Ps 119.114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy word He made the word the man of his Counsels and so it was the man of his comforts Fifthly labour to get a right esteem of sufferings esteem them as a priviledge an honour as well as a duty that will make you suffer joyfully ye must not onely look to your innocency to take heed that you suffer not from God while you suffer for God but turne your afflictions into a right stream and channell to us it is given saith the Apostle not onely to beleive but also to suffer for his sake he looked upon it as a Largess Chrysost saith of Paul that he boasts most of this I Paul the prisoner of the Lord he does not boast of his high offices knowledge of arts and sciences great and glorious Revelations no but the glories in his sufferings as in his own narrative it appeares 2 Cor. 11.23 ad finem capitis 2 Cor. 11 23. in labours more aboundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in death oft c. Sixthly take heed of consulting with flesh and blood the flesh is a jade that will kick at sufferings when Peter grew carnal and fleshly his voice was no better then this Master save thy self which motion Christ rejected with a get thee behinde me Satan Looke not at the making of your own Interest but advance the Interest of Christ and the Gospel your endeavours to save your own selves will but make you stumble at the Cross of Christ Direct 7 Seaventhly labour for a double portion of the Spirit of grace of love and of a sound minde This is our victory whereby wee overcome the world even our faith love is as strong as death as powerfull as the grave the waters of affliction cannot quench but will enflame it 't will make you chose as Moses did rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Eightly Direct 8. 1 Cor. 15.31 Heb. 13.13 1 Cor. 7.30 take heed of being overcome with love to the world I protest by your rejoyceing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die dayly Wee must goe forth unto Christ without the Camp bearing his reproach If wee would rejoyce in the world it must be as if wee rejoyced not and if wee buy as if wee possessed not Our rejoyceing should be in God not in the world for the fashion thereof passeth away in a day of prosperity wee are too apt to be fil'd with carnall joy Gal. 6.14 and oft tymes wee have the more heavenly joy in God in a day of Adversity God forbid I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ whereby the world is crucified unto me and I am crucified unto the world A holy contempt of the world will best lead you to a holy joy in God Direct 9 Ninthly be much in the consideration of Heaven that will make amends fot all your sufferings on earth thou shalt make me glad with the light of thy countenance thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fullness of joy at they right hand there are pleasures for ever more And in the Acts 2.25 26. it is said of David in the person of Christ Psal 16. ult that he foresaw the Lord alwayes before his face therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope O the blessed enjoyment of God reserved for the next world the glorious vision and fruition of God that is to be enjoy'd in heaven the communion that is to be enjoyed with the glorious Angels and Saints in Heaven will sweeten all Rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven Luke 10.20 Luke 10.20 in the Lambs book of life if your names are written in blood or in water in the worlds Calander yet they are written in gold in the Lambs book of life with in a few dayes you shall enter into your Masters joy I reckon not the sufferings of this present tyme worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed in us Look upon sin and hell and then sufferings and heaven will appear the highest good I read of one that spent his tyme in reading of three leaves the black leafe of his own sins the red leafe of Christs blood and the white leafe of Heaven and Eternity Three leafes worth the reading of For this cause wee faint not while wee looke not at the things which are seen and temporall but at those things which are not seen but eternall Labour to make a right comparison between the horrour of hell and the happiness of Heaven get a greater assurance of Heaven 1 Pet. 1.3 that ye may rejoyce in the hope that is laid up for you in Heaven This was that those scattered Sants blessed God for Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his aboundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrecton of Jesus Christ from the dead To an inheritance incorruptable and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you This made them breake out into a triumphant doxology this made the Martyrs hearts leap for joy under their sufferings for Christ even the thoughts of Heaven and that blessed eternity to which they were going holy Ignatius triumphed going to suffer at Rome yea gloried and triumphed to think that the Lord would come to reckon for blood Tenthtly and lastly labour to get your hearts discharged of carnall and slavish fear perfect love casteth out fear be not affraid to die and you will not be affraid to suffer Yee may thresh the body of a poor man but yee cannot hurt the jewel of his soul Threaten saith the Emperour what yee will I fear nothing but sin fear not them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can doe but I will forewarn you whom yee should fear fear him that when he hath kill'd hath power to destroy both body and soul in hell fire Why shoul'st thou fear a mortall man that hath his breath in his Nostrils or his bigg words or staring face doe men threaten imprisonment God threatens hell Doe they promise great rewards if ye will but comply with them Aske them as the Father did whether they can give that to you they would take from you The sixt Proposition is this That the Consideration of Christs name that is concern'd in the sufferings of the Saints is sufficient to encourage them under them Doct. 6 They rejoyced they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name sake not for their own name The great ground of joy under sufferings is Christs name 2 Cor. 4.11 For wee which live are alwayes delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortall flesh Christs
