2. Let us live always in the desire of it ; that desire that will quicken you to look after it, Phil. iii. 14, and to seek after it in the first place. Mat. vi. 33 ; that desire that will quicken you to long for the enjoyment of it, Phil. i. 23.
3. To comfort yourselves with the hope of it: Rom. v. 2, 'And rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' It is the glory of God; God giveth it, God is the solid part of it ; and can we expect sliortly to live with God, and upon God, and not rejoice in the hope of it ? Is a deed of gift from God, the security of infallible promises, nothing ? Is the title nothing before possession ? When tliis estate is so sure and near, we should more lift up our heads, and revive our drooping spirits.
4. Let us walk worthy of it :
[1.] Despising Satan's offers, Heb. xii. 16. Be not a profane person, as was Esau ; 1 Kings xxi. 3, ' The Lord forbid that I should part with the inheritance of my father.' Be chary of your inheritance; keep the hopes clear, fresh, and lively.
[2.] Wean your hearts from the world : Col. iii. 1, 2. ' If ye be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, set your affections above, and not on the earth.' There is your Father, your head, your Christ, your patrimony ; it is reserved for you in the heavens.
[3.] Live in all holy conversation and godliness, 1 Pet. iii. 7; living as heirs of the grace of life, in all duties to God, love to one another,
VeR. 18.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 139
fidelity in all our relations. We that shall live in the clear vision and full fruition of God in Christ, should be other manner of persons.
[4] In an heavenly manner : Phil. iii. 20, ' But our conversation is in heaven ; ' either acting for it, or living upon it, or solacing ourselves with it. With delightful tlioughts of heaven sweeten your pilgrimage here ; be willing to suffer affiictions, if G-od call us thereunto, patiently. You suffer with Christ ; Christ takes it as done to himself : Acts ix. ' Why persecutest thou me ? ' Fill up your share of the sufferings providence hath appointed for Christ mystical : Col. i. 24, ' Who now rejoice in my afHictions for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church ; ' 2 Cor. i. 6, ' And whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation;' and Phil. iii. 10, 'That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.'
SERMON XXVI.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not ivortJiy to he compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.— F\.OM. VIII. 18.
In this chapter the apostle speaketh first of bridling lusts, and then of bearing afflictions ; both are tedious to flesh and .blood. The necessity of taming the flesh is deduced throughout tliat whole discourse, which is continued from ver. 1. to the end of ver. 17, where he maketh patient enduring afflictions a condition of our glory ; ' if we sufier with him, we shall also be glorified together.' He now showeth us a reason, why we should not dislike this condition ; because the good which is promised is far greater than the evil which we fear. Two things nature teacheth all men ; the first is to submit to a lesser evil, to avoid a greater ; as men will cut off an arm or a leg to save the whole body ; the other is, to undergo a lesser evil to obtain a greater good than that evil depriveth us of. If this principle were not allowed, it would destroy all the industry in the world ; for good is not to be obtained unless we venture somewhat to get it ; upon this principle the apostle worketh in this place, — ' For I reckon,' &c. In the words take notice of —
1. The things compared; The sufferings of the present life and the glory to be revealed in us.
2. The inequality that is in them ; TJiey are not luorthy.
0. The conclusion or judgment of the apostle upon the case; / reckon.
1. The things compared. On the one side, ' the sufferings of the present time.'
[1.] Mark that, sufferings plurally, to comprise all of the kind, reproaches, strifes, fines, spoiling of goods, imprisonment, banishment,
140 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeU. XXVI.
death. Again of the present time, to distinguisli them froiu the torments of hell, which maketh up a part of the argument ; for if to avoid tem- poral evils we forsake Christ, we shall endure eternal torments ; but the apostle speaketh of temporal evils.
[2.] On the other side, ' The glory that shall be revealed in ns.' Every word is emphatical. (1.) Our reward is called glory ; in our calamity we are depressed and put to shame ; but whatever honour we lose in this mortal life, shall be abundantly supplied and recompensed to us in heaven : ' If any man serve me, him shall my Father honour,' John xii. 2G. An afflicted, persecuted people are usually misrepresented and scandalized in the world ; but there is a life and state of glory prepared for them in heaven ; men cannot put so much disgrace upon them, as God will put marks of honour and favour. (2.) It shall be revealed. This glory doth not appear for the present, it is not seen ; it is not conspicuous to the eyes of men ; therefore some believe it not, others regard it not ; ' it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; the world knoweth ns not, as it knew him not : ' 1 John iii. 1, 2, ' Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Behold, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, and see him as he is.' But it shall be seen, because of God's decree and promise ; for the glory is prepared, though it be not revealed. (.3.) In us, or upon us, 6i? ';/^a9 when we shall be raised immortal, incorruptible, and we shall be so highly favoured and honoured by Christ, as we shall be at the day of judgment, then this glory is revealed upon us ; that is, we shall be possessors of it ; we have the right now, but then the possession.