1. It informeth us of the misery of wicked men in the general. By parity of reason, if God be against us, it is no matter who is for us. How soon are all things blasted when God is against a people I they make little reckoning of God's help, or securing their greatness by God's protection ; therefore the ruin is the more speedy : Ps. Hi. 7, ' Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.' Alas ! how soon can God blast all their confidences. Man is the mere product of his maker's will, and all that supports his being is the fruit of his bounty ; surely he that blew up this bubble can as soon crush and dissolve it. They look upon the godly as the most afflicted creatures, because the hatred of the world is usually upoa them ; but sure they are the most miserable : though they have all the world on their side, yet if they have God against them, they have cause to fear ; there is a wall between them and heaven. Certainly wicked men have stronger enemies than the people of God have or can have ; they have God himself for an enemy, and he will overcome.
2. What reason the enemies of God's people have to be afraid, and to stop their fury and rage against his cause and interest. It is fruit- less and vain to curse those whom God will bless ; Balaam could teach them this : Num. xxiii. 8, ' How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed ? or how shall I defy those whom God hath not defied?' It is ruinous ; to allude to Acts xxii. 27 : they that set themselves against his people set themselves against God : Isa. xxxvii. 23, ' Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed ? against whom hast thou exalted thyself, and lifted up thine eyes on high ? even against the Holy One of Israel.' Men do not know and consider who is their party, and with whom they have to do, that breathe out nothing but threatenings and destruction against the servants of the Lord. Are you a match for God ? He is their second, and engageth against you ; and he can soon tread out this smoking flax, and with the wind of his displeasure scatter this dust that flieth in the faces of his people.
3. That a christian is, or may be, above all opposition ; and the fear of man, which is a snare to others, should be none to him, for he hath God's favour and almighty protection to support his cour-
VeR. 31.] SBBMONS UPON ROMANS VHI. 333
age and fortitude. There are two things trouble us, an inordinate respect to worldly happiness as our end, or an inordinate respect to man as the author or means of procuring it; cure these two evils, and what should trouble or perplex a christian ?
[1.] An inordinate respect to temporal happiness : that must be cured in the first place. What is your first and chiefest care ? to secure your temporal interests, or to save your souls ? To cure our cares and fears, Christ directeth us, Mat. vi. 33, ' First seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.' He promiseth us a kingdom, Luke xii. 32. And the apostle describeth the true christian, Heb. x. 39, to be one that believeth to the saving of his soul. Now if you will be christians indeed, stand to this, that ■whatever becometh of other things, your business should be to save your souls, and then your trouble about worldly accidents is plucked up by the roots ; for it is our afi"ections to them cause our aiSictions by them. Can men take away the privileges of God's kingdom from you ? or cast you into hell, and prohibit your entrance into heaven ? No ; but you would save your stake ? Agreed, so it be consistent with your duty and fidelity to Christ ; but if it cannot be, venture it in God's hands. Heaven is worth something ; and it is a question whe- ther they desire it or no that will ventme nothing for it ; therefore this must be determined and fixed as your resolution in the first place, that you will get to heaven whatever it cost you, and will obey God at the dearest rates.
[2.] An inordinate respect to man, as if he did all in the world. Sense seemeth to tell us so, but faith must teach us better ; therefore, to cure this, consider who is most able to help or hurt you, and whether it be better to have God a friend or an enemy. If you will take the judgment of the people of God, you shall see —
(1.) That they always profess that God's presence, to whom all things are subject, is their great security : Ps. xlvi. 7, ' The Lord of Hosts is with us ; the God of Israel is our refuge, Selah.' They think them- selves safe enough with God, though all the world should be against them.
(2.) They have been confident of his presence with them, and fatherly love and care over them, in the saddest condition : Ps. xxiii. 4, ' Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear none evil, for thou art with me.' When death and they walk side by side, yet they are still confident of God's favour and presence ; God doth not forsake his people, though he permitteth them to be exercised with divers calamities, Heb. xi. 35, 36.