as he might abide great torments for hee was cast before a cruel Libbard thirsting most extremely after blood to the intent that he might devoure with his teeth the rest of his body but the beast smelling of him forgat his cruelty and turning away his face hee did no hurt to the Martyr but hereat the Tyrantsrage encreased and the Martyr by suffering such torments was made more constant crying aloud O how pleasant is that death unto me which is caused by all sorts of torments for Gods sake yea so much the more pleasant for that I assuredly hope to finde reward for it in heaven Let these torments inflicted upon mee O Tyrant satisfie thy cruelty for my pain is not by thy tortures encreased but rather my pleasure as thou shalt finde by my patience in this agony more willing am I to suffer than thou to punish yea my pain in suffering is less than thine by inflicting the same upon me I am tormented for the truth and observing the Law and the Justice of God shall banish thee from thy Regal Seat thou by tormenting art tormented and almost consumed thy wrath and fury being almost spent upon mee in vain thou shalt not escape the Day of Judgement eternal pains are there prepared for thee which neither thy profane minde is able to endure nor thy cruelty of power to decline thy sinful soul being condemned to eternal punishments Thus hee remaining constantly in his Faith and animated by his Brothers example departed unto heaven Then the third Son was brought whom all pittied for the death of his two Brethren and many exhorted him by his Brothers examples to desist from his opinion and so avoid punishment but hee being hereat angry thus replyed One Father begot us one Mother did bear us one Master instructed us wee are all of one mind and all alike affected do therefore no longer prolong the time in vain I came hither for to suffer and not to speak use all your tyranny possible against this body for you have no power at all over my soul The Tyrant hereat moved to see this third nothing relent by his brothers deaths he devised more cruelty than humane wit alone could invent wherefore hee commanded a Globe to bee brought and tied the holy Martyr about it in such sort that all his bones were set out of joynt and displaced whereat the holy Martyr was nothing dismaide the skin also of his head and face was pulled off and then hee was put upon the wheel but hee could not bee racked any worse for that all his bones were displaced and did hang one separated from another in most pitiful manner And when blood issued from him abundantly hee was deprived of the use of his hands and feet but perceiving his life to bee spent hee spake thus and died Wee O Tyrant endure this torment for the love of God and thou the Author of such unjust cruelty shalt suffer everlasting pain then his tongue being cut out of his mouth hee was put into a Frying-pan and so amidst those torments yeelded up the Ghost Next after followed the fourth Brother whom all the people perswaded and entreated to obey the King but hee contemning their exhortations said thus with all constancy Your fire shall not separate mee from the Law of God nor from my Brethren who instead of this mortal life enjoy life everlasting I denounce unto thee O Tyrant destruction and overthrow but to such as believe salvation Make tryal of mee therefore and see if God will forsake me who hath with open and stretched out armes received my three brethren that are gone before mee and whom the Womb of so holy a Mother at several times brought forth unto glory The cruel Tyrant hearing this was much moved and leapt down from his Chair to torment this Martyr himself that so hee might overcome him and in his fury commanded his tongue to bee cut out but hee hereat not terrified said unto Antiochus This cruelty will nothing avail thee neither shalt thou hereby as thou supposest conquer mee our God needs not by voice to bee awakened but rather by secret cogitation to bee prayed unto to help his servants and our God knoweth all things before wee ask and before wee our selves enter into cogitation thereof hee understandeth our necessity cut out my tongue thou canst not cut out my minde while my life remaineth Those prayers which by it I have uttered to Almighty God have taught it to suffer Would God thou wouldst so sanctifie all parts of my body by punishing them for thou therein inflictest punishment upon thy self and reward upon mee and think not that thou shalt thus escape long unpunished When hee had thus spoken his tongue was cut out of his mouth and hee bound to a stake and there hee was beaten with ropes ends and hee did patiently endure this notwithstanding the colour of his face became dead and wan being loosed from thence hee was put upon the wheel and then praying for the Church of God hee by death went unto the rest of his Brethren Then the fifth Brother before hee was haled to torments spake in this manner Behold I come to bee punished before thou command mee hope not therefore any jot to alter his minde who as thou seest desireth to bee tormented the blood of my four innocent brethren which thou hast shed hath condemned thee to hell fire I am to make them up the number of five that by it thy pains may bee encreased Tell mee for what offence by us committed dost thou thus punish us For what impiety dost thou so persecute us What villainy have wee committed What wickedness what naughtiness have wee attempted This is all thou canst alledge against us that wee honour God our Creatour and live justly in obedience of his Lawes and therefore do not esteem thy punishments but they are to us honour and salvation and not punishment we shall bee greatly rewarded by God if no part of us bee left free from torment Whilst thus hee spake his Executioners by the Kings command took him and cast him into a brazen pot and was prest down in it his head to his feet and afterwards hee suffered all other torments which his Brethren had endured yet not amazed hereat hee suddenly started up and thus hee said Cruel Tyrant how great benefits doest thou against thy will bestow upon us yea the more thou art incensed against us the more acceptable to God shalt thou make us yea I should bee sorry if thou shouldst shew mercy upon mee this short affliction gaineth us life everlasting if this temporal death should not betide mee everlasting life could not befal mee and thus hee finished his agony and died Then the Tormentors laid hands upon the sixth Brother who was permitted either to chuse honour or else punishment but hee aggrieved at his offer said although I be younger in my years than my Martyr'd Brethren yet my constancy of minde to theirs is not
