and as the Beams of the Sun will put out a Fire so the frevent love of God in them morally extinguished the painful burnings of the Furnace and bound the Flames to the Peace even before Gods Power did the same miraculously Thus the Apostles went away rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ their love then burst out into transports of joy and thankfulness that God would vouchsafe to use them to bring Glory to his Name The Apostle saith If there be any consolation in love Phil. 2. Intimating that there is no consolation without it and by how much more excellent the person loved is for whom we suffer so much larger breasts of consolations hath our love so that if to suffer for the love of a desired Spouse as when Jacob served an hard Service for Raehel carry a joy and delight to the Party loving or if to die for a Friend a good Man or a good Prince whom we love be so satisfactory to the sufferer as men declare that it is how much more to suffer for God and Christ It as far excelleth all other sufferings on the motives of the sensual Love yea or Friendship or Loyalty as the benevolent warmth of the Sun beams in the Spring is more invigorating and comforting to Plants and living Creatures than the chokey heat of a Stove or Furnance nay it is indeed a glory the Saints have above the Angels that they are called to suffer for God which the others impassibility denyes them to do So that the love of God in suffering Saints gives that exceeding comfort and satisfaction that is at no other time felt because there never was that full exercise of it before it is that breaking the box of Spicknard that finelleth more sweet by its diffusion The third Grace is Love to the Church which yields exceeding satisfaction when it carries us to act for the good of our Brethren that we can willingly spend be spent for them but the â—ower and top of it is to fill up in our bodies what is behind of the sufferings of Christ for his Churches sake When a suffering Christian thinks thus these sufferings of mine may be a strengthning of the Faith of all the Christians that hear of them and see them nay it may be an establishment to some Christian an hundred years hence what a sweet and comforting reflection must it needs be What delight may we imagine have some Gallant Heathens taken to die devotedly for their Country as did Coarus the Athenian and Deoius and Curtius the Romans but how much sweeter is it to the Martyr to think that by his sufferings the Church of Christ the Houshold of Faith those who shall hereafter be fellow Citizens with the Angels shall be confirmed and strengthened The fourth Grace is love to Enemies and Persecutors at any time to forgive an Enemy is both more glorious and more comfortable than to overcome him David had more honour when he dismissed Saul alive than when he brought away the Head of Goliah in his hand and undoubtedly he had more inward comfort and satisfaction also for the Victory of Goliah was justly attributed to the Providence of God directing the stone to the mark but the dismissing and Pardoning his Enemy was the Fruit of the Grace of God in his Heartâ— but to suffer with the designing the good of our Enemies even of their Conversion and Eternal welfare is much more sweet and affecting If St. Steven had as in all likelihood he had an hope that his sufferings might Convert some of his Persecutors what joy did that thought bring into his holy Soul if there be joy in Heaven amongst the Angels for the Conversion of a sinner when yet they contribute nothing to it what joys must be to Martyrs that die in hope and desires for the Conversion of Christs Enemies and theirs For a Martyr tyed to the Stake to think with himself Some of the ring of this gazing Multitude that look on me nay some of the Officers that is humanely butcher me may come to have their hearts melted by my flames and of Lions become Lambs and followers of the Lord Jesus what a sweet and comfortable thought must that be to the suffering Saint and Martyr of Jesus A fifth Grace that then yields its Fragrancy is our Faith it the promises of sufficient Grace and Support this is our Victory whereby we overcome the world even our Faith and who is it that overcometh the world but he that believer that Jesus is the Christ of whose fulness we are to receive Grace and Grace for Grace We have now the comfort of Faith in the assurance from Gods Word that he will never fail us nor forsake us but in a time of suffering Faith girls up its Loins and makes his boast in the name of the Lord crying The Lord is our Refuge and Strength a very present help in trouble therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed and so Psal 21. 1. The Lord is my strength and my Salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid And also Psal 144. 12. He expresseth his confidence in abundance of words The Lord is my strength my goodness my fortress my high Tower and deliverer my shield and he in whom I trust Thus Paul 1 Tim. 1 12. I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that committed to him against that day This Faith in Gods assistance triumphs in the name of the Lord and despiseth all the power of the Adversary The next Grace yielding its sweetness to a suffering Saint is his hope and heavenly mindedness it must needs be a pleasant prospect to go up to the top of Pisgah and view the Promised Land by Holy Meditation to think as far as our dark Glass will give us leave to see what is the Peace and Joy and what is the Purity and Holiness of the Glorified Saints but when we come to suffer for the Hope of Israel then our Hope grows more lively more strong and vigorous and fixed upon that Glory that shall be revealed Thus St. Steven Act. 7. when his enemies verse 45. gnashed upon him with their teeth being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the Right Hand of God thus our hope by how much the nearer it comes to injoyment grows the stronger and makes the dying Christian say as it were to himself Egredere anima mea egredere quid times Go forth my Soul go forth reach forward to lay hold on that Crown of Righteousness which now thou art not far from think with thy self what it is to have all Tears wiped away all Graces perfected and to be filled with the Love and Communion of God and Christ at whose Right Hand is fulness of Joy and Pleasures for evermore Thus
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
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