A29699:113
Paradise opened, or, The secrets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom,…Paradice opened, or, The secreets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom,…
Paradise opened, or, The secrets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom, and of wonderful counsel laid open to public view also, the covenant of grace, and the high and glorious transactions of the Father and the Son in the covenant of redemption opened and improved at large, with the resolution of divers important questions and cases concerning both covenants ... : being the second and last part of The golden key / by Thomas Brooks ...Paradice opened, or, The secreets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom, and of wonderful counsel laid open to publick view also, the covenant of grace, and the high and glorious transactions of the Father and the Son in the covenant of redemption opened and improved at large, with the resolution of divers important questions and cases concerning both covenants ... : being the second and last part of The golden key / by Thomas Brooks ...
London: printed for Dorman Newman, 1675
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is true that the faithful Ministers of the Gospel may, by the instruments of Satan, be stocked, stoned, sawn asunder, burned with fire▪ slain with the sword, clapped up in prison, fettered in chains, plundered, &c yet the Gospel may be, nay is, in lively operation; a light that cannot be put out, a heat that cannot be smothered, a power that cannot be broken; for even then, the courageous and constant sufferings of God's faithful Ministers, and their cheerful and patient bearing of the Cross, doth, as by a lively1 voice, publish and proclaim the truth of the Gospel for which they suffer; and serves to win many to the Faith of Christ. Paul's bonds fell out to the furtherance of the Gospel. Paul's Iron chain was more famous and glorious all the world over, than all the Golden chains in N•ro's Palace. Whatsoever persecuting Popes, ⟨image 27⟩and persecuting Emperors, have attempted against the Gospel.2 Christ has turned it all to the furtherance of the Gospel. The Popes Bulls, and the Emperor's Thunderbolts did not amaze and discourage men, but did exceedingly animate and encourage them to own the Gospel, to embrace the Gospel, and to stand up in the defence of the Gospel. Caesar sending the Protestants Confession3 abroad, to other Christian Princes, as desiring their advice about it, dispersed and spread it more in all parts than all the Lutheran Preachers could have done; for which cause L••ther laughs not a little, at the foolish wisdom of the Papists, in a certain Epistle of his to the Elector of Saxony. Julian observing, that the more Ministers and Christians were persecuted, the more they increased, he gave over Persecution, and spared those whom he could have wished out of the world: And would it not be the wisdom and the interest of the Persecutors in our days, to write after Julian's Copy? and if they will not, then let them remember, that it is the most effectual way under heaven, to propagate those truths, opinions, ways, principles, and practices, which their hearts rise and swell against, by laying them in bonds which stand up most eminently in the defence of those truths, opinions, ways, principles and practices. The nature of Man is very curious and inquisitive. Men, as men, are led by common compassion to desire to understand the grounds of men's sufferings.