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

Fifthly, let us labour to get this Christian magnanimity of spirit, namely, for to glory in all that we suffer for Christ: Heathens can be patient in sufferings, but Christians must go beyond them, and glory in their sufferings. You have been bold in suffering for sin, if you might have your mind and will: now if you may have your mind and will for Gods glory in suffering in a good way, why should you not suffer? Mark the expressions that we have of Job, Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families ¹terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door. O that one would hear me, behold my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book: let them say what they can against me, & write a book against me, Surely, I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me: Thus it should be with the people of God, they should take their reproaches as an ensign of honour: This indeed is truly in a spiritual sense to tread upon the Asp and the Adder, that when the Asp, and Adder, and the old Serpent does spit out her venomous poison, a gracious heart should tread upon them. There ²are three things that will put a spirit of suffering, and so a holy magnanimity into us: All the arguments in the world will not do it, unless we have a suffering spirit; and these three things will put a suffering spirit in us. First, if you had a full satisfaction of your own ⟨p. 469⟩spirits in the cause of God you maintain, and the ways of God, you walk from your own experience you have in them; if you take upon you the profession of Religion by the reports of others, and be carried by the example of others, that will not do it; but if in your own experiences you find that sweet and only satisfying content in the truths and ways of God, this will do it. It was a notable resolution of Luther, My purpose is not, says he, to maintain my life or name in respect what men say, or can say of me for my manners, but my purpose is to maintain the cause of God; let whosoever will tear my life and name in this regard: Propositum est mihi neque vitam neque mores tueri, sed solam causam; lacerent mores meos quicunque velint. Luth. ad Nicolaū Hansman.

Fifthly, let us labor to get this Christian magnanimity of spirit, namely, for to glory in all that we suffer for Christ: Heathens can be patient in sufferings, but Christians must go beyond them, and glory in their sufferings. You have been bold in suffering for sin, if you might have your minde and will: now if you may have your minde and will for Gods glory in suffering in a good way, why should you not suffer? Mark the expressions that we have of Job, Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families