The Inseparable Communion of a Believer with God, Sermons · Sermon 11
ROM. 8.38, 39.
—Nor things preſent or to come—
Doct. ALL the events, iſſues, paſſages, that befal believers in their preſent or future conditions, by the Providence of God ſhall not be able to ſeparate them.—
Firſt, I ſhall ſpeak to things preſent.
There is ſcarce a Chriſtian, but hath one or other preſent trial, trouble, temptation, affliction continually preſent with him, that waits on him, that lies down with him, rileth up with him, goes out with him, comes in with him. If one leave him, another may preſently come in the room of it.
A righteous man may ſin ſeven times a day, and ſeven times ſtand in need of Pardon, Luke 17.4. and therefore may fall into affliction ſeven times in a day, and riſe again, Pro. 24.16.
Theſe do much endanger our Communion with God, becauſe they are very apt, and too often diſturb our Communion with God: They are like ſhowers of rain that fall into brooks or pooles, that muddy all the waters; preſent afflictions are mingled with temptations; theſe mingle with our corruptions, ſtir our paſſions, trouble the pure waters of grace and comfort for a while; and the ſoul cannot preſently draw waters with joy out of the Well of ſalvation, which is its bleſſed Communion with God. Preſent evils have uſually in them theſe things.
1. They ſtill appear to be the greateſt, foreſt, we are apt to cry out of that which afflicts our preſent ſence as the heavieſt that ever befell us.
In theſe we cry out as Iſaiah, My leanneſs, O my leanneſs as Ieremy, My bowel… O my bowels; in theſe our heart and ou… fleſh, as David, Joyn together and cry ou… for a Living God.
Secondly, they are daily, Mat. 6.34 ſufficient for—
Every day is in travel, and bring… forth ſome new trouble, every day Chriſt hath taught us to pray for deliverance from evil. David complaineth of his grief and ſorrow daily. Pſal. 13.2. ſee Pſal. 73.14.
Thirdly, the preſent evils uſually ſurprize us unawares, he that expects th… evil, yet is commonly ſurprized, with the manner and kinde of it unexpectedly.
We often ſay of this or that preſent evil that befals us, we never dreamt … it; as God is ſaid to work deliverance and mercies for his people they looke not for, Iſ. 64.3. ſo often he ſends trouble and afflictions they looked not for, Jer. 8.15.
Yet no preſent evils nor troubles ſhall ſeparate.—
1. Becauſe in all preſent troubles believers have God preſent with them, a very preſent help, Pſal. 46.1. yea, in their moſt diſmal and darkeſt troubles, in which they cannot ſee him, they may believe his Preſence, Pſal. 23.4. his Word and Spirit, his Rod and Staffe.
He hath a Cordial in a readineſs for every preſent dejection, a Comfort in a readineſs for every preſent tribulation, 2 Cor. 1.3, 4.
Secondly, becauſe they are (though ſometimes they ſee not, feel not) continually with God, Pſal. 73.23. and they who have complained of daily afflictions, have bleſt God for daily mercies, Pſal. 68.19. And they who have cied daily to God of their troubles, Pſal. 86.3. have been able daily to praiſe him, Pſal. 61.8.
Thirdly, becauſe no preſent trouble can ſwallow up the joy that ſprings to believers from future glory, Rom. 8.18. 2 Cor. 4.17.18. 1 Pet. 1.5.6.
Fourthly, againſt all preſent and preſſing evils that S…ints have, that promiſe more precious then gold of Ophir, 1 Cor. 10.13. O, ſaith one, I am under ſuch trials and troubles that I have non-pluſt my faith; but God is faithful: O, I am not able to bear or ſtand under them, God ſaith he will lay no more then you are able to bear; O, I ſee no end, no way of eſcape out; God will make a way to eſcape.
Secondly, as for things to come.
It is with the godly in this life, as with Solomens old man; the clouds return after rain; preſent evils afflict him, and future threaten him, as its ſaid, Rev. 11. One woe is paſt, a ſecond is, and a third woe cometh quickly: Evils to come may much endanger Saints in their Communion with God.
1. Becauſe Saints are very ſubject to this temptation, about what may befal them for time to come, as appears by that of Chriſt, Mat. 6.34. who will not themfore allow his people one anxious thought about what ſhall fall out on the morrows This temptation hath two evils in it.
1. It begets fear and that fear hath great torment.
2. It takes away the reliſh and ſweetneſs of the preſent mercies we enjoy, while we take in a deeper apprehenſion of what troubles are yet to come upon us.
Secondly, becauſe God uſually makes the troubles that are to come heavier then the preſent; the waters of affliction like the waters of the Sanctuary, riſe by degrees, higher and higher, from the Ancles to the Knees, — Pſal. 42.7. Pſal. 69.1.…. No trial can be ſo great, but God can make it greater; no affliction ſo heavy, but God can make it heavier: God deals with his children as men do with theirs▪ Fathers correct children, firſt with a branch of Roſemary, then a Rod, afterward it may be with a Staffe, that makes them, as David, cry out of their bo…es, calls them to bear burdens and do ſervice, according to their ſtrength.
