3. Be mortified to the inordinate and fond love of life, as ever you expect relief against the fears of death. Reason thyself into a lower value of thy life. Methinks you have arguments enough to cure your fondness in this point. Have you found it such a plea- sant life to you, for so much of it as is past ? You know how the apostle represents it, 2 Cor. v. 4. " We that are in this tabernacle " do groan, being burthened." And is a burthened and a groan- ing life so desirable ? You know also, as he speaks in the next verse, that " whilst you are at home in the body, you are absent from " the Lord." And is a state of absence from Jesus Christ so de- sirable to a soul that loves him ? Can you find much pleasure so far from home "t You may fancy what you will, but, upon serious re- collection, you will never be out of the reach of Satan's tempta- tions, never freed from your own indwelhng corruptions, these conflicts cannot have an end till life be ended. You also stand convinced, that till you be dead, your souls cannot be satisfied, nor your desires be at rest, have what comforts soever from God in the way of faith and course of duties, your hearts are still off the centre, and will still gravitate and gasp 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 so evidential and comfortable to you, as a violent death for Christ ; therein you come to him by consent and choice, not by necessity and constraint ; therein you give a public testimony for Christ, which is the highest use that ever our blood can be put to, or honoured by ; and for the pain and torment, as the martyr said. He that takes away Jrom 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 >vill be with you
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in your extremity, and administer sucli reviving cordials as other men must not look to taste, at least not ordinarily, they being pre- pared and reserved for such, against such an hour.
•Oh then, work out the inordinate love of life, by working in such mortifying considerations 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 most scaring and frightful times.
Rule 6. Eye the encouraging examples of those that have trod the path of sufferings before you^ and strive to imitate such worthy patterns.
Behold the cloud of witnesses encompassing you round about : a cloud like that over the Israelites to direct you ; yea, a cloud for multitude of excellent persons to animate and encourage you, Heb. xii. 1. "Oh take them for an ensample in suffering affliction and *' patience,'' James v. 10. Examples of excellent persons that have broken the ice, and beaten the path before us, are of excellent use to suppress our fears, and rouse our courage in our own en- counters.
The first sufferers had the hai'dest task ; they that first entered the lists for Christ, wanted those helps to suppress fear which they have left unto us. Strange and untried torments are most terrible, for magnitudinem rerum. consuetudo subducit, trial and acquaint- ance abates the formidable greatness 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 last times have the best helps that ever any had to subdue their fears ; we have heard of the courage and constancy of our brethren, in as shai'p trials of their courage as ever we can be called to ; we have read with what Christian gallantry they have triumphed over all sorts of sufi'erings and torments, how they have been strengthened with all might in the inner man unto all patience and long-suffer- ing, with joyfulness, Col. i. 11. how they have gone away from the courts that censured 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 bonds " and imprisonments ; how they were stoned, sawn asunder, " tempted, slain with the sword, wandered about in sheep's '' skins, and goat's skins, destitute, afflicted, tormented, Heb. xi.
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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 same spirit of courage was found among Christians in after ages, who have put off their persecutors with a kind of pleasant scorn and contempt of torments.
So did Basil, truly sirnamed the Great, when Valens the em- peror in a great rage threatened him with banishment and tor- tures ; as to the first said he, f I little regard it : for the eai'th is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; and as for tortures, what can they do upon such a poor thin body as mine, nothing but skin and bone ? And at another time J, when Eusebius, governor of Pontus, told him in a great rage, he would tear his very liver out of his bowels : Truly, said Basil, you will do me a very good turn in it, to take out my naughty liver ; which inflames and diseaseth my whole body. Their enemies have professed the Christians put them to shame, by smihng at their cruelties and threatenings. Ignatius's love to Christ had so perfectly overcome all fears of sufferings, that when he was going to be thrown for a prey among the lions and leopards, he professed he longed to be among them, and, said he, if they will not dispatch me the sooner, J will pro- voke them, that I may be with my sweet Jesus. And if we come down to later ages, we shall find as stout champions for Christ. The courage and undauntedness of Luther is trumpeted abroad throughout the Christian world, it would swell this small tract too much, but to note the most eminent instances of his courage for Christ : the last he gave was by his sorrow in his last sickness, that he must carry his blood to the grave. The like heroic spirit ap- peared in divers persons of honour and eminence, who zealously espoused the same cause of reformation with him. Remarkable to- this purpose is that famous epistle written by Ulricus ab Hutten, a German knight, in defence of Luther's cause against the cardinals and bishops assembled at Worms. ' I will go through (said he) ' ^vith what I have undertaken against you, and will stir up men ' to seek their freedom : such as yield not to me at first, I will
< overcome with importunity ; I neither care nor fear what may