Christian would draw down discredit, not only on his own character, but on the Christian cause, giving occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. He would destroy his own inward peace, and, by making shipwreck of character, render it scarcely possible that he should ever have it in his power to repair, in any good measure, the injury he had done to the worthy name.1

It ill becomes such persons to complain of their sufferings, but it well becomes them to be ashamed of them, and especially to be ashamed of their cause. Nothing is more deplorable than to find men bearing the name of Christ, after involving themselves in suffering by their imprudence and sin, exposing themselves to the penalties of the law, or drawing down odium on themselves and reproach on religion, by their conceited officiousness or impertinent intermeddling; instead of being ashamed of their conduct, actually taking credit for it; pleasing themselves with the thought that they are persecuted for righteousness sake, when they are only suffering for their faults; and imputing that to the malice of their enemies, which is but the natural result of their own folly and wickedness. It becomes such persons to blush and weep; to retire as much as may be from the public gaze, and "to walk softly all their years.

But however carefully and successfully the primitive Christians might avoid all such disgraceful sufferings, discreditable to themselves and injurious to their religion; sufferings they were not likely to escape, sufferings of another kind. Though they should violate no civil law which was not in direct opposition to the Divine law, though they should "live quiet and peaceable lives," minding their own business, and not intermedling with what did not concern them; and though they should act so circumspectly that even their enemies, watching for their halting, could find nothing which they could plausibly represent as a violation of law, or an undue interference with the affairs of others, yet still they were likely, aye, they were sure, to meet with sufferings-it might be very severe sufferings; sufferings in their external form of a very shameful and degrading characterjust because they were Christians ;2 just because they made a consistent profession of the faith of Christ, acknowledging him as their teacher and Lord, observing his institutions and obeying his laws. Though, as in the case of Daniel, no occasion might be found against them on other grounds, an occasion would be found against them concerning the law of their God.” 3

Such were the sufferings inflicted on the apostles and first teachers and professors of Christianity, of which we have a record in the Acts of the Apostles; sufferings, for the infliction of which, in some cases, no cause was even alleged but that they were Christians; and in others where, though other causes were alleged, this was indeed the true reason. The time was come of which our Lord had spoken, when his followers were to be "hated by all nations," both by the Jews and the Gentiles, "for his name sake," just because they were Christians. To be a Christian, was a sufficient reason with the Jews why a man should be cast out of the synagogue; and with the Romans, why he

should be treated as a criminal. At a somewhat later period we find an imperial edict, that of Trajan, which seems to have been intended rather to mitigate the severity of the treatment to which Christians, as Christians, had been exposed, requiring that, though Christians were not to be officially sought after, such as were accused and convicted of an adherence to Christianity were to be put to death ;1 their Christianity, apart from everything else, being considered as a capital offence.

And if thus, as Christians, they were exposed to sufferings so serious. in the shape of legal inflictions, it is quite plain that, in the ordinary intercourse of life, they must have been liable to an endless variety of annoyances, living in the midst of men who, whether Jews or Heathens, regarded their religion with sentiments of abhorrence and: contempt. These sufferings were in many cases, in their own nature, of a degrading character. Christians were, as the apostle expresses it, "shamefully entreated." The punishments inflicted were such as were commonly inflicted on the vilest criminals, on felons and slaves. Stripes and the cross, punishments which could be legally inflicted. on no Roman citizen, fell to the lot of many of them, from the hands of the magistrate; and from the great body of their fellow-citizens they received cruel mockings;" their names were cast out as evil, and they were treated by them "as the filth of the world and the offscouring of all things." 2

