What'blef edxe f fe there is in fu jering for righteoufne f fe. 561 but Chrifl and him Crucified r Chrifl and his Croffe, I Glory in that above all, That I know Chrift , and that I know him practically. Now for the bleffedneffe that there is in fufferitig , many things might be faid, but I tha11 but prefenr before you tome fhort view of what bleffednefíe there is in fuffering perfecu- tion. Firft, If God gives thee a heart to fuffer for him, thou half in this a full evidence of the truth of thy braces, yea and of the firength and the eminency of thy Graces, thou giveft witneffe to all the world that thou art one that lov tt Chrift in fincerity, and that thy Graces are ftrong and powerfull, that thou art not as an hypocrite that will fall off in the time of try - all; that thou art not as a rotten bough of a tree, that when it hath a weight upon it breakes prefenrly ; No, but that thou haft the Spirit of Chrift, and the ftrength of Chria with thee, that thy Graces are of the right flamp;this thou doefl declare to all the world ; and 'cis a bleffed thing to give Evidence be- fore men and Angelis, before the world,and before thine own Confcience, that Indeed thy heart is upright with Chrift, and that thy Graces are f+ronger then thou thoughteft thy felfe it may be were ; many that are afraid of f afferings before they are cad , yet when they are call'd to it, they find ability to goe through more then ever they did imagine ; and this is a bleffed thing. Secondly, There's a great deale of honour in fuffering ; It's a fpeeeà of Ignatiues;I had rather be a Martyr then a Monarch; ad fo you know Mofes chofe rather to fuffer with the people of God,.then to injoy all the pleafures and riches ofEgypt. But above others ; This is very remarkable; Chriflonne fpeaking of the commendations of Paul, and in the felting out of his prailes, he Both efpecially infif} upon his fufferings, and profeffes if it were given to him , eyther to heare him (peak out of heaven, or the prifon, he had rather hear him fpeaking oueóf the prifon, then out of heaven; Andin another place, faith he, Paul was lift. up to the higheff heavens, and there he. heard words that were unutterable, I but Paul in the ptifon, C c c c faith
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=