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ftians were miraculous, and not at all intended for the imitation of fucceeding ages; as if heaven and earth, God and men, and all things, were altered fince that time; as if Chriftianity were then in its youthful age and vigour, but is fince decayed, and grown old, and hath quite loft its power and virtue. And indeed the generality of Chriftians live at fuch a faint and careless rate, as to make the world believe, that either all the stories of the primitive Christians are fables; or elfe, that the force of Chriftianity is ftrangely abated, and that the Holy Spirit of God hath forfaken the earth, and is retired to the Father. But truth never grows old; and thofe laws of goodness and righteoufnefs which are contained in the gofpel, are still as reafonable, and apt to gain upon the minds of men, as ever. God is the fame he was, and our bleffed Saviour is ftill at the right hand of God, interceeding powerfully for finners, for mercy and grace to help in time of need. The promises and threatenings of the gospel are ftill as true and powerful as ever; and the Holy Spirit of God is ftill in the world, and effectually works in them that believe.

Let us not then deceive ourselves in this matter. The primitive Christians were men like ourselves, fubject to the fame paffions that we are, and compassed about with the fame infirmities: fo that although that extraordinary fpirit and power of miracles which God endued them withal, for the first planting and propagating of the gofpel in the world, be now ceafed; yet the fanctifying power and virtue of God's Holy Spirit does ftill accompany the gofpel, and is ready to aflift us in every good work.

In a word, we have all that is neceffary to work the fame graces and virtues in us which were in them; and, if we be not flothful, and wanting to ourselves, we may follow their faith, and at last attain the end of it, even the falvation of our fouls.

Let us then, from an idle admiring of thofe excellent patterns, proceed to a vigorous imitation of them, and be fo far from being discouraged by the excellency of them, as to make even that matter and ground of encouragement to ourselves; according to that of Tertullian, Admonetur omnis ætas, fieri poffè, quod aliquando factum eft:

"All

"All ages to the end of the world may be convinced, "that what hath been done, is poffible to be done." There have been fuch holy and excellent perfons in the world; and therefore it is poffible for men to be fuch.

Let us not then be flothful; but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promifes. Since we are compaffed about with fuch a cloud of witneffes, let us lay afide every weight, and the fin which fo easily be fets us, and let us run with patience the race which is fet before us looking unto Jefus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was fet before him, endured the cross, and defpifed the fhame, and is now fet down at the right hand of God.

SERMON

LXXVIII.

The encouragement to fuffer for Chrift, and the danger of denying him.

Preached on All-Saints day.

2 TIM. ii. 11. 12.

It is a faithful faying. For if we be dead with him, we fball alfo live with him: if we fuffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us,

I

N the beginning of this chapter, St. Paul encourageth Timothy to continue ftedfaft in the profeffion of the gofpel, notwithstanding the sufferings which attended it: y I. Thou therefore, my fon, be strong in the grace which is in Chrift Jefus; and v 3. Thou therefore endure hardship, as a good foldier of Jefus Chrift. And, to animate him in his refolution, he quotes a faying, which it seems was well known and firmly believed among Christians; a faying, on the one hand, full of encouragement to those who with patience and conftancy fuffered for their religion; and, on the other hand, full of terror to thofe who, for fear of fuffering, denied it. It is a faithful faying. This is a preface used by this Apostle,

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Apostle, to introduce fome remarkable sentence, of more than ordinary weight and concernment: 1 Tim. i. 15. This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners; and chap. iv. 8. 9. Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promife of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptaTit. iii. 8. This is a faithful faying, and thefe things I will that thou affirm conftantly, that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works. And here in the text, the fame preface is used to fignify the importance of the faying he was about to mention: It is a faithful faying: If we be dead with bim, we shall alfo live with him: if we fuffer, we shall alfo reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.

tion.

The first two fentences are matter of encouragement to those who fuffer with Christ, and for him; and are the very fame in sense. If we be dead with him, that is, if we lay down our lives for the teftimony of the truth, as he did, we shall alfo live with him, that is, we fhall in like manner be made partakers of immortality, as he is. If we fuffer (or endure) as he did, we shall also reign with him in glory.

