him to forsake what he has received of God a commandment to hold fast His holy harmless and profitable notions because they are spiced with grace yield to him more comfort joy and peace and do kindle in his Soul so goodly a fire of love to and zeal for God that all the waters of the World shall never be able to quench Ay say some that 's because he is head-strong obstinate and one that will hear no reason No say I but it is because his spirit is in the hand under the conduct and preservation of a Creator A Creator can make spirits uphold Spirits and make one Spirit stronger to stand than are all the Spirits of the World to cast down To stand I say in a way of patient enduring in well doing against all that Hell can do to suppress Thirdly A Creator A Creator can bring down the Spirits that oppose and make them weak and unastable as water The Lord the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not nor is weary There is no searching of his understanding He gives power to the faint and to those that have no might he increaseth strength now mark even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall A Creator can dash the Spirits of the enemies with fear God can put them in fear and make them know that they are men and not God and that their Horses are flesh and not spirit When the enemy came to take Jesus Christ their spirits fainted their hearts died in them they went backwards and fell to the ground They had hard work to strengthen their spirits to a sufficiency to boldness and courage though they brought Halberts and Staves and Swords and weapons with them to take a naked man John 18.3 4 5 6 7. And although this is that which is not so visible to the World as some other things are yet I believe that God treads down the Spirits of men in a day when they afflict his people oftner than we are aware of or than they are willing to confess How was the hostile Spirit of Esau trod down of God when he came out to meet his poor naked brother with no less than four hundred armed men He fainted before his Brother and instead of killing kist him Gen. 33. How was the bloudy Spirit of Saul trod down when David met him at the mouth of the Cave and also at the hill Hachâ—lah 1 Sam. 24.62 God is a Creator and as a Creator is a Spirit maker a Spirit reviver a Spirit destroyer He can destroy body and Soul in hell Luk. 12. Fourthly A Creator As a Creator he is over all Arts Inventions and Crafts of men that are set on work to destroy Gods people whether they be Souldiers excellent Orators or any other whatsoever we will single out one the Smith that roaring fellow who with his coles and his Bellows makes a continual noise I have created the Smith saith God that bloweth the coals in the fire that bringeth forth an instrument for his work and I have created the waster to destroy Isa. 45.16 The Smith what is he I answer an Idol-maker a promoter of false worship and one that makes Instruments of cruelty therewith to help to suppress the true Chap. 41.7 Chap. 44. the 12. Chap. 46. â— chap. 54.17 I have created the Smith saith God that bloweth the coals in the fire The Idol inventor the Idol-maker the supporter of Idol worship he is my creature saith God to teach that he has power to reach him and to command his Sword to approach him at his pleasure notwithstanding his roaring with his Bellows and his coals in the fire So then he cannot do what he will in the fire nor with his Idol when he has made it the instrument also that he makes for the defence of his Idol and for the suppressing of Gods true worship shall not do the thing for the which 't is designed by him And so the very next verse saith No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord. ver 17. And the Text saith moreover I have created the waster to destroy The waster what 's that why the Smith makes an Idol and God has made the rust the Smith makes a Sword and God has made the rust The rust eats them up the moth shall eat them up the fire shall devour them The wicked saith the Psalmist have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy and to stay such as are upright in conversation their sword shall enter into their own heart and their bow shall be broken Psal. 37.14 15. All this can God do because he is a Creator and none but God can do it Wherefore by this peculiar Title of Creator the Apostle prepareth support for suffering Saints and also shews what a good conclusion is like to be made with them that suffer for righteousness sake according to his will and that commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator Fifthly A Creator a Creator can make such provision for a suffering people in all respects as shall answer all their wants Have they lost their peace with the World have they no more peace with this World Why a Creator can make create peace can create peace peace Peace with God and peace with his conscience and that 's better than all the peace that can be found else where in the World Isa. 57.19 Have they lost a good frame of heart do they want a right frame of spirit Why though this is to be had no where in the World yet a Creator can help them to it Psal. â—1 10 Have they lost their spiritual defence do they lie too open to their spiritual foes Why this a Creator can help And the Lord shall create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion and upon all her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all her glory shall be a defence Isa. 4 5 6. This is the work of the Spirit for though the Spirit it self be uncreate yet all the holy works of it in the heart are verily works of Creation Our new man is a Creation our graces are a Creation our joys and comforts are a Creation 2 Cor. 5.17 18. Ephes. 