Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Again, they are employed in bringing credit to the Church of God; Gods people that suffer, are a great honour to the Church of God: whereas Apostates do disgrace the Church of God; those that stand out in the defence of the truth in suffering, make up that honour that the Church hath lost: these are great employments. A gracious heart accounts it as great riches to bring honour to the Church, as to have honour himself: of which before. It is a notable expression that Cyprian hath, to set out the honour the Church hath by such who suffer for the truth; O blessed Church, which in our times is made glorious, by the glorious blood of the Martyrs; it was white by the works of the brethren, now it is purple by the blood of Martyrs; there are neither Lilies nor Roses wanting in her flowers; white garlands from their works, and purple from their sufferings.

Again, they are imployed in bringing credit to the Church of God; Gods people that suffer, are a great honor to the Church of God: whereas Apostates do disgrace the Church of God; those that stand out in the defence of the truth in suffering, make up that honor that the Church hath lost: these are great employments. A gracious heart accounts it as great riches to bring honor to the Church, as to have honor himself: of which before. It is a notable expression that Cyprian hath, to set out the honor the Church hath by such who suffer for the truth; O blessed Church, which in our times is made glorious, by the glorious blood of the Martyrs; it was white by the works of the brethren, now it is purple by the blood of Martyrs; there are neither Lillies nor Roses wanting in her flowers; white garlands from their works, and purple from their sufferings.

Fourthly, they are riches of improvement: First, ⟨p. 449⟩grace is improved; grace is never so improved, as it is at that time when a soul suffers for Christ; ^*they most profit me, says Luther, who speak worst of me? as opposition of sin in the wicked improves their sin, so opposition of grace in the godly improves their grace: Lutherus pascitur convitiis, Luther made reproaches his food, he was nourished by them: virtutem intelligo animosam & excelsam quam incitat quicquid infestat, Sen. Ep. 72. Secondly, here is improved whatsoever Gods people do enjoy, that they are willing to lose; no such improvement of a mans credit or estate, as the loss of it for Christ: if we would devise how we should improve and lay out all our talents for God, we cannot lay them out better; we shall quickly gain from five to ten here: If men know how to improve their stocks to the utmost, they count the knowledge of that way, more then if a man had given them many hundred pounds: we come to improve all that we have in a glorious manner, when God calls unto suffering. Thirdly, by