will run on high battlements gallop down steep hils ride over narrow bridges walk on weak Ice and never think what if I fall but what if I passe over and fall not No he is not thus fearlesse for this is presumption and desperate madnesse not that courage and fortitude which ariseth from faith and the true fear of God but from blindnesse and invincible ignorance of their own estate As what think you Would any man put his life to a venture if he knew that when he died he should presently drop into hell I think not But let the beleeving Christian who knowes he hath a place reserved for him in Heaven have a warrant from Gods word you cannot name the service or danger that he will stick at Nor can he lightly fail of successe It is observed that Trajan was never vanquished because he never undertook warre without just cause In fine at he is most fearfull to offend so he is most couragious in a good cause as abundance of examples witnesse whereof I 'le but instance two for the time would be too short to â—ell of Abraham and Moses and Caleb and David and Gideon and Baruck and Sampson and Ieptha and many others of whom the holy Ghost gives this generall testimony that by faith of weak they are made strong waxed valiant in battel turned to flight the Armies of the Aliants subdued Kingdoms stopt the mouths of Lyons quenched the violence of the fire c. Heb. 11.22 to 35. Nor will I pitch upon Ioshua whom neither Caesar nor Pompey nor Alexander the Great nor William the Conquerour nor any other ever came near either for valour or victories but even Ionathan before and the Martyrs after Christ shall make it good As what think you of Ionathan whom neither steepness of Rocks nor multitude of enemies could discourage or diswade from so unlikely an assault Is it possible if the divine power of Faith did not add spirit and courage making men more then men that two should dare to think of encountering so many thousands and yet behold Ionathan and his Armour bearer put to flight and â—â—rified the hearts of all the Philistins being thirty thousand Chariots six thousand Horse-men and Foot-men like the sand of the Sea-shâ—re 1 Sam. 14.15 O divine power of faith that in all attemps and difficulties makes us more then men and regards no more Armies of adversaries than swarms 〈◊〉 A natural man in a project so unlikely would have had many thoughts of discouragment and strong reasons to diswade him but his faith dissolves impediments as the Sunne doth dews yea he contemns all fears over-looks all impossibilities breaks through all difficulties with a resolute courage and flies over all carnall objections with celestiall wings because the strength of his God was the ground of his strength in God But secondly To shew that their courage is no less passive than active look upon that Noble Army of Martyrs mentioned in Ecclesiastical History who went as willingly and cheerfully to the stake as our Gallants to a Play and leapt into their beds of flames as if they had been beds of down yea even weak women and young striplings when with one dash of a pen they might have been released If any shall yet doubt which of the two the Religious or Prophane are most valiant and couragious let them look upon the demeanour of the twelve Spies Numb the 13th and 14th Chapters and observe the difference between the two faithfull and true hearted and the other ten then will they conclude that Piety and Religion doth not make men Cowards or if it do that as there is no feast to the Churles so there is no fight to the Cowards True they are not soon not easily provoked but all the better the longer the could fit in an Ague the stronger the hot fit I know men of the Sword will deem those the greatest Cowards that are least apt to fight But as when it was objected to a Martyr that his Christ was but a Carpenters sonne he aswered yea but such a Carpenter as built Heaven and Earth so we grant we are Cowards as they tearm us but such cowards as are aâ—le to prevail with God Gen. 32.26 28. Exod. 32.10 And overcome the World the Flesh and the Devil 1 Ioh. 5.4 Gal. 5.24 1 â—oh 2.14 which is as much valour and victory as we care for Truâ—â— is truth as well when it is not acknowledged as when it is and experience tell us that he who fears not to do evill is alwayes afraid to suffer evill Yea the Word of God is expresse That none can be truly valarous but such as are truly religious The wicked fly when none pursueth but the righeous are as bold as a Lyon Prov. 28.1 The reason whereof iâ— If they live they know by whom they stand if they die they know for whose sake they fall But what speak I of their not fearing death when they shall not fear even the day of Iudgment 1 Joh. 4.17 Hast not thou O Saviour biddeâ— us when the Elements shall be dissolved and the Heavens shall be flaming about our ears to lift up our heads with joy because our redemption draweth nigh Luk. 21.25 to 29 Wherefore saith the valiant Believer come death come fire come whirlewinde they are worthy to be welcome that shall carry us to immortality Let Pagans and Infidels fear death saith St. Cyprian who never feared God in their life but let Christians go to it as travellers unto their native home as Children unto their loving Father willingly