That they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also, and their brethren that should be killed, as they were, should be fulfilled.-Rev. vi. 10, 11.

SECT. IV. What are the Duties of the Saints; and how they ought to behave themselves under their Afflictions and Sufferings, both to

I.

ward God and Men.

FIRST. Toward God.

To see God in them, Afflictions being sent of him.

JOSEPH said to his brethren, It was not you that sent me hither, but God. -Gen. xlv. 5. 8. 1. 19, 20.

I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them, &c.Exod. xiv. 4. iv. 21.

When Israel wanted water in the desert, they did not regard God in it, but chid with Moses.-Numb. xx. 2,3. Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate.-Deut. ii. 30.

Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not amongst us? -Deut. xxxi. 17.

See now that I, even I am he, and there is no God with me: I kill and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.-Deut. xxxii. 39.

The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me; I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty.-Ruth i. 20, 21.

When Samuel had told Eli what the Lord would do against his house, he said, It is the Lord, &c.-1 Sam. iii. 18.

Shimei cursed David, &c. David said, So let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David; who shall then say, Wherefore? 2 Sam. xvi. 7—10.

Satan said, Put forth thine hand, &c. Job said, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken.-Job i. 11. 21. ii. 5. Affliction cometh not forth of the

dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground, &c. Despise not the chastening of the Lord: for he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, &c.-Job v. 6. 17, 18. ix. 12.

I will say unto God, &c. Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me? Job x. 2. xxx. 11.

God hath overthrown me, &c. he

hath fenced up my way, that I cannot pass, &c.-Job xix. 6—12. xiii, 26, 27. ̧ Lam. i. 12, &c. ii. 5, 6.

When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him ?-Job xxxiv. 29.

I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it, &c. when thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away, &c.-Ps. xxxix. 9. 11.

Thou hast cast us off and put us to shame, &c. thou hast given us up like sheep for meat.-Ps. xliv. 9, &c.

Thou who hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again.-Ps. lxxi. 20.

Thou turnest man to destruction. -Ps. xc. 3.

Their enemies, he turned their heart to hate his people, and to deal subtilely with his servants. Ps. cv. 24, 25.

I know, Lord, that thy judgments are right, and thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.-Ps. cxix. 75.

Despise not the chastening of the Lord, &c. ·Prov. iii. 11, 12. Heb. xii. 5, 6.

O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, &c. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, &c.-Isa. x. 5, 6.

I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.-Isa. xlv. 7.

I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies, &c.-Jer. xii. 7. Isa. xliii. 28.

I was wrath with my people: I have, &c. given them into thine hand. -Isa. xlvii. 6.

Thou hast cast me into the deep, &c. all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.-Jonah ii. 3.

The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, &c. Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.-Micah vi. 9.

In vain have I smitten your children, they have received no correction.-Jer. ii. 30.

When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord.-1 Cor. xi. 32.

Moses endured, as seeing him who is invisible.-Heb. xi. 27.

Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.-Heb. xii. 6, 7.

II. To submit to God with an entire

Resignation under Troubles.

When Jacob, for the preserving of life, was under the necessity of sending Benjamin into Egypt, he saith, If I be bereaved, I am, &c. · Gen. xliii. 14.

When God had slain Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, and Moses had told Aaron that God would be sanctified in all them that came nigh him, &c. Aaron held his peace.-Levit. x. 1-3.

If their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity; then will I remember my covenant.-Levit. xxvi. 41, 42.

Ye shall eat until it come out at your nostrils, and it shall be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord that is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? Numb. xi. 19, 20. Exod. xiv. 10-12. Do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee: deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.-Judges x. 15. When Samuel had told Eli all which God had threatened against Eli's house; Eli said, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. 1 Sam. iii. 14-18.

David said, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, &c. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee: behold, here am I, let him do to me as

seemeth good unto him.-2 Sam. xv. 25, 26.

Behold the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord, &c. Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken, &c.-2 Kings xx. 16-19.

When Job had received all the sad messages of his losses, he worshipped, mother's womb, and naked shall I reand said, Naked came I out of my turn thither the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not.-Job i. 19—21.

Then said his wife unto him, &c. Curse God and die. But he said unto her, &c. What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.Job ii. 9, 10.

