passive valour will conclude that there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some spark of Divinity in this that there is somewhat extraordinary some beams of Truth here which naturally bespeak Credit and Esteem The Devil has observ'd long ago that Skin for Skin Job 2.4 and all that a Man hath will he give for his Life But he that dares part not only with his Livelihood but his Life too in defence of his Doctrine and Religion convincingly perswades Mankind to believe the Truth of it and that the Sufferer believes it too in defence of which he will venture so great a Stake pay down so large a Praemium in lieu of which certainly he is assur'd of somewhat that is far better of a much more abundant Recompence He certainty most firmly believes the Doctrine of the Gospel and of future rewards and punishments who dares suffer rather than sin against the Revealer and Dispenser of them St. Paul dares suffer Imprisonment and the loss of Liberty and Estate and Life whilst Impostors and Cheats and Pseudo-Apostles boast and talk but dare not suffer or die but are guilty of base Tergiversation turning their backs upon the Truth which they renounce and deny when they are put to the Test to the severe Tryal and critical point of suffering That 's the fifth Reason of St. Paul's choice of this Character to recommend himself by and enforce his following Exhortation The Prisoner of the Lord Which is a Presumption if not a Demonstration of the Truth of that Doctrine which he taught and deliver'd 6ly and Lastly Suffering is the Touch-stone of Vertue and the Tryal of Sincerity This he very well knew who knows the Heart and the workings of it and therefore was pleas'd to put his Servant Job into the School of Affliction and to try him with Adversity Not that he wanted a discovery himself but to silence the Calumnies and Reproaches of the Devil and his Instruments who were ready to object against the Character and Elogy which God gave of him Doth Job fear God for naught as we read in that famous Dialogue between God and the Devil in the first Chapter of the Book of Job at the 6th Verse Now there was a day when the Sons of God i. e. the Angels came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan the Arch-Devil the President of the black Society came also among them And the Lord said unto Satan whence comest thou Then Satan answer'd from going too and fro in the Earth and from walking up and down in it And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou consider'd my Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright Man one that feareth God and escheweth Evil Then Satan answer'd the Lord and said Doth Job fear God for nought Hast not thou made an Hedge about him and about his House and about all that he hath on every side thou hast blessed the Work of his Hands and his substance is increased in the Land But put forth thy Hand and touch all that he hath and he will curse thee to thy Face And the Lord said unto Satan behold all that he hath is in thy Power only upon himself put not forth thine Hand Which leave no sooner given but he improves it to the utmost the Commission granted wanted not a sharp and speedy Execution So Satan says the Text went forth from the Presence of the Lord to vex and afflict the Saint and play'd the Devil indeed stirring up the Sabeans and Caldeans the Fire and the Winds against him opening the Treasury the Magazines of the Air of which he is emphatically call'd the Prince discharging the Artillery of Heaven against him making sore and lamentable havock in his Estate in his Goods and his Children leaving him in a manner as naked as the World receiv'd him Well but what effect had this upon Job Did he curse God to his face as the Devil said he would No but he behav'd himself with meekness and humility and resignation to the Sovereign Will exercising Faith and Patience and Trust in God He arose and rent his Mantle a token of Sorrow being a Stranger to the Stoical Apathy and shaved his Head and fell down upon the Ground and worshipped and said naked came I out of my Mother's Womb and naked shall I return thither It follows In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly But tho the Devil was foil'd and deceived here shamefully baffled and disappointed as to his expectation yet he makes another Effort resolves to try once more And to that end presents himself before the Lord upon a solemn Day amongst the Angels chap. 2. And the Lord said unto him v. 3. Hast thou consider'd my Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright Man one that feareth God and escheweth Evil and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause And Satan answer'd the Lord and said Skin for Skin yea all that a Man hath will he give for his life But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and flesh and he will curse thee to thy face And the Lord