were accounted light. As Stephen the Protomartyr got the fullest view of Chrift, while before the council, fo these had most lively fights of him under their fharpeft fufferings; and hence they could not find in their heart to deny fo kind a Mafter. As Polycarp that holy Minifter of Christ at Smyrna, anfwered the proconful, bidding him defy Christ, and he thould be difcharged, Fourfcore and fix years (said he) have I been his fervant, yet all this time he hath not fo much as once hurt me, how then may I speak evil of my king and fovereign, who hath thus preferved me? They were under a lively fenfe of their vows and obligations to Christ, perfonal and national, and therefore durft not, could not deny his name, nor break his bonds, and caft away his cords, as the wicked hath done: They were of the refolute difpofition of Victorianus, who being folicited by the Emperor to turn Arian, told him, "You may try all extremities, torture me, expose me to wild beasts, burn me to ashes, I had rather fuffer any thing, than falfifie my promife made to Chrift my Saviour in baptifm." And as Chrift had been very kind to them, fo they trufted much to him, and depended on him for ftrengthening influence, being very fenfible of their own weaknefs; and they durft promise much on Chrift's head; they could fay as Vincentius to the tyrant Dacius, "Rage, and do the utmost, that the spirit of malignity, can fet on work to do: You fhall fee God's Spirit ftrengthen the tormented more than the Devil can do the tormentors." And as Zuinglius to the Bishop of Conftance, "Truth is a thing in. vincible, and cannot be refifted."

As they were well inftructed in the neceffity, fo in the ufefulness and benefit of the crofs; they knew, that as the church and nation had deferved to be chaftened and punished of God, so it was far more eligible to be chaftened by fore adverfities, inflicted by a loving father, than by fevere impunities of an incensed and juft judge. They knew that the grief they fuffered was medicinal, not penal, the correction of a father, not the indignation of an enemy; and that they needed fuch merciful files and furnaces of adverfity, to fcour off the ruft they had contracted in profperity. Nay, they were not only content to undergo these fatherly corrections, but accounted it a fingular kindness and condefcenfion, that what they deferved fhould be their punishment, was made their

glory,

glory, crown and honour; that they who had merited to be fcattered into corners, and have their remembrance made to cease from among men, for their lightly priz ing the precious and glorious gofpel, fhould be gathered into fuch a Cloud of Witneffes; and have their remembrance made everlasting as honoured martyrs for Chrift, and the defence of the gofpel; That when they had provoked God, by their finful lufting after a malignant to be their King, they fhould be dignified to contend for the kingly prerogatives of fuch a glorious and good fovereign, as the King of Kings. And as they had a good understanding in the doctrine of the crofs, fo likewise in the promise of the crown, that is upon the back of the crofs; they had their eyes at the recompence of reward, and therefore endured, becaufe by faith they faw him who is invifible. "It was their looking unto Jefus, who endured fuch contradiction of finners against himself," that made them bear all their reproaches, flanders, scoffs and jeers from enemies and profeffed friends, with fuch invincible patience.

Thou haft here, Chriftian reader, the dying speeches of fome of thefe noble heroes, and as the fpeeches of dying men are remarkable, the fpeeches of dying Chriftians more remarkable; how remarkable must the speeches of dying witneffes for Chrift be? It is reafonably expected, that dying men, much more dying Chriftians, and most of all, dying martyrs should speak beit at last. They are immediately to give in their laft account, they are difinterefted from all the worldly views, that use to darken our underflandings, and biafs our affections, while living in health and profperity: They are upon the borders of eternity; and as the motions of nature are the stronger the nearer they are to the center, fo faints are moft lively and heavenly, when nearest heaven. Martyrs have a fpecial promife, "That it thall be given them in that hour, what they fhall fpeak." The laft fpeeches of Chrift's dying witneffes have extorted, even from heathens" acknowledgments to the honour of God; Vere magnus eft Deus Chriflianorum, Truly great is the Chriftians God:" They have been made the means of converfion to many thousands of finners; as Justin Martyr teftifies of himself, that the dying words of the Christians made him fall in love with the life of Chriftianity.

I own, they are not bedecked with the embellishments of oratory and fine language; who can expect that from people of so mean education? But they are full of the language of heaven, which is many degrees more forcible than all our artificial rhetorick. One will find feveral mistakes in grammar, no doubt, in them; but they were never intended for the reflections of critics, but for the inftruction of Chriftians; and their plain rude difcourfes, may, through God's bleffing, do more good to the latter, than the most elaborate compofures can do to the former. They may ferve both as a comfort and encouragement to fufferers, and as an inftruction and example to faints. Herein, as in a glafs, we may both see our blemishes, wherein we come fhort of them, and learn to dress ourselves with the like Chriftian ornaments of zeal, holiness, ftedfaftnefs, meeknefs, patience, humility, and other graces.

