CONCERNING PERSECUTION IN ALL AGES To this Day And he that was Born after the Flesh Persecuted him that was Born of the Spirit and even so it is now yea and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution Mark all them that will live Godly not them that will live Ungodly out of Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3.12 For unto you it is given in the Behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake To the Elect of God and how that Christ hath sown his Seed upon all Grounds and now their Grounds will be tryed The Children of God their Heavenly Shield Buckler Arms Armour and Defence which they had from God and Christ G. FOX LONDON Printed by JOHN BRINGHVRST at the Sign of the BOOK in Grace-Church-street 1682. CONCERNING PERSECUTION THE Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God if Children then Heirs of God and Joynt Heirs with Christ and if so be that we suffer with Christ that we may be also glorified together for I reckon that the present Sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us Who shall seperate us from the Love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Perill or Sword as it is written For Christs sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through Christ that lov'd us for I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Here is and ought to be the Noble Resolution of the true and faithful Christians in Christ Jesus and as the Apostle said to the Corinthians We are made a spectacle unto the world and Angels and men c. And we are counted fools for Christs sake and we are buffetted and have no certain dwelling place and being reviled we bless and being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we Intreat we are made as the filth of the world and as the off-scouring of all things but the Lord comforts us in all our Tribulations for as the Sufferings of Christ abounds in us so our Consolation also abounds with Christ And so it is no new thing for the Christians now to be troubled on every side yet not distressed perplexed but not in dispair for our light afflictions which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory c. and though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day blessed be the Lord forever And as the Apostle saith I take pleasure in Infirmities in Reproaches in Necessities in Persecutions in Distresses for Christs sake And here the Apostle triumphed over all which should be every true Christians practice And you may read how Paul said how that beyond measure he persecuted the Church of God and wasted it but when he was converted and became a member of Christs Church then he preached that faith which he sought to destroy so you may see as it is written He that 's born after the flesh persecute him that is born after the spirit even so it is now therefore what ever Christendom doth profess and talk the Birth must be minded of what Birth you are if it be the birth of the flesh he will persecute him that is born after the spirit the true believers in Christ for unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake so this gift is not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake and so count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of the Lord Jesus for whom I suffer the Loss of all things and count them but dung that I may winn Christ and be found in him that I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his d at h To this all should mind to be conformable and know the fellowship in his sufferings And the Apostle encourages the Thessalonians who saith that we our selves glory in you c. for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure which is a manifest token of the righteous Judgments of God that ye may be worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer seeing it is righteous with God to recompence to them that trouble you and so you that are troubled rest with us saith the Apostle therefore brethren we are comforted over you in all your afflictions and distresses for your faith stand fast in the Lord that no man should be moved by these afflictions for your selves know that we are appointed thereunto saith the Apostle for we told you before that we should suffer tribulations even as it is come to pass For Christ hath suffered and being tempted he is able to Succour them that are tempted in all their sufferings and though Christ he where a Son yet learned he Obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation to all them which obey him and so if we suffer with him we shall reign with him and Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer Adversity as being your selves also in the body in bonds Here is a sensible feeling of one another that are born of the spirit and a Fellowship in sufferings who are persecuted by that spirit born of the Flesh And the Apostle saith to the Hebrews call to remembrance the former days in which after ye were Illuminated ye indured a great Fight of Afflictions partly while you were Gazing-stocks both by Reproaches Afflictions and partly while you became Companions of them that were so used for ye had Compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your Goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and induring Substance cast not away your Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward for ye have need of Patience that after you have done the will of God you may receive the Promise but if any draw back to wit in the time of Sufferings the Lords soul hath no pleasure in them Moses by Faith chusing rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to injoy the Pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Aegypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward and by faith forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he indured as seeing him who is invisible and ye may see what cruel tryals of mockings scourges bonds and
