2. That if we meet with many troubles, this will be no excuse or
378 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XLV.
plea to exempt us from our duty ; for as afflictions should not make us doubt of God's love t.o us, so they should not make us abate of our love to God : Ps. xliv. 17, ' All this is come upon us, yet we have not forgotten thee, nor have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.' They had suffered hard tilings, yet all this could not shake their constancy and resolution for God. All our interests were given us that we might have something of value to esteem as nothing for Christ.
3. It showeth us what a good allowance we should make Christ when we enter into covenant with him, and with what thoughts we should take up the stricter profession of Christianity. Many think they may be good christians, yet their profession shall cost them nothing. This is as if a man should enter himself a soldier, and never expect battle ; or a mariner, and promise himself nothing but calms and fair weather, without waves and storms. A life of ease is not to be expected by a christian here upon earth. If God will suffer us to go to heaven at an easier rate, yet a christian cannot promise it to himself, but must be a mortified and resolute man, dead to the world, and resolved to hold on his journey to the world to come, whatever weather he meeteth with. Among other of the pieces of the spiritual aimour, the apostle biddeth us ' be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,' Eph. vi. 15. If a man be not thus shod, he will soon founder in hard and rough ground. But what is this preparation of the gospel of peace ? Peace notetli our reconciliation and peace with God, and interest in his favour, and love, and peace, arising from the gospel. The law showeth the breach ; the gospel the way of recon- ciliation— how it is made up for us. But there is also iToi/xaaia, preparation or readiness of mind ; the apostle's eroi/xo}^ '^X'^' Acts xxi. 13, ' I am ready, not to be bound only, but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus ; ' and 1 Peter iii. 15, 'Be ye {eroi/xoi) ready to render a reason of the hope that is in you ; ' meaning there, not sufficiency of knowledge in the mind, but strength of resolution and will, so that this preparation is a resolution to go through thick and thin, to follow Christ in all conditions. Alas ! else when we liave launched out with Christ, we shall be leady to run ashore again upon every storm. Now, that we may thus resolve, Christ would have us sit down and count the charges, for he would not surprise any. We should be ready to suffer the sharpest afflictions, though it may be the Lord doth not see fit to exercise us with them. God never intended Isaac should be sacrificed ; yet, when he would try Abraham, he must jiut the knife to his throat, and make all things ready to offer him up.
4. How thankful we should be if God call us not to severe trials, such as tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword; which the primitive christians endured, that were purer christians than we are. If he deal more gently with us, what use shall we make of this indulgence ? Manifold — (1.) Partly to be more strict and holy ; for when we are not called to passive obedience and sufferings, our active obedience should be the more cheerfully per- formed : Acts ix. 31, ' Then the churches had rest, and were edified, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost.' Alas ! the first christians suffered more willingly for Christ than we
VeR. 35.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 379
speak of him, and went to the stake more readily than we go to the throne of grace. Our peace and comfort will cost us more in getting ; therefore we should be more eminent in service. (2.) Partly, that we should be more mortified to the world ; he that liveth a flesh-pleasing life becometh an enemy to God without temptations : James iv. 4, ' Know ye not, that the friendship of the world is enmity to God ? ' Man under trouble is forced ; — you yield of your own accord ; your act is more voluntary ; — they for a great fear, you for a little pleasure, hazard the hopes of eternal life. (3.) Partly, to be more ready to communicate and distribute to the necessities of others: 1 John iii. 17, ' But whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him ? ' He that cannot part with this world's good things freely, will be loth to part with them by con- straint. How will you take the spoiling of your goods joyfully, Heb. X. 34, when you part with them as with a drop of blood ? Surely he that grudgeth at a commandment will murmur at a providence. (4.) Partly, to bear lighter afflictions patiently : Jer. xii. 5, ' If thou hast run with footmen, and they have wearied fliee, how canst thou contend with horses ? ' If you cannot bear a disgrace, a frown, a loss of dignity and honour and preferment, how will you bear the loss of life ? Heb. xii. 9, ' Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.' (5.) Partly, by diligence in the heavenly life. A man traineth up himself to endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, by degrees ; by meekness, and poverty of spirit, and humility, he is fitted to endure tribulation ; by resignation and resolute depend- ence on God, to endure distress ; by weanedness from house and home, to endure persecution ; by sobriety, to endure famine ; by modesty in apparel, to endure nakedness ; by close retirements, to endure a prison ; by carrying our life in our hand, to endure peril ; by heaven- liness of mind, to endure death. Malum est impatientia boni. If it be irksome to put the body to a little trouble for holy duties, how will you endure tortures and sufferings to such an eminent degree as they did ? (6.) That we should not be dismayed when troubles come actually upon us ; it is not in the power of any persecutor on earth to put us out of the favour of God. What do we suffer ? Tribulation ! and do any enter into the kingdom of God without it ? And we have that promise of rest which will sweeten it. Distress ! Christ was nonplussed, John xii. 28. You must stick the closer to God who will relieve you in your distresses. Persecution ! The Lord Jesus in his cradle was carried into Egypt, Mat. ii. 14. We that know no home in the world should know no banishment ; Jesus Christ had not where to lay his head. Famine ! Man liveth not by bread only ; better our bodies famished than our souls ; if we have God to our Father, we have bread to eat the world knoweth not of Nakedness ! Better pass naked out of the world than go to hell with gay apparel ; your rags are more honourable than the world's purple. Is it peril ? No danger so great as losing Christ and his salvation. Sword ! It is the ready way to send you to Christ, who is your bountiful Lord and Master, and to loose you from the body, that you may be ever with the Lord.