A Sovereign Antidote Against the Fear of Death, Tract · Meditation 7
MEDITAT. VII. Martyrdom not hurtful to a Chriſtian.
OH my Soul, what is it that thou doſt boggle at? Death thou heareſt can do thee no hurt, why then doſt thou fear it? O! but 'tis a violent death thou feareſt; were it but a natural death, thou couldſt ſubmit to it; but to fall into the hands of the uncircumciſed, into the hand of bloody and deceitful men, whoſe loving kindneſs is cruelty; this thou canſt not willingly bear: all Death offers violence to nature, and to be willing to dye by thy Enemies hand, thou art not preſt to; uſe all unlawful means to eſcape, but no means but what is lawful: thou muſt be willing to ſubmit to God, and when he manifeſts this to be his will, thou muſt chearfully ſuffer it; but I fear this is but a Fig-leaf to cover a little Faith: well, let us argue the caſe: To dye thou ſeemeſt willing, but thou muſt chooſe thy death, and God muſt have no hand in the buſineſs; thou wouldſt go to him, but he muſt not ſend for thee, eſpecially by ſuch a meſſenger thou likeſt not of: This is Childrens play, they would do any thing but what they are bid do; go any whither but to School, learn in any Book but their own. But doſt really think that thou art fitter to determine the circumſtances of thy Death than God? the time when, the place where, and the manner how? or will God accept of thee for a Councellor in this caſe? and what difference is there between the one and the other? one ſtops thy breath, and ſo will the other; one ſets an end to thy temporal being, and ſo doth the other; the conſequences are the ſame, and the pains of the natural death may be as great, or greater than the other; wouldſt thou chooſe ſome violent diſtemper, ſome raging diſeaſe, ſome violent pain to end thy life? Nay, this thou likeſt not neither; hadſt thou the Stone, the Strangury, the Collick, the Gout, &c. this might make thee live a dying life, and make thee weary of thy life, and with Job chooſe ſtrangling rather than life; and hadſt rather endure this, than a few minutes pain from the hands of man? I fear this excuſe is but to prolong thy time, but buy not time at ſo dear a rate: thou ſeemeſt careful not to come to Heaven too ſoon, nor honour God too much by thy Death, but take heed of wringing thy life out of his hands; dye thou wilt, thou ſayeſt, but it muſt be when thou cauſt live no longer, and then no thanks to thee, patience perforce is a Medicine for a mad Dog: doth not Death, whether by a Diſeaſe, by the Sword, or at the Stake, ſignifie much the ſame thing as to the conſequents of Death? only the latter, if it be in the cauſe of Chriſt, ſpeaks thee more a Chriſtian, and entitles thee to a Crown of Martyrdom, and will encreaſe thy happineſs. Death, at which door ſoever it comes in, ſeparates between the Body and the Soul: but happily thou maiſt live a little longer by refuſing to dye for Chriſt, but will not a years enjoyment of God in Glory, be as delightful to thee as a year longer ſpent upon the Earth? and perhaps if the one be ſooner than the other, it may be with as little pain. But ſuppoſe God ſhould give thee thy choice, either to dye a natural Death the next year, or to dye by an enemies hand ſeven year after, which wouldſt thou chooſe? I ſuppoſe thou wouldſt ſeal to the longer Leaſe; If ſo, 'tis not a violent death thou feareſt, ſo much as a ſhort life: but if this be thy fear, to dye too ſoon, God may ſend thee a languiſhing life, and make thee long for death, Job. 3.21, 22.and dig for it as for Silver, and rejoyce exceedingly when thou canſt find the grave: But then 'tis no thanks to thee, to dye when thou canſt live no longer, or only deſire death to be rid of thy pain; and ſometimes God puniſheth an immoderate deſire of life, by imbittering their life to them, and ſo makes them ſay as Job, Troubleſome nights are appointed to me: If thou wilt willingly reſign thy Life to God, and leave it to his diſpoſe, thou wilt not make a loſers bargain: haply he may reſcue it out of the Enemies hand; however, he will not be long in thy debt, but for a temporal Life will give thee that which is Eternal, which will be a thouſand fold better. Ignatius knew it when he ſaid, Burning, hanging, tearing my fleſh in pieces with wild horſes, tantummodo ut Jeſum nanciſcar, only let me enjoy Chriſt; and was afraid left his friends ſhould prevent his Martyrdom by their Prayers. Seeing thy body muſt be reduced to duſt, 'tis no matter whether it rot above ground, or in it; no matter