An Exhortation to the Carrying of Christs Cross, Chapter 2
The. 2. Chapter.
¶ Perſecucyon is not ſtraunge.
THys is the firſt thynge, I would gaue you often and diligētly with your ſelues to conſyder and muſe vpō? namely, what you be, and where you be. Then ſecondarely forget not to call to mynde, that you oughte not to thynte it any ſtraunge thyng, if miſery, trouble, aduerſite, perſecucion and diſpleaſure come … pon you.… Peter. 4.
For how can it other wiſe be, but that trouble and perſecucion muſte come vponupon your Can the worlde louelove you, whych ar none John. 14.of … …orldiye men are …e …urs of your chefe enemi, and can they regarde you? Can Satan ſuffer you to be in reſte, I. Peter. 5.which wil not doe him homage? Can thys way be eaſye, whyche of it ſelfe is ſtrayght? Wyll you Math. 7.loke to trauayll, and to hauehave no foule way nor rayne? Wil ſhypmen ſhrinke (or ſaylers of ye ſea) if ſtormes aryſe? Doe they not loke for ſuch?
And dearly beloued, dyd not we enter into gods ſhippe & arke of baptiſme at the firſte? Wyll 1. Peter. 4.you then count it ſtraunge, if perils and tempeſtes blowe? Are not you traueling to your heauē ly citie of Heruſalem, where is all ioye and felicite? And wyll you nowe tarye by the waye for ſtormes or ſhowers? The marte and fayer wyll then be paſt, the John. 9. Math. 25.nighte wyll fall, ye can not trauayll, the dore wylbe ſparred, & the bryde wylbe at ſupper. Therfore away with deyntie nicenes. Wyll you thynke, the father of heauen wyll deale more gentlye wyth you in thys age, then he hath done with other his deareſt frendes in our ages? What waie and wether, what ſtormes and tempeſtes, what diſeaſe, trouble and diſquie…ies founde Abel, Noe, …, Iſaac, Iacob and good Ioſeph? Whyche of theſe Gene. 4. 6. …. 8. 9. &c.had ſo faire a lyfe and reſtefull tymes, as we hauehave had? Moſes, Aaron, Samuel, Dauid ye kynge and all the good kynges, prieſts and prophe…es in the olde teſtament, at one tyme or another, if not thorowe …u…e their life, did fele a. 1000. partes more miſery, then we hauehave feite hetherto.
As for the newe teſtamente, lord god, how great was the affliccion of Mari, Ioſeph, …achary, Elizabeth, Iohn Baptiſt, thē whom among the children of we Math. 11.men, none aroſe greater, of al the …poſiles and euangeliſtes, yea of Ieſus Chriſt our lord, the deare ſonne and dearlyng of god? And ſithens the time of the apoſtles, Euſebius Eccl. hiſt. Tripart. hiſtoria.how many and great are the nomber of martyrs, confeſſours & ſuch, as hauehave ſuffred the ſheding of their blo… in this life, rather then they woulde be ſtayned in theyr iourney, or lodge in any of Satans ynnes, ſo that the ſtormes or windes, which fel in their trauelynges, myghte not touche them? Wherfore, dearli beloued, lette vsus thynke what we are, and how far vnmete to bee matched wyth theſe: wyth whom yet we loke to be placed in heauen.
But wyth what face can we loke for thys, that are ſo fearful, vnwyllyng and arſward, to leus that, whych, wyll we nyl we, we muſt leaue: and that ſo ſhortli, as we knowe not the tyme whan? Where is our abrenouncing and forſakyng of the world and the fleſh, which we ſolēpnely ſware in baptiſme? Ah ſhameleſſe cowardes that we be whyche will not folowe the trace of ſo manye fathers, Patriarks, kīgs, priſtes prophetes Apoſtles, Euangelyſtes and ſainctes of god, yeaeuen of the very ſonne of God? How many now goe wyth you luſreli, as I and al, your brethrē, in bandes & exyle for the goſpel? Pray for vsus, for (god wyllyng) we wyl not leaue you nowe: we wil goe before you. You ſhal ſee in vsus, that we preached no lyes nor tales of tubbes, but euen the 1. Peter. 2.very true worde of God, for the which we, by gods grace a helpe of your prayers, wyll wyllyngly and ioifulli geue our bloud to be …ed, for the confirmacion of the ſame: as already we hauehave geuen liberally oure goodes, liuynge, frendes, and naturall countrye. For now we are certayne, yt we be in the hygh way to heauens bliſſe, as Paul ſayth: By manye tribulacions & perſecucions we muſt enter into gods kyngdom. And becauſe we would goe thether our ſelues and brynge you thether alſo, therfore the deuyll ſtereth vp the coales. And foraſmuch as we al loitered in ye way, he therfore hath receaued power of god, to ouer caſt the wether, & to ſtere vp ſtormes: yt we godes children myghte goe faſter, makyng more ſpede and haſt to goe on forwardes.
As for counterfeites and ypocrytes, they wyltary and lyngertyl the ſtorme bee paſte. And ſo whan they come, the market wil be done, and the dores ſparred, it is to be feared. Reade mat. 25. Thys wynde wyll blowe gods children forward, and the deuils derlynges backwarde.
Therefore lyke gods children let vsus goe on forwarde a pace: ye wynde is on our backe: hoyſe vp the ſayles, lyfte vp your hartes and handes vntounto god in prayer, Thren. 3. Heb. 6.and kepe your anker of fayth to caſt in tyme on the rocke of gods woorde, and on hys mercye in Chryſt, and I warraūt you. And thus much for you ſecondlye to conſyder, that afflyccion, perſecucion and trouble is no ſtraūge thyng to gods children: and therfore it ſhoulde not diſmaye, dyſcourage or diſcomfort vsus, beyng none other thyng, then al godes deare frēdes hauehave taſted in their iourney to heauen warde.
As I would in thys trouble ſōe tyme that ye ſhoulde conſyder, what you be by the goodneſſe of god in Chryſte, euen citizens of heauen, though you be preſently in the fleſhe, euen in a ſtraunge regiō, on eueryevery ſyde ful of fearce enemyes, and what wether and way the deareſt frendes of god hauehave founde: euen ſo woulde I hauehave you thirdly to conſyder for your further comfort, that if you Philip. 3.ſhrynke not, but go on forward, preaſſyng to ye marke appointed, al the power of youre enemyes ſhall not ouercome you, neyther in any poynt hurt you.