assisting and supervening act of the Spirit to be enabled to give our consent to the conclusion for as in natural actions as in moving ones hand walking c. if we have the will we have the deed also but as for Spirituals it is God that gives both the will and the deed of his good pleasure not the will of his good pleasure and the deed of our good pleasure or the deed of common providence and the will of free-grace but both of free-grace or which is all one of his good pleasure and as God keeps both our will and deed in his own hand and dispenseth them severally so that when he hath given us the will he keeps the deed still in his hand that we may know that we have not a power to do good even when wee have a will so that the good which wee would wee do not and the evill which wee would not that wee do that free-grace may have all the glory so as to our faith the Spirit of God gives light and satisfaction as to the premises and yet keeps our assent to the conclusion in his own hand as it 's evident in divers that are in desertion though they confess whosoever love the brethren are past from death to life and that they do love the brethren yet cannot yeeld to the conclusion viz. that they are past from death to life For as God did by his power cause his fire to burn their cords Dan. 3. and yet not to singe a hair of their head or as he made light in Goshen and darkness in Egypt So many times God gives light to premises and suffers his children as in Egyptian darkness to the conclusion and yet abundantly satisfied as to the premises but to return because convictions may be communicated as to the grounds of them and those grounds upon which one is convinc'd another may be convinc'd also therefore I shall set down one of many reasons which may convince one of the excellency of Christ as for experiences in many cases it is not lawful and in none possibly fully to be exprest therefore thus That Christ was God and Man I take it for granted for if the devil should say it were so and I know him to be the Father of Lyes yet I hope I should not doubt it and though the Socinians say it 's not so yet I lay this as a foundation having recourse to experience finding those precious joyes that grow from the high prizeings of Christ and thus build upon it I see and clearly perceive what singular beauty comeliness and activity and rare operations the Soul that is but a creature gives unto the body so that the eye sees and hand works and feet walk the hand and tongue make rare musick and body lives and moves and continues in health and strength fourty eighty yeares and when I see the self-same body dead and observe what gastly look instead of beauty and that it neither moves hand nor foot and how quickly it putrifies and rots when the Soul is gone I conclude all these excellencies that the body had when living were communicated to it from the Soul For as if I should hear some rare musick and yet when I came into the room should see a Lute lye on the Table but not see any one in the room I should conclude that this Lute did not make the musick of it self without a hand to move it and that the Lute did not give skill to him that plaid for let one that hath no skill have never so well a tuned instrument he can make no musick therefore if the Soul that is but a poor creature can inable the body to do what of it self it is so unable to do and this by its union with the body what must we think what rare excellencies must necessarily be imparted to the Humane Nature of Christ by that union which the Deity hath with it and doubtless as much as a living body as to beauty and operations doth exceed a dead so and much more did Christ as man exceed all men being united to the God-Head especially the union of the Deity with the Humane Nature of Christ being neerer than that of the Soul with the body I leave these things to the consideration of any spirituall understanding Christian but this I shall adde that one never shall be satisfied fully unless to that conviction which wee have from arguments wee have that also which is to bee had from experience CHAP. III. In living contrary to Providences 3. THe third thing wherein the Power of godliness consists is living contrary to providences I mean not only above but contrary to the temptations which accompany Providences So wee read in Job when God had taken away from him all that he had the temptation that was natural considering our corruptions which Satan pretended and he doubted not but would certainly follow upon this Providence was that Job would curse God but Job did not only not curse God but he blessed him which was quite contrary to Satans expectation and to the temptation that was incident to that Providence if Job had been only patient under his affliction it had been different but not contrary to that carriage which in such a Providence one is generally tempted to blessing and cursing are the two extremes not to murmure or repine if one goeth no further is not to curse nor yet to bless but of a middle nature and a Christians aimes should bee higher than onely not to repine and murmure when God afflicts or not to revenge whenmen injure or persecute us it is not enough not to curse but wee must bless them that curse us it is not enough not to dispair in the time of persecution but we must rejoyce in tribulation and bee exceeding glad when wee suffer for righteousness sake The Apostle bids us to add to our patience godliness if that with which our patience is exercised be afflictions if injuries from men brotherly kindness It was a rare carriage of a good woman who taking up her childe dead whom she had laid down well instead of murmuring fell a blessing and admiring the goodness of God that all her children were not so this was quite contrary to the carriage of carnal men in such a Providence that was also a singular carriage of one who having had extraordinary joyes in her sickness finding that she was a recovering fell a trembling exceedingly and being ask'd whether her joyes were gone she answered no not so much as abated but that she trembled to think that she should live to dishonour her God that gave them CHAP. IV. In mortifying Temptations 4. THe fourth thing wherein the Power of Godliness consists is in this that we mortifie temptations if I may so call it when few things are temptations not that a growne Christian has fewer temptations yet fewer things are temptations to him 't is one thing to conquer a temptation so as to put it to
