in the world God comforted Rachel concerning her children that Herod murdered in the stead and upon the account of Christ. He bids her refrain her self from tears by this promise that her children should come again from the land of the enemy from death And again saith he Thy children shall come again to their own border which I think if it be meant in a Gospel sence must be to the heavenly inheritance compare Jer. 31.15 with Matt. 2.18 And methinks this should be mentioned not only for her and their sakes but to comfort all those that either have had or yet may have their children thus suffer for righteousness None of these things as shall be further shewed anon happen without the determinate counsel of God He has ordered the sufferings of little children as well as that of persons more in years And 't is easie to think that God can as well foresee which of his elect shall suffer by violent hands in their Infancy as which of them shall then die a natural death He has Saints small in age as well as in esteem or otherwise and sometimes the least member of the body suffereth violence as well as the head or other chief parts And although I desire not to see these days again yet me thinks it will please me to see those little ones that thus have already suffered for Jesus to stand in their white Robes with the elders of the people before the throne to sing unto the Lamb. But to pass this and to come to that which is more directly intended to be spoken to namely to shew you who doth actively suffer for righteousness And 1. 'T is he that chuseth by his own will and consent to suffer for it All suffering that can be called active suffering must be by the consent of the will and that is done when a man shall have sin and suffering set before him and shall chuse suffering rather than sin He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and again They did not accept of deliverance that is of base and unworthy terms that they might obtain a better resurrection Heb. 11.25 ver 35. Indeed no man can force a Christian to suffer as a Christian without his own consent All Christians are sufferers of will and consent Hence 't is said they must take up their cross by which taking up an act of their will is intended So again take my yoke upon you which also intends an act of the will Mat. 10.38 Chap. 16.24 Chap. 11.29 This therefore is the first thing that I would present you with Not that an act of the will is enough to declare a man a sufferer for righteousness it standing alone for a man thorough the strength of delusion and the power of an erroneous conscience may be willing to suffer for the grossest opinions in the world But I bring it to shew that actual suffering for righteousness must also be by the consent of the will the mind of the man must be in it Secondly He that suffereth for righteousness thus must also have a good cause A good cause is that which is essential to suffering for righteousness A good cause what is that Why verily It is the truth of God either in the whole of it as contained in the Scriptures of truth or in the parts of it as set before me to believe or do by any part of that holy word This may be called the matter for which one suffereth or as it is called in another place the word of righteousness Heb. 5.13 It may also be called the form of sound Doctrine or the like Because without this word the Matter and nature of Gods truths cannot be known Pilate's question what is truth will still abide a question to those that have not or regard not the word the rule of righteousness John 18.38 See then that thy cause be good thou that wouldest know what it is to suffer for righteousness Step not an hairs breadth without the bounds of the word of truth also take heed of misunderstanding or of wringing out of its Place any thing that is there Let the words of the upright stand upright warp them not to the end they may comply in shew with any crooked notion And to prevent this take these three words as a guide in this matter to thee They shew men their sins and how to close with a Saviour they enjoyn men to be holy and humble they command men to submit themselves to authority And what ever is cross to these comes from ignorance of or from a wresting the rule of righteousness out of its place But more particularly the word of righteousness thy cause within the bounds of which thou must keep if thou wilt suffer for righteousness is to be divided into two parts 1. It containeth a revelation of moral righteousness 2. It containeth a revelation of evangelical righteousness As for moral righteousness men seldom suffer only for that Because that is the righteousness of the World and that simply as such that sets it self up in every mans conscience and has a testimony for it self even in the light of nature Besides there is nothing that maketh head against that but that which every man is ashamed by words to plead for and that is immorality And this is that which Peter intends when he saith And if ye be followers of that which is good who will harm you 1 Pet. 3.13 If ye be followers of moral goodness But if it should so happen for the case is rare that any man should make you sufferers because you love God and do good to your neighbour happy are ye Though I do not think that the Apostles conclusion terminates