to conclude because of some particular sinful actions and extravagant motions that this or that mans spiritual estate is bad A trade of Lying can never stand with a trade of Holiness a course of Lying can never stand with a course of Godliness Though the Needle of the Seamans Compass may jog this way and that way yet the bent of the Needle will stâ—ll be Northward So though a Jacob a David a Peter may have their particular sinful joggings this way or that way yet the bent of their hearts will still be God-wards Christ-wards Heaven-wards and Holiness-wards But Secondly Such as did truly fear the Lord within or without the Walls of London such did in their solemn Addresses to the Lord both together and apart lament and bewail that trade that course of lying that was predominant among many that day and therefore I dare not charge the trade the course of lying upon their scores But Thirdly A lye draws its Pedigree from the Devil and such as make a trade of lying such are certainly Satans children Joh. 8. 44. Ye are of your father the devil and the 1 Kings 22. 22. Acts 5. 3-10 lusts of your father ye will do he was a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Satan is the father of all Gen. 3. sins as well as the father of lyes but here he is said to be a Lyar and the Father of it because by lying he first brought sin into the world Satan began his Kingdom by a lye and by lyes he still labours to uphold it He is the Inventer and Author of all the lyes that be in the world The Devils breasts says Luther are very fruitful with lyes Lyars are the Devils children by imitation there are none that resemble him so much to the life as Lyars do they are as like him as if they were spit out of the very mouth of him Lying is a part of the Devils Image Other sins make men like beasts but this of lying makes men like Devils Leo speaking of Lying Leo de Elâ—emos serm 4. saith Totam vim suam in mendacio diabolus collocavit omniaque deceptionum genera de hoc venenatissimo artis suae fonte produxit The Devil hath placed his whole strength in lying and from this most poysoned fountain of his craft hath he brought forth all kinds of deceit Now upon this account also I dare not charge the trade of lying upon such who feared the Lord within or without the Walls of London Though many that make a profession of Christ are no more like Christ then Michols Image of Goats hair was like David Joh. 1. 16. yet all such as are really united to Christ they are like to Christ they bear upon them the Image of Christ they resemble him to the life Jesus Christ is such a fountain in which whosoever bathes and of which whosoever drinks 2 Cor. 3. 18. they shall be sure to be changed into the same likeness from glory to glory that is from a lower degree of grace to a higher degree even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Such as truly fear the Lord have an Image of Righteousness and Phil. 4. 23 24. Holiness stampt upon them and do more resemble Christ then Satan and therefore the trade of lying may not be charged upon them But Fourthly Have they not chosen rather to suffer then by lying either to free themselves from sufferings or to secure themselves against sufferings Jerom writes of a brave Woman that being upon the Rack bad her Persecutors do their worst for she was resolved rather to dye then to lye Has not much of this spirit been upon them and therefore I dare not charge the trade of lying upon them But Fifthly Such as truly fear the Lord they hate lying Psal 119 163. I hate and abhor lying David hated lying as he hated Hell it self So Prov. 13. 5. A righteous man hateth lying Lying is a noisom stinking weed and therefore a righteous man abhors to touch it he hates to come near it and can by no means endure the scent of it in others least of all in himself Justin Martyr speaking of the persecuted Justin Martyr Apol. 2. pro Christianis Christians hath this memorable Saying In nostra est potestate ut quum inquirimur negemus sed vivere noluâ—us mâ—ndaciter quicquam loquentes It is in our power when we are sought for and examined to deny what we are what we believe but we will not live speaking any thing untruly These blessed Souls so hated and abhorred lying that they would rather dye then lye A lye saith Plato is odious not only to the Gods but also to every wise man Cleobulus another Heathen affirmeth that every wise prudent man hateth a lye Erasmus had such an Antipathy against lying that from his youth he would usually tremble at the fight of a noted Lyar. Now upon this account also I dare not charge the trade of lying upon their score that truly fear the Lord. But Sixthly Lying is that sad Character and black Brand that the Lord hath only put upon wicked and ungodly men Psal 4. 2. O ye sons of men ye Grandees who are potent at Court how long will ye turn my glory into shame how long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing Psal 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lyes no sooner could they do any thing but they were doing evil lisping out lyes even as soon as they were born Isa 30. 8 9. Now go write it before them in a table and note it in a book that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever Why what must he write mark vers 9. That this is a rebellious people lying children children that will not hear the law of the Lord. Now upon this account also I dare not charge the trade of lying upon them that feared the Lord in that great City before it was laid in ashes But Seventhly A trade of lying is inconsistent with the Relation of Children Isa 63. 