1. At the glory of His own Name; which is his principal end. Peter was to die a Martyr: and tis said, Joh. 21. 19. Christ signified to him by what Death he should glorify God. A man by Suffering, may possibly bring more glory to God in one hour; than by Doing never so much for Him all his life-time before. In this way, the Lord attains the propagation of his Church. The Church never thrives more than when (like a Vine) watered with its own blood. The more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelites; the more they multiplied, and grew: Exod. 1. 12. The Borders of the Church were enlarged by the persecution in my Text. 1It caused a Dispersion of Christians, and so an Increase of Christianity; so that by this occasion, the Samaritans, 2& Gentiles came to have the Church of God among them. Some write, that a persecution raised by the Jews against Christians, caused Joseph of Arimathea, and others to come over into England (then called Britain) by means whereof, the Gospel, and Christianity was first planted in the Land of our Forefathers sepulchres. When the Waldenses were persecuted, some of them fled into Picardy; others into Germany: whence also the Doctrine of the Gospel was spread abroad, & embraced in those places. When the Papists raised a great persecution against the Bohemian ⟨p. 14⟩Brethren, they grew in numbers; many of the Peers of the Land joining with them. And when some of their Ministers were banished, they carried the Gospel into Moravia, and to the remotest parts of Prusia. The Church of God in France wonderfully increased, when above an hundred years ago, they were persecuted, and miserably oppressed by Popish Adversaries. Though the Devil, and his Instruments design the Destruction of Christianity by persecution, yet the only wise God does outshoot him in his own Bow, and cause it to tend to the Enlargement thereof. The constancy, and patience of the Lords servants in their sufferings, does gain others over to the truth; perhaps, convert many thousands to the ways of God. This made the Heathen in the primitive Times, cry out, Verè Magnus est Deus Christianorum. Truly! Great is the God of the Christians. Sometimes their cruel Executioners, have been thereby Converted. And because of this, a popish Adversary advised that no more Protestants might be burned to death: for (said he) The Smoke of such a Sufferer infected all it blew upon;
1. At the glory of His own Name; which is his principal end. Peter was to die a Martyr: and tis said, Joh. 21. 19. Christ signified to him by what Death he should glorify God. A man by Suffering, may possibly bring more glory to God in one hour; than by Doing never so much for Him all his life-time before. In this way, the Lord attains the propagation of his Church. The Church never thrives more than when (like a Vine) watered with its own blood. The more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelites; the more they multiplyed, and grew: Exod. 1. 12. The Borders of the Church were enlarged by the persecution in my Text. 1It caused a Dispersion of Christians, and so an Increase of Christianity; so that by this occasion, the Samaritanes, 2& Gentiles came to have the Church of God among them. Some write, that a persecution raised by the Jews against Christians, caused Joseph of Arimathea, and others to come over into England (then called Britain) by means whereof, the Gospel, and Christianity was first planted in the Land of our Forefathers sepulchers. When the Waldenses were persecuted, some of them fled into Picardy; others into Germany: whence also the Doctrine of the Gospel was spread abroad, & embraced in those places. When the Papists raised a great persecution against the Bohemian ⟨p. 14⟩Brethren, they grew in numbers; many of the Peers of the Land joyning with them. And when some of their Ministers were banished, they carried the Gospel into Moravia, and to the remotest parts of Prusia. The Church of God in France wonderfully increased, when above an hundred years agoe, they were persecuted, and miserably oppressed by Popish Adversaries. Though the Divel, and his Instruments design the Destruction of Christianity by persecution, yet the only wise God does outshoot him in his own Bow, and cause it to tend to the Inlargement thereof. The constancy, and patience of the Lords servants in their sufferings, does gain others over to the truth; perhaps, convert many thousands to the wayes of God. This made the Heathen in the primitive Times, cry out, Verè Magnus est Deus Christianorum. Truly! Great is the God of the Christians. Sometimes their cruel Executioners, have been thereby Converted. And because of this, a popish Adversary advised that no more Protestants might be burnd to death: for (said he) The Smoke of such a Sufferer infected all it blew upon;
- 1Usher de Eccl. Brit. Primord. P. 15.
- 2Fuller's Hist. of Brit. P. 6, 7. Mr. Clark's Martyrol. Pag. 78, 134, 231.
