PERSECUTION
EVERY CHRISTIAN’S LOT
George Whitefield
2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes,
and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.”
When
our Lord was pleased to take upon himself the form of a servant, and to go
about preaching the kingdom of God; he took all
opportunities in public, and more especially in private, to caution his
disciples against seeking great things for themselves, and also to
forewarn them of the many distresses, afflictions and persecutions, which they
must expect to endure for his name’s sake. The great apostle Paul therefore,
the author of this epistle, in this, as in all other things, following the
steps of his blessed Master, takes particular
care, among other apostolical admonitions, to warn
young Timothy of the difficulties he must expect to meet with in the course of
his ministry: “This know also,
that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of
their ownselves, covetous, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that
are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of
God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn
away. For of this sort are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly
women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never
able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now, as Jannes
and Jambres (two of the Egyptian magicians) withstood
Moses (by working sham miracles) so do they also resist the truth; and
(notwithstanding they keep up the form of religion) are men of corrupt minds,
reprobate concerning the faith.” But, in order to keep him from sinking under their opposition,
he tells him, that though God, for wise ends, permitted these false teachers,
as he did the magicians, to oppose for some time, yet they should now proceed
no farther: “For their folly (says
he) shall be made manifest unto all
men, as theirs (the Magicians) when
they could not stand before Moses because of the boil; for the boil was upon
the also was,” Magicians,
as well as upon all the Egyptians. And then, to encourage Timothy yet the more,
he propounds to him his own example; “But thou hast
fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering,
charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at
Iconium, at Lystra; what
persecutions I endured; but out of them all the Lord delivered me.” And
then, lest Timothy might think that this was only the particular case of Paul,
says he, in the words of the text, “Yea, and all that
will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer
persecution.”
The
words, without considering them as they stand in relation to the context,
contain an important truth, that persecution is the common lot of every godly
man. This is a hard saying, How few can bear it? I
trust God, in the following discourse, will enable me
to make it good, by showing,
I. What it is to live godly in
Christ Jesus.
II. The different kinds of persecution to which they, who live godly, are
exposed.
III. Why it is, that godly men must expect to suffer persecution.
LASTLY, We shall apply the whole.
I. FIRST, Let us consider what it is to live godly in Christ Jesus.
This supposes, that we are made the righteousness of
God in Christ, that we are born again, and are one with Christ by a living
faith, and a vital union, even as Jesus Christ and the Father are One. Unless
we are thus converted, and transformed by the renewing of our minds, we cannot
properly be said to be in Christ, much less to live godly in him. To be in
Christ merely by baptism, and an outward profession, is not to be in Him in the
strict sense of the word: no; “They that are in Christ, are new creatures; old
things are passed away, and all things are become new” in their hearts. Their
life is hid with Christ in God; their souls daily feed on the invisible
realities of another world. To “live godly in Christ,” is to make the divine
will, and not our own, the sole principle of all our thoughts, words, and
actions; so that, “whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we do all to
the glory of God.” Those who live godly in Christ, may not so much be said to
live, as Christ to live in them: He is their Alpha and Omega, their first and
last, their beginning and end. They are led by his Spirit, as a child is led by
the hand of its father; and are willing to follow the Lamb withersoever
he leads them. They hear, know, and obey his voice. Their affections are set on
things above; their hopes are full of immortality; their citizenship is in
heaven. Being born again of God, they habitually live to, and daily walk with,
God. They are pure in heart; and, from a principle of faith in Christ, are holy
in all manner of conversation and godliness.
This
is to “live godly in Christ Jesus:” and hence we may easily learn, why so few
suffer persecution? Because, so few live godly in Christ
Jesus. You may live formally in Christ, you may attend on outward
duties; you may live morally in Christ, you may (as they term it) do no one an harm, and avoid persecution: but they “that will live
godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.”
