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A29936 St. Paul's triumph in his sufferings for Christ with some directions how a Christian ought to behave himself under, and may reap advantage by, his sufferings / by Matthew Bryan. Bryan, Matthew, d. 1699. 1692 (1692) Wing B5248; ESTC R36322 14,899 34

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set in a truer and better Light and learnt to prize and value what before he despised of whose worth he had not skill enough to make a true Judgement and Estimate No wonder then that he makes choice and that wisely enough as I hope I shall convince you before I have done of this Character here the Prisoner of the Lord. And this he does I conceive for these following Reasons 1st He looks upon this Character not as matter of disgrace but as the greatest as the highest honour 2dly Herein he gives an instance of his being conformed to the Captain of our Salvation of his being made partaker of the sufferings of Christ 3dly Herein he shews his resemblance to the noble Army of Martyrs the early sufferers before the Incarnation 4ly Hereby he gives an evidence of his fellowship with the suffering Saints and Martyrs since the Incarnation and Crucifixion of Christ 5ly 'T is a Presumption if not a Demonstration of the Truth of that Doctrine which he taught and deliver'd 6ly Suffering is the Touch-stone of Vertue and the Tryal of Sincerity 1st He looks upon this Character not as matter of disgrace but as the greatest as the highest Honour The Prisoner of the Lord or for the Lord or for the Lord's sake What greater Honour can there be To be a Prisoner for his sake who is the Beloved of the Father who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is exalted far above Principalities and Powers and every name that is named to whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth do how and obey to be a Prisoner in his quarrel and to suffer for him what greater Honour can there be to suffer for him who has suffer'd for all and is the great Redeemer and Saviour of Mankind and who shall come to Judge the World whose Word shall give Law to the Universe and determine the everlasting State both of Men and Devils from which there is no Appeal for ever at whose command and direction rewards and punishments shall be variously distributed to the many thousands and millions of the Sons and Daughters of Adam to suffer for him and in his quarrel what greater Honour can there be To be the Prisoner of the Lord St. Paul esteems as a more honourable worthier Title than that of a learned Jew or a precise Pharisee a Disciple a Scholar of Gamaliel's or a Doctor yea an Apostle of the Gentiles yea than the Son of a King an Heir to an Empire or a mighty Potentate whose Scepters and Chains of Gold he lookt upon to be less beautiful than his Fetters of Iron Every Link in his Chain was more ornamental than the Jewels in the Diadems in the Crowns of Princes Rom. 1.16 I am not asham'd says he of the Gospel of Christ We glory in Tribulations I am not asham'd of this Chain 5.3 Gal. 6.14 God forbid says he that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake as it is in the 2 Cor. 12 10. He esteems it as a piece of Honour a Royal Grant and Priviledge to suffer for Christ Vnto you it is given says he to the Philippians in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him Phil. 1.19 but also to suffer for his sake having the same conflict which ye saw in me and now here to be in me He exults and rejoyces and blesses God that he is counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name But that which others counted shame he counted Glory So far was he from startling at sufferings at the Name of Prison and Confinement or being asham'd of the Character of Prisoner for the sake of Christ that he breaks out into a vehement Passion and holy Anger with those who out of an unseasonable ill-timed Charity and Pity and deep concern for his Temporal Interest which they passionately advis'd him to consult like Peter of Old Master pity thy self disswaded him from going up to Jerusalem for fear of those Bonds and Imprisonment which the Prophet Agabus said did await him there What mean ye says he to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Act. 21.13 2ly Herein he gives an Instance of his being conformed to the Captain of our Salvation of his being made partaker of the sufferings of Christ who is stil'd Heb. 2.10 The Captain of our Salvation who was made perfect by sufferings Now the Souldier must be conformable to his Captain He must engage in the same War he must enter the same bloody Field and fight the same Battles and against the same Enemies he must run the same danger and undergo the same hardships that his Captain does or else he is unworthy of the Name or Title or relation of a Souldier and instead of being rewarded deserves to be punished Now St. Paul was a Souldier yea a great Officer and Commander under the Captain-General of the Spiritual Forces And he tells us Phil. 3.10 that he desir'd nothing more than to have fellowship with him in his sufferings and to be made conformable unto his death And every Christian is bound according to his measure and capacity to do the same thing Every Christian is a Spiritual Souldier and has oblig'd and engag'd himself to fight manfully under the Banner of Christ The Apostle makes suffering to be antecedaneous to glorification nay to be the condition of inheriting Glory Rom. 8.17 observe the Gradation there At the 16th Verse the Apostle says The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God And if Children then Heirs Heirs with God and joynt Heirs with Christ It follows if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together 'T is an undoubted Truth that the Christian that refuses to suffer with Christ shall not be glorified with him 'T is true a Christian is not bound to seek to court suffering to run himself into the Fire If he is persecuted in one place he is permitted to fly to another But if he cannot escape if he cannot fly he must suffer If the Cross be not only offer'd to but laid upon his Shoulder he must not basely cast it off If the Crown of Thorns be platted for and put upon his Head he must not refuse to wear it If a Christian is brought to that streight with Peter that either he must take up the Cross or deny his Master either suffer or sin it is easie to determine which side to take and what to do In this case a Christian is indispensibly bound to suffer and he that declines it refuses to suffer with Christ and consequently cannot expect to be glorified together with him But perhaps you 'll say God forbid that we