26 most precious Jesus. Happy parting, say the Hebrews, farewell goods and chattels—we rejoice at the spoiling of our goods: because we have got faster hold of the substance by the loss of the shadow-outward comforts are gone, but inwardly, richly supply their place-we are robbed of our earthly possessions, thank God, we cannot be robbed of our better and enduring substance: for it is reserved in heaven for us, where no moth or rust can corrupt, and where no thieves can break through or steal in this faith we find our hearts free and light and happy in running the race that is set before us. : Thy trial may be something still nearer. It may be the loss of thy dearest relations. The wife of thy bosom is taken from thee. Thy favourite child is dead, perhaps drowned, or burned, or killed at a stroke: the delight of thine eyes is gone, and thine heart is ready to break. All sorrow is not forbidden, but sorrowing even as others, who have no hope. Tears may flow, but Christian hope keeps them within their proper bounds it restrains and sanctifies them. Thy wife is dead: thy child is dead. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. He requires thee to forsake loving wife and children, be they ever so dear, if love of them cannot be enjoyed without forfeiting his love. "And there were great multitudes with Christ, and he ❝ turned and said unto them, if any man come unto me, "and hate not his father and mother, and wife and "children, and brethren, and sisters, he cannot be my disciple." The disciple gives up himself to the master's disposal-to learn of him-to believe in him— and to love him. My son, says he, give me thy heart. He has a right to it, and he will admit of no rival. It is his temple and his throne; in which he alone will be worshipped and honoured. He is a jealous God, and if any love hinder love to him, it must be torn from the heart. O disciple, read this scripture, study it carefully, and it may be the means of shewing thee the true cause of thy great sorrow about worldly relations: it is because thou hast so little love to thy best relation 66 66 46 27 what Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: Because grhose "your reward in heaven: For so persecuted they prophets who were before you. This persecutio will be so far from stopping thee in thy way, that it will both help thee forward, and will also make thy journey pleasant. Thy friends revile thee: Look up to him, who when he was reviled, reviled not again: He will turn their reproach into a blessing. They persecute thee: the godly fellowship of the prophets carried the same cross, and found it no hinderance to their spiritual joy. They say all manner of evil of thee: Take heed that they say it falsely, and for Christ's sake; and if thou suffer for him and art evil spoken of for thine attachment to him, then rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is thy reward in heaven. Thou art a sufferer with him, and thou shalt also reign with him. Look forward to the promised kingdom. Expect it in faith, and the prospect will give thee at every step joy unspeakable and full of glory. Perhaps this persecution may be carried on to acts of injustice, even to the depriving thee of thy property: thou mayest suffer the loss of all thy worldly goods for Christ's sake. When Godcalls thee to this trial, he will give thee strength to bear it, and thou shalt be a great gainer by thy loss. So Paul found it"I have suffered the loss of all things, and I do "account them but dung that I may win Christ.” So it was with the Hebrews- "They took joyfully "the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves, "that they had in heaven a better and an enduring "substance." What love was here! God was their portion, and their great reward. He had made them happy in the sense of his love; and to manifest the reality, and to demonstrate the power of it, what great things love can do for his name's sake, he took away all their earthly delights. Let them go, says Paul, I part with them as freely as I would with so much dung, for I have experienced that the loss of them you: tribulation from it shall not hurt your peace in me, but shall increase it: I will make my love the sweeter for its enmity: troubles from it shall be well repaid with my joys: and when it quite casts you out, then will I take you into my bosom, and let you know what the affection of the heavenly bridegroom is. Why then, O my soul, art thou afraid of such an exchange? Is it not for thy profit to part with the world for Christ, and to give up its joys for his? What greater gain canst thou expect, than to win Christ, and by him to be crucified to this present evil world? Dying to it thou wilt be more alive to him, and therefore happier in him. As other ties are dissolved, thy heart will be knit closer to thy divine lover. Warmed with his precious love," clothed with the sun, and the moon under thy feet" thou wilt hasten thy steps heavenwards: yea, thou wilt be ready to take wings, and to fly to the embraces of thy dear, ever infinitely dear Jesus. Thou wilt want no comment upon