[4. J And, fourthly, Christ is an exemplary cause. We have all in him, and through him, and by him, as an exemplary pattern. The same Spirit that subdued all to him subdues all things to us. To make this clear a little. There was in Christ regnum paticntia, a kingdom of patience, as well as rer/num potcntia, a kingdom of power and glory. There was a king- dom of patience ; that is, such a kingdom as Christ exercised in his great- est abasement, whereby he made all things, even the worst, to be service- able to his own turn and the church's. So in every member of his, there is a kingdom of patience set up, whereby he subjects all things to him. To make it yet clearer.
When Christ died, which was the lowest degree of abasement, there was a kingdom of patience then. What ! When he was subdued by death and Satan, was there a kingdom then ? Yes, a kingdom. For though visibly, he was overcome and nailed to the cross ; yet invisibly, he triumphed over principalities and powers. For by death he satisfied his Father ; and he being satisfied, Satan is but a jailor. What hath he to do when God is satisfied by death ? Christ never conquered more than on the cross. When he died he killed death, and Satan, and all. And [did] not Christ reign on the cross when he converted the thief ? when the sun was astonished, and the earth shook and moved, and the light was eclipsed ? Who cares for Csesar when he is dead ? But what more efficacious than Christ when he died ? He was most practical when he seemed to do nothing. In patience he reigned and triumphed ; he subjected the greatest enemies to himself, Satan, and death, and the wrath of God, and all. In
28 A curistian's rouTioN ; or,
the samo manner all things arc ours, the worst things that befall God'a chilclron, death, and afflictions, and persecutions. There is a kingdom of patience set up in them. The Spirit of God subdues all base fears in us, and a child of God never more triumphs than in his greatest troubles. This is that that the apostle saith, Rom. viii. 37, ' In all these things we are more than concpierors.' How is that, that in those groat troubles wo should be ' conqumjrs and more'? Thus the spirit of a Christian, take him as a Christian, reigns and triumphs at that time. For the devil and the world labour to subdue the spirits of God's children and their cause. Now to take them at the worst, the cause they stand for, and will stand for it ; and the spirit that they are led with is undaunted. So that the Spirit of Christ is victorious and cou(j^ucring iu them, and most of all at such times.
It is true of a Christian indcedthat one speaks of a natural man — but he speaks too vaingloriously — he subdues hope and fear, and is more sublime than all others. A Christian is so dam j)atltur viiicit, &c. ; when he suffers he conquers, nay, more then than at other times ; for the spirit gets strength, and the cause gets strength by suffering, and answer- able to his suffering is his comfort and strength. So that all things are his. The Spirit that subdued all things to Christ, subdues them to him. Nay, he makes all advantageous for the time to come ; as St Paul saith, ' These light aillictious that we suffer, work unto us an exceeding weight of glory,' 2 Cor. iv. 17 ; because they fit and prepare our desires for glory. And answerable to that measure that we glorify God, shall our reward be in heaven ; and the more we suffer, the more ' entrance ' we have into heaven in this world ; we enter further into the kingdom of grace, and by consequent into the kingdom of glory. So that there is a kingdom set up in a Christian, as there was in Christ, in patience in suffering. So we see that ' all things are ours,' because * we are Christ's,' and what we may observe from thence.
To shut up this point with some use.
Use 1. Let us be stirred up to study Christ, and in Christ to study our own excellency. St Paul accounted all ' dross and dung, in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ,' Phil. iii. 8. And indeed we cannot study Christ but there will be a reflection upon the soul presently ; it is a transforming study. The study of the love of Christ must needs make us love him again. The study of the choice that Christ hath made of us, it will make us choose him again, and to say, * Whom have I in heaven but thee ? ' Ps. Ixxiii. 25. If we studj' the grace and mercy of Christ, we cannot but be transformed in marvellous respect to him again. Therefore let us raise up our thoughts more to think of Christ, and the excellencies of Christ, with appropriation to ourselves, * All things are yours, and you are Christ's.' We should not study Christ and any excellency in him, but we should also think. This is mine, this is for me. The more the spouse hears of the riches and advancement of her husband, the more she blesses herself, and saith, This is for me. And the more we think of Christ, the more we think of our own advancement and excellency. Therefore we should be willing to hear ' the unsearchable riches of Christ ' unfolded to us ; for these serve to kindle the love of the spouse to Christ.