whether thou be burnt to aſhes, or moulder to duſt, God will not loſe one grain of thy duſt: Kill me they may (ſaith the Martyr) hurt me they cannot; the worſt they can do, is but to ſend me to my Fathers houſe the ſooner. The love of Chriſt in the Martyrs, was hotter than the Flames they burnt in, and much allayed the heat of the Fire, that ſome of them felt little or no pain. O ye Papiſts (ſaith one) ye look for a miracle, behold a miracle, for in this fire I feel no pain, it is to me as a bed of Roſes. They went as readily to dye as to dine, and accounted the day of their Death their Wedding day. Paul was ready not only to be bound, but to dye for Chriſt. Many were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better reſurrection; they had Trial of cruel mocking, ſcourging, yea bonds and impriſonments; they were ſtoned, ſawn aſunder, tempted, ſlain with the Sword; they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goatskins, Heb. 11.36. &c.being deſtitute, afflicted and tormented, of whom the World was not worthy; they wandred in deſerts and in mountains, and in Dens and Caves of the Earth, &c. The more thou ſuffereſt for Chriſt, the more weighty will thy Crown of Glory be; thoſe that loved not their lives to the death, but were killed for the Teſtimony of Jeſus, are placed under the Altar; nay, follow the Lamb whitherſoever he goes, and are cloathed with long white Robes, and have Palms in their hands: But if thou deny thy life to Chriſt, he will deny thee entrance into this Heavenly Canaan; and thou ſhalt not only loſe thy reward, but thy Soul alſo, and expoſe thy ſelf to Death Eternall: If thou ſuffer with him, thou ſhalt reign with him; and if thou art aſhamed of him, he will alſo be aſhamed of thee: Thoſe that honour him he will honour; and thoſe that deſpiſe him, ſhall be lightly eſteemed: If thou come to ſuffer for him, as many eyes will be upon thee, ſo many Prayers will be put up for thee; and doubtleſs much comfort will be dropt into thy Soul by the Spirit of God, who is the Comforter, ſent by God upon this buſineſs: and God will ſtand by thee in ſuffering times, and give in Cordials to refreſh thy heart. I have read of a Chriſtian, that under his Rack and Tortures, as he after told his friends, apprehended a young man with a handkerchief wiping the ſweat off his face, and comforting him. The holy Angels will ſtand by thee, and God will not be at a diſtance from his ſuffering Saints; and who then need fear to dye, that hath learnt to live? if thou be prepared, thou needſt not fear what Meſſenger God ſends for thee, nor at what hour of the night thy maſter comes; for Death cannot be ſudden to the prepared Soul, that is alwaies upon his watch; and thou needſt not fear what thy ſufferings be, if thou canſt but ſay, Propter te, propter te Domine; 'Tis for thee, and for thy ſake we are killed all the day long, and accounted as Sheep for the ſlaughter. The more thou ſuffereſt then, the more deeply thou engageſt God to thee, and he will pay thee an hundred fold; this is the beſt uſury, and the beſt way thou canſt diſpoſe of thy life, for every year on Earth that thou haſt loſt, thou ſhalt receive a thouſand in Heaven; and for one friend thou forſakeſt here, thou ſhalt receive a thouſand there; and for every thing thou loſeſt for his ſake, thou ſhalt be recompenſed a thouſand fold; and as thou ſhalt have no loſs, ſo thy Enemies ſhall be no gainers by thy death; they heap up coals of fire upon their own heads, and (without repentance prevent it) augment their own damnation; for Chriſt will take it as done to himſelf; and their torments are like to be as durable as thy Joyes, which will be for ever and ever. Conſider not ſo much what thou ſuffereſt, as for what, and for whom: if it be for the Truth, it will prevail; and if it be for Chriſt, thou ſhalt not loſe by it: Truth is more precious than life it ſelf, and fit to be ſealed with thy blood; thou muſt deny thy ſelf, rather than deny thy God; for he that gave thee thy life, is fitteſt to diſpoſe of it, and whoſoever parts with his life upon this account makes a good bargain; he cannot buy this Gold too dear. Many are the encouragements given in Scripture to perſecuted Saints: Mat. 5.10, 11, 12.Bleſſed are they that are perſecuted for righteouſneſs ſake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven; bleſſed are ye when men ſhall revile you, and perſecute you, and ſay all manner of evil againſt you falſly for my ſake. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven; for ſo perſecuted they the Prophets that were before you. And as great will be thy reward, ſo great alſo are the company of thy fellow-ſufferers, even from righteous Abel to this day; Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers Perſecuted? Yea, Chriſt and his Apoſtles followed after; for almoſt all of them dyed a violent death; and greater than the Maſter is, the Servant cannot be; the world that hated Chriſt will hate his Servants alſo, and perſecute all that bear his Image: If they hated him for righteouſneſs ſake, they will hate all that are righteous. Chriſt ſuffered for thee the wrath of God, and wilt not thou ſuffer for him the wrath of man? he was ſtung by Death, and doſt think it much to be ſtrucken by it, now the ſting is out? he ſuffered for thee the pains of Hell, and think'ſt it too much to ſuffer the pangs of death for him, when many times it is not ſo much as ſome have endured from an aking tooth? and what is this to the recompenſe of reward? he gave thee thy life, and can take it if he pleaſe, and yet deſires thy conſent, and if thou refuſe, he will diſtrain of thee for this debt: The worſt of Enemies can but ſtop thy breath, and the leaſt of Creatures can do as much, if animated by God: The leaſt Fly, or Hair, or Crumb of Bread, will choak thee if God give it a commiſſion; and well maiſt thou fear it, if thou haſt denyed God to lay down thy life for his ſake; ſickneſs or age will as ſurely end thy life as thy Enemies can, though haply not ſo ſuddenly; thou haſt no aſſurance of it a day to an end, neither canſt thou have, only put it into his hand, and he will diſpoſe of it for thy good: how can the ſeed ſpring up, if it be not ſown? or how can the body riſe, if not fallen? if God ſuffer any to take away thy life, 'tis not out of any love to them, or hatred to thee: he loves his Child better than his Rod; though ſometimes the rod may be ſet on high, when the Child is turned out of door; yet when the child is reformed, the rod ſhall be burnt; they cannot preſerve their own lives, nor take away thine, 'tis God doth both; and ere long they muſt tread the ſame ſteps, and down to the ſame pit, and travail the ſame road, and enter Deaths dark Vault as well as others; only here is the difference, death which will bring thee as Joſeph out of Priſon, will bring them in; and as it knocks off the bolts from thy heels, he will faſten ſhackles and chains upon theirs, and ſhall bring them like Haman from his glory to his execution; that death which will ſet an end to thy miſery, will terminate their felicity; it will bring thee to glory, but them to ſhame and everlaſting contempt: well may they fear Death, but thou haſt more cauſe to deſire it; Heavineſs to thee may continue for a night, but joy comes in the morning: and by the eye of faith thou maiſt with Stephen ſee beyond Death, even Heaven opened, and Jeſus ſtanding at the right hand of God, yea the Tree of life which is in the midſt of the Paradice of God, the Crown of glory, the purchaſed Inheritance, the Prize for which thou didſt run, the Crown for which thou didſt fight. If thou haſt a mark in thy forehead for a Mourner in Sion, there thou ſhalt have a Crown upon thy head, in token of Victory. Precious in the ſight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. Thou art almoſt come to the top of the hill, draw not back now, nor let thy heart go down; hold out now Faith and Patience, your work will not be now long; hold faſt what thou haſt, let no man take thy crown; let no temptation draw thee away from Chriſt; conſider well the hand that holds it, and the deſign Satan drives on, to captivate thy ſoul for ever. Thy life, as it is not in thy own hand, and ſhould not be at thy own diſpoſe, ſo 'tis not in thine enemies hand, to take it away at their pleaſure; but as God makes wicked men his Skullions to ſcour off the ruſt of his people, ſo alſo his Executioners to fulfill his Decrees: all is in the hands of God; both the Time when, the Manner how, and the Inſtruments by whom it ſhall be done; he knows beſt when his work is done, and when to gather his Roſes, and lodge them in his boſom; and the Devil and his inſtruments are but his drudges, and when the meaſure of their ſins are fulfilled, they ſhall have their reward. The Devil himſelf was not able to kill one of Jobs Sheep, nor to raiſe one boyl upon his body, without Gods leave; Job 1.10.for God had ſet a hedge about him, as he was fore't to confeſs. And God will ſeal no commiſſion to the dammage of his people, for