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A33980
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Thirteen sermons upon several useful subjects two of them being funeral dicourses, occasioned by the death of the Reverend Mr. Nathaniel Mitchel, Minister of the Gospel ... / by John Collinges ...; Sermons. Selections
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Collinges, John, 1623-1690.
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Wing C5344; ESTC R16837
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141,524
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that unlikeness that is betwixt a man in the state of nature and a Holy God a natural man is quite contrary and unlike unto God our Saviour giveth this very reason John 15.18 If the World hate you you know that it hated me before it hated you 3. A third reason of it is because the works of the people of God do condemn the works of the World The Apostle Rom. 1.30 Describeth the Heathen as under the notion of such as are haters of God so under the notion of proud persons they are proud the proud man cannot endure to think that any should be better or do better or be in a better case or condition then he is now there is a light of holiness by which the Child of God doth outshine wicked men and even to rational eyes doth appear more beautiful and comely as John 7.7 The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil Iohn 3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved John 17.14 the world hath hated them because they are not of the world the men of the world have so much corruption as will not suffer them to be as good as the Disciples and Servants of God but they have so much pride as will not let them be patient to think them better then themselves or that they should be reported better then they the truth is every good man is a Preacher of righteousness to a sinful world he preacheth by his conversation and they will not endure the Sermons that are made by a good example any more than that which is made by word of mouth 4. A fourth great reason of the persecution of the people of God by the men of the world hath been the liberty they have delighted to take in the things of God and their ambition to bring all others into a Subjection to their humours in it This upon search will be found to have been one of the most universal causes of persecution at all times this caused the persecution of the three Children which threw them into the Fiery Furnace this was that which threw Daniel into the Lions Den There was a Law made that no man should pray but only to the King and Daniel could not be tied up to this Law he is thrown therefore into the Den of Lions This was the cause of Christ and his Disciples persecution they did not observe the Tradition of the Elders The Apostles could not abide by the Decrees which commanded them straitly that they should preach no more in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ this hath been the cause of all the Popish persecution in short this always hath been and always will be a root of violence and persecution of the people of God the conscience of a man in things of God is a thing that will not or cannot be controuled by a humane Law it is matter of Life and Death of Salvation and Damnation and a Christian must act according to the dictate of his Conscience when it doth not sute with the Conscience of the men of the World then they fall upon him and this I say hath continually been a fountain of blood and persecution I come now to the Application Use 1. This may let us see the favour of God to persons whom the Lord hath spared more than others from this bitter Cup Some particular periods of time there have been and some particular Christians there may be in all times whom the Lord doth more favour than others I would have such understand that the Lord useth them as Benjamins he sendeth them out a double Mess the ordinary portion of those that own the Gospel is persecution God hath promised his people no more Mark 10.30 Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and Lands with persecution 2 Tim. 3 12. All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 1.8 Hath the Lord hid thee in the storms and tempests hath he provided for thee that thou dost not meet with these trials that others of the Servants of God have met with thou hast more abundant cause to bless the name of the Lord thou seest what severity befalls thy Brother and the goodness that attends thee Use 2. This speaketh unto all the people of God to be preparing for trials And Secondly To study their duty under them that they may as the Prophet speaketh glorifie the Lord in the Fires this is a word in season and therefore I shall take liberty to speak more fully to both Branches and that under these two Questions Qu. 1. What is the duty of the people of God in reference to Persecution not come upon them or not to that degree which it is posble it may come to Qu. 2. What is the duty of the people of God in reference to Persecution already come either upon themselves or upon others Qu. 1. What should the people of God do in reference to Persecutions that are not yet come upon them or at least not to that degree which they may expect or fear or which are come upon other Churches or people of God I answer 1. Live in a dayly expectation of them we never worse encounter any evils then those that surprize us what we live in a dayly view of usually when it cometh doth not take so much impression upon our Spirits as the evils that fall upon us at unawares 1 Pet. 4.12 Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery Tryal do not look upon it as a thing that shall not come there is nothing so much prejudiceth any man as putting the evil day afar off and saying with David I shall never be moved when God hideth his face in the least then we are troubled look for a time when your goods shall be rifled when you shall be put into Prison when you shall be brought to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ there is nothing so pernicious to you as security is Job puts a case to himself if the Lord should kill me saith he yet I will trust in him say sometimes to your selves what should I do if God should strip me naked If I should be put to wander in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins be destitute and forsaken You have all the reason in the world to expect this at the world the world hateth you as much as it hated all the Prophets all the Servants of God in former Ages who met with this usage from it why should you not expect it when the Lord hath said That all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution I say when the Word hath said that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution what reason hast thou to say to thy self I will live godly in Christ Jesus and yet I shall not suffer persecution You have not in this Age yet resisted unto blood