there But more of these things anon For let a man be a good neighbour in morals let him feed the hungry cloath the naked give freely out of his purse to the poor and do that which he would another should do to him and stop there and not meddle with the name of Christ and he shall have but few enemies in the World For 't is not the Law but Christ that is the stumbling block and the rock of offence to men Isaiah 8.14 15. Rom. 9.31 32 33. Wherefore there is in Gods word a revelation of another righteousness a righteousness which is not so visible to yea and that suteth not so with the reason of man as that moral righteousness doth Wherefore this righteousness makes men righteous in principle and practise so as is foreign to natural men Hence 't is said to be foolishness to them And again Its praise is not of men Rom. 2.29 1 Cor. 2.14 This righteousness is also revealed in the Scriptures but the blind cannot see it It is the work of the holy Ghost in the heart and is therefore called the fruits of the spirit and the grace which in the head and fulness of it is only to be found in
Gods commandments 1. How can he be a victor over himself that is led up and down by the nose by his own passions there is no man a Christian victor but he that conquers himself but he that beats down and keeps under his body his lusts his passions in the first place Is he that is led away with divers lusts a victor is he that is a servant to corruption a victor And if he that is captivated by his anger wrath passion discontent prejudice c. be not led away by them I am under a mistake So then to quarrel with Superiours or with any that are troublesome to thee for thy faith and thy profession bespeaks thee over-mastered and a Captive rather than a Master and a Conquerer 2. The same may be said upon the second head He keepeth not the Commandments of God For those teach him other things as I have also shewed The great Gospel-Commands terminate in self-denial but if self revenge is self denyal I am besides the Book Christ in the Book of the Revelations sets him that keeps the commandments of God a great way off from him that taketh and smiteth with the Sword He that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword Here is the patience and faith of the Saints that is in that they forbear to do thus and quietly suffer under those that thus take it and afflâ—ct the godly with it Again Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Revel 13.10 chap. 14.12 A patient continuing in well-doing and if suffering for righteousness be well-doing then a patient continuing in that as in other things is the way to keep Gods commandments Rom. 2.7 So that I say he keepeth not Gods commandments that is angry with his enemies and that seeks to be revenged of him that doth him ill You know the subject I am upon The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God James 1.20 Wherefore professors beware and take heed to your spirits and see that you let not out your selves under your sufferings in such extravagancies of spirit against your enemies as is no way seemly nor convenient Sixthly Men that are unquiet and discontented and that seek revenge upon them that persecute them for their profession do by so doing also put themselves upon the brink of those ruins that others are further from These men are like the flie that cannot let the candle alone until she hath burned her self in the flame Magistrates and men in Power have fortified themselves from being attacqued with turbulent and unruly Spirits by many and wholsome Laws And indeed should they not do so one or other perhaps would be quickly tempted to seek to disturb them in the due exercise of their authority Now the angry man he is the flie that must be tripping and running himself upon the point of these Laws His angry spirit puts him upon quarrelling with his Superiors and his quarrelling brings him by words spoke in heat within the reach of the net and that with the help of a few more brings his neck to the halter Nor is this what ever men think but by the just judgment of God Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resest shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13.2 Esth. 2.21 22 23. Wherefore let the angry man take heed let the discontented man take heed He that has a profession and has not grace to know in this matter to manage it is like to bring his profession to shame Wherefore I say let such take heed And the graces aforementioned and the due exercise of them are they and that which can keep us out of all such dangers Seventhly And what comfort can such a man have who has by his discontent and unruly carriages brought himself in this manner to his end He has brought himself to shame his profession to shame his friends to shame and his name to contempt and scorn Bad men rejoyce at his fall good men cannot own him weak men stumble at him Besides his cause will not bear him out his heart will be clogged with guilt innocency and boldness will take wings and fly from him Though he talketh of Religion upon the stage or ladder that will blush to hear its name mentioned by them that suffer for evil-doing Wherefore my brethren my Friends my enemies and all men what Religion Profession or Opinion so ever you hold Fear God honour the King and do that duty to both which is required of you by the Word and Law of Christ and then to say no more you shall not suffer by the Power for evil doing FINIS
