vers 7. Hear O my People and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God thy God And yet the following Verses declare how unlike to His People they were And it holdeth alwayes true of Beleevers who have closed a Covenant with him by faith And that upon these Grounds 1. The unchangablness of His purposes which alter not according as outward Dispensations change but are stable as mountains and as rocks in the Sea that are not moved for all the motion of the sea about them and all changes of tides and tempests Hence whom he loveth he loveth to the end Ioh. 13 vers 1. He is no changling in his love it is like himself unalterable Hence also His gifts and calling are said to be without repentance Rom. 11 vers 29. And which is very remarkable this is spoken concerning the Lords purpose of calling home the People of the Iewes who have been lying under the weight of their own doom and imprecation and are yet as unlike to be delivered as ever of whom the Apostle saith that though as concerning the Gospel they are enemies for our sakes yet as touching the Election they are beloved for the Fathers Vers. 28. and as a Confirmation of which he addeth for the gifts and callings of God or the gift of the calling of God are without repentance So that the purposed gifts or intended callings of God will and must be the Lord not being as man that he should repent A Balaam when he took up his parable could say Numb 23 19. God is not a man that he should lie neither the Son of man that he should repent Hath he said and shall he not do Or hath he not spoken and shall he not make it good So said the Prophet Samuel 1 Sam. 15 vers 29. And also the strength or the Eternity and Victory of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent And this abideth firme notwithstanding that sometimes we read of Gods repentings which is only to import the change of his outward Dispensations sometimes to the better Deut. 32 vers 36. Iudg. 2 vers 18. Exod. 32 14. 2 Sam. 24 16. 1 Chron. 21 51. Ier. 26. v. 19. Psal. 106 45. Amos. 7 3 6. Ion. 3 vers 10. Sometimes to the worse Gen 6 vers 6. 1 Sam. 15 vers 35. And so is spoken of God after the manner of men who evidence the change of their minde by the change of their outward carriage way and work Man is a changable Creature but with God there is no variableness nor shadow of turning Iam. 1 17. Hence the Lord saith of Himself I am God and change not Mal. 3 6. 2. The Covenant in which this Relation and Interest is offered and accepted is an unchangable Covenant Hence we finde it called an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure 2 Sam. 23 vers 5. So Esai 55 3. and 61 vers 8. Ier. 32 v. 40. Ezech. 37. vers 26. Heb. 13 20. It is an everlasting Covenant and all things promised and held-forth in this Covenant are the sure mercies of David Esai 55 3. Act. 13 34. And therefore seing all the Dispensations of God in and about His Church and People turn upon this wheel and run into this channel of mercy being parts or appendices of the sure mercies of David they can make no change or alteration in the fountaine out of which they all spring Water coming out of one the same fountaine may run in diverse channels some greater and some lesse these channels may at length run to a great distance from other and the water in them may not be alike clear and free of mud and yet all this diversity and difference can make no difference or alteration in the spring and wels head 3. Nay all those various and discrepant dispensations are but pieces and parts of that one grand designe which the Lord is prosecuting to wit the glorifying of his great Name and Free grace in the salvation of his Church and People through Jesus Christ And therefore the difference or alteration that is apparent in among them is so far from giving ground to inferre any mutation of the Lords Interest in and relation to His people that to a Spiritual seeing and beleeving eye they do the rather and the more confirme the same because such an eye will see the connexion betwixt all these as meanes and the great end designed and will see that they are all subordinat unto and are concurring effectually in their subordinat place to the securing of the end intended in which they are all meeting together as lines in a center drawn from the circumference 4. Fountaine love runneth along in all these various dispensations so Modifieth Tempereth Qualifieth and Ordereth them that they can make no breach upon that firme and everlasting Relation nor work any substantial change in the State and Condition of His people Scourges and Chastisments are not a casting out of the house and a disinheriting but flow from and are qualified by fatherly love and care whatever the witless child suppose or imagine Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Heb. 12. 6. Prov. 3. 12. 