The Revival of Grace, Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 9
CAP. V. Sect. 9. Patience in Sufferings Improved, on Chriſt's Dying a Teſtator.
A Ninth Grace well ſuiting with the Lords Supper, and Improvable on conſideration of Chriſt Dying a Teſtator, is ſtrong and ſettled reſolution with patience to undergo for him all hardſhips and ſufferings which the Lord ſhall permit to come upon us. A praemeditated ſurvey of all the ſufferings for the Lord Chriſt and his Goſpel, with adviſed purpoſes not to ſhrink from them, is required of every Chriſtian, and doth very well fit the thoughts of a Sacrament in which the Chriſtian communicateth with a Lord who was in his whole life a Man of ſorrows, and accquainted with griefs, for our ſake. We celebrate the memorial of his ſufferings we ſhould confirm our reſolutions not to ſhrink away from Chriſt for fear of ſufferings. The antient Chriſtians under perſecutions, were wont to fortify their purpoſes and reſolutions of adhering to their Crucified Lord in midſt of all perſecutions; in order hereunto they were wont to Celebrate the Lord's Supper often, thereby as often renewing their courage and reſolution to dye (if need be) for him. And the ordinary name of this ordinance, viz. Sacrament, implieth ſo much: For it was the old Latine word expreſſing the Romane Souldiers obligation to obey his Generall; Sacramentum Patres Latini, à militari jurejurando (uti opinamur) ad eam partem noſtrae Religionis ſignificandam, &c. Theſ. Salmur. de Sacrament. in gen. diſp. ſect. 2.Now common ſenſe telleth us, that who comes and liſteth himſelf a Souldier under a Captain or Generall, either knoweth not what he doth, or elſe bringeth Reſolutions to undergo all the hardſhips of the war he entreth on. I tell thee Chriſtian, thou knoweſt not fully what thou art doing at a Sacrament, if thou doeſt not there add ſtrength to thy reſolutions of Enduring hardſhip, as a good Souldier of Jeſus Chriſt. If thou doſt only confirm thy Hope of, and thy waiting for the coming of thy Lord, and ſheweſt this by ſhewing forth his Death untill he cometh, yet I muſt tell thee, ſince thou profeſſeſt hope of, and waiteſt for the coming of thy Lord, it well becometh this hope, this faith, to have attendant the Reſolution of Enduring all for Chriſt's ſake. There are theſe Motives in it;
1. Firſt in thy Dear Friends Will thou ſeeſt his Love to thee, and it is but endebted ingenuity to be ready for, and patient in ſufferings for one who ſincerely Loved us: As the Love of our Friend to us increaſeth, ſo ſhould our readineſs to ſuffer for our Friend. Chriſt did thus commend his Love above the love of all other friends, That he died for us, Rom. 5.8. And this Love conſtraineth us, 2 Cor. 5.14. It doth by a ſweet and invincible power draw us into this concluſion; That we ſhould live no longer to our ſelves, but to him who died for us, ver. 15. We ought not only to bear ſome, but all; not little only, but great; not common, but extraordinary dangers, diſtreſſes and afflictions for his ſake. He is by a ſacred right Lord of our life, and when he biddeth us venture it in hazards, or lay it down in unavoidable death for him, we muſt do it: His love ought thus to conſtrain us. The ſacred ſtory tells us, that Jacob ſerved ſeven years for Rachel, Gen. 29.18. During which ſervice he underwent Loſſes, Gen. 31.39. was conſumed with drought in the day, and with froſt in the Night: thus he ſerved him fourteen years for his daughters; to the younger of which, he had ſuch love, that ſeven years of hardſhip ſeemed to him but a few dayes, foreign for the love he had to her, Gen. 29.29. Either thy own Reaſon condemneth thy want of love to Chriſt who deſerveth it, inſomuch as he hath given thee rich Legacies by his Will, or thy Love will command thee reſolvedly and patiently to ſuffer for him: Either thou muſt not pretend any intereſs in Chriſt's Gifts, or thou muſt intend to Love him for them, and reſolve to ſuffer for him thou Loveſt. In thy going to the Sacrament, view the kindneſs of thy Saviour in his Laſt Will and Teſtament, and judge with thy ſelf what ſufferings for him thou couldſt reaſonably refuſe. He Loved not himſelf or life too well when it concerned thy life and Soul. He died for thee, and canſt thou do leſs than venture life or eſtate for him? whileſt thou readeſt his love in his Legacies, raiſe thy reſolutions to face, ſtand out, and bear dangers, loſſes, reproaches, or Death for him. His love to thee deſerveth it; for no man hath, Joh. 15.13.or can have greater than that Chriſt had for thee, and the reſt of his friends.
