holy violence towards him Ever be telling him what you need what you desire and be encouraged by the promise he hath made to satiate the weary and to replenish every sorrowful soul Jer. 31. 25. Fellowship with God will make solitude pleasant you will find though alone that you have the best company If you are continually almost speaking to God by supplication and thanksgiving and hearing what he speaks to you by his Word and Providences and Spirit you will have reason to profess that a Prison is one of the best places of abode next to the Sanctuary and the New Jerusalem 5. Let imprisonment be improved so as to further your progress in sanctification Ransack every corner of your hearts Deal much more severely with your lusts than men can deal with you cry out with violence against your fleshly and worldly inclinations 'T is sin that deads and imprisons your Spirits the more sanctified you are the more you will be at liberty Tell the Lord and speak it â—â—â—m your very hearts that sin is the worst of all your adversaries and that the remainders of the old man are worse than any fetters in the world Never let the Lord alâ—â—â— till you find the body of death pining and dying sensibly away the world as a contemptible thing more under your feet and your inward man encreasing strength and growing up a pace to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Epâ— 4. 13. USE II. Of Consolation to imprisoned believers Several things may be suggested as grounds of comfort and encouragement 1. God can come at his people through barr'd and bolted doors No dungeon can keep the Prisoner close from him We read that the Lord came to his Disciples the door being shut and said Peace be unto you And if he come into the Prison the Door being shut and by his Spirit say Peace be to thee the Prisoners heart will leap for joy he will say not how dreadful but how delightful is this place this is no other than the House of God and this is the Gate of Heaven Our adversaries let them dispose of us where and how they please cannot keep God from us or us from God they cannot shut us up from his presence and where his gracious presence is vouch safed there is rest all inconveniences and miseries are so light that they are hardly worth the taking notice of 2. The heart may be enlarged where the body is confined The Soul may be brought out of Prison when the body is committed to it In the Mittimus the form of Law runs thus That the Goalet take the body of such an one Verily over the spirit they have no power What believer would not be content to be confined upon condition his heart might be made more free to duty more free in duty upon condition his desires might swell and overflow and his longings after the God of all grace might grow much stronger than the thirst of the most sensual after pleasures or of the most worldly minded after Gold and Silver 3. The Lord who will condimn those that visit not the Prisoners Mat. 25. will not fail to visit them himself And as they more need refreshments they shall surely enjoy them He will behold them wich a reconciled face and say to them I am your light and your salvation be not terrified with the darknesse of the calamitous day wherein you live The groaning of the prisoner doth pierce the Heavens and enters into the ear of the Lord of Sabaoth who will return an answer of peace and consolation 4. The Prisoners of Christ are Prisoners of Hope They are in but during the King of Saints his pleasure If Christ say Come forth even a Lazarus shall break out of a Grave And if he have the Key of the Grave surely the Keyes of prisons are at â—ommand they cannot hold any whom he hath a mind to set at liberty Prisons may soon grow sick of the Saints and vomit them out as the Whale did Jonah However it will not be long e're the day of glorious liberty and of full Redemption come and then the adversaries of the Saints will be bound hand and foot and thrown into outer darkness and the Saints will have liberty to enter into the Kingdome prepared for them to see God face to face without any lett from others or themselves and to live eternally in his presence where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal 16. ult The Fourth Doctrine The Devil is the imprisoner of Believers Sayes the Text Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison The words may be referred more particularly to the Ministers or more generally to the Saints in Smyrna 1. More particularly to the Ministers As by One Candlestick the whole Body of the Congregation so by One Angel the whole company of the Pastours are 〈◊〉 understood Vnto you I say and to the rest in Thyatira Rev. 2. 24. That is unto you the Ministers and the rest of believers So here The Devil shall cast some of you into prison that is you who are the Shepherds that so against the flock he may have the greater advantage Faithful Ministers Satan never could neither can he now endure He endeavours if he can to corrupt them to puff them up with pride to draw them aside by filthy lucre to make them fall some way or other and he does it with this design that their doctrine may be the loss heeded and his Kingdome not so much weakned by them But if he be not able to corrupt he will be industrious to discourage them They trouble him will not let him alone they will not suffer the strong man armed to keep his house in peace but by warning exhorting reproving rebuking the secure and ungodly endeavour to dispossess him No wonder if the Devil wax angry at them and fling them out of their houses into places of confinement The Prince of darkness would not that these Stars should shine he would fain have these Candles put under Bushelsâ— for Light discovers what Satan is what a defiled hateful and hating spirit it discovers what his works be namely to pollute us and by polluting to fit us for perdition Light also discovers what sin is and the unconceivable needfulness and excellency of the Lord Jesus And hereupon the Devils Vassals several of them are made to bethink themselves and are delivered from the Power of darkness and translated into the Kingdome of the Son of God Gol. 1. 