8. Surely they are my people children that will not lye so he was their Saviour God makes this the Col. 3. 9. ear-mark of his people that they are children that will not lye When the Heathen Philosopher was askt in what things men were most like unto God he answered In their speaking of truth Not lying is one of the choice Characters by which the Lord doth difference and distinguish his own peculiar people from other men Zepha 3. 13. The remnant of Israel shall do no iniquity nor speak lyes neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth In the primitive times this was a common Saying Christianus est non mentietur He is a Christian he will not
himself both in the Old and New Testament And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God merciful and Exod. 34. 6. gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth So Moses in his Song He is a God of truth and without iniquity Deut. 32. 4. Isa 65. 16. just and right is he So Esay He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth So the Psal 31. 5. Psal 86. 15. Psalmist Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Again Thou O Lord art plenteous in mercy and truth So in the New Testament Let God be true and every man a lyar Again They themselves shew how ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God Though God can make a Rom. 3. 4. Gen. 1. Chap. 6. world with a word of his mouth and mar a world with a word of his mouth yet he can neither dye nor lye Titus 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began yea it is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye Now by all these plain pregnant Texts 't is most evident that lying is most opposite and contrary to the very Nature Essence and Being of God and therefore no wonder if the anger and wrath of God rises high against it But Secondly Consider this that pernicious Lyes and Lyars are very destructive to all humane Societies Kingdoms and Common-wealths Lying destroys all Society all Commerce and Converse among the Sons of men Man as the Philosopher observeth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable Creature Speech is the means whereby men have society and commerce one with another Now lying perverts that order which the God of truth hath appointed to be among the Sons of men 'T is the will and pleasure of God that the Sons of men conversing together should by their words and speeches and discourses impart and communicate their minds designs intentions and meanings one to another for the mutual good of one another and for the profit and benefit of the whole Now if there be nothing in mens words but lying deceit and fraud instead of truth what can follow but confusion and desolation When the language of men was confounded so that one could not tell what another spake then presently followed the dissolution of their combination for the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the Earth and they left off to build the City when Gen. 11. 7 8. one asked brick saith a Rabbin another brought clay and R. Sal. The Hebrew Doctors say that at this dispersion there were seventy Nations with seventy sundry languages Gen. 49. 6. Psal 120. 2. Jer. 9. 1. to the 6. then they fell together by the ears and one dashed out the others brains and by thls means their communion was dissolved and God brought on them the evil which they sought to prevent vers 4. But surely a lying tongue is a far worse enemy to Society then an unknown tongue and much better it is for a man to have no society at all then with such as he cannot believe what they say or if he do he shall be sure to be deceived by them Concerning such we may well take up the words of Jacob O my soul come not thou into their secret unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united And pray with David Deliver my soul O Lord from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue Jeremiah did so loath and abominate the society of Lyars that he had rather live in a Wilderness then live among them or have any thing to do with them Lyars destroy that Communion and Society that by the Law of God Nature and Nations they ought to preserve and maintain Lying dissolves that mutual trust that we should have with one another for hereby all Contracts Covenants and Intercourse of dealings between man Mendax hoc lucratur ut cum vera dixerit ei non credatur and man which is as it were the life of the Kingdom or Common-wealth are quite overthrown When men make no conscience of lying nor of keeping their word any further then either fear of loss or force of Law compelleth them all Civil communion is at an end There can be no trust where there is no truth nor no Commerce with those that cannot be trusted The Scythians had a Law that if any man did duo peccata contorquere bind two sins together a lye and an oath he was to lose his head because this was the way to take away all faith and truth among men Had this Law been put in execution in London I have reason enough to fear that many Ciâ—izens would have lost their heads long before they had lost their houses by the lâ—te dreadful Fire Now seeing that pernicious lying a course a trade of lying is so destructive to humane Society why should we wonder to see the Lord appear in flaming fire against it But Thirdly Consider that lying is a sin that is most odiouâ— and hateful to God yea a sin that makes men odious and hateful to him Lying is repugnant unto God for God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that cannot lye He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God of Titus 1. 