Indeed, sv 'jravrl in the original signifieth ' in every place,' in every time, as here ' on every side,' for the children of God are on every side pressed. Sometimes from above, God seemeth to be their enemy ; and » Qu. ' regard ' ?— Ed. f That is, = defence.— G.
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sometimes from wiLliin, by the terror of conscience ; and sometimes on the right liantl vexed with their friends, and sometimes on the left hand vexed with their enemies ; and sometimes round about them with the states and conditions of the times ; sometimes from beneath, with Satan's molesta- tions and vexatious ; something before them, fear of hell, damnation, and trouble to come ; and something behind them, remembrance of former sins. So that they be pressed on every side, * yet not distressed,' STi'jo'^oj^ovfMvoi, or oppressed, or altogether distressed, as the word signilieth, not altogether in desperate straits ; when the body is in straits and pinched, that it can- not tell what way to turn, and the mind in strait doth not know whither to retire. But God's children are not in such straits. For though they be ' troubled on every side,' yet they are not straitened in spirit, they have large hearts ; as David saith, Pg. cxviii. 5, and xviii. 19, ' Thou hast set my feet at large ; ' and Ps. cxix. and ver. 92, he declares how God had en- larged his heart. And so God enlargeth the paths of his children. Though they be afflicted, yet they be not so straitened but they find inward enlarge- ments ; enlargedness of prayer to God. They can vent their desires to God largely ; before men they are bold to maintain God's cause. They find a large heart in regard of inward peace and comfort ; and indeed there is never a child of God but he hath incomparably a larger heart than wicked men. All wicked men are all vainly-hearted, base-spirited persons, but the child of God hath a large heart ; for the grace of God and sense of heavenly comforts enlarge the heart, and so he hath a more heroical spirit than any worldling hath. So that though they be in pressure, yet they be not overpressed. Wicked men have a prison in their own breasts. Take a wicked man that is not besotted : when he understandeth himself, though he be never so free, though above all men, though a commander of the world, yet he is imprisoned and straitened in his own heart; his conscience upbraids him with his sins, commands him to come before the tribunal-seat of God. In greatest liberty he is oftentimes in straits for abusing that liberty. But a child of God can in all afflictions lay open his soul before God. So much for that particular.
* Perplexed, yet not in despair.' The word is elegant in the original : dcroeou/xsi'O/, we are perplexed, but not in extremity. The word in the original signifieth want of counsel, what course to take, when a man is in such difficulty for want.'^ Want of things necessary, and then want of counsel to get them supplied, breedeth perplexity. Now, saith Paul, we want many things. And therefore among other troubles the apostle reckons hunger, thirst, fasting, 2 Cor. xi, 27. God's children are oftentimes in want, not only of outward things, but seemingly in want of counsel what course to take for a time. In regard of danger, what a difficulty was Abraham in when he was to offer his son Isaac, his eldest son, his only son, the son of the promise ! Gen. xxii. 1-8 ; and Jacob when he parted with Benjamin, and thought he had lost Joseph, Gen. xliii. 13, 14. Exod. xiv. 10-12, seq., Moses at the Red Sea ; present to yourselves what straits he was in. The mountains were on either side, the Red Sea before them, the Egyptians behind them. In what strait was David when they were ready to stone him ? 1 Sam. xxx. 6. Certainly exceedingly great. In what strait was Jonah in the belly of hell, the whale in the depth of the sea ? Jonah i. 17. And so God's children are oftentimes not only in want
* In margin here, ' a'TTo^uaSai hflerere et inops esse consilii.' — Erasm[us'] in loc. — G.
2 CORINTniANS CHAP. IV, VER. 7-0. 307
of help, but iu want of counsel. So they bo almost at their wits' ends, not knowing what course to take.
* Yet we are not in despair,' dXX' oux s^a'TrnooiiiJ.ivoi. For God at the pinch of time cometh, and as it was in Abraham's case, in the mount, appeared. When the knife was ready to cut the throat of Isaac, then God sheweth himself. So Moses at the Red Sea, he was in wonderful straits perplexed. And he crieth to God. Why dost thou cry to me ? saith God, though he said nothing, Exod. xiv. 15. God made way for him through the Red Sea. God makes his way where he findeth none. He can divide the Red Sea, and cause Jordan to fly back. When the ways be desperate, and the plunges extreme, then God makes way for his children. God is wonderful near to them in their extremities. He was nearer to Daniel than the teeth of the lion, Dan. vi. 16, scq., and nearer Moses than the water was, when he was swimming in his basket, Exod. ii. 3. God is nearest in danger when it is nearest of all. When Jonah was in the whale's belly, he was in wonderful perplexity, Jonah ii. 1. It could not be otherwise ; and yet at the same time God enlarged his heart that he did not despair. So that you see the words are true. Though God's children are pei'plexed, yet they be not in * despair.' They have a God to go to at all times. At the worst they can send forth their sighs and groans, though they cannot speak ; and those sighs and groans are great cries in God's ear. God knoweth the desires of their souls ; God hath an ear in their very hearts, and knoweth the meaning of his own Spirit joining with their spirits. No man is in desperate condition that can pray, and though he cannot pray in words, yet prayer being matter of affection and desires to God, and any man being in such extremity may do that. There is no prayer but it fetcheth help from heaven. There is not a groan lost that is sent to heaven, and therefore ' though they be perplexed, yet not in despair.'