Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Treatise · Chapter 5 · Section 17
Means to ſuffer perſecution.
1 Get aſſurance of pardon; Guilt makes a man cowardly. What made Paul ſo to triumph? Rom. 8.35. Why he had aſſurance of pardon, v. 38, 39. I am perſwaded neither life nor death ſhall ſeparate me from the love of God.
2 Pray and endeavour for a patient frame of heart. When great troubles and an impatient heart meet, how hardly are troubles born? when Chriſt had told them they muſt be betrayed by brethren, and friends, and be hated of all, he bids them poſſeſs their ſouls in patience, Luke 21.17, 18, 19. ſtrengthened unto all patience, Col. 1.11. that is to patience in all things. Hence be contented to be emptied from veſſel to veſſel; you know how to live with your eſtates, but learn how to live without them, Phil. 4.12, 13.
3 Look that the cauſe you ſuffer for be good, 1 Pet. 4.16. If any man ſuffer as a Chriſtian let him not be aſhamed.
4 Strive not to meddle with much of other mens eſtates, no more then for meer neceſſity, ſo that if we loſe for Chriſt we our ſelves alone may be loſers; for ſuch debts in perſecuting times will be apt to contract diſquiet.
5 Go in Gods ſtrength. Peter going in his own ſtrength came to deny Chriſt, Mark 14.29, 30, 31. how came Paul to ſtand when others ſh…unk? God ſtood with him and ſtrengthned him, 2 Tim. 4.17.
6 Get clearneſs of light. When a man comes to ſuffer he will not go a jot beyond that he hath cleer light for, H…b. 10.34. after they were illuminated they endured a great ſight of affliction. Though the heart be upright and cauſe good, yet the perſon ſuffers fearfully for want of ….
7 Look upon God in his greatneſs, and ſo ſhall you not fear men how great ſoever, Pſal 27.1. The Lord is my light and ſalvation, whom ſhall I fear? Mat. 10.28 F…r him that is able to caſt ſoul and body in to hell fi…e. … 51.12.13 Wheart thou that art afraid of a man th… ſhall are, and … the Lord thy maker? Heb. 11.27. Moſes indured, and was not affraid of the wrath of the king, for he looked upon him that was inviſible.
8 Beware of the threats and flatteries of perſecutors. Be not ſcared with their threats, Dan. 3.16. when they threaten fiery furnaces, Lions dens, nor yet allured with their flatteries, Dan. 11.32.
9 Be content to live in a low condition. Many will comply to any thing becauſe their ſpirits are ſo great they muſt live in ſuch an height: low conditions are croſſes that muſt be taken up as well as other croſſes, Luke 14.26, 27.
10 Either you muſt ſuffer with men for confeſſing truth, or with God for denying it: If it be the will of God its better that you ſuffer for well doing then for evill doing, 1 Pet. 3.17.
11 Get a holy reſolution to chooſe perſecution or any other affliction rather then to ſin againſt thy conſcience, Job 36.21. Take heed, regard not iniquity, for this haſt thou choſen rather then affliction.
12 When thou chooſeſt perſecution, rather then to ſin againſt God the kingdome of heaven is thine, as in the text. Mens minds are apt to be broken and caſt down in perſecutions, hence Chriſt promiſes a kingdome, Matth. 19.29. Hence let us not under perſecution bewail our condition, as if it were moſt miſerable, ſeeing this kingdom will be yours.
V. 11. Bleſſed are ye when men ſhall revile you, and perſecute you, and ſhall ſay all manner of evill againſt you falſely for my ſake.
V. 12. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for ſo perſecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Here are 4 things conſiderable; 1 The ſufferings, revilings, ſet down by two aggravations, 1 Saying all manner of evil againſt you. 2 Saying it falſely.
2 The cauſe, for Chriſt his ſake.
3 The affections Chriſtians muſt have under theſe ſufferings, viz. they muſt rejoyce and be exceeding glad.
4 The grounds of this affection of joy, which are two,
1 The greatneſs of the reward in heaven.
2 Their conformity herein, to the Prophets and other holy ſervants of God.
1 The ſufferings, which are revilings.
Obſ. The people of God in this preſent life are expoſed to the worſt and moſt falſe revilings for Chriſts ſake, Luke 6.22. They ſhall reproach you, and caſt out your name as evil, for the ſon of mans ſake.