and may bee mingled with worldly imployments that they may bee almost innumerable every day and what they want in their magnitude they may have in number an Hair is but a small thing yet because of their multitudes they keep us very warm Misers feasts they say use to bee very great but very seldome but in his daily constant expences hee is very frugal and omits not the smallest gain and it is not such seldome extravigances that impoverish 3. Smaller duties and smaller sins do make way for greater as the point of the needle doth for the rest of it nemo repente fit turpissimus generally wee begin with lesser sins as omissions of duties as friends first begin to bee estranged and then they may easily become enemies for frequent committing of lesser sins harden the heart so that that sin which if it had been propounded at first would have startled one yet the heart being prepared by the omissions of duties and running into the occasions and temptations of the sin they come at last from being so far from abhorring of it that they commit it Davids murther of his friend began with his neglect to fight against his enemies and his adultery began with idleness with sleeping and gazing so you shall see by what degrees hee came to commit murther 1. Hee neglects the duty incumbent upon him at that season and so having little to do hee did nothing went to sleep when hee should have been meditating Gen. 24.63 his unseasonable sleep made him unfit for any thing that was good but fit for any thing that was evil one act of idleness puts him upon another and both of them fits him for adultery and that ingages him to murther to satisfie his lusts he commits adultery to conceale his lusts hee commits murther Sin is modest at first Solomon would not build his Wives house neer the Temple afterwards built an Altar for an Idol Eccles 10.13 4. If the sin bee so little or the duties so small is it not the greater sin for thee to offend God for such trifles If the love of God bee not strong enough to perswade them to do or abstain from that which is small how weak is thy heart towards God 5. Is it not a great sin in thee to offend God in small things It is a great sin for thee to stand out against God in small matters CHAP. XIV The next impediment is our ignorance and senselesnesse of the sins of Omission THe next great impediment is the not considering the sinfulnesse and the mischief that sins of omission do us few there are but make conscience of slandering their neighbour but make not conscience enough of preserving his good name more make conscience of sinful words than of sinful silence more make conscience of doing evil than of doing nothing therefore that you may bee more sensible of the sinfulness and sins of omission consider 1. That the greatest sins in the world except the sin against the Holy Ghost are sins of omission viz. ignorance infidelity impenitency 2. That at the day of Judgement the sins that Christ shall condemn wicked men for are sins of omission 3. Thy sins of omission are far more than thy sins of commission for every sin of commission includes in it sins of omission not è contra Consider how ma-many precious thoughts of God thou mightest have had the last hour which thou hadst not and so many thoughts not had so many sins of omission nay every holy duty has more sins of omission than it hath goodness of performance for there are three kindes of sins of omission one in omitting the duty it self the other in omitting debitas circumstantias and the third in omitting debitos gradus So that though you do perform the duty either you omit doing it for that end c. and so want sincerity or else do it not with such a high degree of love c. CHAP. XV. The next impediment is not to come fully off for God THe eleventh great impediment is that wee do not come off fully and wholly for God wee would fain have both the World and God which will never bee it is impossible to have ones treasures in heaven and in earth too This halting betwixt two opinions betwixt God and Baal and serving two Masters God and Mammon is that which hinders us from doing either effectually for while wee are thinking and endeavouring to enjoy the world the thoughts of heaven make us that wee cannot freely enjoy that and when wee are about to serve God the thoughts of the world take us off from him great mischiefes come by our thus having an heart for God and an heart for the world and the truth of it is 1. It is impossible as it is impossible for any body to have two centers either of magnitude or weight so it is for the soul to have two centers God and the world for as the first cause of all things can bee but one so the last end of all our desires and endeavours can bee but one subordinate end wee may have many but not co-ordinate 2. Hence comes all our mischiefes all our troubles and distractions come from hence For as it is in a Kingdome when it is divided and there are two which would strive for soveraignty there must needs bee continually civil wars so that soul can have no peace but must bee in continual war and disquiet when the world and God strive who shall rule From whence come wars and fightings within you Come they not hence of your lusts that war in your members 't is our lustings after the world that make all our inward perturbations in our services of God 3. This makes us that wee cannot run the Race that is set before us as not with joy as already hath been said so not with speed just as one that halts runs neither with that speed nor ease nor comeliness So hee that halts betwixt God and any thing else goes but slowly on in the waves of God therefore if God bee God follow him if the world bee God follow that Hee that is going from Sodom and looks back must needs make many a stop in his journey 4. Take heed for thy hearkening after the world though for the present it may bee they onely hinder thee in Gods service yet it will come to pass at last that they will hinder thee from Gods service thy sinning and praying will not last long for either thy sin will make thee leave off praying or thy praying will make thee leave off sinning So thy love of the world will either make thee leave off loving of God or the loving of God will make thee leave off loving the world For God will so order it by his providence that thou shalt bee forc'd to chuse one as it befell the young man that would needs know what hee must do to bee saved hee thought hee might love riches and follow Christ but it would not bee 5.
