6taz Saints jihould rejoyce irs perfecution. may fend for the fin of his people ; yet we doe not find that God chargeth this on his people, that they (hall fuffer for his caufe and atfliaion for their fin, but when we come to fuffer for the caufe of Chrifi,. God hath a further end in it then to, ¡ffliel you fo,as to call for mourning. Rejo3 ce and leap for joy, why?for greatt is your reward in heave4 ; you fhall be rewarded for your iuffering,every fpot of dirt that is call onyou,fhall be turned intoa pearle, fhall make your reward more glorious, your happines, that haappines that the Saints shall have is called a reward, not a reward of merit, but a reward of free grace; As a father though he intends an inheritance to his child, yet, . to encourage him to goe to School, he promifeth him fuch and, fuch a reward,but not out of merit, but out of his free love to- ward the child;the Lord is pleafed to call all the glory in hea- ven a reward , that we fuffer for his names -fake, though min- gled with fin,.and this is to encourage us pooecreatures, that are led now in hope of a reward,andgreeat is your reward; it is . much, a great reward ; there is furely a difference in the glory of heaven, if they that fuffer mofldhall have the greatefl re , wards they fhall have a great reward, becaufe they fuffer fo. much, and this for encourageing in fuffering furely there is. foule difference in rewarding for fuffering, theyy fhall have a great reward. This is obfervable,that Chrifl doth mot tell them . what reward they _fhall have, he doth not, inftance in particu- lar rewards, no,becaufe it is fo great as it is not to be limited,: as not to be expreffed ; as we are not able to understand ir,. therefore Cbrifl names no, particular, reward, but it is a great reward ; furely our hearts are too narrow when we conceive any limits of Gods mercy, when we thinke thus, ifGod be mercifull to us, thus and thus, then we (hall be happy ; thou haft too narrow a fpitit to put any thus and thus on the ,mercy of God, the mercy of God it is a deep expreihon, there is no catnall'heart in the world, but as he limits his obedience, fo lie limits Gods mercy, but he doth frame forge fnall content- ment that he hopes to have and if he could have but force things he could be fatisfied ; a gracious heart is fo large, that nothingparticularly can fatisfie.him,ánd. this is the ground why a
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