1st. If you take it for his sovereignty : all things are under his dominion, and are forced to serve him, both angels and men, good or bad of either kinds, they are all his hosts; therefore he is called the Lord of Hosts, who is the God of Israel. Whatever you fear is something under the dominion of God, and you need not fear the sword, if you do not fear him that weareth the sword : Ps. ciii. 19, 'His kingdom ruleth over all;' not only over all men, but all things, and those not only actually existent, but possible : 1 Chron. xxix. 11, 'Thine is the kingdom, 0 Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.' The most potent and most opposite creatures are not exempt from his subjection : he created them at his plea-
VeR. 31. ] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VUI. 327
sure, and disposeth of them at his pleasure ; they have a perpetual dependence upon him both for being and operation ; their rebellion against him doth not diminish his dominion over them. Now this is a mighty comfort to God's people, that whatever creature they are in danger of, that creature is subject to this kingdom and dominion of God, be it angels or devils, man or beasts, sea or wind, sickness or disease, Mat. viii. 7, 8, fii'e, wild beasts, &c.
2dly. For ability or sufficiency. All the ability of the creature lieth either in wit or strength. For the first : will they resist him with wit and policy ? can any creature outwit God ? Compare two places, Prov. xxi. 30, ' There is no wisdom, nor counsel, nor under- standing against the Lord,' with Job xii. 13, ' With him is wisdom and strength ; he hath counsel and understanding.' Both man's wisdom and God's wisdom is set forth by three words, understanding, counsel, wisdom. Let us see what is in the Lord, and what is against the Lord ? Is there wisdom against the Lord ? In the Lord there is the same ; only against him there is the wisdom, the counsel, and understanding of the creature ; in him, of the creator. Surely the creature can do nothing with- out him or against him, for it is dependent. Whatever the creature hath, it cometh from him ; otherwise our understanding is but ignorance, our counsel rashness, our wisdom folly. Pharaoh thought to go wisely to work, but that wisdom cost him dear, when he intended to suppress God's interest, Exod. i. 10. Ahab, when God threatened to cut off his posterity, begets seventy sons, and disposeth and placeth them in the most strong and fenced cities : 2 Kings vii. 8, ' And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons.' Herod would go wisely to work to destroy him that was born king of the Jews in the cradle ; but Christ was preserved for all that. The synagogue of Satan is still hatching crafty counsels to destroy the spouse of Christ, but with what effect ? — antichrist is •consumed more and more. We are afraid of our subtle enemies. Are we ever in such straits but God knoweth how to bring us out ? They cannot overwit the Lord by whatever is plotted in Eome or hell. God knoweth all, for he hath understanding ; counterworketh all, for he hath counsel ; in the issue they will but play the fool, for he hath wisdom.
^dly. Strength. If any have the courage to oppose God's people and interest in the world, the attempt will be fruitless ; the malice of men and devils will be fruitless ; he only that can overcome God caa hurt us. Our enemies are strong, ourselves weak ; but how strong la Ood ? They are nothing, nothing in comparison with God. So God saith, ' I am, and there is none else,' Isa. xl. 17. All nations before him are as nothing : as the stars differ in glory, but when the sun ariseth, the inferior lights are obscured, and their difference unobserved. Nothing, by way of exclusion of God ; as the sunbeam is nothing when the sun withdraweth, the sound in the pipe nothing when the musician taketh away his breath : Ps. civ. 29, 30, ' Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled : thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust : thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created ; and thou renewest the face of the earth.' Nothing, by way of opposi- tion to God, and his cause and interest in the woHd : Isa. xli. 11,
328 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XLT.
' Behold all they that are incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded ; they shall be as nothing.' Usually we feel them some- thing in the effects of their rage and malice ; yet they are as nothing to faith : and therefore faith should wink out all the terror of the creature: Isa. li. 12, 13, 'Who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die, and the son of man, that shall be made as grass, and forgettest the Lord thy maker ? ' Let God's favour and displeasure be well weighed and compared with man's favour and displeasure, and you will find little cause and temptation to divert you from your duty. We have a God of might to depend upon, who can preserve us, not- withstanding the malice of enemies ; therefore why should we bewray any fear or apprehensions of dangers ?