SAINT PAUL'S TRIUMPH, OR Cygnea illa & dulcissima Cantio, THAT Swanlike and most sweet Song, of that Learned and faithful Servant of GOD, Mr. JOHN RANDALL, Bachelor of Divinity: Uttered by him (in an Eleven SERMONS, upon the Eight Chapter of St. PAUL his Epistle to the Romans, vers. 38.39.) lately before his death, in the time of his great and heavy Affliction, and upon the communion-days, either altogether, or for the most part.  
AND Now published for the glory of God, the edification of his Church and people, and the honourable memorial of the Author, by WILLIAM HOLBROOKE, Preacher of the word of God.  
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for Richard Redmer, and Nathanael Newberry, and are to be sold at the sign of the Star under St. Peter's Church in Cornhill, and in Popes-head Alley, 1623.   

TO Mr. DOCTOR CHAMBERS, DOCTOR OF Divinity, and Pastor of S. Andrews Hubbart in little Eastcheap London, and to M. Matthew de Quester, M. Richard Stretton, M. Thomas Olive, M. Robert Wood, M. Edward Maddeston, M. Giles de Butt, and to the rest of the Parishioners of the said Parish; All grace and happiness in this life, and that which is to come.  
MAster Doctor, and you the rest, my loving friends. It is no insolete nor unwarrantable course, for men to be publishers of the Labours of others, and to have a hand in bringing them forth into the view of the world, and that after the death of the Authors of them, if we either consider the examples of the servants of God in holy writ; as first of the men of Hezekiah, concerning diverse of Solomon's Proverbes 
a Inscript. cap. 25. Proverb. ; secondly of Solomon, or some other, concerning the words of Ager 
b Inscript. cap. 30. Proverb. ; and thirdly, of Solomon himself, concerning the words and counsel of his Mother to him 
c Inscript. cap. 31 Proverb. : Or, if we consider the practice of holy men in all ages, both ancient and modern, as, to instance in the writings of that late and worthy servant of God Mr. Perkins, 
Vide Aben. Ezra. Mercer. jun. Cartw. jansen. Muff. in hos locos.  how many of them are extant, to his never dying fame? and yet most of them published by others after his death, as is plainly to be seen, if we look but in the Title-pages of most of them: Wherein those worthies did (as it were) the office of spiritual Midwives in helping such children to birth: And, had it not been great detriment to the Church of God, present, and to come, and great pity that such goodly children should have been brought to the birth, and there have perished for want of some to help to bring them forth? Upon consideration of this that hath been said. I have afforded my help to the bringing forth of this ensuing Treatise, a worthy and excellent work, of a learned and faithful servant of God (not long since deceased) well known to you and me. The excellency of it will appear, first if the particulars therein entreated of, be but generally considered; as first, the spiritual Communion or conjunction that is betwixt God and the faithful. Secondly, the bond of this conjunction, the love of God. Thirdly, the ground of this conjunction, Christ jesus. Fourthly, the special interest the faithful have in him, and he in them. Fiftly, the certainty of the spiritual safety of God's children amidst all dangers, and against all comers. Sixtly, the assurance the faithful have, and may have, in this life, of God's love, and so of salvation. Seaventhly, the Christian man's bearing of himself up in, and against all danger, upon this assurance, with a declaration and discovery of diverse of our enemies, and what they can do against us: If these be not excellent themes, I know not what are. Secondly, the excellency of this work will appear if the strict and yet plain and easy method which is used therein, be considered, which will make it delightful to every one that readeth it, method being to the matter spoken and uttered, as fashion to apparel, form to building, and as Pictures of Silver to Apples of Gold, 
Proverb. 25.11.  which make much to the lustre and beauty of the Apples, and cause them to be delightful to, and to be much desired, of the beholders. Thirdly, the excellency of this Treatise will appear, if we consider the seasonableness of its birth: It is borne, and cometh forth in due time; For it entreateth at large of the afflictions & dangers to which the faithful are, and may be, subject in this world, and furnisheth them with matter of support, in, and against them all. And when, or in what time could this Argument be more seasonable than now, and at this time, wherein the Church and people of God are in such distress, hazard, and danger, and the destroying Angel of God is so abroad in many places of the world, and all places almost filled with wars, and rumours of wars, and who knoweth when these things shall end? Fourthly, the excellency of this Treatise will appear, if we consider the fitness of, and the enablements wherewith this man was enabled to write and speak of this Subject, which were very great and many, whether we consider the endowments of Learning, nature, grace, or experience; for besides the three former, he was a man experienced in afflictions, being then, when he studied, writ, and preached these following Sermons, and for the space of many years before, a man of many troubles, and of grievous, and of heavy afflictions, by which (through the gracious blessing and work of God's spirit) he was made (as holier and better, so) fitter to write and speak of the nature, kinds▪ degrees, and effects of troubles and afflictions, and of what they can do, and of the supports in them, & against them. For, as every man is best able to speak, and discourse of that profession, and the Mysteries thereof, of which he is 
d Navita de ventis, de tauris narrat arator, enumerat miles vulnera, pastor oves. Propert. , so is that man that is, and hath been long a man of troubles, fittest to write and speak of them, and of all things belonging to them. That this man was, (both then when he writ, and spoke these Sermons, and had been for long time before) a man of troubles, and heavy afflictions, besides the testimony of all that knew him, his own words (which I find written with his own hand in his book, by way of Preface to these following Sermons) do plainly show, his words are these: After a heavy burden, of many heavy infirmities, and sore afflictions, and hideous temptations, long endured, and still continuing upon me, I am come forth once again to speak in this place, not in any sense of strength recovered, nor yet in any lively hope of any ability to go through with this great work, but only in obedience to God's commandment, who hath now brought me, I know not how, unto this service, and in faith alone. This Treatise (excellent as aforesaid in so many respects) I have been moved to Dedicate to you Mr. Doctor, and to you the rest of my loving friends, for three reasons. First, because I conceive that it doth more properly belong unto you, then to any other, for, to whom should it belong, if not to you, Mr. Doctor, who succeed the Author of it in his pastoral charge? whereby you may see how & with what kind of nourishment, he fed his, now your people: And to what people doth it more properly belong, then to you my loving friends, for whom it was first conceived, studied, penned, and preached? Secondly, that I might manifest my entire love and hearty wel-wishing to you all, amongst whom I have exercised my Ministry for the space of nine year's last passed, and still do by the mercy of God. Thirdly, that I might be a means of further knitting, and continuing you in unfeigned love one towards another, by joining you together in this Dedication of this work, whom God hath, by his special providence, joined together in that near band of relation, of Pastor and people. That this may be, and that you, and all others to whom this Treatise shall come, may gain, as much spiritual good, as the Author, in studying, penning, and preaching, and I in publishing desire, I do, and will pray to him that is the God of love, and the giver of all good things, and that through him who is the Son of his love, and the means and way of all good things to us, even the Lord jesus,  
In whom I am yours in the 
 service of the Lord, 
 William Holbrooke.   

To the Christian Reader.  
Understand (Christian Reader) that these following Sermons, were given by the Author (as they were written by his own hand) to his loving friend Mr. Edward Misselden, Merchant, who most Christianly, and willingly, upon the first motion delivered them unto me, and condescended to the publishing of them, knowing that bonum, quo communius, eo melius, a good thing the more common it is, the better it is, for which thou art much beholding to him, for by this means thou hast these Sermons as they were penned and preached by the Author, without addition or detraction. Read and meditate throughly upon them, thou shalt not (I assure thee) repent thee of thy labour, for thou shalt find therein much deep, and necessary heavenly doctrine, and (through God's blessing) be furnished with armour of proof against all dangers and troubles whatsoever, that are upon thee, or may befall thee in this life. Be thankful to God, for this, and all means of thy spiritual good, which he affordeth thee, and forget not to pray for him, who forgetteth not to pray for thee and the whole Church of God, and who will ever be thine in the service of the Lord,  
William Holbrooke.   

SAINT PAUL'S TRIUMPHS, OR The SAINT'S Conjunction with GOD, and support in TROUBLES.  
In the 116. Psalm, verse 10. the Prophet David speaks thus of himself, I believed, and therefore did I speak. In imitation of the practice of the Prophet, the Apostle Paul, 2 Cor. 4.13. takes up the very same speech: We also believe (saith he) and therefore we speak. And in imitation of that practice, both of the Prophet and of the Apostle, I am now come here to speak as God shall enable me; that which God hath enabled me to believe, I believe that which I speak, and I speak that which I believe, and because I believe it, therefore I speak it: And what is that which I believe and speak? Even the very same matter and words, which the Apostle Paul believed and spoke in the depth of his Afflictions.  

THE FIRST SERMON.  ROMANS Chap. 8. Vers. 38.39. 
For I am persuaded, (or I am sure,) that neither Death nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ jesus our Lord.  
FOr I am persuaded, (or I am sure, etc.) It being the ordinary portion of all God's children to suffer many afflictions in this life; It was therefore the ordinary practice of the Apostles, to minister comfort and consolation to all God's children, against all their sufferings. Thus the Apostle here in this place to comfort himself, and the faithful against all afflictions, propounds two considerations: First, what the afflictions are that may befall God's children; Secondly what harm they can do them. And this he doth from the 35. verse. First, what the afflictions are that God's children are subject to in this life; and they are of all sorts, sore and heavy, Tribulation, Distress, Persecution, Famine, Nakedness, Peril, Sword, etc. Secondly, what harm can they do to God's children? He doth not exempt us from any bodily dangers, (for therein we are as other men) but they cannot endanger our spiritual estate, to deprive us of that, they cannot separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ jesus our Lord, for so the question intends, verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall Tribulation, or Distress? As who should say, nothing can: No, they are so fare from doing us harm in our spiritual estate, as that contrariwise, we are much the better for them, in that kind: In all these things we are conquerors, and more than conquerors, through him that loved us, verse 37. And hereupon the Apostle grows to a peremptory resolution, and determines the matter clearly, both on his own part, and on the part of all the faithful, That neither life, nor death, nor Angels, nor Principalities, etc. shall ever separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ jesus our Lord, verse 38.39.  
The parts of this Scripture are two: First the Apostles resolution, that neither life nor death, etc. shall ever separate him from the love of God: Secondly, his protestation of this his resolution, I am persuaded (or I am sure of it. First, the Apostles resolution, that nothing shall separate him, etc. The substance and effect whereof is this; that true believers can never fall away utterly from grace; which he expresseth in these terms, that nothing can separate us, etc. So long as God love's us, we can never utterly fall away from grace: But God love's us always; nothing can separate us from his love: Therefore we can never utterly fall away from grace. And that he might not seem to speak unadvisedly, or rashly, he knows not what, therefore he casts up his reckoning beforehand, as the wise King doth before he undertakes War, Luke 14.31. So doth the Apostle, foresee and set before his eyes, all the causes & dangers of falling away that may be thought of, & then heartens himself against them all, against death, against life, against Angels, etc. and against all comers; never shall any thing separate us from the love of God, neither death, nor life, saith the Apostle: What danger soever befalls us, it befalls us either in our life, or in our death, but neither in death, nor in life, shall any thing separate us, (saith the Apostle,) therefore nothing can: Yea, but yet we may be overmatched with mighty enemies, which are too strong for us, as Angels, Principalities, Powers; the Apostle continues his resolution, that God is infinitely more strong and mighty to save us, than all our enemies are to destroy us, and therefore saith, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, shall ever prevail against us: Yea, but though our present state be good enough, yet things to come are uncertain; We know not yet how hardly we may be bestead hereafter upon our deathbeds, etc. But saith the Apostle, all shall be well then too, our God is not a God a fare off, but at hand too; our loving God is not only for the time present, but for the time to come, even for all eternity, his love never changeth: And therefore as our state is good for the present, so it is for the time to come, God hath secured us for that too, neither things present, nor things to come: Yea, but there is a great height above us, we may be snatched up of that, and a great depth below us, we may be swallowed up of that: No, saith the Apostle, our God that love's us, rules in all things, both in the highest heights, and in the lowest depths that are, and therefore it is neither the height of Heaven, nor the depth of Hell that can separate us: Yea, but there are infinite Creatures in the world, and we know not what mischief they may do us: but saith the Apostle, they are but Creatures, and therefore in the hands and disposing of God their Creator, who is our loving Father in Christ jesus, and therefore not any one of them can, nor all of them together shall, be able to separate us, etc.  
Now secondly of his protestation, I am persuaded, or I am sure of it. It is not a bare conceit, but a full persuasion in me: I do not go by think and guessing, but upon a sure ground, I am sure of it, and here I make it known to all the world, be it known to the faithful, for their comfort and rejoicing; be it known to the wicked, for their terror and astonishment; be it known to the Angels in heaven; and be it known to the Devils in hell, that I am persuaded, that I am confident in it, that neither death nor life, etc. Oh Paul, great was thy faith! Oh thou believing Man or Woman whatsoever thou art, labour and strive thou to get this persuasion into thy heart, and if thou canst not get this full persuasion which was in the Apostle, yet labour to be a true Believer, make sure work for that, and then Paul doth here assure thee, as himself, that neither death, nor life, &c shall ever be able to separate thee from the love of God in Christ jesus; for Paul doth not speak this only in particular of himself, but of us, putting it the case of every believing Man and Woman: He saith not nothing can separate me, but us: that is, all the faithful: and surely he had the Spirit, and could not be deceived, and therefore what was his case, is ours. I am sure, not any thing can separate me; and I am sure not any thing shall separate them, whosoever they be, that have saving faith: For I am persuaded, saith the Apostle, that neither death nor life, nor Angels, etc. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord.  
Now for my more orderly proceeding, and your better understanding, I will cast this Scripture into this mould; The whole substance of the Text doth spend and empty itself into these seven particulars: First, is a matter of Implication, and that is, that there is a Communion or Conjunction betwixt God and the faithful; Separation presupposeth Conjunction: when the Apostle saith, nothing can separate us from God, it is necessarily employed, that there is a Conjunction betwixt God and us: for things that were never joined together, cannot be said to be separated one from the other. Then secondly, he expresseth the Bond of this Conjunction, and that is the love of God. Thirdly, he shows the ground and foundation of this Bond and Conjunction, and that is, Christ jesus our Lord. Fourthly, he declares a special Interest that the faithful have in Christ jesus, by a note of near and special reference betwixt Christ and the faithful, our Lord. Fiftly, the Apostle avoucheth the certainty of the safety of God's Children amidst all dangers, nothing can separate us: and this he enlargeth in many particular dangers, even the greatest that can be imagined, Death, life etc. Sixtly, he protests his Confidence which he hath concerning this their safety, as being the undoubted truth of God, I am persuaded, (or I am sure, etc.) Seaventhly, he bears up himself boldly upon this assurance, against all afflictions and dangers that ever did, or ever could, befall him, for this is the main drift of this whole discourse, being propounded by way of a Reason, for I am sure: Why doth he insult over all these? Because he is sure, and bold against them all.  
Now to the particulars, 
Doct.  and first for the matter of Implication: The Doctrine is this. All true believers are joined to God in Christ, and have a gracious and an holy and spiritual Communion and fellowship with him. The point is but employed here, and therefore I must not be very large in it; but yet because it is so employed as being one special means of our standing fast in the state of Grace, it must not be left untouched, nor yet too sparingly handled. It is a Doctrine hard to be understood, and I dare say, it passeth the capacity of man to understand it in the perfection of it: I say it is hard to be understood, but it is harder to be believed, but hardest of all to be practised; we will speak somewhat of it therefore; first, by way of Explication, that so we may the better understand it: secondly, somewhat by way of Confirmation, that we may the better believe it: thirdly, somewhat by way of Application, that we may the better practise it.  
First, for Explication, 
Explication.  there is a twofold Communion with God, one general, the other special: the general is common to all the Creatures; all have communion with God, they in him, and he in them; they in him as their Creator, he in them, as his Creatures: And this communion they have with God in Christ too, who is the first begotten of every Creature, and in him all things consist, Colos. 1.15.17. as if he should say, Christ hath Communion with God, for he is the Image of the invisible God: the Creatures have communion with Christ, for he is the first begotten of every Creature, and in him all consist; and so consequently, all the Creatures have some kind of Communion with God. The special Communion is twofold, either that Communion which the Angels have with God▪ or that men have with God; the first we will let pass as not so incident to the point in hand: For the second, the Communion which men have with God, it is of two sorts also, general or special: General, which all men have with God by nature, as men, for Christ having taken upon him the whole nature of mankind, all men do Communicate with him; as he is man they partake with him, and he with them, as man with man, as the Apostle-shewes, Heb. 2.14. For as much as the Children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part with them, etc. The special Communion is that which we have with God through Christ by grace, and this likewise is of two sorts, either in the outward means, or in the inward truth of grace: In the outward means of grace, and this is the case of all Professors of the Gospel, that are outwardly called to the Communion of the word and of the Sacraments, they have Communion with God in Christ, in respect of the outward means of grace, and are reputed members of Christ's Body, and this they have, as Christ is head of the Church visible. In the inward truth of grace; and this is proper and peculiar to the faithful only, that are effectually called, and by faith truly engrafted into Christ; and this Communion they have with God in Christ, as Christ is the head of the Church invisible, that is, of the whole company of Gods chosen, and this is the true Communion here intended: Understand it thus; God love's his chosen freely in Christ jesus; and in his love, gives his Spirit to his chosen; by his Spirit, he works faith into their hearts; by faith Christ dwells within them, and is made one with them, and they with him, and so in him they are made one with God: so then, if ye ask me what this Communion is, I say it is our uniting or joining to God; If ye ask me who are the persons that are joined? they are true Believers, all they, and none else; If ye ask me, in whom they are joined? I say in Christ jesus. Lastly, if ye ask me what manner of Communion this is? I say, it is by grace, and by the Spirit, and therefore it is a spiritual and holy Communion: and so you have the whole Doctrine, and every branch of it plainly cleared and opened. So much for Explication.  
Now secondly for Confirmation, 
Confirmation. 1. By Scriptures.  and that shall be both by Scriptures and Reasons: First by Scripture, 2 Pet. 1.4. We are made partakers of the godly (or divine) nature, etc. True Believers are not only made partakers of God's blessings, or of his gifts, but of God's nature and being: And how? not by way of partition, as if some part of the godly Nature were taken from God, and given to us, for that is impossible, the divine nature can never be divided; but by way of Communion, as communicating in the nature of God by a blessed union, 1 Cor. 6.17. He that is joined to the Lord, is one Spirit. The Apostle here affirms two things of every true believer; First, that every true Believer is joined or glued to the Lord, as the word signifies; Secondly, the proceed of it, and that is this, that they are one Spirit: Every true Believer is joined or glued to the Lord; there is our Conjunction: Every Believer that is joined to the Lord, is one Spirit; there is the proceed of this Conjunction, even to an holy and sound Communion. The Scripture speaks yet more particularly, affirming, that we are not only joined to Gods being and nature, but to every person in the Godhead: This blessed Communion is made betwixt us and the whole blessed Trinity, the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, as in the 1 of john 1.3. Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son jesus Christ, there is our Communion with the Father, and with the Son. 1 Cor. 1.9. Ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son jesus Christ: there is our Communion with the Son: and in the 2 Cor. 13.13. The Communion of the holy Ghost be with you all, etc. there is our Communion with the holy Ghost: We have this Communion therefore with God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghost. In precise terms take it thus; we have a Communion with God in Christ, through the Spirit: God the Father is the subject to whom we are united; Christ is the Mediator in whom we are united; the Holy Spirit is the worker by whom we are thus joined and united. God love's us freely, and in his love, gives us his Spirit, and thereby works faith in our hearts, and by Faith, and by the Spirit, Christ is made one with us, and we with him, and in him we are made one with God. So much for proofs by Scripture.  
The Reasons why there is such a Communion of the faithful with God, are these. The first reason is, 
Confirmation by Reasons.  Reason 1 the Love of God to them. Ezek. 16.8. When I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold thy time was the time of love, and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness, yea I swore unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. What is the reason that the Lord did all this for his people? It was his love, it was the time of love, and therefore he did join them to himself, and made them his. Yet further, our Communion with God in Christ, is compared to a Marriage, in Scripture, Hosea 2.19.23. Ephes. 5.31.32. Now why doth a Man marry a Woman? Is it not because he love's her? else he dissembles; but God cannot dissemble: And therefore the main reason why God marries us, and makes us one with himself, is this, because he love's us.  
Secondly, the mediation of Christ makes this Communion, God is in Christ, and the Believer is in Christ, and there is the Communion, the Believer is one with God in Christ: Christ by his Incarnation makes this Communion, by his intercession he procures it, and by his death he doth purchase it, and by our sanctification, he applies it, and makes it ours. By his Incarnation he makes it: For Christ being God, and coming down, and taking our nature upon him, and becomes man, than there is Emanuel, God with us, Matth. 1.23. not only God with Christ, as he being made one with God, but God with us, as we through Christ being made one with God, and he with us. Secondly, in his Intercession, he procures it, as joh. 17.20.21.22. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also that shall believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: Here Christ prays for all true Believers, and what is his request? that they all may be one, etc. that is, there may be an holy Communion, not only betwixt themselves, but betwixt them and God also, and surely Christ's prayer was never denied, but God hears him always, john 11.42. therefore if he hath prayed for it, he hath procured it. Thirdly, by his death he purchased it, Reu. 5.9. Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, etc. Christ hath bought us, and paid dear for us, even his own precious blood, and whom hath he bought us to? to God, that we might be his, that is, that he may own us as his people, and that we may own him as our God. Fourthly, he applies it to us, and makes it ours in our Sanctification, Heb. 2.11. For both he that sanctifieth, and they which are sanctified, are all one: Till we are sanctified we are never truly joined to God, but when once we are sanctified, that is, when we begin to be truly holy in our hearts, & in our lives, then are we already admitted into this blessed Communion with Christ, and so with God; then he that doth sanctify, and they that are sanctified, are all one.  
Reason 3 Thirdly, the Bond of the Spirit is another reason of it: God's Spirit hath a special intercourse, and doth manage this whole business betwixt God and us, Gal. 4.6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying Abba Father: God sends his Spirit into our hearts, thereby God Communicates with us, as with his Sons: By this Spirit we cry Abba Father, and thereby we Communicate with God as with our heavenly Father, there is God's Communion with us, and ours with him: All the exercises of God's Communion with us, are carried by his Spirit: If he teach us, he doth it by his Spirit, if he comforts us, he comforts us by his Spirit, if he adopt us, he adopts us by his Spirit, if he seals us, if he sanctifies us, he doth it by his Spirit; whatsoever God doth to us in this Communion, he doth it all by his Spirit: And on the other side, all the exercises of our Communion with God, are carried by his Spirit; If we pray, we pray by the Spirit; if we believe, we do it by the Spirit; if we love God, if we obey God, we do it by the Spirit; that we pray to God, that we believe in God, that we hope in God, love, and obey God, it is all by the Spirit of God, there is one and the same Spirit in God, and in us: therefore the Bond of the Spirit is one special cause of this Communion which we have with God.  
The last Reason is from the nature of faith, which Reason 4 is of this Nature, that it unites and joins the subject or person believing, to the object or thing believed, and makes them one, By faith we are engrafted into Christ, Rom. 11.19.20. As a science is engrafted into a Stock, and as that grows to be one with the stock, so is the soul that is engrafted into Christ, it grows one with Christ; Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, Ephes. 3.17. And that is a blessed Communion and conjunction betwixt Christ and the true believer. If we believe, presently we have possession of Christ in our hearts, an holy and an heavenly gift: By faith we eateth flesh of Christ, and drink his blood, john 6.47.54. And whosoever eateth Christ's flesh, and drinketh his blood, he life's in Christ, and Christ in him, vers. 57 Here is an holy and an heavenly Communion. See the lively experience of this uniting power of faith in the case of Thomas, joh. 20.27.28. he would not believe, our Saviour persuades him to be ruled by him, and not to be obstinate, not to be faithless, but faithful; so soon as ever he believed, he cries out, My Lord, and my God; so that by believing in God, God becomes our God, and by believing in the Lord, the Lord becomes our Lord; he is ours, and we are his; this makes the union: And so much be spoken for matter of Confirmation.  
Now lastly we come to speak somewhat, by way of Application, for the practice of Christians, and the uses for Application are of two sorts: the first sort of uses are for all men in general; the second sort, are for those that have found this favour at God's hand, to attain unto his blessed Communion. First, in general for all men, 
Uses in general to all men.  and that is for reproof; It serves to reprove a common error amongst us: generally men think, we shall be saved by jesus Christ, as he is without us; for thus we imagine, that Christ came down from heaven, and took our nature upon him, died for Sinners, and is ascended into Heaven to make intercession for the Church, and whosoever believes thus of him, shall surely be saved by him: A graceless conceit, such as hardens many thousands in their ignorance, unbelief, and disobedience, and carries them smooth to hell: Oh my Brethren! let us not be deceived, Christ jesus indeed is a Saviour and a perfect Saviour, but he never saved any but such as had Communion with him, that were in him and he in them; they in him by faith, he in them by his Spirit, else they can never be saved. 2 Cor. 5.17. Except we be in Christ, we have no part in his Resurrection, and Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ jesus: Till we be in Christ, we are most damnable wretches; if ever we will escape damnation, we must be in Christ, and Christ must be in us, else we are Reprobates, 2 Cor. 13.15. Harken thou carnal Professor, that thinkest to be saved by Christ, as he is without thee, but the Holy Ghost tells thee plainly, that except Christ be in thee, thou art but in the state of a Reprobate: If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is none of his, Rom. 8.9.10. To have Christ within us, is to have his Spirit within us, so that Christ must be in us by his Spirit, if we will have any part in him: It were a merry world for carnal Professors, if they might be saved by Christ, as he is without us; Then the  man, the proud man, the malicious, the covetous man, and the drunkard, and such like, might take their fill in sin, and yet sit down and bless themselves, and say, Oh there is a Saviour in Heaven, Christ jesus, who sits at the right hand of God, he will be merciful unto us, and forgive us and save us: No, no, thou godless and graceless person, there is no such way to Heaven; Christ jesus must be in thee by his Spirit, else he will never save thee; thou must have Christ thy Saviour in thy heart, else thou hast no Christ thy Saviour in heaven; Christ jesus must be in thee to mortify thy uncleanness, covetousness, pride, etc. and to make thee repent of thy sins, and forsake them, and to cause thee to lead a new life, or else he will never take away thy sins: Deceive not thyself; thou thinkest that thou art in a good case, and shalt be saved; I tell thee thou art in a damnable state, except Christ be in thee; It is very true that jesus Christ in his own person, as he is without us, hath done and suffered all things that may cause and procure our salvation; and it is as true that Christ jesus must come and dwell within our hearts by his Spirit, to apply these his doings and sufferings to our hearts, else we can never have any saving benefit by him; as for example, Christ jesus hath in his own person, by sacrificing himself on the Cross, offered a sweet smelling sacrifice to God his Father for my sins; but yet except Christ come down into my Soul, by his Spirit, and persuade me to believe it, and apply it to myself, I can have no saving part in that his Sacrifice.  
Use. 2 The second Use is matter of Examination, to teach us to examine ourselves concerning this point, 
To all men.  whether Christ be in us, 2 Cor. 13.5. Prove yourselves whether you are in the faith; Examine yourselves, saith the Apostle. Enter into a serious consideration with your own Souls, and see whether you have any part in this blessed Communion with God or not: This be sure of, that whosoever hath not in some true measure, this blessed Communion with God, he hath an accursed Communion with the Devil, there is no middle betwixt them: Therefore lay thy hand upon thy heart, and examine thyself what Communion thou hast with God in Christ, what knowledge & what faith thou hast: Dost thou know God in Christ? dost thou believe in God through Christ? dost thou worship God in Christ? and all this in truth of thy heart? then thou mayest be well assured that thou art joined to God in Christ, else thou art without Christ, and so without God. To give you a sure and true Rule for this Trial, which if you do duly consider, will never deceive you; there are two infallible Evidences of this Communion, the Spirit, and the fruits of the Spirit: First, the Spirit, 1 john 4.13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit: The Apostle makes this a certain Note of our Communion, and therefore if we have the Spirit we are sure of it: Yea, but we may flatter ourselves, that we have the Spirit when we have it not? that is true, but that is their own Error and presumption that do so: but yet if thou dost make a Trade of this Examination, thou shalt find in time, that thou dost know it of a Truth: He that hath the Spirit indeed, knows it as certainly, as he knows he life's; only by practice, experience, and prayer, this is brought to pass. Secondly, the fruits of the Spirit, (I will name but two,) Mortification, and Quickening; Mortifying the old man, & quickening of the new man, these are two infallible Evidences of our Communion with God: First, Mortification, Gal. 5.24. They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts; Secondly quickening, Rom. 8.11. But if the spirit of him that raised up jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his spirit that dwelleth in you: And both these in the 10. verse: If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life for rightness sake: Now examine thyself by these Rules: Thou sayest thou hopest to be saved by Christ, then show that thou hast the Spirit, and the fruits of the Spirit: Look well therefore into thy heart, what portion of the Spirit hast thou, Doth the Spirit of God bear witness to thy spirit that thou art Gods? Again, examine thyself what fruits of the Spirit are in thee; what mortification hast thou? dost thou strive against thy corruptions? dost thou mortify thy earthly lusts? dost thou find that sin dies, and thy secret corruptions waste and consume daily in thee? If thou dost, than hast thou a blessed Communion with Christ jesus in his death; for it is by the power of his death that this is wrought in thee. Secondly, what quickening hast thou? what newness of heart and life? what zeal for God's glory? what delight in God's Commandments? what comfort hast thou in prayer? what care and conscience hast thou to lead a godly life? etc. If thou findest these things in thee, than thou hast a blessed Communion with Christ in his resurrection; for this is our Communion with Christ, to communicate with him both in his death and in his Resurrection, and both these have we by his Spirit; but if thou dost not find these things in thee, certainly as yet thou art in a miserable case.  
The second sort of Uses for those that have attained this favour at God's hands, 
4. Uses to the faithful only.  to enjoy this blessed Communion, are these. First, we that have found this, should carry ourselves worthy of it: Hath God admitted us to this happy Communion with himself? and will not we carry ourselves answerably? If some great man should admit us into fellowship with him, we would be careful how we carry ourselves, we would be ruled by him, love that he love's, etc. then let us do so with God, He hath admitted us into fellowship with himself; let us therefore be Ruled by his Spirit; Let us be careful to please him, fearful to offend him; Let us do his will, and not our own wills, Let us love that which he love's; Let us love his children and his Religion, and Righteousness and Holiness, because God love's them: And let us hate that which he hates; Let us hate our sins and corruptions, 1 john 1.6. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie: The Spirit gives them the lie in their face that say they have fellowship with God, and yet live in sin. Before we enter into this league and Communion with God, we are at our own hands, happily we eat and drink with the drunken, we smite our fellow servants, we walk in the lusts of our own eyes, we profane the Sabbath, and such like: but when once we are admitted into fellowship with God, than we are bound to our good-behaviour, our Eyes, Hands, Senses, Limbs, all the parts of our Bodies, and powers of our Souls, are wholly consecrated and devoted to God's service; As the Apostle speaks of Fornication, 1 Cor. 6.11.15. (A common Sin in the Church of Corinth, and too common amongst us;) So we may say of every sin, for so the force of this Reason extends it to all other sins, as well as to that: Shall we take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot, God forbidden. So we say of Pride, Drunkenness, and other sins; Shall I take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a Drunkard, or of a proud person? God forbidden; No, if any be in Christ, let him be a new Creature: Old things are passed, and behold all things are become new, 2 Cor. 5.17. If any man have been a Drunkard, let him now learn to live soberly; If any man have been a Sabboath breaker, or a swearer, or a lewd liver, now that he is in Christ, he must be a new Creature: Away with all thy old sins, and see that all be new within thee: Deck thyself with all spiritual graces, Faith, and Repentance, and Love, etc. keep them always in exercise, that so thou mayst be always gracious in God's eyes, ever having your Lamps burning, & thus we shall walk worthy of this blessed Communion.  
Use 2 
Four things to be practised for the increase of this Communion.  Secondly, this teacheth us to maintain this Communion, and to increase it in ourselves, and grow up in it; First, by Prayer, Psal. 86.11. Knit (or unite) my heart unto thee, saith the Prophet, or make my heart one with thee: and john 17.20. Our Saviour prays for his Disciples that they might have this Communion; Now David and the Disciples had this Communion before, but yet they pray for the increase of it; and if we ask, we shall receive. Secondly, we must seek to maintain and increase this Communion by the Ministry of the Word, 1 Pet. 2.2.3. Hast thou tasted how bountiful the Lord hath been to thee, in working this blessed Communion betwixt him and thee by his Word? then labour to be further confirmed in it by that Word. Thirdly, the Sacraments are forcible means to maintain this Communion, especially the Lords Supper, for there God admits us to his own Table, feeds us with the precious Body and Blood of his own Son; What Communion can be greater than this? Besides, here in this Sacrament the means of this our Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ are tendered sensibly unto us, to our our hands, and to our mouths: Then as the hand takes hold, and the mouth receives the outward Elements, so let the heart take hold on Christ crucified, for our further Communion with him; we never savingly meditate on Christ, but we eat Christ, but when we come to the Lords Supper, there we do more sensibly feed upon him: We have the Signs, the Bread and Wine, and the Ministers special Application; This is my Body which was broken for thee, my blood which was shed for thee, etc. this is a great help to us: And whosoever receives this Sacrament beleevingly, as the Minister gives him the Bread and Wine, so God conuaies Christ into his heart by his Spirit. Lastly, every of us that comes to this Sacrament, must renew his Covenant with God, and bind himself to be a truer servant to God then ever before, else he can have no Communion with Christ in this Sacrament. Fourthly, that we may maintain and grow up in this happy Communion, we must make much of the smallest portion thereof; the least relish of God's favour, the least motions of this Spirit, the least degree of Sanctification, the least measure of true grace: make much of that little thou hast, and use it well, and be sure thou shalt have more, Math. 23.21.23. the Servant that doth employ his little well shall be made Ruler over much.  
Use 3 The third Use is, to teach us Thankfulness: We must acknowledge, admire, and be ravished with the thought of the infinite goodness of God, in assuming thee and joining thee to himself. This our blessed Communion in Christ, is infinitely more than if the greatest Potentate of the earth should take the meanest man that is to be his Favourite; or the basest woman that is to be his Spouse; for here the great God of heaven and earth, the King of Kings, makes us his Favourites, and his Spouse, his own associates, both in grace and glory. Let us therefore consider this aright, and pour forth our souls in thankfulness to God for this infinite mercy. To provoke us the more to thankfulness, let us solace ourselves in this Garden of Eden, (for this is the Paradise of God.) Let us behold and admire the particular passages betwixt God and us in this blessed Communion; God knows us, and we know God; he walks and talks with us, and we with him; he covenants with us, and we with him, Hosea 2.23. he love's and honours us, and we love and honour him; he life's, and dwells, and delights in us, and we live, and dwell, and delight in him. In admiration of this great mercy of God, let every one of us break forth and say; Oh glorious God, how infinitely good art thou to my poor Soul! Oh my poor Soul, how infinitely thankful oughtest thou to be to thy glorious God  
The last Use is for Comfort, and for singular consolation Use 4 to all true believers. It is a great comfort to us, that God is with us, and we with him: But that God should be in us, and we in God; that he should be one with us, and we one with him, this is the comfort of all comforts: For being thus with us, then if afflictions, temptations, persecutions, death, men, or Devils, can prevail against God and Christ; then may they prevail against us: But if God and Christ be stronger than all the adversary powers, that are or can be against us, then surely they shall never prevail against us, that are one with God in Christ jesus.  
FINIS.   

