Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verse 37
VERSE 37. Nay, in all theſe things wee are more then Conquerors, through him that loued vsus.
HEre is the other Argument, to proue that nothing can ſeparate vsus, which belieue and are regenerate, from the louelove of Chriſt. It is thus formed:
Thoſe which in all Tribulation ouercome, thoſe no Tribulation can ſeparate from the louelove of Chriſt.
But belieuers in all tribulations ouercome. Therfore.
All the doubts are in the Minor, which is the words of this verſe. In which are two things. Firſt, the Victory. Secondly, the Cauſe of it.
The victorie: In all theſe things we are more then Conquerors.
Theſe things: that is, Tribulation, &c. as before.
We are more then Conquerours: How can that be? Can a man get more then the victorie? The meaning is, We are famous and renowned Conquerours; both in regard of the facility to conquer, and the greatneſſe of the Conqueſt: we eaſily conquer, onelyonly preparing the minde to be conſtant. We hauehave a great Conqueſt, becauſe wee conquer by thoſe things which are vſed to conquer vsus; wee beare our enemies with their owne ſwords: as Iulian ſometime ſaid, Egregie vincimus.being confuted by heathen learning. Therfore Martyr and Piſcator expound, We doe more then ouercome: that is, we obtaine a noble, a famous victory.
The meaning is: Satan in all the ſuffrings of Gods children driues at this, to bring them from Chriſt; to make them murmure, blaſpheme, deſpaire, and ſo to make a breach betweene God and them. Ab ipſo ducunt opes animumque ferro. Hor.But Satan is defeated, and God inſpires his children with ſuch a generous and noble ſpirit, that troubles abate not their fortitude and patience, but rather increaſe it. As one Glouer, Fox, Acts and Mon. p. 1555.beeing to ſuffer at the ſtake, vvas wonderfully afraid, and the remembrance of the fire was ſo terrible, that hee was exceedingly perplexed: but when hee came within the view of the ſtake, at the very ſight of it, a heauenly courage was put into him, with much boldnes, holy aſſurance and ioy, in which he moſt conſtantly ſuffered.
doctrine In all afflictions, Gods children obtaine a noble victory, 1. Cor. 10.13. Iames 1.12. and 5.11. 2. Tim. 2.11. 1. Ioh. 5.4.
Vſe 1.Gods children ſuffer great things, & die in their ſufferings. Doe they then ouercome, who beare away the blowes, & are killed by their enemies? Indeed this is a Paradox to fleſh and blood to conceiue: but the truth is, they famouſly conquer & that fiue waies.
1. In regard of their torments. For neither the bigge and ſterne lookes of their Tormentors doe affright them, nor the ſharpnes of their paines make them lament & complaine: but in the midſt of their bitter ſufferings, they reioyce and glorifie God; as appeares in the examples of the Apoſtles in the Acts. Acts 5.41. Acts 16.Now the voice of Ioy belongeth to conqueſt; this is notorious in ſome of our owne Nation, as Farrar, Hawkes. This laſt was deſired by ſome godly friends for their confirmation, to giuegive ſome token when he was in the flames (a ſtrange time one would thinke to attend vponupon ſignes or friends) whether the paine were tolerable or no. Hee was bound to the ſtake, fire put to the vvood, it burnes, it flames, it conſumes the fleſh of this Saint; his eyes ſtart out of his head, his fingers are conſumed with the fire; and when eueryevery one thought him dead, expecting the fall of his body: Lo, ſuddenly hee lifts vp his ſtumps, and thrice as a famous Conqueror, he claps them ouer his head. Fox, Acts and Mon. p. 1447.In this he was more then a Conqueror.
2. In regard of their Tormentors. Victoria abhinc pro quo certas. Tertull. Apol.Victory is to obtaine that which we ſtriue for. Now what is the ſtrife between the Chriſtian and the Tormentor? The Tormentor ſeeks to driue the Chriſtian to deny Chriſt. The Chriſtian, for all his torments, the more confeſſeth him. The Tormentor fumes and chafes, ſignes that he hath not his will, and therefore is ouercome. The Chriſtian reioyceth and is conſtant, and therefore goes away with the victory. Iulian the Apoſtata, that ſauage, obtained not his purpoſe by his cruelty. Nay one of his nobles at the tormenting of Marcus Biſhop of Arethuſa, ſaid vntounto him, Greg. Nazianz. orat. 1. in Iulian. Imp.We are aſhamed, O Emperour; the Chriſtians laugh at your cruelty, and grow the more reſolute: for theſe things are more fearefull to the tormentors, then to the ſufferers. Euſeb. Eccl. hiſt. lib. 5. c. 1.Alſo the Tormentors in the execution of a woman, Blandina by name, confeſſe themſelues ouercome.
3. In regard of them which are not conuerted; for their patience and conſtancie hauehave conuerted many. The occaſion of Iuſtine Martyr his conuerſion was, the conſtancy and ioy he ſaw in the Martyrs who ſuffered for Chriſt. This made him ſearch into their Religion, and ſearching hee found it to bee the right, and dyed in and for the ſame. So alſo an Eunuch vnderunder Sapores Souldane of Perſia, reuolting after profeſſion made of Chriſtian Religion, was reconuerted by the conſtancy and patience of a Biſhop at his execution, & after became a Martyr.
4. In regard of the conuerted, who by their patience are confirmed in courage: ſo Paul ſaith His bonds were famous; Phil. 1.14.ſo that many of their brethren were boldned thereby, and dare more frankely ſpeake the Word.