But of sufferings of this kind, however ignominious in their own character, however fitted to express the contempt of those who inflicted them, and excite the shame of those who endured them, they were not to be ashamed. They were not to count them really dishonorable. In truth, they were not. The most ignominious treatment, when it is unmerited, reflects dishonor not on him who innocently endures, but on him who unjustly inflicts it. To profess what we believe to be true, and to do what we believe to be right, to refuse to give either explicit or tacit approbation of what we account false and wrong, to acknowledge obligations to a Divine benefactor for favors of inestimable value, in the manner which that Divine benefactor enjoins, can never be dishonorable. No contumely, poured on Christians, could in the slightest degree affect the truth or excellence of Christ's doctrine and law; nor, supposing the Divine origin of these, could such calumnies for a moment occasion any reasonable doubt as to the wisdom and rectitude of the conduct of those who had embraced that doctrine, and submitted to that law. The disgrace plainly lay with the authors, not with the victims, of such shameful oppression and cruelty. The persecutor, not the persecuted, had reason to be ashamed of the sufferings inflicted on Christians, as Christians.

But the apostle exhorts the persecuted Christians, not only not to be ashamed of such sufferings, but to "glorify God on this behalf." They are to consider these ignominious sufferings as indeed an honor and a privilege, and they are to thank God for them, and while under them to act such a part as will glorify him; their sense of the honor done to them being expressed, not in words only, but in cheerful subPlinii Epp. ix. 97, 98. 2 Heb. xi. 36. 1 Cor. iv. 13.

mission to these sufferings, and in patient and heroic endurance of them. They are to reckon it a proper subject of thanksgiving, that to them "it is given on behalf of Christ Jesus, not only to believe but to suffer, for his sake," and to "rejoice that they are counted worthy so suffer shame for his name. They should account it a token of the confidence reposed in them by their Divine leader, when he places them, as it were, in the fore ranks in the battle, and calls on them to "suffer great things for his name sake." They should rejoice in the opportunity thus given them of showing their gratitude to him who for them "endured the cross and despised the shame;" who, in the cause of their salvation, "gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, hid not his face from shame and spitting, but set his face as a flint," and amid all contumelies 'held fast the confidence and rejoicing of his hope," that he should not ultimately be ashamed."

They should be thankful for these sufferings as fitted to promote their personal spiritual improvement, both in holiness and in comfort, such "tribulations working patience," that is, leading to perseverance, not to apostasy; such "patience working experience," that is, such perseverance leading to proof, both of the reality and the strength of the principles of the new life; and such "experience working hope," such proof strengthening the hope of eternal life, by showing, that it is indeed founded on the gospel really believed, and will prove a hope which shall never make ashamed. Well may Christians glory in such tribulations; tribulations fitted, and intended to have, secured of having, such glorious results.

2

Still farther, and finally, they should glorify God on account of such sufferings, because their tendency, when endured in the right spirit, was greatly to advance the cause of Christ. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.' Persecution very generally falls out to the furtherance of the gospel. The patient, joyful endurance of most cruel and contumelious wrongs by Paul and Silas, probably was highly influential in producing the conversion of the Philippian jailer. The faith and patience of the martyrs amid their sufferings, more impressively than all their eloquence, declared the power of Divine grace, and the efficacy of the gospel; made the torturers ashamed, and induced beholders to take share with those who were tortured. This consideration had great influence on Paul's mind, enabling him to glory in his sufferings as a Christian, and to glorify God on their behalf "I rejoice in my sufferings for you," says he to the Colossians, "and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church;" and in the Epistle to Timothy, "I endure" patiently, joyfully suffer, "all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ, with eternal glory." 3

Christians in every country, and in every age, are bound to regulate themselves by the direction we have been endeavoring to illustrate. From a regard to the honor of their religion and their Saviour, they are bound carefully to avoid everything which may justly bring on

1

1 Acts v. 41. Phil. i. 29. Acts ix. 16. Heb. xii. 2. Isa. 1. 6, 7. 2 Rom. v. 3-5.

3 Col. i. 24. 2 Tim. ii. 10.

them contempt or punishment, knowing that Christ has entrusted the reputation of his religion to their care; and that its character is so identified with theirs, that the one cannot be injured without affecting the other; while at the same time they are never, under the influence of a false shame, to shrink from suffering for professing the faith, and obeying the law, of their Lord, however ignominious a form that suffering may wear, ever bearing in mind his impressive declaration, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father and the holy angels.' 1 He who counts these faithful sayings, will not be ashamed of suffering as a Christian. He will be disposed to say with the apostle, "I suffer trouble as an evil-doer, even unto bonds; yet I am not ashamed-for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day.”

