account that his people suffer any tiling. If we would but renounce our allegiance to him, the world would find no more occasion against us. It is for His sake that they hate us. They hate not lis, but Christ in us : nor do they persecute us, but Christ in us. Therefore our sufferings are his ; and, in enduring them, " we are truly partakers of his sufferings."
Now then I would ask, ' If when he drank the bitter ctip even to the dregs, and left, as it were, but a drop for us to taste, shall we account it a hard matter to put it to our lips for his sake?' No: we should rather rejoice that an oppor- tunity is afforded us of so testifying our love to him.]
2. The Spirit of God descends into our bosom, to support and comfort us —
[The Spirit is here called " The Spirit of glory and of God ;" as being one with the Father, who is " the God of glory k;" and one with the Son, who is " the Lord of glory1." His office it is to descend and dwell with the saints, as their Comforterm. And when we really suffer for Christ's sake, it is both an evidence that he does rest upon us, and a pledge that he will be with us in a more abundant measure. If the Holy Spirit had not already wrought faith in our hearts, and put somewhat of the image of Christ upon our souls, the world would have suffered us to rest in peace : for " if we were of the world, the world would love its own; but because we are not of the world, but Christ has chosen us out of the world, therefore the world hateth usn." But the enmity of the world on account of what we have received from this divine Agent, only serves to call down upon us yet richer communications, even such as shall be sufficient to bear us up under our trials, and to make us conquerors over all our enemies.
And shall not this reconcile us to sufferings ? Or, should any trials be deprecated, which are productive of so great a benefit? If the loss of Christ's bodily presence was a proper ground of joy to the Disciples, because of the presence of the Comforter, who would come to them in his stead0, much more may any loss or any trials be welcomed by us, if they may but lead to a more abundant effusion of this divine Spirit upon our souls.]
3. God is particularly glorified in us —
[Doubtless, on the part of the persecutors, God is dis- honoured and blasphemed ; but on the part of the sufferers he is glorified. Behold a man enduring sufferings for righteous- ness' sake : what does he say to all who behold him ? In respect
k Acts vii. 2. ' 1 Cor. ii. 8. m John xiv. 16.
11 John xv. 19. ° John xvi. 6, 7.