13. The joyful sound of mans salvation is harsh in Satans ears he imprisons therefore the Publishers of these glad-tydings and close somtimes that the flock may be edified neither in a publick nor more private way 2. The words may be referred more generally to the Saints in Smyrna Every member of Christ the Devil hates and would fain tear from him every sheep this roating Lion would make his prey therefore he raises persecution to dishearten them
and gazing at him whose glory should it but shine forth would overwhelm the most sanctified mortal here on earth And when the 〈◊〉 of God is seen the soul is all light all love All the excellencies and beauties in the creatures whereby affection is attracted in comparison of what is to be seen in God are not so much as the thousandth part of the least spark of fire compared with the Sun when it shines in its greatest strength and noon-tide glory The face of God will then be smooth not one frown to be seen not one look that will manifest the least displeasure Nothing but smiles and glorious aspects which will evidently shew the incomprehensible greatness of his love unto and joy that he takes in the perfectly purified vessels of glory 2. Another consequent of this union to God will be likeness to him But as for me sayes David I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Psal 17. 15. The sight of God will be transforming and that likeness will cause abundant satisfaction The beholding of the Lord in his ordinances does in a degree change us into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. ult and much more the beholding of him in his kingdom 1 Joh. 3. 2. Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Then the Image of God begun here will be compleated Here 't is but like a rude draught like a picture in dead colours but then the piece will have had Gods last hand upon it the work will be finished and Oh how exactly like will all the children be to their holy and heavenly Father Now they hunger and thirst after righteousness but then the promise of filling them will be fulfilled and performed to the uttermost 3. Another consequent of this union to God will be the full enjoyment of him The Saints paâ—t after the Lord now as the chased Hart after the water-brooks but in glory they shall have as much of God as they can desire or contain The holy Ghost tells us that God will be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. All that they can wish all sufficient to fill them to the brim The goodness and power and faithfulness and love of God have sometimes deep and sweet impressions on the Saints now But whot will the impressions then be how durable how transporting they shall lye as it were with their heads at the fountain of living waters perpetually no thirst no scantiness will be complained of These are the consequents of that near union and communion to God wherein this life above will consist 2. That life above will be most holy and unspotted Sin will be pardoned and quite and clean abolished Filia devâ—rabit Matrem Death the daughter will put an end to sin the mother Believers though alive by grace do carry a body of death about with them which makes the condition somewhat like theirs who fâ—ll into the hands of the Tyrant of old called Mezentins who Mortua jungebat corpora vivis Componenâ— manibusque manus atq oribus ora Virg. joyned the members of a living man to a dead carkass the hands and breast and face of the one to those of the other But when the Saints are come to glory the body of death will be â—illed though the natural body will be raised yet the body of sin will never have a resurrection Instead of Oh wretched who shall deliver us will be glory and everlasting praise to him who hath made us free from sin the worst of evils and from all the lesser miseries that attend it The Spouse of Christ will then be presented a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but 't will be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 27. Then the blood of Christ will have had its perfect operation The Saints will be washed white as Snow they will look as white or whiter then Adam did in innocency All spots will be done off Every wrinkle wil be smoothed and the members every one of them like their head altogether lovely The Church is now fair as the Moon spots it hath with its fairness sometimes it waxes sometimes it wanes but when 't is translated to heaven 't will be clear as the Sun it self Canâ— 6. 10. 3. That life above will be most sweet and pleasant The Saints shall no longer cry out vanity and vexation of spirit as they did when under the Sun But God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things be past away Rev. 21. 