CHAP. XX. AND PERSECUTIONS. Sanballat, &c. conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder the work: nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. -Neh. iv. 7, 8. Sanballat sent often to Nehemiah, to come unto him, but he refused: because he knew they thought to do him some mischief.-Neh. vi. 2-4. Esther and Mordecai did many things to procure the Jews' escape. -Esth. viii; ix; Prov. xxiv. 11. Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that be of heavy hearts.-Prov. xxxi. 6. Jeremiah intreated the king that he might not return to the prison, lest he should die there.-Jer. xxxvii. 18. 20; xxxviii. 7, &c. Daniel applied himself to the captain of the king's guard, and to the king himself, for himself and friends. -Dan. ii. 13-16. When Herod sought Christ, to kill him, the angel said unto Joseph, &c. Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there, &c. for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.Matt. ii. 13-15. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves, &c. And when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another.-Matt. x. 16. 23. The Pharisees, &c. held a council against him, how they might destroy him but when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence, &c. he charged the multitude not to make him known. - Matt. xii. 14-16; Mark iii. 6, 7. When Jesus heard that John was beheaded, he departed thence by a ship into a desert place apart.-Matt. xiv. 12, 13. Though Christ was free, and ought not to be charged with tribute money; yet he said to Peter, Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go, &c. take and give unto them for thee and When Christ had raised the ruler's Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.-John vii. 1. They took up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out, &c. and so passed by.-John viii. 59. more From that day forth they took counsel together to put him to death: Jesus therefore walked no openly among the Jews; but went thence into a country near the wilderness.-John xi. 53, 54. The doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews.-John xx. 19. When Saul persecuted the church at Jerusalem, the brethren were scattered abroad.-Acts viii. 1. 3, 4; xi. 19. The Jews took counsel to kill Paul; but their laying await was known unto Saul, and they watched the gates day and night to kill him: then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket, &c. The Grecians went about to slay him; which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cæsarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.-Acts ix. 23-25. 29, 30; xix. 30, 31; xvii. 10. 14, 15; 2 Cor. xi. 32, 33. Paul and Barnabas being at Iconium, the Jews and Gentiles made an assault to use them despitefully, and to stone them: they were aware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, &c.-Acts xiv. 1. 5, 6. When the magistrates sent to let the apostles go, Paul said, Let them come themselves, &c.-Acts xvi. 36, 37. When Paul was in danger, the brethren often sent him and others away from the place.-Acts xvii. 5. 10. 13; xix. 30, 31. The captain commanded that Paul should be examined by scourging, &c. Paul said, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? which prevented his being scourged.-Acts xxii. 24-26. 29; xvi. 37, 38. Paul said to Ananias, Sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? &c. But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; of the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am called in question, (whereupon the council divided, and broke up.) When Paul understood that there was a conspiracy to kill him, he gave notice thereof to the chief captain, who conveyed him away from them. Acts xxiii. 3. 6—9. 14, &c. Paul pleaded in his defence before Felix; and afterward appealed unto Cæsar. Acts xxiv. 10, &c.; xxv. 8, 9; xxvi. 1, &c. -- Paul persuaded those in the ship to eat meat, when they were in danger, saying, This is for your health, &c.— Acts xxvii. 33-35. I beseech you, brethren, &c. that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea.-Rom. xv. 30, 31. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil, &c. of whom be thou aware also, for he hath greatly withstood our words.-2 Tim. iv. 14, 15. Some, of whom the world was not worthy, wandered in deserts, and in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.-Heb. xi. 38. V. To look to the cause of our Sufferings, that it be for well doing, for the sake of Christ, and a good Conscience: and not as Busybodies or Evildoers. They also that render me evil for good, are mine adversaries: because I follow the thing that is good.-Ps. xxxviii. 20; xxxv. 20; cix. 4, 5. Do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image? &c. but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.— Dan. iii. 14, 15. 18. Daniel cast into the lions' den for praying to God contrary to the king's decree.-Dan. vi. 7, &c. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time.-Amos v. 13; Ps. xxxix. 1. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, &c. falsely for my sake, &c. for righteousness' sake.-Matt. v. 10, 11. When they charged the apostles not to teach in Christ's name, they said, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye; for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.-Acts iv. 17—20. The high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly command. you that ye should not teach in this name? &c. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.-Acts v. 27-29. But in all things approving ourselves, &c. as deceivers, and yet true. 2 Cor. vi. 4. 8. If I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.—Gal. v. 11; vi. 12. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, &c. So is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, &c. This is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.-1 Pet. ii. 12. 15. 19. If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid, &c. It is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.-1 Pet. iii. 14. 17. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, &c. but let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters: yet if any suffer as a Christian, let him | be shewed from his friend.-Job vi. not be ashamed.-1 Pet. iv. 14-16; 14. Amos v. 13. THIRDLY. The Duties of others: and how we ought to behave toward such as are Afflicted and Persecuted. To sympathize with them, visit, help, comfort, and pray for them: take Job said to his friends, Ye are forgers of lies; ye are all physicians of no value: O that ye would altogether hold your peace, and it should be your wisdom, &c. will ye speak wickedly for God? &c.-Job xiii. 4, 5. 7; xii. 1-4. Job answered and said, I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are ye all, (or troublesome comforters are ye all!) shall vain words have an end? &c. I also could speak as ye do, if your souls were in my soul's stead; I could heap up. words against you, and shake mine head at you: but I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief. heed we add not to their Trouble. THE heart knoweth his own bitterness, and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.-Prov. xiv. 10. When Abraham heard that his brother Lot was taken captive, he armed (or led forth) his trained (or instructed) servants, &c. and pursued those who took Lot: and he smote them, &c. and he brought back all the-Job xvi. 1-5. goods; and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.