Sean. VI. OfConßancy in the Profeion ofthe1rueReligion. 49 the Truth. And even at this Day, in feveral Places, the faithful Servants of God are exercifed with the fharpefl and forèfl Trials that perhaps were ever heard of in any Age; and for the fake of God, and the confiant Profefiion of his true Religion, are tormented and killed all the day long, and are 'accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter. It is Their hard Lot to be called to thefe cruel and bitter Sufferings, and Our happy Opportunity to be called upon for their Relief ; thofe of them, I mean, that have efeaped that terrible Storm and Tempeft, and have taken Refuge and Sanctuary here among us, and, out of. His Majefiy's great Humanity and Goodnefs, are by his Publick Letters recommended to the Charity of the whole Nation, by the Name of Diflrefied Proteftants. Let us confider how much eafrer Our Lot and Our Duty is, than Theirs ; as muchas it is eafiet to compaflì.onate the Sufferings, and to relieve the Diftreffes of Others, than to be fuck Sufferers, and in fuch Diftrefs Our Selves. Let us make Their Cafe our Own, and then we Our Selves will be the belt Judges how it is fit for is to demean our felves towards them, and to what degree we ought to extend our Charity and Companion to them. Let its put on Their Cafe and Circumftances, and fuppofe that We were the Sufferers, and had fled to Then for Refuge : The fame Pity and Commiferation, the fame tender Re- gard and Confideration of our fad Cafe, the fame - liberal and'effedual Relief, that we Thould defire and expert, and be glad to have [hewn and afforded to our Selves, let us give to Them ; and then I am fure Theywill want no fittingCoin - fort and Support fromUs. We enjoy (bleffed be the Goodnefs of God to us) great Peace and Plenty, and Freedom from Evil and Suffering : And furely one of the beft Means to have thefe Bleffings continued to us, and our Tranquility prolonged, is to confider and relieve thofe who want the Bleffings which we enjoy ; and.the readielt way to provoke God to deprive us of thefe Blef ings, is to Phut up the Bowels of our C,ompaJon from our Díftreffed Brethren. God can èafily change the Scene, and make our Sufferings, if not in the fame kind, yen inone kind or other, equal fo theirs; and then we (ball remember theAlitlions ofJofeph, and fayas his Brethren did, when they fell into Trouble, We are verily guilty concerning our Brother, in that wefaw the Anguifh ofhis Soul when he befou,ght us, andwe would not hear; therefore is this D1refs come upon us. God alone knows what Storms the Devil may yet raife in the World,. before the End of it : And therefore it concerns all Chriftians, in all Times and Places, who have taken upon them the Profeffion of thrift's Religion, to confider well before-hand, and to calculate the Dangers and Sufferings it may expofe them to, and to arm our felves with Refolution and Patience againfl the fiercefi Aflaults of Temptation ; confidering the Shortnefs of all Temporal Aflìidions and Sufferings, in comparifon of the Eternal and Glorious Reward of them ; and the Lightnefs of them too, in comparifon of the endlefs and intolerable Torments of another World; to which every Man expofeth himfelf, who förfakes God, and renounceth his Truth, and wounds his Confcience, to avoid Temporal Sufferings. And though Fear, in manyCafes, efpecially ifit he of Death and extreme Suf- fering, he a great Excufe for feveral Allions, becaufe it may, Cadere in con/lan- tern virum, happen to a,rnfolute Man : Yet in this Cafe of Renouncing our Re- ligion (unlefs it be very fudden and furprizing, out of which a Man recovers himfelf when he cones to himfelf (as St. Peter did;).orr the Suffering be fo extream, as to put a Man betides himfelf for the time, fo as to make him fay Or do any thing ;) I fay in this Cafe of Renouncing God arid his Truth, God will not admit,Fear for a juft Excufe of our Apoflacy; which, if it be únrepented of ( and the Scripture [peaks of Repentance in that Cafe as very difficult) will be Our Ruin'. And the Reafon is, becatife God has given us fuch fair Warning of it, that we may be prepared for it, in the Refolution of our Minds : And we enter into Religion upon thefe Terms, with a profeffed Expe&ation of Suffering, and a firm Purpofe to lay down our Lives for the Truth, if God (hall call us to it. If any Man will be ny Difciple, fays our Lord, let him deny himfelf, and take up hi. Crofs, and follow me_: And again, He that loveth ,life it felfmore than me, Id is
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