Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

And thus the people of God in former times ¹have much gloried in that they have suffered in the cause of Christ. It is the speech of Tertullian, Your cruelty is our glory. We read of tender mothers beholding their children's suffering death for Christ as their Trophies and Triumphs, and delighting in their last breathings, as in most melodious music. And it is reported of Balilas, when he was to dye, he required this favour, to have his chains to be buried with him as the ensigns of his honour. It was the manner of the Romans, when any had received any wounds for their country, they would show the scars and places of their wounds for their glory. Pliny tells us of one, because he got forty five wounds for his country, by that he got immortal honour amongst the Romans. Thus Saint Paul seems to argue, Let no man put me to business, I bear about me the marks of the Lord Jesus. And Ignatius professed, he had rather be a Martyr then a Monarch. And Prudentius tells us of the Martyrs in his time, and especially ⟨p. 442⟩of Vincentius, that the great ^*torments that were presented to them, were but sports and plays to them, they delighted themselves in those things they suffered for Christ, they trod upon burning coals as if they had trod upon roses. And so in the Primitive time they were wont to call Martyrdom by that name, The "crown of Martyrdom. I desire to know nothing, says St. Paul, but Christ and him crucified. And we know how superstitiously they did use the Cross of Christ in former times, and how high respect they would give unto a piece of wood that Christ was crucified upon; yea, if they had but that piece of wood in imagination: what a deal of business was there made by Constantine's mother about the Cross of Christ? Certainly it grew upon this, it was but the abuse of the high esteem that the people of God had of sufferings. The Emperor Baldwin thought himself blest, if he had but a piece of the Cross of Christ; that he would carry about with him in his arms. It is reported of one King of England, that he bestowed as much upon a Cross, as the Revenues of his Kingdom came to in a year. And that esteem which they had of a piece of wood, the Martyrs in the Primitive times had of the Cross of Christ; namely, of the sufferings they endured for Christ.