2. Because Christ is the greatest and most precious gift ; and surely God, that hath given so great a benefit as his own Son, will he stick at lesser things? He that hath given a pound, will he not give a farthing? Hath he given Christ, and will he not give pardon to cancel our defects, and grace to do our duty ? comfort to support us
342 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XLIL
in our afiflictions? supplies to maintain and protect us during our services? and finally, will he not reward us after we have served him? Keconciliation by his death is propounded as a more difficult thing than salvation by his life, Kom. v. 10. Two things breed confidence : the fidelity of God, and his liberality ; his liberality in his gifts, and his fidelity in his promises. His giving up Chri.st to die for us is a pledge of both : this was the greatest promise, the exhibition of tlie Messiah ; and this was the greatest gift ; all other gifts fall short of this, and do not beget such a confidence and hope. In creation God gave you a reasonable nature, such a life as is the light of man ; but in redemption, to make way for a divine nature, he hath given us his Son, and giveth us many outward blessings in his daily providence, which are in their kind beneficial to us, and tokens of his goodness ; but they are not assurances of his special love : Eccles. ix. 1, ' No man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before him.' I have riches, honour, esteem, food, raiment ; I cannot i therefore conclude God loveth me : I am poor and afflicted, therefore God hateth me ; these are weak and ill-grounded conclusions. He hath given me his Son, and washed me in his blood, and pardoned my sins, and healed my nature ; therefore he hath loved me. This is the right arguing ; in short, other benefits may be comprehended, we know their worth, nature, benefit, and use ; but this surpasseth knowledge, we cannot express nor con- ceive sufficiently the value and greatness of it. In other benefits we stand indebted to God for some outward gifts — corn, and wine, and oil, great parts, understanding. Here, Deuni debetnus, we stand in- debted for a person of the Godhead.
3. It is a gift in order to other things ; and therefore he will com- plete that gift. Christ cometh not to us empty-handed ; his person and benefits are not divided. He came to purchase all manner of bene- fits and blessings for us, not only to raise our wonder and astonishment by this great act of his condescending love, but to procure the favour of God, the image of God, the everlasting fruition of the glory of God. l^ow, will God by an antecedent bounty lay the foundation so deep, and withhold the consequent bounty, which is the upper building, for which this foundation was intended ? Shall so great a price be paid, and we obtain nothing ? It is said of the foolish builder, after he had laid the foundation — ' This man began to build, and was not able to finish,' Luke xiv. 29, 30. Surely the wise God will finish what he hath begun, if we be qualified, and do not jjonere obicem, shut up the way by our incapacity. God may now do us good without any impeachment of honour. His justice and holiness is sufficiently demon- strated: Rom. iii. 25, 26, 'Whom God hath set forth to be a propitia- tion through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, for the remission of sins ; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believetli in Jesus.' The authority of his law is kept up : Gal. iv. 4, 5, ' But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under his law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.' The trutli of his threatening doth not altogether fall to the ground : Gen. ii. 17, ' In the day thou eatest
' Qu. ' can ' ?— Ed.
VeR. 32.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 343
thereof tlioii shalt surely die.' Therefore all is made easy and com- modious to our thoughts, and we can with the more confidence wait for what God liath promised.
4. Becaiise the siviiig of Christ showeth how freely God will give all things to us : he gave Christ unasked, and unsought too. In this instance we see not only his infinite and great love, but his free and undeserved love : Eom. v. 8, ' God commended his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly ;' and V. 10, ' When we were enemies.' Non invocantihus, sed ■provocantihis Deus sese offert, saitii Bernard. When the world had corrupted their way and cast oft" God, then Christ died for us, even for them that were neither loving nor lovely ; a consideration to support our confidence, notwithstanding the sense of our uuworthiness.
FourWy, Who have an interest in Christ, and may reason thus within themselves ; something seemeth to be implied in that ' Shall he not also {aw avrw) together with him give us all things?' Tliey tiiat have an actual interest in Christ ; others have but the offer upon condition, they are invited, but you may be assured.