THE SECOND SERMON,  Upon ROMANS 8. two last Verses. 
For I am persuaded, (or I am sure,) that neither Death nor life, etc.  
I Have showed the Dependence and Connexion of those words with the former, from the 35. Verse. Also I have showed you that they contain two parts; First, the Apostles Resolution, neither Death, nor life, nor Angels, etc. should separate him, etc. Secondly, his Protestation, I am persuaded, or I am sure of it. I also opened the meaning of the words, as you may remember, which I will not now stand to repeat; only remember that I cast this Scripture into this mould, and shown you that it spent itself into these particulars; First, that which the Apostle implies, namely, that there is a Conjunction betwixt God and true Believers, employed in the word separate. Secondly, the Bond of this Communion, and that is the love of God. Thirdly, the Apostle shows the ground, both of this Bond, and of this Communion, and that is, jesus Christ. Fourthly, he declares that there is a near Interest betwixt Christ and the Faithful, our Lord. Fiftly, he avoucheth the safety of God's children in the midst of all dangers; nothing shall separate them, etc. and enlargeth it in many particulars, neither death nor life. Sixtly, he protests the confidence he hath concerning this his safety, I am persuaded, or I am sure. Lastly, he bears himself boldly upon this assurance, that neither any thing that hath, or shall befall him, shall separate him from the love of God. We have begun with the first particular, the matter of Implication, and the point was this, namely; That all true Believers are joined to God in Christ, and have a holy and spiritual and gracious communion and fellowship with him; of this we spoke the last time, as time did permit.  
Now we are to come to the second point, 
2 Doct.  the Bond of this holy Communion betwixt God and us, and that is, the love of God. The Doctrine is this, that the Bond of that holy Communion which is betwixt God and true Believers, is God's love to them. The Bond of that holy Communion which true Believers have with God in Christ, is the love of God. The Doctrine ariseth thus, the Apostle speaking of the Impossibility of separating us from God, or from our Communion with God, expresseth it thus; nothing can separate us from the love of God, thereby giving us plainly to understand, that the Bond whereby we are so fast joined to God in Christ so as nothing can separate us, is this, the love of God towards us. 
Explication, consisting in three questions and answers.  I will speak somewhat by way of Explication; and certain questions there are to be propounded and answered therein. The first question is, whether this love of God here spoken or, may not be meant of our love to God, as well as of his love to us, for so some expound it? and it agrees well with the phrase, for so sometimes in Scripture, the love of God is taken for God's love to us, and sometime for our love to God: And also it agrees well with the drift of this place, which is to show the certainty of the faithful in the state of grace, not only that nothing can remove God from us, that he should cease to love us; but also that nothing shall remove us from God, that we should cease to love him. And it agrees well with the Nature of our Communion with God; for this being a mutual Communion, as well on our part with God, as on his part with us (for, as he saith to us, thou art my People, so, we say to him, thou art my God, Hosea 2.23.) therefore there is necessary use as well of our love to him, as of his to us, for the upholding of this Communion. I answer, the love of God here spoken of is meant directly & properly of God's love to us, & not of our love to God; for it must be understood of such a love that never fails; but alas our love to God doth fail many times, but God's love to us never fails: therefore it must be meant of God's love to us, & not of our love to God: there is indeed a great use, & an absolute necessity of our love to God, & so it is true that God will never suffer our love to fall utterly from him, and so consequently it is true that nothing shall utterly separate us from our love to him: Yea, but that is not the drift of the place, for the force and power of our unseperable Conjunction with God, doth not stand upon the weak hold of our love to God, but upon the strong & unmoveable hold of God's love to us.  
The second Question is, that seeing it is meant of God's love to us, than what kind of God's love to the faithful is here spoken of? I answer, there is a threefold love which God bears to all true Believers: First, God love's his children with a general love, as they are his Creatures, the work of his own hands, and so he hates nothing that he hath made; and this is a providing love for their maintenance and preservation, and this he shows in our daily Food and Raiment, and necessaries for this life. Secondly, he love's them with a special love, as men, or as they are of the Nature of mankind, for the Nature of man is a lovely thing in the eyes of God; and this is a countenancing love, for the advancement and honour of mankind; and this love God shown specially in the Incarnation of Christ, when the nature of man was assumed into the person of the Son of God. The third is a particular love which he bears to them as they are his Children and true Believers, for a true believing Saul is a most precious jewel before the Lord; and this is a saving love, for their grace and glory: and this he shows in making us one with himself inseparably, and for ever; and this love it is, that is here spoken of, Nothing shall separate us from the saving love of God for grace and glory.  
The third Question is, why it is called a Bond: The answer is, because it performs such Offices in this case, as a Bond doth; for first, a Bond serves to join and tie things together into one Bundle; and secondly, being so tied, it keeps them fast together, so that till the Bond be broken, or taken off (as we see in a faggot or a sheaf) they are never sundered; so is God's love in this blessed union, it joins together, and till itself fail, (which can never be) it holds us fast to God for ever. These things rightly understood, and well digested, the Doctrine stands clear in every man's understanding and judgement against all difficulty and exception; namely, that the Bond of that holy Communion which is betwixt God and true Believers, is God's love to them in Christ. The proofs of the Doctrine are these, 
Proofs, or confirmation, 1. by Scripture  jer. 31.3. the end of the Verse. I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with mercy have I drawn thee: It is Gods own speech to his own people, wherein first he professeth his love; I have loved thee, etc. And then he shows the fruits of his love, therefore with mercy have I drawn thee, etc. The Lord shows mercy unto us, and in mercy draws us unto himself, into a blessed Communion with his own Majesty; but what is the Bond whereby he draws us? It is his love to us, I have loved thee, therefore, etc. Hosea 11.1.4. When Israel was a Child, than I loved him, and called my Son out of Egypt; God calls us out of the Egyptian darkness of Sin and Death, and Hell, and takes us to be his own Children, his Sons and Daughters; but whence comes it that he enters into this league with us? It is from his love, I have loved him, etc. then in the fourth Verse, I lead them with Cords of man, even with Bonds of Love, where the Holy Ghost speaks expressly to the point in hand, that the Bonds whereby God leads along in the ways of salvation, are the Bonds of Love, Cant. 2 4. He brought me into the Wine-Cellar, and Love was his Banner over me; He brought me into his Wine-Cellar, there the Spouse (every true believing Soul) speaks of the sweet intercourse betwixt Christ and her; brought me into his Wine-Cellar, that is, made me partaker, of his spiritual, sweet, and heavenly comforts, for that is meant by wine; and love was his Banner, what is the use of a Banner? It is to gather together the Soldiers to the Company and Captain to whom they do belong: God's Banner over his people, is his loan, It is the love of God to his, that gathers all true believers together unto jesus Christ, he being their Captain, and they his Soldiers to serve under his Colours; Oh this is a sweet service, to serve and to fight under the Colours and Banner of the love of God in jesus Christ! john 3.16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life: God hath given us his Son jesus Christ, that by faith we might believe in him, and have Communion with him, and he that doth believe in him shall never perish, but have eternal life: And whence is all this? from his love, there is no bond to tie God to do this for us, but only his love to us, God so loved the world, etc. john 17.23. I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me: That Christ is in us, and God in Christ, and that all the faithful have a perfect Communion with God in Christ. These are plain Evidences to the eye of the world; that God hath sent his Son to us, and that he hath loved us (in some measure) as he love's Christ himself, and that this love was the cause, why he did all this for us: So much for proofs of Scripture to confirm this point.  

Secondly, by Reasons.  The Reasons of the Doctrine are these: First, all Reason 1 the good that ever God doth to all or any of his creatures, it is merely of his own love, and good will towards them; therefore this Communion which God affords the faithful to have with him, is much more from his love: That all the good that ever God doth to any of his creatures comes from his love, we may see, Psal. 145.16. Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things living of thy good pleasure; then much more this Communion; I say much more, for the Reason ariseth upon many advantages: First, if all the good he doth to the other creatures comes from his love, much more the good he doth to man must come from his love, Man being the choice and prime of the creatures: Secondly, if to men in general, of love, then much more to true believers, being the prime and choice of men in God's estimation: Thirdly, if all the good God doth to true believers comes from his love, then much more this blessed Communion, which is the Prime and Choice, and indeed the very Sum of all the good we receive from God; so that the reason stands very strong.  
Reason 2 The second Reason is drawn from the nature or kind of this Communion; What is that? It is such a Communion as is betwixt the Father and the Child, 2 Cor. 6.18. I will be your Father, and you shall be my Sons and Daughters, saith the Lord Almighty: Now betwixt the Father and the Child, the case stands thus; so long as the Father love's his Child, so long he doth well by him, and delights to do him good; when his love fails, than the good he doth him fails too; that which binds the Father to do his Child good, is his love towards him: Now, 
Isay 49.15.  can a Mother forget her child, and not have compassion on the Son of her womb? though she should, yet will not the Lord forget his Children: The love of a father to his child is changeable, but God's love to his children is unchangeable; that bond may be broken and so all flies in sunder; but this cannot be broken, and therefore we cannot be sundered from God. Again, it is such a Communion as is betwixt the head and the members, Ephe. 4.15.16. and we know that it is from a loving respect that the head carries to the members of the Body, whereby the members receive life, and sense, and motion from the head; they are knit together in love, as in the 16. verse, as that being the knitter of the members amongst themselves, and to their head; and therefore consequently of the head to the members, as the Apostle makes the matter very clear in that place. Again, it is such a Communion, as is betwixt the husband and the wife, Hosea 2.19. and love is all in all in that Communion; First, it brings them together, than it knits them together, and it holds them fast together to the death; so it is betwixt God and us, look into the book of Canticles with a spiritual eye, and there we shall see this Communion of the believing soul with Christ, compared to the Communion that is betwixt man and wife, and we shall find that there is never a stitch nor passage in it, but is from love, Ephesians, chap. 5. verse 25. Husband's love your wives, as Christ loved his Church: All that ever is done betwixt man and wife, must be in love; and so it is betwixt CHRIST and his Church.  
Reason 3 The third Reason, there is no moving cause in us, why the Lord should thus join us, and tie us unto himself, therefore it is of his mere love, there is no moving cause on our part, for what did, or could the Lord see in us, whereby he might be induced to do this for us? Is it our multitude that should move God? Oh no, saith Moses, Deut. 7.7.8. The Lord did not set his love upon you, or choose you because you were more in number then any people, for you were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you, etc. What is it then our Beauty that should move God to draw us and bind us in Communion with himself? No, we were in our blood, when God set his love upon us, and entered into Covenant with us, Ezek. 16.7.8. What then, was it our Righteousness? No, neither, Titus 3.5. Not by the works of Righteousness which we had done, but according to his mercy, he hath saved us; What, was it because we loved him first? No, saith the Apostle, 1 john 4.10. Herein is love, not that we loved him, but that he loved us, and sent his Son, etc. No, I will add this further, for the strengthening of this Reason, that we are so fare from having any thing in us of ourselves, to induce God to this, to make us one with his blessed Majesty; as that all that is in us, of ourselves, is utterly against this Communion, all of us are sinners, so fare are we off from having Righteousness: we were sometimes enemies to God, so far are we from loving God: we have deserved to be joined in Communion with the Devils in hell; so fare off are we in ourselves from deserving to be joined with God: We are ugly and deformed in ourselves, by our wickedness, so fare off are we from having any beauty, whereby God should set his love upon us: We are running away from God (as the lost child) so fare off are we from drawing near unto God. All these are seperaters from God, and no joiners to God, therefore it must needs be love, and nothing but love, yea, the infinite love of God to us in Christ jesus, that gathers us, and binds us up within this Communion: It is his love to cover such a multitude of sins; his love to care for us, when we were careless of ourselves▪ his love to affect us that hated him; his love to overcome our monstrous evilness, with his merciful goodness; his love to rescue us, & raise us up from the gates of Hell, and to set us in heavenly places; his love to assume us that were castaways in ourselves, to be associated with his blessed Majesty; this is such a love indeed as is admirable, infinite, worthy of God, who if he were not love itself, he could not, nor would not, have showed forth such favour unto us.  
The first Use of this Doctrine, is matter of Confutation Use 1 against the Doctrine of Man's merits. If love be the bond of our Communion of God in Christ, then there is no merit of Saints nor of Angels, that could ever be the cause of it; no work before or after justification doth merit this: before justification, God sets his love upon us freely, that is agreed upon on both sides, but after justification, say the Papists, we may deserve heaven: No, say we, the love of God is the bond of our Communion with God, which as it brings us to God, so it ties us fast to him, sanctifies us, and glorifies us.  
Use 2 The second Use is for Instruction, teaching us, that seeing all true believers have a true Interest in the love of God, they are all joined to God, and the bond that ties them to him, is his Love: therefore all true believers are seized and possessed of the love of God. A matter worthy to be well considered of us, as that that will call upon us and provoke us to many holy Duties. 
Five Duties to be learned from the love of God to us  First, therefore we must know and believe this, that God love's us, 1 john 4.16. We have known Duty. 1 and believed (saith the Apostle) the love that God hath in us: Let us labour therefore to get some comfortable knowledge and persuasion in our hearts, that God love's us. Wicked men are usually too forward and too presumptuous in this case; they run on in sin, and in their own vild courses, not regarding God's love, and yet they presume and and persuade themselves that God love's them; and if any tell them the contrary, they defy him: On the other side, God's children they are too backward; They repent, and pray against their sins, and fight against them, and strive after grace, and yet they are hardly persuaded of God's love to them: Therefore how shall we know certainly that God love's us? 
Certain signs & marks that God loveth us.  I answer, we may know it; First, in general, by this very point in hand; if we have this Communion with God; if we be engrafted into Christ▪ if we be obedient to the Spirit; if we be constant and conscionable in the use of the Word, Sacraments, and prayer, then certainly God love's us, and we are within the compass of this Bond. Secondly, thou mayst know it in particular by this; Art thou plucked out of thy sins? hast thou parted with them for conscience sake? hath thy master-sin received his deaths-wound within thee? Is thy heart cleansed in some true measure from thy wickedness? Oh, then certainly God love's thee, Psal. 73.1. Surely God is good to such as are of a pure heart. As it is the greatest sign that ever can be of God's wrath upon us, when he suffers us to live and to dye in our sins; so there is no greater sign of his love, than this, that our sins are cast out of us, and we not suffered to live in them. Thirdly, thou mayst know it by thy love to GOD, if thou love GOD, it is most certain that he love's thee, and if God love's thee, thou canst not but love God: But how may I know certainly that I love God indeed, for I may be deceived in this, as well as in the other? I answer, look into thy Obedience; if thou hast an obedient heart to God, than thou lovest God, john 14.21. where Christ expresseth, both how we may know, we love God; secondly, how we may know that he love's us: If we would know whether we love God, look into our obedience, He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them, is he that loveth me: And if we would know whether God love's us, let us look into our love to him, And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, saith our Saviour. Fourthly, we may know God's love to us by our chastisements, Hebr. 12.6. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth; but afflictions and chastisements are common to all good and bad, to the wicked as well as to the godly. I answer, Afflictions are so indeed, but chastisements are peculiar to God's people only: But how shall I know whether mine be chastisements? I answer, out of the 10. verse. When God chastiseth us, it is for our profit. And what profit? that we might be partakers of his holiness; therefore if we would know it to be a chastisement, look whether we profit by it to holiness; If we grow in grace, it is a certain and most sensible, yea, and infallible sign of God's love; I say both these together, chastisements and profit by them, is an infallible sign of God's love to thee; If God's hand be upon thee in mind, or body, or goods, any way, or every way, if thou dost profit by it to holiness, and get grace thereby into thy heart, then certainly God love's thee. This is a sensible Argument and an infallible sign of it, it must needs be much love that turns sour into sweet, the sourness of thy chastisements, into the sweetness of his grace.  
Duty. 2 Another Duty that we may learn hence, is to be thankful to God for this his great love: Oh, that we could in any measure worthily praise the Lord for this his great love to us! It is worthy of more thankes than we are able to give, we should study therefore how to praise God for it, stir up all the powers of thy Soul to this duty; say with David, Psal. 103.1. Oh my Soul praise thou the Lord, and all that is within me praise his holy Name: And that which David would have all Nations to do, that we must do, Psal. 117.1. Praise the Lord: Thy soul fares the better for this love, and all that is within thee, fares the better for it, and therefore stir up thy self, and say, Praise the Lord Oh my Soul! for his love towards thee, and let all that is within me praise him for his love; say it with thy mouth, and do it with thy heart, and let thy life say Amen to it; and then this love of God is well bestowed upon thee; God's love is lively and quick to us; and therefore let our thankfulness be so to him.  
Thirdly, hence we learn this Duty, to take comfort Duty. 3 in this love of God: It may comfort thee in afflictions, in sickness, in poverty, at the hour of death; Many times God brings us to the gates of death, yet let us know that God love's us, and then our state is happy, we shall have a sweet and comfortable passage through death to life: So it may comfort us against all the disgraces and scorns of the world: the world accounts us as of-scouring, yet here is our comfort, that howsoever the world accounts of us, yet God love's us, and then it is no matter though the whole world hate us. Again, this may comfort us in our prayers which we make to God; If we can come to God and pray, Lord remember me in thy love, can the Lord choose but hear us? If we can come to God with a sound persuasion in our hearts that God love's us, than our prayers shall ascend as a sweet perfume to God, and God will surely hear them, and that quickly.  
The fourth Duty we learn hence, is to keep our Duty. 4 selves in this love of God, jude 21. It is the richest jewel that ever we can have, and he that changeth this state of God's love, for any other, he changeth heaven for hell: Therefore do not provoke God to break off his love from thee, displease him not, break not his Laws, resist not his Spirit of grace, grieve not his Children, neglect not Prayer, the Word, nor the Sacraments, nor other means of grace, but observe him duly, and be ruled by him, and so thou shalt keep in his love, above all things, turn not back to thy old Sins; and if thou dost sin, (as who doth not?) presently humble thyself, make thy peace with him by unfeigned Repentance, and prayer, and faith in the Mediator jesus Christ, renew thy Covenant in him; and thus doing, thou shalt be sure to keep in his love; for this is the mercy and goodness of God to us, he remembers whereof we be made, and that we cannot but fall, yet such is his mercy, that if we return unto him, he will love us still.  
Duty. 5 Fiftly, here we must learn this Duty, to recompense our God with love again; If a man of any fashion love us, we were very hardhearted, if we would not love him again; If God love us therefore, we must much more love him again. In many things we cannot recompense God again, God is merciful to us, we cannot be merciful to him again, and so in other things: But God is loving to us, and we may recompense him, and love him again for his love to us: Our love to him indeed, comes fare short of his love to us, yet it is that which God requires, and which he will accept, and that love which we cannot show to God, let us piece it up with our love to his Children, and to his Gospel, and to his Ministers, and thus we may in some sort recompense God's love which he shows to us.  
Use 3 The third Use: It teacheth us how to esteem of this great love of God, Ephes. 2.4. which passeth knowledge, Ephes. 3.19. How? Why thus; As the original and procuring Cause of all the good that ever we receive at the hands of God, 1 joh. 3.1. We are the Sons of God, (saith the Apostle;) What doth he rest there? No, Behold, (saith he) What love the Father hath given to us, that we should be called the Sons of God? God's love is the cause of our adoption. If you ask why God chooseth us, justifies us, sanctifies and glorifies us? the answer is, because he love's us: But if you ask why he love's us? There can be no reason given of it, but because he love's us. This is the Bond of all, it comprehends all the rest of the good that God doth for us, but is not comprehended of any of them: This Love is God, and God is Love..  
Lastly, this shows unto us the Excellency of that Use 4 Communion which true Believers have with God, 
The excellency of a true Believers communion with God, manifested in four things.  
1 Nearness.  because it is bound up and tied fast within the unbounded limits of God's love, Psal. 144.15. Blessed are the people that be so, yea, blessed be the people whose God is the Lord: Consider the Excellency of it in these particulars: First, the nearness of this Communion, it is of love, and therefore it is most near. Love doth transanimate us as it were, and makes of two, one; as it is betwixt man and wife; or as the Heathen man said of two friends, that they had one soul, and two bodies: and so God's love makes us one with God; not as if God hereby were become man, or man God, in proper and precise terms, but as in a Communion betwixt a man and his wife, they are not one man, or one wife, but one flesh: so the love of God to us, in this Communion makes us not one God, or one man, but one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6.17.  

2. Freeness.  Secondly, consider the Freeness of this Communion, Hosea 14.5. I will love them freely (saith God;) Luke 1.28. freely beloved: God love's us freely; as when a father adopts a Child, for his own; freely; As if one of you should see a Child go up and down the streets, and you should take him into your House, and freely adopt him, and make him your Child: so doth God, he love's us freely, and out of his free love, takes us into his House, and adopts us to be his Children.  

3. Sureness.  Thirdly, consider the Sureness of this Communion, the Bond of it is God's love, and his love is everlasting, jer. 31.3. no time can wear it out, and Can. 8.6.7. Love is strong as Death, much water cannot quench Love: It is so betwixt man and woman, much more betwixt God and us: It is not our sins can quench his love, no, love covers a multitude of sins.  

4. Sweetness.  Lastly, consider the Sweetness of this Communion betwixt God and us, if it be from the love of God, than it is most sweet, Cant. 1.1. Thy love is better than Wine: If a man have but a sparkle of this love in him, it cannot but quicken him, yea, it will ravish him, Psal. 63.3. thy love is better than life. All the blessings that we enjoy, whether they be spiritual or temporal, are no blessings to us, except they be sweetened with this love of God; our meat, our drink, our life, yea, Heaven itself is no blessing, unless it be sweetened to us by this Love of God: what good did heaven to the Angels that fell, wanting this love of God? Oh, the love of God to a Sinner! What is it? It is the heart of our hearts, the life of our lives, and happiness of our Souls: Worldly men, let them have what the world can afford them, wealth and honours, and the like, they can be content without the love of God: but this is but as gravel in their mouths wanting the other; they stand in slippery places, and suddenly they go down to Hell. Therefore let us relish all things we enjoy, as being sweetened with this love of God; our Wives, Children, Friends, Goods, yea, our own lives; and then when these are gone, yet the love of God, whereby they were made sweet unto us, will still remain: Let us labour therefore for some relish of God's love in jesus Christ; it is hard to get it, Faith only works it.  
FINIS.   

THE THIRD SERMON,  Upon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses. 
For I am persuaded, (or I am sure,) that neither Death, etc.  
THe dependence of these words with the former, and the meaning of them in themselves I have already showed. Also I cast this Scripture into this mould, showing, that the substance thereof emptied itself into these seven particulars: First, the things employed, and that was, that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithful, in the word separate, which necessarily implies a Conjunction with God; things cannot be separate, that are not first joined together. Secondly, there is showed the Bond of this Communion, the love of God. Thirdly, the Apostle shows the ground of this love and Communion, jesus Christ. Fourthly, he declares the Interest which the Faithful have in Christ jesus, by a term of near reference, our Lord. Fiftly, he doth here avouch the safety of all God's Children in the midst of all dangers, and enlargeth himself in many particulars, neither death, nor life, nor Angels, etc. Sixtly, he professeth his own confident persuasion that he hath of this, I am sure. Seaventhly, he bears himself boldly upon this confidence against all Comers, Death, life, Angels, etc. Of the first and second points we have spoken; Now in the strength of God we are to procceede to speak of the third point, and that is the ground and foundation of this love which God bears to his Children, and that is jesus Christ, Nothing is able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ jesus.  
The Doctrine, for our Instruction, is this; 
Doctrine.  The ground or foundation of all God's love which he bears or shows to true Believers, is Christ jesus. The Doctrine is contained within the Text fully, and delivered almost in so many words, for mark the words, the love of God which is in Christ jesus; As if he should say, the love that God bears to true Believers in Christ jesus, is settled in him, erected in him, and made good unto us in him, as he being the ground and foundation of it. The Doctrine may seem plain enough at the first sight, and so it is; yet that we may rightly and sound comprehend it, or rather be comprehended by it, 
Explication.  it needs some Explication: First of the names, Christ jesus; Christ signifies the anointed; jesus signifies a Saviour, and whereas he is called in Scripture, sometimes by the name of Christ only, and sometime by the name of jesus only, the Apostle here joins them both together, Christ jesus; thereby to set forth the perfection and fullness of God's love to us in his Son. jesus is the name of his Person; Christ the name of his Office, he is called Christ respectively to God, by whom he is anointed, he is the Lords anointed: and he is called jesus in respect of us, whom he comes to save, he is our jesus, our Saviour: Behold, how complete and perfect God's love to us in Christ is? He love's us in his person, he love's us in his office, he love's us in his Christ, and in our jesus, in his anointed, and in our Saviour, How could he device to love us more, then is meant and contained in these words, that God love's us in Christ jesus? Secondly, we are to speak somewhat of the phrase in Christ jesus, which is to be received under a distinction, for there is a difference in the actions of God's love to us in his Son: I say a difference in respect of our Sense, and in respect of Gods love itself: Some actions of God's love to us, are so in Christ, that they are wholly suspended on Christ, and his merits are the only procuring cause of them: As for example, forgiveness of sins, is an action of God's love to us, and yet this wholly depends on Christ and his merits; that his precious blood must procure this mercy for us from God, else they will never be forgiven; and this and the like love of God, is both in Christ and for Christ. There are some other actions of God's love which arise merely and only out of the absolute will of God, without any concurrence of Christ's merits; As the eternal purpose of God, whereby he hath determined to choose some men to salvation; this is an action of God's love merely, rising out of his absolute will, without Christ's merits, for Christ is a Mediator, and all his merits are the effects of his love, not the cause of it; and yet this love though it be not for Christ, yet is it in Christ too, Ephes. 3.11. according to the eternal purpose which he wrought in Christ jesus, that is, in regard of the execution of it, for even this eternal purpose, and all the actions of God's love which arise from his absolute will, are effected and brought to pass, in, and through Christ. This distinction we must here undergo, that so God may have his right, and Christ may have his right; that we may honour the Father so, as that we may also honour the Son; and the Son so, as that the Father may not lose his honour, that so the absoluteness of the love of God, and the Mediation of Christ, may not impeach one another. Thirdly, we must observe, that God's love in this verse, is called the love of Christ, in the 35. verse, showing, that God not only love's us in Christ, but that Christ love's us too: We must conceive it thus; God love's his Son Christ jesus, and in him all true believers; Christ jesus love's God the Father, and in him he love's all true believers; and this is the right strain of God's love to us in Christ jesus. So much for explication.  
For proof of this point, 
Proofs.  look into these places of Scripture, Mat. 3.17. This is my beloved Son, etc. Here is a Proclamation from heaven, published by Gods own mouth: God the Father speaks it of his own Son, This is my beloved Son, etc. The words intent two things: First, the love of God to Christ jesus, This is my beloved Son, that is, my most dear beloved Son, for so it is in the original: Secondly, the love of God in his Son, to all those that he is well pleased withal, in whom I am well pleased; He doth not say, with whom I am well pleased, as my love staying upon him only; but in whom, as my love extending itself to all that are in him. This love that God bears to Christ extends itself to all men and Angels. All the love they find of God, it is in his beloved Son, Christ jesus, john 17.23. and 26. verses. In the 23. our Saviour saith, Thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me; speaking of the faithful: Hear we see that the love of God to Christ, is the sample or pattern of that love which he bears to us▪ Now is not the sampler, or pattern, the ground of that draught which is drawn by it? then the love of God to Christ, must needs be the ground of his love to us: In the 26. verse, That the love where with thou hast loved me, may be in them: With the same love wherewith God hath loved Christ, he love's us; Here he speaks more directly to the point then before, in the 23. verse, there was but a likeness, thou lovest them, as thou lovest me: Here is a sameness or oneness of each: The same love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them. It is not two sorts of love, or two several loves that God bears to Christ, and to us, but as God is most simple, and but one, so is his love, the same he bears to Christ, the same he bears to us, rooted and grounded in Christ, and in, and through him, extended and communicated to us, 2 Cor. 5.19. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself: Here the Apostle speaks of the wonderful love of God to the true believing world in Christ; and he comprehends all this love of God in these words, God reconciled us to himself in Christ; and withal shows the manner how he hath reconciled us to himself, by not imputing our sins unto us. Here must needs be infinite love and mercy in God, to forgive so many thousand sinners, as there are believers, and so many thousand sins as every believer is guilty of, from the beginning, to the end of the world: Here is infinite love; And what is the ground of all this, that the Lord doth vouchsafe all this love and mercy to believers? why, it is altogether in Christ; and this the Apostle sets out most significantly in the first words, God was in Christ personally, there was the seat of his love; and in Christ he loved us, and in him he reconciled us to himself, not imputing our sins unto us; so that all God's love which he bears to us, is in Christ jesus, Ephesians 1. verse 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherewith he hath made us freely accepted in his beloved; The Lord is very gracious unto his children, he takes us into his favour, and sets his love upon us, vouchsafeth many kindnesses unto us, and this is a glorious grace, that he vouchsafeth us the glory of his grace: God magnifies and glorifies his grace exceedingly on us: In what? In that he doth accept us, saith the Apostle; It is a glorious and an admirable grace, that the Lord God being so great, so holy, and so glorious as he is, should yet freely accept us, such poor, sinful, and base creatures as we are; But what is the rule or ground of this, of all this glorious grace? It is Christ jesus, it is in his beloved, saith the Apostle, for so it follows in his Beloved, that is in Christ jesus: He is the beloved Son of God; So that we see from proofs out of the Scripture, that the point is clear, that all the love, grace and acceptance, that ever God shows to true Believers, it is in Christ jesus, it is rooted and grounded, and founded in the beloved Son of God, Christ jesus.  
The Reasons are drawn from the Scripture too, 
Reasons.  and they are of two sorts; some from ourselves, and our own estate; others from Christ: First, from ourselves, our Nature being corrupted, God cannot love this Nature of ours, except he find it in such a person that is free and pure from this corruption; and that is Christ jesus alone; and therefore in him alone God love's us: Our Nature is corrupted with sin, Rom. 3.23. All have sinned, and are deprived of the glory of God: And God cannot love, but hate sin and corruption, Psal. 5.4.5. Thou hatest all them that work iniquity, thou shalt destroy them that speak lies: God hates not only the work, but the workers of iniquity: We are so fare from being beloved of God, that we are hateful to him of ourselves; and therefore God cannot love our Nature, except he find it in such a person as is free from sin, and that is Christ alone: He took our nature upon him, john 1.14. The word was made flesh: and he alone was free and pure from sin, Isa. 53.9. He had done no wickedness, neither was there any deceit in his mouth: And therefore in him alone GOD love's us.  
Reason 2 The second Reason is from Christ himself, and that in many respects: Take him any way in his Nature, person, office, works, doings, sufferings, Christ jesus yields us, not only a cause, but an evident demonstration thereof. I will give you some taste hereof: For to speak of all is infinite and impossible. First, consider Christ in his relation to God, and so he his the Son of God, the only begotten Son of God, john 1.14. Therefore he is the seat of God's love: It is so betwixt the Earthly Father and his only Son; but if it should fail in man, yet it cannot fail in God; for Christ is called the Son of God's love, Col. 1.13. Therefore he is the very love of his Father: Therefore all they that are beloved of God, are beloved in him, or else they are not beloved. Secondly, consider him in relation to us; He is our head, we his body, Col. 1.18, and is not the sense and motion of natural life originally seated in the head, and derived from the head to all the parts of the Body? and so it is betwixt Christ and us in the sense and motion of God's love, in our spiritual life; He is our head, and all our spiritual life is in him, and comes from him. He is the Vine, and we are the branches, john 15.5. and what juice or nourishment soever is in the branches for natural growth, it is first in the stock or root; so it is betwixt Christ and us, what juice soever we have to grow in Grace, it is from this stock, even from Christ himself. He is the foundation, we the building, 1 Cor. 3.9.11. And doth not the whole frame, weight, and cost of the building rest on the foundation? so the whole frame of God's Church, and that grace and worth of every believing member, it rests wholly on Christ the foundation. Thirdly, consider Christ in the Common relation he bears to God and us, and so he is our mediator, and that not only to God for us, but from God to us, 1 Tim. 2.4. A mediator generally receives of the one party, and conveys it to the other; and so Christ receives the love of God, and conveys it to us: But this may be where the parties are equal; but here God and man must be mediated between: the parties are very unequal; and therefore here is a further matter to be pressed: If the King be displeased with the subject, he that must mediate betwixt them and makes the peace, must be such an one as the King love's, & that so dear, as that for his sake he can be content to forgive & love the party that hath offended him; & in this case, the love shown to the offender, is granted in his love to the Mediator: So it is betwixt God & us; we have displeased him, & therefore Christ our Mediator, he must be so dear beloved of God, that for his sake God will be reconciled to us; so that the ground of all God's love to us is in Christ jesus. Yea; here is yet a further matter, much more enforcing this Reason; Here is such a mediation, as the like is not found in the world again; The Mediator is in both the parties betwixt whom he mediates, and both they are in him, that is, God in Christ, and Christ in God, Christ in the faithful, and the faithful in him; and therefore there can be no love of God to us but it must be grounded on Christ.  
Lastly, in respect of his absolute State in himself; for what saith the Apostle, All the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God are hid in Christ, Col. 2.2.3. If all God's Treasure be in him, than the riches and treasure of God's love is in him too: In him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, verse 9 If the fullness of the Godhead, than the fullness of God's love dwells in him, there is the ground, seat, and Residence of it; And therefore the ground of all the love that God bears to us, is in Christ jesus.  
Use. 1 The first Use of this point, for matter of Confutation of two popish Errors at once: namely, concerning the mediation of Saints, and the merits of man. Understand this one point well, that Christ jesus is the ground of all God's love to us, and the multitude of mediators, and man's merits, will fall to the ground, even as Dagon did before the Ark. Christ is the ground of God's love to us; What need we any other mediators? he only brings us into God's love and favour, and none else can do it: so for man's merits, they cannot procure God's love; Christ merits all at God's hand: If we can merit any thing, it is either grace or glory, and this we cannot merit unless we can merit God's love, and that we cannot do, unless we can merit Christ jesus, who is the infinite treasure of God, for he is the seat of it; and if we will say that we can merit Christ, than we may say that we can merit God's love, else we can never do it; and if we cannot merit God's love, than we can neither merit grace nor glory. I do not hereby dishearten men from good works, but from the pride of them: Do not think to merit any thing at the hands of God by them; all our merit is in Christ, for God love's us only in him.  
The second use serves to show us the woeful and Use. 2 miserable estate of those that are out of Christ: 
First, showing the woeful estate of those that are out of Christ.  and the blessed and happy estate of those that are in Christ. First, the woeful and miserable estate of those that are out of Christ; all that are without Christ, that is, that are not regarded of God in Christ, they are in a fearful taking: God love's them not; they may love themselves, and the world may love and applaud them, but God doth not love them: When these profane wretches shall come to fawn on God in their private houses, by reading, praying, singing of Psalms, etc. What will God say unto them? Away, get you from me, you are not in Christ, I love you not: If they come to God's House to hear the word, to receive the Sacraments, to call upon God with the Assembly, or the like, what will God say to them? Get you hence, you are not in Christ, I love you not: But when they shall come before God's judgement seat, and there make profession of their alms, devotion, profession, formality in Religion, and the like; what will God say to them? Depart from me ye accursed, ye are not in Christ, I love you not. In that day they shall feel and find what it is to be destitute of God's love, and to be out of Ch●ist, for the everlasting wrath, and hatred, and curse of God shall be showed upon them to the uttermost, joh. 3.36. He that believes in the Son hath everlasting life; and on the contrary, he that obeyeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him: They that do not believe and obey Christ, they are exposed to the wrath and hatred of God; it shall be their portion for ever: The Apostle, Eph. 2.12. speaks of the Ephesians before their calling, and saith, that they were without hope, and without God in the world. He that hath not his part in Christ, hath no part nor portion in God, but only as the Beasts or the Devils have, the maintaining hand of God, for life and maintenance: yea, but there is no saving love of God to them that are without Christ, but they are exposed to the curse and wrath of God: And let us take hold upon one particular, in that place for the present occasion; It is said there, That they were strangers from the Covenant, etc. You come hereto receive the Sacrament, the Seal of God's Covenant, see therefore that ye have faith in Christ, and be in Christ, and that you be reconciled to God in him, else you are strangers from this Covenant, you have nothing to do with this Seal, it concerns you not; therefore if you be without Christ, get you hence, you are but Dogs and Swine in God's estimation, these precious pearls, these holy things of God, are not to be communicated unto you, ye have no part in these things.  
Secondly, 
Secondly, showing the blessed estate of those that be in Christ truly.  this shows the happy & blessed estate of all true Believers, that are truly in Chr●st, and that desire to be ●●ke unto him: They have a happy state, they have true right and title to that love which God bears to his dear beloved Son, and to all the pledges and fruits of it: If we be in Christ, we are entitled to the beginning of God's love, his Election, for in Christ we have our Election, Ephes. 1.4. He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Secondly, in Christ we are entitled to the renewing of God's love to us in our Redemption, for in him we have our Redemption, Col. 1.14. In whom you have redemption, by his blood, etc. Thirdly, in Christ we are entitled to the application of his love in our Adoption Ephes. 1.5. Who hath predestinated us to be adopted through jesus Christ, in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will: Fourthly, if we be in Christ, we are entitled unto the continuance of his love to us for ever, in our Sanctification, 1 Cor. 1.2. Sanctified in Christ jesus, and Ephes. 5 14. Christ is our sanctification; he is full of grace and truth, joh. 1.14. Be thou in him, and thou shalt receive fullness of grace: Eternal life is in him, 1 john 5.11. Be thou in him, and thou shalt have this life, All the promises of God are yea, and Amen in him, 2 Cor. 1.20. they are his, and in him they are ours; they are made unto us in him, and they are performed and made good unto us in him: Again, if we be in Christ, all God's blessings are ours, Ephes. 1.3. Blessed be God, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ: Therefore if we be in Christ, we are happy; whatsoever our state be in the world; if we be in afflictions, being in Christ, he will help us to bear them; if in temptations, he will strengthen us against them; if we be fallen from God by our sins, if we be in Christ, he will raise us up again, and renew our peace with God; If we be in Christ, he will be all in all unto us; he will pacify God's wrath for us, he will procure his favour, abolish sin, bring righteousness, deliver us from hell, and bring us to heaven: Blessed men are we if we can rest on Christ jesus, as our all-sufficient Redeemer and Saviour.  
Use. 3 The third Use teacheth us therefore to labour to be in Christ: But how shall I get to be in him? why by faith, believe in him as thy Saviour and Redeemer, and then thou hast gotten to be in him; as ever thou lookest to have any favour, or any love at the hands of God, get to be in Christ by faith: Yea, but is it in my power to get faith? I do not say, it is in thy power, but yet thou must get it, it is thy duty to labour for it, and certainly if the Lord would not assist thee with his power, and enable thee to believe, he would never command thee so often to believe in Christ: Not that all men, generally, shall or can believe, for this is against the revealed will of God, for all men have not faith; but that every particular man and woman may comfortably and particularly conclude for him and herself, that certainly God will give grace and power to believe, upon the use of the means, for this agrees with Gods revealed will, the Commandments and promises of God being tendered generally to all, and no exception can be found in the word against any one in particular. This the Devil puts into the hearts of men, that when the Minister exhorts them to believe, and to get Christ; they reply, They know not whether they can believe or no; or whether they were ever ordained to believe or no: and thus the Devil keeps them at a bay all their life, that they never believe, nor endeavour to believe: But make thou no question whether thou canst believe or no, but use the means and endeavour to believe; for if thou dost not believe, thou shalt surely be damned, put it to the trial, it may be thine endeavours may take effect, and then thou shalt surely be saved. What madness were it in thee, not to put thyself to the trial, by using the means? Many men have believed upon the use of them, and why not thou? But thou wilt say, I cannot use the means at all: thou mayst at least in outward conformity: But I cannot use them as I should: I answer, do it as thou canst, do thy best; and so put thyself and thine endeavours upon God's mercy, and humble thyself before the Lord for thy weakness, untowardness, and hardness to believe.  
Use. 4 The fourth Use teacheth us the plentifulness, infiniteness, and abundance of God's love to Christ, that had love enough in him for all the believing world beside: In him all the nations of the earth, the chosen and believers are blessed; in his love they are loved; in his righteousness, all the believers in the world are accounted righteous; in his worthiness, they are accounted and made worthy of life and salvation. This was infinite love, that God poured on his head, as the Oil on the head of Aron, that runs down to the skirts of his clothing: so God's love in Christ descends and runs down on all the faithful that now are, or ever shall be, to the world's end. And therefore, first let us consider of it, and bless God for it, that hath poured out such infinite love for the use and benefit of the Church: Thus the Apostle doth, Ephes. 1.3. Blessed be God, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ: secondly, let us consider it, and magnify, and honour the Lord jesus Christ, that is capable, worthy, and that is the store-house of such an infinite treasure; so doth the Church in the Can. 1.2. Thy name is as an ointment poured out etc.  
Thirdly, consider it and rejoice in it for thyself, that thou art a true Believer, and that thou hast thy part and portion in this overflowing love of God, for thy acceptance and salvation, Ephes. 2.3.4.5. God that is rich in mercy, through his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead by sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, by whose grace ye are saved: The Apostle would have us to rejoice in this, that God so loved Christ, that in him he hath raised us up from the state of sin, to the state of grace and salvation.  
Fiftly, is Christ the ground of God's love to us? Use. 5 then this commends unto us the wonderful love that God bears to his Church in Christ jesus: First, it is a most tender and affectionate love; Secondly, it is most holy; Thirdly, it is most perfect; Fourthly, it is unchangeable; Lastly, it is most comfortable. First, it is a most tender love and affection that God bears to us in Christ; the bowels of our Lord jesus Christ are marvelous dear, tender, and precious to God: and therefore the love that God bears to us in the tender bowels of his own blessed Son must needs be marvelous dear, tender, and affectionate, Zach. 2.8. He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye: Why are we so tender to God? Why? because he tenders us in the tender bowels of jesus Christ. Secondly, it is a most holy love, our most holy God love's us in his most holy Son jesus Christ, that holy one of God. God doth not love us as many a wicked Father love's his Child, in his evil and wanton courses; no, that is profane and carnal love; but he love's us with a holy love in Christ, so fare as we are washed from our sins in the blood of Christ, and as we be made conformable unto Christ, so fare as we deny ourselves, and dye to sin, and rise again to newness of life. Thou that goest on in thy sin, never dream that God love's thee in Christ, except thou hast crucified the flesh with the lusts, they that have their part of God's love in Christ, they crucify the flesh.  
Thirdly, than this love of God to us in Christ, is a most perfect love, joh. 17.23. God love's us with the same love wherewith he love's Christ, and therefore it cannot but be a most perfect love; If God should love us in ourselves, it would be a very imperfect love, not worthy God; because all the lovely graces in the best of us are stained with many imperfections; and therefore God takes us, and sets us into Christ, forgives all our sins in his death, and covers all our unrighteousness with his righteousness, and so beholds us, and love's us in him with a perfect love; and if we have not this persuasion, we shall never come to have any true peace in our consciences. Fourthly, if God love us in Christ, than his love to us is most unchangeable and unmoveable; it is grounded and built on a Rock, and the Rock is Christ jesus, and therefore can never be moved, but stands fast for ever: If any thing can alienate God's love from Christ jesus, than it may alienate his love from us; If nothing can remove his love from Christ, than nothing can remove it from us; and let sin and Satan, and all our enemies, bodily and spiritual, stand up and say what they can do against us: Can you draw us from the love of God? we will put you hard to it: well, do your worst: Can you draw the love of God from Christ? if you cannot, (as we are sure you cannot) than you cannot draw it from us, for it is grounded in Christ jesus. Lastly, if God love us in Christ, than this love of God to us is a most sweet and comfortable love, and that in all the former respects, because it is a tender love, a holy love, a perfect love, and an unchangeable love; yea, but especially in this respect, because it is in Christ jesus: the very name of God's love is very sweet and comfortable unto us, but when the nature of it is tendered unto us in the name and person of jesus Christ, it is much more sweet and comfortable unto us: To be sorted with Christ in any state whatsoever, is very comfortable to the believing soul, to be in afflictions and reproaches with him, yea, to dye with him, this is a comfortable thing to God's Children; Who would not think themselves happy to be joined with Christ in any of these? Yea, but to be sorted with Christ in the bosom of God, in the love of God; that God should love us in Christ jesus, yea, and with the same love wherewith he loved Christ jesus: Here is the comfort of all comforts, and the fullness of our Consolation.  
The last Use teacheth us, that as God love's in Use. 6 Christ jesus, and measures forth all his proceed to us in him; so must we do to God again; If we do any thing to God, do it in Christ; If we believe in God, let us believe in him through Christ; If we pray to God, let us pray to him in Christ; If we love God, let us love him in Christ; If we obey God, let us obey him in Christ; If we worship God, let us worship him in Christ; Whatsoever we do in word or deed, let all be done in the name of our Lord jesus Christ, Colos. 3.17. else it is abominable to God, our spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only in jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 2.5. Again, is jesus Christ the ground of all God's love to us, then let the ground of all our love to God, to the faithful, and to the Creatures, be settled in Christ; Doth God love thee only in Christ, and canst thou not love where thou seest Christ? Or darest thou love where thou dost not see him? Seeing God love's where he sees Christ, and love's not where he sees not Christ, learn his example, and frame love to his love; Let us love the Creatures of God in Christ, the Children of God in Christ; let us love the ordinances of God in Christ; let us love God himself in Christ, and whatsoever we do in the service of God, let it be done in Christ; whatsoever we do in word or deed, let all be done in the name of our Lord jesus Christ. Ye come now to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, then walk by this Rule in receiving; Let us do all that we do herein, in the name, faith, love, power, and mediation of Christ; Let us receive it in Christ, as God gives it to us for the love he bears to us in Christ, so let us receive it for the love of Christ, with a true purpose to serve God all our life; and let us bewail our sins, and know that all our worthiness is in Christ; and therefore let us receive it in the worthiness of Christ, believing that God will make it effectual to our souls in him: And so receiving it, and doing all we do in it, in the name of Christ, we shall receive it with glory to God, and comfort to our own Souls.  
FINIS.   

