A29699:139
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.
You see what high and honourable thoughts the Saints had of their Sufferings in those days; and O, that all suffering Saints would labour to write after that noble Copy that they have left upon Record. But
Eleventhly, Consider that suffering Saints do put a great deal §11of Honour and Glory upon God, Christ, Religion, and upon God's Truth. Worship and Ways. What a spreading Fame and Glory of God did the Sufferings of the three Worthies scatter all the world over. God is acknowledged and adored by Nebuchadnezzar, a Decree is made, That Every People, Nation and Language 1which speak amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a Dunghill, &c. Here God's Glory wonderfully shines out of their Sufferings: Here this poor, blind, Idolatrous Heathen Prince is forced to confess, that there is no God like Israel's God. Basil and Tertullian do well observe of the Primitive Martyrs; that divers of the Heathen seeing their zeal, courage and constancy, glorified God, and turned Christians. Religion is that Phoenix which hath always revived and flourished in the ashes of holy men; and Truth hath never been so honoured: and gloriously dispersed, as when it hath been sealed by the blood of the Saints: This made Julian to forbear to persecute; non ex clementia, sed invidia, not out of piety, but envy; because the Church grew so fast, and multiplied as Nazianzen well observes. We read that some times the Sufferings of one Saint have begot many to the love of the Truth: We read that Cicilia, a poor Captive Virgin, by her gracious behaviour in her Martyrdom, was the means of converting four hundred to Christ. Justine Martyr was also converted by observing the cheerful and gracious Carriage of the Saints in their Sufferings. And so Adrianus seeing the Martyrs suffer readily and joyfully such grievous torments, asked, why they would endure such misery when they might (by retracting) free themselves: Upon which, one of them cited that Text; Eye hath not 2