rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Chrift's fufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad alfo with exceeding joy: And at the 14th verse he tells them, that befides the encouragement of fo great an example, and fo glorious a reward, they fhould be fupported and affifted in a very extraordinary manner by the Spirit of God refting upon them in a glorious manner, as a teftimony of the divine power and prefence with them: ver. 14. If ye be reproached for the name of Chrift, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God refteth upon you: or, as it is in the best copies, for the Spirit of glory and of power, even the Spirit of Ged refteth upon you; that is, the glorious power of the divine Spirit is prefent with you, to comfort and bear up your spirits under thefe fufferings. But then he cautions them to take great care, that their fufferings be for a good cause, and a good confcience: ver. 15. But let none of you Juffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, (that is, an offender in any kind against human laws, made to preferve the peace and good order of the world), or as a bufy-body in other mens matters; that is, as a pragmatical perfon, that meddles out of his own fphere, to the difquiet and difturbance of human fociety for to fuffer upon any of these accounts, would be matter of fhame and trouble, but not of joy and comfort; but if they fuffered upon account of the profeffion of Chriftianity, this would be no cause of Thame and reproach to them; but they ought rather to give God thanks for calling them to fuffer in fo good a caufe, and upon fo glorious an account, ver. 16. Yet if any man fuffer as a Chriftian, (if that be his only crime), let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf; for the time is come, that judge. ment must begin at the house of God; that is, the wife and juft providence of God hath fo ordered it at this time, for very good reafons and ends, that the first calamities and fufferings fhould fall upon Chriftians, the peculiar people and church of God, for their trial, and a teftimony to the truth of that religion, which God was now planting in the world; And if it first : gin at us, (that is, at us Jews, who were the ancient people of God, and have now embraced and enter tained the revelation of the gofpel), what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? that is, how much more feverely will God deal with the reft of the Jews, who have crucified the Son of God, and still perfift in their infidelity and difobedience to the gospel?) And if the righteous fcarcely be faved, where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear? (that is, if good men be faved with fo much difficulty, and must through fo many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God, what will become of all ungodly and impenitent finners? where fhall they appear? how fhall they be able to ftand in the judgement of the great day). From the confideration of all which, the Apotle makes this inference or conclufion, in the lasť verfe of this chapter, Wherefore, let them that fuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their fouls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. Thus you fee the connection and dependence of thefe words upon the Apoftle's foregoing difcourse. I fhall explain the feveral expreffions in the text, and then handle the main points contained in them. The expreffions to be explained are thefe: What is meant by thofe that fuffer according to the will of God; what by committing the keeping of our fouls to God, as unto a faithful Creator; and what by welldoing. First, What is meant by fuffering according to the will of God. This may be underflood of fuffering in a good caufe, fuch as God will approve; but this is not fo probable, becaufe this is mentioned afterwards in the following expreffions of committing the keeping of our foals to God in well doing; that is, in fuffering upon a good account. And therefore the plain and genuine fenfe of this expreffion feems to be this, that thofe who, according to the good pleafure of God's will, and the wife difpenfation of his providence, are appointed to fuffer for his caufe, fhould demean themselves fo and fo: Let them that fuffer according to the will of God, that is, thofe whom God thinks fit to call to fuffering. And this agrees P 2 very very well with the like expreffion, chap. iii. of this epiftle, ver. 17. For it is better, if the will of God be fo, (that is, if God have so appointed it, and think it fit), that ye fuffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing. Secondly, What is here meant by committing the keeping of our fouls to God, as to a faithful Creator. That is, to depofit our lives, and all that belongs to us, in a word, ourselves, in the hands and cuftody of his merciful care and providence who made us, and therefore we may be fure will faithfully keep what we commit to him: for as we are his creatures, he is engaged to take care of us, and will not abandon the work of his own hands. Befides that he hath promised to be more efpecially concerned for good men, to fupport them in their fufferings for a good caufe, and to reward them for it; and he is faithful that hath promifed. And therefore there is great reafon and