Commentary on 2 Corinthians 1, Commentary · Commentary on verse 10
VERS. 10.
Who delivered us from so great a death, who doth deliver us, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.
SAint Paul sets down his troubles to the life, that he might make himself and others more sensible of his comforts, and of Gods grace, and goodness in his deliverance. These words contain his deliverance out of that trouble, his particular deliverance out of a particular trouble: And this deliverance is set down by a triple distinction of time, as time is either past, present, or to come; so God who is the deliverer for all times, he hath delivered us for the time past, he doth deliver us for the present, in whom we trust that he will deliver us for the time to come.
Who delivered us from so great a death.
After St. Paul had learned to rrust in God, after he had taken forth that lesson, a hard lesson to learn, that must be learned by bringing a man to such extremity; I say, after he had learned to trust in God that raiseth the dead, God gave him this reward of his diligence in the blessed school of afflictions, he delivered him, who hath delivered us, and who doth deliver us continually, he will not take his hand from the work, and for the time to come I hope he will do so still.
St. Paul here calls his trouble a death. It was not a death properly, it is but his aggravation of the trouble that calls it a death: because Gods mercy onelyonly hindred it from being a death, it was onelyonly not a death, it was some desperate trouble, some desperate sicknesse, the particular is not set down in the Scripture. We know what a tumult there was about Diana of Ephesus, Acts 19. and in 1. Cor. 15. He fought with beasts at Ephesus, (which is in Asia) after the manner of men. Whether it were that, or some other we know not; whatsoever it was, he calls it a death: he doth not call it an affliction, but a death, & a great death, to make himself the more sensible.
VVherefore have we souls, and understandings, but to exercise them in setting forth our dangers, and the deliverances of God? to consider of things, to affect us deeply? The Apostle here to affect himself deeply, he sets it down here by a death.
And oft-times in the Psalmes, the Psalmist in Psalme 18. and Psal. 11. he calls his afflictions death and hell, and so they had been indeed except God had delivered him. But to come to the points that are considerable hence. First of all we may observe this, that
God till he have wrought his own work he doth not deliver; he brings men to a low ebbe, to a very low estate before he will deliver.
Secondly, After God hath wrought his own work, then he delivers hischildren.
Thirdly, he continues the work still, he doth deliver me.
Fourthly, That upon experience of Gods former deliverance, Gods children have founded a blessed argument for the time to come, He hath, & he will deliver me. God is alway like himself, he is never at a loss, what he hath done, he doth, and will doe, reserving the limitations, as we shall see afterward.
God doth not at the first deliver his children.
He delivered St. Paul, but it was after he had brought him to receive Doct. 1. God doth not at the first deliver his children.the sentence of death, and after he had learned not to trust in himself, but in God that raiseth the dead. God deferres his deliverance for many reasons: To name a few.
God doth deferre his deliverance, when we are in dangers, partly (as Reason. 1.you see here) to perfect the work of mortification, of self-confidence, to subdue trust in any earthly thing. St. Paul by this learned not to trust in himself.
And then to strengthen our faith and confidence in God, when we are 2.drawn from all creatures to learn to trust in him.
And to sweeten his deliverance when it comes, to indear his favours, 3.for then they are sweet indeed after God hath beat us out of our selves. Summer and Spring are sweet after Winter: so it is in this vicissitude, and intercourse that God useth; favour after affliction and crosses, is favour indeed. That makes heaven so sweet to Gods Children when they come there because they go to Heaven out of a great deal of miserie in this world.
And partly likewise God defers it for his own glory, that it may be 4.known for his meer work: for when we are at a losse, and the soul can reason thus, God must help or none can help, then God hath the glory: therefore in love to his own glory he defers it so long.
Again, he useth to defer long, that he might the more shame the enemies at length: for if the affliction be from the insolencie and pride of the enemies, 5.he deferres deliverance, till they be come to the highest pitch, and then he ariseth as a Gyant refreshed with wine, and smites his enemies in the hinder parts: he is as it were refreshed on the sudden. And as it is his greatest glory to raise his children when they are at the lowest: so it is his glory to confound the pride of the enemies when it is at the highest: if he should do it before, his glory would not shine so much in the confusion of them, and their enterprises against his children. One would think he should not have let Pharaoh alone so long; but he got him glory the more at the last, in confounding him in the Red-sea: So Haman came very farre, almost to the execution of the decree; he had gotten by his policie and malice, and then God delivered his Church, and confounded Haman. These and the like reasons may be given to shew that God in heavenly and deep wisdom doth not presently deliver his children.
The proper use of it is, that we should learn not to be hasty, and shortspirited in Gods dealing, but learn to practise that which we are often injoyned, to wait on God, to wait his good leasure.
Especially considering that which is the second point, let that satisfie us, thatDoct. 2. God delivers after he hath done his work.
After God hath done his work, he will deliver.
Let us wait, for he will deliver at length: perhaps his time is not yet that he will deliver; but usually when all is desperate, when he may have all the glory then he delivers. He delivered the three young men, but they were put into the fire first, and the Furnace was made seven times hotter, that he might have the glory in consuming their enemies: so he delivered Hezekias in his time, but it was when the enemy was even ready to seize upon the City. He promised St. Paul that not one man should perish in the ship, but yet they suffered shipwrack, they went away onelyonly with their lives. God doth so deliver his, that he doth not suffer them to perish in the danger.
Therefore let us stay his time, and waite, it may be it is not Gods time yet.Use. To wait Gods time. Gods time to deliver is.
When shall we know that it is Gods time to deliver? that we may wait with comfort.
God knowes his own time best, but usually it is when we are brought very low, and when our spirits are low: when we are brought very 1. When we are low.low, both in regard of humane support, and in regard of our spirits, when we are humble, when our souls cleave to the dust: help, Lord, for we are brought very low: Help Lord, for vain is the help of man.
