Persecution of the Church (1)

Some may say, 'How does it appear that Christ is King of the church? We see how the church is trampled on these days. Where is the life and glory of the church? What! The church is his spouse, and thus used! What! His turtle, and thus polluted and plucked by the birds of prey!'
I answer, look with the eye of faith, and then you will see a spring in the winter of the church. The church is now abased and eclipsed, yet she will be justified; and it will be known that Christ does regard his church and people and children more than all the world besides.
It was fit there be a time of Christ's abasement or how else should he have suffered? The world would never have been able to crucify God. Therefore, he was abased; he veiled his Godhead under his manhood, under a base condition, to pass through suffering. So it must be in the body of Christ. It must pass through the veil of infirmities, of weakness, affliction, and disgrace. How else should she be conformable to Christ? If Christ had justified himself at all times in his humiliation, he could not have suffered; if we should be justified now and appear to all the world who we are, who would persecute us? Therefore let us quietly and meekly for a while endure these things, knowing this, that as he was justified by little and little, until he was perfectly justified when he was raised from the dead, so we will be perfectly justified and freed from all accusations at the last day, when by the same Spirit that raised him we will be raised up too.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
The Fountain Opened, Works, vol. 5, pp. 491
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