must be 1 1. What kind of joy yee must leave First spiritual not carnal in spiritual objects in things spiritual it must be a pure and refined joy Jesus rejoyced in spirit Luke 10.21 The joy of the Lord must be your strength your joy must be pure and spirituall Secondly a serious not a light frothy joy Hebr. 12.5 we must glory not sport it under afflictions and tribulations Wee must not dispond nor yet make light of afflictions if we make light of afflictions God will make them heavy true joy should be a serious thing Thirdly it must be a practicall joy Luke 6.23 puting the soul on to duty engageing the soul under all afflictions to manifest our joy by outward signes a leaping of heart and body it comes from and is an allusion to the danceing of the Galyard or leaping of young cattel that are wanton or as some carry it to the joy that a Bridegroom takes in his Bride upon their marriage day Fourthly it must not be a passionate and transient but a permanent and lasting joy they rejoyced in Christs light for a tyme but when persecution came they were offended Moses was faithfull over all his house as a servant but Christ as a son whose house wee are if wee hold fast the beginning of our confidence and the rejoyceing of hope firme to the end Heb. 3.6 Strengthened with all might to endure with patience and long suffering with joyfullness Our joy must be such as the Apostles was here they were constant that accompanied their joy A saint indeed may have some mixtures of sadness but though heavyness endure for a night joy comes in the morning A beleivers joy is not like that of a hypocrite that lasts but for a moment but constant like the conflict of winde and fire that encreaseth it the more so must afflictions That Apostle that failed before in his speeches and doctrine could now rejoyce in his stripes he that before trembled at the look of a silly damsel now could look upon the face of a great and learned Councel But you will say 10. Direct and Helps what shall wee doe to attaine such a blessed frame of spirit I will propound you some directions to help you herein Direct 1 First 1 Pet. 4.12 if yee would be joyfull under your sufferings for Christs sake Enure your selves to them count not the fiery tryall a strange thing wee entertaine strangers with dissatisfaction but friends with joy and delight receive not sufferings as strangers but friends and then yee will bid them welcome wee are like Ephraim unaccustomed to the yoak and that maks us to entertaine afflictions so unwillingly A suit at first puting on pinches but afterward becomes easie a Bird at first puting into the Cage is dampish but afterwards being satisfied sings sweetly Fox vol. 2. pag. 277. Mr. Bilney in prison divers times proved the fire by putting his finger near to the candle at the first touch of the candle his flesh resisting and he with drawing his finger did after chide his flesh in these words Quid unius membri inustionem ferre non potes quo pacto cras totius corporis conflagrationem tolerabis What said he canst thou not bear the burning of one member and how wilt thou endure to morrow the burning of the whole body I feel and have known it long by philosophy that fire is hot yet I know some recorded in Gods word even in the flame felt no heat and I believe that though my body will be wasted by it my soul shall be purged thereby Direct 2 Secondly be sure ye suffer upon good grounds suffer warrantably and innocently warrantably when you must either sin or suffer or when the Truth must suffer for want of your Testimony Innocently sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and make him your fear and your dread and be ready to give an answer to every one of the hope that is in you be sure ye suffer with a good conscience 't is the winde in the bowels of the earth that causeth the Earth-quake Innocency is an excellent Target under sufferings A Roman Lady being carried to prison when great with child when the tyme of her travail came cried out much sayes the Jaylor to her what ails you how will you burn or bear it to be pricked upon the point of a sword O! quoth she now I suffer as a malefactor then I shall suffer as a Martyr Look you have no sin in your sufferings if ye would have joy I have read of many that have for fear or love of the world turn'd back and apostatized yet their persecutors would make them suffer and they did it with great trouble Labour to be able to say Lord 't is not so much for mine as thy sake that I suffer Direct 3 Tirdly if so be ye would suffer for the name of Christ get a right understanding of the cross look on both sides of suffering observe the sharpness on the one and yet the sweetness on the other hand I have read of a picture that had the deformed shape of a Monster on the one side and the face of a beautifull virgin on the other so are sufferings black on one side and beautifull on the other when wee judge of the Bee by her sting wee can't bear with her but consider honey with it and she is acceptable Remember the joyfullness of afflictions as well as the grieviousness of them and you will be taken off all prejudices against it Tribulation works patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost God gives all out of love in proportion and in infinite wisdome which he will shew in due tyme. The ransomed of the Lord shall come to Zion and everlasting joy shall be upon their hands though now they have sorrow in their hearts Direct 4 Fourthly Rev. 2.2 comp with 3. if you would suffer joyfully for Christ then labour for joy in doing work this will make way for joy in suffering Rev. 2.2 3. compared I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and for my name sake hast laboured and hast not fainted the soul that comes once to worke and labour will come to patience and will not faint if ye would bear Christs Cross joyfully 1 Tim. 4.8 9. labour to bear his yoak joyfully for bodily exercise profiteth little but godlyness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation I count not my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministry which I have recived of the Lord Jesus Acts 20.24 to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God what follows but I am willing to die at Jerusalem for the name of Jesus
