44 · 1Jire8ions for young Chriftians. §. 3· 2• And God himfelf will have his fervants and his graces tryed and cxercifed by difficulties: 1:1' n<.ver intended us the Reward for fitting Hill; nor the Crown of Victory, without a tight; nor a fight without an enemy and oppofition. Innocent Adamwas unfit for his fiate of Confinnation and reward, till he had been tryed by temptation. Therefore the Martyrs have the mofi glorious Crown as having undergone the greatefi tryal. And fhall we prefun'\f to murmur at the Method of God' §. 4• 3· And Sltan having liberty to tempt and try us, will quickly raifc up Storms and Waves, be– fore us, as foon as we are fet to Sf'l, which make young beginners often fear, that they lb.all never live to reach the Haven. He will !hew thee the greatnefs of thy former fins, to perfwade thee that they lhall not be pardoned. He will !hew thee the flrength of thy pallions and corruptions, to make thee think they will never be overcome ; He will thew thee the grearnd~ of the oppofition and li1ffering which thou art like to undergo, to make thee think thou Chair n•:'Vtr plrfevere. He will do his wort~ to meet thee with poverty, loJTcs, croffes, injuries, vexations, pcrfeclltions and cruelties, yea, and unkmdnefs from thy dearefl friends, as he did by Job, to make thee mink ill of God, or of his fervice. If he can, he will make them thy enemies that arc of thine own houfhold. He will fiir up thy own Father, or Mother, or Husband, or Wife, or Brother, or Sifier, or Children againfi thee, to Nihil homini pnfwade or perfecute thee from Cluifi : Therefore Chrifi tells us, that if we hate not all thefe, that n~etuendu~. IS, cannot forfa~e t~e~, and ufe them as men do hated things, when they would turn us from him,. ndi ne fa-hn- we cannot be h1s D1fc1ples, Lt~k._e 14· 26. !t'Iatth. 10. Look for the worfi that the D evil can do againft ~~:~~;;~lfuthee, if thou hall once lifted thy fell againfi him, in the Army of Chrifi, and rc~olveft what ever it Laut.p. 31 . cofl thee to be favcd. Read Hcb. I z. But how little caufe you have to be dtfcouraged, though Earth and Hell fhould do their worfl, you may perceive by thefe few Confiderations. J . God is on your fidr, who hath all your enemies in his hand, and can rebuke rhem, or deftroy them in a moment. 0 what is the breath or fury, of dufl or Devils againfl the Lord Almighty ? If God be for U<, rvho jha/1 he agai1d!"' l Rom. 8. 32, 33• Read often that Chapter, Rom. 8. In the day when thou didll enter into Covenant with God, and he wich thee, thou d idli enter into the moll imprtgnable Rock and Fortrefs, and houfe thy !elf in that Caflle of defence, where thou maill ( modeflly ) defie all advcrfe powtrs of Earth or Hell. If God cannot fave thee, he is not God. And if he will .nat fave thee, he mufi brtak his Covenant. Indeed· he may refolve to fave thee, not from affi1Ction and perfecution, but in it and by it. But in all thefc fufferings you will be more than Con~ querorJ, throughChrift that loveth you : that is, It is far more defirable and txcellent to conquer by patience in futfcring for Chrifi, than to conquer our Perfecutors in the fidd by force of arms. 0 think on the Saints triumphant boaf\:ings in their God. Pfal. 46. 1, 2, 3· GQdiJ our refuge andjlrength; a very prefem help i1t trouble : therefore wiU no(" nol fear tbougiJ tbe tanh he rtmovtd; and tbougb the Muumain1be carryrd intothemidftoftheSea---P[al. 56. 