for them, but he also hath now received power over all creatures, in heaven, in earth, and in hell? The consideration of this may afford matter of confidence and of sweet comfort to every true believing member of Christ; and consider it to thy comfort, thou that art a true believer, here is further ground of comfort for thee, Christ Jesus hath not only died for thy sins, and risen again from the dead for thee, but he hath received all power to save and to destroy for thy good: and though men and devils, sin and troubles, and everything in the world do oppose and set against thee, yet be not dismayed, look up to the Lord Jesus thy head and Savior, who hath power over all things, in heaven, in earth, and in hell, and hath all his enemies under his feet to tread them down at his pleasure; know that neither men nor devils can stir further then he gives them leave, and let the consideration of Christ his great power comfort and encourage thee against the fear of any adversary power whatsoever, and know that whatsoever the devil and his instruments, Antichrist and his adherents, do against the members of Christ, though Christ Jesus may suffer them for a time to exercise some cruelty on their bodies for a time, that they may be made conformable to him their head in a measure of suffering, and for other good ends best known to himself, yet they shall never be able to prevail to the hurt of the souls of his members, Christ Jesus sits in heaven, and ouerrules them, limiting their power and their rage, and they going on in their bloody persecution, he will in the end bring them to utter confusion: and they may as well pull Christ out of his seat in heaven, as any one of his members out of his hands, and that is a ground of sweet comfort for all that truly believe in Christ.

Come we now to the third and last degree of the Apostles amplification of his reason and ground of comfort from the death of Christ in the last words of this verse, And maketh request also for us. These words have been formerly thus expounded, and the same Christ Jesus doth now also make request by the merit of his death, presenting himself and the sacrifice of himself once offered on the cross, and the infinite merit of that sacrifice continually before the eyes of his Father, willing as he is God and man, and desiring as he is man, that his Father would accept of his perfect satisfaction, and turn away his eyes from the indignities and sins of his chosen, and be well pleased with them in and through him; and this he doth for me, and for you, and for all true believers. Now the point of doctrine hence offered is this.

[Doct. 6] That Christ Jesus hath not only died for the sins of God's chosen, and by his death fully satisfied for their sins, but he is risen from the dead, and ascended up into heaven, and he there also makes continual intercession by the merit of his death, for all God's chosen, now believing in him. Christ Jesus now in heaven appeareth continually before his Father, and is there continually exercised in executing that part of his Priestly office, even in making intercession for all his true believing members: & Christ presenting himself, & the sacrifice of himself and the infinite merit of that sacrifice continually before his Father, he causeth his Father to turn away his eyes from the indignities & sins of all his true believing members, and he procures his Fathers favor and loving countenance towards them continually. Heb. 9.24. saith the Author of that Epistle, Christ is entered into very heaven to this end, to appear now in the sight of God for us: to appear in the presence of God his Father to make intercession for us. The holy Ghost there hath respect to the manner of the high Priest in the time of the Law, who used to go into the Sanctū sanctorum, into the most holy place, with the names of the children of Israel written in precious stones, for a remembrance of them, that he might remember them to God in his prayers, as Exod. 30.7. So Christ Jesus being now gone up into heaven, he there presents to his Father the names of all his chosen, and remembers them to his Father, and by the merit of his death procures mercy for them continually. And to this purpose is that a plain text, Heb. 7.24 25. where the holy Ghost comparing Christ his priesthood with the Levitical priesthood, he prefers his before that, in respect of the perpetuity of it, and he saith, the Levitical Priests were many, there was a succession and a passing of that priesthood from one to another, because they were not suffered to endure by the reason of death, But this man, meaning Christ, because he (that is Christ) hath an everlasting priesthood, or a priesthood that passeth not from him to any other, wherefore he is able also perfectly to save them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. A plain and pregnant proof of this, that Christ Jesus enduring forever, and now living with God his Father eternally in heaven, he hath an everlasting priesthood, and is continually before his Fathers eyes executing that office, even making continual intercession by the merit of his death for all God's chosen now believing in him: For why, [Reason.] we may not think that Christ is ascended to heaven, and advanced to the right hand of God, only there to live in eternal happiness himself, and to enjoy for himself a blessed life only, but to procure also happiness for all his members, and that he there lives forever to excellent purpose, and to the great good of his Church and of all his members: he there sits at the right hand of God, advanced to unspeakable glory and power, governing and protecting his Church and the members of it in wisdom and power also, continually executing the office of his priesthood for the good of his Church. And therefore this we may resolve on as a certain truth, that Christ Jesus hath not only died for the sins of God's chosen, and by his death fully satisfied for their sins, and so performed that part of his priesthood, but he is risen from the dead, and ascended up into heaven, and he there makes continual intercession by the merit of his death for all God's chosen now believing in him; he there presents himself and the sacrifice of himself, and the infinite merit of that sacrifice continually before the eyes of his Father, and he thereby causeth his Father to turn away his eyes from the indignities and sins of all his true believing members, and he procures his Fathers face and favor towards them continually. [Use 1]

Now this truth in the first place bears strongly against the intercession of Angels and Saints departed, which the Papists hold and teach, and stand much on it; and it shows that to be altogether needless and vain: for why, Doth Christ now in heaven appear continually before his Father, setting before him the sacrifice of himself, and the infinite merit of that sacrifice, and thereby make continually intercession for all God's chosen now believing in him? What need then is there of the intercession of Angels and Saints departed? Surely their intercession is altogether needless, and the Papists in making them intercessors between God and themselves, do rob Christ of a great part of the honor of his priesthood. Christ hath an everlasting priesthood, therefore his intercession is perpetual: and Saint John saith, 1. John. 2.1. If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father (not the Virgin Marie, Peter or Paul, or any other Saint, but) Jesus Christ the Just. And 1. Tim. 2.5. saith the Apostle, There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, which is the man Christ Jesus. And therefore we ought not to make any our Mediator between God and us, but only Christ Jesus. Yea say the Papists, [Object.] true: Christ is only Mediator between God and us touching redemption, he is the only Mediator of redemption, but there may be other mediators of intercession, namely Angels and Saints departed.

I answer [Answ.] them, we find no warrant for this distinction in the word of God, no not one title to this purpose in all the book of God.

Again, to call Angels and Saints mediators of intercession, is very absurd and foolish; for who knows not this, that knows anything, that to mediate and to intercede, in common understanding is all one? And indeed intercession partaines to Christ as part of his mediation, it is one part of it, and therefore to say that Angels and Saints departed are mediators of intercession is most absurd and foolish. I will not further stand on this idle conceit of our adversaries, I leave them to vanish in their own vain speculations: and for the use of the ground of truth now delivered to our [Use 2] selves.

Is it so that Christ Jesus hath not only died for the sins of God's chosen, and by his death fully satisfied for all their sins, but he is risen again from the dead, and ascended up into heaven, and there makes continual intercession by the merit of his death for all God's chosen now believing in him, he there presents himself and the sacrifice of himself, and the infinite merit of that sacrifice continually before the eyes of his Father, & thereby causeth his Father to turn away his eyes from the indignities and sins of all his true believing members, and procures his Fathers face and favor towards them continually? Surely this is to be thought on and considered of for the comfort of all true believers: here is a ground of sweet and heavenly comfort for every true believer; for mark I beseech you, Christ hath not only by his death fully satisfied for the sins of every true believer, and taken away the guilt and punishment due to him for sin, but being risen from the dead and ascended up into heaven, he now lives with God his Father forever in heaven, and his living there is to the further great good of all and everyone of his members, he there makes continual intercession for them by the merit of his death, and by his perpetual intercession he keeps them perpetually in the favor of God, and howsoever they sometimes slip and fall of infirmity into some sin, yet he doth intercede, and as it were step between them and the wrath of his Father, and he wills that his Father would accept of his perfect sacrifice once offered for the daily and particular sins of everyone of his members: and what a sweet comfort is that to every true believer? A child of God, a true believer is sometimes much cast down because he is now and then overtaken with sin that he falls into against his purpose: now here is matter of comfort for thee that art a child of God, in this case Christ doth intercede and step between thee and the wrath of his Father that it cannot break forth on thee; yea by his intercession he reconciles thee to his Father for those sins thou dost daily commit, thou being humbled for them, and craving pardon of them; for Christ lives forever in the presence of his Father in heaven, and he is continually exercised in making intercession by the merit of his death, not only for God's chosen generally, but for particular men, and that particularly, even for everyone in particular that belongs to him; and by his intercession he keeps every particular member of his in the state of grace continually: he ma • ing request to his Father for the perseverance of his members in grace, and so for their continuance in the state of grace, he is certainly heard for that he prays for, John. 11.42. Yea not only the person of a true believer stand, just in the sight of God, and is kept in the state of grace continually through the intercession of Christ, but the good things done by him are thereby also sanctified and made acceptable and pleasing to God. A child of God finds his best works, his prayers full of defects and wantings; now by Christ his intercession, those defects and wantings are covered and removed, and the Lord looking on them in and through Christ, accepts them, and is well pleased with them. 1 Pet. 2.5. Ye are made an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. And this is a matter of sweet comfort to all true believers, and to be thought on to the comfort of all that have part in the death of Christ, [Quest.] and consequently in the intercession of Christ. Yea may some say, but how shall I know and be sure of it that I have part in the intercession of Christ, and that he now being in heaven makes request for me to God his Father? Answer. [Answ.] Thou shalt know it thus, if so be thou find thyself enabled by the Spirit of Christ to cry to God, and to make request to him with fervency of spirit, and especially for things heavenly and spiritual, as for the pardon of sins, and such things as concern God's kingdom and life everlasting. For certainly Christ his intercession in heaven breeds another intercession in all his true believing members that live here on the face of the earth, and the same Spirit dwelling in Christ and in all his members, moves and stirs them up to cry Abba, Father, and to make request to God with sighs which cannot be expressed, as verse 26. If then thou find this in thine own heart that thou art enabled by the Spirit of Christ to cry Abba, Father, and to call on God with fervency of spirit, and with a longing desire after heavenly and spiritual things, that is an infallible sign that thou hast part in the intercession of Christ, and that Christ Jesus continually makes intercession for thee in heaven. As for those that cannot truly pray in some measure with fervency of spirit, but are only able to repeat a certain number of words for fashions sake, they can have no assurance that Christ makes intercession for them. Oh then never rest till thou find and feel the Spirit of Christ enabling thee to cry to God Abba, Father, and to make request to God for things heavenly and spiritual with fervency of spirit: thereby thou mayest assure thyself that Christ Jesus makes continual intercession for thee in heaven by the merit of his death, presented before the eyes of his Father continually, and thereby causeth his Father to turn away his eyes from thy indignities and sins, and thereby procures his Fathers face and favor and loving countenance towards thee continually. Come we now to the 35. verse.

Our Apostle having in the two verses foregoing put down a ground of comfort against the assaults that might come from the evil of sin, and shown that the evil of sin cannot hurt God's chosen believing in Christ, either in regard of accusation or in respect of condemnation; he now in this 35. verse, and in the verses following labors to arm and strengthen the believing Romans, and other true believers, against the assault that might come from the evil of affliction, and he shows that the evil of affliction cannot hurt them: and he falls on this ground of comfort by way of prevention of an objection; for the believing Romans out of their weakness might say to him, Paul you tell us that God having not spared his own Son, but given him for us all to death, that together with him he will give us all things needful and fit for us, and that God justifying us none can lay anything to our charge, and Christ being dead for us and risen again for us, and ascended into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God, and there ma • ing intercession for us, none can condemn us, which we must needs confess are matters of great comfort: but we must tell you again, that we are subject to many sore and grievous crosses and troubles, and we are pressed with many and great afflictions, which make us doubt that we are not loved of God, and we fear that our troubles and crosses are so many testimonies of God's anger and wrath against us. Now this doubt & fear the Apostle here prevents, by showing that no cross or trouble be it never so great or strong, can possibly shake true believers, God's children, out of God's favor, and separate them from the love of Christ. The order the Apostle holds in setting down this ground of comfort is this: in the 35. verse he first affirms in general, that no enemy whatsoever can possibly separate true believers and God's children from the love of Christ, which he puts down by way of interrogation, adding force and life to his position, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Secondly, he affirms in more special manner, that particular evils, he reckoning up diverse, cannot separate true believers and God's children from the love of Christ, which he likewise delivers by way of interrogation, more emphatically and with greater force, Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Then verse 36. he brings a testimony of Scripture out of Psal. 44. to show that the particular evils reckoned up by him, are such as have and do usually befall the Church and children of God, and that they are no feigned or new and strange things, as it is written (saith the Apostle) for thy sake are we killed all the day long: we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. We will lay forth the particulars of that verse when we come to stand on it. In the 37. verse the Apostle makes answer to his interrogation, Who shall separate us frō the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? and his answer is negative, that none of those evils can separate true believers & God's children from the love of Christ, which he puts down, not in plain terms, but in the p • oofe of it, on this manner, Those things in which true believers and God's children are conquerors cannot separate them from the love of Christ; but in the evils reckoned up they are conquerors: therefore those cannot separate them from the love of Christ.

First, the minor or second proposition the Apostle amplifies, first by the degree of victory or conquest, that in those evils true believers are potent conquerors, Nevertheless in all these things we are more then conquerors. And secondly, the cause of that conquest, the powerful assistance of God who loveth them, Through him that loved us.

Come we now to the handling of these verses as they lie in order.

I will first open the sense and meaning of the words of this 35. verse. Who shall separate us. As if the Apostle had said, None shall, or none can, neither the devil nor any instrument of his can do it, by any evil they can bring on us; I defy them all, as to be able to separate us: that is me, or you, or any other true believer. From the love of Christ. Some would have the love of Christ here to be taken actively, for that love wherewith we love Christ; but indeed it is better to take it passively, for that love wherewith we are beloved of Christ, that is more agreeable to the context and purpose of the Apostle, having before spoken of Christ his love to his chosen now believing in him, testified by his dying for them, his rising again, and by his sitting at the right hand of God, and making intercession for them: and the Apostle himself expounds it of God's love to us in Christ, verse 37. and 39. and the word separate leads us thus to understand it; for we are not properly said to be separated from our selves, or from our own love, but from another, or from the love of another. Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As if he had said, neither tribulation, nor anguish, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword, shall be able or can separate us from the love of Christ. By tribulation is meant any pressure or vexation by imprisonment, bonds, banishment, or the like. Anguish or distress. The word signifieth properly straightness of place, and it is here used metaphorically for perplexity of mind, when one knows not what to do, or which way to turn himself, as David said, 2. Sam. 24.14. I am in a wonderful strait. Or persecution. The word persecution signifies the extreme violence used to God's children by tyrants and wicked men, whereby they do hunt them and chase them up and down, and pursue them from place to place, as David said, 1. Sam. 24.15. Whom dost thou pursue? And Chap. 26.20. that Saul hunted him as one would hunt a partrich in the mountains. Or famine, or nakedness. These are known things, one signifieth want of food to sustain life, and the other want of clothing to cover and defend the body from the injury of weather. Or peril. By peril is meant any dangerous distress, whereby the life of man is in great hazard, such as the Apostle speaks of, 2. Corinth. 11.26. Or sword. By sword we are to understand any kind of violent slaughter, and cruel tormenting death; as Hebr. 11.37. it is said, they were slain with the sword. Thus then conceive we the Apostles meaning in the words of this verse, as if he had said.

Who is able to separate me, or you, or any true believer, from that love wherewith we are beloved of Christ, or to make us less beloved of him? Surely, neither the devil nor any instrument of his, can do it by any evil they can bring on us. Is any pressure or vexation, or any perplexity of mind, or any extreme violence used to us by tyrants and wicked men, whereby they pursue us from place to place, or is want of necessary food, or want of necessary clothing, or any dangerous distress whereby our lives are in hazard, or any kind of violent and cruel tormenting death, able to separate us from the love wherewith we are beloved of Christ, or to make us less beloved of him? Surely neither these nor any other evils that befall us, or can come to us, are able to do it.

Now in that the Apostle saith, who shall separate us, we being true believers, from that love wherewith we are beloved of Christ, meaning this, that none can do it, neither Satan nor any instrument of his, by any evil they can bring on us or do unto us; he points out plainly what Satan would do if he were able, and what Satan chiefly aims at, namely, to separate God's children from the love of God, and from the love of Christ: and the point hence in the first place is this.

That the thing that Satan chiefly aims at and labors after [Doct. 1] in all temptations, trials, crosses, and evils that he brings on God's children, is (if it were possible) to separate them from the love of God and Christ. At least Satan drives at this, and labors after this, by his temptations, trials, crosses, and evils, to shake out of the hearts of God's children the sense and feeling of God's love to them, and to empty their hearts of the persuasion of God's love, and to cast doubts into their minds of God's love towards them. Thus de dealt with David, Psal. 73. he had almost tript up his heels, verse 2. and he brought him to say in regard of his affliction, verse 13. Certainly I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed mine hands in innocence: I am not in favor with God. And so Gideon, Judge. 6.13. If the Lord be with us, how then is all this come upon us? And this was Satan's aim in Job's affliction and trials, he spoiled him of his goods, and he vexed him grievously in his body, not so much to make him poor or to hurt his body, as to make him blaspheme or deny God, and to call into question God's love towards him, Job 1.11. And this was Satan's chief aim in his tempting of Christ, Mat. 4. the special thing he aimed at, was to make Christ call into question his Fathers love towards him, and the truth of that voice of his from heaven, Matth. 3.17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: and to think, through unbelief, that he was not the Son of God, and therefore he comes on him with that, verse. 3.6. If thou be the Son of God. And it is no marvel that Satan thus in all temptations and trials that he brings on God's children, chiefly aims at this, and labors what he can to shake out of their hearts the sense and feeling of God's love to them, and to empty their hearts of the persuasion of God's love towards them.

