for the Apostle saith That we are not to suffer as evil doers But I pray tell me When did any of the people of God suffer for the Cause of God but there were such glosses as these saith Haman These are a rebellious people and it is not for the Kings profit to suffer them And so when Christ himself suffered He is not a friend to Caesar but an enemy Well then came the Apostles and when the Apostles came what a guise was put upon their sufferings These are seditious and thâ—se that turn the world upside-down are come hither And do not you finde in Scripture and experience that it is no new thing for men to persecute Religion upon the account of Religion Saith Christ For which of my good works go ye about to kill me No no thou art mistaken we go not about to kill thee for thy good works but because thou breakest the Sabbath c. So that 't is no new thing to persecute Religion even upon the account of Religion But then you will say If it be so how shall I be able to know that I do truely suffer for the Name of Christ How shall I be able in the midst of all these blinds and disguises How shall I see through them all that I may be able to say Nay but in truth I do suffer for the Name of Christ Why you have heard it in the general already onely a little more particularly to open it If you do suffer for the Work of the Spirit of God upon your heart the Work that the Holy Ghost hath wrought upon your heart If you do suffer for the Truth which is properly the Truth of the Gospel whatsoever disguises men put upon your sufferings plainly you suffer for Name of Jesus Christ Again if you suffer for the Cause of Christ for the Ways of Christ for the Ordinances of Christ for the Children of Christ for the Liberty which Christ hath purchased for you then you do suffer for the Name of Jesus Christ But thirdly if you do suffer for the worship of Christ as it is distinguisht from Jewish worship from Antichristian worship from Worldly worship then you suffer for the Name of Christ for the Worship of Christ is the Name of Christ And all Nations go forth in the Name of their God Now if you do suffer for the worship of Christ as it is distinguished from the Jewish worship from Antichristian worship from Worldly worship then you do plainly suffer for the Name of Christ The worship of the Jews and the way of the Jews was National but the worship of Christ and the Gospel is Congregational The worship of Christ is distinguisht from Antichristian worship For that 's humane and by humane inventions but the worship of Jesus Christ is Divine and from Heaven The worship of Christ is distinguisht from the worship of the world for that 's Pompous that 's Ceremonious a carnal worship like unto the world it self but the worship Jesus Christ is plain and simple Such worshippers doth the Father seek as worship him in spirit and in truth Now if you do suffer for the worship of Christ as it is distinguisht from the worship of the Jews Antichrist and of the World then you do certainly suffer for the Name of Christ Fourthly if you do suffer for the not-doing of that which Jesus Christ hath justified his own Disciples for the not doing of then do you suffer for the Gospel and so for the Name of Jesus Christ Now look into the 15 of Matth. and you shall see what Christ did justifie his Disciples in And the Scribes and the Pharisees came to Christ and they say unto him Why do thy Disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders What 's that for they wash not their hands when they eat bread VVhy that 's an indifferent thing surely the Disciples would not stand off for an indifferent thing Yes that they did I and Christ justified them in it But this was hatcht with the tradition of the Elders of the Church and surely they would not stand off now Yes that they did and Christ justifies them in it for Christ said Why do you also transgress the commandments of God by your traditions So that if you do suffer for not doing that which Jesus Christ hath justified his Disciples for the not doing of then you suffer for the Gospel and for the Name of Christ Fifthly If two things be laid before you and there is sin on the one hand and on the other hand there is suffering for Christ Sin on the one hand and suffering on the other If now you chuse rather to take up the suffering theâ— to commit the sin you do plainly suffer for the Name of Jesus Christ And therefore look whatsoever the reward is that great reward is which they shall have that suffer for the Name of Christ all that reward is yours Be of good comfort all that reward is yours O and if ever you be call'd to suffer for the Name of Christ go away rejoycing that you are accounted worthy to suffer shame or any thing for the Name of Jesus Christ O what great encouragement is here from this great Rewarder Who would not be willing now to suffer for the Name of Jesus Christ But you will say to me What shall we do that we may be willing to suffer for the Name of Christ for I confess I am very backward and unwilling to suffer for the Name of Christ Do you say so But it may be you are not convinced that it is for the Name of Christ But are you sensible of your unwillingness Why I use to say this He is not far from a grace that is sensible of a contrary evil And 't is a true speech He is not far from humility that is sensible of pride he is not far from faith that is sensible of unbelief So he is not far from being willing to suffer for the Name of Christ that is sensible of his own