THE FOURTH SERMON,  Upon ROMANS ●… the two last Verses. 
For I am persuaded, (or I am sure,) that neither Death, nor life, nor Angels, etc.  
AS the Lord hath been pleased to enable us, we have entered into the handling of these verses: and shown the dependence of them with the former, and the meaning of the several terms of words that the Apostle declares himself upon: then I laid you down seven heads, whereunto the whole force of the Apostles speech might be reduced; the first was employed, and that was, that there is a Communion betwixt God, & all true believers. Secondly, the Apostle shows the Bond of this Communion, & that is the love of God. Thirdly, he shows the ground of this Communion, and of the bond of it, and that is jesus Christ. Fourthly, the Apostle declares the near interest that the faithful have to Christ, by a note of special reference, our Lord. And this is the point we are now come unto, and if God show us strength in weakness, it shall be our meditation at this time.  
Christ jesus our Lord: The Doctrine hence is this: 
Doctrine.   
That there is a very near and special reference betwixt Christ jesus and all the faithful; whereby he is interressed in them, & they in him; He is our Lord, saith the Apostle, and consequently, we are his subjects and servants, for this is a term of mutual relation, intending his right in us, and ours in him; his superiority over us, and our subjection unto him; he is our Lord, and we are his subjects and servants. According to our manner, we will speak somewhat of this by way of Explication: 
Explication.  And therein we are to consider of two things: First, of the Title, Lord. Secondly, how it doth suit with the present purpose of the Apostle. First of the Title, Our Lord, or the Lord of the faithful, or the Lord over his Church: Christ is our Lord: A Lord, is a name both of honour, and also of authority, and power; therefore when the Apostle saith, Christ jesus our Lord, we must understand that he is the owner, and also the guider and ruler of the faithful, he governs us by his laws, and guides us by his Spirit, and keeps us in his protection, and employs us in his service: The Lordship of jesus Christ over the Church, or over the faithful, is to be conceived under these terms; First, that he is our special Lord; secondly, that he is our spiritual Lord: thirdly, that he is our saving Lord; and fourthly, that he is our absolute and only Lord. First, Christ is our special Lord; God the Father, and God the holy Ghost, as well as God the Son is our Lord; and yet there is but one Lord, as there is but one God, but this is in a general sense: But Christ is our Lord, not only in respect of the Godhead, as the other persons are, but in a special manner, as he is our Mediator, Acts 2.36. God hath made him both Lord and Christ: that is, God hath put this office and honour upon him, God hath appointed him to be our Lord in a special manner, as he is our Mediator. Secondly, he is our spiritual Lord; he is not the Lord of our bodies only, but of our souls and our consciences, and this Lordship which he hath over us, he exerciseth not in any worldly state or outward pomp, but in a spiritual state, as a heavenly Lord, john 18.36. My Kingdom is not of this world; as who should say, I am a King, but not an earthly King; a Lord, but not a worldly Lord; but I am a spiritual King, and a heavenly Lord. Thirdly he is our saving Lord, he is the Lord of the whole world; of the wicked, as well as of the faithful in a general sense: but to them he is a destroying Lord, to us he is a saving Lord, 2 Pet. 2.18. Last, and grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ; Christ is so our Lord, as he is also our Saviour; and that not only with a temporal salvation, to save us temporally, for so, as the Prophet speaks, he saves both man and beast; but as our eternal Saviour, to give us everlasting salvation both in grace and glory. Fourthly, he is our absolute and only Lord, ruling us merely by his own will, freeing us from all foreign powers and authority whatsoever: If any creature have any Lordship or authority over us, as Kings, Princes, Magistrates, Parents, and Ministers have, it is as subordinate to our Lord jesus Christ; And whatsoever they do to us, they must do it as under him; and whatsoever we do to them, we must do it as unto Christ, Col. 3.23.24. Whatsoever ye do, do it hearty, as unto the Lord, and not men, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward, for ye serve the Lord Christ: It is in him, and by him that they rule over us, and it is in him, and for him, that we do service to them, for so is the rule in that place.  
The second point for Explication is, how this Title suits here with the present purpose of the Apostle: Surely it suits very fitly with it, for it is a point very material to the cause in hand, that is, to prove the stability of the faithful in the state of grace: For some happily might object and say; What if the love of God be set upon us in Christ, how come we to far the better for it? Yes, saith the Apostle, the same Christ in whom God love's us, is himself our Lord, and we are his servants, & therefore his care & respect for us is such, that look whatsoever love God doth intent and bear to us in him, himself being our Lord, will faithfully manage the same at all times, for our best safety and greatest good: The Apostle had named mighty adversaries, as Death, Life, Angels, etc. and for our better encouragement against them all he sets out our Captain and deliverer in a high and glorious title: He is a Lord, and therefore fare above all our enemies; he is our Lord, and therefore can and will deliver us from them all.  

Proofs.  We come to the proofs: There is nothing more frequent in the new Testament then this, that jesus Christ is called our Lord; and no marvel, for this is the very sum of the Gospel, the Apostle makes it to be so, Rom. 1.1.3. Paul an Apostle of jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, put a part to preach the Gospel of God: Concerning his Son jesus Christ our Lord. I will only serve myself upon such places of Scripture where Christ is called our Lord in some special significancy, that is, with some special reference to some notable work, whereby he hath showed himself to be our Lord. 1 Cor. 8.6. Unto us there is but one God, even that Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him: He had showed before, that there are many Gods, and many Lords, to others; but to us, that is to the faithful, there is but one God & Father, & one Lord jesus Christ. Mark how significantly the Apostle applies this Title, Lord, to jesus Christ, in respect of the Sovereign Lordly power he hath over all things, especially over the faithful. Christ jesus hath supreme authority over all things; all things are by him, and we by him; and therefore he is our Lord, and our only Lord, we have but one Lord. Rom. 7.25. I thank God, through jesus Christ our Lord. The Apostle had complained before of the bitter combat which he felt within himself, betwixt the flesh and the spirit; and finding himself over-matched with the lusts of the flesh, in the 24. verse, he cries out for help, Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me! and presently he thinks upon jesus Christ our Lord, and upon him he sets down his rest, I thank God through, jesus Christ our Lord: as if he should say, it is jesus Christ our Lord, that hath appointed me to this combat; It is jesus Christ our Lord, that gives me strength in the combat; and it is jesus Christ our Lord, that in due time will deliver me, and give me victory in this combat; though I be overmatched with these enemies, yet he will overmatch them. Who should a man fly to in his distress, but to his Lord? So the Apostle here, flies to Christ jesus, as to his Lord, 1 Cor. 15.57. Thanks be unto God, who hath give us victory through our Lord jesus Christ; The Apostle speaks there of Christ and of his Resurrection from the dead, whereby he hath overcome death, not for himself only, but for the faithful, and in that respect he calls him our Lord: For wherein did ever Christ jesus show himself more plainly to be the Lord, then by his Resurrection? And wherein may he Lord it more, then in giving his subjects and servant's victory over Death and Hell, and all their enemies? To proceed yet a little further in the proof of this point, according to this general proportion of Christ being our Lord, that is, the Lord of all the faithful; we shall find that particular believers have laid particular claim to Christ, every one of them as to his Lord, Luke 1.43. And whence cometh it that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? A strong faith in a weak woman, to confess Christ jesus to be her Lord, even whilst he was in his mother's womb; My Lord, that came down from heaven for me; My Lord, that took flesh of the blessed Virgin, my near and dear Kinswoman, even for my sake, to redeem me. john 20.13. They have taken away my Lord, etc. She speaks it as a woman weeping and mourning, but not out of a womanish passion, but out of a spiritual and heavenly affection: My Lord, that hath forgiven me so many sins; My Lord, that hath cast out seven Devils out of me: My Lord, that hath stood it out manfully on the Cross, against all the powers of darkness, for the redemption of my poor sinful soul: Oh, they have taken him away, and I know not where they have laid him? If I could tell where they have laid him, I would surely go to him; I would go through thick and thin, that I might enjoy my Lord, but alas, they have taken away my Lord. john 20.28. My Lord and my God; It is the speech of Thomas, he saw in our Saviour's hands the print of the nails, whereby he was fastened on the Cross, and in his side he saw the wound of the Soldier's Spear, and upon sight thereof, he cries out, my Lord and my God, as who should say, Oh my Lord, these wounds thou hast received for my sins and transgressions; Oh my Lord, etc.  
The Reasons: First, Christ is our Lord, because Reason 1 he made us: Every free agent is Lord and Master of the work of his own hands: He made us, therefore he is our lord Col. 1.16. By him all things were made; Yea, but so he is the Lord of the wicked, he made them too; yea, but he is our special Lord, he made us not only to be Creatures, which is common to the wicked; but to be new Creatures, which is peculiar to the faithful only. 2 Cor. 5.17. If any man be in Christ, let him be a new Creature. He transforms and new moulds us, and makes us new Creatures if we believe in him: Our Lord Christ, as he makes us Creatures, so he makes us new Creatures; Christ jesus hath made us both Creatures and new Creatures too, and therefore he must needs be our absolute and special Lord.  
Secondly, he is our Lord, because we were given Reason 2 to him of God. john 17.6. Thine they were, and thou hast given them me. God hath given us to his Son Christ, and therefore we are his in the best and surest right that may be. What better right can we have, then to that which is given to us freely? And mark in what terms God hath given us to Christ, and by what right we are Christ's; Thine they were, and thou hast given them me: In the same propinquity that we were Gods, in the same propinquity we were given unto Christ; but we were Gods as he is our Lord, and therefore we are Christ's so too: And mark further here, how he shows himself to be their Lord, and they to be his servants, I have declared thy word to them: that is, I as their Lord have set them their task, what they must do, that they may be saved; And they have kept thy Word, saith our Saviour, that is, as good and faithful servants to their Lord they have followed my direction.  
Reason 3 Thirdly, he is our Lord, because he hath delivered us from all our enemies, Sin, Satan, etc. Luke 1.71. A temporal deliverer from a temporal bondage, deserves justly to be Lord over those whom he doth deliver; and this the Law and light of Nature taught among the Heathen; for look who it was delivered another from any bondage; his Lord he was: Our Lord jesus Christ delivered us from the spiritual and eternal bondage and slavery of Sin, Satan, Curse, Death, Hell, and Eternal damnation; And therefore he must needs be our Lord much more. And this Reason may be yet further confirmed, if we consider the intendment of Christ in our deliverance, and that was, that we his servants, might serve him all the days of our life, Luk. 1.74.  
Fourthly, he is our Lord, because he hath bought Reason 4 us, 2 Pet. 2.1. Denying the Lord that he hath bought them. Natural reason teacheth us this: Shall not a man be Lord of that he hath bought, and truly and dear paid for? But Christ hath bought us and paid dear for us, not silver and gold, but his own precious blood; therefore he hath most sovereign right over us, as our Lord, and we are most strictly bound to him as his servants: It is the Apostles reason in the 1 Cor. 6. 2●. Ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies, and in you spirits, for they are Gods.  
This Doctrine is full of Use, the first Use is, concerning Christ himself▪ the second is, concerning unbelievers; and the third is, concerning the faithful.  
The first Use is concerning Christ himself, He is Use 1 our Lord: This is an evident proof of his Godhead, he is our Lord, and therefore our God: Christ is sometime called the Lord, and that intends his Sovereign power and authority over all things; sometime our Lord, and this intends his Sovereign power and supreme authority over the Church, every way the name Lord proves him to be God: For to have Sovereign power, and supreme authority over all things, or over the Church, cannot be given to any but to God: Remember the terms before mentioned, under which we are to conceive Christ to be our Lord, and every one of them will necessarily conclude that Christ our Lord is Christ our God: First, he is our special Lord, as he is our Mediator, and he must be God as well as man, that he may be Mediator betwixt God and man. Again, he is our spiritual Lord, he is Lord over our souls and consciences, and a conscience well rectified acknowledgeth none over it but God. Again, he is our saving Lord, and none can challenge this but God himself: Salvation belongs to God alone. Lastly, he is our absolute Lord, to be obeyed without questioning, without control, and without resisting, in all things whatsoever he commands: and this none can challenge but God only. I hope there is none here present, that will either deny or doubt of Christ's Godhead: but there are many of us that in prayer and conference name Christ our Lord, but yet never think of his Godhead, which is the life of his Lordship, both in himself, and unto us: Christ Lord, without Christ God, is no Lord at all.  
Use 2 The second Use is concerning the wicked and  unbelievers. If Christ be our Lord, that is, the Lord of the faithful, and of his Church; then the wicked and unbelievers have nothing to do with him, that is, as a saving Lord: What a desperate, reckless, and woeful case are they in? jesus Christ is none of their Lord to save them, nor they are none of his servants, they yield him no homage nor obedience, and therefore can expect no comfort nor salvation from him: Consider both their life and their death: In their life they go up and down doing their own wills, and not Christ's will, neither are they ruled by his Laws, but like Lordlesse and Masterless men, they go about, saying, What Lord shall control us? If they do serve, or be ruled by any Lord at all, it is the Devil, his word is their Law, they are ruled by his will, and are at his beck: Let him bid a wicked man swear, or lie, or profane the Sabbath, be drunk, steal, etc. strait way he will do it, he is led by the Devil, at his will, as the Apostle saith: Oh, that the faithful would and could perform such true service to their Lord jesus Christ, as these do to their Lord the Devil! It is a foul shame to us that we yield not such true service to Christ, as they do to their Lord the Devil; and it is a foul shame in them, that they yield such true service to the Devil. So at their death, when they are on their deathbeds, do they pray? no, saith job, the wicked pray not at all times; No, they curse, and rage, and despair, or at the best they are like to Naball, their hearts are dead as a stone within them, there is no spiritual life nor comfort in them; they have never a Lord in heaven to commit their souls unto, but the Lord whom they served in their life, the Devil stands by them ready at their death to carry away their souls to hell, when they part from their bodies, as he did the rich man's, and then this cursed Lord and Master that set them on work, and to whom they have done such true service here, shall truly pay them their full wages in everlasting torments: They have sinned with the Devil and his Angels here, and therefore it is just with God to give them their part and portion, and to damn them with the Devil and his Angels for ever: And then this our Lord jesus Christ, whom they neglected and opposed in their life, and would not acknowledge to be their Lord, he shall show himself to be a mighty Lord against them, and then he shall exercise his Lordly power and authority over them in wrath and vengeance, to their eternal condemnation. And then the very thought of the Lord jesus shall be as terrible to them, as the torment they endure, to think that Christ should come down from heaven to save them, and that they should be such wretches, to serve the Devil rather than him.  
Use 3 The third Use is for the faithful; this toucheth them in many respects. First, here is the honour of the faithful, in that they serve this great Lord; Christ jesus is their Lord, and they his Servants: When sundry Ambassadors meet together from sundry places, in a strange Country, he that serves the greatest Prince amongst them, hath the precedency of place and honour before the rest, because he serves the greatest Lord: We all live here as Servants to Kings, or Nobles, or Magistrates, or Masters; but the faithful, howsoever they serve other Lords, yet their spiritual Lord, is the Lord jesus Christ, and by how much he is greater than other Lords, so much the more is their honour above all other Servants whatsoever: It was that which the Apostle Paul and other of the Apostles boasted of, and so much comforted themselves in, as we may see in their Epistles, that they were Servants to this Lord: Paul a Servant of jesus Christ: james the Servant of jesus Christ, and so others. A man when he sends an Epistle, graceth himself with the greatest title he can; the Apostles grace themselves in their Epistles with this Title, the Servants of our Lord jesus Christ, as the greatest title they can have; Nay, the very Angels in heaven take delight and comfort in it, Reuel. 22.9. I am thy fellow servant, (saith the Angel to john) the servant of the Lord Christ as well as thou. Some think it a shame to be counted Christ's Servants; What? shall we be ashamed of that which is our greatest glory and honour with God? God forbidden: In trouble, and in persecution, let us acknowledge him to be our Lord, that will give us full content both in grace and glory. Let carnal and profane worldlings reproach us (as in these days it is too common) that we are too precise, and that we are zealous for the Lord of hosts, that we make conscience of our ways, and that we keep ourselves from the corruptions of the times, and that we will not run with them into excess of riot, this is the scandal of the Cross in these times, that the faithful will not company and symbolise with the wicked in their sins: no, we will not serve your sins, we serve the Lord jesus Christ, and if you reproach us for it, we will wear that reproach as our Crown: The glory of the wicked is their shame; but the shame that the wicked lay upon us, is our greatest glory; though this be a shame with men, yet it is honour with Christ, he will take knowledge of us as his Servants.  
Secondly, this is matter of comfort to God's Children; and they stand in great need of comfort in these uncomfortable times; why this, that Christ is our Lord, if we be sure of that, it will support and cheer up our hearts in all our distresses, against desertions of men, when men, when friends, yea, when our Parents forsake us, our Lord Christ will never forsake us, Psal. 27.10. Though my Father and Mother should forsake me, yet the Lord would gather me up. It comforts us against all oppositions of men; they are many, great, and strong, they rage, and plot, and they band themselves together against the Lord, and against his Christ, but yet here is our comfort, he that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh, our Lord shall have them in derision. Psal. 2.2.4. So it may comfort us against all our wants, Christ is our Lord, and therefore we shall want nothing, Psal. 28.1. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Again, it may comfort us against weakness and infirmities, Christ is our Lord, and his grace is all-sufficient for us, as the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 1.9. Again, it may comfort us against all dangers present, imminent, and future. Christ is our Lord, therefore we will not fear, The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of jacob is our refuge, Psal. 46.1.2.3. So it may comfort us against all Satan's temptations, the fiercest, greatest, and fearfullest that Satan can assault us withal. Christ is our Lord and Master, and can a Lord or Master see a faithful Servant of his wronged and oppressed by his enemy, and not stretch forth his hand to help and rescue him? If men will, yet our Lord Christ will not, nor cannot, but the more fiercely we are assaulted by our enemies, the more ready will he be to help us. Therefore in the depth of temptation retire thyself to this sure Hold, to Christ, as to thy Lord, and say unto him, Oh my Lord, seest thou how I am oppressed with thy enemy and my enemy? Wilt thou see me trodden under feet? Up Lord I pray thee, fight for me, suffer not my soul to be a prey to such a cursed enemy. And surely if thou dost thus, the Lord will be very ready to hear thee; & the God of peace will tread Satan under thy feet shortly. Lastly, it may comfort us against death itself: whosoever thou art that hast served the Lord Christ in truth in thy life, thou mayst boldly put thyself upon him, as thy Lord at thy death; he whom thou hast served all thy life, will surely comfort thee at thy death, and in death, and after death: therefore be not discouraged at death, it is terrible and fearful to Nature, but let us arm ourselves for it before hand: let us before hand go to Christ, and let him be our Lord, and then we may say to our souls at our death; Oh my soul, thou hast served the Lord jesus Christ thus many years, be not now afraid to go to thy Lord and master home to his own house: and we may turn to the Lord and say, Oh my Lord, thou hast been my protector many years, now Lord help me, for now I stand in more need of thy help then ever I did before: Lord receive my soul now into thy merciful hands; and if thou dost thus, assure thyself thou shalt not be more ready to commend thy soul to him, than he will be ready to receive it into his hands.  
The third Use is for matter of duty, teaching us Use 3 that seeing Christ is our Lord, we must carry ourselves to him, as to our Lord, in all duty, as good and faithful servants; he that doth so, is the right servant of jesus Christ, the true and sound Christian. The duties we are to perform to him are many, we will reduce them to these two heads: Doing, and Suffering. In both these we must conform ourselves to Christ as to our Lord. In doing; First, if Christ be our Lord, we must believe in him, trust in him, and rest upon him. Isa. 26.4. Trust in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord God is strength for evermore: and therefore let us be confident in him, & roll ourselves upon him, and know whom it is that we have trusted and hazarded our soul▪ upon him. Let us trust in the Lord, when we see nothing in the world but desolation; he is a Lord, and therefore can do for us what he will; and he is our Lord, and therefore he will do for us what he can: And if he can do for us what he will, by his absolute power, and will do for us what he can of his mere grace and goodness, why should we not believe in him, and rest upon him both in life and death?  
Secondly, if he be our Lord, than we must reverence him as our Lord. Mal. 1.6. If I be a Lord, where is my fear. Psal. 2.11.12. Serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice in him with trembling. Kiss the Son, etc. Let us therefore reverence him in his Nature, Person, Word, Ordinances, in our hearts, lives, and all our courses: Let this fear be always before our eyes, that we may never sinne against him. It is a fault to be taxed in many Christians, that they come to the Word, and to the Sacraments, with little reverence to God, none at all to man: God will be honoured with an orderly zeal.  
Thirdly, if Christ be our Lord, than we must love him as our Lord. Deut. 6.5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. Our love must be such to him, as his love was to us, that is, not cold or little, but marvelous great; so that he shed his blood for us. Hath our Lord loved us thus dear, to lay down his life for us, then let us love him as dear, let us lay down our lives, if we be called to it, for him.  
Fourthly, if Christ be our Lord, we must imitate him, john 13.13.14. Ye call me Lord and Master, and ye say well, for so I am; if I than your Lord and master have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet: and verse 15. For I have given you an ensample, etc. Thus we should imitate Christ in love and humility, and other graces: we are much wanting in these Duties now in these days, but if Christ be our Lord, we must show our love and humility as Christ did, think scorn of nothing that is to be done for the Children of God: Every servant will follow his Lord, if it be but in an ill fashion; then let us imitate Christ in his graces, and conform ourselves to his fashions.  
Fiftly, if Christ be our Lord, we must serve and obey him as our Lord, we must do what he commands, and nothing else, and we must do it, as he commands it to be done, and we must leave undone that he forbids: We must not be servants to men, (we must serve other Lords as under our Lord Christ, and in his name) much less must we serve our own lusts, or the world. Christ is our Lord, and we will serve him, and not the world, nor our own sinful lusts.  
Secondly, in our sufferings we must conform ourselves to Christ: Let us know for certain that we must look for affliction. The servant is not above his master, Matth. 10.24. It is the niceness of many Christians, that their finger must not ache, they must not endure one temptation, they would fain fly from afflictions, but we must look for them: Did Christ go from the Cross to heaven, and shall not we go the same way? we must take up our Cross and follow him. Secondly, as we must look for them, so we must carry ourselves with patience as he did in them, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, etc. 1 Pet. 2.23. Leaving us an example (saith the Apostle) that we should follow his steps, verse 21. And therefore let us labour to be patiented in the least affliction, for he is thy Lord that puts thee to it. And let them be our own afflictions, and then we shall the better bear greater afflictions, & Christ's afflictions. Christ ware a Crown of thorns, and was stroke upon that Crown, to add affliction to his afflictions; so we must look for many thorns, many afflictions, and for affliction to be added to affliction: But yet be of good cheer, Christ will recompense all with a Crown of Glory. Let us apply this to the Sacrament: We come here to the Lords Table, this is a great honour to us, therefore let us be thankful for it: Secondly, let it comfort us, that if we come in repentance, we shall have our comfort sealed up unto us, to our hands, to our mouths, and to our hearts. Again, we profess Christ to be our Lord, then let us examine whether we fear him, love him, and obey him as our Lord. Alas, we must all confess we come short in these duties; let us acknowledge this unto him, and let us say, Lord though we deserve not to be thy servants, yet thou art our Lord, and let us come with more faith and fear, and love, and with more resolution, to obey him better than ever we have done. If this Sacrament Seal unto us that Christ is our Lord; it must also seal unto us that we are his servants, and then we must not honour him for an hour, while we are here, but all our life time. If thou be the servant of Christ, he is thy Lord, but if thou serve the world, or thy belly, or thy pleasure, or any thing else, and not the Lord jesus in the truth of thine heart, than he is none of thy Lord, nor thou art none of his servant. And therefore when thou shalt come and knock, & say, Lord, Lord, open unto me, he will answer thee, away from me, thou art none of my servant: therefore let us subject ourselves unto him, in all obedience, both in doing, and suffering, as unto our Lord, and so he will recompense us with grace here, and with glory hereafter.  
FINIS.   

THE FIFTH SERMON,  Upon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses. 
For I am persuaded, (or I am sure,) that neither Death, nor life, nor Angels, etc.  
IN handling this Scripture as GOD in mercy hath given strength we have proceeded thus fare: First, we have showed the dependence of the verses with the former; then we shown the meaning of the words in themselves: After that we cast this Scripture, for our better instruction and memory, into this mould, and shown that it did empty itself into these seven particulars. First, that which is employed, namely, that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithful: Secondly, that which is expressed, namely, the bond of this Communion, and that is the love of God: Thirdly, the Apostle shows the ground of this Communion, and of this bond too, and that is jesus Christ: Fourthly, he shows that the faithful have a near interest in Christ jesus, and this he sets forth by a term of near Relation, our Lord: Thus fare we have proceeded already. The fifth point is, that the Apostle avoucheth the safety of all the faithful in the midst of all dangers that they are subject to; nothing shall separate us from the love of God. And this he enlargeth in many particulars, as by and by we shall see.  
This is the fifth thing then that we are to consider of, namely the safety of the State of God's children in the midst of all dangers; we will propound the the Doctrine thus:  
The hold that the faithful have in the love of God through jesus Christ, it is a sure hold: 
Doctrine.  the estate of grace that they are in, is an undefeasable estate, nothing can void them, nothing can deprive them of it. Consider well the words of the observation; the very words whereof are in effect the very words of this Scripture; and the whole matter of the observation, is the whole matter of this Scripture; For that which we have spoken heretofore touching our Communion with God, the bond of it Gods love, the ground of both jesus Christ, etc. have been but preparations to this Truth; and these points which follow touching the Apostle his certainty he hath, and the use he makes of it, are but inferences from this truth. This is the truth itself, that is here peremptorily and precisely affirmed: that nothing shall separate the faithful from the love of God to them in jesus Christ, nor from the estate of grace that they are in: And this the Apostle contents not himself only to affirm in the general, but withal confirms it in particular, by a sufficient reckoning up of all the parts of the Adversary power, that is or can be against us: Death shall not, nor life shall not, nor Angels, etc. nor any other creature, nothing shall separate us; not any one of these dangers asunder; no, nor all of them joined together, no nor any other added to them, nor any other Creature, put what you will to them, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ jesus, and to put the matter out of all show of doubt, he saith, not only they shall not separate us, but he puts it upon an impossibility, they shall not be able to separate us; let them join all their powers together, and do what they can, they shall never be able to do it: Thus we see the Doctrine is naturally raised, and the Apostle presseth it as the main matter of the Scripture.  