2. Isa 65. 16. truth and therefore lying cannot but be odious to him God is said not only to forbid a lye but to hate a lye A lye 't is an abâ—mination Now we abominate that which is contrary to our natures Amongst those things that are an abomination to the Lord a lying tongue is reckoned Prov. 6. 16 17. These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him A proud look a lying tongue or as the Hebrew runs a tongue of lying that is a tongue that hath learned the trade and can do it artificially a tongue that is accustomed to lying a tongue that is delighted in lying So Verse 19. A false witness that speaketh lyes and him that soweth discord among brethren Among these seven things abominated by God lying is twice repeated to note how great an abomination lying is in the eye and account of God Prov. 12. 22. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord not only offensive or odious but abominable Lyars pervert the end for which God created speech which was to give light to the notions of the mind and therefore the Lord loaths them and plagues them in this life with great severity as you may see in those sad instances of Gehazi whose lye was punished 2 Kings 5. 20. to the end Acts 5. 5. to the 11. Esth 3. 8 9 10 11. with a perpetual leprosie upon himself and his posterity and of Ananias and Sapphira who for their lying were punished with present and
as go about to make the fire of Hell only spiritual fire they go about to make it no fire at all for it passeth the natural fire to be spiritual But Thirdly We see in this life that bodily tortures work upon the spirits in the same bodies And why may it not be so in Hell Don't men by their daily experience find that their souls are frequently afflicted in and under corporeal distempers diseases and weaknesses Doubtless God can by his Allmighty Power infuse such power into material fire as to make it the instrument of his dreadful wrath and vengeance to plague punish scorch and burn the souls of damned sinners Bodies and souls are co-partners in the same sins and therefore God may make them co-partners in the same punishments Every creature is such as the great God will have it to be and commands it to be and therefore if the Lord shall lay a command upon the fire of Hell to reach and burn the souls of damned sinners it shall certainly do it God is the God of Nature as well as the God of Grace and therefore I can't see how the fire of Hell can be said how to act against its own nature when it do but act according to the will and command of the God of Nature I readily grant that if you consider infernal fire in it self or in its own nature and so it cannot have any power on such a spiritual substance as the soul of man is but if you consider infernal fire as an instrument in an Allmighty hand and so it can act upon such spiritual Beings as Devils and damned souls are and make the same dreadful and Vide August â— 21. c. 10. de Civitate Dâ—i painful impressions upon them as it would do upon corporeal Beings Though Spirits have nothing material in their nature which that infernal fire should work upon yet such is the Almighty Power of God that he can make Spirits most sensible of those fiery tortures and torments which he has declared and appointed for them to undergo Let them tell us saith One how it is possible that the soul Dr. Jackson of man which is an immortal substance should be truly wedded to the body or material substance and I shall as easily answer them that it is as possible for the same soul to be as easily wrought upon by a material fire It is much disputed and controverted among the Schoolmen how the Devils can be tormented with corporeal fire seeing they are Spirits and as I suppose it is well concluded of them thus First That in Hell there is corporeal fire as appears thus First Because the Scripture affirms it Matth. 3. 10 Matth. 5. 22. Matth. 25. 41. Secondly Because the bodies sinning against God are to be vexed and tormented with corporeal pains Secondly They conclude that the Devils are tormented in that fire Because Christ saith so Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Thirdly It being demanded how the Devils are tormented in that fire they answer they are tormented not only First With the sight of it or Secondly With an imaginary apprehension thereof But Thirdly As an instrument ordained of God for that very end And Fourthly Vt locus locatum continens c. cogens Hell is a fiery Tho. Supplâ—m 70. 3. corp Region or a Region of fire and therefore the Devils being contained and included therein must needs be tormented thereby Cum Dives ab igne patiatur quis neget animas ignibus puniri None must question this truth saith my Author that souls and spirits are punished by fire seeing our Gâ—â—g Dial 4. cap. 28 29. Saviour himself telleth us that Dives who was in Hell but in soul was tormented in the flames Luke 16. 