unwillingness But now suppose that for the present you be very unwilling to suffer for the Name of Christ You may know this That willingness to suffer for the Name of Christ is part of our suffering Grace and suffering Grace is given upon suffering ground Vnto you it is given not only to believe but to suffer The opportunity to suffer is the gift of God The will and heart to suffer is the gift of God And the strength to suffer is the gift of God These are three gifts in one gift But when is this suffering grace given It 's given upon suffering ground In that hour there shall be wisdom given you well to be willing to suffer for the Name of Christ is part of our suffering grace and therefore when you come upon the suffering ground then you shall have the suffering grace I but you will say Indeed I find my heart extreamly backward to suffer for the Name of Christ What shall I do
you do suffer according to Christs example which you may do if you suffer with the same spirit and disposition that Christ did suffer in the strength of Christ set all upon the head score of Christ Fifthly if you would so order and manage all your sufferings as that they may turn to a good account then take heed that there be no contradiction found in the way of your suffering A man may be very stiff and stand out here and yet he may yeeld there Saith the Apostle If I build again what I have destroyed I make my self a transgressor And Blessed is the man that condemns not himself in the thing that he allows 'T is possible I may build that with one hand that I may pull down with another Possibly a man may be very stiff and stand out at such a thing and yet he may yeeld there There may be contradictions found in the way of our suffering And let me tell you this if it be thus your sufferings will come to little Take heed that there be not contradictions therefore found in the way of your sufferings Sixthly if you would manage your sufferings so as they may turn to a good account then let your eye be more upon the Publike good then upon your own private loss more upon Gods designe then your own detriment more upon Gods dishonour then your own grievance or your own pressure 'T is good for a man to be spiritual and savoury in his suffering our Saviour saith Such worshippers the Father seeks c. and truly I say Such sufferers doth the Father seek that suffer in spirit and truth whose spirits are savoury in their sufferings And when is that when that your eye is more upon the publick good then your own private loss more upon Gods designe then your own detriment more upon Gods dishonour then your own grievance and your own pressure Sevently if you would so order and manage all your sufferings as that they may turn to a good account then let your eye be upon that and observe what that is that you have most delighted in and that your heart is most upon in this world and give that up to God the first thing you do for truly nothing is done till that be done 'T is said of Abraham that God tempted Abraham Divines observe that Abraham met with ten temprations but it 's never said before that God tempted him till he spake to him to offer up his son Isaac Why there was his heart and his love and his delight And where doth a mans temptation grow but where his Isaac is he shall be sure to be tried there Here was Abrahams heart here lay his temptation And so it may be my heart is upon my house or upon my land or upon my trade and I cannot part with this I can part with any thing else but when it comes to this I am ready to say The good Lord pardon me in this Many say I will not adventure to suffer any further for the Name of Christ then I can secure my trade or my land or relations but when it comes to this I cannot part with these I must have my trade c. Here 's a but comes in Anamas and Sapphira they parted with a great deal but it came to little because they had a reserve And so if we have our reserves with the Lord our sufferings will come to little So that observe that you give that up first to God that your hearts are most upon for nothing is done in suffering till that be done Eighthly if you would so order and manage your sufferings as they may turn to a good account then let the load and let the weight and the burden of all your sufferings be drawn upon the wheels of faith and love those two wheels of faith towards God and love towards man Saith the Apostle By faith Moses chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God How so why by faith he saw him that is invisible and so trampled upon visible things And by faith he had an eye to the recompence of reward and so overlooked these things And by faith he saw greater wealth in the reproach of Christ then in all the treasures of Egypt And so the three children they suffered by faith and it turned to a good account And as for love you know what the Apostle saith If I give my body to be burnt and want love it profiteth me nothing So then as ever you desire your sufferings may turn to a good account let your faith towards God and your love towards man be exercised And let these be the two great wheels that all your sufferings shal be drawn upon Ninthly if you would order your sufferings so as they may turn to a good account then labour to be serviceable in and by your sufferings If ever God call you to a prison labour to be as serviceable in and by your suffering as ever you can Peter was in prison what came on 't was there any converted No. Why so Peter slept I but Paul