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but their fancy, and for the wilful and affected error of a mistaken confcience: as when men fuffer for indifferent things, which in heat and paffion they call fuperftition and idolatry; and for their own falfe opinions in religion, which they mistake for fundamental articles of the Chriftian faith. In this cafe, their mistake about these things will not change the nature of them, nor turn their fufferings into martyr. dom; and yet many men have certainly fuffered for their own mistakes: for as men may be fo far deluded, as to think they do God good fervice, when they kill his faithful fervants; fo likewife may they be fo far deceived, as to facrifice their lives, and all that is dear to them, to their own culpable errors and mistakes. But this is zeal without knowledge; not the wisdom which defcends from above, but that which comes from beneath, and is like the fire of hell, which is heat without light.

3dly, and laftly, Nor can men truly be faid to fuffer for the cause of God and religion, when they suffer for the open profeffion and defence of truths not neceffary. For though a man be obliged to make an open profeffion of all fundamental and neceffary truths, yet he is under no fuch obligation to make profeffion of truths not neceffary at all times; and unless he be called to deny them, he is not bound ei ther to declare or defend them: he may hold his peace at other times, and be filent about them, especially when the open profeffion of them will probably do no good to others, and will certainly do hurt to ourfelves, and the zealous endeavour to propagate fuch truths will be to the greater prejudice of charity, and the disturbance of the public peace of the church.

It was a good faying of Erafmus, (if we underIftand it as I believe he meant it, of truths not neceffary), Adeo invifa funt mihi difcordia, ut veritas etiam contentiofa difpliceat: "I am (fays he) fo per"fect a hater of difcord, that I am even displeased

with truth, when it is the occafion of contention.' As a man is never to deny truth, fo neither is he obliged to make an open profeffion of truths not neceffary

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at all times; and if he fuffer upon that account, he cannot justify it to his own prudence, nor have comfort in fuch fufferings; because he brings them needlefsly upon himself; and no man can have comfort, but in fuffering for doing his duty.

And thus I have done with the first thing I propofed to inquire into, namely, When men may be truly faid to fuffer for the caufe of religion.

I proceed now to the

2. Second inquiry, namely, How far men may reJy upon the providence of God, to bear them out in fuch fufferings?

To which I answer, That provided we do what becomes us, and is our duty on our part, the providence of God will not be wanting on his part, to bear us out in all our fufferings for his caufe, one of these three ways:

ft, To fecure us from that violent degree of temptation and fuffering, which would be too ftrong for human ftrength and patience; or,

2dly, In cafe of fuch extraordinary temptation and trial, to give us the extraordinary fupports and comforts of his Holy Spirit; or else,

3dly, In cafe of a temporary fall and mifcarriage, to raife us up by repentance, and a greater refolution and conftancy under fufferings. I fhall fpeak feverally to thefe.

1ft, Either the providence of God will not be want. ing to fecure us from that violent degree of temptation and fuffering, which would be too ftrong for human ftrength and patience to bear. And this is a great fecurity to good men against the fears of a final mifcarriage, after all their labours, and pains, and fufferings in a religious course, by being overborn at laft by the affault of a very violent and powerful temptation. Not but that the beft of men ought always to have a prudent diftruft of themfelves, fo as to keep them from fecurity; according to the Apoftle's caution and counfel: Be not high-minded, but fear; and let him that stands, take heed left he fall; becaufe till we come to heaven, we fhall never be out of the danger and poffibility of falling; but yet for VOL. V. Q

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all this, we may hope, by the fincerity and firmness of our refolution, under the ufual influence of God's grace, to acquit ourselves like men, in ordinary cafes of temptation and fuffering.

And to this end we should represent to ourselves thofe exceeding great and precious promifes, which he hath made to good men, and his merciful providence, which continually watcheth over them, and steers their course for them in this world, among those many rocks, which they are in danger to fplit upon; that he is able to ftablish us in the truth, and to keep us from falling, to prefent us faultless before the prefence of his glory with exceeding joy, and to preferve us to his heavenly kingdom; and that if we do not forfake him, and forfeit his care and protection, he will keep us by his mighty power through faith unto falvation; either by his merciful forefight and prevention of thofe temptations, which would probably be too hard for us; or, if he thinks fit they fhould befal us, by supporting us under them in an extraordinary

manner.

