Again, ' We are cast down, but not destroyed.' We see here is a kind of eloquence of things as well as words. Here is a sweet harmony of things :
* they are afflicted, but not in despair ; perplexed, but not distressed ; per- secuted, but not forsaken.' Every one of these are greater than the former. I shewed you God's children are troubled in this world, and their troubles grow more and more till they are scarce able to bear them, and then God giveth a gracious promise, ' that he will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength,' 1 Cor. x. 13. For God limits the time and the measure of all troubles in this world. He stands by and turneth the glass,* and limits the measure. * Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther,' Job xxxviii. 11, as we may see in Job's case ; and his promise is, ' that the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the back of the righteous,' Ps. cxxv. 3. This is one comfort, that a Christian's times are not in the enemies' hands, but ' our times,' as David saith, 'are in thy hands,' Ps. xxxi. 15. Our times of coming into trouble, and our times of going out of trouble, are in the hands of God. As he made all things, in the first creation, in number, weight, and measure, so he rules and governeth all things in number, weight, and measure, especially his church. He will not put in a dram too much ; he weigheth their strength, and weigheth their crosses, and exactly observeth
* The alhision is to the hour-glass used to mark time ; and which, when the hour had expired, was ' turned.' — G.
406 COMMENTARY ON
uhat tlieir stivuj^'th is able to boar. For Lo is a most wise fatbor ; and that is our cdiulbrt, wbatsoever falls upon us. If troubles grow upon us, comforts shall gi'ow ; if they grow groat in number and measure, comforts shall grow great in number and measure too ; for he is a God of comfort. Ho comforts iu every trouble, as we sec here, ' perplexed, cast down, per- secuted,' yet God ha(h comfort for every one of these.
]j<(st Obs. Again, here sec l/ic covij'oitahle coiiditioit of God's chUdren in this uvrld. All their happiness is not reserved for heaven, but they are happy in affliction itself. In them there is comfort. There is support not only in heaven, but in the very time of affliction, as we may see it in Ps. xciv. 19 : ' According to the multitude of my thoughts, thy comforts delighted my soul.' According to my distracted thoughts, thy comforts have refreshed my soul. There bo jjresent comforts in troubles that keep God's children from despair. St Paul nameth the lowest comforts that God's children have here. Though they are ' persecuted, yet they are not forsaken ;' though they are ' cast down, yet they ])erish not.' He sheweth here, that if we regard not the great matters that we shall have in heaven, yet God dispenseth his comforts here now in the time of troubles. Here is matter of comfort, and not of despair. Miserable heathens, that had not the knowledge of God in Christ, what condition were they in ? As o'be saith, ' I would pray, but my prayers are in vain ' (z). They were in great misery. Wanting the knowledge of God in Christ, they fell into despair. So in the church : those that are not acquainted with God, in great troubles fall to despair ; but you see the comfortable condition of a Christian, take him at the worst.
Ver. 10. It followeth, ' Always bearing in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies.' Here he addeth a comfort to those that suffered before, shewing the end of all that God intends. * We bear in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus.' He calls all troubles by the name of dying. This is the first.
All the troubles God's childroi are exercised with Jiere, are named with the name of dying.
(1.) Because troubles are little deaths. Death is not the last parting of soul and body, but every separation from comfort is a kind of death. There- fore he calls afflictions dyings, because they make way for greater deaths. He calls afflictions dyings, from the intent and purpose of the persecutors, for their intent is, if it w'ere in their power, to kill.
(2.) Likewise it is called a dying, because t]iis is in the preparation of spirit that they are ready to die; for no man is a true Christian but he labours to deny father and mother, and all comforts, and resigns himself to Christ. If I can serve him with mine honour, yea, with my life, he shall have it, so that I am ready to die upon all occasions, as you may see in the next verse. ' We are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake,' that is, the enemies expose us to death, and if it were in their power they would kill us.
Qtiest. But why doth he call his troubles a dying ' of the Lord Jesus ?'