The Inseparable Communion of a Believer with God, Sermons · Sermon 5
ROM. 8, 38, 39.
—I am Perſwaded,—
THE Apoſtle having taken himſelf and all believers to their ſtrong holds, which is Communion with God, and having ſtrengthned this Communion with God by love, and fortified this love of God in Chriſt Ieſus; and having engaged Chriſt Ieſus his Lord, his Leader, the Captain of our ſalvation. Now he prepares for the encounter.
1. He takes a view of all his adverſaries, and then encourageth his faith againſt them all, I am Perſwaded.—
Expects an aſſault from all kind of enemies; Satan muſtering his Aemies from the four quarters of Heaven, Earth and Hell, compaſſing the Camp of the Saints, endeavoring to overthrew the beloved City, the ſtrong hold of Gods beloved ones; he muſters death and life.
Doct. Such as are beloved of God in Chriſt Ieſus may, yea, muſt expect to encounter all kinds of enemies, or evils poſſible or imaginable in this world.
I. In theſe enemies the Apoſtle reckons up in the Text, which befal Saints on the Account of Gods love to them.
Firſt, conſider the reality of them, they are all things which have a true, real being and ſubſiſtence; there is life, and there is death.—
The Apoſtle doth not fight with his own ſhadow, or in fighting only beat the Air; he doth not propound to himſelf or us, dangers, evils, enemies, which have only a notional, aiery empty exiſtence, but ſuch as have a real ſolid being: not one of them but believers may expect to encounter with, at one time or other.
Secondly, the multitude of them; the Apoſtle reckons up but the chief Heads, Leaders and Commanders of theſe evils, enemies and dangers, eight in number, Death, Life, &c. How many Armies of dangers, evils, enemies, may march under the Conduct of every one of theſe Commanders are innumerable, Pſal. 40.12. how many under death, how many under life, &c.
Thirdly, the variety of them, they are of divers kinds; ſome ariſe from life, ſome from death.
They are managed by variety of Agents and Inſtruments, ſome by Angels good and bad: ſome by Principalities and Powers.—
They are inflicted at divers times: ſome from the preſent, ſome from the future.
They come from divers places, ſome from the heighth, ſome from the depth.
Fourthly, the ſtrange contrariety in them; Death is oppoſite to life, good Angels to bad, the Principalities and Powers of the World, oppoſite to one another; things preſent oppoſite: to things to come, heighths to depths. Here is Ephraim againſt Manaſſch, and Manaſſch againſt Ephraim, but both againſt Iudah; here is Herod and Pilate at variance between themſelves, but both againſt Chriſt; from theſe oppoſite intereſts ariſe dangers to the people; and how contrary ſoever each to other, yet they all one way or other endanger the ſalvation of Saints, and moſt of them vigorouſly endeavor and deſign their deſtruction to the utmoſt.
Theſe are the evils, afflictions which may befal them who are in the love of God. Little leſs the Apoſtle had declared before, verſe 35, 36, 37. ſhould befal them upon the account of Chriſts love; which is, Tribulation.
Here the world is muſtering up all its forces, and arming it ſelf with all the weapons of its indignation againſt them, who are loved of Chriſt.
1. Obſerve from hence all the evils, the power and malice of the world can inflict, may befal them that are under Chriſts love. Theſe here reckoned are the worſt, and they comprehend all the evils the world can inflict.
Secondly, not only the worſt of evils in the world may befal ſuch, but this in the higheſt degree; not only tribulation, but tribulation with diſtreſs: not only diſtreſs, but diſtre…s with perſecution; nor only perſecution, but perſecution with famine: nor only famine, but famine with nakedneſs; nor only nakedneſs, but peril of life; nor only peril of life, but the deſtruction of the ſword: Not only to be troubled, but to be diſtreſſed; nor only diſtreſſed, but perſecuted: nor perſecuted only, but famiſh'd; nor only famiſh'd, but ſtript naked; nor only ſtript naked, but in peril of life; nor in peril only, but killed by the ſword, killed all the day long. This is miſery to the height.
There are two evils which are commonly made to comprehend all the miſeries in hell: The pain of loſs, and the pain of ſenſe.
Both theſe in their kind may befal thoſe in this world, who are under the love of God.
Firſt, Pain that ariſeth from loſs; loſs of all their outward comforts, deareſt relations, and ſweeteſt enjoyments of the world, Mar. 10.28 29 what hath a man to loſe more. Paul, Phil. 3.8. I have ſuffered the loſs of all—
Secondly, Pain of ſenſe, Heb. 11.35, 36.37. Tortured,—
You ſay theſe were of the Church of the Old Teſtament: the New Teſtament Church hath greater Priviledges: No, compare Pſal. 44.22. with Rom. 8.36. the Apoſtle ſpeaks in the ſame words as the Prophet: as the words are the ſame, the conditions are the ſame, no difference between that Church and this, and this in reſpect to afflictions: We are killed all the day, not one day but every day; nor one part of the day, but all the day; though this ſlaughter do not befal every one in the Church every day; yet it is probable no day paſſeth wherein more or fewer are ſlain in one place or other; the Church ſuffereth every where in her Members, and every day, though every particular Member doth not. We are counted as ſheep, ſheep are killed to feed and to feaſt: the ungodly world hunger and thirſt as much after the blood and fleſh of Saints, feed and feaſt on it with as much delight, as men do on ſlaughtered ſheep; hence that 1 Cor. 15.19.
Secondly, we are to demonſtrate, that all the evils, afflictions, that Saints ſuffet in this world, either from God, or from the world, are upon the account of Gods love to them in Chriſt.
