(3.) He supplies them with strength by his grace, that they may be able to pass on in their way. ‘They have much work lying before them, much to do, much to suffer, and “ without him they can do nothing,’ John xv. 5. Wherefore he watcheth over them, to “succour them that are tempted,” Heb. ii. 18, and to give out “help” unto them all “in time of need,” chap. iv. 16; and hence they who have no might, no sufficiency, “can do all things, through Christ that strengetheneth them,” Phil. iv. 18. Nothing is too hard for them, nothing can prevail against them, because of the constant supplies of grace which the captain of their salvation communicates unto them. And this makes the ways of the gospel marvellous both to the world and to be- lievers themselves, Their “life ig hid with Christ in God,” Col. ii. 3; and they have “a new name, which no man knoweth,” Rey. ii. 17. The world seeing poor, mean, weak, contemptible creatures, willing, ready, and able to suffer, endure, and die for the name of Christ, stand astonished, not knowing where their great strength lies; as the Philistines did at the might of Samson, whom they saw with their eyes to be like other men. Let them, in the height of their pride and rage of their madness, pretend what they please, they cannot but be, they really are, amazed to see poor creatures, whom otherwise they exceedingly despise, constant unto the truth and profession of the gospel, against all their allurements and affrightments, They know not, they consider not the constant supplies of strength and grace which they receive from their
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leader. He gives them the Spirit of truth, which the world neither sees nor knows, John xiv. 17; and therefore it wonders from whence they have their ability and constancy. They cry, ‘What! will nothing turn these poor foolish creatures out of their way?’ They try them one way, and then another, add one weight of affliction and oppression unto another, and think surely this will effect their design; but they find themselves deceived, and know not whence it is. The ways of obedience are hence also marvellous unto believers themselves. When they consider their own frailty and weakness, how ready they are to faint, how often they are surprised, and withal take a prospect of what opposition lies against them, from indwelling sin, Satan, and the world, which they are acquainted with in several instances of their power and prevalency, they neither know how they have abode so long in their course as they have done, nor how they shall continue in it unto the end. But they are relieved when they come to the promise of the gospel. There they see whence their preservation doth proceed. They see this captain of their salvation, in whom is the fulness of the Spirit, and to whom. are committed all the stores of grace, giving out daily and hourly unto them, as the matter doth require. As the captain in an army doth not at once give out unto his soldiers the whole provision that is needful for their way and undertaking,—which if he should, the most of them would instantly waste it, and so quickly perish for want,—but he keeps provision for them all in his stores, and gives out unto them according to their daily necessities; so God gave the people manna for their daily food in the wilderness: even so deals this great leader of the sons of God. He keeps the stores of grace and spiritual strength in his own hand, and from thence imparts unto them according as they stand in need.
(4.) He subdues their enemies. And this belongs unto his office, as the captain of their salvation, in an especial manner. Many enemies they have, and unless they are conquered and subdued, they can never enter into glory. Satan, the world, death, and sin, are the chief or heads of them, and all these are subdued by Christ; and that two ways:—First, in iis own person; for they all attempted him, and failed in their enterprise, John xiv. 30. He bruised the serpent’s head, Gen. iii. 15, and “destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil,” verse 14 of this chapter,—destroyed his power in a glorious and triumphant manner. Col. ii. 15, “ he spoiled principalities and powers, and made a show of them openly, tri- umphing over them in his cross,’—adding the utmost complement unto his victory, in a triumph. And he overcame the world: John xvi. 33, “Be of good cheer,” saith he, “I have overcome the world.” Both it and the prince of it were put under his feet. Death also was subdued by him; he “swallowed it up in victory,” 1 Cor. xv. 54
392 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IP.
‘He plucked out its sting, broke its power, disannulled its peremptory law, when he shook it off from him, and rose from under it, Acts ii. 24. Sin also, set upon him in his temptations, but was utterly foiled; as all sin is destroyed in its very being where it is not obeyed. And all this was for the advantage of the sons of God.
For, [1.] He hath given them encouragement, in showing them that their enemies are not invincible, their power is not uncon- trollable, their law not peremptory or eternal; but that having been once conquered, they may the more easily be dealt withal.