When the Church can plead so, it is a good plea, when we are at the lowest, and the malice of the enemy is at the highest, when the waters swell, Help, Lord, for the waters are come into my very soul, when we are very low, and the enemies very high, as we see in Pharaoh. And so in Herod when he was in the height of his pride, when he was in all his glory, God takes him there.
Thus God delivers his, and confounds his enemies; I joyn them both together, for the one is not commonly without the other: the annoyance of Gods Children is from their enemies: therefore when he delivers the one he confounds the other. When the malice of the one is at the highest, and the state of the other is at the lowest, and their spirits are afflicted and cast down with their estate, then is the time when God will deliver.
Again, when our hearts are inlarged to pray, when we can pray from a broken heart: as you see here, he joynes them together, God will deliver 2. When we are inlarged to pray.me, but it must be by your prayers: when we have hearts to pray, and when others have hearts to pray for us, that is the time of deliverance. Usually there goes before deliverance an enlarged heart to pray to God; as we see in Daniel, Dan. 9. a little before they came out of Babylon, he had a large heart to pray to God. And when we can plead with God his promise, Remember, Lord, thy promise wherein thou hast caused us to trust: when we can cast our selves upon Gods mercy with prayer, and plead with God to remember his promise, it is a sign God means to deliver us. When the heart is shut and closed up, that it cannot speak to God: when there is some sin or other that doth stifle the spirit, that it cannot vent it self with that liberty to God, it is a signe that it is not the time yet of Gods deliverance.
God will at the length deliver: therefore from both these (that he doth deferre deliverance, and that he will deliver at length) let us inferre this lesson of waiting, let us wait therefore, and wait with comfort. Let us remember these principles.Grounds of waiting.
First, God hath a time (as for all things) so for our deliverance.
Secondly that Gods time is the best time, he is the best discerner of opportunities.
Thirdly, remember that this shall be when he hath wrought his work upon our souls, specially when he hath made us to trust in him. As here, when Saint Paul had learnd to trust in God, then he delivered him. And why should we desire to do our bodies good, or our estates good, till God hath wrought his cure on our souls? for God intends our souls in the first place: our soules they are the whole man in a manner. The welfare of the soul drawes the welfare of the body, and the welfare of the estate after it; the body shall do well if the soul do well.
Therefore we should desire rather that the Lord would let the affliction stay, then that it should part without the message for which God sends it. Every affliction is Gods messenger: we should desire the Lord to let it stay for the answer for which he hath sent it.
And indeed, it will never part without the answer for which God sends it, till it have humbled us, till it have brought us to trust in God, till we be such as we should be. And a Christian soul rather desires to be in the Furnace, to be under the affliction, to be purged better yet, then to have the crosse, and affliction removed, and not to be a whit the better for it. Therefore considering that there will be a time, and that Gods time is the best time: and that this time will be when he hath fitted us, we should learn to waite in any crosse, and not to be over hasty.
Again, consider, though the time be long: yet he will deliver at length by death, death will end all miseries.
And consider, that how long soever we indure any thing, yet what is that that we indure here, to that that we are freed from by Christ? We are freed from misery, from all misery, from the wrath of God, from damnation. And what is that that we can suffer here, to the glory and joy that remaines for us in heaven? What is all that we can suffer here, to that that Christ hath indured for us? what is all that we can indure here, to that that we have deserved? Considering then what we are delivered from, what God hath reserved for us, what Christ hath indured, and what we deserve, it will make us wait, and wait with patience. Especially considering (as I said before) that God is working his good worke for our good: though we at the first perhaps for a while doe not see the meaning of the affliction, the meaning of the cross, we cannot read it perfectly; yet in general we may know, it is for our good: God of his infinite wisdom will not suffer a hair to fall from our heads without his providence, And all shall work together for the best to those that love him, Rom. 8.
It is long then we see ere God deliver, and why? and at the last he will deliver one way or other: and therefore let us waite quietly, and this the Saints of God have practised in all ages, Psal. 62. Yet, my soul, keep silence to the Lord. He had a shrewd conflict with himself when he saw how good causes were trampled on, and he saw the insolence of wicked persons, how they lift up their heads, Yet, my soul, keep silence to the Lord. So he begins, Psal. 73. Yet God is good to Israel, for all this. And God chargeth it upon his people that they should waite, If I tarry, wait thou, Hab. 2. 2. And the blessing is promised to those that can wait and not murmur, as in Psal. 147. 11. It is a duty that we are much urged to, and very hardly brought to the practice of: therefore we are to hear it pressed the more, Psal. 147. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy: in those that trust in his mercy. The like you have in many places, Isay, 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious to you: therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: he is a God of judgement, Blessed are all that wait for him. So in Lament. 3. The Church still waits upon God.
How oft doth David charge himself, Wait, and trust in God, O my soul? Let us learn this upon these grounds, that God is long ere he deliver, but at last he will deliver, and that is sufficient to force this, to wait still upon God with patience and silence.
Well, thus we see God doth deliver, Who dilivered us, &c. What will he do for the time present? he hath delivered, and doth deliver, and he will deliver. From all joyntly together you see, that
Gods people in this World stand in need of Doct. Gods Children alway need deliverance.deliverance alway.
They have alwayes troubles, when one is past another is present; deliverance supposeth dangers.
There have been dangers, there are dangers, and there will be dangers. Our life is a warfare, a temptation, we are absent from God, we are alway exposed to dangers. We live in the middest of Divels, and of Divellish-minded men: we have corruptions in us that expose us to sin, and sin drawes on judgments, we are alway in danger one way or other while we live in this VVorld. But our comfort is, that as there have been dangers, and are dangers, and will be dangers; so there hath been deliverance, there is deliverance, and there will be deliverance. It is a trade that God useth, it is his Art, God knoweth how to deliver his, as Saint Peter saith; he hath alway exercised it, he is excellent at it: he hath delivered his Church, he doth deliver his Church, and he will deliver his Church: and so every particular member, he hath, and doth and will diliver them.
