5 54 Principles for Pilfering'. lights for God then to enjoy them for our felves: Yea, I re- member that ?tiny in his Epiffle Dedicatory toVefPotttan, he fpeaks of a Heathen, Cato; that did profeffe he did more re- Joyce in the eftare that he parted withall for Juftice,, that he would not receive in way of bribes, then he did in what eftate he did injoy lümfelfe,ihail a Heathen profeiìe to rejoyce more in what he parts withal! for the maintainance of Juftice, then in what he mjoyed,and ihali not Chriltians account it better to part with any thing in way Of honouring of God , and doing fervice far him, then in in;oying of it to themfelves ? When any are called to íuffer, for them ro look upon what they are like to part wig! ,.why I have an eftate,I may live comfortably, and (hall I loose this now in this way ? Why friend, do not ac- count it bare if thou doeft part with it for God, it's the beft part of thy eftate : If a manloofes but a limb for his Country, why that man is accounted more beautiful in that part of his body then elfe where :I remember Ecclefiallical Hiftories tels us of Conf antine, when he came in the Counfel and faw one that had loft his eye for the Profeífion of Religion,he prefent- by falls upon him and kiffes that place ,as accounting that to be the molt beautiful place of his face,and fo certainly Chriftians should account it fo, and never bleife God more that they. have an eftate or credit and efteem and liberty, or a life, then when they are call'd to part with thefe things for God, I am now a happier man in the lotfe of thefe things for God, them ever I was in my, life, in the injoyment of them : But this I confeffe is a riflery and a riddle to carnal hearts , only thofe that are truly gracious and Godly, they knowwhat this prin- ciple means. Thirdly, Whofoever fuffers any thing for God,in the tnidit of all their fufferings they are in a better cafe then their perfe- tutors. As now,when you read of any of the Martyrs that were called before theiiperfecutors, they came, in all thei b avery, and fat upon the Bench, and glitter d in their Silks and Sa tins, and fpake what they lift, and injoyed themfelves to the full, and had reverence and refpedt of all the peol le, they feem'd to be brave, but a company of poor Chriflians come before them.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=