4. When they come to live in the presence of God their Joy will be so full as to be un 〈…〉 able of any addition when they are at Gods right hand their pleasures will be for ever Even in this vail of tears there is a peace attended which passes all understanding a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory So that the Saints mouthes are songs in the house of their pilgrimage Oh then how short and unsuitable are out apprehensions of the pleasures dealt forth in the heavenly paradise 4. That life above will be most secure and safe Dangers will then be all gone thorow When we are entring into the gate of the New Jerusalem we shall shake hands with all the enemies that before molested us and not so much as one of them will be able to follow us The great gulph between us and them will keep them off at an everlasting distance There will be no danger either from within or from without No serpent in that paradise to tempt man again to fall from his restored innocency The heart will confired in goodness 't wil never have the least inclination to decline from God There will be no need of that vigilancy and standing upon our guard that now is necessary for our hearts will be perfectly cured of their deceitfulness and there will be no adversaries to lay snares for us 5. That life above will be most quiet and peaceable 'T is not improbable that in the latter dayes there will be a more peaceable Church state than as yet there hath been when that promise and others of the like nature will be more visibly accomplished Isa 11. 4 5 6 7 8 9. The Branch of Jesse with righteousness shall judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth he shall smite the earth with the Rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he sâ—â—y the wicked and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loyns and faithfulness the girdle of his reins The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the
they are willing to be reproved for sin to be instructed concerning duty they hear they keep the word as well as hear it Prov. 10. 17. He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction So Prov. 6. 23. For the commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light and the reproofs of instruction is the way of life The word of God hath not only a convincing and a converting and an edifying power put 't will put the crown at last upon the head of the faithful therefore the Apostle affirms it able to give the inheritance Act. 20. 32. And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified 4. They who are Heirs to the Crown of Life do mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirits help they do it Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live The Heirs of life are weary of the body of sin and death therefore they crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts of 〈◊〉 They mortifie their members on earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence covetousness which is idolatry Col. 3. 5. Every sin that they see they look upon with an eye of grief and hatred and strike at it 5. They who are heirs to the Crown of Life have their fruit unto holiness Rom. 6. 22. But now being made free from sin and become the servants of God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life The pure in heart shall see the Lord Mat. 5. 8. his back parts now his face in glory And truly the holy are only fit to behold the Holy One. Art thou an enemy to holiness Thou art an enemy to thy own life The heirs of life understand that Jerusalem above is an holy City therefore they apply plead the promise of sanctification they cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. 6. They who are heirs to the Crown of Life persevere to the end they are faithful to the death as the Texâ— speaks they hold fast what they have that none may take their Crown away they not only begin but finish their course and keep the faith and so they receive a Crown of righteousness at the hand of the Lord the righteous Judge USE III. Suffer I beseech you a few words of Exhortation and I shall conclude with them 1. Let the serious and believing consideration of this Crown of life enliven and quicken you to every duty Art thou hearing for a Crown and praying for a Crown and wilt thou hear carelesly and pray coldly Doth not such a Kingdom as heaven is deserve thou shouldst use an holy violence to take it what slothful and dead when such glory is in view Oh strive to enter in at the strait gate that when thou seekest to enter in at Heavens door and cryest Lord Lord open to me entrance may not be denyed 2. Let this Crown of life be made use of to silence Satan to fence thee against temptation When the Devil tells thee of â—ase and gain and pleasure which sin will afford reply Come O thou lying and deceitful spirit put thy â—ase and gain and pleasure into one Ballance of the Sanctuary and I will put the Crown of life and glory into the other and what is sinful â—ase to the Saints rest or the gain of gold to the Saints glory or pleasures for a moment to eternal rejoycing Satan will not know what to say to this but perceiving unlikelyhood of prevailing will flee from you 3. Let this crown of Life loosen your hearts from the world Do not defile and load your selves with thick clay do not stick fast therein when such glory is so certain and near at hand Be not desirous of or content with a portion in this life since you are just entring upon a better Live as strangers and pilgrims on earth declare plainly that you seek a better country then the world hath any 4. Let this crown of Life steel your hearts against sufferings Fear not what enemies can do since the keyes of heaven hang not at their girdle nor glory is given of their pleasure Our Lord set the joy before him so he endured the cross and despised the shame Heb. 12. 