very bodies will receive alterations in the combate If so bee Religion bee such an easie thing as some lazy persons will make it let them answer mee these few Queries 1. Why does the Scripture speak otherwise of it Why does Christ say Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many shall seek to enter in but they shall not bee able if wee may bee lazy in this work Why are wee commanded to stir up the grace of God that is in us 2 Timothy 1.6 Why doth God by his Prophet complain that no man stirs himself up Isai 64.7 Why does the Scripture speak of following hard after God and of our life as a continual war-fare 2. How comes it to pass that most eminent Saints have found so much ado Do wee not read how Jacob wrastled all night with teares and supplications Hosea 12.4 How did that blessed Apostle Paul fight not as one beating the ayr How did hee presse forwards towards the mark forgetting the things that were behinde and beat down and keep in subjection his body How hee was in fastings often in perils by Sea c. passed thorough good report and ill report and how comes it to pass that thou thwarting one corruption or denying thy self in any thing thou givest thy flesh what ease what diet what pleasure soever it desires If it bee but a little cold rather than thou wilt endure it thou wilt leave Ordinances duties as much Religion as may stand with the praise of men the ease of thy body the saving nay the increasing of thine estate if that will save thy soul O how far art thou from leaving hating Father and Mother and Brethren and Sisters yea thine own life for his sake Flatter not thy self if thou wilt not cross a lust nor leave a sin in the time of peace thou wilt not leave thy life in time of persecution for his Namessake 3. Why does the Scripture say that the righteous shall scarcely bee saved And bee thou sure that if ever thou comest to heaven thou shalt wonder how it was possible but that then thou shalt see the infinite wisdome and power of God ordering things how it was possible that thou shouldest escape such imminent dangers Thou wilt see that thousands of times in thy life what with thy back-slidings thy gross carelesness of duties and in duties by the victories that temptations have gotten of thee that thou hast been at the very brink of the pit of hell and that there has been but an haires breadth betwixt thee and destruction Alas the senslesnesse of thy dangers temptations corruptions makes thee so careless and so little to wonder at thy safety like him that in a dark night rid over a very narrow long plank that was laid over a great bridge that was repairing when they who knew the danger ask'd him how hee came into the City that way Hee said why what should ail him hee came and rid over the bridge But the next day when hee saw the danger hee had escaped the apprehensions of the danger though past made him fall down for dead Surely if thou comest to heaven with lazy wishes and performances it must bee by some other way than ever the Word of God hath spoken of it must bee by some Gospel that Paul never preach'd nay such an one that if hee or an Angel from heaven should preach they should be accursed 4. Go and enquire of all the Saints of God of the most experienced Christians and ask them that have twenty thirty sixty yeares experience of the wayes of God and power of godlinesse and they will tell thee that though Religion and keeping of strict communion with God has more delight in it than the world can know and such that if they had ten thousand worlds they would give all to enjoy him whom their soul loves yet they will tell you also that it has cost them many a fervent prayer many a strong cry many a doubtful conflict many tears sighs and groanes nay they will tell you that they have so strange and strong temptations still to grapple withal and that not any corruption is so fully vanquish'd but that it sometimes troubles still and that as long as they have an heart so full of corruptions and live in a world so full of temptations and Satan is so full of malice they do not nor can expect to put off their armour and think to sleep upon a bed of Roses generally 't is peoples ignorance and want of experience that makes them have such light and slight thoughts of the great businesse of Religion Indeed if they think it easie from their sense and conference in the power of God that 's something Men generally in the matters of Religion do as presumptuous persons do in their confidence of the pardon of their sins they think sin displeases God no more than themselves and from their senslesnesse of the sinfulnesse greatnesse and number of their sins proceeds their easinesse of their carnal belief of the pardon of them So from their senssesnesse and ignorance of the greatnesse of the work and labour of love and the number and impetuousnesse of their own corruptions and Satans temptations proceeds their carnal confidence of their easinesse to bee saved Is it so then that the established Decrees of God and the experience of all Saints shews that the way to heaven is up hill it is not to bee attained without fightings without and fightings within and must thou have a private way made for thee only to go to heaven in must the Rock of God his Decrees bee removed and the experience of all the Saints on the earth be altered for thee Job 18.4 May wee not say in this case as it is in the matter of poverty that which makes one live contentedly is that ones minde and ones estate agree Wee generally desire that God would bring our estates to our mindes and God requires of us that wee should bring our mindes to our estates as to our content it is all one which of these two are done and is it not much more reason that wee should yeeld to the desires of God than that hee should yeeld to ours So in this case Is it not much more reason that we should make the work of Religion easier and easier by multiplying holy duties for the more wee pray the easier and the better wee pray than that God should make it easier by abating our work For as in the other instance if God should give us according to our desires in earthly things there would bee no end for that which wee desire to day would as little satisfie us to morrow as that which wee desired yesterday doth satisfie us to day so if that our duty should bee abated there would bee no end unlesse God would bee satisfied that wee should do nothing at all in his service for hee that is unwilling to pray thrice a day will bee more unwilling to pray twice within
profit if wee love the impediments more than the things they keep us from as if wee love a multitude of worldly imployments more than grace How justly may God give us up to our owne hearts desires And it were better for us bee given up to Satan by way of excommunication for that is but for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may bee saved in the day of the Lord But whosoever is given up to his owne hearts desires is given up to them both for the destruction both of body and soul THE THIRD PART Wherein are set down Severall meanes and helps For attaining The Power of Godlinesse CHAP. I. The first thing that is necessary for a godly life is faith THE first thing that is necessary to an holy life is Faith for without that 't is impossible to please God 't is the foundation of things hoped for and the foundation of our love I have many times seriously thought what is the true reason why so few believe the Scripture assuring my self that if they did firmly believe it were impossible that their lives should bee so contrary to it For although as I have said conviction does not necessarily work conversion yet it would work reformation or at least it would not suffer them to go on with so little fear and dread upon their spirits as they do Now though divers pretend that it is because divers speculative