[Reason.] Because this brings great hurt to God's children, and it yields great advantage to Satan: for by this means Satan brings in impatiency, despair, and such like, much dullness and vncheerfulnesse in the service of God and in good duties. And therefore doubtless it is the thing Satan chiefly aims at in all temptations, crosses, trials, and afflictions he brings on God's children, to shake out of their hearts the sense and feeling of God's love to them, and to empty their hearts of the persuasion of God's love to them.

[Use.] Now then for the use of this: is this Satan's drift, as we have heard? Surely then it behoues God's children in the time of their trials, crosses, and afflictions, to labor to disappoint Satan of his purpose, and in their afflictions they are to labor especially to strengthen their faith, and their persuasion of God's love towards them: and the more Satan seeks to empty their hearts of the persuasion of God's love, the more they are to labor by all means to settle their hearts in the persuasion of it, that God loves them. And take thou heed when thou art under any temptation, trial, or cross, thou yield not to Satan his own conclusion, that because thou art afflicted and that grievously, therefore God loves thee not. It is an holy logic in this case to deny the conclusinn, though it be against the art of logic, and learn thou thus to do when thou art under the greatest trials and afflictions: labor thou to preserve in thine heart a persuasion of God's love towards thee, that God still loves thee though he do grievously afflict thee, and so disappoint Satan of his aim, and of his drift in seeking to shake out of thine heart the feeling and persuasion of Gads love to thee. [Quest.] Thou wilt say, But how is that to be done? how shall I be able so to do? [Answ.] Why, surely there be two special things to be done that serve to this purpose: I will briefly commend them to thee, mark them well.

First hold thou fast this ground of truth, which is undeniable, that God's love is most constant and unchangeable as his own blessed Majesty, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadowing by turning, I am. 1.17. and that nothing in the world can pluck his love from his children, no not so much as hinder it or keep it back from them, and that a child of God once beloved of God in his best beloved the Lord Jesus, is as dear to God in his greatest distress as in his greatest prosperity; and though his estate be changed, yet God's love towards him is not changed.

And again secondly, cleave thou fast to the word & promise [ 2] of God, that God will never withdraw his love & mercy from thee, though he do grievously afflict thee, as he said to David, 2. Sam. 7.15. that which he said to him, he saith to all his children, and cleave thou fast to this word of promise. And though the Lord hide his face from thee, & his love and mercy are so overshadowed with the cloud of thy present afflictions as they cannot be seen, yet cleave thou fast to his word and promise, even to his bare word, when all other things for thy trial seem contrary to thee, and consider that then the Lord hath a secret working for thy good, which thou canst not sensibly perceive. Thus did Abraham, as we find Rom. 4.18. Above hope he believed under hope: he hoped in God, and did cleave fast and close to the promise of God against sense and reason, and when all things seemed contrary to him, he considering the power and secret working of the Lord. And if thou thus hold fast that truth of God which cannot be gainsaid, that God's love is most constant and unchangeable, and if thou thus cleave fast to the word of promise, yea to the bare word, when all things for trial seem contrary to thee, thou shalt be able in thy greatest distress to preserve in thine heart and soul a persuasion of God's love to thee; and so thou shalt frustrate Satan of his purpose, and disappoint him of his aim and drift.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? We see the Apostle here speaks very boldly and confidently, as it were by way of challenge, and by way of triumph over Satan and all his instruments: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? as if he had said, I defy the devil and all his instruments, as able to separate us from the love of Christ by any evil they can bring; I am sure they are never able [Doct. 2] to do it, I fear them not. See then, God's children are after an holy manner bold and undaunted, in respect of the evil of affliction & outward crosses. Without question God's children have in them a natural fear of the evil of affliction and outward troubles and crosses, as they be enemies to nature, and tend to the destruction of nature, and they are afraid of them so far, as they are careful to avoid them by all good and lawful ways & means, and not to draw and pull them on themselves needlessly, but they have in them an holy boldness, and courage, and vndauntednesse, in respect of afflictions and outward troubles that come to them from the hand of God, which they cannot avoid: and a child of God more fears the evil of sin then the evil of affliction. In respect of sin, a child of God quakes and trembles, and is ready to swoon, & even to fall down dead at the least known sin, yet in respect of adversity and outward troubles that do or may befall him, he is marvelous comfortable & courageous in an holy manner, undaunted through the grace of faith in the promises of God. Dan. 3.16.17.18. we find that Shadrach Mesbach and Abednego were afraid to sin against God by falling down to worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, but they were nothing daunted nor appalled with the hot fiery furnace threatened against thē for refusing so to do. We might further exemplify this, but for the application of it briefly.

[Use.] We are hence to take notice of the different disposition of God's children and the wicked: where God's children are most bold, there wicked persons are very cowards; and where God's children are most afraid, there the wicked and ungodly are most bold; a child of God quakes and fears in respect sin, but a wicked person is most bold in sin, yea he thinks it strange that men will suffer themselves to be feared with sins, and that they will stand trembling at some sins, that he accounts trifling. And again, in respect of adversity and outward trouble a child of God is bold and undaunted, but there the wicked man's heart fails him, and there he shows himself a very coward: yea a bare conceit and suspicion of some outward trouble coming towards him, daunts him, and makes him tremble and quake. If then thou find thyself more afraid of the least known sin, then thou art at the greatest outward trouble, and thou hadst rather undergo the one then fall into the other, it is an evidence to thee that thy heart is right, and there is true grace in it: but if thou be bold in respect of sin, and a coward in regard of outward trouble, and thou art more afraid of outward trouble then of sin, and thou more fearest poverty and loss of outward things then the breach of God's commandments, as Sabbath-breaking, using unlawful means to enrich thyself, surely it is a certain note thou hast not in thee the spirit and disposition of a child of God, but the spirit and disposition of a wicked and graceless person.

Now further these words of the Apostle, Who shall separate us, we being true believers, the meaning of them being as ye have heard, that none is able to do it, neither the devil nor any instrument of his can do it by any evil they can bring on us, they afford to us this proposition, this ground of truth, it is the thing here intended.

That the love of Christ, or God's love in Christ, cannot possibly [Doct. 3] be severed from true believers, nor they from it: no adversary power whatsoever, either of men or devils, is able to separate and to keep away the love of God and the love of Christ from true believers and God's children, neirher the devil nor any instrument of his, is able by any evil they can do to one that is beloved of God in Christ, to make him not beloved of God, or less beloved of him. We read Ierem. 31.3. the Church and people of Israel complain that the Lord of old appeared to them, and shown himself a loving God to their fathers, but now he seemed to withdraw his love and favor from them. No saith the Lord, he presently subjoins an answer to them, and by way of correction of that speech of theirs: I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with mercy I have drawn thee. The Lord hath appeared unto me of old, say they: Yea (saith he) I have loved thee with an everlasting love; my love to you that are my children, is as it hath been, and it is the same forever, nothing can separate between my love and you. John. 15.9. Christ saith to his disciples, As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you, continue in my love. John. 13.1. it is said, Forasmuch as Christ loved his own which were in the world, to the end he loved them. He loves them to the end, yea without end, and forever, & no power either of men or devils is able to separate or to keep away the love of Christ and the love of God from his children: for why, the reasons and grounds of this truth are these.

[Reason 1] First, God himself is immutable and unchangeable, as before we heard, I am. 1.17. With him is no variableness, neither shadowing by turning: and as he saith by his Prophet Malac. 3.6. I am the Lord, I change not: and God himself being unchangeable, he is unchangeably good, holy, merciful, loving.

[Reason 2] Again, secondly God's love to his children is stronger then all evils are or can be; and it may be most truly affirmed of God's love to his children, which we read of love, Cant. 8.6.7. that His love is strong as death, and much water cannot quench it, neither can the floods drown it: it is stronger then all floods of evil that can come to God's children. Yea the Lord saith, he will be with his children in love, and in mercy for their good and comfort, Isai. 43.2. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the floods that they do not overflow thee, and when they walk through the very fire, they should not be burnt, neither should the flame kindle upon them. And therefore doubtless on these grounds we may resolve on this as a certain truth, that God's love in Christ cannot possibly be severed from true believers, nor they from it; neither the devil nor any instrument of his is able by any evil they can do to one that is beloved of God in Christ, to make him not beloved of God, or less beloved of him.

And this for the use and application of it, in the first place [Use 1] serves to overturn the opinion of the Arminians and Anabaptists, in that they hold that a child of God may be shaken quite out of the state of grace and out of the favor of God, and that one who is beloved of God in Christ may in time come not to be beloved of him: this is clean contrary to the truth now delivered, that God's love in Christ abideth with his children continually without separation, and it cannot possibly be severed from them nor they from it. Yea say they, there is no question of the continuance of God's love or of Christ his love to his, but of their love to him; [Object.] God continues to love his children in Christ, if they continue to love him, otherwise not. An idle conceit, [Answ.] as if God's love to his children in Christ did depend on something in them, on their love to him; and if their love to him hold and continue, then his love to them holds and continues; and if their love to God fail, then God's love to them fails and is drawn away from them, and so God's love to man is variable and changeable according to the alteration and change of man's love to him: a conceit clean contrary to the plain evidence of Scripture, and to the text we have in hand, where the Apostle speaks not conditionally, that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, we being true believers, if we continue to love him, but he speaks positively & absolutely, that nothing is able to separate us from the love of Christ.

Again, such is the nature of God's love, and of Christ his love to his, as it doth not only abide and continue with them forever, but it is also effectual in them, and it keeps them continually in their love to God, and it preserves in their hearts a continual love to God and to Christ, so as their love of God and of Christ can never be quite shaken out of their hearts, as the Lord saith by Jeremiah, Jer. 32.40. I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me: my love to them shall be so effectual, as it shall make them continue and persevere in fearing me, and loving me forever. And therefore the Anabaptistical conceit is very idle and contrary to the truth, that God continues to love his children in Christ, if they continue to love him. I leave them, and for a second use.

[Use 2] Is it so that God's love in Christ cannot possibly be severed from true believers, nor they from it, neither the devil nor any instrument of his is able by any evil they do or can do to one that is beloved of God in Christ, to make him not beloved of God, or less beloved of God? Oh then lay up this in thine heart as a ground of sweet comfort, whosoever thou art that hast good evidence of it that thou art a true believer, a child of God: on this truth thou mayest cheare up thine heart, when thou art plonged in the deepest distress that either man or devil can bring thee into. What though the devil rage against thee, and his wicked instruments do malice thee, and practice against thee all the mischief they can, and bring thee into great trouble and distress? What though they cause others to hate and malign thee, and thou art hated of thousands in the world, yea thy nearest and dearest friends, such as are knit to thee in the nearest bond of nature, they abhor thee, fly far from thee, and spare not to spit in thy face, as Job saith he was dealt withal, Job 30.10. yet comfort thyself in this, God still loves thee, and thou art still dear to him, and all that Satan or any instrument of his can do to thee, cannot possibly sever either God's love from thee, or thee from the love of God in Christ. And though thy distress be never so great, yet thy condition is happy and comfortable, thou art still beloved of God, and his love is better then the love of the whole world, yea better then life it self, yea better then heaven, it is better to be loved of God though hated of all the world, then to have the love of the world and to be out of God's favor.

[Quest.] But haply thou wilt say, How shall I be able to persuade myself that I am still beloved of God, when I am so deeply distressed, as I cannot see or discern any token of his love to me, but rather tokens of his anger and displeasure against me, and mine own heart is ready to tell me, that God is rather angry then well pleased with me?

I answer: [Answ.] By this thou mayest persuade thyself that God still loves thee, if notwithstanding thy greatest distress thou dost still take part with God, and stand on his side against his enemies, Satan and sin, and thou art enemy to them, thou still lovest that which God loves, and thou still hatest that which God hates, namely sin, and thou art resolved with Job. Job 13.15. Though the Lord kill thee, yet thou wilt still trust in him, and still reprove thy ways in his sight: and thou wilt still strive against sin: and though thou canst not tell whether thou strive against it for fear of the punishment of it, or out of thy love to God thy good and gracious Father, yet if thou desirest to love the Lord Jesus, and out of that love to strive against sin, and to be better being wearied and tired with sin, and thou desirest to please God in a simple obedience of faith, then comfort thyself, thou mayest thereupon conclude to the comfort of thine own soul, that notwithstanding thy deep distress, thou art still beloved of God in Christ, and nothing can separate thee from that love of his.

Come we now to the second general laid before us in this verse, the Apostles second affirmation propounded in more special manner, by an enumeration and reckoning up of diverse particulars, and that also by way of interrogation: Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? that is (as I shown) neither tribulation, neither any pressure or vexation, nor anguish, any perplexity of mind, nor any extreme violence used to us by tyrants and wicked men, whereby they pursue us from place to place, nor want of necessary food, nor want of necessary clothing, nor any dangerous distress whereby our lives are in hazard, nor any kind of violent and cruel tormenting death: neither these nor any other evils that do or may befall us, are able to separate us that are true believers from that love wherewith Christ loves us, or wherewith God loves us in Christ. In this enumeration, Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Our Apostle goes on from the lesser to the greater, he begins with lighter troubles and riseth up by degrees to greater, and he putteth down the particulars here mentioned, not casually, but by singular art. Yea some observe, that the Apostles style, here & in the whole conclusion following to the end of the Chapter, is beautified with such wonderful eloquence and Rhetoric, as neither Tully nor Demosthenes could ever have spoken more eloquently. See then, the holy Spirit of God is pleased sometimes to use eloquence, and the help of art, not such eloquence as is in common use amongst men, a whorish painted eloquence, standing in vain inventions and frothy conceits of men's wit, but divine grave eloquence, and ponderous and weighty, and such as is powerful to sway the conscience, and to move the affections for the good of the soul. We are not then simply to condeme eloquence, Rhetoric, and other liberal arts and sciences, as some foolishly do, accounting them heathenish and antichristian; there is good use of them, if they be used in due place, and in a right manner, as servants and handmaids to Divinity, but I pass by that.

We see here our Apostle resteth not in the general, that none either man or devil can separate us that are true believers from the love of God in Christ, by any evil they do or can bring on us, but he descends to particulars, and reckons up particular evils, tribulation, and anguish, and persecution, and famine, and nakedness, and peril, and sword: affirming that these cannot separate true believers from the love of Christ; and in this Catalogue observe we, that the Apostle reckons up the greatest, and most bitter, and most shameful evils that can befall true believers in this world. Now the point hence (not to stand on these particulars severally, we shall haply insist on them more particularly verse 37.) the point I say hence offered is this.

[Doct. 4] That particular evils, trials, crosses, or troubles, that befall God's chosen, though they be most smart, bitter, and shameful, cannot possibly sever God's love from them, nor them from God's love in Christ. No particular evil, trial, or affliction whatsoever it be, inward or outward, can possibly separate or keep back the love of God and the love of Christ from true believers, and from God's children: neither any vexation of body, nor any perplexity of mind, nor any extreme violence and persecution, or things following that, hunger, cold, nakedness, and need of all things for the body, nor any dangerous distress whereby the life is in hazard or endangered, nor loss of life it self, by most violent, cruel, and bloody torments, neither these nor any other evils that do or may befall God's children, and such as are beloved of God, can possibly make them not beloved of him, or less beloved of him. And that this is so, we may easily conceive, in that the Lord promiseth to be with his children in love and mercy, even in their particular evils, trials, and afflictions. Genes. 28.15. the Lord saith to Jacob, Loe I am with thee, and will keep thee whither soever thou goest. Job 5.19.20.21. Eliphas saith, the Lord will deliver his children in six troubles, and in the seventh evil shall not touch them: and in famine he will deliver them from death, and in battle from the power of the sword: and they shall be hid from the scourge of the tongue, and shall not be afraid of destruction when it cometh. And so Psal. 33.19. the Psalmist saith, The eye of the Lord is upon his children, to deliver them from death, and to preserve them in famine. The Scripture is plentiful in this, and we find that the Lord hath been with his children from time to time in love and in mercy in their greatest particular evils, trials, and afflictions that can or may befall them. As with Joseph in prison, Gen. 39.21. with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the hot fiery furnace, Dan. 3.25. with Jonah in the belly of the fish, Ion. 2.2. with the Apostles in prison, Act. 5.19. with Paul in danger to lose his life, Act. 24.25. with Peter in prison, Act. 12.7.8. A cloud of witnesses we have to this purpose, all of them euidencing and confirming the truth of the point in hand, that particular evils, trials, and afflictions that befall God's children, though most bitter, cannot possibly sever God's love from them, nor them from God's love in Christ; neither any vexation of body, nor perplexity of mind, nor any of the evils reckoned up by the Apostle, nor any other that do or may befall God's children, and such as are beloved of God, can possibly make them not beloved of him, or less beloved of him: and the reasons of it are these.

[Reason 1] First, God's love to his children is out of question most true and sound love; he is truth it self, and it is the nature of true love to be constant, and to continue, it varies not according to the change of the thing loved. An husband that loves his wife truly and as he ought, he loves her as dearly in sickness as in health, and in adversity as out of adversity. And a kind and loving father loves his sick and weak child as dearly as if it were well and in perfect health and strength: yea a true loving father then tenders his child more because of the weakness of it. And is it not so with the Lord the fountain of love and of pity? doubtless it is.

[Reason 2] Again, though evils, troubles, and afflictions come for sin originally, yet to God's children they are mercies, and proceed from his love towards them, Hebr. 12.6. and all particular evils are disposed of by the good hand of God for the good of his children. And to this I might add, that particular evils the greatest of them are finite and temporary, and God's love is infinite and endless, and there is no proportion between them and the love of God. And therefore this we are to hold for a certain truth, that the particular evils, trials, and afflictions that befall God's children, though most bitter, cannot possibly sever God's love from them, nor them from God's love: neither any vexation of body, nor perplexity of mind, neither these nor any other particular evils that do or may befall the children of God, and such as are beloved of God, can possibly make them not beloved of him, or less beloved [Use 1] of him.