I All they ſuffer from God, or his more, immediate Inſtruments and Agents is,
1. Becauſe he hath loved them, all his chaſtiſements are from love, Heb. 12.6. Rev. 3.19.
Secondly, as they are from love, ſo they are for love, for the further manifeſtation of Gods love to them, and for the ſtrengthning of their Communion with God in love, Zach. 13.9.
I. All they ſuffer from the power and malice of Satan and the world, is upon the account of Gods love to them.
Firſt, either becauſe God loves them: there is an irreconcileable enmity between God and the world: God hates the world, and the world hates God, and all that God loves, and becauſe God loves them. Wherefore did Cain hate his brother? becauſe God ſhewed more love to Abel, in accepting his offering; wherfore did Iſhmael perſecute Iſaac: becauſe God ſhewed more love to Iſaac: why did Eſau hate Iacob? becauſe God loved Iacob, and —
Secondly, or becauſe they love God more then the world; wherefore did Pharaoh perſecute Moſes, becauſe he loved Chriſt, the reproaches of Chriſt, and the ſufferings of his people, above all preferments, pleaſures of ſin in Pharaoh's Court, or the rich treaſures of Egypt, Heb. 11, 24, 5, 6.
Thirdly or becauſe hereby they might bring them out of love, credit, favour with God, ſo much is imported, Rom. 8.35. But they are never more in account with God, more in Gods love, then in and under the ſufferings, Heb. 11.38.
Fourthly, or becauſe hereby they deſign to bring them out of love with God, and Chriſt, and the ways of God. So much ſeems to be implied, Pſal. 119 87. Pſal. 38.20. No Courteſi…s will oblige the ungedly, except the godly will leave doing good. The Grounds of this Point.
1. To make all the Children conformable to his own Son, and all the Brethren conformable to their elder Brother, Rom 8.29. All our ſufferings and afflictions are Chriſts Cup, it is one and the ſame Cup Chriſt and his diſciples drank of, Mat. 20.23. And Chriſt ſaith, Te ſhall indeed drink.— Now this Cup of Chriſt had in it not one or two only, but a mixture of many bitter ingredients.
Secondly, to conr…m Saints in the faith of Gods love, and the love of Chriſt, Acts 14.22. Conſider here,
Firſt, the Apoſtles did affirm concerning afflictions, with the ſame certainty they preach'd the Goſpel.
Secondly, they affirm not concerning a few, but many afflictions.
Thirdly, they declare in ſome reſpect a neceſſity.
Fourthly, this is the way that leads to Gods Kingdom.
Fifthly, hereby they confirm believers, and ſtrengthen them to continue in the faith of Gods love.—
Thirdly, to make full trial of the ſincerity, conſtancy, ſtrength of our love to God, and to Ieſus Chriſt, Cant. 8.7.
When Peter had fully declared his love to Chriſt, then Chriſt tells him of his ſufferings for him, John 21.17, 18. Becauſe ſome pretend love to Chriſt, as the ſtony ground which gladly received the Goſpel, but when perſecution came fell away; Others who pretend love to Chriſt, can ſuffer in ſome kinds, but not in others; ſome can ſuffer a while, but not long; therefore God hath appointed many, great, of divers kinds, yea, ſufferings to the laſt; not only ſome preſent, but ſome to come; to try the ſincerity of our love to Chriſt to the utmoſt.
1. Uſe. This Point convinceth the world, and the generality of men, who yet live within the ſound of the Goſpel, of groſs ignorance, miſapprehenſion.—
They judge of the love of God, and the ways of God, as they are attended with outward peace, liberty, ſecurity from evils, en mies, dangers, by that worldly felicity that attends them.
Secondly, it reproves thoſe who are informed in this truth, and therefore dare not engage for God, cannot love the ways of God, becauſe they know they muſt thereby expoſe themſelves to ſo many kinds of ſufferings and afflictions.
Moſt men love a dainty, nice, delicate Profeſſion; they can love Chriſt and his Priviledges, but not Chriſt and his ſufferings; they can like the love of God in Chriſt, but not the maniſeſtations of that love through ſo many afflictions; theſe cry out, as the baſe Iews to Chriſt; Come thee down from the Croſs, and we will believe in thee, profeſs thee, &c.
Thirdly, for Exhortation to young Chriſtians, who are conſidering and conſulting about giving themſelves up to Chriſt, and his ways, to take that Councel of Chriſt, Luke 14.28, 31. to ſit down ſeriouſly, and conſider, what it will coſt you: to conſider, whether with our ten thouſand, (the Promiſes, Graces, Comforts, Priviledges, we have in the Goſpel) we can meet twenty thouſand, ſuch is the number of the afflictions, trials, temptations, will encounter us.
Secondly, to thoſe who are engaged in the faith, love, Profeſſion of Chriſt; do not fancy to your ſelves ſome few, ſome ſmall. ſome kind of troubles, ſtate the condition aright, expect many and great, and of ſeveral kinds; all what is in the text.
It is true for our comfort, all theſe in the text, are not commonly the portion of every Saint, but of the whole Church; and God divideth to every Saint, as he ſees good. But it ſtands us in hand to prepare for every one, for the greateſt; men arm themſelves all over, becauſe they know not where the blow will light.
Fourthly, for Inſtruction; Judge not of your ſelves, nor other Chriſtians by the multitude, magnitude, and variety of the greateſt troubles that do befal you or them; they are all founded in the love of God to you in Chriſt Ieſus your Lord.