same rancour in the hearts of men against vital god- liness now, as there was in former days : for there are not wanting at this hour many proofs of what men would do to suppress real piety, if the toleration accorded to us by the laws did not restrain them. At all events, we know not what trials we ourselves personally may be called to endure, even though the Church at large should still continue to enjoy tran- quillity : and for these we ought to be prepared. The words before us are admirably calculated to for- tify our minds against all that at any time may come upon us ; since, whilst they teach us to expect per- secution for righteousness' sake, they shew us,
I. In what light we should view it —
We should not think it strange, as though some strange thing happened unto us" —
[God has seen fit to ordain that his people should be subjected to " fiery trials," not only for the discovery of their graces, but also for the improvement of them. To them he has given a new nature, altogether different from that which they brought into the world with them, — a nature, which for its excellence may be compared to gold : but there still re- mains in them much dross, which must be purged away : and, as gold is both ascertained and purified by the action of fire, so must these be tried and purified in the furnace of affliction. Of course, their persecutors have no such object in view: they seek only to suppress the piety that offends them : but God has other, and very opposite, ends to accomplish : He seeks their advancement in the divine life, and will suffer no heavier trial to assault them than what he has strengthened them to bear, and will overrule for their eternal welfare. True it is that, notwithstanding he has taught us to expect these things, we are ready to account them strange : we think it strange that such trials should come upon us, and from such quarters, and on us who have done so little to deserve them. But we should remember, that " the same trials are accomplished also in our brethren who are in the worlda;" and that " none have come upon us but what are common to man, nor any which God will not enable us to sustainV and under this conviction we should receive them as our appointed lot, and submit to them as dispensations ordained by God for our eternal good.]
a 1 Pet. v. 9. b 1 Cor, x. 13.