SERM. ings. Matth. 10, 11, 12. " Blefssed are they," says CCXVI. our SAVIOUR, which are perfecuted for righteouf"ness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and per" secute you, and shall say all manner of evil againft you falfly for my fake. Rejoice, and be exceeding "glad: for great is your reward in heaven." Great fufferings for God in this world do entitle us, by virtue of this gracious promise of our Lord, to a glorious reward in the other. So likewise St. James exhorts Christians to rejoice in their fufferings, Jam. 1. 2. 66 my brethren, account it all joy when ye fall " into divers trials." And chap. v. 11. " behold," fays he, "we count them happy which endure." And St. Peter, to the fame purpose, I Pet. iv. 14. " If ye " be perfecuted for righteousness fake, happy are ye." So folid a comfort to men under all the troubles and afflictions of this world, is that firm afsurance which the chriftian religion gives us of a future happiness, as to bring even the greatest miseries which in this life we are liable to, in fome sense, under the notion of bleffedness. And this was not only fine talk, like the glorious brags of the Stoicks; but the primitive Chriftians, in infinite examples, gave the real proof and evidence of it, in their conftant and chearful behaviour under the most cruel and intolerable torments. Non magna loquimur, fed vivimus, says Tertul. in the name of the Chriftians. "We do not talk great things, but do "them; and demonstrate the real effect of our words " and profession in our lives and actions." Never did the arguments fetched from another world, and the affurance of a blessed immortality, difplay their force and virtue more, than in the joyful fufferings of the first Christians, and their generous contempt of all i all that was dear to them in this world, " in hope ofS ÉRM. " that eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath CCXVI. "promised;" and which the Son of God hath enfured to them, by his refurrection from the dead. II. The christian religion promiseth to every fincere Christian the inward assistance, and support, and comfort of God's holy Spirit, to bear up the weakness of human nature under it's heaviest pressures of fears or fufferings. And this is peculiar to the christian religion; for though the providence of God did take particular care of good men in all ages, and he did always, in fome good measure, assist them to do their duty, and afford comfort and fupport to them under great trials and fufferings, yet God never made so express and general a promise of this to all good men, as he hath done by the chriftian religion. Never was so conftant a prefence and influence of the divine Spirit vouchsafed and assured to men under any dispensation, as that of the gospel, wherein the Spirit of GOD is promised to all that fincerely embrace the chriftian religion, to reside and dwell in them, not only to all the purposes of sanctification and holiness, but to fupport and comfort under all troubles and fufferings; for which reason the gospel is called "the " ministration of the Spirit," and is upon this account faid to be "more glorious" than any other revelation which Gon had ever made to mankind. And therefore this is said to be essential to every Christian, to have the Spirit of GOD dwell in him. Rom. viii. 9, 10. speaking of all true Christians, "ye are," faith St. Paul, "not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if fo be " that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any " man have not the Spirit of CHRIST, he is none of "his." So that every fincere Christian is "made " partaker of the promise of the Spirit through faith;" that 13 SERM.that is, by his belief of the chriftian religion, he is unCCXVI. der the immediate conduct and influence of God'S holy Spirit, and hath this blessed guide and comforter always present with him, nay continually dwelling and refiding in him, if we do not grieve, and quench, and drive him away from us by our ill treatment of him, and resistance of his blessed motions. And this promife of the Spirit, our Saviour had a very particular respect to, when he prescribes faith in himself as a special remedy against that trouble which possessed their minds, upon the apprehenfion of his departure from them; and therefore he tells them so often, that when he was gone from them, he would fend them " another comforter" or advocate, who should undertake their caufe, and would stand by them in their greatest troubles and temptations. He tells them, that he himself would be an advocate for them in heaven: but because that was at a great distance, and might not be so sensible a comfort to them, he promifeth to fend them another advocate, that should be present with them here on earth, and upon all occafions undertake their patronage and defence. So that all things confidered, he affures them there was so little reason to be troubled at his departure from them, that they had cause rather to be glad of it, because it would turn to their great advantage; and instead of the benefit of his outward teaching and prefence, they should have the inward prefence and teaching of his Spirit, and the continual aids and supports of his grace. “I go my way," says he, John xvi. 5, 6, 7. "I go my way to him that fent me, and none of you afk"eth me, whither goest thou ? but because I have "faid these things unto you, forrow hath filled your "heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is ex"pedient for you that I go away for if I go not a“way, "way, the Comforter will not come unto you: butSERM. " if I depart, I will fend him unto you." And fo the CCXVI. evangelist tells us before, chap. vii. 39. that " the "Spirit was not to be given, till JESUS was first glo" rified." "This," says he, " spake he of the Spirit, "which they that believed on him should receive : " for the holy Ghost was not yet given, because JE"sus was not yet glorified;" plainly declaring, that according to the wife dispensation of God, it was so ordered, that the sending of the holy Ghost for the propagating of the gospel, by those miraculous powers which were to be conferred upon the first publishers of it, and for the supporting and comforting of Christians under the sharp trials and fufferings to which they were to be exposed, was the fruit of CHRIST's ascension into heaven, and his fitting at the right-hand of the Majesty on high, and the first boon which he should obtain of his Father, by the virtue and power of his intercession. " I will pray the "Father, says he, ver. 16. of this chap. " and he " shall fend you another advocate, the Spirit of truth, " and he shall abide with you for ever. He shall "fend you another Comforter;" so our translation renders the word παρακλής : but it most properly signifies an advocate or patron, that undertakes our defence and pleads our cause for us. And this the holy Ghost, in a most eminent and remarkable manner, was to the apostles and first Christians, when they were called to answer for themselves before kings and governors. They were generally men of low condition and mean breeding, easily dasht out of countenance before great men; and therefore our SAVIOUR promised that the holy Ghost should be their advocate, and should prompt and assist them in the pleading of their cause. Matth. x. 18, 19. "Ye shall be " brought 14 SERM. "brought before governors and kings, for my fake: CCXVI. " but when they deliver you up, take no thought, how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given " you in that same hour what ye shall speak; for it " is not you that speak; but the Spirit of your Fa"ther which speaketh in you." Or, as it is in St. Luke, chap. xii. ver. 12. "The holy Ghost shall " teach you in the fame hour, what ye ought to say." And yet more fully, chap. xxi. ver. 12, 14, 15. where fpeaking again of " their being brought before kings " and rulers for his name's fake," he gives them this charge, "fettle it therefore in your hearts, not to me "ditate before what ye shall answer; for I will give " you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversa"ries shall not be able to gainsay, or refift." And this promise we find remarkably made good to St. Stephen, Acts vi, 10. of whom it is there faid, that "his enemies were not able to refift the wisdom " and the spirit by which he spake." And to St. Paul likewife, when he was first called to answer for himself at Rome, as he himself tells Timothy, 2 Tim. iv. 16, 17. "At my first answer no man stood with "me; but all men forfook me: notwithstanding the "LORD stood with me and strengthened me." And though this was extraordinary, yet all Christians have, by virtue of this promise, the ordinary assistance and comfort of God's holy Spirit in all their troubles and afflictions. By this Spirit we may in all our distresses with confidence make our addresses to Gon, "having access by one Spirit to the Father," as St. Paul speaks, Eph. ii. 18. By the fame Spirit we are affifted in our prayers, and directed many times what to afk of GOD, fuitable to the condition which his providence designs to bring us into; which feems to be the apostle's meaning, Rom, viii. 26, " like |