and Silas they sang in the stocks and they preach in the prison and there 's the Jaylor converted They were serviceable in and by their sufferings and it turned to a good account And therefore if you would desire that your sufferings may turn to a good account labour to be serviceable in by your sufferings as God calls you into Tenthly when you have done all and suffered all then say and think in truth that you are unprofitable servants and let your eye be wholly to the sufferings of Christ offer your own sufferings upon the sufferings of Christ in reference to your acceptance For though you may have an eye to the recompence of reward to encourage you to suffer yet you are wholly to look to the sufferings of Christ in reference to your acceptance And therefore when you have done all think and say you are unprofitable Two men went up to pray and the one he was a Pharisee and the other a Publican The Pharisee he comes and praises God he was not as the Publican I thank God I am not as this Publican I fast and pray and I am not as this Publican Well there comes the Publican and he smites himself upon the brest and says I am a poor sinner Oh! the Lord be merciful unto me a poor sinner So say I Two men go up to suffer and there 's one stands and vaunts and saith I thank the Lord I am not so cowardly and dastardly as these poor-spirited men that dare do nothing my flesh shall fry in the fire But the other stands at a distance and saith Oh I am a poor creature I am afraid to suffer and I am afraid I shall betray the Cause of Christ Now I tell you this poor trembling soul that is last shall be first and he goes away rather justified Eleventhly and lastly if you would so order and manage your
affliction Affliction is all that that is contrary to ones will thereby God eats out the core of our wills Whensoever therefore you meet with any affliction pray over it and beg that God would eat out the core of your wills thereby and the more the core of your wills is eaten out the more willing will you be to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ Eleventhly And then to draw to a conclusion that you may be willing to suffer for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ lay these things and this great reward wishly upon your hearts and thereby you will be made more willing You see how it is with a man that 's going to Court he rides through this plash and the other plash I am going to Court and there I shall be made a man if I get but thither Why truly we are going to the Court of the King of Kings and these sufferings that we meet withal are the plashes by the way But Christians there 's enough in heaven to pay for all Luther said Let him be miserable that can be miserable So you that suffer for the Name of Christ you cannot be miserable Christ hath pronounc'd you blessed and you shall be blessed and you see what a reward here is in the Text An hundred fold in this life and in the world to come life everlasting I shall only say this is the parting Speech There is no loss in loosing for Jesus Christ whatsoever you do loose for Christ you shall find it infinitely in Christ Christ and a little is a great deal The only way to have a mercy is to be content to go without it And the only way to prevent a misery is to be willing to endure it Now therefore if you would prevent suffering be willing to suffer for the Name of Jesus Christ And thus you see what the means are to be made willing And so I have done with this Answer of Christ In this part of the Answer you see how we may be made willing to suffer for Christ and in the cautional part some of you heard how we should so order our sufferings as that they might turn to a good account Now He that hath ears to hear let him hear SERM. IV. The two VVitnesses their Testimony Rev. 11. ver 3 c. And I will give Power unto my two Witnesses c. AND I will give Power unto my two Witnesses That is unto the inner Court and those that Worship there spoken of before The whole Church of God under the name of the Temple speaking in the Jewish Language The whole Church of God under the name of a Temple is divided into the outer and the inner Court The Inner Court is measured and the Altar and those that Worship there in ver 1. The outward Court is left out and given unto the Gentiles and they tread down the Holy City fourty and two Moneths ver 2. But saith Christ I will give power unto my two Witnesses that is unto the inner Court and those that were measured of which he had spoken before Called Witnesses No sooner is the Holy City troden underfoot by the Gentiles but Christs Witnesses do begin to bear their testimony to Christ The Witnessing time is divided into three parts A Prophesying time The time of their Prophesie from the third verse unto the seventh The Slaying time from the third verse unto the 11th The rising time and restoring time from the 11. verse unto the 14. So that in this Scripture that I have now read you have the state of the Church Prophesying or Witnessing in the dayes of Anti-Christ called Witnesses who are here described First by their number Two I will give power unto my two Witnesses Secondly by their Work and Office And they shall Prophesie Thirdly By their mournful and sad habit and condition and the time thereof They shall Prophesie 1260 dayes cloathed in Sackcloth Fourthly By their quality These are the two Olive Trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the Gâ—d of the Earth ver 4. Fifthly By their Guard and