his earthly Glory and Dignity and did mightily bear up his soul in the midst of sufferings Yea further let me tell you this very Consideration was a great support even unto our Saviour Christ himself under all his afflictions and a great comfort to him in all his sufferings therefore we are exhorted to consider his example and to make him our pattern in this very particular Heb. 12.2 3. where the Apostle bids us Look unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the JOY that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Mark The JOY that was set before him and the Crown that was laid up for him was that which did exceedingly bear up his Soul to endure the Cross and carry him forth to despise the Shame for he knew that though he was attended with sorrows here on Earth yet there was joy enough in Heaven to make him amends for all And though he was now cloathed with shame and reproach yet he should shortly be cloathed with Glory and Majesty in his Fathers Kingdom and for his Cross he should receive a Heavenly Crown Therefore he willingly bore the Cross and patiently underwent the Reproach knowing that this Glorious Reward would largely requite him for all his Troubles Therefore sayes the Apostle Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds When we are surrounded with Sorrow and compassed about with Troubles let 's remember our Heavenly Portion where we shall have fulness of joy and pleasures for ever and when we are attended with crosses and several calamities then let 's remember our Crown of Glory reserved for us in our Fathers Kingdom Let us in all things consider the example of Jesus Christ and be sure to follow his steps and then we shall be sure to partake of the same encouragement and be in a better capacity to run with patience the Race that is set before us Thus much for the third Use by way of Encouragement But Fourthly by way of Exhortation this may serve to exhort us to three things First Seeing it is so That the Lord hath so much tender love and respect for his People as to provide and prepare a Kingdom for them Oh! then let us be exhorted to increase and abound in our love one towards another Let us be sure to continue stedfast in Brotherly Love and to abound in Christian charity one towards another as becomes the Elect of God for if the Lord himself have such Bowels of Love and Affection for them as to honour them with a Crown and Kingdom how much more should we have Bowels of Love and affection one towards another for whom this Kingdom is provided And if the Lord himself tender his People as the Apple of his Eye and count them worthy of Eternal Glory Oh! how may this engage us to be tender one towards another and count one another worthy of respect and love yea it may engage us to manifest abundance of tender love and cordial affection even to the meanest and poorest of the Lords People yea though they be never so contemptible in the eyes of the World and never so mean and low in their earthly stations yet let us be tender towards them and embrace them in love and let us account them honourable and esteem them lovely for they are all Heirs of a Glorious Kingdom and they are all the dearly Beloved of the Lord Therefore this may engage us to love one another and this may engage us to be exceeding careful of each others welfare Therefore sayes the Apostle 1 Joh. 4.11 Beloved if God so loved us how ought we to love one another If the Lord himself hath so much love for us as to make us heirs of life and glory how should this enjoyn us to endeavour to exceed in our love one towards another and to abound in our affections towards all Saints Oh! let us take heed of slighting and contemning one another and let us take heed of scorning and setting at nought even the very poorest and meanest of Gods Jewels But let all those that truly fear the Lord be dear and precious to us though they are never so vile and ridiculous in the account of the World for they are all lovely in the sight of God and they are all precious in the eyes of the Lord and we are all his Children by faith in Jesus Christ therefore let us live in unity and love like Brethren Let us get and maintain an affection suitable to our Spiritual Relation and be sure to discharge a tender duty one towards another for we are all Children of one Father and we are all fed from one Fountain and we all belong to one Family and we are all Heirs to one Kingdom Therefore let us take heed of dividing in our Love and of difference in Affection seeing we are all one in Spiritual Relation and all concern'd in one Portion and seeing we are all travelling towards one Country and all journying towards one Land Oh! let us take heed that we do not quarrel and fall out by the way but rather let us like honest Travellers love and pitty one another and comfort and encourage one another and bear one anothers burden and help one another forward in our progress towards Heaven that so we may manifest our selves to be the Children of God and the Disciples of Christ by our love and affection one towards another and that we may make it appear to the world that we are living Christians by our love to Christians and that we are Born of God by our love to his Begotten for sayes the Apostle 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren for he that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death Mark He that hath not love and affection towards his Christian Brethren it is an evident sign that he is in a state of Death and that he is very unfit to stand as a Member in the Church of Christ for he is of no more use there than a rotten Branch in a fruitful Tree or a wooden legg in a mans Body which stands only for an outward shew but hath no life in it to refresh the Body and if all the members of the Body should be afflicted with grief yet still that would feel no pain nor would not at all be sensible of the Bodies sufferings and the reason is because it 's a dead member and wants the life that maintains and feeds the Body even so it is with a professed Christian that wants love to his Brethren he can hear of the afflictions of his Brethren and not at all be troubled and he can understand that his Brethren are in great want and misery and have no sympathy nor fellow-feeling with them in their condition and the reason is because he is
