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SECONDLY, Martyrdom is the greatest Love of God, because the Martyr fets fo high a Price upon him, that he will chufe rather to die than forfeit the Enjoyment of his Favour and Blessednefs, and may truly fay with the Pfalmift, Pfal. 63.4. Thy loving kindness is better than life.' 'Tis an eafie thing for a Man in a warm gufty fit of Devotion, when the Evil day is far off, and no probable Danger of any Competition between his Religion and his Life, to fay that he sets a greater Value upon the loving Kindness of God than upon Life, You know who did fo. Tho' I fhould die with thee, yet I will not deny thee, that is, (to reduce the Words to a more Logical Order) I would rather die than deny thee. This is eafily faid, but not fo eafily done, as the Event too fadly fhew'd. But he that fays he values the loving Kindness of God more than Life, and dies rather than forfeit it, may be believed. For what greater Love can there be than this, or what higher Inftance or Tryal of it? The greateft Love of God was to die for Man. God could not fignalize his Love to Man by any higher Inftance than by dying for him; and the greatest Love of Man is to die for God.

THIRDLY, The greatest Courage. For there is alfo no Courage like the Courage of a Martyr. He fears no Evil but only Sin and Damnation, which are juft and reasonable Objects of Fear, and will undergo any other Evils to avoid thefe, which is the trueft and the greatest Courage. For where is there any like it? I would not

have the Man of Honour or Duelift, of all the Pretenders to Courage in the World, offer at a Competition here. For 'tis molt certain that he abuses the Notion of Courage as well as that of Honour. His Courage is to dare to fin and be damn'd, that he may avoid the Reproach of Cowardize, that is, not to fear and avoid what with all poffible Concern he fhould, and to fear and avoid what he fhould not. And if this be Courage, I must then confefs that I do not know what is Comardize.

But neither may the Military Man be a Competitor here. 'Tis I confefs great and brave for a Man in a juft and laudable Caufe, for the Defence of his Prince and Country, to fall a Sacrifice at the Head of an Army. And the Heralds Office fuppofes as much. But there are also fome Allays that qualifie the Glory even of this Action. For the Man is fuppofed to be ingaged with Multitudes and Numbers, which incourage as well as defend; and to fight in a Heat, when his Spirits are raised, and his Blood runs high, fo as fcarce to be able to feel a Shot or a Stab that fhall be given him, and to want Opportunity of Retreat, and to be kept from reflecting upon his Danger by Noife, Tumult and Confufion, and to have the Spur of Emulation, and the Incentive of Anger, fometimes of Hatred and Revenge; and which is more than all the reft, the Hopes of a fafe come off at laft. Believe me, this goes a great way, and I queftion whether among thofe that venture themselves in War, one of Ten

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Thousand would do so, if he knew before-hand that he should certainly die in the Field. But now to have a Man go alone and in cold Blood to the Stake, or to the Scaffold; When in every Period of his Advance 'tis ftill in his Power by compliance to recede from his dreadful Undertaking, and there calmly and deliberately fubmit himself to certain Execution, and feel himself die with all his Thoughts, Reflections and Paffions about him; this is Courage indeed, and fuch a Noble Spectacle as might well deferve to be a Theatre to Angels and Men, yea even to God himself.

THESE are fome of thofe great things that illuftrate the Excellency of Martyrdom, and fhew it to be one of the higheft Degrees of Vertue, and confequently that it is intitled to an higher Degree of Glory: Which the Scripture alfo exprefly makes to be the Portion of Martyrs, who are faid to indure tortures, and not to accept of deliverance, that they might obtain a better Refurrection, Heb. 11. A Better Refurrection, that is, a Refurrection to a Better State of Happiness, that being the only Meafure whereby one Refurrection may be said to be Better than another. And fays the Angel to St. John concerning thofe who are cloathed with white Robes, and had Palms in their Hands, Rev. 7. 14. These are they which came out of great Tribulation, and have wash'd their Robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the Throne of God, and ferve him day and night in his Temple. And he that fitteth on the Throne ball dwell anong them.

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AND now fince there is a brighter Crown of Glory prepared for Martyrs, and those that fuffer Perfecution for the fake of Righteousness, all that further remains is to commend from the Premises these two Practical Inferences.

FIRST, That we entertain no hard Thoughts of the Juftice or Goodness of God for fuffering so many severe Perfecutions in the Christian Church, fome whereof were violent, as under the Roman Emperors; fome Fraudulent by Hereticks, as Arius, Neftorius, &c. And fome of a mixt Nature, confifting both of Fraud and Violence, when both Temporal and Spiritual Power did combine together (as now in the Papal See) against the Lord and his Chrift. I fay we should learn from hence not to cenfure the ways of God for this, nor to charge him foolishly, fince there is fo plentiful a Reward laid up for those that fuffer in the Caufe of Righteoufnefs.

SECONDLY, That we do fortifie our felves with the Confideration of this Beatitude, That if God fhould ever honour us fo far as to call us to the Trial of the Crofs, we may be so true to God, to Religion, and to our own Souls, as to fuffer couragiously and thankfully, ever looking up to that glorious Crown, that white Robe, and thofe Triumphant Palms which distinguish the Noble Army of Martyrs, who eternally fing Hymns and Praife to God for the Bleffing of thofe Croffes, which now fpring up into Crowns, and in bearing of which they find fo great Reward. Glory be to God on High.

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The Conclufion of the Whole, in a DISCOURSE concerning the BEATITUDES in general.

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AVING hitherto difcourfed upon every Beatitude particularly by it felf, I think it may not be improper for the further Accomplishment of this Work, to conclude all with a Difcourfe concerning the Beatitudes in general. Where there are Three Material Enquiries that feem to demand Satisfaction.

THE First is, Concerning the Manner and Way of this Divine Sermon, Why our Lord chofe to deliver his Laws and Precepts by the way of Blessing?

THE Second is, Concerning the Number of the Beatitudes.

THE Third is, Concerning their Order and Method.

FOR Satisfaction to the first Enquiry, I confider firft, That Chrift who came into the World upon an Errand of Love, the greatest Love that an infinitely good God could express to a Creature and who no doubt had alfo a Soul well tuned, and a Body well temper'd, and both fet

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