her Beloved inquire of the watchmen the Ministers of the Gospel where and how to find what he seeketh and followeth Christ by earnest prayer as the woman of Canaan did untill he obtaine his suit and he must not rest satisfied with the beginnings thereof but still labour for increase The Scripture speaks of assurance and full assurance of hope of assurance and sull assurancâ— of faith of the riches of full assurance of understanding and of great boldnesse in the faith to be attained in this life and this the Apostle prayed for for the Ephesians and laboured to beget in the Colossians as appears by the forecited place and this the Scripture exhorts all Christians to labour for and saith That he that doth these things shall never fall but an entrance shall be ministred unto him abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ which one would think were argument enough to perswade any Immortall soul to seek after it Thus of the second rule propounded for the getting of assurance The third is this He that would get assurance of the Love of God must work by the help of the Spirit of God who searcheth all things yea the deep things of God as the Scripture saith And beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God the Word cannot without the Spirit the Spirit will not without the Word assure us oâ— eternall happinesse therefore he that would get assurance must work by the help of the Spirit he must try himself and his graces by the Word through the help of the Spirit In the fourth place He that would get assurance must carefully avoid all the hinderances thereof in the generall he must shun and avoid all sinne more especially these sinnes Ignorance Atheisme Prophannesse and Hypocrisie Vnbelief and Impenitency Erronious Opinions Presumption and Desperation neglect of the meanes of Grace formall Vse of them and Rebellion against them strangnesse with God and Iesus Christ. Fifthly He that would get assurance must labour for all those qualifications and graces which may render him capable â—f it and which God usually imparts this blessing to First he must become a new Bottle I mean a new Creature for assurance is new wine and Christ will not put it into an old Bottle for it would burst the Bottle Labour therefore for grace trush of grace every renewing grace But more especially these graces Knowledg Faith Sincerity Heart-humility Contritition accompanied with Convertion and new Obedience Assurance will not dwell in an Ignorant Vnbelieving Hypocriticall Heart therefore he that would attain it must labour for those graces which are contrary to these vices God dwels as a reviver in the heart of the humble and contrite sinner He revives the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite ones Iesus Christ puts the strongest wine in broken Bottles I do not say into old but into broken Bottles he binds up the broken hearted He therefore that would get assurance must labour for an humble and broken heart A wise father will not assure a prodigall and disobedient Child of his inheritance while he continueth such no more will our Heavenly Father He therefore that would get assurance of inheritance with the Saints in light must come home to his Heavenly Father with a submissive and obedient heart with a heart obedient unto all his Heavenly Fathers Will. It is not every one that hath truth of grace that attains assurance but he that hatâ— truth of grace and strength of grace true faith and strong faith Therefore in the second place labour for strength of grace strength of faith and every other grace It is not every one that hath truth of grace and strength of grace that attains to assurance but he that hath grace and knows that he hath it Therefore if thou wouldest attain assurance labour to know the grace of God in thee In the third place Labour to know that thou haâ—â— grace that thou hast a true justifying faith that thou hast sincerity c. Grace in Gods Children is many times hidden from themselves and that is the reason why they reap so little comfort of it so little evidence by iâ— they do not know that they have received an earnest penny of God they do not know Gods ingagements of himself unto them Therefore if thou wouldest get assurance try and prove all thy graces whether they be true and reall Evangelical and renewing yea or nay especially these graces Faith Lovâ— Repentance Obedience Poverty of Spirit Sincerity c. that thou maist know thou hast truth of saving grace such grace as is crowned with glory and pray to God for sensâ— of grace Fourthly Get Righteousnesse Evangelicall Righteousnesse Righteousnesse of Iustification and Righteousnesse of Sanctification Assurance is an effect of Righteousnesse though not an inseparable concomitant of it The work of Righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of Rrighteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever Labour therefore to get Christs Merit for thy Iustification and Christs Spirit for thy Sanctification Fifthly Labour to beleeve as if there were no law to condemn thee and to live as if there were no Christ to save theâ— Labour to beleeve stedfastly and walk exactly with God and Man When Stephen beheld the glory of God The Text saith He looked up stedfastly into Heaven and it 's certain that though a weak faith may bring a man to Heaven and glory yet it will not bring a man to behold the glory of God whilst he is here below it will not