COUNSEL FOR SUFFERERS OR Helps under Sufferings from Acts 5 41. And they departed from the presence of the Councel rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Sapienti meliora sunt in votis deteriora vero in expectatione Plut de tranquil Gravius est vulnus quod non expectatur illa agrius tollerantur quibus homose non prius assue facit Aug. London printed for JOSEPH HALL Book-seller Book-binder on Tine-Bridg New Castle upon Tine 1683. To the Christian READER CHristian Reader I nothing doubt but the worthy Author will be in esteem with and get the approbation and testimony of all that either now are or hereafter may be trysted with a suffering lot for their owning of and cleaving to the truths of Jesus Christ for his plain free and faithfull endeavours in the following treatise It needs no testimony from man to an impartiall Reader for it is stampt with such a divine image and bearing such clear lineaments of heaven-born truths as testify it to be of God and therefore oblidgeth us to receive it as into our houses so into our hearts Further I make bold to tell thee Reader who ever thou art if thou haste received a spirituall relish thou shalt taste much sweetness in this it being so sutable and seasonable following discourse which clears up these six solid sound and most necessary propositions First That the condition of Gods people in this world is a suffering condition To suffer c. Secondly that shame is one great peice of and ingredient in their sufferings To suffer shame c. Thirdly that the profession of Christ's name is the great ground of the saints sufferings To suffer shame for his name c. Fourthly It is a great dignation of God to call out his people to suffer for his name Worthy to suffer shame for his name c. Fifthly that an opportunity to suffer shame for the name of Christ ought to be esteemed and entertained not onely willingly but joyfully Rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name c. Sixthly The consideration of Christs name being in our sufferings is sufficient to quicken us to joyfullness in them And they departed c. In the handling of which it may be truely said of the Author Alluding to that Prov. 31 29. many Daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all if there be any thing wanting here which happily thou might have exspected impute it to the want of the Authors hand subscription how ever I would not keep from thee what is here though I could not give thee what is wanting It is storied of Democritus that he put out his eyes that he might contemplate the better I doe not counsel thee to doe soe but if ye would wink with one the eye of carnall reason and slavish fear captivate every thought to the obedience of Christ thou might with that other of faith take the better aime at the marke to obtaine the price of the high calling in Christ Jesus Thus not willing longer to detaine thee from the perusall of the Book it self I commend both thee and it to the blessing of God and bids yow fare wel Acts Cap. 5. vers 41. And they departed from the presence of the Councel rejoycing that they were Counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name IT was the saying of Bishop Jewel that famous and shining light of our Church That it becomes a Bishop or Minister of the Ghospel to die preaching It was Austins wish of old That he might die either preaching or praying Accordingly wee finde the Apostles in this chapter preaching in the face of death it's self wee finde them breathing out Gods grace to man while they are breathing out their lives into the Armes of Gods grace Commending of God to the world while they live in the world yea when they were leaving of the world while the world persecute Christ the Apostles preach him It was a tyme of great opposition and publick persecution as yee may read in the History of this Book yea of this very chapter But the Apostles continued in the work of the Ghospel They went not a foot of the way of their Calling and station notwithstanding all the malice of their enemies but continued the same by many signs and miracles for by the hands of the Apostles Chap. 5.12.13 were many signs and wonders wrought among the people so as their persons received honour and a great accession was made unto the Church by their Ministry God will not own his people in haltion dayes but in stormy and tempestuous times Paul that was once a great persecutor after conversion turns a great preacher and professor Grace where it comes makes a great change and the Cross of Christ is the best Pulpit to read a Lecture of Gods grace to souls out off But the High Priests and officers alwayes the severest enemies of Christ and Religion if they prove not of and with the people who commonly