for by reformation of our hearts and lives Luke 3. 5. Let every valley be silled and every mountain be brought low and the crooked be made straight the rough ways be made smooth let the low groveling worldling and filthy sensual fill up the Valley setting his affections on things above and every Proud and Ambitious person bring his thoughts low minding Gods glory not his own and every crooked cunning deceiver get a strait Spirit in simplicity and godly sincerity and every angry and revengful person make the rough ways smooth by endeavoring to obtain a Spirit of meeltness and kindness and then both feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and God will both receive and assist such in the conflict for his truth and glory And as Rom. 12. 1. They can confidently present their bodles a living holy Sacrifice acceptable to God which is their reasonable rational service whereas an unmortified person in whom brutish lusts do yet raign if he dyed in a good cause yet offered up a brutish unreasonable Sacrifice no way acceptable unto God Thirdly The Christian must take the sheild of Faith that is confidence in Gods promises of assistance and supports in the day of his Tryal Ephes 6. 16. He must be assured that Gods goodness and faithfulness will never suffer him to fail who flyes for refuge to his grace and mercy Thus saith David By this I know that thou favorest my righteous cause seeing mine enemy doth not Triumph over me and as for me thou preservest me in mine integrity Thus saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 1 8 9. Christ will confirm you unto the end and keep you blameless to the day of our Lord Jesus Christ or in the day of Christ that is emphatically the day of suffering for Christ and will confirm you unto the end The Christian Matron falling in Travel of Child-birth in the Prison cryed out in her strong pains and was thus assaulted by the Jaylor If saith he you cannot bear those pains without such outcrys how will you be able to bear the torments provided for you She answered These pains I suffer as the burden lay'd upon our Sex for the sin of our first Mother but in that conflict I shall have the assistance of his grace which is able to preserve me through faith against every evil work and his grace shall be sufficient for me Thus the Victory by which we overcome the world is our faith Fourthly Who ever will be a couragious Martyr must have full assurance of the goodness of his Cause that it is the truth and way of God and Christ for which he suffers and worthy of all his suffering for it This is that girdle of Truth Ephes 6. 14. As a girdle or belt not only strengthens the loins but by compacting and compressing the Muscles of the back gives an advantage and tightness to the cords or sinews of even the hands and feet also so the assurance that it is the cause of God for which we stand will make us confident that we shall not be confounded whereas but to doubt of our cause looseneth all our powers of spirit and courage Thus the Apostle prays for his Colossians Col. 2. 2 3 4. That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge The great cause maintained by the Apostolical Christians against the Jews was the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ that is that the infinite goodness and wisdom of God of old had carried on the Salvation of the Ancient Fathers of the world in the same way of Repentance and Faith in his mercy through the mediation of the promised Seed that ours is now carried on since Christs coming in the Flesh Now had any doubted whether this way of Salvation Preached by the Apostles and received by the Churches was the truth of God or questioned whether it was all of a piece with the old method of bringing Sinners to glory how could they have suffered confidently in the cause For staggering betwixt two opinions whether the Mosaical Law or Repentance towards God and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ was the way to justification they would have been unstable in all their ways But being assured that there was but one name and way of life Jesus Christ the same to day yesterday and for ever they had a full assurance of understanding which is the Girdle of Truth necessary to gird up the loins of the Martyrs mind I do not say a Christian must be able to answer all the subtle Fallacies and Sophisms of the Adversaries of the Truth but he must be assured that notwithstanding all their Cavils it is the truth of God for which he appears And that he is assured of because he finds it works effectually in him believing it purifying his heart by the faith of it incouraging his hope and increasing his love to God and Christ and all good Men yea to all Men for Christs sake and what works so cannot he is assured be other than the Truth of God A mean-bred man who should hear a Sceptick dispute whether the snow was white arguing that the water from whence it comes is black and therefore the effect must be as is the cause yet would not however be brought to disbelieve his eyes but would continue confident the snow was white as his sight represented it for he found the effect of that whiteness in dispersing his visual Rayes and Spirits Such an assurance must every suffering Christian have of the Truth for which he suffers and that it is the true grace of God wherein he stands and for which he stands and therefore an ignorant unstudied Christian can hardly make a Martyr Fifthly Whoever will be a Martyr must have his heart ingaged in a sincere design to promote Gods glory both by doing and suffering This is that Breast-plate of Righteousness and Sincerity Ephes 6. 14. which gives courage to a suffering Saint For if there be any Hypocritical design of seeking Reputation to our selves or bringing credit to an espoused Faction or Party it flats our courage but the single eye makes the body full of light and heat also On this account it was that the Primitive Christians in times of Persecution received the Eucharist so frequently in St. Cyprians time in the Decian Perfecution they took it daily thereby renewing their Baptismal vow to live and die to Gods glory if called to it As when some great Battel was expected the Roman Generals used to renew the Sacramentum Militare the Souldiers Oath That they would not disobey nor forsake their General their Imperator So that who ever hath not frequently and seriously Consecrated himself to God to live and die to him will hardly make a Martyr that being an
