Thomas Manton · 9 of 67

Verse 1. · Part 6

Use 6. Is comfort to God’s children: grace is sure, and the privileges of it are sure. Grace itself is sure; through your folly it may be nigh unto death, but cannot die. This is the advantage of spiritual comforts, that they do not only satisfy our desires, but secure us against our fears. The redeemed of the Lord have ‘an everlasting joy,’ Isa. xxxv. 10. Once in Christ, and for ever preserved in Christ. Grace would be little better than temporal things if it did yield but a temporary refreshing. They weaken Christian comfort that make believers walk with Christ like dancers upon a rope, every moment in fear of breaking their necks. This is the comfort of a gracious heart, that as nothing shall altogether cut him off from enjoying God, so nothing shall utterly make him cease to love God. The children of God would be troubled if grace should fail, though their privileges should not be cut off; you are sure of both; for as grace is sure, so are also the privileges of grace. This was figured under the law; an Israelite could never wholly alienate his inheritance and title to the land: Lev. xxv. 23, ‘His title to the land shall not be cut off, nor sold for ever.’ This was a type of our spiritual inheritance in Christ, which cannot be alienated from us; he might for. a while pass it away, but it was to return again; so those that are made co-heirs with Christ are never disinherited. It is true we forfeit it by the merit of our actions, but God doth not take the advantage of every offence. It is true we lose the evidences that are in our keeping, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost; but the estate itself is indefeasible, and cannot be made away from us. Sometimes we are under a kind of sequestration, and there is a suspension of comfort and grace; as the Israelite might make away his inheritance for a time; but we shall recover possession again, though not by ourselves, yet by our Goel, our kinsman, or him that is next of blood. As under the law, if a person were not able to redeem the inheritance, the kinsman was to redeem it; so Jesus Christ, our kinsman after the flesh, he is our Goel, he interposeth by his merit, and reconcileth us to God. Well, then, you see grace is kept, and the privileges of grace are kept in Christ. But now, because comforts are never prized but in their sea son, and men that have not been exercised in spiritual conflicts nauseate these sweet truths, they know not what it is to be left to uncertainty when troubles come like waves, one in the neck of another; therefore let us see when this truth will be most sweet and seasonable. (1.) In great troubles, when God seemeth to hide his face. Oh! how sweet is it to hear him say, ‘I will not forsake thee till I have performed all that I promised thee,’ Gen. xxviii. 15; all this shall better thy heart and hasten thy glory. In times of distress we are apt to think that God hath cast us off, and will never look after us more, though formerly we have had real experiences of his grace. What a foolish creature is man, to weaken his assurance when he should come to use it! to unravel all his hope and experiences in times of trouble, which is the only season to make use of them! (2.) In the hour of temptation and hard conflicts with doubts and corruptions. When we are sensible of the power of sin, and how difficult it is to remove it out of the heart, we are apt to say, as David after all his experiences, ‘I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul,’ 1 Sam. xxvii. 1; and many times out of distrust give over the combat. Oh! then, remember now you are preserved in Christ, and that nothing shall separate: as Sarcerius came to Camerarius’ wife, when she had been exercised with a long and tedious conflict, and read to her the latter end of the 8th of the Romans, she brake out in triumph, using Paul’s words, ‘Nay, in all these things we are more then conquerors.’ O Christians! neither sin, nor devil, nor world can divide you from Christ; for he did not only ‘tread down Satan,’ but ‘under your feet.’ Rom. xvi. 20. (3.) In times of great danger and defection, either through error and persecution; as Saunders trembled to think of the fire. Especially when others fall fearfully, who were before us in knowledge and profession of zeal and piety; when the first become last, when glorious luminaries are eclipsed, and leave their orb and station; as the martyrs were troubled to hear of the revolt of some great scholars that had appeared for the gospel. When Hymeneus and Philetus, two eminent professors, fell, there was a great shaking, 2 Tim. ii. 18, ‘But the foundation of the Lord standeth sure,’ &c.; that is the comfort the apostle opposeth in such a case. (4.) In times of disheartening, be cause of the difficulties of religion, when the use of means groweth troublesome. To quicken you in your Christian course, think of the unchangeableness of God’s love. All graces rise according to the proportion and measure of faith; loose hopes weaken endeavours: 1 Cor. ix. 26, ‘I run not as one uncertain.’ Those that ran a race gave over when one had far outgone them, as being discouraged and without hope. When hope is broken, the edge of endeavours is blunted. Go on with confidence, you are assured of the issue; God will bless you, and keep you to his everlasting kingdom. (5.) In the hour of death. When all things else fail you, God will not fail you: this is the last brunt; do but wait a little while, and you will find more behind than ever you enjoyed; ‘death shall not separate:’ as Olevian comforted himself with that, Isa. liv. 10, ‘The hills and mountains may depart, but my loving-kindness shall not depart from you,’ Being in the agonies of death, he said, Sight is gone, speech and hearing is departing, feeling is almost gone, but the loving-kindness of God will never depart. The Lord give us such a confidence in that day, that we may die glorying in the preservation of our Redeemer.