all things ſhall work together for their good. Rom. 8.28.And why doſt fear man, whoſe breath is in his noſtrils, or the ſon of man that is vanity? if the fear of God be planted in the heart, the fear of men and Devils will vaniſh; for God hath them in a chain, and they cannot go a link beyond it. Dan. 3.19. & 6.16.Nebuchadnezzar had power to caſt the three children into the fiery furnace, but not to burn them. Darius had power to caſt Daniel into the Lions den, yet not to cauſe him to be devoured: the Sodomites compaſſed Lots houſe, but could not enter; and Haman procured a decree to cut off all the Jewes, but lived not to effect it. Thoſe that are faithful to the death, Rev. 2.10.ſhall receive at God hands a Crown of life, and ſhall be made pillars in the houſe of God, if they overcome. But if thou revolt and deny thy God, thou art from under his protecting hand, and canſt not claim one promiſe of his aſſiſtance; then thou ſtandeſt upon thy own legs, and muſt ſhift for thy ſelf, and a miſerable ſhift it will be. Doſt contend with him about thy life, that hath the keyes of life and death at his girdle; he that gave thee thy life and being, and thou haſt no breath but what he gives thee? See the grievous judgments that God brings upon Apoſtates, which both the Scripture and Church Hiſtories will furniſh thee with; the fallen Angels, Adam and Eve in paradiſe, Judas, Achitophel, Ananias and Saphira, and many more, and in after ages not a few; and what think'ſt to get by Apoſtacy, by denying thy God, or thy Religion? perhaps thou thinkeſt to ſave thy life a little longer: a miſerable bargain, and yet the Devil cannot aſſure thee of that. It is to be feared that many in Ireland, in the late Rebellion, had they been brought to the trial, whether they would have forſaken their Religion or their Lives, would not have choſen Death, yet they ſuffered in the name of Proteſtants, when 'tis to be feared they had little more than the Name, the queſtion not being who were godly, and who wicked, but who were Proteſtants and who Papiſts? and ſo it will be in England, if ever a Maſſacre be there made by the Papiſts, which God forbid; good and bad are there like to drink of the ſame cup: how much better then is it to devote thy life to God, leave it at his diſpoſe? if he ſave it, bleſs him for it; if he take it away, let his will be done; if thou thus carry it in thy hand, to lay down at his pleaſure, if he require it not, thou ſhalt not loſe thy reward, as Abraham did not though Iſaac was not ſacrificed. If thou reſolvedly deny it, though he require it not, thou ſhalt not be innocent, as Abraham, had he denied his ſon, though God eventually determined he ſhould not dye, yet had been a tranſgreſſour, and had miſs'd of the bleſſing: yet 'tis not required of thee by God to lay down thy head upon the block, but uſe all good means for to ſave thy life; and as Chriſt bids his diſciples, Mat. 10.23.when they are perſecuted in one city, to fly to another: for if thou ſuffer without a call, thou loſeſt thy reward, all lawful means for ſelf-preſervation muſt be uſed, or we are guilty of our own blood, but when thou muſt ſin or ſuffer, dye or deny the truth, thou muſt not deny the truth for lifes ſake, nor do evil that good may come of it, then truſt God; if he will, he can preſerve thee; if not, his will be done; for then he ſees it beſ… to take thee away from the evil to come, of two evils the leaſt is to be choſen, loſing thy life is not ſo bad as loſing Gods love; Pſal. 63.3.for his loving kindneſs is better than life: a violent death upon this account hath been the lot of many thouſand Saints, that have deliberately made this choice, whoſe ſouls are now attending upon the Lamb whitherſoever he goes; from the beginning of the world to this day, no age was free from innocent blood: which of the Prophets have not your Fathers perſecuted? the Apoſtles, the primitive Fathers, and many thouſand Chriſtians were baptized with Chriſts baptiſm, and went to Heaven in a Sea of blood. The Jewes made havock of the Church in the Primitive times, and when they were deſtroyed, and their power taken from them, the Roman Emperours in the Ten bloody perſecutions deſtroyed hundreds of thouſands of them; and after that ſucceeded the Arian perſecution; and when that was ended, and the Pope got his foot into the ſtirrop, and ſat, as he pretends, in the infallible Chair, he exceeded in cruelty the Heathens themſelves: witneſs the Spaniſh Inquiſition, the bloody butchering of the