Now it is not easy for flesh and blood to endure these things: we are ever ready, through pride and anger, to resent such treatment; or, through shame and cowardice, to shun it. But the condition is plain and absolute, No cross, no croivn: "We must suffer with him, if ever we would be glorified together."]
2. The equity of it —
[Our sufferings are intended as a test of our love to Christ. There was no necessity for our blessed Lord to submit to suffer- ings, unless he chose to undertake our cause, and put himself in the place of sinners: yet, purely for our sakes, he endured even death itself, yea, the painful and accursed death of the cross. If our trials then were a thousand times more severe than they are, would it not become us cheerfully to sustain them in proof of our regard for him ? If he voluntarily bore so much for our good, it is surely reasonable that we should, when called to it, endure somewhat for his glory.
But our sufferings are also intended to secure to us, and augment, the inheritance itself. Nothing tends more to wean us from the world, than the opposition we meet from worldly men. Our " tribulation also worketh patience ;" yea, it both exercises and confirms our every grace*. Strange as it may appear, the enduring of trials for Christ's sake tends greatly to the advancement even of our present happiness, inasmuch as it " turns to us for a testimony11," and puts honour upon usx, and is, for the most part, attended with the richest consolations of the Spirit y. And, beyond all doubt, it will hereafter be re- compensed " with a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory2."
Can we then complain of a condition, which at once conduces to God's glory, and to our happiness ? We should rather re- joice that we are counted worthy to suffer in so good a cause a; and be contented to obtain the inheritance in the way which our heavenly Father has ordained V]
* Heb. v. 8. s Heb. ii. 10. * Rom. v. 3, 4.
" Luke xxi. 13. x Phil. xxi. 29. 1 Pet. iv. 13, 14. y 2 Cor. i. 5. z 2 Cor. iv. 17. a Acts v. 41.
b 2 Tim. iii. 12. Acts xiv. 22.