Affliction for Christ sweet. Two cautions for any in persecution for conscience.
Secondly, it may have reference to some conference concerning affliction for his name’s sake, in which respect I desire to acknowledge the faithfulness of his word and promise, to be with his in six troubles and in seven, through fire and water, making good a hundred-fold with persecution to such of his servants as suffer aught for his names’-sake: and I have said and must say, and all God’s witnesses that have borne any pain or loss for Jesus must say, that fellowship with the Lord Jesus in his sufferings is sweeter than all the fellowship with sinners in all the profits, honours, and pleasures of this present evil world. And yet two things I desire to speak to all men and myself, Let every man prove his work, Gal. vi. 4., and then shall he have rejoicing in himself, and not in another. Secondly, if any man love God, that soul knows God, or rather is known of God, 1 Cor. viii. 3. Self-love may burn the body; but happy only he whose love alone to Christ constrains him to be like unto him, and suffer with him.
Mr. Smith godly, and a light to Mr. Cotton and others, though left to himself in some things. God’s infinite compassions toward those whose hearts are upright with him. The opinion of putting Uriah to death, the vilest of all opinions. As the weights of the sanctuary were double, so must there be double pondering in all the affairs of God’s worship.
To that which concerneth Mr. Smith, although I knew him not, and have heard of many points in which my conscience tells me it pleased the Lord to leave him to himself: yet I have also heard by some, whose testimony Mr. Cotton will not easily refuse, that he was a man fearing God.[245] And I am sure Mr. Cotton hath made some use of those principles and arguments on which Mr. Smith and others went, concerning the constitution of the Christian church.[246] The infinite compassions of God, which lay no sin to David’s charge but the sin of Uriah, 1 Kings xv. 5, have graciously comforted the souls of his on their death-bed, accepting and crowning their uprightness and faithfulness, and passing by what otherwise is grievous and offensive to him. And indeed from the due consideration of that instance, it appears that no sin is comparably so grievous in God’s David as a treacherous slaughter of the faithful, whom we are forced to call beloved in Christ. That opinion in Mr. Cotton, or any, is the most grievous to God or man, and not comparable to any that ever Mr. Smith could be charged with. It is true, the countenance and consolations of God are found in the ways of humility and truth, and Satan transformeth him like to an angel of light in a counterfeit of both: in which respect I desire to work out salvation with fear and trembling, and to do nothing in the affairs of God and his worship but (like the weights of the sanctuary) with double care, diligence, and consideration, above all the affairs of this vanishing life. And yet Christ’s consolations are so sweet, that the soul that tasteth them in truth, in suffering for any truth of his, will not easily part with them, though thousands are deceived and deluded with counterfeits.
CHAP. X.
Mr. Cotton. “Two stumbling blocks, I perceive, have turned you off from fellowship with us. First, the want of fit matter of our church. Secondly, disrespect of the separate churches in England under affliction, ourselves practising separation in peace.”
“For the first, you acknowledge, as you say with joy, that godly persons are the visible members of these churches; but yet you see not that godly persons are matter fitted to constitute a church, no more than trees or quarries are fit matter proportioned to the building. This exception seemeth to me to imply a contradiction to itself, for if the matter of the churches be as you say godly persons, they are not then as trees unfelled, and stones unhewn: godliness cutteth men down from the former root, and heweth them out of the pit of corrupt nature, and fitteth them for fellowship with Christ and with his people.”
“You object, first, a necessity lying upon godly men before they can be fit matter for church fellowship, to see, bewail, repent, and come out of the false churches, worship, ministry, government, according to scriptures, Isa. lxii. 11, 2 Cor. vi. 17; and this is to be done not by a local removal or contrary practice, but by a deliverance of the soul, understanding, will, judgment and affection.”
“Answer. First, we grant that it is not local removal from former pollution, nor contrary practice, that fitteth us for fellowship with Christ and his church; but that it is necessary also that we repent of such former pollutions wherewith we have been defiled and enthralled.”
“We grant further, that it is likewise necessary to church fellowship we should see and discern all such pollutions as do so far enthral us to anti-christ as to separate us from Christ. But this we profess unto you, that wherein we have reformed our practice, therein have we endeavoured unfeignedly to humble our souls for our former contrary walking. If any through hypocrisy are wanting herein, the hidden hypocrisy of some will not prejudice the sincerity and faithfulness of others, nor the church estate of all.”