Upon what ground is this certainty built, that if we suffer we shall be glorified ?
It is built upon our union with Christ. It is built upon the communion we have with the church of God. We are all of one body. And it is built upon his own experience. As verily as I have been afflicted, and have comfort, so shall you that suffer be comforted : what I feel, you shall feel.
Because in things necessary there is the like reason from one to all ; if one be justified by foith, all are justified by faith ; if one suffer and receive comfort, all that sufler shall receive comfort. Divine comforts are from one to all, fi-om the head to the body, from the body to every member. If Christ suffered, I shall suffer, if I be of his body ; if Christ was comforted, I shall be comforted. Divine truths they agi'ee in the head and the mem- bers. If it be true in one, it is true in all. St Paul felt it in his own per- son ; and, saith he, as I have felt afflictions increase, and comforts increase, so it shall be with you ; you shall be partakers of the comforts now, or hereafter. And it is built likewise upon God's promise, which is surer than heaven and earth. ' If we suffer with him, we shall be glorified with him,' as the apostle saith, Rom. viii. 17. AH these are grounds to fomid this stedfast hope on. And then the nature of God : he is a just God, a holy God, and when we have taken the ill, we shall find the sweet, as in
* That is, ' proportion.' This is a superior example of the use of the word to that given by Eichardson, sub voce from Fuller — G.
VOL. in. H
114 COMMENTARY ON
2 Thcss. i. 0. ' It is just with Gotl, to rendor to them that afflict you trouhh^, and to you comfort.' God hath pawned his justice upon it, and ho will ohserve this order. Where he Ix'gins in trouble, he will end in comfort. It is just with (rod, and therefore I may be persuaded.
It should be a special comfort to all that <are in any sanctified cross, whe- ther it be for a good cause or no. If a man find that he stands out for a good cause, then there is more matter of joy. It is matter of triumph then. But if they be crosses common to nature, if a man find them sanctified, (as they arc only to God's children, they learn humility by them, they learn heavcnly-mindedness, they learn patience, they learn more carefulness by their afflictions, if it be thus sanctified), then a man may say to such a one, ' As you partake of the sufi'erings, so you shall partake of the comfort,' though you feel it not for the present.
Is it not a comfort for a patient to have his physician come to him, ■whom he knows to be wise, and speaks by his book, to say to him, lie of good comfort, you shall never die of this disease ; this that I give you wil] do you good : there was never any that took this potion but they recovered. Would not this revive the patient ? Now when the physicians of our souls shall come and tell a man, by discerning his state to be good, by discern- ing signs of grace in his abasement, Be of good comfort, there is good intended to you ; your sufferings shall end in comfort, undoubtedly ; we may well be persuaded of this, God will never vary his order. Therefore, when we are in any trouble, and find God blessing it to us, to abate our pride, to sharpen our desire, to exercise our graces, when we find it sanctified, let it comfort us, it shall turn to our further comfort. We find a present good that it is a pledge of a further good. It will make a bitter potion to go down, when the physician saith, it will do you good. How many distasteful things do poor creatures endure and take down to cure this carcase ! It were offensive to name what distasteful things they will take to do them good (/'*)•
Let us take this cup from God's hand, let us endure the cross patiently, whatsoever it be. It is a bitter cup, but it is out of a Father's hand, it is out of a sweet hand. There may be a miscarrying in other physic, but God's physic shall certainly do us good. God hath said it, ' All things shall work for the best to those that love him,' Kom. viii. 28. He hath said it beforehand. We may presume, and build our persuasion upon this issue, that all things shall work for our good. What a comfort is this in all the intercourses and changes of this life, when we know before, that what- soever we meet with, it hath a command from God to do us good, it is me- dicinable, though it seem never so ill, to do us good, to work ill out of us, by the blessing of God. But to proceed.
VERSES 8, 9.
* For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insotmich that ive despaired even of life : But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that ive should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raisetJi the dead.'