follow their heads that go before them if the Apostles cannot now keep their mouths shut they 'l endeavour to keep their persons close wicked men who cannot hinder the burning of holiness in wardly in the hearts of Gods people will if possible hinder the shinning of it openly in their lives They laid hands on the Apostles and put them in the common prison V. 18. The worst if any thing could be worse then another as for them But while their mouths are shewing forth Gods praise He opens a Doore for their deliverance But the Angel of the Lord by night V. 19. opened the prison doors and brought them forth He makes his Angels instruments of their deliverance yea and he doth not onely deliver them out of prison but immediatly sets them to work again which they did accept and fell to work again immediatly V. 21. and when they heard that they entered into the Temple again early and taught they Eccho'd to the voice they were journey-men at Gods call ready no sooner could he command but they were ready to obey in whatsoever he would have them to doe God ow'ns them and advises them gives new orders to them Mans interdiction cannot hinder Gods commission nor invalidate his commands Moses goes in again and again to Pharaoh notwithstanding of all his threatnings against him so do the Apostles here fall too and follow their work what ever was threatned against them but no sooner had they got into the Temple but the high Priest and his train was at their heeles called Councel and finding them not in the prison but in the Temple they said unto them did not wee straitly command you that yee should not teach in his name and behold yee have filled Jerusalem with your Doctrine and intend to bring this Mans blood upon us A guilty conscience was within and they could not endure the Doctrine of the Ghospel Peter there turns prolocutor and he makes a noble
belike Christ not onely in the end and forme but in the means Sin resembles a man to the Devil but sufferings resembles a man to Christ From hence Con ∣ sidera ∣ tion 1 First consider ye had need look you be right in the way of your profession least while ye suffer for God ye also suffer from God It will be a sad thing to be cast out of earth for making a profession and to be cast out of heaven for making no more then a profession to suffer for Christ here on earth and to suffer from Christ hereafter in Hell to eternity Look that ye be right in your profession and ye will finde comfort in your affliction Con ∣ sid 2 Secondly if the saints must suffer from the world then let them not suffer from one another if the beasts of the forrest Psal 22.12 the bulls of Bashan push at them let not the Lambs push one at another Doe they suffer from the world That is no great matter but to suffer from familiar friends is too much If it had been mine enemy saith David I could have born it Psal 55.12 13. and 41.9 v. but it was thou my familiar friend who took sweet councel together c. It is said in a prophesie of Christ Zech. 13.6 v. He was wounded in the house of his friends that augmented the grief Con ∣ sid 3 Thirdly let every man then enter the lists of profession but with an expectation of sufferings and afflictions Object The bullet may miss you it 's an ill Battel were none ' scapes Ans But it may hit you as well it 's strange if a man will live godly in Christ Jesus if he don't suffer persecution either by the tongues or by the hands of wicked men It was an excellent speech of the Lord Brook that he that undertakes in the way of Christianity it is a vain thing for him to think of saving any thing but his soul ye may be call'd out to resist unto Blood striveing against sin and as Gods mercy towards the end of the Churches troubles will be sweetest so the Devil's rage will be greatest and though ye have had halcyon dayes of peace and have but the prick of a pin insteed of the point of a sword yee may yet meet with the tail of the storme the worst may be behinde Second proposition is this That reproach and shame is part of Gods peoples sufferings here in the world Doct. 2 It is their portion a peculiarity of the saints to suffer shame for Christs sake They that are highly esteemed with God are commonly cast out with men They lie here oft-tymes among the pots whom God intends for the fairest Cup-board of heavenly glory in the world to come They manifested open indignity to the Apostles two severall wayes by words and by blows reproach before Magistrats is a shame in the worlds Calender Those whom God doe honour one way or another the wicked will dishonour The wickeds spight is against god but Panther-like if they can't reach the person they 'l tear the picture though the consciences of Gods people compurgats them yet the world maks no conscience of condemning Psal 44.13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us A reproach to men on every side hedged in and compassed about with reproaches scandals and slanders Psal 79.4 so Psal 79. v. 4. wee are become a reproach to our neighbours ascorn and a derision to them that are round about us You see the church of God where-ever at one tyme or other were under reproaches Isaac the Son of the promise was scoffed at by Ishmael Gal. 4.29 this is called persecution But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit so it is now Thus it was with holy Job when he was made an out cast by his friends Job 16.8 9. that made of him no more then a Hypocrite He teareth me in his wrath who hateth me he gnasheth upon me with his teeth