all ages, that when the church flourished most in outward peace and wealth, it abated most of its spiritual lustre, which is its genuine and true beauty; and, when it seemed most miserable by persecutions and sufferings, it was most happy, in sincerity, and zeal, and vigour of grace. When the moon shines brightest towards the earth, it is dark heaven-wards; and, on the contrary, when it appears not, is nearest the sun, and clear towards heaven.

2. Persecuted christians are happy in acting and evidencing, by those sufferings for God, their love to him. Love delights in difficulties, and grows in them: the more a christian suffers for Christ, the more he loves him, and accounts him the dearer; and the more he loves him, still the more can he suffer for him.

3. They are happy, as in testifying love to Christ and glorifying him, so in conformity with him, which is love's ambition. It affects likeness and

harmony at any rate. A believer would readily take it as an affront, that the world should be kind to him, that was so harsh and cruel to his beloved Lord and Master. Canst thou expect, or wouldst thou wish, smooth language from that world that reviled thy Jesus, that called him Beelzebub? Couldst thou own and accept friendship at its hands, that buffeted him, and shed his blood? Or, art thou rather most willing to share with him, and of St. Paul's mind, who executed his embassy in chains", and yet could boldly say, God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the cross of Christ, whereby the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

4. Suffering Christians are happy in the rich supplies of spiritual comfort and joy, that in those times of suffering are usual; so that as their sufferings for Christ do abound, their consolations in him abound much more, as the Apostle testifies. God is speaking most peace to the soul when the world m Opibus major, virtutibus minor.

* Πρεσβένω ἐν ἀλύσεις, Eph. vi. 20.

• Gal. vi. 14, P 2 Cor. i. 5.

speaks most war and enmity against it; and this compenses abundantly. When the Christian lays the greatest sufferings men can inflict in the one balance, and the least glances of God's countenance in the other, he says, it is worth all the enduring of these to enjoy this; says with David, Let them curse, but bless thou; let them frown, but smile thon. And thus God usually doth; refreshes such as are prisoners for him with visits, that they would buy again with the hardest restraint and debarring of nearest friends. The world cannot but misjudge the state of suffering Christians; it sees, as Bernard speaks, their crosses, but not their anointings". Was not Stephen, think you, in a happy posture even in his enemies hands? Was he afraid of the showers of stones coming about his ears, that saw the heavens opened, and Jesus standing on the Father's right hand? so little was he then troubled with the stoning him, that, as the text hath it, in the midst of them he fell asleep.

5. If those sufferings be so small, that they are weighed down even with present comforts, and so the Christian be happy in them in that regard, how much more doth the weight of glory' surpass, that follows these sufferings? They are not worthy to come in comparison; they are as nothing to that glory that shall be revealed, in the Apostle's arithmetic. That, his expression, imports, [you], when I have cast up the sum of the sufferings of this present time, this instant now, [To vv,] they amount to just nothing in respect of that glory". Now, these sufferings are happy, because they are the way to this happiness, and pledges of it, and (if any thing do) they raise the very degree of it; however, it is an exceeding excellent weight of glory; the Hebrew word that signifies glory, signifies weight, yet the glories that are here are all too light, rò iλaQgòr, except in the weight of cares and sorrows that at

9 Psal. cix. 28.

* Vident cruces nostras, unctiones non vident. St. BERN.

Acts vii. 55. 60.

VOL. II.

2 Cor. iv. 17.
C

"Rom. viii. 18.

tend them, but that hath the weight of complete blessedness; speak not of all the sufferings, nor of all the prosperities of this poor life, nor of any thing in it, as worthy of a thought, when that glory is named; yea, let not this life be called life, when we mention that other life, that our Lord, by his death, hath purchased for us.

Be not afraid of their terror.] No time, nor place in the world, is so favourable to religion, that it is not still needful to arm a Christian mind against the outward oppositions and discouragements he shall meet with in his way to heaven. This is the Apostle's scope here; and he doth it, 1st, By an assertion; 2dly, By an exhortation. The assertion, that, in suffering for righteousness, they are happy. The exhortation, agreeable to the assertion, that they fear not. Why should they fear any thing that are assured of happiness, yea, that are the more happy by those very things that seem most to be feared?

