Sertit XLV; under their Su ering.r or IZéligroñ. 3 ó9 ofGod, hath foorder'd it at this Time, for very good Reafons and Ends, that the firft Calamities andSufferings fhould fall upon .Chri(tiatís, the peculiar Peo ple and Churchof God, for their Trial, and a Teftimony to the Truth of that Religion, whichGod was ,now planting in the World : And ifit fi`rfi begin at us,' (that is, at us yews, who were the Ancient People of God, and have now embraced and entertained the Revelatioh of the Gofpel) what ¡ball the end be of them, that obey not the Gofpel of God? (That is, howmuch more feverely will God deal with the reti of theyews who have Crucified the Son ofGod, and Rí11 perfif in their Infidelity andDifobedience to the Gofpel ? (And if the Righteous fcarcely befaved, where ¡hallthe ungodly and the inner appear ?) That is, if good Men be faved with fo much difficulty, and midi through fó many Tribulations en- ter into the Kingdom of God, What will become of all Ungodly and Impe- nitent Sinners ? Where fhall they appear ? How (ball they be able to Eland in the Judgment of the great Day ? From the Confideration of all which, the ApoRies makes this Inference or Conclufion, in the Taft verfe of this Chapter, Wherefore let them that fuffer according to the Will of God, commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithfulCreator. Thus you fee the Conneétionand Dependance of thefe Words, upon the Apo- ttles foregoing Difcourfe. I (hall explain the feveral Expreffìons in the Text, and then handle the main Points contained in them. The Expreffions to be explained are thefe : What is meant by thofe thatfifer according to the will of God? what by committing the keeping of our Souls toGod, as unto a faithful Creator: and what by well doing ? Fiefs, What is meant by fuffering according to the will of God ? This may be underftood of Suffering in agood Caufe, frith as God will. approve : But this is not fo probable ; becaufe this is mentioned afterwards, in the following Èxpref- fions of committing the keeping ofour Souls to God in well doing; that is, in fuffer- ing upon a good Account: And therefore the plain and genuine Senfe of this Exprefíion feems to be this; that thofe who according to the good Pleafure of God's Will, and the wife Difpenfation of his Providence, are appointed to fuf- fer for his Caufe, fhould demean themfelves fo and fo ; let them thatfuffer according to the will of God ; that is, thofe whomGod thinks fit to call to Suffering. And this agrees very well with the like Expreflion, Chap. 3. of this Epif. ver. 17. For it is better, if the will ofGod befo, (that is, if God have fo appointed it, and thinkit fit) thatye fferfar well-doing thanfor evil-doing. Secondly, What is here meant by committing the keeping of*our Souls to God, as to a faithful Creator? That is, 'to depofit our Lives, and all that belongs to us, in aword, our (elves, in the Hands and Cuftody of his Merciful Care and Provir dente who made us, and therefore we may be Pure will faithfully keep what we commit to him : For as we are his Creatures, he is engaged to take care of us, andwill not abandon the work ofhis ownhands. Betides that he hath promifed to be more efpecially concerned for good Men, to fupport them in their Suffer- ings for a good Caufe, and to reward them for it ; and he is faithful that bath profi ed. And therefore there is great R.eafon and great Encouragement, in all our Suf- ferings for God's Caufe and Truth, tocommit our Souls to his Careand Cufto- dy: Our Souls, that is (as I laid before) our Lives, and all that belongs to us; in a word, our (elves : For fo the word Soul is frequently ufed both in the Old and New Teftament, Pfal. 7.5. Let the Enemy perfecute my Soul, and take it : That is, my Life ; for fo it follows in the' next words ; yea, let him tread down my life upon the Earth. And Pfal. 54. 3. Oppreffors feek after my Soul. And Pfd. 59 3. they lie in wait for my Soul ; that is, my Life. And Pfal. 16. 1 o. Thouwilt not leave my Soul in Hell, my Soul; that is, myfelf, thou wilt not fuffet me to con- tinue in the Grave, and under the power of Death, but wilt raife me up to Life.again. And fo likewife in the New Teftament, Mar. 8. 34. Whofoever willfave his Life, ¡hall lofe it; but whofoever fhall lofe his life for my fake and the Gofpels, the famePall fave it. The fame word which is here rendred Life, in the very next Verle is rendred Soul: For whatflsall it profit a Man, if he ¡hall gain the whole
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