Secondly, consider who bears thee up, and carries thee through thy sufferings for Christ: Is it thy grace or his that is sufficient for such a work? thy spirit or Christs, by which thou speakest, when called to bear witness to his truth? how comes it to pass thou art a sufferer, and not a persecutor; a confessor, and not a denier; yea, betrayer of Christ and his Gospel? This thou owest for to God; he is not beholden to thee, that thou wilt part with estate, credit, or life it self for his sake. If thou hadst a thousand lives, thou wouldest owe them all to him: but thou art beholden to God exceedingly, that he will call for these in this way, which has such an honour and reward attending it. He might have suffered thee to live in thy lusts, and at last to suffer the loss of all these for them. O how many die at the Gallows as Martyrs in the devils cause, for felonies, rapes and murders! Or he might withdraw his grace, and leave thee to thy own cowardice and unbelief, and then thou wouldest soon show thy self in thy colours. The stoutest Champions for Christ, have been taught how weak they are if Christ steps aside. Some that have given great testimony of their faith and resolution in Christs cause, even to come so near dying for his Name, as to give themselves to be bound to the stake, and fire to be kindled upon them, yet then their hearts have failed, as that holy man Mr. Benbridge in our English Martyrol. who thrust the faggots from him, and cried out, I recant, I recant. Yet this man, when ⟨p. 302⟩re-enforced in his faith, and endued with power from above, was able within the space of a week after that sad foil, to die at the stake cheerfully: Qui pro nobis mortem semel vicit, semper in nobis vincit: He that once overcame death for us, 'tis he that always overcame death in us. And who should be thy Song, but he that is thy strength? applaud not thy self, but bless him. 'Tis one of Gods Names, he is called the glory of his peoples strength, Psal. 89.17. The more thou gloriest in God that gives thee strength to suffer for him, the less thou wilt boast of thy self: A thankful heart and a proud cannot dwell together in one bosom.
Secondly, consider who bears thee up, and carries thee through thy sufferings for Christ: Is it thy grace or his that is sufficient for such a work? thy spirit or Christs, by which thou speakest, when call'd to bear witnesse to his truth? how comes it to passe thou art a sufterer, and not a persecutour; a confessour, and not a denier; yea, betrayer of Christ and his Gospel? This thou owest for to God; he is not beholden to thee, that thou wilt part with estate, credit, or life it self for his sake. If thou hadst a thousand lives, thou wouldest owe them all to him: but thou art beholden to God exceedingly, that he will call for these in this way, which has such an honour and reward attending it. He might have suffered thee to live in thy lusts, and at last to suffer the losse of all these for them. O how many die at the Gallowes as Martyrs in the devils cause, for felonies, rapes and murders! Or he might withdraw his grace, and leave thee to thy own cowardise and unbelief, and then thou wouldest soon shew thy self in thy colours. The stoutest Champions for Christ, have been taught how weak they are if Christ steps aside. Some that have given great testimony of their faith and resolution in Christs cause, even to come so near dying for his Name, as to give themselves to be bound to the stake, and fire to be kindled upon them, yet then their hearts have failed, as that holy man Mr. Benbridge in our English Martyrol. who thrust the faggots from him, and cried out, I recant, I recant. Yet this man, when ⟨p. 302⟩re-inforc't in his faith, and indued with power from above, was able within the space of a week after that sad foile, to die at the stake cheerfully: Qui pro nobis mortem semel vicit, semper in nobis vincit: He that once overcame death for us, 'tis he that alwayes overcame death in us. And who should be thy Song, but he that is thy strength? applaud not thy selfe, but blesse him. 'Tis one of Gods Names, he is call'd the glory of his peoples strength, Psal. 89.17. The more thou gloriest in God that gives thee strength to suffer for him, the lesse thou wilt boast of thy self: A thankful heart and a proud cannot dwell together in one bosome.
