not only pardoned, but in some measure healed, and the proud flesn eaten out, then a healthy soul will bear anything. After repentance, that trouble that before was a correction, becomes now a trial and exercise of grace. ' Strike, Lord,' saith Luther, ' I bear anything willingly, because my sins are forgiven.' We should not be cast down so much about outward troubles, as about sin, that both procures them and envenoms them. We see by experience, when conscience is once set at liberty, how cheerfully men will go under any bm'den ; therefore labour to keep out sin, and then let come what will come.
It is the fooUsh wisdom of the world to prevent trouble by sin, which is the way indeed to pull the greatest trouble upon us. For sin dividing be- twixt God and us, moveth him to leave the soul to entangle itself in its own ways. When the conscience is clear, then there is nothing between God and us to hinder our trust. Outward troubles rather di'ive us nearer unto God, and stand with his love. But sin defileth the soul, and sets itfui-ther from God. It is well-doing that enables us to commit our souls cheerfully unto him, 1 Pet. iii. 21. Whatsoever our outward condition be, ' if our hearts condemn us not, we may have boldness with God,' 1 John. iii. 21. In any trouble our care should be, not to avoid the trouble, but sinful miscarriage in and about the trouble, and so trust God. It is a heavy condition to be under the burden of trouble, and under the burden of a guilty conscience both at once. When men will ' walk in the Ught of their own fii'e, and the sparks which they have kindled themselves, it is just with God that they should He down in sorrow,' Isa. 1. 11.
Whatsoever injuries we suffer from those that are ill affected to us, let us commit our cause to the ' God of vengeance,' Isa. lix. 17, and not meddle with his prerogative. He will revenge our cause better than we can, and more perhaps than we desire. The wronged side is the safer side.* K, instead of meditating revenge, we can so overcome ourselves as to pray for our enemies, and deserve well of them, we shall both sweeten our own spirits, and prevent a sharp temptation which we are prone unto ; and have an undoubted argument that we are sons of that Father that doth good to his enemies, and members of that Saviour that prayed for his persecutors, Luke xxiii. 34. And withal by * heaping coals,' Horn. xii. 20, upon our enemies, shall melt them either to conversion or to con- fusion.
But the gi-eatest trial of trust is in our last encounter with death, wherein we shall find not only a deprivation of all comforts in this life, but a con- fluence of all ill at once ; but we must know, God will be the God of his unto death, and not only unto death, but in death. Wo may trust God the Father with our bodies and souls which he hath created ; and God the Son with the bodies and souls which he hath redeemed ; and the Holy Spirit with those bodies and souls that he hath sanctified. We are not disquieted when we put oft' our clothes and go to bed, because we trust God's ordinaiy providence to raise us up again. And why should we be disquieted when we put off our bodies and sleep our last sleep, considering we are more sure to rise out of our gi-aves than out of our beds ? Nay, we are raised up already in Chi-ist our Head, ' who is the resurrection and the hfe,' John xi. 25, in whom we may triumph over death, that triumph- eth over the gi'eatest monarchs, as a disarmed and conquered enemy. Death is the death of itself, and not of us. If we would have faith ready to die by, we must exercise it well in living by it, and then it will no more fail * Melior est tristitia iniqua patientis, quam Icetitia iniqua facientis. — Auff.
VOL . I. Q
242 THE soul's conflict.
us than the good things ■we lay hold on by it, until it hath brought us into heaven, where that office of it is laid aside. Here is the prerogative of a true Christian above an hypocrite and a worldling, whenas their trust, and the thing they trust in, fails them, then a true behever's trust stands him in greatest stead.
In regard of our state after death, a Christian need not be disquieted, for the angels are ready to do their office in carrying his soul to paradise, those ' mansions prepai'od for him,' John xiv. 2. His Saviour will be his judge, and the Head will not condemn the members ; then he is to receive the fi"uit and end of his faith, the reward of his hope ; which is so great and so sure, that our trusting in God for that, strengtheneth the heart to trust him for all other things in our passage ; so that the refreshing of our faith in these great things, refreshes its dependence upon God for all things here below. And how strong helps have we to uphold our faith in those great things which we are not able to conceive of, till we come to possess them ! Is not our husband there ? and hath he not taken possession for us ? Doth he not keep our place for us ? Is not our flesh there in him ? and his Spirit below with us ? Have we not some fii'st-fruits and earnest of it before hand ? Is not Chiist now fitting and preparing of us daily, for what he hath prepared and keeps for us ? Whither tends all we meet with in this world, that comes betwixt us and heaven, as desertions, in- ward conflicts, outward troubles, and death at last, but to fit us for a better condition hereafter, and by faith therein to stir up a strong desire after it ? ' Comfort one another with these things,' saith the apostle, 1 Thes. iv. 18; these be the things will comfort the soul.