5. In regard of their friends: For they leaue a ſweete memory betweene them, wherein all their kindred boaſt and reioyce. If any man ſuffer as an euill doer, his friends are aſhamed of him. But it is accounted (and iuſtly) a credit to hauehave a Martyr of our owne Name and Stocke: And we reade of Parents, who hauehave encouraged their children to ſuffer, thinking themſelues much honoured, to bring forth children, to ſuffer for Chriſt. Thus are the Saints in their ſufferings conquerors aboue all others.
Vſe 2.Chriſtians are not to looke to bee exempt from troubles, but they are ſure to ouercome: Formido ſublata eſt, non pugna. Leo Ser. 7. de Ieiun. 10. menſis.Their Feare ſhall be taken away, not the fight. And it is more to be wiſhed to ſuffer, then to auoyd trouble. It is as much for Gods glory, to giuegive vsus victory by ſuffering, as to deliuer vsus by miracle. And therefore one ſaith, that God did more gloriouſly triumph in Saint Lawrence his patience and conſtancie, Rupertus.when hee was broiled on the Gridiron, then if he had ſaued his body from burning by a miracle.
Here muſt be remembred the reſolution of three men. Dan. 3.God is able to deliuer vsus: but if hee will not, yet know, wee will not forſake him. Our eye muſt be on the prize to ouercome, and otherwiſe not to be freed.
Vſe 3.That wee may ouercome in our ſufferings, two things are requiſite. 1. Faith. 2. A good Conſcience, as Saint Paul noteth.2. Tim. 2.19.
Faith is that whereby we ouercome the world. 1. Ioh. 5.4.This made the Martyrs ſuch Conquerors. And Cyprian reporteth of diuers, Cypr. Serm. de lapſis.who forſaking the Faith, were giuen ouer to euill ſpirits and dyed fearefully.
As Faith is requiſite, ſo a good Conſcience. An euill Conſcience makes vsus daſtards, and cowards, loth to ſuffer any death, much leſſe a death for Chriſt. A good Conſcience makes vsus bold as a Lyon. As all Samſons ſtrength lay in his hayre, ſo all our courage in both theſe.
Alas, how would we grieue, and cry ſhame of him which ſhould renounce Chriſt, and become a Iew or Turke! Surely if thou haſt an euill Conſcience, walking wickedly, thou art in this danger if trouble ſhould come. Nay, thou doeſt euen Now more deny Chriſt. A more grieuous ſinne it is in theſe dayes of peace, to bee ouercome with Pride, Whoredome, Drunkenneſſe, and ſo to deny Chriſt, then to deny him in the dayes of perſecution, being ouercome with torments.
The Tyrant ſaith, Deny Chriſt, or I will burne thee, hang thee, &c. Satan ſaith, Follow thy Luſt, ſweare, lye, bee vncleane, &c. and thou ſhalt hauehave a little pleaſure. In this caſe, my opinion is, that hee who obeyes the Tyrant, ſinnes leſſe then he that obeyes the Diuell.
The Tyrant threats ſuch things as force Nature. The Diuell ſheweth ſuch things as pleaſe it, and he can but ſollicit and tempt; ouercome he cannot, except we conſent. Hee that ſuffers, is compelled by feare; he that is tempted, yeelds of his owne accord, and that, to him from whom he is redeemed by Chriſts death. Greater pardon is for him who denyeth Chriſt in torment, then for him which aſſenteth to the Diuell, to whom to giuegive credit is the vileſt deniall. In one of our Temples to heare Maſſe, thou accounteſt (as it is) an abominable thing. Maior venia debetur Chriſtum in tormentis neganti, quam ſponte aſſentienti: Zabulo. Cyp.And yet in the Temple of God which is thy ſelfe, thou worſhippeſt Ʋenus and Bacchus, by Whoredome and Drunkenneſſe, &c. When wilt thou ſuffer for Chriſt? Thou which wilt lye and forſweare for a Groat, wilt thou ſticke to deny Chriſt himſelfe, if thy whole eſtate ſhould be in danger by it? Thou which in an Ague wilt ſend out to the Diuell for helpe and eaſe, wilt thou rather burne at a ſtake then renounce Chriſt? Thou which by no Exhortation or Admonition, wilt be perſwaded to leaue thy pride, wilt thou account thy ſelfe baſe for Chriſts ſake? No, No. If ſuch a time ſhould come: Thou wouldſt turne Turke, Iew, or any thing, rather then ſuffer death.
Therefore that wee may bee Martyrs if the fiery Tryall ſhould come; let vsus now Martyr our ſinnes. Non poteſt habere Martyrum mortem, qui non habet Chriſtianorū vitam. Aug. Epiſtola. 61.There is a Martyrdome euen in peace. For though our heads are not ſtriken off with the Temporall ſword, yet with the ſpirituall wee mortifie our Carnall luſts and deſires.
The cauſe of the Victory is, By him which loued vsus. Which is a pithy deſcription of Chriſt: As if hee ſhould ſay, It may be you maruell at the patience of the Saints: this is not by their owne ſtrength, but by Chriſts who loueth them.
doctrine Chriſt is the cauſe of our conſtancie and victory in trouble. 1. Ioh. 4.4. 1. Cor. 15.
VſeIf we be left to our ſelues, the world will ouercome vsus as it did Demas: Nay, wee are not able to beare an Ague, the Tooth-ach, much leſſe the torment of Fire: Many in the preſumption of their owne ſtrength hauehave grieouſly falne: Peter vowed to dye at his Maſters feete, but hee fouly fayled afterwards. Doctor Pembletons Story proues this alſo, of whom we reade in the Booke of Martyrs. Feare God, depend vponupon him, pray to bee confirmed, then will hee doe aboue all thou canſt aske or thinke.