said behold he is in thine hand but save his Life So Satan went forth from the pesence of the Lord and smote Job with sore Boils from the Sole of his Foot unto his Crown And fearing that he was not Devil enough with all his Dragon-like violence to prevail with Job to curse God he employs an Incarnate Devil stirr'd up his Wife against him his Bosom Companion hoping that her Perswasions and Temptations would be as charming and prevalent as those of Eve were on her Husband Adam Then said his Wife unto him dost thou still retain thine integrity curse God and dye But he said unto her Thou speakest as one of the foolish Women speaketh What shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive Evil It follows In all this Job did not sin with his Lips but still exercis'd Faith and Patience and Trust and Affiance in God Though he kill me says he yet will I trust in him Vertue in a good Man shines the brighter for being clouded with Adversity of which Job was an illustrious Instance and Example Adversity was ever esteem'd amongst the ancient Philosophers to be the Touch stone of Vertue Magnum Exemplum nisi mala fortuna non invenit Sen. de Prov. c. 3. and the Tryal of Sincerity No very Exemplary Vertue they thought could well appear otherwise than in notable misfortune 'T was so in the Opinion of Socrates Plato Diogenes Seneca Cicero and other ancient Philosophers who did not shrink at Adversity but shew'd a greatness and presence of Mind sutable to their sufferings Their Vertue did not flag or wither or fall by those blustring Winds Adversity is like a tempestuous Wind which trys the strength of Trees those which are rotten at the
should refuse to suffer with Christ We are ready to suffer Martyrdom for him to dye for him to burn at a stake rather than deny him or renounce our Religion in which we were baptiz'd and educated 'T is well resolv'd indeed but 't is sooner said than done There are divers sorts of sufferings for Christ There is a sort of Martyrdom besides burning at a Stake The Christian that resolves to suffer rather than sin is a Martyr in Will And that chooses actually to suffer rather than sin is a Martyr in deed Now examine the sincerity of your Resolution in lesser Instances which are below the greater Martyrdom suffering death for the sake of Christ He that is poor and to help himself will steal refuses to suffer with Christ He that to avoid the loss of a little trival Profit or to secure his Estate when he is threatned with the loss of it will do unlawful things will lye and swear or forswear and act against his Conscience and the word of God and his own words too he denys Christ and refuses to suffer with him and consequently cannot expect to be glorified together He refuses to fight under the Banner of Christ notwithstanding his Vow but is a perfidious base Deserter and runs over to the Enemies Camp and therefore cannot expect to be rewarded by his own General to whom he has sworn Fidelity but on the contrary when he falls into his hands must expect the fate of base Deserters That 's the second Reason of St. Paul's choice of this Character The Prisoner of the Lord. He herein gives an Instance of his being conformed to the Captain of our Salvation of his being made partaker of the sufferings of Christ. Which must mightily recommend him to the good Opinion and Affections of all good Christians 3ly Herein he shews his resemblance to the noble Army of Martyrs the early Sufferers before the Incarnation Whose Martyrology whose renowned sufferings are compendiously historified in the 11th to the Hebrews which tells us that by Faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a Season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endur'd as seeing him who is invisible Others were tortur'd not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection And others had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonment They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Of whom says the Historian the World was not worthy They wandred in Deserts and in Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the Earth These were the Proto Martyrs the early Sufferers before the Incarnation To whom our Apostle shews his resemblance by this Character of the Prisoner of the Lord. 4ly Hereby he gives an evidence of his fellowship with the suffering Saints and Martyrs since the Incarnation and Crucifixion of Christ Hereby he declares his fellowship with that bold couragious Sufferer St. John the Baptist who was a Prisoner and a Martyr in his confinement With St. Stephen the glorious Proto Martyr after the Ascension of our Lord to whose death St. Paul was not only a Witness but an Assistant too consenting unto his death with all those sufferings Christians whom he himself had persecuted breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord and being exceedingly mad against