Explication.  I will speak somewhat, as our order is, for Explication of the Doctrine, and therein I will handle but this one point: Because the Doctrine speaks of the love of God, and of the state of grace; we must know what it is to be in that state of the love of God, and the estate of grace; for either it hath been our state, or now is, or hereafter shall be our estate, else we can never be saved: therefore before we show that we cannot fall away from this state, it is needful to show what it is to be in it. The estate of the love of God, and the state of grace, is to be throughly reconciled to God, through the precious blood of jesus Christ; whereby we are justified from all our sins, and entered into a course of true sanctification: It is called the estate of God's love, in opposition to the estate of God's wrath, wherein we are all by nature, Ephes. 2.3. In this state of wrath God looks down from heaven upon us in mercy, and receives us freely into his love through jesus Christ, and so we are translated out of the estate of God's wrath, into the estate of his love; It is called the estate of grace, in opposition to the state of sin, that we are all in, Rom. 3.28. All have sinned, etc. In this sinful state the Lord looks down from Heaven in mercy upon us, and in jesus Christ bestows upon us the saving grace of justification, forgiving us all our sins; and the grace of Sanctification making us new creatures, and so translates us out of the state of sin into the state of grace: These things we must feel in ourselves in some measure; else we were never in the state of grace. To open the point more fully and familiarly; the estate of the love of God, and the estate of grace, consists in certain mutual passages betwixt God and man: On God's part to man, there are two chief passages, God's love, & the persuasion of God's love: and on man's part, there are also two chief passages; Faith, and Love: All those that God will save, he love's them from all eternity in jesus Christ; there is God's love, and in due time he acquaints them with it, and persuades them by his Spirit to believe it, and to accept of it, and to return love and obedience for it: there is his persuasion. On man's part, man being overcome with the sense of this love, and the force of his persuasion, he yields to God, and embraceth this love, and believes the promise of grace, and applies it to himself; here is our faith: and withal is carried after that good God, with the whole bent of his Nature, and stream of his affections, that so dear loved us; here is our love. Take it thus, those whom God in mercy doth purpose to save, he will come unto; commonly upon the hearing of the Word, or else in some special affliction, at the least in some good employment, and takes us aside, and draws us into some serious meditation of our estate, and he breaks with us to this effect: as if he should say, Ah poor sinful soul, thou art in a miserable, a fearful, and a damnable case, led away every day into sin in a fearful manner, and every hour of the day thou hast deserved my wrath and fearful curse to fall upon thee, if thou go on in these sinful courses, hell and damnation is thy portion for ever; but I have pity upon thee, and would have thee to have pity upon thyself; I do not desire thy death, but that thou do repent and live; and out of my infinite love to mankind, I have given my own dear Son Christ jesus to die for such poor wretched sinners as thou art: and now I come to tell thee, and do tell thee by my Spirit, that thou poor sinful soul, art one of these sinners that CHRIST hath purchased by his most precious blood: therefore my Son hearken unto my voice; Oh my Son give me thy heart, turn thy love and thy affections wholly upon me, believe thou in me, and believe in my Son Christ jesus, believe his Spirit, his truth, his promises; cast away all thy sins, never let them enter into thy heart again, and give thyself to promise and perform a holy life, be persuaded by my advice, hold fast by me, and I will hold fast by thee; do thus and I will be thy Father, and thou shalt be my child for ever: Thus God woos, and thus he wins every sinful soul: And this persuasion of his is not only a bare tender of grace, as if God should say, thou shalt be saved if thou wilt: but it is Gods operative work of grace; which he persuades us and makes us able & willing to do; he bids us believe and withal he gives us his Spirit, and causeth us to believe in Christ; he persuades us to set our love upon him, and withal he sheds forth his love into our hearts by his holy Spirit, and makes us able and willing to love him. This is the right state of saving grace, or of the love of God, and when this knot of grace is knit betwixt God and the believing Soul, it can never be dissolved by all the powers of hell. So we see the Doctrine explained, that the hold which the faithful have in the love of God through jesus Christ it is a sure hold; the estate of grace that they are in, is an undefeasible estate, nothing can void them, nothing can deprive them of it.  
The proofs of this Doctrine are these, 
Proofs.  Psal. 125.1. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, that cannot be removed, but remaineth for ever: The persons there spoken of are the same that we spoke of in the Doctrine; they that trust in the Lord, the faithful say we, that by faith and confidence have gotten sure hold of God in Christ; secondly, the estate there spoken of, is the same we speak of; a sure and firm estate, by way of comparison, is set down to be as mount Zion, the surety whereof is set down by negation, it cannot be moved, and by affirmation, but remaineth for ever: The substance of the speech is this, mount Zion is so firmly settled as it can never be removed; But all they that trust in the Lord are in such a state, therefore all they can never be removed, but stand fast for ever. Some object and say, it is true that the faithful, so long as they trust in the Lord, are unmoveable; but they may cease to trust in the Lord, and so may be removed. I answer, this is a mere illusion of the place, and this Scripture cannot be so deluded; for if they that trust in the Lord may cease quite from trusting in him, than they may lose their hold in him, but the place saith, they can never lose their hold in God, for then Mount Zion may be removed; but saith the Text, Mount Zion can never be removed, therefore they can never quite cease to trust in God: the Prophet concludes as well the sureness of their trust, that it shall never fail, as the sureness of Mount Zion, that it should never fail: he affirms as well the sureness of their faith, as the firmness of the hold they have in God. Matth. 7.24.25. whosoever heareth of me these words, and doth the same, I will liken him to a wise man that builded his house upon a Rock: This wise builder is every true believer, and the house there built, is the Rest that he sets himself upon, how he looks to be saved, the grounding of this house upon a Rock, is the relying of the Believer, truly and wholly upon Christ jesus by a true and lively faith in his blood; the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blue, etc. These are his trials by afflictions, temptations, persecutions, etc. The best believer is sure to have trials enough, even to the uttermost, as much as he can stand under, and not more; but here is his comfort, his house shall never fall, because it is built upon a Rock: the true believer hath gotten sure hold on God by faith in Christ, and therefore he can never fall, joh. 3.36. He that believes in the Son, hath everlasting life, etc. These are the words of john Baptist, and are confirmed by our Saviour, and that by terms of asseveration, joh, 6.47. Verily, verily, I say to you, he that believeth in me hath everlasting life: Here is a true Believer, and what is his portion? everlasting life, and he saith not, he shall have, but he hath it, he is sure of it, he is possessed of it: but a man may lose that which he hath: yea, but this is eternal life, and therefore cannot be lost, for if it could be lost it were not everlasting. This appears further by the nature of the phrase, to have life; which is not to have riches, or goods, or possessions, but to have life is to live that life which a man hath, as he that hath natural life, life's that life, and he that hath spiritual life, life's a spiritual life; and so he that hath eternal life, life's eternally; so that his meaning is, that true believers begin now to live that life, that they shall live for ever, begun here in grace, and continued for ever hereafter in glory; if they that thus believe could fall away quite from God, than they must dye for ever, and it is not possible both to live and to dye for ever; therefore it is impossible that ever any such should fall quite away from God. john 10.27.28.29. My sheep here my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand: Here our Saviour speaks of his Sheep, not only of Professors but of true Believers: Sheep that have true hearted souls to Christ their Shepherd, for so they are described, they hear his voice and follow him; they deal thus with him; But how deals he with them? He gives them eternal life, and if Christ give it, who shall take it away from them? And he saith not I will, but I do give it them: every true Believer at the first Act of his conversion hath eternal life; he beginneth then to live eternally, and he shall never perish; He may be hunted by Dogs, and Wolves, and Bears, and Devils, but they shall never perish, neither shall any pull them out of my hands; He that separates us from God must tug with Christ jesus himself, and be too hard for him too, else they can never pluck us out of his hand: And is not this enough? If it be not, then look what he saith in the 29. Verse, My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and none is able to take them out of my father's hands: If any should question my power, yet none will question my Father's power; if any were able to pluck them out of my hands, yet none, neither men nor Devils are able to pluck them out of my Father's hands, he is greater than all, and therefore the state of the faithful is a sure state: And mark how our Saviour in that place changeth his words; in the 28. Verse he saith, none shall pluck them out of his hands; and in the 29. Verse, none can take them out of his Father's hands, they neither shall nor can: So that the Doctrine is clear, that the hold that the faithful have in the love of God through jesus Christ is a sure hold, and the estate of grace that they are in, is an undefeasible estate, nothing can void them, nothing can deprive them of it.  
The reasons are many; there is no reason from man for this, for there is nothing in, nor of ourselves, but it is contrary and against this truth: all the reasons must be fetched from God. 2 Cor. 1.21. It is God which establisheth us with you in Christ; Now look up to God, and all is for this truth, that we cannot fall; First, his Love is for us, and that is everlasting: Secondly, his Power is for us, and that is almighty: Thirdly, his Grace is for us, and that is all sufficient: Fourthly, his Will is for us, and that is unresistable: Fifthly, his Promise is for us, and that is unchangeable: and lastly, Christ his prayer is for us, and that is unfallible. A threefold cord is not easily broken, but here is a sixefold cord, plaited with Gods own hand, and every one as strong as God himself, binding us fast to the love of God in Christ, and therefore this can never be broken.  
First, God's Love is for us, and that is everlasting: We must be in the love of God, or else this that is here spoken concerns us not; Now his love is everlasting, jer. 31.3. and therefore it cannot be removed. john 13.1. Whom he love's once, he love's for ever, even unto the end he loveth them. God cannot love us to day, and hate us to morrow, as we do, that love a while and leave at last; fare be it from any of us, ever to imagine that God can love any man as his dear Child for a fit, and a spurt, and yet afterwards hate him, as the Child of the Devil, for ever; but this God must do if ever any true Believer should be cast off, or fall away; but this God cannot do, because his love is everlasting, and therefore no Child of God can become a castaway.  
Secondly, his Power is for us, and that is almighty, john 10.29. My Father is greater than all, and none is able to take them out of my Father's hands. God's greatness and his almightiness lies at pawn for it, 1 Pet. 1.5. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation; the original signifies, that we are kept by the Guard of God's power, by the strongest and surest, and chiefest power that God hath; as the King's Guard is his strongest power he hath about him: And what? is this for a time? no, for ever to salvation, saith the Apostle, to the full accomplishment of our salvation.  
Thirdly, God's grace is for us; and that is all-sufficient, 2 Cor. 12.9. My grace is sufficient for thee, etc. which is an effectual sufficiency, else it could have been no comfort to Paul; for Paul was then in great distress, the messengers of Satan, these Principalities here spoken of, were about his ears buffetting him, he finds no power in himself to withstand, and therefore he besought the Lord for this; and God gives him this answer to satisfy and to pacify him withal, my grace is sufficient for thee: though thou hast no power nor grace to stand against this fiery temptation, yet be of good comfort, my grace is, and shall be, sufficient for thee. But you will say, this was Paul's particular case, but what is that to me, or to another? I answer, it is true, it was his particular case, but yet so as it is exemplary, and applicable to all true believers for ever after, so saith the Apostle himself, 1 Tim. 1.14.16. For this cause was I received to mercy, that jesus Christ should first show on me all long-suffering, unto the example of them which shall in time to come believe in him unto eternal life; He received mercy, that all the Children of God might lay hold upon it as he did, in truth, though not in the same measure.  
Fourthly, Gods will is for us, and that is unresistable: His will is for us, Luke 12.32. Fear not little flock, it is my Father's will to give you a Kingdom; And if it be his will, who shall gainsay it? joh. 6.39. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day; now the will of God is unresistable, Rom, 9.19. Who hath resisted his will? And therefore the faithful cannot fall away.  
Fiftly, God's promise is for us, and that is unchangeable: God not only promiseth grace but perseverance in grace, as jer. 32.39.40. And I will give them one heart, I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, I will put my fear into their hearts, and they shall not departed from me: Here is a promise, not of grace only, but of perseverance in grace; and God's promise is unchangeable, 2 Cor. 1.20. they are yea, and Amen: It is impossible that God should lie, Heb. 6.18. and therefore seeing God hath promised that we shall stand fast; it is impossible that ever we should fall away.  
Lastly, Christ's intercession is for us, and that is unfaillable, Luke 22.32. I have prayed that thy faith may not fail; that is, that thou mayst never fall from faith. But this is particular for Peter; no, it is general for all as well as he, joh. 17.9.20. I pray for them, I pray not for the world, I pray not for these alone, but for them also that shall believe in me through their word; he prays for all believers: now Christ's prayer is always heard, john 11.4. Father, I know that thou hearest me always: therefore the faithful cannot fall away.  
The first Use of this point is matter of confutation, against those that hold that the Saints may utterly fall from grace; It is held both by the Papists, and the Lutherans, as also by the Arminians both at home and abroad; they hold that Saints may utterly fall away from grace: I will ask these men, that are so peremptory in this point, this question, whether they can show me any one place in the Book of God, that doth directly and expressly affirm that a true Believer may utterly fall away from grace? They cannot, some of themselves confess they cannot; then I answer them, that we can show many express places to the contrary, directly affirming the impossibility of falling away, and they have not one for the possibility of it, therefore we may quickly judge where the truth is. Yea, but say they, there is many exhortations to the faithful for that end, that they should not fall away, as 1 Cor. 10.12. Heb. 12.15. etc. and these should be in vain, except there were some possibility that they might fall. I answer, such exhortations there are, and they are directed to mixed congregations that consisted as well of Hypocrites that might fall away, as well as of true Believers that might not fall away; and so they are not in vain in respect of these Hypocrites, neither were they in vain in respect of God's Children, but of singular use in respect of them too, for thereby they were stirred up to shake off security, and to be more di●igent in the ways of God, for if we fall into sin, and negligence, and security, it is the highway of falling from God. Yea, but say they, there are many examples, as of Hymeneus, Phile●us, and Demas, etc. that were true believers, and yet fell away. I answer, they can show me never one example of any that fell away finally, but such as were hypocrites; I will say confidently, that he that falls utterly away from grace, was never but an hypocrite; no true believer can fall away; I dare say it because Christ hath said it before me, Math. 7.26.27. The foolish man built his house upon the sands, and when the storms came, it fell. Dost thou see a man build him an house, and it fall? certainly that man built upon the sands, that is, only upon the profession of saving faith; he had never true saving faith in CHRIST, but his own foolish persuasion; the true believer builds upon the Rock CHRIST, and therefore his house can never fall. To establish our judgements herein, let us hold fast these two positions: First, that hypocrites and counterfeits, may and do fall away finally, Matth. 13.21. But true believers can never fall finally from GOD: Both these are affirmed, 1 john 2.19. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. Secondly, that true believers may fall from the sense of GOD'S love, and from the exercise of Faith and Love, and obedience, and other graces; from some degree of Faith, and from some degree of GOD'S love, and from the exercise of grace, as in the case of spiritual desertion, temptation, specially by sin, but they can never fall from faith, nor from the love of GOD itself, nor from the life of grace, or at the least where they do fall, they neither fall wholly nor finally: the whole power that is in them is not carried after sin, but there is some resistance: A child of God in the case of sin, hates that he doth, he cannot fall wholly, the seed of God is still within him, 1 john 3.19. and that will revive again; nor he cannot fall finally, because that seed is immortal, 1 Pet. 1.23. and therefore can never die. They that are in the state of grace, hear a voice behind them saying, This is the way, walk in it, Isa. 30.21. they have the guidance of God's Spirit, whereby they are preserved from evil, and fitted for every good duty, so that they cannot fall wholly nor finally. And yet they may have such falls as are fearful, and which they may rue for ever, as we may see in David's fall, Psalm 51. These two positions well considered are a sufficient preservative to keep us from this error.  
Use. 2 The second Use is for reproof of those that abuse this Doctrine, to God's dishonour, and their own destruction: Some abuse it to carnal Security: They hear this Doctrine, that true believers cannot utterly fall away, and therefore they grow secure and careless of their ways, and cast off the fear of God, & guy themselves over to their own lusts; graceless, and reckless persons they are, to abuse such a heavenly Doctrine; What is this but to turn the grace of God into wantonness, jude 4? And mark what censure the Apostle passeth on them in that place,  men they are, ordained to condemnation. A child that hath a good father, whom he knows will not see him want nor perish; shall this child therefore waste and riot, and bezzell away all his state, and run himself into debt and danger he cares not how? It were a wicked child that would do thus: a good and truehearted child to his father would never do it. It was the devil's temptation to our Saviour, Luke 4.9.10. that he should cast himself down headlong: An impudent persuasion to the Son of God: What is his reason whereupon he persuades him thus to cast away himself? forsooth because he had the promise of God's protection, for, they shall bear thee in their hands, so that thou shalt not dash thy foot against a stone; as if he should say, thou mayst do what thou list, thou art sure to be safe. Shall we give ourselves over to sin, to desperate and wicked courses, because we have Gods promise not utterly to fall from grace? God forbidden. This was the Devil's Divinity, and it is a devilish practice whosoever imitates it, and so let us esteem of it and abhor it in ourselves and others: Oh beloved we must consider that the same grace of God whereby we are saved, the same grace doth preserve us from sin, and quickens us up to good duties. It is the Apostles words, Titus 2.11.12. The same grace of God that brings Salvation to us, makes us also deny all ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, etc. Therefore whosoever thou art that professest thyself to be a believer, and yet hast no care nor conscience to abstain from sin, and to lead a godly life, it is a strong presumption against thee, that thou never yet hadst any true touch of saving grace. Others abuse it to Pride: They have a high conceit of themselves, and are lifted up in their hearts, as if they did stand by their own strength and power: A fearful sin; for hereby they rob God of the honour of their salvation, to ascribe it to themselves. And it is an usual and just thing with God to recompense such abominable pride with a shameful fall: john 18. It was the secret pride of Peter's heart, and confidence of his own strength that made him say, that though all the world should forsake Christ, yet he would not, yea, though he died with him, he would not forsake him; which was justly recompensed with that shameful and fearful fall, that he was the only man that not only forsook him, but denied him, and forswore him too: that Peter might after be warned, and we by his example, never to think of standing by our own strength, but wholly and only on the power of God, who is all in all in it. Let us wait upon God in the humbleness of our souls, and by faith and confidence put him in trust with our state; and let us do the best we can to keep in the state of grace, but yet let us give the whole glory of our preservation to God alone.  
Use. 3 The third Use, is matter of exhortation, to stir up God's children to hold fast by God; Hold fast till I come, saith our Saviour: It is not a vain exhortation, for what God bids us do, he makes us willing and able to do in some measure; therefore we are to hold fast by God, and to go on cheerfully in the state of grace, and never be daunted with a servile fear for any enemy; we must hold fast by God: notwithstanding his promise that we shall persevere, which is the cause of our standing, yet we must hold fast by faith, as the instrument and means under God whereby we stand, for this doth not acquit us from, but bind us more firmly to do our best endeavour to maintain our state; Where Gods promise and man's endeavour are joined together, that being the cause, and this the foundation and means, how sweetly do they concur and work together? And therefore we must use all means for the establishing of ourselves in grace, when we are once entered into that estate; which state we must labour to be sure that we are in, and not flatter ourselves; and then we must labour to use all good means to be established in it: First, 
Means to be used that we may persevere in grace.  we must lay a sure foundation or ground, if ever we will hold out in the estate of grace, else we shall quickly decay: See that thy saith in Christ be true and sound, grounded on the Word and promises of God, and the infallible testimonies of God's Spirit, that cries, Abba, Father, within thee; And let thy repentance be unfeigned, not a few tears, but even the breaking of thy heart; And let thy conversion be through, be not half a Christian, and see all thou dost be done in truth, and then thou hast laid a good and sure foundation, Luke 6.48. He that will lay a good foundation must dig deep, and so his building will stand firm: And so if we will have our building stand firm with GOD, we must dig deep, we must be men of deep meditations on our own miseries, and on God's mercies and promises, and in Christ's sufferings and merits; We must have a deep sorrow for our own sins, and not a slight and shallow remembrance of them; and then we will not willingly be drawn to sin again while we live; therefore we must have a deep sorrow for sin, and a deep sighing for grace; and a deep Impression of the Word in our hearts; we must not be hearers and speakers of it, and rememberers of it only, but it must dwell plentifully in us, it must transform our hearts into the obedience of it; If ever we look to lay a good foundation in God, we must dig deep, Matth. 13.5.6. The Corn that was sown in the stony ground, came up quickly & perished quickly, because it had no depth of earth: Our ordinary hearers are quick and apt to speak of that they hear, but the Word hath no depth of rooting in their hearts, and therefore they quickly fall away: be sure therefore that thou dig deep, and that that which thou buildest upon be deep in thy heart. Secondly, that we may hold out in the state of grace, there must be a firm resolution in us to stand fast whatsoever come of it, and for lack of this, many have fallen shamefully away, In Act. 11.23. Barnabas exhorted all, that with purpose of heart they would continue in the Lord; we must be resolute to deny ourselves, to leave our sins, to fight against our corruptions, and to endure temptations, and to lose all, yea, our lives and all, rather than to lose our hold in God, many there are that make resolutions, to lead a holy life, but either they are passionate or cold, no marvel though such resolutions never hold out: many make resolutions in a passion, and they will never hold, Deut. 5.27.29. The people said unto Moses, Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God saith, and declare thou unto us, and we will hear it and do it: But what saith God? Oh that there were such an heart in my people, to fear me, and to keep all my Commandments always: We make many good resolutions; But▪ oh that there were such an heart in us to do as we say. 
Five rules to be observed in our resolutions, that they may be firm.  Now that our resolutions may stand; First, to do them in the fear of God, as in God's presence, and hearing; Secondly, do it hearty from thy heart. Thirdly, do it from a mature deliberation, and not in a fit or passion, thou hast felt the smart of sin, therefore resolve deliberately▪ rather to be drawn in pieces, then to be drawn to sin again; Fourthly, we must make our resolutions in confidence of God's promises, and empty ourselves of all power to do any thing, as of ourselves; Lastly, we must go to God by prayer for his Spirit, that he may frame thy resolutions within thee; Say, Lord thou hast given me these good resolutions, let thy Spirit work and confirm them in my heart, and then they shall stand sure, and if we can prevail with God by prayer, to frame these resolutions in our hearts, they shall be sure to stand. Thirdly, that we may be established in grace and persevere therein, we must daily rip up our hearts and our reines before God, we must discover our sins and corruptions and infirmities, and wants to God, Psal. 16.8. I have set the Lord ever before me, because he is at my right hand I shall never be moved; The way to keep us from falling, is to walk openly and nakedly before the Lord, without dissembling, reservations, circumlocutions; never be either afraid or ashamed to tell GOD what thou wantest, for so much as thou failest in making thyself throughly known to GOD, so much thou ever givest thyself to fall away from grace.  
Fourthly, to preserve us from falling from grace, we must watch continually over our own hearts that we do not fall. Matth. 26.41. Our Saviour prescribes it of purpose, as a preservation from falling: Thy heart is deceitful above all things; watch thy heart therefore at every turn, lest it fall away: But alas, what will our watchfulness do? Yes, it is very effectual when it is joined with prayer; Watch to keep thyself, and pray to God to keep thee, and thou shalt be well kept; Bring God unto thy watch by thy prayer, and then though thou be heavy and sleepy, yet he never slumbers nor sleeps, he will surely keep thee.  
Fiftly, if thou be'st fallen, rise up again without delay, sleep not till thou recover thyself, Reu. 2.5. Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent: Hast thou sinned? oh what hast thou done? Get thee to God, humble thyself before him, confess and bewail thy sins with a broken heart, take hold on the promise of grace in Christ; renew thy vow, and promise to God, and see thou perform it, to be more careful for ever after, and this do speedily; It is a great advantage that sin gets of us, by resting in us, like a sore that is let alone, it festers, and is harder to be cured.  
Sixtly, if we will hold out in the estate of grace, we must labour to be constant in all duties of Religion, in hearing the Word, meditating, conferring, & practising it, in receiving the Sacraments, in companying with the godly; and this we must do, not in formality▪ and for fashion or custom, that is the very moth that eats out the life of all godliness, when we think if the duty be done, all is well, no matter how; but this makes a foul brack in the estate of grace: but let us not do these things for custom or formality sake, but let us see that the life and power of godliness be in us in the performance of them.  
Lastly, let us be sure we be always going forward, for surely our not going forward, is some degree or beginning of going backward, Phil. 3.13. We must forget those things which are behind, and reach forward to those things which are before. Labour to weaken thy sins, and to strengthen thy graces, and to be more frequent in good duties, and so shall we go forwards, and not fall away. And now we come to the Lords Supper, let us not be content to receive it in the Elements, but let us see that the life and power of it be in our hearts; and then they shall be a powerful means to keep and help forward the believing Soul in the state of grace: Here the promise of God is sealed unto us, for the forgiveness of our sins; and here we bind ourselves to God for new obedience, and here we eat Christ's flesh▪ and drink his blood after a spiritual manner; and so shall never dye, (saith our Saviour) but live for ever. And so this Sacrament is a powerful means to confirm us in this Doctrine, that the hold that the faithful have in the love of God through jesus Christ, is a sure hold, etc.  
FINIS.   

THE SIXTH SERMON,  Upon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses. 
For I am persuaded, that neither Death, nor life, etc.  
AS God hath been pleased to give strength and opportunity, we have proceeded in the handling of this Scripture to these five points; the first is contained in the Text by way of Intimation; namely, that there is a near Communion betwixt God and all the faithful in jesus Christ, intended in the word separation: Secondly, we have spoken of the Bond of this Communion, which is the love of God: Thirdly, we have showed both the ground of this Communion, and of the Bond of it, and that is jesus Christ: Fourthly, we have showed the near reference that is betwixt Christ and the faithful, he is our Lord, and we are his Subjects and Servants: Fiftly, we have showed the safety of all the faithful in the midst of all dangers which the Apostle avoucheth here, That neither death, nor life, etc. shall separate us from the love of God; the Children of God are and shall be in the love of God, let their enemies do what they can.  
Now we come to speak of the sixth point, and that is, the confident persuasion which the Apostle hath concerning this heavenly truth, I am sure he is sure of it: First, I will propound the Doctrine; in that the Apostle saith, I am persuaded, or I am sure, that all the faithful shall continue in the love of God without separation; the observation is this: 
Doctrine.  Gods Children, all true Believers, may and aught to have a confident persuasion in themselves of their own certainty and continuance in the state of grace and salvation: for howsoever the persuasion here spoken of, is a personal and a particular persuasion of Paul, (I am persuaded) yet the matter which he is perswaded of, is general to all believers, I am persuaded (saith he) that nothing shall separate us: and therefore the estate of all true believers being in itself as firm and sure as Paul's was; then their assurance must be in some measure answerable to his. To set the Doctrine right, that we may receive it in the truth of the Apostles intendment, and apply it to ourselves rightly against despair, and yet without presumption; 
Doctrine cleared for such exceptions as seem to lie in the Text.  we are first to clear it of some exceptions, and then to bond it within certain bounds or limits: First, of the exceptions, I do not mean such exceptions as are made against the Doctrine itself, (for of them we shall speak in the uses,) but of such as are made against this Scripture, from whence the Doctrine is raised. The first exception is this; the word here translated, I am persuaded or sure, doth not always in Scripture signify such a confident persuasion, as we hear speak of; it signifies indeed a probable or hopeful opinion, not a confident persuasion, as for instance, Rom. 15.14. I myself am also persuaded of you my Brethren, that ye are full of goodness, and filled with all knowledge, etc. Is this a confident persuasion? The Apostle knew not their hearts, and therefore could not be confidently persuaded of this, it was only a probable and hopeful opinion (say they:) and so that in 2 Tim. 1.5. I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelled first in thy Grandmother Lois, and in thy Mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that it dwelleth in thee also. To this exception I answer, that it is true, that these places are to be understood of a hopeful, or charitable, or probable persuasion, and so the word may sometime signify (and yet in these places Paul might speak by special revelation, but we will not stand upon that:) But yet it is as true, sometime this word signifies a certain knowledge, and a confident persuasion, as Rom. 14.14. I know, and am persuaded through the Lord jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself, etc. Here is a confident persuasion; and so in the 2 Tim. 1.12. For I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, against that day: Here is a confident persuasion, because it is joined with certain knowledge, and therefore the persuasion must be certain too; so that all this while the matter lies in suspense, for in some places it signifies a confident persuasion, and in others a probable persuasion; Which then is here meant? Go to the Rule: Where one and the same word is used in diverse senses, in diverse places of Scripture, the circumstances of the Text must judge and declare in what sense it is to be taken in that place: Now look into the circumstances of this Text, and we shall find, that it is here to be taken, and must be meant of a confident persuasion, for in the 35. Verse the Apostle had confidently insulted over all dangers, what shall separate us from the love of God in Christ? etc. And he gives the reason of it in this Verse, for I am persuaded, etc. Why doth he slight his enemies so? Because he is sure nothing shall separate him from the love of God, For I am sure. Doth he so confidently insult over all dangers, because he supposeth, or hath some probable opinion or slender persuasion? That were too weak a ground to cause him to insult over such strong enemies as these are; but because he is sure and certainly persuaded that they shall not hurt him, therefore he may and doth safely and confidently insult over them; therefore this a confident persuasion. Again, in the 30. Verse, he had pronounced himself a Conqueror, yea, more than a Conqueror, as if the victory were already gotten: In all these things we are more than Conquerors; and he gives the reason of it in the 38.39. Verses, for I am persuaded, etc. And doth the Apostle pronounce himself a Conqueror before he be sure of the Conquest? that were a proud and a vain boasting, which Paul was free from: but he doth pronounce himself a Conqueror upon this persuasion here spoken of, because he is sure, that neither death, nor life, etc. can hurt him: therefore the word in this place signifies a certain and a confident persuasion, such as the Apostle dares build his soul upon against all comers. Secondly, it is excepted, that Paul might have this certain persuasion, that he, nor any of the faithful, should ever be cut off from the love of God by special revelation; Had he so? They that make this exception, will deny this when it comes to the proof; For, if Paul had it by special Revelation, that he nor none of the faithful shall ever fall away from the love of God, than it is certain that the state of the faithful is unfallible, and that they shall never fall from it; for special Revelation is never of false things: But secondly, I say Paul had it not by special Revelation, but by the lively power of a justifying faith: For first, special Revelations are of matters not revealed in the word, but this is; secondly, they are extraordinary, this is ordinary, (as we sha●l show in the proofs) in others of Gods Children in their measure; our persuasion is built upon a sure and ordinary ground, the promises of God rightly built upon, and his love truly felt in Christ, true faith and repentance, etc. and therefore Paul had not this certain persuasion by special Revelation.  

The Doctrine limited and bounded within certain limits.  Secondly, we will bond this Doctrine within certain limits and bounds, and they are two: The first is concerning all true believers in general; the second concerning one and the same Believer in particular. First, concerning all in general, we must not think that it is the portion of every Believer to attain to this high strain of confident persuasion, as Paul had; no, we must come short: God gives his graces to his Children in several portions, to some more, to some less, as he will himself; but yet every true Believer hath some measure of this confident persuasion, especially at sometimes, and every one must strive to have it in the highest measure: We must strive after the most excellent gifts, saith the Apostle, and when they have it not, it is their own fault: Every Believer must labour for it, and when they come short of this height of persuasion, they must know that they come short of that high strain that God would have them come to, and they must say with the man in the Gospel, Mark 9.24. I believe, Lord help my unbelief: And so fare as we come short of this full and confident persuasion, so fare our belief is tainted with unbelief, and yet this doth not utterly overthrew our faith, but it doth much disparage it, for all this our faith is a true faith, and we shall be saved by it. So that the Doctrine stands firm, that we may, and aught to have this certain and confident persuasion, etc.  
The second limit is concerning one and the same particular Believer, he must not always think to have this confident persuasion alike; the strongest faith is sometimes abated to much weakness: There was a time when job said, that though God did kill him, yet would he trust in him, job 13.15. And there was a time again when the same job said, Oh that I might have my desire, that is, that God would destroy me, etc. job 6.8.9. Here is a great difference betwixt job and job, betwixt job in the strength of his faith, and job in the weakness of his faith, yet still he had true faith: There was a time when David said, Psal. 23.4. Though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I would fear none evil; and there was a time when the same David said, Psal. 31.22. that he was cast out of God's sight, here is a great difference betwixt David in the strength of his faith, and Dav●d in the weakness of his faith: And so it is with God's Children, there is a great difference of persuasion in one and the same Believer at sundry times; sometimes they sin, and that weakens their faith; sometimes they are grievously tempted, and that weakens their faith; sometimes God withdraws his spirit, and that weakens their faith; and sometimes they are negligent in the means, & that weakens their faith, yet still in the true believer there is faith, & true faith, though a weak faith: and when he is in such weakness, he grieves, and mourns, and goes to God by prayer, and by all means strives against it. So we see that God's Children may and aught to have this confident persuasion.  

Proofs.  Now we come to the Proofs of the Doctrine. Heb. 10.22. Let us draw near with a true heart in assurance of faith: The Apostle stirs up himself, and all true Believers to draw near to God in prayer, and other holy exercises, and when they do draw near, he inioynes them to bring these two special graces with them to manage these duties withal: First, a true heart; take heed we come not as Hypocrites with their lips only, but with a true heart: Secondly, with full assurance, with full confidence and repose, and resting on the mercy and promises of God. The manner of the phrase is effectual, the word signifies in the original, full sail, and it is a speech borrowed from a Ship at Sea, that is under Sail, and hath Wind and Tide, and all her Sails spread, that goes a long snug in her course towards her Port with full sail; so should all true Believers, when they come to God, and draw near to him in prayer, hearing the word, or receiving the Sacraments, we must hoist up all the Sails of our Faith, that we may be carried along in the performance thereof, in the strength and power of God's Spirit, as with wind and tide, and with full assurance, as with full Sail, evermore resting upon the promises and mercies of God in jesus Christ, and being confidently persuaded of the love of God to us in him; and this the Apostle exhorts to in this place; and therefore all God's Children may & aught to attain to it. 1 john 3.2. We are now the Sons of God, but yet it is not manifest what we shall he, and we know that when he shall be made manifest, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. The persons there spoken of, are true believers, their present state is a blessed estate, for they are the Sons of God. Yea, but what is their future estate? who knows what shall become of them hereafter? The world knows it not, it doth not appear to them what we shall be; haply they think that we may fall away from grace, and lose our adoption, and be separate from God: yea, but saith the Apostle, We know better than so, we know that when he shall appear, we shall be made like unto him: we know not only our present estate, but our future too: we know we are now in a happy estate, in the state of salvation, for we are the Sons of God; and though it appear not to the world what we shall be, yet we know, & are confidently persuaded, that as we are in the state of salvation now, so we shall continue firm in it, we shall so live, and so dye, and so rise again at the last day; this we know, it is as sure as if it were done already; When he appears, we shall be like unto him. 1 john 5.10.11. He that believeth in that Son of God, hath the witness in himself, etc. What is this saving truth which God doth witness, and which every believer must be persuaded of? It is this, That God hath given unto us eternal life in his Son jesus Christ, which is the same in substance with that in the Doctrine, that we shall stand fast in the state of God's love to eternal life. And what persuasion have the children of God concerning this truth? A true and sound persuasion, such as he hath good warrant for in himself, and in his own heart; He hath the witness of it in himself: But what witness is this? It may fail: No, it is not the witness of man, but of God himself, as verse 9.10. so that it is the witness of God in our hearts, and therefore cannot deceive us: See then if it be not a confident persuasion; If we have it not, saith the Apostle, we make God a liar. Rom. 4.21. being fully assured, that he that had promised, was able to do it: Here Abraham's faith is set before us, as a pattern for all true believers, and the strength of his faith is commended unto us, by these two particulars, each directly touching the point in hand, one in the 20. verse, that he was strong in faith & doubted not: if he was so persuaded as he doubted not, it was a confident persuasion: the other in the 21. verse, that he was fully assured, that God which had promised, was able to do it; there was the height of a confident persuasion; this was Abraham's faith, and that faith which he was justified by, verse 22. And lest any man should, It was Abraham's faith indeed, but that is too high a strain for us to aim at; No, saith the Apostle, in the 23. and 24. verses, It is not written for him only, but for us also; where the Apostle imposeth the same duty on us, that we also ought to be strong in faith, and not doubt of the promises of God, but be fully assured, that they shall be performed and made good unto us; and this is to walk in the steps of the faith of our Father Abraham, verse 12. And those are good children that follow so good a Father.  
The Reasons of the point are these: First, the giving & the receiving of the Spirit begets this persuasion: Secondly, the voice of the Spirit in us confirms it: Thirdly, the nature of faith requires it: Fourthly, the fruits of the Spirit, and of faith approve it: Lastly, the truth of God's promises ratify it, and establish it.  
First, the giving and receiving of the Spirit begets Reason 1 this persuasion; for in our conversion to God, (mark these things well, blessed is he that hears, and hath his part in them) I say in our true Conversion to God, there is the Spirit given and received; God gives his Spirit, Man receives it in the Act of Conversion; GOD never converts any man, but he gives him his Spirit; neither is there any man ever converted but he receives the Spirit; and this giving and receiving of the Spirit, begets this confident persuasion, that surely God will be his God for ever, 1 john 4.13. Hereby, we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit: Hence it is that this Spirit thus given is called an earnest, Ephes. 1.13.14. It is a significant comparison and most pregnant to our purpose; An earnest we know is something given in hand at the making up of a bargain, the buyer gives it, the seller receives it, and thereby both parties are bound to the full performance of the bargain: so it is betwixt God and our poor Souls in our conversion, God bargains & covenants with us to be our God, and to make us his children, and heirs of salvation; he gives us an earnest, and we receive it; what is that? His Spirit to assure us that as he hath begun, so he will go on with us, and that his Covenant shall never be broken; and we receive it upon the same condition. If but a man give us an earnest, if he be an honest man, we are persuaded he will go on with his bargain; much more will God, if he give us an earnest, we may be confidently persuaded that he will not break with us: If God should give but a small earnest, but a penny, we would believe that he would perform with us; but he gives us his own Spirit, as great an earnest as himself (in reverence be it spoken to his great Majesty) and therefore he will surely go on with us: he gives us his Spirit to assure us, that he will not fail us, and therefore we may confidently be persuaded of it, that he will perform his word to us; and he gives us this earnest nor in our hands, for haply we might lose it then: but in our hearts, and there it rests as a Seal, to seal us up to God for ever and ever, 2 Cor. 1.22. Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of his Spirit into our hearts. We use to call this earnest given and received, a God's penny; Here is a God's penny indeed, the best Gods penny that ever we took, & given us upon the greatest and best match that ever we made, to assure us & certainly persuade us that God will perform his covenant to us.  
Secondly, the voice of the Spirit in us, confirms it, for upon our true conversion, as we receive this Spirit, so our Spirit grows into a blessed familiarity with God's Spirit, and in this familiarity, God's Spirit acquaints our spirits with many heavenly truths, and amongst other, the Spirit tells us in plain terms, that we are in the number of those that shall be saved: thou poor sinful soul art in truth the child of God. Rom. 8.16. The same spirit beareth witness to our spirits, that we are the children of God; there is a lively voice in the hearts of all Gods true children, whereby the Spirit tells them plainly so. The Apostle in the 1 Cor. 2.10. to the 16. reasons the case plainly. This is a secret might some say▪ Yea, but saith the Apostle, God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit, etc. But it is hid in God's mind: We know the mind of God, saith the Apostle, verse 16. But how do we know God's mind? why, God hath revealed it to us by his Spirit, verse 10. And in the 12. verse, the Apostle saith, that he hath given us the Spirit that is of God, that we might know the things that are of God; he hath given us his Spirit to this end, to confirm and seal unto us that we are appointed unto life.  
Thirdly, the nature of faith requires it: Faith requires Reason 3 a confident persuasion; how else can we say, I believe in God? and doubting is opposite to faith; james 1.16. Ask in faith, and waver not: Doubting is opposite to faith, as darkness is to light, they cannot stand together but with strife and contradiction one against another-  
Fourthly, the fruits of the Spirit, and of Reason 4 faith approve it; what are the fruits of the Spirit? why, the Commandments of God, 2 Pet. 1.10. If ye do these things ye shall never fall; God gives his word for it; hereby we are sure (saith the Apostle 1 john 2.3.) that we know him, if we keep his Commandments, and 1 john 3.14. we know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the Brethren; If I love my Brother truly for Christ's sake, I am sure that I am translated from death to life, as sure as I know it to be day by the light.  
Reason 5 Lastly, the truth of God's promises ratify and establish it, for as this makes our state sure in itself, so also it makes it sure to us, Heb. 10.23. He is faithful that hath promised, and therefore let us draw near unto him with full assurance, and hold fast the profession of our hope without wavering, this will carry us out through thick and thin.  
Use 1 The first Use is matter of Confutation, it serves to confute Popish doubting; I will insist specially upon that, because it is true that there is doubtings, sometimes, in the dearest of God's children, but they acknowledge and confess them to be sins and infirmities, and strive against them▪ and repent of them: But Popish doubting is maintained, and they cherish men in it, and they condemn an undoubting faith to be gross presumption: Alas, all our doubting is of ourselves, and not of God; and confident persuasion is of God, and not of us; and shall doubting be called good Religion, and assurance condemned to be presumption? This is a gross judgement, and a damnable censure: But it is strange that ever the Papists should doubt of their salvation, seeing they pretend that they have the Law and the Gospel for them too: The Law saith, Do this and live; and they pretend to perform perfect obedience to the Law, and yet they doubt whether they shall live. The Gospel saith, Believe this and thou shalt be saved; and they say they are only the true believers; Have they both the Law and the Gospel to assure them, and yet do they doubt whether they shall be saved? If the Law assure them not of salvation, yet the Gospel might, at least both together should not fail them: But all things well considered, it is no marvel; seeing they join their merits with Christ's, it is just with God to deny them the greatest comfort in the world, namely, this full assurance by the merits of Christ: And seeing they will be justified by their own works, no marvel though their justification fail them, seeing their works fail them. 
The evils of Popish doubting.  But let us see the evil of this their Doctrine; hereby they impeach God's truth, and call all his promises into question, and deny one of the chiefest privileges in the world to God's children, and bereave them of their best comfort, and hereby they dishearten God's children, and damp them in the course of grace, and many other evils follow hereupon. I will insist only upon these: First, If I must doubt of my salvation, than my love cannot be so entire to God as it ought; How can I love God so hearty, when I doubt whether he love's me or no? But if I know that God love's me; If I be confident in that, then am I carried with the strength of my love to him again, 1 john 4.10. Hereby is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us. Secondly, our prayers will be but faint prayers, I shall pray but faintly, if I doubt whether God will hear me or no. james 1.6.7. Ask in faith and waver not, neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Mark 11.24. Whatsoever you desire when you pray, believe that you shall have it, and it shall be done unto you. If we believe that God will hear us, this makes us to pray earnestly; but if we come wavering and doubting, we shall have little heart to pray; nay, we shall not receive, (saith the Apostle james.) Thirdly, our spiritual fight must needs be uncomfortable; we shall hardly endure and stand out the combat, if we doubt of the victory; but if once we know that we shall overcome, that will make us to fight to the knees in blood. In the 7. of judges, Gideon was fearful at the first to fight against the Midianites; but when God had promised him the victory, than verse 15. he saith to the people; Up, for the Lord hath delivered into your hands, the host of Midian; and so it is with us in our spiritual fight; If we believe that we shall overcome, we will up and fight manfully against all our spiritual enemies. Fourthly, our peace of conscience will be unsettled: What settled peace can there be of doubtings? Again, our hope cannot be a lively hope, if we doubt of our salvation. 1 Thess. 5.8.9. Put on the Breastplate of faith and love, and the hope of salvation for an Helmet; for God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by the means of our Lord jesus Christ. If we doubted whether God had appointed us unto wrath, and not to salvation, we should have little comfort to put on hope of salvation for an helmet: but if we be persuaded of our salvation, than we would put it on with good comfort. Again, our patience will be heartless, when we have no certainty of a Crown. james 1.12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life; If once we believe that we shall receive the Crown of life, we will endure all trials patiently. Again, our repentance will be but an hourly repentance, if we have not a good persuasion to find mercy, Mar. 1.13. Repent, and believe the Gospel. We must believe the Gospel else we cannot repent.  
Lastly, faith mixed with fears and doubtings, is but a small and a little faith. Math. 8.26. Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith? And so in the whole course of grace, all the duties of God's service will be much dampt in us, if we go not along with this full Sail, this full persuasion: Yea, but say the Papists, where do you find in any place in all the Scripture, that it is written that every particular man by name shall be saved? Is there any among you named in the Scripture? If it be not written there, how can it be believed? I answer, we have as good cause to believe, as if our names were set down in Scripture: God hath made his promises upon such and such qualifications; if I then find these in myself, I may build upon God's promises, that they are made to me: As if the King should proclaim, that a●l his truehearted Subjects should have such and such favours; why, if I find I have a true heart to the King, I may conclude, that I am there meant, as well as if I were there named; and so it is betwixt God and us; God saith in his word, that whosoever believes and reputes, shall be surely saved; then say I, I believe and repent, in my poor measure, therefore I conclude that I shall be saved. For the first Proposition, the adversaries agree with us, that whosoever believes and reputes shall be saved: but to the second they say, how do you know that you believe and repent? I answer, faith is an act, and therefore may be known of the believer, as he that sees, doth know he sees, and he that hears, doth know he hears, etc. and is not our belief a matter of our understanding, as well as of our will? Therefore every one that believes, knows that he doth believe; it is a very untoward faith that is without knowledge of it, and he a goodly believer, that knows not whether he believes or no. Math. 9.28. jesus asketh the blind men, believe ye that I am able to do this? and they said unto him, yea Lord: and so joh. 9.35.38. he asked the blind man whom he had cured, Dost thou believe in the Son of God? Verse 38. He said, Lord I believe: Every true believer knows, and can truly say he doth believe. Again, we may know we have faith, by the proper effects of faith, which is a godly life. Lastly, we may know it by the Spirit bearing witness to our Spirits, Rom. 8.16. And there cannot but be certainty of faith, where there is the sense of faith by the Spirit.  
Use 2 The second Use is for reproof of some amongst us, that mince this matter of assurance: We hope well say they, that we shall be saved, but we are not sure of it: Do you hope well? It is fit you should, and if your hope be a true hope, it will never make you ashamed: But let us examine it, do you hope to be saved without ground, or upon some good ground? If without ground, than it is a vain and foolish hope that will deceive thee; if upon good ground, then know that there is no true ground for hope but faith; Faith is the ground of things hoped for, Heb. 11.1. and therefore if we hope to be saved, we believe we shall be saved, for true hope is as certain as faith, Heb. 6.9. If we believe certainly, we hope certainly; so much faith as we have, so much hope we have; and so much hope as we have, so much faith we have; and therefore labour to know the ground of thy hope: Why dost thou hope thou shalt be saved? why, because thou believest thou shalt be saved.  
The last Use is to teach every one of us to labour Use 3 for this confidence, it is worth our labour, it is the sweetest comfort that ever we can have, living or dying, to know certainly that our sins are forgiven us in Christ, and that we are perfectly in the favour of God, and have true right and interest to heaven. We look into our Evidences for our Lands, and make all sure for them, much more should we make sure for our estate in grace, and interest in heaven; we had need of this comfort always, specially in time of temptation, and at the hour of our death; and therefore let us get it before we are sick, it will be too late to get it then; many put it off to the last gasp, like the five foolish Virgins, that slipped the opportunity of getting Oil into their Lamps▪ till it was too late. And therefore let us labour for it in time, if we once get this confident persuasion of God's love in Christ jesus, upon good grounds, we shall never wholly lose it; It may be quelled and lost in sense, in thy extremity, but it shall never dye in us, but it shall comfort our hearts when we have not the sense of it.  