Waldenſes, and Albigenſes, the Maſſacres in Paris and other Cities of France, in Hungary, Germany, Savoy, Piedmont, England, Scotland, and eſpecially of Ireland, where two or three hundred thouſand have periſhed in a ſew weeks: for ſince the fiery Jeſuits became an Order, having their Name rather from Judas than Jefus, the Chriſtian world hath been in a flame; yea the poor Indians have taſted of their cruelty; wherever they ſet their foot, like Saul, they make havock of the Church; and many hundred thouſands have been cut off by their bloody hands; and all along thou maiſt trace the Church in blood and tears; and doſt thou think much to be one of thoſe that ſhall cry, Rev. 6.19.How long Lord, holy and true, before thou avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Think it not ſtrange concerning the fiery trial, 1 Pet. 4.12.as if ſome ſtrange thing happened to thee; for this is no temptation but what is common to man. When ſuch great Commanders and old Souldiers lead thee the way, thou needeſt not be aſhamed, or afraid to follow them: doſt think to eſcape drowning in a common deluge? The Apoſtle was ſure of nothing, but of bonds and impriſonment, and was ready not only to be bound, but to dye for Chriſt. If thou go to ſuffering, thou treadeſt not in an untrodden path, for the Captain of thy ſalvation was made perfect by ſuffering: A few daies, and thou wilt be even with the greateſt Kings and Emperours. Job 21.23.For death is a perfect Leveller: and if dye thou muſt, as well as others, diſpute not the caſe with God what death it muſt be, or who is fitteſt to determine it. In one of theſe late years death ſlew an hundred thouſand in our chief City, and two, or ſome ſay, three hundred thouſand more by the hand of cruelty in one Kingdom, in Ireland, and ſometimes many thouſands in one battel: A death thou oweſt, and a death thou muſt pay, and whether in thy Bed, or on a Tree, or at the Stake, if thy cauſe be good, 'tis not much matter; whether thy life be ended by the courſe of nature, or by violent hands; whether thy lamp be burnt out, or put out; whether the Roſe be gathered or withered; if the latter, even ſo Father, for ſo it ſeemed good to thee. Death is an enemy that cannot be reſiſted, the only way to conquer it, is to fall under it; ſo Chriſt our chief Captain did: we ſhall never conquer till we be overcome, and never be victors till we are conquered, and then both death and the fear of death, and and he that hath the power of death, the Devil, ſhall be ſubdued; for when he hath ſeparated the ſoul from the body, he hath done his worſt, and ſpit his venom, and like a Ree that hath loſt his ſting, can do no more miſchief; and then thy Conqueſt is fully obtained, and the laſt enemy is ſubdued; for then death and bell ſhall be caſt into the lake of fi…e; yea there ſhall be no more death, thou ſhalt then be for ever freed from the dread and danger of it: death pricks that ulcer that would never be cured while thou liveſt: when Corn is ripe and cut, 'tis fit for uſe; the conqueſt of death is made eaſie by the death of Chriſt, that now Believers may triumphantly ſing, O death where is thy ſting? 1 Cor. 15.55, 56.O grave where is thy victory? the ſting of death is ſin, and the ſtrength of ſin is the Law, but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory, through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. It cannot now ſting thee, but ſtrike thee, and the very wound it gives is the way to heal thee, it ſeals up thy ſalvation to thee, and makes it ſure out of a poſſibility to loſe; it ſeals up wicked mens damnation, and puts them into an irrecoverable condition. Chriſt which was made a Curſe for us, hath taken away the curſe of death, and by hanging on a tree, which was threatned as a curſe, Gal. 3.13.he hath ſanctified that death alſo to Believers who ſuffer for him, and for the teſtimony of a good conſcience; and their condition is alſo happy, for they reſt from their labours, and their works follow them. All Saints dye, but all are not Martyrs; all have crowns, but not all the crown of Martyrdom, but only thoſe that love not their lives to the death: all ſhall have white robes, Rev. 7.11. &c.but theſe ſhall have long white robes, and palms in their hands, and ſhall follow the Lamb whitherſoever he goes. If thou canſt get the qualifications fit for a dying man, thou needeſt not fear death, nor the manner of it; to ſuch, deaths black Vizor is taken off, and there are few wrinkles ſeen in his forehead: thy death is decreed, and