'Dire8io1zs againft the Fear of Suiferings for Chrift. have praife of thefame: For he is tbe mini(ter of God to thee fur good: Bu~ if tbou do that which is tvil be afraid: for be beareth not the [word in vain: for he if the minijler of God; a revenger to execxr r:n-ath upon him that doth evil. Would you have the fuHer expoGrion ofrhis ~ le is in 1 Pet·3·IO 11 1 / 13, 14, 15. For be tbat wiU love life andfie good dayu, let him refrain his tongue from evil, ~nd' hi; lips that they JPeak.. •• guile: Let hi•~ efchew evil and d;, good, let him [ttk.. peace andenfueit : For tht tyts of the Lord are over the righteour, aJtd his eartJ are open to theit prayers : hut the f.Jce of the Lorrl. !!;t:nl!:-:~:~ is ogainft them t~Jt dQ evil : An.d who is he that wiU bJrm yote ifye be fvUowerJ of that r11hi:b iJ ins oim faid, good. But and if ye fuff<r for r~ghttoufne[s fak..•. bJppy are ye : and be not afraid •f their ter– ln;unCmorirour nuther be troubled : hut {antlifie the Lord God m your /J(artJ, and be ready alwaytJ to give an an[:l'et frts : he an- to every ma1z tbat aJk,.etb you a reafon of the hope th.Jt U in yox, with meek,.nefJ a1zd fear. HaVing 4 ~wr\red, 1t ku gaod confiience, that rvhereM they jpeak.. evil of you M (Vil·doerJ, tiny mtty be afhamed that falfly ~~eret. j~~~~~s? accufi your good cmverfation in Cbrijl. Forit U better if the will of God be[o, tbat y( fiiffer for weU~ mu. doing than for evildoing. Seealfo, rPet.4. I3, I4, IS· §. 5·. DireCl. 5· Eitl~er )'OU fear fuJ[erinJ!. from m~n ~ guilty or M innocent, for evil doing or.for weU domg, ~r for nothzng ! If M f,HJlty an~ for evd damg, tUTJt your .JearJ the right wa), andfiar God, and hu wrath for Jin, and h14 threatnmg.r of more than mm c.Jn znfli[i; and acf<.nowledge tht goodneji of Jujiice botb from God and man: But if it be tU inntJcent (}(' for weDdoing, remember that Cbriji commandeth you exceedingly to rejoyct ; and rememba that martyts have the mojl glariow Cronm : A11d wiU you be exceffively ~tfrJid ofyour bigluft hoHol!r and gain and joy. Believe well The fe,•en what Chri!l hath faid, and you cannot be much afraid of futfering for him. M.urh. 5 • 10 , 1 I, u. Brethren cb.u Bleffed art they w{,;ich are perfecuted for rigbteoufne{I {al{_e ; for theirs i1 the Kingdam of Heaven. fuft~red in Blcffid are ye wbm men jhaU revile yau and .pcrfecute yiJu, and fhall fay alJ manner of evil againft y:; 11 :::!~:,er f..Jljly for my fak..e: Ittj'ryct and be txcuding g,l.zd, for great Uyour reward in He11ven: for fo ptr[tcuted lncedebanr ~hey the Propliets which were before you. And will you .fc:ar _the way of bleffednefs and t;tCcetding cumf:iducia JOY? Matth. IO· 17, 18, 19. BtlVare of men, for they wllJ deltver yMt up to tht Councilr, and they ad fupplicium nilJ fcourgt'y!Ju in their Sy~tagogue.r, andye }hall be braught before Governourt aJJd Kings fOr my fob.! ,Liafi a.d epu- f .;r a ttfiimany agaiujl tbem-- Bttt ta~e ne1 thougbt, &c. You are allowed to bew.tre of them, buc ;:Kre~:GJ;ri2 not to be over fearful or thohghtful of tbe matter. Verf. 22, 23. A~td ye jhaU. be hated ofall men for Deo in excel- my n.:me.r fak.! ; but he that enduretb to the cm:l jbaY be faved. But whm they perfecute you in lis, &c. VotbU City fly to another-- Fly but fear them not, with any immoderate fear : verf. 39· He thal li.anobid>z< jindt<h his life jhalllofe it, and ht that lofith hi< life for my fak! ]hall find it. Luk. 18. 29.30. t'l! d!e(, 1 & . Verily I fay umo you, there i1 no malt that bath left hou[e or Parent.r orBrethreN or Wife or Cbildrm for ~:~~enfefii:~~~.- the Kingdom of Gods fakJ, who (hall not recei~e manifold more in thU prefcm time, and in the WIJf'lrl .Ecce nunc to come life everlajling. Can you believe all thts, and yet be fo afraid of your own felicity? 