68 .About Peifewtiol!. ranct you did it, aJ d~d. al[o y~ur Ruler! J : And Paul I Cor. 2 . 8. [which nom of the Princu Df thi1 world k,.nrw: for h.Jd tbey k,.nnwn it, they would not have Crwcified tbe L flrd of glf)ry. J And Chrilt hirn{clt faith, ]oh. r6. 3· J..hefi thinJ!,J wiU tbey do untoyou, hecau{t thry have n 1 k_.nown the Fa– ther or mr. An~ Paul faith ot himfdf, ACt. 26. 9· I thuught vtri~ with ~y [tlf that I ought todo ma 11 y thingr contra~yto the name nf ]e[u1 of Nazareth, which thing I aljo did, &c. And 1 1im. J, 13· that it was-tgnnr.m tly i11 unbtlitfthat he was a blafpbeamer, apcrfecutorand injurio1u. And on the other fide fome l'crficute T~uth andGood1rrjl while they k,.notl.7 it to be fo. Not becaufe it is Trutb or Goodnefl, bu: becanfe it is agamfl 1 their carnal worldly_interrjf a~d in~lin_ation •. A~ the Con~cie.ncc of a worldling, a drunkard a whoremonger beartth wttnefs agamft hts lm wh1le he goeth .on m tt, fo oft-times dorh the'Confcitnce of thC Per{(cutor i and he hath fccret convi6l:iens that thofc whom he ptrfccurerh are beuer and happier than himfelf. . 9· 5· 3· As ro the catt[e, fometime pcrfccution ;s for Chriftia"nity and Godlinrji in the grofs, or for tome great cffmi J[ pomt : At;ld fornetimes it is only for forne particular Truth or dmy and that perhapsof a lower nawre; fo f,na l1 or fo d.tr/z that it is become a great Controvcrfie whether it bt Ttuth or trrour, d:1!y or fin. In fon'lc refpeds it is more comfortable to the perfccuted and more heynous in the perfccutor, that the fuffer~ng be for the Grcauft thing1: For this leaverh no doubt in rhe mind whether our eaulebe good or not; arid this fhcweth that the perfecutors riiiod is moll aliene fromGod and 1ruth : But in fome 01her refpett it is an aggravation of rhc fin of the per– fecucor and of the comfort of the perfecuted, when it is for ji1za1Jer truth! and du1ir1 : For it is a fign of great unchariublenefs and cruelty, when men can find in their he.uts to perfecure others for litrle things: And ir is a fign of a heart that is true to God, and·very fincere, when we wit! rather . futfcr any thing from Man, than renounce the fmaUrft truth of God, or commit rh·c fmaUrjl fin againfi him, or omit the fmallcft ducy when it is a dury. 4· Sometime pcrflc~ttion is dire6tly for Religion; that is, for matters of profiffed Faitb or fYor– jhip: And fomttimes it is for a civil or a common caufe : Yet Hill it is for our Obedience ro God ( or elfe it is not the perfecution which we fj:>eak of, ) though th~:: Prl;tHr of it be fcm1e common or civil thing: As if I were perfccured meerly fOr giving to the poor, or i;tlping the fick, or for being Loyal to my Prince and to the Laws, or for doing myduty to my Parents, or becaufe I will not bear falfe-witncfs, or tell a lye, or fubfcribe afalfhood, or any fuch like : This is trnly perfecuw ·,i{}tt, whatever the matter of it be, as long as it is truly for Obeying G.;d thlt we undergo the fuf- ~& . . 9· 6. Iomit many other lcfs confidcrable difiributions : And alfo thofe affl:.{iionJ which arc but improperly calkd per{ecutionr; (as when a man is punin1c:.d for a fault m a far greater rneafure than ic deferveth ~this is Injujficc, but not perfecution, ( unltfs ic be his Religion and Obedience ·ro God, which i.