Sinners, whatever your mind be, in per- secuting the saints, never think to debauch them by it; if that be your aim, you mis- take your course ; the living spark which God hath kindled in them will not be blown out, but be blown up, by your puffing at it ; the dirt you cast upon them, doth but scour them the brighter. You take the best course you can to keep them closer to the Lord, and his way ; the warm sun will more hazard the loss of their garments, than the blustering wind ; let them alone, the Spirit of the Lord within them will be too hard for hell, with all its black regiments, and will not only secure them, but advance them yet higher, by all their assaults. These stars shine the brightest, when the night is darkest : when you have done your worst, it will be the better with them ; though they will not thank you, yet they will thank God for what they have suffered by you. If this be your aim, to make them like yourselves, you may set your hearts at rest, and give over such a vain attempt ; your fury is like to do as little to force them, as your virtues are to invite them to a compliance with you. Your faces are too foul to draw them into your love, and yet not fierce enough to drive them into your fear. Satan, try thy utmost strength and skill, — and if thou losest not by thine own play at last, — if thou findest not the poor people of God gotten nearer heaven, by thy attempts of plucking them down to hell, — then let thy lies be believed before the everlasting gospel !
Christians, make me not ashamed in this same confident boasting of you ; yea, con- tradict not your God, by suffering your- selves to be corrupted by evil men. The Lord himself hath adventured deep upon your integrity and steadfastness. Tlie ho- nour of his truth and faithfulness lies at stake, he hath said, that " tiiey shall not be afraid of any evil tidings, their heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord," Ps. cxii. 7
FAREWELL DISCOURSE ON HIS EJECTION.
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lie hath said, " By this sliall their itiiquity be purged, and tliis sliall he all the Iruit, to take away their sin." God hath said, " All things shall work together for good to them." They shall not be the worse, but the better, for all that befalls them ; tlu'v shall love me and my holy ways the more ; they shall cleave unto me the closer ; they shall be made more pure, and more tender, by all they suffer for righteousness sake ; they shall love conscience, and their integrity, and faithfulness to it, never the worse, for that it hath cost them so dear ; but shall prize it the more, and be the more wary and tender, how they pollute and turn aside from it. God hath ventured deep on you, make not him a liar ; the devil and his instruments will be ready to say, concern- ing you, as once he did to the Lord concerning his servant Job: "Put them into our ))ower, let us have the handling of them a while, and thou shalt quickly see, what truth there is in them, or what trust there is to them ; they will curse thee to thy face, — they will deny thee to thy face, — they will eat their own words, — thev will be ashamed of their God, their godliness and confidence." Let God be true. Christians, and the devil a liar; be living commentaries on this blessed text ; let the world, and their black prince see, that they cannot make you miserable, be- cause they cannot make you sinners like themselves ; that you are still the more up- right, for falling into the hands of a crooked generation ; let them see, that though your God will not suffer you, yet you are con- tented to serve him for nothing ! That though his hedge be removed from you, yet vour heart is not removed from him, be able to say, " Though all this be come upon us, our heart is not turned back ; neither have we declined thy wjiy." Let your standing and increasing in tlie grace of God, and abounding in the works of right- eousness, be a standing witness for God in the world, and a seal to his scriptures, and in special to the glorious truth of this text. 4. The evil things of the saints, prepare better things for them ; their sufferings go into their reward : " As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." Every suffering