On the other hand; he that is not prepared for Sufferings, is a miserable man: He hath a Name of Religion and that's all; a Notion of the Gospel, but without a Root; he hath a false Christ, that is, a Christ without a Cross, but the right Christ he knows not; a pretence to Heaven he hath, but he is not in a posture for it, neither will he go thither in an hard way: If Sufferings come, he is snared, as Fishes in an evil Net; the surprise will rob him of that which he seems to have; he will not have so much as the Name or notion of Religion left: Christ will be an Offence, or stumbling-Block to him; Heaven it self will not be worth suffering for. Thus those of the Stony ground received the word with joy, but because their hearts were not ready for it, as soon as Persecution arose, they were offended.1 Thus it was observed among the Primitive Christians, that the unready and unprepared did faint and fall in time of Persecution. The Cup of Sufferings is bitter, Nature starts at it: The unprepared Christian, rather than drink it, will in all likelihood turn Apostate in the day of trial; prosperous error will be embraced by him before persecuted ⟨p. 14⟩Truth; Idolatry with the World will go down better than the pure Worship without it; Christ coming in Poverty and Tribulation will be forsaken; Antichrist appearing in the Pomp and outward greatness of the World, will be followed: Mere Vanity will outweigh all the great offers of the Gospel; a Soul and a God will be laid at stake for a little outward prosperity: And what a forlorn Condition is this? And without Repentance, how dismal must the end be? The Good God, whom he hath forsaken, will depart from him; Jesus Christ the Saviour will cast him out; a curse & a blast will be upon his Prosperity; a sting and a wound in Conscience will make him weary of himself; in a word, he will become loathsome to God, Men, and himself.2 It is storied, That in the third Century the tokens of Gods wrath came in an extraordinary way upon those Christians that fell off in time of Persecution; some of them were struck dumb, some vexed with Devils, some tormented in their bowels unto Death; and, though not in these ways, yet in other will his wrath come down upon all Apostates; if they are not dumb before men, they will be speechless before God; if Devils vex not their Bodies, they will yet possess their Souls;
On the other hand; he that is not propared for Sufferings, is a miserable man: He hath a Name of Religion and that's all; a Notion of the Gospel, but without a Root; he hath a false Christ, that is, a Christ without a Cross, but the right Christ he knowes not; a pretence to Heaven he hath, but he is not in a posture for it, neither will he go thither in an hard way: If Sufferings come, he is snared, as Fishes in an evil Net; the surprize will rob him of that which he seems to have; he will not have so much as the Name or notion of Religion left: Christ will be an Offence, or stumbling-Block to him; Heaven it self will not be worth suffering for. Thus those of the Stony ground received the word with joy, but because their hearts were not ready for it, as soon as Persecution arose, they were offended.1 Thus it was observed among the Primitive Christians, that the unready and unprepared did faint and fall in time of Persecution. The Cup of Sufferings is bitter, Nature starts at it: The unprepared Christian, rather than drink it, will in all likelihood turn Apostate in the day of trial; prosperous error will be embraced by him before persecuted ⟨p. 14⟩Truth; Idolatary with the World will goe down better than the pure Worship without it; Christ coming in Poverty and Tribulation will be forsaken; Antichrist appearing in the Pomp and outward greatness of the World, will be followed: Meer Vanity will outweigh all the great offers of the Gospel; a Soul and a God will be laid at stake for a little outward prosperity: And what a forlorn Condition is this? And without Repentance, how dismal must the end be? The Good God, whom he hath forsaken, will depart from him; Jesus Christ the Saviour will cast him out; a curse & a blast will be upon his Prosperity; a sting and a wound in Conscience will make him weary of himself; in a word, he will become loathsome to God, Men, and himself.2 It is storied, That in the third Century the tokens of Gods wrath came in an extraordinary way upon those Christians that fell off in time of Persecution; some of them were struck dumb, some vexed with Devils, some tormented in their bowels unto Death; and, though not in these wayes, yet in other will his wrath come down upon all Apostates; if they are not dumb before men, they will be speechless before God; if Devils vex not their Bodies, they will yet possess their Souls;
- 1Magd. hist. Cent. 2. cap. 3.
- 2Cypr. de Lapsis.
