(4.) The fourth support to l)ear np the liearts and to cheer np the spirits of the i)eople of God \vlio have heen sufferers, deep sufferers, under the late fiery dispensation, is this — viz., That though they have lost much as they are men, as they are citizens, merchants, trades- men; yet they have lost nothing as they are Christians, as they are saints, as they are the called and chosen of God. Though they have k>st their goods, yet they have not lost their God, Rev. xvii. 14. Thougli they liave lost tlicir shops and chests, yet they have not lost their Christ. Thongli they have lost their outward comforts, yet they have not lost the comforts of the Holy Ghost. Though tliey have lost their houses made with hands, yet they have not lost their 'house not made with hands, eternul in the heavens,' John xiv. 16, 26 ; 2 Cor. V. 1. Though they have lost their earthly inheritance, yet they have not lost tlieir heavenly inheritance, 1 Pet. i. 4. Though they have lost their temporal portions, yet they have not lost their eternal portions, Ps. Ixxiii. 25. Though they have lost their open jiuhlic trade, yet they have not lost their secret trade, their private trade to heaven. Mat. vi. 6. I readily grant that your stately houses and your well-furnished shops are turned into ashes, and that your credit is gone, and your trading gone, and your money gone, and you utterly undone as to this world; and yet in all this God has done you no hurt, he has done you no wrong. Gen. xviii. 25 : and though this at first sight may seem to he a great jiaradox, a very strange assertion, yet I shall thus evidence it to be an unquestionable truth. The happiness of man in this life consists, (1.) In his union with God ; (2.) In his communion with God ; (3.) In his conformity to God; and (4.) fourthly and lastly. In his spiritual fruition and enjoyment of God. Now none of those losses, crosses, and afhictive dispensations that have passed upon you, have or can make any breach ujion your happiness, or upon any one of those four things of which your happiness is made up. The top of man's happiness in heaven lies in his near union with God, and in the heatitical vision of God, and in his full communion with God, and in his exact and perfect conformity to God, and in his ever- lasting fi'uition and enjoyment of God. Now the more of these things any Cluistian enjoys in this world, the more of heaven he enjoys on this side heaven, the more happiness he has on this side happiness ; ,a,nd therefore I would willingly know how it is possible for any out- ward troubles or trials to make a breach upon a Christian's happiness. Doubtless Job was as happy when he sat upon the dunghill, Job ii., without a rag on his back or a penny in his purse, as he was when he K\i chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, chap. xxix. 25. If God l)e the mo.st jicrfect being, then to enjoy him and resemble him is our greatest ])erfection. If God be the best of beings, then our com- munion with him and fruition of him must be our greatest glory and highest felicity, omne honum in summo bono. Let what will befall our outward man, as long as our union and communion with God holds good, as long as our precious and immortal souls are in a safe and flouri.shing condition, as long as the springs of grace, of holiness, of comfort, of assurance rises in our souls, we are happy, and no out-
IsA. XLII, 24, 25.] THE late fiery dispensation. 177
ward miseries can make us miserable. There is, saith one, [Augustine,] bo7ia ihroni, and there is bo7ia scabeUi, There is goods of the throne, as God, Christ, tlie Spirit, grace, the favour of God, pardon of sin, peace of conscience, &c. ; and there is goods of the footstool, as food, raiment, house, lionours, riches, trade, credit, and all bodily conveniences and accommodations. Now it was not in the power of the flames to burn up the goods of the throne ; they still remain safe and secure to you. All that the flames could reach to, was only the goods of the foot- stool, the lumber of this Avorld. And therefore what cause have you to bear up cheerfully, quietly, sweetly, and contentedly under all your crosses and losses, trials and troubles ! ' They which adorn them- selves with gold,' saith one, [Clemens Alexandrinus,] ' and think themselves bettered thereby, are worse than gold, and no lords of it, as all should be.' ' He is poor,' saith another, [Gregory the Great,] ' whose soul is void of grace, not whose coffers are empty of money. By these short hints, you may clearly see that the people of God are never the worse for all their losses. They are as happy now they are houseless, moneyless, breadless, friendless, tradeless, as ever they were when they were most surrounded with all the comforts of this life. Woe, woe would be to the people of God, if their happiness should hang upon the comforts of this world, which like a ball are tossed from man to man. A ball of fire, a storm at sea, a flilse oath, a subtle enemy, a treacherous friend may easily deprive a man of all his earthly blessings at a clap. Now who so miserable as that man whose blessedness lies in earthly blessings ? But,
(5.) The fifth support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery dispensation, is this — viz., That the Lord ivill cer- tainly, one way or another, make up all their losses to them. Some- times God makes up his people's outward losses by giving them more of himself, more of his Son, more of his Spirit, more of his favour, more of his grace, as he did by the disciples of Christ, John xvi. When God takes away your carnals and gives you more spirituals, your temporals, and gives you more eternals, your outward losses are made up to you. Now this was the very case of those believing Hebrews, who were turned out of house and home ; and who Avere driven to live in holes and caves and dens of the earth, and who had lost all their goods ; not having a bed to lie on, or a stool to sit on, nor a dish to drink in, and who had lost all their apparel, not having a rag to hang on their backs, and therefore clothed themselves in sheep-skins and goat-skins. ' They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance,' Heb. x. 34. When under outward losses, God shall seal to his people a bill of exchange of better and greater things than any they have lost ; their losses then are made up to them.i If a man should lose several bags of counters, and have a bill of exchange sealed to him for the receiving of so many bags of gold, would not his loss be abundantly made up to him ? When God takes away our earthly treasures, and seals up in our hearts a bill of exchange, to receive all again with interest upon interest in eternal treasures,
^ When God takes away a Christiau's estates in this ■world, Manet altera Ccclo, he looks for a better in lieaven.
178 T,(tXl)ON's LAMKXTATIOXS OX [IsA. XLlI. 21, 'J5.