CCXVI. SERM. ings. Matth. 10, 11, 12. "Bleffed are they," fays our SAVIOUR, which are perfecuted for righteouf"nefs fake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Bleffed are ye when men fhall revile you, and per“secute you, and shall fay all manner of evil against 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 promife of our LORD, to a glorious reward in the other. So likewife St. James exhorts Christians to rejoice in their fufferings, Jam. i. 2. "my brethren, account it all joy when ye fall "into divers trials." And chap. v. 1. "behold,” fays he, "we count them happy which endure." And St. Peter, to the fame purpose, 1 Pet. iv. 14. "If ye "be perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake, happy are ye.” So folid a comfort to men under all the troubles and afflictions of this world, is that firm affurance which the chriftian religion gives us of a future happiness, as to bring even the greatest miferies which in this life we are liable to, in fome fenfe, under the notion of bleffednefs. And this was not only fine talk, like the glorious brags of the Stoicks; but the primitive Christians, in infinite examples, gave the real proof and evidence of it, in their conftant and chearful behaviour under the moft cruel and intolerable torments. Non magna loquimur, fed vivimus, fays Tertul. in the name of the Chriftians. "We do not talk great things, but do "them; and demonftrate the real effect of our words "and profeffion in our lives and actions." Never did the arguments fetched from another world, and the affurance of a bleffed immortality, difplay their force and virtue more, than in the joyful fufferings of the first Chriftians, and their generous contempt of all all that was dear to them in this world," in hope ofS ÉR M. 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 chriftian religion promifeth to every fincere Christian the inward affiftance, and fupport, and comfort of God's holy Spirit, to bear up the weaknefs of human nature under it's heaviest preffures of fears or fufferings. And this is peculiar to the chriftian 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, affift them to do their duty, and afford comfort and fupport to them under great trials and fufferings; yet GOD never made fo exprefs and general a promife of this to all good men, as he hath done by the chriftian religion. Never was fo conftant a prefence and influence of the divine Spirit vouchfafed and affured to men under any difpenfation, as that of the gospel, wherein the Spirit of God is promised to all that fincerely embrace the chriftian religion, to refide and dwell in them, not only to all the purposes of fanctification and holiness, but to fupport and comfort under all troubles and fufferings; for which reafon the gofpel is called "the "miniftration of the Spirit," and is upon this account faid to be "more glorious" than any other revelation which God had ever made to mankind. And therefore this is faid to be effential to every Christian, to have the Spirit of GOD dwell in him. Rom. viii. 9, 10. fpeaking of all true Chriftians, "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 Chriftian is "made "partaker of the promife of the Spirit through faith;" I 3 that CCXVI. SER M. that is, by his belief of the chriftian religion, he is un,der the immediate conduct and influence of God's holy Spirit, and hath this bleffed guide and comforter always prefent 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 refiftance of his bleffed motions. And this promife of the Spirit, our SAVIOUR had a very particular refpect to, when he prefcribes faith in himself as a special remedy against that trouble which poffeffed their minds, upon the apprehension of his departure from them; and therefore he tells them fo often, that when he was gone from them, he would fend them another comforter" or advocate, who fhould undertake their caufe, and would stand by them in their greatest troubles and temptations. He tells them, that he himfelf would be an advocate for them in heaven but because that was at a great distance, and might not be fo fenfible a comfort to them, he promifeth to fend them another advocate, that should be prefent with them here on earth, and upon all occafions undertal:e their patronage and defence. So that all things confidered, he affures them there was fo little reafon to be troubled at his departure from them, that they had caufe rather to be glad of it, because it would turn to their great advantage; and inftead 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 fupports of his grace. “I "go my way," fays he, John xvi. 5, 6, 7. "I go "my way to him that fent me, and none of you ask"eth me, whither goeft thou? but because I have faid these things unto you, forrow hath filled your "heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not a 66 way, CCXVI. way, the Comforter will not come unto you: but S ER M. "if I depart, I will fend him unto you." And fo the, evangelift tells us before, chap. vii. 39. that "the Spirit was not to be given, till JESUS was firft glo"rified." "This," fays he, "fpake he of the Spirit, "which they that believed on him fhould receive: "for the holy Ghost was not yet given, because JE"sus was not yet glorified;" plainly declaring, that according to the wife difpenfation of GOD, it was fo ordered, that the fending of the holy Ghost for the propagating of the gospel, by thofe miraculous powers which were to be conferred upon the first publishers of it, and for the fupporting and comforting of Christians under the fharp trials and fufferings to which they were to be expofed, was the fruit of CHRIST'S afcenfion into heaven, and his fitting at the right-hand of the Majefty on high, and the first boon which he should obtain of his Father, by the virtue and power of his interceffion. "I will pray the "Father, fays he, ver. 16. of this chap. " and he "shall send you another advocate, the Spirit of truth, "and he fhall abide with you for ever. He fhall "fend you another Comforter;" fo our tranflation renders the word waganλn: but it most properly fignifies an advocate or patron, that undertakes our ⚫ defence and pleads our caufe for us. And this the holy Ghoft, in a moft eminent and remarkable manner, was to the apostles and firft Chriftians, when they were called to answer for themselves before kings and governors. They were generally men of low condition and mean breeding, easily dafht out of countenance before great men; and therefore our SAVIOUR promised that the holy Ghost should be their advocate, and should prompt and affift them in the pleading of their cause. Matth. x. 18, 19. "Ye fhall be SERM. " brought before governors and kings, for my fake: CCXVI. "but when they deliver you up, take no thought, how or what ye fhall speak; for it shall be given "you in that fame hour what ye fhall 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 fay." 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 fhall anfwer; for I will give • you a mouth and wifdom, which all your adverfa"ries fhall not be able to gainfay, or resist." 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 firft called to answer for himself at Rome, as he himself tells Timothy, 2 Tim. iv. 16, 17." At my first answer no man ftood with "me; but all men forfook me: notwithstanding the LORD ftood with me and ftrengthened me." And though this was extraordinary, yet all Chriftians have, by virtue of this promife, the ordinary affiftance and comfort of God's holy Spirit in all their troubles and afflictions. By this Spirit we may in all our diftreffes with confidence make our addreffes to GOD, "having accefs by one Spirit to the Father," as St. Paul fpeaks, 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 defigns to bring us into; which feems to be the apostle's meaning, Rom. viii. 26, "like |