4.24 Isa. 65.17 18 19. Now a Creation none can destroy but a Creator wherefore here is comfort But again God hath created us in Christ Jesus that 's another thing the Sun is created in the Heavens the Stars are created in the Heavens the Moon is created in the Heavens Who can reach them touch them destroy them but the Creator Why this is the case of the Saint because he has to do with a
Christ. John 1.16 Colos. 1.19 1 Tim. 1.14 This righteousness being planted in the heart leads a man out by the word of God to seek for another righteousness as invisible to and foreign from the natural man as this And that righteousness is that which properly is the righteousness of Jesus Christ a righteousness that standeth in his obedience to his Fathers Law as he was considered a common or publick person a righteousness which he brought into the World not for himself as considered in a private capacity but for those that shall by faith venture themselves upon him to obtain by him life eternal Rom. 5.19 Philip. 3.7 8 9 10. Again This closing by faith with this righteousness thus found in Christ and being taken therewith leads me yet to another righteousness which is instituted worship appointed by Christ for all his followers to be conversant in this worship is grounded on positive precepts and so on words of righteousness called Christs words Christs sayings c. Now upon this bottom begins the difference betwixt the men of God and the world For first by this inward principle of righteousness we come to see and say that men by nature are not Christians what priviledges soever they may account themselves partakers thereof But whosoever is a Christian of Gods making so is begotten and born of God and made a new creature by the anointing received from the holy one Jam. 1.18 Joh. 3.3.5 2 Cor. 5.17 18. Chap. 1.21 1 John 2.20.24.27 Now this these carnal men cannot endure to hear of because it quite excludes them as such from a share in the kingdom of Heaven To this again the Christian stands and backs what he says by the word of God Then the game begins and the men of the World are thoughtful how they may remove such troublesome fellows out of the way But because the Christians love their Neighbours and will not let them thus easily die in their sins therefore they contend with them both by Reasonings Writings Sermons and Books of Gospel Divinity and stand to what they say The world again are angry with these sayings Sermons and Books for that by them they are concluded to be persons that are without repentance and the hope of eternal life Here again the carnal World judges that these people are proud self-will'd Pragmatical contentious self conceited and so unsufferable People The Christian yet goes on and stands to what he has asserted Then the poor World as at their last shift begin to turn and over-turn the Gospelmans sayings perverting forcing stretching and dismembring of them and so making of them speak what was never thought much less intended by the believer Thus they served our Lord for not being able to down with his Doctrine they began to pervert his words and to make as also they said afterwards of Luthers some offensive some erroneous some Treasonable and that both against God and Caesar and so they hanged him up hoping there to put an end to things But his is but the beginning of things for the Christian man by the word of the Gospel goes further with his censure For he also findeth fault with all that this man by the ability of nature can do for the freeing himself from the law of sin and death He condemns him by the word because he is in a state of nature and he condemneth also what ever while in that state he doth as that which by no means can please God Rom. 14.23 Heb. 1.6 This now puts him more out this is a taking of his gods away from him This is to strip him of his raiment such as it is and to turn him naked into the presence of God This I say puts him out and out These wild brained fellows quoth he are never content they find fault with us as to our state they find fault with us as to our works our best works They blame us because we are sinners and they find fault with us though we mend they say by nature we are no Christians and that our bestdoings will not make us such What would they have us do Thus therefore they renew their quarrel But the Christians man cannot help it unless he would see them go to Hell and saying nothing For the word of God doth as assuredly condemn mans righteousness as it doth condemn mans sin it condemneth not mans righteousness among men for there it is good and profitable Job 35.6 7 8. But with God to save the Soul it is no better than filthy raggs Isa. 64.6 Nor will this Christian man suffer these carnal ones to delude themselves with a change of teâ—ms for the Devil who is the great manager of carnal men in things that concern their Souls and in the plea