46 Oevelatiohofthe Apocalÿpfe. C A P. a 0L;Z tti' grievous li'olves,thatWbuld not f are the fock, Att. o. 29,3o. It was E hefus therfore the praife ofthis An el,that hedid indure calamity valiantly, which is declared ina threefold degree, that he barest burden,that he laboured under the burden,& that yet for all that he Was not tired not: as ifhe fhould fay,there lay indeed upon thee a great load of calamity, under the burden whereof thou haft groaned, yet notwithftanding thou haft not raft away thy heart,fo as thou íhouldeft be driven to with draw thyneck from the1yoake, and tobetray the truth. It is a manlycourage to indure anguifh and pains like a man. Many do bear the yoke cheerfully when they feel but little trouble, but to go on- conflantly aanidit the flings ofgrief, this is the part ofa flout minde and ofan heavenly fortitude. Such Was this Angel ; So alfoWas the PrimitiveChurch; Nero and Domitian had vehemently affli led it before john wrote thefe things. And betides Nero and Domitian,it had indured the rageof7rajane, Adrian, Antonius, Severus, Defus, Dtoclefian. There was never filth times fo full ofcalamity, when the Empes ours fold themfelves, and becamehired llaves to the Devill to fhed Chriftian blood, which he thu:fteth after alwaies unfatiably, like as men tick of a dropfie thtifteth after drink. Yet notwithftanding, the faithfull did not go back from God, but did conftantly hold out even to the moft ex- tream combate, andat the Taft becameconquerours, and triumphed over theDevil and all their enemies. For what otherthing were fo many starsand marks of wounds and maimes,wherewithmoll of the Bifhops were notably fet out, when they came together to the Nicene C'ouncell,after the tempeft of tyrannical! perfecution blown over;the fomany triumphal! bower, and other enfignes of the vi Cory which thay had gotten againft theirenemies? Paulusof Neocafaria was de- prived of the ufe ofboth his hands, the finewes ofthem being fhrunk and cut offby the perfecutours with burning iron. Others had the right eyes digged out; others,their right hands cut offby the elbow, among whomwas Paphnutius ofEoypt.Inbrief, there was to be feen a company offamous and molt glorious Martyrs gathered together. Thcodoret, Book t. chap. 7. That Angel was ofan invincible courage, whom fo great miferies could not Lreak,Qo nor yet could bend in the leafs manner, Now therefore, if we (hall gather all thefe things toge- ther into one main firm, we (hall fee amolt beautifull portraiture of an excellent Church. For look, upon the Angel in this labour of Leaching, fparing for no trouble of his own, exercifiag difcipline moll religiouily, enduring no nran that thould offend the Church with his naughtines, AIIIIIIMI
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