man to Salvation which they are not in a Capacity to perform nor he never Commanded Impossibilities Well having now shewed you Negatively VVhat is not the Reason I shall also endeavour to shew you Affirmitively VVhat is the Reason why the Flock of Christ is but Little And the First Reason I judge may be this Reas 1. Because the Reward which Christ hath promised to his Flock is in another World it is not to be found here below on this side the Grave but it is to be enjoyed in another Life And men generally love present things and are much taken with that which is of a present enjoyment Therefore it is that most men are so Careful and so desirous after the things of this World because the Benefit and Pleasures of the things here below are of a present enjoyment but the Benefit of Holiness and the Reward of God's People is not to be enjoyed in this Life but in the World to come Therefore it is that men do so little regard the Service of God because the reward seems to be at a great distance from them For I am very much perswaded That if the Reward of Godliness were but of a present Enjoyment there would be abundance of Godly People and Christ's Flock would be the greatest Flock in the World As for Instance Go to a Covetous Worldly-man and Exhort him to Charity and desire him to lay out great part of his Estate for the good of the Poor and tell him That he shall be sure to Receive a Hundred fold for it about a Week or a Fortnight hence and if he were but really Convinced of the Truth of this I am perswaded he would presently become a Charitable Person and would easily be drawn to part with his Money willingly upon this account But if you should go to him and bid him Sell all that he hath and give it to the Poor and come and follow Christ and tell him That he shall be sure to have Treasure in Heaven and be eminently Rewarded at the Resurrection of the Just Oh! how little would this be Regarded by him Oh! How little would this prevail upon him Oh! The Reward seems to be such a great way off that he durst hardly part with his Money upon such terms Yea I am perswaded that he would be so far from embracing your Counsel as that he would rather be troubled and grieved at you for speaking such Language to him So that I judge this may be one great Reason why the Flock of Christ is but Little and the Number of the Elect but few But Secondly Another is this Reas 2. Because the Flock of Christ must expect to meet with Troubles and Tribulations in their journey towards Heaven They must expect to carry a bitter Cup of Afflictions along with them in their Christian Progress They must not expect to spend their dayes in Pleasure and Pride of Life to promote their own Honour and Reputation in the World but rather Troubles and Afflictions Tryals and Temptations must be their daily Portion in this Life Yea All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution Therefore this I also judge to be another Reason why so few follow Jesus Christ because his way is attended with Sufferings and men generally seek after their own Pleasure Ease and Worldly Advantage and do not love to Travel in a Suffering-Path nor walk in a Way that is attended with Straits and Difficulties Now you shall find most men are very willing to be saved if they could be saved upon their own terms by walking in Pleasures and in the vanity of their own minds but they are not willing to go through Sufferings to Salvation they are not willing to go to Heaven upon God's terms nor to follow the Lord Jesus Christ no further than it consists with their own carnal Interest Advantage Most men are willing to are the Death of the Righteons but they are not willing to live the Life of the Righteous They are very willing to receive the Reward of the Righteous but they are not willing to Run the Race of the Righteous They are very willing it may be to Reign with Christ and wear the Crown but they are not willing to suffer with Christ and bear the Cross They are very willing to accept of the Crown of Glory and drink Wine with Christ in his Kingdom but they are not willing to accept of the Crown of Thorns and drink Vinegar with Christ upon the Cross Therefore this may be one great Reason why so few walk in the way of the Gospel because it is attended with Persecution Therefore sayes Christ There are some which hear the Word and receive it with joy and keep it and continue in it for a while so long as the world smiles upon them but when Tribulation or Persecution ariseth for the Gospels sake then presently they fly off and leave the Gospel and by and by are angry and offended with it for bringing Troubles upon them Matth. 13.20 21. So that it 's the Tribulation of the Gospel that many times keeps Persons at a distance from the Gospel and makes many fall away from it after Professing of it And this we can too clearly evidence and witness by experience at this day That many Persons could very willingly follow Jesus Christ in his own way and walk in the true Order of the Gospel according to God's Appointment but for fear of Trouble and Persecution they dare not For they think if they should embrace the Truth as it is in Jesus and walk in Obedience thereunto then they may come to lose the Love it may be of Father or Mother or some other Relations and all their former Friends will now turn to be their Enemies and hate them And those that use to speak well of them formerly will now Mock and Reproach them and do them what mischief they can and so by this means they may come to expose themselves to a great many straits and difficulties And therefore under this Consideration they stand off at a distance and dare not obey the Gospel nor come into the Fold of Christ Hence it is There are many Persons that if you should say unto them and ask them Are you willing to go to Heaven and dwell with God to all Eternity in the Kingdom of Glory They will be ready to Answer Yes Oh! with all my heart It is the desire of my Soul to be with God in the Kingdom of Glory But if you tell them That they must go through much Tribulation and suffer much Persecution if they will enter into the Kingdone of God Then they will be ready to ture their backs of the Kingdom and satisfie themselves without it rather than expose themselves to so much trouble about it So that I judge this may be another great Reason why Christ's Flock is but little But Thirdly Another is this Reas 3. Because there are but a very few great Men that