for evil-doing and therefore let Christians beware 't is possible for Christians to be brought to publick Justice for their faults and therefore let Christians beware 'T is possible for Christians to suffer justly by the hand of the Magistrate and therefore let Christians beware This also is insinuated in the Text it self and therefore let Christians beware The causes of this are many some of which I shall now briefly touch upon 1. Sin is in the best of men and as long as it is so without great watchfulness and humble walking with God we may be exposed to shame and suffering for it What sin is it that a child of God is not liable to commit excepting that which is the sin unpardonable Nor have we a promise of being kept from any other sin but on condition that we do watch and pray Mat. 26.41 2. 'T is possible for a Christian to have anerroneous conscience in some things yea in such things as if God by his grace prevents not may bring us to publick justice and shame Abishai tho' a good man would have kill'd the King and that of conscience to God and love to his Master 1 Sam. 26.7.8 And had David delivered him up to Saul for his attempt he had in all likelihood died as a Traitor Peter drew his Sword and would have fought therewith a thing for which he was blamed of his Master and bid with a threatning to put it up again Mat. 26.52 Besides Oppression makes a wise man mad and when a man is mad what evils will he not do Further The Devil who is the great enemy of the Christians can send forth such Spirits into the World as shall not only disturb Men but Nations Kings and Kingdoms in raising divisions distractions and rebellions And can so manage matters that the looser sort of Christians may be also dipt and concerned therein In Absaloms conspiracy against his Father there were two hundred men called out of Jerusalem to follow him and they went in their simplicity not knowing any thing 2 Sam. 15.10.11 I thank God I know of no such men nor thing but my judgment tells me that if Christians may be drawn into Fornication Adultery Murder Theft Blasphemy or the like as they may why should it be thought impossible for them to be drawn in here Wherefore I say again watch and pray fear God reverence his word approve of his appointments that you may be delivered from every evil work and way I said afore that the will of God may be that a Christian should suffer as an evil doer but then it is because he keepeth not within the bounds of that which is also called the will of God The will of God is that sin should be punished tho' committed by the Christians punished according to the quality of transgressions and therefore it is that he hath ordained Magistrates Magistrates to punish sin tho' it be the sin of Christians They are the Ministers of God revengers to execute wrath the wrath of God upon them that do evil Rom. 13. Wherefore tho' the Christian as a Christian is the only man at liberty as called thereunto of God yet his liberty is limited to things that are good he is not licensed thereby to indulge the flesh Holiness and liberty are joyned together yea our call to liberty is a call to holiness See and you shall find that a quiet and peaceable life in our respective places under the Government is that which we should pray for to wit that we may without molestation if it were the will of God spend our days in all godliness and honesty among our neighbours See 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15 16 17. I would improve this a little and First to Christians as Christians Beware the cautions that are here presented to you be not neglected by you The evils are burning hot as hot as a red hot Iron It is the greatest blemish that can be to a Christian to suffer as an evil doer To say nothing of the reproach that such do bring to the name of Christ their Lord to his Law their rule and to the Christian profession which should be their glory the guilt and shame that evil actions will load the conscience with at such a time can hardly be stood under The man that suffereth as an evil doer and yet weareth the name of a Christian what stumbling blocks doth he lay in the way of the ignorant in a Kingdom The Devil told them before that a Christian was a mischievous man and to suffer for evil-doing confirms them in that belief Consider also the difficulties that surely such must meet with in the last minutes of their life For can it be imagined but that such an one must have combats and conflicts at the last who carry in their consciences the guilt and condemnation that is due to their deeds to the place which Magistrates have appointed for them to receive the reward of their works at Such an one bereaves not only his own Soul of peace and his name of credit but himself of life his friends of all cause of rejoycing and casteth reproach upon Religion as he is stepping out of the world What shall I say Christians as Christians have other things to do than to concern themselves in evil things or to meddle in other mens matters Let us mind our own business and leave the Magistrate to his work Office and Calling among men also I speak now to them that are not by the King called to that