victory over the world in all its forms. They are conquerors, and more than conquerors, through him that hath loved them. Once more,

9. The sufferings in the way of duty, are often, in the Bible, called temptations or trials, because by them God tries the sincerity of our character as Christians.-By placing such sufferings in our way, God tries whether we have a spirit to undergo suffering, and so tries our sincerity by suffering, as gold is tried by the fire, to know whether it is pure gold or not. And as by the fire the pure gold may be known from all baser metals, and from all imitations of it; so by observing whether we are willing to undergo trials and sufferings for Christ's sake, God sees whether we are indeed his people, or whether we are ready to forsake him and his service when any difficulty or danger is in the way. It seems to be with this view that the Apostle Peter says to those to whom he wrote, "Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honor, and

glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ," 1 Peter i. 6, 7. And again, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy," 1 Pet. iv. 12, 13. And so God by his prophet declares, “I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, the Lord is my God," Zechariah xiii. 9.

In the application of this subject, let it

1. Lead those who think themselves Christians, to examine themselves, whether or no they have the spirit to undergo all sufferings for Christ. It becomes all persons very strictly to examine themselves, whether they are of a suffering spirit or not, seeing such great importance is attached to such a spirit in the Scriptures. Though you never have had the trial of having such great and extreme sufferings laid in the way of your duty as many others have had, yet you have had enough, in

the course of God's providence, to show what your spirit is, and whether you are of a disposition to suffer, and to renounce your own comfort, and ease, and interest, rather than forsake Christ. It is God's manner in his providence, commonly, to exercise all professors of religion, and especially those that may live in times of trial, with trials of this sort, by laying such difficulties in their way as shall make manifest what their spirit is, and whether it be a spirit of self-renunciation or not. It is often the case with Christians who are exposed to persecutions, that if they will cleave to Christ, and be faithful to him, they must suffer in their good name, and in losing the good-will of others, or in their out- ward ease and convenience, being exposed to many troubles; or in their estates, being brought into difficulty as to their business; or must do many things that they are exceeding averse to, and that are even dreadful to them. Have you, when you have had such trials, found in yourself a spirit to bear all things that come upon you, rather than in anything be unfaithful to your great Lord and Redeemer? And you have the more need to examine yourselves with respect to this point,

for you know not but that before you die you may have such trial of persecutions as other Christians have had. Every true Christian has the spirit of a martyr. And if you have not the suffering spirit in the lesser trials or sufferings that God may have sent upon you, how will it be if he should expose you to bitter persecutions, such as the saints of old sometimes were called to endure? If you cannot bear trials in little things, how can you possess that charity which beareth all things? As the prophet says in another case, "If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" Jeremiah xii. 5. Our subject,

2. Exhorts all professors of religion, to cherish a ready spirit, for Christ's sake, to undergo all sufferings that may be in the way of duty. And here consider,

First, How happy those persons are represented in the Scriptures to be, who have a spirit to suffer, and do actually suffer for Christ.

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Blessed," says Christ, "are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is

the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven," Matt. v. 10, 12. And again, "Blessed are ye that hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy, for great is your reward in heaven," Luke vi. 21-23. And again, "Unto you it is given, in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake," Philippians i. 29. And again, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him,” James i. 12. And again, "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye," 1 Pet. iii. 14. And the New Testament is full of similar expressions, all of which may encourage us in the way of suffering for Christ. And consider, also,