But he saith afterwards, * causeth unto us an eternal weight of glory.' That is more than to say glory follows afflictions ; but there is a causal virtue in that we suffer, to work glory. We know the working by way of merit and desert, that is done by Christ ; we have right to glory only by Christ. And it is sacrilege to attribute it to any creature, but when there is a working power fitting us. Now afflictions working by way of fit- ting us to that glory, whereto we have title by Christ, as soon as a man is a Christian, he hath title to heaven. But how doth God fit us for heaven ? One way is by crosses and afflictions. He fits us for heaven, as the winter fitteth the ground for the spring, by killing the weeds, and mellowing the ground. So that whatsoever we suffer here, fits us for heaven, and that many ways.
(1.) By iceaning our hearts from the love of these thinr/s, upon ivhich we are desperately set. When we see what they are, we see they are vanity.
(2.) And then again, they exercise and try our graces, and they increase a desire of heaven ; and we know the more hardly we are used here, the more we desire to be at home. And usually God reveals himself more sweetly and more comfortably in these hard times. We feel more of heaven in our worst times. Therefore they have fitting power.
Quest. How comes this to pass ? Are crosses, losses, curses, and such things natm'ally ?
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VEK. lG-18. 479
Afis. God by hiff Spirit doth overpower and overrule these things, and there is a sanctified use of them, that helps them to work. ' All things work together for the best to them that love God,' Rom. viii. 28; that is, God's power so overruleth them, that it makes them advantageous to his children. And they by the grace of God's Spirit, draw a sanctified use out of everything. So that by the grace of God the worst things work an eternal weight of glory.
As God prepares heaven for us, so he prepares us for heaven : he pre- pares us by Christ, but by the cross and aftiiction. So you ma}'' see the truth of the point.
Use 1. But what shall I speak of jjopish merits ? For in merits there must be a proportion to the things we sufl'er. We receive glory for ever, and sufter atilietions for a time ; a weight of glory. This overthrows popish conceits.
Use 2. Beloved, are they not out of their wits, that add vexation to God's ehildren ? What is the worst they do ? They work their good, they vex them ; ay, but they work their happiness, as if a man would hurt a fish by casting him into the sea, or a bird into the air. And a Christian being vexed, it driveth him nearer to heaven. It is his best condition. Compare our secure estate with our affiicted condition, and see v/hich is best. There is no man that is a Christian but will say, there is more in the cross than in prosperity ; the one dulleth, btit the other sharpeneth.
Use 3. Be not discouraged, u-hatsoever befalls us i)i tJiis world. While Satan ■works our hurt, God is then working our good at the same time. When the outward man is wronged by the world, at the same time the inward man is set at liberty. So much for that.
But how cometh it to pass that these things we suffer, fit us for glory ? Verse 18. It is wrought by grace, enabling us to eye things that are not seen. And then we reason, ' because the things that are seen, are temporal, but the things that are not seen, are eternal,' 2 Cor. iv. 18. To omit divers things, I hasten to other things.
But you see the things we sufier do work unto us an eternal weight of glory, as physic doth upon the body. That that we sufier doth no good unless we use those parts and graces that God hath given us. And there- fore he saith, whilst our minds are occupied, and 'looking on things that are not seen,' God having made man a reasonable creature. And so in way to salvation he sanctifieth those principles he hath given him to bring him to heaven, by way of discourse and reason. And as a Christian is saved, so is he saved by something in his understanding. As we see in this w^orld, man worketh by principles in him, so in the way of Christianity. Some things are hindrances to heaven and happiness, as conceitedness and self-sufliciency. Therefore the apostle saith these things ' work an eternal weight of glory,' not whether we think of them or no ; but these things do 60 because God giveth a sanctified understanding, to see the difference of heavenly things from earthly, when we do not look upon things that are seen.
So much shall serve to give you a reason how to see the inward man groweth more and more, and we faint not ; because we look upon things tliat are not seen.
That which I will speak of at this time is this.