2. SECONDLY, What is the meaning of the word
Persecution, and how many kinds there are of it, I come now to consider. The
word Persecution, is derived from a Greek word signifying to pursue, and
generally implies pursuing a person for the sake of his goodness, or God’s
good-will to him. The FIRST kind of it, is that of the
HEART. We have an early example of this in the wicked one Cain, who, because
the Lord had respect to Abel and his offering, and not to him and his offering,
was very wroth, his countenance fell, and at length he cruelly slew his envied
brother. Thus the Pharisees hated and persecuted our Lord long before they laid
hold on him: and our Lord mentions being inwardly hated of men, as one kind of
Persecution his disciples were to undergo. This heart-enmity (if I may so term
it) is the root of all other kinds of Persecution, and is, in some degree or
other, to be found in the soul of every unregenerated
man; and numbers are guilty of this persecution, who
never have it in their power to persecute any other way. Nay, numbers would
actually put in practice all other degrees of persecution, was not the name of Persecution become odious amongst mankind, and did
they not hereby run the hazard of losing their reputation. Alas! how many at the great day, whom we know not now, will be
convicted and condemned, that all their life harbored a secret evil-will
against
SECOND degree of Persecution is that of the tongue; “out of the
abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.” Many, I
suppose, think it no harm to shoot out arrows, even bitter words, against the
disciples of the Lord: they scatter their firebrands, arrows and death, saying,
“Are we not in sport?” But, however they may esteem it, in God’s account
evil-speaking is a high degree of Persecution. Thus Ishmael’s mocking Isaac, is
termed persecuting him. “Blessed are ye (says out Lord) when men shall revile
you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for
my name’s sake.” From whence we may gather, that reviling, and speaking all
manner of evil for Christ’s sake, is a high degree of persecution. For “a good
name, says the wise man) is better than precious ointment,” and, to many, is
dearer than life itself. It is a great breach of the sixth commandment, to
slander any one; but to speak evil of and slander the disciples of Christ,
merely because they are his disciples, must be highly provoking in the sight of
God; and such who are guilty of it (without repentance) will find that Jesus
Christ will call them to an account, and punish them for all their
ungodly and hard speeches in a lake of fire and brimstone. This shall be their
portion to drink.
The THIRD and LAST kind of Persecution, is that
which expresses itself in ACTIONS: as when wicked men separate the children of
God from their company; “Blessed are ye, (says our Lord) when they shall
separate you from their company:” or expose them to church-censures. “They
shall put you out of their synagogues;” threatening and prohibiting them from
making an open profession of his religion or worship; or interdicting ministers
for preaching his word, as the high-priests threatened the apostles, and
“forbad them any more to speak in the name of Jesus;” and Paul breathed out threatenings and slaughters against the disciples of the
Lord: or when they call them into courts; “You shall be called before
governors,” says our Lord: or when they fine, imprison, or punish them, by
confiscation of goods, cruel scourging, and, lastly, death itself. It would be
impossible to enumerate in what various shapes persecution has appeared. It is
a many-headed monster, cruel as the grave, insatiable as hell; and, what is worse, it generally appears under the cloak of religion.
But, cruel, insatiable, and horrid as it is, they that live godly in Christ Jesus, must expect to suffer and encounter with it in all
its forms.
This
is what we are to make good under our next general head. 3. THIRDLY, Why is it that godly men must expect to suffer
persecution? And,
FIRST, This appears from the whole tenor of our Lord’s doctrine.