them caused them to blaspheme making havock of the Church halling Men and Women committed them to Prison where he himself is now their joyful Companion 5ly 'T is a Presumption if not a Demonstration of the Truth of that Doctrine which he taught and delivered There are two ways of confirming any Revelation from Heaven Miracles and Suffering Now by both these our Saviour confirm'd his Doctrine especially by the former and the Apostles more especially by the latter who therefore were call'd Martyrs that is witnesses to the Truth of the Gospel by their sufferings Which gain'd mighty Credit and Reputation to it which drew on multitudes of Disciples brought in sholes of Proselytes according to the old Observation that the Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church He that dares suffer for his Religion that can suffer Bonds and Imprisonment and death for Christ that can suffer the loss of his Goods and Estate his Livelihood and his Life for the Doctrine he delivers gives a Presumption that it is true and that he believes it to be so But if when he is call'd to suffer he starts aside like a broken Bow and will rather deny his Doctrine or Religion than suffer in the defence of it it exposes the Credit of it gives a ground of suspition that it is not true at least 't is an Argument that he himself does not believe it Our Saviour tells us of some St. Luk. 8.13 that are like the stony Ground who receive the word with joy but in time of temptation fall away The time of Persecution is the time of Temptation the time of Tryal which like the cold frosty Air meliorates and is advantagious to sound but pernitious to sickly unhealthy Bodies which makes 'em languish and die away or rather like the stronger Wind which ventilates and fans and cleanses the solid Grain but drives the Chaff and the empty lighter Corns a way Mat. 3.12 So John the Baptist uses the Similitude concerning Christ Whose Fan says he is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his Floor c. There is a time when Christ the Master and Owner of the great Threshing Floor the Church takes his Fan in his Hand and by the Wind of Persecution does purge his Floor the Chaff flies away which lay mingled amongst the Wheat but it fans and cleanses and discovers the purer solid Grain which he gathers into his Garner but will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire The Apostles and their suffering Brethren were this purer Wheat that could endure the blowing and fanning and cleansing of the Wind whilst many others like Chaff were too light for the Discipline of the Wind could not endure the violent Breath but were instantly blown away Blessed is the Man says St. James that endureth Temptation i. e. the time of Tryal He is an Honour to the Gospel a Comfort to himself and a Bulwark to Religion Who will believe that Man that does not believe himself And how does that Man believe himself that dares not suffer in defence of that Doctrine which he has taught and deliver'd But he that can say and suffer that dares do and die in pursuance and defence of his Doctrine and Religion why the Beholders of his resolute constancy and
Heart or Root it breaks and throws down but those which are sound are the more confirm'd the more firmly rooted by those violent shakings To approve a man truly vertuous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. de Rep. 2. and heartily righteous says an ancient Writer he must be exercis'd with all the Instances of Adversity not only in his Goods but his good Name not only his Estate but his Body and Life He must endure all the Instances of Cruelty he must be imprison'd and put upon the Rack and tortur'd and scourg'd and have his Eyes burn'd out suffer the pains of Fire and at last be impaled or dye upon a Cross It was the Cup of Poyson says Seneca Cicuta Magnum Socratem fecit Sen. Ep. 13. Calix venenatus qui Socratem transtulit e Carcere in Caelum Id. Ep. 67. Aequalis fuit intanta inaequalitate fortunae c. Id. Ep. 104. Rutilij Innocentia ac virtus lateret nisi accepisset injuriam dum violatur effulsit Id. Ep. 79. which made Socrates a Great man and which out of Prison did transfer him to Heaven or did procure to him that lofty esteem offering opportunity to signalize his constancy his equanimity his unconcernedness for this World and Life And the Vertue says he and the innocence of Rutilius would have lain hid if it had not by condemnation and exile received injury while it was violated it brightly shone forth And he that said this of others was himself in nothing so illustrious as in handsomely entertaining that death to which he was adjudged by the bloody Tyrant And generally the most honourable Persons in the Judgment of Posterity for gallant worth to this very end as * Sen. de Prov. 2.3 Plut. de Stoic Contr. Ep. 1931. such Philosophers teach were by Divine Providence deliver'd up