And this power is conveyed by faith, whereby, after union with Christ in both his estates of humiliation and exaltation, we see ourselves not only ' dead with Christ, but risen and sitting together with him in heavenly places,' Eph. ii. 6. Now we, apprehending ourselves to be dead and risen, and thereupon victorious over all oiu' enemies in our head, and apprehending that his scope in all this is to conform us to hunself, we are by this faith changed into his likeness, 2 Cor. iii. 18, and so become conquerors over all our spiritual enemies, as he is, by that power which we derive from him who is the storehouse of all spiritual strength for all his. Christ at length will have his end in us, and faith resteth assured of it, and this assurance is very operative, stirring us up to join with Christ in his ends. -,
And so for the chm-ch in general, by Christ it will have its victory : 4^ Christ is * that httle stone cut out of the mountain without hands, that breaketh hi pieces that goodly image,' Dan. ii. 35, that is, all opposite government, until it become ' a great mountain, and fiUeth the whole earth.' So that the stone that was cut out of the mountain, becomes a mountain itself at length. Who art thou, then, 0 mountain, that thinkest to stand up against this mountain ? All shall lie flat and level before it : he will bring down all mountainous, high, exalted thoughts, and lay the pride of aU flesh low. AVlien chafi' strives against the wind, stubble against the fire, when the heel kicks against the pricks, when the potsherd strives with the potter, when man strives against God, it is easy to know on which side the victoiy will go. The winds may toss the ship wherein Christ is, but not ■ overturn it. The waves may dash against the rock, but they do but break themselves against it.
Object. If this be so, why is it thus with the church of God, and with many a gracious Christian ? the victoiy seemeth to go -with the enemy.
Ans. For answer, remember, 1, God's children usually in their troubles overcome by sufiering ; here lambs overcome lions, and doves eagles, by eufiering, that herein they may be conformable to Christ, who conquered •most when he sufiered most ; together with Christ's kingdom of patience there was a kingdom of power.
2. This victory is by degrees, and therefore they are too hasty- spirited tiiat would conquer so soon as they strike the first stroke, and be at the end of their race at the first setting forth ; the Israelites were sm'e of their ^^c- tor}"- in their voyage (f) to Canaan, yet they must tight it out. God would not have us presently forget what cruel enemies Christ hath overcome for us ; ' Destroy them not, lest the people forget it, saith the Psalmist, Ps. hx. 11. That so by the experience of that annoyance yve have by them, we might be kept in fear to come under the power of them.
3. That God often worketh by contraries : when he means to give vic- tory, he will sufi'er us to be foiled at fii'st ; when he means to comfort, he will terrify first ; when he means to justify, he will condemn us first ; whom he means to make glorious, he will abase first. A Christian conquers, even when he is conquered ; when he is conquered by some sins, he gets victory over others more dangerous, as spiritual pride, security, &c.
4. That Christ's work, both in the chm-ch and in the hearts of Christians, often goeth backward, that it may go the better forward. As seed rots in
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the ground in the winter time, but after comes better up, and the harder the winter the more flourishing the spring, so we learn to stand by falls, and get strength by weakness discovered — virtutis ciistos injirmitas — we take deeper root by shaking ; and, as torches flame brighter by moving, thus it pleaseth Christ, out of his freedom, in this manner to maintain his govern- ment in us. Let us herein labour to exercise our faith, that it may answer Christ's manner of carriage towards us ; when we are foiled, let us beheve we shall overcome ; when we are fallen, let us believe we shall rise again. Jacob, after he had a ' blow upon which he halted, yet would not give over wrestUng,' Gen. xxxii. 24, till he had gotten the blessing; so let us never give over, but in our thoughts knit the beginning, progi'ess, and end toge- ther, and then we shall see ourselves in heaven out of the reach of all ene- mies. Let us assure ourselves that God's grace, even in this imperfect estate, is stronger than man's free will in the state of first perfection, being"-;' founded now in Christ, who, as he is the author, so will be ' the finisher, of our faith,' Heb. xii. 2 ; we are under a more gracious covenant.
Thatf which some say of faith rooted, Jides radicata, that it continueth, but weak faith may come to nothing, seemeth to be crossed by this Scrip- ture ; for, as the strongest faith may be shaken, so the weakest where truth is, is so far rooted, that it will prevail. Weakness with watchfulness will stand out, when strength with too much confidence faileth. Weakness, with acknowledging of it, is the fittest seat and subject for God to perfect his strength in ; for consciousness of our infii'mities driveth us out of ourselves to him in whom our strength lieth.