other things and to be willing if neede require to forgoe euen life it selfe for his sake for such is the malice of Sathan and of the wicked his children against Christian Religion and the true fauourers and followers thereof as they doe watch all oportunities of raysing vp not onely ordinary molestations but fiery persecutions against them And againe it pleaseth God after times of peace and long calmes of prosperity to send a storme and tempest of persecution and martyrdome to discouer hypocrites and to shew who be sound Christians who follow God for his blessings and who professe him of loue Therefore it is necessary that euery one be found ready and well furnished with faith and patience to be willing and able to abide the worst For as in warre when a field is pitched fought all the Souldiers that fight are not slaine yet are they all subiect to the Sword howsoeuer many escape aliue so in this warfare against Sathan and the World all are lyable to this great tryall of martyrdome though it please God to spare and free many from vndergoing it yet all by nature and condition of their profession are subiect to it and are to make reckoning and so to fit themselues as if time change for nothing is more changeable they may not be to seeke of their weapons This is it then which I doe determine according to the Word that forasmuch as all Christians are Christs billed Souldiers and haue taken the presse money to serue him to the death Ephe. 6. 5 6 7 And all ought to be as an house built vpon a rocke firme and constant Mat. 7. 24 And Paul the Apostle prayeth for the beleeuing Christians Colos. 1. that they may be strengthened to patience And also it is written That whosoeuer put their hand to the Plough and looke backe are vnfit for the Kingdome of Heauen Luke 9. 62. And all that will liue godly in Christ must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. And finallie that by many tribulations we shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Acts 14. 22. Therefore howsoeuer it may seeme good vnto God to bring men to their graue in peace yet to euery Christian there is a necessity of resolution and preparation for martyrdome Touching your other demand what duties are to be done of such as will duly prepare and addresse themselues for such a tryall As this is a part of our wisedome to forethinke that persecution may arise and of our piety to be ready and willing to embrace it when it comes so it is further required of all godly wise Christians to prepare themselues as Marriners against a storme and to exercise themselues as Souldiers against the day of battle Now the exercise of a Christian to fit himselfe for the tryall of Martyrdome consisteth in these things first to labour for a sound iudgement in matters of faith that first vpon sound instruction hee beleeue 〈◊〉 and distinctly the truth of Religion and so there will follow a franke and vndaunted confession according to that that is written I beleeued and therefore I spake 2 Cor. 4. 13. Whereas the vnsetled and vnseasoned Christian being either ignorant or but wauering wi'l proue vnstable in his way Iames 1. 8. Secondly to this must be ioyned a through labouring in the mortification of the corrupt lusts of our sinfull nature and a deniall of our selues because Scripture teacheth what experience hath confirmed that such as liue in pleasure diuers sinnes lacking the spirit of mortification being otherwise learned and leading a ciuill life haue proued back-slyders and more dishonoured God thereby in one houre then all their life long they gained him glory He had not neede immoderately to loue the World or to hold any sinnes deare to him that must part from his owne life in Christs quarrell The mortisied man therefore is the likeliest and fittest man to make a Martyr such as being engrafted into Christ his death haue got power to die to sinne are meetest persons to die for the Gospell of Christ. Vnto all which there must be added a serious meditation of such Scriptures as foretell of persecutions for the name of Christ and diligent and often calling to minde the examples of such as haue valiantly endured losse of goods and life for the Lord Iesus with earnest prayer to God for strength and power to be armed with like constancy Such as most suspect their owne strength and being afraide of their infirmity get to them all helpes of setled iudgement mortification examples prayers and Scriptures to establish their hearts there is best hope of such that they will sticke to it Some haue boasted of their strength in a vaine confidence thereof and haue started away when it came to the proofe whereas fearefull Christians which mistrusting their owne sufficiency and strength did make God their rocke haue manfully acquitted themselues choosing rather to die then to denie their Lord that bought them He that is the greatest bragger at home is not euer the best Souldier in the field nor he alwayes stands to martyrdome in the euill day