to an old Age and go down to their Graves in an external peace having no bands in their death Their sins shall follow after them after their lives to judgment for Jude assureth us that the Lord will come with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungoldly aâ—ongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him But if mens rage break out openly God ordinarily is more quick with them There are some of those blood-thirsty and deceitful men which he hath said shall not live out half their days It is seldom that God le ts pass acts of eminent injustice and cruelty But that he in this life meeteth with the actors of it and with the same measure which they mete unto others it is meted to them again But now persecution is the highest species of injustice for in it there is not only a wrong done to another that which is not due is given to him but God is immediately concerned in the case the wrong is done to him for Gods sake he is abused imprisoned his estate is taken from him he is imprisoned tormented put to death for Gods sake because he will own his truths walk in his ways do what he commandeth him It is the sin that fills up the measure of iniquity to and in a Soul Matth. 23.32 Fill ye up then the measure of your Fathers Nay more then this see v. 35. there That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zecharias the Son of Barachias It draweth upon men the sins of the same kind committed by their forefathers and not reckoned for it sheweth that if they had lived in the days of their forefathers they would have done what they did they inherit their Spirit Hence you shall observe that although in ecclesiastical story we read of persecutions that lasted a long time yet we read of very few particular persons that were eminent persecutors that lasted long When this Cancer hath broke out they seldom live long Gods patience often extends to Drunkards and Whoremongers and Swearers and Cursers and they often die in the times of other men and after the manner of other men they do injury to few but themselves they shew indeed a contempt of God and a disobedience to God but they do not shew a rage and malice against God their sins do not tend to blot out the remembrance of Christ and to root out the name of God from the Earth But he is not so patient with this blackest sort of sinners they do harm to others yea to those of whom God hath said He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine Eye They are for rooting out the name and mention of God from the Earth God will not bear with these there shall be something remarkable in their death either they shall dye in their youth whiles yet their bones are full of marrow or they shall not dye the ordinary deaths of men They shall not come into the grave as a shock of corn in its season but be weeded out and cut up before the harvest If I durst wish evil to to him that hated me I would curse him in the name of the Lord I would say let him be a persecutor of others for Christs name sake Make but your own observation if you have known or do or shall know any such So that this sin where-ever the guilt of it doth stick is an evident token not only of eternal perdition to the adversaries of Christ and his Gospel but an ordinary token of a destruction in this life Thus I have shewed how the sufferings of Gods people turn unto them for a Testimony on Gods part let me shew you in the next place how they turn unto them for a Testimony on their part towards God I will open that in five particulars 1. They are a Testimony of their Discipleship This is a part of the sense that Stella giveth of it Eveniet vobis in signum attestationem quod vere discipuli mei fidelissimi estis All those that follow a teacher under a shew or pretence of learning from him are in common phrase and way of speaking called his disciples so it was with Christ while he was on Earth he had some that followed him for the lâ—â—ves some that believed on him but he committed not himself unto them because he knew all men Joh. 2.24 These were disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an outward appearance they looked like disciples but indeed were not He hath others who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his disciples indeed None is a Disciple indeed to another who doth not really and actually learn of him either from his words or from his example in his life and conversation What saith our Saviour Matth. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Observe it Take up his Cross It is a great Testimony that a man is Christs Disciple not in name and outward profession only but in reality when he can take up his Cross It is reported of Ignatius that after all his sufferings he said Now begin I to be a Disciple 2. It will be a Testimony of their Membership with Christ and conformity to him The Apostle tells us Rom. 8.29 That we are predestinated that we might be conformed to the Image of his Son There is the Image of a living Christ and the Image of a dying Christ The Image of a living Christ is in Holiness and Righteousness Ephes 4.23 Col. 3.10 Thus the holy man is conformed to the Image of Christ but then there is the Image of a dying Christ We are conformed to that Image of Christ only by suffering The Apostle prayeth Phil. 3.10 That he might know the fellowship of Christs sufferings and be made conformable unto his death It is true we are made conformable to the death of Christ in a measure when we die unto sin as he died for sin so we die to sin this is an inward spiritual conformity which we come to by mortification but there is also a more external obvious conformity to the death of Christ and that is as he suffered striving against sin and bearing a witness to the Truth so we also suffer bearing a Testimony to Truth and striving against sin this we never arrive at till we come to be sufferers and our suffering upon these single accounts turn to us for a Testimony of such our conformity to Christ Yea it is a Testimony of our Membership in and with Christ Christ is the Head of the Church which is the Body and we are said to be Members of Christ and Members also one of another You have a notable expression Col. 1.24 Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up
