more than Conquerors It 's a glorious Victory to stand in an Evil Day when Satan hath drawn up all his Forces against us 'T is a glorious Victory not only to escape without Loss but to gain by his Opposition thus we out-shoot him in his own Bow And all this sine Labore Sudore easily through Divine Assistance 5. All these Troubles do not so much as render us less Lovely in Gods Eyes God is not as Man Men judge often by outward Appearance Gods Children are often blackened with false Accusations and Reproaches but God will not judge them according to Men's Misrepresentations You have a clear instance of it in that Scripture which hath been so much abused He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob neither hath be seen perversness in Israel The meaning is not that the Omniscient God doth not see or that an Holy God cannot be angry at the Transgressions of his People But thus we are to understand it Balaam was upon a Design of cursing Israel Balak would have represented them as a Company of Robbers that came to destroy and invade a Country that was not their own but being not able to prevail he gives this for a Reason That God would not judge of them as they had represented them nor deal with them according to their Desires and Condemnation 6. The Consideration of Gods Love hath a Power in it to sweeten our greatest Afflictions and to take out the sting and venom out of the worst of out Troubles If we have Gods Love we have more than all the World can give us it will counter-ballance all Troubles and make up all Losses of outward Comforts Having explained these three Thing I shall conclude with some Applicatory Inferences suitable to the present mournful Occasion As 1. If the Love of God be such a Cordial and Guard let it be our great endeavour to get an Interest in this Love This is the one thing necessary If any ask How must this be done I shall only tell them they must seek to be in Christ The first Application of this Love is made in Conversion though Gods Purpose of loving was before Yet we were Children of Wrath till God by Conversion and the new Birth translate us from the Power of Darkness to the Kingdom of his Dear Son then and not till then is Gods gracious Purpose brought into Act. 2. Let us adore admire and meditate upon Gods Infinite Unchangeable Love And this not only in General but in a Particular Application of it to our selves as the Apostle Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me 3. 'T is most natural to infer from Gods great Love to us That it is our Duty and should be our Care To walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing Col. 1.10 4. If the Love of God be so great a Cordial and Guard against our Fears we should make use of it as such and oppose our Fears by the Consideration of it This was David's Shield and Buckler on all such Occasions Psalm 23.4 He resolves against his greatest Fears in a confident Reliance on Gods Love and Presence Though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no Evil for thou art with me Yea in Troubles that carry the appearance of Gods Chastisements he is relieved by the Apprehension of Gods Love Psalm 49.5 15. Wherefore should I fear in the Days of Evil when the Iniquity of my heels shall compass me about For God will redeem my Soul from the Power of the Grave 5. Let us not mourn as those that have no Hope for the Death of Godly Persons They Die in Gods Love and Death is so far from separating them from the Love of God that it 〈◊〉 Gods Porter to open the Door of Eternity to them and so to give them a◠immediate entrance into the full Enjoyment of his Love When Death hath done its worst they that enter into Rest go off with Triumph O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory 6. This may be a Caution against the usual Presumptions of Men who are apt to be too bold in interpreting Gods Providences in the Death of his Servants They are too sawcy and bold with God when they take upon them to assign a Reason why God takes any of his Servants out of the World and so determine what Gods Design is in so doing It hath pleased God Almighty and the All-wise Disposer of all things to make another Breach upon us 'T is not long since he took Mr. Pell from us and now he hath called home Mr. Manlove both of them excellent Men worthy Ministers of the Gospel singularly both of them fitted with Abilities for their Work They were successively my Dear Brethren and Fellow-Labourers in this Part of Gods Vineyard It must be acknowledged that it is a stroke to be lamented and if we look upon the present Providence we may have some Cause to fear that when God is discharging his Servants from his Work and paying them their Wages That he may shortly break up his House with us Let none rejoyce at it nor say Aha so would we have it Neither should others Despond Who knows the end of the Lord 'T is easie for him to make up our loss if we submissively wait for him If his Love be unchangeable to single Persons we may conclude it will be so to faithful Churches There are I hope many of you that hear me that can stand forth and Witness that you have seen his Power and Glory in his Sanctuary You have felt and tasted the Power and Goodness of God in your Conversion quickning and Comforting in his Ordinances in this Place And I hope that Christ who delights to walk among his Golden Candlesticks will not now separate us from his Love nor remove the Candlestick out of its Place SERMON II. ROM VIII 35 36 37 38 39. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword As it is written For thy sake we are killed all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the slaughter Nay in all things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor heighth nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. THIS Scripture I opened to you the Last Day upon a special Occasion which I then acquainted you withal That Discourse had the better Part of that Entertainment which the Apostle Paul's had at Athens Acts 17.32 I have not heard nor believe that any here had such slight Thoughts of Gods Love to Man as to mock at the Discourse yet I have met with some that desire to hear again of that Matter I need not repeat what hath been spoken But
Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! Is it not a wonder that God should provide a Saviour for fallen Man and none for faln Angels and yet they were more noble Creatures Thirdly Who can bound the Extent of Divine Love None but he that hath set bounds to the Ocean which it shall not pass Who knows the Extent of it 1. As to Persons that shall be saved by it How great will be the General Assembly and Church of the First-born The Rays of the Sun are not scattered by visiting a multitude of Objects no more is Gods Love lessened by having Mercy upon many 2. Who can bound the Love of God as to the Conditions of those that shall be saved God doth not fix his choice to the Wise Great or Noble Persons 1 Cor. 1.26 Not many Wise Men after the Flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called But being no Respecter of Persons he gives his Love to the most unlikely and contrarily qualified sometimes to the greatest of Sinners to Persecuters Thus Paul reckons himself a Pattern to them which should afterward believe 1 Tim. 1.16 Fourthly Who can reckon up all the several Benefits of Love Adoption Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life are frequently mentioned But who can number his other Thoughts of Love to us-ward Psalm 139.17 How Great is the Sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the Sand. Who can give an account of his Gracious Visits his Tokens of Love his particular answers of Prayers his secret Strengthnings and Revivings They that have endeavoured to compass and describe the whole Globe of Divine Love must leave vast spaces upon which they must write Terra Incognita Fifthly Who can give a true Estimate of Gods Love It far surpasseth all outward Comforts Life and the Contentments of it is the chief of outward Comforts But Gods Loving Kindness is better than Life Psalm 63.3 It is above what our Senses can inform us of 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen Ear hath not heard neither hath entered into the Heart of Man the things that God hath prepared for them that Love him What we have received already of the first Fruits of this Love will shew that what is to come is a great Felicity But we cannot from all that know fully what those Pleasures are that are at Gods right Hand for evermore 1 John 3.2 It doth not yet appear what we shall be 3. I shall add That though we cannot fully comprehend what is the Breadth and Length and Depth and Heighth of his Love which passeth Knowledge Eph. 3.18 Yet it is the Duty and will be still the Advantage of all Saints to endeavour to possess their Hearts deeply with a rooted and grounded Sense of Gods Love This is the Apostle's Prayer for the Ephesians and the Duty of all That they may be able to comprehend with all Saints ver 18. That it is our Duty will appear by the Advantages which will follow upon our endeavour Some of the chief I shall enumerate As First The Sense of Gods Love will make us Thankful Thankfulness is a natural return to great and undeserved Favours The Heart being filled with this fulness of Gods Love will find it self straitened till it give it self ease by venting it self in Praise Psalm 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his Benefit towards me Secondly It will make us Humble The Glory of Divine Love will beget Self-Reflections upon our Unworthiness So it did with David when God had promised him many Blessings by Nathan See how he lessens himself 2. Sam. 7.18 Who am I O Lord God â—â—d what is my House that thou hast â—ought me hitherto Undeserved Love â—akes an Ingenuous Spirit to take shame 〈◊〉 it self for former misbehaviour When Gods Love to Ephraim had turned him to Repentance and so to Peace he saw his former Miscarriages were 〈◊〉 present Reproach this ashamed and unfounded him Jer. 31.19 Ezek. 16.63 Thirdly A Sense of Gods Love hath a special engaging and exciting Force â—pon us to Obedience It doth not only oblige us and make us Debters as â—om 8.12 But by a powerful Inclination it doth most strongly move and incline Fear of Wrath is a strong Compulsive and we need it but Love draws more effectually because it begets a delight to do the Will of God and because Cords of Love are the Bands of a Man Hos 11.4 Such obliging kindness as best suits a Man of Reason and Ingenuity Fourthly Sense of Love will mightily strength and encourage us against all Sufferings Love makes every thing easie This was the Strength and Conrage of all the Worthies mentioned a Heb. 11. This bore out all the Martyâ— in all Persecutions Fifthly Sense of Love is that which