Now how will God deal with these ? Will he overlook them as unworthy of his notice 'i Will he afford them no succour, and recompense them with no reward? Far be it from him; for " if we be dead with Christ, we shall also live with him;" that is, he will enable us to execute our holy purposes, and to rise superior to all our spiritual adversaries, even as he did when he rose again from the dead. This is the explanation which St. Paul himself gives us : " If we have been planted in the like- ness of his death," says he, " we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection : knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that hence- forth we should not serve sin. But he that is dead, is freed from sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him ; knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more : death hath no more dominion over him : for, in that he died, he died unto sin once ; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord'." The same Apostle also gives it as his own actual experience : " We are always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body : for we who live are always deli- vered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh '^." Thus does the Lord Jesus fulfil the promise which he made in reference to this very point ; " Because I live, ye shall live also'."
Moreover our God engages, that, " if we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him." Our services shall not be for- gotten. There is " a crown of glory prepared for all them that love him"*:" even" on that very throne which Christ himself occupies, shall they be seated with him". Yes ; it is a faithful saying, that " they who suffer with him shall also be glorified together"."
This then will be the mode of God's procedure towards his faithful people : and according to the same rule will he proceed,]
s ver. 26. ^ 2 Tim. iii. 12. ' Rom. vi. 5 — 11.
k 2 Cor. iv. 10, 11. 1 John xiv. 19.
» 2 Tim. iv. 8. 1 Pet. v. 4. " Rev. iii. 21. » Rom. viii. 17. 1 Pet. iv. 1,3.