that they make for themselves will help them to tricks and shifts to evade the power of the word of God Teaching them to call the beauties of Nature Grace and the acts of natural Powers the exercise of the graces of the spirit He will imbolden them also to call mans righteousness the righteousness of Christ and that by which a sinner may be justified in the sight of God from the Law These tricks the Christian sees and being faithful to Gods truth and desiring the Salvation of his neighbour he laboureth to discover the fallacy of and to propound better terms for this poor creature to imbrace and venture his Soul upon which terms are warranted by the new Testament a stranger to which the natural man is But I say the things which the Christian presseth being so foreign to nature and lying so cross to mans best things are presently judged by the natural man to be fables or foolishness 1 Cor. 2.14 Wherefore here again he takes another occasion to maintain his strife and contention against the righteous man Raising of slanders upon him and laying things to his charge that he understandeth not charging also his Doctrine with many grievous things Namely that he holdeth that man was made to be damn'd that mans righteousness is no better than sin that a man had as good do ill as well That we may believe and do what we list that holiness pleaseth not God and that sinning is the way to cause grace to abound Besides say they he condemneth good motions and all good beginnings of heart to God ward He casteth away that good we have and would have us to depend upon a justice to save us by that we can by no means approve of And thus the quarrel is made yet wider between the men of the World and the Christian man But there is not a stop put here For 't is possible for the carnal man to be beaten out of all his arguments for himself and his own things by the power and force of the word and to be made to consent to what the Christian has said as to the notion of the truth I must not speak this of all But yet the breach doth still abide for that yet
Children for when that golden Image was set up and worship commanded to be done unto it not one that we read of durst stand upright when the time was come that bowing was the sign of worship Only the three Children would not bow 't was necessary that some should shew that there was a God in Heaven and that divine worship was due alone to him Dan. 3.10 11 12. But they run the hazzard of being turned to ashes in a burning fiery furnace for so doing But necessity has a loud voice and shrill in the ears of a tender conscience This voice will awake jealousie and kindle a burning fire within for the name and cause and way and people of the God of Heaven Thirdly there is sometimes a call to suffer for righteousness by the voice of providence That is when by providence I am cast for my profession into the hands of the enemies of God and his truth then I am called to suffer for it what God shall please to let them lay upon me Only for the making of thy way more clear in this matter I will deliver what I have to say with a caution or two 1. Thou must take heed that thy call be good to this or that place at which by providence thou art delivered up 2. Thou must also take heed that when thou art there thou busiest thy self in nothing but that that good is 3. Thou must also take heed that thou stay there no longer than while thou mayest do good or receive good there 4. Thus far a man is in the way of his duty and therefore may conclude that the providence of God under which now he is is such as has mercy and salvation in the bowels of it what soever is by it at the present brought upon him Christ Jesus our Lord though his death was determined and of absolute necessity and that chiefly for which he came into the world chose rather to be taken in the way of his duty than in any other way or any where else Wherefore when the hour was come he takes with him some of his Disciples and goeth into a garden a solitary place to pray which done he sets his Disciples to watch and falleth himself to prayer So he prays once he prays twice he prays thrice and he giveth also good doctrine to his Disciples And now behold while he was here in the way of his duâ—â— busying himself in prayer to God and in giving of good instruction to his followers upon him comes Judas and a multitude with swords and staves and weapons to take him To which providence he in all meekness submits for he knew that by it he had a call to suffer Mat. 26 36 37 38. In this way also the Apostles were called to suffer even while they were in the way of their duty Yea God bid them go into the Temple to preach and there delivered them into the hands of their enemies Acts 4.1 2 3. chap. 5.10.25 26. Be we in the way of our duty in the place and aboue the work unto which we are called of God whether that work be religious or civil we may without fear leave the issue of things to God who only doth wonderful things And he who lets not a Sparrow fall to the ground without his providence will not suffer an hair of our head to perish but by his order Luk. 12.6 7. And since he has engaged us in his work as he has if he has called us to it we may expect that he will manage and also bear us out therein either so as by giving of us a good deliverance by way of restoration to our former liberty and service for him or so as to carry us well out of this world to them that under the Altar are crying how long holy and true Nor shall we when we come there repent that we suffered for him here O how little do Saints in a suffering condition think of the Robes the Crowns the Harps and the Song that shall be given to them and that they shall have when they come upon mount Sion Revel 6.11 chap. 14.