great encouragement, in all our fufferings for God's cause and truth, to commit our fouls to his care and custody: our fouls, that is, (as I faid before), our lives, and all that belongs to us; in a word, ourfelves : For fo the word foul is frequently ufed both in the Old and New Teftament; Pfal. vii. 5. Let the enemy perfecute my foul, and take it; that is, my life for fo it follows in the next words; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth. And Pfal. liv. 3. Op. preffors feek after my foul. And Pfal. lix. 3. They lie in wait for my foul; that is, my life. And Pfal. xvi. 10. Thou wilt not leave my foul in hell: my foul, that is, myfelf; thou wilt not fuffer me to continue in the grave, and under the power of death, but wilt raife me up to life again. And fo likewife in the New Teftament, Mark viii. 35. Whosoever will fave bis life fhall lofe it; but whofcever fhall lofe his life for my fake and the gofpel's, the fame hall fave it. The fame word which is here rendered life, in the very next verfe is rendered foul: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul? that is, his life. And fo likewise, John xii. 25. He that loveth his life, fhall lofe it: and and he that hateth his life in this world, (in the origi. nal the word fignifies foul); he that hateth his life in this world, (that is, who neglecteth and expofeth his life in this world, for the fake of Chrift), fhall keep it anto life eternal. And Luke ix. 25. that which the other Evangelift renders by the word foal, or life, he renders himself; for what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lofe himself? And fo here in the text, to commit the keeping of our fouls to God, is to commit ourselves to his care and providence: Thirdly, What is here meant by committing our felves to him in well-doing. By well doing is here meant, a fixed purpofe and refolution of doing our duty, notwithstanding all hazards and fufferings; which is called by St Paul, Rom. ii. 7. A patient continuance in well-doing. It fignifies fometimes acts of goodness and charity; but in this epifle it is taken in a larger fenfe, for conftancy and refolution in the doing of our duty; as chap. ii. 15. For fo is the will of God, that with well-doing (that is, by a refolute conftancy in a good courfe) ye may put to filence the ignorance of foolish men. And ver. 20. But if when Je do well, and fuffer for it; (that is, if when ye fuffer for well-doing) ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. And chap. iii. ver. 6. As long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement ;, that is, are refolute and conftant in doing your duty,. notwithstanding all threatenings and terrors. And ver. 17. For it is better, if the will of God be fo, that ye fuffer for well-doing than for evil-doing; that is, for your religion and conftancy in fo good a caufe, as Christians, and not as criminals upon any other ac count. So that the plain meaning of the words is, as if the Apoftle had faid, Wherefore being forewarned of fuffering and perfecution for the caufe of religion, the fum of my direction and advice upon the whole matter is this; that fince it is the will of God that ye fhould fuffer upon this account, commit yourfelves,, in the constant difcharge of your duty, and a good: confcience,, P 3 confcience, to the particular care and providence of Almighty God, as your faithful Creator. And now I come to handle the particular points contained in the words; and they are these three. 1. That when men do fuffer really and truly for the caufe of religion, they may with confidence commit themselves (their lives, and all that is dear to them) to the particular and more especial care of the divine providence. 2. Always provided, that we do nothing contrary to our duty, and a good confcience; for this the Apoftle means, by committing ourselves to God, in welldoing. If we step out of the way of our duty, or do any thing contrary to it, God's providence will not be concerned for us, to bear us out in fuch fufferings. 3. I fhall confider what ground of comfort and encouragement the confideration of God, as a faithful Creator, affords to us in all our fufferings for a good caufe, and a good conscience. I. When men do fuffer really and truly for the caufe of religion, and God's truth, they may with confidence and good affurance commit themselves (their lives, and all that is fo dear to them) to the particular and more efpecial care of his providence. In the handling of this, I fhall confider thefe three things. I. When men may be said to fuffer really and truly for the cause of religion, and when not. 2. How far they may rely upon the providence of God to bear them out in thefe fufferings. 3. What ground and reason there is to expect the more particular and efpecial care of God's provi dence, in cafe of fuch fufferings. 1. When men may be faid to fuffer really and truly for the cause of religion, and God's truth, and when not. In thefe cafes, ft, When men fuffer for not renouncing the true religion, and because they will not openly declare against it, and apoftatife from it. But it will be faid, that in all thefe cafes the question is, What is the true religion? To which I anfwer, that all difcourses. of this nature, about fuffering for religion, do fup pofe |