^ The cure of melancholy belongs rather to the physician than to the divine, to Galea than to Paul.
^ It is an old saying that melancholia eat vehiculum dcemonum.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 261
beams of the sun seems to be green — so tliis black melancholy humour represents all things to the eye of the soul as duskish and dark, and as full of horror and terror, yea, many times it represents the bright beams of divine love, and the shinings of the Sun of righteousness, and the gracious whispers of the blessed Spirit, as delusions, and as sleights of Satan, to cozen the soul. I have read of a foolish melancholy bird that stands always but upon one leg, for fear her own weight, though she be very small, should sink her into the centre of the earth, and holding her other leg over her head, lest the heavens should fall upon her and crush her. I shall not dispute the credibleness of the relation ; but certainly there is nothing that fills a Christian so full of fears and frights as a melancholy humour does ; and all know that know anything, that there are no greater adversaries to joy and glad- ness than such fears and frights. Now how absurd and unreasonable is it to father that upon holiness, or upon all holy persons, that pro- ceeds from the special constitution of some particular saints ! and yet this is the trade that unsanctified souls drive. And let thus much suf- fice for answer to this grand objection ; and oh that this objection may never have a resurrection in any of your hearts more ! But,
Object 4. Fourthly, Some may further object, and say, We see tJiat no persons on earth are exposed to such troubles, dangers, afflictions, and persecutions, as those are exposed to who mind holiness, who follow after holiness. These are days tvherein men labour to frown holiness out of the world, and to scorn and kick holiness out of the tvorld ; and do you think that we are mad noiv to pursue after holiness? Now to this great and sore objection, I shall give these following answers :
1. First, It must be granted that afflictions and persecutions has been the common lot and portion of the people of God in this tvorld A Abel was persecuted by Cain, 1 John iii. 12, and Isaac by Ishmael, Gal. ix. 29. That seems to be a standing law, ' All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution,' 2 Tim, iii. 12. A man may have many faint wishes and cold desires after godliness, and yet escape persecution ; yea, he may make some essays 2 and attempts as if he would be godly, and yet escape persecution ; but when a man is thoroughly resolved to be godly, and sets himself in good earnest upon pursuing after holiness and living a life of godliness, then he must expect to meet with afilictions and persecutions. It is neither a Christian's gifts nor his graces, it is neither his duties nor his services that can secure him. Whoever escapes, the godly man shall not escape persecution in one kind or another, in one degree or another. He that will live up to holy rules, and live out holy principles, must j)repare for sufferings. All the roses of holiness are surrounded with pricking briers. The history of the ten persecutions, and that little book of martyrs, the 11th of the Hebrews, and Mr Foxe his Acts and Monuments, with many other treatises that are extant, do abundantly evidence that from age to age, and from one generation to another, they that have been born after the flesh have persecuted them that
^ Witness the sufferings of the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and saints in all ages : Acts vii. 52 ; Rev. xii. 13 ; Acts ix. 10 ; Lam. v. 5. The common cry of persecutors have been, Christiani ad Leones.
* Spelled ' assays. '— G.
2G2 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RAKITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
have been born after the Spirit, Gal. iv. 20, and that the seed of the serpent have been still a-multiplying of troubles upon the seed of the woman. 1 Would any man take the church's picture, saith Luther, then let him paint a poor silly maid sitting in a wilderness, compassed about with hungry lions, wolves, boars, and bears, and with all manner of other cruel, hurtful beasts, and in the midst of a great many furious men assaulting her every moment and minute, for this is her condition in the world. As certain as the night follows the day, so certain will that black angel, persecution, follow holiness wherever it goes. In the last of the ten persecutions, seventeen thousand holy martyrs were slain in the space of one month. And in Queen Mary's days, or, if you will, in the Marian days, not of blessed, but of most abhorred memory, the Popish prelates in less than four years sacrificed the lives of eight hundred innocents to their idols ! and oh that that precious innocent blood did not still cry to heaven for vengeance against this nation ! But,
2. Secondly, Christ and Ms apostles hath long since foretold us that ajffiictions and persecutions will attend us in this world. The Lord hath long since forewarned us, that we may be forearmed, and not surprised on a sudden when they come. Christ hath shot off many a warning piece in his word, and sent many a harbinger, that so we may stand upon our guard, and not be surprised nor astonished when afflictions and persecutions overtake us : Mat. x. 22, ' And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake : but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.' Chap. xvi. 24, ' Then said Jesus unto his disciples. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.' Luke xxi. 12, ' But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.* John xv. 20, ' Kemember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than the lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you ; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.' Ah Christians, since they have crowned your head with thorns, there is no reason why you should expect to be crowned with rosebuds.2 Godfrey of Bouillon, first king of Jerusalem, refused to be crowned with a crown of gold, saying, that it became not a Christian there to wear a crown of gold, where Christ for our salvation had sometime worn a crown of thorns. John xvi. 33, ' These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation : but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.' Acts xiv. 21,22, 'And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, confirm- ing the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the king- dom of God.' As there was no way to paradise but by the flaming sword, nor no way to Canaan but thi'ough a wilderness ; so there is no