VVonderfull is the entercourse that God useth with his people, and their estate. Even as in nature there is a change and entercourse of day and night, of light and darknesse, of morning and evening, of summer and winter, of hot and cold: so in the life of a Christian there are changes, dangers, and deliverance. There is a sowing in tears, and a reaping in joy; there is a night of affliction, and a morning of joy and prosperity, Heavinesse may be in the evening, but joy commeth in the morning.
And thus we go on till we end our daies, till we be taken to Heaven, where there shall be no Change, where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes.
If we had spirituall eyes, eyes to see our danger, to see how full the World is of Divells, & then to consider how many dangers this weak life is subject to, how many casualties: we cannot go out of doores, we cannot take a journey, but how many dangers are we subject to? we are invironed with perpetual dangers, the snares of death compasse us almost every where, abroad, and at home, in our greatest security.
But our comfort, is that God doth compasse us with mercy, as it is, Psal. 32. As dangers are round about us, so God is a Wall of fire about us: we have dangers about us, Divells about us, we have a guard about us, we have God about us, we have his Angels about us, we have all his creatures about us, All things are yours, saith the Apostle, &c.
It is God that hath delivered us, that doth deliver us. Who restraines the divels from having their wills of us? they are enemies not only to our souls, and to our salvation, but to our bodies: they are enemies to our health, as we see in Job: we live in the middest of Lyons, oft-times, in the middest of enemies; who restraines their malice? we are preserved from dangers day and night: who shuts in the doores, who watcheth over us, but he that keeps Israel? It is God that delivereth us. Without his deliverance all deliverances were to little purpose: all shutting in were to little purpose, except he shut us in that shut Noah into the Ark: he must watch over us. It is God that delivereth us.
But doth he deliver us onelyonly outwardly?
No, he hath delivered, and he doth deliver us spiritually. He hath 2. Spiritually.delivered us from the power of hell, and damnation, he doth deliver us from many sins that we should commit: and when we have sinned, he delivers us from despair, he delivers us from presuming, by touching our hearts with saving grief for sin; if we belong to him, one of the two wayes he delivers, either from the sin or from the danger of the sin, either from the committing of the sin or from despairing for the sin, or presuming in a course of sin.
Who delivereth us from our inbred corruptions? Should we not run every day into the sins that we see others commit? Who cuts short our lusts, and suppresseth them, that we are not swearers, that we are not licentious persons, that we are not Godlesse persons? are we not hewn out of the same rock? Who keeps us from sin? Is it any inbred goodnesse? Are we not all a like tainted with originall fin? Children of wrath? Who puts a difference between us and others? It is God that hath delivered us, and that doth deliver us.
It is his mercy that we do not commit sin, it is his preventing deliverance; and when we have committed sin, it is his mercy to pardon it, there is his preserving deliverance from despair after the committing of sin.
All are beholding to God for deliverance, those that have committed sin, that he delivers them from the wrath to come, from the damnation that they deserve; and those that have the grace not to commit sin, they are beholding to him, that he delivers them from that which their corruptions else would carry them to, if he should take his government from their hearts.
We have an inward guard as well as an outward, an invisible guard, We are kept by the Spirit of God through Faith to salvation. We have a guard An inward guard. God delivereth us from our selves.that keeps us from despair, from sinking. God delivereth us from our selves by this inward guard. There is not the vilest Atheist that lives, but let God open his conscience, and let loose himself upon himself, to see what he deserves, to see what he is ready to sink into, if he see not Gods mercy to deliver him: if he see not an Intercessor, a Mediator to come between God & him, what would become of him? Therefore saith Saint Paul in Philip. 4. The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall (guard) your hearts and minds; for so the word is in the Original, shall guard your hearts and minds.
We have not onelyonly a guard outward, but we have a peace in us, the Spirit of God, the strengthening power of God, the sight of the love of God. God delivers us as from all others, so from our selves. Judas had no enemies, God let him loose to himself, what became of him? Achitophel had no enemy, God let him loose to himself too, and then we see what a desperate conclusion he came to.
So, whosoever thou art that contemnest Religion, that makest any thing of greater moment and respect then that, if thou hadst not an enemy in the world, but all were thy friends: as Judas had all to be his friends, the Pharisees were his friends, he had money of them: but God opened his conscience, and he could not indure the sight of it, it spake bitter things to him, when God opened an inward hell in his conscience. So God doth deliver us outwardly and inwardly, and the inward is double, partly from despair, partly from the rage of corruptions, (as I said before) Is it not God that tyes up our corruptions? There is such a world of sin in the heart of a man, as often he finds the experience of it, when he meets with a fit temptation to his disposition, that Gods Children complain of themselves that the sins of their hearts have deceived them: so God delivers men from the rage of lusts, he tyes up their corruptions, and delivers them from them. And when we fall, and are ready to despair for them, he delivers us from despair. He doth deliver, he is perpetually delivering, it implies that we alway stand in need of deliverance.
Therefore we should alway look up to God, he is the breath of our nostrils, In him we live, and move, and have our being, in him we stand, and in him we are delivered in the middest of all our enemies, it should stir up our hearts thankfully to depend upon God; he that hath delivered us, he doth deliver us: if he should not continue his deliverance we should be continually in extream danger.
VVho hath delivered us, and doth deliver us, &c.Christians have deliverance in troubles.
A Christian is never in so great perplexity but God is delivering of him, even in trouble: So the Church saith Lamentations 3. It is Gods mercy that we are not all consumed.
The Church was in a pittifull estate then, one would have thought they were as low as almost they might be: yet notwithstanding the Spirit of God in those blessed men that lived in those times, they saw that they might have been worse then they were: and they saw that there was some danger from which they were delivered, It is thy mercy that we are not all consumed. God delivered them from extremity.
