9 They who far Chrift are reproached, by Chrift. are bleed and he will owne it in that day of his ; I,n all your affliEiions {ie is affliEled, Ifa. 63 Chap. 9 verfe. In all their afflif bon he Was of litted ; And the Angel of his prefe ce faved them, i.n his love and in his piety he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old, Plat. 79.4 t a verfes. We are be- come a reproach to our neighbours, a fcorne and derilion to them that are round about u. And render unto our neghbours fever fold into their bofome, the reproach wherewith they have reproa- ched thee, O Lord. If any man fuffer for your fake , you ac- count your felfe hound to vindicare him ; So the Apostle, Ro- mans 8 Chap. 26 verfe. Lrkewi fe the Spirit alfo helpeth our in_ fïrmities, for we know not what we fhould pray for as me ought, Mt the Spirit it felfe maketh intercef ion for su with groanings, which cannot be uttered. It is a comfort for the Lord ro take notice of your fufferings,when thou fuffere(i for Chrilts fake, ,Chrift loves thee, he path promifed to helpe thee hereafter, he bath helped thee, and is ingaged to helpe thee, for it is for his fake that thou fefferefl. Therefore goe on and account thy felfe bleffed for his fake ; Certainly if we be willing to fuffer for his fake,certainly he will be willing to fuffer for our. fakes ; when thou fufferefl any thing for Chrifl,he is infinitely worthy, he is worthy of all that thou haft, what hath he done for thee, bath he not dune more for thee, then thou haft done for him, or canfl doe for him. Sixthly, Further,a very great ufe,Blefed are thofe that have all manner of evil! f token fá lfely for my name fake ; when you are reproached for Chrifts fake you. are blefled, but when Chrift is reproached for your fake, Chrift now is not in a way ofmerit, he hath hnifhed the work, and yet for all that Chrift may have Ionic futfering, may have fhame can on him even for thy fake, through thy wicked and ungodly life ; why this is a curled curled thing, this is even to pull Chrifi downe from heaven to fuller againe : why did not Chrift fuffer enough, and wilt thou have him to fuller for thy fake more ? do nor thou adde to his fuffering, but filar as much for his fake as he bath done for thy fake. 2 Chap. of the Romans 24 verfe. For the name of God is Nu /Phoned among the Gentiles through you, as it is written, See
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