bring him to the riches of full assurance therefore if thou wouldest attain this labour for a strong and stedfast Faith joyned with a holy life These qualifications he must labour for that desires assurance Sixtly he that would get assurance must deny himself in point of finne and in point of righteousnesse First he must deny himself in point of sinne he must not spare a right hand nor a right eye but if it offend cut it off pluck it out as Christ speaks he must deny himself in his darling finne he must not allow himself in any one known finne nor in the omission of any one known duty towards God or towards man want in this is that which Satan usually makes his great battering Ingen to overthrow if it were possible the Faith and Hope of Gods Elect and that whereby he hinders them from getting or keeping this rich jewell of Evidence Allowance of sinne and assurance cannot stand together they are as contrary as fire and water the one will out the other Therefore he that would get assurance must deny himself in point of sinne Secondly He must deny himself in point of righteousnesse he must renounce all his own righteousnesse in point of justification before God and count them all losse and drosse and dung and build upon a sure Foundation viz. the Rock Christ. He
to the Congregation of Alderman-bury And one who for these Thirty years by reason of an affliction lying upon her hath been in a great measure deprived of those publique spirituall helps which others enjoy and also of those private helps which good Christians do or might partake of by the Communion of Saints This makes good that Text of Scripture Out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast perfected praise And that other That the strength of God is made perfect in weaknesse Church History tels us of a Captive Woman whom God made instrumentall to convert the whole Nation of the Iberians to the Christian Faith And the Book of God tels us of Priscilla who was made able by grace to expound the way of God more perfectly unto Apollo himself an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures And that she and her Husband Aquila were helpers in Christ Iesus unto Saint Paul and that for his life they laid down their necks Much is spoken by the same Apostle in commendation of divers Women I hope no man will contemn this Book because written by a Woman but rather admire the goodnesse love and power of God who is able to do such great things by such weak instruments No man will refuse pearls or precious stones though handed to him by the Female Sex It is her great desire that her Name may be concealed All that I will say of her is That she is a precious Iewell though in a contemptible Box and a very great ornament to the Congregation of which she is a Member If any reap any spirituall advantage by reading of this Book she hath obtained the hight of her ambition onely she craves their Prayers that God would blesse her and hers that the lesse help she hath from men the more she may have from God and the incomes of his holy Spirit that though she wants an outward eare to hear the voice of Gods Ministers speaking to her outward man yet she may have an inward ear to hear God speaking to her soul words of everlasting consolation And this is also the Prayer of Thy Servant in the work of the Ministery Edmund Calamy THE PREFACE Christian Reader ASsurance well-grounded assurance of the Love of God and a mans own salvation is a thing much to be desired and laboured for by all that have immortall souls But a thing industriously sought after by few and attained by fewer The most people in the world trouble their heads little about it and their hearts lesse know not what it is nor how to go to worke to attain it some think it is impossible to attain it others seek not after it some desire it but cannot acquire it others enjoy it but do not impart it hence it comes to passe that few reap the comfort of it I think it not amisse therefore to speake somewhat of it seeing it is a thing without which we can neither live nor diâ— with sound comfort in our souls much lâ—sse trâ—umph over dâ—ath the King of terrours I shall here in the first place premise three thingâ— or lay dowâ— three conclusions and for brevity sake I will only name them the first is this The first That there are some that are chosen to salvation predestinate elect oâ—dained to eternal life beloved with an everlasting love vessels of mercy prepared unto glory before the world began and kept by the mighty power of God unto salvation and all these shall be certainly saved and glorified The Second That it is possible for a Child of God in this life to attain some good assurance and true evidence that he is of this number The third That it is the duty of every Christian to labour for assurance of the Love of God and his own salvation But here the great question will be How shall I do this How shall I go to work to attain this precious jewel of assurance which you speak of This question the ensuing discourse tends to the resolution of therefore I will here only lay down some rules to be followed by every one that desires to attain some good assurance or Evidence for Heaven while he is here First He that would obtain this precious jewel and invaluable treasure of good assurance must ask it he must ask it of him who hath said ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full He that purchased Heaven for us