N00887:200
Christianus per ignem. Or, A disciple warming of himself and owning of his Lord:…
Christianus per ignem. Or, A disciple warming of himself and owning of his Lord: with devout and useful meditations, fetched out of the fire, by a Christian in a cold season, sitting before it. A work though never out of season, yet more particularly, designed for the seasonable and profitable entertainment, of them that would well employ their leisure [sic] by the fire-side. : [Three lines in Latin from Alsted]Christianus per ignem. Or, A disciple warming of himself and owning of his Lord: with devout and useful meditations, fetch'd out of the fire, by a Christian in a cold season, sitting before it. A work though never out of season, yet more particularly, designed for the seasonable and profitable entertainment, of them that would well employ their liesure [sic] by the fire-side. : [Three lines in Latin from Alsted]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1702
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Again, 'Tis a Dangerous thing, for any to fall foul on the Church of our Lord. The Bush wherein there was given a picture of the Church, was one, as the Hebrew word intimates, that had prickles on it: And we are told by Travellers, the Bushes thereabouts, are so prickly, that if a Bird Light on one of them, he can hardly scape without a Deplumation. This we may be sure of; They that go to wrong the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, will find it a prickly, tearing and wounding thing. Indeed, it is not the Disposition of them ⟨p. 105⟩that are the genuine Children of the Church, to do Hurt for Harm; and much less to be, as Thorns, which the man that shall touch, must be fenced with Iron, and the Staff of a Spear. But it is the happiness and privilege of the Church, that through the jealous Care of God concerning it, its Adversaries do not find it safe to meddle with it; its Motto is, Nemo me impune Lacessit. A certain little Benjamite, was once Ravening like a Wolf on the Church of our Lord; but he was told from Heaven, That he was kicking against the pricks. Many a man sets himself to molest the Church of God; he thinks, He'll handle them without Mittens! But those fool hardy creatures procure miserable Scratches to themselves, by what they do. All that have hitherto gone to damnify this Bush, tho' as big men, as Pharaoh, or a Sennacherib, the Bush hath scratched them to Death; yea, the Almighty God has taken this Bush and scourged its Adversaries to Death, with its Tribulations. Vain men! Lay Hands on this Bush, if you Dare: Consider what you do; 'Twill tear you to pieces, and there shall be none to deliver you.
Again, 'Tis a Dangerous thing, for any to fall foul on the Church of our Lord. The Bush wherein there was given a picture of the Church, was one, as the Hebrew word intimates, that had prickles on it: And we are told by Travellers, the Bushes thereabouts, are so prickly, that if a Bird Light on one of them, he can hardly scape without a Deplumation. This we may be sure of; They that go to wrong the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, will find it a prickly, tearing and wounding thing. Indeed, it is not the Disposition of them ⟨p. 105⟩that are the genuine Children of the Church, to do Hurt for Harm; and much less to be, as Thorns, which the man that shall touch, must be fenced with Iron, and the Staff of a Spear. But it is the happiness and priviledge of the Church, that through the jealous Care of God concerning it, its Adversaries do not find it safe to meddle with it; its Motto is, Nemo me impune Lacessit. A certain little Benjamite, was once Ravening like a Wolf on the Church of our Lord; but he was told from Heaven, That he was kicking against the pricks. Many a man sets himself to molest the Church of God; he thinks, He'll handle them without Mittens! But those fool hardy creatures procure miserable Scratches to themselves, by what they do. All that have hitherto gone to damnify this Bush, tho' as big men, as Pharaoh, or a Senacherib, the Bush hath scratch'd them to Death; yea, the Almighty God has taken this Bush and scourg'd its Adversaries to Death, with its Tribulations. Vain men! Lay Hands on this Bush, if you Dare: Consider what you do; 'Twill tear you to pieces, and there shall be none to deliver you.