3. He is of an Invincible spirit; he bears afflictions without fainting, or fretting, Though the Archers *shoot at him, his Bow abides in strength. Such as want a Principle of Grace, faint in the day of adversity ⟨p. 20⟩*they cannot bear a frown from a great man, or digest a reproach: If the bough of a Tree be rotten, the least weight hung upon it breaks it. But the righteous hath the heart of a Lion; he is not startled at the discourtesies of the world; he looks upon reproaches for Christ, as Ensigns of Honour*, 1 Pet. 4. 11. When the Roman Catholics taunted at Luther for his Apostasy from their Church, I confess (said Luther) I am an Apostate from you, but a blessed one; I am such an Apostate as a Magician is when he renounceth his compact made with the Devil, and betakes himself to Christ. Grace steels the heart with courage, and fires it with zeal. Nazianzen said of Athanasius, he was both a Lodestone and an Adamant; a Lodestone for the sweetness of his Disposition, and an Adamant for the invincibleness of his Resolution. When the Emperor Valens promised Basil great Preferment, ⟨p. 21⟩if he would subscribe to the Arian heresy: Sir, said he, these speeches are fit to catch little Children, but we who are taught by the Spirit, are ready to endure a thousand deaths rather than suffer one syllable of Scripture to be altered. A righteous man is willing to take the Cross for his Jointure, and with Ignatius wear Christ's Sufferings as a collar of Pearl*. Rom. 5. 3. We glory in Tribulation, [Greek or Hebrew]. St. Paul rattles his Chain, and did glory in it as a woman (saith Chrysostom) that is proud of her Jewels*. It is to my loss, said Gordius the Martyr, if you bate me any thing of my sufferings. Of what Heroic undaunted spirits were the Primitive Christians! who could scorn Preferments, laugh at Imprisonments, snatch up Torments as Crowns; and whose love to Christ burned hotter ⟨p. 22⟩than the Fire*; insomuch that the Heathens cried out, Verè magnus est Deus Christianorum; Great is the GOD of the Christians.
3. He is of an Invincible spirit; he bears afflictions without fainting, or fretting, Though the Archers *shoot at him, his Bow abides in strength. Such as want a Principle of Grace, faint in the day of adversity ⟨p. 20⟩*they cannot bear a frown from a great man, or digest a reproach: If the bough of a Tree be rotten, the least weight hung upon it breaks it. But the righteous hath the heart of a Lion; he is not startled at the discourtesies of the world; he looks upon reproaches for Christ, as Ensignes of Honour*, 1 Pet. 4. 11. When the Roman Catholicks taunted at Luther for his Apostacy from their Church, I confess (said Luther) I am an Apostate from you, but a blessed one; I am such an Apostate as a Magician is when he renounceth his compact made with the Devil, and betakes himself to Christ. Grace steels the heart with courage, and fires it with zeal. Nazianzen said of Athanasius, he was both a Loadstone and an Adamant; a Loadstone for the sweetness of his Disposition, and an Adamant for the invincibleness of his Resolution. When the Emperor Valens promised Basil great Preferment, ⟨p. 21⟩if he would subscribe to the Arrian heresie: Sir, said he, these speeches are fit to catch little Children, but we who are taught by the Spirit, are ready to endure a thousand deaths rather than suffer one syllable of Scripture to be altered. A righteous man is willing to take the Cross for his Joynture, and with Ignatius wear Christ's Sufferings as a collar of Pearl*. Rom. 5. 3. We glory in Tribulation, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. St. Paul rattles his Chain, and did glory in it as a woman (saith Chrysostom) that is proud of her Jewels*. It is to my loss, said Gordius the Martyr, if you bate me any thing of my sufferings. Of what Heroick undaunted spirits were the Primitive Christians! who could scorn Preferments, laugh at Imprisonments, snatch up Torments as Crowns; and whose love to Christ burned hotter ⟨p. 22⟩
- *Gen. 49. 23.
- *Prov. 24. 10.
- *Christi insignia. Thryverus.
- *Si deprehenditur Christianus, gloriatar; inter•ogatus velultro confitetur, damnatus gratias agit: quid hoc mali est, cujus reus gaudet, cujus accusatio votum est, & poena foelicitas. Tertul. Apol.
- *[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- *Majora [Greek or Hebrew], majora sequuntur praemia. Tertul.Majora 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, majora sequuntur praemia. Tertul.