which in dayes of peace is most forward in shew of zeale profession of words Nichodemus which at the first came to Iesus by night being too fearefull afterwards did declare his loue to Christ boldly standing to him in a great extreamity when his owne Disciples who saide They would die with him shrunke from him and forsooke him He therefore that least presumeth of his owne power and most striueth against the power of sinne is best made for such a businesse as to suffer with Christ. Aquila Now Sir let me entreate you to deliuer to me what may be the considerations whereby it pleaseth God to encourage his children to such a resolution and patience as when the fiery tryall commeth they can with constancy hold it out and how the assaults of Sathan the world and the flesh to shake and weaken this resolution may be beaten backe or repelled Apollos It is the holy Spirit of God which doth establish them vnto and in this tryall inspiring their hearts with wisdome and courage that they may know how to confesse his truth freely and boldly and with godly patience that they may suffer for it manfully As Christ saide It shall be giuen you what to speake in that houre Mathew 〈◊〉 19. And Dauid prayes God to renew a firme spirit in him and with his free Spirit to establish him Psal. 51. 11 13. And Paul for the Colossians prayeth God to strengthen them to all patience with ioy fulnesse Col. 1. 11. So then the constancy of Martyrs is to be ascribed not to any natural power but to the mighty worke of Gods Spirit who saith vnto the weake Be thou strong and feare not for I am with thee in fire and water Howbeit there are sundry meete considerations whereby it pleaseth the holy Ghost to quicken strengthen their mindes to patient enduring First of all that by Gods eternall decree
therefore the grosse ignoraunce of these times doth argue the rarenes of faith in this age The which is further testified by the cōtempt of Gods publike worship the prophanation of his Sabbath which doth alwayes as an handmaid accompany and waite vpon ignorance God being serued by some for meere fashion and 〈◊〉 or because of the Lawes compelling it and by others not serued at all the Tauernes or Ale-houses or Stew-houses or gaming places being the Church they keepe This plainly sheweth how rife infidelity is whereof this is yet a further demonstration euen mens fayling in Gods priuate worship either not praying at all with their family but lying downe like Asses and rising like Hogges or else performing it negligently with coldnesse and want of deuotion But amongst sundry tokens of the rarenesse of true beleeuers in the Church of God these two are the most notorious The former is the vnfaithfull dealing of one man toward another men being so full of craft and subtilty so cunning and exercised to beguil as one can hardly tell where to trust 〈◊〉 shall one finde a true and plaine-hearted man These being the dayes wherein affiance cannot be put in a friend nor confidence in a counsellor as the Prophet fore-tolde Mic. 7 5. This want of ciuill faith doth bewray the want of Christian faith For did men truly beleeue in God they would surely be carefull to deale so as that they might deserue to be beleeued of men Our keeping of our promise with men it being a speciall fruite of our faith in Gods promises Ps. 5 4. Gal. 5 22. yet where is he in a maner to be found that maketh conscience of a promise Yea bonds oathes will scarse hold men they are so slippery and vntrusty The other thing is the generall hatred of true beleeuers of faithfull Christians who of al others are most scorned and reuiled by all sorts of people Amongst whom there is a certaine strife and emulation who should excell others in malice towards them If men did beleeue in God and loue him which begetteth they would loue such as are begotten of him 1 Iohn 5 1. If this bee the marke of a man translated from death of vnbeleefe and sinne to the life of grace and faith that they Loue the Brethren 1 Iohn 3 14. as it is there written Hereby we know we are translated from death to life because wee loue the brethren then surely this ouer-common hatted despising of the godly together with the great vnmercifulnes and cruelty which reigneth euery where doth sufficiently proue the truth of that which is before spoken in the Word that Christ when he comes should scarse finde any faith vpon the earth Luke 18. and this is it which hath bene the condition of all times Few there be that enter the straite gate Math. 7. Many called and few chosen Few also beleeued the reportes of the Prophets So few that feared God as that the holy Ghost hath enquired for such as are rare to be found Where is the man that feareth the Lord Againe Psal 90 12. In Noahs time but his family alone and therin was a Cham. Afterward the house of Abraham of Isaac who worshipped God aright yet there was an Ismael and an Esau. What was Iacobs family or the Israelites to the rest of the world Yet among them were many