Secondly, we see a reason of the meekness and quiet behaviour of Gods people in sufferings: Though they are persecuted, they carry themselves meekly, and are ready to forgive, they are not discouraged, and sink in their sufferings, because they look upon sufferings with another eye then the men of the world do, they look upon their sufferings as their glory and riches: When a man hath riches coming in, he is quiet; and though he were angry, passionate, and vexing before, yet when riches come in, that quiets his heart, and he is ready to do any ⟨p. 458⟩office of love then; this is the reason why Gods people are ready to do any office of love to them that do persecute them, because they look upon them as their glory. St. Paul was a man that had a high esteem of his sufferings, and therefore when he suffered much, and from those that were his friends, in Gal. 4. 12. see his behaviour, Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am, for I am as you are, ye have not injured me at all; As if he should say, How soever you have carried your selves, yet be as I am, I am as you are, let our hearts close and join together; you have not injured me at all: Thus his spirit was carried in this quiet and meek frame, because he had a right understanding of the nature of sufferings. And so we read of Stephen, when they were stoning him, says he, Lord forgive them: What was the ground of this? He saw the heavens opened, and Christ stand at the right hand of his Father, he saw a great deal of glory that was in his sufferings when he suffered thus for Christ; he could pray for his persecutors: What was the reason Christ endured all so quietly? he knew the good that was in his sufferings. Indeed, as for those that see no good in them, that find nothing but trouble and vexation, no marvel though their hearts fret and revile again; but where a gracious heart finds sweetness and good in suffering, surely there need not be that fretting and vexation of spirit in them as in others. And why should we vex and fret, when we suffer any thing for God? it must be upon one of these two grounds; either because of the evil that we do endure, or the evil of those from whom we do endure. The evil that we do endure cannot cause fretting, because it is turned to such great riches. But you will say, The suffering ⟨p. 459⟩it self I do not care for, but the base malicious hearts of those from whom I suffer, that troubles me.
Secondly, we see a reason of the meekness and quiet behavior of Gods people in sufferings: Though they are persecuted, they carry themselves meekly, and are ready to forgive, they are not discouraged, and sink in their sufferings, because they look upon sufferings with another eye then the men of the world do, they look upon their sufferings as their glory and riches: When a man hath riches coming in, he is quiet; and though he were angry, passionate, and vexing before, yet when riches come in, that quiets his heart, and he is ready to do any ⟨p. 458⟩office of love then; this is the reason why Gods people are ready to do any office of love to them that do persecute them, because they look upon them as their glory. St. Paul was a man that had a high esteem of his sufferings, and therefore when he suffered much, and from those that were his friends, in Gal. 4. 12. see his behavior, Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am, for I am as you are, ye have not injured me at all; As if he should say, How soever you have carried your selves, yet be as I am, I am as you are, let our hearts close and joyn together; you have not injured me at all: Thus his spirit was carryed in this quiet and meek frame, because he had a right understanding of the nature of sufferings. And so we read of Stephen, when they were stoning him, says he, Lord forgive them: What was the ground of this? He saw the heavens opened, and Christ stand at the right hand of his Father, he saw a great deal of glory that was in his sufferings when he suffered thus for Christ; he could pray for his persecutors: What was the reason Christ endured all so quietly? he knew the good that was in his sufferings. Indeed, as for those that see no good in them, that finde nothing but trouble and vexation, no marvel though their hearts fret and revile again; but where a gracious heart findes sweetness and good in suffering, surely there need not be that fretting and vexation of spirit in them as in others. And why should we vex and fret, when we suffer any thing for God? it must be upon one of these two grounds; either because of the evil that we do endure, or the evil of those from whom we do endure. The evil that we do endure cannot cause fretting, because it is turned to such great riches. But you will say, The suffering ⟨p. 459⟩it self I do not care for, but the base malicious hearts of those from whom I suffer, that troubles me.
