valiant courage of Eleazar one of the principall Scribes in the dayes of the blood-thirstie Tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes i 2. Maccab. 6.21 c. He was besought by the Kings officers for the old acquaintance they had with him to bring flesh of his owne provision such as was lawfull for him to use and make as if he did eate of the flesh taken from the sacrifice commanded by the King that in so doing he might be delivered from death and for the old friendship with them finde favour A friendly counsell if yee consider the men which gave it but if ye consider the intention of the divell who suggested it a most violent assault and craftie tentation what so sweet as life what so desirable as to save it without any reall offence what so plausible or at least more excusable than to make a shew of an evill which indeed thou doest not to shun to be made a publike shew of the evill which otherwise thou must suffer with shame and great torments Flesh and blood will say to Eleazar that in this there was no sinne The Pope which giveth dispense to the Papists of this Realme to dissemble and deny their Religion will say that it was but a veniall sinne and of the number of those which are most pardonable Eleazar led with another Spirit even with k Esa 11.3 the Spirit of the Lord which is the spirit of knowledge of wisedome of counsell of might and of the feare of the Lord saith not so but considering the holy Law made and given by God It becommeth not our age said he in any wise to dissemble whereby many young persons might thinke that ELEAZAR being fourescore yeeres old and tenne was now gone to a strange religion and so they through mine hypocrisie and desire to live a little time and a moment longer should be deceived by me and I get astaine to mine old age and make it abominable for though for the present time I should bee delivered from the punishment of men yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty neyther alive nor dead wherefore now manfully changing this life I will shew my selfe such an one as mine age requireth and leave a notable example to such as be young to dye willingly and courageously for the honourable and holy lawes This seemed madnesse and despaire to his Iudges which changing the good will they bare him into hatred and their meeknesse into fury and rage let him straight wayes to the Tympan which was a most cruell kind of torture whereupon being ready to dye of the stripes which hee had received ceived he groaned and said It is manifest unto the Lord that hath the holy knowledge that whereas I might have beene delivered from death I now endure sore paines in body by being beaten but in soule am well content to suffer these things because I feare him XIV Reade also the storie of the cruell death and constancie l 2. Macc. 7 of the seven brethren and their mother at that same time the Tyrant himselfe marvelled at their courage for that neither the scourges and whips wherewith they were torne nor the cutting out of their tongues nor the mangling and maiming of all their members nor the pulling off of the skin of their heads with the haire nor the hot pannes and caldrons wherein they were fryed being yet alive could compell them against the law of God to eate swines flesh The eldest heire worthy of the prerogative of the first-borne answered to the Tyrants threats to the Hangmans whips and to all the tortures We are ready to dye rather than to transgresse the lawes of our fathers and exhorted his brethren as they exhorted him to dye manfully for the law of God And to make you know that this was not madnesse of mind but faith the second said to the King Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life but the King of the world shall raise us up which have dyed for his lawes unto everlasting life So spake the third so the fourth and the rest but the youngest was most wonderfull of all for neither could the promises of riches and honours tickle him nor the cruell torments which he had seene his brethren suffer shake his constancie but being encouraged by his most wonderfull mother he cryed to the executioners Whom wait ye for I will not obey the Kings commandement but I will obey the commandement of the law that was given unto our Fathers by Moses So they dyed so dyed last of all their marvellous mother after that she had beene to them in stead of a Levite or Priest and had exhorted and comforted them with a most excellent speech concerning the resurrection And therefore the Apostle ascribeth their victorious constancie to their faith saying Heb. 11.35 that by faith they were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection XV. The Christian Church aboundeth in such examples of most wonderfull victorie against the flesh the world and the divell In it this is to bee admired that men which may live in honor by denying Christ choose shame and dishonor preferre torments to ease sorrow to joy paine to pleasure death to life kissethe postes and other instruments of their punishments looke upon the torments with a cheerefull face runne to the fires as joyfully as worldings doe to a bridall feast and not onely rejoice but also m Rom. 53 glorie in tribulations which is the highest degree of pleasure and joy Steven stopping his eares to the murmuring of the people which like a swarme of Hornets and Waspes made a humming noise about him shutting his eyes to the stones wherewith they were armed to fell him and overcomming by faith the horrors of death n Act. 7.55 56 59 60. looked up stedfastly into heaven and seeing there the glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God cryed with a triumphing voice Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God Neither could their showting nor the stones which hayled upon him stay him to kneele downe and to call upon God both for himselfe and for them XVI If ye search the Ecclesiasticall histories of the Martyrs of the primitive Church and of ours the examples of such victories are infinite S. Ignace Bishop of Antiochia hearing the roaring of the hungry Lions and seeing them stretching foorth their clawes to teare him and opening their throats to devoure his flesh cryed with a loud voice o Iren adv heres sib 5. Because I am Christs wheat now shall I be ground with the teeth of beasts that I may bee found to bee the pure bread of God p Euseb hist Eâ—cl lib. 4. cap. 15. Policarpe Bishop of Smyrna answered to those which now intreated him with many promises now impotuned him with threats to call the Emperour My Lord and to deny Christ to bee his Lord I have served him