hypocrites and wicked men Aquila You haue well established me in that which I conceiued about the fewnesse of beleeuers but I pray you Sir declare vnto mee what may be the true causes thereof and what benefit may come by this consideration Apollos Some of the causes be common to all times some proper to this age wherein we liue Of the former ranke the want of the Word the seed of faith or where the Word is the want of sound Interpreters the hands which scatter abroad the seede of the Word the withdrawing of grace where Interpretors be for all encrease commeth from God who if hee pull backe his grace it is in vaine for Paul to plant or Apollos to water To these wee may adde the corruption of mans heart prone to vnbeleefe and reason especially corrupted is an especiall enemy to faith as nothing more For the wisedome of the flesh is not nor will be subiect vnto God Rom. 8. 7. Satan he euer makes one alwayes labouring by one meanes or other to make frustrate the Word because he knowes that his kingdome is so much decayed as the Word preuaileth to draw men out of vnbeleefe vnto faith therefore hee sets all his wits and wiles aworke how hee may harden men in infidelity But the maine and soueraigne cause of this fewnesse of true beleeuers which be in the world it is the decree of god who hath not ordained all to life eternall which is the end and therefore not vnto faith which is the meane to bring vnto that end and these are more then a good many for the saued are fewer then the other which are not saued Mat. 7. 13 14. Now for the causes proper to this age I take them to be these foure especially First the extreme rage of Satan who perceiuing his time to be but short rageth so much the more striuing with all his cunning and might to hold men in the fetters of infidelity and keepe them backe from Christ to this end both lessening and cutting away the meanes where hee can and hindering meanes where they bee Another thing is abundance of iniquity ouerflowing in all places as a deluge this last age being as a common sinke into which all the filth of all foretimes runneth which occasioneth God as a iust Iudge to punish men with hearts slow and hard to beleeue Thirdly to the encrease of vnbeleefe it helpeth not a little that there is in the Church amongst professors such differences in matter of faith and religion a great stumbling blocke And lastly the loose liues of such as be Preachers of the faith auaileth much to hold men in their vnfaithfulnesse and sinne for the benefit which is to be made of this consideration it is this so much the more to encrease a care in men to labour for the gift of faith by how much it is more rare Were it so common as Nature is or as the Word and knowledge is there were the lesse need of any thought or trauane this way but being a thing so precious renowned much talked of in the World and little felt and enioyed and there being no Christ nor happinesse without it it standeth vpon so much the more to giue all diligence that they may bee found rather amongst the little handfull of beleeuers then in the multitude of Infidels which walke the broade way of vnbeliefe and iniquity Also this admonisheth vs as to sweate about the getting of faith by vse of all the meanes afore mentioned so to be exceeding thankefull to
that will not so easily be ouercome without some more special helpe I will endeuour what I may to helpe you here Doe you recite the impediments of Repentance and you shall heare what shall be saide to them Aquila I will doe so and that euen as I haue felt them in my selfe or 〈◊〉 them in others And I find that they arise either from the quality of sinne or from some circumstance in the sin done or from some euill affection in the 〈◊〉 or from respect of God ormen or from the nature of Repentance or from Sathans suggestions Apollos What discouragement ariseth from the quality of sinne Aquila The foulenesse of the offence takes away hope of recouery Apollos There is but onely one foule offence that cannot be repented of all others may Gods children can take no such fall but it may be repented of and ought to be a great fall ought not to 〈◊〉 any man from rising againe They which 〈◊〉 Christ Iesus are called to repentance and did repent Acts 2. And what fouler sinne can the childe of God commit then to kill the Lord of glory I can tell you of such as haue done foule sinnes and very 〈◊〉 and that of knowledge after grace receiued which yet found place for repentance For peraduenture you will say that the Iewes did their sinne ignorantly well but Adams foule sinne the fountaine of all other sinnes and the 〈◊〉 of his whole kinde most wofully 〈◊〉 by him could not be done ignorantly nor yet Dauids nor Salomons nor Peters for they knew the Commandements What is your 〈◊〉 in respect of God Aquila His exceeding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 seuerity towards offendors expressed euen in casting off many which yet haue humbled 〈◊〉 and turned as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apollos Nay the mercifull and compassionate nature of God as it is euery where excolled and that highly Esay 55. 