mine enemy sharpneth his eyes upon me They gaped upon me with their mouth they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully they have gathered themselves together againse me And will ye step a little farther and see David In my adversity they rejoyced c. this was the measure this holy man of God met with in his tyme and the Prophet Isa saith Isa 8.18 that the professers of his tyme were signs and wonders in Israel◠Zion is an out cast whom no man seeks after an out cast that no man seeks after Jer. 30.17 Lam. 1.7 21. So Jerusalem what she came to be in her distresses They have heard that I sight there is none to comfort me all mine enemies have heard of my trouble they are glad that thou hast done it And this Is common with all the saints for such as are guilty of oppression Lam. 2 15 16. are guilty likewise of Columnies so chap. 2. is this the city of solemnities All that pass by clap their hands at thee they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem saying is this the city that men call the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole earth All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee they hiss and gnash the teeth they say wee have swallow'd her up certainly this is the day that wee looked for wee have found wee have seen it Thus they please themselves with scoffing at the poor Church and people of God Psal 69.20 Lam. 3.30 Reproaches have broken my heart saith the Psalmist in the person of Christ so Lam The church there saith she gave her cheeks to him that smot her she was filled full i th reproaches Thus both the worship and worshippers of God have been made a reproach in the world The word of the Lord in the prophesie of Jer. 6.10 was a reproach unto that wicked generation Jer. 6.10 to whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear behold the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it Jer. 20. v. 18. and so chap. 20.18 he speaks again of the reproaches he met withall there he saith he came forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow that his dayes should be consumed with shame The spirit of God tells the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 33.30 concerning the children of the people not enemies onely but the children of the people are taking against thee by the wall 's and in the doors of the houses they snarld at the word of the Lord. Thus all the Prophets under the old and Christ and his Apostles under the New Testament have been accounted vilely off Paull call'd a seditious fellow Christ called the Carpenters Son no better title could they afford him And they thought they had hit the bird on the eye when they said have any of the Rulers beleived
on him Isa 66. v. 5. Esa 66.5 Your brethren that hated you that cast yow out for my name sake said let the Lord be glorified Therefore the Apotle exhorts Peter 2.12 Having your conversation honest among the gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evill doers they may by your good works 1 Pet. 2.12 which thy shall behold glorify God in the day of your visitation The saints had need doe well while they hear it The work of God as well as the servants of God hath met with reproaches Neh. 2.19 Nehem. 2.19 But when Sanballat the Honorite and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite and Geshem the Arabian heard it they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said what is this thing that ye doe will ye rebell against the King there was a charge for them So chap. 4.2 8. Neh 4.2 8. And he spake before his brethren and the Army of Samaria and said what doe these feeble Jews will they fortify themselves will they sacrifice will they make an end in a day will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burnt And v. 8. v. 8. And conspired all of them together to come and to feight against Jerusalem and to hinder it In so much as they even broke the good mans heart and made him cry out v. 4. Hear O our God for wee are despised and turne their reproach upon their own head and give them for a prey in the land of Captivity The Apostles when they were preaching the Ghospel with greatest earnestness and vehemencie nay when as the holie Ghost descended in such an extraordinary manner upon them they said these men are fill'd with new wine therefore the Apostle saith they were defamed and blasphemed 1 Cor. 4.13 wee are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things This is the Sect every where spoken against Heb. 10.33 Acts 28.22 You may read concerning those admirable worthies what a heap of reproaches were thrown upon them Partly whilest ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions And Heb. 11.36 Heb. 11.36 And others had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments And indeed reproaches are cruel the wounds of the tongue goe deeper then those of the hand and in the primitive tymes how many calumnies were the precious servants of the most high God loaden with when they rose early in the morning to sing their morning Hymne they charged them with uncleanness and incest thus they call'd Athenasius the eldest Son of the Devil And Luther the Papists say was the cause of all the troubles that befell Germany With vilifying names and expressions have Gods eminent and worthy Champions suffered So for usage too what whippings scourgings imprisonning thus it was with Christ and thus it was with all his followers The designe of the adversary hath been partly the terrour and partly the shame