2. And then in the next place, It is as evident that a man can never be fit to suffer hard things for Christ, until his Spirit be enlarged, raised, and ennobled, so that he be able to despise Dangers, and look all Difficulties in the face. That low and private Spirit must be removed, and a public Spirit must possess him. ⟨p. 42⟩If a man be of a feeble and effeminate Spirit, every petty Danger will daunt and sink him; Delicacy and Tenderness is as unsuitable to a Christian as to a Soldier, 2 Tim. 2.3. They that mean to enter into the Kingdom of God, must resolve to make their way through that Brake of Troubles betwixt them and it, 2 Tim. 3.12. They that will be crowned with Victory, must stand to it, and play the men, as that word imports, 1 Cor. 16.13. Look over all the Sacred and Humane Histories, and see if you can find a man that ever honoured Christ by Suffering, that was not of a raised and noble Spirit, and in some measure able to contemn both the allurements and threats of men. So those three noble Jews, Dan. 3.16, 17. so Moses, Heb. 11.27. and so our Apostle, Acts 20.24. and the same Heroic and brave Spirit was found in the succeeding Ages amongst the Witnesses of Christ. When Valence the Emperor endeavoured to draw Basil from the Faith by Offers of Preferment, Offer these things (said he) to Children; when he threatened him with torments, Threaten these things (said he) to your Purple Gallants that live delicately. And the same Basil relating the Story of the forty Martyrs, saith, That when great Honours and Preferments were offered them to draw them from Christ, their answer was, Why offer you these small things of the world to us (O Emperor) when you know the whole world is contemned by us! So Luther, Money could not tempt him, nor the fear of man daunt him. Let me (said he in his Letter to Staupicius) be accounted proud, covetous, a murderer, guilty of all vices, rather than of wicked silence and cowardice in the Cause of Christ. Thus you see to what an height and holy ⟨p. 43⟩greatness the Spirits of suffering Saints in all Ages have been raised.
2. And then in the next place, It is as evident that a man can never be fit to suffer hard things for Christ, until his Spirit be inlarged, raised, and enobled, so that he be able to despise Dongers, and look all Difficulties in the face. That low and private Spirit must be removed, and a publick Spirit must possess him. ⟨p. 42⟩If a man be of a feeble and effeminate Spirit, every petty Danger will daunt and sink him; Delicacy and Tenderness is as unsuitable to a Christian as to a Souldier, 2 Tim. 2.3. They that mean to enter into the Kingdom of God, must resolve to make their way through that Brake of Troubles betwixt them and it, 2 Tim. 3.12. They that will be crowned with Victory, must stand to it, and play the men, as that word imports, 1 Cor. 16.13. Look over all the Sacred and Humane Histories, and see if you can find a man that ever honoured Christ by Suffering, that was not of a raised and noble Spirit, and in some measure able to contemn both the allurements and threats of men. So those three noble Jews, Dan. 3.16, 17. so Moses, Heb. 11.27. and so our Apostle, Acts 20.24. and the same Heroick and brave Spirit was found in the succeeding Ages amongst the Witnesses of Christ. When Valence the Emperour endeavoured to draw Basil from the Faith by Offers of Preferment, Offer these things (said he) to Children; when he threatned him with torments, Threaten these things (said he) to your Purple Gallants that live delicately. And the same Basil relating the Story of the forty Martyrs, saith, That when great Honours and Preferments were offered them to draw them from Christ, their answer was, Why offer you these small things of the world to us (O Emperour) when you know the whole world is contemned by us! So Luther, Money could not tempt him, nor the fear of man daunt him. Let me (said he in his Letter to Staupicius) be accounted proud, covetous, a murtherer, guilty of all vices, rather than of wicked silence and cowardize in the Cause of Christ. Thus you see to what an height and holy ⟨p. 43⟩greatness the Spirits of suffering Saints in all Ages have been raised.
