34'l I P:t-9,1 s Pbi/. 1. 19 .s>aints futfcrtngs. Chap. 16.Sec't. 3 . A Efual Jvjfe;·ings according to the letter, to every time and moJnent: yet certainly there is a time for that; .~nd the duttcs that concern us when God now calls us to fuf– fcr affiiltions arc thcfc.-- 1. That we be willing to come under them. o That we contentedly fubmit our fe!ves, and quietly behave our fclves in them. 3· That we labour to 1mprove them. Sc{i:. I. l'Ve muft be willing to come tmtlcrflljferin,gs. J T was the honour of the three children in Daniel, that thcryieldcd their bodies to thofc fiery flames they were caft mto. Let us not fcek to put off ji1fcrmgs by di!tincrions; certamly the beft pollicy in dangerous times is the grcatell: purity. The Laccdcmomans were wont to fay, u was a jhamef or any man to jly m time of danger, but for a Laccdcmonian it JMs aJhamc to deliberate. How much more truly may this be faid of a Chriftian, when God calls him to fuffcr? He fhould before-hand be fo refolved that it fhould be a QJame for him even to deliberate. And yet by way of Caution be~ fore we come under affiiltions, let us look. 1. That our caufc be good. 2. Th;t our call be clear. 3. That our end be right. I. Look that ourcaufc be good. It is not for every caufc that a Chriftian fhould ingagc into fuffcrings. Lu none of you,Jujfer as a murrhcrcr, or tts a thuf e> ur as an evil doer, 01 as a bu!j-body in other mens matters, to fuffer in thcfc or the like Cafes is nor Chrilrian, neither will it be comfortable. 2. See that our call be clear. Chrill: calls not all to mnrtyrdomc; Tpyolt it is "h'tll tojiiffe>· (f.1ith the Apoftle) not onely that yo".PJOu/d believe in c&,ift, bm nlfofl'jfcr/or his fak!,·. Affiiltion is a gift of love, even as fanh is; it's grace as well to bleed for Chrift, as to believe in ChriiL Let us be wife therefore to clear our call. For example, if truth fuffers by our filcnce, then are we called to fpeak; if the faving of our life lhould be Chrifts dcnyal,thcn are we called to dye; if we arc before a Magiftrate for the name of Chrift, Chri!t then calls us not to be afhamcd ofhirn; if fin and jiiffering furround us fo, as that we arc neccffitated to take the one, and to leave the other, then we may conclude that Chrill: calls us to ji1jfering. 3.Let us eye our end in all our fi1ferings;if our end be Self,how l110uld we expcCl: corn-' fort?fome have dyed that their names might live; a Roman fpirit can hold toJujferin• & death it fclf, an oppofing fpirit will put on fomc to dye rather then yccld: the Apo!He hath left it a clear thing,that 'tis poffible to give ones body to be burm,and yet to·want true divine love. One may(I wifh none did)fnffer as much for felfifh as fublime refpeds,(i.c.) for his own glory. 0 let us mind Chrifts glory,truths propagation, the maintenance of equity and rightcoufnefs in all our fuffcrings; And if fo go on 1 fear not,flinch not;ifwe dr"w back.._, hu foul will havr no pleafure inm. What? arc we fhy of the waies of re– ligion bccaufe of affiiCl:ion ! If fuch thoughts work in us at any time, take thefe con– liderations.-- r. At what low rate do we prize the waies of God , that fuch and fuch more low comforts muit not be laid down for them,that fuch light affiicrions mull: not be endured for the maintenance of them? 2. Confider if Chrift had ftood on fuch terms as to have fa id, I co~tld be content iw– deed that the(e poor creatures mightbc delivered from mifcry, but Jccing fuch gnevousJuf– fcrin,gs muft be endJtrcd for thezr dcfzvera.ncc, let them pcnjiJ for me, I am not JVt!lmg toJave tbemon {iteh hard terms asthefe; 0 then what h>d become of us. . 3. They who are fo fhy offujfering, may be forced to fuffcr in fpight of their hearts, and what a fad thing will that be to them? \Vhat a fad thing was it to Cra11mer af1cr he had recanted for fear of fufferings,thatyet he was forced to fufferr What a dark'ning was it to his fpirit, to his caufe, and to his good name? u! 4- Whatfoever profperity we enjoy,when God calls us to fulfer for him, it is curfcd 1. unto us: If we bleffe our felves in our name, in our cftate; our liberty, our Iif~, and avoyd the way of fuffering that God calls us unto, we deceive our fclves, for there is no blcffing in them, they are all' accurfed unto us. 5· All the duties of religion that now we perform out of a fuffering condition arc not accepted of God. We muft not think now, having avoided fiif!cring for Gods truth, that becaufc we are willing to perform duties, therefore God now accepts ofus; no,
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