This latter branch I shall insist upon ; and observe —
[1.] That tribulations and persecutions do often befall God's dearest and choicest servants.
[2.] That a constant unconquered patience under persecutions and tribulations is a sign and fruit of a strong faith ; and so it suiteth with what I lately handled concerning God's goodness and growth of faith.
Doct 1. That tribulations and persecutions do often befall God's
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dearest and choicest servants : 2 Tim. iii. 12, ' All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution ; ' Acts xiv. 22, he ' exhorted them to continue in the faith, saying, That through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.' We must enter into the kingdom, and ordinarily it is through many tribulations.
1. That we may be conformed to our Lord, and pledge him in his bitter cup. Christ was a man of sorrows, and there would be a strange disproportion between him and us if we should altogether live in deli- cacy, ease, and pleasures : Col. i. 24, va-Tep^/xara Xptarov, ' That I may fill up what is behind of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh.' There are Christ's personal and Christ's mystical sufferings. The sufferings of Christ personal are complete and meritorious ; they need not to be filled up ; but Christ mystical, 1 Cor. xii. 12, the sufferings of Christ mystical are not complete until every member of his mystical body have their own allotted portion and share. Some drops of the storm light upon us ; the whole tempest did beat upon him. The apostle, to animate christians to suffer constantly and patiently, telleth us that the captain of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings, Heb. ii. 10. Those that will partake with Christ in his kingdom must partake with him in his sorrows, at least resolve to do so, and fare as he fared. If you have a high esteem of Christ and low esteem of your- selves, you will easily consent to submit to the will of God herein, even to carry the cross after Christ. Paul counted all things but dung and dross that he might know Christ and the fellowship of his sufferings, Phil. iii. 10. There is a great deal of sweetness and spiritual comfort in suffering after, for, and with Christ ; and we should count all things dung and dross to gain this experience. It is comfort enough to a gracious heart that he is made thereby more like his lord and master.
2. It is for our trial. Faith is most tried in afflictions. We have not ordinarily so clear a proof of the strength and growth of grace in us as then : 1 Peter i. 7, ' That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold thatperisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.' We have spiritual advantage by our trials. Faith is dis- covered to be sound and saving : this is, and should be, of more worth to a gracious heart than the best gold on earth. A man may be de- ceived at other times, and think that faith strong which a trial dis- covereth to be weak ; as Peter : Mat. xxvi. 35, ' Though I should die with thee, yet I will not deny thee.' We can hardly believe ourselves to be so weak as we afterward find ourselves to be. A man may doubt, and think his faith weak, which a trial discovereth to be strong, Heb. x. 32 ; and Heb. xi. 34, ' Out of weakness were made strong ; ' pusillani- mous at first, sinking under their fears, yet wonderfully strengthened by God. To those that have faith, to know they have it, and to be assured of it by a sensible trial, it is a greater benefit than much worldly treasure. ■
3. That the excellency of our spiritual estate may appear, which can afford us joy under the saddest temporal condition : John xvi. 33, ' In the world ye shall have tribulation, but in me you shall have peace.' A little will keep us comfortable and quiet. When all things succeed
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well with us in the world, we live partly on the creature, partly on God ; as it is easy to go down the stream when we have wind and tide, but to row against the stream, to bear up when we have waves and winds against us, that requireth much strength : 2 Cor. i. 5, ' As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth by Christ' This will sweeten the bitter waters, like the wood in Marah, or the meal in the pot of Coloquintida. Without these sufferings we should not know so much. A drop of this honey will sweeten the bitterest cup we can drink of. In Christ we find all matter of joy, peace, and comfort.
4. We need these sufferings : 1 Peter i. 6, ' Ye are in heaviness for a season, if need be.' We need these things to mortify our pride, to reduce us to more close walking, Ps. cxix. 57, to tame our flesh, which is apt to wax wanton. Even those sufferings which are principally for Christ tend to the weakening of sin also, and are as vinegar and sour sauce to that luscious estate which we are apt to surfeit of. The honour, worldly wealth, and power of God's children do so strangely corrupt them, that when they get uppermost they make lamentable work in the world, and disgrace themselves and their profession. So that these persecutions and tribulations become a necessary part of God's discipline. Great and long prosperity doth pervert the best ; castigations are therefore probatory.