lefs, afterward, it yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness, unto them which are exercised thereby. a Humble your felves therefore under the mighty Hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. In your Patience poffefs ye your Souls: knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience, and Patience Experience, and Experience Hope. Wherefore, gird up the Loins of your Mind, be fober, and hope to the end. And let them that fuffer, according to the Will of God, commit the keeping of their Souls to him, in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. Let not your Heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. If thou faint in the Day of Adverfity, thy Strength is small. d Caft not away your Confidence; but take joyfully the spoiling of your Goods, knowing in your felves, that ye have in Heaven a better, and an enduring Substance. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Bleffed be the Name of the Lord. What? fhall we receive Good at the Hand of God, and fhall we not receive Evil? f Altho' the Fig-tree fhall not bloffom, neither fhall Fruit be in the Vines, the Labour of the Olive fhall fail, and the Fields fhall yield no Meat, the Flocks fhall be cut off from the Fold, and there fhall be no Herd in the Stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation. a Ye Chall not cut your felves for the dead. b Sorrow not for them which are asleep, even as others, which have no Hope; for if we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again; even fo them alfo, which fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him. Fret not thy felf because of evil Doers, neither be thou envious against the Workers of Iniquity: For there fhall be no Reward to the evil Man: the Candle of the wicked shall be put out. d Count it all Joy, when ye fall into divers Temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your Faith worketh Patience. But let Patience have her perfect Work, that ye may be perfect, and entire, wanting nothing. с e Bleffed is the Man that endureth Temptation: For, when he is tried, he fhall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. f Let none of you fuffer as a Murderer, or as a Thief, or as an evil Doer, or as a bufy Body in other Mens Matters. But, if any of you be an Offender, or have committed any thing worthy of Death, let him not refufe to die. If ye fuffer for Righteousness fake, happy are ye: For it is better, if the Will of God be fo, that ye fuffer for well doing than for evil doing. This is thank-worthy, if a Man, for Confcience towards God, endure Grief, fuffer a Deut. 14. I. Prov. 24. 20. 1 Pet. 4. 15. 1 Pet, 2. 19, 20 b I Theff. 4. 13, 14. c Pf. 37. I. Jam. 1. 12. 8 1 Pet. 3. 14, 17. ing wrong: For what Glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your Faults, ye fhall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and fuffer for it, ye take it patiently; this is acceptable with God. a Be thou Partaker of the Afflictions of the Gospel. bIf any Man fuffer as a Chriftian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. c Bleffed are ye, when Men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and fhall fay all manner of evil against you, falfly, for the fake of Chrift. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, that ye were counted worthy to fuffer Shame for his Name; for great is your Reward in Heaven. d If ye be reproached for the Name of Chrift, happy are ye; for the Spirit of Glory, and of God, refteth upon you: on their part, who reproach you, he is evil spoken of; but on your part he is glorified. e Fear none of thofe things which thou shalt fuffer; but be thou faithful unto Death, and Chrift will give thee a Crown of Life. For if we fuffer, we fhall alfo reign with him: f Let no Man be moved with thefe Afflitions; for your felves know, that we are appointed thereunto: yea, and all that will live godly in Jefus Chrift, fhall fuffer Perfecution. a Let your Patience, and Faith, appear in all your Perfecutions, and Tribulations, that ye endure; that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which ye alfo fuffer: feeing it is a righteous thing with God, to recompenfe Tribulation to them that trouble you ; and to you, who are troubled, Reft. b Take the Prophets, who have spoken in the Name of the Lord, for an Example of fuffering Affliction, and of Patience. c Ye have heard of the Patience of Job, and have feen the End of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender Mercy. d Confider him that endured fuch Contradiction of Sinners, against himself, left ye be wearied, and faint in your Minds. And, look unto Jefus, the Author, and Finisher of our Faith; who, for the Joy that was fet before him, endured the Crofs, defpifing the Shame, and is fet down at the right Hand of the Throne of God: For, Chrift fuffered for us, leaving us an Example, that we should follow his Steps; who did no Sin, neither was Guile found in his Mouth. e It is good for a Man that he bear the Yoke in his Youth. f Bleffed is the Man whom thou chafteneft, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy Law; that thou mayest give him Reft from the Days of Adverfity. a The Lord humbleth thee, and proveth thee, to know what is in thine Heart; whether thou love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul; and, whether thou wilt keep his Commandments, or no. b Thou shalt alfo confider, in thine Heart, that as a Man chafteneth his Son, fo the Lord thy God chafteneth thee; that he may humble thee, and prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end. When the righteous are holden in Cords of Affliction, then God fheweth them their Work, and their Tranfgreffions that they have exceeded: He openeth, alfo, their Ear to Difcipline, and commandeth that they return from Iniquity. d When the Judgments of the Lord are in the Earth, the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness and in their Affliction they will feek him early. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy Statutes, O Lord; For before I was afflicted, I went aftray; but now I have kept thy Word. f Wherefore doth a living Man complain, a Man for the Punishment of his Sins? Surely it is meet to be faid unto God, I have born Cha ftifement, I will not offend any more: I will bear the Indignation of the Lord, because I have finned against him. a Deut. 8 2. Deut. 13. 3. Deut. 8. 2. 3, 16. e с Job 36. 7, 8, 9, 10. Pf. 119. 71, 67. Mic. 7. 9. Deut. 8. dlf. 26. 9. Hol, 5.15. Lam. 3. 39. Job 34. 31. |