by their Defence And if any man will hurt them Fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their Enemies ver 5. Sixthly By the great things that they shall do in the latter end of their Prophesie These have power to shut Heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their Prophesie and have power over waters to turn them into Bloud c. So that now from all this I take up this one Observation Observ Though the Saints and Faithful Witnesses of Jâ—sus Christ must lye in Sackcloth 1260 daies or years yet in that time they shall be very fruitful and Prophesie and do great things in the end of those dayâ—s For the clearing whereof five or six things will fall under our consideration First Why the Saints and People of God are called Witnesses Secondly What these Witnesses are more especially in respect of their number and quality Thirdly How and in what respect they are cloathed in Sackcloth and how long Fourthly What this Prophesie is and how it comes to pass that they Prophesie in the time of their Sackcloth Fifthly What is their Defence and Guard wherewith they are Guarded and Defended in the daies of their Prophesie Sixthly What are the great things that they shall do in the latter end of their Prophesie I shall run through these particulars as briefly as I may And First If you ask why the Saints and people of God are here called Witnesses I answer Because it is their work and business to bear Witness to the truths and wayes of Christ in opposition to the wayes of Anti-Christ If you look into this Book of the Revelations you will find they are so described by bearing witness unto the waies and the truths of Christ in opposition to the waies of Anti-Christ For look but a little into this Book and you shall find that there are two sorts of people that are marked The followers of the Beast are marked and the followers of the Lamb are marked in their Foreheads The followers of the Beast are marked in Rev. 13. 16. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a Mark in their right hand or in their Foreheads The Followers of the Lamb are marked in their Foreheads too chap. 14. ver 1. And I looked and lo a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion and with him 144000 having his Fathers Name written in their Foreheads But now though the followers of the Lamb are thus marked with their Fathers Name written in their Foreheads yet their mark doth not only consist in some thing that is positive but in Refusing the mark of the Beast Rev. 20. why but to shew thus much That they are witnesses upon this account because they do bear witness unto Christ the truth and wayes of Christ in opposition to the wayes of Anti-Christ Thus they are conformed unto Jesus Christ who is the True and the
Faithful witness Rev. 3. write These things saith the Amen the true and Faithful witness That is Christ Christ is the true and the faithful witness and therefore those that are his they must be witnesses too that they may be conformed to him Thereby they also overcome as you have it in Rev. 12. And they overcame him by the Bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony They overcome by the Bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony by witness-bearing So then the Saints and people of God they are Christs witnesses In Anti-Christian times they are Christs witnesses and if they be thus described why then should not we look unto this work especially Bearing of witness to the truths and wayes of Christ This is the work that we are born for For this cause saith Christ was I born and for this cause came I into the World that I might bear witness unto the truth This is the work of our Generation witness-bearing to the truths of Christ in opposition to the waies of Anti-Christ in Anti-Christian times This is the work of our Generation This is the work which there is a thousand years of glory and comfort promised unto above other things as you read in Rev. 20. This is the work Witness-bearing to the truths of Christ in opposition to the wayes of Anti-Christ This is the work that hath the Crown and Name of Martyrdom A Martyr what 's that but a Witness Every witness more or less is a Martyr We take the word only for them that dye But every witness is a Martyr This is that work which sometimes is necessary to Salvation Rom. 10. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation This is the work I say therefore that sometimes is necessary unto Salvation And this is that work which Jesus Christ will own and acknowledg before all the world He that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my Father and all the Angels in Heaven And if this be the great work why should we not all of us look to this work especially this witness-bearing You will say what shall I do that I may be found faithful in this witness-bearing what shall I do that I may witness a good confession in these dayes of ours Something by way of Rule Something by way of means and yet not long because I must pass on to other things Rule 1. Something by way of Rule Be sure that your testimonies do agree Though there be 100 Witnesses about a business if their witness don't agree 't will be of little worth And now so it is Christs Witnesses this day are divided into many Opinions and Perswasions but they may agree in the main for Christ they may all agree in opposition unto Anti-Christ If that you wouâ—â—â—ave your witness valid and good labour you thaâ— are the witnesses for unity in your testimony Tâ—â—re are three saith the Apostle John that bear witness in Heaven speaking of Gods testifying of the truth of Grace There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost these bear witness of Christ and their witness is good why For these three are One 1 Joh. 5. 