Means how this assurance may be gotten·  But how shall we get it, may some say? I answer, first by prayer, if we ask we shall have; so did the Apostles, Luke 17.5. they prayed, Lord increase our faith, and so did David, Psal. 35.3. Say unto my soul, thou art my salvation: Secondly, we must get it by hearing and obeying the word of God, 1 joh. 5.13. These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe in the name of that Son of God; Labour to hear the word, and to know it, and to obey it, and then we shall know that we have eternal life; it was written for that very end and purpose, joh. 14.21. Thirdly, by the use of the Sacraments; they are Seals to confirm this unto us: We have heard of the inward Seal, God's Spirit, these are outward Seals, Rom. 4.11. After he received the sign of Circumcision, as the Seal of the Righteousness of faith, etc. By the use of the Sacraments we come to have this confident persuasion: In Baptism the Minister saith, I baptise thee in the name of the Father, etc. Some say, where is it said in particular, that I or thou shalt be saved? Yes, in Baptism, the Minister saith to me and to thee in particular, I Baptise thee; and God saith, I reecive thee: So the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, that is a Seal to us, and how? why, God hath annexed it to his word, as a Seal to our souls, of the forgiveness of our sins; and if we come with believing hearts unto it, than we eat Christ's body, and drink his blood, and so shall not dye eternally; and there is also the particular application of the Minister, eat thou, and drink thou, in remembrance that his body was broken for thee, and his blood shed for thee; and so by this means this confident persuasion is increased in us. Fourthly, another means is this, make much of the motions of God's Spirit, grieve not the holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed, Eph. 4.30. The Spirit works this confident persuasion in us, if we grieve this Spirit he will go away, and withdraw the sense of this persuasion; If we have but a little fruits of the Spirit, a little faith, etc. let us make much of it, and God will give us more, as Christ said to Nathaniel, john 1.50. Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the figtree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these: So God saith to every poor believing soul; I give thee but a glimpse of assurance now, but thou shalt see greater things than these. Fiftly, another means is to walk uprightly and constantly before God, Gen. 17.1.2. If we walk uprightly before God, he will be our God all-sufficient. Sixtly, another means to get this assurance is a serious meditation on the promises of God, and an humble and sound application of them to thyself, Heb. 10.22.23. they shall stand though our faith be weak; if we have our eyes surely fixed on them, it will comfort us in all troubles. Psal. 119.50. David professeth that God's promise was his comfort in trouble, and that it did quicken him. Seaventhly, let us observe faithfully, the daily experiments of God's truth on others, specially on thyself, and that will help us greatly herein, judges 13.23.22. Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely dye, because we have seen God, but his wife said, If the Lord will kill us, he would not have received a meat offering, and a  offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, etc. She observed and builded upon God's former mercies, and that works a confident persuasion in her for the time to come. So if we have got some persuasion of the love of God, though afterward we lose the sense of it, yet let us say to our souls, surely God would never have done all this for me, he would never have showed me the way of Religion, and wrought some good persuasion in me of his love towards me, if ever he had purposed to destroy me. Lastly, let us try, and find, and labour to be well acquainted with our union, which we have with Christ, for that will be an excellent means to work this confident persuasion in us; therein is thy fullness of grace, and so the fullness of thy assurance, 2 Cor. 13.5. Prove yourselves whether you are in the faith, etc. The Apostle would have us to attain to this certainty of persuasion, and how? why, saith he, prove yourselves, try yourselves: of what? whether Christ be in you: Whether he live in you by his grace, and by his Spirit; whether by his death he mortify your sins, and by his resurrection quicken you up to newness of life; if he do, than we may be fully assured that we shall never be cast off.  
This point we must bring ourselves to, for this will bring comfort to us in our sins, in our sickness, in our temptations, in all these if we look to our union which we have with Christ, we may have comfort: God hath knit me to himself in jesus Christ, and therefore I know that all these storms shall end, and turn to my good. And so in the want of any grace, this is our comfort, that we are knit unto Christ, & all-sufficiency is in him, and of his fullness we shall receive grace for grace; therefore let us labour to be well acquainted with this grace, our union with Christ. And let us make good use of this word now delivered unto us, we know not what trials God hath in store for us; and therefore let us labour by all these means for this confident persuasion of God's love to us: God gives us his Sacrament to assure us of it, and would have us be persuaded that he love's us, and though we cannot attain to this persuasion in that strength that we should, why yet God is not captious, he will take all things at the best, walk before him and be upright, and he will be our GOD all-sufficient.  
FINIS.   

THE SEAVENTH SERMON,  Upon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses. 
For I am persuaded, that neither Death, nor life, etc.  
IN handling of these words, as you may remember, we proceeded as God enabled us in this present service, to reduce the whole Sum of these two Verses, to these seven heads: First, that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithful, so the word separation doth presuppose: secondly, we shown the Bond of this Communion, the love of God: thirdly, we shown the ground both of this Communion, & of the Bond of it, and that is jesus Christ: Fourthly, we shown the near relation that there is betwixt Christ and those that believe in him, He is our Lord, saith the Apostle. Fiftly, we shown the certainty of the State of the faithful in itself: that never any thing should separate them from the love of God: The sixth point (which we handled the last time) was the certainty of it in our own hearts. The seaventh and last point which now we are come to, is; That the Apostle bears up himself boldly upon this assurance against all dangers and troubles, that ever did or could befall him. And this is the main reach of the Apostles whole discourse; propounded here by way of reason, for I am sure; As if he should say, I may boldly and safely insult over all those dangers mentioned in the 35. Verse: But why Paul art thou so bold? for I am sure (saith he) that not only those dangers there spoken of, shall ever separate me from the love of God; no, nor greater than they, nor the instruments of them, nor Abettors, nor Authors of them shall ever do it; Be it life, be it death, be it Angels or Principalities or Powers, etc. Not any of all these shall be ever able to separate me from the love of God: so fare off is it, that Tribulations, or Persecutions, etc. shall separate me, that none of these that are greater shall ever do it; This is the just connexion of these verses with the former, and in this consist the full weight and power of the Apostles Reason.  
Now concerning this seaventh and last point, here are two things to be considered: First, we are here to consider of the dangers that the children of God are subject unto: Secondly, of the support and comfort they have against these dangers; And both these we are to consider of (God willing) first in general, then in particular.  
First, we will speak of the dangers and that in general that God's children are subject to; and then we will come to the support they have in them. For first we must know what the dangers are, before we can know the support and help we have in them; we must first know the disease before we can know the remedy: and concerning the dangers in general, take notice of these four things; First, the variety of them, they are not one but many, of diverse kinds, some dangers of life, some of death, dangers wrought by diverse means and instruments, some by Angels, some by Principalities, and Powers: dangers at diverse times, some present, some to come, dangers from diverse places, some from the height above, some from the deph beneath; here is the variety of them, for the Apostle speaks not idly in any of these words.  
Secondly, we must take notice of the completeness and fullness of these dangers; they are not only many and diverse, but even all the dangers that may be, for here is a sufficient and perfect reckoning up of all sorts of dangers to the full; there is not one danger that can ever be named or imagined, but it may fitly be reduced to one of these heads that the Apostle here names, either to life, or to death, or to Angels, etc. And that the Apostle may be sure to comprehend all dangers, he doth not only name actual dangers, such as do ordinarily befall us both of life & death, but possible dangers, to come as well as present, nay such dangers as in our ordinary apprehension, are impossible; from good Angels, which is hard to be conceived how that may be.  
Thirdly, we are to consider the crossenes & thwartnes of these dangers, propounded here in opposition one to another, and also in opposition each of them to our own state and mind; the Apostle makes our case herein to be like unto judah's, Isa. 9.21. Manasses against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasses, and both of them against judah: So it is with God's children in their trials, here is Death opposed to life, and life opposed to death, and both opposite to God's children; so here is good Angels opposed to bad, and bad Angels opposed to good: things present opposed to things to come; and things to come opposed to things present; height opposed to depth, & depth to height; & God's children subject to all these: And this is the sting of our Crosses, that we are thus crossed, & thwarted in our affliction, as when we be pinched with pain on the right hand, we turn to the left to find ease; & presently on the left hand we are pinched as much as before on the right, yet such is the present portion of God's children. The 4 & last point is, that the Apostle propounds these dangers to himself, & to the faithful, not as fears or shadows, or imaginations, (I fight not as one that beateth the air, saith the Apostle) but as true & real dangers, such as he doth acknowledge himself & all the faithful exposed unto, & looks to be encountered first or last with such things indeed.  
The Doctrine that flows naturally from this Scripture thus opened is this: 
Doctrine.  That God's children must make their account, and set down their rest upon it, that they shall be assaulted here in this world, with all trials, and dangers, and distresses, that ever possibly can befall them. This Doctrine is easy enough to be understood, (for God's children see the truth of it daily in others, and feel it in their own selves) but it is hardly digested: It is a hard saying, who can bear it? Therefore that we may the better brook it, 
Four preparations for the brooking of afflictions.  let us receive it upon these preparations. First, we must not think that all these dangers shall be heaped upon every one of God's children in several, but they shall be distributed and parted amongst them all in common. All the afflictions of the faithful are but one cup, and that Christ calls his Cup, Matth. 20.23. Ye shall drink indeed of my Cup; It is Christ's Cup, and all the faithful must drink of it; Ye shall drink, saith our Saviour; Every one must have his share, and so amongst them they must drink it all up. Now because none of us knows whether he shall drink of the top of this Cup, or of the middle, or of the bottom, till his turn come, therefore every one of us must Arm himself to drink of any part of it, every one is to make account that he is liable to every affliction.  
The second preparation is this, we must not think that these afflictions shall befall all God's children alike; No, some must drink deeper of it than others; God hath some underlings amongst us, children that are weak in faith, and young in grace, and they must have a smaller measure of this Cup, an easier portion of these trials: Again, God hath some standards amongst his children, that are strong in faith, Armour of proof, throughly settled and established in grace; and they shall have a greater portion of this Cup: Such was job in his time, and such were David and jeremy, and Paul in their times; God raiseth up many of these Worthies in every time, and makes them undergo and overcome a world of afflictions, to shame them that are fearful and faint-hearted, and will not undergo any affliction; And to beard all the enemies of God, be they men or Devils, and to magnify the Almighty power of a strong God, in a weak man: Our heavenly Father is most wise and merciful in measuring out his afflictions to us; the strongest shall be sure to have as many as ever he can bear, (God gives him not his strength in vain.) And the weakest shall be sure to have no more than he can bear; God cannot, nor will not, cast away any of his children by their afflictions, how weak soever they be.  
The third preparation is, that these afflictions that do befall us, shall not be poured upon us all at once, lest they overwhelm us, and carry us away as a whirlwind into ecstasies and outrages, and despair; but they are tendered unto us by little and little, by degrees, now one, and then another, as we shall be best able with comfort to bear them: The Lord when he lays affliction upon us, he gives us certain respites and breathing spaces betwixt our afflictions; else the spirit of man would fail before him; and in these breathing times we recover our spirits. We behold and consider the mercy and goodness of God, in preserving and delivering us from our great afflictions, and we get new hearts and courage to bear fresh assaults and afflictions.  
Lastly, we are to receive this Doctrine upon this preparation; that in all our afflictions, we shall have many comforts and helps proportionably supplied by God, whereby we shall be enabled both to undergo them, and to overcome them, Psalm 94.19. In the multitude of my thoughts or sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have rejoiced my soul. We have sorrows indeed; yea, but we have comforts as well as sorrows; we have a multitude of sorrows, yea, but we have a multitude of comforts too: Yea, and these sorrows and comforts are so graciously tempered by the merciful hand of God, that even in the multitude of our sorrows, thy mercies, oh Lord, have rejoiced our souls. And in the 1 Cor. 10.13. The Apostle saith that God is faithful, and will not suffer us to be tempted above our power, but will give an issue with the temptation. There are two things which God promiseth to all his children in all their afflictions: First, a fair trial, and then a good issue; What can we desire any more? Yes; we shall have more, we shall have increase of righteousness and grace by them, Hebr. 12.11. It bringeth forth the quiet fruit of righteousness; Would we have any more? ye shall have more, saith God; As they bring you increase of grace, so they do of glory hereafter, they shall be recompensed with everlasting glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. Our light afflictions, which are but for a moment, causeth unto us a fare more excellent and eternal weight of glory. By these preparations I hope, ye are well prepared▪ not only to hear and to understand, but also to brook and digest this Doctrine.  
Now we come to the proofs; Mat. 16.24. If any man will follow me, let him forsake himself, and take up his cross, and follow me: If we will follow Christ, we must bid farewell to our own wills, & to our own ease, and to the sweet times that are passed for the outward man; we must deny ourselves and we must take up Christ's Cross: what Cross? It is a daily Cross, Luk. 9.23. a continual succession of trials & afflictions, that we are daily exercised withal: And in the 14. Chapter of Luk. 26. Verse, our Saviour enlargeth it with many particulars, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple; Here are crosses of all sorts; And this we must make account of beforehand; for so our Saviour in Luke 14.28. doth set it out, by an excellent example of him that buildeth a Tower, which of you minding to build a Tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost? As if he should say, your saving faith and Religion will cost you dear, it will cost you many afflictions and crosses of all sorts, and therefore you must make your account so beforehand, for it will surely come upon you: And mark how our Saviour hampers us by the diverse manner of his speech, and puts us by all our shifts: In Matthew our Saviour speaks it by way of exhortation, If any man will follow me, let him resolutely take up his Cross, etc. In Luke he speaks it by way of Commination, If any man come to me and hate not father and mother, he cannot be my disciple: And he puts us precisely upon this choice, either you must resolve to forsake your Religion, and stand out in opposition against Christ; or else you must resolve to forsake yourselves, and all that you have, and suffer, and live in expectation of opposition from all the world, to forsake all the world, and live in opposition to that, Act. 14.22. Paul and Barnabas confirmed the hearts of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, affirming that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdom of God: The people had received the faith before, and they come to confirm them in it; And how do they confirm them in it? By affirming that through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdom of God There are two things in the speech that directly answer to two points in this our Doctrine: First, that the faithful shall be assaulted with afflictions; yea, with many afflictions: they must, a necessity is laid upon them, it is their inevitable portion; Afflictions are as the gate to the kingdom of God, for so the speech intends; through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdom of God: Secondly, that this persuasion is a special means to confirm their hearts, and to make them to continue in the faith, and therefore, they must make account of it before hand, that so it must be. We have an example of this in all God's children that are registered in God's book, and as they were more excellent in grace, so they were more eminent in afflictions; see it in the former, and in the latter Testament; In the former Testament, Psal. 44 22. Surely▪ for thy sake are we slain continually, and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter: that is the estate of the Church in the former Testament: And so in the latter Testament, Rom. 8, 36. For thy sake are we killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter; there is the state of the latter Testament. See how eligantly the holy Ghost in the mouth of the Prophet in the former Testament, and in the mouth of the Apostle in the latter, doth chain both Churches in the same bond and condition of afflictions: The Prophet saith in the person of the former Church▪ for thy sake are we slain all the day long, etc. and the Apostle in the person of the latter Church, retains it as a truth, for thy sake, etc. No difference in their words, nor no difference in their portion of afflictions: And therefore when we read it in the former Testament, know that this was the portion of God's Church and children from the world's beginning; and when you read it in the latter Testament, know that this shall be the portion of all God's children to the world's end: We may see this in the cloud of witnesses, Hebr. 11.35. to 38. The Church in the former Testament, what was their portion? They were racked, and would not be delivered, they knew it was their portion; Others were tried by mockings & scourge▪ by bonds and imprisonment, they were stoned, hewn asunder, slain with the sword, etc. What can be imagined that is not here to be understood? Look to answer this in the words of the Apostle in the new Testament, & see how the estate of the Church is under that, 1 Cor. 4.9. For I think (saith he) the Lord hath set forth us, the last Apostles, as men appointed to death, for we are made a gazing to the world, to Angels, and to men. The Apostle makes it his own case, 2 Cor. 11.23. to 27. He was in labours abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison plenteously, in death often: And so in 2 Cor. 4.8. and 2 Cor. 6.4. to the 10. And so we see the point proved by Scripture.  
The Reasons to prove it are these; First, our former sins deserve it should be so; Lam. 3.39. 
Reasons.  Why is the living man sorrowful? Man suffereth for his sins. The Lord himself makes the question there, and the Lord himself answers it; Will you know a true cause, why the living man is sorrowful: his sins are the cause of it, our sins have plucked all the world about our ears, by our sins we incense God against us, by our sins we have incensed all the creatures against us, how can we choose but have many afflictions on every side? Many men in the world cry out of the multitude and greatness of their afflictions, but let us learn a better lesson: when we are in distress, let us cry out of the greatness and multitude of our sins, that deserve and have brought these heavy and manifold afflictions upon us; and yet we must not think that every particular affliction is answerable to every particular sin, but there is a general reference in all; and this use we are to make of them, pray that they may not be laid upon us in way of punishment for revenge, but for chastisement, in judgement, not in wrath.  
Reason 2 The second Reason: Our continual corruptions are the cause of it; our hearts are full of corruption, and therefore our lives are full of afflictions: If a man be wild and unruly, he must be kept up as it were in a prison, to keep him in order; Our afflictions are as a ward or a prison to us, to keep us that we break not forth into sin, job 7.12. Thou keepest me in ward. job had an unruly heart, and therefore God kept him in ward, or prison, that he should not break out into sin with the world. Paul was a dear child of God, yet he had an unruly heart, ready to be lifted up through the abundance of Revelations, and therefore a messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him, that so he might not be lift up above measure, 2 Cor. 12.7.  
Reason 3 Thirdly, our present state and condition exposeth us to these multitude of troubles, john 16.33. In the world you shall have afflictions; What is our present state in this world? Is it not a pilgrimage? and do not pilgrims and strangers find all hard measure in their travails? Is it not a warfare? and do not Soldiers endure all dangers, and all manner of hardness in the field? A great many of our Brethren at this day can witness it by woeful experience: Is not our present state our seed-time? and do not Seedesmen or Husbandmen endure many storms, winds and tempests, and many a hard brunt before the harvest come? So must we sow here in tears, that we may reap in joy, Psalm 126 5.  
Fourthly, Satan our enemy he labours it, and Reason 4 procures it, Reuel. 2.10. The Devil shall cast some of you into prison, men do it; yea, but the Devil he procures it. Luke 22.31. Our Saviour saith to Peter, Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to winnow you, etc. His finger's itch at God's children, to be molesting them: and he is malicious, and his malice is never at an end: When he had got a commission against job, to afflict him in his Cattles, Servants, and Children, this would not serve his turn, but he sues to have a new Commission to afflict his Body too, job 2.4.5. His malice is unsatiable and without end, he will surely bring upon us all the evils he can, and he can do much where God gives way to him (else he can do nothing) and hence it is that we meet with so many trials.  
Lastly, God gives way to Satan's malice, and that, Reason 5 as for many just causes best known to himself: So for these Reasons known to us. First, to try us, not to see what is in us, for that he knows well enough; but so to try us, as that he purge the dross out of us: therefore it is called a winnowing, Luke 22.31. and fiery trial, 1 Pet. 4 12. Secondly, to humble us, nothing annoys a Child of God more than a proud heart, and nothing pulls it down and humbles it more than affliction. job 33.14 16.17. God speaks once or twice and one seethe it not, than he openeth the ears of men by their corrections which he hath sealed, that he might abate the pride of man. Thirdly, to draw us near and close to himself. It is with us as it is with little children, that when they are in the field with their father, they run abroad from him in the grass carelessly, but when they see a dog or a Snake coming towards them, presently they run to their father and cry for help; So we run on in the world, straggling from our Father, and when some affliction or other takes hold on us, we run to our Father, and cry to him for help, as the prodigal child did, when he was hungerbitten, Luk. 15. Fourthly, God gives way to it, that so we may magnify his mercy, truth, power and wisdom, in preserving and delivering us. When we have been in affliction many years, yet are not consumed: this will make us praise and glorify God. 2 Cor. 1.8.9. We were pressed (saith the Apostle) out of measure, passing strength, yea, we received the sentence of death in ourselves, because we should not trust in ourselves, but in God that raiseth the dead; and therefore God suffers us to be thus afflicted, that so his goodness might be magnified in raising us from these afflictions.  
Use 1 The first Use is for matter of reproof, and that both of those that are without, as also of those that are within: of carnal men, and of professors. First, it is for reproof of carnal men, and first of some that reproach our Christian state and profession, and brand it with the mark of ease and idleness. To rest upon the Sabbath, and to go to Church, and to sit still and hear the Word, and receive the Sacraments, and to say over now and then a few prayers; this is an easy life, say they, and an idle profession. First, I answer to the person; Thou profane worldling that sayest thus, let me tell thee; If the Christian life be so easy as thou sayest, it is the more shame for thee, that wilt not lead this life; it is the only way to heaven, and if it be so easy as thou wouldst make it to be, what a horrible shame, yea, what a foolishness is it for thee, that thou wilt take a great deal more pains to go to hell, than thou mightest take and go to heaven? I speak this to thee in thine own language, that wilt make it to be so easy. But secondly, I answer to the matter, and I say, that a Christian life rightly managed, is a most hard & laborious life, subject to all reproaches, crosses, trials, losses, persecutions, wounds of conscience, & break of the heart, fightings, spoilings, subject to the malice of men, & to the rage of the Devil, subject to killings of all sorts, and that which is most tedious & irksome of all other, subject to a continual combat betwixt the flesh and the Spirit in our own bosoms; these & all other dangers and trials, a Christian life and state is subject unto; I say, a Christian life is subject to all these, but not so as to be overcome by them, but as always exercised with them, so as we must wrestle and struggle with them, all the days of our lives, & that upon the very hazard of our souls if this be an easy life, there is none hard under the Sun: It is true, it is an easy and comfortable life in a spiritual sense, but a carnal man cannot reach unto this: Custom in afflictions makes it easy, the promises of God makes it easy, the fellowship of Christ in our afflictions makes it easy, the consolations of the Spirit, and the hope of the reward of glory; these things make a Christian life easy and comfortable to us in regard of the inward man: the regenerate part delights in nothing more, then in mortifying and crucifying this body or sin, which is notably effected by these afflictions. Hence it is that it is easy and comfortable to the spiritual man, because he finds his Adversary, the flesh, weaker than it was, that begins to die. For our corruptions are killed by afflictions, being sanctified to the hearts of God's children; yet still I maintain it against this scandal, that a Christian life rightly managed in itself, in regard of the outward state of it in this world, is most hard and laborious.  
Secondly, it is for reproof of others that are without, that judge hardly of God's children, because of their afflictions: If they see a Professor much afflicted and troubled, either outwardly or inwardly, or both, they are ready to pass hard censures on them; Surely say they, whatsoever these men pretend to be, yet they are but gross hypocrites, and notorious sinners; thus they add affliction to the afflicted: God afflicts us with his heavy chastisements, and the world afflicts us more with their bitter and heavy censures: but if this Doctrine be true, as it is, that all God's children are subject to all afflictions, then surely we have more reason to judge more favourably of them that are afflicted most, then of them that are afflicted least: job was thus censured by his friends, but it was their error, as God himself shows job, job 42.7. And so was David by his enemies, but it was their malice, Psal. 41.8. A mischief is light upon him (say they) and he that lieth shall no more rise: Thus did the Barbarians censure of Paul because of the Viper that hung on his hand, that he was a murderer, Act, 28.4. but this was their savageness: David himself confesseth that he was near unto this point, to condemn the generation of the Righteous because of their afflictions, but he confesseth it was his folly and his ignorance, Psal. 73.12. to the 22. and that he was as a beast herein: And surely to condemn the generation of the Righteous for their afflictions, is a foolish and an ignorant, and beastly censure, I say beastly, as he saith; because as a beast is lead only by present sense, and not by understanding: so these uncharitable censurers are carried away only with the present sense of our afflictions, not understanding nor considering, that all kinds of afflictions and trials are the portion of God's children here in this life, 1 Thess. 3.3.4. The Apostle is very careful to prevent the slander of the Cross. It is not to be denied but that God's children are sinners, but yet they are not notorious sinners, or if they be in some particular kind, if thou know it, then certainly thou mayst be bold to suspect that such judgements were for such sins; but if thou know not their sin, pronounce not of their estate, this supposing, though it be in thought, is sin, Luke 13.2.3. etc.  
Secondly, this serves for reproof of those that are within; of nice and dainty professors: they will hear the Word, and pray, and believe, and do many good things, and delight in the service of God: but when they must come to endure, as Christians, many and heavy temptations and trials, they are at a stand, this is harsh & hard to them, they cannot endure it, some of them are ready to fall away, others grudge & murmur at their hard portion. But, shall we think to receive good at God's hand, and not evil? It was the words of a wise man in his sore affliction, to a wicked woman that never knew what affliction meant; and shall any of us think to receive the comforts & sweet of Christianity, & not endure the crosses & sour of it? The hard-hearted jews would have believed in Christ, if they could have separated him from the cross, Come down from the Cross (say they) and we will believe in thee: But thou that art a professed Christian must learn to embrace Christ with the Cross; thou must as willingly embrace all afflictions that accompany a Christian life, as Christ himself, the Author of thy salvation: But here some will plead their privileges that they are exempted from this hard portion, for they are loath to come under affliction, as the child is to come under the rod: First, say they, God love's us, therefore he will not afflict us; I say he love's thee, & therefore he will afflict thee, Reu. 3.19. As many as I love (saith God) I rebuke & chasten. Again, they say, God is our Father, and we are his children, therefore he will not correct us; Nay, therefore he will correct us, Heb. 12.6. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Son that he receiveth. Again say they, Christ hath suffered all for us, & therefore we must not suffer any such things: Nay, therefore we must suffer, Mat. 16.24. If any man will follow Christ, he must take up his Cross and follow him; & unless we do thus we cannot be Christ's disciples, john 15.20. It is true that these are sweet & heavenly privileges and such as exempt us from the evil of all afflictions, but not from any one kind of them.  
The second Use is for Exhortation, & first to teach Use 2 every man to make account of afflictions, & to look for them continually: Make account as duly of thy portion in the Cup of afflictions, as of any part of thy daily bread which thou livest upon; when we are in health and prosperity, let us look for sickness & adversity: But will some say, what shall I look for these beforehand? this is to vex and trouble ourselves without need, for if the distresses we look for do not come, than we trouble ourselves in vain; If they do come, than they bring harm & trouble enough with them. Why should we sorrow beforehand? I answer, yet we must look for them beforehand, for if we do so, then if they do not come (as haply thy godly fear hath prevented them,) we have cause to bless God for it: If they do come, then if we have made account of them before, the smart of them will be much easier unto us, temptations, & troubles, and losses, when they come unawares, they do commonly lie very hard and heavy upon us; but when we have made account of them beforehand, they are much lighter to us. I will not deny but that we must use all possible means to avoid afflictions, we must pray against them, & prevent them what we can, as our Saviour prayed; If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, Luk. 22. yet we must make account of them beforehand. These times we live in are such as call upon us to look for afflictions, they are the last days of the world, and they are the worst and most dangerous times; present troubles and miseries, and imminent dangers and fears, there were never more; The Lord is abroad in judgement, and carries his cup in his hand; the Germans drink of it first; the French soon after; the Polonians soon after them; and have not the English just cause to fear, that we shall pledge them, and that ere long, we know not how soon? Secondly, again this teacheth us not only to account of afflictions beforehand, but also to prepare for them, and to furnish ourselves accordingly; there is much good to be had by them, and therefore we are to prepare for them; and therefore doth God warn us of dangers beforehand, that we might be armed to bear them, when they do come. 
Things to be laboured for that we may bear afflictions.  And that we may prepare for them, we must labour for these things; First, we must labour to get a resolution in us to bear them, and to stand it out to the death; we must resolve with the Apostle, Act. 21.13. not only to suffer, but to die with Christ; Secondly, we must season our hearts with the comforts of God's promises beforehand, to countervail our afflictions when they come, as that he will never fail us nor forsake us, that he love's us, and that the issue shall be good; Thirdly, esteem basely and vildly of thyself, deny thyself, and so take up thy Cross and follow Christ, Matth. 16.24. If we be choice and leaning to ourselves, we will never endure the Cross, compare Matth. 16.20. with Phil. 2.7. And fourthly, we must labour to be well acquainted with the death of Christ; this is Armour of proof against all afflictions, to know jesus Christ and him crucified, by sensible experience in ourselves: If I find the life of God's Spirit in me, applying the death of Christ to me, and thereby subduing and crucifying my sins, if we can find this, we shall be well armed against all afflictions. We come here to receive the Lords Supper, in remembrance of Christ's death, then let us desire to be made conformable to his death, and then afflictions will be sweet unto us. Again, let us labour for the assurance of God's love and favour, for that is it that makes the Apostle thus boldly to bear up himself against all afflictions.  
The last Use teacheth us Pacification; even in our Use 3 greatest distresses, let us sit down and say; this is my portion, and therefore will I bear it: Many are ready to complain and cry out, and to say, when they are afflicted, especially when Gods hand lies heavy upon them; Oh, my affliction is great and strange, my case is not like unto other men's; no man is so hardly handled as I am, as the Church, Lam. 1.12. but this is the frowardness of our corrupt hearts; Whatsoever it is, it is thy portion, and therefore be pacified and contented; It is no otherwise with thee, than it is with all God's children, every one hath his portion of them, 1 Pet. 4.12. It is no strange thing, 1 Pet. 5.9. It is the same afflictions that are accomplished in our Brethren, 1 Cor. 10.13. No temptation doth befall us, but such as appertain to man; and therefore let us be content and pacify ourselves; look not so much on thy afflictions, but look up to God; It is his Ordinance that every one of us should bear his portion of affliction; whatsoever thou dost endure, it is but thy portion, thy draught: Shall I not drink of the Cup which my Father gives me to drink of? saith our Saviour, joh. 18.11. This is it our Saviour comforts himself and his Disciples withal; and let this comfort thee: It is thy Father's Cup, and therefore thou must drink of it. And secondly, let us look upon others of God's children, some of them are equal with thee in afflictions, others come short, but many go beyond thee, and thy afflictions are but little to some of theirs, and those that are at more ease now, may be in great distresses hereafter, and wilt not thou be content to bear that which all God's children bear, and must bear more or less, first or last; All of us have sinned, Christ only excepted; but none are exempted from the rod, not Christ himself; And is it not a sweet thing for thee to be ranged with Christ, and with thy brethren the children of God? Is it not a comfort to thee to dye with thy Captain Christ, & with thy fellow-Soldiers the children of God, David, job, Paul, and others? therefore when thou sayest thy case is worse than any others, thou speakest thou knowest not what; thou knowest what thyself feelest, but not what another man feels, thine are greater happily than thy brothers to day, happily to morrow his will be greater than thine; a little affliction may be greater to him, than a greater to thee, he that hath lest hath as much, for his strength, as thou hast for thine. Thou must suffer afflictions, therefore take up thine own Cross, suffer thine own afflictions, bear thine own burden, that is thy thou art appointed and called unto; The Lord hath appointed them to us, 1 Tim. 3. and therefore we must willingly bear them, in obedience to God's ordinance, in our fellowship with Christ, and all the rest of God's Children, and then God that hath brought us into the trials, will surely bring us through them all with comfort, safety, and deliverance, even unto a Crown of life, jam. 1.12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptations, for when he is tried, he shall receive the Crown of life: But see thou be the Child of God, for afflictions are common to all, but the comfort and benefit of them is proper to Believers only: Dost thou suffer as a Christian? then rejoice in it, for then blessed and happy are we, 1 Pet. 4.13. to the 16. Verse; if we suffer for Christ's sake, for righteousness sake, for a godly life, for obedience to God in crucifying the flesh, then blessed are we, if we thus endure temptations, for after we are thus tried, we shall receive this Crown of life.  
FINIS.   