And this truth for the use may first serve further to batter and beat down that opinion of the Arminians and Anabaptists, that a child of God may be quite shaken out of God's favor, and one that is beloved of God in Christ, may in time to come not be beloved of him: the truth now delivered bears more strongly and makes further against this conceit.

Yea but, say the Arminians, you must observe, that in the catalogue of particular evils put down by the Apostle, there is no mention made of sin, [Object.] and though the evils reckoned up do not make a separation between the love of Christ and God's chosen, yet sin separates between God an man, Isai. 59.2. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God; and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear.

I answer them, It is true, [Answ.] sin properly and nothing but sin hath power to separate between God and man: but the Apostle in saying that these particular evils neither do nor can separate true believers from the love of God in Christ, it is as if he had said, These particular evils cannot carry a true believer so far into temptation and sin, as that by reason thereof he should be separated from the love of God in Christ, neither indeed is it so that every sin separates every man altogether from God, but only reigning sin. And of such sins speaks the Prophet in the place alleged, as appears plainly in diverse verses following, the Prophet reckens many particular crying and reigning sins. Now reigning sin is not found in God's children, and therefore it is but a cavil of the Arminians, that in the Apostles catalogue of particular evils sin is not mentioned. I leave them: and for a second use.

Is it so that the particular evils, trials, crosses, and troubles [Use 2] that befall God's children, though most bitter, smart, & shameful, cannot possibly sever God's love from them, nor them from it, neither any vexation of body, or perplexity of mind, nor any other particular evil that doth or may befall God's children and such as are beloved of God, can possibly make them not beloved of him, or less beloved of him? Surely then here is yet further ground of comfort for everyone that hath good evidence of it, that he or she is a true believer, and a child of God, (and still the comfort belongs to such, and to none but such.) On this ground of truth thou that art a true believer mayest comfort thyself when thou liest under any particular evil, trial, cross, or trouble, though never so bitter and painful, and never so shameful; yea when one trouble follows thee in the neck of another, and one is greater then another, and in the eye of the world thou art in a miserable case, and the men of the world are ready to judge thee an hypocrite, and out of God's favor, because of particular seen and known evils and crosses thou liest under: yet comfort thyself, thou being a child of God, God still loves thee, and thou still art dear to him. It is not thy particular distress, be it sickness, pain, poverty, imprisonment, and these in great extremity, that can possibly sever either God's love from thee, or thee from the love of God in Christ. Be it with thee as it was with Lazarus, thou liest in the streets full of sores, wanting bread to put into thy mouth, and scarce having a rag to cover thy nakedness, yet still God's love abides with thee without separation. Labor thou to be resolved of this when thou art under any particular evil, trial, cross or trouble, that thou art still beloved of God, and thou shalt find it will yield thee matter of great comfort. I know it is a very hard thing to persuade our selves of God's love to us in the time of particular trials, they being bitter, smart, and shameful: out of such trials there is no great difficulty and hardness in it, but to persuade our selves that we are beloved of God when we lie under some particular cross and affliction, it lying hard and heavy on us, Hoc opus hic labor est, that is an hard matter indeed. And this then we are to labor for: how soon we may come under particular trials we know not, yea under the particular trials here reckoned up by the Apostle, under tribulation, and anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword: the times we live in are dangerous, Satan and his instruments, Antichrist and his adherents are set on mischief, and the Lord seems to threaten to bring us into heavy trials. And if it please him so to do, oh labor we even when we are in the particular trial to be resolved on this, that we are still beloved of God, and then whatsoever becomes of us, we shall be sure to find comfort.

[Quest.] Thou wilt say, How is that to be done? How shall I be able to persuade myself that God still loves me, when I am in a particular trial and affliction, and it lies hard and heavy on me?

I answer. By doing two things. [Answ.]

First, by calling to mind and thinking on former and fore-passed mercies of God towards thee, and by remembering with comfort the sweet mercies of the Lord formerly vouchsafed to thee, especially in things heavenly and spiritual. David saith this was his practice, Psal. 143.4.5. When his spirit was in perplexity within him, and his heart amazed, he remembered the time past, and meditated in the works of the Lord.

Secondly, by possessing thy soul in patience, and by attending on the Lord's mercy, as it is Psal. 147.11. verse, by waiting on the Lord for help, comfort, and deliverance, and patiently tarrying the Lord's leisure: for if God give thee an heart to wait on him in patience in the time of distress, it lying hard and heavy on thee, and that a long time, it is an evidence of his love to thee. If thou do these two things, if thou call to mind and think on the former mercies of the Lord vouchsafed to thee with comfort, and if thou possess thy soul in patience, and attend on the Lord's mercy, waiting for it in his due time to be vouchsafed to thee, assuredly thou shalt be able even when thou art in the particular trial and affliction, and it lies hard and heavy on thee, to persuade thyself that thou art still beloved of God; and that will yield thee matter of sweet comfort. Think on these things, and labor to put them in practice. Come we now to the 36. Verse.

IN this Verse our Apostle brings a testimony of Scripture out of Psal. 44.22. to show that the particular evils reckoned up by him verse. 35. tribulation, anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword, are such as have and do usually befall the Church and children of God, are no feigned things, or put down by way of supposition, or any new and strange things, but such as stand on record in the book of God, as things ordinarily befalling the Church and people of God: As it is written, for thy sake are we killed all day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Now here we have to consider two things in general.

First, the Apostles alleging of Scripture, As it is written.

Secondly, the testimony of Scripture he doth allege, For thy sake are we killed all day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Which allegation and testimony (as I said) is taken out of Psal. 44.22. Reverend Calvin observes, and Peter Martyr notes the same, that the Psalm from which this testimony is taken, describes rather the horrible persecution of the Church of God under Antiochus Epiphanes, then under the Chaldeans in the 70. years captivity as some think, because the people that were carried away to Babylon were afflicted by the Chaldeans for their idolatry, but under Antiochus the people of God suffered for giving testimony to the Law of God: and therefore they complain to God as we may read verse. 9. to the end of that Psalm, that though they had not fallen away from the pure worship of God, verse 17.18.19. Yet they were slain continually, and counted as sheep for the slaughter, verse 22.

In this testimony, For thy sake are we killed all day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter: it being a complaint of the Church and people of God under great affliction, we have three materials to be observed.

1. First, the greatness of the sufferings of the Church and people of God complained of, they were killed, they had their blood shed violently, they were slaughtered, which is set out by a similitude, they were as sheep appointed and drawn out to slaughter.

2. Secondly, the cause of their sufferings, not for their own sins, but for the Lord's sake, For thy sake are we killed all day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

3. Thirdly, the continuance of their sufferings, put down in these words, All day long. For thy sake are we killed all day long.

Let us now examine the words of this verse standing on record in the book of God in the holy Scripture: he cites not the particular place, but delivers in general, As it is written, For thy sake. These words carry this sense, as we may easily conceive if we look into the Psalm out of which they are taken, as if the Church and people of God persecuted had said, for the confession of thy name ô Lord, and for the profession of thy truth, even because we acknowledge thee only to be our God, and we worship thee alone, and will not be drawn from thy holy religion, and from the fear of thy name. Christ saith, Matth. 5.11. Blessed are ye when men persecute you for my sake: that is, for professing my name, and Gospel, and truth of religion. Are we killed: that is, are we thy Church and people hardly and extremely dealt withal, and suffer extreme violence, sometimes to the shedding of our blood, and to the loss of our lives. All day long. These words are diversely interpreted: the best and fittest exposition is, continually and without intermission, as Paul saith of himself, 1. Corinth. 15.31. He died daily. And 2. Cor. 11.23. he was in death often: that is, continually in danger of death, and subject to it, for a man can die but once, or be killed but once. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter: that is, our cruel persecutors and bloody minded enemies, make no more reckoning of us then of such as are fit to be murdered & slaughtered, and they make no more of taking away our lives on any occasion, then a butcher doth of drawing out a sheep and cutting the throat of it at his pleasure. And as the butcher thinks he hath done well when he hath killed a sheep, and is glad when he hath so done, so are our. bloody persecutors glad when they can shed our blood, and take away our lives, and they rejoice in it, and think that thy have therein done good service to God, as Christ saith, John. 16.2. The time shall come that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service. Now then thus conceive we the meaning of the words of this verse, as if the Apostle had said.

As we find it standing on record in the book of God, in the holy Scripture, the Church and people of God in former times have justly complained to God on this manner: For the confession of thy name O Lord, and for the profession of thy truth, even because we acknowledge thee only to be our God, and we worship thee alone, and will not be drawn from thy truth, and from the fear of thy name, we thy Church and people continually and without intermission are extremely ill dealt withal, and do suffer extreme violence, sometimes to the shedding of our blood, and to the loss of our lives: yea our cruel parsecutours and bloody minded enemies make no more reckoning of us, then as of those that are fit to be murdered and slaughtered: and they make no more account of taking away our lives, when they can on any occasion, then a butcher doth of cutting the throat of a poor sheep: no they are glad when they can cruelly shed our blood and take away our lives, and they rejoice in so doing.

Now first from these words, As it is written, the Apostle here citing a place of Scripture serving his purpose, and that out of the Old Testament, I might stand to show the harmony that is between the old and New Testament, and the sweet consent of one part of Scripture with another, which indeed is an infallible note and mark by which we may know Scripture to be Scripture, and the very word of God breathed out by the holy Spirit; yea the quotations that the Lord Jesus and his Apostles do bring out of the former writings of the Prophets, do manifest to us what books written before the Gospel penned by Matthew the Evangelist are to be received as Canonical Scripture, what books are to be rejected as not Canonical, but I pass by these things, only note we thus much. The Apostle here saith, It is written, and he names not the place where, he only cites the words of Scripture out of Psal. 44.22. & saith, It is written: this is an usual thing both with Christ and with his Apostles. Matth. 4.4.7.10. Christ saith to Satan tempting him, It is written, not naming the places where. Yea John. 7.38. saith Christ, He that believeth in me, as saith the Scripture, out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life. And yet the very words there put down by him, are not found in any place of the Old Testament, but may only be gathered out of the writings of the Prophets, as out of Isai. 44.3. Isai. 49.10. Joel 3.18. and such like. So Heb. 2.6. the Author of that Epistle saith, One in a certain place witnessed saying: What is man that thou shouldest be mindful of him, or the son of man that thou wouldest consider him? he cites [Doct. 1] the words of the fourth verse of Psal. 8. but he names it not in particular: and so in diverse other places of Scripture, we find it an usual thing with Christ & with his Apostles to cite the words of Scripture, not naming the particular places whence they are taken. And what must this teach us? Surely thus much.

That we ought to be so well acquainted with the written word of God, that when any place of Scripture is alleged, though the very Chapter or book out of which it is taken be not named, yet we should be able to know it, and to take notice of it to be Scripture, and that such words are indeed recorded in the written word of God, though we cannot for the present call to mind the book, chapter, or verse where they are found.

It is the fault of thousands in the world, they know not the voice of God in his written word, [Use.] they are not acquainted with the sentences of Scripture, no not with the examples of it, which of all things are most easy. I am persuaded a man in preaching might cite a sentence of an heathen man, of a Poet, in the hearing of some, and tell them it is Scripture, and they are not able to discern it: a foul fault, and such as cannot be sufficiently taxed, especially in these days, wherein we have the written word of God not locked up as among the Papists in a strange tongue, but in our own mother tongue, and we may hear it in public, and read it in private, and come to be well acquainted with it. Thou then that art guilty of this fault, be stirred up to reform it, and never rest till by hearing, and reading, and turning over the leaves of the book of God, thou be so well acquainted with it, as when the words of Scripture are brought, and neither the verse nor Chapter named, yet thou art able to know the sentence to be a sentence of Scripture, and that such words indeed are recorded in the written word of God, though for the present thou canst not call to mind the particular place where they are found. I pass from that.

One thing I will note further from the testimony of Scripture here brought by the Apostle in general. In that the Apostle here cites a place out of the Old Testament, to show that the particular evils reckoned up by him in the verse foregoing, are such as have and do usually befall the Church and children of God, and such as stand on record in the book of God as ordinarily befalling the children and people of God, he points out plainly thus much.

[Doct. 2] That the same troubles, trials, and afflictions have befallen God's children in the times of old, may and do usually befall God's children now. The Church and people of God are subject to the same afflictions in all ages and times; and when they are under any trial or affliction, they are not singular in their sufferings, they have the Saints of all times their companions, as Christ saith to his disciples, Matth. 5.12. So persecuted they the Prophets which were before you, as if he had said: If the trials and troubles I speak of befall you, you are no otherwise dealt withal then were the holy Prophets of God in former times. 1 Pet. 5.9. saith the Apostle, The same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren, which are in the world. Not to enlarge the point, the reasons and grounds of this truth are plain. As,

First, God bears the same love to his children now as in [Reason 1] former times, and he hath now the same causes moving him to afflict and to try his children in love and in wisdom for their good, as in former times: as namely, to correct sin in them, to exercise their faith, to try their patience, and such like: yea to bring them under great troubles, trials, and afflictions, which they bearing patiently, and comfortably, and as they ought to be borne, their glory in heaven might be the greater, out of his rich mercy.

And again, the devil and his instruments the wicked of [Reason 2] the world, are now as maliciously bent against God's children as in former times, and as ready • o bring evil on them as ever heretofore.

And therefore doubtless the same troubles, trials, and afflictions that have befallen God's children in the times of old, may and do usually befall God's children now in these days.

We are not then for the use of this in the first place, to [Use 1] think it strange though we be brought under great and grievous trials and afflictions. And if the Lord be pleased to bring us to the fiery trial, as the Apostle speaks, 1. Pet. 4.12. and if the Lord should try us by the most extreme torments and tortures that the devil or wicked men could devise to lay on us, we are not to think it strange, as if some new thing were befallen us. Thus the Lord tried his dearest servants in the times of old, as appears plainly, Heb 11.36.37.38. When a child of God is under some great affliction, Satan is commonly busy with him, and he then labors to persuade him, and to fasten this on him, that never was any afflicted as he is; and sometimes he prevails so far with a dear child of God through his weakness, as he makes him cry out with the Church, Lam. 1.12. Was there ever any sorrow like to my sorrow▪ and never man or woman felt and endured that which I feel and endure. Now learn thou whosoever thou art that art a child of God, to repel this assault on the ground of truth now delivered, that the same troubles, trials, and afflictions that have befallen God's children in the times of old, may and do usually befall God's children now in these days: and know it for a certain truth, what thou doest now abide, others of God's children have endured, and thou art not singular in thy suffering, thou hast the Saints of God of all times thy companions, and no other trial or affliction is on thee, then hath been or now is endured by other of God's children, and thou art no otherwise chastised of God, then with the rod which his good hand hath laid on the backs of his dearest servants, whose salvation he had sealed up and made sure to them. Consider this seriously, and thou shalt find it will be a ground of sweet comfort to thee.

[Use 2] Come we now to a second use of the point: Is it so that the same troubles, trials, and afflictions that have befallen God's children in the times of old, may and do usually befall God's children now? Surely then on this ground as many as be the children of God, must make this reckoning and account, to meet with as great troubles, trials, and afflictions, as ever did any of God's children in former ages and times, and they must resolve with themselves to undergo as hard trials, as ever did any of God's children in the times of old. We may read both in the book of God, and in other stories, yea in the stories of our own land, that in former times, the constant profession of Christ, of the truth of the Gospel and religion, it hath cost men and women the loss of friends, of goods, of liberty, yea of their dearest blood, and that by most cruel torments and tortures, by fire and fagot. Yea we daily hear of the troubles and distresses, and the great trials that the Church and people of God are under in foreign countries, and in our neighbor nations, that they are thrust out of house and home, and most cruelly dealt withal by persecuting enemies. Now we must make account that the case may be our own, and that we may be brought under the like troubles and trials, and under the like cruelties, and how soon we may so be we know not. A man that rightly considers the evil of the times in which we live, may easily discern that the Lord is making way for heavy trials to be brought on us, and we must set down this as a conclusion in our own hearts, that the same evils, troubles, and afflictions, that have befallen God's people and children, either in the times of old or in our times, they may befall us, and we are to resolve with our selves to undergo as hard trials as any of the children of God have done heretofore, or as any of them do at this day; & we must be ready in the preparation of our hearts willingly to bear them. It is the counsel of Christ himself, Luke 14.28. to 34. that as wise builders cast the charge of their buildings before they begin to build, and as good warriors consider of their strength before they go out to meet their enemies in the field, lest they leave off and turn back like fools and cowards: so should we cast our account aforehand, and consider with our selves what things may befall us for our profession of Christ and of his Gospel, and resolve with our selves not only to bear mocks and scoffs, and nicknames, and reproaches, but to endure the greatest and bitterest trials that we hear or read of that any of God's children have endured or do endure, even to the loss of our lives by most cruel torments, if the Lord be pleased to call us to it for the constant profession of his truth and Gospel: and to that purpose to get our hearts stored with grace, that we may be able to stand in the day of trial, not to content our selves with knowledge or common gifts of the Spirit, but to labor for the true saving grace of God's Spirit, especially to have our hearts soundly rooted and grounded in the love of God through faith, as Ephes. 3.17. whereby we may be assured that God is our Father in Christ, Christ Jesus our redeemer, and the holy Ghost our comforter & sanctifier; and then doubtless we shall be able to hold out in the greatest trials that can befall us.