We will begin with his divine sermon on the mount. “Blessed are they who are
persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” So
that, if our Lord spoke truth, we are not so blessed as to have an interest in
the kingdom of heaven, unless we are or have been persecuted for righteousness
sake. Nay, our Lord (it is remarkable) employs three verses in this beatitude,
and only one in each of the others; not only to show that it was a thing which
men (as men) are unwilling to believe, but also the necessary consequence of it
upon our being Christians. This is likewise evident from all those passages,
wherein our Lord informs us, that he came upon the earth, “not to send peace,
but a sword;” and that the father-inlaw should be
against the mother-in-law, and a man’s foes should be those of his own
household. Passages, which though confined by false prophets to the first, I am
persuaded will be verified by the experience of all true Christians in this,
and every age of the church. It would be endless to recount all the places,
wherein our Lord forewarns his disciples, that they should be called before
rulers, and thrust out of synagogues, nay, that the time would come, wherein
men should think they did God service to kill them. For this reason he so
frequently declared, that “unless a man forsake all that he had, and even hated
life itself, he could not be his disciple.” And therefore it is worthy our
observation, that in the remarkable passage, wherein our Lord makes such an
extensive promise to those who left all for him, he cautiously inserts
persecution. “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, there is no
man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or
wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel’s, but he shall receive
an hundred-fold now in this time; houses and brethren, and sisters and mothers,
and children and lands, with persecutions; (the word is in the plural number,
including all kinds of persecution) and in the world to come eternal life.” He
that hath ears to hear, let him hear what Christ says in all these
passages, and then confess, that all who will godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution.
As
this is proved from our Lord’s doctrine, so it is no less evident from his
life. Follow him from the manger to the cross, and see whether any persecution
was like that which the Son of God, the Lord of glory, underwent whilst here on
earth. How was he hated by wicked men? How often would that hatred have excited
them to lay hold of him, had it not been for fear of the people? How was he
reviled, counted and called a Blasphemer, a Wine-bibber, a Samaritan, nay, a
Devil, and, in one word, had all manner of evil spoken against him falsely?
What contradiction of sinners did he endure against himself? How did men
separate from his company, and were ashamed to walk with him openly? Insomuch
that he once said to his own disciples, “Will you also go away?” Again, How was
he stoned, thrust out of the synagogues, arraigned as a deceiver of the people,
a seditious and pestilent fellow, an enemy of Caesar, and as such scourged,
blind-folded, spit upon, and at length condemned, and nailed to an accursed
tree? Thus was the Master persecuted, thus did the Lord suffer; and the servant
is not above his Master, nor the disciple above his Lord: “If they have
persecuted me, they will also persecute you,” says the blessed Jesus. And
again, “Every man that is perfect (a true Christian) must be as his Master,” or
suffer as he did. For in all these things our Lord has set us an example, that
we should follow his steps: and therefore, far be it that any, who live godly
in Christ Jesus, should henceforward expect to escape suffering persecution.
But
farther: not only our Lord’s example, but the example of all the saints that
ever lived, evidently demonstrates the truth of the apostle’s assertion in the
text. How soon was Abel made a martyr for his
religion? How was Isaac mocked by the son of the bond-woman? And what a large
catalogue of suffering Old Testament saints, have we recorded in the 11th
chapter of the Hebrews! Read the Acts of the Apostles, and see how the first
Christians were threatened, stoned, imprisoned, scourged, and persecuted even
unto death. Examine Church History in after-ages, and you will find the murder
of the innocents by Herod, was but an earnest of the innocent blood which
should be shed for the sake of Jesus. Examine the experience of saints now
living on earth; and, if it were possible to consult the spirits of just men
made perfect, I am persuaded each would concur with the apostle in asserting,
that “all who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall
suffer persecution.”
