is, at us Jews, who were the ancient people of God, and have now embraced and entertained the revelation of the gospel) what shall the end be of them, that obey not the gospel of God? That is, (how much more feverely will God deal with the rest of the Jews who have crucified the Son of God, and ftill perfift in ther infidelity and difobedience to the Gofpel?) And if the righteous fcarcely be faved, where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear? (That is, if good men be faved with fo much difficulty, and muft through fo many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God, what will become of all ungodly and impenitent finners? where fhall they appear? how fhall they be able to ftand in the judgment of the great day?) From the confideration of all which, the Apoftle makes this inference or conclufion, in the last verfe of this chapter, wherefore, let them that fuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their fouls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Thus you fee the connexion and dependence of thefe words upon the Apostle's foregoing difcourse. I fhall explain the feveral expreffions in the text, and then handle, the main points contained in them.

The expreffions to be explained are thefe: What is meant by those that fuffer according to the will of God; what by committing the keeping of our fouls to God, as unto a faithful Creator; and what by welldoing.

First, What is meant by fuffering according to the will of God. This may be understood of fuffering in a good caufe, fuch as God will approve; but this is not fo probable, because this is mentioned afterwards in the following expreffions of committing the keeping of our fouls to God in well-doing; that is, in fuffering upon a good account: And therefore the plain and genuine fenfe of this expreffion feems to be this, that thofe who, according to the good pleafure of God's will, and the wife difpenfation of his providence, are appointed to fuffer for his caufe, fhould demean themselves fo and fo: let them that Suffer according to the will of God, that is, thofe whom God thinks fit to call to fuffering. And this agrees

very well with the like expreffion, chap. iii. of this epiftle, ver. 17. For it is better if the will of God be fo, (that is, if God hath fo appointed it, and think it fit) that ye fuffer for well-doing, than for evildoing.

Secondly, What is here meant by committing the keeping of our fouls to God, as to a faithful Creator. That is, to depofite our lives, and all that belongs to us, in a word, ourfelves, in the hands and cuftody of his merciful care and providence who made us, and therefore we may be fure will faithfully keep what we commit to him: For as we are his creatures, he is engaged to take care of us, and will not abandon the work of his own hands. Befides that he hath promifed to be more efpecially concerned for good men, to fupport them in their fufferings for a good caufe, and to reward them for it; and he is faithful that hath promifed.

And therefore there is great reafon and great encouragement, in all our fufferings for God's caufe and truth, to commit our fouls to his care and cuftody our fouls, that is (as I faid before) our lives, and all that belongs to us; in a word, ourselves: for fo the word foul is frequently used both in the Old and New Teftament; Pfal. vii. 5. Let the enemy perfecute my foul, and take it: that is, my life; for fo it follows in the next words; yea let him tread down my life upon the earth. And Pfal. liv. 3. Oppreffors feek after my foul. And Pfal. lix. 3. They ly in wait for my foul; that is, my life. And Pfal. xvi. 10. Thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, my foul, that is, myself; thou wilt not fuffer me to continue in the grave, and under the power of death, but wilt raife me up to life again. And fo likewife in the New Teftament, Mar. viii. 35. Whosoever will Jave his life fhall lose it; but whosoever shall lofe his life for my fake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. The fame word which is here rendered life, in the very next verfe is rendered foul: For what shail it profit a man; if he shall gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul? that is, his life. And fo likewise, John xii. 25. He that loveth his life, shall lose it :

and

and he that hateth his life in this world (in the original the word fignifies foul) he that hateth his life in this world (that is, who neglecteth and expofeth his life in this world, for the fake of Chrift) fhall keep it unto life eternal. And Luke ix. 25. that which the other Evangelift renders by the word foul, or life, he renders himself; for what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world and lofe himself? and fo here in the text, to commit the keeping of our fouls to God, is to commit ourselves to his care and providence.