purchased the Evidences of Heaven also but he doth not alwayes commit them to the heirs custody Christ doth not alwayes deliver the Evidence and the â—nowledg of it with the right and title to Heaven Nay he doth many times withhold the Evidence of Heaven from those to whom he gives rigâ—t and title to Heaven for speciall reasons therefore for this Christ must be sought unto injuired of as the Scripture speaks A plain Jacob by much wrestling with God may obtain some good evidence of his favour as well as an eloquent Orator or a learned Clark Therefore if thou wouldest obtain some good Evidence for Heaven and a happy eternity then go to God with the Language of Abraham Gen. 15.8 when God had told Abraham he would give the land of Canaan to his posterity Abraham beleeved God he beleeved Gods promise should be made good yet desires to be further confirmed in this and therefore saith Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it So say thou to the Lord respecting that land above of which Canaan was a type Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it Say to God as Tamar said to Judah Give me a pledg of thy promise untill thou performest it say to God as Rahab said to the spies Give me a true token give me the earnest of the Spirit give me some grace that may assurs me of glory and open my eyes to see this grace bestowed on me give me the blessing of Joseph who was able to say I feare God give me the blessing of Paul who was able to say I know whom I have beleeved and put thâ—se promises in suit Isai. 32.17 Joh. 14.20 Secondly He that would get this precious jewel of assurance must seek it he must seek it where it is to be found and as it is to be soughâ— after 1. He must seek it where it is to be found seek it in Iesus Christ and Vnion with him and seek Iesus Christ and the demonstrations of Vnion with him in the Word of God in all the Ordinance of God and duties of a Christian and in the Work of God in and upon himself He that will conclude according to truth about his spirituall and eternall estate must diligently try himself and his graces by the truth to wit the Word of God which is the only true touchstone we have to try our selves by The heart is deceitfull above all things and despeperately wicked Who can know it There is nothing in
a pure fountain still purging it self it makes a man very industrious tokeep a pure conscience To keep himself pure from the pollutionsthat are in the world through lust pure in thought in word and in deed a pure heart desires to have all pure within and without A pure heart loves the pure word of God for the purity of it not for the novelty of it Thy Word is very pure therefore â—hâ— Servant loveth it saith a pure heart Psal. 119.140 A pure heart makes the pure Word of God its rule to walk by in all things and labours to order its conversation by this both towards God and towards Man in all things The purity of the heart in the state of grace consists in the simplicity and sincerity of holinesse not in the perfection of it its purity is Evangelical The purity of sincere holinesse is fit and but fit to give the appearance of a new heart 3. A new heart is an upright heart Uprightnesse is another expression whereby a new heart is deciphred in Scripture in divers places when the heart is made new it is made upright uprightnesse therefore is fit and but fit to give the appearance of a new heart uprightnesse of heart being that which makes the great difference between a true Child of God and an Hypocrite An upright heart by the grace of regeneration is not a heart totally void of Hypocrisie but a heart indued with sincerity which is contrary to and warreth against Hypocrisie such a heart Christ cals an honest and good heart Luk. 8.15 The appearances of uprightnesse of heart are very many but for brevity sake I will mention only some few which an upright heart cannot well be without An upright heart is a heart set against all sinne original as well as actual secret as well as open sinne applauded as well as down crâ—ed sins Sinne and uprightnesse by the grace of regeneration are direct Antipodes flat contraries and the heart fo farre forth as upright is set against all sinne but most against that sinne which is more its own then other to wit its predominate sin as the language of an upright man declares Psal. 119. ver 101. 104. compared with 2 Sam. 22.24 An upright heart is a heart careful of all duty and desirous to correspond all circumstances in duty Integrity and uprightnesse shews it self by yielding universal Obedience to all Gods revealed Will 1 King 9 4. It makes a man studious and careful to approve himself upright towards God and towards man in all things Act. 24.16 It makes a man very desirous to know what God would have done and how he would have it done The upright heart saith as Paul Lord What wilt thou have me to do And with Manoah intreats the Lord to shew him how he would have him to do it Let the Angel come again and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born said Manoah to the Lord when his wife told him what tidings the Angel of the Lord had brought her a of sonne and not only fo but inquires farther how he should do it How shall we order the Câ—ild and how shall we do unto him said he Iudg. 13. ver 8 12. And it is the property of an upright heart to desire to know Gods Will and to do Gods Will as he would have it done and so as it may be accepted