truths that are set down in the Scripture are so contrary to or at least above their reason that they cannot assent to them yet I am very confident that it is the practical truths of the Scripture that they stop at which they being loth to obey they are fain to pretend or by the just judgment of God they are dis-inabled to believe those truths that are more speculative that this is the reason seems to me evident because that they cannot but confess if not all most of the practicals of the Scripture not to bee against nor above reason but such as whosoever shall obey and live according to them that their very enemies cannot but approve of their lives And this was it that made the Christians both in respect of their charity and love one among another and to their enemies to bee admired and commended even by their persecutors amongst whom they lived The very Heathen could see a beauty in Holiness therefore since the glorious light and lustre of the holiness of the commands of God in Scripture is so clear that men cannot but be convinc'd and yet will not obey no marvel that those saving truths of the Gospel which cannot bee seen by the light of nature I say 't is no marvel that God does not give them of that light which is supernatural since they resist and make no better use of their natural light living quite contrary to those things that teacheth them And it is observed that one reason why God has not made all his truths so clear and demonstrative as mathematical natural truths are is that he would order matters so that those that were of corrupt mindes might finde some pretences for not believing of them for to such people God may justly send strong delusions and it may bee it is much better even for the people of God that all wicked men are not fully convinced of divine truths for that would make them much more outragious and malicious for those whom the truths of God convince but not convert they do inrage as they do Satan who believes and as it does those who commit the sin against the Holy Ghost who hating the truth they know are the greatest and most malicious persecutors nay and indeed 't is a mercy in some kinde even to the wicked also for it is better that they should not know the truths of God since if they did know them they would not obey them therefore if thou wilt believe obey that is if thou wilt believe the mysterious truths of the Gospel obey the holy commands of the Gospel do what thou knowest and thou shalt know what as yet thou art ignorant of I have also considered with my self what truth is the most difficult to believe and to mee it seems that to believe that God hath given his only beloved Son to die for sinners is that truth which we hardliest yeeld to For first our pride is utterly against it for by nature we love to go to heaven by our own merits and to bee justified wholly from another and for our own works not so much as to bee one ingredient in our justification and our own free will to have no hand in our regeneration and our own good works in our glorification by way of merit the pride of man will not stoop to And then secondly it is utterly against humane reason partly because wee think with our selves that God might have forgiven us our sins without so much ado as to have his own son suffer so much for us but wee little consider that wee many times do many things our selves with a great deal of trouble out of love which may bee done as well without us so the mother nurseth her own childe and dresseth it and doth many other things which shee might have done by others as effectually though shee were only a Spectator And further wee must understand that there are two special reasons why God gave his Son and Christ gave himself to die for us chiefly to satisfie his justice as also to satisfie us of his love and it is not easie to say which are hardest to bee satisfied for 't is true that hee that injures forgives not wee therefore having so much offended God can hardly forgive him that is believe that hee will forgive us hee therefore to satisfie and cure our infidelity gives us his only son to die for us to give us an infallible testimony of his love the sufferings of Christ did satisfie the Justice of God by way of merit and our infidelity by way of motive the sufferings of Christ did reconcile God to us and the Spirit of Christ doth reconcile us to God It was necessary that hee that satisfied Gods Justice should bee God and it is as necessary that hee that satisfies us of Gods love should bee God also Another thing that hinders our belief of this mystery is because the goodness and love of God is so exceeding great that wee cannot believe it for wee are subject to judge of God by our selves and therefore because we should never suffer our onely beloved childe to die a miserable shameful death to save an enemy therefore wee judge that God cannot do so neither Hence it is that the more patient meek long-suffering wee grow by the grace and Spirit of God the more easily do wee believe his love to us but if wee truly consider that which makes this mystery of love incredible should make us believe it viz. the greatness of it for since God hath said in his Word that herein
is doubtlesse farre from being an eminent Christian and those that make this Covenant are not onely to tell one another what they see evident to bee amiss but they are also to tell them of their fears and jealousies and of the reports yea even of slanders that are spoken of them for a Saint may get a great deal of good from slander for generally wee do something that gives some occasion to the slanderer to misreport us for if they report that one is a drunkard and a glutton though we may be far from deserving those calumnies yet it gives us just occasion to examine our selves whether wee do not take somewhat too much liberty in the use of the creature and many times wee should go so far if slanders were not raised that wee should deserve them Another great advantage from this our Communion with the Saints is our being acquainted with all their spiritual experiences the waies means that God useth with them what places of Scripture do most affect them either by way of Consolation or provoking and stirring them up to a more strickt and circumspect walking and to a high prizing of and longing after heaven and Christ which places will either stir us up and work the same frame of heart in us or else they will much humble us when wee consider the strange frame of our own hearts that those places that makes others like the charets of Aminadab should not move us and those places that enflame others should not thaw us Another rare advantage that wee have with Gods people is from those high discoveries that God makes of himself to them upon their beds of languishing a little before they depart hence and bee no more seen and because I will not transgress my own thoughts in this particular being confident that relations of the great discoveries that God doth make to his people wil much affect the Christian reader therefore I shall relate some few of the eminentest I know A very precious Christian acquaintance being sick unto death as those that were about have thought I coming to her she said Sir I have examined my own heart but am not willing to trust it but desire the seal of your Ministery and that you would try and examine if there bee any way of wickednesse in me I put her to her choice whether shee would discover her own condition or put mee to finde it out by questions shee chose the former and said O sir God hath handled mee on his knees from my Cradle to my grave for I hope this night the nuptials between my Saviour and my soul shall bee consummate I askt her if shee could remember the time of her conversion shee told mee that shee alwaies lived blamelesse since she could remember But about twenty years ago I was