Nay, in troubles God doth deliver so, as there may be a distinction for the most part between his and others. When I gather my Jewels it shall be known who serves me, and who serves me not. Mal. 3. God continually delivers, more especially at sometimes.
As we say of providence, providence is nothing but a continued act of creation. And it is true, the same power that created all things of nothing, Providnce what.the same power sustains all things. God upholds all things with his right hand.
For even as it is with a stone which is upheld by a mans hand, let him withdraw his hand, and down it falls: so naturally all things as they are raised out of nothing, so they will fall to their first principles, except they be sustained by that continuall act of creation which we call providence, to maintain them in the order wherein they were set at the first. So there is a continuall act of deliverance, till we be delivered out of all troubles, and set in a place where there shall be no more annoyance at all either from within us, or without us. God doth still deliver.
O, let this move us to a reverence of the eye and Majesty of the great Use. To carry our selves reverently to God.God, of the presence of God. Who will willingly provoke him, of whom he stands in need to deliver him?
Let God withdraw his deliverance, his preventing deliverance, or his rescuing deliverance: for (as I said) there is a double deliverance: he prevents us from trouble, he delivers us that we do not fall into it: and when we are fallen into it, he rescues us. If God should not thus deliver us, there is no mischief that any others fall into, but we should fall into the like, were it not for his preventing deliverance.
As St. Austin saith well; A man that is freed from sin ought to thank God as well for the sins that he hath not committed, as for the sins that he hath had forgiven: for it is an equall mercy that a man fall not into sin as for his sin to be pardoned. And so for troubles too, it is Gods mercy to prevent troubles as well as to deliver out of trouble when we are fallen into it.
Who would not reverence this great God? what miscreant wretches are they that inure their tongues to swearing to tear that Majesty, that if he should withdraw his deliverance and protection from them, what would become of them?
Where there is perpetuall dependance upon any man, how doth it inforce reverence and respect even amongst men? Itis Athiesm therefore for men to inure their tongues to speak cursed language, to inure their hearts to entertain prophane thoughts of God, and to neglect the consideration of his Majesty. Holy men in Scripture are said to walk with God, that is, to have God in their eye, in all times, in all places, as he had them in his eye, to delight in them, to prevent troubles, and to deliver them from troubles when they were in them.
We should take notice of Gods speciall providence in this kind, that God by deliverance often gives us our lives, and it should teach us to consecrate our lives to God. Who doth deliver us:
In whome we hope, or trust, or have
affiance that he will yet deliver us.
The holy Apostle doth take in trust here the time to come, he speaks as if he were assured of that as of any thing past; and he doth found his hope for the time to come upon that which was past and present. As he saith in Romans 5. Experience breeds hope, so it doth here in the Blessed Apostle, He hath delivered, and he doth deliver, and why should I not trust in so good a God for the time to come, I hope he will deliver me? And surely so may we do.
A Christian may rely on God for Doct. A Christian may rely on God for time to come.the time to come.
Upon what ground, upon what Pillars is this confidence built of the holy Apostle?
Upon the Name of God, the Name of his nature, Jehovah, I am, which signifies a constant being, I was, I am, and am to come.1. Upon the Name of God.
There was danger, there is danger, and there will come danger: there was a God, there is a God, and there will be a God, Jehovah, I am. If there be a flux, a perpetual succession of ill, there is a perpetual being, and living of the living Jehovah. So Christ is proved to be Jehovah, because he calls himself Revelations 1. he that was, and is, and is to come, Jehovah, alway like himself.
Now if God be Jehovah, alway like himself, then if he have delivered, if he doth deliver, he will deliver, he is I am in himself.
Now as his Name is, so is his nature and properties, he is I am in his love to his Church, he is alway in the present tense: Whom he loves, he loves 2. His properties.to the end: he is unchangeable. I the Lord your God change not, therefore you are not consumed, Mal. 3. The reason why notwithstanding our many provocations of him, that we are not consumed, it is because his love to us is unchangeable: though we are up and down, He cannot deny himself; and there is the foundation of our comfort, that though we change oft, yet he never changeth. There is no outward thing can change him, for then that were God, and not he; there is no inward thing can change him, for then he were not perfectly wise; so there is nothing either in himself or in the creatures that can change God, he is alway like himself: therefore this is a ground of confidence for the time to come.
Likewise his Covenant and promise, the Covenant that he hath made 3. His covenant.with his Children is an everlasting Covenant, that he will be their God to death, and for ever: and the gifts, and graces of God, his inward love, they are without repentance: and their union with Christ, is an everlasting union.
And also experience built upon these grounds, that God is Jehovah, what 4. Experience of Gods Children.he hath done he will do, and his properties are answerable to his Name, he is unchangeable, and his promise and Covenant are unchangeable: therefore experience from the time past comes to be a good argument from these 3. grounds: because he is Jehovah, I am, and because he is unchangeable, being Jehovah, and because his Covenant is everlasting, because he is unchangeable.
For the foundation of all comfort is the Name and being of God Jehovah: from his being issue and flow his properties, and they are like him unchangeable, and eternall: and from his properties comes that to be unchangeable that comes from him, his Word and promise and Covenant; considering then that his Name & being is such, that his properties are such, that his Covenant is such, issuing from his nature and properties, experience then of trust in the love and mercy of God, is an unanswerable argument against all temptations: he hath loved, he doth love, and he will love: he hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver, and will preserve 1. Tim 4. 18.us to his heavenly Kingdom.
It is a good argument, that God that is Jehovah, that God that is unchangeable, that God that is in Covenant with me, that is my God, and I his, that God of whom I have had experience for the time past, that he hath been my God, why should I doubt for the time to come? Unlesse I will call in question the very being of God, the very properties of God, and the truth of God in his Covenant, and overturn all, I may as well trust him for the time to come, as for the time present, He hath delivered me, he doth deliver me, and he will deliver me.