imploy A Christian as such has enough to do at home in his Heart in his House in his Shop and the like But if thou must needs be medling consider what place Office calling or relation God has put thee in and busie thy self by the rule of the word to a consciencious performance of that Nor shalt thou want Dignity tho' thou art but a private Christian. Every Christian man is made a King by Christ. Revel 5.9 10. But then his dominion as such doth reach no further than to himself He has not dominion over anothers faith 2 Cor. 1.24 His Office is to govern and bridle and keep under himself to watch over himself and to bring his body into subjection to the will of God The weapons that he has for this purpose are not carnal but spiritual and mighty thorough God Let him govern then if he will be a Governour his whole man by the word Let him bring down if he must be bringing down his own high imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God If he must be a Warrior let him levy War against his own unruly passions and let him fight against those lusts that war against his Soul 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. Gal. 5.17 James 3.4 5 6 7 8. 1 Pet. 2.11 I say therefore if thou wilt needs be a Ruler thou hast a tongue ruâ—e that Lusts rule them Affections govern them yea
honour and respect unto those that were but deputy Kings and heathen Magistrates will greatly appear if you do but read his Trials before them in the Book called the Acts of the Apostles And what a charge both he and Peter have lest behind them to the Churches to do so too may be found to conviction if we read their Epistles 5. Wouldest thou not suffer for evil-doing then take heed of being offended with Magistrates because by their Sate-Acts they may cross thy inclinations 'T is given to them to bear the Sword and a command is to thee if thy heart cannot acquiesce with all things with meekness and patience to suffer Discontent in the mind sometimes puts discontent into the mouth and discontent in the mouth doth sometimes also put a halter about the neck For as a man by speaking a word in jest may for that be hanged in earnest so he that speaks in discontent may die for it in sober sadness Adonijah's discontent put him upon doing that which cost him his life 1 King 2 13-23 Great peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them for they are subjected to the will and foot of God 6. But above all get thy conscience possessed yet more with this that the Magistrate is God's ordinance and is ordered of God as such that he is the Minister of God to thee for good and that it is thy duty to fear him and pray for him to give thanks to God for him and to be subject to him as both Paul and Peter admonish us and that not only for wrath but for conscience sake Rom. 13. For all other arguments come short of binding the Soul where this argument is wanting until we believe that of God we are bound thereto I speak not these things as knowing any that are dissaffected to the Government for I love to be alone if not with godly men in things that are convenient But because I appear thus in publick and know not into whose hands these lines may come therefore thus I write I speak it also to shew my Loyalty to the King and my love to my fellow Subjects and my desire that all Christians should walk in ways of peace and truth I come now to the second thing propounded to be spoken to as to suffering which is this That there have been and yet may be a people in the world that have and may suffer in the sence of the Apostle here according to the will of God or for righteousness sake That there have been such a people in the world I think no body will deny because many of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles thus suffered Besides since the Scriptures were written all Nations can witness to this whose Histories tell at large of the patience and goodness of the sufferers and of the cruelty of those that did destroy them And that the thing will yet happen or come to pass again both Scripture and reason affirm First for Scripture The Text tells us that God hath put enmity betwixt the woman and her seed and the Serpent and his Gen. 3.15 This enmity put is so fixed that none can remove it so but that it still will remain in the world These two seeds have always had and will have that which is essentially opposite to one another and they are the spirit of truth and the Spirit of error sin and righteousness light and darkness 1 John 4.6 chap. 3.7 8. 1 Thes. 5.5 Hence an unjust man is an abomination to the just and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked Prov. 29.27 So that unless you could sanctifie and regenerate all men or cause that no more wicked men should any where be in Power for ever you cannot prevent but that sometimes still there must be sufferers for righteousness sake Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 To prove this by reason is easie The Devil is not yet shut up in the bottomless pit Antichrist is yet alive The Government in all Kingdoms is not yet managed with such light and goodness of mind as to let the Saints serve God as he has said what ever it is in some And until then there will be in some places tho' for my part I cannot predict where a people that will yet suffer for well-doing or