2. The second cause why all works together for the best to believers, is the manner of God working in. things, which is by contraries. He bringeth light out of darkness, glory out of shame, and life out of death. We fell by pride to hell and destruction, and must be restored by humiliation to life and salvation. Christ humbled himself, being God, to become man for us, and by bis death restored us to life. When our sins had brought us to greatest extremities, even then were we nearest to eternal happiness. Therefore saith the apostle, ' When wo are w^eak, then are we strong in the Lord,' 2 Cor. xii. 10. When we are abased, then are we readiest to be exalted ; when we are poor, then are we most rich ; and when we are dead, then do we live. For God worketh all by contraries. He lets men see his greatness and his goodness, that so they may admire his works and give more glory to him. He worketh without means, and above means, and against means. Out of misery he bringeth happiness, and by hell bringeth men to heaven ; which, as it manifestath God's glory to his crea- tures, so it serveth for the confusion of man's pride, that he may discern he is nothing in himself, but is all that he is in the Lord.
3. The third cause why all things work for the best to them that fear God is, God's covenant with his citurch : when once this gi'acious covenant is made, that ' he will be their God, and they shall be his people,' Lev. sxvi. 12 ; that he will ' be their Father and protector,' must not all things then needs serve for their good ? Whenas God tells Abraham, ' I am thy God, all-sufficient ; only walk before me, and be thou perfect,' Gen. xvii. 1, doth not this engage him to set his power and mercy, his wisdom and providence, all on work for the happy estate of Abraham ? When once God by his promise is become our God, there is a covenant betwixt us and the creatures ; yea, and the stones in the street, that nothing shall wrong
THE PRIVILEGES OF THE FAITUFUL. 268
US, but all coudueo to our good. The angels arc ours ; their service is for our protection, safety, and welfare. Heaven and earth is ours, and all things in them for our behoof. Christ himself, and together with him, all things else are become ours ; in him we are heirs of all. What a wondrous comfort is this, that God hath put himself over to be ours ; whom to enjoy is to possess all things, and to want is misery inexpressible. Had we all the world without God, it would prove a curse and no blessing to us ; whereas if we have nothing and enjoy God, we have happiness itself for our portion. If we have no better portion here than these things, we are like to have hell for our portion hereafter. Let God be in any condition, though never so ill, yet it is comfortable. He is goodness itself. And, indeed, nothing is so much a Christian's as God is his ; because by his being ours in covenant, all other things become ours, and therefore they cannot but co-operate for our good.
' When thou art in the fire and water, I am with thee,' saith God, Isa. xliii. 2. And ' Thou art my buckler, my glory, and shield ; therefore I will not be afraid though ten thousand of people shall beset me round about,' saith David, Ps. xci. 7 ; for ' salvation belongeth unto the Lord.' And if God be on our side, who can be against us ? 'If God justify us, who shall condemn us?' Rom. viii. 34. Can anything hurt us when he is become our loving Father ? Neither * death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, nor principalities, nor powers, nor anything whatsoever, can separate us from his love toward us,' ver. 35.
4. A fourth ground why all things fall out for the best to the saints is, the foundation of this covenant of Godicith his church, which is Christ Jesus, who by his blood hath purchased our peace. He being God became man, and is the sole author of all our comfort. Without Christ God is * a con- suming fire,' Heb. xii. 29 ; but in him, a most * loving Father,' and * ever well pleased.' God promiseth in Christ his Son ' to marry his people unto himself for ever ; yea,' saith he, ' I will marry thee unto me in righteous- ness, and in judgment, and in mercy, and everlasting compassion,' Isa. Ixii. 5, and liv. 8. Now upon this blessed contract made in Christ to his church, what followeth ? ' In that day,' saith the Lord, ' I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth : and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil ; and they shall hear Israel : and I will have mercy upon her that was not pitied ; and I will say unto them which w^ere not my people. Thou art my people ; and they shall say, Thou art my God,' Hosea ii. 22, 23. Where we see what is the reason of all their happiness ; even this, that God will marry them to himself. So that this marriage worketh all our bliss ; our conjunction with Christ, and reconciliation through his death, is the cause of all our comfort ; in him we have the adoption of sons. Hence it is that we are at peace wath God, and have freedom from all harms. Christ in his greatest reproach and deepest humiliation had his greatest triumph and exaltation. In his death on the cross he vanquished death, and entered into eternal life. When Christ came into the world, and took upon him our nature, even then the greatest monarch in the world, Augustus Cajsar, was at his command ; whom he so ordered as that by his causing all the world to be taxed, Christ was manifested to be born at ' Bethlehem in Jewry,' Luke ii. 1.