AS-tt}nt or 4ErNft~ Part If,,' world·, th:zt tuvailed about t:o preach the Gofpel? and what: was -their honour bur to be the Holy Servants of the L0rds? Yet now they are dead, you are deGrous to keep Holy dayes in an honottrable memorial of them: and Kings and Princes reve– rence their names. What were the,Marryrs whofe memories are ' now fo Honourable with tils, hut a company of hated perfe· cmed men, that were tafed by others as Butchers do their b~afl:s, and worfe? But becaufe they were the[trvints of the Lord, and fuffered for his truth and caufe, their names are honourable and the names of their greatefl: perfecutors do even flink. Ir; faid ,of Conftantine the Great ( whohimfdfwas Grearer by his Holinefs then his Victories) that he was wont to reverence rhe Bilhops that had been fufferers for Chrifi, ~nd kifl'ed the place where the eye abode that one of them had lofl: for the Go– fpels fake. The Chrifl:ian Princes that ruled the world, were ' wont to Honour the poorefl: mortified recited fervants of Chriil , that had caft: off the world ; as perceiving rbat Ire · is more Honourable that: conternneth it, · then he that enjoy– erh it. The ncarefl: to God undoubtedly are the mofl: Honem– rable. · . ~- Confider, that as it is God that the Saints are thus Related to , fo their Rel:nion is fo near, and their Titles fo exceeding high, which God himfdf hach put upon th~m, that it advanceth them to the greatefi height of Honour , 1that men on earth can reafonably expec.'t • .Yea, with holy admiration we muft fay it, fo wonderful is the Honour which the Glorious God huh put lip– on his poor unworthy fervants, thar they dudl: not have owned it, nor thought ftJch Ticl('s meet for men, if God himfelf had not been rhe Author of them ! Nor could they have believed that God would fo advance them, if he hadnot both rev~aled it, . and given them faith to believe his revelation. As if it were not enough for us to be his fervams, he callethm his frieHJs! ]oh. r5. 13, I 4, I 5. [ Cre11ter Love h11th no m~tn then thi.t, that If rmm lay down hid life for hu friends. Ye 11.re· my friend.r, if ye do wbat(o– tver I commandyou: Henceforth I call you not {er'l:lants: For the [erv.::nt k..,noweth not what hi.t Lt~rd aoth: bnt 1 have calledyou ' fr;end.r : fr;ntll thingJ that 1 httve he11rd of my Father, 1 bflve made k_nown unto you. J Jam. l. 23. [ Abraham WM tll/Jed the f riend of G()d. J 2. And they are called the LordJ {ewels, Mal. 3· 17. · 3· They
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