joyfully Let such fear to die as have no hope to live a better life well may the brute beasts fear death whose end of life is the conclusion of their being well may the Epicure tremble at it who with his life looketh to lose his felicity well may ignorant and unrepentant sinners quake at it whose death begins their damnation well may all those make much of this life who are not sure of a better because they are conscious to themselves that this dying life will but bring them to a living death they have all sown in sinne and what â—an they look to reap but misery and vanity sinne was their traffique and grief will be their gain detestable was their life and damnable will be their decease But it is otherwise with the Godly they may be killed but cannot be hurt for even death that fiend is to them a friend like the Read Sea to the Israelites which put them over to the Land of Promise while it drowned their enemies It is to the faithful as the Angels were to Lot who snatcht him out of Sodome while the rest were consumed with fire and Brimstone Every believer is Christs betrothed Spouse and death is but a messenger to bring her â—ome to her Husband and what chaste or loving Spouse will not earnestly desire the presence of her Bridegroom as St. Austin speaks Yea the day of death to them is the day of
sport of his torments and gloried â—hen they made him go upon hot burning coals as if they had been â—oses And another that I read of say My good friends I now finde it true â—ndeed he that leaveth all to follow Christ shall have in this world centuplum â— hundred fold more I have it in that centuplum peace of conscience with me 〈◊〉 parting And this made Ignatius say he had rather be a Martyr then a â—onark Nor did he ever like himself before he was thus tryed for when â—e heard his bones crush between the wild beasts teeth he said now I begin to be a Christian And Anaxarchus being laid along in a Trough of stone and smitten with Iron sledges by the appointment of Nicocreon 〈◊〉 Tyrant of Cyprus ceased not to cry out strike smite and beat it is not Anâ—â—archus but his vail you martyr so And a Child in Iosephus being all 〈◊〉 to death with biting snippers at the commandment of Antiochus could 〈◊〉 with a loud assured and undaunted voice Tyrant thou losest time loe I 〈◊〉 still at mine ease what is that smarting pain where are those tormeâ—â—â— which whilome thou didst so threaten me withall my constancy more troâ—bles thee than thy cruelty me And how many more of those Martyrs 〈◊〉 Queen Maryes Raign were even ravished before they could be permittâ—â— to die so greaâ— and so passing all expressing is the peace and comfort 〈◊〉 good conscience Now as the Priests of Mercury when they eat their figgs and honey 〈◊〉 out O how sweet is truth so if the worst of a Beleivers life in this 〈◊〉 be so sweet how sweet shall his life be in Heaven but I le hold you 〈◊〉 longer in this A man that hath his sins pardoned is never compleatly miserable 〈◊〉 conscience again turns his enemy whereas on the contrary take the 〈◊〉 happy worldling that ever was if he have not his sins pardoned he is coâ—pleatly wretched though he sees it not suppose him Emperour of 〈◊〉 whole world as Adam when he was in Paradise and Lord of all what 〈◊〉 it avail him so long as he had a tormentor within a self-condemniâ—â— conscience which told him that God was his enemy and knew no othâ—â— thâ—n thâ—t hell should be his everlasting portion Certainly this like a damâ— could not chuse but put out all the lights of his pleasure so that Paradise â—â—self was not Paradise to him which is the case of all wicked men be theâ— never so great never so seemingly happie True wicked men think the godly less merry and more miserable thaâ— themselves yea some that mirth and mischeif are only sworn brothers 〈◊〉 this is a foundationlesse opinion For first no man is miserable because 〈◊〉 other so thinks him Secondly Gods word teacheth and a good conscieâ—â—â— findeth that no man can be so joyfull as the faithfull though they waâ—â— many things which others may have St. Austin before his conversion could not tell how he should want those delights he then found so mucâ— contentment in but after when his nature was changed when he haâ— another spirit put into him then he sayes O how sweet is it to be withouâ— those former sweet delights Indeed carnall men laugh more but thâ—â— laughter is only the hypocrisie of mirth they rejoyce in the face only and 〈◊〉 in the heart as the Apostle witnesseth 2 Cor. 5.12 or as another hath it Where O God there wants thy grace Mirth is only in the face Yea their own consciences bear me witnesse as that Spanish Iudge welâ— considered who when a murther was committed in a tumultuous crowd oâ— people beared all their bosomes feeling upon their brests discovered the guiltie Author by the panting of his heart And Tully who makes it an argument of Roscius Amerinus Innocency that he killed not his Father because he so securely slept Yea as in prophane joy even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull so in godly sorrow even in weeping the heart is light and cheerful The tears of those that pray are sweeter then the joyes of the Theatre saith St. Augustin for our cheeks may run down with