Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

and the poor Voluptary, without repentance, must lie down in eternal sorrow, a thought whereof is enough to embitter all their sweetness: And are Mundane glories any better in Faiths account? Honour is but a blast, a little popular air; Monarchies have their periods; History gives us a prospect of their vanity; and much more Faith, which translates the Soul into the everlasting Kingdom, and from thence looks on the Empires of the World ⟨p. 272⟩as the chaff of the Summer-floor, rolling away with the wind of time. To a man up among the Stars, the whole Earth would be but as a small thing, and such are Crowns and Sceptres to one conversing in Heaven; in the midst of them a man may want true greatness; the Worlds Epiphanes may be but a vile person, a slave to his lusts, which is the greatest servitude; at death he may, like Adrian, moan over his little Soul, and at Judgment cry out to the rocks and mountains to fall upon him, and cover him from the presence of the Lord. But to proceed, and take Sin in another dress; let it come as a worldly Saviour, entertain it, and you shall be delivered from losses, reproaches, racks, persecuting flames, and cruel deaths; it will not yet be eligible. Faith in the love of its espousals, and upon the first contract received a whole Christ, Cross and all, and so virtually and in purpose hath already swallowed down all persecutions which go along with the Gospel; and when the actual trial comes, Faith will not escape by iniquity, which is an evil transcendently greater than all the rest, and whilst it outwardly, temporally saves, inwardly, eternally destroys: To Faith there is no loss like that of a Soul, no reproach like Sins turpitude; no racks like those in Conscience; no flames or deaths like those in Hell: Which made those tormented Worthies not accept deliverance, Heb. 11.35. Sin is mere Sin, totally, perfectly evil; but suffering ⟨p. 273⟩for the Gospel is not mere suffering: In temporal losses, there may be eternal gain; in reproaches, a spirit of glory; in outward racks, inward joys. In the Burning-bush God may dwell; and death may open a door to life everlasting. Hence come the famous Triumphs of Martyrs; the Apostle rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ, Act. 5.41: In the Original it is, [Greek or Hebrew], That they were honoured to be dishonoured for Christ. Others have styled their Prisons a Paradise;