N20568:7358
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being…
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of martyrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of marytrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].
New-York: printed by William Durell, 1794
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.
BUT unto such as be penitent, and are desirous to live after the Lord's will, (among whom I do not only count you, but as far as a man may judge, I •now you are) unto such, I say, this time is, and should be comfortable. For now our Father chastiseth us for our sins, if he had had a mind to destroy us, he would have left us to ourselves, to seek our own ways, and work our own ruin: let us patiently embrace his fatherly visitation, for he chastiseth us in this world, lest with the world we should perish. Therefore, dear friends, call to mind and lament your sins; pray for mercy and forgiveness, and undoubtingly believe that God ⟨p. 673⟩will hear you: for he doth not punish twice for one thing.
SO that, I say, we have cause to rejoice for these days, because our Father suffereth us not to lie in Jezebel's bed, sleeping in our own sins and security, but as mindful of us, doth correct us as his own children; whereby we may be certain that we are no bastards, but sons; for he correcteth every son whom he receiveth. So that they who are not partakers of his chastisements, or that contemn it, declare themselves to be bastards and not sons, as I know you are, who being chastised, improve it accordingly. And therefore, my dear friends, be glad, knowing certainly even by these visitations of the Lord, that ye are his dear and chosen children, whose faults your Father doth visit with the rod of correction, but his mercy will he never take away from us. Amen.
YOU have cause to rejoice for these days, because they are days of trial, wherein you yourselves, and all the world shall know that you belong not to it, but are God's darlings. Before these days came, Lord God I how many thought themselves in God's bosom, and so were taken, and would be taken by the world? But now we see whose they are. For, whom we obey, his servants we be. If we obey the world, (which God forbid, and hitherto you have not done it) then are we the world's; but if we obey God, then are we God's. Which thing (I mean, that you are God's) these days have declared both to you, to me, and to all others that know you, better than ever we know it. Therefore you have no cause to be sorry, but rather to rejoice at this assurance of being the Lord's children, and as you are so accounted by all good people.