against reproaches Consid 1 First Remember you are blessed and honoured of Christ while reproached jeered and mocked by the world and no matter though the dogs barke so the Master gives good entertainment Blessed are ye when men shal revile you and speak all manner of evil of you falsly for my sake yea blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for their's is the Kingdome of God It is a cursed thing to reproach another but a blessed thing to be reproached by another Consid 2 Secondly Christs name is a greater glory then all your reproaches can be dishonourable to you that beleive Christ is an honour you carry the Cross of Christ as a Banner displayed and there is greater honour in that then the world can reflect dishonour upon your for so doing Consid 3 Thirdly 1 Pet. 4.14 consider the spirit of glory rests upon you not the spirit of grace onely but of glory also not for a little tyme but to rest yea and that for ever Consid 4 Fourthly consider you have assurance of a name in heaven and therefore may willingly goe through dishonour on earth Your reproaches are Christs reproaches Remember your names are written in heaven and Christs raggs are better then the worlds Robes and seeing you have a name in the court what matter though you have none in the country Consid 5 Fifthly 1 Pet. 1.7 your Tryalls will be found for praise and honour and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ The wicked shall leave their names for a curse unto my chosen for the Lord God shal slay thee and call his servants by another name Isa 65.15 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royall Diadem in the hand of the God Isa 62.3 The Lord hath promised to wipe away the rebuke of his people and there shall be never a blott to blurr their faces The day is shortly comming in which wicked men shall answer for all their hard usages of and speeches to the people of God Dan. 12. â— 3 Math. 2.34 The wicked that are in the highest state in the world shall rise at the last day to everlasting shame and you to everlasting honour Ye shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdome of your father The shouldier is not ashamed of his marks and scarrs he receives in the wars but looks upon them as so many badges of honour so the reproaches you meet with are but as so many badges of honour all the scarrs yee meet with in the way of holyness are as so many marks of honour put upon you and if you confess Christ before men he will confess you before his father and before the holy Angels And O Christians here is a good target against reproaches do but maintaine your innocency and then you can never be made miserable by the Judgments of others Third proposition is this That the name of Christ is the cause and great occasion of all the sufferings that befall the Children of God Doct. 3 The name of Christ they rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name You shall saith our Saviour be hated for my name sake Math. 24.9 All these things will they doe unto you for my names sake John 15.21 There 's the ground of wicked mens malice against the saints the profession of Christ is the butt of persecution for that is thee imply'd some suffer the loss of Father and Mother Brethren and Sisters houses and lands for my names sake saith Christ It 's not for their sin that Gods people suffer from the world but for their grace could they conforme to the world could they drink and be drunk swear and blaspheme live riotously and loosly the world would hug them in their Armes and embrace them with their dearest affection They think it a strange thing 1 Pet. 4.3 you run not with them to the same excess of ryot This expression for his name sake may have a double reference Refer 1 First As it is the reason of the tolerableness of the Saints sufferings Christs name being in their sufferings that bears them up under them their love to Christs name puts them upon accepting of sufferings so joyfully 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in reproaches in necessities in infirmities in distresses for Christs That is that which ingages a Christian in and encourages him under sufferings and as sufferings for righteousness distinguish a Saint from the wicked so will respect to Christs Name distiguish a Saint from a Hypocrite for although I should give all my goods to the poor a universall almes and my body to be burned yet if I had not charity al were nothing therefore for thy sake saith the Church we are killed all the day long wee are accounted as sheep for the slaughter But Refer 2 Secondly I will understand it as the reason of the worlds infliction of reproaches and persecutions upon the people of God what ever the world pretend it is for Christs sake for some thing of Christ with in them that they hold forth that they hate them for Therefore the afflictions that befall them are called the afflictions of the Ghospel Tim. 2.1 It is a great ground of comfort to the saints that it is for Christ's and his Gospel's sake that they suffer Doe not they blaspheme James 2.7 that worthy name by the which ye are called It was the name of Christ that worthy name they delt with them for It was upon that account they measured out this measure unto them The world can't come up to the pitch of holyness the Saints doe and they going beyond the common pace of Civility Morality and Hypocrisie the Dogs barke at them Noah condemned the old world by his righteousness the world praise and cannonize the dead saints but can't endure to see them that are living but hunt after their precious lives If one child in the Family have the Fathers indulgence all the rest will hate him So Josephs brethren hated him Gen 49.27 He that is the object of Gods love commonly is the but of the worlds envy therefore the wicked take all the occasions they can against the saints and watch for their haltings they dayly blaspheme the name of God because of his peoples failings Isa 52. v. 5 6. And the most of them are like Tyggers that cannot endure a fragrant scent but will fall upon them that carry it and kill them And if it be so Use 1 First then learn wee a good warrant and just ground of our sufferings Christs name Many are not satisfyed to suffer because they think their sufferings are not for Christs sake be sure your sufferings by for Christs sake else you cannot suffer confortably Use 2 Secondly hence learn the bitter hatred the world have against Christ and his people Religion hath alwayes brought forth the greatest quarrels though it least deserves it I ame