fight and indeed in this piece of it was more a Conquerour then I ever knew any who was so long ingaged in it and at last died the ordinary death of men quietly in his Bed surrendring his Soul into the hands of him that gave it 2 For the finishing of his course how he walked in and out before you I need not tell you you knew the man and observed his conversation For the duties of his Relation as a Minister while he had a publick liberty he was no indiligent Preacher when he was restrained as to that you were also some witnesses of his readiness to that work For his Domestick Relations let his Widow rise up and call him blessed let his Daughter praise him He spent no small proportion of time in opening Scripture and praying with his Family and other exercises of Religion proper to a Family He rather erred by excess then by a defect in those exercises 3. As to his keeping the faith As he was known to all that conversed with him to be sound in the Doctrine of faith So two things spake the exercise of the habit of that Grace in him 1. He was much in prayer It was almost his whole work for some years before he died he did little else but read and pray When he could no longer Pray himself he would continually be solliciting others to the performance of it and when he hardly regarded either Wife or Child coming to him yet he was so regardful of this that he missed Prayer if at any time any of us had come to him and gone away having not prayed with him 2. Much holiness speaketh faith His scrupulosity in his actions lest he should by any of them sin against God was such as indeed was a great part of his Affliction Indeed the latter part of his life being very Melancholick and that disposing him to too many fears and God having for some weeks before he died allowed him but a very incertain use of his reason and much deprived him also of a liberty of speech we had not that lightsome evidence of his desire to be dissolved which we might have expected from such a conversation But his quiet bearing Gods severe hand upon him his free submission to his will without any murmuring or repining added to the former spending of his life in a constant preparation for death may satisfy us that he was one who loved the appearance of our Lord Jesus Now I say if we have a sufficient evidence to hope that he was indeed one who fought the good fight who had finished his course who kept the faith and who loved the appearance of our Lord Jesus what reason have we to mourn Nay if we consider what a man of griefs and sorrows he was in his latter time what an ill habit of body he had contracted what a variety of diseases he was incumbred with and how improbable it was that by the use of any art his body should be recovered to a state of comfort to himself or usefulness to others We have great cause to rejoice in hope That he is crowned with that Crown of Righteousness which the Righteous God hath prepared laid up and will give out to those who love his appearance In ordinary cases where there is no cause of sorrow from a reflection upon the eternal state of the deceased yet there may be some cause of sorrow upon the account of the Churches loss and never was there a greater cause of mourning for Godly Ministers then at this day We have cause upon all such losses to cry out as Psal 12.1 Help Lord for the Godly man ceaseth and the faithful fail from the children of men But in the present case we have not that cause God by his Providence had made him dead to us before he died and except in a miraculous way we could not reasonably have expected a Resurrection a recovery I mean to any degree of usefulness So then if there remaineth no cause of mourning either from the consideration of our friends eternal state or our own loss What remains but that we should lay our hands upon our mouths or if we will open them bless God who hath granted us to see him after so long a scuffle with the great Enemy of Mankind depart in peace that he might see the Lords Salvation and be ever with the Lord as the Apostle expresseth the state of those that sleep in Jesus in another life I shall conclude as the Apostle doth that Chapter wherefore comfort yourselves with these words SERMON III. Deuteronomy 8.18 For it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth THis fifth Book of Moses is called Deuteronomy qu. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a second law because it for the most part containeth a repetition of the law of God formerly given unto this people by Moses Moses having in the former Chapter given them an account of some precepts that God formerly delivered to them he here presseth them to obedience and to make reflections upon what God had done for them he declareth a great tenderness for this people who had been brought up by him and lived upon his hand and an exceeding jealousy lest when they came into the land of Canaan they should forget the great God who had done so much for them and lest they should say in their hearts my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth but saith he in the words I have read unto you Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth The Doctrines of the Text are two Doct. 1. That it is the Lord who giveth unto people a power to get wealth Doct. 2. That the consideration of this should oblige men when they have gotten estates not to forget but to remember the Lord their God Prop. That it is the Lord who giveth unto a people a power to get wealth There is nothing in the Doctrine that needeth any explication we all know what is meant by wealth my whole business will lie upon the demonstration of this truth that it is the Lord that giveth men power to get wealth and to shew what influence God hath upon men as to their gaining of outward estates 1 Sam. 2.7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich Eccl. 6.2 A man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour chap. 9.11 the race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong 2. By way of Application to shew what influence this meditation should have upon us I shall spend all my time in answering these two Questions Qu. 1. What influence hath God upon men as to their gaining or keeping their outward estate All wealth and outward estate cometh to a man by inheritance or marriage or by gift or by labour let me shew you a little the influence God hath upon all these I will joyn the two first together 1. It is the Lord that maketh Heirs and
law of Charity to give a testimony to the truth for his Neighbour when his estate or his life is concerned or any thing of his interest and every Subject taketh himself more highly concerned to give his testimony to the truth on the behalf of his Prince or on the behalf of his Master because there is a relation betwixt the Prince and the Subject and betwixt the Master and the Servant certainly there must needs lie an obligation upon every Christian who owneth Christ as his Soveraign Lord and Master to give a testimony unto Christ it is a testimony for the Soveraign Lord of Heaven and Earth for him whom we call our Father whom we own as our Master every Testimony to the Gospel and the truth of the Gospel is a testimony to Christ every testimony for Christ is a testimony for him who is our Lord and whom we own and avow to be our Lord. 3. This obligation ariseth from that gratitude which we all owe to the Lord Jesus Christ every one looketh upon himself indebted unto him who hath done him good and there is nothing more usual in that case then to promise a requital and to express a trouble that we know not how to make him or her amends and to express our willingness to it the testimony of our Lord is the testimony of him who left his Fathers Throne and came down upon the Earth and clothed himself with our nature and died in our stead that we might not perish for ever ever he ascending up into Heaven hath left us in charge with his truth Philip. 1.27 striving together for the faith of the Gospel Jude v. 3. that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints Now which of you if you had but an ordinary friend like your selves who had done you some great and eminent kindness and left you in charge but to give a testimony unto him and for him should not think your selves under an obligation to it Oh! how great is the obligation which lieth upon every Christian that liveth in the world to bear his testimony for Christ if he doth but consider what Jesus Christ hath done for him shall Christ come and die for us love not his life unto death and shall we be ashamed to give a testimony unto him or to be partakers of the afflictions of the Gospel of our dearest Lord this ought not to be if the kindness of a man layeth an obligation upon us to do what in us lieth to serve him surely the kindness of the Lord our Saviour layeth a much higher obligation upon us 4. Another thing from whence this obligation doth arise is from the duty incumbent upon us to be conformable unto the Lord Jesus Christ we ought to study a conformity to him in his life and in his death in his life he commandeth us to be holy as he is holy in his death thus the Apostle prayeth for a fellowship of his sufferings For this cause was I born and for this cause did I come into the world that I might bear witness unto the truth and it is particularly said of him that before Pontius Pilate he witnessed a good confession 1 Tim. 6.13 He endured affliction in the first publication of the Gospel what was the testimony Christ gave but this that there were a people in the world who were very dear to him chosen unto eternal life for him though he was the eternal Son of God thought fit to cloath himself with flesh and to die upon the Cross that he might redeem this people unto himself now it is our duty to be conformable to Christ conformable to this testimony not being ashamed of this testimonony conformable also in not being ashamed of Affliction this yet is advantaged by another consideration that we are to fill up the Afflictions of Christ Col. 1.24 Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ The sufferings of Christ are either those things which he suffered in his own person Now concerning them he said all is finished the Papists vainly dream of the filling up of those sufferings or else those sufferings which every good Christian shall suffer in his Mystical Body to the end of the World and there