makes profeffion of Religion, and gives juft occafion of reviling, he doth more hurt to Religion then all the Revilers of the world; and there is this reafon for it, Perfecutors doe but make men afraid to profeffe Religion,they doe not make them to be out of love with Religion, but thofe that wilke fcandaToully they prevaile upon mens confciences,fo as to make ment hate religion. Now is not this a greater milchiefe for to make men hate it, then to make men afraid to profelfe it, therefore looke to your felves, that if men fpeak any evill of you, that they may speak it falfely, but if they fpeak it on juft occafion, then you cannot make your moane to God you are cut off from that priviledge, but being reviled falfely, then you can enjoy that priviledge; as you may read in the 15 Chap. of feremiah. It is the priviledge of the Saints, that when any men fpeak evill of them, and their confciences tells them that it is falfely, they can then goe to God. Then they speak evill of you falfely for my fake: Be not offenfive unto others in any matters that concerne man and man, if you fuffer do not fuffer as evill doers, but fuffer for the fake of Chrift, fuffer in the matter of God. As it is faid in the 6 Chap. of Daniel 5 verfe, Then faid thefe men, we shall not find any occafion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God. Their confciences were convinced, that in all matters between man and man, there was nothing to doe with him, but let us watch him between the matters of the Lord his God: the Lord de liver us from fuch kind of fpirits; fo long as Chriftians walke fo that let the world prie, and in all their converfe between man and man they can find no fault, onely in the matters of the Lord their God, onely for Chrifts caufe, and the matters of the Gofpel. You thall have many fay of their neighbour, the neighbour that lives by me he is an honeft neighbour as any can live by me, but he is thus and thus, and hath taken up fuch an opinion, and is ftrict in the matters of God; and fo of fervants and wife, bleffed are ye when all that prie into your wayes and lives, have nothing elfe in it,all that you fufter it is for the fake of the Lord your God. Certainly, if fo be you fhall fuffer onely for his fake, then it must be fet on his fcore, ard!

and he will owne it in that day of his; In all your afflictions he is afflicted, Ifa. 63 Chap. 9 verfe. In all their affliction he was "afflicted; And the Angel of his prefence faved them, in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the dayes of old, Pfal. 79. 4 & 12 verses. We are be come a reproach to our neighbours, a scorne and derifion to them that are round about us. And render unto our neighbours feverfold into their befome, the reproach wherewith they have reproa ched thee, O Lord. If any man fuffer for your fake, you account your felfe bound to vindicate him.; So the Apostle, Ro mans 8 Chap. 26 verfe. Likewife the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it felfe maketh interceffion for us with groanings, which cannot be uttered. It is a comfort for the Lord to take notice of your fufferings, when thou fuffereft for Chrifts fake, Chrift loves thee, he hath promised to helpe thee hereafter, he hath helped thee, and is ingaged to helpe thee, for it is for his fake that thou fuffereft. Therefore goe on and account thy felfe bleffed for his fake; Certainly if we be willing to fuffer for his fake,certainly he will be willing to fuffer for our fakes; when thou fuffereft any thing for Chrift,he is infinitely worthy, he is worthy of all that thou haft, what hath he done for thee, hath he not done more for thee, then thou haft done for him, or canft doe for him.

Sixthly, Further,a very great ufe,Bleffed are thofe that have all manner of evill spoken falsely for my name fake; when you are reproached for Chrifts fake you are bleffed, but when Chrift is reproached for your fake, Chrift now is not in a way of merit, he hath finished the work, and yet for all that Chrift may have fome fuffering, may have fhame caft on him even for thy fake, through thy wicked and ungodly life; why this is a curfed curfed thing, this is even to pull Chrift downe from heaven to fuffer againe: why did not Chrift fuffer enough, and wilt thou have him to fuffer for thy fake more? do not thou adde to his fuffering, but fuffer as much for his fake as he hath done for thy fake. 2 Chap. of the Romans 24 verfe. For the name of God is blafphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