2. and if you imitate him you shall at length sit down where he is at the right hand of the throne of God 5. Let this crown of life set you above the fear of dissolution it cannot be enjoyed till you are gone from hence you must dye before you can live the life above Let your death be natural or violent you must not be startled or amazed The Angels are ready to do their office to convey you to paradise Christs arms are open to receive you which are a part of his purchase and his redeemed ones Christ understands what 't is to dye 't is an unusual tryal which you can have experience of but once unusual strength shall be afforded If death were but lookt upon only as a dark passage into the glorious and lightsome inheritance it would be no longer terrible but desireable 6. let this crown of Life make you long for your Lords appearing Oh cry unto him to remove time and dayes out of the way and that the wheels of his chariot may make greater hast Long for the time when the heavens shall break asunder and the fairest of ten thousand shall shew his face through the clouds and sit upon his great white throne to judge the world in righteousness When he comes his reward will be with him Rev. 2 2. 12. Never a Saint shall be seen without a crown at that day And Oh what a spectacle will it be to behold the Head and all the members together every one having on a rich and sparkling diadem The Saints are described to be such as love their Lords appearing And there is reason they should wish for it For when Christ who is their life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in glory FINIS
maximâ— it hath small entity but great efficacy He is their God their Father their Husband and will he not be a Buckler and a Fortress to his children his Sons espoused ones Will he not take care of his Jewels of his portion of his peculiar treasure will he patiently suffer the apple of his eye to be touched Let the Covenant be studied and what 's implyed in that I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people and fear will quickly give way to confidence 6. The Lord intends to glorifie himself in his peoples preservation They need not fear God will not miss of his glory he will be exalted and therefore his people shall be remembred Gods honour and the Saints safety are twisted together It was a strong argument which Joshua pleaded If Israel fly and the Canaanites prevail then what wilt thou do for thy great Name Josh 7. 9. That place in the Proverbs The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous fly unto it and are safe may not only thus be expounded That the power and faithfulness and mercy of God by which he hath made himself known as by his name are a safe shelter to the righteous but also thus the place may be applyed God for his Name sake will be a strong Tower to his children and when they plead his Name he will glorifie himself in their protection To secure his own honour he will secure those whom he hath taken the charge of they shall be saved either sub coelo or in coelo they shall either on earth find a Chamber in the day of calamity till the indignation be overpast or they shall be housed in the celestial Mansions beyond the fear or possibility of danger Thus have I demonstrated the unreasonableness of the Saints fear The Application of this Doctrine follows USE I. Although I would have you fearless of suffering yet some Cautions are very needful to be given you Rashness is not a Grace though Christian fortitude and courage is 1. Take heed of augmenting your sufferings needlesly by want of wisdom Died Abner as a fool dieth Do believers suffer as fools suffer When Christ tells his Disciples that he sent them forth as sheep among wolves He bids them to be wise as Serpents to beware of men and uses much what the same Language that one of his Prophets did before Jer. 9. 4 5. Take ye heed every one of his Neighbour trust ye not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbour will walk with slanders and they will â—eceive every one his neighbour and will not speak the truth they have taught their tongue to speak lies and they weary themselves to commit iniquity Be wary what and to whom you speak In evil times the prudent keep silence when men are made offenders for a word Do not heartily credit every professour there are â—â—â—y false brethren who though they speak you fair have 〈◊〉 abominations in their heart Beg wisdom of God that he would guide you with his eye But let not a wily and selfish heart impose upon you and call cowardise by the name of discretion If thy heart be assured to the world and thou art loath to part with thy enjoyments that are earthly for the enjoyment of Christ and Glory if thou lookest upon earthly things as sutable and spiritual with a strange eye suspect thy wisdom to come not from above and that 't will be found folly in the end 2. Take heed of suffering as an evil doer You may in all likelihood have much evil spoken against you but if it be falsly 't is well enough That counsel and caution of the Apostle is much to be observed 1 Pet. 4. 15. But let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a thief or as a busie body in other mens matters You must indeed expect to go through evil report as well as good and dishonour as well as honour 2 Cor. 6. 