How
can it be otherwise in the very nature of things? Ever since the fall, there
has been a irreconcilable enmity between the seed of
the woman and the seed of the serpent. Wicked men hat God, and therefore cannot
but hate those who are like him: they hate to be reformed, and therefore must hate
and persecute those, who, by a contrary behavior, testify of them, that their
deeds are evil. Besides, pride of heart leads men to persecute the servants of
Jesus Christ. If they commend them, they are afraid of being asked, Why do not you follow them? And therefore because they dare
not imitate, though they may sometimes be even forced to approve their way, yet
pride and envy make them turn persecutors. Hence it is, that as it was
formerly, so it is now, and so will it be to the end of time; “He that is born
after the flesh, (the natural man, does and) will persecute him that is born
after the Spirit,” the regenerate man. Because Christians are not of the world,
but Christ hath chosen them out of the world, therefore the world will hate
them. If it be objected against this doctrine, that we now live in a Christian
world, and therefore must not expect such persecution as formerly; I answer,
All are not Christians that are called so; and, till the heart is changed, the
enmity against God (which is the root of all persecution) remains: and
consequently Christians, falsely so called, will persecute as well as others. I
observed therefore, in the beginning of this discourse, that Paul mentions
those that had a form of religion, as persons of whom Timothy had need be
chiefly aware: for, as our Lord and his apostles were mostly persecuted by
their countrymen the Jews, so we must expect the like usage from the Formalists
of our own nation, the Pharisees, who seem to be religious. The most horrid and
barbarous persecutions have been carried on by those who have called themselves
Christians; witness the days of queen Mary; and the fines, banishments and
imprisonments of the children of God in the last century, and the bitter,
irreconcilable hatred that appears in thousands who call themselves Christians,
even in the present days wherein we live.
Persons,
who argue against persecution, are not sufficiently sensible of the bitter
enmity of the heart of every unregenerate man against God. For my own part, I
am so far from wondering that Christians are persecuted, that I wonder our
streets do not run with the blood of the saints: was mens
power equal to their wills, such a horrid spectacle would soon appear. But,
Persecution is necessary in respect to the godly themselves. If we have not all
manner of evil spoken of us, how can we know whether we seek only that honor which cometh from above? If we have no
persecutors, how can our passive graces be kept in
exercise? How can many Christian precepts be put into practice? How can we
love; pray for; and do good to; those who despitefully
use us? How can we overcome evil with good? In short, how can we know we love
God better than life itself? Paul was sensible of all this, and therefore so
positively and peremptorily asserts, that “all who live godly in Christ Jesus,
shall suffer persecution.”
Not
that I affirm, all are persecuted in a like degree.
No: this would be contrary both to scripture and experience. But though all
Christians are not really called to suffer every kind of persecution, yet all
Christians are liable thereto: and notwithstanding some may live in more
peaceful times of the church than others, yet all Christians, in all ages, will
find by their own experience, that, whether they act in a private or public capacity,
they must, in some degree or other, suffer persecution.
Here
then I would pause, and, LASTLY, by way of application, exhort all persons,
FIRST, To stand a while and examine themselves. For, by what has been
said, you may gather one mark, whereby you may judge whether you are Christians
or not. Were you ever persecuted for righteousness sake? If not, you
never yet lived godly in Christ our Lord. Whatever you may say to the contrary,
the inspired apostle, in the words of the text (the truth of which, I think, I
have sufficiently proved) positively asserts, that all who will live godly in
Him, shall suffer persecution. Not that all who are
persecuted are real Christians; for many sometimes suffer, and are persecuted,
on other accounts than for righteousness sake. The great question therefore is,
Whether you were ever persecuted for living godly? You
may boast of your great prudence and sagacity (and indeed these are excellent
things) and glory because you have not run such lengths, and made yourselves so
singular, and liable to such contempt, as some others have. But, alas! this is not a mark of your being of a Christian, but of a Laodicean spirit, neither how nor cold, and sit only to be
spewed out of the mouth of God. That which you call prudence,
is often, only cowardice, dreadful hypocrisy, pride of heart, which makes you
dread contempt, and afraid to give up your reputation for God. You are
ashamed of Christ and his gospel; and in all probability, was he to appear a
second time upon earth, in words, as well as works, you would deny him. Awake
therefore, all ye that live only formally in Christ Jesus, and no longer seek
that honor which cometh of man. I do not desire to court you, but I entreat you
to live godly, and fear not contempt for the sake of Jesus Christ. Beg of God
to give you his Holy Spirit, that you may see through,
and discover the latent hypocrisy of your hearts, and no longer deceive your
own souls. Remember you cannot reconcile two irreconcilable differences, God
and Mammon, the friendship of this world with the favor of God. Know you not
who hath told you, that “the friendship of this world is enmity with God?” If
therefore you are in friendship with the world, notwithstanding all your
specious pretenses to piety, you are at enmity with God: you are only
heart-hypocrites; and, “What is the hope of the hypocrite, when God shall take
away his soul?” Let the words of the text sound an alarm in your ears; O let
them sink deep into your hearts; “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus, shall suffer persecution.”