crying c Psal 37 7. Raze it raze it even to the foundation thereof VI. Such hath ever beene the condition both of every righteous man whose aboad is d Ezec. 2 6 with briers thornes and scorpions and of the whole Church which is c Cane 2.2 as the lillie among the thorns f Pro. 17.17 A friend loveth at all times and he shall be borne as a brother in adversitie The righteous man findeth seldome such friends kinsmen and friends who should love and protect him are eyther the first to procure unto him all kind of mischiefe or behold his adversitie as if they were fremm bodies And which is worthy your observation they which have or challenge to themselues the title and right of the eldest and first borne have ever persecuted their youngers because they were their betters Was it not g 1. Ioh. 3.12 Cain the first borne who murthered his innocent brother Abel h Gal. 4.29 Ismael borne after the flesh persecuted he not Isaac who was borne after the spirit i Gen. 27.41 Esau hated he not his younger brother Iacob and was not this his vow I will slay my brother Iacob This hatred was it not propagated to all their progenie Had ever the Israelites descended of Iacob more fierce and mischievous enemies than the viperous brood of Esau As soone as David was anointed King over Israel k 1. Sam. 17.28 Eliab his elder brother envied him the l 1. Sam. 23.19 Ziphims men of his owne Tribe treacherously betrayed him m 1. Sam. 22.3 4. Neither could he finde any place of refuge for his father and mother in all Israel but was constrained to seeke a safegard for them in Moab Hee is no sooner peaceable in his kingdome n 2. Sam. 15.13 31. but his owne sonne seekes his life but Achitophel his gouernor his familiar who was privie to all his secrets secondeth the Parricide with his pernicious counsell but the whole people followed their deadly attempts o 2. Chro. 13.8 c. The ten Tribes after their revolt frō God and from the King challenged to themselves the glorious title of Israel and under that name which before was common to the twelve persecuted the other two which retaining the puritie of Gods service were constrained to discerne themselues from these Apostates by the new name of Iowes When Ierusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians p Lam. 1.2 She wept sore in the night and her teares were on her cheekes among all her lovers shee had none to comfort her all her friends dealt treacherously with her they were become her enemies Yee heare Christs spouse complaining in the song of Salomon q Cant. 1.6 My mothers children were angry with me They made me the keeper of the vineyard but mine own vineyard have I not kept r Cant. 5.7 the watch men that wēt about the city found me they smote me they wounded me the keepers of the wals took away my vitile from me VII Christ cometh no sooner into the world but ſ Mat. 2.16 Herod seeketh to make him away and for his sake slayeth all the children of Bethlehem yea hee laid violent hands on his owne son borne of a woman of the Tribe of Iuda and therefore Augustus Caesar said that It was safer to be Herods pork than his sonne t Mat. 14.10 Herod Antipas the beheader of Iohn the Baptist v Luk. 23.11 mocked him and sent him again to Pilate who condemned him The whole people of the Iewes who should have adored him cryed x Iohn 19.6 15. Away with him crucifie him crucisie bum If yee seek the first Actors of this Tragedie ye shall finde that the Pharisees were the first who y Mat. 12.14 took counsell against him how they might destroy him that a Mat. 21.15 the chief Priests Scribes envied him b Mat. 26.3 that they assembled together with the Elders of the people unto the Palace of the High-Priest who was called Caiphas and consulted to kill him c ver 65 66 that the High-Priest condemned him of blasphemie that all together they pronounced him to be guilty of death d Mat. 27.2 12 20. delivered him to Pontius Pilate the Governor accused him perswaded the people that they should ask Barrabas and destroy Iesus So was fulfilled that which is written in the Psalmes c Psal 118.22 The stone which the builders reiected the same is become the head of the corner This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes f Iohn 7.5 His owne brethren not onely beleeved not in him but also g Mar. 3 21 they went out to lay hold on him for they said Hee is beside himself Likewise h Mat. 26.23 one of his owne Disciples who dipped his hand in the dish with him betrayed him And therefore Iohn saith that i Iohn 1.23 Hee came unto his owne and his owne received him not VIII Looke what intertainment the Master received of his owne the same received his disciples not of the lees of the people onely but also of those which sat at the rudder and held the stern of the common-wealth and of the Church Christ foretold it should bee so saying k Mat. 10.17 18. Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Councels and they will scourge you in their Synagogues And yee shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake The first and most violent enemies which they found were they l Rev. 3.9 which said they were Iewes and were not but the Synagogue of Satan Their Ring-leaders were the m Acts 4.1 Acts 5.17 24 40. High-Priest with all the rest of the Priests the Captain of the Temple the Sadducees and Pharisees Wheresoever the Apostles came that cursed Nation egged against them all kinde of folks n Act. 13.50 devout and honourable women the chief men of cities o Acts 14 19. the whole people As p 2 Thes 2.15 16. they both killed the Lord Iesus and their owne Prophets so saith the Apostle have they persecuted us They please not GOD and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved Had the Church at that time no other persecuters The Churches of the Gentiles q verse 14 suffred like things of their owne countrey-men At r 2 Cor. 11 32. Damascus the Governer under Aretas the King sought to apprehend Paul At ſ Acts 17.5 Thessalonica all the lewd fellows of the baser sort made an uprore against him At t Acts 16.19 Philippi the Masters of the Pythonissa seeing the hope of their gaine gone because Paul had cast the spirit of divination out of her egged the Magistrates against him and Silas At v Acts 19.24 Ephesus Demetrius the Silver-smith for a like cause raised no small stirre against him x Acts 24.1 Tertullus the Oratour accused him y 2