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Fourthly there is sometimes a call to suffer for righteousness By an immediate and powerful impulse of the spirit of God upon the heart This I say is sometimes and but sometimes for this is not Gods ordinary way nor are many of his Servants called after this manner to suffer for righteousness Moses was called thus to suffer when he went so often unto Pharaoh with the message of God in his mouth and he endured as seeing him who is invisible Heb. 11.25 26 27. Paul was called thus to suffer and he obeyed and went and performed that work according to the will of God This kind of call Paul calls a binding or a being bound in the spirit because the Holy Ghost had laid such a command upon him to do so that he could not by any means get from under the power of it And now behold saith he I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there Acts 20.22 For he that is under this call has as I said bonds laid upon his spirit which carry him to the place where his testimony is to be born for God Nor shall he if he willingly submits and goes as Paul did but have an extraordinary presence of God with him as he And see what a presence he had For after the second assault was given him by the enemy even the night following the Lord stood by him and said Be of good chear Paul for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem so must thou bear witness also at Rome Acts 23.11 Thus God meeteth his people in their service for him when he calls them aloud to do great service for him The power of such a call as this I say is great and men of ordinary spirits must needs give place thereto and leave a man thus bound to the God that thus has bound him All the help such can afford him is to follow him with our prayers not to judge him or grieve him or lay stumbling blocks before him No they must not weep nor mourn for him so as to make him sorrowful See Acts 21.12 13 14. His friends may suggest unto him what is like to attend his present errand as Agabus did by the spirit to Paul when he took his girdle and bound himself therewith to shew him how his enemies should serve him whither he went Thus saith the holy Ghost said he So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that oweth this girdle and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles Acts 21.11 But if this call be indeed upon a man all sorrow is turned into joy before him For he is ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Acts 21.13 Instances also of later times might be given of a call extraordinary to suffer for
thy self by his word and providence and as for this or that mans judgment refer thy case to the judgment of God 3. Obj. But if I be taken and suffer my cause is like to be clothed with scandals slanders reproaches and all manner of false and evil speakings what must I do Answ. Saul charged David with Rebellion 1 Sam. 22.8.13 Amos was charged with conspiring against the King Amos 7.10 Daniel was charged with despising the King and so also were the three children Dan. 6.13 chap. 3.12 Jesus Christ himself was accused of perverting the nation of forbidding to give tribute to Caesar and of saying that himself was Christ a King Luk. 23.2 These things therefore have been But 1. Canst thou after a due examination of thy self say that as to these things thou art innocent and clear I say will thy conscience justifie thee here Hast thou made it thy business to give unto God the things that are Gods and unto Caesar the things that are his according as God has commanded If so matter not what men shall say nor with what lies and reproaches they slander thee but for these things count thy self happy Blessed are you when men shall revile you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely lying for my name sake saith Christ. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you Mat. 5.11 12. Comfort thy self therefore in the innocency of thy Soul and say I am counted a Rebel and yet am Loyal I am counted a deceiver and yet am true 1 Sam. 24.8 9 10 11 12. 