tears and yet our mouths sing forth praises the face may be pale yet the heart may be quiet and cheerfull so St. Paul as sorrowing and yet alwayes rejoycing 2 Cor 6.10 Neither can it be solid comfort except it hath his issue from a good conscience Indeed we therefore are not merry enough because we are not Christians enough Now if all our sufferings are thus counterpoysed and exceeded with blessings have we any cauâ—e to be angry and impatient What saith Iob Shall we receive good at the â—â—nd of God and not evill He was content to eat the crust with the crumme Indeed his wife like the wicked would only have fair weather all peace and plenty no touch of trouble but it is not so with the godly who have learnt better things Who will not suffer a few stripes from a Father by whom he receiveth so much good even all that he hath Diogenes would have no nay but Antisthenes must entertain him his Scholar insomuch that Antisthenes to have him gone was forc't to cudgell him yet all would not do he stirs not but takes the blowes very patiently saying Use me how you will so I may be your Scholar and hear your daily discourses I care not Much more may a Christian say unto God Let me enjoy the sweet fruition of thy presence speak thou peace unto my conscience and say unto my soul I am thy salvation and then afflict me how thou pleasest I am content yea very willing to bear it Yea if we well consider the commodity it brings we shall rather wish for affliction than be displeased when it comes Col. 1.24 For it even bringeth with it the company of God himself I will be with you in tribulation saith God to the disconsolate soul Psal 91.15 When Sidrack Mishack and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace there was presently a fourth came to bear them company and that was God himself Dan. 3.23 to 17 And his presence makes any condition comfortable were a man even in hell it self Yea as when St Paul was rapt up to the third Heaven he was so ravished with the joy thereof that he knew not whether he had his body about him or not 2 Cor. 12.2 Whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth So Gods presence so ravisheth the soul that while a man suffers the greatest pain he knows not whether he be in pain or no Yea God is not only with them to comfort them in all their tribulation 2 Cor. 1.4 but in them for at the same time when the Disciples were persecuted they are said to be filled with joy and with the holy Ghâ—st Acts 13. â—2 And as our sufferings in Christ do abound so our consolation also abâ—undeth through Christ â— Cor. 1. â— And lastly he doth comfort us accoâ—ding to the dayes
their Coronation and what Princely heir does not long for the day of his instâ—lmâ—â—t and rejoyce when it comes Certainly it was the sweetest voitâ— that ever the Thief heard in this life when Christ said unto him This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luk. 23.43 In a word as death to the wicked puts an end to their short joyes and begins their everlasting sorrowes so to the Elect it is the end of all sorrow and the beginning of their everlasting joyes The end of their sorrow for whereas complaint of evils past sense of 〈◊〉 and fear of future have shared our lives amongst them death is 1. A Supersedeas for all diseases the Resurrection knows no imperâ—â—ction 2 It is a Writ of ease to free us from labour and servitude like Moses 〈◊〉 delivered Gods people out of bondage and from brick making iâ— â—egypt 3. Whereas our ingresse into the world our progresse in it our egressâ— â—ut of it is nothing but sorrow for we are born crying live grumbling â—nd die sighing death is a medicine which drives away all these for we â—hall rise triumphing 4. It shall revive our reputationâ— and cleer our Names from all ignomi â—y and reproach yea the more contemptible here the more glorious here 〈◊〉 Now a very Duellist will go into the field to seek death and finde â—onour 5. Death to the godly is as a Goal delivery to let the Soul out of the â—rison of the body and set it free 6. Death frees us from sinne an Inmate that spite of our teeth will â—â—oust with us so long as life affords it hoâ—se room for what is it to the â—â—ithfull but the funerall of their vices and the resurrection of their vertues CHAP. VII BEcause Patience in suffering brings a reward wiâ—h it In reason a man would forgive his enemy evâ—n for his own â—ake were there no â—ther motive â—o perswade him for to let passe many things of no smalâ— moment as that if we forgive not we can do no part of â—ods worship â—hat is pleasing to him for we cannot pray aright 1 Tim. 2.8 We â—annot communicate in the Sacrament but we make our selves guilty of Christs blood 1 Cor. 11.27 Matth. â— 24 We cannot be good hearers â—f the Word Iames 1.21 and that it makes a man captive to Satan Ephes 4.26 27. and many the like If ye forigve men their trespasses saith our Saviour your heavenly Father also will forgive you but if you forâ—ive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you â—our trespasses Mat. 6.14 15. So he that will not be in Charity shall never be in Heaven And why should I do my self a shrewd turn because â—nother would Yea we desire pardon as we give pardon and we would â—e loath to have