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? Who, &c. How much less shall I answer him, and choose out of my words to reason with him, whom, thongh I were righteous, yet would I not answer?-Job ix. 3, 4. 13-15.32.

Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing he judgeth those that are high? one dieth in his full strength (or in the strength of his perfection), &c. and another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.-Job xxi. 22-25.

God is greater than man; why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters; for God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not, &c. -Job xxxiii. 12—15.

For he will not lay upon man more than is right, that he should enter into judgment with God, &c. Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: that which I see not,

teach thou me if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.-Job xxxiv. 23. 31, 32.

The Lord answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it. Then Job answered, &c. and said, Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth : once have I spoken, but I will not answer, &c.-Job xl. 1—5. xlii. 3-6. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it.-Ps. xxxix. 9.

My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction: for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth.-Prov. iii. 11, 12. Heb. xii. 5, 6.

Who would set the briars and thorns against me in battle? I would burn them together.-Isa. xxvii. 4.

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker: let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth: shall the clay say unto him that fashioneth it, What! &c.-Isa. xlv. 9. In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction. -Jer. ii. 30.

Cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.--Jer. xviii. 6.

Thou hast chastised me, &c. after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed, &c.-Jer. xxxi. 18, 19.

God tells his people in Babylon, that if they would abide there, he would build them, and not pull them down; but if they submitted not to their condition, but said, They would go down to Egypt where they might see no war, &c. Then judgments should follow them thither, and there they should die.-Jer. xlii. 10-17.

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth: he sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because, &c. He putteth his mouth in the dust,

if so be, there may be hope, &c. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?--Lam. iii. 27—29. 39.

I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him.-Micah vii. 9.

In your patience possess ye your souls.-Luke xxi. 19.

None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto me, so that, &c.-Acts xx. 24.

Tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, &c.-Rom. v. 3, 4. Patient in tribulation.-Rom.xii. 12. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed, &c.-1 Cor. x. 10, 11.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong.-2 Cor. xii. 10. 2 Tim. ii. 3.

I have learned, in whatsoever state am, therewith to be content. Phil. iv. 11.

I

Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, &c.-2 Tim. ii. 3.

We ourselves glory in you, in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions.2 Thess. i. 4.

Consider him that endured, &c. lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, &c. We have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, &c. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live for they, &c. chastened us after their pleasure; but He, for our profit. -Heb. xii. 3. 9, 10. James i. 12.

Submit yourselves therefore to God; resist the devil.--James iv. 7.

The husbandman waiteth, &c. Be ye also patient, establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord, &c.James v. 7, 8. 11.

If ye do well, and suffer for it, and take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.-1 Pet. ii. 20.

Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as

thy integrity? Curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh; what? &c. In all this did not Job sin with his lips.-Job ii. 9, 10.

All this is come upon us: yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. If we have forgotten the name of our God, &c.-Ps. xliv. 17-20.

The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law, &c. Many are my persecutors, and mine enemies: yet do I not decline from thy testimonies, &c. princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.-Ps. exix. 51. 157. 161. The Lord spake thus to me, with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people; saying, Say ye not, a confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy: neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary.-Isa. viii, 11-14. When Jeremiah had prophesied against Judah, then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes, and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, &c. Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes, and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house, &c. therefore now amend your ways, &c. But as for me, behold, I am in your hand; do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. -Jer. xxvi. 11-15.

Daniel (when a captive in Babylon) purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: and therefore he.

requested of the prince of the eunuchs, that he might not defile himself, &c. and desired pulse to eat, and water to drink.-Dan. i. 8-13.

When a strict law had been made by the king, that every one should fall down and worship the golden image he had set up, under pain of being cast into the fiery furnace; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to do it, and in the presence of the king, said, We are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, &c. and he will, &c. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.-Dan. iii. 13-18.

When a decree was passed, That whosoever should ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of the king, he should be cast into the lions' den; and Daniel knew that the writing was signed: he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, as he did aforetime.-Dan. vi. 7-10.

Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved, &c. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me, &c. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me, &c. He that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.-Matt. x. 22.3739. xvi. 24-26. xi. 6.

He heareth the word, and anon with joy received it: yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.-Matt. xiii. 20, 21.

When Christ was taken, his disciples fled: Peter denied him; but afterwards wept bitterly for his so doing.-Matt. xxvi. 56. 70. 72. 74, 75.

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation: