An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Thus you see, how that all suffering parties in Religion, will pretend to Christ, and plead they suffer for him; but as Christ is Christ, though there have risen many false Christs, so suffering and persecution for Christ is truly so; and some there are, and they only, who can claim this honour, though others do gloriously pretend to it. It is a true rule of Austins, Causa non paena facit Martyrem, Not the punishment, but the cause makes a Martyr. Even as Causa, non separatio, facit schismaticum: It must be indeed the Doctrine of Christ, not our opinions and presumptions we suffer with.

Thirdly, The Scripture expresseth this, Suffering for righteousness sake. He ¹that suffereth for doing that which is righteous, suffereth for Christ. Mat. 5. 10. If ye be persecuted for righteousness sake, blessed are ye. This is made the same with suffering for Christs sake. This is good to observe, lest we should think, that then we only suffer for Christ, when the matter we are troubled for, is either Christ himself, or his truth and ordinances; something that is immediately terminated upon Christ. No: this is to be extended farther. For, when a Magistrate is zealous to rebuke sin, and put it to shame, if he be maligned for this, he suffereth for Christ. So, if a private Christian set himself, in a lawful way, against all the impieties that abound where he liveth, and thereupon all his neighbours hate and oppose him, he suffers for Christ: And all because it's for righteousness. Insomuch that thou mayest take much comfort herein, as one Martyr did, That it is not for any wickedness of thine, any wrong or injury thou hast done them; only because thou hast had a zeal for God and his glory: therefore it is that they rise up with such malice against thee. And let this encourage all such, who desire to have all ungodliness and dishonour to God by sin, be wholly rooted out; though in this labour they have many oppositions, and much hatred, yet remember it is for Christ. It is true indeed, that besides mere righteousness, there must be also a knowledge of Christ: For without faith, it is impossible to please God,