The other fentence is matter of terror to those who deny him and his truth: If we deny him, he also will deny us. To which is fubjoined another faying much to the fame fenfe: If we believe not; ei d'isou, if we be unfaithful yet he remaineth faithful; he cannot deny himfelf: that is, he will be as good as his word, and make good that folemn threatening which he hath denounced against those who fhall, for fear of fuffering, deny him and his truth.

The words being thus explained, I fhall begin with the First part of this remarkable faying, If we be dead with him, we shall alfo live with him: if we fuffer, we fball alfo reign with him. This, it feems, was a noted faying among Chriftians; and whether they had it by tradition of our Saviour, or whether it was in familiar ufe among the Apoftles, as a very proper and powerful argument to keep Chriftians ftedfaft to their religion, I cannot determine. It is certain, that fayings to this enfe are very frequent, especially in the epiftles of St.

Paul:

2 Cor.

Paul: Rom. vi. 5. For if we have been planted together· in the likeness of his death, we shall be alfo in the likeness of his refurrection; and y 8. Now if we be dead with Chrift, we believe that we shall alfo live with him. iv. 10. Always bearing about in the body, the dying of our Lord Jefus, that the life alfo of Jefus might be made manifeft in our body; and y 11. For we which live, are always delivered unto death for Jefus fake, that the life also of Jefus might be made manifeft in our mortal flesh. And Rom. viii. 17. If fo be that we fuffer with him, that we may be alfo glorified together. Phil. iii. 10. 11. That I may know him, and the power of his refurrection, and the fellowship of his fufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the refurrection of the dead. 1 Pet. iv. 12. 13. Beloved, think it not frange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though fome strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inafmuch as ye are partakers of Chrift's fufferings; that when his glory fhall be revealed, ye may be glad alfo with exceeding joy.

You fee that the fense of this faying was in frequent ufe among the Apostles, as a powerful argument to encourage Chriftians to conftancy in their religion, notwithstanding the dangers and fufferings which attended it. This is a faithful faying: If we be dead with him, we shall alfo live with him: if we fuffer, we shall also reign with him.

And the force of this argument will beft appear, by taking into confideration these two things:

1. What virtue there is in a firm belief and perfuafion of a bleffed immortality in another world, to fupport and bear up mens fpirits under the greatest fufferings for righteousness fake; and even to animate them, if God shall call them to it, to lay down their lives for their religion.

2. How it may be made out to be reasonable, for men to embrace and voluntarily to fubmit to present and grievous fufferings, in hopes of a future happiness and reward; concerning which we have not, nor perhaps are capable of having, the fame degree of certainty and affurance, which we have of the evils and fufferings of this prefent life.

I. What virtue there is in a firm belief and persuasions

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of

of a bleffed immortality in another world, to fupport and bear up mens fpirits under the greatest fufferings for righteoufnefs fake; and even to animate them, if God fhall call them to it, to lay down their lives for their religion.

If men do firmly believe that they fhall change this temporal and miferable life for an endless state of happinefs and glory, and that they fhall meet with a reward of their fufferings infinitely beyond the proportion of them, both in the weight and duration of it; this must needs turn the scales on that fide on which there is the greatest weight. And there is a fufficient ground for a firm belief of this. For if any thing can certainly be concluded from the providence of God, this may, that good men fhall be happy one time or other; and because they are very often great fufferers in this life, that there is another ftate remains for them after this life, wherein they fhall meet with a full reward of all their fufferings for righteoufnefs fake.

But, befides the reasonableness of this from the confideration of God's providence, we have now a clear and exprefs revelation of it; life and immortality being brought to light by the gospel. This St. John tells us is the great promife of the gospel, 1 epist. ii. 25. This is the promise that he hath promifed us, even eternal life. And this promife our Saviour most expressly makes to those who fuffer for him: Matth. v. 10. 11. 12. Blefjed are they which are perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blefjed are ye, when men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and fhall fay all manner of evil against you falfely for my fake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven. Mark. x. 29. 30. Verily I fay unto you, There is no man that hath left houfe, or brethren, or fifters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my fake and the gofpel's, but he fhall receive an hundred fold now in this time, with perfecutions, (that is, fo far as a state of perfecution would admit); and in the world to come, eternal life.

And if fuch a perfuafion be firmly fixed in our minds, the faith of another world, and the affured hope of eternal life and happiness, muft needs have a mighty force and efficacy upon the minds of fober and confiderate

men;

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