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See how God is reviled, the name of God is blafphemed for your fakes, when you walke fcandaloufly the name of God is reproached; if a profelfor of Religion hath any temptation to fin, confider if thou giveft any permiffion to that fin,thou trampleft on the name of Chrift; you trample on me, faith Christ, wilt thou goe on yet to the permiffion of fin, though the name of God lyes before thee; oh hard hearted wretch,that knowest the name of God Iyes there, and thou wilt trample on it. It follows in the twelfth verfe, that is, Kejoyce and be exceeding glad; doe not only account your felves bletfed, but rejoyce and be exceeding glad. 6 Chap. of Luke, 23 verfe. Rejoyce yee in that day, and leape for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for in the like manner did their fathers unto the Prophets. Leap for joy, skip and leap for joy when as you are reviled for Chrift, that it is not enough for Chriftians to be patient under fuffering, but they must be joyfull under fuftering, it doth not become true Chriftians to manifeft any kind of forrow under any fuffering for Chrift, that when at any timewe fuffer in his caufe, what ever we doe when we fuffer for our fin, there we may manifeft the work of forrow, but when we fuffer perfecution for Chrifts fake, Chrift would not have our hearts to be forrowfull at that time, but calls for rejoycing; and here is the difference between fuffering for fin, and fuffering for the fake of Chrift, there the Lord calls for mourning and weeping when affliction is on you for your fin, but when fuffer for Chrifts fake, there the Scripture doth not call for any mourning or weeping or any humiliation,but for rejoycing and bleffing God that they are accounted worthy for to fuffer for him.

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Rejoyce, and be exceeding glad, for greti "is 191 b your reward in heaven; far fo perfecuted they the Prophets which were before you! Hid, ni su yard:

He last of these Rules of bleffednoffe, it is the fuffering of perfècution, of reviling for the fake of Chfift, for bletted are they, We have fpoke of perfécution in generall, and of reviling more particularly; and the blefledneffe that there is in fuffering tither perfecution or reviling, when they fhall fpeake all manner of evill, evill that is molt unlikely, that hath no kind of fhew in it, yet they venture to fatten all manner of evill on us, but yet falfely, let the Saints take heed that there be no evill faid of them truly, for that is a grievous thing, they are not bleffed in that, but when it is fpoken of them falfely, and for my names fake, not for your owne wills fake, for your owne lufts fake, but for the Lords fake, and then Chrift will owne you, fo certainly Chrift hath a speciall regard to those who fuffer any thing in his caufe, as to have their ཀྭ་ names any wayes wounded, why he will bind up this wound. Dockenspielfin Tom101. mom 10 Australes In

In the ts Chap. of Jeremiah, 15 verfe. O Lord, thou knoweft, remember me, and vifit me, and revenge me of my perfecutors; take me not away in thy long suffering, know that for thy fake I have fuffered rebuke. When you fufter for your luft fake, for your owne paffion, you fuffer these things for your owne wickednefle; but when it is for the Lords fake, then you can goe with comfort to prayer; take heed that Chrift doe not furfer for your lakes in that fence, namely, for your fin and wickednelle; is it not enough that Chrift hath fuffered for your fakes in a meritorious way, fuffer for Chrifts fake, but let not Chrift fuffer for yours.

To proceed to the 12 verfe. Rejoyce, and be exceeding glad, rejoyce and leape and skip for joy. In the 6 Chapter of Luke, and the 23 verfe. Rejoyce ye in that day, and leape for joy, for ་ "bebold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the like manner did their fathers unto the Prophets.A matter of great joy should be to the Saints, when they are reviled and perfecuted for Chrifts fake, great joy, because it is fuch a cleare evidence that they are in Chrifts way, that they are Chrifts,and that they are entred farre into that way that they are come to be fufferers for him, rejoyce in that, thofe good things you doe,it is good to you, but not fo much as in fuffering, the Spirit of God and glory refts on you, when you are reviled. 1 Peter 4 Chap. 14 verfe. If yee be reproached for the name of Chrift, happy are yee, for the Spirit of glory and of God refteth on you: on their part he is evill spoken of but on your part he is glorified. That for the people of Cod, it is not enough for them to be patient in fuffering, but to be reproached. Mofes accounted the reproaches for Chrift, greater riches then the treasures of Egypt. Perfecutions for Chrift to a true gracious heart, they are riches to him, therefore rejoyce.

First, How thall I rejoyce, for it is an affliction, If any be afflicted let him pray. I confeffe when our affliction comes as chaftisement for fin, then mourning is called for, but I never find that the Scripture doth call for mourning from the Saints that fuffer in the caufe of Chrift, though it is a great evill in ic felfe, yet never calls for mourning, what other afflictions God. Ꮋ Ꮒ Ꮒ Ꮒ

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