the manner of it, and though thou knoweſt not what eventually will happen, yet obſerve what is Gods will of command, and ſo thou wilt know what is thy duty: ſecret things belong to God, but things revealed to us; thou haſt no promiſe to be freed from the Priſon, the Stake, the Sword, or the Halter, and promiſe not thy ſelf greater freedom than God hath promiſed; he hath promiſed indeed all ſhall work together for thy good, and this promiſe is ſufficient: for why ſhouldeſt thou deſire freedom if it be not good for thee? he hath promiſed, that if thou art faithful to the death, Rev. 2.10.thou ſhalt have a Crown of life; that he will never leave thee nor forſake thee, and that the Gates of Hell ſhall never prevail againſt thee. And theſe promiſes he will aſſuredly keep, if thou break not with him. There is no death which a malefactor may dye, but it may be a Believers lot, and then why not thine? God hath accounted thee worthy to preach the Goſpel, and to diſpenſe the Myſtery thereof, and if he account thee worthy alſo to ſuffer for him, and to ſeal thy doctrine with thy blood, it is a double honour, yea ſuch as the Apoſtles gloried in; for to dye for the Truth, if cal'd to it, is both a Duty and a Dignity; if thou ſuffer with him, you will be glorified together: Paſs on therefore out of this Egypt, out of this houſe of bondage, couragiouſly, though through the red Sea, yea a ſea of blood, to this heavenly Canaan; yea though thy way lye through a wilderneſs of troubles; for thine Inheritance will make thee amends; murmur not, for thou ſhalt have no cauſe to repent: there is enough in God to give thee content, and to pay thee for thy pains; if thou think there is not, ſtir not a ſtep further; if there be, never faint in the way, never leave Heavens road for a piece of foul way, or for the Croſs that lyes in it; go on towards Heaven, yea though thy way lye by the gates of Hell, nay thorow the very flames of it; much more though it lye thorow the pangs of death: haply thou maiſt be burnt for an Heretick, this is no new thing; hundreds of thouſands of good Chriſtians have ſuffered death under this pretence: For a good work (ſaid the Jewes) we ſtone thee not; but for blaſphemy. This ſect is every where ſpoken againſt: And after the way which men call hereſie (ſaith the Apoſtle) ſo worſhip I the God of my Fathers. There's none that perſecute the Saints as Saints, but as Offenders: no man will put an innocent man to death under that notion, the Devil hath taught them their leſſon better than ſo. Job is not puniſht as a righteous man, but a hypocrite, that ſerved God for gain; and if God reſtrained his wages, he would curſe God to his face. Daniel muſt be caſt into the Lions den, and the three children into the fiery furnace, for breaking the Kings Laws; and the Jews put all to death in Hamans time, being againſt the Kings profit: He that would kill a dog, ſaith the proverb, muſt ſay he was mad. But theſe aſperſions are not inconſiſtent with eternal ſalvation. 'Tis true thou art a great offender againſt God, and ſo deſerveſt death, but thou art not like to ſuffer upon this account; greater offenders eſcape ſafe, but thy fault is, that thou wilt not betray the Truth; thou wilt not worſhip God according to mens Inventions; thou wilt not bow down to their Idols, who ſet up their Dagon by the Ark; theſe things are moſt like to lay thee open to ſufferings, rather than Atheiſm, debauchery, or open prophaneſs. But if it be thus, thou art not the firſt innocent perſon that hath been oppreſſed in judgment, neither art thou like to be the laſt: Eccle. 7.15.'tis no ſtrange thing to ſee a righteous man periſh in his righteouſneſs; but thy innocent blood, if ſhed, will, like the blood of Abel, cry from the earth for revenge, and do them more hur… thau the ſtroak of death can do to thee and thy cauſe will be cal'd over again, and tryed at another Barr; and if maintaining the Truth, and keeping a good conſcience, and ſtanding cloſe to th… cauſe of Chriſt, be the cauſe of th… ſufferings, fear not, thou ſhalt hereater be acquitted, when thine enemies ſhall be condemned; and Hereſie then will be otherwiſe defined, than now they do. Oh my God, I ſee death cannot hurt me, my enemies cannot hinder my happineſs, if my own deceitful heart do not deceive me: Lord leave me not to my ſelf, for then I ſhall miſcarry. Lord, through thy ſtrength I ſhall be ſtrong; and if thou leave, I can do nothing. Lord qualifie me fit for ſuffering, and death, and then command what thou wilt.