2 Cor. 6.8 Also refer thy cause to the day of judgment for if thou canst rejoyce at the thoughts that thou shalt be cleared of all slanders and evil speakings then that will bear up thy heart as to what thou maiest suffer now The answer of a good conscience will carry a man thorough Hell to Heaven Count these slanders part of thy sufferings and those for which God will give thee a reward because thou art innocent and for that they are laid upon thee for thy professions sake But if thou be guilty look to thy self I am no comforter of such I come now to speak to the third and last part of the Text Namely of the good effect that will certainly follow to those that after a due manner shall take the advice afore given Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator Two things from the last clause of the Text lie yet before us And they are they by which will be shown what good effect will follow to those that suffer according to the will of God and that commit their Souls to his keeping 1. Such will find him to themselves a Creator 2. They will find him a faithful Creator Let them commit the keeping of their Souls to him as unto a faithful Creator In this phrase a faithful Creator behold the wisdom of the holy Ghost how fitly and to the purpose he speaketh King is a great Title and God is sometimes called a King but he is not set forth by this Title here but by the Title of a Creator for it is not always in the power of a King to succour and relieve his Subjects that are suffering for his Crown and Dignity Father is a sweet Title a Title that carrieth in it an intimation of a great deal of bowels and compassion and God is often set forth also by this Title in the holy Scriptures But so he is not here but rather as a Creator For a Father a compassionate Father cannot always help succour or relieve his Children though he knows they are under affliction Oh but a Creator can Wherefore I say he is set forth here under the Title of a Creator First a Creator nothing can die under a Creators hands A Creator can sustain all A Creator can as a Creator do what he pleases The Lord the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not nor is weary Isa. 40.28 The cause of God for which his people suffer had been dead and buried a thousand years a go had it not been in the hand of a Creator The people that have stood by his cause had been out of both as to persons name and remembrance had they not been in the hand of a Creator Who could have hoped when Israel was going in even into the mouth of the red Sea that ever his cause or that people should have revived again A huge host of the Egyptians were behind them and nothing but death before and on every hand of them but they lived they flourished they out-lived their enemies for they were in the hand of a Creator Who could have hoped that Israel should have returned again from the land from the hand and from under the Tyranny of the King of Babylon They could not deliver themselves from going thither they could not preserve themselves from being diminished when they came there their power was gone they were in captivity their distance from home was far their enemies possest their Land their City of defence was ruined and their houses burned down to the ground and yet they come home again there is nothing impossible to a Creator Who could have thought that the three Children could have lived in a fiery furnace that Daniel could have been safe among the Lyons that Jonah could have come home to his Countrey when he was in the Whales belly or that our Lord should have risen again from the dead but what is impossible to a Creator This therefore is a rare consideration for those to let their hearts be acquainted with that suffer according to the will of God and that have committed the keeping of their Souls to him in well doing They have a Creator to maintain and uphold their cause a Creator to oppose its opposers And hence it is said all that burden themselves with Jerusalem shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it Zech. 12.3 Secondly A Creator A Creator can not only support a dying cause but also fainting spirits For as he fainteth not nor is is weary So he gives power to the faint and to those that have no might he increaseth strength Isa. 4.29 He is the God of the spirits of all flesh and has the life of the spirit of his people in his own hand Spirits have their being from him he is the Father of Spirits Spirits are made strong by him nor can any crush that spirit that God the Creator will uhpold Is it not a thing amazing to see one poor inconsiderable man in a Spirit of faith and patience overcome all the threatnings cruelties afflictions and sorrows that a whole World can lay upon him None can quail him none can crush him none can bend down his spirit None can make
that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die Isa. 51.12 God says the wise man hath set the one against the other the day of adversity and the day of prosperity to the end that man should find nothing after him to complain of For as certainly as there is a time to mourn so certainly there is a time to rejoyce set I say for them that suffer for Gods cause according to Gods will Eccles. 7.14 chap. 3.4 There are several degrees of suffering for righteousness there is the scourge of the tongue The ruin of an estate the loss of liberty a Gaol a Gibbet a Stake a Dagger Now answerable to these are the comforts of the holy Ghost prepared like to like part proportioned to part only the consolations are said to abound 2 Cor. 1. But the lighter the sufferings are the more difficult it is to judge of the comforts of the spirit of God for 't is common for a man to be comfortable under sufferings when he suffereth but little and knows also that his enemy can touch his flesh his estate or the like but little I say 't is common for such a man to be comfortable in his sufferings from the consideration that his enemies can touch him no further And this may be the joy of the flesh the result of reason and may be very much if not altogether