1,2,3,4, 5· When his tnrmiu were many, and rrwftcd hi1wordJ d.Jily, and fought ogai"nft him, and aU tbtir thoughu wert againjl him, yet he iaith, T.Yb.It time I am afraid, I will truft in thte: In GodwiU I paife hiJ word: In Godhave I put nry truft ; 1wiU 1tot fe.zr what flrjh can dtJ unto me. Remember Chr1fis charge, Luke 12. + Fear not them that can kJU tbe body, and after tbat have no more that they can do : But I wiU f ore-warnyou whom you jhaU fear:. Fe 4 r himwbicb after he bath kjlled, bath porrer to caft into HeU; yea, I foy untoyou, fear bim. Jf aU the world were on thy fide, thou might yet have caufe to fear, but to have Gid on thy fide, is infinittly more. , 9· 6. z, Jefus Chrill is the Captain of thy falvation, Heb. z. to. and hath gone before thee this ~ecuj_usC~0._ way hirnfelf, and bath conquered for thee; and now is engaged to make thee Conquerour: And da– ;: Dce:~, ;.' reft thou not go on where Chrifi doth lea~ the way ? He was perfected throuf:h futferin~ hirnfelt: and domino meo, will tee that thou be not deltroycd by 1t. Canll thou draw bJCI<, when thou feell hiS fieps and Hr< Regi di- hi>.blood? caus, Sub1gat ·· · ~ga~i~~niisadi;xcrucict omnium torm(ntorutn generibus, fi cclfero) frutlra rum in Ecc!eG1 C;ttbolica bap!izatus; Nam li b:rc. pr:efer.s vi– ~a fola elf;r, & ;s\iam C]tl:X: vera et!, non fp:raren:us ~ternam, nee ita fac~rem. ut m_odicum & ten~pouii·:r gloria.rer, & mgratu~ exl– fterem qui fuam li.den1mibj contulu,Crearon. Vrfloortnuud Hun11!TJcbum In Vllt. Utu.p.461. VrflorUWt¥ft.s _futh that before the perfecut!On of Hllilll&rycluu rhefe Vifi~s were (ecn: 1. All the Li&hts put out in the Church, :u~d a d:uknt'f1 and {hnk fuccec~cd: 2. ~he Church 6Jled with abundance ofSwmc and Go:us. J. Another faw a grtu heap ofCornunwrnnowed, and :1 fudden Whrrlwmd btew away all the Ch~.tf: and afcer that one c~m: ~nd ea~ out all the flri<kcn dead and ufelc:·s Corn, rill :t very liulc heap was lefr:.."f· r\no– tber beard one cry on 1 he top of a ~!oont, Ml[raU, M1gr4U. S· Another faw great Sro.nes call from Heaven on the E~nh, ~~1ch th:md and defbo)·ed: But he hid h1mfel£ 1p a C~:tmber, and none of rh~m could tuu~h h1m. Pa:. 40S. ied hoc :rdJfiCJum ll.lt conlhucrc vifus eft diabolus, fbtim jiJud defi:ruere drgnatU! en Chnfiw. Jd, Jb. 9· 7· 3· Thou art not to conquer in thy own llrength, but by the Spirit of God, and the power of that grace which is fufficient for thee, and his flrength which appeareth rnofi mour wcaknefs, 2 C11r. 12, 9· And you can d, aU things tbrougb CbTijltbat ftrcngtlmteth you : PhiI. 4• r3· Be ofgood cbm, he bath overcome tilt world, John x6. 33· J.i. ilt. faith_ ~· 8. 4 • All that are in Heaven have gone this way, and overcome fuch oppofitions and difficulties ~i~~~ ~;;~~ ~s thtfe : They were tempted, troubled, fcorned, oppo~ed as ~ell as you : ~nd yet ~hey now t.riumph put overaCi- m glory. 1hcfe are tbty that come 011t of the great trJbttlatlon, andbavt wajhed thetr ~abu, and madt ~~~~d1~ataShip fled iway to Spain, :md the rdl not only reft&d all rhe temptations of the Bifbop, but al[o publickly celebrated the Divine Myileries in one of thci~ houfes) and the King being heren cnugea, caufcd them in the open Mar~et-pl:tre .~o ~~vc theJ~ tongues and ri&ht h:mds ~;ut ofl by the root: and tbar they yl!t !p1ke after as well as be(ore. And them th:u Will nv[ bc.1e~e lt, he re ferretb to one o{ them ~htn living, :and honoured {Qr thil in the Empcrour.s Coun, that fiillfpake perfeftly. paz. 46a, 46J. them
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