But it may be objected, God doth not deliver alway, and therefore it Objct. Gods Children miscarry in afflictions.seemes not to be a current truth; how doth God deliver his Children, when we see how they miscarrie in troubles, and persecutions, both the Church in generall and particular Christians, as there be many instances, it seemes God doth not deliver his, they die Martyrs, St. Paul himself died a bloody death: therefore how is this true that we may build a certain confidence upon it, he hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver?Answ. God delivers them.
I answer, we must take it in the latitude, this deliverance. God delivers them so as stands with their desires to be delivered: for there may cases 1. So as they desire.come wherein Gods Children will not be delivered: as we see the three young men when they were cast into the fire, they would not be delivered out of the fire, but they were delivered in it. And so in Heb. 11. 35. there is a notable example: Tender women, received their dead again raised to life, and others likewise were tortured, and would not except of deliverance: they would have none upon ill tearms. So sometimes God doth not deliver his Children, no, nor they will not be delivered, because perhaps their deliverance is promised upon ill tearms, that they may redeeme their lives if they will by denying God and Religion: an ill bargin.
Again, I answer that howsoever God doth not deliver his from trouble, yet he delivers them in trouble, as in Isay 43. he promiseth to be with 2. He delivers them in afflictions.them and to deliver them in the fire, and in the water.
God did not keep the Martyrs out of the fire, but God was with them in the fire, and in the water, to support them by the inward fire of his Spirit, that they might not be overcome of the outward fire and flame: so God delivers them in trouble, though not out of trouble.
There is, an open deliverance visible to the world, and a secret, inward Deliverance open secret.invisible inward deliverance. There is an open glorious deliverance, as we see in the deliverance of the three young men, and many other examples. And there is an invisible, which is only felt of them, and of God who delivers them: he delivers them in the inward man, he delivers them from the ill of troubles, from sin and despair: that they put not their hands to sinful courses, he supports them inwardly with comfort, and supports them inwardly in a course of obedience: and that spirituall, inward deliverance is the best, and that which Gods people more value then deliverance out of trouble: he doth not deliver them from fuffering ill, he delivers them from doing ill: as in that notable place 2 Tim. 4. 18. I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evill work. He doth not say, God shall deliver me from death, and from suffering evill works of Tyrants, no, but he shall deliver me from carrying my self unseemly, and unbefitting such a man as I am, that I may not disgrace my profession, He shall deliver me from every evill work, and that is that which the Saints and Martyrs and all good people desire, that God would deliver them, that they may not sink in their minds, that they despair not, that they carry not themselves uncomely in troubles, but so as is meet for the credit of the truth which they seal with their blood, he hath delivered me, and he will deliver me from every evill work; and what saith he afterwards? He shall preserve me to his Heavenly Kingdom.
He doth not say he shall preserve me from death, he knew he should die; but he shall preserve me to his heavenly Kingdom. So put the case that God do not deliver from death, yet he delivers by death.
There is a partial deliverance, and a total deliverance, there is a deliverance from this, and that trouble, and there is a deliverance from all troubles. Deliverance partial to all.God delivers us most when we think he delivers least: for we think how doth he deliver his Children when we see them taken away by death, and oftimes are massacreed?
That is one way of delivering them, God by death takes them from all Deliverance by death.miseries, they are out of the reach of their enemies; death delivers them from all miseries of this life, both inward of sin, and outward of trouble, all are determined in death: therefore God when he doth not deliver them from death, he delivers them by death, and takes them to his heavenly Kingdom.
God oft-times delivers his, by not delivering them out of trouble: for when he sees us in danger of some sin, he delivers us into trouble to deliver us from some corruption. Of all evills Gods Children desire to avoid the delivering up to themselves, and to their own lusts, to their own base earthly hearts, to a dead heart: he delivers them into trouble therefore to deliver them from themselves.
God will deliver us for the time to come, so that we depend upon him, and humble our selves, and be like our selves. When God delivereth us, at the first it may be we are like our selves, but perhaps afterward we grow prouder, and self-confident, and will not do that we formerly did: therefore God sometimes though he put us in hope of deliverance, yet he will not deliver us, because we are not prepared, we are not throughly humbled. As we see in Judges 20. there the Israelites were to set on the Benjamits: they go the first time, and had the foile: they go the second time, and are foiled: the third time they set on them with fasting and prayer, and then they had the victory.
What was the reason they had it not at the first time? they were not humbled enough, they did not flee to God, with fasting and prayer. It may be there is some sin, some affection unmortified, of revenge and anger, when God hath subdued that, and brought it under, and brought us to fasting and prayer, then God will deliver us; as at the third encounter they carried away the victory. When we have not made our peace with God, we may come the first and second time, and not be delivered: but when we are throughly humbled, and brought low, then God will deliver us.
And then, we must know, that alway these outward promises have a reservation to Gods glory, and our eternal good; God hath delivered me, and he doth, and will deliver me, if it may stand with his glory and my good; Promises of outward things with reservation.and therefore the soul saith to God (with that reserved speech of him in the Gospell) Lord, If thou wilt, thou canst heal me: if thou wilt, thou canst deliver me: if it be for thy glorie and my eternall good, or for the Churches good, thou wilt do it, and neither the Church nor the particular members of the Church desire deliverance upon any other termes; but when it may be for the glory of God, and for the Churches good: when they may be instrumental by long life to serve God, and to serve the Church, and when it is for their own advantage to gather further assurance of their salvation, then he hath, and doth, and will deliver still. This is enough to build the confidence of Gods children upon, for their deliverance for the time to come.
