Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

Faye signs of Grace. 137 may fway us, as well as heavenly, there can be no folid comfort from fuch ex- term! fufferings, though neverfo fad and míferable. Therefore no promife of heaven is made to the moll fpecious externat exercife of any religiousaftion whatfoever ; Evennow as on the contraryour Saviourfaith , He that /hall deny him before men, him Will God alfo deny. This is t0 be underltood univerfally, for Peterand manygodly men have denied Chriff, yet God' did not deny them, be- caufetheir denial was through infirmity out offear, not from any malicious or purpofed obstinacy againtt him. So then in all external! duties we are not onely to look to the matter that it be good, but alfo to whatframe of heart , we doe thofe things with ; and in this Beth the marrow of Chriltïanity, to look to internals, as well asexternals ; theformer onelycommends us to God, though the later make us admirable among men. Thirdly, It is very pofblefor a mn toPffermuch Joffe, and endurehardfhipfor 3. There may Chrifi, andyet have not his heartfoundtowardsGod. In theApoftles times trou- be patient fuf- bles were fo great , and carnal difcouragementsfo many, that we may wonder bring for any hypocrites orunfound men fhould joyn to that way which was fo oppofed hr tot;udne à and perfecuted, yet there werefalfe Apoflles andfalfe Brethren ; There werema- of heate. nythatfought their own, and not the things of CSrifl, as Pau! complaineth, Phil. 1:a z. and this wasflrange, forif they did leek their own, why did they not re- nounceChrift? whydid they not abjure theG4fpel, feeing that was the caufe ofall the violencebroughtupon them? All that profeffed Ch rift in thofe dales were like Sheepamong Wolves, Doves among Hawk! r; yet even among thole ac- knowledging Chrifl m the midi ofan adulterous generation, all were not up. right. jtudm left all as well as the otherApoflles, and this was a kinde of fuller ing, this wasa taknq up of the Crofreandfollowing loom ; 4Ve fee when Chrift re- quired Inch things o? others, thoughthey feemedtoproferthemfelves, yet they prefentlyrevoked. Therefore ?n .oawent further. And the Apollle G$/, 3.4. fuppofeth men may fuffer great and grievous troubles for Chrift, yet all in vain, Haveyefufferedwow.an aggravating word, fomany thins for number, fogrit, vous for quality, and all rhea invain ? implying, that if they revolted ro thofe Mofaica? Ceremonies from Chrifi, all their former fufferings for the truth, wouldbe whollyunprolitable, indeed he addeth a rhetorical correction [If fo bein vain] as hoping better things ofthem. Take we heed then, that wedo not only lofe all our praíers,,,Sacraments, and fuch like Duties, but allo our fuffer- ings and troubles for -a good caufe. For fufferings for God are snore then doings for God. Hence the Apoftle fpeaketh byway ofaggravation, tWe account theft. light of iíüons, nee comparable to that eternalWeight ofglory , and for an inflame of Ioing our fufferings for God, we have a* remarkable inflame Ad. t9.33. of Alexander venturinghis life in the multitude enraged at Paul and others for the caufe ofChrift, yet by molt learned Interpreters, this is that Alexander Paul loth fo complain of, r Tim.t.ao. that did him fo much wrong. And it is abon- danrlyknawn,that many who in zeenMaries iiaiescontinuedfaithfultoChrift, in Queen Clizabeths dales throughpeace and quietnefs grew corrupt. Now that it may more plainly appear, our fufferings though for a good caufe What finful ;e- may be corrupted, we may take notice ofWhatfinfuilingredients there may be which' gredie itsmake will make theJefieferin s unprofitable. Cufferings un- profitable ? Full, 4man mayInferfor the truth, or moodcaufe, not as ït is trueorgood, but I. When men as has intereitis in it, and asit is that way he Bath ingagedhimfelf in. Thusa man infer for truth may die for Proteftanifmagainft Popery, not fo much becaufe it's the truth of'as their inrereit God,butbecaufe it is that truth hebath lived in,itis that wherein all his outward interefl Beth.° belovediThis cured corruptionis toocommon and frequent, not to look upon the truth ofChrift,the caufe ofChrift,as his,but asit is ours,and fo we become fufferers or'Martyrsfor our felves, andnot for Chrift. Among the Corinthians, fomePaid theywere for Paul, others for Apollo, others for Chrifl. T it

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