(17.) Seventeenthlj and lastly, ' If God be with us, who can be against us ? ' I answer, None, so as to hinder our growth in grace, or the thriving and flourishing estate of our precious and immortal souU. The troubles, afflictions, persecutions, and sufferings that the saints meet with in a way of holiness shall but further the increase and growth of their graces. Grace never rises to so great a height as it does in times of persecution. Suffering times are a Christian's harvest times, Ps. Ix. 7-9, 12, Let me instance in that grace of zeal : I re- member Moulin, speaking of the French Protestants, saith. When papists hurt us, and persecute us for reading the Scripture, we burn with zeal to be reading of them, but now persecution is over, our Bibles are like old almanacks. Michal's scoffing at David did but in- flame and raise his zeal ; ' If this be to be vile, I will be more vile,' 2 Sam. vi. 20-22. Look, as fire in the winter burns the hotter, by an antiperistasis, because of the coldness of the air, so in the winter of persecution, that divine fire, the zeal of a Christian, burns so much the hotter, and flames forth so much the n^ore vehemently and strongly. When one desired to know what kind of man Basil was, there was presented to him in a dream, saith the historian, a pillar of fire, with this motto, Talis est Basilius, Basil is such a one, he is all on a-light- fire for God. Warm persecutions will but set Christians all on a- light-fire for God, as you may see among the apostles, primitive Christians, and the martyrs of a later date. Gr£|,ce usually is in the greatest flourish when the saints are under the greatest trials. The snuffing of the candle makes it burn the brighter. God suffers wicked men to beat and bruise his links, to make them burn the brighter ; and to pound and bruise his spices to make them send forth the greater aromatical flavour. Fiery trials are like the teazle , which though it be sharp and scratching, it is to make the cloth more pure and fine. Stars shine brightest in the darkest nights, and so do the graces of the saints shine brightest in the darkest nights of affliction and tribulation. God does sometimes more carry on the growth of grace by a cross than by an ordinance ; yea, the Lord will first or last turn all fiery trials into ordinances, for the helping on the growth of grace in his people's souls. Commonly the saints' spiritual growth in grace is carried on by such divine methods, and in such ways as might seem to deaden grace, and weaken it, rather than any ways to augment and increase it. We know that winter is as necessary to bring on harvest as the spring, and so fiery trials are as necessary to bring on the harvest of grace as the spring of mercy is, Though fiery trials are grievous, yet they shall make the saints more gracious. God usually, by smart sufferings, turns his people's sparks of grace into a mighty flame, their mites into millions, their drops into seas. All the devils in hell, and all the sinners on earth, cannot hinder the Lord from carrying on the growth of grace in his people's souls. When men and devils have done their worst, God will, by all sorts of
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ordinances, and by all sorts of providences, and all sorts of changes, make his people more and more holy, and more and more humble, and more and more meek and lowly, and more and more heavenly, wise, faithful, fruitful, sincere, courageous, &c. Though the church of Smyrna was outwardly poor, yet she was inwardly rich, rich in grace, and rich towards God, Kev. ii. 9. I think he hit the mark who said. It is far better to be a poor man and a rich Christian, than to be a rich man and a poor Christian. Though the Corinthians were under great trials and sufferings, yet they did abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and diligence, and in their love to gospel ministers, 2 Cort viii. 7. The storm beat hard upon the Komans, and yet you see what a singular testimony the apostle gives of them, * I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able to admonish one another,' Kom. xv, 14. The Thessalonians were under great persecu- tions and troubles, and yet were strong in the grace that was in Christ Jesus ; they were very growing and flourishing Christians. Singular prophecies speak out the saints' growth and flourishing in grace. ' The Lord is exalted ; for he dwelleth on high : he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.' ' The Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness shall be a fruitful field.' l ' The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose : it shall blossom abun- dantly : ' ' the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon ;' ' they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.' And as singular prophecies, so choice and precious promiseSj speak out the saints' growth in grace. Take a taste of some of them. ' But the path of the just is as the shin- ing light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.' ' The righteous shall hold on his way ; and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.' ' They shall go from strength to strength ; every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.' ' The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree ; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.' * Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God ; in old age they shall be fat and flourishing,' Prov. iv. 18 ; Job xvii. 9 ; Ps. Ixxxiv. 7, and xcii. 12-14. I have read of an old man who, being asked whether he grew in grace ? answered, I believe I do, for God hath promised that in old age his children should be fat and flourishing. So Isa. xlvi. 3, ' Hearken unto me, 0 house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb : ' ver. 4, ' And even to your old age I am he ; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you : I have made, and I will bear ; even I will carry, and will deliver you : ' Zech. xii. 8, ' And he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David ; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them :' Hosea xiv. 5, ' I will be as the dew unto Israel : he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon : ' ver. 6, ' His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon:' ver. 7, ' They that dwell under his shadow shall return ; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine : the scent thereof shall be as * 2 Thes. i. 3, 8 ; Isa. xxxiii. 5, xxxii. 15, xxiv. 1.
526 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD