(3.) Especially, they are the sufferings of Chi-ist by way of sympathy; because Christ doth impute them to himself. ' The sufferings of Christ.' It is a phrase that springs from the near union that is between Christ and his members, the church ; which is as near or nearer than any natural union between the head and members. Hereupon it comes that we are said to suffer with him, to die with him, to be crucified with him, to ascend with him, to sit in heavenly places with him, to judge the world with him, to do all with him by reason of this union. And he is said to suffer with us, to be afflicted in us, to be reproached with us. He was stoned in Stephen, he was persecuted by Saul, he was beheaded in Paul, he was burned with the martyrs, he was banished with the Christians, and he suf- fers in all his children. Not that he doth so in his own person, but because it pleaseth him, by reason of the near communion that is between him and us, to take that which is done to his members, as done to himself. There- fore they are called ' the sufferings of Christ.' He suffers when we suffer, and we suffer when he suffers.
The difference is, all the comforts in our sufferings, it comes from com- munion in his sufferings, because he is our surety. For why are we encouraged to suffer by way of sympathy and communion with him ? Be- * That is, ' satisfying.' — Ot.
2 COEINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 5. 83
cause he in love died for us, and was crucified for us, and abased for us, and shamed for us. And when is the soul encouraged to suffer attlictions for Christ ? When it hath a little felt the wi-ath of God that Christ suffered for it. Oh, how much am I beholden to God for Christ, that endured the whole wrath of God ? They are ' the sufferings of Christ.' This is a won- drous comfortable point ; and it is a notion that doth sweeten the bitterest crosses, that they are the sufferings of Christ. Not only that we are con- formable to Christ in them, we suffer as he did, but they are ' the sufferings of Christ,' he imputes them as done to him, he suffers with us.
(4.) And another reason, why they are the sufferings of Christ, it is be- cause he not only takes it as done to himself, but he is present icith them. He was with St Paul in the dungeon, he was with the three young men in the fiery furnace. There were three put in, and there was a fom-th, which was Christ, the Son of God (j). He goes with the martyrs to the prison, to the stake. He is with them till he has brought them to heaven. He is present with them when they suffer.
Here I must, before I come to make use of it, distinguish between the crosses, and sufferings of Christ, and of ordinary sufferings as men.
[1.] Something in this vale of misery u'e sufer as creatures: as being subject to mutability and change, because this is a world of changes. In this sublunaiy world there is nothing but changes- Thus we suffer as creatures. All creatures are subject to vanity, and complain and groan under it.
[2.] Somewhat we suffer as men. It is the common condition of men. This nature of ours, since the fall, is subject to sicknesses, to crosses, and pain, and casualties. Every day brings new crosses with it. This we suf- fer as men.
[3.] Now the sufferings of Christians, as relicjioiis holy men, those are here meant, those are ' the sufferings of Christ.' Yet notwithstanding the sufferings as men, by the Spirit of God, help our conformity to Christ, by them the flesh is purged, and the Spirit strengthened, and weaning from the world is wrought, and a desire to heaven.
By the daily crosses we suffer as men, not for religion, we are much bettered ; and those in some sort may be called the sufferings of Christ, because hj them we are conformed to Christ more in hohness. We grow more out of love with the world, and more heavenly minded. This dis- tinction is necessary to know which are best, the sufferings of Christians as good men.
Use. It is a point, I say, of wondrous comfort. That we should be con- formable in our sufferings with our head Christ Jesus, our glorified head in heaven, is it not a wondrous comfort ? Nay, is it not a glory ? It is a wondi-ous glory that God mil set us apart to do any thing, that God will take any thing of us, much more that he will single us out to be champions in his quarrel, and more, that he will triumph in us, that the comfort shall abound.
To give an instance. If a monarch should redeem a slave, a traitor from prison, and take him to fight in the quarrel of his own son, to be his champion, were it not an honour ? So the veiy sufferings for Christ are an encouragement. The disgraces, and whatsoever they are that we suffer in a good cause, they are ensigns of honour, they are badges of honour of Christian knighthood. K a golden fleece, or a garter,* or such thmgs, be accounted so highly of and glorified in, because they are favours, &c., much more should the sufferings for Christ be glorified in, as ensigns of the love of God, and of our Christian profession. When we fight under Christ's * That is, the knightly ' orders' so designated.— G.