of Christians They were tortured Heb. 11.35 not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection This was the portion my beloved of the eminent Saints and people of God of old and the reason of this is plain Reason 1 First because the excellency of the people of God is an hidden excellency it is no wonder that the world reproach that they doe not understand Many men indeed out of malice will reproach that they doe understand but it 's no wonder the world reproach that they doe not understand our life is hid with Christ in God Religion is a melancholly thing sayes the men of the world and therefore it 's no wonder they despise it as it was said of Christ Jes 53.3 He was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief And so it is with all the people of God men look upon their outsides and see that vil'd but they see not their insides Psal 45.13 The Kings Daughter is all glorious within Reason 2 Secondly sometymes from their envy at the Saints excellency there is a Contrastation and opposition between the Children of God and the men of the world in poynt of excellency Men will endeavour to darken and obscure the glory of Gods people and by obscuring their graces they think their own lesser lights will appear the more glorious The Saints stand in their light therefore they cannot endure them They are like a house standing in the light of another and they will endeavour to take it down and this is a cunning way to persecute the people of God and hereby they exceedingly hinder many souls from embraceing Religion and damp the spirits of such as would profess it I have read of one that comming to be baptized and seeing none but a company of poor Christians together asked what they were to whom the Emperour answered they were the servants of God at which he went away saying if God kept his servants so poor he would not be one of them This is the trick of Apostates to reproach zealous Professors to take of the shame of their Apostacy as Julian did Jer. 6.28 They are all grievious revolters that walk with slanders they are Brass and Iron they are all corrupters Wel hence Gods people may learn Lesson 1 First what to expect in the world shame and reproach and they shall doe wel to examine themselves whether they can own a persecuted Christ can'st thou own a crucified a reproached Christ a comdemned Christ can'st thou own the way of holiness when jeered at truly it is a great temptation when Religion is become a byword men are affraid of publick ignominies Many can't endure the term of precisian puritan phannatik for the enemy to shake his hand as he passes by saying there is a puritan it is a hard thing to some men 2 Sam. 6.14 22. Can you say as David when he danced before the Lord when scoff't at by Michal If this be to be vile I will yet be more vile then thus Consider Christ Christians that endured the Crosz despised the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high far above all principalities and powers you must deny your selves your own lusts pleasures honours if ye will be Christs Disciples you must be willing to be accounted base vile by every evill foot of pride even by them that in the flourish of Religion ye would not set with the dogs of your flock as Job speaks Less 2 Secondly let this teach you 2. Tim. 1.8 to animate your selves against reproaches be not thou asham'd of the afflictions of the Ghospel Nothing carry's with it a true ground of shame but sin be not ye ashamed of your afflictions Moses chose the reproaches of Christ before the pleasures and treasures of Egypt wee must goe forth to Christ without the Camp to mount Calvary as well as mount Olivet bearing his reproach And that you may be armed
against reproaches Consid 1 First Remember you are blessed and honoured of Christ while reproached jeered and mocked by the world and no matter though the dogs barke so the Master gives good entertainment Blessed are ye when men shal revile you and speak all manner of evil of you falsly for my sake yea blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for their's is the Kingdome of God It is a cursed thing to reproach another but a blessed thing to be reproached by another Consid 2 Secondly Christs name is a greater glory then all your reproaches can be dishonourable to you that beleive Christ is an honour you carry the Cross of Christ as a Banner displayed and there is greater honour in that then the world can reflect dishonour upon your for so doing Consid 3 Thirdly 1 Pet. 4.14 consider the spirit of glory rests upon you not the spirit of grace onely but of glory also not for a little tyme but to rest yea and that for ever Consid 4 Fourthly consider you have assurance of a name in heaven and therefore may willingly goe through dishonour on earth Your reproaches are Christs reproaches Remember your names are written in heaven and Christs raggs are better then the worlds Robes and seeing you have a name in the court what matter though you have none in the country Consid 5 Fifthly 1 Pet. 1.7 your Tryalls will be found for praise and honour and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ The wicked shall leave their names for a curse unto my chosen for the Lord God shal slay thee and call his servants by another name Isa 65.15 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royall Diadem in the hand of the God Isa 62.3 The Lord hath promised to wipe away the rebuke of his people and there shall be never a blott to blurr their faces The day is shortly