it is to the Saviour, who came down from heaven for you, and died upon the cross for you, and bore all the curses of God's broken law for you. Did he then, for the joy that was set before him of saving your souls, endure the cross and despise the shame ; and will you bear no cross, and encounter no shame for him ? Should you not rather rejoice if you are counted worthy to suffer shame for his sake ? Blush then for your in- gratitude, and take up your cross, and glory in it, and " follow him without the camp, bearing his reproach V]
2. Those who are called to suffer for righteousness'
sake —
[Shall I lament for you ? No indeed ; but rather congra- tulate you on the honour conferred upon you. How remark- able is that declaration of the Apostle to the Philippian Church! " To you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake c." Here he represents your sufferings as a gift from God ; a gift of a most valuable kind bestowed upon you purely for Christ's sake ; a gift greater far than faith itself : for if by faith you are saved, by sufferings you have your weight of glory augmented to an indefinite extent. Search the Scriptures throughout, and you will find but one testimony on this head: you are invariably taught to regard your sufferings, whatever they may be, as a ground of joyd: you are told to "rejoice and leap for joy, seeing that your reward in heaven will be proportionably great e." See then that ye faint not, either at the continuance or increase of your trials : but " be faithful unto death ; and God will give you a crown of life." Let your great concern be, to depart more and more from what is evil, and to abound more and more in that which is good : so shall you enjoy the testimony of a good conscience here, and receive the plaudit of your Judge in the realms of bliss.]
t> Heb. xiii. 13. c Phil. i. 29. d Jam. i. 2. and v. 11.
« Matt. v. 12. and 1 Pet. iv. 12—14.