N00887:55
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.
Reflection IV.
Tho' a mans Fall from God, may be very Criminal, very Tragical, yet he may Arise by Repentance, and when he does Repent, he shall arrive to Forgiveness. We all hear the ⟨p. 33⟩Fall of Peter, as one of the Terriblest Things, that ever we heard. But what a wonderful Thing is This! Fallen Peter is recovered by Repentance. Our Lord Jesus Christ Looked on him, [Lord, Bestow such an Heart melting Look, on these backsliding Hearts of our!] and what was the effect of it? We read, Mat.26.75. He wept bitterly: The Ancients add, until his Tears had worn Furrows in his Cheeks. Oh! the astonishment, and indignation of Soul, wherewith he now cried out of himself, What have I done! What have I done! The Cock, that watchful Creature, no sooner Crow•d, but the Soul of Peter was awaked out of the desperate Sleep, which had been upon him. And Lyre reports from elder Antiquity, that Peter ever after this, would Rise at the Cock crowing, and continue, Weeping, and Mourning, and Praying, till Sun rise. Well, but more wonderful yet! The Repenting Peter is made a most amazing Example of that Forgiveness, which the God of all Grace has to bestow upon the Returning Sinner. Oh! The Sovereign Grace of Heaven! Judas is Damned, but Peter Saved. When our Lord, was Risen from the Dead, one of the Angels, with whom there is Joy over a Returning Sinner, sends a Message of it unto all the Disciples, but by Name unto Peter. Peter accordingly found his Risen Lord, Reconciled unto him; and as a Token and Effect of it, the Lord gave him opportunity ⟨p. 34⟩with Disposition, to Repeat his Affection to Him, [yea, and this by the Fire side also! See Joh.21.9] as often as his Denial of Him had been Repeated. Yea, This very Peter was afterwards made a worker of glorious Miracles; He who might admire that the Lord had not struck him Dead, for sinning so atrociously against Him, was used by the Lord for to Strike other Sinners Dead; yea, and for to Raise others from the Dead. And he who had by Sin given Scandal both to Jews and Gentiles, was used, first as a most successful Preacher of the Gospel to the Jews, and afterwards, he was the first that Preached the Gospel of Salvation from Sin, unto the Gentiles. Yea, that very Peter, who with his Tongue, had horribly denied the Lord Jesus Christ, and obeyed the Evil Spirit, by the Fire side. (and that he might be quietly by the Fire!)