A Cloud of Witnesses, To the reader 2 – Prologue
To the Reader.
Reader,
THe life present is onelyonly preparative to that to come, as the hidden life in the womb to the more perfect and noble life in the world, 1 Col. 12. Salvation is not instantaneous. The Heirs of Glory make their gradual approaches to it, and enter upon their Inheritance by degrees, Rom. 13.11. And the nearer they come to Heaven, the more heavenly their Spirits are. Could a man but hear the last breathings and whispers of dying Saints, how would he melt and ravish? Like the Sun they appear most great and glorious at setting. God often leads them to the top of Pisg…h, whence they have a prospect of Canaan, a little bef…re they enter in to possess it.
But although God doth frequently indulge those that die in the Faith of Christ with rare and excellent visions of Christ, yet ordinarily those that die for Christ as well as in Christ, have a Benjamin's portion in comparison of their Brethren. There is a joy proper to Martyrs, which is bestowed upon them as an honorarium, partly to reward their faithfulness in trials past; and partly to encourage them to break through the difficulties which yet remain.
In these joyes Heaven is let down to Earth, glory antedated, and a short salvation here obtained, 1 Pet. 1.8. During the continuance of this glorious frame, they are acted above the ordinary rate of man, which makes the world stand at gaze, an… all that behold them to admire at them. Their aspec… is rather angelical then humane, Acts 6.15. and they seem no longer fit to be reckoned to the Tribe o… mortalls on Earth, but rather ranked with the glorious Saints and Seraphims in Heaven; they no longer wrap themselves up in their garment of flesh but the onelyonly strife among them seems to be wh… shall first cast it off, to put on the garments of glory prepared for them.
Reader, wouldst thou see some of these Earthly Angels? men that are a little too low for Heaven, and much too high for Earth. Wouldst thou see poor frail Creatures trampling the World under their feet, and with an holy scorn smiling at the threat… of Tyrants, who are the terrors of the mighty in the Land of the Living? Wouldst thou see shackled Prisoners behave themselves like Iudges; and Iudges stand like Prisoners before them? Woulds… thou see some of the rare exploits of Faith, in it highest elevation immediately before it be swallowed up in the beatifical vision? To conclude, Woulds… thou see the heavenly Ierusalem pourtraied o… Earth, as the earthly Ierusalem once was upon … Tile, Ezek. 4.1. And wouldst thou hear the melodious voices of ascending Saints, in a ravishing consort, ready to joyn with the heavenly Chorus, … their ravishing Hallelujahs? Then draw near come and see. If thou be a man of an heavenly Spirit, here is brave and suitable entertainment for th… spirit. And after thou hast conversed a while wit these excellent Spirits, it may be thou wilt judg… as I do, That dead Saints are sweeter Companion (in some respects) for thee to converse with, the… those that are living. And when thou shalt see th… magnificent acts of their Faith, their invincible patience, their flaming love to Christ, their strange contempt of the World, their plainness and simplicity in the profession of the Gospel, and their fervent love to each other; thou wilt mourn also with me to consider the scandalous and shamefull relapse of Professors from these glorious heights, and to think how many degrees these Graces are gone back in the souls of Professors, as the Sun upon the Dial of Ahaz.
The Judicious Collector hath gathered this Posie from the Martyrs Graves, bound up in an excellent method, and presented it to thee. Here thou hast the Cream of the larger Martyrologies scum'd off, the very Spirits of them extracted, which is more cheap and less tiresome. He intends if God permit a Second Part speedily. And I assure thee he is a Person singularly qualified for the Work, having both Materials and Judgement to dispose his Collections. Bless God for such profitable Instruments, and improve their Labours. Such a Book hath been long desired, many have attempted it, but every one hath not that Furniture of Books and Parts for it. Solomon detecting some of those artifices which the Buyer useth in Trading, Prov. 20.14. detects this as one, It is naught, it is naught (saith the Buyer) i. e. he disparageth the Commodity, to beat down the price, but when he is gone he bo…steth. I am mistaken if thou also do not boast of thy penny-worth in this Book when thou art gone and hast well perused it, that it may reach the end upon thy heart for which it is designed, is the desire of thy Friend to serve thee,
I. F.
The Books Poetical Prologue
I Tell their death's, who dying, made Death yield,
By Scriptures sword, and Faith's unbattered shield
Their number's numberless who ran to die
Under their Saviour's Standard valiantly.
More Saints ten Tyrant Emperours did slay,
Then for a year, Five thousand to each day.
Since Iesu…tes from th' infernal Lake did rise,
More then Eight hundred thousand lost their lives
In Thirty years. Bloody Duke d' Alva will'd
In Six years Eighteen thousand to be kill'd.
In Henry's and in Mary's Bloody Reign
Eight thousand have inhumanely been slain.
Twelve thousand and seven hundred more were Stockt,
Or Whipt, or Wrackt, or else Exil'd, or Mockt.
I onelyonly promise many a Swan-like Song;
Read them, and beg of God with Heart and Tongue,
That as the Vine, that's cut, and prun'd bears more
In one year, then it did in three before;
So may Christs Vine: And may the Saints of God
(As Cammomile) grow better being trod.
And may Christs Sufferer… in like cases find
The Living God as near, as true, as kind,
As these have found; and learn Sin more …o fear,
Then parting with what er'e they count most dear.