Use. Thus we see hoic we shoidd trust in. God, in great crosses, and in the sentence of death. This, in a word, should be another ground of patience, and not only of patience, but of contentment, in extreme crosses, in the hour of death, that all that God doth is for this, that we may exercise trust in him. And if the soul clasp to him, who is the fountain of life, the chief good, it cannot be miserable. But this it doth by trust. Our trust makes us one with him. It is that which brings us to God ; and afflictions, and death itself, force us to exercise faith in the promises, and drive us to him. So God hath overpowered all crosses, extreme crosses, even death itself, that he hath sanctified them to fit us to trust in him ; and who can be miserable that trusts in God ?
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 9. 153
What construction should we make of crosses and aflSictions ? Surely this is to take away false confidence ; this is to drive me to God. Shall I be impatient and murmur at that which God hath ordained to bring me nearer to himself, to trust in him, to take away all false confidence in the creature '?
No ! This should cut the sinews of all carnal confidence, and make us patient and thankful in all crosses ; because God now is seeking our good, he is drawing good out of these crosses. He labours by this to bring us nearer to himself. Blessed is that cross, blessed is that sickness, or loss of friends whatsoever, that brings us nearer to God ! Why doth God take away our dear friends? That we might cling nearer to bim, because hewill have us to see that he is all-sufficient.
What doth a man lose when he trusts in God, though he lose all the world ? Hath he not him that made the world at the first, and can make another if he please ? If a man lose all, and have God, as he hatb that trusts in him, and in his word ; for God will not deny his word and truth. He that trusts in God hath him, and if he have him, what if he be stripped of all '? He can make another world with a word of bis mouth. Other things are but a beam to bim ; what need a man care for a beam, that hath the sun ?
All the afflictions of this world are to draw or to drive us to God, whether we will or no. As the messengers in the gospel, to force the guests to the banquet with violence, Luke xiv. 23 ; so afflictions they are to force us to God. This blessed effect they have in all God's childi'en.
But those that do not belong to God, what do they m the hour of death and in extremity '? They are either blocks, asNabalwas, senseless creatures ; or raging, as Cain, Ahithophel, and Judas ; either sots, or desperate in extremity. Saul in extremity goes to the witch, to ill means. David in all extremity he goes to prayer, he goes to his rock and shield ; to God who was his ' all in all.' He knew all this was done to drive him to trust in God. ' Why art thou disquieted, 0 my soul ? why art thou vexed in me? trust in God,' Ps. xlii. 11. All this is to make thee trust in God. He checks and chides his own soul, A child of God doth check himself. When his base heart would have him sink and fall down, and go to false means, then he raiseth himself up, ' Trust in God, 0 my soul.'
But such as Saul, proud, confident h^-jiocrites, when all outward things are taken away, they go to the witch, to the devil, to one unlawful means or other, and at the last to desperate conclusions, to the sword itself.
As we desire to have evidence of a good estate in gi'ace, that we belong to God, so let us desire God that we may fiind him drawing us so near to him by all crosses whatsoever, that we may see in him a supply of whatso- ever is taken from us ; if we lose our friends, that we may trust God the more. As St Paul speaks of the widow, 1 Tim. v. 10, seq., when her husband was alive, she trusted to him ; but now she wants her former help to go to, she gives herself to prayer, she goes to God, she trusts in God. So it should be with all. When friends are taken away we should go to God. He will supply that which is wanting. Those that are bereft of any comfort, now they should go to God. What do we lose by that ? We had the stream before, now we have the fountain. We shall have it in a more excellent manner in God than we had before.
And that makes a Christian at a point in this world. He is not much discouraged whatsoever he lose. If he lose all, to his life, he knows he shall have a better supply from God than he can lose in the world. There-