sanctity of his character was the true ground of their opposition to him. Precisely thus must we expect persecution, ostensibly as evil-doers, but really as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.]
And experience proves that it does exist —
[Look at the holy men of old: where will ye find one who was not persecuted for righteousness' sake ? And are the descendants of Cain or of Ishmael extinct ? Is not that which St. Paul spoke in reference to Ishmael, still found true? " As then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now^." Christians are not indeed dragged, as formerly, to prison and to death : but shall we therefore say, that they are not persecuted? Ai'e they not " reviled ?" Have they not " all manner of evil spoken against them falsely ?" Do not men " separate them from their com- pany," and " reproach them, and cast out their name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake s ?" Yes truly : " All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer, yea and do suffer, persecu- tion •^." There is not a single exception to be found. Times and circumstances may produce considerable difference in the nature or degree of opposition which may be made to the Lord's people : but all will have to experience some. Christianity is the same in itself that it ever was : and it will be found the same in its effects. Christ " came not to bring peace, but a sword':" and whoever gives himself up to Christ, must expect to find, that " his greatest foes will be those of his own household."]
Granting, then, that this case does exist, let us consider,
II. The light in which it should be viewed —
To the eye of sense it has a very terrific aspect : but to the eye of faith it is by no means formidable : on the contrary, the believer views his persecutions,
L As a badge of honour —
[He looks back on all the prophets ; he looks at Christ and his Apostles ; and sees that they all trod the same thorny path before him, and " were made perfect through sufferings." Hence he views persecution as " the reproach of Christ'^ ;" and, in submitting to it, considers himself as " a partaker of Christ's sufferings'." Whilst others consider him as degraded by the contempt cast upon him, he regards himself rather as exalted by it: he views it as " turning unto him for a testimony™,"
f Gal. iv. 29. e Luke vi. 22. h 2 Tim. iii. 12.
i Matt. X. 34—36. Luke xii. 5L 53. ^ fjeb. xi. 25, 26.
1 1 Pet. iv. L3. ^- Luke xxi. 12, 13.