wait for the Lord any longer?2 Kings vi. 14-16. 33. 2 Chron. xxxii. 7, 8.

In the great famine of Samaria, the great lord, who would not believe the plenty the prophet had foretold, was told by the prophet, that he should see it, but not eat thereof: and so it fell out unto him.—2 Kings vii. 1, 2. 17-20.

Though Judah were beset by Israel, yet Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.-2 Chron. xiii. 14. 18. Ezra viii. 21-23.

God was angry with Asa, for relying on the king of Syria, and not on the Lord his God.-2 Chron. xvi. 7.

Be not afraid, nor dismayed; for the battle is not yours, but God's, &c. Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you.-2 Chron. xx. 15-17.

To God I would commit my cause. -Job v. 8. Ps. ix. 10. x. 14. xi. 1.

I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined to me, and heard my cry: he brought me out of an horrible pit.-Ps. xl. 1, 2. lxii. 1, 2.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him.-Ps. xlii. 5. 11. xxxi. 24. xliii. 5.

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.-Ps. lv. 22.

The Lord is merciful, &c. he will not always chide, &c.-Ps. ciii. 8, 9. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. -Ps. cxxxviii. 7.

sity, thy strength is small.-Prov. xxiv. 10.

Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, &c. But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord. Ps. cxli. 7, 8. Job xiii. 15.

Despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction. Prov. iii. 11, 12. Heb. xii. 5, 6.

If thou faint in the day of adver

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, shall be safe,-Prov. xxix. 25.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, &c. marvel not at the matter; for he that is higher than the highest regardeth, &c.-Eccles. v. 8.

Take heed, and be quiet: fear not, neither be fainthearted, &c. because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, &c. It shall not stand.-Isa. vii. 3-7.

And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob; and I will look for him.— Isa. viii. 17.

It shall be said in that day, Lo, this our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us.—Isa. xxv. 9. xxvi. 8.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, &c. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself, &c. until the indignation be over.-Isa. xxvi. 3. 20.

The Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose; therefore have I cried concerning this: their strength is to sit still, &c. Thus saith the Lord, In returning and rest shall ye be saved: in quietness, and in confidence, shall be your strength, and ye would not.-Isa. xxx. 7. 15.

Fear not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God, &c. Isa. xli. 10. 13, 14. Gen. xv. 1. xxvi. 24.

Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, &c.-Isa. 1. 10, 11.

Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings, &c. I, even I, am he that comforteth you. Who art thou, that thou shouldest

be afraid of a man that shall die, &c. and forgettest the Lord thy Maker?Isa. li. 7. 12, 13. Matt. x. 28. 31.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not, &c. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Lam. iii. 22. 25, 26.

The three children being threatened, said, Our God, &c. will deliver us out of thy hand.-Dan. iii. 16, 17.

When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord.―Jonah ii. 7.

None upright among men, they all lie in wait to shed blood, &c. that they may do evil with both hands earnestly, &c. The son dishonoureth the father, &c. therefore I will look unto the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation.-Micah vii. 2-7.

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.-Nahum i. 7.

be made known unto God.-Phil. iv. 6.

We ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions.2 Thess. i. 4.

Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, &c. Who, when he suffered he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.-1 Pet. ii. 21. 23.

If ye suffer, &c. be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord, &c.-1 Pet. iii. 14, 15. Heb. xiii. 6. Rev. ii. 10. Wherefore; let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 1 Pet. iv. 19.

Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer, &c. let your requests

SECONDLY. The Duties of Believers, how they ought to behave toward Enemies and Persecutors, in a time of Persecution and Suffering from them.

I.

To be patient, quiet, and sober to

ward them: not revenge, or return Evil for Evil, or Reviling for Reviling; but forgive them. JOSEPH, instead of revenging upon his brethren their injury of him, spake kindly to his brethren, and said, Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life, &c. So now, it was not you that sent me hither, but God, &c.-Gen. xlv. 5-8. 1. 19—21.

Though Saul hunted for David's life, yet would not David avenge himself upon him.-1 Sam. xxiv. xxvi.

When Shimei cursed David, he bore it quietly, and would not avenge himself.-2 Sam. xvi. 7—11.

And afterward Abishai said to David, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed &c. David said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die.2 Sam. xix. 21-23.