for righteousness sake In order to a right handling of this matter I shall divide this head into these two parts 1. Shew you what it is to suffer for well-doing or for righteousness 2. Shew you what it is to suffer for righteousness sake I put this distinction because I find that it is one thing to suffer for righteousness and another to suffer for righteousness sake To begin with the first namely to shew you what it is to suffer for righteousness Now that maybe done either passively or actively 1. Passively as when any suffer for righteousness without their own will or consent thereto Thus the little children at Bethlehem suffered by the hands of bloody Herod when they died for or in the room and stead of Jesus Christ Mat. 2.16 Every one of those children died for righteousness if Christ is righteousness for they died upon his account as being supposed to be he himself Thus also the children of Israels little ones that were murdered with their Parents or otherwise because of the Religion of them that begat and bare them died for righteousness The same may be said concerning those of them that suffered in the Land of the Chaldeans upon the same account I might here also bring in those poor Infants that in Ireland Piedmont Paris and other places have had their throats cut and their brains dasht against the walls for none other cause but for the Religion of their Fathers Many many have suffered for rightetousness after this manner Their will nor consent has been in the suffering yet they have suffered for Religion for righteousness And as this hath been so it may be again for if men may yet suffer for righteousness even so for ought I know even in this sence may their children also Now although this is not the chief matter of my Text yet a few words here may do no harm The children that thus suffer tho' their own will and consent be not in what they undergo may yet for all that be accepted as an offering unto the Lord. Their cause is good 't is for Religion and righteousness Their hearts do not recoile against the cause for which they suffer and although they are children God can deal with them as with John the Baptist cause them in a moment to leap for Joy of Christ or else can save them by his Grace as he saveth other his elect infants and thus comprehend them though they cannot apprehend him yea why may they not only be saved but in some sence be called Martyrs of Jesus Christ and those that have suffered for Gods cause
righteousness sake sets himself against God fights against God and seeks to overthrow him Now such an one the Chrian must let alone and stand off from that God may have his full blow at him in his time Wherefore he saith to his Saints and to all that are forward to revenge themselves Give place stand back let me come leave such an one to be handled by me Dearly-beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Rom. 12.19 Wherefore the Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should slay him You must not indeed you must not avenge your selves of your enemies Yea though it was lawful once so to do it is not lawful now Ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy but I say said our Lord love them bless them do good to them and pray for them that hate you Mat. 5.43.44 Secondly Revenge is of the flesh I mean this our revenge of our selves and it proceeds from anger wrath impatience under the cross unwillingness to suffer from too much love to carnal ease to estates to enjoyments to relations and the like It also flows from a fearful cowardly spirit there is nothing of greatness in it except it be greatness of untowardness I know there may for all this be pretences to justice to righteousness to the liberty of the Gospel the suppressing of wickedness and the promoting of holiness but these can be but pretences or at best but the fruits of a preposterous zeal For since as has been often said in this Treatise the Lord hath forbidden us to do so it cannot be imagined that he should yet animate any to such a thing by the holy Ghost and the effects of the graces thereof Let them then if any such be that are thus minded be counted the narrow spirited carnal fleshly angry waspish spirited professors The professors that know more of the Jewish than of the Christian Religion and that love rather to countenance the motions passions and gross motions of an angry mind than with meekness to comply with the will of a heavenly Father Thou art bid to be like unto him and also thou art shewed wherein Mat. 5.45 46 47 48. There is a man hates God blasphemes his Name despises his Being Yea says There is no God And yet the God that he carrieth it thus towards doth give him his breakfast dinner and supper clothes him well and when night comes has him to bed gives him good rest blesses his Field his Corn his Cattel his Children and raises him to high-estate Yea and this our God doth not only once or twice but untill these transgressors become old his patience is thus extended years after years that we might learn of him to do well Thirdly a professor and unquiet and troublesome discontented and seeking to be revenged of thy persecutors where is or what kind of graces hast thou got I dare say they even these in which thou thus actest are none of the graces of the spirit The fruits of the spirit are love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law But wrath strife seditions traitors and inventors of evil things are reckoned with the worst of sins and sinners and are plainly called the works of the flesh Rom. 1.29 30 31. 