time to put under his everlasting Arm to bear up their Souls and support them under the worst of Tryals and in his due time to deliver them out of all their Afflictions Well but wee 'l see what the Scripture sayes concerning this matter See first Psal 23.4 Yea sayes the Psalmist though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death yet will I fear no evil Mark how bold and resolute the Psalmist is in the midst of strange Difficulties As much as if he should say Although I should walk in a dangerous valley and mine Enemies at the top of the Hill ready to overwhelm me with destruction and though Death should pursue me and be as near to me as my shadow yet will I fear no evil Why David what 's the matter that thou art so exceedingly transported above the fear of evil Certainly thou hast some Reason for it thou could'st never be so full of Courage in such eminent Danger as thou speakest of if thou hadst not something more than ordinary to Support thy Spirit See the Reason therefore in the following words THE LORD IS WITH ME. There 's the business there 's that which is sufficient to fortify my Soul against all fear whatsoever Thy ROD and thy STAFF they Comfort me As much as if he should say Although thy Rod doth a little Correct me yet thy Staff doth exceedingly Support me and thy PRESENCE doth very much Refresh me and betwixt them all I am mightily filled with Comfort and Encouragement Thus the Saints and People of God should Plead their Interest in him in a day of Adversity and he will make all things Comfortable and pleasant unto their Souls and nothing shall be able to make them afraid See also Psal 46.1 2 3. God is our Refuge and Strength a very present help in time of Trouble Well what then What use doth the Psalmist make of this Why therefore will we not fear though the Earth should be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the Waters thereof roar and be troubled and though the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof Here 's an admirable Spirit filled with Confidence and godly Resolution in the strength of the Lord Challenging as it were the greatest Terrours on Earth to shew themselves in their greatest Rage and Fury yet they shall not so much as diminish his Courage nor make him afraid And the Reason of all is this GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH So that it seems the Consideration of God's supporting Presence is or ought to be one great Reason or Encouragement to bear up our Souls in the worst of Troubles Therefore when troubles do attend us and when our Enemies are most implacable against us and talk of Stoning of us and Banishing of us and putting of us to Death and the like let us with David encourage our selves in the Lord our God 1 Sam. 30.6 And let us consider the Lord is with us and he is a present Help in time of Trouble and if God be for us who can be against us Therefore saith God Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismaid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my Righteousness As much as if God should say Although all the World should be against thee yet fear thou not keep close to me and I will be with thee and although thou hast never so many Enemies and Adversaries to oppose thee yet be not dismaid for I am thy God and I will strengthen thee And though they set themselves against thee to wrong and oppress thee yet be of good chear I will help thee and take thy part against them And though they think to Conquer thy Spirit and subdue the strength of thy Inward-man by Imprisoning and Punishing of thee yet be not troubled at that do but put thy Trust in me and depend upon me and I will uphold thee with the right hand of my Righteousness Therefore seeing the Lord is so much engaged for the good of his People let 's not fear what man can do unto us Reas 2. Why we should not fear man Because the Lord himself will engage and fight against the Enemies of his People and bring them to a reckoning for all their Malice and Cruelty towards them though they may tyrannize and insult over God's Heritage for a time and magnifie themselves against the Lord and his Jewels yet the time will come when the Lord himself 〈◊〉 appear against them in Wrath and Judgement and dash them in â—â—â—ces like a Potter's Vessel for their Rage and Cruelty against his People Therefore this may be another Reason to arm us against the fear of Man because the Lord hath engaged to deal with our Adversaries in Judgement and Recompence Fury upon our Enemies for all their Tyranny towards us and will assuredly work Deliverance and Salvation for his People from all their Troubles See that notable Text Isa 49.25 26. But thus saith the Lord Even the Captives of the Mighty shall be taken away and the Prey of the Terrible shall be delivered for I will contend with them that contendeth with thee and I will save thy Children and I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh and they shall be drunken with their own blond as with swoet Wine and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and the Mighty One of Jacob thy Redeemer Thus the Lord will one Day deal with the enemies of his People when they have filled up the Measure of their Iniquity then they shall assuredly Drink the dreggs of the Cup of God's Fury and when they are at the highest raging and roaring and swelling in Malice like the Sea against the People of the Lord then is their destruction the nearest and then is Sions Deliverance near at hand Read and Consider well that Scripture Isa 17.12 13 14. compared with Chap. 59.15 to the latter end Wo to the multitude of many People which make a noise like the noise of the Seas and like the rushing of many Waters the Nations shall Rush like the Rushings of mighty Waters But GOD SHALL REBUKE them And they shall flee and be chased as the Chaff of the Mountains before the wind and as Thistle-down before a Whirle-wind Behold this is the Portion of them that spoil us and the Lot of them that Rob us c. Oh! Little doth our Enemies Consider what mischief they are a heaping upon their own heads when they drive on so furiously against the People of God and Persecute the innocent Lambs of Jesus Christ without a Cause What account do you think they can give to the Lord when he shall call them to a Reckoning for these things And how will they be able to stand before the Lord when he shall bring them to a Tryal for dragging his People out of their Houses