the words of the bride the Lamb's wife, but wilt gladly use them after her―" Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like "to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices." 66 In former ages the children of God were often deprived of their liberty, cast into prisons, and bound in chains. This seems to us an heavy cross. To be shut up in a dark dungeon, put into fetters, and deprived of every worldly comfort, requires great patience: but even this did not stop them in their way to heaven, nor in the enjoyment of God by the way. Paul, the prisoner of the Lord, often mentions it among his highest honours, that he was accounted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. He and Silas were cruelly beaten with many stripes at Philippi; were put into the inner prison, and their feet fastened in the stocks; but the Lord was with them, and he turned their prison into a paradise: his joy made them forget their wounds and pains: for at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and SANG PRAISES unto God. This has often been the case since their time: the Lord has often visited his prisoners, and the light of his countenance has made them happy in their bonds. Indeed we are not called to this kind of suffering at present, thanks be to his grace. This is a day of such uncommon mercies, that we have more to fear from our want of thankfulness, than from our want of liberty. I pray God we may not grow licentious, and abuse our great privileges, but may he enable us so to value them and live up to them, that he may be honoured for continuing them to us, and our posterity. 66 In former times also believers were often forced to seal the testimony of Jesus with their blood. And even this did not stop them in their walk, nor hinder their communion with God. Hear one of his martyrs"The Holy Ghost witnesseth, that bonds and afflictions "wait for me in every city: but none of these things 66 move me, neither account I my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the mi"nistry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus." This was not a vain brag. He spake it in humble faith, depending upon his master's promise, that he would stand by him, when his blood should be shed, and would make him an happy conqueror in the hour of death. And he was more than conqueror; but the grace, which made him so, was not peculiar to, or the privilege of an apostle; the same was given to a noble army of martyrs; who overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. What a triumph of patience was this! They were enabled to bear any thing, even the loss of life, rather than suffer the loss of their Lord's favour. Examine, O my soul, whether thy faith be like theirs. Canst thou endure, as they did? How is thy patience under the cross? Read what they went through, who are well reported of by the Holy Ghost for their faith, and remember the same grace is promised to thee to carry thee patiently through all thy sufferings- "They had trials "of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea moreover of 66 66 "bonds and imprisonments: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with "the sword; they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of "whom the world was not worthy, they wandered in "deserts and in mountains, and in dens and in caves ❝of the earth, and these all obtained a good report through faith." They are celebrated by the Holy Spirit for having patiently endured, till they had run their race, and finished their course with joy: He sets their example before thee, that thou shouldst not be slothful in running the same race, but a follower of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 66 His chil None are The will Meditate seriously, O my soul, and reflect again and again upon the great need thou hast of patience. Remember the cross lies in thy way to the crown, and thou canst not avoid it. The Lord has appointed it to be thy portion, and it is entailed upon thee, as much as the kingdom is. When he exercises and tries thee with it, he does not act merely as a sovereign, but a Father. He deals with thee, as with sons. dren want, and his children have correction. without it. But they find it hard to bear. of the flesh is impatient under the cross. hates it. Carnal reason cannot be reconciled to it. If it be thus with sons, what must it be with bastards? The natural man, when he is brought into great trouble, is like a mad beast. If his pains be sharp and acute, he rages, storms, and blasphemes: if they be also lasting, having no God to go to, he often gives way to despair, and dispatches himself with a pistol, running to hell for relief. O my soul, marvel not at this. If God had left thee to thyself, the same trials might have brought thee to the same unhappy end. How necessary then is patience? without it thou canst not bear the cross, nor hold on thy way under it, nor profit from it. And how necessary are the doctrines before insisted on, for the practice of patience? No one can submit to bear the cross, unless he be first persuaded that God is |