2 Tim. 3.3 4. Galat. 5.19 20 21. But I say where is thy love to thine enemy where is thy Joy under the Cross where is thy peace when thine anger has put thee upon being unquiet where is thy long-suffering for as thou actest not ought but thy waspishness can be seen where also is thy sweet meek and gentle spirit and is goodness seen in thy seeking the life or the damage of thy enemy Away away thy graces if thou hast any are by these thy passions so jostled up into corners and so pent for want of room and liberty to shew themselves that by the word of God thou canst not be known to be of the right kind what a noise soever thou makest A Christian when he sees trouble coming upon him should not fly in the face of the instrument that brings it but in the face of the cause of its coming Now the cause is thy self thy base self thy sinful self and thy unworthy carriages towards God under all the mercy patience and long-suffering that God has bestowed upon thee and exercised towards thee Here thou mayest quarrel and be revenged and spare not so thou take vengeance in a right way and then thou wilt do so when thou takest it by godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.10 11. A Christian then should bewail his own doings his own unworthy doings by which he has provoked God to bring a cloud upon him and to cover him with it in anger A Christian should say this is my wickedness when a persecutor touches him yea he should say it and then shut up his mouth and bear the indignation of the Lord because he has sinned against him Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thy heart Jer. 4.18 Fourthly What conviction of thy goodness can the actions that flow from such a spirit give unto observers none at all Yea a spirit of unquietness under sufferings and that seeketh to be revenged of those that do for thy faith and the profession thereof persecute thee is so far off of giving conviction to beholders that thou art right that it plainly tells them that thou art wrong Even Julian the Apostate when he had cast away whatever he could of Christ had this remaining with him that a Christian ought to take with patience what affliction fell upon him for his masters sake and would hit them in the teeth with an unbecoming behaviour that complained or that sought redress of them that had abused them for their faith and godly profession What will men say if you shrink and whinch and take your sufferings unquietly but that if you your selves were uppermost you would persecute also much more have they ground to say so when you will fight lying on your backs Be quiet then and if thine enemy strike thee on one cheek turn to him the other and if he also revile and curse thee down upon thy knees and pray for him This is the way to convince thy observers that thou art a godly man Father forgive them for they know not what they do was one of those things that convinced the Centurion that Jesus was a righteous man For he stood by the Cross to watch and see how Jesus carried it in these his sufferings as well as to see execution done Mat. 27.54 Luk. 23.34 47. Fifthly A professor unquiet and turbulent under sufferings and seeking his own revenge cannot be a victor over what he should nor a keeper of
to be the sufferer so the persons who are appointed to be the rod and sword thereby to afflict withal Thus far therefore the will of God is it that ordereth and disposeth of us and of our sufferings Seventhly As all these pass thorough the hand of God and come not to us but by his will So how long is also as really determined as any of them all 'T is not in man but God to set the time how long the rod of the wicked shall rest upon the lot of the righteous Abraham must be informed of this Abraham says God know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred years Gen. 15.13 So the thraldom of Israel in Babylon was not only in the general appointed but the time prefixt how long Jer. 25.11.12 chap. 29.10 The time of the Beasts Reign and of the witnesses walking in sackcloth are punctually fixed and that beyond which they cannot go Revel 11 12 13. chapters I know these are generals and respect the Church in the bulk of it and not particular persons But as was hinted afore we must argue from the greater to the lesser that is from four hundred years to ten days from ten days to three and so from the Church in general to each particular member and to the time and nature of their sufferings Revel 2.10 Hos. 6.2 Acts 23.11 And thus in a word or two I have finished the first two parts of the Text and shewed you what there is in Peter's counsel and advice and shewed you also to whom his advice is given in which last as you see I have shewed you both what the will of God is and what to suffer according to it And particularly I have in a few words handled this last to shew you that our sufferings are ordered and disposed by him that you might always when you come into trouble for his Name not stagger nor be at a loss but be stayed composed and setled in your minds and say the will of the Lord be done