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
and brave answer unto them saying wee ought to obey God raither then Man The commands of no inferiour power can supersede the commands of a superiour power and now orders were issued out against the Apostles to forbid their preaching yet having an injunction upon them from Christ they go on yea Peter goes on and preaches a Sermon before his enemies and did not onely preach what might serve the turne was not mealy mouthed but preached that which touched them to the quick V. 29 30. and 31. tells them that that Jesus that was now exalted whom they now preached that very Jesus they had crucified so he goes on to the 31 verse The God of our Fathers raised one Jesus whom yee slew and hanged on a Tree And now they begin to think not of in prisoning but of massacring them as if the land were not able to bear their persons and what they had said was the highest peice of wickedness in the world They go about to kill their bodies that would if posible save their souls And being cutt to the heart they now take councel together to slay them but one of the councel being more wise then the rest gives more sober advice which upon mature deliberation though not out of conscience but fear they took But yet they would give them some taste of their kindness They called the Apostles and beat them V. 40. and then let them go And doe but see the effects in the 41. and 42. vers And they departed from the presence of the Councel rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ 1. The words that I have read contain 1. an account of Gods dignation towards his people and their disposition towards him The saints condition to suffer the name or title of their sufferings shame 2. Secondly here is their disposition of spirit not with sorrow and hanging down their heads like a bulrush no they lift up their heads and exalt their horn in him 2 Sam. 12.20 It was a manlike act in David when the child was dead while it was alive he fasted and wept But when it was dead he arose from the earth washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped so it was with the Apostles notwithstanding all their evill usages yet they rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Six propositions containe the sum of this Text. 6 Propositions Prop. 1 First that the condition of Gods people in this world is a suffering condition To suffer Prop. 2 Secondly that shame is one great peece of and ingredient in their sufferings To suffer shame Prop. 3 Thirdly that the profession of Christs name is the great ground of the saints sufferings To suffer shame for his name Prop. 4 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 Prop. 5 Fifthly that an opportunity to suffer shame for the name of Christ ought to be esteemed and entertained not onely willingly but joy-fully rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Prop. 6 Sixthly the consideration of Christs name being in our sufferings is sufficient to quick en us up to joyfullness in them And they departed c. Doct. 1 First the saints condition in the world is a suffering condition the sufferings of the saints and people of God arise from the Devil and from the wicked world The dragon was wroth with the woman Rev. 12. v. last and went to make war with the remnant of her seed The dragon is the Devil the woman the church By his instruments he maks war with her the seed of the serpent makes war with the seed of the woman because they keep the commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ It was a right speech of Austin when those ten persecuting emperors were dead and those ten persecutions over and the people began to comfort themselves that persecution would now cease O but saith he the Devil is not dead and soe long as he hath instruments to stir up persecution will be raised So long as the wicked lust to envy the people of God must expect to suffer 1 1. Reason of our suffering They that cannot sin must expect to suffer because we have sined wee suffer justly from God because wee will not sin wee suffer unjustly from men Never a soul that ever set it's face towards heaven but the world turned their backs upon it The Church of Christ is as the Lylie among thorns such as are interested in the Love of God must expect to feel the wrath and anger of men John 16.33 in the world it was Christs own prediction ye shall have tribulation in the upper Region above is peace but in this under the moon is nothing but trouble Daniel Dan. 6.16 a man greatly beloved of God but as greatly persecuted by men The Apostle Paul a person eminent in grace and in favour with God yet notwithstanding as the raither extreamly persecuted he was in bonds for the word sake 2 Tim. 2.9 Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer even unto bonds They that receive much mercy from God 2 Tim. 2.9 and performe much duty to God must expect to meet with little mercy from the world They shall put you out of the Synagogue yea out of the world too kill you and yet think they doe God good service this ariseth from the words wickedness they wound Christ through the Saints sides ungodly men conceive and contrive enmity against the people of God and when it is conceive it bringeth forth reproach and persecution of them Lord Isa 26.11 when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their envy at the people yea the fire of thine enemies shall devour them The whole world lyeth in wickedness that is the two seeds are put in enmity the seed of the serpent against the seed of the woman Secondly from Gods will and pleasure 2 2. Rea. of suffering God hath will'd sufferings to his people as his Livery it s a Legacy to his people to you it is given on the behalf of Christ not onely to beleive but also to suffer not onely to beleive but to blood also They that are called to grace are call'd to sufferings The tyme of grace at first is atyme of love the continuance of it a tyme of affliction For whom he did foreknow Rom. 8.29 he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his son that is his suffering Image in order to our conformity to his glorious Image God had one Son without sin but he hath none without a scourge It is the will of God wee should
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
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