z8o <Jhe Gr~at Duty of Rejigvation. , R<>. l · "· right •hand of the Majef/y on 4>igh. NO\vour ·Bleifed Sa~iour . harh promifed, 7o him thal overcomeJ, will I grant to fit wtth me i~ ""!} throne, even as ! a!fo ()7Jercame, and am fot down witb my Fatber in bis throne. Unfamnn~ Perfcverancc_.m Ollr Duty, fhaU be rew3rdcd wirh rhe Glory of our Redeemer. And ts nor d1e profpect and expectation <;Jf <his fuffi.ctcnt to confirm our Mmds, and make us ~a~ien.tly bear the grearefi -:'-fHH~.tions: , Secondly ; The ConJideration of rhe fuRenng Saints in all Ages,. 1s a p~;nyerful Per. J.tm. 5 • 10 • fu:afivc ro Pattcnce. Thus the ,ApofUc James dtrcc::ts <;::Jul!Hans, lake, "!Y. br.etiJ,fen, t/;e prophets, who ha'l!e fpoken in the name of the Lord, . fqr , an examjJle of fnffering aff/illion and of pattence. And we have great encouragement from hence;. t.f v.:c. confi~er. · l' , . That rhofe who are of mofl: precious account with God! anfll)igh1y. faviiuri:d by him? are ufually exercifed wtth fi1arp Affiictwns. The (i;ngulanty ang grearnefs of a Calamity exafperares the SorrbW; When 1t ts apprehen4e.d as • ligp: of extraordinary Guilt in the . affitCl:cd, and of fcvere difpleafure in God that fends 1t; bur prevent Trouble that anfcrh from ,that Apprchenfion, rhe Scripture records the heavy Afil iCl:ions . cl1a.r _ happ~ncd to Gods chofen Servants and Fa'vounrcs. Mo/es, whom God honoured wirh rhe mofl: condcfcending and familia r Difcoveries of himfelf, was tcied by long i\ffiidions. David,. a ~an after G~d' s <?Wn hear.r, was a lbng tuno Jnu1ed to and fro t5y rempefi.uo~s Pcriecutions from Ius U~Juft and 1mplacabl~ ~nemies. I[aiah, who ~as dignifi ed With fu ch Heavenly Revelanons, that Ius defcnb111g rhe SuRerings of Chrifl: fcems rather the Htilory of an Evan_gchfi, than t~e Vili.on.of a Propl~er, was fawn afimdcr. ~· Their Nature was as fratl as ours, theu Affiu~wns as cutttng and fenfiblc, yet how pancnrly and couragiouf\y did they endure rhe mof\ cruel Sufferings' l· We have the fame bleifed Comfortor to aflifl: l iS as they had, the Holy Spirit. He that ts fl:tled the Spmt of Power, mfufeth a holy Magnammlty to bear rhe heavic~ Sufferings. No\'11 it is the Apofile's Inference from the Hi!l:ory of the Saints under the Old Tdl:arncnt, fome of whom died Martyrs, and prhers lived Martyrs, by their con. HeJ. 12. r. fl:ant and generous fuffering various Evils for Divine Truth : Wberefore feeing we are com· ptl_{fed about 1vitb folf/eat a cloud of witnejfes, let us lay ajide every weight, and the fin ~a:t:;rl~tc:rJtx::c~;;, ;~ a:i;d ~J:~;"d[e;, \~~~;:s ~:~::~:e:!~~ ictu~::~;,e :~d i;~; fome of the Ancients interpreted as an allufion to the Benefit we receive from the Natural Clouds, that refrefl1 the Air, and skreen us from the fcorching heat of the Sun. T he Alluflon is roo fubrile and fl:rain'd, bur the Benefit is real; for rhe admirable Examples of their Patience and Courage arc powerful to refrcfl1 forrowful Spirits , ftfle are encompaf!td with tbem tfS a iheatre. There is no kind of AffiiCl:ion, and no part of our Duty, whereof there is not prefented tO ~s fomc Exar~ple for our Encouragement and J mirarion. I t is alfo worthy of Obfervatton, that Chnfl:ians have a fpecial Obligation, Encouragement, and A!Eflance to bear Affhctions with chearful Spirits, above the Beli evers of the Old Tefl:ament. For under the !rlofaic Difpenfation, ounvard Profperi- ~~n~~~e~y~f.~oi~r!i~f'J;a;~;v;,:;~,,'vac:~~:.;'lsc';oEd~:~~~:e. of i!,~d~~:,a;h~,:: fome of the mofl: excellent Saints were illuf\rious Examples of patient fuffering Afllidions. But in the Gofpel God harh declared, that his Deflgn is to train up his Children by Sufferings, for their furure Happinefs ; that t/;rougl; many trilmlationS they mufl enter into the Kingdom of God. And we find the truth of this by manifold experience, from R". 1· 9· the /idl Ages of the Chrifl:ian Church. Sr. J•lm, by Revelation, be!Jeld a great multitJJde, wl;ich no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and ;eople, and tongues, tbat flood !Jefore the tbrone, a1zd !Jefore the lamb, cloathed with white robes, and ;alms in their bands: And tbey all came out of great tribulation, and bad wafhed their robes, anJ made them 1obite in tbe blood of the lamb. Now fince the Crofs is an Appendix to the Gofpcl, we fi10uld with more prepared Minds fubmit to it. Befides, if Believers rhen, who enjoyed only Star-light, lefs clear difcoveries of the glorious World to come, were fo patient and confiant in fuffering for the Truth; How much more fhould we be am~ mated in our Troubles, to whom the Sun of Rig}Jteoufnefs appears, revealing Life and Immonaliry. by the Gofpel? If they who were partakers of rhc Holy Spirit in leffcr ~i~~~~e:b~~d~1~~:p~ert~~;e ~~~~~~d ;luifuans that rcceiv~ the Graces of the Spirit in Pr.J. •+i· s. Thirdly; All Creamres obey the Will of the Creator; all the lower Rank ; Fire and hail, fnow and wpours, and f/ormy winds fulfil his word. 7/Je Sun flood j/ill. ttll Jofh.a ~~~fibi';'t,~~~~;;i~~i~~~ir~J{/rb'~~d:;~~ ~~,~~~~r~ d1~~,[c~~~~n1."'e¥~~:R~:K; 1 fed Elias, and the Lions fpared Daniel. And Creatures of the fuperior Order e.adly Prat ,.1 . fulfil his Will. The angel! that excel in f/rengt!J, do his commandments: hearkning to the 'VOICe
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