90:z. Book. IV.Part.V. Looking unto ~t{t11~ Cbap.z..Se~. 4 andRedeemer! go to him that knows him only by the hearing oftbe eare, if you meane to prevaile; but I have'known him by the fweet experiences ofmy foul ; go to him that rnakes a religi- ·on of his opinions, and whofc beliefe was never any deeper than his fancy, and whofe piety never reached higher than to abfiinency, and taskcs of formal duty; thefe you may poffibly draw away from Chrift. But do you think to do fo by me! why, tell me how? with what weapons or arguments can you think to prcvaile ? what"? {hall tribulation be the meanes ? no, no; I have: that promifc in the han4 ofmy faith, and that glory in th!! eye of my hope, that will bring me through all tribulations undrr heaven : or fhall diflr.ejfe do it ? why, I will rather fiick fo much , do fer to him that will releeve me in diftreffe and bring me to his · reft. Or will you affright me by perfecution ? I am affuted that , this is the nearcft way to heaven, and I am bleffed of Chrifi, when I am perfecuted for righteou/mffe fake. Or fhall nafz!dncffe be the weapon? I had rather paffe naked out of this world to heaven, than to be cloathed in purple,· and to be firi pt of it at death, and to be call: into hell; e/ldams innocent nahdneffe, and La- . ~arru's raggs were better than that Epicures gay appa:-el.- Or {hall f'tmine be the meanes? why, man liveth not by bread alone; I had rather my body were famifhed than my foul; l have m~:ate to cate that ye know not of, even the bread of life, which who fo eates,fhalllive for ever. Or will you affright me from Chr ft by the fnwd of violence? I know that the Lord whom I beleeve in, and ferve, is able tO deliver me out ofyour hands; but if he will not, be it'known to you I will not forfake him ; your [word will be only the key to open the prifon doow, and lc~ out my foul that hath long delired to be with Jefus Chrift. If you tell me of perib, I kr.ow no danger fo great as ofiofing Chrift, and falvation; and of bearing his wrath that can k1ll . both bo,dy and foul: do I not read in certaine hifiories of that noble army of Martyrs, who loved the Lord Jefus to tl\e death, and gloried in tn bulation, and would not by the flames of fire, or jaw~s of Lyor s, be feparated from Jefus Chrift .? did not t!1ey paff.: throegh Lh.: red fea, as on dry ground, to the promifed land ? yea, though tber were kjlled all the d,q long, and o<~ccounted tu'.jhup to the Jlaughm "? dtd they not flick and cleave fall to the Lord, and to tl e ( aptaine of their falvation ? nay, were they · · · not
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