at a Sermon and the point that was spoke to was that every done ought to examine what it was that they had that they durst own at the day of judgement I went home and examined my graces I found them weak and bid them stand by I durst not own them at the day of judgement I examined my duties and found them sinfull and when I found nothing in my self I went out of my self unto that rock that is higher than I and there I have been to this day Her pronunciation as well as her expressions being full of joy and earnestnesse I askt her whether none of her sinnes lay upon her conscience and whether shee used to have such joyes shee answered that God had hid all her sinnes from her for the present and that she formerly used rather to have calmness than joy but now there was a beam of light and joy came into her soul but how shee knew not and speaking much of her desires to bee dissolved I askt her why shee desires to dye shee answered that shee might bee rid of sinne and free from temptation and have an eternity to praise her God in A Neighbour of hers comming in to see her who was a carnal man she left her discourse with others and applyed her self to him and with abundance of intention of spirit and voice shee said O Sir see that you get Christ and the time that you spend in your Garden for hee much delighted in his Garden spend on your knees for I le tell you I would not loose the joys of my dying hour for ten thousand worlds some about her wisht her not to speak so loud for shee would spend her self not speak for my God said shee I will speak for my God as long as I am able to speak and when I can speak no more I will hold my tongue and it was so by Gods good providence that shee resting pretty well that night the next day shee beganne to recover whereupon shee fell a trembling every joynt and shee being askt why shee trembled and what became of her joyes shee answered that â—er joyes was as great as ever but shee trembled to think that shee should live to dishonour that God that gave them when shee was well recovered I askt her what were become of her joys shee answered mee that ever since shee knew God shee had the faith of adherence and I hope that God would have mercy on mee but I never thought it almost possible that God would ever shine upon such a dung-hill as I am but now I can say that God hath stampt upon my soul that I am his and he is mine That precious Saint Mris. Drake of whose life and death there is a little Book worth the perusing out of which I shall only give you an account of her carriage and the wonderful raptures that God gave her a little before her death She was a woman of great temptations and desertions for the space of ten years yet notwithstanding the endeavours and labours of those four eminent servants of God B. Usher Doct. Preston Mr. Hooker and Mr. Dod but at last growing sickly being free from her desertions she became incessant in her discourses of heaven and of the things of God night day so that she took little rest but spent her time and strength in duties and conference shee knew her end approached neer though others lookt upon her distemper rather as an indisposition of body than a fit of sicknesse but she being confident she should dye and thereupon went to her Fathers house where shee alwaies desired to end her daies and Mr. Dod comming to her spending much time in prayer conference and expounding the Scripture shee carried her self with such unsatiable desires of more and such inflamed discourses of the things of God that they were all fill'd with admiration The Lords day before her death shee call'd all her children together and with many admonitions and zealous instructions and heavenly discourses shee spent much time that day with them The Tuesday following Mr. Dod came and spent some time in heavenly discourses and then went to prayer and suddenly as prayer
turn to the thirtieth Psalm by the Relator alwaies urged upon her to belong to her but I durst never appropriate or apply the same unto my self until now and so that Tuesday night sung the same cheerfully as was said shee passing this night over also without an inclination to rest or sleep On the Wednesday morning her indulgent mother that worthy soul Mris. Tottle did rise betimes and came to visit her when finding her in a strange and unusual attire for that morning now apprehending death at hand shee had caused her self too bee dressed from top to toe all in white concealing her conceit therein untill her Mother came who seeing her thus strangely dressed spake lovingly to her in her accustomed phrase how now Daughter what is the matter with thee mee thinks thou lookest like a bride so I am Mother said shee a Bride now trimmed for Christ the Bridegroom and now Mother I have my last suite to make unto you for I am a woman of another world when I am dead I pray you dress mee just thus as you see mee now and so let mee be laid in my grave for for this cause I caused my self to bee dressed thus this morning that you might see how I would bee laid in the grave whereupon her Mother bursting forth into weeping shee comforted her all shee could saying mother mee thinks you should rather rejoyce to see mee so neer home after that I have so long a time been storm beaten and sea-sick not now to grudge that I am arrived so neer the Haven And so prayed her to suffer her willingly to depart home in peace whereupon her Mother for that time being a matchlesse tender mother parted with many tears Soon after this came Mr. Dod and Doct. Preston to her to whom shee with a great deal of joy told the same discourse as formerly shee had done unto her mother that thus as shee was then dressed shee desired to bee laid in the grave after their departure having prayed with her and given thanks for no other part of prayer shee now affected as being heir of all things not having need of any thing shee sent for divers of the house severally unto whom shee gave seasonable and suitable exhortations fitting unto their places taking her leave of them all wherein shee was so punctual that with her good will shee would have had every servant of the house to have come severally unto her but that her mother fearing that which afterwards came to pass some weaknesse to ensue so much watching speaking and toyling incessantly of her spirits durst not expose her to the hazzard of so insupportable a toyle being now very much spent this Wednesday after dinner shee called to void her Chamber of every body and sent for her Father to speak with School and take leave of him whom shee dealt with and schooled having him all alone for above an hour together to whom when shee had spake her mind and taken her leave of him shee dismissed him At his descending from her shee called to speak with the Relatâ—r whom having made to sit down by her shee first gave him many solemn thankes for his care and pains taken with her and then she said shee had a suite unto him who replyed that any suite of hers if in his power was granted ere known yet this served not the turn but shee would have his hand to forgive her which being done shee prayed him to forgive her who wondering at the strangeness of this needless suite told her that he had rather cause to ask forgiveness of her having much failed both in duty love to her O no said she you must forgive mee that you for so many years together have shewed mee so much love and been a means of my everlasting comfort and happiness that yet I have been so unkind unto you for I have not loved you by the hundred part in that measure as I ought to have done according to that love you have shewed to mee but will you know the cause I could love no body as I should so long as I was not assured of Gods love to mee for that onely sets our love on fire to run strongly the right way I could until then neither love you nor any body else