when their feet were made faft in the stocks, they never fared fo deliciously as when they fed upon prifoners fare. God fpread a table for them in the prifon, fent them in a rich feast, yea, and they had mufic at their feaft too, and that at midnight, Acts xvi. 25.

Patmos was a barren island, and a place defigned for banished perfons; it lay in the Egean fea, not far from the coast of the Leffer-Afia: it was inhabited by none, because of the exceeding barrennefs of it, but fuch who were appointed to it for their punishment; fo that here John could meet with no more earthly refreshment than what the barren rocks, or wild and defperate perfons condemned to live upon it; could afford. Ay, but there, there it was that Chrift appeared to him in unexpreffible glory; there it was that he had those ravishing visions, and faw the whole scheme of Providence in the government of this world; there he faw the New Jerufalem coming down from God out of heaven, as a bride prepared for her husband. This made a Patmos become a Paradife; never did any place afford him fuch comfort as this did. So that Chriftians may not think there is to strict and neceffary a connexion betwixt liberty and comfort, that he that takes away the first, must needs deprive them of the other.

Again, Suppose we fhould be fo fond of our liberty as to exchange truth and a good confcience for it; cannot God fo imbitter it to you, yea, hath he not fo imbittered it to many, that they were quickly weary of it, and glad of an opportunity to change it for a prifon. Our own Martyrology furnishes us with many fad examples of it. Oh, what will you do with your bitter, dear-bought liberty, when your peace is taken away from the inward man? when God shall clap up your fouls in prifon, and put your confciences into his bonds and fetters, then will you fay as the martyr did, I am in prifon till I be ' in prifon.'

3. Be mortified to the inordinate and fond love of life, as ever you expect relief against the fears of death. Reafon thyfelf into a lower value of thy life. Methinks you have arguments enough to cure your fondness in this point. Have you found it fuch a pleafant life to you, for fo much of it as is past? You know how the apoftle reprefents it, 2 Cor. v. 4. "We "that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burthened." And is a burthened and a groaning life fo defirable? You know alfo, as he speaks in the next verfe, that "whilft you are at home

* Rev. i. 9, 10,

"in the body, you are absent from the Lord." And is a state of abfence from Jefus Christ so desirable to a foul that loves him? Can you find much pleasure so far from home? You may fancy what you will, but, upon ferious recollection, you will never be out of the reach of Satan's temptations, never freed from your own indwelling corruptions, thefe conflicts cannot have an end till life be ended. You also stand convinced, that till you be dead, your fouls cannot be fatisfied, nor your defires be at reft, have what comforts foever from God in the way of faith and course of duties, your hearts are still off the center, and will ftill gravitate and gafp heavenward. You also know that die you must, and the time of your departure is at hand; and of all deaths, if you might have your choice, none is more honourable to God, or like to be fo evidential and comfortable to you, as a violent death for Chrift; therein you come to him by confent and choice, not by neceffity and constraint; therein you give a public teftimony for Chrift, which is the highest use that ever our blood can be put to, or honoured by; and for the pain and and torment, as the martyr faid, He that takes away from my torment, takes away from my reward. But even in that point God can make it easier to you than a natural death would be; he will be with you in your extremity, and adminifter fuch reviving cordials as other men must not look to taste, at least not ordinarily, they being prepared and reserved for fuch, against fuch an hour.

Oh then, work out the inordinate love of life, by working in fuch mortifying confiderations upon your own hearts; and if once you gain but this point, you will quickly find all your pains and prayers richly answered in the ease and rest of your hearts, in the moft fcaring and frightful times.

Rule 6. Eye the encouraging examples of thofe that have trod the path of fufferings before you, and strive to imitate fuch worthy patterns.

Behold the cloud of witneffes encompaffing you round about ; a cloud like that over the Ifraelites to direct you; yea, a cloud for multitude of excellent perfons to animate and encourage you, Heb. xii. 1. "Oh take them for an enfample in fuffering, "affliction and patience," James V. 10. Examples of excellent perfons that have broken the ice, and beaten the path before us, are of excellent ufe to fupprefs our fears, and rouze our courage

in our own encounters.

The first sufferers had the hardest task; they that first entered the lifts for Chrift, wanted thofe helps to fupprefs fear which they have left unto us. Strange and untired torments are most

terrible, for magnitudinem rerum confuetudo fubducit, trial and acquaintance abates the formidable greatnefs of evils; they knew not the strength of that enemy they were to engage, but we fight with an enemy that hath been often beaten and triumphed over by our brethren that went before us. Certainly we that live in the laft times have the best helps that ever any had to fubdue their fears; we have heard of the courage and conftancy of our brethren, in as tharp trials of their courage as ever we can be called to; we have read with what Christian gallantry they have triumphed over all forts of fufferings and torments, how they have been ftrengthened with all might in the inner man unto all patience and long-fuffering, with joyfulness, Col. i. 11. how they have gone away from the courts that cenfured and punished them, rejoicing that they were honoured to be dishonoured for Christ, as the strict reading of that text is, Acts v. 41. counting the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 26, which at that time was the magazine of the world for riches: You read what "trials they "have had of cruel mockings, yea, moreover of bouds and "imprisonments; how they were ftoned, fawnafunder, tempted, "flain with the fword, wandered about in fheeps fkins, and goat fkins, deftitute, afflicted, tormented," Heb. xi. 36, 37. In all which they obtained a good report; they came out of the field with triumphant faith and patience; and this was not the effect of an over-heated zeal at the first outset, but the fame fpirit of courage was found among Chriftians in after-ages, who have put off their perfecutors with a kind of pleasant fcorn and contempt of torments.

