tions, we should look upon him as something more than an enterprising adventurer. The discourses, however, of Jesus, are full of anticipatory warnings and precepts, which show that the whole map of the future proceedings of his disciples was laid as it were open to his view. And many of these presumed on consequences from the doctrines to be promulgated, some of which would not have seemed probable beforehand to human expectations, and others would not have been openly declared by an impostor, if they had been foreseen. I. One instance of this nature, was the PERSECUTION Which Jesus taught his disciples to expect. It was not, indeed, unnatural to anticipate that a nation, so bigoted as the Jews, should oppose the introduction of a religion which was to supersede their law; or that even the idolatrous Gentiles, however in many respects indifferent to matters of religion, should display an attachment to their superstitions when an attempt was made to shake them, m2! Mjesecution of - 3 the way of an munain he faith or 1. zur Master. It dis Amance with the sort of Eg, Terani Commonly be forced to ANNYA Dey who are perse- sha ya va vou, and persecute you, How are we when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man's sake"." "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household 4?" "If the world hate "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me, before it hated you." "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution." "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified "." It is clearly intimated in these passages, that the persecution of Christians should be for righteousness' sake: that the peculiar piety and strictness of life demanded of them by their faith in Jesus, and practised for his sake, should be generally disliked, and cast in their teeth as a reproach. And it is a certain fact, that this species of persecution has existed under the dis 3 Luke, vi. 22. 4 John, xv. 18. which their previous apathy had concealed. Therefore I should found no argument upon the prophecy, if it were merely written in general, "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel's, the same shall save it." Some such encouragement as this must be held out by every enthusiast; as it was by Mohammed, when he reserved extraordinary rewards for any proselyte who should fall in battle in defence of his faith. But the mode in which the persecution of Christians is spoken of, is not in the way of an ordinary command to maintain the faith or support the authority of their Master. It discovers an exact acquaintance with the sort of attack which they would commonly be forced to undergo. "Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.” "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake"." "Blessed are ye when men 1 Mark, viii. 35. 2 Matt. v. 10, 11. shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man's sake "." "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household 4?" "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me, before it hated you".' " All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution." "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified"." It is clearly intimated in these passages, that the persecution of Christians should be for righteousness' sake: that the peculiar piety and strictness of life demanded of them by their faith in Jesus, and practised for his sake, should be generally disliked, and cast in their teeth as a reproach. And it is a certain fact, that this species of persecution has existed under the dis 3 Luke, vi. 22. 4 John, xv. 18. |