is much behind of the sufferings of Christ which we are to fill up and filling them up we act both in a conformity unto Christ who is our Head and also unto the multitude of the Churches that have gone before us who have tasted of this Cup and drank a little of it but there is much more of these that is yet to be filled up 5. The Obligation ariseth upon Christians from the nature of the Gospel and the truths of it to which we give our Testimony I have told you before in this Discourse that every Man and Woman is a Debtor to truth no Man ought to decline a Testimony unto truth but now by how much any truths are of greater moment of greater weight and importance by so much we are the greater Debtors to them you have the substance of the Gospel in that one Text 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners He said true who said that Christians could better want the Sun in the Firmament than that one piece of the Gospel the truths of the Gospel are of that high importance that the comfort and peace of all the Souls of the People of God in this Life and the eternal Salvation of the Souls of all People in the Life to come doth depend upon the stability of them if the truths of the Gospel did not stand firm and fixed the Souls of Christians are undone to all eternity there is no foundation of peace for them in this Life there is no hope of an eternal Salvation for them in that Life which is to come We stand therefore highly concerned to give a Testimony to these truths and to be partakers of afflictions in giving a Testimony to those truths and to that Gospel upon which so much of our eternal interest and concern doth lye there is no truth but we owe a Testimony to it but there are some Propositions of Truth that are not of that moment that we should endure affliction for the justification of them but the truths of the Gospel are of that nature that no Testimony we can give to them can be too high no affliction we can suffer for them can be too great 6. A Sixth Obligation that lyeth upon Christians is from the station they take up in the World I shall here inlarge upon Three things 1. They are God's Witnesses 2. They are God's Soldiers 3. They are God's Children and Servants and Christ's Members 1. Every Christian is the Child of God the Servant of God the Member of Christ now should a Child be ashamed to attest the truth for
who maketh Matches we have two Proverbs in this case which are very true we use to say God maketh Heirs and Matches are made in heaven both are true the Woman marrieth the Husband and the Husband marrieth that Wife which God hath created for him and that man inheriteth the estate which God had created for him Let us consider the influence the Lord hath upon Heirs and this will easily be confessed by whosoever acknowledgeth that the issues of life and death are from the Lord the fruit of the Womb is from the Lord and the issues of life and death are in the hand of the Lord you shall find an expression to this purpose Mic. 1.15 Yet will I bring an heir unto thee Oh inhabitant of Mareshah Maresha was a City in Judah it is mentioned also Josh 15.44 Abraham told God Gen. 15.3 One born in his house was his heir God tells him v. 4. This shall not be thine heir one born of thy bowels shall be thy heir Psal 30.22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth Sometimes a handmaid is heir to her Mistress which is one of the three things for which the earth groaned and which it could not bear saith Solomon Prov. 34.23 One may be heir to his enemy by natural death oftentimes it so happeneth at what a distance doth God sometimes throw an estate both in a direct line and in a collateral line who would have said that Mephibosheth should have been heir to his Grandfather Saul as 2 Sam. 9.7 And David said unto him fear not for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy Fathers sake and will restore thee all the Land of Saul thy Father or who would have thought the Israelites should have been heirs unto the Canaanites It is the Lord that thus giveth a power to get wealth the influence of God upon conjugal affection is also as strange I know nothing wherein the strange power and providence of God is more seen then in uniting the affections of that man and woman together whom he hath ordained each for other a man or woman shall bestow their Estates upon persons whom they never knew never heard of nay possibly upon those against whom they were prejudiced who would have thought Esther a person of mean and obscure extraction should have been Ahasuerus his Queen or that Ruth should have Married Boaz. 2. It is the Lord who raiseth up friends this is another fountain head of riches he it was that gave the Israelites favour in the sight of the Aegyptians Exod. 11.3 And the Lord gave the People favour in the sight of the Aegyptians He gave Joseph favour in the sight of Pharaoh Acts 7.10 and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh King of Egypt Dan. 1.9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love whoso lightly observeth the course of the world will find this verified every day you may see friends raised up of strangers yea of enemies even to the amazement of them who behold them but there is yet another fountain of wealth and that is labour and industry Pro. 10.4 the hand of the diligent maketh rich But you must take in another Text. v. 22. