in painful diseases, that either quickly cut the thread of life, or make their aged bones full of the sins of their youth? So that, on the whole, take what way you will, there is no place nor condition so fenced and guarded, but public calamities, or personal griefs, find a way to reach us.

Seeing then, we must suffer, whatever course we take, this kind of suffering, to suffer for righteousness, is far the best. What Julius Cæsar said ill, of doing ill, we may well say of suffering ill; if it must be, it is best to be for a kingdom. And those are the terms on which Christians are called to suffer for righteousness; if we will reign with Christ, certain it is we must suffer with him; and, if we do suffer with him, it is as certain we shall reign with hime. And therefore such sufferers are happy.

But I shall prosecute this suffering for righteousness, only with relation to the Apostle's present reasoning. His conclusion he establishes: 1. From the favour and protection of God. 2. From the nature of the thing itself. Now, we would consider the consistence of this supposition with those reasons.

1st, From the favour or protection of God. The eyes of the Lord being on the righteous for their good, and his ear open to their prayer; how is it, that, notwithstanding all this favour and inspection, they are so much exposed to suffering; and, even for the regard and affection they bear towards him, suffering for righteousness? These seem not to agree well, yet they do.

It is not said that his eye is so on them, as that he will never see them afflicted, nor have them suffer any thing; no: But this is their great privilege and comfort in suffering, that his gracious eye is then upon them, and sees their trouble, and his ear towards them; not so as to grant them an exemption (for that they will not seek for), but seasonable deliverance, and, in the mean while, strong sup

C Job. xx. 11.

Si violandum est jus, regnandi causa violandum.

2 Tim. ii. 12.

port, as is evident in that xxxiv. Psalm. If his eye be always on them, he sees them suffer often, for their afflictions are many'; and if his ear be to them, he hears many sighs and cries pressed out by sufferings: And they are content; this is enough, yea better than not to suffer; they suffer, and often directly for him; but he sees it all, takes perfect notice of it, therefore it is not lost. And they are forced to cry, but none of their cries escape his ear; he hears, and he manifests that he sees and hears, for he delivers them; and, till he does that, he keeps them from being crushed under the weight of the suffering; He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken.

He sees, yea appoints and provides these conflicts for his choicest servants; he sets his champions to encounter the malice of Satan and the world, for his sake, to give proof of the truth and the strength of their love to him for whom they suffer, and to overcome even in suffering.

He is sure of his designed advantages out of the sufferings of his church and saints for his name; he loses nothing, and they lose nothing: but their enemies, when they rage most, and prevail most, are ever the greatest losers. His own glory grows, the graces of his people grow, yea, their very number grows, and that sometimes most by their greatest sufferings; it was evident in the first ages of the Christian churches: where were the glory of so much invincible love and patience, if they had not been so put to it?

2dly, For the other, that argument from the nature of the thing: It is certain that, when it is intimated that the said following of good would preserve from harm, it speaks what it is apt to do, and what, in some measure, it often doth; but then, considering the nature of the world, its enmity against God and religion, that strong poison in the serpent's seed, it is not strange that it often proves otherwise; that, notwithstanding the righteous car

riage of Christians, yea even because of it, they suffer much. It is a resolved case, all that will live godly must suffer persecution. It meets a Christian in his entry to the way of the kingdom, and goes along all the way. No sooner canst thou begin to seek the way to heaven, but the world will seek how to vex and molest thee, and make that way grievous; if no other way, by scoffs and taunts, intended as bitter blasts to destroy the tender blossom or bud of religion, or (as Herod) to kill Christ newly born. You shall no sooner begin to inquire after God, but, twenty to one, they will begin to inquire, if thou art gone mad. But if thou knowest who it is whom thou hast trusted, and whom thou lovest, this is a small matter. What though it were deeper and sharper sufferings, yet still, if you suffer for righteousness, happy are you :

Which is the second thing that was proposed, and more particularly imports, 1. That a Christian, under the heaviest load of sufferings for righteousness, is yet still happy, notwithstanding these sufferings. 2. That he is happier even by these sufferings. And,

