Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are you, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you… First, to show the history how all the prophets, disciples, and the saints that have gone before have suffered great and hard things. Secondly, wherein the argument lies of rejoicing under persecution. Thirdly, what use we are to make of the persecution of the prophets. I could handle but the first. To proceed to the second: wherein lies the power of this argument? There is a fivefold strength in this argument, or rather five arguments in it. 1. The same spirit of wickedness that opposed them doth still prevail, and it is the same spirit of truth that is opposed. 2. Hence you may see that those that are dear and precious to God, that they may suffer hard things. 3. If so be God should deal with you otherwise than He did formerly with others, then it might discourage you; but they are no other things than His servants heretofore have suffered. 4. It is the way that God hath brought all His servants into heaven by. Why should you think that God will bring you in a better way than He did others? 5. That though the prophets have suffered such things, yet the truth of God prevails. (J. Burroughs.) Parallel Verses KJV: Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. |
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