Part 48 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 49 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Ecclesiastical histories tell us that all the apostles died violent deaths. Christ was crucified with his head upwards—but Peter thought this was too great an honor for him to be crucified as his Lord, and therefore he chose to be crucified with his heels upward. Andrew was crucified by Egeus, king of Odessa. James the son of Zebedee was slain by Herod with the sword, (Ac 12:2). Philip was crucified at Hierapolis in Asia. While Bartholomew was preaching the glad tidings of salvation, multitudes fell upon him and beat him down with staves, and then crucified him, and after all this, his skin was flayed off, and he beheaded. Thomas was slain with a lance at Calumina in India. Matthew was run through with a sword.James the son of Alpheus, who was called the Just, was thrown down from off a pinnacle of the temple, and yet having some life left in him, his head was bashed with a club.Lebbeus was slain by Agbarus, king of Edessa. Paul was beheaded at Rome under Nero. Simon the Canaanite was crucified in Egypt, say some, others say that he and Jude were slain in a tumult of the people. Matthias was stoned to death. John was banished into Patmos, (Rev 1:9), and afterwards, as some histories tell us, he was by that cruel tyrant Domitian cast into a large barrel of scalding lead, and yet delivered by a miracle. Thus all these precious servants of God, except John, died violent deaths, and so through sufferings entered into glory; they found in their own experience the truth of what Christ had foretold concerning their sufferings and persecutions.
When Mr. Bradford was told that his chain was being bought, and that he must be burnt, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "I thank God for it; I have looked forward to this a long time; it comes not to me suddenly—but as a thing waited for every day, yes, every hour in the day; the Lord make me worthy thereof." If upon God's warning you will but prepare for sufferings, you will never fear nor faint under sufferings, yes, then you will be able under the greatest persecutions to bear up bravely, and with holy Bradford bless the Lord that has called you to so high an honor as to count you worthy to suffer for his name. But,
3. I answer, That all the troubles, afflictions, and persecutions that do befall you for holiness' sake, shall never hurt you nor harm you, they shall never prejudice you, nor wrong you in your main and great concerns: Exodus 3:2, "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed." Here you have a bush, a dry bush, a bramble-bush all on fire, and yet not consumed. This burning bush was an excellent emblem of the church in the fire of tribulation and persecution. Though the church may seem to be all on fire by reason of afflictions and persecutions—yet it shall be preserved, it shall not be destroyed. God would not allow his anointed ones, his sanctified ones, so much as to be touched, hurt, or harmed by those who had malice enough in their hearts, and power enough in their hands, not only to hurt them—but even to destroy them. Sanctified people are sacred people, and those who touch them touch the apple of God's eye, and whoever shall be so bold to touch the apple of God's eye shall dearly smart for it.
It was no small affliction to have no settled habitation. To fly from place to place, from kingdom to kingdom, and from nation to nation, was certainly an afflicted condition. Doubtless many fears and frights, many hazards and dangers did attend them, when they considered that they were as lilies among the thorns, and as a few sheep among a multitude of wolves. In the land of Canaan there were seven mighty nations (Deu 7:1). Now for the people of God, who were so few in number, to sojourn and wander among these, could not but be very dangerous and perilous; and yet such was the love of God to them, and the care of God over them, that he allowed no man, whether he was high or low, honorable or base, rich or poor, civil or profane, to hurt or harm them.
Daniel 3:25, 27, "And the king answered and said, 'Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!' They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." Though these holy men were cast into a furnace, into a fiery furnace, into the midst of a hot fiery furnace—yet God will work a miracle, yes, a glorious miracle, rather than the fire shall in the least hurt or harm them. God gives a commission to the fire to burn those mighty men who made the fire, and who cast his children into the fire, and whom the king would have to be spared and saved; and he lays a law of restraint upon the fire, that it should not hurt nor harm them whom the king would have destroyed.
Those, whom the King of kings will not have hurt, shall not be hurt, let kings and princes do their worst; that fire which burnt their bonds had no power to burn, no nor to touch, their bodies. God would not allow the fire to singe a hair of their heads, nor to change the color of their coats, nor to leave so much as a smoky smell upon his people, that those heathen princes might see how tender he was of them, and how willing he was to put forth his almighty power rather than he would see them wronged or harmed.
Daniel 6:21-24, "Daniel answered, 'Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.' The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him because he had trusted in his God. Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den."
Holiness, innocency, and integrity will preserve a man even among lions. Daniel preferred the worship of his God before his life. He made no great reckoning of his life when it stood in competition with divine glory, and therefore, rather than Daniel shall be hurt, God will by a miracle preserve him, he will stop the mouths of the hungry lions, and he will tame their rage, and overmaster their cruelty, rather than a hair of Daniel's head shall perish. When Daniel was taken out of the den, there was no hurt, no wound, no sore, no bruise found upon him. Daniel was a harmless man, and God keeps him from harms in the midst of harms.
Acts 18:9, 10, "One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." Paul met with many trials and troubles, bonds and prisons, oppositions and persecutions, and yet none of all these hurt him—but God miraculously preserved him even to old age (Acts 20:23). All the troubles, afflictions, and persecutions which attend holiness, can never reach a Christian's soul, they can never diminish a Christian's treasure; they reach the shell—not the kernel; they reach the case—not the jewel; they reach the lumber—not the goods; they reach the barn—not the palace; they reach the ribbon in the hat—not the gold in the purse. The most fiery trials and persecutions can never deprive a Christian of the special presence of God, nor of the light of his countenance, nor of the testimony of a good conscience, nor of the joys of the Spirit, nor of the pardon of sin, nor of fellowship with Christ, nor of the exercise of grace, nor of the hopes of glory (Psalm 23:4; 2Co 1:8,9,12); and therefore certainly they can't hurt a Christian, they can't wrong a Christian in his greatest and chief concerns.
O Christian, let persecutors do their worst, they can't reach your soul, your God, your comfort, your crown, your paradise, &c.; and therefore let no man be kept off from pursuing after holiness because of afflictions or persecutions, seeing none of these can reach a Christian's great concernments. But,
4. I answer, That the condition of persecutors, of all conditions under heaven, is the most sad and deplorable condition; and this will appear by the consideration of these five things:
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Part 49 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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