Of Eletlion. CHAP. XIV. What Sufferingr we muft nece!J4rily undergo, before that God (ettl~s and #reugthenr u.r in any eminent manner. · The Keafonr why we muft pafs through foch Sufferingr before we arc perfotled. 1 he Example ofour :Saviour. The wife appointment of God, who hMfo determined it to be for the trial of our Grace, and to glorijie hir own Grace the more in firengthning , recovering, and deli– vering u.r. . What Encour11gcments we may draw even from tbh, neceffity of our Suffering. I PET. V. Io. [After you have fuffered a while J I Come now to the limitation annexed, or the necelfary prerrquijite for us to undergo, before that God ll:rengthens, fettles us, in any eminent manner in this Life, And therein , t. That God bath fet down with himfelf a neceffity of our Juf/tring, and undergoingotttwari jil{feri~tgs, and alfo inward Trmptallons to fin, and froni fin, I lhallafter treat.'fis ll:range that the Apoll:le iliould not make an Abfolute promife of it, and roundly to have faid, he will jlrmgthm, (!;c. but he mull: clog the Promife witb a Provifo, ( for fuch it is, ) lfJttr ye have fujftred a while : Nor that P.ettr ( it it be a Prayer) iliould not have the Heart to pray for any one of ·his Brethren , the Saints, abfolutely and directly; that God would perfe{f them , fettle I hem, (!;c. but his Pray. er in the courfe of it, mull: be interrupted, and check'r, as it were, with this Interpofition, which his wi!h could not ll:ep over; not as for any one Saint; bu~hat he mull lirll put in, after ye have {u(Jtrul: It mull be becaufe he knew it was the will of God, (which he had told us was the foie Arbiter of our fufferings, ) And that not as to fome few , but to the Brothtrhood, or Fratemity ot Saints i?t the World, That live m'Y while afttr caUi•zg: (for that reflriction alfo the words do fuppofe, who hath caUtd you; and then Jiif~ fered, a while after. ) The neceffity of this mull: be wholly refolved into the will, and determinati– on of God : He will have it fo. There needs no other prooftor it,than the inllance ofourLord hi':lfelf,Chrifl, that was fer up,.u our Pattern in all things elfe; and fo tn thts nrcellity of fuffer– ing, He6. 2. ro. It became htm, (or whom are rJU thiugs, rmdby whom area!/ things,i11 6ringi11g man§Sons ttnto Glory,to make theC1ptai11 of tbeirS,Iva:io" perjtfJ,tbrough[ufferi~tg.r:That God,who ordained Chrill, the Chieftain, the General, the Leader of all his C hildren, whom he bnngeth unto Glory, was himfelf led this way: Both thr.y, and he,are, and was ro pafs the Pikes: The Captain, Chrill himfelf, broke through, and then carries us thtough an op• pofite 357 r-..J\./\ Chap. '4· ~
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