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
great question whether wee are most to bless God for making Heaven fitt for us or us fitt for Heaven by affliction The fifth Proposition is this That an opportunity to suffer for Christs name is to be esteemed a great privilege and mercy 't is to be judged the highest Felicity Doct. 5 They rejoyced the Text saith that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name This will be evidenced First fromthe express command of God to his people to suffer with joyfullness 't is the general Character given of the people of God Phil. 3.3 they are such as rejoyce in Christ Jesus Wee are of the Circumsion that worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus Rom. 5.1 2 3. And wee rejoyce in Christ Jesus having receiv'd the attonment And so it is the duty and hath been the practise of the Saints to rejoyce in him Sufferings for Christ have been alwayes matter of great joy James 1.2 My brethren count it all joy saith the Apostle when ye fall into divers temptations Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Math. 5.12 Rejoyce ye in that day when men hath you and separate you from their company rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy Luke 6.22 23. for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets It is the will of God his people should rejoyce alwayes rejoyce ever more 1 Thess 5.16 Especially upon the matters of affliction that 's the will of God towards his people The Cross should not onely be taken up with patience Coll. 1.11 but born with joyfullness Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfullness joyfullness is a help to patience and long suffering under the Cross For example see how the Apostle rejoyceth under all his afflictions I rejoyce that I help to fill up that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh Col. 1.24 for his bodies sake which is the Church But rejoyce in as much as you are partakers of Christs sufferings 1 Pet. 4.13 that when his glory shall be reveal'd ye may be glad wih exceeding joy In whom beleiving though under manifold temptations wee rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 In a tyme of great affliction it was the great commendation of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 1 6. that they received the Gospel with great joy The Church rejoyced when the hand of Gods providence was out against her Hab. 3.17 18. Although the fig-tree should not blossom neither should fruit be in the Vines Hab. 3.17 18. the labour of the Olive should fail and the fields shall yeild no meat yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation And so doe the people of God rejoyce likewise under the stroak of mans violence this hath been their practise nay not onely to joy but to glory in afflictions Wee glory in tribulation also Rom. 5.3 2 Cor. 2.14 Now thanks be unto God which alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place A Saint is bound to rejoyce in the Lord in good dayes and in evil dayes but especially in tymes of great opposition Neh. 8.10 2 Cor. 6.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength As sorrowfull yet alway rejoycing They tooke joyfully the spoyling of their goods Hebr. 10.34 not only patiently but joyfully Acts 16.25 Phil. 1.20 Paul and Silas did not repine but sung in the prison Paul rejoyced that Christ should be magnified in him whether by life or death The Martyrs endured exquisite torments with admirable patience Divine joy abated outward anguish their souls were wrapped up in joy as if they were in a separated state Paul counted it his honour to suffer reproach and afflictions 1 Tim. 4.10 For this cause wee both labour and suffer reproach because wee trust in the living God The Apostles were not found in the Text blaspheming nor repining nor onely submitting but blessing God yea joying in God They were not men altogether unsensible of injuries yet they that through infirmities foresooke their Master in the strength of his grace and spirit rejoyced to suffer for him remembring Christ told them they were blessed that suffer Now there are sufficient grounds of the Saints thus rejoycing in all their sufferings First in respect of the manifold consolation whereby they are enabled to suffer for as our afflictions abound so our consolations abound much more by Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 1.5 Not onely weight for weight but a preponderating weight of consolation they enjoy while the people of God drink deep draughts of the water of affliction they also draw water out of the wels of Consolation Gods consolations ought not to be smal to his people 2 Cor. 7.4 6. 2 Cor. 7.4 compared with the v. 6. Great is my boldness of speech towards you great is my glorying of you I am fill'd with comfort I am exceeding joyfull in all our tribulation nevertheless God that comforteth those that are cast down comforted us by the coming of Titus though troubled on every side whence arose this joy why God that comforteth those that are cast down comforted us also Though a storme of Haile fell upon their heads yet the sun shine of his favour shone upon their hearts Psal 94.19 In the mid'st of my sad thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Altho wee meet with stormes without no matter so wee have but peace within In the world ye shall have tribulation alwayes tribulation but in me ye shall have peace John 16.33 therefore be of good comfort Secondly sufferings for Christ's name administers cause of rejoycing because of the sufficiency of grace administred under them My grace is sufficient for thee was Christ's answer to Paul I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not say's he to Peter Under the shaddow of thy wings will I rejoyce saith the Psalmist Under the shaddow of Divine protection and refreshment Thirdly there 's ground of rejoycing in sufferings for Christ's name in respect of the presence of God and Christ under afflictions communicated and enjoy'd Fear not saith God I am with thee when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee Isa 43.2 and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou passest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee God was with the three Children when in the fiery-Furnace with Daniel in the Lyons Den with Joseph in the prison Jeremiah in the Dungeon The Lords presence is with his to the end of the wold The presence of God supports under all burdens and sweetens the bitterest cups of affliction you hast made me more glad with the light of thy countenance then they with the encrease of
