we know it now, and that's the reason why we do suffer, it is to make us conformable to Jesus Christ; the Jews did not know this, that which was the reason why God would have them suffer, but we know it, and therefore in all our sufferings we should exercise our faith in the sufferings of Jesus Christ, Do we suffer thus and thus? he did so, to take away the sting of our sufferings: and in a special manner you that have been driven from house & home, if there be any here that have been driven to fly for their lives, and perhaps you have been driven to go among strangers; Oh! but your ⟨p. 21⟩suffering is not so great as the suffering of Jesus Christ was, he fled for his life when he was but an infant, and did not only fly to strangers, but to his enemies, to the Egyptians: you are driven but from one part of England to 1another, Oh! exercise your faith in this; it was a very strange work of Gods providence that presently after he was born he must fly for his life; you that are fain to carry your children with you, Oh! remember how Joseph and Mary was fain to do it, was fain to fly for the life of Jesus Christ, and carry him, and this flight was a great deal more than your flight, for they were fain to fly to Egypt. Now supposing it was by land as that many reasons may be given, they were fain to fly a matter of an 2hundred miles through the desert wilderness where there was no habitations: you fly from one town to another and find relief; they were fain to fly above an hundred miles, it's fifty leagues, which your Mariners account three miles to a league, and was in the very desert between the Land of Canaan and Egypt: Now though it's true, the people of Israel was forty years in the Wilderness; but it was not through the length of the place, three days journey might have carried them into the Land of Canaan, but it was forty years that they were about it, God prolonged it, and they did entangle themselves and were stubborn and Rebellions, and so it was prolonged, though the way was but in its self short: but yet certainly this flight of Joseph with Christ to Egypt must needs be sad and miserable; it cannot be conceived that any of your flights should be so said and miserable as that was, for they could not carry any provision with them, but were fain to fly in a private way to save the life of Jesus Christ; Oh!
we know it now, and that's the reason why we do suffer, it is to make us conformable to Jesus Christ; the Jews did not know this, that which was the reason why God would have them suffer, but we know it, and therefore in all our sufferings we should exercise our faith in the sufferings of Jesus Christ, Do we suffer thus and thus? he did so, to take away the sting of our sufferings: and in a special manner you that have been driven from house & home, if there be any here that have been driven to fly for their lives, and perhaps you have been driven to go among strangers; Oh! but your ⟨p. 21⟩suffering is not so great as the suffering of Jesus Christ was, he fled for his life when he was but an infant, and did not only fly to strangers, but to his enemies, to the Egyptians: you are driven but from one part of England to 1another, Oh! exercise your faith in this; it was a very strange work of Gods providence that presently after he was born he must fly for his life; you that are fain to carry your children with you, Oh! remember how Joseph and Mary was fain to do it, was fain to fly for the life of Jesus Christ, and carry him, and this flight was a great deal more than your flight, for they were fain to fly to Egypt. Now supposing it was by land as that many reasons may be given, they were fain to fly a matter of an 2hundred miles through the desert wilderness where there was no habitations: you fly from one town to another and find relief; they were fain to fly above an hundred miles, it's fifty leagues, which your Marriners accompt three miles to a league, and was in the very desert between the Land of Canaan and Egypt: Now though it's true, the people of Israel was fourty yeers in the Wilderness; but it was not through the length of the place, three daies journey might have carried them into the Land of Canaan, but it was fourty years that they were about it, God prolonged it, and they did intangle themselves and were stubborn and Rebellions, and so it was prolonged, though the way was but in its self short: but yet certainly this flight of Joseph with Christ to Egypt must needs be sad and miserable; it cannot be conceived that any of your flights should be so said and miserable as that was, for they could not carry any provision with them, but were fain to fly in a private way to save the life of Jesus Christ; Oh!
- 1Those that fly with their children.
- 2The danger and length of Christs flight into Egypt.