7. And saith he at the 8. v. There are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit and the Water and the Bloud The Spirit I come to know that I am the child of God by the testimony of the Spirit bearing witness with my Spirit that I am the child of God And I come to know that I am the child of God by the witness of water by the testimony of Sanctification And I come to know that I am the child of God by the testimony of Bloud by the testimony of my Faith relying upon the Bloud of Christ And these three agree and these three agree in One. The testimony is good because they agree in one So in our testifying of Christ If our testimonies do agree our testimony is good that 's the first thing We have bin too much divided God knows we have and he hath punisht our Divisions with Divisions 't is time to unite our testimony If you would bear witness unite your testimony 2. If you would witness a good confession in these dayes of ours then you must be willing to own the truth of Christ to own it whensoever you are called thereunto 't is said our Saviour Christ he witnessed a good Confession before Pontius Pilate Pray what kind of witness was it was it any long confession or large nâ— â—ut the manner on 't was this when they call'd him before them to give an account of any fact he left them to prove it When they called him to give an account of the Doctrine that he held Art thou the King of the Jews then he owned it He left them to prove the fact and he owned the truth so should we do And indeed if that we be not willing for to own the truth when we are called thereunto why how can it be that the mark of the Father should be written upon our Foreheads only We read of the followers of the Beast that they received a mark in their right hands and in their Foreheads both why in the Forehead and why in the hand In the Forehead sometimes to wear it openly And in their right hands to put it into their pockets and to hide it They can own it sometimes and sometimes they can hide it but the followers of the Lamb they have the mark of their Father only in their Forehead Therefore I say If we would witness a good Confession we must be willing to own the truth whensoever we are called thereunto 3. If you would witness a good confession in these dayes of ours then you must be willing also for to suffer for the truth of Christ Those that cannot suffer for the truth of Christ and run the hazard of a suffering they cannot bear their witness fully See how they go together in Rev. 13. 10. Here is the patience and Faith of the Saints The Faith of the Saints and their Patience do go together So in chap. 14. ver 12. Here is the Patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus Patience and keeping the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus they go together And therefore that 's a third thing 4. If you would witness a good Confession then take heed that when you hav born your testimony you do nothing that may revoke the same either directly or by consequence Some bear a good testimony to the truths of Christ but then they revoke their testimony by somthing that they do afterwards either directly or by consequence Mark what is said of John in Joh. 1. 20. 't is said of him He confessed and denyed not but confessed I am not the Christ He confessed and did not revoke his testimony He
confessed denyed not but confessed I know there 's an Hebraism in it but there 's more than so And he confessed and denyed not He bare his testimony and did nothing that might revoke that testimony either directly or by consequence And therefore if you would bear your testimony for the truth of Christ take heed that when you have given in your testimony you do nothing that may revoke it either directly or by consequence Thus by way of Rule And secondly by way of Means If you would be Faithful in bearing your testimony in bearing witness to the truths of Christ in opposition to the wayes of Anti-Christ Observe what the root is that a good confession grows upon and labour for to strengthen that Now what is the root that a good confession grows upon but Faith working by Love As for Faith I believed and therefore have I spoken And as for Love Much Water cannot quench Love Faith working by Love is the root that a good Confession grows upon and therefore strengthen that Secondly Labour in the work of Self-denyal and use your self now to deny your self There are two denyals that you read of in the Gospel one commanded and the other forbidden directly contrary one to another Self-denyal and denyal of Christ Self-denyal is commanded If any man will be my Disciple let him deny himself Denying of Christ is forbidden He that denyes me before men him will I deny before my Father which is in Heaven The more you deny your selves the less you will deny Christ And the more you deny Christ the less you deny your selves Will you not deny Christ but witness fully to Christ and the truths and wayes of Christ labour now to be found in the wayes of self-denyal that you may be kept from Christ-denyal Thirdly In the next place Take heed that you be not feared or scared too much with the scare-crowes of the times but go to God for boldness that you may be