to suffer opprobrious condemnations and punishments by the ingrateful malignity of their times He 's a vertuous Man indeed that can endure all this rather than renounce his Vertue and Integrity And such vertuous Men such stout couragious Sufferers the World has yeilded and that both amongst the Heathens and in the Church of God of which our Saviour and the Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs were glorious and illustrious Instances Thus you see that 't was for very good and wise Reasons that our Apostle chose this Character the Prisoner of the Lord. And now what Improvement should we make of this but to apply it to our selves in three or four particulars 1st Let us not be scandaliz'd at suffering or insult over those that suffer Let us not be offended at suffering 'T is the Lot of the Righteous in this World the Church's Patrimony the Portion of the People of God The Seed of the Woman 't is promis'd shall bruise the Serpent's Head but 't is threaten'd that it shall bruise his Heel Though the former is more fatal yet the latter is no less painful of which the Seed of the Woman and it 's genuine Off-spring have been and are sadly sensible Though God has assur'd the Church that his Grace is sufficient for her yet she must expect a Thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet her Though he has promis'd to tread Satan under her Feet shortly yet in the Interim the Dragon bites with his Mouth and fights with his Tayl and stings and wounds and torments the Flesh Though the Church is the care of Heaven and the darling of Providence yet she is sometimes like her Lord driven into the Wilderness there to be tempted and persecuted by the Devil Though sometimes she is clad with Purple embrac'd in the Arms and sits upon the Throne with Princes whom God makes her nursing Fathers yet there is a time when you will find her with Job upon the Dunghil there sitting in her mourning Weeds sighing and groaning and uttering her complaints in the most doleful Accents Behold all ye that pass by and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Which we must not wonder at for Tribulation is the Way to Glory Through many Tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This is the common Road which our Saviour and the Prophets and Apostles went to Heaven in Christians are Cross-bearers They wear it from the Font to their Funeral from the Laver to the Sepulchre Their Baptism of Water is often seconded with Baptism of Blood The Cross is not only the Ornament of the Fore-head but the Burden of the Shoulder too If any one will be my Disciple says our blessed Lord Let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me A Text which has often sounded in your Ears and has been learnedly and passionately improv'd in many excellent melting Sermons but alas by men rather skill'd in the Theory than the Practise in the Art of painting the Cross than bearing it in the Charms of tragical Eloquence and moving the Passions than the exercise of Christian Patience To whom I am sorry that Character of St. John's Sufferers in the Revelation does not belong Rev. 14.12 Here 's the Patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus We have had excellent Discourses of suffering and of patience of bearing the Cross for the sake of Christ but few Examples of it We have had Teachers too much of the Pharisaick Temper binding heavy burdens and grievous to be born and laying them on Mens Shoulders which they themselves will not move with one of their Fingers But 't is not enough to talk of the Cross but we must take it up If any one will be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross He must neither be offended at nor yet despise it or those that bear it 'T is a mark of an unchristian Spirit to insult over those that suffer for Conscience sake 'T is to sit down in the Seat of the Scornful and partake with those from whom the primitive Sufferers had tryal of cruel mockings They who insult over scoff at and despise those that suffer for Conscience sake for their constant Adherence to the Principles of Faith and the Truth of the Gospel and the Laws of God would have done the same had they been then living to Jesus Christ and his Apostles and Martyrs who suffered for Conscience sake 2dly Let us rather choose to suffer than to sin Of which choice Moses has given us a President and Example Heb. 11.25 Choosing rather to suffer Afflicton with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a Season Choosing rather None would choose to suffer Affliction could he honestly avoid it For no Affliction for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Heb. 12.11 'T is a Thorn in the Flesh which throbs and akes But better be prick'd with those wounding Thorns than kick against the Pricks Better walk upon Thorns to Paradise though they wound and tear the Flesh than through flowery Meadows