Patience and its perfect work under sudden & sore trialsPatience and its perfect work under sudden & sore tryals

My Brethren, the love of God brought in by Faith, will help a man to bear up under any condition. You know that place, Rom. 8. He had triumphed in the love of God, v. 31. If God be for us, who can be against us? ⟨p. 58⟩and v. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or sword? Mark his resolution, expressed thereupon, in v. 37. NAY, IN ALL THESE THINGS we are more then Conquerors [through him that loved us.] That speech, Nay in all these things, &c. is a triumphant slighting of all he had reckoned up, and it was, all any way formidable, or that might be judged opposite to our comforts in this world. And yet speaks at that rate, as if Faith on the love of God and Christ, scorned such low, and weak, and poor adversaries, as not enough, or not of might enough for them to try their strength upon: and is, as if he had said, are these all, that come out against us, and threaten to hurt us? But are these all, indeed? NAY, then says he, if these ⟨p. 59⟩be all, we are safe enough, We are more then Conquerors in all these: But how comes this to pass? 'Tis added, Through him that loved us. Not only in that he loving us, joins his strength to ours, to support us: But it is also meant Objectivè, that the love of God and Christ coming in fresh upon our hearts, the apprehension of that is sufficient; and in that respect he says through him that loved us: 'Tis Objective spoken, of Christs love, as it is the object of our Faith, and not only assistenter: We are more then Conquerors, through his love taken in, by us, and shed abroad in our hearts; and by reason that his love comes in, and supports us under all, and helps us to Conquer all. As Faith hath all in God to rejoice in, and so helps the Soul to Patience: So especially it hath his love, in all sorts of distresses.

My Brethren, the love of God brought in by Faith, will help a man to bear up under any condition. You know that place, Rom. 8. He had triumphed in the love of God, v. 31. If God be for us, who can be against us? ⟨p. 58⟩