emboldned with the boldness of the Holy Ghost A timerous fearful Spirit will shrink in witness-bearing if God come not in with boldness You may see how they would have made Nehemiah to have ceased from the work of God even by scaring and fearing of him in Neh. 6. Tobiah and Sanballâ—t they send unto him that they might make him cease from the work of God that was in his hand and they say unto him 'T is reported that thou hast appointed to Preach at Jerusalem saying There is a King in Jerusalem and now shall it be reported to the King according to these words ver 7. here they cry out A Plot a Plot But while they cry out a Plot upon Nehemiah the truth is it was their own Plot. Then I sent unto them at ver 8. saying There are no such things done as thou sayest but thou feignest them of thine own heart They cry A Plot and they made a Plot. Well what was their Plot It was to make him cease from the work of the Lord. And how did they lay the Plot say they at ver 9. For they all made us afraid saying Their hands shall be weakned from the work They all made us afraid v. 13. speaking of false Prophets Therefore was he hired that I should be afraid and do so and sin And saith he ver 14. My God think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works and on the Prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the Prophets that would have put me in fear This was the way to make Nehemiah cease from the work of God that was in his hand to put him in fear to scare him And therefore take heed of the scares of the time but go to God for boldness that you may be emboldned with the boldness of the Holy Ghost And therefore do but read the fourth of the Acts where you find that when the Apostles were threatned they returned unto their own company and fell to Prayer at ver 23. And being let go they went to their own company and there they fall to Prayer And they lift up their voice And what did they pray for the great thing that they prayed for in their Prayer was That God would give them boldness And now Lord say they ver 29. Behold their threatnings and grant unto thy Servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word And what was the Answer ver 3â— And when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all fâ—lled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the Word of God with boldness This was the Petition put up Behold Lord their threatnings now give boldness to thy Servants Presently God answered and they were filled with the boldness of the Holy Ghost and so they bare their testimony And so I say If you would bear your testimony in these dayes of ours Take heed of being scared and feared with the scare-Crowes of the times But rather go to God and beg boldness of him that you may be emboldned with the boldness of the Holy Ghost and thus shall you do this great work which is the work that we have to do in this day of ours And so I have done with the first thing why the Saints and people of God are called witnesses Namely because it is their work in Anti-Christian times to bear witness to the truths and wayes of Christ in opposition to the wayes of Anti-Christ But then secondly What are these Witnesses more expresly in regard of their number and in regard of their quality First in regard of their number They are two And I will give power unto my TWO Witnesses Two is but a Few and yet it is enough to bear witness For out of the mouths of two or three Witnesses shall every word be established Two a Few and yet enough The Note is this Observ Christ will alwayes have enough to beaâ— witness to his Truth in the darkest times When the Gentiles tread underfeet the Holy City yet here are two 't is but a few and indeed Christ's Witnesses they are not very many they are but few In the Old Testament unless the Lord had left us a Remnant a very little Remnant And in the New Testament Nevertheless there are a â— E W Nameâ— in Sardis Christs Witnesses are not very many they are but few Two And yet they are enough Two are enough to bear witness unto a thing they are enough Christ though he have but few to bear witness to his truth he will alwayes have enough to bear witness to his truth in the darkest times in the darkest times of Anti-Christ What then though many fall off and go over unto Anti-christ's Colours Christ will have enough to bear witness In the 24. of Matth. 't is said Many shall be offended And Many shall be deceived And the Love of Many shall grow cold But he that endures to the end he doth not say but They that endure to the end but He. There is an He
offer a great Sacrifice unto God But this is the thing I bring it for The more Religious end any evil action hath the more holding and continuing is that evil action Now wicked men for their malice they shall have a Religious end they shall think they do God good service their malice therefore and their wrath against the people of God is never dying and an everlasting wrath Thus you see what kind of wrath it is It is a violent anger It is a fraudulent anger It is a Mortal anger It is a blasphemous anger It is an unreasonable anger It is an insulting anger It is an universal anger against all the people of God upon one mans occasion And it is an everlasting and a never dying anger But then secondly How comes it to pass that there should be such a deal of anger and wrath in the hearts of men against the people of God for the people of God are a quiet and a peaceable people 'T is true so they are But who more quiet and peaceable and meek than our Lord and Saviour Christ he lift not up his voice in the streets and yet who ever bare more anger and wrath from men than He. Yea the Saints are not only quiet meek and peaceable but beneficial to the men where they live The innocent delivers the Land Yet notwithstanding saith Solomon in Eccles 9. I have seen a sore evil under the Sun there was a little City and few men within it And there came a great King against it and besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it Now there was found in it a poor wise man and he by his wisdome delivered the City yet no man remembred that same poor man Then said I Wisdom is better than strength nevertheless the poor mans Wisdom is despised and his words are not heard So though the Saints and people of God do deliver a Nation and are exceeding beneficial to the people where they live and where they are yet they shall be despised yet there shall be wrath and malice in the hearts of men against the Saints of God But you will say how doth this come to pass that there should be such a deal of wrath and malice in the hearts of men against the people of God First of all the Saints and people of God and the men of the world they are directly contrary one unto another they are contrary in their Birth and in their Original For the men of the world they are of their Father the Devil who was a Murderer But the Saints and people of God God is their Father They are not only contrary in their original but they are contrary in their principles For the one are the Seed of the Woman and the other the Seed of the Serpent whose Principles are contrary The Seed of the Bond-woman at the best and the Seed of the Free-Woman Yea they are not only contrary in their Principles but they are contrary in their Worship For the Worship of the World is a pompous and a carnal Worship but the Worship of the Saints is Spiritual Such worshippers doth the Father seek that Worship him in Spirit and truth And as their Worship is contrary one unto another so their deeds and their practices are contrary For why saith the Apostle did Cain kill his Brother Abel but because his deeds were evil and his Brothers good Now one contrary seeks to destroy another Why these are contrary They are contrary one to another contrary in their Original Contrary in their Principles Contrary in their Worship Contrary in their lives and Practices And therefore no wonder that there is such a deal of wrath and anger in the hearts of the men of the World against the Saints and people of God But secondly The Saints and people of God they do not regard the men of the World and the men of the World they think so Now for high and lofty men to be slighted and not regarded this makes them angry In Dan. 3. when the three children would not bow down unto the Image There are certain Jews say they to the King that thou hast set over the Affairs of Babylon Shadrach Meshach and Abednego These men O King have not regarded thee Why they think now that if the people of God don't bow down to their Commandments and to their Idols that they don't regard the Magistrate These men have not regarded thee And the truth is Godly men that are the Saints and people of God they cannot regard them For blessed is the man saith the Holy Ghost that regardeth not the proud nor such as turn aside to lyes God hath given a blessing to those that regard not the proud Now wicked men cannot bear this that they should not be regarded high and great men of the world that they should not be regarded and therefore no wonder that there is such a deal of wrath and anger in their hearts against the people of God 3. The Saints and people of God they do withdraw from the men of the world and do separate from them Come out from among them and be ye separate touch no unclean thing Now when we withdraw from men and from their Worship We do condemn their Worship and the men of the world don't love to be condemned Noah condemned the world And by the separation of the Saints from them they do condemn them and they don't love I say to be condemned To separate from them and from their Worship this they cannot bear The Saints do separate from them and therefore there is such a deal of anger and wrath in their hearts against them 4. As the Saints and people of God do separate and withdraw from them upon which they are much provoked So the Saints and people of God do hinder them in their proceedings A man doth not love to be hindered in his proceedings the Saints and people of God they do hold wicked mens hands that they cannot proceed hold their hands by their Prayers I remember a story of Mr. Tyndal that blessed first Translater of the Bible into English that dyed a Martyr in Flanders being then at Antwerp and much respected by the Merchants there There was a great report of a certain juggler that could bring a dish of meat from any Princes Table and so set the Table that they were at with several Dishes from several Princes Tables Pray saith Tyndal to the Merchants will you let me be at your Supper Yes and so they carried him And when he was there the Juggler tryed his skill and sweat and took a great deal of pains but saith he I cannot do it there is some man here that doth hold my hands And Tyndal only set himself to this to believe that he should not do it I speak it only to this that the people of God they hold their hands And in this 76. Psalm The men of might they find â—â—t their hands There brake he the Arrows of the Bow