Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…

3. But the seeming Christian looketh not for much suffering: He reads of it in the Gospel, but he saw no probability of it, and never believed that he should be called to it in any notable degree: He thought it probable that he might well escape it: And therefore though he agreed verbally to take Christ for better and worse, and to follow him through sufferings, he thought he would never put him to it. And indeed his heart is secretly resolved, that he will never be undone in the world for Christ: Some reparable loss he may undergo, but he will not let go life and all. He will still be religious and hope for heaven: But he will make himself believe (and others if he can) that the Truth lieth on the safer side, and not on the suffering side; and that it is but for their own conceits and scrupulosity that other men suffer who go beyond him; and that many good men are of his ⟨p. 78⟩opinion, and therefore he may be good also in the same opinion (though he would never have been of that opinion, if it had not been necessary to his escaping of sufferings) what flourish soever he maketh for a time, when persecution ariseth he is offended and withereth. Mat. 13.21, 6. Unless he be so deeply engaged among the suffering party, that he cannot come off without perpetual reproach, and then perhaps Pride will make him suffer more, than the belief of heaven o• the love of Christ could do: And all this is because his very belief is unrooted and unsound, and he hath secretly at the heart a fear that if he should suffer death for Christ, he should be a loser by him, and he would not reward him according to his promise, with everlasting life. Heb. 3.12.

XXIX. 1. A Christian indeed is one that followeth not Christ for company, nor holdeth his belief in trust upon the credit of any in the world, and therefore he would stick to Christ, if all that he knoweth or converseth with should forsake him. If the Rulers of the Earth should change their religion, and turn against Christ, he would not forsake him: If the multitude of the people turn against him; nay if the professors of Godliness should fall off, yet would he stand his ground and be still the same: If the learnedest men, and the Pastors of the Church should turn from Christ, he would not forsake him: Yea if his nearest relations and friends, or even that Minister that was the means of his conversion, should change their minds and forsake the truth, and turn from Christ or a holy life, he would yet be constant and be still the same: And what Peter resolved on, he would truly practise,