without a mixture of the joy of the holy Ghost therewith The more deep therefore and the more dreadful the sufferings are the more clearly are seen the comforts of the spirit when a man has comfort where the flesh is dead stirreth not and can do nothing When a man can be comfortable at the loss of all when he is under the sentence of death or at the place of execution When a mans cause a mans conscience the promise and the holy Ghost have all one comfortable voice and do all together with their Trumpets make one sound in the Soul then the comforts are good of the right kind of God and his spirit I told you before that there are several degrees of sufferings wherefore it is not to be expected that he that suffers but little should partake of the comforts that are prepared for them that suffer much He that has only the scourge of the tongue knows not what are the comforts that are prepared for him that meets with the scourge of the whip And how should a man know what manner of comforts the holy Ghost doth use to give at the Gaol and the Gibbet when himself for righteousness never was there But whether this or the other Christian knows it God has his consolations for his suffering people and those too such as are proportioned to the nature or degree of their sufferings The which shall assuredly be made appear to them that shall after a godly manner stick to his truth and trust him with their Souls Joseph was cast into Prison but God was with him John was banished into the Isle called Patmos for the word of God But what revelations of God had he there even such as he was a stranger to all his life before this therefore is to be well heeded For it is a demonstration of the faithfulness of God to those that suffering according to his will do commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator Fourthly He will also be faithful to us in this He will not let the sharpness nor keenness nor venom of the arrows of the enemies of his people reach so far as to destroy both body and Soul at once but he will preserve them when what can be done is done to his eternal Kingdom and Glory Thus being preserved to his eternal Kingdom and glory is a mâ—rvellous thing But it must be so because God has called them to it Wherefore after Peter had told them that the Devil their adversary sought to devour them and had bidden them resist him stedfast in the faith he saith But the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal Kingdom and glory by Christ Jesus after ye have suffered a while make you perfect strengthen stablish settle you 1 Pet. 5.8 9 10. The truth is persecution of the godly was of God never intended for their destruction but for their Glory and to make them shine the more when they are beyond this valley of the shadow of death Indeed we oft-times when we are perscuted do feel the terrors of our adversaries in our minds But 't is not because they can shoot them thither nor because they of themselves have power to reach so far but we like fools by our ignorance and unbelief do admit them thither No suffering nor inflicter of suffering can reach the peace of the sufferer without his own consent This is provision of Gods making Yea and if thorow our folly their terror is admitted to touch us yet since we are not our own but are bought with a price we are not so at our own dispose but that God will have the butting and bounding of their rage as also a power to uphold and support our spirits When I said my foot slipped thy mercy O Lord held me up And the reason why by Gods ordinance the spirit is not to be touched in suffering is because that is it that is to sustain the infirmity of the sufferer therefore God will have the spirit of his servants kept sound and in good health Prov. 18.14 Isaiah 57.16 The room therefore and the ground that the enemy has to play upon is the body and outward substance of the people of God but the spirit is reserved for the reason hinted before and also that it might be capable of maintaining of communion with God And how else could they obey that command that bids them rejoyce in tribulation and glorifie God in the fires as it is Rom. 12 and Isaiah 24.15 But I say if they have not power to touch much less to destroy body and Soul for ever The body is Gods and he gives that to them to destroy the spirit is Gods and he keeps that to himself to shew that he has both power to do with us what he pleases and that he will recover our body also out of their hand for if the spirit lives so must the body when men have done what they can therewith This is the argument of our Lord Jesus Christ himself Luke 20.37.38 Therefore the faithfulness of God not only is but also will be seen by them that dare trust him till the next World to his glory and their eternal comfort We will now conclude with a short word by way of use you see how I have opened the Text and what hath naturally followed thereupon from the whole of which may be gathered First that the people of God are a suffering people a people subject to trouble for their faith and profession The reason is besides what hath been said already because the power of truth is in their
