______ _____..______ _______-:____ ------ _______ _J__;_~_____..:;.__• - ·--1 the'· Chap. if the <JVvel. I ,.~1 lva(.9. :--- ------------~---------~--~-i ---- quall with them, though they \\'ere farrc infe- i A 1 we muH rcloluc; becanfc ?f the vfir:tll_dlatcdf! riour to him.And fa n1ou!d \\'C citc:mc better the Church. God h:ah f0r! long trmc fcm I of our brethren then of our [clues, and make fOrth labourers into his harucH, whereby no J our fclucs inferiour eo rhcm. doubt many fheaucs are gathered lnto the i Sccondly,by rhis title we fee: he h,ad his h::nt Lords barnc. Now afre~this ~ong g~thering ', ! full ofbrothcrlv louc eo all rhc memners ofthe there will come a day of fannmg : 1 he L0nr ! Church of Cht:i!f,hc loucd them as brethren. will rake into hio; hand the fannc of afilittio·n, j So we at'c bound to louc all me11,cuen our eneand pm it into his cornc, and thereby tric the · mies :ts they be ofthe l.1mc Aefh with vs, but ch:tffC from the wheat. It fb.nds vs thcrcforcin I thof~ thlt bee of chc fame faith :md religion hand to prepareour (clues in this time ofpcar<e 1 ~,ovich vs,to thcfc cfpecially l110u!d we fhew 01~r rhat we 111ay be found &<:odcorn in the L?rds Ioue and affection. So_Pt:tJ/ f:uth to the Chnficuc, and not chaffc wntch mufi bee cn{l: mto I fii:mRomans, Buajfofftoncdto lo~-:c one ancther l vnguen.cheablc: fire. withbrotherfJ loHe,H.om.\l. 1 o. And great relI Secondly, he calls hin:felfc their copartxtrin fon:for bclecucrs arc linkedeach eo other with ajflrEliM; bccJufe hispitituil heart was 1"'l1ooued ! the neereil: bond: they hatic the fame father, B with the bowels of compaffion,toward~ all hi;; j which is God, t~e fame Redoemer, the fame fellow ~embers; w~~e~1 hce re:mcmbred their I fai th, hope, bapuGnc, and the fame benefit by pcrfccutJOn 2nd affhCiton vnder the crud1 ry..:. Icfus Chrift, his de-athand obedience. rant Domitian. And the fame afft"Ction fhould · But this duty is not pr<lCli!Cd: there be th:.lt be in cuery one of vs toW<lrds thee poorc afflical thcmfclucs brethrcn,who(as lfai (airh)hatc tlcd fcrp:mts ofChriH: fe:eing chc.-y be ourfcJ .... them that tremble at theword, andmoc~e themelow members, we llwuld haue a fcllo\'.:-[ecumfor thcprofejfion ~f thefame religion, whereby ling with them,weeping with therfi that -;.,•eep; they thi;rk.t to b6foucd.Ifany feem ro make more and 01e·w our compaflion in pittying them. If confcicnce oftheir v.r<iies rhen other~, they ~re the foote be pricked, the _head Hoopes) the c~e \ rcuilcd &hated for the nameofChnrb :.which beholds and lookcs on it, t.he finger pulls 1t ought not to be, for among all true ChrHliar.s om, the hand npplie:s the plai!lcr, thc ·othcr lhould be brotherly Ioue. ' foot is readie to runne for hclpe,the tongue to The fccond tide, Compa;1ion, or Copnrwtr iri askc for counfell, and all tl}cmembcrs arc rea.... three things: in tribulations, in the kingdom, die to affo:ud thcirmutu:J.l! hclpc in pittic and and in the patience ofChril1. He calls hmfclfC fellow-feeling: fo when anymembers of the Copartner with them in tribulations for C\\'O Chmch fuffcraffiiCbon,be pnckedwith pcifecaufes.Firtl,bccaulc at that time \-\"hen he wrot C cmion for Chri!ls faJ..c; then flwuld \YCC as this vifion, the whole Church was in perfccumembers ofthe fame bodie, bcrc.ady·to do all tion and tribulation, _vndcr chat cruell tyrant the help we c:m to thcm,cfpecially in fl1c\.ving Domiti.lfn,~bout foudcorc or an hundred years our fellow-feeling with them. ' after Chrifl, whobanifbcd John inco J?~tmos: The fccond thingwhereinhe is this eopart... where he was not vnmindfuil ofthe affiitl:icns her is, i;z the .kjngdome of Chrlft, that is., the oftbc Church, whcrcofhc v ..•as a mcmber:.and kingdome ofheauen. Where obfen1e, that he therefore calls himfelfe aparmer with them in pbccth fcllov\•fhip in affiiC""tion, before compaaffiiCHon. nion in the kingdomc: to giuc vs to vnderBy which bee fhcwcs , what is the {btc of fland, that through affiiClions and noffcs for Gods Church in this "'''orld,name!y, to bcvnChrifls fake, is the rcadie way to this l<ing::. derthe cro{fc: and the members thereof mufi dontlti'l th<lt \\'ay ~Nhich is beaten and trodcn not becompanions of peace and cafe, but eo:. by the Prophets, ApaCHes, and the Saints of I partners i_n affliClion &tribubt~on . .Jl:nd the:- God:as thr. Apoflle faith, 2 Thorottgh manifold ,. Aft.:,pll fo~c _Chnft teachet~ thofe_wh1ch \\'11~ bee bts trib~latiom l"Pec mr!ff enter imohenuen. And, b I b :.Cor. 4 ,: 1 D1fCJplcs, thefe Jcflons. F1rfi, to dcme themThr.s '/11()mentaricafjliaion cau[cth to vtanlnfimu [clues, to take vp his cr~ffe daily,and to follow D ~"Peightof glorie; not by defcruing it, but by 1 him. And beca.ufe ofthis cfl:atc, the Church in fhe\.ving the plainc waythithcr,\~/hcrcby wee t this world is calicO The militant Church, beea.rc taught not to thinkc it hard, when trialls I ing in continuall fight againH the deuill & his doe befall vs, but rather to count it a good infir~mcnts. ~he con(i~erati?n '.\'hereof is of thing. yea exceeding great oJadndfc, when aI fpwall vfe: F1r£l , wee 111 thiS land haoe had ny affiit!ion doth befall vs fur Chri(\s fake: for peace andquietndfe for many yearcs without hereby \VC are brought like wanching fhe~pc Iarr 1z.~. perfccmion, which we mull: 3Cknowlcdge for imo that beau! p:uh 1.vhich Icadeth toheaucn. l fpcciall bl_cffing ':ouchfafcd to vs for ~his end; Nay, \1\.IC muft r::nher marucll. w~en \\1C profdfc that nowm the tlm~ of peace wee m1$ht prethe Gofpcll, and hauc no 3ffi.rCl:ton;thCwc may par.c our fclucs aga1nH the day of triall. For cfeare we be out ofrhe way,fccing the Lord.-lf- . e Hcb.Ji.S. fee~n& the cfhte ofthe _Church is to be vndcr fitEI-r cmry childwhich zJ his·ow;:c. I 3ffit~lons ;·..,,·cc arc a!ltn ~tuie boimd to waitc Thirdly,he is C~p~rtnainpatience;which he com:nnally when God wd call v~ out to fi1ffcr addcth, bccaufe it IS a moft worthic vcrwc, for Ius fake. No t:nnn can define the time,or the wherebywe arc made able w pcrfcuerc in afmanncr ofour tnall: but yet that it will come, Aidion till we .come to heaucn. AffiiCtions arc 1 Yy 1 the 1
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