2. Thy Teſtator hath provided by his laſt Will and Teſtament, that all thy ſufferings ſhould be recompenced to thee with a reward that ſurpaſſes all thy ſufferings, If thou and I weigh the Sufferings for Chriſt, and our Gain by Chriſt, this will exceedingly outweigh thoſe. The leaſt degree of reward weighed with the heavieſt burthen of ſufferings, will praeponderate and outweigh them; foreign.for heavieſt burthens of afflictions are but light, 2 Cor. 4.17. But the glory they work for us is an exceeding and eternal weight of Glory.
And beſides all that which ſhall hereafter be the recompence of ſufferers for Chriſt, they are, 1. Firſt honoured by God in that they are called to ſuffer for his Son. God puts an honour on ſuch who are called to ſuffer reproach for Chriſt, Acts. 5.41. & 1 Pet. 4.14.2. It is a gift which God doth not beſtow on every one: however men judge of it, the Apoſtle tells us, it is Given, Phil. 1.29. And well might the Apoſtle ſo account it; for, 3. It fitteth us for the Kingdom of Heaven; our ſufferings do not fit us with a fitneſs of worth, or of merit; but with a fitneſs of preparedneſs and of meetneſs, 2 Theſ. 1.5. with Col. 1.11, 12. 4. It is very acceptable to God, 1. Pet. 2.19, 20. &. 21. foreignIt is foreign, it ingratiateth with God. 5. It is a Scripture evidence of Grace and future Glory, Phil. 1.29. & Rom. 8.17. whoſo ſuffer for Chriſt, ſhall in like manner be glorified with Chriſt. 6. And laſtly, it is a condition ordinarily priviledged with great conſolations in the inward man, and with an high degree of Heroick grace in the heart, expreſſed by the ſpirit of Glory and of God reſting on the ſufferer, 1 Pet. 4.13, 14. Though many other compenſations of our ſufferings might be mentioned as preponderating, and outweighing our Sufferings; yet becauſe no one of theſe mentioned can be reaſonably doubted or denied to be more than ſufficient preſent reward for our Sufferings, I judge it reaſon to add no more. Think then as the Love of thy Saviour and Friend ſhould make thee reſolute in Suffering; ſo the preſent advantage and reward will warrant thee to deſire opportunity of Suffering for him, if he ſhall ſee good ſo to try thee. Read then the promiſes made to ſufferers for Chriſt, the Elogies given to them, the fruits of ſuch ſufferings, and then debate the caſe with thy ſelf going to the Sacrament, or receiving it. There are preſent benefits annexed to ſufferings for that Lord whoſe Death I celebrate; theſe benefits are made over to ſuch as I am by his laſt Will; what then ſhould make me unwilling, unreſolved, or afraid to ſuffer for him? each particular bleſſing bequeathed, ſurpaſſeth all the ſufferings I need expect, or fear. Seal therefore Lord thy bleſſings to me in the Sacrament, and help me to ſeal thy cauſe and truth (if need be) with my blood!