God will deliver his Church and Children, and he will deliver them out of all, he will deliver Israel out of all his troubles, he will not leave a horn or a hoof (as Moses said) he will not leave one trouble, he will deliver us at the last out of all, and advance us to his heavenly Kingdom. His bowels will melt over his Church and Children: he is a Father, and he hath the bowels of a Mother. This may serve to answer all objections that will arise in our hearts, as indeed we are ready to cavil against divine truthes and comforts, especially in the time of trouble and temptation, our hearts are full of complaints, and disputes, therefore I thought good to answer this.
But what is the argument of the Apostle here? Especially experience: he hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver me.
As God will deliver his Church for the time to come, so this is one maine argument that he will do it, experience of former favours and deliverances.Doct: It is a good argument from former experience to future deliverance.
This Saint Paul useth familiarly, 2 Tim. 4. 18. I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evill work, and preserve me to his Heavenly Kingdom: A blessed arguing. So David argues, God delivered me from the Bear, and the Lyon, and therefore he will deliver me from this uncircumcised Philistine.
So Jacob pleads, that God would deliver him from Esau: he had had experience of Gods mercy till then, and therefore he trusted that God would deliver him from Esau.
It is a good argument, to plead experience to move God to care for us for the time to come.
It was used by the head of the Church,
By the body, the Church, and by every member of the Church.
It was used by the head, Psalme 22. which is a Psalme made of Christ, I was cast on thee from my Mothers wombe, therefore be not far from me.Used by the head of the Church.
It was Tipycally true of David, and it was true of the Son of David.
So the Church pleads with God in diverse places, in Isay 51. 2. God Of the Church.calls to his people to make use of former experience: Look to Abraham your Father, and to Sarah that bare you, &c. Look to former times, to the rock whence you were hewen, and to the hole of the pit whence you were digged: he that was your God then, is your God now; Look to Abraham your Father, and from thence reason till now. So in Isay 63. 7. I will mention the loving kindnesse of the Lord, and the praise of the Lord, according to the great goodnesse of the Lord bestowed upon us. In all their afflictions he was afflicted, &c he speaks of former experience; In love he bare them, and carried them all the daies of old. So in Psalme 44. Our Fathers have told us this and this. So both the head of the Church, and the Church it self plead with God from former experience, and God calls them to former experience, Remember the rock whence you were hewen. And he upbraids them because they forgat the works done to their fathers, in Psal. 105. and diverse others, he objects to them that they did not make use of Gods former favours, Psal. 106. 12. They forgot their Saviour that had done great things in Egypt, &c. they forgate his former favours. And in the 13. verse of that Psal. They soon forgate his works, and waited not sor his counsell.
And so it is with every particular St. of God, they have reasoned from experience of Gods favours from the time past to the time to come: the Psalmes are full of it, among the rest Psal. 143. 5. I remembered the daies of old, and meditated on all thy works, I mused on the works of thy hands. And in Psalme 116. 3. The sorrowes of death (as the Apostle saith here, I was delivered from so great a Death) The sorrowes of death compassed me, the paines of Hell took hold on me. I found sorrow and trouble, I cryed unto the Lord, O Lord, I beseech thee deliver my soule: The Lord preserveth the simple, I was brought low, and he helped me. What doth he build on that? Return unto thy rest, O my soul: the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee: thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. What will he do for the time to come? I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Thus we see how we may plead with God as the same Psalmist doth excellently in Psal 71. he goes along with God there from the beginning of his daies, in verse 5. Thou hast been my hope, Lord, and my trust from my youth, by thee I have been held from the wombe, thou tookest me out of my Mothers bowels, my praise shall be continually of thee. What doth he plead from this now when he was old? In verse nine, Cast me not off in the time of my old age, for sake me not when my strength faileth.
Why? Thou hast been my God from my youth, thou hast held me from the wombe: therefore cast me not off in my old age, forsake me not when my strength faileth. So he pleads with God, verse 17. Lord, thou hast taught me from my youth, now when I am old and gray-headed for sake me not, till I have shewed thy strength to this Generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
Thus we see how the Spirit of God in his Children makes a blessed use of former experience to reason with God for the time to come, and it will afford us arguments in all kinds. We may reason from former spiritual favours to spirituall favours: as for instance, God hath begun a good work in us, therefore He will finish it to the day of the Lord, Phil. 1. His gifts and graces are without repentance. And we may reason from spirituall favours past to all favours to come that are of a lower nature, Rom. 8. He that spared not his own Son, but gave him to death for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things? It is a strong reason, he hath done the greate, rtherefor …he may well do the lesse. We may reason from one favour to another, thus, from temporal to temporal: he hath delivered me, therefore if it be for his glory and my good, he will deliver me. We may reason from once to all of the like, Psal. 23. God is my shepherd, &c. He hath been with me in the valley of death; he hath shewed himself to be my shepherd in all my troubles: what doth he build on that for the time to come? Doubtlesse the loving kindnesse of the Lord shall follow me all the dayes of my life. This should teach us then this holy Use. To lay up observations of Gods dealing.practice, to lay up observations of Gods dealing, and to take them as so many pawnes and pledges to move God for the time to come to regard us; it is wondrous pleasing to him. It is no argument to prevail if we come to men, to say, you have done this for me, therefore you will: because man hath a finite power which is soon drawn dry: but God is infinite, he is a spring, he can create new: what he hath done he can do, and more too: he is where he was at the fitst, and will be to the end of the world, he is never at a losse. Therefore it is a strong argument to go to God, and say, Lord, thou art my God from the womb, thou hast delivered me from such a danger, and such an exigence, when I knew not what to do, thou madest open a way. I see by evident signs it was thy goodnesse, thou art alway like thy self, to be the same God now. Therefore we should treasure up observations of Gods dealing with us. And consider with them the promises, and see 2. Consider the promises.how God hath made good his promise by experience, and then joyn both together, and we may wrastle with God: Lord, thou hast promised thus and thus, nay, I have had the performance of this promise in former times. And now I stand in need of the performance of that promise which before I have had experience of.
