Use. It cautioneth us not to be dismayed when the people of God seem to be run down by oppositions and reproaches, and the cause of re- ligion to suffer loss, and visibly to go to ruin. No ; Christ hath promised that ' the gates of hell .shall not prevail against the church,' Mat. xvi.
18. All the powers which the devil can muster up cannot destroy Christ's interest in the world ; his kingdom is like a rock in the midst of the sea, which, being beaten on every side with waves, standeth unmovable. His people many times may be scattered, oppressed, their profession discountenanced and opposed everywhere, seemingly beaten
Vers. 36, 37.] sermons upon romans viii. 403
out of the world ; but then the church groweth iuwardly, the graces of his people are strengthened and increased, and their hearts bettered, their glory hastened, their profession more honoured and reverenced in the consciences of men ; some converted, others confirmed, when the christians were butchered, and went to wreck everywhere. Oftentimes it falleth out so. When God breaketh that temporal interest to which we lean, he provideth for his own glory and the advancement of the gospel by other and better means ; and religion gaineth when it seemeth to lose ; as in the primitive times, when the slaughters were frequent, they sought to drive christians to deny Christ, but they confess him the more ; they fumed and chafed, because they could not get their will, and increased their fury, but still the other grew more resolute. Enemies have confessed themselves overcome ; so, 'What shall we do to these men?" Acts iv. 16. When they imprisoned and scourged them, they were at a loss. Sozomen saith of Sapores, that he was tired with destroying the christians, and at length caused the troubles to cease ; so Dioclesian leaves his empire because he could not root out the christians, but that they still con- tinued.
Use 2. Is to persuade us to get such a degree of faith and love and patience that we may be more than conquerors in all our trials. It is a great degree of heroical fortitude, or a high christian pitch, which is here described ; for mark —
1. Here is not one sort of trials, but many : Col. i. 11, ' Strengthened with all patience.' It is not enough to overcome one evil, but all ; crosses of all kinds — ' In all these things.' A little distress a man might bear, but famine and nakedness and sword terrifieth our thoughts ; but nothing must be excepted out of our resignation to God.
2. Here is conquest. It ill becometh the godly to faint in affliction : Prov. xxiv. 10, ' If thou faintest in affliction, thy strength is small.' Affliction will try what our strength is. It is one thing to talk of it, another to bear it ; there is a great difference between a trial appre- hended in our judgment, and felt by sense : Job iv. 3-5, ' Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands ; thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strength- ened the feeble knees ; but now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest, it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.' We are other manner of persons in trouble than we seemed to be out of trouble. The well will give good counsel to the sick ; it is easy for them that stand on the shore to say to those that conflict with the waves and tempests. Sail thus. When troubles come upon ourselves, we are restless and impatient ; the self-confident and presumptuous will find it another thing to bear trouble than to talk of it ; but the humble, and those that are sensible of their weakness, will find, that though they are weak, yet the power they are assisted by is mighty ; and that God's power is perfected in their weakness ; when weak, then strong. That evils, dreadful in the hearing, are not so grievous when God layeth them on us, and giveth us strength to bear them : 2 Cor. xii. 9, ' And he said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' They have a quite contrary experience ; when
404 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIIL [SeR. XLVI.
weak, then strong ; as the other, who conceited themselves strong, are then weak.
3. We are not only to be conquerors, but more than conquerors. That is—
[1.] As to the frame of your hearts ; to be not only patient, but cheer- ful under the cross upon right grounds : Col. i. 11, ' Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long- sufferiug with joyfulness ; ' so Mat. v. 12, ' Rejoice, and be exceeding glad;' and James i. 2, 'Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.' If we have no other burden upon us than the affliction itself, let us bless God rather than repine.
[2.] As to the success.
(1) You must not only keep from miscarrying, but get good by the affliction and persecution. It must purge out sin : Isa. xxis. 9, ' By this, therefore, shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged out ; aud this is all the fruit, to take away his sin.' Make you more pliable to God's will, and careful to perform your duty : Ps. cxix. 67, ' Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy word ; ' ver. 71, ' It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.' Retrench your carnal liberty and complacency, and bring you to a greater con- tempt of the world : Gal. vi. 14, ' But God forbid tliat I should glory in anything, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.' Quickeu you to be more frequeut and fervent in prayer : Isa. xxvi. 16, ' Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.' From what hand soever the evil cometh, these must be the effects of it ; this is to be more than a conqueror.