Therefore it is good for all to look unto Jesus both for Wisdom and for strength in all their Tryalls and Sufferings and Persecutions for without him they can do nothing And Christ saith Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for their's is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you But I say unto you love your Enemies Bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that dispightfully use you and persecute you And Christ saith to his Disciples You shall be hated of all men for my Name sake But he that endures to the End shall be saved but when they persecute you in this City fly you to another for verily I say unto you ye shall not have gone over all the Cities of Israel till the Son of Man come but when they deliver you up Take no thought how or what you shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak for it is not you that speak but the Spirit of the Father that speaketh in you And further Christ saith to the Jews Behold I send unto you Prophets and wise-men and some of them ye shall kill and Crucifie and some of them ye shall scourge in your Synagogues and persecute from City to City that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth c. And also you may see how John Baptist was cast in Prison for reproving of Herod and his Wife's Daughter pleased Herod with her DANCING and Herod promised with an OATH to give her whatsoever she would ask and her Mother advised her to ask JOHN BAPTST'S HEAD and she had it given her now this was the fruits of Transgressing the Law of God and of her DANCING and OATHS and SWEARING Contrary to the Command of Christ who saith SWEAR NOT AT ALL. And also Christ saith I was hungry and ye gavâ— me no Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no Drink I was naked and ye Cloathed me not in Prison and ye came not unto me I was a stranger and ye took me not in and sick and ye visited me not c. And Christ saith in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these you did it not unto me And such shall go into everlasting punishment and the righteous into life eternal Is it not the Practice of the Professors now adays instead of Cloathing the naked to take away their Cloaths And take away their Meat and Drink instead of giving them Meat Drink and Cast into Prison instead of Visiting them in Prison yea such as pretend to be Preachers of the Gospel though they do not hear them but such are Transgressors of his Command who saith Freely you have Received Freely give And Ahab the King said Take Micah the Prophet and put this fellow in the Prison and feed him with Bread of Afflictions until I come in Peace And Micah said unto Ahab If thou return at all in Peace the Lord hath not spoken by me so Ahab was slain according to Micah's Prophecy And did not the Prophet Hanana reprove Asa the King And the King was in a great Rage and put the Prophet in Prison because he reproved the King who relied on the King of Assyria and not on the Lord God And you may see in the Acts how the Priests the Rulers cast the Apostles into Prison and Charged them That they should Preach no more in the name of Jesus And Stephen said to the Chief Priest the Rulers Which of the Prophets have not your forefathers persecuted and slain them which shewed before the coming of the Just One of whom ye have been now the Betrayers and Murderers who received the Law c. and have not kept it When they heard these things they were cut to the Hear and gnashed on him with their Teeth and stoned Steven to death Calling upon God saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit And Paul said I have persecuted this way which was the way of True Christianity unto death binding and delivering into Prison both men and women the high Priest both bear me witness and all the state of the Elders from whom also I received Letters and went unto Damascus to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem for to be punished This was Paul's Confession when he was converted and persecuted for Christ's sake by old persecuting professing Jews And Herod persecuted the Christians and killed James and imprisoned Peter whom an Angel delivered through the Prayers of the Saints and the Angel of God struck Herod that he dyed miserably And you may see in the 16th of Acts how Paul and Silas were cast into Prison and how the Lord wrought a wonderfull Deliverance to his Glory to them and how often you see the Jews sought the life of Paul after he was converted and the Heathen Romans had more tenderness who let him have liberty to dwell two full years in his own hir'd house and received all that came in unto him Preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things which concerned the Lord Jesus and no man forbad him And the Jews persecuted Jesus because he had done Good on the Saboth day who was Lord of the Saboth And Christ said to his Disciples Remember the word that I said unto you To wit his Disciples the Servant is not greater than his Lord if they have persecuted Me they will also persecute you c. All these things will they do unto you for my name sake And this Persecution and Imprisonment the Apostles and the Saints came to witness after Christ was risen and therefore you may see in his Epistles he Salutes his Fellow-Prisoners and the Apostle saith he that is Born of the Flesh persecutes him that is Born of the Spirit even so it is now each Birth manifests both their works and Fruits And the Apostle saith to the Corinthians give no offence in any ihing that the Ministry be not blamed but in all things approving your selves as the Ministers of God in much Patience in Afflictions in Necessities in Distress in Stripes in Imprisonments in Tumuls in Labours in Wantings in Fastings by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the holy Ghost by love unfeigned by the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the Right hand and on the Left by Honour and Dishonour by Evil Report and Good Report as deceivers and yet true as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we Live as Chastized and not killed as Sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing yet possessing all things These are good Examples for the true Christians to follow And do