Reaſ. 1 From that enmity that is betwixt the ſeed of the woman and the ſeed of the Serpent, Gen. 3.15.
2 Becauſe the Saints do not ſuite themſelves to the manners and cuſtomes of the world, but by a contrary courſe condemn the wicked manners of the world; hence the world, to juſtifie themſelves and to condemn Gods people, they load them with reproaches, John 15.19 If ye were of the world the world would love its own, but becauſe ye are not of the world, but I have choſen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
3 Becauſe wicked men have a principle of hatred againſt Chriſtians, Matth. 10.22. Ye ſhall be hated of all men for my names ſake, Prov. 26.28. A lying tongue hateth thoſe that are afflicted by it.
Uſe. Be not diſcouraged under revilings, ſeeing it is for the cauſe of Chriſt, Heb. 13.13. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. That is, be not aſhamed if you be reproachfully caſt out of cities, ſeeing ye are reproached for Chriſt. He calls cities by the name of camp or tent becauſe many cities begun from tents, and the caſtles in them are called Caſtra or Tents.
1 If thoſe that take up reproaches againſt holy men ſhall not reſt in heaven, Pſal. 15.3. What ſhall become of them that raiſe them. Such were there in Ter…ullians time, Apol. cap. 7. we are called moſt wicked from the Sacrament of infant killing and the eating of them, and the inceſt we commit after the banquet, that dogs throw down the lights, to wit that they may procure a meeting of knaves and whores together, by the immodeſty of darkneſs and luſts, to whom Tertullian ſaith, finde it out if ye believe it, or do not believe that which you have not found out—who ever heard any ſuch infant crying? who ever unlockt the cruel mouths of theſe Cyclops and Syrens to the Judg? who hath found out ſome unclean foot-ſteps in his Wife? who when he had found out ſuch wickedneſs hath concealed them? Minucius Faelix in his Octavius, The Heathens thought that Chriſtians did devour Infants, make inceſtuous Banquets, that they worſhipped an Aſſes head, p. 118, for ye killed the Juſt One, and before him his Prophets, and now them that place their hope in him, and ye deſpiſe the Creatour of all things that ſent him, curſing them in your Synagogues that believe on him, for ye have no power to kill them becauſe of them who at preſent govern. Juſtin Martyr againſt Triph. p. 181. After ye had killed that Juſt One, by whoſe ſtripes was healing to them that go to him by the Father, when ye knew he was riſen from the dead and aſcended into Heaven, you were ſo far from repenting of your evils, that you ſent choice men from Jeruſalem into all the earth, ſaying, The Hereſie of the Chriſtians was to acknowledg no God, ſcattering thoſe words againſt us, which all that know us not boaſt of, therefore ye are not onelyonly the cauſe of iniquity to your ſelves, but alſo altogether to other mortals. Juſtin…bid.
2 Revilers do but after their kinde. They are called Devils, 1 Tim, 3.6, 2 Tim, 3.3, alſo Dogs, Pſalm 59.6, now we wonder not at Dogs ſnarling.
3 Look upon Revile… as a juſt puniſhment from God, though unjuſt from … 2 Sam, 16.10, The Lord hath bid Shi… to …ſe David.
1 God inflicts them, becauſe we do not that good to men we ſhould do.
2 Becauſe we make little conſcience of ſinning againſt God in ſecret.
3 Becauſe we have ſo little care of the honour of God, 1 Sam, 2.30, hence God hath no care of our name.
4 Becauſe we have ſo little care to preſerve the good names of others, Matth, 7.2,
4 Such Revilements as are caſt upon thee were caſt upon Chriſt, and upon the godly. For Chriſt he was called a Drunkard, a Glutton, Matth, 11.19, ſaid to caſt out Devils by Beelzebub, Matth, 12.24, accuſed as a Blaſphemer, Matth, 26.65, lookt upon as a Mad-man by his Friend, Mark 3.21, railed upon, Mark 15.29, called a Perverter of the Nations, forbidding to give Tribute to Caeſar, Luke 23.2, that he was a Samaritan and had a Devil, John 8.48,
Yea Gods people have been ſo reproached, Pſalm 44.13, 14, 16, Thou makeſt us a reproach, a ſcorn, a by word, a ſhaking of the head. David was the Song of the Drunkards, Pſalm 69.11, 12, yea, he became a Proverb to them. Chriſtians were counted Turners of the World upſide down, Acts 17.6, Paul was counted a peſtilent Fellow, and a Mover of Sedition, and not counted worthy to live, Acts 22.24 5,
Come we to the ſecond thing, the affections Chriſtians ought to have under Revilings, Rejoyce and be exceeding glad.