5. So is it contracted in the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator Psal. 89 30 31 32 33 34 If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they break my statutes and keep not my commandments Then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips The accomplishment therefore of this Article of that Covenant is rather a proof and confirmation of its stability and inviolableness and consequently of the permanency of the Relation and State than of any change and alteration in the same and all the changes of the dispensations of the Lord towards his People should rather confirm them in the faith of this than raise doubts or jealousies in their minds From whence by way of Use we may see how reprovable many even of the Children of God are who measure Gods love by these outward dispensations accordingly are up or down in their hops and joyes as these alter to the better or to the worse We do not hereby meane that they should not be sutably affected with the various dispensations of the Lord in and about them we do not presse a stoical insensibility which is but a stupidity for on the contrarie we say it becometh them well to weep when the bridegroome is away as to rejoice while he is present When the Lion roareth they should fear and tremble Amos. 3 8. When the Lord is angry they should bear his indignation because they have sinned Micah 7 9. But the thing here
if the point of Truth upon which I am questioned and staged be but small and of no great consequence and many moe than I do so judge it must I hazard on suffering upon the account thereof and think that God will accept of me therein Answere Let the point of truth be never so small and inconsiderable whether in thine own eyes or in the eyes of others yet it being a part of the Truth of God and of the Revelation of Jesus Christ it is a part of that Name of Christ's which should not be denied and of that Word which should be kept Satan may move Persecuters to urge but small things at the beginning that thereby he may make way to greater knowing that if once Professors cede in smaller matters they are the fairer to be prevailed with in greater things for hâ—…ving forsaken the Lord in lesser they are out of the ordinary rode of meeting with promised help and assistance when they are questioned upon greater things Who love Truth for Truth 's sake and upon the account that it is the Truth of Jesus will love the lâ—…ast of divine truthes and therefore will not deny it because it is a part of the Name of Christ every part whereof is sweet and desirable unto the gracious soul. On the other hand who forsake and deny Truth because it is small and inconsiderable will hold no Truth as the Name and Word of Christ and so will be faire to deny the greatest who suffer not for the Truth as it is the Truth and because it is the Truth of Christ cannot be said to suffer for conscience toward God and as holding fast the Name of Jesus and the word of his patience And such as are willing to suffer for the Truth upon this account will suffer upon all Truth how small so ever it may seem to be if it be a part of the word of His Testimony The Testimonie to the Truth is not to be estimat according to the greatness or weightiness of the Truth upon which the Testimony is called for but rather on the contrary that may be accounted a great Testimony which is for a small Truth to speak comparatively for indeed no part of Christ's truth should be accounted small because it argueth great love to the Truth and Zeal for it it argueth much singleness and honesty and so is much to the glory of God such as are thus faithful in a very little may be much esteemed of by the Lord and have rule over many cities The denying of or not witnessing unto the meanest Truth in a stated case of Confession is a being ashamed of Christ and of his Truth and who are ashamed of or deny Him before Men He will deny them before His Father which is in heaven The least sin must not be committed to shun suffering but the denying of or not bearing witness unto any of the Truthes of Christ in a day of trial is no small iniquity and therefore as we said we are to look upon our selves as called of God to suffer when we can not avoid it but by finning Yet some may say when the thing required is manifestly sinful and unrighteous the call to suffering rather in that case seemeth very clear and unquestionable and when it is so the person may have much peace and calmness within but when the question seemeth more disputable the call must needs be less clear that one hath to suffer upon that account and an unclear call cannot but creat much perturbation of mind and perplexity Ans. A call may be Gods call wherein or whereabout there may be much unclearness It is said of Abraham Heb. 11 8. That by faith when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an Inheritance he obeyed and went out though as it is added not knowing whither he went It seemeth good in the Lord's eyes not to make every ones call alike clear and unquestionable that their faith and obedience may be the more tried Some have their call to suffering written as it were with sun-beames so clearly and distinctly that he who runneth may read it others have their duty and call written with smaller letters which every one cannot read and yet this be no less the call of God than the other The call which the three Children had to suffer was clear and unquestionable 〈◊〉 being such an act of manifest