3. Our relation to God. He is our God and Father : John xx. 17, ' I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.' As our God, he will give us something like to himself ; some- thing better than the world yieldeth, something fit for a God to give ; or else he could not with honour take that title upon him : Heb. xi. 16, ' Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city." As our Father, he will give us the heavenly inheritance : Luke xii. 32, ' Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's pleasure to give you the kingdom.' If God were a judge only, we might fear how it would go with us in the day of trial ; but if he will dignify us with the title of children, we may expect a child's portion : Eom. viii. 17, 'And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint- heirs with Christ ; if so be we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.' Be sure that you be adopted, justified, taken into the family.
4. Christ's merit and passion : Eom. v. 10, ' For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.' Surely the blood of God was given for some other thing than that little happiness and sorry pittance of comfort which we enjoy here. Do men that understand themselves give vast sums for trifles? When wise men lay a broad and large foundation, we expect a building suitable ; if Christ be abased, we may be exalted ; if he was apparelled with our flesh, we may be clothed with his glory. That which keepeth hope alive is the consideration of that ransom which Christ paid to reconcile us to God, that we might be capable of the highest fruits of Christ's death, an assurance of his love, even eternal life.
5. His resurrection and ascension : 1 Peter i. 21, 'God hath raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.' Christ confirmed his mediatorship, and herein he is a pattern to us ; taken possession of heaven in our name and nature ; he did in our nature rise from the dead and ascend into heaven, to give us a real and visible demonstration of a resurrection and a life to come, that we might look and long for it, whilst we follow him in obedience and sufferings. Christ is entered into his glory, and shall we be kept out? Some saw him after he was risen, and some saw him ascending ; we have certain testimony of it, that he is gone to heaven before us ; he that came to be an example of duty is also a pattern of felicity.
6. His potent intercession. He is sat down on the right hand of majesty, that he may apply his purchase, and bring us into possession of
212 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [Ser. XXXII.
that happiness which he hath procured for us. We have a friend at God's right hand, who cannot satisfy himself to be there without us : John xvii. 24, ' Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me may be where I am, and may behold my glory.' He is gone to heaven as our forerunner : Heb. vi. 19, 20, ' Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whither the forerunner is for us entered ; even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec ; ' gone ashore, whither we seek to land : Micah ii. 13, ' The breaker is come up before them.' He hath taken all impediments out of the way, and prepared a safe landing-place for u.s.
7. All our former experience of God. He hath ever borne us good will, never discovered any backwardness to our good ; he purposed it in Christ before the world was ; sent his Son to die for us before we were born or had a being in the world ; called us when we were unworthy ; warned us of our danger when we did not fear it ; offered this happiness to us when we had no thought of it ; and lest we should turn our backs upon it, followed us with an earnest and incessant impor- tunity, till we came to have anxious thoughts about it, till we began to make it our business to seek after it ; by the secret drawings of his Spirit, inclined us to choose him for our portion. How many contra- dictions and strugglings of heart were there ere we were brought to this. Ever since he hath been tender of us in the whole conduct of his providence, afflicted us when we needed it, delivered us when we were ready to sink ; he pardoned our failings, visited us in ordinances, sup- ported us in troubles, helped us in temptations, and is still mindful of us at every turn, as if he would not lose our hearts. And shall we not hope in him to the last? Hath he forgotten to be gracious? As they said, Judges xiii. 23, ' If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat offering at our hand, neither would he have showed us these things ; ' so if God had no mind to save us, he would not use such methods of grace about us.