7. Psal 103. 9. 11. Rom. 2. 4. Ioel 2. 6 7. and otherwhere so it is purposely mentioned by the holy Ghost very often to inuite and encourage sinners to repentance as in the forenamed places his strict seuerity is extended to obstinate rebellious sinners and to no other not to such as turne and submit to him and relent towards him To such he is as the Father in the Gospell to his lost relenting childe neither did he cast out any humbled repenting sinner saue such as did it in dissimulation and yet their temporizing repentance hath got them a temporary blessing as to Iehu and Achah But what be the affections in sinners themselues that vsually hinder their Repentance Aquila First loathnesse to forgoe the profit of their sinne as in Vsurers Victualers Inkeepers and other Artificers Or the pleasure sweetnesse of their sinne as in Drunkards Fornicators Wantons Play hunters Gamesters Or the credit and glory that comes of their sinnes as proud Gallants Ruffians great swearers swash-bucklers and such like Apollos Touching such as are held backe by the commodity of their sinne such a small thred should not haue such 〈◊〉 to keepe them from so necessary a duty as concernes soules health Let such thinke what aduantage it will be vnto them to get though it were the whole World by their sinne and in the end to lose themselues Will all the World serue to be a recompence of their soule But if their soule-danger will not moue let them thinke that God can and will curse all that which is sinfully gotten and cause all that which is euill gotten to be as a fire to consume all that which is well and iustly gained either in their owne dayes or else in the dayes of their children who shall as euilly spend it as they euilly got it lauishing it as wickedly as they wickedly gathered it The experience of all times prouing true that common saying That of euill got goods sildome enioyes the third heire Therefore let men account a little with righteousnesse better then much with iniquitie Better to bee poore and godly then rich and a sinner A little which a iust man hath is better then aboundance with iniquity For Gods blessing can make a little go farre and do much as his curse can quickly scatter and bring a great deale to nothing Hag. 1 7 8. 2 For such as are held from turning to God by the sweetnesse and pleasure of their sinne such would bee aduised not to looke to the beginning of their sin but to the end of it That which is hony in the mouth wil proue grauell nay gall in the belly That which pleaseth at first at last will bite as a Serpent or Cockatrice and cut as a two-edged sword Prou. 5 3 4 5. Prou. 9 17 18. also Prou. 20 17 these Texts would bee exprest It will proue no wisedom to buy a momentany pleasure with endlesse paine to exchange a short passing and fleeting delight with neuer-ending sorrow anguish and horror Remember what Diâ—es had said to him feare lest thou haue it saide to thy selfe thou carnall sensuall man In thy life time thou hadst thy pleasure and now thou art tormented in this flame So much as men haue had in pleasure so much paine shall be giuen them 3 For such as stand vppon their reputation as if it should fall if they did fall to repentance let the know that as godlinesse is great gaine so it is great credite More true honour to be got by well doing in a weeke then by sinne in a mans life time For whereas sinne drawes credit onely from persons of no worth or credit and must therfore either vanish or end in shame Vertue and Religion purchaseth estimation with the godly and howsoeuer it meete with shame in the world yet it hath an euerlasting honour in the life to come euen a crowne of blessed immortality 4 Lastly let it be weighed that true greatnesse is to be great in Gods fauour true worshippe is to be a true Christian which is more honorable then to be as the sonnes of Nobles and Princes Aquila I obserue other hinderances growing from corrupt mindes of the offenders partly partly from sathans suggestions as a feare to be pointed at for singularity and to haue nick-names heaped on them if they should leaue their sinfull customes or take vp any good duties which draw contempt from the profane world Likewise an vnwillingnesse to incurre the displeasure and dislike of their prophane worldly friends to whom they are beholden 3. Some are also hindred by the euill life of Professors 4. by the contemptible estate of such as truly repent and feare God 5. And not a few are let by the custome of time which they are vnwilling to go against and differ from choosing to do as most do because they would haue fewest to talke of them Apollos Aquila a little hinderance is a great matter to the vnwilling as the well-willing will ouercome great lets These which you name are but feathers or at most scar-crowes and bugges to make Children affraid