2. To God. Like worship relating to God, it hath the stamp of his nature upon it. Some of his attributes relate to his mercy and goodness, some to his majesty and greatness; the one is seen in the joy of our faith and confidence, by our delight to converse with him ; the other in our humility and deep reverence of God, when we come to him as poor undone creatures without his grace.
VOL. XII. n
258 SERMONS UPON BOMANS TIIL [SeR. XXXVII.
SERMON XXXVII.
And joe hnoio ihat all things tvorJc together for good to them that love God, to them tuho are the called according to his "purpose. — EoM. viii. 28.
In the former verse the apostle telleth us how the Spirit maketh intercession for the saints, what God liketh and thinkcth best for them, not what they like themselves — most profitable, though not most pleasing. Green fruit is most pleasing to the appetite of the child, but the parent knoweth it is not so wholesome ; on the other side, medicinal potions are bitter, but they tend to health ; therefore, though the afflictions continue, God may hear our prayers, for we find this best for us in the issue, 'And we know,' &c.
In the words —
First, A privilege. Secondly, The persons qualified.
In the privilege, observe — First, The certainty of it — And we know. Secondly, The nature of it ; and there —
[1.] The extent of it — All things; prosperity, adversity, all the varieties of conditions we pass through.
[2.] The manner of working — Work together, with the Spirit say some, cooperantur, nonjoer se ope)-antur. This is a truth, but not of this place. The poisonous ingredients which are used in a medicine do good, not of themselves, but as ordered and tempered by the skill of the physician. Eather ' work together,' omnia semel adjumenta sunt, as Beza paraphrastically rendereth it ; singly they are against us, if we look upon providences by pieces, as there is no beauty in the scattered pieces that are framed for a building till they are all set together ; so men look upon God's worli by halves.
[3.] The end and issue ; for good. Sometimes for good temporal, for our greater preservation ; but rather for good spiritual, the increase of grace ; chiefly for eternal good, to fit us and prepare us for the blessedness of the everlasting estate : this is the privilege.
Secondly, A description of the persons who enjoy it.
1. By their act towards God — To them that love God, believing his mercy and goodness in Christ. They love him above all things, and are willing to hazard and venture all things for him.
2. God's act or work upon them ; they are effectually called — To them tuho are the called according to purpose. There is a distinctive term by which God's purpose is intended ; they are called ; not obiter, by the by, as they live within the hearing and sound of the gospel, but accord- ing to God's eternal purpose, and the good pleasure of his grace.
I begin with the privilege.
Docf. That all things that befall God's children in this life are directed by his providence to their eternal happiness.
First, I shall explain this point with respect to the circumstances of the text. Secondly, Give a more general state of the case. The first will be done —
1. By opening the nature of the privilege.
2. The certainty of it.
VeE. 28.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VHI. 259
1. The nature of it ; and there we begin with —
[1.] The extent — 'All things.' It must be limited by the context, which speaketh of the afflictions of the saints.
(1.) All manner of sufferings and trials for righteousness' sake, such as reproaches, stripes, spoiling of goods, imprisonment, banishment, death, all such kind of things. Keproaches are as dung cast upon the grass, which seemeth to stain it for a while, but afterwards it springeth up with a fresher verdure. Stripes are painful to the flesh, but occasion greater joy to the soul ; as Paul and Silas after they were scourged sung at midnight in the stocks, Acts xvi. Spoiling of goods stirreth up serious reflections on a more enduring substance ; the hopes whereof we have in ourselves, Heb. x. Si. Imprisonment doth but shut us up from temptations, that we may be at liberty for a more free converse with God ; as TertuUian telleth his martyrs — ' You went out of prison when you went into prison, and were but sequestered from the world for more intimacy with the Holy Ghost.' So banishment ; every place is alike near to heaven, and the whole earth is the Lord's, and the ful- ness thereof. They know no banishment that know no home here in the world ; but because we have an afiiection to our natural comforts, especially to the place of our service, God is wont to recompense his exiles with an increase of spiritual blessings ; as John had his revelations when banished to Patmos, Rev. i. 9. Death doth but hasten our glory ; if the guest be turned out of the old house, you ' have a building of God, eternal in the heavens,' 2 Cor. v. 1, and so do but leave a shed to live in a palace. Though your life be forced out by the violence of men, the sword is but the key to open heaven's doors for you, and you are freed from hard task-masters to go home to your gracious Lord.