NOTES.
" (a) P. 226. — ' The words are mucli vexed by expositors.' For a full exbibition of the vexing' of previous expositors, consult Willet's Hexapla, that is, ' A Sixfold Com- mentarie upon the most Divine Epistle of the holy Apostle St Paul to the Romans,' (folio, 1611); also Elton and Thomas Wilson of Canterbury, in loc. Of modern commentators, Hodge, a.\i.Aj)ractically, Ilaldane.
(b) P. 232. — ' You know whose speech it was, " If the land must be violated, it must be for a kingdom." ' This is another of Sibbes's tacit allusions to Shakspeare,
248 THE SPIUITUAI^ JUBILEE.
wlio pntfl into tlio mniifli of Kihvard, in Thinl Partof King Henry VI. (Act i., Scene 2) tJio sentiment here noticed : —
' For a kingdom, any oatli may bo brolcen ; I'd break a tliousand oatlis to reign one year.'
(c) P. 236. — ' Saitli a Roman, What ! is it such a matter to die ? It is notliing to die,' kc. A sentiment of Stoicism. What follows reminds us of the immortal soli- loquy in Hamlet, of Sibbes's greatest contemporary, * To be, or not to be,' &c.
G.
THE PRIVILEGES OF THE FAITHFUL.
THE PRIVILEGES OF THE FAITHFUL.
NOTE.
' The Privileges of the Faithful' forms the second half of the little volume entitled Yea and Amen. For the title-i^age and relative note, see Vol. IV. page 114.
G.
THE PRIVILEGES OF THE FAITHFUL.
Also ive lawn- that all tilings icork together for the best to them that love God, even to them that are called of his purpose. — Rom. VIII. 28.
There are three things especially that trouble the life of a Christian, or at least should trouble the same.
1. The first whereof is sin, with the guilt and punishment thereof.
2. The second is the corruption of nature, which still abides in him, even after his vocation and conversion to Christ.
3. The third is, the miseries and crosses of this life, which do follow and ensue both upon sin and the evil thereof, as also by reason of that corrup- tion of nature still remaining in him, after his recovered estate in grace.
For the first, the guilt of sin, which doth bind men over to death and damnation, that is forgiven to all behevers in Christ Jesus, the ' second Adam.'
The second, which is the corruption of nature, which cleaves so fast to us, that is daily mortified and crucified in the saints by the word and Spu-it of God.
For the third, which is the grievous crosses and afilictions, which do accompany and follow the guilt of sin and the corruption of nature still re- maining In God's children ; however they are not taken away, yet they are made to have an excellent issue, ' for all things work together for the best unto them that love God.' So that these words of the apostle do afford us,
1. A ground of patience.
2. A ground of comfort.
In the former part of this chapter, the apostle had told us, ' that we know not how to pray as we ought, but that the Spirit itself doth teach us how to pray, and makes requests for us with sighs that cannot be ex- pressed.' And therefore however our corruptions and miseries in this life are not quite taken away, yet the evil of those evils is removed, God teaching and directing us by his Spirit to seek, by prayer unto him, for gi-ace to profit by them. And this is the coherence of these words with the former.
The parts here to be handled may be these.
1. An excellent prerogative : ' All things work together for the best.'
2. Secondly, The persons to whom this prerogative belongs: ' To them that love God,' and ' whom he doth call.'
252
THE PIIIVILKGES OF TUE FAITUFUL.
3. Thirdly, The main cause of this blessed prerorjalire.
Those that ' love God ' have this privilege belonging to them, because they are * effectually called ' by his word, ' according to his purpose.' We know, saith the apostle, ' that all things work together for the best to these.' He doth not say, ' we hope,' or ' we conjecture,' but ' we know it assuredly.'
We have the Scriptures of God for it. David saith, that ' it was good for him that he was afflicted,' Ps. cxix. C7, for thereby he had learned to reform his ways ; he knew by observation that all things wovild tend to his future happiness. For he had seen in the example of Job, that notwith- standing his sore afflictions, yet he had a blessed issue out of all. He knew this many ways. He knew it by faith, as also by experience, that every thing should further the saints' well-being.
We know, that is, we only know it, who are ' led and taught of God,' and none but we can be assured hereof, which excludes the wicked, who shall never know any such thing. But what is it that Paul is confident of here ? Namely, ' that all things work together for the best to them that love God.'
And this may serve to be a prevention of a question, which weak Christians might move in their troubles, and say, ' Never was any more afflicted than I am.' Why, saith the apostle, be it so. Yet, nevertheless, all things vhatsoever, all thy crosses, vexations, and trials, ' shall work together' and join issue. Though they be averse one to the other, and opposite to the good of God's children, as Herod and Pilate were, yet all things thus con- trary notwithstanding shall work for the best unto them. There is,