8. But do not by any sinister aimes by any unwarrantable practice give conscience just cause to reproach you as well as your enemies If you are convinced and suffer as evil doers if covetousness lying injustice sedition rebellion be justly laid to your charge you will not suffer alone but the Gospel and your brethren who are innocent will be branded for your sakes Oh let there be nothing of a crime in your suffering purely let it be for the sake of purity in worship and purity of life then the greater comfort will redound to you and advantage to the Church of Christ 3. Take heed of vain glory in your sufferings That glory that is but vain is not worth â—he seeking much less the suffering to attain Though a sufferer be in a low condition yet he is in great danger of being puâ—t up with pride If you design the advancing of your own esteem and desire to be pointed at as those that are resolute and constant you are Self's and not Christs Martyrs How far may pride and vain glory carry an unsound professour He may give all his goods to feed the poor nay his body to be burned and yet in all this seek himself and be destitute of love to Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 13. 3. As the Apostle sayes Phil. 2. 3. Let nothing be done so may I say let nothing be suffered through strife or vain glory 'T is a poor thing to be admired and commended of men if the Lord does not commend you If you seek not his approbation and that honour which comes from him you may suffer here and eternally besides Aim not therefore at applause or any such carnal by and base end but let this be your design that Christ may be magnified by you whether it be by life or by death Phil. 1. 20. 4. Take heed of being Saints in shew and suffering in a good Cause with an evil conscience Hypocritical professors are in a very bad case because Professors the world hates them because hypocritical they are hated by the Lord They have a form of godliness therefore the world strikes at them they deny the power of godliness therefore God will not secure them Oh therefore beg an upright heart and be sure to walk in truth Cover noâ— with the vail of hypocrisie any lust that you judg pleasing or profitable but be Jewes inwardly Israelites indeed not contenting your selves with a name that you are alive this you may have and yet be dead in sin and at last damn'd for it USE II. Let me disswade you from fearing any thing that may befall you for following the Lord Jesus And let these two things be thought on that fear is both a Torment and a Snare 1. Fear is a torment The fearful heart is moved as the leaves are with the wind What anguish seizeth upon the timorous spirit at the report of evil tydings how doth it sink into an hopeless kind of dejection and so is made more bare and naked unto
't is but reason that to the last we should be stedfast Cardinal Wolsey indeed was weary of the service of King Henry the Eighth and said If he had served God so faithfully as he had done the King God would not have forsaken him in his gray hairs But Christ is another kind of Master than any other Potentate Old Polycarpus said he had served Christ for several Scores of years and knew nothing but good by him and therefore in his old age he chose to suffer any thing rather than deny him The harder we follow after Christ and the longer we continue his disciples we discover new beauties new pleasures new treasures and so we can never find just reason to exchange since 't will be so much for the worse but just reason to the contrary since Christs lovliness and fulness and libetality in communicating of that fulness doth daily more and more abundantly appear 3. If we are not faithful to the death all that we have done before will be lost we shall lose those things which we have wrought and miss of our reward That 's a full place Ezek. 18. 24. But when the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abâ—minations that the wicked man doth shall he live All his righteousness that he hath â—one shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin which he hath sinned in them shall he dye By the righteous man we are to understand one that by profession is righteous and outwardly unblamable performing the duties required of him if he give out and turn aside all his duties will be lost all his hearing all his prayers all his deeds of justice and mercy will not be mention'd he continues not stedfast which shews he was never sincere however others were deceived in him and himself too USE The only Use of this Doctrine shall be to admonish all that profess the name of Christ to persevere to the end Depart from iniquity but never from your Lord. When first you give up your selves to Christ reckon upon this that you must ever abide with him Your closing with Christ is a marriage and this Husband never dies you must not give away your selves to another The Arguments to perswade you to be faithful till death are these 1. Many unfaithful ones at death tremble and are in horrour because of their Apostacy Conscience often awakes when the King of terrours is within view a dreadful sound is in the backsliders ears trouble and anguish make him afraid and prevail against him as a King ready to the Battel To have ones spirit wounded with anâ— tollerable stroke to have the Dâ—vils accusing the creatures all failing sins set in order before the eyes calamity as a storm ready to hurâ— one out of the would and God so far from piâ—ving as to laugh at ones destruction and to be comforted in the vengeance that is inflicted Ezek. 5. 