[7.] Our sufferings dishonour us in the sight of the world, but this glory maketh us amiable in the sight of God. For having such a near
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relation to God, and being made like him, we are qualified for a perfect reception of bis love to us ; we love God more in the glorified estate, and God loveth us more, as appeareth by tbe eff"ects ; for he communi- catetb himself to us in a greater latitude tlian we are capable of here. Now is the hatred of the world worthy to be compared witli the love of the Father ? Or should their frowns be a temptation to us, to divert us from that estate wherein we shall be presented ' holy, and unblamable, and irreprovable in his sight ? ' Col. i. 22. When perfectly sanctified, we love God more, and are more beloved by him.
[8.] The order is to be considered. For look ; as to the wicked, God will turn their glory into shame ; so as to tbe godly, he will turn their shame into glory. It is good to have the best at last ; for it is a miserable thing to have been happy, and to have had experience of a better condition, and to become miserable : Luke vi. 24. ' Woe to you rich, for you have received your consolation ; ' and Luke xvi. 25, ' Son, in thy life time thou receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus evil things ; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.' The beggar had first temporal evils, and then eternal good things ; but the rich man had first temporal good things, and then eternal evil tilings ; as many that do well here in the world, fare ill in the world to come. But now it is otherwise with the godly: John xvi. 20, 'Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.' Our last and final portion is most to be regarded ; the christian by temporal trouble goeth to eternal joy ; the worldling by temporal glory to eternal shame ; a christian's end is better than his beginning, he is best at last ; a man would not have evil after experience of good.
4. The comparison, though it be rightly stated and weighed by us, yet it will have no efiicacy unless we have faith, or a deep sense of the world to come. For unless we believe these things, they seem too uncertain, and too far ofi' to work upon us. It is easy to reason down our bodily and worldly choice, and to show how much eternal things exceed temporal ; but this taketh no hold of the heart, till there be a firm belief of the glory reserved for God's people: Heb. xi. 1, 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen ; ' and 2 Pet. i. 9, 'He that lacketh these things is blind, and can- not see afar off.' To draw us from things that we see and feel, we need a clear light about things we see not; men are sharp sighted enough in things that concern the present world, but beyond it we can see nothing, but by the perspective of faith ; and therefore reason as long as we will, yet the consideration of the other world doth nothing prevail with us, without a lively faith.
5. This faith must be often exercised by serious meditations, or deep and ponderous thoughts. For the greatest truths work not, if we do not think of them. Faith showeth us a truth, but consideration is the means to improve it, that we may make a good choice, and our hearts may be fortified against all temptations ; we must often sit down, and count the charges with ourselves, what it will cost us, what we shall lose, and what we shall get : Luke xiv. 28, 29, 30. The Spirit of God will not help us without our thoughts ; for he dealeth not with us as birds do in feeding their young, bringing meat to them, and putting it into their mouths, while they lie still in their nest, and only gape to
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146 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XXVI.
receive it ; but as God giveth coia while we plough, sow, weed, dress, and with patience expect his blessing. No, here the apostle was reasou- ing and weitrliinir the ca-se within himself.
6. There is, besides sound belief and serious consideration, need of the influence and assistance of the holy Spirit. For besides his giving faitli, and exciting and blessing meditation, to dispose and frame our hearts to bide by this conclusion, the influence of the Holy Grhost is necessary. For God is the chief disposer of hearts ; it is not enough notionally to know this, but we must be practically resolved, and the heart inclined ; it is a new enlightened mind and a renewed heart that is only capable of determining thu^that we may live by it; and that is by another spirit than the spirit of the world, which naturally possesseth us, even the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. ii. 12, which is promised to his children, and inclineth us to place our happiness, not in worldly things, but in Christ and his benefits. In short, sense is too strong for reason without faith ; and faith cannot do its office without the Spirit ; the flesh seeketh not reason, but ease ; unless the heart be changed, and otherwise biassed and bent, all is lost.