Richard Baxter's farewell sermon prepared to have been preached to his hearers at Kidderminster…Richard Baxter's farewel sermon prepared to have been preached to his hearers at Kidderminster…

5. There are honourable and gainful sufferings from blind malicious wicked men, for the cause of Christ and righteousness. Such as the Gospel frequently warneth believers to expect. These are the sorrows that have the promises of fullest joy. Not that the mere suffering in itself is acceptable to God. But the Love which is manifested by suffering for him, is that which he cannot but accept. So that the same measure of sufferings are more or less acceptable, as there is more or less Love to God expressed by them! and as the honour of Christ is more or less intended in them. For to give the body to be burned, without Love, will profit us nothing. But when the cause is Christs,¹ and the heart intendeth him as the end of the suffering,² then, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven, &c.

5. There are honourable and gainful sufferings from blind malicious wicked men, for the cause of Christ and righteousness. Such as the Gospel frequently warneth believers to expect. These are the sorrows that have the promises of fullest joy. Not that the meer suffering in itself is acceptable to God. But the Love which is manifested by suffering for him, is that which he cannot but accept. So that the same measure of sufferings are more or less aceptable, as there is more or less Love to God expressed by them! and as the honor of Christ is more or less intended in them. For to give the body to be burned, without Love, will profit us nothing. But when the cause is Christs,¹ and the heart intendeth him as the end of the suffering,² then, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven, &c.

1. 11 Cor. 13.3.
2. 2