43. Godly Persecuted

Godly Persecuted

FRUITLESS BANISHMENT.—In the days of severe persecution in England, a judge said to an old saint: “I will banish you to America.” “Very well,” said she. “You cannot send me out of my Father’s country.”

BUNYAN’S INDICTMENT.—The bill of indictment preferred against John Bunyan contained this: “John Bunyan hath devilishly abstained from coming to church to hear divine service, and is a common upholder of several unlawful meetings.” He was convicted and imprisoned for twelve years. But had he never spent twelve years in prison, “The Pilgrim’s Progress” would perhaps never have enriched the world.

PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION.—There were ten persecutions in the first hundred years of the church, during which hundreds of thousands of Christians were destroyed, and the enemies often thought they had crushed out the Christ doctrine. Vet the Stone from the mountain, so often smitten, is spread today more generally on earth than ever. Those in authority ordered the death of Christians on every hand. But the more they were persecuted the more they multiplied. The more that were slain, the more there seemed to be left for slaughter. Indeed, the martyrs pressed to the cruel judgment-seat and asked to be permitted to die for Christ. Various torments were invented. Saints were dragged at the heels of wild horses; the persecutors laid them upon red-hot gridirons; they pulled off the skin from their flesh piece by piece; they were sawn asunder; they were wrapped up in skins and daubed with pitch and set in Nero’s gardens at night to burn; they were left to die and decay in dungeons; they were made a spectacle to all men in the amphitheater; bears hugged them to death; lions tore them to pieces; wild bulls gored them with their horns, and yet Christianity spread.

SUCH HONOR HAVE NOT ALL.—One who was persecuted in Queen Mary’s time wrote thus: “A prisoner for Christ! What is this for a poor worm? Such honor have not all His saints. Both the degrees which I took in the university have not set me so high as the honor of becoming a prisoner of the Lord.” Even persecutions enrich the children of God, for it enables them to rejoice in being counted worthy to suffer for Christ.

PERSECUTION A BENEFIT.—As frankincense, when it is put into the fire, gives the best perfume; as spice, if pounded and beaten, smells the sweetest; as the earth, when torn up by the plow, becomes more fruitful; as rose leaves give the finest odor after hard pressure, and the grapevine yields best after cutting, so the children of God are improved by persecution.

FIFTY MILLION MARTYRS.—It has been said that fifty millions of Protestants have been put to death by the power of Rome. What an army! What rivers of blood have been shed! If their bodies were piled in one heap, it would be larger than any mountain in the world.

MEETING PERSECUTION.—The best way to meet persecution and slander is by a calm, unruffled deportment. A Christian can not afford to spend his precious time in stoning every dog that barks at him, nor in throwing back the clubs that are maliciously hurled at him. God and the Christian’s own life and testimony will eventually vindicate him if he is in the right. There is such a thing as living down and shining down slander and false reports before honest and discerning people.