or Superiour commands without disputing as to obey God and Christ in what he commands This therefore is another piece of their Idolatry setting up their Church or Superiours in the place of God Parish Sir I shall not call you to more instances being assured that in every suffering of the Martyrs of Jesus under the Whore of Babylon one of these or all these are the Ingredients in their Accusation that they deny the Churches Traditions and Infallibility and Authority and the Popes Supremacy and Transubstantiation which they call the real presence ignorantly and slanderously imputing to us that we deny the real presence of the Body and Blood of Christ because we deny their sensless fiction of Transubstantiation But I long to hear you discourse of those other two excellent Heads Namely of the qualifications of a Martyr and of the supports and rewards he may expect Minist Indeed Sir I longed to come to them my self as knowing they are speculation yeilding ten times more sweetness than the controversal part of the discourse because we could not treat on that without reflexion on others wickedness or errour which is no pleasing prospect to humble and charitable Persons But the rest of our way will be all beset with the fragrant Graces of Gods Spirit and the Fruit-bearing Trees of his rich and precious promises I shall proceed therefore 1. He is very ignorant of the nature of God who thinks God stands in need of a vile and profligate wretch living yet in the practise of known sins to assert the cause of his holy truth for his praise is in the Congregation of his holy ones and dear in his sight is the death only of his Saints But he putteth away the wicked of the Earth like dross First Therefore none are fitted to be Martyrs but sincere Mourners for their former sins When thunders and Storms are without and swelling Winds are in the Bowels of the Earth there must needs be a terrible Earth-quake So he that is called to suffer for the truth and hath the Enemies of truth raging and menacing without him and conscience accusing him within that he is not only an high transgressor but a careless neglecter of seeking his peace with God can never confidently dye in the best Cause When the Philistines were coming upon Saul 1 Sam. 13. the careless man then is awakened by his own terrours and cries out verse 12. the Philistines will now come down upon me to Gilgal and I have not made Supplication to the Lord so will Conscience say to the impenitently careless how darest thou venture thy Life in the cause of that truth thou hast neglected to obey never seriously searching thy heart and ways never sincerely mourning for thy sins never applying thy self by earnest prayer to the mercy of God in Christ I do not deny that a man who is under great fears and doubts having for some considerable time been earnestly seeking Gods favour in Christ prizing his loving kindness more than life may make a couragious Martyr for such an ones thoughts will work at this rate Lord thou knowest how I have longed for thy Salvation though therefore I yet walk in darkness and see no light only a little dawning of hope appears I will not set my Comforts at a greater distance from me by a cowardly betraying of thy Cause whether therefore thou please to lift up the light of thy countenance upon me or no yet will I trust in thee and live and dye to thy to thy Glory knowing that duty is my work and must be my care and comfort is thy free gift and it coming at any time or in any degree is both more and sooner than I deserve as said the three Children Dan. 3. 17. we know our God can deliver us but if he will not be it known unto thee we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the Golden Image which thou hast set up so saith the humble penitent God can make the bones which he hath broken to rejoyce but however I will not depart from him nor betray that truth he calls me to own This is one of the Greaves or Bootes mentioned Ephes 6. 15. For amongst other parts of the Spiritual Armour the Apostle exhorts to have their feet shod with the prepraration of the Gospel of peace the preparation of it according to the Doctrine of Saint John Baptist Christs forerunner is Repentance Matth. 3. 2. Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand But he that is yet a careless impenitent hath no Boots or Greaves on but his naked Feet are subject to be wounded with the Gall-traps of his Enemies when Conscience tells him that according to the Tenor of the Gospel he is in no capacity for peace or for pardon and his Enemies without suppose Heathen tell him he shall perish here and hereafter as an Enemy to the gods or Popish persecutors curse him solemnly with Bell Book and Candle to the Fire of Hell as well as to the Flames here and forbid the people to pray for them as they did in Queen Marys days prohibit all to assist the Martyrs so much as by a prayer for them how can such a one dye couragiously But still I must take heed of discouraging any sincere though late penitent for I do not question but as our Saviour received the penitent Thief upon the Cross so some have entred profane wretches into Prison who yet have had such conviction of the preciousness of the truth they were urged to renounce that they durst not deny it and have come out to Execution sincere penitents nay it may be rejoycing through hope and have died happily yea comfortably in the Lord But serious repentance and sorrow founded in serious search of our ways and heart sooner or later is a necessary qualification for a Martyr of Jesus Secondly So also is mortification necessary that is that the Martyr hath endeavoured faithfully to subdue every lust in himself and to cleanse himself from all defilements of Flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear and love of God for God will not receive a polluted Sacrifice though offered with the Fire of his own Altar nor can such expect the assistances of Gods Spirit who have grieved that good Spirit by wilful allowance of themselves in known sins not denying their lusts One living lust is like a potent opposite party in a Garrison that will weaken the hands of the Defenders the Conscience of being under the power of one ruling Sin will cut the Sinews of our courage and God will say to such as Psal 50. Why takest thou my Law into thy Mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed Why offerest thou to fight my battels against the adversaries of my truth seeing thou fightest against my fear obeying the adversaries of my honour thy lusts This is the other Boot or Greave of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace which according to St. John Bapists Doctrine is prepared
