Ver. 36, 37. the 8th Chapter to the R. O M A N 3, I. To keep us from falling : God prornifeth to keep us; but itr.his dwn way; aild that engageth us to an iotire dependance upon him in the ufe of means, John r 5. 4. A- ¡de in me, and Iinyou. So r John 2. id, 17. Te J .114b le in 6int. And then he pre - e y addeth; Little children abide in him. Fitt, a promtfe, and then ah exhortation; and then we ufe the means with the more diligence and encouragement; as. Pant had a promife, that not one (hould perith, Attu 27. a3. But yet they mutt all abide in the ¡hip, v. 31. 2. To encourage us to return when fallen ; we have fome holdfaft án Ood, when we leek to recover our felves by repentance, Pfal. r to. 17o. Let my [supplication come before thee, deliver me aceord.ng to thy wird. And Jcr. 3.4. Wilt those not from this time cry unto me, My father, the guide of my youth? 4. 'Tis very comfortable, and breedeth that everlafling joy, that theiuld bé in Gods redeemed ones, Ifa. 35. to. And the ranfomed of the Lord (hall return, and come to Zion with tongs andeverlafting joy upon their beads. Nay, it begets an heroical fptrit, when we can bear up on the love of God in the foreft tryals : As here, vim'dae,. V s B. It cautioneth us not to be difmayed, when the people of God teem to be rut; down by oppofltions and reproaches, and the caute of Religion to füffer lots. arid, viti bly to go to ruin: No; Chrift hath promifed, that the gales of hell 'hall not prevail again/[ the r,Irwch, Matti), r6. t 8. All the Powers whic, 'lie devil can mutter up, can- not deiroy Chritts intereft in the world; his' Kingdom is like a Rock in the midlt of the Sea, which being beaten on every' fide with waves, frandeth uomoveable ; his Peo- ple many times m ty be fcattered, oppreffed , their profelfion difcountenanced and op. pored every where, feemingly beaters out ob the world ; but then the Church growetli inwardly, the graos of his people are Ereng heed and increafed; and their hearts bet- tered, their glory haftned, their proïétfion more. honoured and r;,verenced in the con- fciences of men. Some converted, others confirmed. When the Chriftians were butchered, and went to wrack every where. Okéútimmes it falleth out fo; when God breaketh that temporal intereft to which we lean, he pro videth for hisown Glory, and the advancement of the Gofpel by other and better means ; and Religion gaineth, when it feemeth to lofe 5' as in the prithitive times when the flaughterswere frequent, they fought to drive Chriltians to deny' Chrift, büt they confefs him the more ; they fumed andchafed, becaufe they could no( get their will, and increafed their fury, but (till the other grew more refolute: Enemies have confe(fed themfelvesovercome So, What (ball weds to theft men ? Ads 4. 16. When they impri- foned and fcourged them, they were at a lofs. Sozomon faith of Sopores; that he was tired with deftroying the Chriftians, and at length caufed the err ubles to ceafe ; to Diocletian leaves his Empire, becaufe he could not root out the Chriftians, but that they ¡till continued. 2. V S E is to perfwade us to get filch a degree of faith, and love, and patience , that we may be more than conquerors in all our trials : 'Tis a great degree of heroical fortitude, or an high Chriftian pitch, which is here defcribed 5 for mark, I. Here is not one fort of trials, but many, Col. r. r t. Strengthhed with all patience. 'Tis not enough to overcome one evil, but all; croffes of all kinds; in all there things; A little ditlrer,, a man might bear, but famine, and nakednefs, and fword, territieth oui thoughts ; but nothing mult be excepted out of our refignation to God. 2. Here is congnef ; It ill becometh the godly to faint in afi &ion, Prov. 24. to. if a thou faintefl inrffl+Qion, thy f7rengtb is 'mall. Afllifion' will try what our ftrength is è Tis one thing to talk of ir, another to bear it; there is a great difference between a tryalapprehended in our judgment, and felt by fence, Job 4 3,4, 5. Behold thou haft in- firuIIedmany, and thou hall ffrengtbned the weakbands; thy words have upholders him that was falling; and thou hall /lrengthned the feeble knees; but now it is come upon thee, and thou faintefl, it tom heth thee, and shaman troubled, We are other manner of perlons in trouble, than we féemed to be out of trouble : The well will give good coutifel io the lick ; 'tis eafie for them that fiend on the fhoree to fay to chofe that cónfiét with the' waves and tempefts, Sail thus : When troubles come uponoür felves; we are refilefs and impatient; the felfcohfidenc and prefumptuous,will find it another thing to bear trou. 61eá than to talk of it ; but to: humble, and thofe that are fenfioleof their weaknefs, roA2 will
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=