SAINT Paul's challenge. 387
chapter ; and when he hath set down all, he comes and concludes in a triumphant manner, ' What shall we say to these things ?' He propounds the qncere to himself, he catechiseth his own heart and others. If these things be so, what can be said against them ? Surely the unbelieving, doubting, dark, rebellious heart of man hath many things to say against divine truths ; for though divine truths be lighter than the sun, and there is no greater evidence of anything in the world, yet they find no place in the unbelieving heart. Let God say what he will, the doubting heart is ready to gainsay it. But these truths are so pregnant and clear, that it is a wonder that anything should be said against them : ' What shall we say to these things ?'
Again he means, what comfort can you have more ? What can you desire more ? What can be said more ? What use will you make of all that hath been said ? What will you suck out of it ? If all this be true that hath been spoken before, that a Christian is so elevated above the common condition ; if God love him from everlasting in election, and to everlasting in glorification ; if in the middle time all shall work for the best, what comfort can the heart of man desire more ? and what use can you make of this for courage and for comfort for the time to come ? These things are implied in this question, ' what shall we say to these things ?'
Use. It is good often to propound qiuvres and demands to our own hearts, when we read or .hear divine truths ; to ask our own hearts. You have heard these things, what say you to them ? For whatsoever God saith in bis word will do us no good till we speak to our own hearts, and be con- vinced of it, and say it is so. Therefore we should say to ourselves. Here are many comforts and duties pressed, but what sayest thou to it, my heart ? Dost thou not stand out against comforts and advice ? It is no matter what God saith, unless he overpower the unbelieving heart to say, ' What shall I say to these things ? ' Shall I not agree with God and his Spirit, and his comforts ? Shall they be best in regard of an unbelieving heart ? Oh no ! Therefore let our care be to store them in the treasury of our memory, which should be like the pot of manna, to contain heavenly com- forts. Let us treasure up all the truths we can, all will be little enough when we shall need comfort. But when we have them in our memory, let us ask ourselves. Are these things so or no ? If they be so, believe them ; if they be not so, then let us give liberty to ourselves, and away with hear- ing and reading, &c. If they be so, for shame let me yield to them.
Let us ask these questions with some fruit ; let us deal thus with our ovvn hearts, often call them to account whether we believe or no ; for we have such a faculty and power, we can reflect upon ourselves. And we ought to desire of the Spirit of God to teach our hearts to reflect upon themselves, to examine whether we know, and if we know, whether we believe, and what use we make of these things, and why we should live thus ? Doth this life and course of mine agree with these principles ? The best of us all are tardy this way. Therefore let not that part without making some use of it. But I proceed to that I will more dwell on,
* If God be for us, who can be against us ?'
Here is first a ground laid, and then a comfort built upon it. The ground that is laid is, ' If God be with us.' When he saith, ' If God be with us,' he doth not put the case, but lays it as a ground. ' If God be with us,' as indeed he is with all his in electing them, in calling them, in working all for their good, in glorifying them after, &c., * If God be with us,' as he
388 SAINT Paul's cuallenge.
is, then this comfort is built upon this ground, ' who shall or can be against us ?'
For the first, the ground that is laid is, that God it> idtli his children.
Indeed, he is with the whole world. Ho is everywhere ; but he is with his church and children in a more peculiar manner. The soul is spread in the whole body, but it is in the brain after another manner, as it under- stands and reasons. God is everywhere ; but he is not everywhere com- forting, and directing, and sanctifying, nor everywhere giving a sweet and blessed issue. So, besides the general respect, that I will not now stand on, God is 'with us' that are his in a more peculiar manner in all his sweet attributes : in hie wisdom to direct us, with his power to assist and strengthen us, by his grace and love to comfort us ; and he is with us in all our perplexities, to stay our souls. He is with us by his sweet and gracious mercy, to feed us with hidden manna, with secret com- forts in the midst of discomforts. When there is no comfort else with us, tlion God is with us ; and then he is with us in the issue of all that a godly man takes in hand in his name. He is with him in all crosses, to direct and turn them to his best good ; ' All things work for the best to them that love God,' Rom. vi. 23. He is with them in all his sweet relations as a gracious Father in covenant, as a husband. He is with them in those sweet comparisons : as a hen. Mat. xxiii. 37 ; as an eagle, to carry them on his wings above all dangers, as he carried the Israelites in the wilderness, Deut. xxxii. 11. He is with them in all comfortable relations.