(3.) Upon this ground they defy the creature : Ps. xxvii, 1, ' The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear ? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid ? ' so Ps. cxviii. 6, ' The Lord is on my side, I will not fear what man can do unto me.' It argueth great pusillanimity to yield to temptation when God is with us and for us, and to doubt of the sufficiency of his protection ; for they must first prevail against God before they can against you.
(4.) Will you believe the judgment of your own reason ? Then consider what is man and what is God, and set the one against the other — his wisdom against tlieir policy, his power against their weak-
334 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XLI.
ness, his love and mercy against their malice and cruelty. What do we believe God to be and man to be ? Man, compared with God, is a sorry, feeble, worthless thing, a puff of wind or a pile of dust, nothing, less than nothing, and vanity. Surely God is infinite in wisdom, power, and goodness ; man a poor creature, that in point of wisdom would give anything to know futurity, and the event and success of his enterprises, and is often cut off in the midst of his designs : Ps. cxlvi. 4, ' He returneth to his earth ; in that very day his thoughts perish,' leaveth his projects and contrivances : Ps. ii. 12, ' And ye perish from the way,' while in the course and heat of their under- takings. We do not tell you what is in the other world, what is matter of faith, but what is obvious and sensible here. In point of power, how fain would men do more than they could, but that they are in the chains of providence, and under the restraints of God's invincible power ! It is in their thoughts to cut off and destroy ; but there is a higher power that disposeth of all circumstances : all is in your Father's hands. So his love and mercy against their malice and cruelty : Ps. Ixxvi. 10, ' Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee ; the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain: ' the frustration of their attempts. God often ordereth this.
(5.) How much it concerneth us to be in such a condition that we can say, God is with us ; then you need not desire the best things in the world, nor fear the worst. But when can we say, God is with us ? Three things are necessary.
1st. That the person be right, that he be renewed by the Spirit of God, and be reconciled to him ; for called and justified are the privi- leges between the two eternities in the context, and the sure evidence of our interest in both. Then God taketh us into his special charge and protection, when regenerated by the Holy Ghost, and reconciled by the blood of Christ ; for the new creation are his family: James i. 18, ' Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures ; ' Titus ii. 14, ' Who gave him- self for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.' These are the peculiar people. With others, God is no more present than he is with the rest of his creatures, in a way of common preservation. Therefore, if you would be certain of God's favour, and that your peace is made with him, you must look to this, that you be in an estate of pleasing God, that you are sanctified by the Spirit, and, being justified by faith in Christ, are at peace with God, Eom. v. 1. If you be renewed, and God reconciled, you need fear nothing. The evidence of both, and so of our interest in his providence, is our unfeigned dedication to God ; for if we be for both, God will be for us. If you have given a hearty consent to his covenant, then you shall have the privileges of it : he will be your sun and shield, and then we need fear nothing.
2dli/. As to our cause, it must be good. Take God's side against Satan and his instruments : 2 Chron. xv. 2, ' The Lord is with you while you be with him ; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you ; ' 2 Chron. xiii. 9, 10, ' With them are golden calves, and with us is the Lord our God.' God is there where his ordinances and worship are
VeR. 31.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 335
kept up ia their power and purity. If his people warp and decline, he is against them. When his people had erred in the matter of the calf: Exod. xxxiii. 3, 'I will not go up in the midst of thee, lest I consume thee in the way.' Therefore, lest God depart, we must be tender.
'idly. Our conversation must be holy, for wilful sin and guiltiness breed fears of God's displeasure. It is our sins that give our enemies advantage against us : Judges iii. 12, ' And the Lord strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.' We read often in Scripture that their shadow was gone from them : Numb. xiv. 23, ' Because you are turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.' We banish away God's presence from us, because he cannot with honour own such a people : Amos v. 14, ' Seek good, and not evil ; so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you.' If, after we have devoted ourselves to God, we retain our former sins, we lose the mercy and comfort of liis favourable presence. We do but dream of God while we continue in sin. If we would have God to be with us, we must carry ourselves as in his presence, and be dutiful and obedient to him, seek him, rely on him, and keep his way.