The words are in part borrowed from the Prophet Isaiah, who relates them as the Lord's words to him, and other godly persons with him in that time, countermanding in them that carnal distrustful fear, that drove a profane king and people to seek help, rather any where than in God, who was their strength; fear not their fear, but sanctify the Lord, and let him be your fear, &c *.

This the Apostle extends as an universal rule for Christians in the midst of their greatest troubles and dangers.

The things opposed here are, a perplexing troubling fear of sufferings, as the soul's distemper, and a sanctifying of God in the heart, as the sovereign cure of it, and the true principle of a healthful sound constitution of mind.

Natural fear, though not evil in itself, yet, in the natural man, is constantly irregular and disordered in the actings of it, still missing its due object, or measure, or both; either running in a wrong

* Isa. viii. 12, 13.

channel, or overrunning the banks. As there are no pure elements to be found here in this lower part of the world, but only in the philosopher's books, (they define them indeed as pure, but they find them no where), thus we may speak of our natural passions as not sinful in their nature, yet in us that are naturally sinful, yea, full of sin, they cannot escape the mixture and allay of it.

Sin hath put the soul into such an universal disorder, that it neither loves nor hates what it ought, nor as it ought; hath neither right joy, nor sorrow, nor hope, nor fear; a very small matter stirs and troubles it; and as waters that are stirred, rapaxdñte, so the word signifies, having dregs in the bottom, become muddy and impure; thus the soul, by carnal fear, is confused, and there is neither quiet nor clearness in it. A troubled sea, as it cannot rest, so, in its restlessness, it casts up mire, as the prophet speaks. Thus it is with the unrenewed heart of man, the least blasts that arise disturb it, and make it restless, and its own impurity makes it cast up mire; yea, it is never right with him; either he is asleep in carnal confidence, or, being shaken out of that, he is hurried and tumbled to and fro with carnal fears; either in a lethargy, in a fever, or trembling ague: When troubles are at a distance, he folds his hands, and takes ease as long as it may be; and then, being surprised, when they come rushing on him, his sluggish ease is paid with a surcharge of perplexing and affrighting fears. And, is not this the condition of the most?

Now, because those evils are not fully cured in the believer, but he is subject to carnal security, as David, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved; and filled with undue fears and doubts in the apprehensions or feeling of trouble, as he likewise, complaining, confesses the dejection and disquietness of his soul; and again, that he had almost lost his standing, his feet had well nigh slipt": therefore, it is very needful to caution them often 2 Psal. xxx. 6. a Psal, lxiii. 2.

y Isa. lvii. 20.

with such words as these, Fear not their fear, neither be ye troubled. It will be proper, if you take it objectively, their fear, be not afraid of the world's malice, or any thing it can effect; or it may be taken subjectively, as the prophet means, "Do not you fear after the manner of the world; be not distrustfully troubled with any affliction that can befal you." Sure it is pertinent in either sense, or both together; Fear not what they can do, nor fear as they do.

If we look on the condition of men, ourselves and others, are not the minds of the greatest part continually tossed, and their lives worn out betwixt vain hopes and fears, providing incessantly new matter of disquiet to themselves?

Contemplative natures have always taken notice of this grand malady in our nature, and have attempted much the cure of it; they have bestowed much pains in seeking out prescriptions and rules for the attainment of a settled tranquillity of spirit, free from the fears and troubles that perplex us; but they have proved but mountebanks, that give big words enow, and do little or nothing, all physicians of no value, or of nothing, good for nothing, as Job speaks. Some things they have said well concerning the outward causes of this inward evil, and of the inefficacy of inferior outward things to help it; but they have not descended to the bottom and inward cause of this our wretched unquiet condition, much less ascended to the true and only remedy of it. In this, divine light is needful, and here we have it in the following verse.

Ver. 15. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

IMPLYING the cause of all our fears and troubles to be this, our ignorance and disregard of God;

b Hæc inter dubii vivimus et morimur.
Job xiii. 4.