2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. 7. 391
glory was God's. What is the converting of so many souls by so mean fishermen, when ignorance overcame knowledge, folly overcame wisdom, weakness overcame strength ? Fishermen and their consorts made the crown of the Roman empire stoop to them. The poor preachers of the gospel brought it to pass at length, that the great empire of Rome should subject* to the gospel ; and why is all this but that the power may appear to be of God ?
I might with this truth go through all ages, from the beginning of the world to the end, and shew how God hath done great things, sometimes by no means, sometimes by weak means, sometimes when means have been armed against him, in opposition of means. When others are oppo- site, then hath he got greatest glory. But it is so plain a truth, that I will not spend time to no purpose to declare the point ; and therefore I will come more close, and bring the truth home to ourselves.
Now, because we are naturally forgetful of this, and so rob God of his glory, I will shew you divers courses that God taketh with his children to train them up to learn this hard lesson, to give all the glory to God, which naturally they love to finger themselves. For man is naturally a proud creature, and would have all things to himself. Therefore observe in five or six particulars what course God taketh to teach men this lesson, ' that the excellency of power may be of God, and not of us.'
Reason 1. First of all, what is the reason why God deserts men, his dearest children, oftentimes, leaveth them to terrible i^lunyes, malceth them apprehend he is their enemy, a)td that they be none of God's, leaviny them in a state of dark- ness, that they see no liyht ? This is the state of God's dear children. The end of this is, that they may know they must needs go out of themselves if they will have any comfort : ' They are in darkness, and have no hght ; therefore let them trust in the name of God,' Isa. 1. 10. If it were not for these desertions, to see nothing but darkness in themselves, they would not fly to the rock of strength, they would not retire to their rock of defence, they would not trust God. Why do men sufler the sentence of death, and are brought to death's door ? No help, no physic will do them good. St Paul giveth the reason, that they may learn ' to trust in the living God,' 2 Cor. i. 9. What ! Paul to learn this lesson ? Yea, Paul had need to learn this lesson, to go out of himself, and give all the glory of all things to God. And therefore St Paul received ' sentence of death, that he might trust in the living God,' and perfectly go out of himself.
Reason 2. Again, what is the reason that sometimes the child of God is foiled very foul in little temptations, and standeth in great ones? Because indeed in these temptations he goeth on in his own strength, and in greater temptations he goeth out of himself and flieth to God. And therefore a good Christian sometimes is basely foiled in a little temptation, and standeth out like a man in a great one, because in the one he is confident of his own strength, in the other he is enforced to repair to God for assist- ance. That is the reason of it, to learn this doctrine, to give God the glory in all things.
Reason 3. Again, what is the reason that men are better after a foil, after some base fall, than ever they icere before — as oftentimes God suffers them to fall into foul faults — what is the reason of this strange dispensation of God ? To shew that they stood too much on their own bottoms. And why are they better after them ? Because, seeing their own weakness and wilfulness, they are driven out of themselves. The sink of corruption was * That is, ' submit.' — G.
392 COMMENTARY OX
opened to them. TLcy saw they had rebellious hearts. There was depth of corruption which they discerned not before ; and now after a fall, that they SCO the depth of corruption more than before, they grow more humble, more waiy in time to come, having more experience of God's infinite mercy in pardoning, of his infinite power in raising; and so in some measure they learn that lesson, to give all the glory to God. God sometimes sanctifieth a gross fall to make them strong. Peter learned to stand by his fall ; and Christians once falling by presuming too much upon their own strength, are made to stand stronger for time to come.
licason 4. Again, what is the reason that sometimes Ihe church is foiled by ireak oteniies ; and sometimes, ulicn ihe church is very weak itself, it ovcr- cometh strong enemies, as you have instances of both ? It is that men may learn to know that God must be sought to in all things. "When there be strong means, they place too much confidence in that strength ; and when they offend God, though the means be never so strong, God curseth and blasteth all helps, as the prophet tells them : ' You shall fight against the Chaldeans, but God will curse you,' Jer. xxxvii. 9.* You that think you be strong men, you shall fight against them, but they shall prevail. You have not made your peace with God ; and if so, let all the best means bo gathered together, God will blast them all. To teach us that whatsoever means we have, we must seek to God. There is an excellent place for this, Jer. xxxvii. 9, seq. The Jews thought they were stout men, but they had offended God. Therefore in the ninth hour saith God to them, ' Thus saith the Lord, Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall depart from us, we shall do well enough.' Saith he, ' Though you had smitten the whole number of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remain but wounded men amongst them, yet should they rob every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.' Though you had smitten them so, yet God is your enemy. It is no matter what weak men they are, what strong means you have. You have broken peace with God. God hath decreed and determined your ruin, and therefore your city must be burned with fire. Never therefore trust to any means if you have offended God, for God can do great things with small means if we please him. Gideon's three hundred can overcome the Midianites, though they cover the earth as grasshoppers, Judg. vii. 6. And if God be offended, [though] the enemies be all wounded men, yet they shall rise and burn the city. And therefore if God be our enemy, trust not to our walls, nor to the sea, nor to our strength and courage of men. All is nothing if we have not God our friend. And therefore it is true that is usually spoken, that where God will defend a city and country, a cobweb may be the walls thereof; but where God will not defend a city or country, a wall is but a cob- web (r). Why is all this but that all power may be known to be of God — that we may resign ourselves to him, make our peace with him ? If he be our friend, it matters not who is our enemy ; if he be our enemy, it matters not who is our friend. ' If God be for us, who is against us ? ' Rom. viii. 31. It is sin within the citj^, and sin within the land, doth more hurt than all enemies without it; because it estrangeth and animates God against the place and country.