you 3. It is one thing for a Christian to rejoyce in persecution as it is a token of God's anger and displeasure another thing for to rejoyce in it as a means by which it pleaseth God to make the Soul of his Saints perfect unto glory The Apostle tells us that no affliction is joyous at present but grievous 3 Obj. The last Question which remains is What ground of solid joy and rejoycing hath a Christian under persecution I shall open this to you in several particulars I begin with those of the Text. 1. Because the Lord hath blessed them This is matter of joy Is it not matter of joy to a Christian that he is in such a condition as he is under a blessing yea not under a single blessing but under a treble blessing Is it nothing to you Sirs to be blessed of God to have him who knoweth the state of every Soul in whose hand are all blessings and cursings and whom he blesseth they shall be blessed and whom he curseth they shall be cursed Is it nothing for you to be in such a state that you are sure you are under the blessing of God that you are some of those he hath pronounced blessed thrice over blessed though you be here some of them who are hated reviled and persecuted and spoken evil of falsly for the Lords Name sake 2. Yours is the Kingdom of Heaven You have a phrase very like this which will come into consideration Great is your reward in Heaven I shall not at present consider it in that sense Our Saviour saith elsewhere The Kingdom of Heaven is within you The Kingdom of Heaven within us is the Throne of Christ set up in our hearts 1 Pet. 4.14 The Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you So this shall be an evidence unto you that the Kingdom of God is set up in your hearts Thus the words of our Saviour are made good It shall be unto you for a testimony The Kingdom of Christ is then set up in any Soul when Christ ruleth and other things truckle under him and his Law when a Christian overcometh in a good fight when he is too hard for the World that they cannot flatter him into a disobedience to Christ nor frown him into a disobedience of Christ it is a sign that Christ sitteth as Lord and as King in that Soul and the Kingdom of Heaven is within that man it is a testimony of grace and that the Spirit of God resteth upon that man and the Spirit of Glory resteth on that man On your part saith the Apostle he is glorified 3. Great is your reward in Heaven The Papists make a great stir about the term of a reward as if it must needs be a correlative to a work but as there is a reward of debt as you reward a man that hath laboured for you and done you some valuable service so there is also a reward of grace The Father saith to the Child if you will do such a thing I will give you a new Coat here is a reward given upon the Child's obedience but yet the Child's obedience doth not earn it There is a reward of grace as well as a reward of debt there is a reward of a work which is not always a just reward for a work life everlasting is promised as the reward of them that suffer persecution But our afflictions are saith the Apostle but light and momentany afflictions though they work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory James 1.12 Is not this matter of rejoycing that the reward of a man is great in Heaven 2 Thes 1.7 It is a token to you of rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed 4. They persecuted the Prophets that were before you There is a great cause of rejoycing in this 1. It is no new thing to you it is but what hath been the Lot of the people of God formerly 2. As it is no new thing to men so particularly not to the most eminent Servants of God Such were the Prophets nay the more eminent they were in their Generation the more they have been brought under this Rod. 3. This administreth further comfort to Christians in suffering that those who have professed to the same Religion yet have persecuted those born after the Spirit The Jews owned the same God and the same Religion that the Prophets did yet they persecuted the Prophets Lastly 4. It speaketh you the true Members of the Church You partake of the common afflictions of the Members of it that our Lord might let them know that it was no new thing he saith They persecuted the Prophets which were before you that our Lord might let them know they were not too good for persecution he says So persecuted they the Prophets who yet were the best of the Servants of God lest it should be a trouble to them that persons owning the same Religion were their Enemies he saith So persecuted they the Prophets that he might shew them with whom they had communion in their sufferings namely with the Antient Church of God he saith For so persecuted they the Prophets 5. I must yet rise one note higher you are partakers of the afflictions of Jesus Christ this is a ground of rejoycing Rejoyce saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.13 in as much as you are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed you may be glad also with exceeding joy Phil. 1.20 Christ shall be magnified in my body Col. 1.24 Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh St. Paul Phil. 3.10 desired to know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death If saith the Apostle we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together Rom. 8.17 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Thus far I have discoursed the duty of God s people relating to an hour of persecution whether imminent or already come upon them but in all persecution there must be an Agent as well as a Patient Last Vse Must this be the Lot of the Servants of God of all those that will live godly in Christ Jesus to suffer persecution take heed your hand be not upon them Offences must come saith our Saviour Luke 17.1 2. but woe unto him through whom they come It were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the Sea The will of God concerning an event will not justifie the proximate cause or agent in an action undoubtedly of all sins there is no sin that is greater in its kind than this 1. Consider with your selves by way of comparison if it be a great sin for a man to do hurt to those that are innocent how