For I doubt not, but that the best men do owe their fecurity and perfeverance in goodness, much more to the merciful providence of God preventing the affaults of violent and dangerous temptations, than to the firmness and conftancy of their own refolutions: for there are very few perfons of fo firm and refolute virtue, but that one time or other a temptation might affault them upon fuch a disadvantage, as would in all probability not only ftagger them, but bear. them down. Now herein the providence of God towards good men is very remarkable, in fecuring them from thofe temptations which are too ftrong for them to grapple withal; like a kind and tender father, who, if he be fatisfied of the dutiful difpofition of his child towards him, will not try his obedience to the utmoft, nor permit too ftrong a temptation to the contrary to come in his So the Pfalmift reprefents God's tender regard and confideration of the frailty and infirmity of his children, Pfalm ciii. 13. 14. Like as a father pitieth his children, fo the Lord pitieth them that fear him: For he knoweth our frame,

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be remembereth that we are but duft; that is, he confi dereth us as men, and deals with us accordingly. Provided we be fincere, he will not fuffer us to be fet upon by temptations that are too big for us. And therefore our bleffed Saviour makes it one of the petitions of that excellent prayer which he hath recom mended to us, Lead us not into temptation; that is, we should every day beg of God, that his providence would keep us out of the way of great and dangerous temptations, as knowing that this will be a greater fecurity to us, than any ftrength and refolution of

our own.

2dly, Or in cafe of fuch violent and extraordinary temptations, the providence of God will not be want ing to give us the extraordinary fupport and comfort of his Holy Spirit, to bear us up under them. The providence of God did take care of good men in all ages, and did afford comfort to them under great trials and fufferings; but God never made fo express, and general a promise of this, to all good men, as he hath done by the Christian religion. Never was fo conftant a prefence and influence of the divine Spirit vouchfafed and affured to men under any difpenfation. as that of the gofpel; wherein the Spirit of God is promised to all that fincerely embrace the Chriftian religion, to refide and dwell in them; not only to all the purposes of fanctification and holinefs, but of fupport and comfort under the heaviest preffures and fufferings. For which reafon the gofpel is called the miniftration of the Spirit; and is upon this account faid to be more glorious than any other revelation which God had ever made to mankind.

We are naturally apt to be very much disheartened and caft down at the apprehenfion of great fufferings, from the confideration of our own weakness and frailty. But the Spirit of Chrift dwells in all true Christians, and the fame glorious power which raised up Jefus from the dead, works mightily in them that believe. St Paul ufeth very high expreffions about this matter, Eph. i. 19. That ye may know (faith he, fpeaking to all Chriftians) what is the exceeding great

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ness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power; which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and fet him at his own right hand. So that every Chriftian is endued with a kind of omnipotence, being able (as St Paul fpeaks of himself) to do and to endure all things through Chrift ftrengthening him. Of ourselves we are very weak, and the temptations and terrors of the world are very powerful; but there is a principle refiding in every true Chriftian that is able to bear us up against the world, and the power of all its temptations: Whatfoever is born of God (faith St John) overcometh the world; for greater is be that is in you, than he that is in the world. The Holy Spirit of God, which dwells in all true Christians, is a more powerful principle of refolution, and courage, and patience, under the harpeft trials and fufferings, than the evil spirit which rules in the world is, to stir up, and fet on the malice and rage of the world against us: Ye are of God, little children, (he fpeaks this to the youngest and weakest Christians); Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome, becaufe greater is be that is in you, than he that is in the world. The malice and power of the devil is very great; but the goodness and power of God is greater. And therefore in cafe of extraordinary temptation, good men, by virtue of this promife of God's Holy Spirit, may expect to be borne up and comforted in a very extraordinary and fupernatural manner, under the greateft tribulations and fufferings for righteousness fake.

And this was in a very fignal and remarkable manner afforded to the primitive Chriftians, under those fierce and cruel perfecutions to which they were expofed. And this may ftill be expected, in like cafes of extraordinary fufferings for the teftimony of God's truth: If ye be reproached (faith St Peter in this 4th. chap. ver. 14.) for the name of Chrift, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God refteth upon you. The Spirit of God is here promised to strengthen and fupport all that fuffer for the name of Christ, in a very confpicuous and glorious manner, accor

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