Secondly, There is no power nor policy on earth or in hell that can deprive a Christian of his crown of life : James i. 12, ' Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him,' * The crown of life,' that is eternal life, whereby after the fight and conquest he shall be glorified as with a crown ; as there was a crown to him that overcame in their exercises among the Grecians, [Piscator.] Blessedness is the general reward, the crown of life is the particular reward. In these words, as Chrysostom observes, there is a great emphasis, they are both emphatical ; for life is the best of all natural things, and a crown is the best of all civil things. Here is the best and the best. Words are too weak to express what a rare blessing a crown of life is. The crown of life is in the other world, saith Gregory. This life is the life of conflict ; that, of crowns and wreaths. But you- will say. What doth this crown of life signify ? I answer,
(1.) First, The crown of life signifies solid and substantial honour and glory; as a crown is a solid and substantial thing. Heaven ad- mits of no honour and glory but what is solid and substantial. The crown of life is a massy crown, a ponderous crown, to shew that the glory above is a massy glory, substantial glory. That you may see it is massy and substantial, observe what a word the apostle useth: * The weight of glory,' ' the exceeding eternal weight of glory,' 2 Cor. iv. 17. Such a weight as infinitely over-poiseth all afflictions. The apostle alludeth to the Hebrew and Chaldee words which signify both weight and glory.^ The Arabic version renders it, ' Worketh for us a weight of glory in the most eminent and largest degree and measure.' ^ The Syriac reads it, ' Infinitam gloriarn,' An infinite glory. Haymo reads it, * Magnitudinem glorice supra omnem modum et mensuram,' A greatness of glory, beyond all bounds and measure. Beza reads it, ' Excellenter excellens' Exceedingly excellent. Yet none of these reach the height of the apostle's rhetoric, neither is any translation able to express it. Glory is so great a weight that if the saints were not up- held by the infinite power and strength of God, it were impossible they should be able to bear it. To gold and precious things the weight addeth to the value ; as the more massy and weighty a crown is, the more it is worth. The glory of heaven is not only eternal glory, but it
i Basil, ad 40, Martyr, &c. - 1133, "Ip*"
3 Modo eminentissimo et largissimo.
518 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD
is a weight of glory ; yea, such a weight as exceeds all expressions, all comparisons. The honour and glory of this world is but like the cracking of thorns under a pot ; it is but like a blaze, a shadow, a dream, a vapour ; it is but like a fading flower, or the picture of a prince drawn upon the ice, with his purple robes and his glorious crown, &c. , which melts away as soon as the sun riseth ; the considera- tion of which made one prince say of his crown : ' 0 crown ! more noble than happy ! ' A crown is the choicest and chiefest of all human rewards. Amongst all terrene gifts none more honourable and glorious than a crown. This is the height of human excellencies, and for the attainment of which many have made most sad, desperate, and dangerous adventures ; but, alas ! what are all earthly crowns, for honour and dignity, to the crown of life ? No more than shadows to substances, pebbles to pearls, or dross to gold. But,
(2.) Secondly, The crown of life signifies the greatest honour and glory. There is nothing higher in the estimation and in the admira- tion of men than a crown ; it is the highest appendant of majesty. A crown is the emblem of majesty, and so it notes that imperial and kingly dignity to which believers are advanced by Christ, Ps. viii. 7. There is nothing that men esteem of above a crown, or admire than a crown, or are ambitious of than a crown, Eph. i. 3. The crown is the top of royalty. All earthly crowns have crosses hanging upon them ; all earthly crowns are stuffed with thorns : which made a great prince [Xerxes] say, ' You look upon my crown and my purple robes, but did you but know how they are lined with thorns, you would not stoop to take them up.' Queen Elizabeth is said to swim to her crown through a sea of sorrow : and so many of the princes of this world have swam to their crowns through a sea of sin, a sea of trouble, a sea of sorrow, and a sea of blood. The crown of life is an honour- able crown, and that is the reason why the heavenly glory is expressed by a crown, Kev. iii. 21, The saints are heirs, not only of Christ's cross, but also of his crown ; that is, of his honour and glory. The honour and glory of all earthly crowns are greatly darkened and ob- scured by the cares and troubles, the temptations and dangers that are inseparably annexed to them ; but no cares, no troubles, attend the crown of life, the crown of glory. Eternal life is a coronation day. But,
(3.) Thirdly, The crown of life signifies the reiuard of victory. A crown is the honour of those that strive ; crowns were always the re- wards of conquerors : Kev. ii. 10, 'Be thou faithful to the death, and I will give thee a crown of life.' A crown without cares, corrivals, envy, end ; a crown not of gold, silver, pearls, laurels, or such like fading, perishing, corruptible things, but a crown of life, an ever-living crown, an everlasting crown, a never-fading crown. It is an allusion to a custom that was amongst the Grecians, for such as got the mas- tery in their games of wrestling, or running, or the like, were crowned with a garland in token of victory. It is not he that fights, but he that conquers, that carries the crown, i The crown of life is for that man, and that man is for the crown of life, who holds on conquering and to conquer, as Christ his head has done before him. The hea- ^ Dr Eainokls against Ilart, page 482.
WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 519