13. must needs be very dreadful But this is the doleful case conclusion of many baâ—â— slâ—ders 2. Death is near at hand think net much of so short a time to be faithful If a Master should say Work hard to day and I will give thee an inheritance for thy life verily the most slothful would not think much of the heat and burthen Now God sayes abide in my service for a little while and then you shall rest from all your labours and sufferings and that rest shall be for ever Oh how should this encourage 3. Faithfulness to the death will take away the fear of death Death will be look upon a Messenger to tell you that your Lord can no longer brook your absence to tell you that your warfare is accomplished and that having been faithful in your Masters business you must enter into your Masters joy Be but faithful unto death and Christ will stand by you at death and after death he will receive you The Ninth Doctrine Vpon those that continue faithful unto death Christ will certainly bestow a Crown of Life and Immortality 〈◊〉 If the eye of Faith were but more open and strong-sighted how would this Crown glister and shine What a vehement inducement would it prove to perseverance In the handling of this Doctrine I shall first endeavour to shew what and what manner of life the text speakes of Secondly in what regard this life is called a Crown Thirdly lay down some arguments to prove the certainty of the certainty of the doctrine that the faithful shall be thus crown'd with immortality then close with the uses In the first place I am to shew what and what manner of life the text speakes of A subject I confess more fit for an Angels tongue then mine The soul while imprisoned in the body is of a narrow capacity and apprehends but little of that glory which is above The actual inhabitants of the new Jerusalem can bâ—â—t tell what kinde of habitation it is They that are but passing through the wilderness of this world know but little what manner of life is lead in the heavenly Cannaan yet since we have a Map of this blessed land of promise in the word let us take a view of it and let us view so long till we cry with Augustines mother Quid hic facimus What do we here and groan with pangs of desire to be gone from hence and possessed of our heavenly country Now what the word speaks of this life above in these particulars I shall declare 1. That life above will consist in the nearest union and conjunction to God Life natural is the result of union between the soul and body and life eternal of the union between the soul and God And truly to be banished and separated from the Lord for ever will be the second death The Apostle comforts the Thessalonians with this Chap. 4. Epist 2. v. 17. So shall we ever be with the Lord. How near their God will the Saints be admitted hereafter His dwelling in them is comparatively called an Absence in respect of that presence in the other world to be vouchsafed These three things will be consequent upon this union to God 1. One will be the vision or seeing of God sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then I shall know even as also I am known The Saints shall no longer complain of darkness of ignorance of those horribiles dubitationes as Melancthon calls them horrible doubtings concerning God with which they are sometimes haunted They shall see God immediately and what they behold how will it raise their love and joy and wonder The Lord said to Moses Thou canst not see my face and live q. d. Such a sight would be so glorious as that thy fraile nature would be overwhelmed by it But the perfected Saints are strengthened for such a felicity their life lies in looking
apparent and at last he makes an end of him who did so much disturb him in his filthy and unlawful pleasures Wicked mens consciences do not unusually reproach them because they are so unlike believers Do you not see sayes conscience to them how watchful the Saints 〈◊〉 lest they 〈…〉 r into temptation Do you not see how they pray how they strive and how they live Certainly you are in danger of the same Hell which they endeavour to avoid and capable of the same Kingdome which they use such violence to take And by such language as this their false peace is intrencht upon they cannot sin with such freedome and delight but the secret and condemning whispers of conscience sowr and lessen their pleasures and this exceedingly raises their choler and like so many wolves they fall upon the harmless sheep of Christ which live among them 4. The Saints act contrary to the perverse wills and inclinations of wicked ones They make conscience of obeying that injunction 1 Pet. 4. 2. That he no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God They are taught not to follow a multitude and to judg that way unsafe and leading to ruine which is the broadest and most crowded with passengers They dare not run with others to all excess of â—iot and upon this score they are spoken evil of Two things make the Saints to be maligned by the men of the world The Saints hate what the men of the world love and vilifie what the men of the worlâ— adore 1. They hate what the men of the world love Believers hatred of sin is universal they strike at sin in themselves and others they cannot with patience see such a cursed thing served by so many they testifie oâ— its evil and destructive nature and hereby though undeservedly contract the ill wilâ— of them who prefer their sins before their souls and will by no means let their lusts go though these lusts of theirs are such sure hinderances to their eternal happiness 