24. But Fourthly It is not safe to leave the plain letter of the Scripture to Allegorize and whether the opinion of Metaphorical fire in Hell hath not been an introduction to that opinion that many have taken up in these dayes viz. That there is no other Hell but what is within us I shall not now stand to determine I know Calvin and some others are for the Allegory and they give this for a Reason that there is mention made of Wood and of a Worm as well as fire Now these are Allegorical and therefore the fire is Allegorical also But by their favour we find in the Scripture that those things which are spoken together are not alwayes taken in the same nature and manner As for example Deut. 32. 15 18 30 31. 2 Sam. 22. 47. 1 Cor. 10. 4. Christ is called the Rock of our salvation Now the Rock is Allegorical Is our salvation therefore Allegorical So likewise Luke 22. 30. Ye shall eat and drink saith our Saviour at my Table in my Kingdom Eating and drinking is Allegorical is therefore the Kingdom Allegorical too Allegories are not to be admitted but where the Scripture it self doth warrant them and commonly where an Allegory is propounded there it is also expounded As in Galat. 4. 24. Which things are an Allegory for these are the two Testaments Many men have been too wanton with Allegories Origen Ambrose Hierom and several others of the Ancients have been blamed for it by learned men But Fifthly and lastly I cannot tell but that the fire by which the damned shall be punished may be partly material and partly spiritual partly material to work upon the body and partly spiritual to torment the soul Dr. Gouge puts this Question Is it a material fire wherewith the damned in Dr. Gouge on Heb. 10. 27. Sect. 98. Hell are tormented and gives this answer viz. This is too curious a point to resolve to the full but yet this answer may safely be returned It is no wasting or consuming fire but a torturing and so far corporal as it tormenteth the body and so far incorporeal as it tormenteth the soul Socrates speaking of Hell saith I was never there my self neither have I ever spoke with any that came from thence Suppose saith One there be no fire in Hell yet I assure thee this that thou shalt be scorched with fire the fire of Gods Mr. Boulton wrath shall torment thee more than bodily fire can do and therefore it will be your wisdom not so much to question this or that about Hell fire as to make it your work your business not to come there He gave good counsel who Bernard said Let us go down to Hell while we are alive that we may not go to Hell when we are dead And so did he who speaking of Hell said Ne quaeramus ubi sit sed quomodo illam Chrysostome fugiamus Let us not seek where it is but how we shall avoid it The same Author gives this further counsel viz. That at all Banquets Feasts and Publick Meetings men should talk of Hellish pains and torments that so their hearts may be over-awed
Sea how many millions of ages would pass before they could make up one River much more a whole and when that were done should he wâ—ep again after the same manner till he had filled second a third a fourth Sea if then there should be an end of their miseries there would be some hope some comfort that they would end at last but that shall never never never end This is that which siâ—ks them under the most tormenting terrors and horrors Drexelâ—ius makes this Observation from the words of our Saviour John 15. 6. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and it is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned Where he observeth that the words do not run in the Future Tense he shall be cast forth and shall be cast into the fire and burned but all in the Present Tense he is cast forth is withered men cast them into the fire and they are burned This saith he is the state and condition of the damned They are burned that is they are alwayes burning When a thousand years are past as it was at first so it is still they are burned after a thousand thousand years more as it was before so it is still they are burned If after millions of years the question was asked What is now their state and condition what do they What suffer they how doth it fare with them there can be no other answer returned buâ— they are burned continually and eternally burning Socinians say There will come a time when the fallen Angels and the wickedst men shall be freed from infernal torments And Augustine speaks of some such merciful men in Aug. l. 21. c. 17. c. 18. c. 19 c. 20. c. 21. c. 22. de Civitate Dâ—i his time And Origen held and taught that not only impenitent Christians but even Pagans and Devils after the term of a thousand years should be released out of Hell and become as bright Angels in heaven as they were before But these dangerous fancies and ungrounded opinions fall flat before the clear evidence of those sad and serious truths that I have now tendered to your consideration And thus I have shewed you the difference between our Fire and Hâ—ll fire Now O ye Citizens of London who truly fear the Lord and who are united to Christ by faith know for your everlasting comfort and support that Christ has secured you from infernal Fire from everlasting Fire from unquenchable Fire from eternal Fire and from the Worm that never dieth as you may see clearly and fully by comparing the Scriptures in John 3. 17. 18 36. Luke 1. 68 69 70 71 74. Rom. 6. ult Chap. 8. 1. 31 32 33 34 35. 37. 