Come we now to the testimony of Scripture, the words here alleged by the Apostle, For thy sake are we killed all day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. For thy sake, that is, (as I shown you) for the confession of thy name, O Lord, and for the profession of thy truth, because we acknowledge thee only to be our God, and we worship thee alone, and will not be drawn from thy truth and fear of thy name, we thy Church and people continually and without intermission are extremely ill dealt withal. Now hence two things are offered for our instruction, I will speak of them in order: first this.

[Doct. 3] That it hath been and is an usual thing for the Church and children of God to be ill dealt withal, and to suffer hard measure from the tongs and from the hands of the wicked, for their piety and religion, and for the graces of God appearing in them. Indeed wicked persons and persecutors use to pretend matter of crime, for which they deal ill with God's children, but the truth is, it hath been and is, piety and religion, grace and the fear of God, for which God's children commonly hear ill, and suffer hard measure from the wicked of the world. What was it that made Cain deal so hardly with his brother Abel, as to shed his blood, Genes. 4.8? Saint John tells us plainly, 1. John. 3.12. it was because his works were good and his own evil. And what was it that Ishmael mocked Isaac for, Genes. 21.9? Surely the grace of God in Isaac, which Paul notes, when he saith, that he was persecuted which was borne after the Spirit, Galat. 4.29. And the Apostle saith, as it was then so it is now. To pass by other examples, a great part of the suffering of the Lord Jesus stood in this, he was mocked for his confidence and trust in God, as appears Psal. 22.8. and Matth. 27.43. compared together. Matth. 24.9. Christ puts it down as a certain truth, that his disciples and followers shall be hated of all nations: and why? for his names sake, for their piety, and for their holy religion. And we read in the Ecclesiastical stories, that the persecuting Emperors in the Primitive times dealt most cruelly with the professors of the Gospel of Christ, for their religion, for their wicked religion, as they called it. And it is no marvel that the children of God be ill dealt withal, and that they suffer hard measure from the tongues and from the hands of the wicked, for their piety and religion, and for the grace and fear of God appearing in their hearts.

[Reason 1] First, because piety, and religion, and grace, and the fear of God appearing in God's children, is a visible disallowing, and as I may say, a visible confutation of the disposition and courses of ungodly persons, it is in flat opposition to them, and so odious and abhominable in their eyes, Prov. 29.27.

Again, the wicked of the world, they think it strange that [Reason 2] God's children do not as they do, and run not with them to all excess of riot, and for this cause saith the Apostle, 1. Pet. 4.4. they conceive hatred and purpose mischief against God's children: and hence it is that they usually deal hardly with God's children both by word and deed.

And for the use of this; on this ground of truth we must [Use 1] learn not to think it strange, that the Papists at this day are so enraged against the Protestants, and that they deal so hardly and cruelly with them where they have power, it is in regard of the truth of religion they hold and maintain, which is in flat opposition to their Antichristian apostasy, and in regard of the clear light of the Gospel now shining in the Church of God, which is in flat contrariety to the darkness of Popery. Yea the more the light of the Gospel shineth, and the more soundly it is prof • ssed, the more it is opposed and persecuted by the Papists. Who are more hated and persecuted by them then those whom they term Puritans? Of all Protestants the Puritan is most hated and most hardly dealt withal by the Papists if he come into their hands, because he not only holds the sound truth in the matter of faith, but he is also sound and sincere in the practice of religion, and therefore of all others they cannot abide him. We are not to wonder at this, it hath been so, and it will be so to the end of the world, that piety and religion is the thing for which God's chidren commonly hear ill and suffer hard measure from the wicked of the world.

And on this ground of truth learn we not to stand amazed [Use 2] nor to wonder at it, if we professing the truth of religion, and expressing the power of it in our lives and conversations, be ill dealt withal, and do suffer hard measure from the tongues and from the hands of wicked persons that live with us, and profess the same truth that we do in word: no, think it not strange, though such as ought to love thee most dearly, and to deal best with thee, as thy father, thy mother, thy brethren, thy husband, and such like, do hate thee, and deal most hardly with thee, both by word and deed for thy piety and religion, and for thy grace and fear of God appearing in thee: this is no new thing, it hath been so from the beginning, and will be so to the end of the world. Do not thou say as some use to do: If I deserved such hard speeches and such ill dealing, it would never grieve me. If thou hadst deserved them, then were there just cause of grief, but not deserving them, there is no cause of grief at all, but rather of comfort and rejoicing, and therefore let them not trouble thee.

A second thing offered from these words, For thy sake are we killed all day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter, being understood as before, is this.

[Doct. 4] That only that suffering or vexation from the hands of men is truly comfortable which is for a good cause, for the name of Christ, for the true profession of his truth and Gospel, for keeping of faith and a good conscience: then only may a man or woman take comfort in their suffering of trouble or any hard measure from the hands of men, when they suffer for a good cause, especially for the truth of religion, and for the word of God, and for the witnessing of Jesus Christ, as John speaks, Revel. 1.9. Matth. 5.10. Christ pronounceth not all that suffer blessed, but only those who suffer persecution for righteousness sake. 1. Pet. 4.15.16. saith the Apostle, Let none of you suffer as a murderer, as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busy-body in other men's matters. But if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this behalf: as if he had said, there is matter of comfort in that suffering, and it must needs be that only that suffering of trouble or any vexation from the hands of men, is truly comfortable, which is for a good cause, especially for the cause of God.

[Reason.] Because therein the person suffering is conformable to Christ in suffering, and thereby he brings glory to God, as Christ said, that Peters suffering death by the hands of persecutors should be to the glory of God, John, 21.19. Suffering for a good cause and for God's glory, are ever joined together, and that suffering is sure to have a good issue and shall certainly end well: and therefore doubtless only that suffering is truly comfortable.

And on this ground for application, [Use.] it follows that such persons as suffer for their errors and sins, cannot possibly find true comfort in their sufferings, as the Papists brag of their sufferings, and are lift up in a conceit that they merit heaven by them: but poor souls they can find no true comfort in them, they suffer but as fools, no not those amongst them that suffer for their conscience and for religion. To pass by them that are canonized for Saints and for Martyrs, who suffer death for no less then monstrous treason against their Princes, even those their persecuted Catholics (as they call them) who suffer for their religion, can take no true comfort in their sufferings, they suffer not for the truth and religion of Christ, but for superstition and Antichristian heresy, and their sufferings cannot be truly comfortable to them. And so other erring spirits, Anabaptists, Separatists, and such like, suffering for their own fond opinions and fancies, they cannot possibly find true comfort in their sufferings. When they are justly dealt against and censured by the Magistrate, they commonly cry out, and say they are persecuted: alas, they are deceived, their censure is not properly persecution, but the just hand of God on them for their gross errors. And howsoever they please themselves in their sufferings, yet assuredly they cannot be truly comfortable to them. It is a true saying, not the suffering or punishment, but the cause for which a man suffers, that being good and any part of God's truth, that is that which makes him a Martyr, and a witness-bearer to the truth of God, and a comfortable sufferer. And therefore look thou to the cause of thy suffering of trouble, or thy enduring any hard measure from the hands of men in any kind whatsoever; and it thou suffer justly for thine error or sin, or for going beyond the compass of thy place and calling, be humbled and repent of thy sins, otherwise the Lord will charge it more fully and heavily on thy soul at the last day: and if thou suffer unjustly or for a good cause with meekness and patience, possess thy soul in patience and rejoice, thou art therein partaker of Christ his sufferings, 1. Pet. 4.13. and thou mayest then find much comfort in thy suffering, and bless God for it, that he hath not only given thee to believe in Christ, but to suffer for his sake, Philip. 1.29.

In the next place we are to consider the greatness of the suffering that the Church and people of God complain of; they were killed, and they were counted as sheep for the slaughter: that is, (as I shown) they were extremely ill dealt withal, and did suffer extreme violence and cruelty, sometimes to the shedding of their blood, and the loss of their lives; and their cruel persecutors and bloody minded enemies made no more reckoning of them then as of such as were fit to be murdered and slaughtered, and they made no more account of shedding of their blood and taking away their lives by any cruelty, then the butcher doth of drawing out a sheep and cutting the throat of it. Hence then we may take notice of the savage disposition and behavior of wicked men and enemies, towards the Church and children of God: and the point hence is this.

[Doct. 5] That wicked persons ever have been, and are now at this day, usually most bitterly and bloodily bent against God's children for their piety and religion, and for the grace and true fear of God in them. The wicked and such as are enemies to the Church and children of God, are so maliciously bent against them, as nothing will satisfy them but the blood of God's children, and they commonly exercise on them, if they be able and have power in their hands, whatsoever cruelty the devil can put into their hearts, and they usually make no more reckoning of shedding of the blood of God's children and servants, then a butcher doth of cutting the throat of a sheep. And that this hath been and is the disposition and behavior of the wicked towards God's children, we may easily see if we take a view of it in all ages. Genes. 27.41. the text saith, Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him, and Esau thought in his mind, the days of mourning for my father will come shortly, then I will slay my brother Jacob: I will then have his blood. See, nothing would satisfy him but the blood of his brother, and it was his purpose to shed his blood, but the Lord kept Jacob that he could not so do, as he maliciously and mischieuously intended. Isai. 47.6. the Lord saith, He was wroth with his people, he polluted his inheritance and gave them into the hands of the Babylonians their enemies: and they shown them no mercy, but laid a very heavy yoke on the ancient. The wicked enemies of the Church and people of God are merciless, yea their mercies are cruel, Prov. 12.10. What then are their cruelties? Surely monstrous, especially against God's children, and that for their piety and religion. We may see this in the Apostle Paul himself before his conversion, he puts down himself for an example in this kind: Act. 22.4. saith he, I persecuted this way, meaning the holy way of God, the true profession of the Gospel, to death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women. Nothing would satisfy him but the blould of the Saints and professors of the Gospel: the text saith, Act. 9.1. He breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord: his very breath was bloody. And he saith, Galat. 1.13. that he persecuted the Church of God extremely, and wasted it: he made havoc and spoil of the Church and people of God. And thus David brings in the Babylonians and the Edomites, and other enemies of God's people speaking, Psal. 74.8. Let us destroy them altogether: and Psal. 63.4. Let us cut them off from being a nation, and let the name of Israel be no more in remembrance. Thus the holy Ghost discovers unto us in many places of the Scripture, that wicked persons ever have been and are usually most bitterly and bloodily bent against God's children for their piety and religion, and nothing will satisfy them but the blood of God's children, and they make no more matter of shedding the blood of God's children and servants by any cruelty they can, then a butcher doth of cutting the throat of a sheep. And the stories of all ages show the same: the cruel persecutions of the heathen Emperors in the primitive times of the Church: the fires in England in the days of Queen Marie: the bloody massacre in France in the days of Charles the ninth, show plainly that the shedding of the blood of the professors of the Gospel is of no more reckoning with the wicked enemies of the Church, then is the cutting the throat of a sheep, or the cutting of a dogs neck. And why, the reasons and grounds of it are.

[Reason 1] First, because the wicked and enemies of the Church, are stirred up and set on by Satan against God's children, and Satan is ever endeavoring the ruin, and overthrow, and utter extirpation and rooting out of the Church and people of God by all means possible.

[Reason 2] And again, where sin takes place without restraint, it gives a man no rest till it hath brought him to an height of wickedness; and so hatred takes place, and that in full force in the hearts of wicked persons against God's children, it makes them restless in their plotting and practicing of mischief against them, and they are never satisfied till they have their blood. Herodias having conceived hatred and having a quarrel against John the Baptist, could never rest till she had his head, and she chose rather to have his head in a platter then half a kingdom, as we read Mark. 6.19. to 29. And therefore doubtless this is a certain truth, that wicked persons ever have been and are at this day usually most bitterly and bloodily bent against God's children, for their piety and religion, yea so maliciously bent against them, as nothing will satisfy them but the blood of God's children, and they make no more reckoning of shedding the blood of God's children by any cruelty they can, then a butcher doth of cutting the throat [Use 1] of a sheep.

And for the use of this, first the consideration of this truth doth evidence and strongly prove to God's children, that the religion they hold and profess is not the invention and device of man, but indeed the holy religion of God, and the eternal truth of God. If it were the device of man's brain, it would fit the humors of men, and they would like it well enough, it would be generally loved and embraced: but being the holy religion of God, and so contrary to the corrupt humors of men, and condemning those ways and courses which men best like of, it is opposed and hated of wicked men, and even for that are wicked persons bitterly and bloodily bent against God's children; and their very opposing and setting themselves against it, and their bitterness and bloody mindedness against God's children the true professors of it, proves it strongly to be the holy religion of the everliving God, and that God's divine truth is in it.

Again for a second use: is it so that wicked persons ever [Use 2] have been and now are usually most bitterly and bloodily bent against God's children for their piety and religion, and that the enemies of the Church and people of God are so maliciously bent against them, as nothing will satisfy them but the blood of God's children, and they make no more account of shedding their blood by any cruelty they can, then a butcher doth of cutting the throat of a sheep? Surely then on this ground we may easily see what we may look for from the hands of the wicked, and especially from the hands of the Papists, who are enemies to the grace of God, and mortal enemies to the truth of God, and to his holy religion which we hold and profess, and above all most deadly enemies to the soundness of religion, and to the sincere professors of it: and what may we look for from them we being such? Surely nothing but blood and violence, and cruel slaughter, and cutting of our throats, if they have power in their hands; howsoever they may for a time make fair weather, and make semblance of peace and quietness, and that they mean us no harm, yet assuredly they are not to be trusted, they are as the enemies of the Church and people of God have been in all ages, blood thirsty and bloodily bent against us, nothing will satisfy them but the blood of God's Saints, as Revel. 17.6. they are ever plotting and contriving some bloody design against the Church and people of God, and they wait but for a fit opportunity to put it in practice: yea they think and hold it meritorious, by any cruelty they can to shed the blood of the true professors of the Gospel, as those accursed limbs of the devil, the Jesuits and Friers said to their followers in France at the beginning of the troubles there, That now was the time for them to win heaven by cutting the throats of the Protestants. And what then may we look for from their hands if they should have power, but some bloody practice or massacre, and cutting of our throats? and how soon they may come to have power we know not; in all likelihood they look for a day against us, and without question in their malicious intention we are but as sh • epe appointed to the slaughter. I know the Lord can keep us out of their hands, yea if we were in their hands he can deliver us, he can rescue out of the jaws of Lions, 2. Tim. 4.17. but we may justly fear in regard of the sins of our Land, and of our unworthy walking of the Gospel which we have enjoyed with much peace many years, that they may come to have power against us; and if they have, assuredly we shall find nothing from them but blood and violence, and all manner of cruelty. And yet if we should come under their hands (which the Lord keep us from) let us endeavor to be constant in the truth, and not to shrink from it either in judgment or in sound practice of it for any terror of man: and herein comfort our selves, that we so doing, They can but kill the body, as Matth. 10.28. when they have shed the blood of a child of God they have done their uttermost, they can go no further. Yea remember we that sweet sentence put down by David, Psal. 116.15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. Every drop of blood spilled by a true professor of the Gospel for the constant and sound prof • ssion of it, is precious in the sight of God. If the Lord put the tears of his children into his bottle, Psal. 56.8. much more their blood, spilled for his truth, and shed by their bloody minded enemies. Let then the consideration of these things comfort us▪ if our wicked enemies should have power over us, and should be able to effect that which their malice and bloody mindedness should carry them to.

One thing yet remains to be spoken of in this complaint of the Church and people of God, namely, the continuance of their suffering, that it was all day long, that is, continually, and without intermission: and hence we may note briefly.

That the wicked enemies of the Church and children of [Doct. 6] God, having power over them, and being able to deal hardly with them, they give them no rest, no intermission, no breathing; they follow them close with one vexation and one torment after another, without ceasing, and with one breaking on another as Job complains, Job 16.14. And to this purpose the Apostle saith, He died daily, 1. Cor. 15.31. & 2. Cor. 11.23. that he was often in death, y ^t is, in continual danger of death. And Christ saith to his followers, Luk. 9.23. y ^t they must take up the cross daily, even in this kind in suffering hard measure from the hands of cruel persecutors, if the Lord call them to it: & the doctrine before delivered may be the ground of this.

Because the wicked and the enemies of the Church and children of God are so maliciously bent against them, as nothing will satisfy them but the blood of God's children, and they are stirred up by the devil against them, [Reason.] and restless in their malice and cruelties, therefore it is that having power in their hands to deal hardly with God's children, they give them no rest, no intermission or breathing, but follow them close with one vexation, and torment, and torture after another. And what must this teach us? [Use.] Surely that which the Apostle hath taught us, Coloss. 1.11. to be strengthened with all might to all patience and long suffering, if the Lord should be pleased to exercise us in this kind to give our enemies power over us, and they having power should deal so with us, as to give us no intermission of torment, but should lay on us vexation after vexation, and one torment after another: we must labor to be constant in patience, and to resolve with our selves patiently to bear one vexation and one torment after another. And that we may so do, we are to consider that the Lord in his holy wisdom appoints the measure of our trouble, and how far our enemies and persecutors shall proceed in tormenting us, and the time how long we shall lie under any vexation, and that he in his good time will deliver us and turn his hand on our enemies and persecutors, and bring his judgment heavily on their head, as we find, Revel. 13.10. They that lead into captivity shall go into captivity: and that kill with the sword, must be killed by a sword: here is the patience and the faith of the Saints. Come we now to the 37. verse.

IN this Verse our Apostle makes answer to his interrogation, propounded verse. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? And his answer is negative, that none of those evils reckoned up by him can separate true believers and God's children from the love of Christ; and his negative answer is not here put down in these express terms, but in the proof of it, on this manner, Those things in which true believers are conquerors cannot separate them from the love of Christ, but in the evils, troubles, and trials mentioned they are conquerors, therefore they cannot separate them from the love of Christ. The minor or second proposition which is here expressed by the Apostle is amplified, first by the degree of the victory or conquest, that in these evils true believers are great conquerors: Nevertheless in all these things we are more then conquerors. Secondly, by the cause of the conquest, the powerful assistance of God who loveth them, Through him that hath loved us. So then we have here in general two things laid before us.