inthralled there the space of threescore and ten yeeres the Prophet sheweth them what they must doe then For as they that traffique by sea when they see the storme comming saile to some haven and anchor there untill the storme be past or as the people of Israel when the Angell of the Lord destroyed the first borne of Egypt and Rahab at the sacke of Ierico kept themselves quiet in their houses the doores being shut So saith the Prophet must ye doe in the great and heavy storme of affliction which is to come upon you Enter into your chambers shut the doores about you hide your selves there let none goe foorth haste to the haven of salvation lest ye perish What chambers what havens are these Can there be any so sure and safe as God himselfe of whom and to whom David saith v Psal 31.19 20. O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man thou shalt keepe them secretly in a pavillion from the strife of tongues And therefore applying this to himselfe he said x Psal 91.1 2. Hee that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say of the Lord He is my refuge and my fortresse my God in whom I will trust For y Pro. 8.10 the Name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth into it and is safe After the same manner and in the same sense Habacuc said a Hab. 2.1 I will stand upon my watch and set mee upon the tower and will watch to see what he will say to me These things were then spoken but they belong to all ages and are to us this day examples and instructions to relye upon God in our tribulations with patience and quietnesse of mind XI Many are the reasons which should moove us to a most humble and quiet subiection of our spirits without fretting of our selves without murmuring when we are afflicted and they which afflict us prosper but especially there be foure The first is taken from the will of God the second from his wisedome the third from his truth the fourth from his iustice The first thing we must looke unto in our afflictions is the will of God For as Ieremiah after the destruction of Ierusalem by the Babylonians and burning of the Temple to ashes with-drew his eyes from the earth lifting them up above all the visible heavens settled them upon God and asked b Lam. 3.37 38. Who is he that saith This is come to passe and the Lord hath not commanded it evill and good proceedeth it not out of the mouth of the Lord so must wee all thinke so must we all speake The wicked prosper because it is Gods will we are oppressed because it is Gods will Our master and Doctor hath taught us both by precept and by example to thinke and to speake so Hath he not commanded us to pray Thy will be done It is his will that we be so unworthily vexed and tormented c Math. 10.29 30. Are not saith he two sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father but the very haires of your head are all numbred As if hee had said Farre lesse shall any evill befall you without the will of your Father Therefore he submitted himselfe unto his Fathers will when he was to dye for us sinners saying d Mat. 26.39 Not as I will but as thou wilt and commanded Peter which drew the sword to defend him to put up his sword into the sheath with this reason e Ioh. 18.11 The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drinke it So he said to the Disciples going to Emmaus f Luk. 24 26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory why ought he because forsooth it was the will of God In this meditation we must not onely say of God as Nebuchadnezzar did that g Dan 4.35 he doth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him What doest thou but acknowledge also with the Apostle that h Rom 12.2 his will is good acceptable and perfect and therefore most worthy that our wills be offered up in a burnt sacrifice unto it This was the shield wherwith that i Tert. de patientia ca. 14. operarius illâ— victoriaâ—um Dei most worthy atchiever of the victories of God that rare and wonderfull patterne of patience extinguished all the fierie darts which eyther by the losse of his goods or by the death of his children or by the stinking and filthy sores of his body or by the chiding of his wife or by the contempt of his servants or by the uncourteous and churlish comforts of his friends or by affrighting dreames the divell threw at him He repelled them all with this one word k Iob 1.21 Blessed be the name of the Lord. So the brethren knowing that the will of God was that Paul should goe up to Ierusalem and be there bound and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles ceased to disswade him saying l Act. 21.14 The will of the Lord be done For God is a Father neyther would it be his will that we should be afflicted except it were for our good We sing first m Psal 135 3 5 6. Prayse the LORD for the LORD is good Then we adde For I know that the LORD is great that our LORD is above all gods whatsoever the LORD pleased that did he in heaven and in earth in the seas and all deepe places This then is the first reason to moove us to patience It is the will of the Almighty God who to us is a loving Father that we be toyled and hurryed with many afflictions and we owe all submission all obedience to his will XII Is he onely Almighty and all good Is he not also All-wise Doubtlesse he is Hath he not made light to shine out of darkenesse benediction to spring out of malediction life to rise out of death He bridleth the unbridled affections of men he setteth in order all their disordered actions when they fight against his will he doth his will not in them but by them The Scribes and Pharisees with the Priests conspire against Christ Iudas selleth him Pilat condemneth him the souldiers crucifie him how many divers intentions how many disagreeing ends of these wicked men in the tormenting of one man God the great and experimented Physician maketh of all these sinnes a most excellent antidote against sinne of all these poisons a soveraigne and singular medicine for the health of the soule When the wicked persecute the Church their