314 S E R M O N S upon Serm. X L,1. 2. That he is with, and far his Children : &a9' ;liar, If God be with us : But when is God with us ? Thismufl be ftated with refped to the forementioned as of grace. Worldlings judg of God's pretence by wrong Rules; they meafure his love and favour altogether by the outward eftate; if their mountain and ftrong, if their houfes be filled with the good things of this world, then they conclude God is with them. No : we mutt determine it by the Context; and we begin, fir fl, with Predeftination : God is with his people not by a wavering Will, but a confiant eternal Decree : There are tome that belong to the Elation of his Grace, 2 Tim. 2. 16. The foundation of the Lord fiandeth fare. See that reafoning, Luke 18. 7, 8. And(hall not God avenge his own eletl, which cry day and night unto him ? Though he bear long with them, I tell you, that he will avenge them fpeedily. Now Elation is for a while a fecret ; but we have the comfort of it when we make our calling and eleUion fare. Certainly God loveth his people with a dear and tender love, fine he hath carried them in the womb of his Decree from all Eternity. - 2. Effe£taal Vocation is the eruption of this purpofe. God is not with us, but in us. When we are made partakers of a Divine Nature, we have a pledg of his being with us in our own heart: We dwell in God, and God in us, 1 John 3. 24. The New Creature is under his fpecial care and protedion, and he is very tender of them, ICar. 1.9. 3. jufliftcation is another all of his grace. We often give God occafion to withdraw from us; but his pardoning mercy maketh up the breach : Wo unto us if God depart from us : We often banifh, and drive away our own mercies, Ifa. 59.2. But your iniqui. ties have feparated between you and your God; and your fns have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. But he multiplieth to pardon, and accepteth us in the beloved, to the pralle of his glorious grace. And fo his favour and gracious prefence is continued with penitent believers that cry for mercy. 4. It endeth in glory. The God of our falvation difcontinueth not his cate over us, , till he bath brought us into his immediate prefence. Here God is with us, while we dwell in houfes of clay ; there we are with God for ever in his glory. If he be with us here, we are to be with him there for ever : For we do not part company, but go to him whom we love and ferve. g. God is with us with ref ell to his particular care and providence, ver. 28. guiding all things for 'good. Now God's Providence is either external or internal. i. God's external Providence is feen in bleffing our affairs, Gen. 39. 2. The Lord was with jofeph, and he was a profperousman : and the 2 sIt verfe, The Lord was with jo. feph, and gave him favour in the fight of the keeper of the prifon. Ads 7.9. And the Pa- triarchs moved with envy, fold jofeph into Egypt, but God was with him. This was moft eminently fulfilled in our Lord Chrift ; he had fuch great fuccefs, becaufe God was with him, Alls so. 38. and john 3. 2. Nicodemus faid,No man can do thefe miracles that thou doff, except God be with him. But in their meafure'tis fulfilled in the Saints allo. God was with Chrift : He driveth away the Devil from him by a word, Match. 4. They ask leave of him to enter into the herd of Swine, Mark g. 12. So in Chriftians God is with them, to give them fuccefs, even to wonder, againft Satan and his Inftru ments. So God is with us when he loveth us, defendeth us, and bleffeth our endea- vours. 2. His internal Providence, in a way of comfort and fupport, and fandifying their troubles. Thus God was with Paul ; when all forfoo4 him, 2 Tim. 4. 16, 17. the Lord flood by him and flrengtbned him. And fo he comforts his people, Ifa. 41. to. Fear not, for 1 am with thee. So Ifa. 43. 2. When thou pafft through fire and water, I am with thee. Not only to keep them from fire and water, but to be with them in fire and water. A Chriftian is never alone, though all forfaite him. Well then, the meaning is, fince God will fulfil his eternal purpofe, to juflifie, fandifie, glorifie, what can hin- der our eternal falvation ? We that were predeftinated when we were not, called when we were averle, juflified when guilty, fandified when unholy, and glorified; though now miferable ; what caufe have we to fear? 2. The Comfort built upon it [who can be againfl us)? Let us flate the meaning of this claufe. 1. The whole World feemeth to be againff thole that believe in Chrifi. There are but Two fides in the World, God and Satan : The whole World is Satan's Kingdom : If God be With us, all elfe but God, and his Confederates, will be againft us. All is divi- ded
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