6. Sixthly^ and lastly^ The frequent trials of grace exhibit a full and living testimony against the atheism of the world. These prove bevond all words or arguments that religion is no fancy, but the greatest reality in the world : Men would make religion but a fancy, and the zeal of its professors, but the intemperate heat of some crazy brains, over-heated with a fond notion.
Thev that never felt the real influences of religion upon their own souls, will not believe that others do feel them. Serious piety is be- come the ludicrous subject with which the wanton wits of this atheis- tical world sport themselves. But behold the wisdom and goodness of God exhibitino; to the world the undeniable testimonies of the truth of religion, as often as the sincere professors thereof are brought to the test by afflictions from the hand of God, or persecution from the hands of men : Lo ! here is thej'aith and patience of the saints; here is their courage, meekness, and self-denial, shining as gold in the fire ; they have the real proofs of it before their eyes ; instead of casting them into hell, and convincing them by eternal fire, he is pleased to cast his own people into the fire of affliction, that they who scoff at them may be convinced at an easier and cheaper rate. It is no new thing to see the enemies of rehgion brought over to embrace it, by the constancy and faithfulness of the saints in their trials and sufferings for it. God grant that the atheism of this pre- sent generation do not occasion a more fiery trial to the people of God in it, than they have yet suffered !
Shewing that that grace only is to he reckoned sincere and real, which can endure those trials which God appoints, or permits, for the discovery of it.
►EFORE I offer you the proofs and evidences of this truth, it will be neces.sary to prevent some mistakes that may be occasioned })v misunderstandino; it.
Caution 1. And in the first place, we are not to thmk assurance of
584: TRIED GRACE IS TUVE GRACE.
our sincerity impossible to be had in this life, because as long as we live here, we are in a state of trial ; and how many trials soever have been made upon us already, yet still there are more to come ; and we know not what we shall prove in future trials, though God hath kept us upright in former trials : No, this is none of my meaning; nor doth such a conclusion necessarily follow this assertion : For a Christian that hath rightly closed with Christ at first, and been faithful in the duties of active and passive obedience hitherto, may be assured upon good grounds, of a victory before he come to the fire of his remaining trials. So was the apostle, Rom. viii. 35, &c. " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, *' or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or " sword ? Nay, in all these we are more than conquerors, through " him that hath loved us.'"* Here is an assured tnumph before the combat. So Job xxiii. 10. " But he knoweth the way that I take ; " when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." He appeals to God for the sincerity of his heart so far as he had hitherto gone in the wav of religion, and thence concludes, that whatever trials God should bring him to in time to come, he should come forth as gold, i. e. he should not lose one grain by the fire. And this confidence of a pracious soul is built not only upon experience gained in former trials, but upon faith in the power, promises, and faithfulness of God, which are engaged for him in the covenant of grace, to keep him in the greatest dangers that befal him in this world.
He believes the power of God is able to make him stand, though he hath no power nor might in himself to overcome the least tempta- tion, 1 Pet. i. 5. " You are kept, ooa^isiLsvoi (kept as in a garrison) by " the power of God through faith unto salvation." When Christ hath once taken possession of the soul b}^ his spirit, he fortifies it by his power, as in a garrison : that using the means, it be surprised or betrayed no more into the enemy's hand, so as finally to be lost.
He builds this confidence also upon the promises of God, which are his security in future dangers: And how are all the pages of the Bible bespangled with such promises, as the firmament is with bright and glorious stars ? Such are these of the first magnitude, 1 Cor. i. 8, 9. " Christ shall confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless " in the dav of our Lord Jesus Christ, God is faithful, by whom ye *^ are called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." And no less satisfying and sweet is that, Jer. xxxii. 40. " And I *' will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn " away from them to do them good ; but I will put my fear in their «' hearts, that they shall not depart from me." And of the same nature is that also, John x. 27, 28. " My sheep hear my voice, and ♦* I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal ♦' life ; and ihey shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck *' them out of my hand."
If there be any hypocrite in sheep's-clothing, he hath no part or
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lot in this promise ; but it secures the whole flock of Christ, great and small, against all danger.
He also builds his assurance upon the faithfulness of God, which stands engaged to make good every line, word, and syllable of his promises to his people, so we fjnd in 1 Cor. x. 13. '* There hath no " temptation taken you but such as is common to man ; but God is " faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are *' able; but will with every temptation make a way to escape, that " ye may be able to bear it.'' And, 2 Thes. iii. 3. " But the Lord " is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil."
Add to this the constant prevalent intercession of Christ in heaven for his people, in all their trials : and thus you will see a sincere Christian need not to deny himself the joy and comfort of his assur- ance, upon the account and supposition of his future trials.
Caution 2. 1^ OR do we here suppose, in this assertion, that inher- ent grace in the saints hath a sufficiency of ability in itself to endure the greatest and severest trials that can befal it in this world. It is certain that it shall be carried safely through all, but not in its own strength and ability.