comming in which wicked men shall answer for all their hard usages of and speeches to the people of God Dan. 12. â— 3 Math. 2.34 The wicked that are in the highest state in the world shall rise at the last day to everlasting shame and you to everlasting honour Ye shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdome of your father The shouldier is not ashamed of his marks and scarrs he receives in the wars but looks upon them as so many badges of honour so the reproaches you meet with are but as so many badges of honour all the scarrs yee meet with in the way of holyness are as so many marks of honour put upon you and if you confess Christ before men he will confess you before his father and before the holy Angels And O Christians here is a good target against reproaches do but maintaine your innocency and then you can never be made miserable by the Judgments of others Third proposition is this That the name of Christ is the cause and great occasion of all the sufferings that befall the Children of God Doct. 3 The name of Christ they rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name You shall saith our Saviour be hated for my name sake Math. 24.9 All these things will they doe unto you for my names sake John 15.21 There 's the ground of wicked mens malice against the saints the profession of Christ is the butt of persecution for that is thee imply'd some suffer the loss of Father and Mother Brethren and Sisters houses and lands for my names sake saith Christ It 's not for their sin that Gods people suffer from the world but for their grace could they conforme to the world could they drink and be drunk swear and blaspheme live riotously and loosly the world would hug them in their Armes and embrace them with their dearest affection They think it a strange thing 1 Pet. 4.3 you run not with them to the same excess of ryot This expression for his name sake may have a double reference Refer 1 First As it is the reason of the tolerableness of the Saints sufferings Christs name being in their sufferings that bears them up under them their love to Christs name puts them upon accepting of sufferings so joyfully 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in reproaches in necessities in infirmities in distresses for Christs That is that which ingages a Christian in and encourages him under sufferings and as sufferings for righteousness distinguish a Saint from the wicked so will respect to Christs Name distiguish a Saint from a Hypocrite for although I should give all my goods to the poor a universall almes and my body to be burned yet if I had not charity al were nothing therefore for thy sake saith the Church we are killed all the day long wee are accounted as sheep for the slaughter But Refer 2 Secondly I will understand it as the reason of the worlds infliction of reproaches and persecutions upon the people of God what ever the world pretend it is for Christs sake for some thing of Christ with in them that they hold forth that they hate them for Therefore the afflictions that befall them are called the afflictions of the Ghospel Tim. 2.1 It is a great ground of comfort to the saints that it is for Christ's and his Gospel's sake that they suffer Doe not they blaspheme James 2.7 that worthy name by the which ye are called It was the name of Christ that worthy name they delt with them for It was upon that account they measured out this measure unto them The world can't come up to the pitch of holyness the Saints doe and they going beyond the common pace of Civility Morality and Hypocrisie the Dogs barke at them Noah condemned the old world by his righteousness the world praise and cannonize the dead saints but can't endure to see them that are living but hunt after their precious lives If one child in the Family have the Fathers indulgence all the rest will hate him So Josephs brethren hated him Gen 49.27 He that is the object of Gods love commonly is the but of the worlds envy therefore the wicked take all the occasions they can against the saints and watch for their haltings they dayly blaspheme the name of God because of his peoples failings Isa 52. v. 5 6. And the most of them are like Tyggers that cannot endure a fragrant scent but will fall upon them that carry it and kill them And if it be so Use 1 First then learn wee a good warrant and just ground of our sufferings Christs name Many are not satisfyed to suffer because they think their sufferings are not for Christs sake be sure your sufferings by for Christs sake else you cannot suffer confortably Use 2 Secondly hence learn the bitter hatred the world have against Christ and his people Religion hath alwayes brought forth the greatest quarrels though it least deserves it I ame
Ps 119.114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy word He made the word the man of his Counsels and so it was the man of his comforts Fifthly labour to get a right esteem of sufferings esteem them as a priviledge an honour as well as a duty that will make you suffer joyfully ye must not onely look to your innocency to take heed that you suffer not from God while you suffer for God but turne your afflictions into a right stream and channell to us it is given saith the Apostle not onely to beleive but also to suffer for his sake he looked upon it as a Largess Chrysost saith of Paul that he boasts most of this I Paul the prisoner of the Lord he does not boast of his high offices knowledge of arts and sciences great and glorious Revelations no but the glories in his sufferings as in his own narrative it appeares 2 Cor. 11.23 ad finem capitis 2 Cor. 11 23. in labours more aboundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in death oft c. Sixthly take heed of consulting with flesh and blood the flesh is a jade that will kick at sufferings when Peter grew carnal and fleshly his voice was no better then this Master save thy self which motion Christ rejected with a get thee behinde me Satan Looke not at the making of your own Interest but advance the Interest of Christ and the Gospel your endeavours to save your own selves will but make you stumble at the Cross of Christ Direct 7 Seaventhly labour for a double portion of the Spirit of grace of love and of a sound minde This is our victory whereby wee overcome the world even our faith love is as strong as death as powerfull as the grave the waters of affliction cannot quench but will enflame it 't will make you chose as Moses did rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Eightly Direct 8. 1 Cor. 15.31 Heb. 13.13 1 Cor. 7.30 take heed of being overcome with love to the world I protest by your rejoyceing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die dayly Wee must goe forth unto Christ without the Camp bearing his reproach If wee would rejoyce in the world it must be as if wee rejoyced not and if wee buy as if wee possessed not Our rejoyceing should be in God not in the world for the fashion thereof passeth away in a day of prosperity wee are too apt to be fil'd with carnall joy Gal. 6.14 and oft tymes wee have the more heavenly joy in God in a day of Adversity God forbid I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ whereby the world is crucified unto me and I am crucified unto the world A holy contempt of the world will best lead you to a holy joy in God Direct 9 Ninthly be much in the consideration of Heaven that will make amends fot all your sufferings on earth thou shalt make me glad with the light of thy countenance thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fullness of joy at they right hand there are pleasures for ever more And in the Acts 2.25 26. it is said of David in the person of Christ Psal 16. ult that he foresaw the Lord alwayes before his face therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope O the blessed enjoyment of God reserved for the next world the glorious vision and fruition of God that is to be enjoy'd in heaven the communion that is to be enjoyed with the glorious Angels and Saints in Heaven will sweeten all Rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven Luke 10.20 Luke 10.20 in the Lambs book of life if your names are written in blood or in water in the worlds Calander yet they are written in gold in the Lambs book of life with in a few dayes you shall enter into your Masters joy I reckon not the sufferings of this present tyme worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed in us Look upon sin and hell and then sufferings and heaven will appear the highest good I read of one that spent his tyme in reading of three leaves the black leafe of his own sins the red leafe of Christs blood and the white leafe of Heaven and Eternity Three leafes worth the reading of For this cause wee faint not while wee looke not at the things which are seen and temporall but at those things which are not seen but eternall Labour to make a right comparison between the horrour of hell and the happiness of Heaven get a greater assurance of Heaven 1 Pet. 1.3 that ye may rejoyce in the hope that is laid up for you in Heaven This was that those scattered Sants blessed God for Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his aboundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrecton of Jesus Christ from the dead To an inheritance incorruptable and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you This made them breake out into a triumphant doxology this made the Martyrs hearts leap for joy under their sufferings for Christ even the thoughts of Heaven and that blessed eternity to which they were going holy Ignatius triumphed going to suffer at Rome yea gloried and triumphed to think that the Lord would come to reckon for blood Tenthtly and lastly labour to get your hearts discharged of carnall and slavish fear perfect love casteth out fear be not affraid to die and you will not be affraid to suffer Yee may thresh the body of a poor man but yee cannot hurt the jewel of his soul Threaten saith the Emperour what yee will I fear nothing but sin fear not them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can doe but I will forewarn you whom yee should fear fear him that when he hath kill'd hath power to destroy both body and soul in hell fire Why shoul'st thou fear a mortall man that hath his breath in his Nostrils or his bigg words or staring face doe men threaten imprisonment God threatens hell Doe they promise great rewards if ye will but comply with them Aske them as the Father did whether they can give that to you they would take from you The sixt Proposition is this That the Consideration of Christs name that is concern'd in the sufferings of the Saints is sufficient to encourage them under them Doct. 6 They rejoyced they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name sake not for their own name The great ground of joy under sufferings is Christs name 2 Cor. 4.11 For wee which live are alwayes delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortall flesh Christs