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Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer. Behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life". For thou hast a little strength, and hast not denied my name. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth". For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercy will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. Oh thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones". Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

SECT. 7. To this purpose also are the instructions of our Lord and Saviour.

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted". Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the

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m Rev. ii. 10. ▸ Isa. liv. 11, 12. § 7. Matt. v. 4.

n Rev. iii. 8, 10.
4 Isa. xlix. 13-16.
b Matt. v. 10, 11.

• Isa. liv. 7, 8.

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prophets which were before you. Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now; for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now; for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for behold your reward is great in heaven. Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shali lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me". These things have I spoken, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you, will think he doth God service. They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. In your patience possess ye your souls'.

The twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, Saying," Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that endureth to the

i

• Matt. v. 12.

Matt. xvi. 24, 25.

Luke, xxi. 12.
Matt. x. 16, 17, 18.

d Luke, vi. 20-23.

Matt. xi. 6.
*Luke, xxi. 16, 17.

e Matt. xix. 29.
b John, xvi. 1, 2,
Luke, xxi. 19.

end shall be saved". Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than the Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you". Verily, verily I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remeinbereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your hearts shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world'.

SECT. 8. In his last sufferings he has given us the most perfect example of entire resignation to the will of God.

Then cometh Jesus unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. He went away again the

* Matt. x. 22.

a John, xvi. 20, 21, 22. 8. Matt. xxvi. 36-32,

• Matt. x. 29, 30, 31. P John, xv. 18, 19, 20,

r

John, xvi. 35.

second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, thy will be done b. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus, to kiss him. And Jesus saith unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? and one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far; and he touched his ear, and healed him. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath; the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do'.

SECT. 9. His example is stated as a rule and motive to our resignation.

He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked'. Wherefore let us run with patience the race that is set before us: looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,

b Matt. xxvi. 42. e John, xviii. 11. § 9. 1 John, ii. 6,

• John, xii. 27, 28.
1 Luke, xxiii. 34.

Heb. xii. 1, 2, 3.

d Luke, xxii. 47—–51.

1 Pet. ii. 21, 22, 23.

and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through suffering'. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

SECT. 10. We have also laid before us the sufferings of the Apostles, and their worthy behaviour under

them.

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ'. From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I came unto Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons; serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the laying wait of the Jews; and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house; confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem; not knowing the things that shall befall me there; save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord, to testify the gospel of the grace of God; whereof I Paul am made a minister, who now rejoice in my suffer

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