Connexion of peace -malting, and perfecution. 513 farmer: What, Bleffed are the peace makers; and, Bleffed are the persecuted: What agreement is there between there two ? or what connexion can there be ; For if a man be of a peaceable difpofition, who will härme him? Why, furely they vill.efcape persecution of all men. It maybe there are fora;;, ( though: godly ) yet are of a turbulent difpofition, and are furious.and hot; They perhaps may be perfecuted; But will the peace- makers be perfecuted ? Will thofe that in the pla- ces where they live are no occafion of evill to any that they live among, but labour to doe all the good that poiliibly they can, and yet (hall thefe be perfecuted ? -- Yes truly, even Thefe if they bè Godly , Thefe if they be righteous, Thefe mull not think to efcape. None that are truly Godly and Righteous, though they be of the moll quiet and peaceable difpofitions in' the world, they mull not think to efcápe, and therefore thefe two are joyned together:Yea this ble(Iedneíle that fellowes upon perfecution, is added to all the former, To note that a man may be all the former , and yet a perfecuted man ; As thus ; A man may be of a very poore and humble fpi- rit, and yet perfecuted ; A. man may be of a mournfull fpirit, mourne for his own fins,and for the fins of others,and yet per- fecuted ; A man may be of a meek fpirit, and yet perfecuted ; A man may be hungering and thirliing. after Righteoufnef e ; A man may be a merciful man,and yet perfecuted ; A man pure in heart, not having any bate ends of his owne, and yet perfe- cuted, yea a man may be a peace-maker, and yet perfecuted : Such is the wickednefìe of the world , the vileneffe of the nature of man , that there is nothing in the world can keep him from perfecuting of the Saints, though they be of never fuch poore and mourning, and meek, and pure, and mercifull, and peaceable hearts ; -- This for the connexion. Bleffed are they that are perfecuted; d'aiayfeinot the word coax in (q;,,P tranfiated perfecuted, coming of d'iwx' ; It fignifes the follow- fugienten. ing of a thing bard, a hard following of a t ing.It's taken fome- times in a good fence : The fame word that's here, and in di- vers other Scriptures is taken in an ill fence-; `It's often taken in a good. i Thep 5. i 5 Follow that that :isgoodr faith the V u u text
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