2. The Saints vilifiâ— what the men of the World adore As the Ephesians of old stood up for their Goddess Diana so the worldly minded cry out Great is the Mammon of unrighteousness But believers trample upon this idolized clay they call it as it is Vanity and vexation of spirit and are not afraid to let the earthly minded know that it had been better for them never to have comâ— into the world at all than to have nothing but the things of the world to be their portion You see now whence the sufferings of the Saints arise from the world and from the god of the World In the second place we are to enquire wherefore it is that God permits the Saints who are so dear to him to be thus exercised with sufferings 1. Saints are exercised with sufferings that pride may be hid from them The sin of pride cleaves close stands stiffly is not easily pull'd down A mighty hand is fain to be laid upon us to keep our spirits low and that mighty hand of God is a good hand when as the Apostle speaks we humble our selves under it Sufferings make us often to reflect on sin and to be the more affected at our guilt and vileness Our weakness then likewise becomes more apparent we see how assuredly we should sink if an arm from Heaven were not stretched forth to sustain us And when we see our vileness and our weakness we shall not think our selves too good to suffer we shall not through the haughtiness of our hearts freâ— and be impatient under our loads thus to do is unreasonable because infinitely more than we feel hath been deserved and the way to force the Lord to withdraw whose presence is our staffe and comfort Sufferings being sanctified are hugely efficacious to our humiliation bearing the yoke will â—ame our spirits and make us to put our mouthes in the dust iâ— so be there may be hâ—pe Laâ— 3. 29. 2. Saints are exercised with sufferings that they may be proved Their faith and love and other graces which are much more precious than gold that perisheth are tryed by the fire of afflictions and abiding the fire will be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 7. 'T is a sign their grace is sincere 〈…〉 indeed if they follow the Lamb though he leads them through fire and water their faith is strong or else it would fail their love is ardent else it would cool they are the Lord Christs not only by profession but by a real incorporation and spiritual union else tribulation would cause a separation The Accuser of the brethren sayes perhaps to the Lord concerning believers Let men but touch what they have let them be but exposed to suffering for thee and they will presently dâ—ny thee But when they prove stedfast as a Rock in the midst of the most boysterous waves when they will part with any thing rather than their integrity their sincerity is hereby tryed and made manifest and Satans accusation is evidently proved to be a false one 3. Saints are exercised with sufferings in order to their refining Though they are not reprobate silver yet much dross notwithstanding is mixed with the right mettal hence it follows that the furnace of tribulation is but needful How do believers bestir themselvs to keep in with God when the world frowns and threatens and strikes at them Oh then the folly of backsliding is very visible how do they cry to have all those wide breaches that sin hath made closed and made up again how do their spirits make a diligent search after every thing that defiles and which may prove a dark and uncomfortable cloud between the Lord and them No lust but they are more than ordinary earnest to have it slain And they profess persecution will be esteem'd a priviledge if it conduce to more perfect purity and that they will kiss the rod that drives sin and folly far away from them As the promises of support so the promises of fanctification are often pleaded wherein God engages to cleanse them from all their filthiness to save them from all their uncleannesses to give them his spirit and to cause them to walk in his statutes and to observe his judgments and do them Ezek. 36. 25 26. The Saints in distress do hunger and thirst after righteousness and the Lord doth by degrees satisfie that hunger And the more they are freed from sin their sufferings are the sweeter 4. Saints are exercised with sufferings that they may be weaned from things visible Troubles are as so much gall put upon the worlds breasts to wean us from it In time of tribulation the Lord not only by his word but by his Providence speaks to us after this manner Arise this is not your rest build not your nest here the whole Forrest is sold to Death and every Tree must shortly down
'T is in the time of peace usually that the world insinuates it self in trouble its emptiness is more easily discerned As believers are crucifyed to the world so the world is crucifyed unto them Gal. 6. 14. They behold the world as that which sin hath brought a curse upon and therefore to be watch't against lest it prove a snare and then they look upon the world with such a kind of eye as the Jewes did upon Christ in his exinanition Isa 53. They see no form nor comliness in it that they should desire it Believers in the evil day beside their hard usage from the world which makes them less to like it have more affecting thoughts of eternity and the world to come and hereupon the things which are temporal grow contemptible and are not counted worth a look 2 Cor. 4. 