[1.] Christians, that do not let fall the strictness and majesty of their conversations, if they keep the word that Christ hath given to them, that is, keep close to it, they must expect troubles. Christ's subjects are the world's rebels, and if they will not forfeit their allegiance to Christ, the world will fall upon them. You must not expect friends in the world ; your great friend and patron is in heaven : John xvi. 33, ' In me ye shall have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation.' He propoundeth it disjunctively ; we have seldom both together. Christ leaveth his subjects in Satan's territories and dominions, that he might try their allegiance : 2 Tim. iii. 12, ' All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer j)ersecution ;' he doth not say, that profess Christ, but that will live godly in Christ, that are strict, holy, true to their principles. And it is not an observation proper to that age. As long as the enmity lasts between the two seeds, opposition will con- tinue. Satan never wanted a party to support his empire. The per- secution of the church began in Abel, and will not be finished till the day of judgment ; and it is a wonder to see an Abel without a Cain. Afterwards, in Abraham's family. Gal. iv. 25, ' As then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, so it is now ;' and still we may say, ' So it is now.' So it hath been, and so it will be. So afterward Jacob and Esau struggled together in the belly, and the quarrel began before the birth. And so it is in all ages ; Satan hath not changed his nature, nor the world left its wont. Emperors and kings have become christian, but Satan never yet be- came christian ; and there never wanteth a strong faction in the world to abet him against the church. In our times we had great hopes, but
366 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XXII.
still the spirit of enmity continiietb, thouf^h under other forms and appearances. We see there is a quick conversion from a malignant to a sectary ; the term is changed, bnt not the person. I would not be mistaken. By a malignant, I mean that which the scripture meaneth, not one that dissents from others in civil matters, bnt one that is an enemy to the power of godliness. And by a sectary, I mean one that is so in the scripture notion, a jiarty-maker in the church, a carnal man under a plausible form, opposing the holy and strict ways of God. I tell you, this conversion is eas}''. A piece of soft wax, that was but now stamped witli the shape of the devil, may be easily stamped again with the seal that is carved into the shape of an angel ; the wax is the same, but the impression is different. It is no new thing for the saints of God to be in peril of false brethren, as well as of open enemies; nay, rather than sit out, the devil can make use of one saint to persecute anotlier ; as Asa, a good prince, put the prophet in the stocks, and Christ calleth Peter, Satan. The devil may abuse their zeal, and this is strange, that a lamb should act the wolf's part. Usually indeed ho maketh use of the world ; it is the providence of God that the wicked hate Christ and his messengers. Christ doth usually reveal his ways to the world by the quality of the men that rise against them ; it must needs be good what such men hate ; their very respect would be a suspicion, and their approbation a contumely and disgrace ; a man would have some cause to suspect himself if he had their favour. Thus you see christians, though in a private sphere, that would live godly in Christ, must expect their share in the world's hatred. Now the Lord permits it, et? ^aprvpiov, ' for a testimony ; ' for a testimony to his servants, for a testimony against his adversaries, for a testimony to the wa5^s of God ; all these will be gathered out of the same expression, as it is recited by several evangelists : Mark xiii. 9, ' They shall deliver ye up to councils, and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten ; and ye shall ho. brought before kings and rulers for my sake, for a testimony against them,' ek fjuaprvpiov avroh, that by your zealous defence they may have a sufficient knowledge of the ways of God, and so be con- vinced or confounded by them : Luke xxi. 13, 'It shall turn to you for a testimony,' dTro/StjcreTai Be v/mlv et? /Maprvpcov, that is, a proof of j'our loyalty ; and Mat. xxiv. 14, it is only ek fxaprvptov, ' The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness ; ' implying, to the truth. God chooseth his eminent servants to be his champions, that the world may know that there is somewhat excellent in their principles, worth the suffering for. God will not have his servants to go to heaven without a testimony ; nor his enemies to go to hell with- out a testimony, and a sting in their consciences ; nor any age to pass away without a testimony.