our own lips condemn us When we pray to God to forgive us our trespasses as we also forgive them that trespasse against us â—nd do not resolve to forgive our brethren we do ineffect say Lord condemn us for we will be condemned whereas he that doth good to his enemy eâ—en in that act doth better to himself Again Blessed is the man saith St. Iames that endureth temptation viz. with patience for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life James 1.12 And this made Moses not only patient in his sufferings but joyfull esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than all the measures of Aegypt For saith the Text he had respect unto the recompence of the reward Heb. 11.26 And well it might for whereas the highest degree of suffering is not worthy of he least and lowest degree of this glory Rom. 2.18 St. Paul witnesseth that our light affliction which is but for a moment if it be borne with patience causeth unto us a far most excellent and eternall weight of glory while we look not on the things that are seen but on the things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Where note the incomparablenesse and infinite difference between the work and the wages light affliction receiving a weight of glory and momentary afflictions eternall glory answerable to the reward of the wicked whose empty delights live and die in a moment but their insufferable punishment is interminable and endless As it fared with Pope Sixtus the fifth who sold his soul to the Devill to enjoy the glory and pleasure of the Popedom for seven years their pleasure is short their pain everlasting our pain is short our joy eternall What will not men undergo so their pay may be answerable The old experienced Souldier fears not the rain and storms above him nor the numbers falling before him nor the troops of enemies against him nor the shot of thundring Ordinance about him but looks to the honourable reward promised him When Philip asked Democritus if he die not fear to lose his head he answered No for quoth he if I die the Athenians will give me a life immortall meaning he should be sâ—â—â—ued in the treasury of eternall fame if the immortality as they thought of their names was such a strong reason to perswade them to patience and all kind of worthinesse what should the immortality of the soul be to us Alas vertue were a poor thing if famâ— only should be all the Garland that did crown her but the Christian knowes that if every pain he suffers were a death and very crosse an hell he shall have amends enough Which made the Martyrs such Lambs in suffering that their persecutors were more weary with striking than they with suffering and many of them as willing to die as dine When Modestus the Emperours Lieutenant told Basil what he should suffer as confiscation of goods cruell tortures death c. He answered If this be all I fear not yea had I as many lives as I have hairs on my head I would lay them all down for Christ nor can your master more benefit me than in sending me to my Heavenly Father to whom I now live and to whom I desire to hasten And another time being threatned in like manner by the Emperour he bad him fright Babies with such Bugbares His life might be taken away but not his comforte his head but not his crown Yea persecutors are but our Fathers Goldsmiths sayes Bernard working to adde Pearles to the Crowns of the Saints Whence Gordius could say to his tormentors it is to my great loss if you bate me any part of my sufferings I could abound with â—â—amples of this nature No matter quoth one of them what I suffer on earth so I may be crowned in Heaven I care not quoth another what becometh of this frail Bark my flesh so I have the passenger my soul safely conducted And another If Lord at night thou grant'st me Lazarus boon Let Dives dogs lick all my sores at noon And a valiant Souldier going about a Christian atchievement My comfort is though I lose my life for Christs sake yet I shall not lose my
labour yea I cannot endure enough to come to Heaven Lastly Ignatius going to his Martyrdom was so strongly ravished with the joyes of Heaven that he burst out into these words Nay come fire come beasts come breaking my bones racking of my body come all the torments of the Devill together upon me come what can come in the whole earth or in hell so I may enjoy Iesus Christ in the end I might shew the like touching temptations on the right hand which have commonly more strength in them and are therefore more dangerous because more plausible and glorious When Valence sent to offer Basil great preferments and to tell him what a great man he might be Basil answers Offer these things to Children not to Christians When some bad stop Luthers mouth with preferment one of his adversaries answered it was in vain he cares neither for Gold nor Honour And when they offered to make him a Cardinall if he would be quiet he answered No. I will not betray the truth by my silence if you would make me Pope When Valence the Emperour offered Basil great sums of money and high preferment to tempt him he answered can you give me money that shall last for ever and glory that will eternally flourish When Pyrrhus tempted Fabritius the first day with an Elephant so huge and monstrous a