Gods commandments 1. How can he be a victor over himself that is led up and down by the nose by his own passions there is no man a Christian victor but he that conquers himself but he that beats down and keeps under his body his lusts his passions in the first place Is he that is led away with divers lusts a victor is he that is a servant to corruption a victor And if he that is captivated by his anger wrath passion discontent prejudice c. be not led away by them I am under a mistake So then to quarrel with Superiours or with any that are troublesome to thee for thy faith and thy profession bespeaks thee over-mastered and a Captive rather than a Master and a Conquerer 2. The same may be said upon the second head He keepeth not the Commandments of God For those teach him other things as I have also shewed The great Gospel-Commands terminate in self-denial but if self revenge is self denyal I am besides the Book Christ in the Book of the Revelations sets him that keeps the commandments of God a great way off from him that taketh and smiteth with the Sword He that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword Here is the patience and faith of the Saints that is in that they forbear to do thus and quietly suffer under those that thus take it and afflâ—ct the godly with it Again Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Revel 13.10 chap. 14.12 A patient continuing in well-doing and if suffering for righteousness be well-doing then a patient continuing in that as in other things is the way to keep Gods commandments Rom. 2.7 So that I say he keepeth not Gods commandments that is angry with his enemies and that seeks to be revenged of him that doth him ill You know the subject I am upon The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God James 1.20 Wherefore professors beware and take heed to your spirits and see that you let not out your selves under your sufferings in such extravagancies of spirit against your enemies as is no way seemly nor convenient Sixthly Men that are unquiet and discontented and that seek revenge upon them that persecute them for their profession do by so doing also put themselves upon the brink of those ruins that others are further from These men are like the flie that cannot let the candle alone until she hath burned her self in the flame Magistrates and men in Power have fortified themselves from being attacqued with turbulent and unruly Spirits by many and wholsome Laws And indeed should they not do so one or other perhaps would be quickly tempted to seek to disturb them in the due exercise of their authority Now the angry man he is the flie that must be tripping and running himself upon the point of these Laws His angry spirit puts him upon quarrelling with his Superiors and his quarrelling brings him by words spoke in heat within the reach of the net and that with the help of a few more brings his neck to the halter Nor is this what ever men think but by the just judgment of God Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resest shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13.2 Esth. 2.21 22 23. Wherefore let the angry man take heed let the discontented man take heed He that has a profession and has not grace to know in this matter to manage it is like to bring his profession to shame Wherefore I say let such take heed And the graces aforementioned and the due exercise of them are they and that which can keep us out of all such dangers Seventhly And what comfort can such a man have who has by his discontent and unruly carriages brought himself in this manner to his end He has brought himself to shame his profession to shame his friends to shame and his name to contempt and scorn Bad men rejoyce at his fall good men cannot own him weak men stumble at him Besides his cause will not bear him out his heart will be clogged with guilt innocency and boldness will take wings and fly from him Though he talketh of Religion upon the stage or ladder that will blush to hear its name mentioned by them that suffer for evil-doing Wherefore my brethren my Friends my enemies and all men what Religion Profession or Opinion so ever you hold Fear God honour the King and do that duty to both which is required of you by the Word and Law of Christ and then to say no more you shall not suffer by the Power for evil doing FINIS
hearts and shews it self in their lives a thing which the Devil and the World can by no means abide He that is born after the flesh persecuteth him that is born after the spirit Gal. 4. For they cannot agree in Religion the godly are so devout and the other are so profane that they cannot do Not but that Gods People as they are commanded are willing to let them alone but the other they cannot bear that they should serve God as they have said Mat. 15.14 And hence ariseth persecution The World also would have the Religion of the godly to be counted false a thing that the others can by no means endure but will stand by and maintain yet in all peaceable manner their own ways before them whatever it costs The Christian and the carnal professor are like those two Harlots that you read of in the Book of Kings who strove for the living child whose it should be whose contest could not be decided until it came to the sword of the King 1 Kings 3. O but when the sword was drawn under a shew as if the living Child must now be cut in two then the true mother was known from the false For her