For unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ
For the sake of his Gospel, for the good of his interest, and the
glory of his name. The Alexandrian copy reads, "to us it is
given"
not only to believe in him;
for faith in Christ, which is not merely believing that he is the
Christ, and all that is said of him, or all that he himself says,
but is a seeing of the Son, a going to him, receiving, embracing,
leaning, relying, and living upon him, as God's salvation, is a
pure gift of grace; it is not in nature, nor in every man, and in
whom it is, it is not of themselves, it is the gift of God; the
first implantation of it, all its acts and exercise, its
increase, and the performance of it at last with power, are all
owing to the grace of God; and this is only given to the elect,
for it is a distinguishing gift; it is given to them, and them
alone, and, therefore called the faith of God's elect:
but also to suffer for his sake;
for the sake of Christ personal; for the sake of Christ mystical,
for his body's sake the church; for the sake of his Gospel, and
for the sake of his cause and interest in the world: now to
suffer in name and character, in estate or person, not as an
evildoer, but as a Christian, is a gift of God, as faith in
Christ is; all the sufferings of the saints are appointed by God;
their being called forth to suffer shame for the sake of Christ,
is an high honour conferred upon them; all the grace and strength
by which they are supported under sufferings for Christ are given
to them; and all the glory consequent upon them is not merited by
them, which are by no meant to be compared with it, but is the
free gift of God through Christ. The same persons to whom it is
given to believe in Christ, to them it is given to suffer for
him; and they all do in some shape or another, though some more,
others less; yet all are partakers of sufferings for Christ, and
so are conformed to him their head, and hereby enter the kingdom:
now all this is said, as containing so many reasons to encourage
believers to have their conversation as becomes the Gospel of
Christ, by a steady adherence to it, and a joint contention and
striving for it, without being intimidated by their enemies.