zoo Of Self -denial, and Sufferingfor Chrifl's Sake. VoL '1. Sufferings as are beyond the ordinary rate of humane Strength and Patience to bear, he hath promifed to endue ;them with more than humane Courageand Re folution. So St. Paul tells the Corinthians, i Cor, ro. s 3. He is pit-yid that bath promifed who will not faèr you to be tempted above what ye are able, but will with the temptation alfo make a way to efcape, that ye may be able to bear it. And why fhould we be daunted at any Suffering ; if God be pleafed to encreafe our Strength, in proportion to the Sharpnefs of our Sufferings ? And Bleffed be God, many of our perfecuted Brethren at this day have re- markably found this comfortable Aflìftance and Support ; and tho' many likewife have fallen through fear and weaknefs ; as it alfo happen'd in the Primitive times. But where-ever this Promife is not made good, it is, (as I have formerly faid) by reafon of fame Fault and Failing on our part. Either Men were not Sincere in the profeffion of the Truth, and then no wonder, if when Tribulation and Per- fecutiozz arifeth, hecaufe of the Word, they are offended and fall of}: Or elfe they were too Confident of themfelves, and did not feek God's Grace and Mi.- fiance, and rely upon it as they ought ; and thereupon God bath left them to themfelves (as he did Peter) to convince them of their own Frailty and rafh Confidence; and yet even in that cafe, when there is Truth and Sincerity at the bottom, there is no'Reafon to doubt, but that the Goodnefs of God is fuch, as by fome means or other to give to fuch Perfons (as he did to Peter) the oppor- tunity ofrecovering themfelves by Repentance, and a more ftedfaft Refolution afterwards. Fourthly, If we confider in the lafl place, that our Saviour bath affured us of a Glorious and Eternal Reward of all our Self-denial and Sufferings for him ; a Re- ward Infinitely beyond the proportion of our Sufferings, both in the Degree and Duration of it. Now the clear difcovery ofthis is peculiarly owing to the Chriftian Religion, and the appearance of our Lord and Saviour 7ejis Chrifl, who loath abolifhed Death , and brought Lifë and Immortality to light by the Gofpel. And as our Bleffed Saviour hath alfured us of this Bleffed State of GoodMen in another World ; fo bath he likewife affur'd us, that greater Degrees of this Happinefs (hall be the Portion of thofe who fuffer for Him and his Truth, Mat. 5. ro, a s, 12. Bleffed are they which are perfecutedfor Righteoufizefs fake ; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Bleffed are ye when men (hall revile you, and perfecute you, andfpeak all manner of evil againfl you falfly, for my Names fake. Rejoyce and he exceeding glad ; for great is your Reward in Heaven. And nothing furely can be more Reafonable, than to part with things of Small Value, for things infinitely Greater and more Confiderable; to forego the Tranfient Plea- fures and Enjoyments, and the Imperfed Felicities of this World, for the Solid and Pcrfeft and Perpetual Happinefs of a Better Life ; and to exchange a Short and Miferable Life, for Eternal Life and Bleffednefs ; in a Word, to be content to be driven Home, to be banifht out of this World into our own Native Coun- try, and to be violently thruft out of this Vale of Tears, into thofe Regions of Blifs, whereare goys onfpeakable and full ofGlory. This Confrderatton St. Paul tells us fupported the Primitive Chriftians, under their íharpeft and heavieft Sufferings, 2 Cor. 4. i6. For this caufe (fays he) we Pint not, hecaufe our light afliElion, which is but for a moment, workethfor us a far more exceeding and eternal weight ofglory ; whi we look not at the things which are feen, but the things which are not feen; for the things which are feen are temporal, but the things which are not feen are eternal. So that our Sufferings bear no more`Proportion to the Reward of them, than Finite does to Infinite, than Temporal to Eternal, between which there is no Pro- portion. All that now remains, is to draw fome ufeful Inferences fromwhat bath been difcourfed, concerning this great and difficult Duty of Self-denial for the fake of Chrift and his Religion ; and they (hall be thefe following. I. To acknowledge the great Goodnefs of God to us, that all thefe Laws and Commands, even the Hardeft and Severeft of them, are fo reafonable. God
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