3. A third inducement to Reſolution in ſuffering for Chriſt our Lord Dying a Teſtator deducible from his Laſt Will, is, That the greater theſe ſufferings are, the greater the compenſation ſhall be. Our Lord Dying hath ſo diſpoſed his rich gifts that he ſhall have greateſt ſhare in them who is greateſt ſufferer for him: By a Chriſtianlike bearing the Afflictions of the Lord, and the Goſpel, thou mayeſt increaſe the Crown of Glory which Chriſt hath promiſed thee; if ſo be we ſuffer with him that we may alſo be glorified with him, Rom. 8.17. God allowes us to intend and aime at obtaining Glory with Chriſt as the end why we ſuffer with him, foreign.and for him. It is a very full expreſſion of this which we meet with 2 Cor. 4.17. This Momentany and light affliction worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory. Note the words, Affliction worketh for us, it effecteth, perfectly worketh, or as it is rendered, Phil. 2.12. Worketh out, or in a good ſenſe cauſeth, as the word is rendred, 2 Cor. 9.11. The Temptation of afflictions doth as well increaſe the future Glory, as the preſent grace of the Saints, James 1.2. And they are bleſſed who endure ſuch Temptations, James 1.12. For when they are tryed, they ſhall receive the Crown of life. Gold and ſilver are purified, and get a greater meaſure of perfection by the refining fire
The Glorified Saints ſhine with greateſt luſtre who came out of the fires of perſecution. Thoſe that were clothed with white robes, and had Palms in their hands, and ſtood before the throne, Revel. 7.9. Were the perſons who came out of great tribulation, ver. 14. Therefore are they before the Throne, ver. 15. In a word, Chriſt hath prepared Thrones, on which they who did continue with him in his Temptations do ſit, and whereon they ſhall ſit hereafter judging the tribes of Iſrael; to theſe ſufferers he hath diſpoſed the Kingdome, Luke 22.28.29. No man ſhall ever be loſer by ſuffering for Chriſt. Mark well the anſwer given to Peter's Queſtion, Matth. 19.27, 28. & 29. We have forſaken all, &c. What ſhall we have therefore? Ye (ſaith Chriſt) ſhall ſit upon Thrones, ye ſhall receive an Hundred fold, ver. 29. Judge therefore with thy ſelf whether the renewed Remembrance of ſuch a Will and Teſtament, in which the Teſtator gives moſt to him that doth ſuffer moſt for him, be not a very fit means to perſwade thee to, and confirm thee in reſolutions of patient ſuffering for Chriſt? In a Sacrament thou doſt, or mighteſt ſee ſuch encouragements to ſufferings ſealed to thee, and wilt thou not endure? wilt thou not bear and ſuffer for ſuch Hopes? are our ſufferings not worthy to be compared with that Glory which ſhall be revealed? Rom. 8.18. And is it not too much weakneſs which dares not ſuffer? will you thus render your ſelves unworthy to expect ſuch Glory?
4. And Laſtly Chriſt Dying a Teſtator liveth and beholdeth what thou ſuffereſt, and with what frame of mind thou doſt endure thy ſufferings. And this thou doeſt tacitely confeſs in the uſe of the Sacrament; for under what Notion ſoever thou doſt remember thy Lord in the Sacrament as it is complex of thy Lord his Death, ſo of his future coming likewiſe. Thou declareſt that though he died once, yet Death hath not Dominion over him, for he liveth, and knoweth what is deſigned againſt him by his enemies, what is laid upon his Friends and followers for his ſake. He will be Judge of thy ſufferings, and of thy reward alſo, Revel. 2.2. He that walketh in the midſt of the Golden Candleſticks, knoweth the patience as well as the Labour of the Church. Now who knows the patience, muſt needs know the ſufferings which exerciſe the patience of the Church. He knoweth the tribulation of the Church, Revel. 2.9. Chriſt is the great overſeer and Judge of the combates which his Church maintaineth with his enemies who afflict, and trouble the Church for Chriſt's ſake. He aſſigneth the reward and Crown to every one that overcometh, Revel. 2.7, 17, 23, & 26. with other places. Well then, ſo often as thou goeſt to the Sacrament, thou reneweſt the memory of thy Lord, whoſe Love deſerveth thou ſhouldeſt patiently bear; whoſe reward when leaſt, will ſurpaſs thy ſufferings when they are greateſt; who will meaſure out to thee a reward proportioned to thy ſufferings; who lives to ſee and obſerve all thou ſuffereſt: thy Captain Generals Eye is upon thee, and will not this perſwade to reſolutions of bearing, and conſtant patience in bearing for Chriſt? theſe among other inducements to a Chriſtian fortitude in ſuffering for Chriſt, may be drawn from the conſideration of his Dying a Teſtator, and a larger improvement of them I commend to your private meditations. I proceed to what remaineth.