----·--- --------~---· Cl tap.16.Sea. 3· ·------- r;;;r;l~rs rcjoyce ye prifoner.r ofhope, the Lord whom ye look for, and long after, he is with yo~,hc cann?t be abfcnt from}ou? Cluift is in your prifon~ (thoPgh it m~y be y0u ••re not awo.rc of 1t) however, Ca_r.Jf not awa\1 y(iur t:o;,fidouic f .,- l,e thtt. .f' dl L JJN onlL lhb. ~~·. ·s .. h .a b ;.; 1 Gffi ) !7La come, and will nor tarry. 1Vow t 1 )";• J. a/1/ivt byfmth. \ ·ris fpo,cn to u crcrs J!;•t if any man draw back._, my[u11l Jli.d have 110 pleafur< in lnm. But that I may draw out many arguments for your comforts, confickr of thcfc par– ticulars.-- r. Chrifl: is efpecially prefent with his Jirffering-SaiiltJ. Thus run t 11c Promifcs, I ' rrilt be rvithhim in troubLe,andwill dehvcr him. FcaY net 0 IfrJ.el,whm tiJtw.. j"••Irft th/Jtt~~i; If... ~3· r~~ the lVfttt'r J1rill be 1vith thee; -~-~--- when thoJ~ walk.!fl through the Ji··e) thot: jh.~!t nvt be b 1 trned, n;ith'r Jbali thejiamr: kindle 1t(1m thee. Oh wh~t fwcet pro~T1i1Cs, .:~v~12t fl: gg?ns of wine arc thefc to comfort the dtihdfcd foul ! 1\ s Ctf.,,· fa•d to t;1c trcmbilllg Mariners, Be not afraidfor y011 carry Cefar: So may I fay to pvor perfccuted, dRirtcd Chrifl:ians, be not afraid, for he that is your King is in you, for you, "ith you. llpon .this ground David comforted his foul, Though I wa!k._t!mngh the valley of theJhac!m p[,f. •;. 4 ofdeath, !willf ear no evil, for thottart with me, thy r~d, and thy Jlfrff' c~"fult me.. \Vhcn , Cot. 12• ~.PaHl was bereaved ofhts fight, then (as fomc concetve) he was rapt mto the thtrd heaven 1 and heard thofe words from Chrift not fit to be uttered. \'\Then Siepl" n was ~t the bar, and the lhower of ll:ones was ready to fall upon his head, then hef.nv !,caves it fi.lf open, and the Son of man ftanding at the right hand ofCod. When the three c!l!ldrcn A!ls 1· S6 were in the furnace, Chrifl: was there to make the fourth, I ji<~v f our men loofc wmi{:ng Dan. ~· >S in the mideff_of the fire, and the forme ofthefc~erth u l;kJ the SqJJ of God._ . 2. Chriil: is not only prcfent ' ·but fupportingly prefent with his m thw frfferingJ. Pfal. • 3. 4 '{,~'".,.,. with me (faith David) thy rod and thy jf«/fecomfort me. Though all men forfook Pat</ when he was to anfwcr before Nerc, Notwithflanding (f~ith Paul) Chrifl the • 7 , 11 '-4·' 6 ,, 7 Lordflood ~y me, ar;djlrcngthcac~ me. 3· Chrifl: gives his Sai·JIJ cordials fuitablc to their JirfferingJ. They Jha/1 put yo;; out ofrhc Spugogue (faith Chrijl,) and k.i_ll you. I. They fhall excommunicate you, now J chn 16. o as fuit:tblc to this Chrifl: toki them that he went t• prepare manfiow f or them :n hiJ Fathers Houfe. · 2. They lhall klll you, now as fuitablc to this Chri fl: tells them that ]rim '4• 2 their lives 01ould be as furc as his, Becaufe I live, {e jhalllivealfo. Thus Chriil: hath John '•· ~ ~ fu itablc cordials ; if men frown, he hath fmilcs; i men difgrace, he bath honours ; if you lofc perilhing riches, be bath endurable, unfearchablc, Whatfocver you fuffer loffe in, he will make it up. 4 · Chrifl: fympathizethwjth his fojfering-SaintJ. In all their ttfJI.iCijon he WaJ afJI.iCitd, f[.•. 63 , ~ ..11d the Angd ofhiJ prefenetfavtd them. Chrifl:ians, fuffer when and where you will, Chrifl: fuffers then, and there with you. Had perfecutors eyes, they would fee this, and they would be afraid of this. If we perijh, Chrift perijhtth withu<, could Lwhn· fay; Sujfwinl·SaintJ! Chrifl: fo loves you , as that he fuffers with you ; arc you in dungeons? Chrill: is there too: are you with Job on the dung-hill? Chrill: there fits by you ; Every drop of blood that you bleed, goes to the heart of Jcfus Chrifl; the Baptifmc of affliCtion wherewith ye are baptized) is Chriits; Count not, call not tHat y~urs, which is his, furely he rather fuffers in you, then you for him; or if you Will fay , you fuffer for him, yet know he fympathizeth with you in thofe JiiffmngJ. , 5· ChriG:_ordereth all thef ufferingJofhis Saints for quality, quantity, and duration. ' · ~~r quality, Chrift orders to fome mockings, bonds, imprifonmcl\tS; (o others ] ohn 'x. ~~ ll:onm~'. fawing, killing with the fword; Chrill:tells Puer by whatdearh he Jbouldglo- P[•l. s6. 8 rifit htm, 2. For quantity, Thou telleft my wandring!, he ineans the wandrings whilelt Htb• 1 :. n he_was perfecuted, fuch wandrings as the Apofl:le means. They w~tndred about in Jheeps sk!_m, andgMts skim, luing defliture, ttjfiiCied, tormented. David mufl: not wander a !l:ep m~re then Chrill: would : nor lhall Saints weep a tear, nor bleed a drop, nor bear i finpe more then Chri!l:will number out. 3· For duration, he orders that too, Ye jhalt .Rtvel. •· ia have mbt~lallon tmdayeJ. The GentileJ jhall tread the hcly City t<nder f•ot fourty two Rtv<).u;a~9 monethJ, The wuveJJu jha/1 ly in the ftreets three dayes, and an half, So many days~ moneths, years, Chtilt otders all 6. _Ghrill: often gives to l)is S~intS ino!l glorious vifions in their grievous fitffcringJ: ~a;> Jt no: thus wi_th John, and Stephen? And how many Martyrs have fpoke of fuch Rml. 1 · 12 fplntual vd'ions, vdits, incomes, which tkey have had in prifons, the like unto whicli !Ills 1 ' H> ss they never found nor felt at other times? We give our rings, jewcls,chains, net-works . to'
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