IV. PERSEVERING IN WELL-DOING, COMMIT YOUR SOULS TO
GOD UNDER SUFFERINGS.

The last direction which the apostle gives to persecuted Christians is, “Persevering in well-doing, commit the keeping of your souls to God under your sufferings." "For the time is come when judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator."

A careful reader will see that these three verses are very closely connected; that the statements in the seventeenth and eighteenth verses are the foundation on which the directions in the nineteenth are based, or the motives by which they are enforced. The statement is twofold. Severe afflictions are awaiting the professors of the faith of Christ, and still more tremendous evils are impending over those who believe not the gospel, or who apostatize from the faith. And the direction is twofold also. Commit your souls to God, that ye may be enabled to sustain those severe afflictions; and do this in well-doing, in a constant continuance in well-doing, in a perseverance in the faith, profession, and practice of Christianity, that you may escape those tremendous evils. Such seems the connection of the apostle's thoughts.

The time is come when judgment must begin at the house of God; a time in which the righteous shall scarcely be saved: therefore let them who suffer by the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him as to a faithful Creator." The house of God," in Old Testament language, would signify either the temple of Jerusalem; or-understanding the word figuratively as equivalent to family, a sense in which it is so often used-the Israelitish people. In the

1 Matt. x. 32. Luke xii. 8.

language of the New Testament, it signifies the christian church, Christians. "Know ye not," says the apostle, "that ye are the temple of God?" "His house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope steadfast to the end." It denotes them who obey the gospel of Christ, as contra-distinguished from the unbelievers or the apostates, who do not obey the gospel of Christ.' "The righteous" is obviously just another appellation for the same individuals, and describes their character as opposed to the wicked, "the ungodly, and the sinner." The words then signify, a period is arrived, or is just at hand, when a very severe trial of Christians, a trial of some continuance, is about to commence; when judgment or rather the judgment,2 shall begin at the house of God.'3

There seems here a reference to a particular judgment or trial, that the primitive Christians had reason to expect. When we consider that this epistle was written within a short time of the commencement of that awful scene of judgment which terminated in the destruction of the ecclesiastical and civil polity of the Jews, and which our Lord had so minutely predicted, we can scarcely doubt of the reference of the apostle's expression. After having specified wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, as symptoms of "the beginning of sorrows," our Lord adds, "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. They shall deliver you up to councils and to synagogues, and ye shall be beaten; and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake: Ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And then many shall be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold: but he that shall endure to the end, shall be saved. Except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days." 4

This is the judgment which, though to fall most heavily on the holy land, was plainly to extend to wherever Jews and Christians were to be found, "for where the carcass was, there were the eagles to be gathered together;" which was to begin at the house of God, and which was to be so severe that the "righteous should scarcely," that is, not without difficulty, "be saved. be saved." They only who stood the trial should be saved, and many would not stand the trial. All the truly righteous should be saved; but many who seemed to be righteous, many who thought themselves to be righteous, would not endure to the end, and so should not be saved; and the righteous themselves should be saved, not without much struggle, exertion, suffering; "saved as by fire." Some have supposed the reference to be to the Neronian persecutions, which by a few years preceded the calamities connected with the Jewish wars and the destruction of Jerusalem.

1 1 Cor. iii. 16. Heb. iii. 6.

3 Το κρίμα.

3 There seems here an allusion to Ezek. ix. 6. Slay utterly old and young-and begin at my sanctuary.”

Matt. xxiv. 9–13, 22.