And again, though they fall, yet they learn to stand fast by their falls, are gainers by their losses, and become stronger by their weaknesses. As tall cedars, the more the}^ are shaken by the winds, the more deeply they take rooting ; so Christians, the more storms and blasts they have, the more they are fastly rooted. That which we think to be the overthrow of God's children, doth but root them deeper. As Peter after his fall took deeper rooting, and David, &c., so after all outward storms and declinings, here is the fruit of all. They take deeper rooting, whilst their sins are purged away by their fiery afflictions, Isa. xxx. 15.
Qhject. 2. But why then are they not more comfortable in their lives, in feeling and seeing of God's wise ordering of things ?
Ans. 1. First, Because though God work strongly and surely in them, yet he doth it for the most part slowh/, as the wise man speaks, ' all his works being beautiful in time,' Eccl. iii. 11. Therefore the}^ apprehend not their comforts as they ought, and so go mourning the longer : the time of knit- ting divine experiences together not being yet come.
Secondli/, Because the anguish of the cross, if it be quick and sharp, many times takes au-a)j the ap2)re]ie)isio}is of God's excellent ends in the same ; as the children of Israel could not hearken unto Moses, for anguish and vexation of spirit, Exod. vi. 9. ' No affliction,' saith the apostle, ' for the present is joyous,' though afterwards it brings forth the quiet fruit of righteousness, Heb. xii. 11.
Thirdly, Then again, Satan's inalice, who casts in' floods of temptations, is great. So that the soul cannot enjoy that sweet tranquillity and peace it otherwise might, casting in doubts and numbers of what-ifs into the soul. So that for a time, he causes a strong diversion in them, whence after that, there foUoweth peace again, when those temptations are seen and overcome.
Fourthly, It is long also of ourselves, who are not armed for crosses and afflictions, until we are suddenly surprised by them. And then leaving our watchfulness, and forgetting our consolation, we are struck down for the j)resent by them, and caimot support ourselves against them.
Fiftlily, and lastly. It comes also from God's wise ordering and disposing providence, who will not do all at once. Our comforts must come by de- grees, now a little and then a little. Our experience, and so our comforts,
HOSEA XrV. 5, G.J THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. S4:l
come together, after \vc have honoured God in dependence upon his will and pleasure. And yet this hinders not, but a Christian grows still, though he be for the present insensible of it, as a man is alive and grows whilst he sleeps, though he be not sensible of it. Other objections have been formerly touched.
' Ho shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon.'
We see then that the state of God's children is a firm and a stable condi- tion, whence we may observe the difierence betwixt God's people and others. God's people are rooted, and spread their root ; but the other have rottenness in then* root, being cursed, without any foundation. For take a man who is not a good Christian, where is his foundation ? Only in the things of this world. Now all here is vanity, and we ourselves by trusting vanity become vain, ' Eveiy man in his best estate is altogether vanity,' Ps. Ixii. 9, vanity in himself, and trusts in vanity. What stable- ness can there be in vanity ? Can a man, stare non stante, stand in a thing that stands not in itself ? Will a picture continue that is drawn upon the ice ? WiU it not fail and melt away, when the ice upon which it is drawn thaws ? So all these who have not the dew of God's grace, they are as a picture upon the water, have no foundation, and stand upon that which can- not stand itself. Therefore the Scripture compareth them to the worst of grass, which hath no good root ; grass upon the housetop, which hath no blessing of those that come by, but there stands perking up above others, Ps. cxxix. 6. So it is with men that have no grace, they can perk up above others ; but as they have no stable root, nor the blessing of God's people, stabihty with the Spirit of God inwardly, and the prayers of God's people to water and bless them, so they perish and wither quickly. Nay, whole nations, if wicked, have no foundation. What is become of the great monarchies of the world, the Assyrian, Persian, Grecian and Roman monarchies ? And for cities themselves, they have died like men, and had their periods. Only a Christian hath a kingdom, a stable condition which cannot be shaken, Heb. xii. 28. He takes his root strongly, and grows stronger and stronger till he gi'ows to heaven, nay, indeed, while he lives, he is rooted in heaven before his time ; for though we be in earth, we are rooted in heaven. Christ our root is in heaven, and his faith which is wrought from heaven, carrieth us to Christ in heaven ; and love, that gi'ace of union, following the union of faith, carrieth us to Christ also. Even before our time, we are there in faith, love, and joy. Therefore a poor Chiistian is firm and stable even in this life, having union with Christ. Though he creep upon the earth, and seem a despised person, yet his root is heaven, where he hath union with Christ. ' His life is hid with God in Christ,' who ' when he shall appear,' he shall appear with him likewise in glory, Col. iii. 3, 4. Therefore, if Christ be firm, the estate of a Christian must needs be firm, for he is a cedar. Another man is as gi'ass or corn upon the house-top. ' All flesh is gi'ass,' saith the prophet, Isa. xl. 6.