SECONDLY, From the words of the text, I
would take occasion to speak to those, who are about to list themselves under
the banner of Christ’s cross. What say you? Are you resolved to live godly
in Christ Jesus, notwithstanding the consequence will be, that you must suffer
persecution? You are beginning to build; but have you taken our Lord’s advice,
to “sit down first and count the cost?” Have you well weighed with yourselves
that weighty declaration, “He that loveth father or mother
more than Me, is not worthy of Me;” and again, “Unless
a man forsake all that he hath he cannot be my disciple?” Perhaps some of you
have great possessions; will not you go away sorrowful, if Christ should
require you to sell all that you have! Others of you again may be kinsmen, or
some way related, or under obligations, to the high-priests, or other great
personages, who may be persecuting the
THIRDLY, The text speaks to you that are
patiently suffering for the truth’s sake: “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad;
great shall be your reward in heaven.” For to you it is given, not only to
believe, but also to suffer, and perhaps remarkably too, for the sake of Jesus!
This is a mark of your discipleship, an evidence that
you do live godly in Christ Jesus. Fear not, therefore, neither be dismayed. O be not weary and
faint in your minds! Jesus, your Lord, your life, cometh, and his reward is
with him. Though all men forsake you, yet will not he:
no; the Spirit of Christ and of glory shall rest upon you. In patience therefore
possess your souls. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Be in nothing
terrified by your adversaries: on their part Christ is evil spoken of; on your
part his is glorified. Be not ashamed of your glory, since others can glory in
their shame. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, wherewith you are
or may be tried. The Devil rages, knowing that he hath but a short time to
reign. He or his emissaries have no more power than what is given them from
above: God sets them their bounds, which they cannot pass; and the very hairs
of your head are all numbered. Fear not; no one shall set upon you to hurt you,
without your heavenly Father’s knowledge. Do your earthly friends and parents
forsake you? Are you cast out of the synagogues? The Lord shall reveal himself
to you, as to the man that was born blind. Jesus Christ shall take you up. If
they carry you to prison, and load you with chains, so that the iron enter into
your souls, even there shall Chris send an angel from heaven to strengthen you,
and enable you, with Paul and Silas, to “sing praises at midnight.” Are you
threatened to be thrown into a den of lions, or cast into a burning fiery
furnace, because you will not bow down and worship the beast? Fear not; the
God, whom you serve, is able to deliver you: or, if he should suffer the flames
to devour your bodies, they would only serve, as so many fiery chariots, to
carry your souls to God. Thus it was with the martyrs of old; so that once,
when he was burning, cried out, “Come, you Papists, if you want a miracle,
here, behold one! This bed of flames is to me a bed of down.” Thus it was with
almost all that suffered in former times: for Jesus, notwithstanding he
withdrew his own divinity from himself, yet has always lifted up the light of
his countenance upon the souls of suffering saints. “Fear not therefore those
that can kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do; but fear
Him only, who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.” Dare, dare to
live godly in Christ Jesus, though you suffer all manner of persecution. But,
FOURTHLY, Are there any true ministers of
Jesus Christ here? You will not be offended if I tell you, that the words of
the text are, in an especial manner, applicable to you. Paul wrote them to
Timothy; and we, of all men, that live godly in Christ Jesus, must expect to
suffer the severest persecution. Satan will endeavor to bruise our heels, let
who will escape: and it has been the general way of God’s providence, in times
of persecution, to permit the shepherds first to be smitten, before the sheep are scattered. Let us not therefore show that we are
only hirelings, who care not for the sheep; but, like the great Shepherd and
Bishop of souls, let us readily lay down our lives for the sheep. Whilst others
are boasting of their great perferments, let us
rather glory in our great afflictions and persecutions for the sake of Christ.
