Secondly, From the sufferings of others for Christ and his way, we may be 1greatly encouraged to trust in God, and to depend on him, to enable us also, if he should call us thereunto. How apt are the people of God to be despondent within themselves, to be afraid of their own weakness and hypocrisy, saying, their hearts are so carnal, so unmortified that they know not to part with any thing, much less life it self for Christ? He cannot, will one say, he dare not say with Peter, Though all men forsake Christ, yet he would not; but rather if there be any that will deny Christ, he should be the man. This temptation is very incident to the gracious heart. But if they look off from themselves to these champions before their eyes, what hope and confidence may they attain unto in the Lord? For what were those confessors of themselves? Were they ⟨p. 226⟩not men? Were they not flesh and blood as well as thou art? Were they not affected with wives, children, and life it self? Were they marble and rocks? No surely, but they were subject to all such temptations as thou art, and yet God was with them, he raised them up above their own strength. So that while thou art out of this fight, thou canst not conceive what strength, and what gracious influence God will vouchsafe unto thee. As we read of one French Martyr in Fox his Martyrology, that was exceedingly possessed with fear about suffering, insomuch that he disguised himself, and took upon him to be a pedlar, carrying ware up and down; but being at last discovered, and hiding himself in a bush, no sooner was he apprehended, but as he acknowledged afterwards, as soon as ever the enemy had laid hold on him, that spirit of fear and cowardliness left him, being filled with undaunted courage. If therefore we read the lives and deaths of those who have been persecuted for Christ, and observe what wonderful supports they have had, and how God hath glorified himself in their infirmities: so that with Paul they could say, I could do all things through Christ that strengthens me, they did partake of a kind of Omnipotency: And at another time he saith, When I am weak, then am I strong. This may make thee, though a Lamb for meekness and innocency, yet a Lion for courage and spiritual fortitude. Hence the Apostle, when Heb. 11.
Secondly, From the sufferings of others for Christ and his way, we may be 1greatly encouraged to trust in God, and to depend on him, to enable us also, if he should call us thereunto. How apt are the people of God to be despondent within themselves, to be afraid of their own weaknesse and hypocrisie, saying, their hearts are so carnal, so unmortified that they know not to part with any thing, much lesse life it self for Christ? He cannot, will one say, he dare not say with Peter, Though all men forsake Christ, yet he would not; but rather if there be any that will deny Christ, he should be the man. This temptation is very incident to the gracious heart. But if they look off from themselves to these champions before their eyes, what hope and confidence may they attain unto in the Lord? For what were those confessors of themselves? Were they ⟨p. 226⟩not men? Were they not flesh and blood as well as thou art? Were they not affected with wives, children, and life it self? Were they marble and rocks? No surely, but they were subject to all such temptations as thou art, and yet God was with them, he raised them up above their own strength. So that while thou art out of this fight, thou canst not conceive what strength, and what gracious influence God will vouchsafe unto thee. As we read of one French Martyr in Fox his Martyrologie, that was exceedingly possessed with fear about suffering, insomuch that he disguised himself, and took upon him to be a pedlar, carrying ware up and down; but being at last discovered, and hiding himself in a bush, no sooner was he apprehended, but as he acknowledged afterwards, as soon as ever the enemy had laid hold on him, that spirit of fear and cowardlinesse left him, being filled with undaunted courage. If therefore we read the lives and deaths of those who have been persecuted for Christ, and observe what wonderfull supports they have had, and how God hath glorified himself in their infirmities: so that with Paul they could say, I could do all things through Christ that strengthens me, they did partake of a kind of Omnipotency: And at another time he saith, When I am weak, then am I strong. This may make thee, though a Lamb for meeknesse and innocency, yet a Lion for courage and spiritual fortitude. Hence the Apostle, when Heb. 11.
- 12. Hence we may be encouraged to trust in God, and depend upon him, to enable us also, if he should call us thereunto.