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and to this purpose let us consider what influence God hath upon that In the third place therefore 3. It is the Lord that enclineth our minds unto business and to that particular employment which bringeth in our estate I say it is the Lord that enclineth the mind to business and directeth the mind in business 1. I say he enclineth the mind to business you see some men are of dull sluggish and lazy spirits fit for no business nor do they mind any but others are men of activity they are never well but when their hands are full of employment who is it that hath made this difference in the spirits of men have they not all Souls of the same species have they not all bodies though not of the same strength yet of the same mould this is the Lord. 2. It is the Lord that directeth a mans mind and inclination to this or that particular imployment there are some ways of employment in the world that are of more gain advantage then others some trades that are poorer some richer some that bring in great some smaller returns whence cometh it that this man is directed to choose a meaner poorer trade that bringeth in little return another to a trade that bringeth in greater is it not from the Lord That hath this influence upon the heart of man and disposeth it which way soever he will 3. It is the Lord that giveth dexterity in business you observe in the world that some men are more dexterous and happy in their employment by far then others are they can do more in their business they can do it to better advantages whence is this see but one instance Exo. 31.2 See I have called by name Bezaleel the Son of Uri the Son of Hur of the tribe of Judah v. 3. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship v. 4. To Devise cunning works to work in Gold and Silver and in Brass So add v. 6. In the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom again Exod. 35.35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work Hence you may observe in almost all employments a fagacity given to one which he cannot communicate to another so that the power and influence of God is evidently seen you may observe that a power to get wealth doth very much depend not only upon the kind of the employment wherein a man is engaged but upon the wisdom and cunning of the man upon his dexterity and sagacity in his employment now all this is from the Lord. 4. It is the Lord who giveth success in business there is nothing more ordinary in the world then to find two men whose profession trade and way of living possibly is the same whose industry and diligence is as much as can be imagined equal whose wisdom and cunning also is not much unlike yet the one thriveth and groweth rich the other doth not the one vendeth his commodities and maketh safe and great returns the other cannot vend his commodities he cannot secure his return whence is this but from the Lord It is the Lord who maketh our way prosperous Deut. 2.7 For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand It is God that blesseth in the city and blesseth in the field Deut. 28.3 Thou hast blessed the work of his hands saith the Devil to Job ch 1.10 Hence the Psalmist teacheth us to pray unto God to prosper the works of our hands unto us 5. Lastly It is the Lord who keepeth off those things from us which would make us poor Riches are subject to
4. The command of the Superiour doth not excuse the inferiour agent from the guilt of persecution nor yet deprive the sufferer from the blessing of him that is persecuted If a person be pursued for righteousness sake for the Kingdom of Heavens sake for doing that which God obligeth him to do the persecution is as well persecution in the inferiour agents as in the first causes and the more superiour agents the Jews accused the Lord Jesus Christ they brought him before Pilate Pilate condemned him the Jews nailed him to the Cross did not they who nailed him to the Cross persecute him Paul was but an inferiour agent against the Church of God Act. 9. the Letters were from the Magistrate and the Chief Priests of Damascus the guilt lieth in the act in the inflicting of punishment upon such as ought to be really freed from punishment it is true he that commandeth he that counselleth and adviseth is not excused but much less the next immediate actor and this is the most reasonable thing in the World doth not the Law of man thus deal with offenders Nay when it excuseth the principal agent it thinketh it justice to punish severely the inferiour Minister for were there no Minister in wickedness Superiours could do no hurt and therefore if any be so vain as to think they are excused because they are but Ministers and do but execute the Will or Sentence of others they are mistaken Pauls holding the clothes when Stephen was stoned brought him into the guilt of his death 5. They are not only persecuted who resist sin unto Blood and choose Death rather than sin but they who are reviled and reproached our Saviour you see putteth all together blessed are you when you are reviled and persecuted and when they shall speak all manner of evil of you for my names sake Gal. 4.29 He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit If you look into the story of Isaac and Ishmael it is said Ishmael mocked him thus Paul complaineth Rom. 8.39 for thy sake we are killed all the day long all kind of suffering to avoid sin is persecution and those that make them to suffer are persecutors those that are sufferers are so persecuted it is true there are degrees both of this and of other sins but he that smiteth with the Sword of the Tongue persecuteth as well as he that smiteth with a Sword that is made of Iron and