First, Those Servants of God that have been guided by the Wisdom of God, to make their Choice, they have rather chose the sorest and most dreadful Afflictions in this world than willingly to commit the least sin: as now, if you would but turn your thoughts to what you have read or heard of the Martyrs, what hideous, and grievous torments did they suffer; the boiling of their bodies in scalding Lead, laying of their naked backs upon hot Gridirons, and •ending and tearing their Members a pieces with Horses, the pulling of their flesh off from their Bodies with Pincers, and others by red hot burning Tongs, their enduring their flesh to be scorched with broiling of it, first on the one side, and afterward on the other side; Yea, weak Women have endured this, To have their ⟨p. 6⟩flesh harrowed with stones and sharp irons, to have their bodies flayed, and then thrown into rivers of cold ice; and a thousand more whatsoever Hell and wicked men could devise: they were content to endure all this, and certainly could they have devised ten thousand times more exquisite torments then they did, they would have been content to have endured that, and whatsoever else, rather than to act against their Consciences the least sin, and they accounted this to be a good Choice, when as they saw Sin against their Consciences on the one hand, and all their torments on the other, they did rather embrace these tortures, then embrace that sin; and for this their Choice they are renowned in the hearts of the Saints to all generations: yea, the holy Ghost doth witness, That they have a good Report, Heb. 11. Those that suffered sawing asunder, and scourging, and went up and down in Sheeps-skins and Goats skins, in leather Breeches and Doublets, and suffered the spoiling of their goods and of all that they had, these had a good Report, and the Holy Ghost commends them for their Choice. Many of you when it comes to it will be loather to loose a groat than commit a sin, loather to endure the least shame or a nick-name, than to commit a sin: Are there not many Servants here, or Children, will tell a Lye (when they have done an evil) rather than suffer a little shame in the Family from their Parents, or Masters, or fellow Servants, and Children. What a difference is there between thy heart, and the heart of the ⟨p. 7⟩Martyrs?
FIrst, Those Servants of God that have been guided by the Wisdom of God, to make their Choice, they have rather chose the sorest and most dreadful Afflictions in this world than willingly to commit the least sin: as now, if you would but turn your thoughts to what you have read or heard of the Martyrs, what hideous, and grievous torments did they suffer; the boyling of their bodies in scalding Lead, laying of their naked backs upon hot Gridirons, and •ending and tearing their Members a pieces with Horses, the pulling of their flesh off from their Bodies with Pinchers, and others by red hot burning Tongs, their enduring their flesh to be scorched with broyling of it, first on the one side, and afterward on the other side; Yea, weak Women have endured this, To have their ⟨p. 6⟩flesh harrowed with stones and sharp irons, to have their bodies flayed, and then thrown into rivers of cold ice; and a thousand more whatsoever Hel and wicked men could devise: they were content to endure al this, and certainly could they have devised ten thousand times more exquisite torments then they did, they would have been content to have endured that, and whatsoever else, rather than to act against their Consciences the least sin, and they accounted this to be a good Choice, when as they saw Sin against their Consciences on the one hand, and al their torments on the other, they did rather embrace these tortures, then embrace that sin; and for this their Choice they are renowned in the hearts of the Saints to al generations: yea, the holy Ghost doth witness, That they have a good Report, Heb. 11. Those that suffered sawing asunder, and scourging, and went up and down in Sheeps-skins and Goats skins, in leather Breeches and Doublets, and suffered the spoyling of their goods and of al that they had, these had a good Report, and the Holy Ghost commends them for their Choice. Many of you when it comes to it wil be loather to loose a groat than commit a sin, loather to endure the least shame or a nick-name, than to commit a sin: Are there not many Servants here, or Children, wil tel a Lye (when they have done an evil) rather than suffer a little shame in the Family from their Parents, or Masters, or fellow Servants, and Children. What a difference is there between thy heart, and the heart of the ⟨p. 7⟩Martyrs?
