We may turn over things now, in the time of peace, with ease ; but in time of temptation, when the soul is touched with guilt, and Satan plies us with temptations, the soul will have no rest but in an infinite ground of comfort. The soul is prone naturally to misgive, and to forecast the worst, and to conceive hardly of God in the time of temptation, as an enemy, and Satan is then busy about nothing so much as that we should have hard conceits of God, and to make us forget the main end of the great work of * Cf. page 475, line 16.-G. t Cf. note u, Yol. III. page 531.— G.
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our redemption ; ^Yllich is, to undermine our unbelief by all means, by setting before tlie soul such grounds as the most unbelieving heart in the world, if it did consider of, would fasten and lay itself upon. Therefore let us labour to cherish, at such times especially, large thoughts of the infinite goodness and mercy of God, and of the love of Christ condescending so low as to be manifest in the flesh for our sakes.
It is a point of wondrous comfort, that now in Christ Jesus, God becom- ing man, we can in him break through the justice of God. For, as I said, when conscience is awaked, there are other manner of conceits of God than when it is sleepy and drowsy. A sleepy Christian hath a slight conceit of God, as if he as little thought of his sins as he doth himself. Oh but when conscience is awaked, and when we are drawn from the pleasm'es of sin, and they from us, and conscience hath nothing to do but to look upon God and upon the time to come, which is eternity, then if there be not some- what for conscience to oppose that is equal to the justice of God, if there be not somewhat about us to clothe us and arm us, to pass through the justice, what will become of us ? Therefore it is a fruitful consideration, that God was ' manifest in our flesh,' and that, to give satisfaction to God, that so conscience might have full satisfaction.
This teacheth us what we should do when we find any trouble rise in our conscience for sins and unworthiness. Cast ourselves upon ' God in our flesh,' God that became ' flesh ' for us and died for us : let us stay our- selves there. I am unworthy ! a lump of sin ! There is nothing in me that is good. Oh but I have all in Christ. He is righteousness for me. He hath abundance for me. His fulness is for me. Therefore you have it, Col. ii. 9, ' The fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily.' To what purpose is this fulness in him ? He shews in the words following, * In him we are complete,' ver. 10. Suppose in ourselves we be sinners and weak, that we are as ill as sin or the devil can make us in the time of temptation, yet * in him we are complete.' And for this end ' the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily.' Therefore, in all doubts in regard of sin and unworthiness, let us labour for faith (for faith is a grace that carries us out of ourselves, and plants and fixeth us in Christ), let us con- sider of ourselves in him, and consider of whatsoever is in him, it is for us. It is no matter what we are ourselves ; in him we are in a glorious condition.
And oppose him to the -^Tath of God and the temptations of Satan ; for all will fall before this ' God manifest in the flesh.' He is God, therefore he can subdue all ; he is man, and therefore he will love us. ' I know whom I have believed,' 2 Tim. i. 12 — him that is merciful, because he is man, and he hath taken my nature ; and him that can subdue all enemies, because he is God, God in the flesh : a fit bottom and foundation for faith to rely upon. Let us have recourse to this therefore in all temptations whatsoever. We cannot glorify God and Christ more than to go out of ourselves and fix our comfort here.
By this we have communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This incarnation of Christ, it brings us into fellowship with the blessed Trinity ; and it teacheth us what conceits we should have of God, to have loving thoughts of him. Whence is that that we can call God Father ? From this, ' God manifest in the flesh.' The second person, to take away enmity, was ' manifest in the flesh.' Hence it is that I can call God Father, that I can boldly go to God, that I can conceive of God as gracious and lovely. And whence is it that our persons are become lovely to God ?
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From this, that God hath taken our nature upon him. Our nature is become lovely to him, and his is sweet and fatherly to us.
This should help us against Satan's transforming of God and Christ to us in tho time of trouble. He presents him as a terrible judge. Indeed, so he is to sinners that will go on in sin. His wrath shall ' smoke against such,' Dcut. xxix. 20. There is no comfort to them in Scripture. But to repentant sinners all is comfort : ' Come unto me, ye that arc weary and heavy laden,' Mat. xi. 28 ; and, ' Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost,' Mat. xviii. 11 ; and, he came 'to save sinners,' as St Paul saith, 1 Tim. i. 15. Let us conceive of God now as lovely, as a father; and of Christ as a sweet saviour, made ' flesh ' for this purpose. He is God and man, because he came to be a mediator between God and man ; a friend to both, being to deal with both. Therefore we should thus con- ceive of Christ : as a great and mighty God, the ruler of the world, as Isaiah describes him, Isa. ix. 6, and conceive of him likewise as a meek, humble man — the one, to stablish our faith, that we be not shaken, having such a great God to rely upon ; and the other, to stablish our faith in his good will, ' God in our flesh.' God, a name of power ; ' God in owe flesh ' implieth mercy and love, pity and compassion.