[SERM. generous Temper, he will reward all fuch Kindneffes fo much the more, when he is in a Condition to do it, and comes to his Kingdom. Now to apply this to the present Cafe, we must remember, that the Suffering we now fpeak of is for Chrift's fake, as we are told at the preceding Verfe; Bleffed are ye when Men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and shall fay all manner of Évil against you fally for my fake, Mat. v. 11. In which Description of the Service we may fee a plain Foundation laid for the Greatness of the Reward. For, 1. In the Service there is Suffering, which is a much higher Degree of Service than Acting: Many have the Courage to act for a Perfon, who have not the Courage to fuffer for him. 2. In the Service there is not one Act, or one fort of Suffering only mentioned, but a great Vatiety thereof; Reviling, perfecuting, and all manner of evil Speaking, and these not from one, but many: When Men fhall revile you, and perfecute you. 3. In the Service, the Innocency of the Sufferer is taken Notice of; the Revilings and evil Speakings are faid to be false, and the other Sufferings not to be for their own evil Deeds and Demerits, but purely upon Chrift's Account, for my fake. This is the noble Confideration, which gives a Value to all the reft; and, indeed, putting all these together, it amounts to an high Degree of Chriftian Virtue, confequently of Reward in Heaven. For if it is highly equitable, that whoever acts in any good Cause upon Earth, should be rewarded in Heaven, then much more he that fuffers in a good Caufe. If it is reasonable that the smallest Suffering in a good Cause should be rewarded, even the daily Acts of Self-denial

every

and

and bearing the Crofs; much more the greater Sufferings in Honour, Eftate, and Life. If the Sufferings of a Man, in other refpects no very good Man, would yet be valued, and rewarded, much more the Sufferings of a good Man, who fuffers purely on a good Account. Lastly, If fuffering for one's Prince in his low and unfortunate Circumstances, would be reckon'd highly meritorious, fo that the Prince, when he comes to his Kingdom, would reckon himself obliged generously to recompence it; how much more Thall our fuffering for a perfecuted, crucified Chrift, be highly rewarded by him in his heavenly Kingdom? Efpecially if we confider, that all this arguing from the Example of earthly Princes, holds à fortiori in this Cafe of suffering for Chrift. For a Man may do, or fuffer several Things in the Service of an earthly Prince, and yet that Prince (who fees and hears by other Men's Eyes and Ears) may know nothing of it. Other People may run away with the Praise and Reward of the good Action, when the Prince himself, through Mifreprefentation, mistakes the true Author. Sometimes there are so many Perfons who have merited well of an earthly Prince, that it is not really in his Power to reward them all, even when he comes to his Kingdom; and frequently good Services are forgotten, for want of a due Measure of Gratitude and Generofity in Princes themselves, their Thoughts being taken up with a Multitude of other Cares and Concerns: And if none of thefe happens to be the Cafe, the Prince, for whom the Service was perform'd, may be taken off by Death, before he has rewarded it, and there may happen to fucceed another Pharaoh

[SERM. Pharaoh that knew not Jofeph, who, instead of proving a Friend to the Person who merited of his Predeceffor, may prove his mortal Enemy. So that the Pfalmift might very well fay, Put not your Truft in Princes, nor in the Son of Man, in whom there is no Help; his Breath goeth forth, he returneth to his Earth; in that very Day his Thoughts perish, Pfal. cxlvi. 3. But there is no Fear of any of these Disappointments to them who do any Service, or undergo any Suffering for Chrift: For, 1. There is no Service, tho' ever fo fecret, can efcape his Eye and Knowledge; And he that feeth it in fecret will reward it openly, Mat. vi. 4.. Nor, 2. Is there any want of Places, Rewards, or Preferments, fuited to every one's good Actions and Sufferings, in the Court of Heaven; Chrift is not a poor Prince, who has but one Bleffing, or a few Places in his Gift; In bis Father's Houfe are many Manfions, John xiv. 2. (that is, good Places and Settlements,) and he is gone to prepare a Place for all his faithful Servants: And as he is gone, he will come again, and receive them to himself, that where he is, they may be alfo. Nor, 3. Is there any Fear that faithful Services will be either overlook'd by him, or forgot and pafs'd by without their due Reward. For, as the Apostle fays, God is not unrighteous to forget our Work and Labour of Love, which we hew toward his Name, Heb. vi. 10. Generofity is fo infinitely perfect in God beyond what it is in Men, that there is really no Comparison; there is not the very least Service can be performed to Chrift, not fo much as the giving a Cup of cold Water to any that belongs to him, or upon his Account, that shall not meet with a due Recom

