(f) P. 311.—' The present pope .... Urban VIII.' Consult Ranke (History of the Popes, ii. 104, seq.) for the extraordinary career of this very remarkable pope. His bearing toward England at the time of Sibbes's sermon explains the half- favourable opinion expressed. lie was raised to the tiara in 1623, and died in 1644.
(ff) P. 311. — This extraordinary quotation will be found in Bellarmine. De Ponti- fice, book iv. c. 5 — ' Si autem Papa erraret prrecipiendo vitia vel prohibendo virtutes, teneretur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona et virtutes malas, nisi vellet contra con- scientiam peccare.' G.
THE SAINT'S SAFETY IN EYIL TIMES:*
MANIFESTED BY ST PAUL, FROM HIS EXPERIENCE OF GOD'S GOODNESS IN GREATEST DISTRESSES.
NotwitJistandinff the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me, that by me the preachhuf viifiht he fidhj known, and that all the Gentiles might hear : and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and ivill preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom; to whom he glory for ever and ever. Amen. — 2 Tim. IV. 17, 18.
Blessed St Paul, being now an old man, and ready to sacrifice Ms dearest blood for the sealing of that truth which he had carefully taught, sets down in this chapter what diverse entertainment he found, both from God and man, in the preaching of it. As for men, he found they dealt most unfaithfully with him, when he stood most in need of comfort from them. Demas, a man of great note, in the end forsook him ; Alexander the cop- persmith (thus it pleases God to try his dearest ones with base oppositions of worthless persons) did him most mischief; weaker Christians forsook him, &c. But mark the wisdom of God's Spirit in the blessed apostle, in regard of his difierent carriage towards these persons. Demas, because his fault vras greater, by reason of the eminency of his profession, him he brands to all posterity, for looking back to Sodom and to the world, after he had put his hand to the plough. Alexander's opposing, because it sprung from extremity of malice towards the profession of godliness, him he curseth. ' The Lord reward him,' &c. Weaker Christians, who failed him from want of some measure of spirit and courage, retaining still a hidden love to the cause of Christ, their names he conceals, with prayer that God would not lay their sin to their charge. But whilst Paul lived in this cold comfort on earth, see what large encouragement had he from heaven ! * Though all forsook me, yet,' says he, * God did not forsake me, but stood by me, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me,' &c.
In the words, we have, in Paul's example, an expressing of that general truth sot down by himself : ' And not only so, but wc glory in tribulations
* In tho ' Saint's Cordial's ' editions of this sermon, it is said to liavo been 'preaclicd at I'aul's Crosse, upon a spcciall solenine occasion, Aug. 5.' — G.
THE saint's safety IN EVIL TIMES. 315
also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience ; and patience, experience ; and experience, hope,' &c., Rom. v. 3. So here affliction breeds experience of God's mercy in our deliverance, and experience breeds hope of deliverance for the time to come ; and both his experience and hope stirs him up to glorify God, who was his deliverer; so that here offer unto us to be un- folded—
1. Paul's experience of God's loving care of him in his deliverance past.
2. His assured hope, built upon his experience, for the time to come; set down in two branches :
(1.) The Lord will deliver me from evenj evil ivork. (2.) Fie will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom.
3. The issue he maketh of both ; as theij flow from God's grace, so he ascribes him the glory of both. ' To whom be glory for ever and over. Amen.'
For the first, I find that most, both ancient and modern writers, by lion understand Nero, that cruel tyrant, thirsty of blood, especially of Chris- tians (A). Some also understand it to be a proverbial speech, to express ex- tremity of danger, both which are true. But if we take the words in the just breadth of the apostle's intent, we may by lion understand the whole united company of Jus cruel enemies, as David in many places hath the like ; and, by the mouth of the lion, the present danger he was in by reason of their cruel malice. Whence observe :
1. That enemies of the truth are (oft for power, always for malice) lions.
2. That God suffers his dearest children to fall into the mouths of these lions.
3. That in this extremity of danger God delivers them.
For the second, his hope built upon his experience ; both- branches thereof hath its limitation and extent. The Lord shall deliver me, not from evil suffering, but from evil works. This he could boldly build on. He could not conjecture what he should suffer, because that was in the power of others ; but he could build upon this, what God would give him gTace to do. And so he limits his confidence, ' He will deliver me from evil works, and he will preserve me.' From what ? From danger ? from death ? No ; here is the hmitation : ' He will preserve me to his heavenly king- dom.' He will not preserve me from death (and yet he will do that whilst I can do his service by my life), but sm-e I am he will preserve me beyond death to a state of security and happiness. ' He wiU preserve me to his heavenly kingdom.'