he who is so smitten is in the Eye of God persecuted as well as he whose Life is taken from him Now I say this hath been the lot of the people of God of the Disciples of Christ in all Ages to suffer persecution to be pursued by wicked and malicious men both with their Tongues reviling them and with their hands endeavouring to do them mischief either spoiling them of their goods or depriving them of their lives and that because they will not sin against God 2. I come now to the second thing How this doth appear to have been the portion of the people of God It appears by the whole story of the Scripture and also all Ecclesiastical story Take Adam's Family immediately after the fall Abel was persecuted by Cain indeed he did not suffer because he would not sin but because he was more righteous and had offered up a better Sacrifice consider Abrahams Family of that the Apostle speaketh Gal. 4.29 He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit Acts 7.52 Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted But if you come unto the New Testament and consider the Church of God in that state you shall find it was persecuted at all hands First by the Jews then by the Heathens then by false and pretended Christians as is evident in the example of Christ in the example of Stephen the Proto-Martyr and of Christians ever since First by the Jews of which you read in the Acts of the Apostles then by the Heathens which persecution lasted 300 hundred years till Constantine the Great then by false Christians the Papists and others those that were born after the flesh always persecuted them who were born after the spirit It may therefore be worth the while rather to fathom the bottom of this to understand the reason why the people of God in all Ages have been the Mark and But of the Worlds envy Reas 1. The original cause must be fetched from that Text Gen. 3.15 where God saith I will put enmity betwixt thee and the Woman and between thy seed and her seed that Text giveth you an account of the reason of a three-fold antipathy or enmity which you find in the World 1. You see there is a natural antipathy between the nature of Man and a Serpent though we have little experience of it in England In Egypt and Africa they are mortal enemies unto Men and though we have no such exceedingly mischievous Serpents yet we see men generally averse to them and shunning them and seeking to destroy them 2. There is an antipathy betwixt the Devil and us you see by daily experience that the Devil is the destroyer though men serve him yet he destroyeth them Witches are the worst of people they are his slaves he is their ruine and destroyer at last and for the people of God he is continually molesting them Here is the reason 3. There is an antipathy betwixt the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent who was the Womans seed but Jesus Christ Who are the seed of the Devil but wicked men You are of your Father the Devil saith Christ John 8.44 for his works you do But although this be the first and more remote cause yet there are other proximate and immediate causes and some of them I shall endeavour to give you an account of 2. The next cause is that Innate hatred of God and the Image of God which is in every man since the fall Rom. 1.30 The Apostle telleth us of the Heathen that they were backbiters haters of God This is a fruit of the fall when Man lost the Image of God in which he was created No Man hath a natural love for God or for the Image of God as they say of the Basilisk that it hath such a hatred to a man that it will fly upon the Picture of a man so it is true that every Man and Woman by nature are Basilisks they fly upon God and the Image of God where ever they see it Now persecution is but the daughter of hatred and though every one hath not the like rough and harsh nature so that he is not so furious as some men are yet it is most certain that no man naturally loveth yea every man naturally hateth God and the Image of God hence the more any one hath of the Image of God upon his Soul the more he is the object of hatred and the reason of this hatred lieth in
us willing to suffer the spoiling of our goods with joy but a knowledge that we have in Heaven a far more enduring substance that we should ever be willing to part with our dear and sweet relations but upon the sight of better company if the Heathen upon the contemplation of the Immortality of the Soul could be content to make an end of their Lives surely we may hope that our contemplation of the pleasures that are at Gods right hand should dispose and prepare us for the parting with the pleasures of sin which are but for a season the things which are seen they are temporal saith the Apostle the things which are not seen they are eternal What was that which made Jacob endure the cold nights and watchings but the sight of Rachel He had a prospect of a Rachel his satisfaction in her was that which he thought would ballance all at last The quicker view of eternity any Soul hath the cheaper all the World will be unto him 7. Labor for a good stock of Faith Patience and Wisdom The more full assent you give to the Proposition of the Word and the firmer reliance you have upon the Promises the better you will endure an evil hour you will easily understand the reason of this if you consider that persecution lieth in nothing else but in your being straitned or suffering in things visible and sensible and faith is the evidence of things not seen I told you before that persecution only toucheth us in sensible