of him I will worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse saith an upright heart I will seek the Lord and I will do it early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will observe what becomes of it saith an upright man An upright heart is an humble heart the heart that is lifted up is not upright so much pride so much Hypocrisie there is in the heart so much integrity and uprightnesse so much humility is there in the heart Christ formed in the heart and the heart must needs resemble him in humility for he was meek and lowly in heart an upright heart is a levelled heart An upright heart is a heart in love with Christ The upright love thee saith the Spouse to Christ Cant. 1.4 An upright heart is a heart espoused to Christ and faithfull to him a heart intire to Christ whether present or absent a heart which desires that all its approaches to Christ might be in marriage-dresse Psal. 45.14 An upright heart earnestly and cordially desires that all were like it self sincere and upright witnesse the language of an upright man Act. 26.29 and wishes well to all that are such An upright heart delights to walk by an upright rule and in an upright way I delight to do thy Will O God saith an upright heart Psal. 40.8 I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Psal. 101.2 An upright heart begins the work of Reformation at home as the Language of Christ Mat. 7.5 intimates Thou Hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own Eye c. Thereby intimating That it is the nature and property of sincerity and uprightnesse to begin at home to labour for self-reformation in the first place and then reformation of all under its charge Psal. 101.78 Integrity and uprightnesse is no patron of tolleration it cannot tollerate sinne where it hath power to suppress it or restrain it An upright heart delights in uprightnesse in whomsoever it finds it more then in any other qualification whatsoever it knows that all parts put together without this will not make a good whole and therefore esteems uprightnesse more then any other qualification whatsoever Psal. 101.6 An upright heart is a faithfull heart it is so called Neh. 9.8 where it is said of Abraham who had an upright heart that God found his heart faithfull before him an upright heart is a heart faithfull to God and faithfull to man it is faithfull to God absolutely and first it is faithfull to man relatively and conditionally with reference to God and the conditions between it and others An upright heart is not satisfied with a bare forme of Godlinesse but labours for the power of Godlinesse it is not satisfied without works but labours to have all glorious within it labours to do all duties after a spiritual manner and so as they may be accepted of God and it labours conscionably to practise what it doth profess and teach others do and teach An upright heart is a heart stedfast with God stedfast in his Covenant as it is easie to be gathered from that which is spoken of the Israelites Psal. 78.37 Their heart was not right with God that is their hearts were not sincere and upright but how doth that appeare why the next words tell us They were not stedfast in his Covenant had their hearts been sincere and upright they had been stedfast in his Covenant they would wilfully have broken it and cast it behind their backs
which we all naturally desire to wit soveraignty as the reward of this service as a motive to quicken our dull hearts to buckle to our duty If we suffer we shall also reign with him 2. Active Obedience is a lesson hard to learn passive Obedience is a lesson harder to flesh and blood to learn neither of them can we learn to any purpose unlesse Christ be our schoolemaster but both of them will Christ teach us so far forth as he sees it necessary for us if he once undertake the work 3. Suffering is of divers sorts good or bad according as the true cause of it is a man may suffer for well doing or for evill doing it is to sufferers for well-doing not to sufferers for evill doing that the Crown is promised 4. Suffering is either just or unjust suffering is alwayes just from God but not alwayes just from men it is not to just suffering but to unjust suffering from men that this promise is made 5. It is not to sufferers for the evill of sinne nor to sufferers of the evill of sinne to which the Crown is promised But to sufferers of the evill of punishment for the avoiding of the evill of sinne that it is promised as â—ppears by comparing this Text with some others Peter explains Pauls meaning here touching suffering 1 Pet. 3.14 If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake happy are ye Chap. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye c. Christ concurreth in this Matth. 