and Miracles, and feeing your Simplicity, Sincerity, and Innocence, may either embrace the Truth, or be left without excufe. 19. Now when Men fhall thus bring you before the Magiftrates to be judged, be not folicitous to meditate what ye fhall fay in your Defence, or in what manner ye fhall apologize for your felves to the best advantage: For your Works and Doarine fhall be their own Vindication; and God, who by his peculiar Providence fupplies you with all other Things that are necessary or convenient, will also at that Time provide for your Defence. 20. So that it shall not be fo much you your felves that shall plead your own Caufe, as the Spirit of God that shall plead for you. 21. Only expect, that the Perfecution which fhall be raised againft you for preaching the Gofpel, will be very great and unnatu 21 And the brother fhall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child and the chil dren fhall rise up a ral. For the Purity and Holiness of your Doctrine being utterly inconfiftent with the Covetoufnefs, and contrary to the Paffions and Lufts of Men, will provoke Men incorrigibly enslaved to these Vices, to break through all the Bonds not only of Virtue and Humanity, but even of Relation and Natural Affection, to perfecute and deftroy you: So that even Fathers and Sons and Brethren fhall kill one another, in fiercenefs against the Truth. 22. Nay, and the generality of Men will become your Enemies; the whole Stream of the World will run against you and discourage you. But he that notwithstanding all this Oppofition fhall persevere in his Faith and his Obedience to the End, and shall not be moved by these Difficulties and Perfecutions to forfake his Religion and Integrity fo long as he lives; fhall receive the Reward of everlafting Life. 23. Ne 23. Nevertheless, though ye ought to bear Perfecuti ons cheerfully, and never to be overcome by them, when the Providence of God brings them unavoidably upon you; yet, if ye have Opportunity, when ye are perfecuted in one City, ye may flee unto another. For affuredly I tell you, ye fhall not have preached through all the Cities of the Jews, before the Kingdom of Chrift fhall be gloriously manifefted in the final deftruction of that Nation. 24. And be not difcontented, that ye muft needs fuffer Perfecutions and Af. Aictions. For if I my self endure all manner of Reproaches, and Perfecutions, and Afflictions; you have no manner of reafon to expect or hope to escape better. The Difciple is not greater than his Master, nor the Servant above his Lord. 25. Ought not ye to be well fatisfied, if ye meet with no worse Treatment than I have done? If they have have called the mafter of the house Bemore fhall they call them of his hou elzebub, how much fhold? 26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, vealed; and hid,that that shall not be re fhall not be known. not fpared to call me Beel- 26. However, be not a- which you are to preach, is not fuch as that ye need through Fear to diffemble or conceal it. All things fhall in time be openly and publickly made known, and then your Innocence fhall be fully vindicated, and the goodness of your Cause fufficiently made to appear, 27. Whatever therefore I you in darkness, that tell you fecretly, do ye openfpeak ye in lightly declare; and what I teach you in private, that preach ye couragioufly in the most publick Places, and proclaim openly to all the World. 27 What I tell and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the house tops. 28 And fear not 28. And be not afraid of them which kill the Men, the utmoft Power of body, but are not able to kill the foul: but rather fear him which is able to deftroy both foul and body in hell. whose Malice can extend 107 above all things to obey the Will of God, who, if he be displeased, can destroy both Soul and Body in Hell. 29. If ye be conftant in your Obedience to God, his Providence will watch over you in a peculiar manner; and Men shall never be able to afflict you any farther, than He shall fee expedient either for your present Advantage or your future Happiness. There is not one of the fmalleft and meaneft Creatures upon Earth, that ever dies without the Providence and Disposal of God: How much less can ye perish, without his Knowledge and Permiffion? 30. Nay, fo far from that; there is not fo much as a Hair of your Head, or any the smallest thing about you, which is not taken notice of and obferved by Providence. 31. Be not therefore afraid what Men can do unto you. Ye are of much more worth than the other Creatures upon Earth: And 29 Are not two fparrows fold for a farthing? and one of them fhall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbred. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value then many sparrows. |