A;zExpofititm, with Notn in the holy Ghoft. Great affiiCl:ion 1 but theGofpel will counter.. poife all : nfually 'cis aclear evidet4cc, andfight of their grP~.ciom eftate : The Sun foineth many times when it raineth; and they have fweet glimpfes ofGods favor when their outward condition is moll: gloomy and fad :·wh-enmm revileyou, and perfecuteyou, rejoyce, for yours is the](ingdom uf Heaven, Math. 5. Io. God ckareth up their right and inte.re£1: , [7onrs] So alfo diftinfl hopes and thor-tghts of glory; Martyrs, in the act of fuffering and troubles, have not onely a fight of their interdt, but a fight of theglory of their interefi: there are fome thoughts frirred up in them which come neer to an extafle , an happy pr.eunion of their ,Souls and their blelfednefs, and fuch a fore-enjoyment of Heaven as giveth them a kinde ofdedfl!ency in the midfr of their tryals and fufferings; Their mindes are fo wholy fwallowed up with the things that are not fcen, that they have little thought or fenfe of the things that arefeeH;as the Apofile faemeth to intimate,zCor.4. I 8. Again, they rejoyce,becaufe oftheir JPeed; andfwifter pa({6tge into glo?: The enemies do them a courtefie to rid them out of a M ·· d t · troublefom world. This made the ancient Chrifrians to rejoyce qtt:~s a~{;:t1 more when they were condemned, then .t.b/olved; to kifs the flake, , ruademus. and thank the Executioner, becaufe of their earnefr defires to be Tertul. in with Chrifi: So 'luftin Martyr: Apol. I. adverfm Gentes, GraApol. tiM ttgimm quod amoleftio dominis libercmur; We thank.._you for delivering Uf from hard task::mafters, that we may more fweetly enjoy tfue bofom ofJefus Chrifr. Object. But fome will fay, my iufferings are no kin to Martyrdom; they come not from the hand of men, but providence, and are for my own fins, not for Chrift. Solut. I anfwer, 'Tis true, there is a diffenmce between sjfiictiomfro.m the handof God, and perfecutions from the· violences of men; Gods hand is juft, and guilt will make the Soullefs cheerful : But remember the Apofiks word is [divers 'rrjals J and ficknefs; Deathof Friends, and fuch things as come from an immediate pr~ vidence, are bat tryals to the Children of God. In thefe affiiCl:i– ons there is required not onely mourningand humblmg, but an ·holy courage and confidence; Job 5. 22. At deftruElion andfamine fovtlt thou laugh: There is an holy greatnefs of minde, and a joy that becometh th€ faddeil: providences : Faith ihould be above all that befalleth us; 'cis its proper work, to make aBeleever triumph · over
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