But alas! How can the best of us read these teftimonies, without blufhing, for our low attainments and small proficiency in the school of Chrift? How unlike are we to them? How zealous were they for the honour of Chrift? How lukewarm are we, of whatever profeffion or denomination? How burning was their love to him, his truths, ordinances, and people? How cold is ours? How felf-denied and crucified to the world were they? How felfith and worldly are we? How willing were they to part with all for Chrift, and what an honour did they efteem it to fuffer for him, to be chained, whipped, haltered, flaked, imprifoned, banifhed, wounded, killed for him? How unwilling are we to part with a very little for him; much lefs to endure fuch hardships, and account them our glory? Alas! are we not afhamed of what they accounted their ornament, and accounting that our glory, which they lookt upon as a difgrace? How eafy was it for them to chufe the greateft fufferings, rather than the leaft fin? How hard is it for us not to chufe the greateft fin, before the leaft fuffering? Oh that their Chriftian virtues could upbraid us out of our lethargy of fupine fecurity! That their humility, meeknefs, and patience could fhame us out of our pride, haughtiness and impatience! They were fympathizing Chriftians, active for the glory of God and good of fouls, diligent to have their evidences for heaven clear, and having obtained affurance of God's love to their perfons,

and

and approbation of their cause, they went cheerfully on their way, fearlefs of men, "who can only kill the body," and ready to die the most violent death at God's call: But oh! how little fellow feeling is there now among Chriftians? But instead thereof, bitterness, emulation, wrath, envy, contentions and divifions. How little concern for the work and cause of Chrift? How dark are the most part, both as to their spiritual state, and their proper and pertinent duty? And how much is the fear of man prevailing above zeal for the glory of God?

I know, 'tis objected by fome, that they much wanted that virtue which is the greateft ornament of Christians, and trueft character of martyrs, namely a forgiving dif pofition; because they lay their blood, at the door of the principal contrivers and executers of their death, which the objectors suppose not to have been done by any of the former fufferers for Chrift. But to this I oppone, (1) Granting for argument's fake, that they had expreft themfelves with fome more fervency on that head, than others formerly have done, and that this was a piece of their infirmity; it will not follow that we should prefently admit the invidious inference, that therefore they were not martyrs för Christ: For as neither the many grofs failings of the Old Teftament faints, nor the mistakes of the primitive Christians, about the truths for which they fuffered, could deprive either of the honour of faint-fhip or martyrdom, fo neither ought any infirmity of theirs to be improven against them for that end. Solomon tells us, that oppreffion makes a wife man mad; and they met with it in the highest degree, and that not from the hands of Pagans, Turks, or Papifts, but of thofe who had been their covenanted brethren by profeffion: And when a holy felf refigned David had much ado to bear reproaches from the hand of one, that had been his equal, guide and acquaintance, with whom he had formerly fweet fellowship; it was not to be wondered, if they were put upon fome yehemency of expreffion, by their fevere fuffering from fuch hands; and `fhould rather be favourably constructed of.

Si quid

Intumuit Pietas, fi quid flagrantius actum eft. But 2dly, more directly, I am bold to deny the charge, for they every where distinguish betwixt the injuries done

to

to them, confidered fimply in themfelves, and the inju ries done to Chrift, and to his image in them: The former they declare they forgive as they defire forgiveness of God themfelves: The latter they leave to God's fovereign. difpofal, withal withing, that God might give them repentance, nor is the thing unprecedented: For befide the example of Jeremiah, who laid his innocent blood at the door of the princes, if they fhould take his life, there might be feveral more recent parallels adduced. It shall fuffice to inftance one of our own nation, impri oned for bearing witnefs to the fame truth, namely, wor thy Mr John Welfh, who in his letter to Lady Fleming, hath thefe exprefs words, "The guilt of our blood fhall ly upon bishops, counfellors, and commiffioners, who have ftirred up our prince against us; and fo upon the reft of our brethren, who either by filence approve, or by crying peace, peace, ftrengthen the arm of the wicked, that they cannot return; and in the mean time, make the heart of the righteous fad. Next upon all them that fat in council, and did not bear plain teftimony of Jefus Chrift and his truth, for which we fuffer: And next upon these that should have come, and made open teftimony of Chrift faithfully, although it had been to the hazard of their lives. Finally, all these that counfel, command, confent and allow, are guilty in the fight of God." Sure. I am, this is as full as any thing they have on this head, and proves, that what they did, was confiftent with a Chriftian and forgiving temper of fpirit.

And as they went off the ftage, both with magnanimity and meeknefs, fo it has been obferved concerning many of their perfecutors, that they departed this world with vifible fymptoms of God's wrath and judgments, especially with hell in their fouls, I mean, the horror of an awakened confcience, under the fenfe of God's indignation; than which there can be no greater torment in this life.

-Siculi non invenere tyranni

Tormentum majus.

Well, these martyrs are now in heaven in Abraham's warm bofom, enjoying the crown laid up for them, confirmed in an unchangeable ftate of reft and blessedness; we are yet in the stage of action and place of probation, we have our trials before us, let us imitate the Cloud of Witneffes, and contend for the faith once delivered to the faints. We know not what storms are abiding us.

C

The