First, a victory or conquest that true believers and God's children have in all evils, troubles, and trials, and that a great victory, In all these things we are more then conquerors.

And secondly the cause of it, Through him that hath loved us.

Let us now a little search into the meaning of the words of this verse, that we may understand the purpose of the Apostle and of the holy Ghost in them. Nevertheless, in all these things. The words in the original 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , signify, but in all these things; and it hath reference to the context in the two verses foregoing, that true believers, God's children, are now as in former ages, liable to the evils and afflictions reckoned up, to tribulation, and anguish, and persecution, and famine, and nakedness, and peril, and sword: and they are now as in times past of old, killed, and counted as sheep for the slaughter, but in all these things they are more then conquerors. In all these things, that is, in all the evils put down verse 35. In tribulation, in anguish, in persecution, in famine, in nakedness, in peril and the sword, we are more then conquerors. The exposition of these words given by some is more curious then sound, the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , superuincimus, we over and above overcome, that is, even above measure, or exceeding gloriously we do overcome, or we have the better by many degrees, and we carry away a most noble and famous victory and conquest. Through him that loved us: these words are a periphrasis, a description of God, and that a weighty one; a description of God, containing in them the impulsive and moving cause which moveth God to aide and to help his children in their troubles and afflictions, namely his love to them in Christ his Son; and so the Apostles meaning in them, is as if he had said: We are more then conquerors, or exceeding great conquerors, through the aide and help of God, who is pleased to aide and to help us out of his love to us in Christ. Now then thus we are to conceive the purpose and meaning of the Apostle in the words of this verse, as if he had said.

But in all those evils, troubles, trials, and afflictions reckoned up, in tribulation and anguish, in persecution, in famine, in nakedness, in peril and sword, we even above measure and exceeding gloriously do overcome, and we carry away a most noble, and glorious, and famous victory and conquest, and that through the aide and help of God, who is pleased to aide and to help us out of his love to us in Christ his Son.

Come we to stand on the particulars of this verse more particularly, and first on his proposition: In all these things we are more then conquerors. The words being understood as we have heard them opened, do afford this conclusion.

[Doct. 1] That true believers, and God's children, are as conquerors in all the afflictions that befall them, and in their particular evils troubles, and trials, be they never so bitter and painful, or never so vile and shameful, God's children get a most noble and glorious victory and conquest, and that in this world: in tribulation, anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword, God's children are more then conquerors, even famous and renowned conquerors, and that in this world, and they may say with the Apostle, 2. Cor. 4.8.9. They are afflicted on every side, yet are not in distress: in poverty, but not overcome of poverty: persecuted, but not forsaken: cast down, but they perish not: yea that they are so far from being overcome, as that they are ouercomers, not only in heaven, but even here in this world. Not to rest in the general, I hold it needful to show the truth of this conclusion more particularly, by manifesting over what, and how God's children are in all the afflictions that befall them as great and glorious conquerors here in this world: for the word conqueror, is a word of relation, it hath respect to some persons or things that are conquered, and to the manner of conquering, and therefore that the point may be rightly and profitably conceived, I will endeavor to show what the things or persons are over which God's children are as great conquerors here in this world, & how they are such conquerors in their particular evils, trials, & troubles. Know then that God's children in all the afflictions that befall them, evē in their particular evils, trials, & troubles, they are as great & glorious conquerors, and that here in this world: first over the evils, trials, troubles, and afflictions themselves, & that first in their bearing & enduring of them, in that they bear them with patience & comfort, even the sharpness & bitterness of them, yea sometimes in the midst of their bitter sufferings, they rejoice and sing in the flames of fire, as we read of some. And the Apostle saith of himself and other true believers, Rom. 5.3. We rejoice in tribulation. And we find Acts 5.41. that the Apostles rejoiced when they were beaten, In that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ: and to rejoice is the part of victors and conquerors. But may some say, [Object.] God's children are sometimes overcome of the bitterness of their pains, yea so far as they show forth strange behavior both in word and deed, they rave and take on exceedingly; how then are they conquerors over their pains? I answer, [Answ.] the bitterness of the pains do sometimes overcome God's children, only in their senses, not in their inward faith and grace in their hearts, that still remains invincible: and though it do not show forth it self in the exercise of it for a time, yet in the root it still remains unshaken, and that strange behavior of a child of God is as nothing in God's account, the Lord passeth by it. We find that the Lord took no notice of Job's impatiency, but accounted him as a patient man, yea as a pattern of patience, I am. 5.11. And so though God's children be sometimes overcome of the bitterness of their pains, it is only in their senses, and not in the inward grace of their hearts, therein they are still conquerors.

Again, God's children are as great and glorious conquerors over the evils, troubles, and trials themselves, by some wonderful and strange deliverance, as when they are wonderfully delivered out of them, either by the immediate hand and power of God, as the people of Israel were out of the hands of the Egyptians at the red sea, Exod. 14. and the three companions of Daniel out of the hot fiery furnace, Dan. 3.26. and Daniel himself out of the Lions den, Dan. 6.22. and Peter out of prison, Act. 12.11. or by some strange means, as Saul was, Act. 9.25. the text saith, The disciples took him by night, and put him through the wall, and let him down in a basket, and so he escaped out of the hands of the Jews, who watched the gates day and night to kill him.

Secondly, God's children in all the afflictions that befall them, even in their particular evils, trials, and troubles, are as great and glorious conquerors, and that here in this world, over the devil, and over wicked men, that vex, and trouble, and persecute them, and deal most hardly and cruelly with them: for what is the devils aim in the afflictions of God's children? Surely as I shown heretofore, to wrest from them their confidence in God's love, to make them murmur, blaspheme, and despair, and to make a breach between God and them: now herein is the devil disappointed, God's children in their particular trials & troubles draw nearer to God, and cleave faster to him, their afflictions bring forth patience, and their patience experience of God's gracious presence and assistance, as Rom. 5.3.4. yea God's children are stirred up in their afflictions to be more fervent in prayer to God, as Paul was when he was buffeted of Satan, 2. Cor. 12.8. And what is it that wicked men in their vexing and troubling of God's children, and in dealing most hardly with them drive at? Surely to make them to deny Christ, and to shrink from their holy profession and religion, but therein they fail of their porpose, God's children are thereby more strengthened and confirmed in their confession of the name of Christ, and in their holy profession of the truth and Gospel of Christ, and many times by their courage and constancy they do even daunt the minds of their persecutors, and their very enemies stand amazed and wonder at them, and say as the chief Priests and Scribes said, Act. 4.16. What shall we do to these men? A speech worth the noting, they that had power to imprison the Apostles, or to do with them what they would, stand amazed & know not what to do, to poor, weak, unarmed, and friendless men: and thus we find that many times the barbarous cruelttie of the persecuting Emperors was even altered with the steadfastness of the Saints in suffering. And though God's children suffer grievous things, and die under the hands of their cruel tormentors, yet in regard of their constancy they are conquerors, and go away with a glorious victory. Thus then we see this truth cleared and confirmed particularly, that God's children in all the afflictions that befall them, even in their particular evils and trials, are as great conquerors here in this world, both over the evils and trials themselves, and also over the devil and wicked men, that vex, and trouble, and persecute them, and deal most hardly and cruelly with them. [Reason.] And the ground of this truth is that which the Apostle subjoins, through the aide and help of God, who is pleased to aide and help them, out of his love to them in Christ: and of that we are afterwards to speak, I will not now further meddle with it; come we to the use of this, namely, on this ground of truth we must learn. [Use 1]

Not to judge of God's children according to sight and sense in the time of their afflictions: when they lie under heavy trials and troubles, vexations and afflictions, torments and tortures, and in the eye of flesh and blood in man's judgment are overcome, then are they victorious conquerors and triumphers. It is a singular grace of God to judge rightly of others in the time of affliction: the world & men of the world seeing God's children troubled and persecuted, and hardly dealt withal, are ready to judge them base underlings, and such as all crow over, and are trodden underfoot of all, but the truth now delivered shows they are deceived; even when God's children bear away the blows, and men deal most hardly with them, and they are killed by their enemies, then are they as noble and victorious conquerors. This indeed is a paradox, and such a thing as nature, reason, and the world understand not; but so it is, even then are they as great conquerors in their courage, constancy, patience, and inward comfort: yea when God's children are in the extremity of pain, and their pain makes them show forth strange behavior, even then are they invincible in their faith, and their inward grace is impregnable, all the power of hell not able to overcome it: and if we judge otherwise of them then of conquerors, surely we judge amiss, and we sin against the generation of God's children, as David speaks, Psal. 73.15. and let us take heed of so doing.

And for a second use: Is it so that true believers and God's [Use 2] children, in all afflictions that befall them, even in their particular evils, trials, and troubles, are as great and glorious conquerors over the evils, trials, and troubles themselves, and over the devil, and over wicked men that vex and trouble them, and deal hardly and cruelly with them? Surely then on this ground we may easily see, that a child of God is in a most happy and comfortable state and condition, and is as a rock in the sea, which being beaten with waves on every side, yet stands firm and unmovable; yea a child of God is endued with such strength of grace, as that he is too strong for the devil and for all the power of hell, and the devil and all his instruments are not able by all the evils and troubles they can bring on him, to overcome his faith, and to get the victory over the grace that is in him; though they may assault him and shake him, yet they can never as it were throw him on his back and overcome him, they cannot do him that mischief they intend against him. The persecutors and enemies of the Church and children of God, may shed the blood of God's children, and take away their lives, yet when they so do, themselves go away vanquished, and God's children are the conquerors; and they do but as it were put a garland or crown of victory on their heads whom they kill and murder, and think they have overcome. Oh then happy and comfortable is the state of God's children, they are in a more sure and settled estate then the mightiest Monarch in the world. Who can say, and that truly, though many thousands of armed soldiers encompass him for his defense, that he is in such a sure state, as that none can overcome him? No, no, such is the state of every child of God, he is sure, in all evils, tumults, trials, and afflictions that befall him, to stand fast, and to go away with the victory. The consideration of this ought to stir us up to labor to get into the number of God's children: if thou be of that number, thou art then in a most sure state and condition, the devil, and all the power of hell, & all the instruments of the devil, cannot then by any evil, trouble, or trial, they can bring on thee, overcome thy faith and that grace that is in thee; and in the heat of trouble and violence of persecution, thou mayest then laugh at thy persecutors, and set light by anything they can do to thee.

Come we now to a second general thing laid before us in this verse, the cause of that great victory that God's children have in all the evils that befall them, the aide and help of God vouchsafed unto them out of his love to them in Christ, in these words, Through him that hath loved us, that is, (as we have shown) through the aide and help of God, which he is pleased to vouchsafe unto us in Christ his Son: and these words thus understood, do afford two conclusions, two points of instruction, I will speak of them in order; first this.

That true believers, God's children, are as great and glorious [Doct. 2] conquerors in all afflictions, in the particular evils, trials, and troubles that befall them here in this world, not by any power of their own, but only by the powerful aide and assistance of God vouchsafed to them. It is not of themselves, or by any power and strength in themselves, that God's children do stand fast in the evils, trials, and troubles that befall them, and do go away with a glorious victory, both over the evils themselves, in bearing them, and over Satan, disappointing him of his aim, and over wicked men that vex and trouble them and deal hardly with them, defeating them of that they drive at in their vexations and persecutions; but it is merely, wholly, and only from the help and aide of God, upholding and strengthening of them. And hence it is that the Apostle having said Philip. 4.11.12. That he could be abased, and had learned to be hungry and to want: he could endure and cheerfully undergo any want or any abasement, and not shrink nor be overcome by by it, and that he had learned in any state and condition to be content, he presently subjoins verse 13. that he was thus enabled to all evils, trials, troubles, and afflictions, not by any power of man, but only by the powerful aide and help of Christ: I am able (saith he) to do all things, through the help of Christ which strengtheneth me. And 2. Cor. 12.9.10. he saith, He rejoiced in infirmities, and took pleasure in them, he was so far from being overcome of them: and he reckons up particulars In reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in anguish for Christ's sake: and why? When he was weak, that is, destitute of all help and strength of himself, then was he strong through the power of Christ dwelling in him. And it is the prayer of the Apostle for the Colossians, Colos. 1.11. that they might be strengthened with all might through his glorious power, unto all patience, and long suffering with joyfulness: to all patience, & constancy in long continued afflictions, even to long patience, as I am. 5.7. But how? through any power or strength of their own? No, but through the glorious power of the Lord Jesus: plainly teaching the truth of the point in band, that it is not by any power of their own that God's children are as great and glorious conquerors in all afflictions, in the particular evils, trials, and troubles that befall them here in this world, but only by the powerful aide and assistance of God vouchsafed to them. And it must needs be so, the reason and ground of it is plain, namely this.

[Reason.] Howsoever Saint John saith, 1. John. 5.4. True faith is the victory that overcometh the world: it is true faith that overcometh all things in the world, not only the lusts of the flesh, but it overcomes the opposition that is made against God's children in the world by wicked men and persecutors, as we find, Heb. 11.33.34. the faith of the godly in the times of old is thus commended, that by it They stopped the mouths of Lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, of weak were made strong, waxed valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens: yet faith it self, and the grace that is in the hearts of God's children, is supported and upheld by the working power of God: and that the faith of God's children stands fast, and is firm, and stable and invincible, and doth overcome in the greatest trials and troubles that befall them, it is because it is supported, strengthened, and guarded by the omnipotent working power of God. If the Lord do but a little withdraw his helping hand from his children, their weakness presently appears. Whilest Job had the power of God to support and strengthen him, he was able in the greatest extremity to bless God, but when the Lord did a little take away and pull back his hand from him, then did Job's corruption and weakness show it self, and cause him to break out into bitter and unbeseeming terms. And therefore this undoubtedly is a truth of God, that it is not by any power of their own that God's children are as great and glorious conquerors in all afflictions, in the particular evils, trials, and troubles that befall them here in this world, but only by the powerful aide and assistance of God vouchsafed to them, that supp ••• g and upholding them. Now then to make use of this.

First this being a true •• it serves to discover an untruth [Use 1] and an error which is held and taught by the Papists. This they hold and teach, That a child of God may in this life have such perfection of inherent grace as is sufficient to keep him from all formal transgression of God's Law, and from all deadly sin, as they call it. Now this opinion of theirs is both unsound and rotten in the ground of it, supposing perfection of grace inherent in this life, which cannot be attained to: and besides that, it cannot stand with the truth now delivered, for out of all question impatiency is a formal transgression of God's law, they will not be so shameless as to deny that, it being a sin against the first Commandment of the first table. And the power by which a child of God stands fast in evils, trials, and troubles that befall him, and is not overcome of impatiency, is not any power of his own, no not any power and strength of his faith, and of the grace that is in him, but it is only (as ye have heard) the powerful aide and assistance of God vouchsafed to him, that is the thing that upholds him, yea that is the thing that upholds his faith and inward grace that is in his soul, whereby he becomes a great and glorious conqueror in the particular evils, trials and troubles that befall him; and therefore it is not as the Papists teach, that perfection of inherent grace keeps a child of God from all formal transgression of God's Law. No, it is not the strength either of man or Angel that keeps him from sinning, but only the working power of God, and the special grace of God upholding him. I leave that, and for a second use.

[Use 2] Is it so that it is not by any power of their own that God's children are as great and glorious conquerors in all afflictions, in the particular evils, trials, and troubles that befall them here in this world, but only by the powerful aide and assistance of God vouchsafed to them, that supporting and that upholding them? Surely then on this ground we must learn to acknowledge the constancy and patience we find in any trial and affliction to 〈◊〉 only from the good hand of God, and give him all pray •• • nd glory for the same. Dost thou find thyself able to b ••• e some great trial and affliction with patience and with comfort? Art thou able to overcome the barbarous cruelty of bloody minded persecutors by thy courage and constancy, in suffering the torments and tortures they lay on thee? Do not thou ascribe that patience and that courage and constancy of thine to any power in thyself, no not to the power of thy faith, nor to the strength of grace that is in thee, though thou have a great measure of grace, but ascribe it only to the powerful aide and assistance of God vouchsafed to thee: and think not when thou seest others undergo great and bitter trials and afflictions patiently and comfortly, that it is from the strength of their faith, and from the power of grace that is in them that they so do, because they are stronger in faith, or have a greater measure of grace then others, but acknowledge it to be only from the powerful aide & assistance of God vouchsafed to them: and so learn thou on this ground not to doubt of thy standing and of thy holding out in the time of some great trial and affliction because thou art but weak in faith and weak in grace: it is many times the complaint of a child of God: Alas, I find myself so weak in faith, and I have such a poor measure of grace, as if the Lord should bring me to some great trial, to the fiery trial, or such like, I fear I should never be able to stand and to hold out. Oh but consider thou by whose power the best of God's children are as conquerors in the particular evils, trials, and troubles that befall them, not by any power of their own, not by any streng • h of grace in themselves, but only by the powerful aide and help of God vouchsafed unto them: and is not he as able to strengthen thee, and to make thee as a conqueror in the greatest trial that befalls thee? assuredly he is. And is his help further from thee because thou art weak? no, it is nearer to thee in that respect, God doth commonly manifest his power in weakness, and the weaker thou art, the more it is for the glory of God that he makes thee able to stand and to hold out in some great trial, and thereby the Lord hath the greater glory. It was more for the honor of God that Jehoshaphat got the victory over his enemies, when he had no strength to stand before them, neither knew what to do, 2. Chron. 20.12. then if he had had a mighty army able to confront them, and to encounter with them: so certainly it is more for the glory of God, that thou of a poor weak Christian art made a conqueror in the time of some great trial, then if thou hadst greater strength. And therefore think not thus with thyself, If I had such a measure or such strength of grace, then I were well, and then I would not doubt but I should be able to bear the brunt of the greatest trial. If this be thy thought it is not good: remember thou it is not by the power of grace it self be it never so strong, that God's children are as conquerors in the particular evils, trials, and troubles that befall them, but only by the powerful aide and assistance of God vouchsafed unto them: and though thou be but weak in grace, yet the Lord is as able to make thee a conqueror in the greatest trial, as the strongest of his children. And assuredly if he call thee to any great suffering, he will manifest his power in thy weakness: and therefore doubt not of thy standing and holding out in the time of trial, but in assured trust depend on the Lord, and be strong in the power of his might, as Ephes. 6.10. Now a second conclusion that those words, Through him that loved us, understood as they have been expounded do afford, is this: I will be brief in it. [Doct. 3]

In that God's children have aide and assistance from God to uphold them in their afflictions, it is out of God's love to them: from the love of God to his children comes the aide and assistance that God vouchsafes to them, supporting, and strengthening, and making them as conquerors in the particular evils, trials, and troubles that do befall them. And hence it is that the Apostle Philip. 1.29. calls patience and strength to suffer for the name of Christ, a special gift of God, and a privilege vouchsafed only to them to whom God gives faith, and so a gift vouchsafed to his children out of his love to them, To you it is given not only that ye should believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. And indeed not to enlarge the point.