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Chap. 15. 54 55 56 57 58. 1 Thess 1. ult Rev. 20. 5 6. the Margent together Christ by his blood hath quenched the violence of infernal flames so that they shall never scorch you nor burn you hurt you nor harm you Nebuchadnezzars Fiery Furnace was a Type of Hell say some Now look as the three Children or rather Champions had not one hair of their heads sindged in that Fiery Furnace so Hell Fire shall never singe one hair of your heads Your interest in Christ is a noble and sufficient security to you against the flames of Hell Pliny saith that nothing in the world will so soon quench fire as Salt and Blood and therefore in many Countreys where they can get plenty of blood they will use salt and bâ—ood rather than Water to quench the Fire If you cast water on the Fire the Fire will quickly work it out but if you cast blood upon it it will damp it in a moment O Sirs Christs blood has so quenched the flames of Hell that they shall never be able to scorch or burn those souls that are interested in him The effusion of Christs blood is so rich and available saith my Author Leo de Pas Serm. 12. c. 4. that if the whole multitude of captive sinners would believe in their Redeemer not one should be detained in the Tyrants Chains All those spots that a Christian finds in his own heart shall first or last be washed out in the blood of the Lamb. 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sins Now such as are washed and cleansed from their sins in the blood of Jesus such shall never experimentally know what everlasting burnings or a devouring Fire means Such as are washt in Christs blood needs no purifying by Hells flames Pliny saith of Polium that it is a preservative against Serpents Sâ—re I am that thâ— blood of Christ is an effectual preservative against all infernal Serpents and infernal torments You believing Citizens who have set up God as the object Nâ—ro haâ—l a Shirt made oâ— a Salamanders â—kin so that iâ— he did walk through the fire in it it would keep him from burning O Sirs Christ is the true Saâ—amanders skin that will certainly keep every gracious soul from burning in everlasting flames of your fear and whose hearts are enflamed with love to Christ know for your everlasting refreshment that Christ has freed you and secured you from everlasting Fire from unquenchable Fire from eternal Fire and therefore bear up sweetly bear up cheerfully under that Fiery dispensation that has past upon you What is the burning of your houses and substance to the burning of bodies and souls in Hell What was the Fire of London to infernal Fire What is a Fire of four or five dayes continuance to that everlasting Fire to that unquenchable Fire to that eternal Fire that you have deserved and that free-Grace hath preserved you from A frequent and serious consideration oâ— Hell Fire as I have opened it unto you and of your happy deliverance from it may very well bear and cheer up your hearts under all your greatest sufferings by that dreadful Fire that has turned beloved London into a ruinous heap Sir You have been a discoursing about hellish torments but for the further clearing up of the truth we desire your serious Answer to this sad Question viz. How will it stand with the unspotted Holiness Justice and Object Righteousness of God to punish a temporary offence with eternal punishments for the evil of punishment should be but commensurate to the evil of sin Now what proportion is there betwixt finite and infinite Why should the sinner lye in hellish torments for ever and ever for sinning but a short time a few years in this world I judge it very necessary to say something to this important Answ Question before I come to discourse of those Duties that are incumbent upon those Citizens whose houses are turned into a ruinous heap and therefore take me thus First Gods Will is the Rule of Righteousness and therefore what he doâ—h or shall do must needs be righteous He is Lord of all he
and read a real retribution and remuneration God dos not put off Obed-Edom with a fine Feather or with empty favours or Court compliments but he really blesses him and all his houshold Obed-Edom had been at some cost and charge in giving entertainment to Gods Ark but God defrayes all the charges and payes him abundantly for his kind entertainment with interest upon interest No man ever gave the Gospel a nights lodging that hath been a loser by it God will pay all such with use and principal who do any thing to the furtherance of his worship and service Hiram shall have Corn and Oyl for affording materials to the building of the Temple Cyrus shall prosper and be victorious for breaking off the yokes that were about his peoples necks and restoring of them to their Christian liberty Aegypt fared the beeter for entertaining the Paâ—riarchs God stored that Countrey with great plenty and variety of outward blessings because his Church was to sojourn there God blessed Obed-Edoms person and possession and family for the Arks sake the blessings that was upon Obed-Edom was like the precious Oyntment that was shed upon Aarons head and that ran down to the lowest skirts of his garments Every servant in Obed-Edoms family tasted of Gods noble bounty and fared the better for the Arks sake Let men and Devils do their worst God will certainly bless their dwellings who give entertainment Among all