Idolatry which was enjoyned them that none acquanted with the law of God could have the least scruple touching its horrid iniquity The call againe which Moses had rather to suffer than to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter would seem not to have been so legible and clear to all and yet it was the true call of God for by faith he obeyed this call So Daniel's call to hazard rather on the lions than forbear prayer to the God of heaven seemeth more â—…lear and legible than Mordecaiâ—…s call to hazard his own life and the life of all the Jewes before he would bow and do reverâ—…ce unto Haman â—…e Amalakite and yet this was found to be the true call of God In the primitive times the case seemed clear and unquestionable when Christians were commanded to renounce Christianity to give up their Bibles as renunceing the same or to burne incense to Idols or to build a Temple to Idols or suffer death but when their life was offered unto them on condition they would but give any old paper or clout in stead of the poors coats or would give a small summe of money wherewith to helo to build the temple to the Idol God one would think their call to suffer was more dark and yet these worthy witnesses would not redeem their life at such a rate Yea if the souldiers weary in executing of them should have violently plucked any such thing from them against their wills as desireous of the smallest seeming Victory they would not consent but run after them declaring their adherence to the truth and Marcus Arethusius would not give one penny to the building of the Idol Temple If it be said But what if by some Imprudent or Unnecessary act or other I have occasioned the trial and trouble to my self Can I in this case suppose that I am called of God to suffer I Ans. It is true that some unnecessary or not every way commendable act or other may give the first rise or occasion to our trouble and yet when sufferings are not purely upon that account nor for that cause but stated upon another ground we may notwithstanding of this imprudent or unnecessary occasioning of the trial to ourselves look upon ourselves as called of God to suffer rather than to deny Him or any part of His Truth It is observed by some of Paul that the occasion of his last trouble mentioned Act. 21. to wit his hearkening to the advice of Iames and the Elders of Ierusalem was a thing which he might well have forborne yea and
contemned and slighted is not much but to see Princes hanged-up by their hand and the faces of Elders not honoured that is sad and lamentable Lam. 5. vers 12. So it is not much to see us base unworthy sinful and nothing creatures suffering and put to hardships disgrace paine shame miserie and wants But to see the Prince of the Kings of the earth in disgrace to see the Lord of life killed the Son of God despised the King of Kings spit upon and put to paine to see the Heire of all things suffering want that is an uncouth sight This maketh Christ's sufferings incomparably great and all our Sufferings nothing in comparison with these even when ours are at the greatest What are the sufferings of a beast of a worme or the like unto the sufferings of the greatest Prince that ever was or unto the sufferings of an Angel And yet the worme being a creature as well as the Prince or Angel the difference is not so very great but the difference is Infinitly more great betwixt the sufferings of Christ who is God equal with the Father in power and the sufferings of the greatest King or Emperour or Angel that ever was because there is no comparison betwixt Finite and Infinite betwixt God and the Creature 2. We know it is much more for one to suffer Death while in the flowr of his age and in the prime of his Strength and who in all probability according to his natural Constitution might live many years than for one who is half Dead already and is carrying about with him the Sentence of Death his Body being decayed and his clay-cottage ruinous and almost fallen to the ground So in this respect Christs Sufferings are far beyond ours for our Clay-bodies are so rotten with Corruption so broken with sicknesses and diseases that a few years should put an end to our dayes and we should quickly return unto dust though no hand were streatched out against us yea though all imaginable meanes were used to keep us in vigour and life But Christs Body though a true Body yet was naturally free of these Corruptions that come because of sin which our Bodies are obnoxious unto We never read of his sickness And though his death was not wholly miraculous yet we may not say that He would have died naturally as other men do though no violent hands had been laid upon Him 3. We use to think much more of his sufferings who suffereth wrongously and without Cause than of his who suffereth deservedly We will not be much moved to see a bloody Murderer put to Death but it will move us much to see a man put to death against whom nothing worthie of Death can be alleiged So in this respect our Sufferings are nothing in comparison of Christs for however as to men we should suffer innocently yet there is ground for God to plead His controversie against us and to use these as Instruments of His Justice to execute His righteous Sentence against us But it was otherwayes as to Christ who though as standing in the room of the Elect and made their Cautioner and so made sin for them or had their sin imputed to Him He was smitten of Justice yet as to His own Person He was the Innocent Lamb of God and without sin Holy Harmless Undefiled And as to men He suffered most wrongously as was seen above 4. The difference is great in this respect That Mercy is Master of work standing at the side of the fournace and ordering the same while His people are lying into it But the Law-wrath and Justice of God was blowing at the coal of Christs Sufferings We have to do but with men whose Actions are over-ruled by the Omnipotent hand of a Merciful God But He had to do with God executing Law-Justice because He stood in the room of the Elect. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all He was wounded for our transgressions He was bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him He bear the iniquity and sin of many Esai 53. v. 5 6 11 12. His own self bear our sins in his own Body on the tree 1 Pet. 2 v. 24. It is not so with the Lords People He dealeth not with them in pure Wrath or in Justice but in Mercy and in Moderation The Cup that Christ had to drink was full of the purest Law-wrath and so bitter that His Holy Sinless Soul did scunner at it But in the Cup of his Children there is not one drop of the revenging Justice of God or of Law-wrath but much of His Fatherly Mercy and it smelleth strongly of Love for He is bringing about their good hereby Therefore the disproportion betwixt Christ's Sufferings and ours is Infinite upon this account 5. Put the case which yet will not be that God should deal with any of His owne according to strick Severity and Law-Justice yet could not their Sufferings be comparable unto Christs Though they were pursued by pure Justice and by Law-vengeance and sent away to everlasting flames they should not for all that endure what He endured for they should but suffer in that case for their own particular and personal faults But Christ bear the sins of many even of all the Elect And this would make the difference great How much greater then must the difference now be when their Sufferings are of a far other Nature 6. This will be further clear if we Consider how Christ did not only undergo the Debt of the Elect and wrestled with strickest Law-Justice but by His Sufferings He made full Satisfaction to Justice which they all for whom Christ died had never been able in hell to have done there had they lyen for ever and had never come out of prison for they had never been able to have satisfied Justice But what Christ Suffered was full Satisfaction to Iustice that it could crave no more the Bond and Obligation was cancelled on the Crosse and Christ cried out It is finished intimating that the last penny was payed Thus Christ suffered more than all of them could have done for all Eternity and so certainly His sufferings were transcendently and surpassing great and the hardest of our Sufferings ought not to be named in one day with His. In Order to the Improving of this which is the Second Particular we shall mentione these few things 1. Were this Consideration rightly thought on and improven His people would not be so much troubled and affrighted in a time of Sufferings as usually they are We see how Christ went up to Ierusalem and set His face to go thitherward resolving to go thither notwithstanding of all Impediments in the way and albeit His Disciples were averse from that journay and would have disswaded Him from it He went thither with a full Resolution though He knew He was to grapple not only with the King of Terrours there but with pure Law-Curse and Wrath because of the Sinnes
faith be acting on God through Christ and resting upon the promises of outgate and of an everlasting recompence and of throw-bearing and the other objects of faith necessary to be eyed in such a day for if this be not even the beleever may fainte and fall backward as we see in Peter Now this present acting of faith being the gift of God through His grace and influences it is manifest that Christian suffering unto which this is requisite must be also His gift 3. Hope is also requisite unto a Christian suffering for hereby must the sufferers head be born-up when he is swimeing thorow the sea of Persecution it is the Souls anchor which must not be wanting in a storme it is his helmet and must not be a missing in the day of battel Now this hope being the special gift of God and his work 1 Pet. 1 3. 2 Thes. 2. vers 13. it is manifest that Christian suffering unto which this hope is so necessary must be His special gift 4. Patience is likewise hereunto requisite for without it there will be nothing but wearying fainting fretting repineing and sinful longing to be from under the Crosse hence there is so great need of patience Heb. 10. vers 36. Luk. 21. vers 19. Iam. 1. vers 4. 2 Pet. 1. vers 6. And it is so much pressed Iam. 5. v. 10 11. 1 Tim. 6 11. And commended 1 Thes. 1. vers 3. 