18. Whilst we look not at the thnigs which are seen but at the things that are not seen and not without reason for the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal 5. Saints are exercised with sufferings that they may be â—â—â—ted for and long for the inheritance that is above By sufferings they are made conformable to their Head and are perfected and ripened more and more for glory Therefore afflictions are said to work for us a weight of glory Glory is promised to the sufferer for righteousness sake and 't is a righteous thing with God to give rest to them who upon such an account are troubled 2 Thess 1. 7. By trouble they are made meet for rest and the greater the tribulation the glory 't is likely will be the greater to be sure the more welcome When we look round about us and see nothing but matter of grief and sorrow â—will make us look upward to those mansions on high and long to be there where siâ— and suffering will come to a perpetual end In Heaven there will be an eternal calmness and serenity no sons of violence will be there to disturb the Saints in their praises no enemies will be permitted to roar in that Congregation no fear of prison or any other punishment will be there but their joy will be like a full Sea and not ebb any more for ever I am now come to the Application USE I. If he that will be a Saint shall be a Sufferer learn from hence They are far from being Saints who resolve to give out when once it comes to suffering Those are not worthy the name of Disciples who like the Swallow will tarry with Christ all the Summer but when the cold and stormy Winter approaches do use their wings and leave him Our Lord sayes He that loves Father or Mother or life it self more than 〈◊〉 is not worthy of me that is he is not fit to make one of my followers If trouble make you to be offended and go away from Christ 't is a sign you prefer ease and peace and prosperity before him and consequently that you have not the faith unfeigned of Gods Elect. If you did indeed believe Christ would be precious and that even then when he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to others 1 Pet. 2. 7. If you did indeed believe you would be of the Apostles mind who counted all things but dung when compared with Christ and esteeming them but dung no wonder if he contentedly suffered the loss of them that his interest in his Lord might be secured Phil. 3. 8. For whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ USE II. If he that will be a Saint shall be a sufferer then 't is but reasonable for every Saint to expect suffering Reckon upon it that troubles will be met with in your way to Heaven none ever arrived to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fair Haven without being toss't by some tempests He that goes to sea is not so foolish as to think it will be a perpetual calm all his Voyage He that Listâ— himself a Souldier expects somtime or other to be engaged So a Christian should sit down and count the cost Lâ—ke 14. before he embarque with Christ before he list himself under this Captain of salvation And certainly 't will cost some trouble to be Christs follower none ever faithfully served him but his flesh smarted for it though it must also be affirmed that this smart of the outward is usually sweetned with a far greater pleasure in the inner man Our Lord speaks to his Disciples plainly and without a Parable Joh. 16. ult In the world ye shall have tribulation but that their hearts might not be troubled he tells them first In me ye shall have peace And he adds secondly Be of good chear I have overcome the world USE III. If he that will be a Saint shall be a sufferer then 't is the Saints wisdome to prepare for sufferings Evil dayes will come but God hath provâ—ded armour of proof which if you put on you shall be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand I might here enlarge in going over the Christians Armour but I shall only single out some pieces which you must not fail to get and use in a day of suffering and which if used skilfully no force either of evil men or evil Angels shall prevail against you Though no part of the Armour of God be needless yet especially you must take The Shield of Faith The Breast-plate of Love The Helmet of Hope And cry by Prayer for continual help and support from above 1 That you may be arm'd against sufferings take unto you the shield of Faith Yoâ— are in a Battel Men and Devils thrusting sore at you that you may fall What shift can you make without a Shield The Shield is Armour to the other Armour If Faith be strong your other Graces will have the greater vigour and stand you in the greater stead Faith will make you victorious This is the victory sayes the Apostle that overcometh the world even our Faith 1 John 5. 4. And it may truly be said This is also the victory that overcometh the god of this world even our faith faith prevails against both By faith the Worthies of old of whom the world was unworthy went through all their tryals and yet these tryals were very sore They were cruelly mocked and scourged they were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were stain with the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Heb. 11. 37. 'T is remarkable that the Holy Ghost in describing their punishments siath they were tempted 'T is likely fair means were used as well as foul promises of preferment as well as threatnings of torment to draw them away from their integrity and this was a sore temptation But faith kept them stedfast and rendred the temptation ineffectual Faith looks to its Author and Finisher the Lord Jesus and sees the world