thâ— Lacedaemonians you could not have seen one drunken man among them unless it was their slaves The Mahumetans forbid any of their Sect to drink Wine under pain of death Their Mussulmans and Darâ—isels affirmiâ—g that there lurks a Devil under every Grape to his Ark to his people that desire to worship him in spirit and in truth O Sirs this is and this must be for a lamentation that there are so many Ale-houses and Gaming houses and Whore houses that are usually stuft with vain persons yea with the very worst of the worst of men both on the Lords Day and on other dayes Certainly these houses are the very Suburbs and Seminaries of Hell Vbi fuisti Where hast thou been apud inferos in Hell said Erasmus merrily comparing Tipling-houses to Hell Doubtless they are the Nurseries of all sin and the Synagogue of Devils incarnate In the above-mentioned houses how â—otoriously is the name of God blasphemed and how shamefully are the precious fruits of the earth abused and how many hundred families are there impoverished and how many thousand children and servants are there empoysoned and how is all manner of wickedness and lewdness there encouraged and increased But when O when shall the Sword of the Magistrate be turned against these Conventicles of Hell Certainly the horrid wickednesses that are daily committed in such houses if not prevented by a faithful zealous and constant execution of the Laws in force will arm divinâ— vengeâ—nce against the Land Magistrates should not bear the Sword of Justice in vain For they are Ministâ—rs of God to revenge and execute wrath upon them that do evil By their office they are bound to be a terror to evil doers and encouragers of them that do well and O that all in Power and Authority would for ever resolve against being Satans Drudges Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of these things which thou The Devil in Dioclâ—siaâ— say some the Devil in Trajan say others For he reigned next after this Book was written and was very cruel against the Christians delivering them over to prisons and death and all to drive them through fear from the profession of Christ shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tryed and ye shall have tribulation ten dayes be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life The Devil by his Imps and instruments whom he acts and agitates the Devil by engaging the Civil and the Military power of the world against the people of God should so far prevail as to clap them up in prison The Prison in this Text notes by a Synecdoche the adjuncts and consequences as namely torments punishments and all sorts of Martyrdom This one punishment imprisonment saith Brightman doth contain prescribings confiscation of goods banishments slaughters fires rackings or whatsoever exquisite torment beside as the story teacheth The Heathen Emperours with those wicked Governours Officers and Souldiers that were under them were the great instruments in Satans hand to practise the greatest cruelties upon the Saints in those dayes Some they cast into Prisons some they banished multitudes they slew with the Sword some of the precious servants of Christ they beat with stripes to death others they branded in their fore-heads Others were tortured and racked Yea and many holy women in that day had their breasts cut off and others of them had their breasts burnt with a hot Iron and sometimes with Eggs rosted as hot as could be These with many other torments the people of God were exercised with as all know that have read the lamentable stories of those sad times But you may sâ—y Why then is the imprisonment of the Saints Object so ascribed to the Devil as if it were immediately acted by him Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison 1. To shew what influence the Devil hath in the acting of wicked men so that in effect their deed is his deed they Answ are so subsâ—rvâ—ent to him 2. It is to shew us that the Author Original and fountain from whence all the persecutions of the Saints do flow is the Devil who was a murder and a lyar from the beginning John 8. 44. 3. It is to aggrevate the horribleness of this sin of persecution as being a main piece of the Devils business what ever the instruments are 4. It is to comfort and encourage the people of God to paâ—ience and constancy in all their sufferings for Christ seeing that it is the Devil that is their grand enemy and that makes in his instruments the highest opposition against them A gracious man in the midst of all oppositions as Chrysostoms said of Peter is as a man made all of fire walking in stubble he overcomâ—â— and consumes all oppositions all difficulties are but whet-stones to his fortitude When Christians meet with great opposers and great oppositions they should say as that noble Souldier Paedarelus in Erasmus did to him that told him of a numerous and mighty Army which was coming against him Tanto plus gloriae reforemus quoniam eo plures superabimus The number of opposers makes the Christians conquest the more illustrious It is very observable that in Dioclesians time under whom was the last and worst of the ten persecutions When Christian Ruffia Religion was more desperately opposed than ever yet then it prospered and prevailed more than ever So that Dioclesian himself observing that the more he sought to blot out the name of Christ the more legible it became and