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…

Lastly, When God calleth his people to any high degrees of self-denial, even to Martyrdom it self, then as their grief and fears would superabound; so also their joys and comforts will be above them. The Martyrs never felt such joy and delight in all their lives time, as they did in a dark dungeon, and in the flames of fire. Therefore Gods children should not sinfully torture their souls with thoughts: what if God should call them out to suffer, to be imprisoned, to be burnt at the stake? Oh they should deny Christ over and over again, prove wretched Apostates! They must not judge thus according to their present disposition; but remember that God will proportion strength and comfort to their exercises, and give them Giants strength, if he lay a Giants burden on them.

Lastly, When God calleth his people to any high degrees of self-denial, even to Martyrdome it felf, then as their grief and fears would superabound; so also their joyes ond comforts will be above them. The Martyrs never felt such joy and delight in all their lives time, as they did in a dark dungeon, and in the flames of fire. Therefore Gods children should not sinfully torture their souls with thoughts: what if God should call them out to suffer, to be imprisoned, to be burnt at the stake? Oh they should deny Christ over and over again, prove wretched Apostates! They must not judge thus according to their present disposition; but remember that God will proportion strength and comfort to their exercises, and give them Giants strength, if he lay a Giants burden on them.

Fourthly, God doth not only do good to his people in giving them joy, but to show how ready and willing he is, the Scripture saith, That it is a joy to God to do any good for us, he rejoiceth to bestow his mercy upon us. This is spoken after the manner of men, to denote with what willingness he vouchsafeth his favours to us. See what a wonderful expression the Prophet useth, Zephan. 3. 17. while God is said to be in the midst of his people, saving of them, even because he doth thus; he is said, To rejoice over them with joy, to rest in his love, and to joy over them with singing. By this we see, that while God giveth us grace, and other mercies, whereof joy is a chief one, he himself rejoiceth therein. Even as Aristotle observeth of a liberal man, That he takes more joy in giving, than he that receiveth the benefit, can do in receiving of it. God then giveth thee grace and joy not unwillingly, not difficultly, but he himself rejoiceth in making thy heart joyful. See a sweet place to confirm this also,