- the fccrec caufe of it.) Dirrll. 2. 9· 7 Dired:. z. Vnd.,jland wtU the grtatmji of thr (,n of Perfrcution, tbat you ·may br k.,rpt in a dut fear of l-cing trmpted to it. Here thnerore I fhall Ou:w you how Great aji11 it if, 9· 8. 1. l'<rj tcution is a figlning agai•JI God : So 11 is called, A{]. 5· 39· And to fight againjl G11d, is ndi1Ju1 Malignity, and difperattfoL'y : I· "'t is Vencmous malig~iry, for a Crearure ro t-ight agai1lfl h:., Creator, and a finncr l~ainft his Redeemer who woQld fave him ; and for fo blind ·a worm ro rife up agair.fl: the wifdum of the A!l·kl}owing God ! and for fo vile a finner eo oppofe the fOuntajn of Love and Goodnefs ! 2 · Ar.d what Folly can be greater, than for a Mole to re– proach the Sun for darf<.••fi ? or a lump of Earth 10 rake up Arms againll the Almighty terrible G0<l > Art thou able to make good thy Clufe againll him? or to lland before him when he is o.lft:nde,l~ ;.nd chargtth thl!c wnn tin? Hear a Phar-ilte, Ad. 6. 38, 3!1· [And now I fay untn J'ou, Ttfrain from theft ~Jtn_ a11d ltt tbcm aiMu; for if tkir counfel or_ tl)il ~ wor~ be of mt•J, it rriU come to UWJ!..bt : But 1/ tt be of Gvd, ye c.mnot ovtrtbrow lt ; lejf happlly ye be f ound even to fight againft God.] Or hear Chrill loirntdt; Act. 9· 4, 5· ! ,m> Jr[ut whom tbozt prr[<cutrfl: It it hard for tlm to bjck._ agttin{f the pricl<! ! wit~ bare feet or hands to ~cat the thorns ! How unmcct a match is man for God! Hr m·rdeth not fo much as J word rn take away thy foul 1 arid crufh thee to the lowefi Hell. His p7ilJ ahm can lay thee undc:r thy detcrved pains. Canft thou Conquer- rhe Almighty God ? Wilt thou alf~ult the Power which was never overcome, or fiorm Jchovahs Throne or Kingdom ? Firfl try to take down che Sun and Moon and Srars from the fi rmament, and to flop rhc courfe of the Rivers or of the Sea ; and to rebuke the Winds, and turn night into· day, and \\'inter into Summer, and decrepit Age into vigorous Yeuth ~ Attempt not greater matters till thou hall performed rhefe: It is agrtater matter than ahy of thefe, to conquer God whofe ca:ufe thou figlm.fi againft. Htar him again, lf.J. 45· 9· [T.Yoe mtto him tbJ.t jlrivr~b rritb hit fV!~~er:_ Let tin potpJerd {trivt with tbt Potjhr:rd1 of tbe '£:Jrtb ? Shall the Clay f.,y to hnn tb.Jt fajhunw b J.t, What mak.,rjl tbon1] Or thy work, [He batb no hamit ] ? And !fa. 45· 9· [ "'bo wouldfit thr bryars and thor~u ty!,ainft me in battel? I wouldgo tbrougb them, I n't<uld bum th!m togttbtr. J \Vo to the man th:u is nor content ro light with men, but chooferh the moH: dreadful God ro be his. enemy ! It had been beitcr for thte rhat all rhc World ha:d been againH rhee ! · 9· 9· 2 •. Pcr[ecutinn oppofcth the gracious defign of om Redeemer, and hi'ndercth his Gofpel, and work of mercy to the world, and endtavoureth the ruine of his Kingdom upon earth. Chritt came to fave men, and perfecutors raife up their power againH him, as if they envycd falvarion to the ·world. And if God have m1de the work of mans Redemption, the moll wonderful of all his works WhiCh ever he revealed to the fons of men, you may eafily conceive what thanks he wil1 give rl1<m, that retia him in fo high and glorious a ddign. If you could pull rhe Stars our of the fuma.rnent,
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