THE EIGHT SERMON,  Upon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses. 
For I am sure, that neither Death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, etc.  
THe seaventh and last head that we reduced this Scripture unto, was the comfort and support that the Apostle hath in the love of God through jesus Christ, against all fears and terrors whatsoever: Wherein I observed two things. First, the dangers of God's children: Secondly, the comfort whereby they are sustained in them: Of both these I propounded to speak first in general, and then in particular: I began with the dangers in general, and shown; That the dangers which Gods children are subject unto, are not only such as they are subject to with the rest of the world, but also such as they alone are subject unto, as persecution for Christ's sake, etc. Now in the next place; we are to speak in general of the comfort which Gods children are supported withal against all dangers; and that is the true and holy assurance which they have of the love of God to them in Christ jesus. Now this comfort the Apostle doth extend and stretch out here, upon a double strain; first by way of supposition; secondly, by way of insultation and triumph: First, by way of supposition, for so his speech is to be taken, as if he should say, suppose, or put the case, that death, or life or Angels, etc. should set themselves against us to overthrew us, yet in the strength of my assurance which I have of the love of God in Christ jesus, I am comforted & supported against them all: Secondly, the Apostle speaks by way of insultation or triumph, for, that the Apostle so intends it, appears partly by his manner of speech in the 35. Verse, Who shall separate us? as if he spoke these things slighting them, and insulting over them; and more plainly in the 37. Vers. in all these things we are more than conquerors, etc. and thence be infers his protestation, for I am sure that neither death nor life, etc. so that he speaks these words as a Conqueror, by way of Triumph: so that this comfort which he hath in this assurance, is not a weak comfort, but a marvelous strong comfort, such a comfort that in the strength thereof, he may and doth insult and triumph over all dangers whatsoever. These circumstances considered, the Doctrine ariseth naturally thus, namely;  
Let us propound to ourselves what dangers soever may befall us, 
Doctrine.  yet notwithstanding the true and holy assurance that we have of the love of God towards us in Christ jesus, shall be able to comfort and support our hearts against them all: even to a holy insultation and triumph over them. There are two Questions to be considered of in the practice of the Apostle, and so in this Doctrine: The first question is; Whether it be lawful, or fit, for God's Children to propound fears and dangers to themselves in their own meditations? Secondly, how it can stand with distressed Believers, that they should triumph & insult over their afflictions? For the first question, some will say, have we not sensible fears & dangers enough upon us daily, even as much as we can stand under, & shall we increase our burden, & propound more and greater fears and dangers to ourselves. I answer, yes, they may do it, & they ought to do it, & it is no increasing, but a lightning of our burden. If a man have a grim and stern adversary to fight withal, is it not wisdom for that man, first to take a view of that adversary, & to look him in the face, to see how he can brook him before he undertake to fight with him: Oh beloved, God's children have many grim & stern enemies to fight withal. Persecution is a grim & stern adversary, and all that will live godly in Christ jesus, must suffer persecution. Temptation is a grim and stern enemy, & God's children must be tried with many hideous & fearful temptations, Death is a grim & stern enemy, & we must pass through the terrors, and sorrows, & bars of death, to the joys of life. Hell is a grim & stern enemy, & we must make account to touch at the gates of hell, when we sail to heaven: The Devil is a grim & stern adversary, & God's children must fight with Devils: If we will be the good Soldiers of jesus Christ, we must wrestle & fight, not with flesh & blood only, but against principalities & powers, even against the Devil himself: And therefore having so many, & so grim, & stern enemies, that we must fight against, have we not just cause then to propound such things to ourselves, in our meditations, to see how we can brook them; & to hearten ourselves against the fear & evil of them? Yet herein we must observe two cautions; we must not propound to ourselves vain and frivolous matters, without reason or ground, (that were to fight with our own shadow) but serious thoughts and grounded meditations of true dangers, such as may or will befall us, more or less, first or last. Secondly, we must not propound to ourselves any thoughts of sin, for sin is a defiler, and the least thought or apprehension of sin will infect us; Satan is so strong and subtle, we are so weak and simple, that if ever he get us into any contemplation of sin, as it is sin, though it be not with any intent to commit it; nay, though it be with a contrary intent, even to hate it, and prevent it, yet usually he will infect us with it before we be ware, so that it will leave a stain behind: therefore take heed of any speculations or propositions of future sins, for that is not the way to escape them, but rather to be entangled with them, specially meditate not on the materials of sin, for that is exceeding dangerous; we may consider how hateful it is to God, and how hurtful to our own souls, but we must not meddle with the materials of sin. The second question is, how it can stand with the disposition of distressed Believers, that they should insult and triumph over their afflictions? Alas (may some say) Gods children are humbled, and mourn, and sigh, and groan under the burden, and yet do they insult and rejoice over them? Yes they do, their mourning and insultation may stand well together; they mourn for their present pain & grief, but they insult over them in the assurance of victory, and of the good they shall have by them. They mourn for their sins that brought their afflictions on them; But they rejoice because they know that by God's hand these afflictions shall be made a means to cure those very sins that have procured them; they mourn for the perishing of the outward man by them, but they insult that thereby the inward man is renewed daily: In a word, they mourn in themselves, but they rejoice in God: Carnal insultation doth not befit God's children, this is an holy insultation, and it becomes them well. They insult not, first in respect of their own strength (such rejoicing is not good) but merely and only in the strength of God; and secondly, not so much for their own good and safety, but much more for the honour and glory that God shall have by their afflictions, and by their deliverance; and this is a holy and good insultation: And this is the godly and Christian insultation of strong Believers against all dangers, for that is the reach of the Text; strong Believers may do it, weak Believers may do so too, but not with that sense as the other may: Christ jesus was so weak that he was not able to bear his Cross, yet when he was nailed on that Cross, he did then openly triumph over all his enemies.  
Now come we to the proof of the observation thus cleared. And first we will prove it in the state of the faithful: Secondly, you shall see it in the practice of the faithful: And thirdly, you shall see it in the warrant that God's children have for it. First, see it proved from the state of the faithful, Psal. 112.7.8. He will not be afraid of evil tidings: and why? for his heart is fixed and believeth in the Lord; And for the more certainty he doubles upon it in the 8. verse, His heart is established, therefore he will not fear, etc. Who is it that the Prophet speaks of here? Of a true Believer, that is, of him that believes in the Lord, and rests himself securely upon the Lord for protection: And what is the effect that his Faith shall work in him? strong assurance and comfort, it confirmeth and fixeth his heart; And what then? He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: Again in the 8. verse, His heart is established; How fare? Even to the seeing of his desire upon his enemies, to the subduing and triumphing over, and the setting of his feet on the necks of them. See it also in the practice of the faithful, how they propound and hearten themselves against all dangers that may befall them. It is the practice of all the faithful as well as of Paul, and some other. It was the practice of the whole Church, Psal. 46.1.2.3. God is our hope and strength, and help in troubles, ready to be found. First, the Church there lays down this holy assurance for the ground of their comfort, and this is a sure ground, that God is our hope and help in troubles, etc. and then secondly, they propound to themselves dangers that may befall them, and strange and fearful ones too; The mooning of the Earth, the falling of the Mountains into the midst of the Sea, the raging of the Waters, in the 2. and 3. verses, such dangers as did not come to pass in their times; But if they did, what then? Why then last, they gather to themselves out of this assurance matter of consolation against all these dangers, verse 2, as who should say, Let them roar when they will, we will not fear them, because the Lord is our hope, and strength, and help in troubles, ready to be found. So Psal. 27.1.2.3. it was David's practice in his particular, the matter of the speech is this; The Lord is David's light, and his salvation, and the strength of his life: This he believes and is well assured of, and therefore he fears nothing; and this he enlargeth, propounding to himself in the 3. verse, a matter of great fear: What if a whole host were pitched against him? what though war be raised against him? yet he would not be afraid, he would never be put to such a fear as to unsettle his assurance in God: Alas, what is David alone to a whole host of men? Nothing in himself, but in his confidence and assurance that he hath in God, they are nothing to him, they shall never be able to destroy him: And if you mark the manner of his speech, he delivers it by way of insultation too, The Lord is my light, whom should I fear? as setting his adversaries at nought, and his heart triumphing in God against them all: And that no man should think this was a matter peculiar to David by prerogative, he makes it the case of every true believer, & calls upon them for the same practice in the 14. verse, Hope in the Lord, and be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart, etc. As if he should say, It is not my case alone, but yours too; get you a sure faith in God, and sound assurance as I have, and thereby you shall be comforted against all dangers, as I am. Thirdly, behold this in the warrant that God's children have for it; they have good warrant for it, even from God himself, Isa. 41.10. Fear not thou, for I am with thee, be not afraid, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, and help thee, etc. And in the 12. verse, All their enemies shall be as nothing, and the men that war against them as a thing of nought. The drift of the Prophet's speech, is this; The Lord would have his children to take heart to themselves, and to be fearless of dangers; What must they do then? Why, let them get sound assurance in God, and in his power, help, and love, and then all their opposites shall be as a thing of nought, they may scorn them. And so Isa. 43.1.2. Thus saith the Lord, that created thee (oh jacob) and he that form thee (oh Israel,) I have redeemed thee, and have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the floods, that they do not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt, etc. It may be they shall never fall into these dangers, but it is spoken by way of supposition, as if God should say; If thou shouldest fall into these or any other dangers, yet in the assurance that God saith unto us, thou art mine, we shall safely and triumphantly pass through the fire, and through the water, and through all dangers that ever can be imagined, & so, that we shall receive no damage by them in regard of our spiritual estate, and we shall have comfort in them in regard of our outward estate. And so Psal. 91. from the first to the last verse; Who so dwells in the secret of the most high, shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty, etc. One would think at the first sight that this were a repetition of one and the same thing; for, what is it to dwell in the secret of the most high, but to abide in the shadow of the Almighty? It seems to be the same, but it is not so: The former part of the verse shows the assurance that God's children have in the love of God, they dwell or repose themselves in God; the latter part shows their safety and security that by his assurance they attain unto, they abide in the shadow of the Almighty, that is, they are safe sheltered under the shadow of the Almighty. And these two the Prophet enlargeth in the rest of the Psalm: their assurance in the 2. verse, I will say unto the Lord (oh my hope and my fortress) he is my God, in him will I trust; Here is the repose of the children of God; but what is their safety? it follows in the rest of the Psalm, safety against ordinary dangers, The noisome pestilence, the flying arrows, etc. in the 3.5. and 6. verses. Against supposed dangers, verse 7. A thousand shall fall as thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come near thee; And against likely dangers in the verses following. And in the 13. verse, he stretcheth out the safety of God's children even to insultation, Thou shalt walk upon the Lion and the Asp, the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread under foot. Seeing then that this Doctrine agrees so fitly with the state, practice, and warrant of the faithful, than it must needs be an undoubted truth, that let us propound to ourselves whatsoever dangers may befall us, yet our holy and true assurance of God's love to us in Christ jesus, is able to comfort and support our hearts against them all, even to an holy insultation and triumphing over them.  
Reason 1 The Reasons how it comes to pass that this true and holy assurance of the love of God in Christ jesus, doth so fortify the hearts of God's children against all dangers; I say the reasons thereof are many. First this holy assurance tells us that God is on our side, and then what, or who, can be against us? It is our Apostles own reason, Rom. 8.31. If God be on our side, who can be against us, that is, to do us harm? God doth not turn out his children single to the battle to shift for themselves, but he goes forth with us himself, and helps us, and comforts us, and strengthens us, and encourageth us, and teacheth us, and maketh us to fight, and fights himself for us, and gets the victory for us, and this our faith assures us of, and this comforts the hearts of God's children, and makes them confident against all dangers. In the 2. Kings 6.15, 16, 17. when the Prophet Elisha his servant saw the great host that compassed the City, he was much terrified, and cries out▪ Alas Master, how shall we do? The Prophet answers him, Fear not, they that be with us are more than they that be with them. This is like our case, when God's children look about them, and see a whole host of afflictions, dangers, persecutions, and temptations compass▪ them about on every side, they cry out in their weakness, Alas! what shall we do? Our Faith that answers; Fear not, there be more with us then there is against us. Is not God more than all the world? God is with us, and this assures and comforts our hearts. How sweetly doth David cast himself upon God in his greatest dangers? Psal. 23.4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear none evil: why? for thou art with me, thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me. God is not only with him, but he is with him to comfort him, & therefore he will not fear.  
Reason 2 Secondly, this holy assurance tells us, that God love's us in Christ, and what shall hurt God's darlings? Those whom God love's are as tender to him as the Apple of his eye, Zach. 2.8. now we know that the Apple of a man's eye is most tender to him, he will see that that take no harm; and so are they to God: and therefore whatsoever goeth to wrack, they shall have no harm, the bare persuasion of God's love to us is comfort enough to establish us in any trouble; but faith doth not only persuade us that God love's us, but persuades us further, that because he love's us, therefore he will keep us, and save us. And this fills our hearts with comfort and confidence in all dangers, for can God love us, and yet give us over as a prey unto his and our enemies? No, it is not possible.  
Reason 3 Thirdly, our holy assurance tells and warrants us that our sins are forgiven us, and therefore all shall be well with us: If ever any thing do us a mischief, it is our sins will do it; all the evils in the world cannot hurt us, except our sins hurt us: Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ; yea, but our sins separate betwixt us and our God, Isaiah. 59.2. but the believing heart hath assurance, that all his sins are freely and fully forgiven him by the mercies of GOD in JESUS CHRIST, and so our faith concludes, that therefore they cannot separate us, and so that nothing can separate us from God. I say not, but that though our sins be forgiven us, yet still we are liable to dangers and troubles of all sorts, to grieve us, torment us, and to take us away; but this I say, that no affliction can hurt us, as sin can hurt us, that is, to condemnation, they cannot put us out of the favour of God, they shall never be able to separate us from the state of grace here, nor glory hereafter: and this is fullness of comfort to the spiritual man, that can well relish it; we have no further privilege (from the warrant of the word) by the charter of our freedom in Christ, but this, that our afflictions shall never hurt us, in regard of our spiritual estate, they shall never impeach our spiritual safety, so long as our sins are forgiven; for our sins are the poison and venom of all our afflictions; when God shoots the Arrows of his judgements against us, dipped in the venom of our sins, they are deadly Arrows, they will poison us, to our everlasting destruction: But when they are dipped in the death and blood of jesus Christ, whereby our sins are forgiven and taken away, then though his Arrows do wound us, it is a good wound, a comfortable wound, and such as he will heal himself with his own hand; so that they cannot hurt us but comfort us: And if we be taken away by such an Arrow, God takes us to himself, and that is best of all.  
Fourthly, our faith tells us, That all things shall Reason 4 work together for our good, Rom. 8.28. How shall I know this but by faith? A true Believer sees his enemies, profane, wicked, and carnal men, busy to do him hurt, devising and plotting how to work some mischief against him; he sits down and smiles at the folly of the wicked, and saith, Alas poor men, little do they think that they take all this pains to effect my greatest good, to do me good by this affliction: sometimes our dangers are so great, and our afflictions are so bitter, that we think it impossible that ever any good should come out of so great evils; but our faith stands up and lays the power of God, and the promise of God together, and saith, God is able to help me, for he hath power enough, and he is willing to help me, for so he hath promised; and therefore he will in the end turn all my afflictions to my good; and so we rest secure whatsoever comes.  
Reason 5 Lastly, we put on the spiritual armour by faith, Eph. 6.10. to the 17. we have all the parts of this spiritual armour, and that makes him that is spiritually minded to be consecrated wholly to the service of God, and having on this armour, nothing can hurt us.  
Use 1 The Uses are these; first, this shows the reason why the righteous are so bold and so confident in all their projects and courses, as Solomon speaks, Pro. 28.1 The righteous are bold as a Lion: The reason is in the Doctrine, his faith assures his heart that he belongs to God, and persuades him of God's love, favour, protection, and salvation: And that is the reason that the Prophet Isa. 28.16. saith, He that believes makes not haste; he that hath found assurance of God's love in Christ, makes not haste, is not disquieted or distempered, nor carried out of his Spirit, by any evil or danger whatsoever▪ but rests upon the might and power of God, and never flies out for the matter, but abides it with much boldness, and keeps himself within his Spirits, and rests sound and sweetly on God for his deliverence. It is admirable to consider what wonderful courage, constancy and comfort God's children stand out withal in great afflictions and distresses, and merely upon this assurance, how boldly have they bearded those Tyrants that have insulted over them? how have they run to the fire? embraced the Cross? despised the shame? scorned all pain that hath been inflicted on them, lost all? and merely upon the strength of this assurance, Hebr. 11.35. The Apostle saith, that they would not accept deliverance, because they were sure to obtain a better resurrection: In Dan. 3.16.17. the three children were questioned before the King, he tells them if they would not fall down and worship the Image that he had set up, they should be cast into the hot fiery furnace: What do they answer? They were poor captives, yet see how they bearded the Tyrant: Oh King, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter; see how they slight him; our God is able to deliver us, and he will deliver us, do thou what thou canst: If not (mark how bold they are) yet be it known to thee oh King, that we will not worship thy God, etc. What is the ground of their resolution and courage? It is this, That God whom they serve, is able to deliver them, & he will deliver them. And so Luther, when he was sent for by his enemies, was dissuaded not to go; yes saith he, if there were so many Devils there, as there are Tiles upon their houses, yet I would not fear them, grounding himself upon the assurance of God's protection. There is no true courage to be found, but in true believers; there may be counterfeit and carnal courage in hypocrites; neither is there any true courage in believers, but as they are made partakers in some measure of this holy assurance of the love of God to them in Christ: this will appear when it comes to the trial, for then the boisterous hypocrite will fail, when the feeble true believer will stand fast.  
Use 2 And secondly this shows the Reason, why the wicked are so fearful that they fly when none pursues them, Pro. 28.1. and that they call for the mountains to fall upon them, to hide them from the presence of God, Reu. 6.16.17. Why? the Reason is because their hearts are destitute of this holy assurance, and therefore they wanting this comfortable persuasion and assurance of the love of God to warm their hearts, therefore they are so cold at the heart, and therefore they are ready to run into Rocks and holes to hide themselves: Some wicked men before trouble comes, set a good face on it, & think highly of themselves, & say they have as good a faith in God as any of them all; but when it comes, & that they see they cannot put it off by sports and starting holes, as they did before, than their hearts fail them, and then they grow to fearful and desperate outrages. Oh Beloved, a man that truly fear God, needs fear nothing else; Every true believer hath this true fear of God, and that makes him fearless of any thing else: an unbeliever hath none of this fear of God; and therefore he hath just cause to fear all things else: And it is the just judgement of God to give them over to these base and slavish fears of all things else, because they regard not the true fear of God. It is true that the strongest believer hath his fears, but they are natural, and are subdued by the Spirit of God, and the power of faith in him; But the wicked are never endued with the Spirit of God to work faith in their hearts, and therefore they are slaves to the most slavish fears.  
The third Use teacheth us what wrong men do to themselves, in that they do not labour for this holy assurance: They deprive themselves of the greatest comfort that they can possibly have in life or in death. This therefore is for reproof of many Professors, that will pretend to have faith, but they care not for this assurance of faith; if God give it, well and good, if not, they will not labour for it, they think they have faith enough to save their own souls. There are diverse causes of this sin, 
Seven causes why men labour not for assurance.  that men will not labour for this assurance of faith; First, some account it altogether needless, & therefore they look not after it: Will not ordinary assurance, say they, serve the turn? Is it needless? This is strange; Can any man be too sure of his own salvation? Can we be more sure than needs of eternal life? It cannot be. Usually such persons as these, either living or dying find the want of it, and rue it, to their great discomfort; I have seen the woeful experience of that which I speak, and I have observed the righteous judgement of God upon them: Time will come when we shall have more need of it then we are ware.  
Secondly, others pretend modesty, they say they dare not be so bold as to determine resolutely upon their salvation: It is Gods secret, and they may not search into it. I answer: It is a secret indeed, but yet such a secret as God reveals ordinarily to the humble, and to his familiars. God will say to his soul, I am thy salvation, and therefore this is a simple, and a sinful modesty, not to be so bold as to seek and accept that that God offers us and bids us seek and take, and which if we seek, we are sure to find; and therefore this is a cursed modesty, to say, what shall I be so bold as to search into this? This is somewhat like the unprofitable servant, that hide his talon and said he was afraid to use it, Matth, 25.24.25. But see what follows; This wicked and slothful servant must be cast into utter darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, verse 26. to 30.  
Thirdly, others are lazy and lumpish, and sluggish, and love their own ease, and therefore they will not quicken themselves to get this assurance: What dost thou love thine own outward ease, more than the greatest inward comfort of thy soul? A grievous sin that a man's own ease should keep him from heaven; Heaven was never made for any such sluggards to be received into it: And therefore if thou dost not quicken up thyself, and do thy best endeavour to look, and to labour for this assurance, thou shalt be cast into Hell: We see (as before) what became of that slothful servant that would not employ his Talon, Matth 25.26 30. Cast ye that unprofitable servant into utter darkness, etc.  
Fourthly, others pretend that they have no time, at least not time enough to get it; It is a long time in getting, say they, and you will not deny but that ordinarily, it is gotten by long practice; God sometimes gives it extraordinarily at an instant, but ordinarily it is a long time in getting, and we have no time to labour for it. I would ask them that thus pretend want of time: why God did give them all their time; Did he not do it of purpose, that thou mightst learn to know him, and to believe in him, and to obey him, and to get assurance of his love and favour in Christ? And hast thou time for all things else, and not for this? Hast thou time to eat and to drink, and to do other worldly businesses, yea to learn Religion too, so fare as thou dost affect it; and yet hast thou no time to acquaint thyself with the promises of God, that thou mayst get this assurance? This thou dost not affect nor desire, and therefore thou hast no time to get it; If thou hadst a desire to get it, and if thou didst know the comfort of it, thou wouldst serve thyself upon all times and seasons, both Sabbath day and week days, and upon all exercises, not only spiritual, but even every business thou takest in hand, to help thee forward to get this assurance of salvation.  
Fiftly, others say, it is impossible, or at least very difficult to begotten, they will not trouble themselves about it. I answer, it is not impossible to be had, job: and David, and Paul, and others had it: If it be impossible with men, yet it is not impossible with God, and it is the work of God, and not of man; I grant it is hard and difficult to be got, but so are all spiritual and heavenly things; never think to come to heaven but through many difficulties; Oh poor soul! if thou didst know the admirable comfort and sweetness that this assurance will bring unto thy soul both here and for ever, thou wouldst endure and pass, by all difficulties to attain it.  
Sixtly. Others they cherish and favour in themselves some known sin, and if they do, let them take this for a rule, they shall never get this assurance: the least known sin cherished and favoured in a man, and assurance of salvation, can never stand together, no more than fire and water, and therefore either leave thy sin, or else thou must leave the assurance of thy salvation. This many have proved true by experience, & therefore they, like the Gadarens, had rather leave Christ, then lose their swine; so these had rather desperately lose the Assurance of their salvation, then leave their filthy sins; and so they prefer their swinish sin before the sweetest comfort of the soul: A fearful practice.  
Seaventhly. Others compare their faith with the faith of the ordinary sort of professors: They say they see not such strong assurance in them, and therefore they lift not to be singular, they will stay in that they have: But first tell me, how dost thou know that others have not such a strong assurance? they may have it for aught thou knowest; and therefore to thee this is a false ground. But secondly, say they have it not, say that the world be destitute of it; this is no excuse to thee, seeing God will have thee to have it, thou must not live by men's examples, but by God's laws. Thirdly, if thou wilt needs follow the example of men in this; follow the example not of the worst, but of the best, as Abraham, job, David, Paul, etc. follow these, for these hath God of purpose propounded, and set down in Scripture as patterns for us to imitate, even in this grace of assurance: And know, that seeing all the ancient Fathers had it, and it was their greatest grace, therefore it is a shame for us that we have it not in some measure. All these and such like, are but gulls and delusions of Satan to deprive men of their greatest comfort in life and death, and of the strongest prop of the kingdom of grace. Let us therefore examine ourselves, and see whether every one of us be not guilty of all or some of these; and if we be, no marvel then if we have so little assurance.  
Lastly, 
Motives to move us to look that our assurance be true & sound.  seeing this assurance is of such excellent Use 4 use; then let us labour to see that the assurance we have be true and sound, and to press us hereunto, consider these things: First, that thy assurance must bear a great burden; it must bear all thy afflictions in life, and in death, therefore see it be true and sound. If the principals of a house be not sound timber, the house must fall. Thou art sure to be sifted and tried to the uttermost, either living, or dying, therefore see that thy assurance, that must bear these trials, be sound and good A man that hath good evidences for his Land, dare bide trial of his Title against all enemies; but if they be counterfeit, he dare not bide the trial. And so, if our assurance be sound and good, we dare bide the trial of all afflictions; if not, we will never stand to the trial.  
Secondly, consider Satan's policy, when he cannot draw us away from seeking sound assurance, than he will put a trick upon us, & he will labour to make us believe we have it, when indeed we have it not: And therefore let us see that it be true and sound, and let us take heed we mistake not the Devil's assurance for Gods; a shameful mistake. Yea, but how shall I know that my assurance is sound and true, or no? 
4. Ways how a man may know whether his assurance be true and sound.  I answer, thou shalt discern it clearly by these four observations: First, by the cause of our assurance: Secondly, by the Rise of it: Thirdly, by the nature of it: And fourthly, by the fruit of it.  
First, by the cause of our assurance, how it was wrought in thee; Was it wrought by the word and by the spirit? Hath God made thee well acquainted with his promises revealed in his word, that he will never fail thee, nor forsake thee? Dost thou find the spirit of God to incline thine heart to remember them, and to believe them, to rest upon them, and to apply them to thine own heart as the undoubted truth of God; and that heaven and earth shall fail, but not one tittle of them shall fail? Dost thou find that thou hast thy part in them, and that they do belong to thee being in Christ, as well as to any believer? If it be so with thee, than thy assurance is sound and good, else it is not sound, except it arise from this cause; for God's word is the word of truth, his spirit is the spirit of truth, and they teach and work no lie, but look whatsoever grace they teach and work, the same is a true grace without exception: therefore if thy assurance arise from these, it is sound and good, Psal. 119.49. Remember thy promise made to thy servant, wherein thou hast caused me to trust. When the Lord acquaints us with his word and promises, and causeth us by his spirit to put our trust in them, this is a sound and true assurance that shall stand in remembrance before God for ever: The contrary, counterfeit assurance and vain presumption, is fetched and doth arise from other causes, as maintenance, welfare in outward things, self-love, Satan's flattery, soothe up of men, and such like; but this is presumption, and never comes from the word and spirit. An hypocrite may say he doth apply the promises of God to himself, and that his assurance ariseth from thence, and may have some places of Scripture running in his head sometimes tending to that effect; yet indeed he mis-understands the word, and mis-applyes the promises, and they are not seconded by God's spirit in their hearts, causing them to put their trust in the promises.  
Secondly, look into the Rise of our assurance, and what is that? It is when our assurance is gotten and doth arise upon and after hearty and unfeigned repentance for sin, and upon hearty prayer to God: oh, when a poor sinful soul finds that he is overladen with sin, and hath the sense of the burden thereof in his heart, and goes to God, and humbles himself for it throughly before the Lord, with sighs and groans unspeakable, and hath bedewed himself with the tears of a troubled head, and a broken heart, and hath pleaded effectually the pardon of all his sins in the death of Christ, and the grace of reformation by his spirit, then is that soul in a fit case to receive this assurance. And usually in this case God stirs up the heart to beg this assurance, and in this case usually God gives it, Psal. 51.1.2.3.8.12. David pleads hard for the forgiveness of his sins, for justification, and sanctification; and he adds this petition more, Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, establish me with thy free spirit; and upon this petition God gave it him: Sergeant assurance, and vain presumption hath no such rise; but it ariseth from a benumbed conscience, and from a dead spirit. I never doubted (say some) but have good assurance of God's love in Christ, and all shall go well with me: True, because thou hast a dead conscience, and art past feeling, and art not sensible of thy danger, as a dead man feels no hurt, because he is dead, and so it is with thy dead and benumbed conscience.  
Thirdly, we may know whether our assurance be sound & good from the nature of it: True assurance is humble and lowly, and stands not upon its own strength, but it stands upon the strength, power, and goodness of God; They came about me like Bees (saith the Prophet) Psal. 118.11.12. but in the name of the Lord I shall destroy them: David never makes mention of his own strength, but of Gods. Goliath was confident in himself, but he had a shameful fall; David was confident in God, and had a glorious victory. Let us therefore humble ourselves in the consideration of our own weakness, and let us rest upon the strength of God in Christ, and that is true assurance.  
Lastly, let us look upon the fruit of our assurance: Is it joined with a godly life? The same spirit that is the spirit of adoption, to assure us of our salvation, is also the spirit of sanctification to renew us, and to make us live a godly life; and none can have this assurance but he that leads a godly life, 1. john 3.3. He that hath this hope in him purgeth himself. If therefore thou sayest thou hast this assurance, and art not purged from thy sins, thou art a liar: When we sin, especially against conscience, our assurance much decays, as fire when water is cast upon it: But if thou be'st purged from thy sin, it will make thee more sure, 2 Pet. 1.9, 10. He that hath not these things, etc. hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins; but he that doth these things, he that endeavours to lead a godly life, and to stand it out to death, he shall never fall.  
FINIS.   