Thirdly, What is here meant by committing ourfelves to him in well-doing: By well-doing is here meant, a fixed purpofe and refolution of doing our duty, notwithstanding all hazards and fufferings; which is called by St. Paul, Rom. ii. 7. a patient continuance in well-doing. It fignifies fometimes acts of goodness and charity; but in this epiftle it is taken in a larger fenfe, for conftancy and resolution in the doing of our duty; as chap. ii. 15. For fo is the will of God, that with well-doing (that is, by a refolute conftancy in a good courfe) ye may put to filence the ignorance of foolish men. And ver. 20. But if when ye do well, and fuffer for it; (that is, if when ye fuffer for well-doing,) ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. And chap. iii. ver. 6. As long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement ; that is, are refolute and conftant in doing your duty, notwithstanding all threatnings and terrors. And ver. 17. For it is better, if the will of God be fo, that ye fuffer for well-doing than for evil-doing; that is, for your religion and conftancy in fo good a caufe, as Chriftians, and not as crimíminals upon any other account.

So that the plain meaning of the words is, as if the Apostle had faid, wherefore being forewarned of fuffering and perfecution for the caufe of religion, the fum of my direction and advice upon the whole matter is this; that fince it is the will of God that ye fhould fuffer upon this account, commit yourfelves, in the constant difcharge of your duty, and a good

F 3

соп

confcience, to the particular care and providence of Almighty God, as your faithful Creator.

And now I come to handle the particular points contained in the words; and they are thefe three: First, That when men do fuffer really and truly for the cause of religion, they may with confidence commit themselves. (their lives, and all that is dear to them) to the particular and more especial care of. the divine providence.

Secondly, Always provided, that we do nothing contrary to our duty, and a good confcience for this the Apostle means, by committing ourselves to God, in well-doing. If we ftep out of the way of our duty, or do any thing contrary to it, God's providence will not be concerned for us, to bear us out in fuch fufferings.

Thirdly, I fhall confider what ground of comfort and encouragement the confideration of God, as a faithful Creator, affords to us in all our fufferings for a good caufe and a good confcience.

First, When men do fuffer really and truly for the caufe of religion, and God's truth, they may with confidence and good affurance commit themfelves (their lives and all that is fo dear to them) to the particular and more efpecial care of his providence. In the handling of this, I fhall confider thefe three things: I. When men may be faid to fuffer really and truly for the cause of religion; and when not.

II. How far they may rely upon the providence of God, to bear them out in thefe fufferings.

III. What ground and reafon there is to expect the more particular and efpecial care of God's providence, in cafe of fuch fufferings.

I. When men may be faid to fuffer really and truly for the caufe of religion, and God's truth ; and when not. In thefe cafes,

First, When men fuffer for not renouncing the true religion, and because they will not openly declare against it, and apoftatize from it. But it will be faid, that in all thefe cafes the question is, What is the true religion? To which I answer, that all difcourfes of this nature, about fuffering for religion,

do

do fuppofe the truth of fome religion or other. And among Chriftians, the truth of the Chriftian religion is taken for granted, wherever we fpeak of mens fuffering perfecution for it. And the plaineft cafe among Chriftians, is, when they are perfecuted, because they will not openly deny and renounce the Chriftian religion. And this was generally the cafe of the primitive Chriftians; they were threatened with tortures and death, because they would not renounce Jefus Chrift and his religion, and give demonftration thereof, by offering facrifices to the heathen Gods.

Secondly, Men do truly fuffer for the caufe of religion, when they are perfecuted, only for making an open profeffion of the Chriftian religion by joining in the affemblies of Chriftians for the worship of God; though they be not urged to deny and disclaim it, but only to conceal and diffemble the profeffion of it, fo as to forbear the maintenance and defence of it upon fitting occafions, against the objections of thofe who are adverfaries of it. For to conceal the profeffion of it, and to decline the defence of it, when juft occafion is offered, is to be ashamed of it, which our Saviour interprets to be a kind of denial of it, and is oppofed to the confeffing of him before men, Matth. x. 32. 33. Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will Ialfo confefs before my Father which is in heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I alfo deny before my Father which is in heaven. And this by St. Mark is expreffed by being afhamed of Chrift; that is, afraid and afhamed to make an open profeffion of him, and his religion; Mark viii. 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and finful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be aShamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy Angels.

And this likewife was the cafe of the primitive Chriftians under the moderate Emperors, when the perfecution of them was not fo hot, as to drive them to a denial of Chrift, provided they would be contented to conceal and diffemble their religion, in that cafe they did not hunt them out, nor perfecute

them