during so much distraction and diversion as I should have done and now that my love is thus kindled this is my sorrow my time being short that now I can no otherwise express my self then by this poor acknowledgement In a time I am so unfit and disabled to perform my desires but I well hope that what I cannot do that God that set you on work for my good and my other friends will perform when I am gone and so for that time with abundance of love and thanks shee dismissed the relator Thus having in some ample manner disposed of all the business shee seemed to have in this world the remainder of this afternoon shee lay in her former joyful posture rejoyceing to speak of the best things unto every one neer unto her yet without any rest or sleep or inclination that way When Mr. Dod and Doctor Preston came to visit her shee still entreating to give thanks no other discourse shee had as wanting nothing so continuing all this day untill the evening late that there was a great change as in part shall be shewed for least she should be lifted up through her former revelation joys and rapture so short which endured not surpassing her strength she had a weakening cooler to keep her down low for lo lo the Scene now changes again the curtain waves and tosses a little with an uncouth winde party coloured no firm impressions appeared She who lately was in a glorious tryumph flying away forcibly from us all as it were with Eagles wings mounting upwards is now suddenly surprized with an extream fainting and weaknesse of spirits being for ten daies and nights overwearied watched and toy led out so as now shee bewrayed some weaknesse in her expressions not being as formerly so lively and substantiall which continued the Thursday and Fryday after never having any rest or sleep all the time which distemper made them send post to London for two Physitians hoping by their advice to have made her rest but all in vain no physick could cure her but heavenly Physick therefore on the Saturday Mr. Dod and Doctor Preston and Mr. Hooper kept a private fast for her the issue whereof was in that forenoon shee fell asseep rested soundly some five or six hours together and then waked in a very mild and gentle temper Then shee called unto her Couzen Herreis a good gentlewoman alwaies exceeding careful of her Sarah tell mee did not I lately in some speeches forget my self whereunto her answer was truly Couzen so you did but wee imputed the same to your many daies and night watchings and overwearying of your spirits unable so long to hold out so it was said shee my spirits were
of the Priests being cloathed all in white which he doing Alexander as soon as he saw him fell prostrate before him his Army wondering at his carriage Parmenio asked him what he meant to worship the High-Priest when all others worshipped him He answered he did not worship the High-Priest but that God whom the High-Priest served For saith Alexander when I was in Dio considering what to do in my wat 's God appeared unto me in this very artire and wished me to go on and hee would prosper me and I never since saw any in that attire before now and therefore it is that I do shew that respect to the High Priest and then giving the High-Priest his hand was conducted by him into the Temple and offered Sacrifice according to his directions who also did shew him the Prophesie of Daniel wherein he told him it was prophesied that one of the Grecians should destroy the Persians and hee supposed that hee was the person meant by the Prophecy of which Alexander was very joyful and bestowed great favours both on the High-Priests and the rest of the Jewes Now because of all the stories of the Martyrs either in the time of the Primitive Church or since by the far greater cruelty of the Popish persecution I do not know that ever I read any story equal to this which is recorded by Josephus of the Martyrdome of the seven sons of one Mother I thought good to insert this story which though as for the substance of it it is in the book of Macchabees yet being exceeding more large in Josephus I have transcribed it out of him and the rather do I set down this story because generally Expositors do think that the Apostle in Hebrewes 11.35 hath relation to the sufferings of these worthy Martyrs and it was thus Antiochus whom the Prophet Daniel calls a vile person Dan. 11.21 after he had Martyr'd Eleazer a man of great age reverence piety and constancy caused seven brethren who were brought up and instructed by that blessed fore-named Martyr Eleazer to be brought forth to Martyrdome the Tyrant beholding them and their Mother amongst them with merry and gladsome countenance hee thus spake unto the children I wish your good O admirable young men for so both your beauty of body and Noble parentage perswade mee do not therefore like mad men resist my command avoid not only torments but death also for I desire not only to exalt you unto honour but also to encrease your riches and possessions contemn the superstitious and superfluous belief of your Countrymen and imbrace our Religion which if you refuse to do as I hope you will not I will devise all torments whereby I may by a lingring and painful death consume you and to the end hee might terrifie them the more hee commanded all instruments of torments to bee presented to their view so wheels rods hooks rakes racks cauldrons cages gridirons were brought forth and engines to torment the fingers and hands gauntlets bellowes brazen pots and frying pans Then Antiochus said Consent unto mee O prudent young men for if that I command you to commit a sin yet do not you offend in doing it seeing you commit it only upon compulsion But the young youths guided by a Divine Spirit contemned so many kindes of torments and despised the Tyrants threats and flatteries and with one consent denied to eat of the Sacrificed Swines flesh as they were commanded wherefore said they doest thou persecute us that are innocent wee both desire and wish to die and will until such time as death expelleth life firmly keep that which God commanded and Moses taught us and do not thou seek to seduce us by protesting feigned love towards us the pardon which thou dost offer is to us more dangerous than punishment we are arm'd with contempt of death and esteem not thy words as being by our late Master Eleazer taught to despise them Why then dost thou think such pusillanimity to bee in us young men seeing of late thou foundest such courage in an old man we follow him thou canst not try and know our mindes except by tearing our bodies thou search them out Wee will safely and securely suffer for our God any thing and leaving this earth we shall bee entertained into heaven and thou for so tyrannizing most cruelly upon innocent souls shalt bee reserved unto hell fire Antiochus being greatly moved to see that hee could neither prevail by fair promises nor threatnings hee caused them to bee beaten with Bulls Pisles and first hee commanded the eldest of the seven brethren to be stript and stretched out upon a rack and his hands to bee bound behinde him and then to bee most cruelly beaten who wearied his tormentors by his sufferings so that they more desired to leave beating him than hee desired they should leave This done hee was put upon a wheel and a weight hang'd upon his feet and so stretched round about it that his sinews and intrals brake and so his pains encreased yet for all the pain his mouth was not hindred from calling upon God who beheld all and reproving the Tyrant that devised those torments for the innocent hee cryed out after this manner O thou that persecutest the Majesty of God I whom thou thus tormentest am no Conjurer nor Murderer but one that dies for the truth and observing of the Lawes of God Then the Tormentors wishing him to yeeld Your wheels said hee are not so sharp and cruel