great question whether wee are most to bless God for making Heaven fitt for us or us fitt for Heaven by affliction The fifth Proposition is this That an opportunity to suffer for Christs name is to be esteemed a great privilege and mercy 't is to be judged the highest Felicity Doct. 5 They rejoyced the Text saith that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name This will be evidenced First fromthe express command of God to his people to suffer with joyfullness 't is the general Character given of the people of God Phil. 3.3 they are such as rejoyce in Christ Jesus Wee are of the Circumsion that worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus Rom. 5.1 2 3. And wee rejoyce in Christ Jesus having receiv'd the attonment And so it is the duty and hath been the practise of the Saints to rejoyce in him Sufferings for Christ have been alwayes matter of great joy James 1.2 My brethren count it all joy saith the Apostle when ye fall into divers temptations Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Math. 5.12 Rejoyce ye in that day when men hath you and separate you from their company rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy Luke 6.22 23. for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets It is the will of God his people should rejoyce alwayes rejoyce ever more 1 Thess 5.16 Especially upon the matters of affliction that 's the will of God towards his people The Cross should not onely be taken up with patience Coll. 1.11 but born with joyfullness Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfullness joyfullness is a help to patience and long suffering under the Cross For example see how the Apostle rejoyceth under all his afflictions I rejoyce that I help to fill up that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh Col. 1.24 for his bodies sake which is the Church But rejoyce in as much as you are partakers of Christs sufferings 1 Pet. 4.13 that when his glory shall be reveal'd ye may be glad wih exceeding joy In whom beleiving though under manifold temptations wee rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 In a tyme of great affliction it was the great commendation of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 1 6. that they received the Gospel with great joy The Church rejoyced when the hand of Gods providence was out against her Hab. 3.17 18. Although the fig-tree should not blossom neither should fruit be in the Vines Hab. 3.17 18. the labour of the Olive should fail and the fields shall yeild no meat yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation And so doe the people of God rejoyce likewise under the stroak of mans violence this hath been their practise nay not onely to joy but to glory in afflictions Wee glory in tribulation also Rom. 5.3 2 Cor. 2.14 Now thanks be unto God which alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place A Saint is bound to rejoyce in the Lord in good dayes and in evil dayes but especially in tymes of great opposition Neh. 8.10 2 Cor. 6.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength As sorrowfull yet alway rejoycing They tooke joyfully the spoyling of their goods Hebr. 10.34 not only patiently but joyfully Acts 16.25 Phil. 1.20 Paul and Silas did not repine but sung in the prison Paul rejoyced that Christ should be magnified in him whether by life or death The Martyrs endured exquisite torments with admirable patience Divine joy abated outward anguish their souls were wrapped up in joy as if they were in a separated state Paul counted it his honour to suffer reproach and afflictions 1 Tim. 4.10 For this cause wee both labour and suffer reproach because wee trust in the living God The Apostles were not found in the Text blaspheming nor repining nor onely submitting but blessing God yea joying in God They were not men altogether unsensible of injuries yet they that through infirmities foresooke their Master in the strength of his grace and spirit rejoyced to suffer for him remembring Christ told them they were blessed that suffer Now there are sufficient grounds of the Saints thus rejoycing in all their sufferings First in respect of the manifold consolation whereby they are enabled to suffer for as our afflictions abound so our consolations abound much more by Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 1.5 Not onely weight for weight but a preponderating weight of consolation they enjoy while the people of God drink deep draughts of the water of affliction they also draw water out of the wels of Consolation Gods consolations ought not to be smal to his people 2 Cor. 7.4 6. 2 Cor. 7.4 compared with the v. 6. Great is my boldness of speech towards you great is my glorying of you I am fill'd with comfort I am exceeding joyfull in all our tribulation nevertheless God that comforteth those that are cast down comforted us by the coming of Titus though troubled on every side whence arose this joy why God that comforteth those that are cast down comforted us also Though a storme of Haile fell upon their heads yet the sun shine of his favour shone upon their hearts Psal 94.19 In the mid'st of my sad thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Altho wee meet with stormes without no matter so wee have but peace within In the world ye shall have tribulation alwayes tribulation but in me ye shall have peace John 16.33 therefore be of good comfort Secondly sufferings for Christ's name administers cause of rejoycing because of the sufficiency of grace administred under them My grace is sufficient for thee was Christ's answer to Paul I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not say's he to Peter Under the shaddow of thy wings will I rejoyce saith the Psalmist Under the shaddow of Divine protection and refreshment Thirdly there 's ground of rejoycing in sufferings for Christ's name in respect of the presence of God and Christ under afflictions communicated and enjoy'd Fear not saith God I am with thee when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee Isa 43.2 and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou passest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee God was with the three Children when in the fiery-Furnace with Daniel in the Lyons Den with Joseph in the prison Jeremiah in the Dungeon The Lords presence is with his to the end of the wold The presence of God supports under all burdens and sweetens the bitterest cups of affliction you hast made me more glad with the light of thy countenance then they with the encrease of