So did Bafil, truly firnamed the Great, when Valens the emperor in a great rage threatened him with banishment, and tortures, as to the first, faid he, + I little regard it: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; and as for tortures, what can they do upon fuch a poor thin body as mine, nothing but fkin and bone? And at another time ‡, when Eufebius governor of Pontus told him in a great rage, he would tear his very liver out of his bowels: Truly, faid Bafil, you will do me a very good turn in it, to take out my naughty liver; which inflames and difeafeth my whole body. Their enemies have profeffed, the Chriftians put them to fame, by smiling

at their cruelties and threatnings. Ignatius's love to Chrift had fo perfectly overcome all fears of fufferings, that when he was going to be thrown for a prey among the lions and leopards, he profeffed he longed to be among them, and, faid he, if they will not dispatch me the fooner, I will provoke them, that I may be with my fweet Jesus. And if we come down to later ages, we shall find as ftout champions for Chrift. The courage and undauntedness of Luther is trumpeted abroad through. out the Chriftian world, it would fwell this fmall tract too much, but to note the most eminent inftances of his courage for Chrift: the last he gave was by his forrow in his last fick. nefs, that he must carry his blood to the grave. The like heroic fpirit appeared in divers perfons of honour and eminence, who zealously efpoufed the fame caufe of reformation with him. Remarkable to this purpofe is that famous epiftle witten by Ulricus ab Hutten, a German knight, in defence of Luther's cause against the cardinals and bishops affembled at Worms. 'I will

go through (faid he) with what I have undertaken against you, and will stir up men to feek their freedom: fuch as yield not to me at first, I will overcome with importunity; • I neither care nor fear what may befal me, being prepared for either event; either to ruin you, to the great benefit of my country, or myself to fall with a good confcience; therefore that you may fee with what confidence I contemn your threats, I do profess myself to be your irreconcilable enemy, ⚫ whilft ye perfecute Luther and fuch as he is. No power of yours, no injury of fortune fhall alter this mind in me; tho you take away my life, yet this well deferving of mine towards my country's liberty, fhall not die. I know that my endeavour to remove fuch as you are, and to place worthy minifters in your room, is acceptable to God; and in the laft judgment, I truft it will be fafer for me to have offended you, than to have had your favour."

It was also a brave heroic spirit by which John duke of Saxony was acted to defend the reformation, who defpifing all the favours and offers of the court, and of Rome, and the terrors of death itfelf; appeared, as my author fpeaks, in its behalf against all the devils, and the pope |, in three public imperial affemblies, faying openly to their faces, I muft ferve God, or the world and which of these two do ye think is the better? And as foon as Luther's fermons were forbidden, he hasted away, faying, I will not stay there, where I cannot have my liberty to ferve God.

Spangenberg, ad an. 1531.

And now reader, thou haft a little tafte of the courage and Zeal of those worthies who are gone before thee in defence of that cause for which thou feareft to fuffer. Most men, faith Chryfoftom, that read or hear fuch examples, are like the fpectators of the Roman gladiators, who stood by and praised their courage, but durft not enter the lifts to do what they did. If ever thou wilt get like courage for Chrift, thus improve fuch famous examples.

1. Make ufe of them to obviate the prejudice of fingularity'; you fee you have store of good company, the fame things you are like to fuffer for Chrift, have been accomplished in the rest of your brethren in the world, 1 Pet. v. 9.

2. Improve them against the prejudice of all that shame that attends fufferings, here you may fee the most excellent perfons in the world reckoning it their glory to fuffer the vilest things for Jefus Chrift, Acts v. 31. Heb. xi. 26.

3. Improve them against the conceit of the infupportableness of fufferings. Lo here, poor weak creatures which have been carried hononrably and comfortably through the cruelest and difficulteft fufferings for Christ. Our women and children, not to speak of men, (faith Tertullian) overcome their tormentors, and the fire cannot fetch fo much as a figh from them.

4. Improve them against thine own unbelief, and staggerings at the faithfulness of God in that promise, Ifa. xliii. 2. " When "thou paffeft through the fire, I will be with thee," &c. Lo here you have the recorded and faithful teftimonies of such as have tried it, with one voice witneffing for God, Thy word is truth, thy word is truth.

5. Improve them against the fenfible weakness of your own graces; are you afraid your faith, love, and patience are too weak to carry you through great trials? Why doubtless fo were many of thern too, they were men of like fears, troubled with a bad heart, and a bufy devil as well as you, they also had their clouds and damps as you have; yet the almighty power of God fupported them; and out of weakness they were made ftrong: defpond not therefore, but get a judgment fatisfied, Pfal. xliv. 22. a confcience fprinkled, 2 Tim. i. 7. and a call cleared, Dan. vi. 10. Exercise faith alfo with refpect to divine affiftances, and everlasting rewards as they did: and doubt not but the fame God that enabled them to finish their courfe with joy, will be as good to you as he was to them. Confider, Chrift hath done as much for you as he did for any of them, and deferves as much from you as from any of them; and hath