Ver. 35. the 8th Chapter to the ROMANS. 351 SERMONYLVe R O M. VIII. 35 Who (hall feparate us from the love of Chrift ? fball tribulation, or f refs, or perfecution, or famine, or nal¿ednefs, or peril, or firord? H E Triumph over the evil of fin being ended, tñe Apoftle beginneth his Triumph overafiliflions. Here obferve, t. The Challenge, Who (hall feparate as from the love of Chrit7? 2. The evils enumerated, Shall tribulation, or ditirefs, or perferatá- on, or famine, or nakednef,, or peril, or fword ? t. The Challenge, 71 for 7t ;.Who for what: The things mentio red are fpoken of as a perfon ; but the chief difficulty is about the meaning of that Claufe ( the love of Chrifi). Whether it be meant of our love to Chri(t, or Chtifis love to us : Reafons may be given on both fides. I. That it is meant of our.love to Chrìft; for tribulation is not like to alienate Chrift from us, but us from Chrift: This Cott) rather tend to draw us from lovingGod, than God from loving us. 2. That it is meant of Chri(ts love to us, becaufe 'cis very unlikely that the Apoftle would hualt of the contlancy of his own love _'Tis more comely to triumph in Gods love tous, than our love to God: What (hall we then determine in the cafe ? I anfwer, 'Tis meant of both ; Chrifts love to us, and our love to, Chrift ; but principally of the love of God in Chrift to us : Firft, the objeçt, us ; 'cis we are in danger to be feparated. Secondly, The word, feparate, alto noteth it ; to feparate us from our own love to Chrilt, is an harfh phrafe. Thirdly, 'ris Paid, v. 3 7. inn zs ¿)'o íe.Irlos through hire that loved us. And again, The love of God, which is in ehrifi Jefui our Lord, v. 34. Which is molt pro- perly fpoken of Gods love to,us; but this is not exclulve of our love to him, but com., prehendeth it rather; therefore'tis a mutual love ; the Apoftle fpeaketh of his love as the caufe of ours ; for we love, becaufe he loved us fir(t ; the comfort is not fo great that we love him, as that he loveth us ; and the ftability of our love dependeth on his. 2. The evils enumerated here, are leven kinds of external of uiûion, under which all the refl are comprehended. t. 7'ribalatión, whereby is meant common afffiltion, which doth not amount to death; any which preffeth or pincheth us, di(-grace, fines, (tripes, imprifonment, banifhment, at large. 2. Diíiref : When there is no (bill- ing, nor way of efcape left us, but we are brought into fuch (traits, as we know net which way to turn, but are at our wits ends, and know not how to efcape, but mutt fhb; mit to the will of our enemies. 3. perfecution ; When riot only calf out, but purlued from place to places as David by Saul,tSam,26.2o. For the king of Ifracl is come out to feeka flea, as when one Both hunt apartridg in the mountains. And 2 Sam. 24.1 4. And David laid unto God, I am in a great firait. Id genus homitmm non inquiro, inventor amens, puniri oportere. A law of Severus again(t the.Chriftians ,_q.. Famine; when for fear of perfecution, they are forced to (hum all Cities, Towns, Villages, and places of refort, and to lurk in defects, and places. uninhabited, where many times they furie, great extremity of hunger, Heb. t I. 38. They mandred in defects and mountains, and dens and caves of the earth. g. Nakednefs ; When their cloathswere worn and (pent; fo 'cis laid of thole, Heb. t t. 37. They wandred ghost in Jbeeps skins, and goats fkins. So the Apoftle Paul, 2 Cor. r t: 27. In hunger, coil, and nakednefs. t Cor. 4, t r. We ben- er
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