[Reason.] The love of God is the fountain from whence flow out all good things to his children, from the first to the last, from the ground to the complement, from election to happiness and glory in heaven. And therefore it must needs be the aide and assistance that God vouchsafes to his children in supporting and strengthening them, and making them as conquerors [Use 1] in the particular evils, trials, and troubles that befall them, it comes from the love of God to them. It is not then for any worth or merit of theirs that God vouchsafes to his children aide and help to strengthen them in the time of trial and affliction, nor yet for the good usage of the grace they have already received, but it is merely out of his love, so to help and so to assist his children: and the strength they have to stand in the time of affliction is from the mere free grace and love of God to them. And on this [Use 2] ground a man may conclude to the comfort of his own soul, that God loves him, if he find that he gives him aide and assistance, supporting and strengthening him, and making him as a conqueror in the particular evils and afflictions that do befall him.

Dost thou whosoever thou art, find aide and assistance from God, making thee able to bear thy particular trial and affliction with patience and comfort, and with cheerfulness? It is an evidence of God's love unto thee, and therein God seals up his love to thee, and offers himself to thee as to his child: the text is clear, Hebr. 12.7. If ye endure chastening God offereth himself unto you as unto sons. Affliction of it own nature doth press down the heart, the hands, the eyes, and if God give thee patience and comfort, keeping thy heart, hands, and eyes upwards, it is a manifest argument that the Spirit of grace and strength doth rest on thee, making thy faith to triumph over the trial. And if in great troubles and afflictions thou find great patience, even patience proportionable to thy suffering, then God makes good his promise to thee, 1. Corinth. 10.13. and therein he seals up his love to thee, and gives thee good evidence that he loves thee in special manner: and that may be matter of great comfort to thee, think on it to thy comfort. Come we now to the 38. and 39. verses.

IN these two verses our Apostle goes on further to arm and strengthen the believing Romans and other true believers, against the fear of being separated from the love of God: and he here ascends higher then he did verse 35. to greater and stronger enemies then tribulation, anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword, namely, to death, and life, Angels, and principalities, and powers, things present, and things to come, and height, and depth, and any other creature: and he shows, that no evils or enemies, be they never so many or mighty, can possibly break off God's love to his children, and make him cease to love them. And the Apostle falls on this ground of further comfort by way of preventing a doubt that might arise in the minds of the believing Romans, for they might haply say, You tell us Paul that we are sure to be as conquerors, yea more then conquerors in all afflictions, and in the particular evils, trials, and troubles that befall us through the aide and assistance of God vouchsafed to us out of his love. But what if God's love to us be changed or interue • ted, turned away, or kept from us by some strong enemy? To this the Apostle answers by way of prevention, affirming confidently that no creature, either in heaven, in earth, or in hell nothing that is or may be, present or to come, no men nor Angels, good or bad, if they were all combined in one, and all their force joined together, can separate God's children from his love to them in Christ Jesus. If anything could so do, the things here reckoned up, or some of them, were most likely to do it; but not any of these, nor all these can do it, no nor any other creature whatsoever: and therefore nothing can do it. In the words of these two verses we have these things in general laid before us.

First this proposition; nothing can separate God's children from God's love.

Secondly, the amplification of that proposition.

The proposition the Apostle delivers not barely, but in the proof of it, and he proves it by an induction or reckoning up of particulars, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth.

And then he useth a general comprehension of all things, that no other creature can separate God's children from the love of God.

And this proposition is amplified.

First by the certainty of it, which the Apostle puts down in his own general persuasion: I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, &c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God. And secondly, the cause and ground of it, that it is not grounded on anything in God's children themselves, but on Christ Jesus, a sure foundation, and a rock that can never be shaken, in the last words of the 39. verse, Which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so we see the general drift of the Apostle in these two verses, let us now examine the words of them touching the sense and meaning.

For I am persuaded. That is, I am fully and undoubtedly resolved of this as a certain truth, and I persuade myself nothing is more sure then this, that neither death, nor life. We know that the death of the body is a separation of the soul from the body, and the life of the body is an union of soul and body together; but the death of the body being of all things that befall the body most dreadful, as Bildad calls it, Job 18.14. The king of fear: and life being most sweet, and therefore the devil said, Job 2.4. Skin for skin, and all that ever a man hath he will give for his life: under death and life we are to understand not only the death and the life of the body, but also all exceeding great either adversity or prosperity, all terrors and pangs that either go before or do accompany the death of the body, and all the pleasures, profits, and honors of this life. Nor Angels. That is, neither bad Angels, who are ready to do it, nor good Angels: for howsoever good Angels will never attempt to separate God's children from the love of God, yet they are here to be understood ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) by way of supposition, suppose they should attempt such a thing, yet they are never able to do it, as 1. Cor. 13.1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and Angels that is, suppose Angels had tongues to speak withal. Nor principalities, nor powers. Some would have these two words principalities and powers to be only titles here given to Angels, but that cannot be, they are distinct members of the Apostles induction, and by them we are rather to understand human excellencies, great commanders in the world: as by principalities, those that are in most eminent place and principal authority: and by powers, all secondary powers sent from them, as Tit. 3.1. Put them in remembrance that they be subject to the principalities and powers. And 1. Pet. 2.13.14. Submit yourselves unto all manner ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be unto the king as to the superior, or unto governors as unto them that are sent of him. Nor things present, nor things to come. By things present and to come, we are to understand all both good and evil things, which now or hereafter shall befall us. Nor height, nor depth. There be diverse expositions of these words, some understanding them of spirits in the air and in the deep, some of the depth and profundity of Satan; but as reverend Beza well observes, the Apostle here puts the abstract for the concrete: and by height, is meant things on high: and by depth things below: and herein (as I conceive) the Apostle had an eye to that division of things in the second Commandment, Exod. 20.4. Things that are in heaven above, or things in the earth beneath, or things in the water. Nor any other creature: this the Apostle adds to make an end of his induction, because it had been infinite to reckon up all creatures; as if he had said, nor any other thing created of what sort soever, or how great soever. Shall be able to separate us from the love of God. The love of God is here to be taken as before verse 35. touching the love of Christ passively, for that love wherewith we are beloved of God; and the meaning is, shall be able to keep back, or break off from us who truly believe in Christ, that love wherewith God loveth us. Which is in Christ Jesus our Lord: that is, which God beareth to us, which comes to us in and through Christ Jesus. The Apostle adds our Lord: now Christ Jesus is Lord of true believers after a special manner, and that by a double right: first, by the right of free donation from his Father, John. 17.9. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. Secondly, by the right of redemption, 1. Corinth. 6.20. Ye are bought for a price; therefore glorify God in your bodies, and in your spirit, for they are God's. Now then thus conceive we the meaning of the words of these two verses, as if the Apostle had said.

For I am fully and undoubtedly resolved of this as a most certain truth, that neither the death of the body, nor the life of the body; no not the terrors and pangs of the one, nor the pleasures, profits and honors that accompany the other, nor bad Angels who are ready to do it, nor good Angels suppose they should attempt such a thing, nor any human excellencies, great Commanders, in the world, whether they be in most eminent and principal authority, or secondary powers sent from them, nor things good or evil which now or hereafter shall befall us, nor things on high, nor things below in heaven, in earth, or under the earth, nor any other thing created, of what sort soever, or how great soever, shall be able to keep back, or to break off from us that truly believe in Christ, the love wherewith God loveth us, and which he bears to us, and comes to us in and through Christ Jesus, who is our Lord after a special manner, both by right of free donation from his Father, and also by right of redemption.

Come we to such things as are hence offered for our further instruction. First on the Apostles particular persuasion; for though it be not the first thing in order of nature, yet in the order of the words it is, and I will take it as it lies. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We see the Apostle here makes known that he was persuaded, even fully and undoubtedly resolved of this as a most certain truth, that nothing could separate him and other true believe • rs from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Now the point hence offered in the first place, is this.

That a Christian may be fully and undoubtedly persuaded [Doct. 1] of God's love to him in Christ. A Christian may infallibly know, and be certainly persuaded of this, that God loves him in Jesus Christ, that he is beloved of God with a fatherly love, that God loves him as his child. 1. John. 4.16. saith Saint John, speaking of himself and other true Christians, We have known and believed the love that God hath in us, or beareth towards us. 1. Cor. 2.12. saith the Apostle, We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are given to us of God. A Christian may have in him God's Spirit, not only working faith in him, but also a spiritual discerning of those things which are given him of God, even a discerning of God's love shed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost which is given unto him, Rom. 5.5. and so may have infallible knowledge, and a certain persuasion of God's love to him in Christ, and that in this world: and the grounds of this truth are these.

[Reason 1] First, a Christian may infallibly know, and be certainly persuaded, that he is in Christ, truly engrafted into him, and a true member of Christ, and that Christ is in him; and therefore the Apostle bids the Corinthians search and examine themselves, Whether Christ were in them or no. 2. Cor. 13.5. And he saith, Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates. And to bid men make search for that which cannot be found, were ridiculous, and therefore a Christian may infalliblie know, and be certainly persuaded, that he is in Christ, who is the beloved Son of God, and in whom God loves his chosen, and cannot but love all that are in him.

[Reason 2] Secondly, a Christian may have pledges of God's special love to him, as namely the holy Spirit of God, as an earnest penny of his special love, as the Apostle saith in that, Rom. 5.5. God's love is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost given unto us: and 2. Cor. 1.22. He hath given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts: and also the special effects of God's sanctifying Spirit, Effectual faith, diligent love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, as 1. Thess. 1.3. And therefore doubtless a Christian may in the time of this life infallibly know, and be certainly persuaded of this, that God loves him in Christ with a fatherly love, and that God loves him as his child: and therefore for the use.

[Use 1] In the first place, it is erroneous, and false, and a damnable position that is held by the Papists, that a Christian in the time of this life can only come to a probable conjecture of God's love to him in Christ: they say a Christian may hope well of God's love to him, but that he may be infallibly persuaded of it, that they esteem as a presumptuous heresy. Now the truth delivered doth directly cross this position of theirs, and this very text of the Apostle refutes them, I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. But here they seek out shifts to elude the evidence of this text. [Object.] First they say, Paul had a certain persuasion of God's love to him in Christ by a special revelation. A poor shift, the Apostle saith, 2. Cor. 12.4. Such things as he had by revelation, could not be uttered, they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , things not to be spoken: but this persuasion of his he uttereth, and therefore it is none of those secrets he had by special revelation. They say again, the word here 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , signifies only a conjectural persuasion, [Answ.] [Object.] and not certain: but this is contrary to themselves, [Answ.] for they say he was certainly persuaded of God's love to him in Christ by revelation. Again, the word (indeed) sometimes signifies a persuasion of charity touching other particular persons, and then it is not so certain; but when it is used of a man's self according to the word of God, it is then a persuasion of faith, and most certain, and so it is here used by the Apostle, and therefore notwithstanding these cavils, the doctrine delivered remains a certain truth. I leave them.

And for a second use: Is it so that a Christian may in the time of this life infallibly know, and be certainly persuaded of this, that God loves him in Christ with a fatherly love, and that God loves him as his child? I might here further [Use 2] drive this to the reproof of those amongst us who renounce Popery, and yet think that this is impossible, and too high a point, somewhat presumptuous, but I pass by that, and on this ground we must learn to be stirred up to labor to attain this, even to know it, and to be infallibly persuaded of it, that God loves us in Christ with a fatherly love, and that he loves us in particular; and never to rest, till we be in some measure so persuaded, I say to labor to get an infallible persuasion of it in some measure. For indeed all God's children have not this persuasion in like measure, some have it in a greater measune, and some in a less: neither have God's children this persuasion at all times alike, sometimes by neglecting the means, or by falling into some sin, or by secret desertion, or such like, God's children for a time lose this comfortable persuasion. But seeing it is a thing that may be attained, and it is worth our labor & seeking after, let us never rest till in some measure we come to know it infallibly, and to be certainly persuaded of it, that we are beloved of God in Christ Jesus with a fatherly love. How is that to be done, [Quest.] may some say? Surely by getting two things, [Answ.] namely, true faith and true holiness. Labor thou to get true faith into thy soul, even faith purifying thine heart, Acts 15.9. and to have thy faith seconded with the fruits of true holiness in thine heart and life, and showing forth the power and life of it in all good duties of love towards God and towards men, and never rest till thou find that thou dost love God simply for himself, and all that bear his image for his sake, and that thou dost come out of the world, and renounce the vanities, and pleasures, and profits, and honors of it, and dost choose God for thy portion, and thereupon thou mayest persuade thyself infallibly that God loves thee, 1. John. 4.19. We love him because he loved us first. God loves us first, and if we love him, that is the seal and fruit of God's love to us, and as it were the counterpane of his love written in our hearts, by which we may be sure that he hath loved us first: Oh then never rest till thou find these two things in thine own soul, true faith, and true holiness, and so thou mayest infallibly know, and be certainly persuaded of this, that God loves thee in Jesus Christ with a fatherly love, even as his own dear child, and finding that it will fill thine heart with sound and true joy and rejoicing, and make thee truly & heartily thankful to God for all mercies bestowed on thee, and also make thee go on in an holy course of life with courage, and comfort, and cheerfulness.

Now in that the Apostle saith, he was persuaded of this, that nothing could separate him and other true believers from the love of God, and this persuasion of his, in respect of himself was a persuasion of faith, as I have shown, it was not an opinion or a bare conjecture, but a persuasion of heart, and so certain and infallible; only note we thus much.

[Doct. 2] That true saving faith is not a confused notion wrapped up altogether in uncertainty, so as a man cannot know what he holds or believes: but it is a distinct, a certain, and infallible knowledge: Faith in the general nature of it is a light of spiritual knowledge, and that knowledge is qualified with an infallible certainty: it is an infallible knowledge, it makes a demonstration in the mind of a believer, it may be truly said, Fides est vides, true faith is as it were a sight of that which is believed: and the holy Ghost saith, Heb. 11.1. True faith is the evidence of things not seen, that is, an infallible demonstration and certainty whereby the mind being convinced, not by reason or sense, but by divine testimony, doth most firmly embrace the promises of God: and therefore for the use of this in a word.

It cannot be that implicit faith, [Use.] faith infolded in the faith of the Church, is a true faith, as the Papists teach: they say it is sufficient for a Christian to believe as the Church believes, and so indeed they destroy the nature of true faith, and make it a blockish ignorance, and their doctrine tends to hold men in blindness and perpetual ignorance; we are to renounce it, and to remember that true faith is a distinct, certain, and infallible knowledge, and that every true believer knows certainly what he holds and believes. Yet withal remember, that every true faith is not a full persuasion: true faith hath certainty joined with it, but not fullness of certainty, and every true believer hath a certain persuasion of God's love to him in Christ, yet not a full persuasion at the first: that follows on observation and much experience of the mercy and favor of God, as I might show by the examples of Abraham, of David, and of diverse other servants of God, but I pass from that.

Come we now to the proposition here laid down, which the Apostle puts down by way of induction, reckoning up of particulars, Neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature. And first from this induction in general, we are given to understand thus much.

That no creature in heaven, in earth, or in hell, can possibly [Doct. 3] break off, or keep back God's love from his children, not the power of the mightiest and strongest creatures that be, no not of Angels good or bad, though they be exceeding mighty and potent, that can make one who is beloved of God in special manner, not beloved of God, or less beloved of him: it is not the power of heaven or of hell y ^t can do it. And for this we have further evidence and testimony of Scripture, Isai. 54.10. saith the Lord, The mountains shall remove, and the hills shall fall down, but my mercy or my love shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away, saith the Lord: as if he had said, though the whole world be turned up-side down, and heaven and earth come together and be removed out of their places, yet shall not my love be removed from my children: in the greatest confusion of things, my love, my mercy, and my compassion shall still abide with them. Matth. 16.18. Christ saith, The gates of hell, the power of hell, shall not prevail against the faith of his Church and of true believers: all the cunning and strength of the devil and his Angels shall never be able to overcome the faith of true believers; and if not the faith of true believers, surely not the love of God to them, that being more firm and more invincible: and indeed in the judgment of all it cannot be severed from such as continue true believers. John. 10.28.29. saith Christ, I give my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of mine hand. My Father which gave them me is greater then all, and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand: as if he had said, the power of my Father is such, as that no adversary power whatsoever is able to wrest my sheep out of his hand, and so to break off his love from them. And hence it is that the Apostle saith, 2. Tim. 1.12. I know whom I have trusted, and I am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, that is, my eternal salvation, which out of his love he hath purposed to bestow on me, and nothing can hinder his purpose, or break off his love from me, but he will undoubtedly keep my salvation safe and sure against that day. And to these we might add other testimonies further confirming the truth of the point in hand, that no creature, in heaven, in earth or in hell, can possibly keep back, or break off God's love from his children, and no power of the mightiest and strongest creatures that be, can make one who is beloved of God in special manner, not to be beloved of him, or less beloved of him: and the reasons & grounds of it are these.