THE NINTH SERMON,  Upon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses. 
For I am sure, that neither Death, nor life, nor Angels, etc.  
WE have proceeded in handling this Scripture, as the Lord hath been pleased to give strength, so far as that now we are come to speak of those particular dangers which the Apostle propounds to himself, and to all the faithful; and the particular comforts which they have to sustain themselves in them, we have spoken before in the general of both. Now we are to proceed to the particulars; for so the Apostle makes mention of some principal and particular dangers here, as Death, life, Angels, etc. wherein we must not think that our Apostle speaks rashly, or at adventure; but upon mature deliberation, & of set purpose he makes special choice of these particulars here mentioned, as being the most material things whereby any danger may accrue to God's children, and secures himself and them of safety and preservation against all these dangers: Our Apostle understood himself well, for he spoke as he was moved by the spirit, and the spirit never speaks idly, he spoke it in the height of his faith, and therefore in the height of his spirit, and therefore he spoke most seriously, and advisedly, and not rashly; and he spoke it in the depth of his afflictions, verse 36. and the words of the afflicted are not wind, as job speaks, that is a bare and empty sound, but usually they are full of matter and substance; and surely that which the Apostle here mentions is so full of matter and substance, that I could never find by my poor reading, meditation, & prayers, any full content touching the full sense and reach of the Apostle. But a man may pass in a shallow boat over a deep river, and so fare as our line and plummet will reach, we will endeavour (God willing) to sound the depth of these mysteries.  
Neither death, nor life, nor Angels, etc. shall separate us. First, of the first two particulars, death, and life. By life, and by death we are to understand not only the things themselves, life, and death; but all occurrences and passages. Our whole estate in life, and death, we are then to take it thus, as if the Apostle had said, I am sure, that never any thing that doth befall God's Children either in life or in death, shall be able to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord. The Doctrine is this.  
All true Believers are in good safety under God's assured protection against all dangers in life & death. 
Doctrine.  That the Doctrine may be the better understood, and believed, take these two points for explication. First, 
Explication.  consider the dangers that are offered unto us in life and death: Secondly, let us consider how fare all true believers are in safety against them. And first we will begin with the dangers of life: 
Two dangers of life.  Life endangers us two ways, either on the right hand, when we are too much in love with it: Or on the left hand, when we are too much out of love with it. On the right hand, life is in itself very sweet, and much desired and delighted in; but especially when it is seconded with outward comforts, as health, friends, ease, goods, honours, etc. then it is much more sweet and desired. Yea, but God's children must know, that they must deny themselves, & forsake their own wills, they must be crucified to the whole world, & the world must be crucified to them: yea, and happily they must be called out to lose their lives for Christ, and for his Gospel. Now here is the danger, whether they will lose their sweet lives, or their sweet souls, many of God's dear children have been put to great plunges in this kind. Peter himself, though he loved his Master dear, and professed that he would never forsake him, but resolved to dye with him; yet when it came to the trial, for the brunt of the proof, that either he must forsake his Master, or his life; Peter had rather forsake his best Master, than his sweet life. When such tall Cedars shrink in such a storm, alas poor souls, what shall become of us the low shrubs? Again, life endangers on the left hand by crosses, whereby we are too much out of love with it: After a time of well far comes losses, wants, discontentments, sicknesses, pains, infirmities, temptations, persecutions, terrors of conscience, they come. What are we to do in this case? Here are great dangers towards us; our hearts droop, our spirits are dying, we are a burden to ourselves, we are weary of our lives, here is our danger: Now, whether are we content patiently to endure this dying life, or desperately to desire an untimely death? This was a danger of jonas 4.3. It is better for me (saith he) to dye then to live: A fearful speech of a Prophet of the Lord: And so it was a danger of job, chap. 7.15. My soul chooseth rather to be strangled, and to dye: Yea, many of God's dear children have been so hardly put to it in this kind, that they have been tempted to make away themselves, and to put an end to a wearisome life by a desperate death; I say they have been tempted to it, but through God's merciful protection they have been kept from it: Here are the dangers of life.  
Secondly, Death endangers us another way: 
How death endangers man.  The very name of death is terrible to us; and sometime the time of our death doth dismay us; and sometime the manner of our death troubles us; but the matter of death that scars us most of all, when we think with ourselves, that now we must die, and give up the Ghost, and leave all the world, and forsake this present light that shines about us; when the body and soul must part, that have been all this while loving friends together; the body to return to the dust, as it was, and the soul to God that gave it; when we think with ourselves of the bitterness, and sourness, and pangs of death, and of our particular judgement in death; and the general judgement that shall come after death, and begin to feel these things come upon us, here is our danger: Many of the children of God have been ready upon their consideration hereof, to let go their hold in God, and to say that God doth not love them, because he deals so rigorouslly and extremely with them herein: Add hereunto that we may save our lives, and escape all these fears for the time, if we will ourselves, as in the case of persecution, if we will forsake our Religion and deny our faith, we may save our lives; then the sweetness of life alluring us on the one side, & the fear & terror of death affrighting us on the other side, makes this a great danger: oh what danger is upon us now in this case, of our utter separation from the love of God in Christ jesus? This was one of Satan's chief bolts, that he shot at job, job 2.4. Skin for skin, and all that ever a man hath will he give for his life: These are the dangers of life and death, great dangers, horrible dangers; well, yet whosoever is the child of God, is in safety under God's protection against all these.  
Therefore the second point is to know, how fare the children of God are in safety against all these dangers? They are not exempted from any of these dangers in respect of the matter of them, for so all things fall out alike to all, to the just and to the wicked, Preach. 9.2. There are some dangers of life, and some of death, and they fall alike to good and bad: yea but the faithful are in safety from the evil of all these dangers, job 5.19. He will deliver thee in six troubles, and the evil of the seaventh shall not touch thee; Troubles shall be upon them, but the evil of the troubles shall not touch them. Psalm. 23.4 Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: David might walk in the valley of the shadow of death, as well as others, but God is with him, therefore he shall not fear the evil of the shadow of death; And this is as much as our Saviour prayed for, and obtained for us, john 17.15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil; and therefore this is as much as we must, or can look for. But what are these evils that we are subject to in these dangers of life and death? I answer; 
Four evils God's people are freed from in affliction.  there are four special evils in the dangers of life and death which all God's children are freed from, and which all the wicked fall into: The first is loss of graces; the second is the hardening of the heart by sin; the third, is the furtherance of eternal damnation; the fourth, is the revenging hand of God. First, loss of graces; the seeming graces of the wicked may be, and usually are lost in their troubles and dangers, their seeming faith, their seeming repentance, and their seeming obedience, Luke 8.13. In time of temptation they fall away, their faith is lost; but God's children can never lose their graces by their afflictions, they may decay in some graces, and the brightness of them may be dimbd, and their edge blunted by the extremity of their afflictions, but they can never be utterly deprived of them: Nay, so fare off are God's children from losing their graces by their afflictions, that they are gainers in grace by them; by their afflictions their sins and corruptions are purged, and they come forth like the pure gold as job speaks, job 23.10. He tryeth me, but I shall come forth like the gold.  
The second evil is the hardening of the heart in sin, the wicked are hardened by their afflictions in sin: let Pharaoh be in danger of God's judgements, and he will harden his heart in his sins: but let josiah be in danger of God's judgements and his heart will melt at them, and he will humble himself before the Lord: and so job 23.16. For God hath softened mine heart, and the Almighty hath troubled me: jobs troubles softened jobs heart, and made him to fear the Lord.  
Thirdly, the furtherance of eternal damnation, that is another evil in these dangers, to the wicked the trials which they endure here are the beginnings of hell; All these fearful passages that befell Kaine in his life, & judas in his death, were the beginnings of their passage into hell and condemnation: but it is contrary with God's children in their afflictions, for all their afflictions are preventions of condemnation, 1 Cor. 11.32. When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, because we should not be condemned with the world: Yea, they are furtherances unto heaven, 2 Cor. 4.17. Our light afflictions which are but for a moment, cause unto us a fare more excellent and eternal weight of glory. Look how it was with the Israelites, and the Egyptians in the red Sea; so it is with the wicked and the godly in their dangers of life and death; they were both in the Sea together, but the Israelites they pass safe through it, and the Sea was as a wall to them on the right hand, and on the left, and a high way to help them forward in their passage from Egypt towards Canaan; but the Egyptians were overwhelmed of it, and it became their grave, and they sunk to hell in it: So the sea of all the troubles both of life and death, are matters of utter desolation to the wicked, to further their damnation; But all that befall Gods children in this passage of life and death are helps and furtherances to the heavenly Canaan, matters that further their salvation.  
The fourth and last evil in these dangers is the revenging wrath of God, and this is the evil of all evils, & the true cause of all the former, when God afflicts the wicked, he doth it to be revenged of them for their sins, as a wrathful judge; But when he afflicts his children, if it be in anger, it is a fatherly anger, and indeed it is rather a fatherly love, and a sign of his favour, Heb. 12.6. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, etc. jere. 10.24. Oh Lord correct me, but in judgement, not in thine anger: God corrects his children, but he doth it not in anger & fury; no, that is for the wicked. Lay all these together; First, the children of God in all their troubles lose no grace; no, they are gainers by them; secondly, they do not harden their hearts in sin; no, their hearts are mollified by them: thirdly, their afflictions are not furtherances to hell, but they further them to heaven: Lastly, they come not as the revenging hand of God in fury upon them, but in love, as a father corrects his child; and then see and say, Oh how safe are all God's children in all their dangers both of life and death? So that we see the Doctrine is clear, that all true believers are in good safety under God's assured protection against all dangers of life and death.  
For proof of this point; 
Proofs.  first consider life and death together, and then consider them asunder, and we shall find this to be true: consider them together as Rom. 14.8. Whether we live, we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, we die unto the Lord, whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lords: The persons there spoken of are true believers, we, and there are two things affirmed of them: First, their duty to God; secondly, God's protection over them: their duty to God in the former part of the verse, in life and death; whether we live, that is for the time of our life, we live unto God; that is, we consecrate our bodies and souls, our lives and all our endeavours to God's service, and to his glory: or whether we die, that is for our state in death, we die unto the Lord: that is, we consecrate and offer up our souls and bodies a holy Sacrifice to God: Then secondly, God's protection over them, in the end of the verse, Whether we live or dye, we are the Lords: whether we live, that is for our estate in life, we are the Lords; that is, the Lord protects us. keeps us, and preserves us in all dangers; or whether we die, that is for our state in death, the Lord comforts us, saves us, and delivers us out of all dangers and evils that by death are threatened unto us: so thou be a true believer, and labour to live and die in obedience to God, and then surely whether thou livest or diest thou art the Lords, he will protect, preserve and save thee in all dangers of life and death, which is as much to say, that all true believers are in good safety, etc. As in the Doctrine. In Psal. 73.23.24. The Prophet makes it his own particular, speaking to the Lord in the sweet meditation of his soul; I was always with thee, thou hast holden me by my right hand, thou wilt guide me by thy Council, and afterward receive me to glory: I was always with thee, saith the Prophet, than he was ever in true safety, Thou hast holden me by my right hand; therefore always protected by God in all dangers; here is entire safety: yea, but that is for the time past; but what shall be for the time to come? All safety too, for his whole life; thou will guide me with thy Council, thy counsel shall free me from all dangers, & preserve me in dangers, & carry me safely through all my dangers, that is for the state of my life: but what shall become of us at death? All safety too; even to death, & in death, and after death; yea, more than safety, even safety in glory, and afterward receive me to glory. Phil. 1.20. I am confident (saith the Apostle) that the Lord jesus Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death: Paul applies it to his particular, he is confident of his safety, whatsoever comes that Christ shall be magnified in his body, etc. And how shall Christ be magnified in his body in life and death? why, in life by his manifold deliverances from the manifold dangers of life; and in death, by his full deliverance from all evils and dangers of life and death.  
Consider life and death asunder; first in life, God's children are in full safety under God's protection all their life, Psal. 66.9. Our feet are subject to many slippings and slidings, whilst we walk here in this world, even all our life-time: yea, but saith the Prophet, God holdeth our souls in life, and suffereth not our feet to slip: that is, God holds us so, as that we shall not fall away from his love in Christ. Secondly, in death, they are in safety too, under God's protection, Psal. 116.15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. A poor child of God lies upon his deathbed, and bemoanes himself, his friends also grieve for him; in the sight of the world, he is in a grievous and miserable state; yea, but in the sight and estimation of God, his death is very precious and dear, the Lord love's him, the Lord comforts him, and at his death the Lord receives his soul as a precious jewel into his own bosom, his death is precious to the Lord, it separates the vile from the holy; death separates him from his foul sins, and from his filthy corruptions, and from his unclean flesh, and from the wicked world, a precious separation, but it never separates him from the love of God in Christ jesus our Lord; no, it is so fare from that, as God esteems his children more precious in their death, then in their life.  
Reason 1 The reasons why all Gods children are in such safety under God's protection, are especially these: First, because God is the Lord of life and death, Deu. 32.39. I kill and give life; and God is not only the Lord of life and death itself, but of the state of life and death, he gives life, and he disposeth of us, and of our whole estate in life, and he inflicts death, and disposeth our state in death; we live of the Lord, and in the Lord, and to the Lord; and we die of the Lord, and in the Lord, & to the Lord. I say, he is the Lord of life and death, and they are his servants, and they can do nothing but what God will have them to do; and therefore except God himself will hurt us; these can never hurt us, nor put us out of his safety; yea, further seeing the Lord himself love's us, and protects us, life and death, being his servants, shall be applied and disposed of for the service of our safety and protection. God is not governed by our state & condition either in life or death, but our state both in life & death is altogether overruled by God, & framed according to his own will, so that his will being to do us good, life and death therefore and our whole state in them must be answerable thereunto.  
Secondly, the Ministry of God's Angels, that is Reason 2 another reason of it, for both in life, and in death we are under the custody of the Angels, and that by God's appointment, as he being the Prince of Angels, God gives his Angels charge over us to keep us in safety both in life and death, and that is the true reason of our safety, Psal. 91.10, 11. The Angels keep us, and that universally in all our ways; they keep us, and that very charily and tenderly; they bear us in their hands, and they keep us very safely and surely, so that we dash not our foot against a stone. Now the protection of the Angels is Gods own protection, because it is by his appointment, and therefore ascribe it not to the Creature, it is due to the Creator, bless God for it. The Angels do many good offices for us, they wait on us, they destroy our enemies, they comfort us in our distresses and troubles; but above all they guard our persons in the time of our life, Psa. 34.7. The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tents round about them that fear him & delivereth them: And they guard our souls at the time of our death, and carry them into Abraham's bosom, as they did the soul of Lazarus, Luk. 16.22. Here is the safety of God's children under God's protection both in life and death.  
Thirdly, Life and death are ours, our friends, and Reason 3 on our side, and at our service, 1 Cor. 3.21. All things are yours; Life is ours, and therefore all the passages of life are for us, and not against us; Death is ours, and therefore all the passages of death are for us, not against us: Gods children have a special title to life & death to claim them for their own, they have warrant from God to take all the benefit they can afford them, and a privilege too, to free and secure them from all their hurts, God hath imposed an inevitable law upon life and death, that they shall be attendant upon his children to do them all the good they can, but no evil; and God hath given power & an heart to his children, to serve themselves upon life and death for their own safety.  
Reason 4 Fourthly, Death and life are sanctified and sweetened unto us, by the life and death of jesus Christ▪ and that is the reason that we are in safety against the evil of all our afflictions, and this reason the Apostle gives of it for his own particular, Philip. 1.20.21. Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death: Why? for Christ is to me both in life and death advantage. And so likewise it is the Apostles reason for all the faithful in general, Rom. 14.9. why, we are the Lords, whether we live or die; for Christ (saith he) therefore died, and rose again, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and quick; that is, that he might be a protecting and a saving Lord to us both in the state of life and death. A Snake or a Serpent is in danger to poison us, and sting us, if we handle them as they are, but if we get out their poison and sting from them, than we may handle them safely, and they can do us no harm. In this corrupt state life is as a Snake, and death is as a Serpent, full of poison in themselves, and we are in danger to be stung and poisoned by them: but Christ jesus by his life and by his death hath taken away the poison of our life, and the sting of our death, that is sin, and so we are now in safety against all the dangers both of life and death, there is no hurt in them. The uses are these:  
The first use is for matter of comfort to Gods Use 1 children. It is matter of sound comfort to all true believers, that they live in safety, & they die in safety: They live under God's protection, and they dye under God's protection, they live a happy life, and they die a happy death: Blessed are the people that are in such a case; yea, Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Moses was ravished with the meditation of the happy estate of God's children in their life, and in their death, Deut. 33.27.29. The eternal God is thy refuge, and under his arms thou art for ever. Blessed art thou, oh Israel, who is like unto thee, oh people saved by the Lord? etc. Here is a happy state indeed, fears assault us, God comforts us; afflictions trouble us, God preserves us; our enemies thrust sore at us that we should fall, but God is our helper; our sins endanger us, God delivers us; the Devil tempts us, God upholds us; death strikes at us, but God he shields and saves us; our hearts, and our strength, and our life they fail us, yea, but God is our portion for ever, he will never fail us, neither in life, nor in death: Shall the Creatures hurt us? No, they shall nor, for God hath made a covenant with them for us, Hosea 2.18. Would the wicked swallow and devout us? They shall not: God will not give us as a prey to their teeth, etc. Psal. 124.6, 7. Is the whole world in an uproar round about us? Yet we are in safety, Psal. 91.7, 8. Is the whole frame of Nature out of order? (as it lacks but little of it at this day) yea, but he that calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, joel 2.31, 32. A necessary consideration and meditation, as at all times, so in these troublesome, cruel, desperate, and bloody times, when wars, and rumours of wars are sounding in every man's ear, and Gods enemies make havoc of God's Church, and the Angel of the Lord is abroad in the world executing Gods just judgements in many places, and when there is a general combustion in most parts of Christendom; yet here is all our stay, The Lord will surely help his people, and save his inheritance; upon all his glory shall be a defence; Yea, but are not many of God's dear children at this day greatly persecuted in many places; are they not murdered, consumed, and devoured? It is true, let the wicked take away their lives, yet they shall never take away their souls; no, God is ready when their lives are taken away by their enemies to receive their souls, and to place them in eternal glory.  
Use 2 The second use is to stir us up to much thankfulness to God, that he being so holy, and mighty, and glorious a God should so respect, and take such care for such poor sinful wretches as we are, as that he should continually watch over us, not for evil, but for our good, both in life and death, whereas we have deserved evil at his hands; the best Master that is can but protect his servant, and look to but while he life's, at his death he gives him over, and can do him no good; but our good God, our heavenly Master, keeps and protects us his sinful servants, and doth us good both in life, and in death, and after death. This is a blessed Master, and blessed are those servants that serve such a Master, Psal. 48. the last verse, This God is our God for ever and ever, he shall be our guide unto the death.  
Thirdly, This should strengthen our faith against Use 3 all terrors in life and death, against all terrors in death, against all terrors of life, because the Lord is the strength of our life, of whom then shall we be afraid? Psal. 27.1. and Psal. 42.8. God is said to be the God of our life, this is a sweet comfort, and should much strengthen our faith against all terrors in our life, because God is the God of our life, and what can spoil that which God preserves? So it should strengthen our faith against all terrors of death, Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him, saith job 13.14.15. And the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5.1. We know, that if the earthly house of this our Tabernacle be destroyed, we have a building given us of God, that is, an house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens. If God take away our life, we have an eternal state in heaven.  
Fourthly, This teacheth us patience in all our sufferings, Use 4 because we are in safety against them, all under God's protection. It is our Saviour's own argument, Luke 21.18.19. There shall not one hair of your heads perish: by your patience possess your souls. We have great reason to be patiented all the while we are in safety, but we are in safety in all our sufferings, not only in life, but in death too, and therefore we must be patiented in all our sufferings, both in life and death.  
Use 3 The last use teacheth us to apply ourselves to God understandingly and feelingly in life and death, 
How we may apply ourselves unto God understandingly both in life and death.  that so we may be partakers of the comforts of them both: And herein consists the right art of a true Christian, and till we are well-skild in the knowledge and practice of this art, we are but piddlers in our profession. But you will say, how may we attain this skill to apply unto ourselves God understandingly in life and in death? I answer, first, we must stay ourselves upon the promise of God, let us fix our eye steadfastly upon the promise of God, that is it we must build upon; God hath promised that he will never fail us, nor forsake us; that he will lay no more upon us than he will give us strength to bear; that he will be our shield and fortress, defence, assurance & salvation; that we shall be safe under his wings, etc. Rest upon these promises of God, and be sure they shall never fail, Though heaven and earth fail, yet not one jot or tittle of God's word and promises shall fail, they shall stand fast for ever, and ever. We have a conditional promise for freedom from temporal dangers (so fare as shall be good for us) we shall enjoy temporal safety; but we have an absolute promise for our eternal safety; and this let us absolutely build and rest upon without exception.  
Secondly, Thou must cast thyself down in an humble submission under God's hand, and unto his will in the whole estate of life and death, Psal. 55.22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will nourish thee, etc. Psal. 37.4.5. Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee thine heart's desire. Commit thy way unto the Lord, and trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass. 1 Pet. 4.19. Commit your souls to God in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator. God hath made and given us souls, let us commit them to him in well-doing, and he will never cast them away; he is a faithful Creator, and will not suffer that to perish which is so committed to him. If dangers offer themselves, say thou, Here I am Lord, do with thy servant what thou wilt for life or death: And then thou shalt have God at hand, to say to thy soul; Here I am, oh my servant, to uphold, and to preserve, and to comfort, and to save thee.  
Thirdly, We must grow to some familiar acquaintance with the life and death of jesus Christ feelingly and savingly, not only as he living and dying in himself, but as he living and dying for thee, and thou living and dying in him. If once we can meditate sound on the life of Christ, apply ourselves unto it, it will sweeten our life; and so, if we can meditate sound and rightly on his death, and apply it to ourselves, it will sweeten our death: For this is the pattern that we must conform ourselves unto, both in God's intendment, and in our own practice. Look how the Prophet Elisha did spread himself on the Child, 2 Kings 4.34. and laid his mouth to the child's mouth, etc. so doth Christ spread himself upon every true believer that rightly apprehends him, he stretcheth himself upon us in every particular, he lays his mouth upon our mouth, his eyes upon our eyes, and his hands upon our hands, etc. to sanctify us, and to preserve us in them; he lays his particular temptations and sufferings on ours, to sanctify and preserve us in ours; his life on our life, to sanctify and preserve us in the state of life; and his death on our death to sanctify and preserve us in our state of death. This is a singular comfort to a poor soul, to apply Christ's life and death to himself: I say, it is a sound comfort to them both in life and death; but this is a mystery, every one is not acquainted with it.  
Lastly, Let us make application beforehand, of the comforts of God against the dangers which we are subject to, not in general only, but in particular: It is our skill to apply particular comforts to particular dangers, and troubles. Is it matter of life that doth endanger us? Do the comforts of life draw us from God? Let us consider, that they are but for the outward man, and that they are our enemies; and shall we make much of an enemy, and prefer their welfare before our own? Secondly, consider they are not permanent, but unconstant and transitory, they endure but for a time, and for a short time: They are like to jonas gourd, that came up in a night, and perished in a night; and wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is nothing? Riches have wings and fly away, they are quickly gone, and so are honours, and the like, and wilt thou set thy heart upon such transitory things? Thirdly, consider that all outward comforts are mingled with many sorrows, every sweet pleasure and worldly comfort hath his sour pain and discomfort; though they be pleasant for the time, yet they are sour and bitter in the end. Lastly, let us consider that the comforts of grace are incomparably greater and better and more excellent than all outward comforts, there is no sorrow in them, they will make thee truly happy and blessed; and wilt thou prefer the shadow before the substance? Yea, but will some say, My crosses and afflictions they perplex and trouble me, and make me unfit to serve God. I answer, That is thy fault; why should crosses hinder thee, or disable thee for the service of God? Still apply Gods comforts to thy crosses; first the crosses are but short, though they be sharp; and wilt thou not endure a while, for a time? secondly, they are light and momentary, 2 Cor. 4.17. Thirdly, they are nothing in comparison either of the pains of hell, which we must endure hereafter, if we will not endure the cross here; or of the glory of heaven which we shall be sure to have, if we endure afflictions patiently, Rom. 8.18. I account that the afflictions of this present time, are not worthy of the glory that shall be showed to us. And again, we have many times of comforts mixed with the days of affliction, and this may keep us to the service of God in our lives. Yea, but what shall we do in death? that is the end of all: shall I desire it to rid me out of all my troubles? I answer; no, thy times are in God's hands, Psal. 31.15. and not in thine own; but if thou desirest death, that thou mayst be with Christ, it is well; but if it be for worldly discontentments, it is desperate and damnable. What then, shall I fear it? we know that the very name of death is fearful unto us. I answer, that it is only thy own fear, there is no more fear in death, then in any other thing, we make it fearful to ourselves. It is but the withdrawing hand of God; if we fear it, it is because we are wicked, for, the righteous have hope in their death, Prou. 14.32. But what hope hath the wicked, if God take away his soul, job 27.8. Yea, but the time of my death, that fears me; I would be richer, and I would be better before I die, it is yet too soon to die: I answer, this is thy perverse judgement; but whatsoever thou thinkest, certainly God never takes away any of his children but in due time, howsoever it seem untimely to us, job 5.26. Thou shalt go to thy grave in a full age, as a Rick of Corn cometh in due season into the Barn.  
And so the kind of death that fears me; happily it may be cruel or reproachful by war or the like. I answer, it is all one howsoever it be, it cannot be worse than thy Saviour's, and why should it dismay thee? It is the same hand of God, and he is there present with thee to receive thy soul. Yea, but death is bitter: But Christ jesus hath loosed the sorrows of death, Act. 2.24. and that not for himself only, but for us also, yea he hath sweetened them by his victory, 1 Cor. 15.54. Lastly, the consequents of death they are the worst & most fearful, judgement, and the grave, and corruption, etc. I answer, against judgement, thou must get faith and repentance, and against corruption and the grave, thou must believe that God will raise thy body up again, Psal. 16.10. And so for thy soul thou must commit it into the hand of God, it is dear and precious unto him: Hast thou served the Lord with thy soul all thy life, and art thou afraid to trust him with it at thy death? We are apt to suspect what shall become of our souls at our death: Let us look upon Christ jesus, consider what became of his soul at his death, it went into Paradise into Heaven: And what for himself alone? no, but for us, yea merely for us; so that the children of God are as sure of it, as Christ himself. Thus let us comfort ourselves with the application of God's particular promises against our particular troubles: and both in life and death let us apply ourselves understandingly, and feelingly unto God, and so shall we be safe under his protection against all dangers both in life and death.  
FINIS.   

THE TENTH SERMON,  Upon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses. 
For I am sure, that neither life, nor Death, nor Angels, etc.  
THe Apostle speaking here of the safety of all true believers in the estate of grace, against all dangers that can possibly befall them, he doth not content himself (as you have seen) to speak of their dangers and comforts only in general, but for our better satisfaction, he enlargeth his speech to their dangers and comforts in particular. And these particulars, he sets down before us, in five several branches or ranks: The first rank of dangers & comforts are of life and death, For I am sure that neither death nor life: The second rank are Angels, Rulers, and Powers: The third rank are things present and things to come: The fourth rank is height and depth: The fift and last rank is as it were an extent of his speech to all things that can be imagined, nor any other creature; as if he should say, if I have omitted any other creature in the world in these particulars, yet they shall not separate us. We have spoken already of the first rank, death and life.  
Now we are to speak of the second rank of dangers, and of our comforts against them, nor Angels, Rulers and Powers; wherein we see there are three sorts of dangers, Angels, Rulers, Powers. In this second rank the Apostle climbs up a higher strain than before, for here he specifies the most mighty and principal active workers that are in the world under God, that either have or may have any hand in the endangering of our estate; Life and death, are but certain states and conditions, wherein we are subject to certain dangers; but Angels, Rulers and Powers, these are certain chief living agents, which do or may endanger us, either by life or death. For the meaning of these three words, I confess that there is great hardness in them, and great difficulty amongst interpreters about them; I will not trouble you with many expositions, generally the words are expounded altogether of Angels and nothing else, but herein some speak more boldly, some more modestly: They that speak more boldly take it thus; by Angels, they understand the whole Army of God's Angels in general, and by Rulers and Powers, they understand certain distinct orders of Angels one above another: But this though it be the judgement of many of the learned, yet it is a mere conjecture; for there is no certainty set down in God's word, what be the distinct order of Angels; and for a man to take upon him to speak of such high mysteries as these are without warrant from God's Word, is great presumption: They that speak more modestly, do understand by all these three words, Angels, Rulers and Powers, one and the same thing, that is, all the Angels indifferently: But why doth the Apostle here give them several names? they answer that he doth it in three several respects: They are called Angels in respect of their office: they are messengers: secondly, they are called Rulers, in respect of the excellency of their natures; and Powers in respect of their mightiness and strength. This exposition comes nearest the Apostles meaning, and it contains nothing in it against the rule of faith, nor against the use of the words, nor against the drift and scope of the place, etc. Yet it comes short of the Apostles strain, and doth not reach the full meaning of the place; for the Apostle here, in the height of his spirit, makes a general challenge against all living mighty workers in the world under God, that they shall never impeach the safety of God's children in the state of grace; therefore the words must be expounded, that they may comprehend all such agents whatsoever: Now there are other mighty living workers besides the Angels; therefore saving the judgement of the better learned, we expound it thus: By Angels we understand all the Angels that are, as well those that stand, as those that are fallen, as well good as bad; for so the word naturally signifies: For, when the Scripture speaks of good Angels only, it calls them holy Angels, Elect Angels, mighty Angels, the Angels of God, etc. but here it speaks of Angels in general, and therefore we are to understand it both of good and bad. By Rulers or Principalities, we understand earthly Governors, the great and mighty Monarches and Magistrates of the earth, Kings, Emperors, and the like; for so this word, in the original, is expressly confined to this sense in two places of the Scripture, Luke 12.11. And when they bring you unto the Synagogues, and unto Rulers, etc. And Titus 3.1. Put them in mind that they be subject to Principalities or Rulers. It is true that the same word is sometimes in the Scripture meant of the Angels both good and bad, but the Apostle having mentioned them already in the former words, there is no need that it should be meant of them in this word too. Thirdly, by powers understand all the gifts and enablements that either these or any other mighty workers in the world are furnished withal, as authority, place, strength, wit, policy, etc. for so the word in the original usually signifies, not so much the agents themselves, as the powers and enablements whereby they do work; so that lay all these briefly together, and then the meaning of the words are thus much, as if the Apostle should say, I am sure that neither all the Angels, good nor bad, nor all the Rulers and Potentates, Monarches and Magistrates of the world; nor all the powers or enablements that these or any other are furnished withal, shall ever be able to separate me from the love of God which is in jesus Christ our Lord. Here is a high strain of assurance; and we must have a great measure of faith to attain unto it.  
The Doctrine that ariseth naturally out of the whole state of the words thus unfolded is this: 
Doctrine.  namely, That howsoever it be that Angels both good and bad, and Rulers, great Kings and Emperors, Potentates and Monarches of the world, are mighty workers, endued with great powers, gifts, and enablements; yet neither Angels good nor bad, nor all the Rulers and Potentates in the world, endued with all their powers, gifts, and enablements, shall never be able to separate true believers from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord.  
To avoid confusion we will handle the three several branches of the Doctrine, 
The first branch of the Doctrine.  every one apart; we will first begin with good Angels, and then we must apply the Doctrine thus: That howsoever the good Angels are mighty workers, great in power and enablements, yet neither they, nor all the power they have, shall be ever able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord. For Explication of this point, 
Explication in the opening of three particular.  we are here to touch these three particulars, as necessary for the understanding of this Doctrine: First, what these good Angels are: Secondly, what is that Relation and Communion that is betwixt them and true believers: Thirdly, what dangers they are that may befall true believers by good Angels.  
For the first, what good Angels are: Good Angels are certain spiritual substances, that kept their first estate, and are immediate and continual attendants before the presence of God: that they are substances, their actions prove it, they rejoice, worship God, pass from place to place, and perform sundry actions, and actions are never performed but by substances: that they are spiritual substances, the Scripture tells us, Heb. 1.7. He maketh his Angel's Spirits: that they kept their first estate the Apostle jude implies, verse 6. when he saith of the evil angels, That they kept not their first estate, thereby necessarily implying by opposition, that the good Angels have kept their first estate, that is, the blessed estate of excellency that God created them in. Lastly, that they are immediate and continual attendants before God; Daniel saw it in a vision, Dan 7.10. The ancient of days sat upon a throne; and who were his attendants? the Angels, Thousands thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. So we see what the good Angels be: Many other things might be said of them, but I touch these only, which of necessity we must know for the understanding of the Doctrine in hand.  
The second particular is, what this relation and Communion is, that is betwixt good Angels and true Believers? Surely it is a near relation and heavenly Communion; they and we are fellow-servants, as worshipping and serving one and the same God. The Angel himself avoucheth it, Reu. 19.10. I am thy fellow-servant: They and we are brethren in the testimony of jesus, as the same Angel affirmeth in the words following: They and we are fellow-Citizens of the heavenly jerusalem, Heb. 12.22. We are their charge, they are our guard and keepers; They pitch their Tents round about us for our safeguard and protection, Psal. 34.7. They are our pattern, we are their resemblance, both for obedience whilst we live here, Math. 6.10. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. and likewise for glory hereafter, Luk. 20.36. Other bonds there are whereby they are associated to us, and we to them, but these are the nearest and chiefest, and most remarkable.  
The third and last point is, what those dangers are that may befall true believers by the good Angels? To this I answer, two things; First, that the Apostle doth not say here directly, that the good Angels of themselves may endanger God's Children, but he speaks it here by way of supposition, as if he should say, suppose that they should endanger God's children, yet they could never separate them from the love of God. And this is very observable in the whole tenor of the Apostles speech, that all the dangers which he mentions are put down by way of supposition, but safety and the comforts against them, are set down positively and directly; As if he should say, suppose that the good Angels should endanger us, yet certainly they should never separate us from the love of God: But especially it is to be marked in this particular concerning the good Angels, for this is merely a supposal, that the good Angels of themselves should hurt us. But, why then doth the Apostle mention any such matter here? I answer, for the further confirmation of true believers in the assurance of God's love. I will clear this place by another place of the Apostle in the very like kind, Gal. 1.6. If an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel, etc. Will any man conclude from hence, that therefore an Angel from heaven may, or can preach any other Gospel than Paul had preached? No, but the Apostle speaks it by way of supposal only, and supposals do not affirm any thing in being: Yea, but why doth the Apostle then here use the name of an holy Angel in this case? I answer, he had good reason for it, that he might confirm them the better in the truth which he had taught, namely, that we must be so steadfastly settled in the faith of the Gospel of Christ, that if an Angel from heaven should teach any other Doctrine (which is a thing impossible) yet if he should we must defy him, and hold him accursed. And so the Apostle in this place makes the estate of God's children so sure and firm, that if the good Angels should set themselves against them, to separate them from the love of God in Christ jesus, (which is impossible) but if they should, yet they could not do it. Secondly, I answer, that howsoever they do not of themselves endanger us, yet occasionally in regard of our weakness and corruption they may endanger us: We may in our weakness abuse them, or mistake their service, or put our trust in them, and so endanger ourselves greatly by them. I will give you a plain instance in the holy Apostle S. john, Revel 19.10. and Reuel. 22.8. he was a true believer, yet in his weakness, by occasion of a good Angel, he was in danger to commit a vile and most fearful sin, the very sin of Idolatry, and that not once, but twice, and that though he were reproved for it: A grievous sin; but the Angel he hinders him, See thou do it not, (saith he) worship not me, worship God: In which we may observe two things that do effectually concern the point in hand; first, that true believers may, through their corruption and weakness, be endangered in the estate of grace by the good Angels; yet secondly, that God will never suffer them to be overcome and swallowed up of this, it shall never prevail utterly to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord.  
And so now the Doctrine being thus cleared, we come to the proofs, 
Proofs.  which are these, Mat. 18.10. See that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you, that in heaven their Angels always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. These words are the words of our Saviour, and he owns them by a special challenge, I say unto you; I that know well what belongs to God, and to God's Angels, and to God's little ones, I say unto you, despise not one of these little ones, for in heaven their Angels always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. The matter affirmed there is the continual attendance of the Angels in the presence of God; but the drift of the speech is, to note the continual care that the Angels of God have over God's weak children, as appears, first by their title, their Angels; they are Gods Angels, as he being their Lord and Master to whom they do belong, and they be our Angels, as we being the children of that their Lord and Master, and in respect of the care and charge that they are employed in about us. Secondly, it appears by the form of the reason, See (saith our Saviour) you despise not one of God's weak children, see that you hurt them not; for I say unto you; as who should say, do not despise them, nor hurt them, for if you do, surely their Angels will revenge the wrong and hurt done to them. Thirdly, by the time, always, this is not for a day, nor a year, but always, without ceasing: put all these together, and the Doctrine is here clearly proved, that the Angels of God are ours, they are for us, and not against us, they will be avenged on those that hurt us, and therefore will never hurt us themselves; and this is their care & practise always, they are ever employed about our good, and therefore they shall never separate us from our greatest good of all, from the love of God in Christ jesus, Heb. 1.14. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall be heirs of salvation? The Apostle speaks here generally of all good Angels, Are they not all? and doth not divide them in office or nature, but joins them in both, they are all spirits by nature: And what are they by office? They are all ministering spirits, and what ministry is it that they are employed in? sent forth, etc. God sends them forth from time to time to perform certain offices about his children, and his heirs, as a father makes his servants to attend him that shall be his heir: and they are sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall be heirs of salvation. They are most dutiful attendants on us that are heirs, and they minister for our sakes, that is, for our good, comfort, and protection only, never for our hurt; they know from God that we are appointed to salvation, and shall they at any time hinder us of it? They take notice of it that we are heirs to their Lord and Master, and shall they being servants, go about to hinder us of the inheritance which their Lord and Master, and our Father hath appointed to us? No surely, they will not do it; but on the contrary, they will help and further us all they can thereunto, Psal. 91.11, 12. He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, etc. God hath committed his children to the charge and custody of his Angels; What to do? to keep them, not to destroy them, and to keep them in all their ways; they shall not fail them in any one passage of their life, to bear us up in their hands, never to suffer us to fall utterly from God, much less to cause us so to fall, that thou dash not thy foot against a stone: They shall preserve us from the harms that ourselves or others might do unto us, therefore themselves shall never hurt us in the least kind, much less in the matter of grace and salvation: A place so pregnant to prove the infallible protection of God's children by the Angels, that the Devil himself acknowledgeth it for a certain truth, and allegeth it for that purpose, Math. 4.6. Lastly, their practice makes this good by experience, what good offices have they done from time to time for God's children? preserved them from their enemies, as Lot, Gen. 19.10. delivered them out of prison, as Peter, Acts 12. comforted them in their distresses, Acts 27.23, 24. freed them in their troubles, as the Israelites, Isay 65.9. shown them, and directed them what they must do to be saved, as Cornelius, Acts 10.5. In a word, infinite are the good offices that the good Angels have done for God's children, but there is not one place extant in all God's word, to prove that any good Angel hath done any harm to any one of God's children: No, that is for the evil Angels to hurt us, they hurt us altogether, and never do us the least good; but the good Angels they help us always, they are altogether and only to help us, and never to do us the least harm, and therefore they with all the power they have can never separate us from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord.  
Reason 1 The reasons of this point may be reduced to these two heads. First, the good Angels will not hinder our salvation, if they could: Secondly, they cannot do it, if they would. First, they will not do it if they could; for there are four engagements whereby the will of the Angels is so stirred and inclined towards us, as that they will never hurt us, if they could; first, the zeal of God's glory: Secondly, obedience to Gods will: Thirdly, their dependence on jesus Christ: And fourthly, their communion they have with us. First, the zeal of God's glory, Isa. 6.2. they are Seraphims, that is, hot and fiery spirits, burning not in fury, but in zeal for the glory of the Lord of hosts. Now they know that God is wonderfully glorified in the salvation of his children, and therefore they will not hinder that at any hand, but zealously advance it to the uttermost of their power. Secondly, their obedience to Gods will, they know it is Gods will to give his children a kingdom, and will they cross his will? No, they obey and do his will, Psal. 103.20. they will never cross it. They know their fellow-Angels frustrated their estate by disobedience, and will they frustrate theirs too? No, they will not. Thirdly, their dependence on Christ, and their love to him, joh. 1.51. Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon that Son of man: All their ministry is from God to us, as in Christ, and they are upheld by Christ, or else they are as changeable as the evil Angels were by nature, and they know that Christ hath redeemed us with his precious blood, and will they seek to cast away the price of his blood? They know that Christ hath committed us to God his Father, and will they incense us against God, or God against us? Lastly, their faithfulness to us, and their communion with us, they take notice of us as their fellow-servants, and therefore they will not hurt us, he is an evil servant that will smite his fellow-servants; this is odious on earth, how much more in heaven; if ever the holy Angels should entertain any faithless or treacherous thought against us, their fellows and brethren, heaven they know would never endure them.  
Reason 2 The second reason: The Angels cannot do it if they would; & this agrees more fitly with the words of the Apostle, that they shall not be able to separate us. There are two unmoveable bars whereby they are utterly disabled from hurting us in estate of grace: The first is the sovereign power & overruling hand of God; the second, is the nearness of our communion with Christ. First, the sovereign power of God and his overruling hand both over them & us, that hinders them; they are Gods elect Angels, and we are Gods elect children, and therefore God by bis sovereign power, will never suffer them to seduce us, nor suffer us to be seduced by them, God's election must stand good for ever. Secondly, the nearness of our union with Christ, that is another bar to hinder them: Christ took our nature upon him, not the Angels, Heb. 2.16. and herein we are a degree above the Angels. Now this assumption of our nature into the person of Christ, and his participation with us therein is so sanctified, and effectually ratified by faith, and by the spirit, to every true believer, that they are truly one with Christ himself; and can the Angels hurt Christ? or betray Christ? or separate Christ from God's love? then neither can they hurt us, nor betray us, nor separate us from the love of God in Christ.  
The Uses are these: First, since it is so, that the Uses 1 good Angels can never impeach the estate of God's children, therefore it shows that whosoever they be that do fall away from the estate of grace by the occasion of good Angels, that certainly they were never true believers: such there were in the time of the Apostles, Coloss. 2.18. That under a colour of Religion and humbleness of mind did worship Angels, such as the Monks and Friars be at this day; but what saith the Apostle in the 19 verse? They that teach such things hold not the head; that is, they hold not Christ as their head, they are utterly void of Christ, and so living and dying in that sin, they are utterly void of the state of grace, and salvation. This sets such a brand of reprobation on the Popish Church and Religion, that they are never able to claw it off: They hold many other gross points, which at least by consequence overthrew the foundation Christ jesus: But of this point the Apostle saith directly, That they that hold it, hold not the head Christ. A man cannot be a worshipper of Angels and belong to Christ. And doth not the Church of Rome greatly adore and worship Angels? do they not reverence them, and call upon them? It is their professed Doctrine and ordinary practice: I would fain see how they would answer this; they are cut off hereby from the head Christ: I doubt not but many of them are the Elect of God, but then either the Lord keeps them that they fall into this sin; or if they do fall into it, yet God gives them repentance for it before they die, that lo they shall not fall by it for ever. But let us beware and take heed of this sin, in ourselves, and evermore let us take heed of Popery, that doth maintain and teach this gross error.  
Uses 2 Secondly, this teacheth us the undoubted certainty of the salvation of God's children; That God's children should ever be cast off from the estate of saving grace: It is a thing impossible, there is an absolute impossibility in it, nay there is more than an absolute impossbility in it; for mark how the case stands: It is impossible that ever the good Angels should go about to bend their power against us, to cast us out of the love of God: But if they should, yet it were impossible they should do it; so that for God's children to be cast out of God's love; It is a thing more impossible, then that which is indeed absolutely impossible: Oh blessed be God that hath settled and established us in such an holy and happy estate so steadfastly; Oh that all true believers would lift up themselves and know their own happiness; Oh that they would confidently believe this heavenly truth, touching the certainty of their salvation; Oh that they would be persuaded, as confidently to believe it, as the Apostle affirms it: we should do so, it is our failing that we do not so, what base minded wretches are we, that believe that God love's us in Christ: and yet we perplex ourselves with fears and distrustful thoughts of this nature or of that; of this or that casualty, as if they should separate us from God: Our faith should lift us up as high as heaven, yea above heaven, yea above the Angels in heaven, in the matter of our assurance: Our faith should say, as the Apostle doth here; I am sure that the Angels in heaven, can never be able to separate me from the love of God: and therefore much less can any other Creature or casualty whatsoever; can any creature do more than the Angels in heaven can? But if we consider further that these Angels, these mighty and powerful Angels, are not only, not against us, but for us, affectionately for us: wholly for us, always for us, and that they bend all their power to keep us in the love of God; and to make good the work of our salvation, what a shame should it be for us, still to lie slugging in the dumps of our doubtings and uncertainties? why should we not now take heart to ourselves, and lay fast hold on this assurance?  
The third Use teacheth us, the infinite and admirable Uses 3 power of saving grace; It is infinitely greater than all the powers that are to be found in the estate of nature, Gods saving grace is infinitely of more power to save us, than all the powers in the world are to destroy us: Of all other creatures the Angels excel in strength and power, Psal. 103.20. Yet all the strength and power they have, shall never be able to cross or hinder the power of grace for the salvation of the faithful: this is the sinews of our assurance: Some think it is an easy matter to be saved: No, it is the infinite and Almighty power of God that must show forth itself in saving us, else it is impossible for us to be saved, 1 Pet 1.5. Without this power of God it is impossible that we should be kept, there is not the least sin forgiven, nor the least corruption subdued, nor the least sparkle of grace wrought in our hearts, nor the least temptation overcome, but by the almighty power of saving grace. On the other side some dismay themselves at their own corruptions, Satan's temptations, and the defections of a godly life, that they think it impossible to be saved; here we must fly to the consideration of the infinite and almighty power of saving grace, and then we shall be satisfied: And take heed though thou debase thyself, debase not God: It is impossible with thee, but it is not impossible with God, for than who can be saved? All things are possible with God, Matth. 19.25.26. It is our Saviour's Resolution in this very case, teaching us to rest wholly and only upon the power of God for salvation; It is impossible with men that any should be saved: Yea, but it is possible with God by the power of saving grace, 2 Cor. 12.9. My grace (saith God to the Apostle) is sufficient for thee: Paul had no rest in himself before; but the almighty and all-sufficient grace of God gave him full content: This is that which gives us satisfaction, and makes us go on cheerfully against all difficulties, the all-sufficiency of saving grace. And therefore let us labour to lift up our hearts to a high and transcendent estimation of the almighty power of saving grace, which is the almighty power of God; try and prove whether this be not a notable means of subduing and overtopping all other powers in the world, and so of bringing full assurance to our souls: try it I say, and see if it do not prove so; look unto the almighty power of God, & to the all-sufficiency of saving grace, & this will carry us comfortably through all dangers, the want of this high estimation of the almighty power of saving grace sound taken to heart, makes most of us come so short of this assurance.  
The last Use teacheth us how to carry ourselves towards the good Angels, that so they may not hurt Uses 4 us, but that we may comfortably enjoy their help, protection, and furtherance in the way of our salvation; this is a hard lesson to learn and to practise, but yet worth our learning, and much to be desired; and practised by all those that would find heaven upon earth; It is difficult I confess, but very comfortable, for either we are too negligent or too diligent in this, either we will not meddle at all with the nature & office of Angels, or else we will meddle too much with it. If therefore we will have the help, comfort, & protection of the good Angels, we must observe these rules. First, keep Gods good will, 
How we are to carry ourselves towards the good Angels that they may not hurt us, but do us good.  keep God thy friend; the best way to keep the servants to be thy friend, is to keep their master to be thy friend, so keep God to be thy friend, and that is the best way to keep his servants the Angels to be thy friend: All the promises of protection by the Angels are referred to such as are Gods, Psal. 34.7. The Angel of the Lord campeth about them that fear him: And Psal 91.11. He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways; Fear God and pray unto him as Cornelius did, Acts 10.2.4. and walk diligently in the duties of thy calling, as the Shepherds did, Luke 2.8.9.10. and then the Angels will comfort us, protect and keep us. The Angels love us for our heavenly Father's sake; if we be stubborn to him, they will turn their love from us.  
The second Rule is this; we must hold fast by jesus Christ; he is the common head both of them and us, Matth. 24.31. and 16.27. All the good they do us, and all the service which they own us, is for Christ his sake, because we are in him; if he favour us, they will favour us; if he frown on us, they will frown on us too: If ever we will enjoy the comfortable ministry of the Angels, let us lay fast hold on jesus Christ by faith; so fare as we go from him, they go from us: Let us therefore lay fast hold on jesus Christ by faith in his blood, by love to his Majesty, by obeying the motions of his Spirit, and by conforming ourselves to his example; and then the Angels are ready pressed to do us their best service; hold thou fast to Christ, and they will be sure to hold thee fast.  
Thirdly, take notice of the Ministry of the Angels, believe it, and be not ignorant of it; If thou hast been ignorant of it, yet now take notice of it, and make use of it: We stand in need of the Ministry of the Angels, we know that we are tempted many ways, look upon the good Angels, they will assist thee more than the bad can hurt thee, Reuel. 12.8. Michael and his Angels fought, and the Dragon fought and his Angels: Christ and his Angels, and the Devil and his Angels, they fight for our poor souls; But the Devil and his Angels do not prevail; but Christ and his Angels they do prevail, and they are on our side to fight for us. And therefore as the Prophet, 2 Kings 6.16.17. prayed to the Lord to open his servant's eyes, that he might see that there was more with them, then against them: So let us pray to God to open our eyes, that we may see and take notice of the Ministry of the good Angels, and of their protection and care over us.  
Fourthly, let us imitate the good Angels in obedience, Matth. 6.10. Let us do Gods will on earth, as the Angels do in heaven, Psal. 103.20.21. They are never out of God's way, they ever do Gods will willingly and cheerfully; the Devil doth Gods will too, but it is grudgingly and against his will. The good Angels they worship God, Hebr. 1.6. They take the cause of God's children to heart, they rejoice at the good of God's Church and children, especially at the good of their souls; so let us worship God alone, and let the good of God's children, especially the good of their souls, be the joy of our hearts. Let us imitate them thus, but yet let us beware of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the Papists, 
Vid. original.  in single life and angelical perfection.  
Fiftly, speak not evil of those that are in place and dignity, for the Angels give not railing speeches, 2 Pet. 2.10.11. The Angels do it not, let us take heed we do it not.  
Sixtly, offend not these Angels, 1 Cor. 11.10. The woman ought to cover her head, because of the Angels. The Angels are about us, & observe our doings, and mark our carriage, if it be reverend and agreeable to our profession, they rejoice at it; if we mis-behave ourselves and carry ourselves unreverently in our words, gestures, or apparel, mis-beseeming our persons, places, or profession, this offends and grieves them, they distaste it, and are displeased at it, let us take heed therefore that we offend them not.  
Seaventhly, let us not worship them in any case, for that is the way to incense them against us. In the Reuel. 19.10. and 22.8. when john would have worshipped the Angel, He was angry, see thou do it not (saith he) worship God. It is an horrible dishonour to God, and much displeasing to the good Angels themselves, they tremble at it, and abhor it: Away with it saith the Angel, worship not me, worship God: Which is worse the Thief or the Receiver? If I worship the Angels, I am the thief, if they receive and accept of it, they are the receivers, but they abhor it.  
Lastly, let us glorify God for the Ministry of the good Angels; the shepherds in Lu. 2.20. having heard many good things from the ministry of the Angels, they returned glorifying, & praising not the Angels, but God for their Ministry: Take the benefit of it, and give the Angels due reverence and respect for their Ministry, but give the honour & glory of it to God alone; thus did Daniel, Chap. 6.22. and Peter, Act. 12.11. they do not ascribe their deliverance to the Angel, but to God that sent his Angel, and yet they do reverently mention the Angel, that was the means of it: And we have great cause to glorify God for their Ministry; for first it is a great comfort to us: what greater comfort can we have by any of the creatures, then to have thousand thousands of Angels, the best and greatest of God's creatures evermore to attend on us? Secondly, it is a great honour to us, the greatest honour God that can bestow upon us by any of the Creatures, that the Angels that are fare more excellent Creatures by creation then ourselves, should be attendants on us: Oh, let us honour God greatly, that hath so greatly honoured us. Thirdly, all the good they do unto us, they do it but as instruments, it is God alone that is the author of it; therefore let God alone have all the glory and honour of it. Observe these rules carefully and conscionably, and I will assure thee from God, that thou shalt be made partaker of the comfort and protection of the good Angels, they shall attend upon thee all thy life, to preserve thee from evil, and to encourage thee to goodness, and to comfort thee in troubles, and to help thee out of them; and at thy death they shall stand by thee to cheer thee up against the bitterness and terror of thy dissolution, and to carry thy soul into heaven. And yet this is not all, for behold yet further, at the day of judgement, they shall summon thy body out of the grave, and place thee amongst the sheep at God's right hand, that there thou mayest receive that joyful and blessed sentence, Come ye blessed, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world, such honour have all God's Saints.  
FINIS.   