that I thereby will bee forced to forsake heaven whereon my minde is fixed tear my flesh yea if it so please you roast it at the fire torture each part of my body with several cruelties you shall for all this finde your selves unable to force us young men to sin As hee thus spake a fire was kindled and hee as hee was upon the wheel racked was so thrown into the fire And thus hee was so burned that his bowels appeared he being nothing moved though his flesh was out of the midst of the fire cryed thus to his brethren O beloved brethren learn by mee an example of constancy contemn and despise the alluring baits of this world and rather obey God than Antiochus who can if hee please humble the proud and mighty and exalt the lowly and dejected As thus he spake hee was taken out of the flame and flean alive his tongue was pull'd out of his mouth and hee put into a Frying-pan and so hee ended his dayes After him the second Brother being haled by the Souldiers Antiochus before hee asked him whether hee would relent caused all those instruments of torments to bee shown him also thereby to terrifie him but hee nothing thereat moved and denying to eat of their foresaid Sacrifice his hands were bound with iron chains and hee being hang'd up by them the Skin of his body was flean from the Crown of his head unto his knees so that the intrals in his brest appeared naked yet in such manner
that was a Batchelour who lived as poor as shee who very seldome would give her any thing sometimes some small single money the last time shee came to him though shee was in great want and used much importunity yet hee would not give her a farthing shee then begg'd a cup of drink of him hee pretends that he was so poor that hee had not money to buy himself bread and so sent her away with nothing but her own tears to drink but though weeping may endure for a night joy comes in the morning for the Lord struck that hard-hearted man with death and this poor woman being Heir to his Estate was worth next day ten thousand pound which with a great deal of care hee had scrap'd together and with a great deal of uncharitableness had kept and though hee would not give her a farthing over night hee was forced to leave her all the next morning Luther hath this story A certain woman in the time of famine having nothing at all for her children and her self to eat being brought to very great extremity shee resolv'd upon this course shee made her self and all her children ready and with a great deal of comfort and confidence shee walked to a Spring not far from her house as shee was going one met her who ask'd her whether shee was going with her children Shee told him that all her provision was quite spent and shee was going with her children to such a Fountain close by being confident that God that had provided drink for her and her children would there provide food for them also and hee that heard the young Ravens and provided for them would much more take care of her and her little ones hee that met her wished her to return home for shee should meet with provision that was ready for her there shee returned and found a considerable quantity of meal which was food for her and her children but whence this provision came shee knew not nor knew the man who told her of it There was a certain poor family being in great wants and had little or nothing for their children when dinner came they put them off with play-things and told them they would see if they could get them something for Supper and when Supper came they would give some small piece of bread and so get them to bed And thus they used them so long while at last the children would not to bed but cryed for bread that night it was so that my Lord Fawkland waking before midnight and could not sleep it came into his minde that this family was in great want insomuch that hee call'd up some of his servants and sent them with a great loaf and a Cheese to the house when the servant came hee found the children crying for bread and the Parents weeping by them who with a great deal of joy and eagerness received that unexpected provision Thus the Lord ordered it by his Providence that they were not only then relieved but their necessities being related to the Lord Fawkland by his servant hee took care of them for the future Speed in his Chronicles relates this story there being a great famine the year before as soon as the corn was ear'd the poor would gather and eat insomuch that the Inhabitants of the Parish came to the Priest desiring him to curse the people for gathering and spoiling the corn but one of the Parishioners stood up and charged the Priest that hee should not curse them for his corn for it did him good to see the poor eat his corn for hee was very sensible of their necessities but the clamours of the others prevail'd but as the Priest was cursing the poor there fell a great storm of Thunder and Lightening and Hail which beat down all the corn so as if Horses and Carts had gone over it nor would either beasts or any fowl eat any thing of it only this good mans corn though intermingled with others stood untouched not an ear of it being blasted Doctor Hill in his book of living and dying well hath a remarkable story of a young Gentleman of one of the Innes of Court who it seems expected to die suddenly and before hee should bee twenty four years of age and so hee did having these verses found about him viz. Not twice twelve years full told a wearied breath I have exchanged for an happy death Short was my life the longer is my rest God takes them soonest whom he loveth best Hee that is born to day and dies to morrow Loses some hours of joy but moneths of sorrow Other diseases often come to grieve us Death strikes but once and that stroke doth relieve us So grave a Doctor setting down this story in his book I thought it no lightness in mee to set it down in mine The story of Mr. Holland not only because it is very remarkable but also because it hath pleased God to affect me very much with it I shall setdown here also This Mr. Holland was a pious and faithful Preacher of the Gospel as some that have been acquainted with him and have heard him have testified of him a man that was a stranger and Pilgrime in the world neither having any thing to do with it nor indeed knew it his Wiâ—e mannaging all his worldly affairs for him hee knew not what the common coyns of gold were worth and for his cloaths except his Wife had otherwise ordered it hee would have worn them till they had been rags hee spent his time wholly in his Study and a man of great charity insomuch that if hee had no money about him and a poor man had begg'd of him hee would have given his Gloves or Handkerchief or Band c. being regardless of all things save the glory of God and the Salvation of his own and others Souls This precious Saint the day before his death calling for a Bible continued his Meditation and Exposition on the eighth to the Romans for the space of two hours but on a sudden hee said O stay your reading what brightness is this I see and they said it is the Sun-shine nay saith hee it is my Saviours shine Now farewel world welcome heaven the Day-Star from on high hath visited my heart I doubt not but you all see that light but I feel a light within me that none of yee all can know and then turning himself to the Minister who preached his Funeral Sermon who was one of them that came to visit him hee said Sir I desire you would preach my Funeral Sermon for this night I dye and speak this from mee and speak it confidently that God deales familiarly with man a rare and sweet expression I feel his mercy I see his Majesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God hee knoweth but I see things that are unutterable And being thus ravished in his spirit hee roamed towards heaven with a cheerful look and soft sweet voice