parts for else indeed they were no afflictions let me shew you the force and power of Faith in this matter to bring a man into a state fitting for persecution 1. Faith sheweth an invisible God 2. It sheweth us invisible things Faith sheweth unto us an invisible God There is nothing so much emboldneth the Soul to sin as our not seeing of God the Fool hath said in his Heart There is no God no God that hath such an eye to see no God so omnipotent no God so strict and severe in Justice as he is said to be Now the more a man seeth of an invisible God the more a man despiseth all visible sensible things 2. Faith sheweth unto the Soul invisible things and those of an infinite transcendency and supereminent excellency above all things that are visible 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit Psal 16.11 at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Heb. 11.16 a better Country Heb. 11.26 a recompence of reward Heb. 10.34 a better and enduring substance In all persecution there are two things poena sensus poena damni there is a pain of sense and there is a smart in prisons and in death Now Faith armeth the Soul shewing him a God more armed to punish him in case of sin than persecution is armed to make him sin Luke 12.4 Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do saith our Saviour but fear him that can cast both Body and Soul into Hell-fire This taketh away all the pain of sense in persecution sense telleth a man the Persecutor can do no more than kill the Body Faith drowns this by shewing the Soul a God that hath the Keys of Hell and Death in his hand and that can and will cast the Soul into Hell fire for the pain of sense it is plain that Faith devoureth all that and for the pain of loss it taketh away that Is it pleasure that maketh thee loth to endure persecution Faith sheweth the Soul the pleasures at Christs right hand where are fulness of pleasures for evermore is it profit that maketh thee loth to endure persecution Faith sheweth the Soul a more enduring substance a recompence of reward which is infinitely above thy proportion of labour yea and Faith evidenceth this to the Soul and giveth the Soul such an evidence of these things that the Soul hath no more doubt no more fear of these things than if it had these other things sensibly before its eyes therefore labour for a stock of Faith when I say labour for it I mean but two things study the promises of God that you may understand them and the compass of them pray to God to make them stick to your Souls and as this Faith doth it and hath a great influence upon the Soul to make it valiant in its spiritual fight so that Faith which is the reliance of the Soul upon the Lord Jesus Christ hath a very great power and influence for this teacheth the Soul to rest and rely upon Christ alone for Salvation and layeth the strongest and highest obligation imaginable upon the Soul to love the Lord Jesus Christ and again to do nothing that may give an offence unto him by disobedience to any of his Commandments 8. Endeavour to furnish your selves with patience Patience is either to be considered in the act or in the habit I now speak of the habit of patience a power to exercise patience patience is usually by Divines said to be active which is a power to wait the good pleasure of God for the fulfilling of the promise or passive a power quietly to bear the dispensation of God to us Both of them are highly necessary 1. For the first a power to wait for God for the fulfilling of the promise Heb. 10.36 37. For you have need of patience that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The staying of thâ— Vision to an appointed time and Gods not making hast in the fulfilling of the promise is that which sheweth us the need of this patience 2. The second is a power to bear the good pleasure of God and to suffer what is his will Both these are wonderful needful unto a Soul in an hour of persecution If you ask me how we shall come by patience the answer is easie the more faith the more patience for faith begetteth patience and because the habits of both are infused by God Prayer is the great means both to obtain these and all other influences and habits of grace from God Endeavour to furnish your selves with the grace and habit of patience patience is the suffering grace 9. Labour for spiritual wisdom Wisdom is a practical habit which directeth us to use the best means in order to a good end this wisdom doth not teach you to deliberate at all about the thing whether you should suffer or no but only concerning the manner and the circumstances of the thing to do it in the best manner is as God shall have most honour and your own Souls most peace and comfort You know our Saviour saith be wise as Serpents and the Apostle James to his Exhortation to