First, God loves his children with the same love that he [Reason 1] loves Christ his Son, as Christ saith, John. 17.23. Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me, though not with the same degree of love: and nothing can hinder or break off God's love frō Christ his Son, He and his Father being one, John. 10.30.

Again, God is infinite both in wisdom & power, and the [Reason 2] wisdom or subtlety of the wisest or cunningest creatures in heavē, in earth, or in hell, is finite; & the power of the strongest creature is also limited and finite, and there is no proportion between the wisdom and power of the wisest & strongest creatures, and the wisdom and power of God; and so neither can the wisest or cunningest creatures cause the Lord by any subtlety or persuasion to alter his love to his children, nor can the strongest creatures by any opposition they are able to make, avert and turn away his love from them: and therefore doubtless no creature in heaven, in earth, or hell, can possibly keep back or break off God's love, or make one who is beloved of God in special manner, not to be beloved of God, or less loved of God.

And for the use of this: first this ground of truth convinceth [Use 1] the error of the Papists, Arminians, and Anabaptists, which we have often had occasion to deal against in that they teach that such as are in the state of grace and God's special love, may lose it, and fall from it, and may today be loved of God, and tomorrow be shaken out of his love. A doctrine devilish, and most uncomfortable, and directly contrary to the truth now delivered, and to the plain evidence of the holy word of God, which teacheth, that such as are beloved of God, they are so kept by him from evil, as Christ prayed, John. 17.15. even from that evil one the devil, and from all his instruments, as that none of them can possibly shake them out of his love. Oh but say the Arminians and Anabaptists, [Object.] this doctrine leaves no place for fear, but breeds presumption in God's children, and this doctrine being true they have no cause of fear. [Answ.] They are deceived, a child of God embracing this truth, that he being beloved of God in special manner, no creature in heaven, in earth, or in hell, can possibly keep back or break off God's love from him, it breeds in him a love of God again, and consequently true fear, which is opposed to senseless stupidity and carnal presumption. Again, it is false, that such as are beloved of God in special manner, and they know they are so, to have no cause of fear, unless no other evils but final damnation need to be feared. A child of God hath cause still to fear with an holy fear, lest by sin he displease God his loving Father, and provoke him to afflict him in his body, and in his soul, lest by sin he lose the tokens of God's love, peace of conscience touching the secret feeling of it, joy in the Spirit, clearness of understanding, and a feeling affection to good things and good duties, holy boldness to draw near to the presence of God, and such like. Therefore it is but a cavil, that the doctrine delivered leaves no place for fear, and that God's children have no cause to fear, the doctrine delivered being true, I leave them, and come to a second use.

[Use 2] Is it so that no creature in heaven, earth, or in hell, can possibly break off or keep back God's love from his children, or make one who is beloved of God in special manner not to be beloved of God, or less beloved of him? Surely the due consideration of this may yield thee matter of exceeding great comfort: and think on it to thy comfort whosoever thou art that hast good evidence of it that thou art a child of God, and that thou art beloved of God in special manner: thou having the special love and favor of God thou art an happy man or woman; yea so long as thou art beloved of God, no manner of misery can make thee miserable. As I said not long since, if thou wert in hell, the deepest gulf of all misery, and yet beloved of God (if it were possible) thou shouldst still be in a most happy state and condition. Now this adds to thy happiness and comfort, that being beloved of God in special manner, thou shalt so continue forever, it is not all the power and strength, or all the wit, and skill, or cunning, or subtlety of all the creatures in heaven, in earth, or in hell, if they should all join together, can possibly break off or keep back God's love from thee, or wind or wrest thee out of favor with him. Thou mayest lose the favor of men, yea of thy dearest friends, either by thine own desert, or be wrong out of it by the malicious practice of envious men. Yea be it so that thou art in favor with the greatest, thou art a kings favorite, yet either through thine own just desert thou mayest be cast off as Haman was, Hest. 7. or the envy and malice of men may work thee out of his favor; but thou being beloved of God in special manner, and being as it were his darling, and his favorite, as indeed thou art thou being a child of God, though never so poor or mean in the world, thou canst not lose his favor by anything done by thyself, his love to thee being unchangeable; neither canst thou be wrested and wrong out of it by any adversary power whatsoever, God is stronger then all, he is able to keep thee in his love, and he will keep thee in it in despite of Satan and all the power of hell. Hath God so far manifested his love to thee, as to give his own dear Son to shed his blood for thee, and to suffer the pains of hell for thee, and will he suffer the power of hell to draw thee out of his love? no, no, assuredly he will not. Let then the devil and all the enemies of thy good do what they can against thee, and though the Lord suffer them to prevail far, to thrust thee out of house and home, and to strip thee of health, of wealth, of liberty, and of all outward good things & means of comfort, yet God's love they cannot take from thee, nor lessen and diminish his love towards thee, and make thee less beloved of him, when they have done all the evil and mischief they can to thee: and when thou art plonged into the deepest distress they can bring thee into, thou art still beloved of God, and still as dear to him and as precious in his sight as ever thou wast: and that may be a ground of sweet comfort to thee, think on it to thy comfort.

Come we now to stand on the particulars here reckoned up by the Apostle by way of induction: Neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature: at least on some of these, for on everyone of these particulars we shall not need to stand severally, having touched them in some doctrines before delivered.

Now the first particular here mentioned is death, and by death (as I shown) we are to understand the death of the body, the separation of the soul from the body, and the pains and the pangs that either go before it, or with it and do accompany it: and the point hence offered lies plain before us, it is this.

[Doct. 4] That neither the pains and pangs of death of the body, nor the death of the body it self, the separation of the soul from the body, whether it be natural and by the course of nature, or violent, can possibly break off or keep back God's love from his children. Though the pangs of a natural death be most bitter and painful, or the tortures of a violent death be most extreme, yet can they not separate between God's love and a child of his: and though death separate the soul from the body, yet can it not separate either the soul or the body of a child of God from God, and from God's special love. And that this is a truth, we have further evidence and testimony of Scripture. We read Hebr. 11.35.36.37. that the Saints and servants of God in times of old were most cruelly dealt withal, They were racked▪ they were tried by mockings and scourgings, by bonds and imprisonment, they were stoned, hewn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword, they wandered up and down in sheep skins, and in goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, and grievously tormented: yet the holy Ghost gives this testimony of them, verse 38. that even then they were such as the world was not worthy of▪ they were then the Lord's worthies, right dear and precious in the sight o • God: their cru • ll tortures and shedding of their blood after a most cruel manner, did not break off or keep back God's love from them. And this the holy Martyr Stephen knew well, he knew that he was beloved of God, and right dear and precious in his sight when the stones were about his ears, and did batter, and bruise, and break his body, and beat out his brains, and in confidence and assurance of God's love to him did he then commend his soul into the hands of the Lord Jesus. Act. 7.59. the text saith, his cruel and bloody minded persecutors ran on him violently and stoned him, and he called and said, Lord Jesus receive my spirit: yea the text saith, verse 60. that his violent death was but as a sweet sleep, it was a falling fast asleep in the hands of the Lord Jesus: and so indeed is the death of every child of God, whether it be natural or violent, it is but a sleeping in Jesus, as 1. Thess. 4.14. And so the death of the body of what sort soever, whether natural or violent, and after what manner soever it be, cannot • ossibly break off or keep back God's love from his children, and separate either the soul or the body of a child of God from God and from God's special love: and the reason and ground of it is plain, namely this.

A child of God is united and knit to Christ with an inseparable union, and he so remains forever, [Reason.] in what state or condition soever he be, in health, in sickness, in extremity of pains and tortures, in life, in death, and after death he continues knit to Christ in his body and in his soul. Yea though the body of a child of God be dead and rotten, and turned to dust in the earth, or be in the sea, or wheresoever, yet it is still within the covenant of grace, and a member of Christ, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 14.8. Whether ye live or die, we being true believers, we are still the Lord's both in our bodies and souls, and God is still the God both of our bodies and souls. And therefore doubtless the death of the body, whether natural or violent, or after what manner soever it be, cannot possibly break off or keep back God's love from his children, and separate either the soul or the body of a child of God from God, and from God's special love.

But haply some may object against this the words of Christ, Mat. 22.32. that God is not the God of the dead, [Object.] but of the living.

[Answ.] I answer: God is not the God of the dead, according to the sense and meaning of the Sadducees, against whom Christ there deals, who denied the resurrection, and thought that the dead bodies of the Saints were so dead, as never to rise again, but he is the God of his children being dead in their bodies to be raised up again; yea he is a friend to the dead bodies of his children, and the very dust of their bodies is dear to him when they are turned to dust, and his hand doth still hold and keep them in time to restore them to life again. And so it still remains a truth, that the death of the body, of what sort soever, or after what manner soever it be effected, though it come by most cruel torments, cannot possibly break off or lessen God's love from his children, and separate either the soul or body of a child of God from God, and from God's special love: and for the use of this.

[Use 1] First consider we this truth to this purpose: Cannot death separate the body of a child of God from God, and from his special love? Is the body of a child of God beloved of God, when it is severed from the soul, when it lies dead and is void of sense and feeling? Is it then dear to God when it is not sensible of any comfort? Surely then it holds sound and good, that a man or a woman may be right dear to God, and in special favor with God, and yet want the feeling of his love for a time. And do not thou whosoever thou art, thou finding that God hath done great good things for thy soul, even that for thee which he hath not done for thousands in the world, he hath given thee a sight of thy sins, an heart truly humbled for them, a mind to know him, an heart to fear him, a care and conscience to obey God: do not thou I say, perplex thyself, and disquiet thine own soul, because haply for the present thou wantest the feeling of God's love to thee: consider with thyself, thou mayest be right dear to God, and be loved of him in special manner, and yet for the present be as insensible of his love, and have no more feeling of it then a dead body, especially in the time of trouble and distress, and in the time of temptation. And though the feeling of comfort from God in the time of distress be a fruit and work of faith, yet a man or a woman may have faith that for the present wants the sense and feeling of comfort. Indeed none are in a good state that want faith, yet doubtless many are in a blessed state that want the feeling of comfort for the present. And therefore do not herein wrong thyself, and so judge thyself void of faith and out of God's favor, because as yet thou hast not a lively sense & feeling of God's love, the Lord will exercise thee with want of feeling of it for a time, and when he hath fitted thee for it he will give it to thee.

Now for a second use: is it so that the death of body, of [Use 2] what sort soever, or after what manner soever, cannot possibly break off or keep back God's love from his child, and separate either the soul or body of a child of God from God, and from God's special love? Here is then a ground of sweet comfort to all God's children against the fear of death: the truth now delivered being mingled with faith in the hearts of God's children, it will arm and strengthen them against the fear of death, and cheer up their hearts in the pains and pangs of death, of what kind soever it be, be it never so bitter and painful. What though a child of God be under some bitter and grinding disease of the stone, of a burning fever, and the heat of it is so fierce and so violent and strong on him, as in his own sense and feeling he seems to lie in flames of fire? What though a child of God be taken away by a violent death, either suddenly by some strange accident, as he falls from some high place, or from his horse, and his brains are dashed out, or he is drownd, or such like, or his life is taken from him by his cruel persecutors, and they put him to most woeful rack and tortures, and they cast his body to be devoured of wild beasts, or to be meat to the fowls of the air, as Psal. 79.20. they drag his body through the streets, they hang him on a gibbet, they burn him, and put him to death after a most cruel manner? yet it is not the kind of death or manner of death whatsoever it be, that can possibly break off or keep back God's love from him, or separate either his soul or body from God's special love. Oh then let this ground of truth be mingled with faith in our hearts, we being the children of God, and we shall find it will stand by us and comfort us when we lie gasping for breath on our death beds, and it will arm us against the fear of death, of what sort soever it be. 1. Sam. 30.6. we find that when the people were ready to stone David, and David saw nothing but present death before him, the text saith, David comforted himself in the Lord his God. The words are full of weight, together with the apprehension of death, as David thought unavoidable, he apprehended the mercy of God in the covenant, and he persuaded himself that death could not sever him from his God, and from the love of God, and thereupon he cheered up his heart, and was comforted. So doubtless if the truth now delivered be settled in our hearts and mingled with faith, we shall find it will minister matter of sweet comfort unto us in the bitterest pains that can befall us, and it will strengthen us against the fear of death, of what kind soever it be, and be it never so bitter and painful: Neither death, nor life (saith the Apostle) shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. By life (as I shown) we are to understand the life of the body, and the pleasures, profits, and honors that do accompany it. Now the point hence offered I need not stand on, for everyone who knows things aright, will confess that the life of the body and the good things of this life, health, wealth, peace, plenty, honor, and such like, cannot possibly break off or keep back God's love from his children: for indeed both life it self and the good things of this life, are blessings of God in themselves, and to God's children they are given as blessings in mercy, and God's children have right and title to them in Christ, and to the lawful use of them, and they are given to them as pledges of God's love, and faith sanctifies all outward good things to God's children; and therefore they cannot possibly break off or keep back God's love from his children: I will not therefore stand on it. But it may seem strange why the Apostle should here reckon life among the things that cannot separate God's children from God's love, meaning by life, as ye have heard, the life of the body, and the good things of this life: surely herein appears the wisdom [Doct. 5] of the Apostle, and the wisdom of the holy Spirit of God by whom he was guided. This doubtless he did to arm God's children against a special subtlety of Satan; Satan is tampering with God's children, not only on the left, but sometimes on the right, and he sometimes labors to persuade a child of God that he is not loved of God, because God vouchsafes him outward good things, and a freedom from evils and afflictions that many of God's children lie under: and that this is so, no doubt some can witness out of their own experience. Have not some at one time or other thus reasoned and thought with themselves, Surely God gives me a good measure of health and strength, and a competent measure of outward good things, and I am not in such affliction as I see other of God's children are, and am I a child of God? I doubt whether God love me or no. This is sometimes the reasoning and thought of a child of God: and sure I am, I have known a dear child of God thus to reason, and thus to think in respect of inward trials, and in the time of sickness hath thus spoken, I find myself not buffeted by Satan, and so assaulted by him as I have known some of God's dear children in the time of their sickness, and when they have drawn near to their end; my conscience is quiet, and I find peace in my soul, am I a child of God? See the cunning of a subtle enemy: and thus doubtless it is sometimes in respect of outward good things and freedom from evils. Now this the holy Spirit of God here prevents, in that he saith, that life, and the good things of this life, cannot separate from the love of God: [Use.] and he would have us learn that which the Preacher hath taught us, Eccles. 9.1. that no man knows either love or hatred from outward things, good or evil, but we are to look to the inward qualification of our souls, and if thou find in thee the inward qualification of a child of God, thou findest sanctifying grace in thy soul, and true faith in thine heart, and withal the Lord vouchsafes thee outward good things, and freedom from evils that other of God's children lie under, bless God for it, and use those good things to the glory of God, and to the helping of thee forward in the way to heaven; and trouble not thyself with this, that thou art not afflicted as other of God's children be, leave that to the wisdom of thy heavenly Father, who measures out the afflictions of his children in wisdom, and as he sees meet and fit; and be thou ready in the preparation of thine heart to undergo any affliction, to lose health, wealth, liberty, and life it self for the name of Christ, and for the profession of his Gospel, and for the keeping of faith and a good conscience: and remember that life and the good things of this life, cannot separate thee from the love of God in Christ.

Let us now go on to some other of the particulars here reckoned up by the Apostle: and the next in order are Angels, principalities, and powers, of which we shall not need to speak, they were comprehended in that doctrine, That no creature in heaven, in earth, or in hell, can possibly break off or keep back God's love from his children; & likewise those particulars, height, and depth: and therefore I will not stand on them severally, only I hold it fit to note that the Apostle here reckons things to come, and a little to stand on that particular branch of his induction, he saith, Things to come cannot separate God's child • en from God's love: and by things to come he means (as I shown) both good and evil things that in time to come may befall God's children: and the point hence offered is this.

[Doct. 6] That nothing to come, no event, no falling out and coming to pass of things in this world, whatsoever it be, can possibly break off or keep back God's love from his children. Though the things to come be unknown and uncertain what they shall be, yet this is most certain and sure, whatsoever they be they cannot work a separation of God's children from God and from God's special love. We read, Isai. 46.3.4. the Lord saith, he had borne the house of Jacob and Israel, and the remnant of the house of Jacob and Israel from the womb, and brought them up from the birth: and for the time to come he would still be the same to them, even to old age, and to hoary hairs, and things to come should not separate between him and them: and thus also Christ speaks, John. 10.28. that for the time to come such as are his sheep shall be kept from perishing, and from being plucked out of his hand, and whatsoever comes to them and befalls them, they shall not miscarry, it shall not separate them from him. And to this purpose is that of Jude verse 1. of his Epistle, that the called and sanctified of God, true believers, and God's children, they are reserved to Jesus Christ, and things to come cannot sever them from him, & from his love. It is but a cavil of the Arminians, that the reservation or asseruation of the called of God there spoken of belongs to the time past: for such as have been and are kept of God the Father to Jesus Christ, shall be still kept of him to the end, as the Apostle saith, Philip. 1.6. He that hath begun to keep them, will perfect the good work he hath begun, and will keep them to the end; no event or thing to come whatsoever, can possibly break off or keep back God's love from them: and why, the reasons of it are evident.