bowels yearned upon her Son ver 26.27 The World what shew soever they have for Religion and however they urge it that the truth is with them have no yearning of bowels for it Let it be neither mine nor thine said she but divide it but the woman whose the living child was had not an heart to say so Religion may lie and die in a ditch for all those that are given to their sins nor doth their zeal appear except when they are griping of the godly for his faith towards God Bowels yearning of Bowels over Gods condemned Religion is only found in the Souls of those who own God has made it Secondly Is it so are Gods people a suffering people Then this should inform them that will be Religious to prepare themselves for what is like to attend them for their Religion To prepare I say not with carnal weapons but with the graces of the spirit of God that will help them with meekness and patience to endure Sit down then I say and count up the cost before for Religion thou engagest too far lest thou take upon thee to meddle with that which thou wilt not know what to do with in the end Prov. 25.8 Luke 14.25 26 27 28 29 30. Many there be that are faulty here they have taken upon them to profess not considering what what they have taken in hand may cost them Wherefore when troubles come indeed then they start and cry This they like not because they looked not for it and if this be the way to heaven let who will go on in it for them Thus they take offence and leave Christs cause and people to shift for themselves in the World Mat. 13.20 21. Thirdly But let Gods people think never the worse of Religion because of the course entertainment it meeteth with in the World 'T is better to chuse God and affliction than the World and sin and carnal peace 'T is necessary that we should suffer because that we have sinned And if God will have us suffer a little white here for his word instead of suffering for our sins in Hell let 's be content and count it a mercy with thankfulness The wicked are reserved to the day of destruction they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath Job 21.30 How kindly therefore doth God deal with us when he chuses to afflict us but for a little that with everlasting kindness he may have mercy upon us Isa. 54.7 8. And 't is better if the will of God be so that we suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing 1 Pet. 3. â—7 Fourthly Look not therefore upon the sufferings of Gods people for their Religion to be tokens of Gods great anger 'T is to be sure as our heavenly Father orders it rather a token of his love for suffering for the Gospel and for the sincere profession of it is indeed a dignity put upon us a dignity that all men are not counted worthy of Count it therefore a favour that God has bestowed upon thee his truth and graces to enable thee to profess it though thou be made to suffer for it Acts 5.41 Thou mightest have been a sufferer for thy sins in Hell but thou art not but contrariwise art perhaps suffering for conscience to God this is a dignity for that thou dost thus by vertue of an heavenly gift on the behalf of Christ for the Gospel sake and according to the will of God This is a dignity that a persecutor shall not be counted worthy of until he first convert to Christ Philip. 1.29 Fifthly take thy affliction with meekness and patience though thou endurest grief wrongfully For this is thank worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully 1 Pet. 2. Lay thy hand then upon thy mouth and speak not a word of ill against him that doth thee wrong leave thy cause and thy enemy to God yea rather pray that his sin may not be laid to his charge wherefore as I said before now shew thy self a good man by loving pitying praying for and by doing good as thou art commanded to them that dispitefully use thee Mat. 5.44 I know thy flesh will be apt to huff and to be angry and to wish would thou mightest revenge thy self But this is base carnal sensual devilish cast therefore such thoughts from thee as thoughts that are not fit for a Christians breast and betake thee to those weapons that are not carnal For the Artillery of a Christian is the word faith and prayer and in our patience we must possess our Souls 2 Cor. 10.5 Luke 21.16 17 18 19. Sixthly Be much in the consideration of the All-sufficience of thy Father whose cause thou hast espoused whose word thou hast chosen for thy heritage and whose paths thou delightest to walk in I say be much in considering how all the World is sustained by him and that all life and breath is in his hand to continue or diminish as he pleases Think with thy self also how able he is to rescue thee from all affliction or to uphold thee in it with a quiet mind Go to him continually as to a fountain of life that is open for the supply of the needy Remember also if he comes not at thy call and comforteth thee not so soon as thou desirest it is not of want of love or compassion to thy Soul but to try thy graces and to shew to the fallen Angels that thou wilt serve God for nought rather than give out Also if it seemeth to thee as if God took no care of thee to help thee but that he hath rather turned thee over to the ungodly count this also as a sign that he delights to see thee hold fast his name though thou art laid under the greatest of