0 what lu~pusJ:ccep- a deal of fecret unbdief is detected by our immoderate fears! I Pet. 4• I2, I_3, 14, 16, 19. Belwvcd tabJJe, .ecce thiu/t it not ftrllngt concerning the fiery tryal, which U to try yort M tha~tgh fome ftrange thing hap– faJ~~j:,~~~~r.- pened to you : But rejoice in M much. M ye a~e p~rtak,.rr I of Chrijts fojferiitj.I, that whtn hH glory_jhaQ do p 10 hd< be revealEd Y' may be glad alfo wlfb excttdtng ;oy. Ifye be •·eptoached for the name of Chrij/ b.ppy nu~c dol!'ini are ye : [01· the fpirit of Glory and of God rejfeth onyou : 0;~ their part he i1 ~vi/ jp:J~W of, but on de1_noflr1, per- )'Ottr part he U glorified. But let Jione of you [uffcr oH an evzt doer- ~'ft if any m.m fuffer ar 4 ftnmus rzCbrijlia,t, let bim glorifie God OJt that bcbalf-- wherefurt let them that Juffer according to the will of P~.r~mm u:- God commit tbe ~eeping of tbeir foul!IO bim i1t W(lldoiHg M umo a faithful Cre.ztor. There is fcarct: ~~~~:; . any point that God harh been pleafed to be more full in, i1~ the holy Scriptures, than the encmuaging ?cquili.tz fide1 of his fu,fft:ring_ fcrvants againfi the fears of men i ac:quamting them that their fufferings are the r;~~;~~uli' matter of their profit and exceeding joy ; and therefore not of too great fear. ~~~i:~a~~c~c Ne timeatis populi D~i, n~que ~ormidecis.mim~ 2cque. re;rores prefentium tribub.tionu~, fed mo.ria~,mr pro Cbr.illo~ ut j fc mortuus eJI, redi~cns nos pre.tl~~o flngumc fa!uta.n. .VJfto~ u_ru:nf p. ~68. . In P:mloqumque glonau.:>nes ob(enav 1 • GJo-– Satur in imbecillirate~m cruet Lhnflt)tn bona confClcntta; m affirCbombu~. m fpe Vlta: xterna:. Btl&holr;.,er. Dlrdl. 6. §. 6. Direct. 6. Experience teDtth 11< that men have never [o m"eh joy on earth ar in fufferi•gfor tbt caufe of Chrift; nor [o much bonour ar by being dijhonoured by men for him. How joyfully did the Jdolohmia col ancient Chrifi:ians go to Martyrdom ? many of them lamented that they could not attain it: And what a!us in mun. comfort have Chrifts Confclfours found, aboVe what they could ever attain before? And how honou· doegitradirable now are the names and memorials of thofe Martyrs, whO dyed then under the llandcrs fcorn celfi~~~t~~- and cruelty of men ? Even the Papifis that bloodily make more, do yet honour [he names of the an– :;::,;'' Ideo tient Martyrs with keeping Holy dayes for them, and magnifying their fhrines and relicts ; for God opt:in~ufl! dl will have ir-fo, for the honour of his holy fulfertrs, that even that fame generation that perfec:ute the Conhtm li< living Saints (hall honour the dead, and they that murder thole they lind alive, !hall honour thofe ~::b~tt1;P'· whom their fore-fathers murdered: 1\-iatth. 23. 29, 30, 3r. TYoe unto you _fcribes aP) Ph.1~i{eu hy– Pifll)r uticm- pocritu! becaufe ye b~tild t'he 1ombts of tht Praphcu, and Jarnijh the Sepulcbre.r Oj 1he rtghttous: fls fairh, • And fay, if we had. been in tbed~~.yu of our fatber.r, we wuul not have hem parta~eTI ··-ith them af the That Gt11[m- ·bwodof theProphm. Comfortand HollOurattendthe pain and fhame of rhe Crofi. Act. 5· 4'· 1hey ,:n~~dchar dtJarted from thepre[tnce of the Council, rejoycing that they were counted warthy to fuffer jh~me for n::: ~~:~o dye, if he were fearful they lhou!d execute him, thar be might dye with lhamr, bur if he were ~on~ant they lhou\J for– betr IeH he (hould have the honour of agloriott$ llirt}'rdom, And fo bis boldnefs f 3 ved bis l!fe. Etji m~Zrrymn Jtrmdu' b~1u nDbttl {.terre, C()ifeffo~tm tanUIIIJDit pl)tuit vi6lare~
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