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, What though the Church of God meeteth not with persecutions and ¹troubles from Pagans and Heathens, yet those it suffereth from such who pretend to Christ, and judge it special service of God so to afflict them, have a sharper sting in them. What miseries and bloody cruelties have not many godly Protestants suffered from Papists? who yet glory that they only are zealous for Christ, that others are blasphemers and enemies to Christ, and therefore ought to be punished with such severe censures. Now may not such Martyrs and sufferers receive as much comfort, as if they had been persecuted from Heathens? Yea doubtless; for in some respects their suffering is the greater, and their constancy the more admirable. When the holy Prophets were stoned to death by the people of the Jews, that yet thought themselves to be the only people of God, this did not diminish but aggravate their glory. The patience of Abel was more admirable in being slain by his brother Cain, then if it had been by a stranger. If therefore thy sufferings arise from such who highly pretend to the glory and truth of Christ: Be not despondent, for thy crown of glory will herein be greater, than if it had been from open adversaries. Hence it is observable, how remarkably the Scripture speaketh of those who suffered by Antichrist, Rev. 13. 10. Here is the patience, and the faith of the Saints, which is again mentioned, Rev. 14. 12. A true Christian suffering from false Christians, hath not the promises of God obscured or diminished hereby to him, but rather enlarged; for God considereth both from whom it is thou art troubled, and the cause why, and the manner how thou bearest it.

Secondly, What though the Church of God meeteth not with persecutions and ¹troubles from Pagans and Heathens, yet those it suffereth from such who pretend to Christ, and judge it special service of God so to afflict them, have a sharper sting in them. What miseries and bloudy cruelties have not many godly Protestants suffered from Papists? who yet glory that they only are zealous for Christ, that others are blasphemers and enemies to Christ, and therefore ought to be punished with such severe censures. Now may not such Martyrs and sufferers receive as much comfort, as if they had been persecuted from Heathens? Yea doubtless; for in some respects their suffering is the greater, and their constancy the more admirable. When the holy Prophets were stoned to death by the people of the Jews, that yet thought themselves to be the onely people of God, this did not diminish but aggravate their glory. The patience of Abel was more admirable in being slain by his brother Cain, then if it had been by a stranger. If therefore thy sufferings arise from such who highly pretend to the glory and truth of Christ: Be not despondent, for thy crown of glory will herein be greater, than if it had been from open adversaries. Hence it is observable, how remarkably the Scripture speaketh of those who suffered by Antichrist,