Mr. Bolton's last and learned work of the four last things death, judgement, hell,…Mr. Boltons last and learned worke of the foure last things death, iudgement, hell,…

Now if the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working, give this discretion and wisdom to frail man; Himself is infinitely more mercifully wise, to proportion and sit His trials to the state and strength of His Patients; singling out His valiantest soldiers for the strongest encounters; His best scholars, for the largest lessons; His choicest Armour, for the highest ⟨p. 54⟩Proof; His hardest Adamants, for the most steely Anvil: the most courageous Christians, for the •orest conflicts: His ablest Followers, for extraordinary service and sufferings. Abraham the Father of the faithful, and Friend of GOD; Job, the justest man upon earth; David, a man after GODS own heart; Paul, abounding in the riches of grace, and the rarest revelations: I say, these eminent Champions thus highly favoured, and heroically •itted, were put to it indeed, as appears in divine Story. The LORD in mercy did first infuse an invincible mightiness of spirit and much flaming zeal into the breasts of those three Christian Worthies, Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Luther, before He employed them in His so glorious service, and exposed them to the rage of so ¹many implacable persecutions in their several ages. The first stood at swords point (I mean the Sword of the Spirit) with the whole world: The whole world against Athanasius, and Athanasius against it, saith Hooker, out of the Ecclesiastical Story; ⟨p. 55⟩Half an hundred years spent in doubtful trial, which of the two in the end would prevail, the side which had all, or else the Part which had no friend, but GOD and Death: the One, a Defender of his innocency; the other, the finisher of all his troubles. After the Church of GOD, (hunted like a Partridge on the mountains by the Arian Bishops) woefully wasted and wearied, had laid down her head in the bosom of this blessed man ready to breathe out her last, he had never quiet day. Hear my Author: By the space of six and forty years, from the time of his consecration, to succeed Alexander Arch-Bishop of Alexandria, till the last hour of his life in this world, they never suffered him to enjoy the comfort of a peaceable day. The second was a mighty Thunderer against the corruptions of the times; feared not the face of the greatest woman in the world, armed as well with might, as enraged with malice, (I mean Eudoxia the Empress.)