2 Thes. 1. vers 4. Revel 2 2 9. Now this patience is not the work of nature but His work who is the God of all patience Rom. 15. vers 5. And therefore Christian suffering must be His work and gift also 5. Humble submission and calmness of spirit is also requisite unto a right way of suffering for a proud haughty unquiet and undaunted spirit will never take a right lift of the crosse and this must also be wrought by the free and powerful grace of God and must be of Him from whom every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down even of the Father of lights Iam. 1 17. And therefore Christian suffering unto which this is so requisite must be of Him also 6. Such as will suffer Christianly for Christ must have Courage Boldness and Christian Resolution as accounting it their glory and honour to suffer for His sake and as remembering that as on the one hand their cheerful couragious and valiant suffering for the Interest of Jesus is no small encouragment to others to adhere to Him and to His cause so upon the other hand to suffer discouragedly and with a fainting heart is no small disadvantage to the cause Enemies being thereby more hardened and friends discouraged And this Courage and fixed Resolution must only be had from God Nature will not fournish this They must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might Ephes. 6. vers 10. And as this is from the Lord alone so must the grace of Suffering Christianly be 7. He who would suffer as a Christian must have his Conscience sprinkled God must be pacified all quarrels must be taken out of the way for the sense and apprehension of an angrie God and sin and guilt looking the man in the face will much dash discourage and fainte him in his sufferings Now it is unquestionable that God's manifesting himself satisfied and well pleased with the man is His own free gift it is His proper work to sprinkle consciences from dead works and so must this Christian suffering be from Him which dependeth hereupon 8. When one is questioned for the Cause of Christ before learned and able States-men and Politicians or before learned Church-men he will have need of something wherewith to answere his Accusers and so be in case to give a glorious Testimony to the Truth and the cause of Christ otherwise the adversaries will think they have cause to triumph when he is made speachless though that Christian Martyr-woman who said she could not disput for Christ but she could burn for Him did sufficiently refell all the Arguments of her Adversaries which were but meer Sophismes especially if the maine crime be coloured-over with some alleiged personal fault In this or the like cases it is necessary that the accused have pertinent clear and pungent reasons of his actions in readiness whether to refell what is falsely alleiged or to defend what is just and righteous Now whence shall this be had or from whom is it to be expected but from Him who hath promised that it shall be given them in that hour Mat. 10. vers 19. But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same houre what ye shall speak And therefore Christian suffering unto which this is so necessary must be given of God also 9. Such as are suffering for Christ's sake had need to be very fixed stayed and stedfast in adhereing to their Principles as unshaken with any winde of temptation for cedeing and yeelding in matters of a Testimony dishonoureth the Lord whose truth is questioned encourageth and confirmeth Enemies and stumbleth and marreth the confidence of others therefore such as would suffer aright must stand to the truth and not yeeld in an hoofe nor sell or give away the least point of truth And this fixed and stedfast adhereing to the truth is of God alone He who stablisheth us in Christ is God 2 Cor. 1 vers 21. And when Paul is pressing the Thessalonians to stand fast 2 Thes. 2. vers 15. He addeth Vers. 16 17. Now our Lord Iesus Christ himself and God even our father Comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work And therefore so must the Christian suffering be of Him alone 10. A Christian sufferer for Christ must have a Christian love to Christ for it is this that maketh the sufferers not count their life dear to the death for Christ and maketh them hazard all for Him they love him better than they love Father or Mother or any thing else in a world and therefore are content to lose all for Him and His sake Now love is of God who is love 1 Ioh. 4. vers 7 8. And it is one of the fruites of the Spirit Gal. 5. vers 22. And must be from the God of all grace for we love Him because He first loved us 1 Ioh. 4. vers 19. And therefore so must this right suffering be from Him 11. Before one can suffer aright for Christ and His cause he must be dead and mortified to this world and to all the Riches Honours and Pleasurs to the lust of the eye to the lust of the flesh and to the pride of life as Iohn speaketh 1 Ioh. 2 16. Yea he must be dead to himself and to his own life otherwayes these will hang as weights upon him and hinder his swimeing through the sea of affliction and persecution Now this self denial being the singular gift of God suffering unto