him : yet, when the Lord Jesus had given an answer of peace to his soul, he was not only reconciled to his trials, but actually took pleasure in them. " I take pleasure," says he, " in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake : for when I am weak, then am I strong11." Nay, when in expectation of martyrdom itself, he not only felt no apprehensions, but regarded his sufferings rather as an occasion of joy ; and not only congratulated himself upon his prospects, but desired his Christian friends to congratulate him also1. But, to enter properly into this part of our subject, we should see what an inconceivable supe- riority to all the powers, whether of earth or hell, the Gospel imparted to that highly-favoured servant of Christ. Hear his own words, even whilst he was yet contending with all his enemies : " If God be for us, who can be against us ? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things ? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth ; who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died ; yea, rather, that is risen again ; who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things pre- sent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our LordV Now here I wish it to be particularly noticed, that not one word of all this is spoken by him as an attainment peculiar to himself as an Apostle : the whole is spoken upon principles common to the whole Christian world: Is God for us? did Christ die for us ? and is he risen and making intercession for us ?
11 2 Cor. xii. 10. * Phil. ii. 17, 18. k Rom. vjij. 3i_39.