Obſer. Chriſtians ſhould be ſo far from being dejected under wicked Revilings for Chriſt, that they have cauſe to rejoyce and be glad.
1 Becauſe all Revilings add to their Crown: even when we are aſleep and are not aware of it, yea when we know not of it they add to our Crown, Luke 6.23, Bleſſed are you when men ſhall reproach you, and caſt out your name as evil, rejoyce you in that day, and leap for joy, for behold your Reward is great in …,
2 Becauſe ſuch perſons ſo reproached when Chriſt ſhall appear in glory ſhall be glad with exceeding joy, 1 Peter 4.13, Rom, 8.17,
3 Becauſe there's a Day coming, when all Reproaches ſhall be wiped off, Iſai 66.5, Your Brethren that hated you, that caſt you out for my ſake, ſaid, Let the Lord be glorified, but he ſhall appear for your joy. James 5.9,
4 In all Reproaches you have the Spirit of Glory and of God reſting on you, 1 Peter 4.14, as if he ſhould ſay, Why do you not rejoyce in your Reproaches, you have great cauſe: why? the Spirit of Power and of Glory (as it's ſuppoſed to be the beſt Reading) that glorious Spirt of God will not forſake, but will abide with you, yea will reſt upon you.
5 Either thou art reproached deſervedly or undeſervedly; if deſervedly, it's not a Reproach but a Judgment; if undeſervedly, why ſhouldſt thou bluſh for another mans ſin?
Uſe. For Application, learn to rejoyce in all Reproaches and other hardſhips that ſhall come upon you for Chriſt. Your Glory in Heaven is not uncertain, for Chriſt then would not bid you rejoyce in it: ſhew your joy herein by your words and geſtures, and by your chearfull walking, James 1.2, Rom, 5.2, Acts 5.41,
The laſt is the Ground of this Affection of Joy, becauſe they are ſaid to be bleſſed, and becauſe their Reward in Heaven is great.
Obſer. The Saints of God are happy under all manner of Revilements for Chriſt.
1 Happy in this Life, 1 Becauſe they have the rejoycing of a good Conſcience, Acts 23.1, 2, 3, Acts 24.5, 6, when there were railing Accuſations againſt him, yet his Conſcience could witneſs that he walked uprightly, v. 16,
2 Sooner or later God will clear their innocency, as we ſee in Joſeph's caſe, and in David's, upon whom the Courtiers in Saul's Court caſt Reproaches, yet he died in honour, 1 Chron, 29, It's with the name of a Chriſtian as with the Sun, which is ſometimes hindered from our ſight by Clouds and Eclipſes, but recovering a clear Sky ſhines the more bright; ſo Reproaches ſometimes cloud our names, but in a while they are diſpelled by the upright walking of Saints, Iſai 51.7, 8, Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye affraid of their revilings. Why? For the Moth ſhall eat them up like a Garment, and the Worm ſhall eat them as Wood, that is, all their Reproaches will inſenſibly by degrees wear away.
3 The Revilings and Wrongs done to Gods people God takes them as done to himſelf, 2 Kings 19.16, Hear the words of Sennacherib, who hath ſent Rabſhakeh to blaſpheme the living God. Alſo v. 22, 23, Whom haſt thou reproached and blaſphemed? even the holy one of Iſrael; yet Rabſhakeh's Reproaches were againſt Gods people, Acts 9, Rom, 15.3,
2 They are happy in the Life to come, becauſe their Reward is great in Heaven. He means not the Reward of Merit but of Grace; as if a King ſhould give ten thouſand pound a year for an hours ſervice. What I promiſe to give a man that is his reward, though his ſervice do not equal it: as if I promiſe a man an hundred pound for making me a pair of gloves. Now in merit there muſt be a proportion betwixt the work and wages, for the recompence of merit is an act of righteouſneſs, now in all righteouſneſs there muſt be equality; when reward is promiſed to Gods children it is not to eſtabliſh merit, but to let Saints ſee that their labour will not be in vain.