Paul rejoiced that he suffered afflictions and persecutions at Iconium and Lystra: out of all,
the Lord delivered him; out of all, the Lord will deliver us, and cause us
hereafter to sit down with him on thrones, when he comes to judge the twelve
tribes of
I
could proceed; but I am conscious, in this part of my discourse, I ought more
particularly to speak to myself, knowing that Satan has desired to have me,
that he may sift me as wheat. Without a spirit of prophecy, we may easily
discern the signs of the times. Persecutions even at the doors: the tabernacle
of the Lord is already driven into the wilderness: the ark of the Lord is
fallen into the unhallowed hands of uncircumcised Philistines. They have long
since put us out of their synagogues, and high-priests have been calling on
civil magistrates to exert their authority against the disciples of the Lord.
Men in power have been breathing out threatenings: we
may easily guess what will follow, imprisonment and slaughter. The storm has
been gathering some time; it must break shortly. Perhaps it may fall on me
first.
Brethren
therefore, whether in the ministry or not, I beseech you, “pray for me,” that I
may never suffer justly, as an evil-doer, but only for righteousness sake. O
pray that I may not deny my Lord in any wise, but that I may joyfully follow
him, both to prison and to death, if he is pleased to call me to seal his truths
with my blood. Be not ashamed of Christ, or of his gospel, though I should
become a prisoner of the Lord. Though I am bound, the word of God will not be
bound: no; an open, an effectual door is opened for preaching the everlasting
gospel, and men or devils shall never be able to prevail against it. Only pray,
that, whether it be in life or death, Christ may be
glorified in me: then I shall rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
And
now, to whom shall I address myself next?
FIFTHLY, To those, who persecute their
neighbors for living godly in Christ Jesus. But, what shall I say to you? Howl
and weep for the miseries that shall come upon you; for a little while the Lord
permits you to ride over the heads of his people; but, by and by, death will
arrest you, judgment will find you, and Jesus Christ shall put a question to
you, which will strike you dumb, WHY PERSECUTED YOU ME? You may plead your laws
and your canons, and pretend what you do is out of zeal for God; but God shall
discover the cursed hypocrisy and serpentine enmity of your hearts, and give
you over to the tormentors. It is well, if in this life God does not send some
mark upon you. He pleaded the cause of Naboth, when
innocently condemned for blaspheming God and the king; and our Lord sent forth
his armies, and destroyed the city of those who killed the prophets, and stoned
them that were sent unto them. If you have a mind therefore to fill up the
measure of your iniquities, go on, persecute and despise the disciples of the
Lord: but know, “that for all these things, God shall bring you to judgment.”
Nay, those you now persecute, shall be in part your judges, and sit on the
right-hand of the Majesty on high, whilst you are dragged by infernal spirits
into a lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, and
the smoke of your torment shall be ascending up for ever and ever. Lay down
therefore, ye rebels, your arms against the most high
God, and no longer persecute those who live godly in Christ Jesus. The Lord
will plead, the Lord will avenge, their cause. You may be permitted to bruise
their heels, yet in the end they shall bruise your accursed heads. I speak not
this, as though I were afraid of you; for I know in whom I have believed: only
out of pure love I warn you, and because I know not but Jesus Christ may make
some of you vessels of mercy, and snatch you, even you persecutors, as
fire-brands out of the fire. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners,
even persecutors, the worst of sinners: his
righteousness is sufficient for them; his Spirit is able to purify and change
their hearts. He once converted Saul: may the same God magnify his power, in
converting all those who are causing the godly in Christ Jesus, as much as in
them lies, to suffer persecution! The Lord be with you
all. Amen.