Vers. 36, 37.] sermons upon Romans vin. 395
God would count you woi'thy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you ; ' John xxi. 19, ' This he said, signifying by what death he should glorify God ; ' Phil. i. 20, ' Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.' When we suffer for his cause, our very sufferings are conquering :
1 Peter iv. 14, 'On your part he is glorified.' When they are reviled, reproached, persecuted : God can bring more honour to himself by the constancy of his people in their troubles and sufferings, than by per- mitting them to live in prosperity, and scandalise others by their vanity, sensuality, and pride of conversation. God is usually more honoured by his people at such times when his graces are exercised in the eye of the world, and his people confess him in the midst of persecutions.
[2.] The advancement of Christ's kingdom, in the propagation of the gospel : Kev. xii. 11, ' They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives to the death.' There is an overcoming, indeed, you will say, to die in the quarrel ! Yes, as long as Christ overcometh, a christian hath that which he looketh for. If their blood may be the seed of the Church, they are content ; some convinced, others converted, brethren strengthened and confirmed : Phil. i. 12, ' Those things which happened to me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel.' His sufferings conduced thereunto as much as his preaching.
[3.] Our own salvation. It is not worldly prosperity and greatness and dominion that we should .seek, but that the soul may be saved in the day of the Lord. Indeed, if our aim were at worldly prosperity, and carnal honour and pleasure, then were we clearly overcome when we hazard our worldly interests ; but it is heaven that we aim at : and therefore, as Christ ' endured the cross, and despised the shame, for the glory set before him,' Heb. xii. 2, 3 ; so we must despise the cross for the same ends. 2 Cor. iv. 17, ' Tiiese light afHictions, which are but for a moment, shall work in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ;' Rom. viii. 18, ' For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be comjjared with the glory that shall be revealed in us ; ' Heb. x. 34, ' They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, as knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.' At length we shall have our pro- mised crown.
[4.] To maintain and keep alive present grace. First, Our faith :
2 Tim. iv. 8, ' I have kept the faith ; ' when we abide faithful with God, and are not drawn to apostasy by all the flatteries or threatenings of the world. Secondly, Our love to God. Satan's design is to make a breach between God and us : Rom. viii. 38, 39, ' For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Nothing can separate them from the love of God in Christ ; unclasp these mutual embracements whereby Christ and the soul held fast one another : you are in Christ's arms, and Christ in yours. The devil would count it a greater victory to conquer your love than to get a power over your bodies and bodily
396 SERMONS UPON KOMANS VIII. [SeR. XLVI.
interests ; his design is to keep men from God ; if therefore adversity bringeth you the nearer to him, then you conquer. The souls of the faithful are kept closer to God in suffering times than in prosperity, being sensible of the vanity and emptiness of all worldly things, and weaned from them. Wiiatever befall the body, you keep nearer to God, and have most of his love. Thirdly, Our patience ; that is not overcome by the storm and tempests of temptations : Luke xxi. 19, ' In patience possess your souls.' A man keepeth himself as long as he keepeth his patience : James i. 4, ' Let patience have its perfect work.' This is necessary that we may receive our crown : Heb. x. 36, ' For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.' Well then, a christian overcometh, not' when he gets the best of opposite interest in the world, but when he keepeth himself in a capacity to enjoy the heavenly inheritance.
Secondly, How more than a conqueror ? When he doth not only keep his standing, but gets ground by the temptation : Rom. viii. 28, ' All things shall work together for good to them that love God ; ' not only bear them, but groweth the better for them. (1.) More holy and more heavenly ; as graces, by being exercised, are improved and increased : Heb. xii. 11, ' Wherefore, lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees ; ' more sensible of the folly of sinning, than at other times. (2.) More joyful; comforts are increased : Rom. v. 3-5, 'And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribu- hxtion works jiatience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us ; ' 2 Cor. xii. 10, ' Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, and distresses, for Christ's sake ; for when I am weak, then am I strong;' Acts v. 41, ' They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name ;' and so triumpheth most when he seemeth to be most overcome. (3.) More resolute in the profession of godliness : 2 Sam. vi. 22, ' If this be to be vile, I will be more vile and base in mine own eyes.' Courage groweth by sufferings, as trees are more rooted by being shaken : Ps. cxix. 12G, 127, ' It is time for thee, Lord, to work ; for they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold.' As a staff is holden the faster, the more another seeketh to wrest it out of our hands.