gives sweetness to all Temporal Blessingâ— Riches Honour Peace if they be noâ— given in Love may be our greatâ— Plagues and will afford no Satisfactâ—on Divine Love expressed in theâ—â— like the Philosophers Stone change their Nature and turns our rejoicing in them to a rejoicing in God Sixthly Sense of Gods Love lead us to a Delighting in God This 〈◊〉 one of the great Duties recommended tâ— us Psalm 37.4 The Particulars of the Advice given there are all founded upon the different Dealings of God with the Godly and Wicked the Sum whereof is this That God hath a peculiar loving Regard to Godly Men as to vindicate them ver 6. To bless their â—njoyments ver 16. To shelter them against Calamities ver 19. To direct their steps ver 23. If God delighteth in his Love to us we should delight our selves in Love to Him The Contemplation of Gods Love â—ill afford us sweet Thoughts Love in is own Nature is a sweet Subject of Meâ—itation affording Desire Delight and by and like a Plentiful Spring of Living Waters which can never be exhauâ—ed it will furnish us with such varieâ—â— of Matter that we shall have no ocâ—â—sion to be weary of the Pursuit Gods â—houghts of Love will still be Precious salm 139.17 Men can delight themselves in Works of curious Art and Contrivance in Works of Nature much more With what delightful Diligence have some â—â—en studied the wonderful Contrivance of the Humane Body yea even of Worms and Flies Others fill themselves with Admiration in studying the great Globe of Heaven and Earth and with Pleasure observe the Perfection of â—â—eatures as fitted for their Ends and Uses and the subserviency of them for the Beauty and Establishment of the Universe according to the Appointment of the Glorious and Wise Creator And why then should not Christians make 〈◊〉 their Pleasure to study the Infinite Lovâ— of God This is more especially oâ— Concern and will be the Delight Work and Joy of Heaven to Eternity Seventhly Sense of Gods Love as 〈◊〉 is the greatest Cordial in all Distresseâ— so it is the greatest Guard against aâ— Affrightments of Fear The Children of God are exercised with Fears frequently but there are two special Affrightments against which the Apostâ— advanceth the Triumphant Assurance of the Text. 1. The First great Affrightment that afflicted Christians are distressed with is That their Tribulations and Distresses are Argument of Wrath. Thus they are ready to conclude If God had loved us would he have done thus unto us This is too frequent Trouble brings Sin to Remembrance and a trembling Heart fears the worst Thus Holy David discovered his Fear Psalâ— 6.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine Anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure But a due Consideration of Gods Love will remove this Affrightment in that none of these things are undoubted Characteristical Marks of Gods Hatred they are no part of the damning Curse but an humbling mark set upon us for our Tryal and Exercise after all the damning Part was removed Hence the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.15 speaking of the Woman who had a particular mark of Displeasure set upon her tells us She may be saved notwithstanding her sorrowful Child-bearing And in this place the Apostle takes away this fear by telling us In all such things we are more than Conquerors 2. The Second Affrightment is That these Distresses might tempt us to turn off from God and Holiness and this might separate us from the Love of God This Affrightment is removed by the Consideration that our standing is bottomed upon Gods Unchangeable Love It is possible enough for us and our Graces to fail if we had not a greater Strength than our own to bear 〈◊〉 So sure is Gods Foundation 〈◊〉 will take care for Perseverance 〈◊〉 great Affrightment which is too â—â—nary with the Timerous Ah I 〈◊〉 shall fall and miscarry at last is 〈◊〉 sweetly answered If it was Gods 〈◊〉 that wrought up your Heart to 〈◊〉 him it will keep you that you 〈◊〉 not depart from him Eighthly Sense of Gods Love to 〈◊〉 will be a means to kindle and stir 〈◊〉 our Love to God We Love him 〈◊〉 cause he loved us Love begets Loâ— If God hath so loved us Let us 〈◊〉 deavour to Love Him FINIS
Four following Verses His Argument is this the condemning Law is superseded he grants there was a Covenant of Works which being broken was to us a Law of Sin and Death It charged us with Sin and that dueness of the Curse But then he shows there is another Law which he calls a Law of the Spirit of Life that is a Covenant of Grace promising Life as also the Assistance of the Spirit And this Law being a remedying Law sets us free from the former 2. The Limitation and Character of the Persons to whom this Freedom is limited he proves and explains in the following Verses shewing that it must be the natural Genius and Temper of those that are in Christ to mind the things of the Spirit as those that are after the Flesh will naturally mind the things of the Flesh ver 5. From the great Love of God and the sure Foundation of it he proceeds to make some Inferences as 1. That then we are Debtors to God in point of Holiness ver 12. and in ver 31. He heaps up many Inferences of Consolation 1. That if God be thus engaged to be for us as our Father and Protector none can be against us to our hurt 2. He infers that seeing God hath given us Christ we may expect what ever shall be necessary for the Compleatment of our Happiness 3. He infers that the malicious or erronious Accusations of Men are of no Consideration ver 33. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of Gods Elect Because 1. There is no Tribunal but Gods and if he acquit us 't is no matter who Condemns us 2. Christ did all his Work of Redemption compleatly ver 34. Not only Dying but Rising again to make Intercession for us 4. Hence he infers in a Triumphant Assurance the impossibility of our Separation from the Love of God ver 35. Who shall separate us from the Love of God c. That the Strength of this Inference may more fully appear I shall distinctly Note these Particulars 1. The Subject spoken of The Love of God Whether it be God's Love to us or our Love to God is questioned some think both are intended and that it is impossible that it should fail on either Part. But surely Gods Love to us is chiefly intended For on our part in it self it 's too possible that under such Temptations our Love and Faith might fail But the impossibility ariseth from God's Will He will not suffer our Love to fail So that ultimately the not failing of our Love is resolved into Gods unchangeable Love And beside the Expressions of the last Verse of this Chapter The Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord doth clearly Point at Gods Love to us 2. The next thing asserted is our Non-Separation from this Love The Word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same Word that is used Mat. 19.6 with respect to the Jewish Divorces So that the meaning is Though Gods Love may sometime be hidden yet there will never be a Divorce or Eternal Separation 3. The Impossibility of this Separation appears in this Discourse two Ways 1. By an Enumeration of those things that might seem possible to effect a Separation but cannot these the Apostle ranges into Two Classes 1. No kind or degrees of Sufferings Here he reckons up several hard things Shall tribulation distress c 2. No outward Powers Neither fear of Death nor hope of Life nor Devils nor persecuting Rulers nor heighth of Advancement nor depth of Ignominy and Reproaches and least any thing else should be pretended he adds nor any other Creature as an c. including all 2. The Impossibility of this Separation is imply'd in his manner of speaking by continued Interrogation Who shall separate As also by his Assurance I am perswaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it sometime signifie no more than a Moral Perswasion yet here it signifies undoubted Assurance like the Phrase in Rom. 14.14 and 2 Tim. 2.12 I know and am perswaded The Doctrine I shall now draw out of these Words is this The Consideration of the Infiniteness and Vnchangeableness of God's Love is sufficient to guard our Hearts from all Affrightments that may arise from all that may befal us in this World To make way for the Application of this Truth I shall explain and prove these Three Things I. That God's Love to Elect Believers is Infinite II. That this Love of God is Vnchangeable III. That the Consideration of Gods Infinite and Unchangeable Love is a sweet Cordial in all Distresses and a Guard against all Affrightments of Fear to all that are in Christ I. That God's Love to Elect Believers is Infinite admirably Great All Gods Attributes even those that are called Communicable such as his Power Wisdom Justice Love c. are in God infinitely eternally and unchangeably His Love therefore in Scripture is crowned with the Epithite Great His great Love wherewith he loved us Eph. 2.4 His Love his Power his Understanding are commensurate with his Infinite Greatness Thus David argues Psalm 147.5 Great is our Lord and of great Power his Vnderstanding is Infinite But that we might have a more easie Satisfaction and Apprehension of the Love of God the Scripture commends the greatness of Gods Love to us under Three Considerations The First is by comparing the wonderful Greatness of God with the Object of his Love This Consideration Holy David insists on Psalm 113.4 5. The Lord is high above all Nations and his Glory above the Heavens Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on High That is He is so great that his merciful regard of the highest created Beings Things in Heaven much more of the lower World Things on Earth is so far below his glorious Greatness that it is a kind of abasement to him to behold them ver 6. He humbleth himself to behold the Things that are in Heaven and in the Earth He humbleth himself to behold these things that are so far below him That would be a strange unaccountable Love that should make a great Prince set his Heart upon a Worm or Fly to regard feed and watch over it and we are as mean if compared to an Infinite God The Nations are as the drop of a Bucket or the small Dust of the Ballance They are counted to him as nothing and if any thing can be lower less than nothing Isa 40.15 17. The Inhabitants of the Earth are but as Grashoppers ver 22. This Consideration was David's Meditation in Psalm 8. when his Thoughts were upon the Wing mounting upward toward the excellent Glory of the Divine Majesty he almost looseth the sight of Man What is Man v. 4. At last his Contemplation carries him to an Admiration of Gods Love and Care over so low a Creature What is Man But oh how great is God's Love in being mindful of him so as to visit him Which is further explained by Job 7.17 What is Man