1st, All the sufferings and distresses of this world are not able to destroy the happiness of a Christian, nor diminish it; yea, they cannot at all touch it, it is out of their reach. If it were built on worldly enjoyments, then worldly deprivements and sufferings might shake it, yea, might undo it; when those rotten props fail, that which rests on them must fall. He that hath set his heart on his riches, a few hours can make him miserable; he that lives on popular applause, it is almost in any body's power to rob him of his happiness, a little slight or disgrace undoes him; or, whatsoever the soul fixes on of these moving unfixed things, pluck them from it, and it must cry after them, Ye have taken away my gods.

But the believer's happiness is safe, out of the reach of shot; he may be impoverished and imprisoned, and tortured and killed; but this one thing

2. Tim. i. 12. 2 Tim. i. 12.

is out of hazard, he cannot be miserable; still, in the midst of all these, subsists a happy man. If all friends be shut out, yet the visits of the Comforter may be frequent, bringing him glad tidings from heaven, and communing with him of the love of Christ, and solacing him in that. It was a great word for a heathen to say of his false accusers, Kill me they may, but they cannot hurt me: How much more confidently may the Christian say so! Banishment he fears not, for his country is above; nor death, for that sends him home into that country.

The believing soul having hold of Jesus Christ, can easily despise the best and the worst of the world, and bid defiance to all that is in it; can share with the Apostle in that of his, I am persuaded that neither death nor life shall separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord". Yea, what though the frame of the world were adissolving, and falling to pieces! This happiness holds, and is not stirred by it; for it is in that Rock of eternity, that stirs not, nor changes at all.

Our main work, truly, if you will believe it, is this, to provide this immovable happiness, that amidst all changes, and losses, and sufferings, may hold firm. You may be free, chuse it rather; not to stand to the courtesy of any thing about you, nor of any man, whether enemy or friend, for the tenure of your happiness. Lay it higher and surer, and, if you be wise, provide such a peace as will remain untouched in the hottest flame; such a light as will shine in the deepest dungeon, and such a life as is safe even in death itself; that life that is hid with Christ in God'.

But if in other sufferings, even the worst and saddest, the believer be still a happy man, then more especially in those that are the best kind, suffering for righteousness: Not only do they not detract from his happiness; but,

2dly, They concur and give accession to it; he

* Rom. viii. ult. 1 Col. iii. 3.

is happy even so by suffering; as will appear the following considerations,

from

1. It is the happiness of a Christian, until he attain perfection, to be advancing towards it; to be daily refining from sin, and growing richer and stronger in the graces that make up a Christian, a new creature; to attain a higher degree of patience, and meekness, and humility, to have the heart more weaned from the earth and fixed on heaven: now, as other afflictions of the saints do help them in those their sufferings for righteousness, the unrighteous and injurious dealings of the world with them. have a particular fitness for this purpose. Those trials that come immediately from God's own hand, seem to bind to a patient and humble compliance, with more authority, and, (I may say), necessity: There is no plea, no place for so much as a word, unless it be directly and expressly against the Lord's own dealing; but unjust suffering at the hands of men, requires some uncommon degrees of respect unto God, without whose hand they cannot move; so that for his sake, and for reverence and love to him, a Christian can go through those with that mild evenness of spirit, that overcomes even in suffering.

And there is nothing outward more fit to persuade a man to give up with the world and its friendship, than to feel much of its enmity and malice: and that directly venting itself against religion, making that the very quarrel, which is of all things dearest to a Christian, and in highest esteem with him.

If the world should caress them, and smile on them, they might be ready to forget their home; or at least to abate in the frequent thoughts and fervent desires of it, and to turn into some familiarity with the world, and favourable thoughts of it, so as to let out somewhat of their hearts after it; and thus grace would grow faint by the diversion and calling forth of the spirits; as in summer, in the hottest and fairest weather, it is with the body.

It is a confirmed observation, by the experience of