pence

pence of Reward. Nor, Laftly, Is there any Fear that he, to whom our Services are performed, can ever fail by Death; for, as the Apostle tells us, He is able to fave to the uttermost them that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make Interceffion for them, Heb. vii. 25. So that it is very plain, I think, that the Confideration of the Perfon, on whofe Account we fuffer, is one great Ground of the Reward, the ample Reward promised to them who fuffer for Chrift's fake.

2. But, Secondly, If we confider the Act itself of fuffering for Chrift, we may obferve feveral Things in it which will account for a particular high Reward in Glory to fuch Sufferers, the Act of fuffering for Chrift being the most noble and heroick Act of Chriftian Virtue; and confequently fuch Sufferers being the true Chriftian Heroes upon Earth, and therefore entitled to a proportionable high Degree of Glory in Heaven. For Proof of which, I defire to offer briefly the following Confiderations:

1. This fuffering for Chrift is the highest Expreffion of our Faith in him, and Faith, we know, is the Root from which all other Chriftian Virtues proceed; fo that he who has a firm and unfhaken Faith, has all other Virtues in the Seed: He believes the Gofpel, and there is no doubt all other Virtues and Graces will naturally flow from that Belief. Not but that Suffering may proceed from Vain-glory and other By-ends, but we speak here of thofe Sufferings which are for Chrift's fake, as my Text obferves; and of them it may be certainly affirmed, that they are the genuine Fruits of a lively Faith. The Apostle St. Paul obferves the fame of the ancient Martyrs and

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[SERM. Confeffors of the Old Teftament, Who were tortured, not accepting Deliverance, that they might obtain a better Refurrection, that they all obtained a good Report through Faith, Heb. xi. 39. For, if Faith be, as the Apostle there faith, the Subftance of Things hoped for, and the Evidence of Things not feen, certainly they who quit all, even Life itself, upon the Hope of unfeen Blessings, muft be ftrongly rooted and grounded in Faith.

2. The patient fuffering of Perfecution for Chrift, is a Proof and Teftimony of our greatest Love to him; our Saviour himfelf inftances in this, as the highest Expreffion of Love a Man can have for his Friends, if he is willing to lay down his Life for them. Greater Love hath no Man than this, faith he, that a Man lay down his Life for his Friends, John xv. 13. And if fo, how can we exprefs greater Love to Chrift, than by fuffering for him, even to Death?

3. Our Saviour obferves, that it is an Inftance of the greatest Patience and Self-denial; for after he had, in the 16th Chapter of St. Matthew, fhewed his Disciples the Neceffity of Self-denial, If any Man will come after me, let him deny himfelf, and take up his Cross, and follow me; he adds immediately, For whosoever will fave his Life fhall lofe it, and whosoever will lofe his Life for my fake, fhall find it, Mat. xvi. 24.

4. It is a Sign of the greatest Courage and Refolution, to look the greatest Dangers in the Face, and not to be scared by them from our Duty to Christ. What can be more brave and heroick than that Courage of St. Paul's? Acts xx. 23,24. The Holy Ghoft, faith he, witnesseth in every City, faying, that Bonds and Afflictions abide me; but

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