services it spoiles Gods acceptance of all your duties and services God will not accept a doer if he be not at least willing to be a sufferer and that rejoyceingly God can't endure a man suffering so to speak with a blur'd face hanging down his head like a bull-rush Christs active obedience could not doe alone in point of satisfaction nor can ours in point of duty Secondly 2 2ly for reproof this justly reproves those that insteed of rejoyceing to suffer for Christ entertaines them with regrate that come to affliction as a bear to the stake or a theef to the Gallous Such as shrinke especially that dog it in Religion when they should appear courageously such sufferings are very unacceptable unto God when wee are compell'd to that in which wee should be most free and voluntary Isa 58.5 Is it such a Fast that I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soul is it to bow down his head like a bull-rush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable day unto the Lord It is a sad signe of a perverse and hypocriticall heart not to suffer joyfully upon Christs account The Romans if the beast that was to be made a sacrifice would not goe willingly they would never offer that beast up in sacrifice so if wee doe not offer our selves willingly soul and body which is but our reasonable sacrifice we shall not be accounted holy nor acceptable to God through Jesus Christ It was the excellencie of former tymes 4 Cautions anent sufferings that they were carefull to suffer for Christ that so Christ might not suffer by them Alwayes remember First that it is far better to suffer for Christ then to suffer by Christ Caut. 2 Secondly remember how much Christ suffered for you The just for the unjust that he might bring us to God I remember the Souldier told Augustus 1 Pet. 3.10 if I had served you as you serve me at the battel of Actium where had you been so may Christ say to us where had you been if I had served you upon the Cross as ye serve me if I had deserted your cause what had become of you ye had been lost to eternity Caut. 3 Thirdly consider wee partake of Christs sufferings proportionably as he partakes of ours If we suffer for him his sufferings are made manifest in us Caut. 4 Fourthly he that by directly unlawfull means will endeavour to avoid sufferings commonly runs upon a double suffering is exposed to sufferings both in body and soul in time and it may be to eternity Thirdly by way of exhortation 3 3 For Exhortation let me perswade all of you to learn this Leslen though hard and will goe much against the hair of holy joyfullness in sufferings it is good for you to be provided and not to goe naked into a storme and battel hard tymes put me upon calling you to it Since Christ hath suffered for us arme your selves likewise with the same minde resolve to suffer with chearfullness 't is your priviledge as well as duty why will yee neglect one thing that is matter of privilege unto you Motives 8. Motives to press you hereunto Mot. 1 First It is an Evidence of Saint-ship of truth of grace and of strength of grace and the want of it is an evidence of Hypocrisie For where in will yee difference your selves from sinners and ungodly They are confounded under their temptations and sorrowfull under their afflictions and if you can't rejoyce under afflictions what singular thing doe you Mot. 2 Secondly consider your afflictions and sufferings have no real evil in them and all the happiness of the world is no more then what your Fancies put upon them They are but imaginary excellencies it is onely an imaginary happiness that is in the world and all these things Mot. 3 Thirdly all your afflictions though inflicted by men are ordered by God and his wise providence they are appointed by your heavenly Father and shall I not drink the Cup that my Father hath given me to drink saith Christ Mot. 4 Fourthly they are all consistant with Gods fatherly love yea while he suffers wicked men to chastise and correct you his fatherly love is towards you Gods people have had powerfull experience and familiar acquaintance of and with God upon this account God as a Father chastiseth every Son whom he receiveth nay as the fyre burns hottest when the wether is coldest so Gods affections to his people is highest when their afflictions are greatest Mat. 5 Fiftly consider all your tryalls tend to the advance of grace and the purging out of your corruptions for the refineing of your grace 2 Cor. 4.16 For this cause wee faint not saith the Apostle for though our outward man perish our inward man is renewed day by day as the Sea what it looseth in one shiere it gets in another grace grows by an Antiperistasis affliction is sanctified and grace is exercised and proved thereby Wee had fathers of our flesh that corrected us and wee gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live Heb. 12.9 and 10. They corrected us for their pleasure but he for our profit that wee might be partakers of his holyness The tryal of your faith is for honour praise and glory fiery tryals make golden Christians your suffering like the sun scorcheth the Hypocrite but ripens the sincere Christian The North-winde of affliction blowing upon the garden of the saints graces cause the spices thereof to flow forth Mot. 6 Sixthly Math. 5.11 12 Blessedness is the entail Math. 5.11 12. blessed are yee when men shall revile yow and persecute you rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven Luke 6.22 23. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach yow and cast out your name as evil for the son of mans sake Rejoyce yee in that day Luke 6.23 and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven for in the like manner did their fathers unto the Prophets Happy are they that endure Seventhly James 5.11 Mot. 7. all your sufferings serve to work you up to a further likeness to Christ and the saints Soe they dealt with them before you Take my brethren the Prophets James 5.10 who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience Eightly Heb. 11.35 they greaten and agravate your glory and happiness in the next world They would not accept of deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection They had a good resurrection though they had not suffered but hereby they had a better one O that all might prevail with you to this rejoyceing if yee may be counted worthy to suffer shame for Christs name Now your joy under sufferings