beast as before he had not seen the next day with Money and promises of Honour he answered I fear not thy force and I am too wise for thy fraud But I shall be censured for exceeding Thus hope refresheth a Christian as much as misery depresseth him it makes him defie all that men or Devils can do saying Take away my goods my good name my friends my liberty my life and what else thou canst imagin yet I am well enough so long as thou canst not take away the reward of all which is an hundred sold more even in this world and in the world to come life everlasting Mark 10.29 30. I confess many are such Milksops for want of Faith and experience that they are dishartned with Scoffs alone but no need For if they should turn their words into blowes and instead of using their tongues take up their swords and kill us they shall rather pleasure than hurt us When Iohn Baptists was delivered from a double prison of his own of Herods and placed in the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God what did he lose by it His head was taken off that it might be crowned with glory he had no ill bargain of it they did but hasten him to immortality and the Churches daily prayer is Come Lord Iesus come quickly Yea what said blessed Bradford In Christs cause to suffer death is the way to Heaven on Horsback which hath made some even slight the sentence of death and make nothing of it It is recorded of one Martyr that hearing the sentence of his condemnation read wherein was exprest many severall tortures of starving killing boyling burning and the like which he should suffer he turns to the People and with a smiling countenance saies And all this is but one death and each Christian may say of what kinde soever his sufferings be The sooner I get home the sooner I shall be at ease Yea whatever threatens to befall him he may answer it as once that noble Spartan who being told of the death of his Children answered I knew well they were all begot mortall Secondly that his goods were confiscate I knew what was but for my use was not mine Thirdly that his honour was gone I knew no glory could be everlasting on this miserable Earth Fourthly that his sentence was to dye That 's nothing Nature hath given like sentence both of my condemners and me Wicked men have the advantage of the way but godly men of the end Who fear not death because they feared God in their life I know carnall men will either not believe this or should they see it acted as in Queen Macies dayes they would be amazed at it And no wonder for to speak truth Faith and Patience are two miâ—acles in a Christian A Protestant Martyr being at the stake in the midst of furious and outragious flames cried out Behold ye Papists whom nothing will convince but Miracles here see one indeed for in this fire I feel no more pain than if I were in a bed of Down yea it is to me like a bed of Roses and Cassianus reporteth that when a Martyr was tormented by the Infidels and asked by way of reproach What Miracle his CHRIST had done he answered He hath done what you now he hold enabled me so to bear your contumelies and undergo all these tortures so patiently that I am not once moved and is not this a miracle worthy yout taking notice of And indeed what have we by our second birth which is not miraculous in comparison of our naturall condition It was no lesse then a miracle for Zacheus a man both rich and covetous to give half his goods to the poor and make restitution with the residue and all this in his health It was a great miracle that Ioseph in the arms of his Mistress should not burn with lust It is a great miracle for a man to forsake Houses and Lands and all that he hath yea to hate Father and Mother and Wife and Children and his own life to be Christs Disciple It is a great miracle to rejoyce in tribulation and smile death in the face It is a great miracle that of fierce and cruell Wolves Bears Lyons we should be transformed into meek Lambs and harmless Doves and all this by the foolishness of Preaching Christ crucified Indeed they were no miracles if nature could produce the like effect But he must not look to sâ—and in competion with grace for which consult Phil. 3 4. â—â—m 5.5 Phil. 4.13 Alas grace and faith transcend nature and reason 〈◊〉 much as reason doth sense for patience rightly so called is a Prerogaâ—â—ve royall peculiar to the Saints It is well if Philosophy have so much â—isdome as to stand amazed at it Neither is it true Christian patience â—â—cept 1. It flow from a pious and good heart sanctified by the holy Ghost â— Be done in knowledge of and obedience to Gods câ—mmand 3. That we 〈◊〉 it in humility and sincere love to God 4. That it be done in faith â— That we aim at Gods glory not at our own and the Churches good 〈◊〉 our sufferings 6. That we forgive as well as forbear yea love â—â—ay for and return good to our enemies for their evill And thus you see how patient suffering is rewarded both here and â—â—reafter that we lose whatever we do lose by our enemies no otherwise â—â—an the husbandman loseth his seed for whatever we part withall is but 〈◊〉 seed cast into the ground which shall even in this life according to our â—â—â—viours promise return unto us the increase of an hundred fold and in 〈◊〉