Now the things that these Believers suffered, were great, hard, and very many. Here ar• nine sorts of Sufferings set down in the Text. 1. It is said that they were racked, or tortured: some read it, beaten with Clubs, b•t it comes all to a reckoning; for when they were racked th•y were beaten with Clubs: And the Apostle saith, that they accepted not deliverance, that they might be partakers of a better resurrection; upon which words, some do think that there are degrees of •lory, and that the Suffering Saints should have a better degree of Glory at the Resurrection; but the word better, is spoken in comparison with that deliverance that was offered to them. In Scripture Phrase, Afflictions are Deaths, and when a man is delivered from an Affliction, he hath a Resurrection: When a man hath been sick, and at the Grave, and raised to health again, he hath a Resurrection, in Scripture Language: Now this Resurrection, or deliverance, is refused, hoping for a better Resurrection, having an eye to the great, and last, and better Resurrection. That is the first, They were tortured, or racked. And 2. They had cruel mockings; there is a mocking, and there is a cruel mocking, when a man shall insult over another, and laugh at him in his misery, this is a cruel mocking; as the Jews derided our Saviour on the Cross; this is a great aggravation of Affliction, this they endured: that is a second, They had trial of cruel mockings. And 3. They were scourged, and whipped up ⟨p. 21⟩and down like Rogues, as if the World was too good for them, they not worthy to live. And 4. They were in bonds, and Imprisonment. 5. They were stoned. 6. They were sawn asunder. And 7. They were tempted; some read it burned, by the change of a Letter or two, they read it so, and were burned: but it s•ems their Afflictions were filled with Temptations, and Temptation is a great aggravation of Affliction: so they were tempted. And 8. They were slain with the Sword. And 9. They wandered up and down in Sheep Skins, and Goat Skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, in Mountains, and Caves, and Dens of the Earth, driven from their own Habitation; and these are such, of whom it is said here, the world was not worthy: And these hard things they endured by faith, faith the Apostle.
Now the things that these Beleevers suffered, were great, hard, and very many. Here ar• nine sorts of Sufferings set down in the Text. 1. It is said that they were racked, or tortured: some read it, beaten with Clubs, b•t it comes al to a reckoning; for when they were racked th•y were beaten with Clubs: And the Apostle saith, that they accepted not deliverance, that they might be partakers of a better resurrection; upon which words, some do think that there are degrees of •lory, and that the Suffering Saints should have a better degree of Glory at the Resurrection; but the word better, is spoken in comparison with that deliverance that was offered to them. In Scripture Phrase, Afflictions are Deaths, and when a man is delivered from an Affliction, he hath a Resurrection: When a man hath been sick, and at the Grave, and raised to health again, he hath a Resurrection, in Scripture Language: Now this Resurrection, or deliverance, is refused, hoping for a better Resurrection, having an eye to the great, and last, and better Resurrection. That is the first, They were tortured, or racked. And 2. They had cruel mockings; there is a mocking, and there is a cruel mocking, when a man shal insult over another, and laugh at him in his misery, this is a cruel mocking; as the Jews derided our Savior on the Cross; this is a great aggravation of Affliction, this they endured: that is a second, They had trial of cruel mockings. And 3. They were scourged, and whipt up ⟨p. 21⟩and down like Rogues, as if the World was too good for them, they not worthy to live. And 4. They were in bonds, and Imprisonment. 5. They were stoned. 6. They were sawn asunder. And 7. They were tempted; some read it burned, by the change of a Letter or two, they read it so, and were burned: but it s•ems their Afflictions were filled with Temptations, and Temptation is a great aggravation of Affliction: so they were tempted. And 8. They were slain with the Sword. And 9. They wandered up and down in Sheep Skins, and Goat Skins, being destiture, afflicted, tormented, in Mountains, and Caves, and Dens of the Earth, driven from their own Habitation; and these are such, of whom it is said here, the world was not worthy: And these hard things they endured by faith, faith the Apostle.
