5. To suffer for righteousnesse, is honourable, hauing a promise of present and future reward.

Further, wee ought carefully to meditate vpon a most great and weightie considera∣tion, in the matter which wee intreat of, specially in this point, that God beeing most iust, neuer afflicteth nor punisheth vs vniustly. For although wee ought alwayes to con∣fesse the same to bee true, thereby during our liues to humble and submit our selues vnder the corrections of our heauenly Father, and to giue him the honour that belongeth vnto him in all things: Neuerthelesse, he taketh not occasion necessarily for our sinnes to visite vs with tribulation; but oftentimes fauoureth his children so much, as that by his proui∣dence hee disposeth the cause and title of their afflictions to bee honourable, calling them persecutions and tribulations for righteousnesse, for the Gospell, for the name of Iesus Christ, and for the loue of God. Therefore such afflictions, to mooue vs continually to liue in the feare of God in Christ, (as Saint Paul saieth) are speciall giftes proceeding from * his bountie, and loue towards vs, as the Apostle also saith to the Phillippians: For vnto you it is giuen for Christ, that not onely you should beleeue in him, but also suffer for his sake. And our Lord saith, that they are blessed which suffer persecution for righteousnesse: for theirs is the kingdome of God. Then what can they lose, seeing that eternall in heritance belong∣eth Page  992 vnto them, and cannot bee taken from them? And what an incomprehensible ioy and consolation is it for vs to know, that our persecutions heere on earth, doe assure vs of heauen, and makes vs fit and disposed to attaine thereunto? Further, wee must note, that Iesus Christ promiseth all manner of blessings and temporall rewards in this life to those which suffer persecution for righteousnesse, saying; Whosoeuer shall forsake houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or landes for my Names sake, hee shall receiue an*hundred fold more, and shall inherite euerlasting life. For although these things doe not hap∣pen in the like nature, qualitie, and value of such goods and terrestriall commodities which wee forsake or lose, yet the contentment, quietnesse and ioy which the children of GOD feele, in what state soeuer they finde themselues to bee in the time of their tribulations and afflictions: for not consenting to euill, nor to that which is against the honor of God, are much more auaileable to them, then if they had then recouered a hundred fathers for one, or an hundred times as many humane ayds, and possessions of inheritance; for that in their soules they haue the assured testimonie of the prouidence of God which conducteth all things, and of his grace and blessings, with peace of conscience. As also that experience hath alwayes made the faithfull feele, (and that in their greatest neede and extremities) the trueth and effect of the aforesaid promise of temporall rewards, hauing found supplies in their wants, and many and oftentimes in greater aboundance, then they could by humane reason conceiue, and also by vnexpected meanes. As Saint Paul saith, That godlinesse is pro∣fitable vnto all things, which hath the promise of the life present, and of the life to come. And accor∣ding * to the sentence of the Lord: That if wee first seeke the kingdome of God, and his righteous∣nesse,*all other things shall bee ministred vnto vs. But alwayes neuerthelesse, wee must specially eleuate our mindes and cogitations to the last and principall part of the said Text in the Gospell, which promiseth vs eternal life. For although God, to shew that pouertie and other afflictions happen not vnto his children for want of power in himself, to giue them riches, and to deliuer them out of aduersitie, oftentimes disposeth of things in such manner, that after they haue sustained great losse of goods and treasures, they haue greater abundance, and more ease and reliefe in this life: and yet notwithstanding we must be perswaded and beleeue, that God will not haue vs to repose or settle our mindes vpon so weake and slender recompences, as to giue vs those goods and benefites, which are common to the wicked and infidels. For we reade, That the Apostles propoundeth vnto slaues, for their faithfull seruice, which they shall doe vnto their Masters, not the reward of terrestrial riches, but the * inheritance of heauen.

Therefore the children of God should doe themselues great wrong, from so powerfull, rich, and liberall a Father, to expect terrestriall benefits, for a testimony of his beneuolence: and fleshly commodities, which passe and slide away like water; for blessing proceeding from his paternall hands. Hee will not haue his children and seruants to make account of such friuolous things, neither that they should beleeue that therein consisteth any felici∣tie for them. A father which keepeth all his goods and possessions for his sonne, thinkes hee doeth very little for him, if hee should giue him the like Liuery that his seruants weare. And God will not recompence our bodies, for the seruice which our soules doe vnto him: but as hee is liberall and iust; so it pleaseth him to giue vnto the battailes and combates of the spirit, spirituall crownes, and will acknowledge our labours, not according to the base∣nesse of our hearts, but according to the dignitie of his greatnesse, because hee doeth not properly recompence our workes, but rather those which his Spirit worketh in vs. And who knoweth not the vanitie of all worldly things, and that a man cannot haue, nor re∣ceiue any contentment, but in celestiall things? For it is true, that the enioying of any earthly thing whatsoeuer, alwayes giueth a man a new and vaine desire, by this, or in this, to get or obtaine that: But the soule being of an immortall essence, can neuer be satisfied nor contented with that which is transitory and mortall.

The onely tranquilitie of the Spirit, and peace of Conscience, which acknow∣ledgeth from GOD the state of his condition, is the true blisse of man, his true ri∣ches, and whereof hee onely is worthy; that knowes how to despise all earthly things, and to bound all his desires in God, to say with Saint Augustine, Lord, if thou shoul∣dest * giue mee all that which thou hast created in the world, it would not suffice thy seruant, if thou giuest me not thy selfe. And againe, touching afflictions, Lord burne, and cut mee heere on earth, so thou wilt pardon me eternally: and so, he that suffereth * any great tribulation, ought like one that is verie sicke which desireth to be healed, to Page  993 put all his state into the hands of that most wise and Soueraigne Physician of our bodies and soules.