5.10 11 12 19.29 Hence it is evident That it is not to all kind of suffering but only to Gospel-suffering that this great reward is promised I will not here stand to distinguish between suffering for righteousnesse sake and suffering for Christs sake or for his name sake but leave it for them whose proper worke it is 1. But here note 1. That the sufferings of the Gospell comprehend both the Doctrine of the Gospell and the Discipline of the Gospell and Gospell-Conversation and a man is a sufferer for the Gospel that suffers in the defence of either of these or for either 2. And secondly Note That it is not suffering as an evill doer but suffering as a Christian that denominates an heir of Heaven Let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evill-doer saith the Apostle Yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalfe 1 Pet. 4.15 16. Hence it is evident That it is to him only that suffers as a Christian that this promise of reigning with Christ is made The Apostles meaning in this Text then is That if we suffer as Christians we shall reign with him in glory Quest. But what is it to suffer as a Christian or when may a man be said to suffer as a Christian Answ. To suffer as a Christian is to suffer as Christ did suffer and a man may be said to suffer as a Christian when he is truly conformable to Christ in suffering Christ suffered for the Will of his Father for the fulfilling of the Will of his Father and he suffered according to the Will of his Father now when a man doth these two when he suffers for the Will of Christ and suffers according to the Will of Christ then doth he suffer as Christ did then may he be said to be conformable unto Christ in suffering and to suffer as a Christian. A man then suffers for the Will of Christ when he suffers for doing that which Christ would have him to do or for refusing that which Christ would not have him to do A man then suffers according to the Will of Christ when he suffers as the Word of God requires him to suffer viz. when he suffers out of Love to God and suffers beleevingly patiently joyfully couragiously and perseveringly for confcience towards God that God may have honour thereby and glorifies God for suffering My purpose is not to enter upon an accute discourse of either of these but briefly to assert what I think necessary for the right understanding of them as God shall inable me 1. It is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his Will should suffer out of love to his Will and he that doth suffer for the Will of Christ and doth not suffer out of love to the Will of Christ doth not suffer according to the Will of Christ This is evident by the Language of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I give my body to be burned and have â—ot love it profiteth me nothing it is as if the Apostle had said it is the Will of Christ that I should suffer out of love to him and if I do not thus all my suffering is worth nothing it is not according to the Will of Christ nor worth any thing in Gods account it comes to just nothing at last it profiteth me nothing c. Aâ— all our active obedience so all our passive obedience must spring out of love to God as the efficient cause of it else it is worth nothing with God 2. It is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his will should suffer beleevingly this appears thus It is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his Will should suffer patiently joyfully couragiously and perseveringly but this a man cannot possibly do except he beleeve therefore it follows by necessary consequence that it is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his Will should suffer beleevingly This is also evident by Scripture Ioh. 14.1 where Christ making a speech â—o his Disciples to fit them for suffering bids them beleeve thereby declaring that his Will was that they should suffer beleevingly and intimating That if they did not suffer beleevingly they did not suffer according to his will although they suffered for his will A man may be then said to suffer beleevingly when he by faith committeth the keeping of his soul unto God in well-doing as the Apostle Peter speaks when he beleeves that Christ will be with him in all his sufferings strengthen him to suffer carry him through all that he cals him to suffer and abundantly reward all his sufferings for his sake according to his Word 3. It is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his will should suffer patiently God cals for patience in suffering Be patient in tribulation Rom. 12.12 In your patience possesse ye your souls Luk. 21.19 We should follow Christ in patient suffering saith the Apostle for even hereunto are we called Hence it is evident That he that suffers for the will of Christ doth not suffer according to the will of Christ except he suffer patiently Divine patience or patience considered as a divine quality is the issue and creame of many graces It is a Diamond in the midst of a Triangle to wit â— a vertue between stupidity despising the chastisement of the Lord and fainting under it it is
a grace which keeps a man quiet within when all things are troublous and very unquiet without it is a grace which possesses a man of himself when dispossessed of all earthly comforts it is a speciall work of the Spirit of God in the soul enabling a man not stupidly but quietly to bear whatsoever God lays upon him without feeling murmuring or repining against God or man in heart or in tongue or fainting under his chastising hand When it is thus with a sufferer for Christ then may he be said to suffer according to the will of Christ in this particular to wit patiently 4. Christ requires joy in sufferers for his will Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations Rejoyce and be exceeding glad saith Christ. Rejoyce in that day and leap for joy It is divine joy or the joy of grace that Christ here calls for in sufferers for his will it is that joy which Nehemiah calls The joy of the Lord. And this is a holy passion of the soul issuing out of the apprehension of what Christ hath done