Acts 21.14 I will also say unto you this by the way that the will of God doth greatly work even to order and dispose of the spirits of Christians in order to a willingness disposedness readiness and resignation of our selves to the mind of God For with respect to this were those words last recited spoken Paul saw that he had a call to go up to Jerusalem there to bear his testimony for Christ and his Gospel but those unto whom he made known his purpose entreated him with much earnestness not to go up thither for that as they believed it would indanger his life But he answereth what mean ye to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus And when he would not be perswaded says Luke we ceased saying The will of the Lord be done From what has been thus discoursed many things will follow as first that the rod as well as the child is Gods persecutors as well as the persecuted are his and he has his own designs upon both He has raised them up and he has ordered them for himself and for that work that he has for them to do Hence Habakkuk speaking of the Churches enemies saith Thou hast ordained them for judgement O mighty God thou hast established them for correction Hab. 1.12 And therefore they are in other places called the rod of Gods anger his staff his hand his sword Isa. 10.5 Psal. 17.13 14. Indeed to be thus disposed of is a sad Lot the lot is not fallen to them in pleasant places they have not the goodly heritage but the judgments of God are a great deep The thing formed may not say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus To be appointed to be ordained to be established to be a persecutor and a troubler of Gods Church O tremendous judgment O amazing anger Three things the people of God should learn from hence First Learn to pity and bewail the condition of the enemy I know thou canst not alter the counsel of God appointed they are established they are for their work and do it they must and shall But yet it becomes them that see their state and that their day is coming to pity and bewail their condition yea and to pray for them too For who knows whether it is determined that they should remain implacable to the end as Herod or whether they may thorough grace obtain repentance for their doings with Saul And I say again if thy prayer should have a casting hand in the conversion of any of them it would be sweet to thy thoughts when the scene is over Secondly Never grudge them their present advantages Fret not thy self because of evil men neither be thou envious at the workers of iniquity Prov. 23.19 Fret not though they spoil thy resting-place 'T is God that has bidden them do it to try thy faith and patience thereby Wish them no ill with what they get of thine 't is their wages for their work and it will appear to them ere long that they have earned it dearly Their time is to rejoyce but as in a moment in what thus is gotten by them and then they not repenting are to perish for ever like their own dung Job 20.5 6 7. Poor man thou that hast thy time to be afflicted by them that thy golden graces may shine the more thou art in the fire and they blow the bellows but wouldest thou change places with them wouldest thou fit upon their place of ease dost thou desire to be with them Prov. 24.1 O rest thy self contented in thy patience possess thy Soul and pity and bewail them in the condition in which they are Thirdly Bless God that thy lot did fall on the other side Namely to be one that should know the truth profess it suffer for it and have grace to bear thee up there under to Gods glory and thy eternal comfort This honour have not all his Saints all are not counted worthy thus to suffer shame for his Name Do this I say though they get all and leave thee nothing but the shirt on thy back the skin on thy bones or an hole in the ground to be put in Heb. 11.23 24 25 26. Fourthly Labour to be patient under this mighty hand of God and be not hasty to say when will the rod be laid aside mind thou thy duty which is to let patience have its perfect work and bear the indignation of the Lord because thou hast sinned against him until he please to awake to arise and to execute judgment for thee Mich. 7. But to pass this Secondly Are things thus ordered then this should teach us that there is a cause The rod is not gathered without a cause the rod is fore determined because the sin of Gods
people is foreseen and oft-times the nature of the sin and the anger of the Father is seen in the fashion of the rod. The rod of my anger saith God A bitter and hasty Nation must be brought against Jerusalem an enemy fierce and cruel must be brought against the land of Israel Their sins called for such a rod for their iniquities were grievous Habak 1.6 This should teach us with all earnestness to be sorry for our sins and to do what we can to prevent these things by falling upon our face in a way of prayer before God If we would shorten such days when they come upon us let us be lovers of righteousness and get more of the righteousness of faith and of compliance with the whole will of God into our hearts Then I say the days shall be shortned or we fare as well because the more harmless and innocent we are and suffer the greater will our wages our reward and glory be when pay-day shall come and what if we wait a little for that These things are sent to better Gods people and to make them white to refine them as Silver and to purge them as gold and to cause that they that bear some fruit may bring forth more we are afflicted that we may grow John 15.1 2. 