178 1he Encouragement to finerfor Chrifi ; Vol. L make a way to efcape, thatye may be able to bear it ; And then it follows, where- fore, ny clearly beloved, fleefrom, Idolatry ; that is, let no Suffering that you are tempted withal, make you guiltyof this Sin. And, r Pet. 4. 14. the Prefence of God's Spirit, in a very glorious manner, for our Support and Comfort, is pro- mifed to thofe who fuffer for him. Ifye be reproached for the Name ofChrift happy areye ; for the Spirit ofGlory and ofGod re/feth uponyou. And this Confideration of God's Strength to füpport us under Sufferings, makes the other, ofthe Reward of them, a perfe& and compleat Encouragement ; which it could not be without it. Fdr if upon the whole Matter, the prefent Suf- ferings of Good Men were intolerable, and Humane Nature were not Divinely affted to bear them : How great foever the Future Réward promifed to them fhould be ; they that lay under them, would be forced to confult their own pre- fent Eafe and Deliverance. I proceed to the Ifa Thing I propofed to confider, namely, How it may be made out to be reafonable to embrace and voluntarily to fubmit to prefent and grievous Sufferings, in Hopes of future Happinefs and Reward ; concerning which we have not, nor perhaps are capable of having, the fame degree of Certainty and Affurance, which we have of the Evils and Sufferings ofthis prefent Life. Now, granting that we have not the fame degree of Certainty concerning our future Happinefs, that we have of our prefent Sufferings which we feel, or fee jult ready to come upon us ; yet Prudence making it neceffary for Men to run this Hazard, does juftify the Reafonablenefs ofit. This I take to be a known and ruledCafe in the common Affairs of Life, and in Matters of Temporal Concern- ment ; and Men all upon this Principle every Day. The Husbandman parts /with his Corn, and cafts it into the Earth, in Confidence that it will fpring up again, and at the Time ofHarveft bring him in a confiderable Return and Advan- tage. He parrs with a Certainty, in hope only of a great future Benefit : And tho' he have no Demonftration, for the infallible Succefs of his Labour and Hazard; yet he ads very reafonably : Becaufe if he does not take this 'Conde, he runs a greater and more certain Hazard, of perifhing byFamine at laft, when his prefent Stock is fpent. The Cafe ofthe Merchant is the fame, who parts with a prefent Effate, in hopes ofa future Improvement ; which yet is not fo certain as what he parts withal. And if this be reafonable in thofe Cafes ; then the Hazard which Men run, upon much greater Affurance than either the Husbandmen or the Merchant have, is much more reafonable. When we part with this Life in hopes ofone infinitely better, that is, in fure and certain hope of a Refurrehlion to eternal Life; and when we fubmit to Prefent Sufferings, to avoid an Eternity of Mifery, which is much more to be dreaded than Temporal Want, this is reafonable ; becaufe here is a much greater Advantage in View, and a more prefhng Neceffity in the Cafe; no- thing being fo defirable to one that muff live for ever, as to'beHappy for ever; and nothing to be avoided, by him with fo much Care, as everlafting Mifery and Ruin. And for our Security ofobtaining the one, and efcaping the other, we have .the Promife of God, who cannot lie; which is all the Certainty and Security that Things Future and Invifible are capable of. Nay, I will go lower. If God had made no exprefs Promife and Declaration of a Future Happinefs and Reward, to, thofe that ferve him and fuffer for him : Yet if any Man out of a fincere Love to God, and awful Regard to his Laws, endure Trouble and AfRi&ion , if there he a God and Providence, this is Af- furance enough to us, that our Services and Sufferings (hall one time or other be confidered and rewarded. For as fure as any Man is, that there is a God, and that his Providence regards the Actions ofMen ; fo fure are we, that no Man fhall finally bea Lofer by any thing that he doch or fuffers for him. So that the Matter is now brought to this plain Ilue, That if it be reafonable to believe there is a God, and that his Providence regards and confiders the A&ions of Men ; it is alfo reafonable to endure prefent Sufferings, in hope of a future. Reward ; and there is certainly enough in this cafe, to govern and determine a prudent Man, that is in any good meafure perfitaded of another Life
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