-Gen. xiv. 14-16. When David fled from Saul into a wood, Jonathan went to him, and strengthened his hand in God.-1 Sam. xxiii. 15—17. When Nehemiah had heard that the Jews were in great affliction and reproach, (though he were then a servant to the king:) he sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, &c.-Neh. i. 2, &c.; Jer. ix. 1. Thou shalt not vex a stranger, nor oppress him, &c. Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.Exod. xxii. 1. 22. How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? these ten times have ye reproached me: ye are, &c. He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me: my kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me: they that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger; I am an alien in their sight, &c. have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.Job xix. 2, 3. 13—15. 21; Ps. lxix. 8. 20. How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood, (or transgression ?)— Job xxi. 34. When Job's three friends heard of all the evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place, &c. for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him, and to comfort him. They-Job xxx. 11. 25. wept.-Job ii. 11—13. Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me: they have also let loose the bridle before me, &c. Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor? Thou hast strengthened the weak hands; thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.-Job iv. 3, 4. To him that is afflicted, pity should Blessed is he that considereth the poor, (or sick,) &c. the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing, &c.-Ps. xli. 1—3. God is said to be afflicted in the afflictions of his people.-Isa. lxiii. 9. Jeremiah bemoans Judah's sad case at large, and discovers the tender | made) of the church unto God for compassion he had for them.-Lam. him.-Acts xii. 5. 12. i; ii. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, Mine eye runneth down with rivers and weep with them that weep: be of water, for the destruction of the of the same mind one toward another. daughter of my people; mine eye-Rom. xii. 15, 16. trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission.-Lam. iii. 48, 49. Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, &c. Ye that put far away the evil day, &c. that lie upon beds of ivory, &c. but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.-Amos vi. 1. 3-7. I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.-Zech. i. 15; Obad. 11-14. When Jesus saw the multitude, he had compassion on them, because they fainted, (or were tired and laid down,) &c.-Matt. ix. 36. I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me; I was sick, and ye visited me, &c. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.Matt. xxv. 35–37. 40. When Jesus had put forth the parable of a man fallen among thieves, and wounded, and the priest and Levite passing by, and looking on him; and had mentioned that the Samaritan had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, and took care of him; he said, Go, and do thou likewise.Luke x. 30-37. Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.-Luke xxii. 31, 32. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing or earnest and instant prayer was The members should have the same care one for another: and whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it: or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it: now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.— 1 Cor. xii. 25-27. Blessed be God, &c. who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.-2 Cor. i. 3, 4. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.-Gal. vi. 2. Be kind one to another, tenderhearted.-Eph. iv. 32. Ye have done well that ye did communicate with mine affliction, &c. Ye sent once and again unto my necessity.—Phil. iv. 14-16; Isa. lviii. 10. Put on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and beloved) bowels of mercies.-Col. iii. 12. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, &c. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus, for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me: the Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.--2 Tim. i. 8. 16--18. At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.-2 Tim. iv. 16. Ye endured a great fight of afflictions: partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock, both by reproaches 19, 20. and afflictions: and partly, whilst ye | up by the roots out of my land, which became companions of them that were I have given them, &c.-2 Chron. vii. so used; for ye had compassion on me in my bonds, &c.-Heb. x.32-34. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them and them that suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.-Heb. xiii. 2, 3. Pure religion, &c. is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction.-James i. 27. GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, &c. And the Lord said, I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, &c. And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh, &c. Accordingly he brings the flood.-Gen. vi. 5. 7. 17; vii. 4; Job xxxvii. 11-13. The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven: and he overthrew those cities.-Gen. xix. 24, 25. God said, I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall not let the people go.-Exod. iv. 21; xiv. 4; Josh. xi. 20. See now that I am he, and there is no God with me: I kill, and I make alive I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. Deut. xxxii. 39. God's anger was hot against Israel, therefore he left their enemies amongst them.-Judges ii. 20-23. If ye turn away and forsake my statutes, &c. then will I pluck them The Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, &c. and they came up into Judah, and brake into it, &c. 2 Chron. xxi. 16, 17; 2 Kings xxiv. 2, 3. They mocked the messengers of God, &c. till the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy: therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men, &c.-2 Chron. xxxvi. 15-17. Affliction cometh not forth of the dust, &c. he maketh sore and bindeth up.-Job v. 16. 18; ix. 12. He turned their heart to hate his people, and to deal subtilly with his servants.-Ps. cv. 25. He gave them into the hand of the heathen: and they that hated them ruled over them.-Ps. cvi. 41, 42; xliv. 10-14; lx. 10; Lam. ii. 17. O Assyrian, &c. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, &c. to tread them down, &c.-Isa. x. 5, 6. Behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth.-Isa. xxvi. 21. Ye scornful men, &c. when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be overthrown by it, &c. I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption determined upon the whole earth.-Isa. xxviii. 14, 15. 18. 22. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord; he against whom we have sinned?-Isa. xlii. 24; Ezek. xxxix. 23, 24; Job xii. 23. I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.-Isa. xlv. 7. I was wroth with my people: I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand, &c. therefore shall evil come upon thee, &c. thou shalt not be able to put it off, &c.-Isa. xlvii. 6.11; Jer. xlvi. 15. |