2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VF,n. 10. 1G9
the foundation of our comfort, that though we change oft, yet he never changeth. There is no outward thing can change him ; for then that were God, and not he. There is no inwaixl tiling can change him ; for then he were not perfectly wise. So there is nothing either in himself or in the creatures that can change God. He is alway like himself. Therefore, this is a ground of confidence for the time to come.
3. Likewise his covenant and promise. The covenant that he hath made with his children is an everlasting covenant, that he will be their God to death, and for ever ; and the gifts and graces of God, his inward love, they are without repentance, and their union with Christ is an everlasting union.
4. And also experience built ripon these f/rcntnils, that God is Jehovah. What he hath done he will do ; and his properties are answerable to his name ; he is unchangeable, and his promise and covenant are unchangeable. Therefore, experience from the time past comes to be a good argument from these three grounds : because he is Jehovah, ' I AM ; ' and because he is unchangeable, being Jehovah ; and because his covenant is everlasting, be- cause he is unchangeable.
For the foundation of all comfort is the name and being of God, Jehovah. From his being, issue and flov/ his properties, and they are like him unchangeable and eternal, and from his properties comes that to be unchangeable that comes from him, his word, and promise, and covenant. Considering then that his name and being is such, that his properties are such, that his covenant is such, issuing from his nature and properties, experience then of trust in the love and mercy of God, is an unanswerable argument against all temptations. He hath loved, he doth love, and he will love ; he hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver, and will * preserve us to his heavenl}' kingdom,' 2 Tim. iv. 18.
It is a good argiament that God that is Jehovah, that God that is unchangeable, that God that is in covenant with me, that is my God, and T his, that God of whom I have had experience for the time past, that he hath been my God. Why should I doubt for the time to come ? Unless I will call in question the very being of God, the very properties of God, and the truth of God in his covenant, and overturn all, I may as well trust him for the time to come, as for the time present ; ' He hath delivered me, he doth deliver me, and he will deliver me.'
Ohj. But it may be objected, God doth not deliver alway, and therefore it seems not to be a current truth. How doth God deliver his children, when we see how they miscarry in troubles and persecutions, both the chm'ch in general and particular Christians, as there be many instances. It seems God doth not deliver his. They die martyrs. St. Paul himself died a bloody death. Therefore, how is this true that we may build a certain confidence upon it, ' he hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver ? '
Ans. I answer, we must take it in the latitude, this deliverance.
1. God delivers them so as stands with their desires to be delivered ; for there may cases come wherein God's children will not be delivered, as we see the three young men when they wei'e cast into the fire, they would not be delivered out of the tire, but they were delivered in it. And so in Heb. xi. 35, there is a notable example. ' Tender women receive their dead again raised to life, and others likewise were tortured, and would not accept of deliverance.' They would have none upon ill terms. So some- times God doth not deliver his children, no, nor they will not be delivered,
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because perhaps their deliverance is promised upon ill terms ; that they may redeem their lives if they will by denying God and religion ; an ill bargain (cc).
2, Again, I answer that howsoever God doth not deliver his from trouble, yet he delivers them in trouble, us in Isaiah xliii. 2, he promiseth to be with them, and to deliver them in ' the fire, and in the water.'
God did not keep the martyrs out of the lire, but God was with them in the fu-e, and in the water, to support them by the inward fire of his Spirit, that they might not be overcome of the outward fire and flame. So God delivers them in trouble, though not out of trouble.
There is an open deliverance visible to the world, and a secret, inward, invisible deliverance. There is an open glorious deliverance, as we see in the deliverance of the three young men, and many other examples. And there is an invisible deliverance, which is only felt of them, and of God, who delivers them. He delivers them in the inward man. He delivera them from the ill of troubles, from sin and despair ; that they put not their hands to sinful courses. He supports them inwardly with comfort, and supports them inwardly in a course of obedience. And that spiritual, inward deliverance is the best, and that which God's people more value than deliverance out of trouble. He doth not deliver them from suffering ill, he delivers them from doing ill, as in that notable place, 2 Tim. iv. 17, 18, ' I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work.' He doth not say, God shall deliver me from death, and from suffering evil works of tyrants ; no, but he shall deliver me from carrying myself unseemly and unbefitting such a man as I am, that I may not disgrace my profession. ' He shall deliver me from every evil ivorlc' And that is that which the saints and martyi's and all good people desire, that God would deliver them, that they may not sink in their minds, that they despair not, that they carry not themselves uncomely in troubles, but so as is meet for the credit of the truth which they seal with their blood ((/(/). ' He hath delivered me, and he will deliver me from every evil work.' And what saith he afterwards ? ' He shall preserve me to hia heavenly kingdom.'