for it and will do for it reviving elevating and strengthening the soul and carrying it above it self It is a wing grace which whiles the soul is actually possessed of is thereby carried above it self above the world and above Satan Faith and joy are the two wings of the soul which bear it up both in doing and suffering If either of these be câ—ipt the soul is much hindered thereby and exposed to many dangers Joy as all other graces of the Spirit hath different degrees in different times and subjects and is usually greatest in the greatest sufferers and sufferings for Christ. When a man is spoiled in his estate spoiled in his good name spoiled in his body or any thing respecting the preservation or felicity of this life for his faithfullness to the word and will of Christ and yet with the good Prophet Rejoyces in the Lord and joys in the God of his salvation then may he be said to suffer joyfully then may he be said to suffer according to the will of Christ in this particular 5. Christ in his Word calls for courage in sufferers for his will the will of Christ is that he that suffers for a good cause should not be ashamed of his cause nor of his sufferings If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of me his prisoner saith Paul to Timothy The will of Christ is That he that suffers for his will should not be afraid If ye suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour nor be troubled Fear them not saith Christ thrice in one Chapter Fear noâ— them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soul Phil. 1.28 Christ compares his Church to a company of horses in Pharaohs Chariots which in all probability were the best in Egypt and like to the war-horse which the Lord describes to Iob Job 39. very couragious in the hottest battell Christ by this metaphor hints unto us That his will is that we should be very bold and couragious in whatsoever we do or suffer for his sake and that he expects it at our hands his will is that we should be like a company of horses in Pharaohs Chariots full of spirits and courage in doing and suffering and not like a company of Jades in a Dung-Cart spiritless and unfit to bear any thing for his sake It is Christian-courage that Christ requires in sufferers for his will Christian courage is a grace of the â—pirit whereby a man resolves through the help and assistance of Jesus Christ to cleave close to his word and will and boldly to stand for it mauger all opposition and chuses rather to suffer any thing than omit any thing or commit any thing that should derogate from the honour of Christ. A man doth then declare Christian courage when he is not ashamed nor afraid to own a good cause or appear in it because of suffering when he can suffer for the Gospel or any Ordinance of God and truly say with the Apostle Though I suffer these things neverthelâ—ss I am not ashamed I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ nor of the cause of God And when with the three Children he slights the torment and the tormentor resolving in the strength of Christ to do his duty whatsoever he suffer for it and to cleave close to the word and will of Christ whether deliverance or no deliverance arise here when he is more afraid to displease God than man when he is more afraid of losing things spiritual and eternal than of losing things temporal when he chooses to suffer rather than sinne when he endureth the Cross and despiseth the shame when he refuseth base deliverance and yeeldeth his body rather than his cause his cause being good into a Tyrants hand When a sufferer for a good cause doth thus declare his courage he declares it in a high degree and suffers according to the will of Christ in this particular 6. Christ in his Word requires perseverance unto the end in suffering for his will and it is unto the persevering sufferer that this great reward of reigning with Christ is promised Be thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the Crown of life He that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved Christian perseverance is a conftant holding out in the Truth to the last breath in the belief love profession and practice of the Truth And this he may be said to do that doth never totally nor finally apostatize from the Truth once received It is possible for one that perseveres in suffering at some time and in some kind and measure to desist from his former forwardness through strong temptations and humane frailty witness Peter who through fear denied his Master and forsware him and yet did after suffer for him 7. The will of Christ is That he that suffers for his will wrongfully should do it for conscience sake For conscience towards God conscience of his duty should be the principall motive inducing him to suffer I do not say the only but the principall motive A man may then be said to suffer for conscience towards God when conscience of his duty is the thing that puts him upon suffering when he to avoid sinne or performe duty exposes himself to suffering when he out of scruple in conscience of the lawfullness or unlawfullness of a thing commanded or forbidden by Authority refuseth it and chooses rather to suffer in his outward man than to baffle his conscience or displease God by rebelling against lawfull Authority which is Gods Ordinance He that doth thus suffer doth suffer for conscience towards God and according to the will of Christ in this particular 8.