And desire God by his Spirit to sanctifie our memories, that we may remember fit deliverances, & fit favours, that when the time shall come we 3: To have sanctified memories, to remember deliverances.may have arguments from experience. What is the reason that we sink in temptation? That we are to seek when troubles come? It is from basenesse of Heart, that though God have manifested his Care and Love to us by thousands of experiments, yet we are ready upon everie new trouble to call all into question, as if he had never been a good God to us: this is base in fidelity of heart, and our neglecting to treasure up blessed experiments of Gods former favour.
It should be the wisdom of every Christian to be well read in the story of his own life, and to return back in his thoughts what God hath done for him, how God hath dealt with him for the time past, what he hath wrought in him by his holy Spirit. Let us make use of it both in outward, and in inward troubles, in disconsolations of spirit, and in inward desertions: let us call to mind what good soever hath been wrought in us, by such a meanes, by such an Ordinance, by such a Book, by such an occasion.
Let us call to mind how effectually God hath wrought in us in former times, and make use of this in the middest of the hour of darknesse when God seemes to hide his face from us.
I see not the Sun in a cloudy day, yet notwithstanding the Sun is in the skie still. At midnight we hope for the morning, the morning will undoubtedly How to argue in spiritual troubles.come, though it be midnight for the present. So David comforted himself in Psal. 77. 11. I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember thy wonders of old, I will meditate of all thy works, and talk of thy doings, &c. See his infirmity: when he was in trouble of mind, his sins began to upbraid him that God had left him: I said in my infirmity, God hath forgotten me, &c. and hath God forgotten to be gracioue? hath he shut up his tender mercies in displeasure? then saith he, this was my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high, &c. And the same he hath in many other places, as Psal. 143. 4, 5.
It argues the great weaknesse of our nature, which is ready to distrust God upon every temptation of Satan, as if God had never dealt graciously with us, as if God were changeable like our selves. Let us labour to support our selves in the time of temptation with the former experience of Gods gracious goodnesse, and his blessed work upon our souls: he that delivered us from the power of Satan, & keeps us from him stil that we sink not into despair, he will keep us for the time to come, so that Neither things present, nor things to come, as the Apostle saith, shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ. And let us as it were make diaries of Gods dealing to us: this is to be acquainted with God, as Job speakes: this is to walk with God, to observe his steps to us, and ours to him: it is a thing that will wondrously strengthen our faith, especially in old years, in gray hairs. What a comfortable thing is it when an aged man can look back to the former part of his life, and can reckon how God hath given him his life again and again? how God hath comforted him in distresse, how God hath raised him up in the middest of perplexity, when he knew not which way to turn him, how God comforted him when he was disconsolate? all these meeting together, in our last conflict, when all comfort will be little enough, what a comfort will it be?
And those that disfurnish themselves by their negligence, and carelesnesse of such blessed helps, what enemies are they to their own comfort?
Therefore consider Gods dealing, remember it, observe it, think of it, and desire Gods Spirit to help your minds and memories herein, that nothing may be lost: for, I say, all will be little enough, the comfort of others, our own experience, the promises of Scripture.
Our Hearts are so readie to sink, and to call in question Gods truth, and Satan will ply us so in the time of temptation.
Especially those that are old and grow into years, they should be rich in these experiments, and able even to have a story of them: we should be able to make a book of experiments from our Child-hood. Gods care to every man in particular, it is as if there were none but he: and there is no man that is a Christian, but he observes Gods wayes to him, that he can say, God cares for me as if he cared for none but me: let us therefore treasure up experiments. We see one notable example in David, how he pleads with God, Psalme 71. 3. from his former experience, Be thou my habitation wherein I may continually rest, thou hast given command to save me: for thou art my rock and my fortresse. Whatsoever is comfortable in the creature, God hath taken the name of it to himself, that in all troubles we might flie to him as the grand deliverer; for it is he that delivers, whatsoever the meanes be, whether it be Angells or men, it is he that sets all on work: therefore he is called a rock, and a fortresse, &c. Thou hast given command to save me, that is, God hath the command of all creatures: he can command the fish to give up Jonas; he can command the Divels to go out, Christ did it when he was on earth in the daies of his flesh. Therefore much more now he is in heaven, he can command winds and storms, and divells and all troubles. He hath the command of all, as he saith to Elias, Behold, I have commanded a widow to feed thee: The hearts of Kings are in his hand, as the rivers of waters: he that commands the creatures, can command deliverance, Thou hast commanded to save me, for the time past. What doth he say for the time to come? Deliver me, oh God, from the wicked: thou art my hope and trust from my youth, &c. Cast me not off in mine old age, when my strength faileth me for sake me not. It is a good argument, Thou hast been my God from my Mothers womb, therefore cast me not off in my old age.
Well, we see here the practice of Gods Children in all times: Let it be a pattern for our imitation, that we do not forsake our own mercy, as Jonas saith.
When God hath provided mercy, and provided promises to help us with experience, let us not betray all through unbelief, through base despair in the time of trouble. If we had but onelyonly Gods promise that he will be our God, that he will forgive our sins, were not that enough? Is it not the promise of God, of Jehovah, that is truth it self? but when he hath sweetned his promise by experience, and every experience is a pledge and an earnest of a benefit to come, what a good God have we, that is content, not onelyonly to reserve the joyes of heaven for us, but to give us a taste, to give us the assurance and earnest of the time to come, and besides his promise to give us comfortable experience, and all to support our weak faith?
