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…

Secondly, Another qualification to suffer for Christ, is Love, a grace not indeed to be exalted above saith, but yet as necessary in its sphere, where it hath to do, as that is; and as faith, so this love required in every sufferer doth discover it self two ways: There must be hearty love to God and Christ, for whom we suffer; and there must be love to man, yea to our enemies and persecutors, or else we shall lose the advantage of all our sufferings. The Apostle speaketh fully to this, 1 Cor. 13. 3. Though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing: And what charity is this? Even two-fold, First, A love of God and Christ. If thou sufferest because of force and necessity, thou canst not avoid it; this is not to suffer rightly. It must be true love to Christ and his glory, that thou preferrest his glory above all thy comforts, even life it self. And indeed this is the greatest expression of thy love to Christ, when thou canst die for him, as Christ discovered his great love in dying for us. A man that doth not love Christ, cannot suffer for Christ. The second act of charity is, To love our enemies, our persecutors. While they are railing, we are to pray; while they are persecuting, we are to bless: and truly by this we are known to be Christs Disciples, more than by enlargements, or any miracles. When one met with a Christian, and falling upon him in a great rage, beating and buffeting of him, saying, What great thing did Christ ever do? The Christian replied, Even this, that though you beat and abuse me, yet Christ hath taught me to pray for you. If therefore malice, and a revengeful spirit be predominant in thee, while thou sufferest, Oh consider, this is not to suffer as Christ did.

Secondly, Another qualification to suffer for Christ, is Love, a grace not indeed to be exalted above saith, but yet as necessary in its sphere, where it hath to do, as that is; and as faith, so this love required in every sufferer doth discover it self two wayes: There must be hearty love to God and Christ, for whom we suffer; and there must be love to man, yea to our enemies and persecutors, or else we shall lose the advantage of all our sufferings. The Apostle speaketh fully to this, 1 Cor. 13. 3. Though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing: And what charity is this? Even two-fold, First, A love of God and Christ. If thou sufferest because of force and necessity, thou canst not avoid it; this is not to suffer rightly. It must be true love to Christ and his glory, that thou preferrest his glory above all thy comforts, even life it self. And indeed this is the greatest expression of thy love to Christ, when thou canst die for him, as Christ discovered his great love in dying for us. A man that doth not love Christ, cannot suffer for Christ. The second act of charity is, To love our enemies, our persecutours. While they are railing, we are to pray; while they are persecuting, we are to blesse: and truly by this we are known to be Christs Disciples, more than by enlargements, or any miracles. When one met with a Christian, and falling upon him in a great rage, beating and buffeting of him, saying, What great thing did Christ ever do? The Christian replyed, Even this, that though you beat and abuse me, yet Christ hath taught me to pray for you. If therefore malice, and a revengefull spirit be predominant in thee, while thou sufferest, Oh consider, this is not to suffer as Christ did.