'T is also the will of God that they that go to heaven should go thither hardly or with difficulty The righteous shall scarcely be saved That is they shall but yet with great difficulty that it may be the sweeter Now that which makes the way to Heaven so strait so narrow so hard is the rod the sword the persecutor that lies in the way that marks where our haunt is that mars our path digs a pit and that sets a net a snare for us in the way 1 Sam. 23.22 Job 30.12 13 14. Psal. 9.25 Psal. 31.4 Psal. 35.7 Psal. 119.110 Psal. 140.5 Psal. 142.3 This I say is that which puts us to it but it is to try as I said our graces and to make Heaven the sweeter to us To come frighted and hard pursued thither will make the safety there the more with exceeding gladness to be imbraced And I say get thy heart yet more possessed with the power of Godliness that the love of righteousness may be yet more with thee For this blessedness this happiness he shall be sure of that suffereth for righteousness sake Thirdly since the rod is Gods as well as the child let us not look upon our troubles as if they came from and were managed only by Hell 'T is true a persecutor has a black mark upon him but yet the Scriptures say that all the ways of the persecutor are Gods Dan. 5.23 Wherefore as we should so again we should not be afraid of men we should be afraid of them because they will hurt us but we should not be afraid of them as if they were let loose to do to us and with us what they will Gods bridle is upon them Gods hook is in their nose yea and God has determined the bounds of their rage and if he lets them drive his Church into the sea of troubles it shall be but up to the neck and so far it may go and not be drownded 2 King 19.28 Isa. 37.29 Isa. 8.7 8. I say the Lord has hold of them orders them nor do they at any time come out against his people but by his licence and commission how far to go and where to stop And now for two or three objections 1. Object But may we not flie in a time of persecution your pressing upon us that persecution is ordered and managed by God makes us afraid to flie Answ. First having regard to what was said afore about a call to suffer Thou mayest do in this even is it is in thy heart If it is in thy heart to fly fly if it be in thy heart to stand stand Any thing but a denyal of the truth He that flys has warrant to do so he that stands has warrant to do so Yea the same man may both flie and stand as the call and working of God with his heart may be Moses fled Moses stood David fled David stood Jeremiah fled Jeremiah stood Christ withdrew himself Christ stood Paul fled Paul stood Exo. 2.15 Heb. 11.27 1 Sam. 19.12 chap. 24.8 Jer. 37.11 12. chap. 38.17 Luke 9.10 John 18.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 11.32 33. Acts 20.22 23. There are therefore few rules in this case The man himself is best able to judge concerning his present strength and what weight this or that argument has upon his heart to stand or flie I should be loth to impose upon any man in these things only if thou fliest take two or three cautions with thee 1. Do not fly out of a slavish fear but rather because flying is an ordinance of God opening a door for the escape of some which door is opened by Gods providence and the escape countenanced by Gods word Matt. 10.23 2. When thou art fled do as much good as thou canst in all quarters where thou comest for therefore the door was opened to thee and thou bid to make thy escape Acts 8.1 2 3 4 5. 3. Do not think thy self secure when thou art fled 't was providence that opened the door and the word that did bid thee escape but whither and wherefore that thou knowest not yet Vriah the Prophet fled into Egypt because there dwelt men that were to take him that he might be brought again to Jerusalem to die there Jer. 26.21 4. Shouldest thou fly from where thou art and be taken in another place The most that can be made of it thy taking the opportunity to fly as was propounded at first can be but this thou wast willing to commit thy self to God in the way of his providence as other good men have done and thy being now apprehended has made thy call clear to suffer here or there the which before thou wert in the dark about 5. If therefore when thou hast fled thou art taken be not offended at God or man not at God for thou art his servant thy life and thy all are his not at man for he is but Gods rod and is ordained in this to do thee good Hast thou escaped laugh art thou taken laugh I mean be pleased which way soever things shall go for that the scales are still in Gods hand 6. But fly not in flying from Religion fly not in flying for the sake of a trade fly not in flying that thou mayest have ease for the flesh this is wicked and will yield neither peace nor profit to thy Soul neither now nor at death nor at the day of judgment 2. Obj. But if I fly some will blame me what must I do now Answ. And so may others if thou standest fly not therefore as was said afore out of a slavish fear stand not of a bravado Do what thou dost in the fear of God guiding