A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

2 But I come now to a second inference; which is this: From what has been said, we may learn what the spirit of true Christians ⟨p. 246⟩is, viz. a spirit of suffering. Seeing God has so ordered it in his providence, that his church should for so long a time, for the greater part of so many ages, be in a suffering state, yea, and often in a state of such extreme suffering, we may conclude, that the spirit of the true church is a suffering spirit, otherwise God never would have ordered so much suffering for the church; for doubtless God accommodates the state and circumstances of the church to the spirit that he has given them. We see by what has been said, how many and great sufferings the Christian church for the most part has been under for these 1700 years: no wonder therefore that Christ so much inculcated upon his disciples, that it was necessary, that if any would be his disciples▪ 'They must deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow him.'

2 But I come now to a second inference; which is this: From what has been said, we may learn what the spirit of true Christians ⟨p. 246⟩is, viz. a spirit of suffering. Seeing God has so ordered it in his providence, that his church should for so long a time, for the greater part of so many ages, be in a suffering state, yea, and often in a state of such extream suffering, we may conclude, that the spirit of the true church is a suffering spirit, otherwise God never would have ordered so much suffering for the church; for doubtless God accommodates the state and circumstances of the church to the spirit that he has given them. We see by what has been said, how many and great sufferings the Christian church for the most part has been under for these 1700 years: no wonder therefore that Christ so much inculcated upon his disciples, that it was necessary, that if any would be his disciples▪ 'They must deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow him.'