not you read what became of Iezabel that persecutor of the Lords Prophets And what is become of all the persecutors of Gods people since the beginning that Birth Born after the Flesh will it not have the same portion to the end of the World is it not recorded to be the Birth of the Flesh and is not to Inherit with the Heir of the Promise but is shut out from that Inheritance London the 8th Month 1682. G. F. To all the ELECT of GOD Chosen and Faithful who have known the Work of the Lord and his Dealings and his Eternal Hand his Spirit and Power in preserving of you to this day and in this Glorious Gospel Day of Christ Jesus who are built upon him the Holy Rock and Foundation of God that standeth sure and are fed with the Heavenly Bread feel the Springs of Living Water and enjoy the Presence of the Lord who daily gives the Encrease AND now Friends with the Eternal Power and Heavenly Light of Christ with it you have seen and do see and will see that which Christ hath spoken in the 23d of Matthew and 8th of Luke which he taught to the great Multitude in Parables when he sate in a Ship Behold saith Christ a Sower went out to sow his Seed and as he sowed some fell by the High Wayes side and it was trodden down and the Fowls of the Air devoured it and some fell upon the Rocks or Stony Places where they had not much Earth and as soon as it was sprung up it withered away So he that receiveth the Seed into rocky or stony Places the same is he that receiveth the Word with Joy yet hath he not Root in himself but dureth for a while or for a while believeth and in Temptations falleth away for when Tribulations or Persecutions arise because of the Word by and by he is Offended and upon too many such have we seen this Parable fulfilled in Times of Persecutions and Tribulations and Sufferings the Persecuting Sun when it is up they are scorch't and withered away and so come to nothing And some fell among Thorns and the Thorns sprung up and choaked it And they also that received Seed among the Thorns are they that hear the Word and when they have heard go forth and are choak't with the Cares of this World and Deceitfulness of Riches and Pleasures of this Life and become Unfruitful and bring no Fruit to perfection and this is seen to be the Condition of too many But the other fell into Good Ground and brought forth Fruit some Thirty some Sixty and some an Hundred fold So they that received the Seed into the Good Ground are they which in an honest and a good Heart have heard the Word and understand it and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience some an hundred fould some sixty some thirty as was said before these are the honest and good hearts upon whom Christ the Son of Righteousness shines that nourishes his good seed who brings forth fruit unto perfection who lives over the Deceitfull Riches and Cares of the World and the Pleasures of this Life that pass away who are not offended nor moved at Tribulations and Persecutions but patiently do endure them such do bring forth Fruit unto Perfection yea an 100.60 and 30. fould in Christ Jesus who bruses the Serpents head who makes men and womens hearts like the high way thorny rocky and stony ground for men and women whose hearts are like unto the High Ways stony rockey and thorny ground the seed hath fallen into these grounds as before and these grounds all can talk of the Seed and of the Word but bring forth no fruit unto perfection And therefore let all consider what ground you are and Fruit you bring forth and when you hear the Word of the Kingdom that ye understand it which none can without the Light and Spirit of Christ and walk in it but he that shall endure to the end in the light in the grace truth and spirit and in Christ from whom you do receive these shall be saved For the Apostle saith the Just shall live by faith and this is not by any faith which men make but by the faith which Jesus Christ is both the Author and Finisher of in your Hearts and Consciences and in this faith ye have access to God and do please him but if any man draw back to wit by not living by this Faith doth not the Lord say my soul shall have no pleasure in him but we are not of them who draw back unto perdition that is a sad drawing-back but of them that believe to the saving of our souls From Kingston upon Thames the 2d of the 9th Moneth 1682. G. F. THE END BOOKS Printed and Sold by John Bringhurst at the Sign of the Book in Grace-Church-street near Cornhil 1. A General Epistle given forth in Obedience to the God of Peace for the Preservation and Encrease of Charity and Vnity amongst the Professors of Christ Jesus and the Teachings of his Divine Light Within By William Gibson Price 1 s. 2. The Life of Christ magnified in his Minister Being Seventeen Friends Testimonies concerning Giles Barnardiston Price 3 d. 3. A Way to Prevent the Indignation and Judgments of the Lord from coming on a Nation or Family By G. F. Price 1 d. 4. The Devil was and is the Old Informer against the Righteous By G. F. Price 1 d. 5. An Epistle to the Houshould of the Seed of Ahraham c. By G. F. Price a Half-penny 6. An Epistle to all Christians Jews and Gentiles By G. F. Price a Half-penny 7. Concerning the Upright and Good Conversation of the Saints in Christ and in Heaven By G. F. Price a Half-penny 8. 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