But remember withal, that this belongs onelyonly to Gods Children, and in a good cause: for wicked men to reason thus, He hath, and therefore he will, Wicked men cannot argue from former experience of deliverance.it is a dangerous argument, they must not trust former experience. We must hope that God will continue as he hath been, upon this ground that we are his; Or else the ground of the ruine of wicked men is presumption that God will bear with them as he hath done. The King of Sodom, and his People were rescued out of trouble by Abraham, and the army that he raised: yet they were pittifully consumed not long after by fire from Heaven. Pharaoh was delivered by Moses prayer, God delivered him from ten plagues, they made not a good use of it, and they perished after miserably in the Red-sea. Rabshakeh comes and tells of the former prosperitie of Sennacherib, Where are the gods of Hamath, and Arpad, &c. Hath not my Lord overcome all? I but it was immediately before his reign. Herod, he prospered, and had good successe in the beheading of James, and therefore he would set upon Peter; he thought to trust to his former successe, he was flushed in the execution of James, he thought God hath given me successe, and blessed me in this. He thought God was of his mind, as it is Psalm 50. Thou thinkest me to be like thy self, thou thinkest I hate those that thou hatest, that are my dear Children: therefore Herod presumed to go on and lay hold on Peter: but the Church falls a praying and God smites Herod with a fearful death, he was eaten up with lice, with worms bred in his body.
So I say, it is no good argument to say, I have prospered in wicked courses, I do prosper, and therefore I shall prosper. I have gotten a great deal of goods by ill means, and I have kept such ill company, and though some mislike my courses: yet I hope to morrow shall be as to day, &c. Take heed, blesse not thy self, Gods wrath will smoak against such; Treasure not up wrath unto thy self against the day of wrath; argue not so upon Gods patience. It is an argument for Gods Children, he hath been my God, he is my God, and he will be my God, it is a Sophisme else for others, and as the Prophet Amos saith, He that hath escaped the Lyon, shall fall into the hands of the Bear, so the wicked that escape one danger shall fall into another at length; it is no good argument for them to hope for the like of that they have had.
Nay, rather it is the worst outward sign in this world of a man in the state of reprobation, of a man hated of God, to prosper and have security in ill courses; God blesseth him, and lets him go on in smooth courses, as the streames of Jordan go on smooth and still, and then enter into the dead sea: so many men live and go on in smooth, easy courses, and we see at length they either end in despair, as Judas, or in deadnesse of heart, as Nabal. So that of all estates it is the most miserable, when a man lives in a naughtie course, and God interrupts him not in his course with some outward judgment. It is a reason onelyonly for the Children of God to support; themselves with in a good cause wherein they walk with a good conscience then they may say truly, God that hath been my God till now, will be my God to the end of my dayes.
Is God so constant to his Children in his love, and in his fatherly care & providence, that whom he hath delivered he doth deliver and will deliver, let us be constant in our service and love back again, let us return the echo Use. To be constant in our service to God.back again, and say, I have served God, I do serve God, and I will serve God, because he hath loved me, he doth love me, and he will love me: he hath delivered me, he doth deliver me, and he will deliver me: as he is constant in love to me, so will I be constant in respect, in reverence and obedience to him.
Therefore we see the Saints of God, as God loves them from everlasting to everlasting, being Jehovah: as he never alters in his nature, so not in his love to them, so they never alter in their love to him: therefore it is a clause in Scripture expressed by holy men, To whom be praise for ever; as they knew that he was their God for ever and for ever, so they purposed to be his people and to praise him for ever and for ever. And because they cannot live here alway themselves, they desire that there may be a Generation to praise him for ever and for ever, and they lay a plot and ground so much as they can, that Gods Name may be known, that Religion may be propagated for ever: They know God is their God for ever, they know he is constant in love to them, and they are constant in their love to him, and for his glory: To whom be glory for ever.
See here the happinesse of a true Christian that is in Covenant with God; he can say, I have had my happinesse, and my portion, I have it, and I The happinesse of a Christian.shall have it for ever. Take a worldling, can he say so? he cannot, (God will confound his insolence if he should say so,) I have been rich, I have prospered in my course, I have attained to this and that means, I yet thrive and I shall thrive: I, is it so? No, thou buildest upon the sands, howsoever God hath done, and howsoever he doth, thou canst not secure thy self for the time to come. OnelyOnly the Christian that makes God his rock, and his fortress, his shield and strong tower of defence, he may say he hath had that which is certain, he enjoyes that which is immutable, and constant, God is his portion, his eternal portion, he hath been good, he is good, and he will be good to eternity; no man else that hath a severed happinesse out of God can say so.
A sound Christian, take him in all references of time, he is a happy man: if he look back, God hath delivered him from Satan, from hell, and damnation, and many dangers. If he look to the present, he is compassed about with a guard of Angels, and with the providence of God, God doth deliver him; he hath a guard about him that cannot be seen but with the eye of faith. The Divel sees it well enough, as we see in Job, Thou hast hedged him about, how can I come to him? He looked about to see if he could come into Job, to see if the hedg had any breach, but there was none: Gods providence compassed him about, God hath and doth deliver. And if he look to the time to come, he will deliver, he seeth that neither things present, nor things to come shall be able to separate him from the love of God.
And this is not onelyonly true of outward dangers, but especially in spiritual, God hath been gracious; he hath given Christ, How shall he not with him give us all things? A Christian is in the favour of God now, how shall he not be so for ever? He hath eternity world without end to comfort himself in that God as long as he is God, he hath comfort: as long as he hath a soul, so long Jehovah, the living God will be his God, both of his body and soul: he is the God of Abraham, therefore he will raise his body: he is the God that raiseth the dead, and he will for ever glorifie both body and soul in heaven.
Look which way he will, a Christian hath cause of much comfort: why should he be dismayed with any thing in the world? why should he not serve God with all the encouragement that may be, when he hath nothing to care for but to serve him? As for matter of deliverance and protection, it belongs not to us, but to him: let us do that that belongs to us, and he will do that belongs to him, if we commit our soules to him as to a faithful Creator in weldoing, he hath delivered us, he doth deliver us, and he will deliver us, and preserve us to his heavenly Kingdom.