First, in God's hand is the disposing of all things, of life it [Reason 1] self, and of the events of life, and in his hand are the issues of all things, Psal. 31.15. My times are in thine hand, saith David. And not only things present are disposed of by the hand of God, but things to come also; for to him all things are present, and he orders all things at his own good will & pleasure, and his will is effectual for the good of his children in all things that befall them.

And again, there is a perpetuity even of the love of true [Reason 2] believers: they having their hearts once possessed with true love to God and to the Saints of God by the work of the Spirit, they cannot be utterly destitute of that love, that love of theirs shall never utterly fall away, 1. Cor. 13.8. And the love of true believers towards God and towards men begun in this life, shall continue forever in the life to come, and in heaven it shall be in full perfection: and much more is the love of God to his children perpetual, and shall never fail, or be broken off by any event whatsoever. And therefore doubtless this we may resolve on as a certain truth, that no event, no falling out and coming to pass of things in this world whatsoever, can possibly break off or keep back God's love from his children.

Now for the use of this: I might bend the force of this truth against that erroneous conceit of some, that a child of God cannot be sure of his continuance in the love of God. Some erring spirits say, that a child of God may now for the present be assured of God's love to him, but he cannot be so for the time to come: they say God continues to love his children if they continue to love him, but if they be diverted & turned aside by some event from their love to God, then God ceaseth to love them; a conceit directly contrary to the plain evidence of the word of God, and to the truth now delivered: we have often had occasion to deal against it, I pass by it, [Use.] and for the use of the truth delivered: It may serve to arm and strengthen God's children against the fear of variable events and falling out of things here in this world; this world is a place of continual alteration and changing, The face and fashion of the world is variable, and goeth away, 1. Cor. 7.31. The things in the world are changeable, and the state of man's life is subject to continual mutation & change, as one saith well, the day is sometimes a mother, and sometimes a stepmother, it sometimes brings forth good, and sometimes it brings forth evil, a man is now well, and presently sick, now rich, and suddenly poor, now in honor and high place, and presently debas • d and wheeled down: and as Solomon saith, Eccles. 7.2. The life of man is as a shadow that is wavering and changeable, and never continuing in one stay, as Job 14.2. Now in all alterations and changes that be in the world, here is the stay and comfort of the child of God, that God's love to him still abides with him, and is never changed: and though it be with a child of God as with other men, he cannot tell what shall befall him hereafter, as the common saying is, a man knows his beginning, but he knows not his end, and things to come are doubtful and uncertain, though witches, wizards, and such instruments of the devil will take on them to foretell things to come; but I say, though a child of God know not what shall come to him tomorrow, and in the time to come, as Paul said, Acts 20.22. I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, and know not what things shall come unto me there: yet here is his comfort, he knows this, that come what will come, or what can come, either in the world or in his own particular person, no event whatsoever it be can possibly break off or keep back God's love from him: and though his state be changed, yet God's love to him is not changed, that is still the same; and what a comfort may this be to a child of God? Who can say and say truly, that his state is such in regard of his body and outward estate, as no event can change it, or remove him from it? Surely none living on the face of the earth. David indeed said, Psal. 30.6. That he should never be removed: but he found it otherwise, as himself saith, verse 7. The Lord hid his face, and he was troubled, only the child of God is in such a firm state and condition in respect of God's love, as that nothing that befalls him can remove him from that: things to come cannot possibly break off or keep back God's love from him. And that may be a ground of sweet comfort to us, we being the children of God, and if we be able to mingle it with faith in our hearts, we shall find it will comfort us amidst the hurlie burlies, and changes, and greatest alterations of things that fall out here in this world.

Come we now to the last words of verse 39. which is, in Christ Jesus our Lord. These words as heretofore I have made known, are a second amplification of the Apostles proposition, that nothing can separate God's children from the love of God; and they contain the ground of God's love to his children, that it is grounded not on anything in themselves, but on Christ Jesus: and the point hence offered in the first place, is this. [Doct. 7]

That the ground of God's love to his children is in Christ Jesus. God loves his children most dearly, and the ground of his love to them is not in themselves, nor in any creature in heaven or earth, but only in Christ. Indeed it is true, to prevent an objection in the beginning, God loves his own image, the stamp of his grace, and the work of his good Spirit, namely holiness and sanctification where he finds it in his children, but the ground of that work is his love to them in Christ his Son, he loves them in Christ, and out of that love of his to them in Christ, he is pleased to work on their souls to their sanctification. So the ground of his love to them is in Christ Jesus: and hence it is that the Apostle saith, Ephes. 1.3. That God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly things: and then he subjoins in Christ, he maketh Christ the ground of all spiritual blessings, and of all the fruits of God's love to his children. And 2. Pet. 1.2.3. the Apostle saith, We are blessed through the acknowledging of Christ with all things that belong to life and godliness. And 1. Corinth. 1.30. Christ is made to us of God, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. And so in many other places we find that Christ is the ground and foundation of all good things that come from God to his chosen: [Reason.] which doth plainly evidence that the ground of God's love to his children is only in Christ Jesus. And indeed Christ is the head of the covenant that God hath stricken with his chosen: and the grace of election beginneth first with Christ the head, and in him it descendeth down to all God's [Use 1] chosen.

Now this for use first teacheth us, that they take a wrong and a preposterous course, who seek for the ground of God's love to them in themselves: & thus do the Papists, they make the ground of God's love to them their own inherent goodness and righteousness, and so doing, it is no marvel that their doctrine can give no true comfort to the weary soul and to the troubled conscience, nor can yield any certainty of salvation: they draw their followers from the ground of true comfort Christ Jesus, and make them lean on a rotten and sandy foundation, their one goodness: and therefore they cannot possibly yield comfort to them. And for our selves, this being so, that the ground of God's love to his children is in Christ Jesus. We may hence gather and conclude [Use 2] our happiness, that we are in a most happy state if we be once assured of God's love to us, for that love of God to us is grounded and settled on a sure foundation, and such as never can be shaken. How firm is that conjunction with God, which is begun in such an head as Christ Jesus, who is God with God blessed forever? How firm and sure is God's love to us, he loving us in Christ our head and elder brother, who is his natural Son, from whom it is impossible that his love should be removed? and his love being firm and sure to the head, can the body or any member of it be forsaken? it is not possible: and therefore this may cheare up and comfort thee whosoever thou art that art assured of God's love to thee, thou art in a most blessed state and condition.

Now as in these words the Apostle makes known to us that the ground of God's love to his children is in Christ, so also that God's special love comes to them in and through Christ Jesus: and the point hence offered in the next place is this. [Doct. 8]

That God's special love, that love wherewith he loveth his to their good and comfort here in this world, and to their happiness in heaven, it comes to them only in and through Christ Jesus. Whosoever are made partakers of God's special love, & of the tokens and fruits of that love, it comes to them only in and through Christ Jesus. God's love to his children is in God as the fountain, and from him it flows out as from a fountain; and Christ Jesus is as it were the conduit or pipe by which it is conuaid to them. And to this purpose is that, John. 1.17. Grace came by Jesus Christ: the free grace, love and favor of God, that comes to men in and through Christ Jesus. And we read that at the birth of Christ the Angels published. God's love and his good will to men through him, through Christ then borne, Luke 2.14. Glory be to God in the high heavens, and peace in earth, and towards men good will. Yea the Lord himself proclaims it from heaven by his own immediate voice, that in and through Christ his Son he is well pleased with all that believe in him, Matth. 3.17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: and the Apostle saith expressly, Ephes. 1.6. that we are accepted of God, and beloved of him in his beloved Son Christ Jesus. And hence it is that the Apostles did usually in the beginning of their Epistles pray for grace and peace to be given to them to whom they writ, from God the Father as from the fountain, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, as the conduit or pipe to convey grace and peace to them: plainly noting out, that God's special love, that love of God wherewith he loveth his, & which he communicateth and reacheth out to them for their good here in this world, and for their happiness in heaven, it comes to them only in and through Christ Jesus, and only in and through him men come to be partakers of God's special love, and of the tokens and fruits of that love: and that this is so there be good grounds of reason for it, as.

[Reason 1] First, this Christ was appointed and set apart of God from all eternity to be the head and Prince of salvation, to bring to happiness and salvation all that should be saved to the glory of God's grace, and all that attain salvation they receive it being in him, for his sake and through him. And

[Reason 2] Secondly, God's chosen having made defection from God, and fallen from God by sin, there is enmity between God and them in regard of sin, and God is a just God, and his justice must be satisfied before there be a reconciliation between God and them. Now Christ only hath performed such obedience to God his Father, and that to death, Even to the death of the cross, Philip. 2.8. as doth give full satisfaction to the justice of his Father, and reconcile him to his chosen, and make peace between God and them, as 2. Cor. 5.19. God was in Christ, and reconciled the world to himself. Yea such obedience hath Christ yielded to God his Father, as doth procure from the grace and love of God, every good thing to his chosen, whether spiritual or temporal, and concerning their good in this life, and their everlasting good in the life to come. And therefore it must needs be so, that God's special love, that love of God wherewith he loveth his, and which he doth communicate to them for their good here in this world, and for their happiness in heaven, it comes to them only in and through Christ Jesus, and only in and through him men come to partake in God's special love, and in the tokens and fruits of that love.

Now then to make our use & profit of this, first this ground [Use 1] of truth serves to discover, that such persons as are out of Christ, they cannot possibly partake in God's special love, nor in any token or fruit of that love of God. God may and doth love them with his general and common love, as he loves all his creatures, as they be his creatures and workmanship of his hands, but undoubtedly he loves them not with his special love, and so long as they remain out of Christ, they cannot possibly partake in that love of God which he doth communicate to his children, and what good thing soever they enjoy, it is no token or fruit of God's special love to them. Admit they have health, and wealth, and abundance of the good things of this life, yea admit they have grace in their souls, as the common gifts and graces of the Spirit they have wit, learning, and knowledge, and that of heavenly things, yea they have power to abstain from some gross sins, and such like, yet none of these things are tokens and fruits of God's special love to them. Indeed many that have no evidence of their being in Christ, are ready to sooth up themselves in a conceit of God's special love to them in respect of these things, and they stick not to say, that God hath blest them with health, and with wealth, and with many good things, and they persuade themselves God loves them in special manner. And if men and women be endued with civil honesty, if they live civilly and orderly in the world, oh then they have a marvelous strong conceit that they are highly beloved of God, and highly in the favor of God, and we cannot drive them from that conceit. Poor souls, they deceive themselves, there is no partaking in God's special love nor in any token or fruit of his love out of Christ. And know it whosoever thou art, and take it home to thee; thou being out of Christ, thy health, thy wealth, and good things of this life thou dost enjoy, they are not given to thee in mercy, and as tokens and fruits of God's special love, and thou dost from thence but falsely conclude that thou art beloved of God in special manner. And know further, if thou have no better evidence of thy being in Christ then thy civil honesty, surely thou dost but rest on a staff of reed, and I dare boldly tell thee, that as yet thou art not in Christ, and being not in Christ, the grace that is in thy soul, the power thou hast to abstain from gross sins, and to do some good duties, the good gifts that are bestowed on thee, as wit, memory, knowledge of good things, learning, and such like, are not fruits of God's special love to thee, they are but such things as God may and doth many times bestow on reprobates, and such as shall be damned; they come to thee only from the hand and providence of God, and not from his special love, and they can yield thee no true comfort. And therefore do not thou so deceive thine own soul, as thereupon to conclude that thou art beloved of God with his special love, and with that love he bears to his children. And for a second use of this truth.

[Use 2] Is it so that God's special love, that love of God wherewith he loves his, and which he communicates to them for their good here in this world, and for their happiness and glory hereafter, it comes to them only in and through Christ Jesus, and only in and through him men come to partake in God's special love, and in the tokens and fruits of it? Surely then on this ground we ought to be stirred up to labor to find our selves in Christ, and never to rest till we find that we are in him, and one with him by the bond of his Spirit, and by true faith. We love to make our selves inward, if possibly we can, with them by whom we may receive any benefit and profit: now only in Christ, and through Christ doth God communicate his special love, and the tokens and fruits of his love to men, and in and through Christ alone we being in him, we shall come to partake in every good thing, and we shall be sure the good things we do enjoy are tokens and fruits of God's special love to us; not only good things spiritual, but even the good things of this life, our health, our strength, our wealth, and such like. Oh then let this stir thee up whosoever thou art, to labor to find thyself in Christ, and one with him: yea thou finding thyself already in Christ, let this stir thee up further to grow up in him by faith, and to strive to be more nearly united with him, and never rest till thou have good evidence of it that thou art in Christ and one with him, that thou dost partake in the virtue of Christ his death mortifying sin in thee, and in the virtue of his resurrection quickening thee to newness of life, and that thou art able to say with the Apostle, Galat. 2.20. I live not, but Christ lives in me: for that indeed will evidence to thee that thou art in Christ, and one with him; and being so, thou art in an happy state and condition, God doth then through Christ communicate his special love to thee, and the tokens and fruits of that love, and then the good things thou dost enjoy in soul, in body, or outward estate, are indeed tokens and fruits of God's special love to thee. And let the consideration of that work into thy soul the affection of the blessed Apostle, Philip. 3.8.9. even to think all things loss that thou mayest win Christ and be found in him: that is thy duty, let it be thought on: and so much of that.

The Apostle adds, our Lord, In Christ Jesus our Lord, Hereby he teacheth us how we are further to conceive of Christ in respect of our selves: and the point is this.

As many as acknowledge Christ their Jesus, their Savior, [Doct. 9] must also acknowledge him their Lord, and must submit themselves to his rule and government: that is indeed right faith in Christ. We hold it an article of our faith that we believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, and we are taught as much by Christ himself, Matth. 11.29. that such as come to him by faith, and find comfort in him, must also take his yoke on them, and submit their necks to his yoke: and there is reason for it.

Christ hath redeemed them that believe in him, and bought them with his own most precious blood, [Reason.] and having redeemed them with so great a price, they are his, and at his disposing in their bodies and in their souls, as the Apostle saith. 1. Corinth. 6.20. and they are to be commanded by him, and to submit themselves to his rule and government.

[Use.] How then do they deceive themselves and feed on a fancy, who will have Christ to bear the burden of their sins, and yet never submit their necks to his yoke: a redeemer they will have him but not a Lord, they will have part in the redemption wrought by Christ, but their own lusts must be their Lord's, and they live as they are led by the devil, and follow after drunkenness, whoredom, swearing, and all profaneness, as they are led by the cursed lusts of their own hearts: surely such persons are bewitched with a strong delusion of the devil. And know it whosoever thou art, that sayest thou believest in Christ, and holdest Christ thy Savior, and yet livest as thou art led by thine own vile lusts, and by the fashions, and customs, and corrupt examples of the world, thou settest up a Christ of thine own framing, and thou believest not in Christ as he is propounded and set forth in the Gospel. [Object.] And if thou say, Though thou be a grievous sinner, yet thou dost acknowledge Christ thy Lord. Consider it but in reason, [Answ.] canst thou imagine thou holdest Christ thy Lord whom thou dost daily despite and crucify? now this thou dost by thy sins, thou continuing hardened in thy sins, and in thy wicked course of life: and if thou acknowledge not Christ thy Lord, assuredly thou dost not rightly acknowledge him thy Savior, for these two go together. If then thou wouldst find comfort in Christ, learn thou to make him thy Lord, and suffer him to rule in thine heart and life by the scepter of his word, and by the power of his Spirit. For then indeed is Christ thy Lord, when the power of his grace hath preeminence in thee, and prevails over the inward strength of thine own corruption, and over such outward power as draweth men to sin, the temptations of Satan, the allurements of the world: and this thou must find in thyself if thou wouldst find true comfort in Christ, and be assured that he is thy Savior.

A

• AN answer to an Anabaptistical cavil. pag. 10. and pag. 75
• Particular Application of the benefits and saving comforts in Christ must be joined to the knowledge of them. p. 49
• The best Act of corrupt nature is deadly and damnable. p. 130
• The best Act and exercise of corrupt nature is contrary to God and to all goodness. pag. 153. and 164
• An Anabaptistical fancy confuted. p. 232
• An infallible evidence of Adoption. p. 331. 365
• Assurance of God's love, and that infallible, may be had in this life. p. 390
• The point of Adoption handled. p. 401. 402
• How a true feeling Affection to the joys of heaven is discerned. p. 427
• The bitter Afflictions of God's children but of short continuance. p. 457
• It shall one day appear to men and Angels who be God's children. p. 473
• God hath Appointed his chosen to be like his own Son in holiness. pag. 666
• No Accusation for sin can hurt God's chosen now believing in Christ. p. 776
• Arminians confuted in some particulars. p. 795. 821. 826

B

• TRue Believes having in them matter deserving condemnation, are yet free from condemnation. pag. 7
• Comfort to true Believes, both in respect of sin and of the miseries that befall them. p. 9
• God's account of true Believes, though sin still abide in them in part. p. 190
• We are to be careful in well using our Bodies. p. 261
• The dead Bodies of God's children raised from the dead shall be altered & changed in quality. p. 203
• Christ his Body raised from the dead, still a visible body. p. 268.
• The Beginnings of saving grace in God's children are pledges of full perfection of grace, and of fullness of joy and glory in heaven hereafter. p. 521. 544
• The best of God's children groan under the burden of corruption and misery in this world. p. 535
• The Bodies of God's children shall one day be fully freed from all corruption and misery. p. 545
• True Believes are assured that all things work together for the best, both of themselves and of all that truly love God. p.