Preached SERMON LXXVIII. on All faints day. The encouragement to fuffer for CHRIST; and the danger of denying him.. LXXVIII. 2 TIM. II. 11, 12. It is a faithful faying; for if we be dead with him, we fball alfo live with him: if we fuffer, we fall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. I' SERM.TN the beginning of this chapter, St. Paul encourageth Timothy to continue ftedfaft in the profeffion of the gofpel, notwithstanding the fufferings which attended it; ver. 1. "Thou therefore my fon, be ftrong in the grace which is in CHRIST "JESUS;" and ver. 3. "Thou therefore endure "hardship, as a good foldier of JESUS CHRIST." And to animate him in his refolution, he quotes a saying, which it seems was well known and firmly believed among Chriftians; a faying on the one hand full of encouragement to thofe who with patience and conftancy fuffered for their religion; and on the other hand, full of terror to thofe who for fear of fuffering denied it. "It is a faithful faying." This is a preface used by this apostle, to introduce fome remarkable fentence, of more than ordinary weight and concernment; 1 Tim, i. 15." This is a faithful faying, and wor"thy of all acceptation, that CHRIST JESUS came. 3 "" into "is to come. LXXVIII. "into the world to fave finners ;" and chap. iv. 8, 9. SERM. "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having a "promise of the life that now is, and of that which This is a faithful faying, and wor"thy of all acceptation." Titus. iii. 8. "This is "a faithful faying, and these things I will that thou "affirm conftantly, that they which have believed "in GoD, might be careful to maintain good works." And here in the text, the fame preface is ufed to fignify the importance of the faying he was about to mention; "it is a faithful faying; if we be dead "with him, we fhall alfo live with him: if we fuf"fer, we fhall alfo reign with him: if we deny him, "he alfo will deny us." The first two fentences are matter of encouragement to those who fuffer with CHRIST, and for him, and are the very fame in fenfe. "If we be dead with "him," that is, if we lay down our lives for the testimony of the truth, as he did, "we fhall alfo live with him," that is, we fhall in like manner be made partakers of immortality, as he is: " if we fuffer" or endure as he did, "we fhall alfo reign with him" in glory. The other sentence is matter of terror to those who deny him and his truth. "If we deny him, he also "will deny us;" to which is fubjoined another faying much to the fame fenfe; " if we believe not," εi άis, if we be unfaithful; " yet he remaineth "faithful, he cannot deny himself;" that is, he will be as good as his word, and make good that folemn threatning which he hath denounced against thofe, who fhall for fear of fuffering deny him, and his truth. The words being thus explained, I fhall begin with the first part of this remarkable saying; "if we "be dead with him, we fhall alfo live with him: if SERM." we fuffer, we fhall alfo reign with him." This, it LXXVIII. seems, was a noted faying among Chriftians; and whether they had it by tradition of our SAVIOUr, 66 .. power of his refurrection, and the fellowship of his "fufferings, being made conformable unto his death: "if by any means I might attain unto the refurrec❝tion of the dead. 1 Pet. iv. 12, 13. "Beloved, "think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, "which is to try you, as though fome ftrange thing “happened unto you; but rejoice, inafmuch as ye "are partakers of CHRIST'S fufferings; that when "his glory fhall be revealed, ye may be glad alfo "with exceeding joy." You fee that the fenfe of this faying was in frequent ufe among the apoftles, as a powerful argument to encourage Chriftians to conftancy in their religion, religion, notwithstanding the dangers and fufferings SERM. which attended it. "This is a faithful faying: if we be dead with him, we fhall alfo live with him: "if we fuffer, we shall also reign with him.” And the force of this argument will beft appear; by taking into confideration these two things; I. What virtue there is in a firm belief and perfuafion of a bleffed immortality in another world, to fupport and bear up mens fpirits under the greatest fufferings for righteoufnefs fake; and even to animate them, if GOD shall call them to it, to lay down their lives for their religion. II. How it may be made out to be reasonable, for men to embrace and voluntarily to submit to present and grievous fufferings, in hopes of a future happinefs and reward; concerning which we have not, nor perhaps are capable of having, the fame degree of certainty and affurance which we have of the evils and fufferings of this prefent life. I. What virtue there is in a firm belief and perfuafion of a bleffed immortality in another world, to fupport and bear up mens fpirits, under the greatest fufferings for righteoufnefs fake and even to animate them, if GOD fhall call them to it, to lay down their lives for their religion. If men do firmly believe that they shall change this temporal and miferable life for an endless state of happiness and glory, and that they shall meet with a reward of their fufferings infinitely beyond the proportion of them, both in the weight and duration of it; this must needs turn the scales on that fide, on which there is the greatest weight: and there is a fufficient ground for a firm belief of this. For if any thing can certainly be concluded from the providence of GOD, this may, that good men fhall be happy LXXVIII. LXXVIII. SERM. happy one time or other: and because they are very often great fufferers in this life; that there is another state remains for them after this life, wherein they fhall meet with a full reward of all their fufferings for righteousness fake. But befides the reasonableness of this, from the confideration of God's providence, we have now a clear and express revelation of it; "life and im"mortality being brought to light by the gospel." This St. John tells us is the great promise of the gofpel, 1 John ii. 25." This is the promise which he "hath promifed us; even eternal life." And this promife, our SAVIOUR moft exprefly makes to those who fuffer for him, Matt. v. 10, 11, 12. "Bleffed are they which are perfecuted for righteousness "fake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed "are ye, when men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falfly "for my fake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : for "great is your reward in heaven." Mark x. 29, 30. "Verily I fay unto you, there is no man that hath " left house, or brethren, or fifters, or father, or "mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my "fake and the gofpel's; but he fhall receive an "hundred fold now in this time, with perfecutions," (that is, fo far as a state of perfecution would admit) "and in the world to come eternal life." And if fuch a perfuafion be firmly fixed in our minds; the faith of another world, and the affured hope of eternal life and happiness, must needs have a mighty force and efficacy upon the minds of fober and confiderate men; because there is no proportion between fuffering for a little while, and being unspeakably and eternally happy. So St. Paul tells us he calculated the matter, Rom. viii. 18. “I reckon " (fays |