' · chap • 6 .s ~a.3. .§i>atntsfuffectngs. 343 ----- no it was another work that God called us unto,a work of Ji1fering; and feeing we have refufcd this, do what we can, God ca11:s it as dung in our faces: and he regards it not ; this is a fad condit1 on, what JOY can fuch a man have of Ius hfe, 1fhc had but an illightned confcience ? 6 What intollerable pride and·delicacy is this in us that we will not vc11ture the loffe of a~y thind the enduring of any thing for God and his truth? the !call: truth of God is more wo~;h than heaven and earth; nnd what is our cafe, our name, our libctty, our life to it? · . 7 How vile is the unbelicf of our hearts who dare not trul1: Gbd with our name, our ell::l;e, our liberty, how ~an we trull: God with our f~uls, our etern~l cl1:ate? H?w lightly do we regard the fa1thfulnefs! ~nercy,goodnefs,w1fdome,power of God,workmg for his people in thCII' fuffermgcondmons ?_Of what httle acc?unt arc all thofe grac10us bleffed promifes of Go~ to us m th1s C1Jnd1~10n? Our bafe fliynefs, ~nd coward1ze of fpirit is fuch, as if there were no God, no fa1thfulnefs, no mercy,no w1fdome, no p,ower to help us; as if there_were M prom1fc to fup!Cort and releeve us. . 8. How little love 1s there mour hearts to God, when we are fo fhy ofany thmg to lle fuffered for God ? Love rejoyces in fuffering for the beloved : T he avoiding hell, Cryfofl. .ft 11 nd zhegetting heaven nre no great things ( faies Chryfoll:ome) 1vhere the love of God nnort d,i, & . t1Jlera1111~ ln " · 9 . Whar is the iffue offoul Apoll:acy_? I~ we d~aw b_ack from perfecution, we draw •<lu:rfis &11 to perdition. Chn!t 1s not fo f\veet mh1s dealmg With martyrs, but he IS as dreadful in his difcoveries to ApGftates. Ask Spira, how doleful a condition denying is l Hce'l tell you, that he could feel ~o comfort in his he~r~, that,there was no place there, but full of bitter torments and h1deous vexmgs of fpmt; hee I tell you of Gods wrath burning in him like the torments of hell, and that his confcience was afflicted with pangs unutterable. 10 . What honour fhould God have in the world? Where would there be any witnefs to truth againl1: the rage and malice of the dive! and wicked men, ifall fhould do as we do? If there be any Chrill:ian blood left in us, if ~ny fpirit worthy of our pro'– feffion, 0 be we afhamed of our bafenefs this way,and be not fo fhy of(i1fcrings. Se.'l:. 2 . We m11ft contentedly ji1bmit our[elves, and quietly behave oui· [ elves in Ji1fcrings. S Ecing we are now under an ordinance of God, take heed of the !call: murmuring or repining againft God as if he were an hard mall:cr. . If our fpirits at any time begin· . ta rife in fuch workings, let us charge our fouls to be filenr to God; tt is a fhame for a Chrill:ian not to be well skilled in that art, inll:ruded in that myll:ery of Chri11ian con· tentation; let us fay with our Saviour, Shall not I drink._ of that c~tp ~vhich "'!Y Father bath given me todrink./ It is the cup ofmy Father,and fhall not I qu'ietly and contentedly drink ofthat clip? Now we have an opportunity to manifell: the power and excellency ofour grace, to fhew what our grace can enable us to do : frrength of reafbn will go far in quieting and calming of the heart under af!liCl:ions, but grace furely where it is true, will go further; it will teach us to fubmit our felves, and to refignc our fpirits Unto God, to be willing that God fhall deliver us when-he will, and as he will, and how he will, fo that our wills are melted into the very will of God. It is truc,we may be fenliblc o~1t, and make our moan to God concerning it, and defire to be delivered of it, and feek 1t byall good and horiell: and lawful means; yet we mull: nor murmur or repine, ~ve mull: not fret or vex, there mull: not be any tumulruoufncfs or unfetlednefs offpirit m us, there mull: no~ b~ any dill:ra~:Iing fears in our hearts, nor any linking dif– cou~age~1ents, bafe~uftmgs, rebellrous nfings aga_inll: our God._ Now that we may attam th1s frame, thts grace of contentment and qutetnefs of fpmt, obferve thefe di· re8:10ns.~ _I· Be we humb{cd in our hearts for the want thereof, ·or tha't we have had fo fittle of th1s grace m us; there is no· way to fet upon any dmy with profit, till the heart be humbled for the want of the performance of the d['fy before : many men when they hear of a dmy that they fhould perform,' they willlabourto perform it, but iirl1:.thcy, fhould be humbled for the want of it. Oh that I had thisgrace of content!nem ( fhould every one fay) what an happylife mig ht I live? !Vhttt abundance rfho11om· might I bring d
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