67 z ·Book. IV Part+ Leoklng U'l$tO !}efuJ. Chap.3.Sed:,7 1 Cor. ; o,f3· Gcn.3. x' ). ' Luk.%.4 t6. Rer.n 8 I 7• l Tit·~· Il. he finifhed; his general fufferings are thofe which he endures in his myftical body, which is, theChurch, as he is a member with the reft; and~hefe are the fufferings PiN I fpeaks of, _and which P aut fills l.JP· . . But wherein is the conformity betwixt our fufferings and the fufferings of Chrift ? I anfwer, r. Negatively. 2. Pofitiv~ly. , I. Negatively, our fuffe-rings have no conformity with Chrifl: in thefe two things; - I. ·or in the office ofChrilts fufferings, for his were meritorioos and fatisfacrory, ours only minifrerial and for edification. 2. Not in the weight and meafure ofChrifts fufferings, for his were bitter, heavy, and woful, fuch as would , have prelfed any other creatur-:: as _ low as hell, . and have fwallowed him up for ever ; .but ours. are but in com- , parifon light , and tollerable ; there hath no temptation taksn you 6ut fuch as u common to man, [or God u fai~hful, who will not fufJer you to be tempted above that you are 11.ble. 2 PoGtively, our fufferiRgs muft have conformity with Chrift. r. In the caufe ofthem; Chrifts fuffc:rings were infl:rumentally from Satan and wicked men;· we muft look to fuffer by the enemies ofChrift, ifwe have any lbare in Chrilt; the enemie continues frill, I will put enmity between thee and the womaN, a14d between thy feed and her feed. This ~vas primarily m~ant betwixt the devil and Chrifl:, but ifwe conforme to Chrift, we muft expect the very fame condition. 2. In the manner of undergoing them; we muft fuffer with a proportion ofthat humilty, and pa- ~ience, and Jove, and meeknelf~, and obedience which Chrifl: fhewed in his very fuffc\ings. 3. In refpect of the iffue of them, we miift look uponChrifts iffue, and expect it to be ours; ought not Chrift to h:~ve fuffmd theft things, andfo rnter ifftO glory rAnd if fo be that .we fuffer wid; Chrift, we foal! beglorified together . -n•ith Ch,ift . -If we fuffer with him, . we fh .di alfo reigne v:ith him. By reafon of this conformity we have that communion and alfociation with Chrill: in all thefe particulars, as 1. We have Chrifts ll:rength to beare li.lfferin~s. 2. His v1ctories to overcome fuffe rings. 3. tJis interceffion to prefer ·te us from falling away in {ufferings. 4· His compaffion to moderate and proportion
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