Children or Lands for my Name sake shall receive an hundred fold and inherit everlasting Life Mark repeateth the same passage but with some Variation he saith he shall Receive an hundred fold now in this time Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and Lands with Persecutions and in the World to come Eternal Life Luke ch 18.30 repeating it saith He shall receive manifold more in this present time and in the World to come life everlasting As to the reward of another life they all agree that is out of doubt If so be we suffer with him we shall be glorified together 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer we shall also reign with him The sufferings of the people of God are a manifest token of the righteous Judgment of God that we may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which we suffer 2 Thes 1.5 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense To those that are troubled rest When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels Sufferings for Christs sake are tokens of Salvation and that of God Phil. 1.28 Suitable to this was the vision which St. John had Rev. 20. v. 4. Where he saw thrones and they sat upon them and Judgment was given unto them and he saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshiped the beast nor his image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads Or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years It hath been questioned by some whether any but Martyrs shall be saved And answered That none shall be saved but either such as have been Martyrs actu or Voluntate either actually or who have been willing and ready to be so if God had called them to it But of this there is no question as to the promise The only question is how they receive an hundred fold in this time or as Luke saith manifold more at this time Mark saith with persecutions this is generally interpreted concerning the internal influences of the Spirit of God upon the Souls of his people Solatia promittuntur non deliciae saith an eminent Interpreter God promiseth inward comforts not sensible or sensual delights But God often maketh it good of sensible things in this life As it is said of Job after his long trial of Affliction Job 42.12 That God blessed his latter end more then his beginning In his beginning we read his Inventory thus he had 7000 Sheep and 3000 Camels 500 yoke of Oxen 500 she asses ch 1. 3. In his latter end all was doubled ch 42. 12. He had 14000 sheep 6000 Camels 1000 yoke of Oxen and 1000 she Asses So it hath been observed that God hath strangely blessed those families whose heads have been sufferers for him I have particularly heard it observed of those Walloons who left their country and fled hither in the time of D' Alva's rage in Flanders So that often times God giveth manifold more in this life then they lose for his sake much more sensible comforts But oftner he gives them an hundred fold with persecutions that is if together with their persecutions they weigh the consolations they have from the Spirit of God if they set the one against the other or weigh the one with the other they are manifold more And this is that which the Apostle experienced 2 Cor. 1.5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ The sum is sufferings for the name of Christ are a Testimony or a Token to those that suffer of great rewards which God hath designed them and prepared for them either in this life or in that life which is to come In this life either with persecutions mixing their bitter cups with the Sweet consolations of his holy and blessed Spirit to that degree that the sweet tast shall drown the bitter tast and they shall have no tast of the wormwood and the gall Or when the persecutions are over for Nubeculae sunt transibunt they are but storms and will go over repairing their losses building them up fairer houses then the fire hath burnt and giving them better estates then they have lost Or in the life to come giving them as the Apostle calleth it 2 Cor. 4.17 a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory for I reckon saith the Apostle Rom. 8.18 That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Fourthly They are a Testimony on Gods part to those that suffer That the Lord will destroy their enemies Thus Stella expoundeth this Text. Quod illi impiè contra vos egerunt juste damnentur That they have dealt unjustly and wickedly with you and shall justly be condemned This is that which the Apostle saith 2 Thes 1.4 So that we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you indure which is a manifest taken of the righteous judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye suffer Mark ye There is one thing of which it is a manifest token but then it followeth v. 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you It is a manifest token of that also Now the reason of this lyeth in the heinous nature of this sin which ordinarily goeth before unto Judgment And is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mortal sign in every Soul where it is found A Soul may be sick of lusts of the flesh sick of intemperance in eating and drinking sick of incontinence filthy lusts and uncleanness sick of other lusts and yet through grace may recover such were some of you saith the Apostle to the Corinthians but now you are washed But it is very rare that a Soul is sick of rage and malice against Christ and his name and gospel so as it breaks out in overt acts I say it is very rarely that it recovers This disease of rage and malice against Christ and his Gospel which is seen in mens dealings with the publishers and professors of it is much like that disease in the body which they call a Cancer which may lurk a great while and the person may live so long as he can keep it from breaking but if it once breaketh there is very little hope of long life God according to his infinite patience beareth a long time with these vessels of wrath fitted for destruction there are thousands in the World who have this cancerous humour within them who are full of wrath malice and rage and hatred of Christ and his Gospel but they keep it from breaking out into overt-acts they will think ill enough of God and Christ and his ways and sometimes they will also talk hardly enough these may live