1 }'1; ftalldive 111 jeopardy every hour? I proteftby our re]oycmg whzch i have m Chrift, I, V., .,o,31,p. d :!da 1•. .And •f I havefought wuh bcafts ofEphefl•: afm· the mamur of mm, what ad- .:f.ma':!,h " 111 e, ifthe dead rrfe not at all ? As for the word bapwung, tt ts not only fo taken"mo'l: frequently by the Fathers and Schoolmeri,wh-> ufually ddbngmlh bapttfme into bapuf naJlamtn{;)' f!mmms, e:?fangmms, Ofthe Sptrz.t, Water, and Blood; but alfO Lu~ 11 S~·n fundry places of Scripture, as Matth. 20. 22. Mar. ro. 38. 39· Luks I 2 . 50. I j, cabapttf ne to be bapttz.ed lV<th, and howam 1jlra1tned t•ll •t be aocomplijhed? All the A~~ftles after many fore and grievous afi111~tions ftiffered many violent de~ths, John only excepted who yet was banifhed mto Patmos, and by Domman thrown into,a tun of fcalding lead though by a m1racle delivered. Bnghtman fpeaking of the ll:ories of thofe tillJes, fayes. th~t every page and leaf is at in':'ere all red-coloured m blood :_ The Covenant ofgrace IS:\ bloody Covenant, both m regard of the blood .of Chn.ll: firll: fealing it, and the blood of the bleffed Martyrs adding likewife their feals m confirming of it. . . . . - ... It is a mo[l: heart-breaking meditation to confider the ragings', madneffe, and fury of the Heathen again!l: the Chrillians in thofe times. Hierome in a,n Epilllc tO Cromat~':t [ayes, that there was rlo day ma whole year, unto wh1ch the number of fiv,e thoufand Martyrs ca'nnot be :ifcribed, except onely the firll day of January. All the poltcte, w1t, frrength, and invention of men_and devils were exercifed_ and ll:retched out to the lltmolt, for devifing the moll m1ferable torments,and exqUJfite tortures; as plates o( lron burnipa hot, laid upon their naked flefh ; pincers red-hot pulling offthe flefh from the bones ; b bodkins pricking and thrulling all over their bodies ; call:ing into lime-_ • kilnes and irrto caldron's of fcatdirrg lea-d ;· wh1p-plrrg, untill' a!moll: all the flefh was tome ~If their bodies, and their bones and bowels appeared, and then laid flat upon, fnari> fhclfs and knivc's ; their skins were flead off alive, and then their raw lleil1 was rubb~d with falt and vinegar, their bo:lies were beaten all over with clubs until! their bone, ,QJ joyo.ts were beaten afunder ; they were laid upon gridirons, roll:ed and b tred w1th falt and vineo,ar; one member was pulled from another; by fall:nmg them io the iiou<>hs of trees, they rent their bodies afunder; they were toffed upon t~e· horns of bulls, with thei_r bowels hanging out ; they were call: among dogs to_ be devoured; they wLre' put mid'cr tlie.Ice naked into rivers ; they were tortured on tbe rack, on the wheel, and oh the gibbet with flaming fire untler them; they made it their fports' io feethem devoured by wild beall:s; and in the night in llead of torches they burnt. ihe'boaies of the Saints to give them light for tneir pall:imes: ---Inafter-timd' Antichri<l:began to rife, and to bring a .fearful datknetfc ovephe face of the Church ; of which times the holy Gholl prophefied, the Moon~ and'Sunne, and Sta'rre} lVCr~ lt<vei. 8. 12, fmitten, Never will be forgotten thofc lamentable extremities that Gods poore people then endured,, large volumes are e~tant, the reading 'whereof might caufe the bardell: heart that hveno break. 0 let us warme our hearts at thefe fires ! Let us perufe and confider thofe ACls and monumems of the Ch11nh in the c:tfc of Martyrdome. . . _ . , . 8. Be acquai~tedwith the promifes of Self-denyal; liave l\lways a word at hand to.: relteve ou'.fdves Withal m the worll: of fuffenngs. Now thefe promifes are of feveral, forts. I. Ofajfiftan~e. _ 2. *Ofacceptance. 3· 9freward. And again the prom1fes ., •Pfal, 9,9, ,g, •f;ewardare I. OfthJs ltfe, He that forfak;s aUfor Chrift]ball receive an.hundred fold; Pf•'· ~7 · 24. fa1th Matthew: Manifold more in this prefent time, faith Luli:;. the joy the pclCC he ' Yfal. q6. '• · fuall have in his confcience fhall be many times, an hundred timZs better ;han the corn- ~";b'/""· <' • fort of all thefe outward things. 0 ?ut. (may fome fay) w9at w!lf bec,mie of my'. "; 5 : 2 • ' 4• poll:emy ? Peace ofconf.:1ence, and JOY 11) the Holy Gholl.redo;mn?.s onlyw my fclf, Exod 3· 7; • but for my ch1ldren I fhall feave them fatherleffe and helpleffe? To this by way of an, 1 Per 2· • 0 • I fwer, God often lhles himfclf the Father of the faiberleffe ~n~ if of any fatherleffe · Ma~h- •9· ' 9• t~en/~re!y of thofe:whofe parents have loll: their lives fo~· jefus· Chrill. _?cave th;, Lu ' 18 • 30 .' f-th r tjfech,ldren (f?-lth the Lord) 1 1J7sll prefervethem alive and lu thy widowes rruft Jerern. 49·"· •n me. 2. Of eter.na,lfife, fuch, ]hall inherite eternal life. Ec of good conifort (fairh' MatJh, 19. •9· Bradf~rd t 10 h1s fellow~ Martyr) 11.:' ]hall ha~e ". merry jispper.wirh the Lord rlii< n<ght.' Marcy 10' 3°• Chrtlltans · What woul? we_have ( 1,the f<;ml i¥eed is ~fa large capacity, _ ?llthing~ L•l:! ' 8 · 3o. here below_ can never fat1sfie 1t ~ but..eternal life, the mherttance above \Vjll'fill the" underll:and~n~ wi~h knowledge, . and t~ewi!1-.wi'tjt )oy, and that in fo great.:r"meafure, :_hmbhe,.expedatto[).of ,the Saint~ lliall be'ex•ec,ded? 'or he j!Milbe Admir~d' ofthem' · ..... .rr ' ~ ·, that e tew. . .m . ' J' • 2 '"'JJ• I, r • Vz 9 Mind
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