As they grow up in faith, holineſs, hu…lity, patience, ſpiritual ſtrength; ſo their trials, temptations, afflictions increaſe, and their latter often become greater then their former,
Thirdly, becauſe the trials and troubles of the Church which are to come, are certainly like to be the greateſt.
Thoſe which more immediately precede the coming of Chriſt, very dangerous and great for ſin, 2 Tim. 3.1.—5. and for judgement, Luke 21.25, 26.
Yet no troubles to come ſhall be able to ſeparate.—
Firſt, becauſe all things ſhall certainly work, Rom. 8.28. we know (there is no doubt, heſitancy, uncertainty in this knowledge) that all things (things preſent and things to come, all things, none excepted) ſhall work (all things that have any ſpirit, power, vertue, activity in it, that works to any end) ſhall work together (all Agents, Inſtruments God ſhall make uſe of, how various in their kinds, how different in their operations, how diſtinct in their intentions, yet they ſhall all work together with God, by whom they are guided, ordered, over-ruled in all their motions and actions; and the ſame things which work for evil unto others, are all made to work for good unto them.
Secondly, from the immutability of Gods love, it is everlaſting, Ier. 31.3. God is not as man that he ſhould repent, whom he loves he loves to the end.
He doth not love to day and hate tomorrow; love at preſent and revoke in … ture; he hath loved, and no ſins of the cre… ture could violate it; he doth love, therefore no preſent evils can interrupt it; he will love, therefore no future things ſhall prevail.
Thirdly, from the nature and quality of that Covenant, in which God hath taken them into Communion with himſelf to be their God, in which the firſt Promiſe is, Ile …e to them for a God; the ſecond is, Ile pardon their ſins, and remember their iniquities no more.
All the advantage things preſent, or things to come, can have againſt Saints for evil, is ſinne, for nothing can ſeparate between God and the ſoul but ſ…t; Now the Act of Gods Pardoning Mercy is a compleat Act of Grace; it cannot be ſaid of a believer one moment, that he ſtands under unpardoned guilt, no more th…n it can be ſaid he is an unjuſtified perſon.
If a believer may believe ſins pardoned under all preſent evils, he may believe ſins pardoned under all future; therefore as not things preſent, ſo no things to come can ſeparate.—
1. Uſe. Terrour to the ungodly who have no Cemmunion with God in love through Chriſt Ieſus; they are yet in their ſins, without God and Chriſt in the World; it may be things preſent are for thee, Health, Wealth, Liberty, Proſperity, Plenty; O but things to come are terrible, and againſt you; Son, ſaid Abraham to the rich man, Remember thou in th… life-time badſt thy good things, and now nothing but torment and miſery.—
…o thy preſent enjoyments, thou ſayſt, Soul, take thine eaſe, thou haſt Goods laid up for— and thinkeſt not thou art treaſuring up wrath againſt the day of wrath: thou doſt riſe up comfortably, and walk delicately like Agag, but O the bitterneſs of death is not paſt.
There is a wrath to come, the Devils believe and tremble; O come to Chriſt quickly, he will not treat you ſo roughly, as John Baptiſt did the Phariſees, O generation of Vipers,— he will deal gently and mercifully with you.
2. Uſe. To the godly.
Firſt, by way of Inſtruction, to turn ſecurity out of their hearts in reference to their outward conditions in the world, evil things at preſent may afflict you, worſe things for the future may befal; when Iſrael went out of Egypt, but one Nation purſued them; when they paſt over Iordan into Canaan, ſeven Nations encountred them; O learn to bear things preſent with patience, and by faith and holy ſubmiſſion to God to provide for things to come; An holy man affirmed of himſelf, that never any evil day befel him ſince he believed; One asked, how that could be? He anſwered, every morning I compoſe my heart to Gods Will; that what pleaſeth God ſhall pleaſe me; ſuch a man hath an Antidote againſt all things, whether preſent or to come.
Secondly, for Inſtruction; let nothing that befals you at preſent or to come be very grievous to you, becauſe it cannot ſeparate. This is the Apoſtles ſtrain in the Text.
3. Uſe. By way of Comfort: Nor things preſent, nor things to come; nor ſins preſent, nor ſins to come; nor troubles preſent, nor troubles to come, ſhall—
1. For God is your Alpha and Omega, who is, was, and is to come, Rev. 1. ſee 2 Cor. 1.10.
Secondly, Chriſt is the ſame to you yeſterday, this day and for ever, Heb. 13.8.
Thirdly, all things are yours expreſſely, things preſent and things to come, as ye are Chriſts, 1 Cor. 3.22, 23.