loathsome Dungeons they may be sawn asunder torn Limb from Limb Roasted on Gridirons Tympanized forced to take in stinking water till their Belly and Skin is ready to burst and what other ways of Torment the Devil and his wicked Instruments can invent and nothing but Heaven can surmount such Sufferings and Death painful Death by them But Faith which is the substance and subsistance of things hoped for the Evidence of things not seen giving as full and firm assurance to the Soul of those Rich and Pretious Promises as Light doth to the Eye of the Colour or Figure of the things it seeth can overcome all the Terrors and Torments levelled against it for what would not a Christian suffer that hoped after a few hours of suffering to come to the vision and enjoyment of the Glorious God and our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ and to the Communion of the Church of the first born of God the Spirits of just men made perfect and to an innumerable Company of Angels and thereby to be above all sin and misery and fear of losing or loathing what they enjoy Indeed the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall he revealed 12. Lastly The Martyr must be abundant in Prayer he must have the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication poured out upon him Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Ephes 6. 18. For Prayer is the Christiane Artillery-Yard wherein he exerciseth his Arms and puts all his Graces of godly sorrow resolutions for holiness devotedness to Gods Glory love to God and love to Men in practise till he is active and nimble in the use of them Parish Oh dear Sir My Ear hath been so chained to your Tongue that it tyed up my Mouth I could not interrupt you in the current of your Discourse about the qualifications of the Martyr For you have first presented your Martyr as a Man of Courage going forth in his great strength whose every Vein and Sinew and Artery is filled with the love of God and of his Church Yea of his very Enemies Next you have Armed him Cap-a-pe First with the Greaves and Boots of sorrow for Sin past and mortification of reigning Lusts which is the preparation of the Gospel of Peace in his own Soul and with his Loins Girt with the Girdle of Truth and full assurance that his Cause is the Cause of God and that Truth is great and will prevail by the Power of God giving it Victory over the Gates of Hell And then with the Brest-plate of Righteousness and Sincerity and Love aiming at the Glory of God his Saviour and preferring that before all concernments for his dearest Relations and singly designing to promote Gods Service in the confirmation of his Brethren and the conversion of his Enemies and holding before him the Sheild of Faith and full assurance that God will preserve him to his Heavenly Kingdom against all the Powers of Darkness by the sufficiency of his Grace and having on the Helmet of the Hope of everlasting Salvation and expert in the use of all his Arms by the Exercise of all his Graces in Prayer and Supplication And sure such such a Champion is a Spectacle worthy the sight of Men and Angels in his conflict I pray you therefore proceed to the performance of the third Part of your promise in informing me what assistances and comforts in my sufferings and what rewards after them I may warrantably expect Minist I shall do it to the best of my Ability and in this Method First I shall shew what assistances a Christian may expect to enable him to give a reason of the Faith and Hope that is in him Secondly I shall shew what sweet Comforts the very Graces that a Christian doth then Exercise will bring into his Soul Thirdly I shall shew what warrant a Christian hath to expect more immediate Illapses and Communications of the comforts of Gods Spirit and of joy in the Holy-Ghost in his sufferings then ever before Fourthly I shall shew what rewards a suffering Saint may expect hereafter The first expectation namely of Assistances to give a reason of his Faith and Hope I think is sufficiently warranted from Matt. 10. 19. When they deliver you up take no thought how or what you shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak for it is not you that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you First It is plain this promise hath no relation at all to the publick administrations in Worship to warrant inconsiderate effusions of words then where Men have not got an Oratorical habit of expressing themselves aptly so as to stir up and lead the affections of those to whom they Administer in Holy Worship which habit is got by studying and reading the Scriptures and frequent exercise of our gifts in Holy Worship in private or in fellowship with others all which endeavours God usually blesseth to those that are sincere for his Glory and the Service of his Church so that according to the foundation of natural parts on which they build they may attain a competent gift who will set themselves about it as every publick Minister of the Church certainly ought to do But though as to this gift for administration of publick Worship we warrantably expect the blessing of God upon our Meditation reading and stirring up the natural Abilities and Gifts that are in us so that we may attain to this habit of Sacred Oratory yet it is observable that there are differences of this habit in several pious Persons according to the difference of their natural quickness of Fancy and Invention and volubility of tongue and complexional heat and fervor wherein there may be at some times something like an Enthusiastical Energy but yet under the manage and conduct of Christian Prudence and withal he that most reads the Scriptures and meditates of them and exerciseth himself in Religious Worship Praying to God for his Blessing upon himself such a one shall grow more ready as to the languaging of what he is to speak before the people than another who wants the advantage of those natural endowments before mentioned or doth not use the means of reading meditation and exercise with humble dependance on God for his Blessing on them and hence it comes to pass that the greatest Schollars are not always the best Preachers nor the readiest in Prayer because their natural partslye not so right for this sacred Oratory but many times a natural coldness and bashfulness and hesitancy of tongue and ungratefulness of voice and accent and slowness of fancy hinders them And besides too many great Schollars neglect the stirring up of their gifts by exercise and so their Delphian Sword rusts in the Scabbard But I only speak this by the by to shew you that the promise to the Martyr