Job quarrelled not with the in

He was oppressed, &c. yet he opened not his mouth, &c. as a sheep, &c. so he opened not his mouth.— Isa. liii. 7. Ps. xxxviii. 13, 14.

Jeremiah said, As for me, behold, I am in your hand, do with me as seemeth good, &c.—Jer. xxvi. 11. 14.

Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.-Matt. v. 38, 39.

If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.-Matt. vi. 14, 15.

When one of Christ's disciples drew his sword, &c. he bid him put it up, &c.-Matt. xxvi. 51, 52.

James and John said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them: and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy mens' lives, but to save them.-Luke ix. 53-56.

Being reviled, we bless, &c. being defamed, we intreat.-1 Cor. iv. 12, 13. See that none render evil for evil unto any man.--1 Thess. v. 15.

Recompense to no man evil for evil, &c. "Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.-Rom. xii. 17. 19. Deut. xxxii. 35.

So David, instead of rejoicing that Ishbosheth was slain, commanded his young men to kill those who slew him.-2 Sam. iv. 8-12.

When Israel had conquered Judah, the prophet commanded them to let the captives go, feed them, and clothe them, and not insult over them.2 Chron. xxviii. 9, &c.

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.-Job xxxi. 29, 30.

He that is glad at calamities, shall not be unpunished.—Prov. xvii. 5.

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be

feed him, &c. be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.— Rom. xii. 14. 20, 21.

Bless them which persecute you, &c. Therefore if thine enemy hunger,

Being reviled, we bless; being defamed, we intreat.-1 Cor. iv. 12, 13.

IV. To use lawful and honest means for avoiding and delivering themselves from Afflictions and Persecutions.-Matt. iv. 5-7.

When there was a famine in the land where Abraham was, he removed to Egypt.-Gen. xii. 10.

When Abraham had heard that Lot was taken, &c. he pursued the enemy, and rescued him.-Gen. xiv. 14, &c.

When Jacob heard of his brother Esau's coming against him, he was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, &c. and said, If Esau come to the one company and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape, &c. And he took of that which came to his hand, a present for his brother Esau, &c. for he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, &c.-Gen. xxxii. 6—8.13.20. xxxiii.3.8. 13, 14.

Joseph, in the dungeon, desired the king's cupbearer to speak to the king on his behalf.-Gen. xl. 14, &c.

Saul sought to smite David, &c. but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, &c. and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers unto David's house to watch him, and to slay him, &c. His wife let him down through a window, and he went and fled, and escaped.-1 Sam. xix. 10–12.

David consulted with Jonathan about his safety from Saul.-1 Sam. xx.

David consulted with Hushai, and directed him what to do in order to his defeating of the counsel of Ahithophel.-2 Sam. xv. 32—37.

Elijah being threatened by Jezebel, arose, and went for his life, &c.— 1 Kings xix. 2, 3.

Hezekiah laid figs to his sore, by the prophet's direction, and he recovered.-2 Kings xx. 7.

Sanballat, &c. conspired all of them

together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder the work nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. -Neh. iv. 7, 8.

Sanballat sent often to Nehemiah, to come unto him, but he refused: because he knew they thought to do him some mischief.—Neh. vi. 2—4.

Esther and Mordecai did many things to procure the Jew's escape. -Esth. viii. ix. Prov. xxiv. 11.

take, and give unto them for thee and me.-Matt. xvii. 24-27.

Though Christ was free, and ought not to be charged with tribute money; yet he said to Peter, Notwithstanding lest we should offend them, go, &c.

When Christ had raised the ruler's daughter from the dead, he commanded that something should be given her to eat.-Mark v. 41-43.

Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.-John vii. 1.

They took up stones to cast at him : but Jesus hid himself, and went out, &c. and so passed by.-John viii. 59.

From that day forth they took counsel together to put him to death: Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence into a country near the wilderness.-John xi. 53, 54.

The doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews.-John xx. 19.

When Saul persecuted the church at Jerusalem, the brethren were scattered abroad.--Acts viii. 1: 3, 4. xi. 19.

The Jews took counsel to kill Paul; but their laying await was known unto Saul, and they watched the gates day and night to kill him: then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket, &c. The Grecians went about to slay him; which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cæsarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.-Acts ix. 23-25. 29, 30. xix. 30, 31. xvii. 10. 14, 15. 2 Cor. xi. 32, 33.