THE ELEAVENTH SERMON,  Upon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses. 
For I am persuaded, (or I am sure) that neither Death, nor life, nor Angels, etc.  
THe Apostle here, when he propounds the dangers that belong to the faithful, and the comforts against them; he sets them before us in certain ranks and orders. And the first rank is the dangers that come to us by death, and by life, and the comforts against them, and of that we have spoken.  
The second rank is, of the dangers that come to us by Angels, Rulers, and powers, and that we have entered into, and shown that by Angels are meant all sorts of Angels, both good and bad, both those that stand, and those that are fallen. Of the good Angels we have spoken as it pleased God to give ability. Now we are to speak of the evil Angels, that the evil Angels shall never be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord. That the evil Angels must needs be here meant appears, because they are generally comprehended under the name of Angels: which is common to all Angels both good and bad: But especially the evil Angels are here meant, because the drift of the Apostles speech necessarily requires that they should be here more specially intended, for the evil Angels are the special instruments and chief procurers of all the dangers that tend to the separation of us from the love of God in Christ jesus. This is their main reach and chief endeavour in all their practices against us, to make this separation, and therefore they must needs be here specially intended in this challenge of the Apostle. It were a small comfort to the faithful for the Apostle to say, that they were in safety, because the good Angels should not hurt them, for that were as much as if he should say he were in safety, because his friends should not hurt him, for the good Angels are our friends, and therefore will not hurt us. But the Apostles reach is, to avouch the safety of God's children against all dangers that are or can be against them, even against the greatest and fiercest enemies that we have; and therefore he must needs mean it especially of the evil Angels, because they are the greatest and fiercest enemies that the faithful have. And thus the Apostle hath brought us into the meditation of the ground of all our dangers and woes, and miseries, namely, the evil Angels or Devils. A fearful and dismal argument in itself, yet as it is here applied by the Apostle, it is a cheerful and a comfortable argument. It is a fearful and dismal thing to hear of our enemies, but it is a comfortable thing to hear of the overthrow of them. Let not any of us therefore be afraid to hear of them; we must not be afraid to fight with them, and therefore much less to hear of them. One thing the Apostle tells us here, as before we have heard for our sound comfort, that all these wicked fiends shall never be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ jesus; and therefore there is no cause why the weakest believing soul here present should be daunted at the hearing of this argument. Let us therefore proceed in the strength of God, and in the name of our Lord jesus Christ, and in the grace, and comfort, and direction of his holy spirit, and in the light and direction of God's word, and we shall find an heavenly light arise unto us out of this hellish darkness.  
The general Doctrine concerning all Angels, good and bad, was the last time propounded, which being applied to this particular, ariseth naturally thus: 
Doctrine.  That howsoever it be that evil Angels are mighty workers and great in power, and do maliciously bend all the power they have against true believers, to make this separation of them from the love of God in Christ; yet notwithstanding not all the evil Angels, with all their power and malice, or all that they can do, shall ever be able to separate all, nor any one true believer, from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord.  
For the opening of this Doctrine I will propound these four particulars, wherein I shall lay open the whole nature of the point. The first particular is, what these evil Angels are: The second, how these evil Angels are fitted against us: Thirdly, how they seek to annoy us: And lastly, how fare they may endanger us. For first, we must know our enemies what they are; and secondly, we must know their provision, how they are fitted against us; and then thirdly, we must know their courses, how they may annoy us; and lastly, we must know the event and issue, how fare they may endanger us: These being known, the Doctrine shall be well and plainly understood.  
First, We must know what these evil Angels are. 
Explication in four things concerning the evil Angels.  The evil Angels are those that left their first estate, and are become utter enemies to God, and to man, and to all the creatures, especially to jesus Christ, and to God's children, and to all matter of grace and goodness. First, that they are such as left their first estate, we may see in jude 6. Secondly, they are enemies, for hence they have their name Satan, and there is no name more commonly given them both in the Old and New Testament than this name Satan, which signifieth an enemy. And howsoever this name in the Scripture seems sometime to point out the chief of Devils, yet it doth appear that it is applied in Scripture to all Devils, Math. 12.26. If Satan cast out Satan, which is not meant of the Prince of Devils, as if the Prince should cast out the Prince; but it is meant of all the Devils, if they should be one against another, then how should their Kingdom stand? They are enemies, and they are utter enemies, deadly enemies, and that first to God, dishonouring him, accusing him, blaspheming him, opposing against him to the uttermost of their power. Secondly, they are enemies to man, they murdered us all with one blow, in the loins of Adam, and not content with that they still follow the blow, and pursue mankind with deadly hatred. Thirdly, they are enemies to all the Creatures, seeking and working daily, as much as in them lies, the utter ruin and confusion of the whole frame and order of nature in the Sea, in the wind, and in the air, and in all places. Fourthly, they are special enemies to jesus Christ; this is that that galls these evil spirits, that JESUS CHRIST the mediator betwixt God and man, comes to reconcile God to man, and to deliver man out of the power of these hellish spirits; yea, and that he doth utterly destroy and vanquish these evil spirits, and all that take part with them, even all the powers or darkness; here is their edge and stomach; this heavenly person jesus Christ in this heavenly office of the Mediator, is the principal object of all their hellish spite: They fought against him by themselves, and by their instruments all his life, and at his death they laid on load, and did bend and muster-up all their forces, and spit out all their venom against him. Fiftly, they are enemies to God's children, they are also a great eyesore to Satan, they cannot endure them, and it is hard to say whether Satan hate our heavenly Father more for our sakes; or whether he hate us the more for our heavenly Father's sake; howsoever the Devil is our adversary in a specially manner, 1 Pet. 5.8. Your adversary the Devil, saith the Apostle, he is a general accuser, accusing man to God, and God to man, but he is the special accuser of the brethren. Lastly, he is an enemy to all grace and goodness, he hinders it, he slanders it, he hates it, he suppresseth it with all his power, he knows that if grace and goodness stand, he must fall, and therefore he labours to overthrew all grace and goodness, that he may stand. See this in one of his Imps, Acts 13.10. Elymas the Sorcerer, Oh child of the Devil (saith the Apostle to him) enemy to all righteousness, etc. If it be so with the Children, that they are enemies to all goodness, much more is it so with their father the Devil: So we see what these evil Angels are.  
Secondly, Let us see how they are fitted against us, 
2. In nine things concerning them.  for this is needful to be known, that so we may provide against them. They have many advantages whereby they are fitted against us; first, they are very many; secondly, they are very strong; thirdly, they are very malicious; fourthly, they are very subtle; fifthly, they are very active and nimble; sixthly, they are very busy; seaventhly, they are very well appointed; eightly, they are very well experienced; and lastly, they are very dangerous.  
First, They are very many, Mark 5.9. One man was possessed of a legion of Devils; now a legion contains six thousand; what? so many Devils in one poor man; how many think you are then in all the world? Any one Devil is too hard for any one man, oh how hard then is that poor soul bestead that is assaulted with many Devils? This is the case not of some of us only, but of all of us, if we understand our case aright.  
Secondly, As they are very many, so they are very strong, and therefore they are set out in Scripture under the similitudes of a strong man, Luke 11.21. When a strong man armed keepeth the palace, etc. and so of a strong beast, yea, the strongest of all Beasts, a Lion, 1 Pet. 5.8. Your adversary the devil as a roaring Lion, etc. and the hold which they have in the heart of an unregenerate man is said to be a strong hold, 2 Cor. 10.4. they are very strong in getting the prey, it shall escape them hard but they will seize upon us, and they are very strong in keeping the prey when once they have seized, they will tug hard before they will let go.  
Thirdly, They are very malicious, and therefore the Devil is fitly set out unto us by the name of a great red Dragon, Revel 12.3. The Dragon of all Creatures is the most fierce, spiteful, and malicious: Satan's malice is greater than the Dragons, for he is a great Dragon, and more fierce than the malice of the Dragon, for he is a great red Dragon, saith the Apostle, as who should say, that he burns fiery red in malice always against God's Church.  
Fourthly, They are very subtle, and therefore they are compared to a Serpent, Reuel. 12.9. That old Serpent called the Devil and Satan was cast out, which deceiveth all the world; and the Serpent is very subtle, Gen. 3.1. Now the Serpent was more subtle, etc. The Devil is an old subtle Serpent, so subtle that (saith the Apostle) he deceives all the world; this he hath done, and this he doth daily.  
Fiftly, They are very active and nimble, they are spirits by nature, and therefore by reason of the spiritualness and agility of their natures, they can and do pass from place to place, quickly and suddenly to and fro as the lightning. When job was to be tried, see how nimbly Satan bestirred himself, first to his Oxen in one place, then to his Sheep in another place, then to his Camels in another place, and then to his children in another place, and all this in a trice, in the turning of a hand as it were, job 1. And when our Saviour Christ was to be tempted, how quickly did Satan get him up to the top of the pinnacle of the temple, & to the top of a high mountain, in the twinkling of an eye, saith the Text, Luke 4.5.6.  
Sixtly, he is very busy, he compasseth the world to and fro, job 1.7. And walketh about seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5.8. When we sit still, he walks about us, when we are most at leisure, he is most busy to do us mischief, when we sleep, he wakes, when our senses are bound up (as they are in our sleep) and the inmost powers of our souls are in some sort locked up from him, yet than he leaves us not, but even in our sleep he deludes our senses with many idle and vain imaginations, and polluteth our thoughts with much filthiness and uncleanness.  
Seaventhly, they are very well appointed, & therefore are compared to a strong man armed, Lu. 11.21. and if one be too weak of himself, he can go presently and take seven spirits more to him worse than himself, Luke 11.26. and then he will be hard enough for us. The Devil hath all the world to his friend as he carrieth the matter, like a Spider that hath his Cop-web in every corner of the house to catch the poor silly Flies; so the Devil hath his snares and Cobwebs in every corner of the world to catch our poor sinful souls withal.  
Eightly, they are very well experienced, and therefore the Devil is called the old Serpent, Revel 12 9 A man's experience is a great advantage to him, though it be but of some few years; what wonderful advantage than is the Devil's experience against us, which he hath had since the beginning of the world.  
Lastly, they are very dangerous, there is no more but a word and a blow with them; first, a temptation, then presently an inclination, and then presently a sin, and then hell and damnation: short work. This is always Satan's intention in all his assaults, and this he ever brings to pass: where he hath his reach, and where he is not bridled by the overruling hand of God, and therefore he is called a devourer, a destroyer and a murderer.  
Thirdly, we must know how they seek to annoy us, 
Five particulars how the devil annoys us.  surely they seek to annoy us every way, at all times, and in all places, and in all states and conditions, and upon all occasions, and by all means and instruments; what is it that he will not make an instrument to fight against us withal?  
First, he bends all his own power, malice and subtlety against us, and all the forces that the kingdom of darkness can afford, flattering, threatening, deluding, buffetting, tempting, vexing, and tormenting us, even spending themselves to do us a mischief.  
Secondly, not content with this, he sets the creatures against us, the sea, the wind and storms and tempests all to annoy us, afflict us, cross us, and disquiet us, yea, even our meat and our drink, and our bed, those dear creatures of God which we cannot live without, he makes them to be a snare unto us.  
Thirdly, he increaseth men against us, to persecute us, to afflict us, to tempt us, yea sometime our own dearest friends, our own wives and children.  
Fourthly, not content with all this, he sets our selves against ourselves, our appetite against our reason; the flesh against the spirit, our practice against our judgement, and our own wills against our own souls; and this is a most dangerous assault, for now they are our enemies, that are of our own household, and till Satan can come to this to make ourselves against ourselves, all his assaults can never hurt us.  
Lastly, as he seeks to set the whole world against us, so he proceeds further, and seeks to set God against us too. Let us assure ourselves, that Satan is with God every day, accusing us, and pleading against us, and suing out a Commission from God against us, as he did against job, that he may have us in his own power, to do his own will upon us, and to hurt us.  
Fourthly, we must know how fare they may endanger us, surely they may endanger us, so fare as God shall be pleased at any time to give them commission, and no further, as God hath set a bound to the raging Sea, that thus fare his proud waves shall come, and no further: so God hath done to Satan, and all the powers of darkness, thus fare they shall go and no further: They may endanger us to the spoiling of our goods, and to the hurt of our bodies, and to the distemper of our spirits, and sometimes to the loss of our lives; but never to the loss of our souls: God gives way unto them, that they may separate us from all worldly things; but he never gives way unto them to separate us from the love of God in Christ jesus; which being the chief end of all their endeavours (for whatsoever means they use, this is the principal end they aim at to separate us from the love of God in Christ jesus, being not able to attain unto it, here they are foiled, and this is their torment, and a special portion of their hell in this world.  

Proofs.  Now let us come to the proofs: Gen. 3.15. I will put enmity betwixt thee and the woman, and betwixt thy seed and her seed, he shall break thine head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. God himself speaks this to Satan's face, for his greater dis-couragement: And the speech contains two things; first, the enmity that should be betwixt the woman & the Serpent, & betwixt their seeds, that is, betwixt Satan & mankind; secondly, the issue & event of it; the enmity in the former part of the verse, I will put enmity, etc. where we see; first, that this is a mutual enmity, that is, of Satan against us, and of us against him, he should exercise continual enmity against us, and we must exercise a continual enmity against him: secondly, it is a deadly enmity, a deadly feud, as we say, not only against the persons themselves, but against their seed too, it is a deadly enmity never like to be reconciled, he and his seed, against us and our seed, and we and our seed, against him and his seed. Thirdly, this enmity is of Gods own ordinance, I will put it, saith God, therefore never think it strange that Satan is such a deadly enemy against us, God hath so ordained it, neither must we think it much that we are continually put to this fight against Satan, for it is God that hath imposed this condition upon us. Then the issue follows in the latter part of the verse, It shall break thine head, and thou shalt bruise his heel: Satan shall but bruise her heel; he may tempt and trouble, and disquiet Gods children, and persecute them, and take away their goods, and happily their lives too, but this is nothing, it is but a little nibbling at the heel, it is nothing in respect of our soul: It is but the heel that he can hurt, some outward part, but he can never touch us in our head, that is, in the hold that we have in the love of God through jesus Christ. But on the other side, the seed of the woman shall break thine head, saith God; Satan shall part with the greatest loss; his head shall be broke, and his power destroyed, his purposes disappointed, and at last himself utterly vanquished and confounded; Here is strong comfort for God's children: Yea, but this is spoken of Christ himself, he is the seed meant there: I answer, It is spoken of Christ indeed, but withal understand that in the case of Christ is set forth the case of every believing soul, as Christ being the head, and we the members, and therefore that which is done by Christ against Satan, is done for us, on our behalf, and to our benefit, Matth. 16.18. Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. In the 16. verse Peter had made a glorious confession of saving faith, Thou art that Christ the Son of the living God: In this 18. verse, our Saviour quits him, and saith, Thou art Peter, etc. as if he should say, Is it so Peter, that thou hast this faith in thine heart to make this confession of me? Then I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and up on this Rock, that is, not upon Peter's person, nor upon Peter's confession, but upon the matter of his confession, Christ jesus the Son of the living GOD, upon this Rock will I build my Church, that is, all true believers, and that so firmly and surely, that all the gates (that is, all the powers of hell) shall never prevail against it to overthrew it. Hell hath many gates, the gates of sin, & death, and the Devil; yet all these gates of hell, and all these powers of darkness shall never be able to shake off this building from this foundation, this Church from this Rock, to separate any one true believing soul from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord; many other promises there are in the Scripture of this nature: yea, but these are but promises: If these promises do not sufficiently confirm our distrustful hearts in the persuasion of this heavenly truth see it by experience, and let that confirm us.  
In Reuel. 12.7 to 11. verse, where the holy Ghost sets it down as a thing already done, there is set down a battle and the success, the battle in the 7. verse, Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon, and the Dragon and his Angels fought. Here must needs be a great Battle; when all the world is divided into two parts, to fight one against another: What is the success? first, on the Dragon's part, he prevailed not, verse 8. he was disappointed of his purpose, all his labour against God's children was lost, and spent in vain, and in the 9 verse, he was cast out of Heaven, and his Angels with him; he had a shameful overthrow. The success in respect of the believers what was that? first great joy and triumph in heaven, verse 10. and secondly, a glorious conquest, verse 11. they overcame him: how? by that blood of that Lamb, etc. This is the common estate of God's Church and children, and this every true believing soul shall surely find in particular in his greatest fight against sin and Satan, from time to time, to the end of the world.  
The Reasons of this point. 
Reasons.  There are no reasons on our part, why Satan doth not prevail against us, for we are ready to lie down as beasts, and to betray our own souls, and to be taken of him at his pleasure: no, all our stay and safety is merely through God in Christ.  
The first Reason is this, God by his power restrains and limits the power of Satan, as we may see in job 1. and 2. Chapters; when he lets him lose upon job, it is with restraint still, all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thy hand, job 1.12. And in the 2. Chapter and 6. Verse, Behold he is in thine hand, but save his life. Now the power of God is more mighty to help us, than the power of Satan is to hurt us, 1 john 4.4. He is greater that is in us, than he that is in the world: and except the Lord should thus limit and bind the power of Satan, no man living could ever stand against him: God restrains him and keeps him as a Lion within bars and grates.  
Secondly, he restrains their rage and malice, as he did, Luke 8.33. where he turned the rage of the Devils, from the man that was possessed with them, unto the swine: God's goodness is more able and ready to preserve us, than Satan's malice is to destroy us.  
Thirdly, God defeats the plots and purposes of these evil spirits, Zach. 3.1.2. his wisdom over-reaches all their subtleties, and watches over us more effectually to save, than they with all their subtleties can do to cast us away.  
Fourthly, God endues us with grace and strength from above, to resist and stand fast, that they may not prevail against us; for it is not our own strength we stand by, but it is the power of God, 1 Cor. 12.9. His grace and his power is all-sufficient to preserve us.  
The last main Reason is from Christ himself, for he is Satan's vanquisher, and he is our Captain and Protector, and therefore it must needs follow that Satan shall be overthrown, and never prevail; and that we shall never be overthrown but ever prevail: That Christ himself is Satan's vanquisher and overcomer, we may see in that, Gen. 3.15. He shall break Satan's head, Rom. 16.20. He shall tread Satan under our feet shortly, 1 john 3.8. He it is that doth lose and undo the works of the Devil: he foiled the Devil hand to hand in all his temptations, Math. 4.11. And he it was that rebuked the Devil, and cast out those foul spirits in his life, as appears in many stories of the Gospel: And at his death, he it was that destroyed them, Heb. 2.14. He destroyed through death, him that had the power of death, that is the Devil, saith the Apostle; at his death he spoiled them, and triumphed over all the powers of darkness openly upon the Cross, Colos. 2.16. therefore Satan must needs be overcome, & can never prevail. Secondly, Christ is our Captain and Protector, and therefore we cannot be overcome, but must needs prevail, Luke 22.42. Satan desires to winnow every one of us, that is, to destroy us; but I have prayed for you (saith our Saviour) that your faith fail not. Satan he is a daily Suitor to God against us, Christ jesus he supports us, and is a continual Suitor to his heavenly Father for us; Now, if the Devil shall be heard before Christ jesus, than we may perish: But if Christ jesus shall be heard in heaven before the Devil; than it is utterly impossible that ever the evil Angels should prevail against us.  
The uses of this point are these. The first is for reproof: Use. 1 It serves to reprove an overweening conceit that many men have of a possibility of Satan's prevailing against God's children, to cast them out of God's favour; some hold it as a general & common possibility against all God's children, that Satan may separate them from the love and favour of God, and they plead hard for it too; but these are but the Devil's pleaders & proctor's against God; and wherein can they do better service for the Devil against God, and against his wisdom, and power, and mercy, and truth, and promises? what better Advocates can there be for hell, than these Papists, and Arminians, and others, that hold this blasphemous error, are? They do highly advance and magnify the Kingdom of darkness, & ascribe more to it, then to the kingdom of light, ascribing a prevailing power to the kingdom of darkness against the kingdom of light; for, is not every true believer a member of the kingdom of light? if therefore the evil Angels can separate any one true believer from the love of God in Christ, than the kingdom of darkness shall prevail before the Kingdom of light: Oh blasphemous, impious, and odious conceit!  
Secondly, It is for reproof of some others, that are only fearful and timorous of their own particular estate, that say in themselves, oh! surely I shall fall away from God; though the Devil be not able to pluck away others from God, yet he may pluck me away, the wicked fiend haunts me sore, and surely he will pluck me away from God before he hath done with me: Poor souls, they would fain come nearer to God, and be better persuaded of their estate, but they dare not be so bold, or cannot be so strong: Well, come and let us reason together: Satan thou sayest will never let thee alone, he is always tempting thee, and therefore he will at last surely pluck thee away from God: Oh thou of little faith, why dost thou thus vex and wrong thyself? why wilt thou give sentence with thine enemy against thyself? Is it not enough for the Devil to brag and boast that he can pull thee out of God's hands, but thou wilt believe him, and give sentence on his side, and say as he saith? Tell me, hath not God kept thee from him hitherto? and wilt thou distrust him now, whose truth and saving mercy thou hast had so long experience of? Dost not thou think in thy conscience that the Devil hath always done his worst against thee, ever since thy first conversion? and yet through God's mercy he hath not prevailed hitherto, to separate thee from the love of God in Christ jesus, but thou art still preserved; why then dost thou distrust that he shall prevail hereafter? God is as strong to uphold thee as ever he was; thyself, if thou be'st a true believer, dost daily grow in grace and so art more able to stand fast every day than other, though happily thou feelest it not; and the devil is weaker and more heartless every day than other against thee, as having laboured in vain all this while, why therefore art thou thus discouraged? believe not Satan, check thyself for this unbelieving heart, and gather better spirits, and put on more comfortable resolutions, cast thy soul and state confidently on the Lord in faith in Christ, and in obedience to his will, assure thyself, that thou being a believing soul, God hath set his mark upon thee, and therefore rest thou upon him, and all these evil Angels shall never be able to pluck thee out of the protection of his love in Christ.  
The second use is for comfort, here is matter of Use. 2 sound and singular consolation to all true believers. First, against evil Angels themselves; secondly, against their temptations; thirdly, against our sins: Satan is the evil Angel, his temptations are his instruments whereby he works, and sin is his work; here is our comfort, that neither Satan himself, nor his instruments, nor his works, shall ever prevail against us, to pluck us away from God. First, here is matter of comfort against Satan himself, and all the advantages he hath against us fear them not, for they shall never be able to cast thee out of the estate of grace, and of God's love. Lift up thy heart and consider how God hath furnished thee with particular comforts against all the particular advantages that the evil spirits have against thee: First, thou wilt say, the eviil Angels are very many; true, but what then? Did not Christ even with one word cast out a Legion of Devils at once out of one man? Mark 5.8. then never fear them for their multitude; that one only God is infinitely more than innumerable Devils; Yea, but secondly, they are very strong: It is true, Satan is the strong man indeed, but Christ is a stronger man, Luke 11.22. and overcometh him; The Devil is a roaring Lion; it is true, yea, but Christ is a Lion too, & a ruling & reigning Lion, he is the Lion of the Tribe of judah, the royal Tribe, he rules all, and he makes that other Lion the Devil when he comes in presence to cry out and roar for fear and anger, Luke 4.33.34. an unclean Devil cried out with a loud voice, saying, Oh! what have we to do with thee? etc. therefore never fear them for their strength; Yea, but thirdly, they are very malicious against us, what then? God is very loving and gracious to us: If the King favour any man, and carry a special love towards him, what though the subject hate and malign him, the King's favour will keep him fare enough out of the reach of their malice; and is not the love and favour of God to his children a fare greater shelter from the Devil's malice? Fourthly, yea, but they are very subtle; what though they be? There is no subtlety can stand against God: Christ is our wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30. and therefore what need we fear their subtlety? Yea, but they are very active and nimble, they can speedily pass from one place to another; what then? God is always present in all places alike; wheresoever thou art, God is there present and ready to keep thee, before ever the Devil can come at thee to annoy thee: Yea, but sixthly, they are very busy and watchful they sleep not: It is true, behold also, He that keepeth Israel never slumbreth nor sleepeth. The Devil always watcheth over us for evil, and not for good; but our heavenly Father always watcheth over us for good, and not for evil, therefore fear them not: Yea, but seventhly, they are very well provided and appointed against us; It is true, but I hope heaven is better appointed & furnished then hell: What is all their provision, to the provision of the Lord of hosts, that hath all Creatures of heaven and earth at his full command? Yea, but eightly, they have very much experience: Yea, but what is their experience which they have gotten in some five or six thousand years, to match with the knowledge and wisdom of God, which hath been from all eternity? The Devil knows us, and our fashions and dispositions, but as a spy, and as a captious censurer: but God knows us as our maker and Ruler, and gracious disposer of all our ways; Why therefore should we fear Satan for his long experience? Yea, but lastly, they are very dangerous: It is true, where Satan rules he is so, but God will pluck his children out of their paws and clutches, as a prey to himself, and make them dwell safely under the shadow of his wings; why then should we be discomforted at the dangerousness of these enemies? Therefore fear none of these advantages, which the evil spirits have against us, for we see we have particular comforts in Scripture against them all. Wherefore, all you that are true believers, comfort yourselves in God, your estate is good, and your salvation sure through God's mercy, even against all the devils in hell; And therefore let us be persuaded resolutely of it, and comforted throughly by it, and bless God for ever for it, through jesus Christ.  
Secondly. This serves also to comfort us against the temptations of Satan, which are his engines and instruments, surely we are in safety against these also; for if the evil spirits themselves cannot pluck us from God, but that we are in safety against them, than comfort yourselves, ye are in safety also against all their engines too; all their temptations shall not do it; I do not say, that God's children shall not be tempted at all; for they must never look to be free from temptation while they are on the earth, if they be God's children; but I say, here is a warrant for us that we shall never be utterly overcome by Satan's temptations. Tell me, thou true-believer soul, that hast true faith, though it be but little, art thou persuaded that God love's thee in Christ? Thou wilt say yes, I am; why, then tell me further, if God do love thee, canst thou ever think that God will ever suffer thee to be cast away by a scurvy temptation of a cursed devil? I ask it thee again; if God do love thee, canst thou ever think that he will suffer thee to be cast away by any scurvy temptation of a cursed devil? No, he cannot, nor he will not; it is as impossible, as for heaven to be swallowed up of hell; God knows how to deliver his (saith the Apostle,) either God will prevent the temptation, that we shall not be tempted at all; or if we be, God will qualify the temptation, that it shall not be too strong against us; or else he will give us strength against the strongest temptation, that it shall not be too hard for us; or if we be over-matched with the temptation for a while, yet God will recover us by his spirit, and make us to take better hold of him for the time to come, and so the issue shall be good: All this God hath passed his word for, 1 Cor. 10.13. God is faithful, which will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but will even give an issue with the temptation, etc. God he pawns his faithfulness for the confirmation of it, therefore let us embrace this heavenly truth, and build surely upon it, and take sound comfort in it, and then we shall most surely be safe against all Satan's temptations.  
Thirdly, it is comfort to us against our sins, they are the Devil's works, and these shall not separate us from GOD wholly: For some man might say, Paul thou tellest us all this while that the evil Angels shall not separate us from God; But what comfort is this? Our sins they do separate us from God, Isay 59.2. What sayest thou to them? But the Apostle knew what he said, for if we be safe from the evil Angels themselves, then surely we are safe from their works; if any thing can separate us from God, than sin can; and if sin can, than the evil Angels can: But the evil Angels cannot, & therefore sin which is their work cannot: So fare as sin prevails, so fare it may separate us; if it prevail for a time, than it separates us for a time from God, that is, in our sense and feeling, but such breaches are made up by daily repentance, faith, and Christ's intercession; but if it prevail for ever, than it will separate us for ever from God, but they cannot prevail over the faithful for ever: But when the Apostle tells us the evil Angels shall never separate us from God; it is as much, as if he had said, that God will not suffer us to be wholly overcome of sin, 1 john 3.9. nor to fall into those sins that may separate us wholly from him, for then the evil Angels may separate, if sin may, which is their work, Here is the love of God in Christ; first, God's love, and love covers a multitude of sins, it is so with men, much more with God; and secondly, Christ jesus he takes away our sins, and hath pulled down the partition-wall of our sins, that they cannot separate us from God: So we see that neither the evil Angels themselves, nor their temptations, nor sin can ever separate us from God. These comforts God affords us in his word for his children, and therefore let us take hold of them: And now that we are to come to the Sacrament, what use are we to make of it? The Sacrament is a seal of God's word; then make this use of it, to seal up that word to our souls that we have now heard: the Sacrament seals & swears to us that all is true that God saith in his Word; the Sacrament is a pledge and token that God gives us of the truth of his Word: Hast thou heard then that all the evil Angels with all their power and malice, shall never be able to separate thee from the love of GOD in JESUS CHRIST? then now receive the Sacrament as a seal thereof, that as verily as thou receivest the Bread and Wine, so truly dost thou receive the Body and Blood of Christ, that is the benefit & the merits thereof, the love and mercy of God in Christ, and therefore take Christ here, and take all things with him; He that gives thee Christ in the Sacrament, gives thee all things with him, grace, mercy, peace, comfort, forgiveness of sins, and what not? Therefore let us now make use of the Sacrament to seal up the truth of God's word to us, that we have now heard, and let us entreat God to stir up our hearts to a holy use of it, that so it may assure us of the certainty of our salvation, and let us not listen to Satan, but let us hearken to God in his word and Sacrament, that so we may stand fast, and having fought a good fight, and finished our course, we may enjoy the Crown of life, which God will give us at that day.  
The last Use is for Instruction, teaching us to use Use. 3 the means, for the procuring and enjoying of this safety; for though it be certainly confirmed, that the evil spirits shall never prevail against us, neither by themselves, their temptations, or sins, to separate us from the love of God in Christ jesus; yet such means must of necessity be used whereby this end may be attained unto: and take this for a warning, that they that are not careful to use the means in some true measure, may justly suspect that as yet they have not any known interest in this privilege: And therefore here we must learn, first, what we are to avoid; secondly, what we are to do, that so we may enjoy this safety: and thirdly, the means to help us in both these. First, what we are to avoid; and first, do not thou dare-them nor provoke them; It is not good to provoke Wasps and Hornets, but it is much worse to provoke Devils. Some rude people will dare the Devil, and challenge, and bid the wicked fiend to come if he dare, aqd to do his worst, etc. Silly wretches, the Devil laughs at them, to see how foolhardy they are against him, that hath them in his clutches already: Nay beloved these enemies are eager enough against us of themselves, they need no provocation; as long as he is the challenger of us, and gives the onset on us, we have our warrant to fight against him, and a promise of protection and deliverance: But when we are the challengers, and give the onset upon him, if ever we be foiled, as usually it so falls out, it was our own seeking, and we have our mends in our own hands. Secondly, rail not at him, nor revile him; though he come against thee as Goliath, railing against the living God, cursing & blaspheming, yet do thou go against him as David, peaceably, and holily, in the name of the Lord of hosts, and then be sure of victory; Learn of the Archangel, jude 9 Not to rail against the Devil, but say as he said, the Lord rebuke thee; and if it be spoken in faith, it is the soarest sneap, that thou canst give him: not I defy thee, avaunt cursed fiend, and such like; these are but bugbears: but this, the Lord rebuke thee, being uttered by faith on earth, and answered by audience in heaven, quails him sound. Thirdly, reason not with him, if once he can bring thee to parley with him, as he did Eve, than he hath half catcht thee already; he is a cunning Sophister, he will put many tricks and fallasies upon thee: And he is a strong reasoner; no man is able to answer him in reason, though he should use no deceit. Fourthly, believe him not, whatsoever he saith, wilt thou believe a common liar? he is the common father of lies, and of liars too; though he speak truth, believe him not in the speaking of it, for he hath some sinister intent in it, and so he lies even in speaking truth. This is the first Inlet of Satan into the heart, to believe his suggestions, and therefore believe nothing that comes from him, hold him not parley, and he shall never hurt thee. Lastly, give no way to him, no, not in the least passage; he is a subtle serpent, if he get in but the head, but the fastening of an evil motion upon thee, he will soon wind in the whole body.  
Secondly, here we must learn what is to be done that we may be in safety against these evil spirits:  
First, we must stand fast.  
Secondly, we must resist; but you will say, what cares he for any resistance? yes, he doth, james 4.7. Resist the Devil, and he will fly from you. 1 Pet. 5.8.9. Your adversary the Devil, as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour.  
Thirdly, here we must learn the means, both how to avoid, and how to do these things: 

The first is Resolution.  
The second is Strength.  
The third is weapons; specially Sword and Buckler, the Word and Faith.  
The fourth is Skill.  
The fift courage.  
The sixth Watchfulness.  
The seaventh Prayer.  
The eight Patience.  
The ninth Perseverance.     
FINIS.