The beatitudes

9. Set before your eyes suffering examples, look upon §9others as patterns to imitate. Jam. 5.16. Take my Brethren the Prophets, [Greek or Hebrew], for an example of suffering affliction. Examples have more influence upon us than precepts; the one instruct, the other animate; as they show Elephants the blood of Grapes and Mulberries to make them fight the better; so the Holy Ghost shows us the blood of Saints and Martyrs to infuse a spirit of zeal and courage into us: Micaiah was in the prison, Jeremiah ⟨p. 390⟩in the Dungeon, Isaiah was sawn asunder. The Primitive Christians though their flesh was boiled, roasted, dismembered^*, yet like the Adamant they remained invincible; such was their zeal and patience in suffering, that their persecutors stood amazed, and were more weary in tormenting, then they were in enduring^*: John Huss when he was brought to be burned, they put upon his head a triple crown of paper printed with red Devils, which when he saw, saith he, My Lord Jesus Christ wore a crown of thorns for me, why then shall not I wear this crown, how ignominious soever? Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna, when he came before the Proconsul, he bade him deny Christ, and swear by the Emperor; he replied, I have served Christ these eighty six years, and he hath not once hurt me, and shall I deny him now^*? Sanders that blessed Martyr, said, Welcome the Cross of Christ; my Saviour began to me in a bitter cup, and shall not I pledge him? You Baynham, you Papists that look for miracles, I feel no more pain in the fire, than if I were in a bed of Down. Another of the Martyrs said, The ringing of my chain hath been sweet Music in my ears; O what a comforter (saith he) is a good conscience! Another Martyr kissing the stake, said, I shall not lose my life, but change it for a better; instead of coals I shall have pearls! Another, when the chain was fastening to him, said, Blessed be God for this wedding girdle! These suffering examples we should lay up, God is still the same God; he hath as much love in his heart to pity us, and as much strength in his arm to help us; let us think with our selves what courage the very Heathens have shown in their sufferings: Julius Caesar was a man of an heroic spirit; when he was fore-told of a conspiracy against him in the Senate house, he answered, He had rather dye than fear