about the bleff'edref, of perfecution. you about this, if you know ii only by what Ihave faid, or what you hear from others,that will never enable you to fuller with joy the fpoyling of your goads, but when you know it in your felves, when you have a certain fure knowledge of it by the Spirit of God revealing it to your fouls, this will make you to Puffer with joyfulnetle the fpoyling of your goods ; As I re- member Jofeph laid when he fent to Teeth, Regard: not the ftuffe, for the riches of Sy$t are yours: So a. gracious heart when it comes to fee the riches of Heaven, the joyes of Eter- nity, he looks upon thele things as fluffe and lumber, he is fit to Putter_ any lofs whatfoever, and indure any evils that can be iniliaed. Fifthly,If it be fuch a blefled thing to fifer with Chrift,how bl .titd is it to reign with Chrift ; Take a Chriflian at the low- elr, cafl him into Prifon, put fetters and bonds upon him, yet he is a bleffed man ;Take away food and raiment, let the mat- lice and rage of all the Devils in Hel and men in the world in- nia what evils they poffibly can upon him,he is a bleffed man, if he be bleffed now, O how bletfed will he be when he shall reign with Chrifl,when he (ball have the Crown.upon'his head, and Eland with glorious robes before the Father and Jefus Chrift, and Angels, and fit with Jefus Chrifl to judge the world, and reign for ever with them ; 0how bleffed will he be then. Sixthly, Let .us not have too tow and mean efteem of fuffe- reps, let us look upon them as honourable, as thofe that are bletfed ; Let us not be illy of them ; It's ufual in the world that when any come to fufter in a good caufe they leave them, they are flay of them, and let them theft for themfelves : ô it's a wicked thing fo to be, like as it is in a heard of Deer, they g o together till the Hunts -mail comes and fhoots one of them, and when the reta of the Deer fee the blood come, they will puth them out of their company and will go no - longer with him, and fo it is many times in this vild world;ThoFe that pro-; fetfe Religion, if they profper in the world, they will. be con- tent then to joyn with them, and make much of them, and keep company with them, but if the providence of God calls 5'7 3
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