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
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
not to send peace but a sword the strictness of the Ghospel causes persecution Satan hath so blinded the minds of men and hardned their hearts that this is mostly the condition of the Saints here in the world Use 3 Thirdly this condemnes the pretences of the wicked that say they persecute the Saints because they are seditious aud rebellious persons whereas it is because they won't be wicked but religious not because they are traiterous to men but because they will not be traiterous to heaven Use 4 Fourthly here is great encouragement to Christians under sufferings Christs name is in their sufferings if it were upon the account of your own name that you suffer you should doe well to lay them down in a moment but it is for thy sake Rom. 8.36 1 Cor. 4.10 here is comfort when the soul can say Lord it is for thy sake The Apostle triumphs in this That they were fooles for Christs sake O! blessed be God that ever wee had a name to offer up for Christ Bernard saying and sacrifice for Christ As Bernard was wont to say Lord make me a shield to fence of the injuries that fall upon thy name Paul complain'd of his persecuting the Saints it is a killing the Prince of life the Lord of glory it is a great peece of Injustice It is not our preaching but your not receiving the Gospel saith Luther that is the worst ingredient in suffering The fourth Proposition is this It is a great Dignation of God towards his people to call them out and count them worthy to suffer for Christs sake Doct. 4 They rejoyced that they were counted worthy such honour have not all men no nor all the Saints doing work is honourable but suffering worke is more honourable The Apostle counts this a great gift Gal. 6.14 next to beleiving to declare Christs sacrifice to others in the world It is an honour to doe much but greater honour to suffer much for Christ God forbid I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ The Apostle well understood what he did and said too I glory saith he in nothing but the Cross of Christ To suffer for Christ is an honour beyond that granted to the Angels for they have no body Mr. Philpot would say of sufferings no such preferment on Earth as for Gods Childen to be called out to suffer I have read of a Knight in Venice that being carried to suffer with his other brethren they being bound and he being a noble person was carried without chains and fetters why saith he may not I be bound likewise and so commence Knight of the honourable order of the Garter Reasons 4 now sufferings for Christ they are honourable Reas 1 First because they are a part of our conformity to Christ not to fill up the personal sufferings of Christ that were blasphemy to affirm nor yet his sufferings in order to the satisfaction of divine justice but the mysticall sufferings of Christ for edification this is a drinking of Christs cup and a fullfilling after him it is a greater honour to be like a crucify'd then 't is to be like a glorifyed Christ because most of our happiness consists in our conformity to Christ which is in suffering for him and in order to being glorifyed with him Refer 2 Secondly it is a bearing wittness to Christ and Gods taking your Testimony and this is a great honour Yee are my wittnesses Isa 43.12 saith the Lord that I am God hereby the Saints obtaine victory over their accusers by the blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.11 and the word of their Testimony Paull was Gods wittness and God made him a chosen vessel to bear his name Reas 3 Thirdly because it admits a man into special fellowship with Christ Paul prest after the fellowship with Christs sufferings Phil. 3.12 By the spirit of life and holiness implanted in beleivers they have a fellowship with Christ and still a nearer by sufferings which the Apostle presseth after those afflictions wee bear for Christ and the Gospel's sake make us expresly partakers of Christ For wee are made partakers of Christ if wee hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end Heb 3.14 Therefore John tells us in Rev. 1.9 that he was a brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Christ not in the merits Rev. 1. v. 9. nor effects thereof as personal but as it was mysticall in the efficacy thereof wee bear about in our bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 Gal. 6.5 that the life also of Christ may be made manifest in our mortall bodies These are scripture expressions for every man shall bear his own burthen to sin is a great dishonour but to suffer is not so The Saints are more glorious in being Martyrs then in being victors Reas 4 Fourthly because this gives us assurance of being glorifyed with Christ herafter These are they which come out of great tribulation there is an Asterisme set upon them such as continue with Christ in his temptations shal not onely have a seat but a Throne in Heaven 1 Thef 3.3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions for you your selves know that wee are appoynted thereunto And through Gods free grace accepting us in and through Jesus Christ and wee suffering the head and body being united wee are counted worthy of the Kingdome of God Then Use 1 First from hence let us learn the esteem we should have of sufferings not onely as they are our duty but priviledge and honour he is honourable that gives them to us now seeing wee suffer upon Christs account and for his name that name reflects a great honour upon us it is a great reproach for a Christian to suffer upon his own account for Christ to suffer by us is a great dishonour but to suffer in us is honourable They rejoyced that they were counted worthy to be unworthy and grac'd to be disgrac'd Hebr. 11.38 They that suffer for Christ are such of whom the world is not worthy God esteems heaven a fitter place for them Consider what an honourable thing it is to suffer 't is more honourable to give then receive In all the benedictions of grace conferred upon us wee receive from God in our sufferings wee give to God In our services wee doe that which God of us hath commanded in our sufferings wee give glory to the cause of God to us commended Secondly bless God for any opportunity he hath given us to suffer Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 it seems a hard lesson but 't is to be learn'd giving thanks to the Father who by afflictions have made you meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light for they were made fitt as by grace so by afflictions It is a