and put to most reproachful death. Who would become their followers? Who would willingly learn to be so persecuted, and made gazing-stocks to all the world? Yet this discouraged not the Thessalonians. They were a thousand miles distant from Judea, but were joined in the fellowship of the Gospel, and in brotherly love unto them. They heard of their mildness and of their constancy, and were stirred up by their example. They did hearken after them, and were careful for them, as for their brethren, and the members of the same body.

You have heard what numbers of late have been persecuted, and put to death, among us. Wherefore? Because they turned from idols to serve God, as he hath commanded, and did put their trust in him. You have heard how patiently and meekly they went to their death, and what a plentiful harvest God hath raised of their blood. For the death of his saints is precious in the sight of the Lord. Their blood cannot be spent in vain. We must remember their patience and zeal, and the cause why they suffered. We must not despise, or set light by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for which they so joy. fully gave their lives.

And it is not enough that we be mindful of such examples as we have had at home. We must also carefully consider of other churches abroad. God hath kindled a fire, he will have it burn. Oh! what torments do our brethren daily suffer! What cruelty is devised daily against them! I speak not of death only, but of rackings, and wonderful extremities more painful than death. Wherefore are these things done unto them? Because they are turned to the true and living God, and believe in the name of Jesus Christ. Some they hang by the hands, and draw up with a pully, and bind great weights of lead at their heels to rend them, and tear their bodies

asunder. Some they have tied unto great pieces of timber, and have put fire at the soles of their feet. They have opened their mouths, and made them draw in lawn into their body-a thing most cruel, and yet which they have practised; the manner whereof hath been thus reported: They lay it so far in the mouth, that a man's breath easily draweth it into his body, and so it is conveyed into the stomach. When it is well settled, then cometh the tormentor, and taketh the lawn by the other end, and rusheth it suddenly, with such a force, as it seemeth he doth pluck out the very heart and entrails--such a rare and strange kind of cruelty, as is not practised upon most notorious rebels and traitors. As for death, forty or fifty at one time have been heaped together, and burnt in one fire. They have set upon the servants of God, and compassed the church where they have assembled together to pray unto God, and murdered them in their innocency, while they lifted up pure hands unto God.

The French king, by the counsel of such as hate the Gospel of Christ, sent his cruel soldiers, and murdered his subjects at Valois. He overthrew their houses, burnt their towns, destroyed man, woman, and child; spoiled their corn, and tumed their trees upside down. He wasted, defaced, and unpeopled it, not for that they were thieves or rebels, but because they believed in the name of Christ. Consider how many are murdered in Flanders, and in the kingdom of France. They are not so far from us, as Judea from Thessalonica. They join next unto us. God is blessed in his saints, and holy in all his works, no cruelty is able to quench his truth. There is no counsel, which shall prevail against the Lord. He giveth increase, and placeth children instead of their fathers. The more are slain by the enemies, the more spring

up by the working of his Spirit. The more are hewn down, the more multiply. We may not be strangers in this case. It behoveth us to consider the afflic tions of our brethren. They belong unto us. We must pray to God for them, that he will put an end to their miseries; otherwise, we have not the spirit of God, we bear no love nor care for his house.

Of your countrymen. This was the greatest and heaviest part of their troubles. For what a heart's grief is it to the father, if his son rise up against him! or to the son, to see his father ready to betray him, and to seek his blood! Where this is done, he will say, O father, I am thy son; alas! what have I done to have thy displeasure? death is bitter, but thy displeasure is more bitter than death. It were a cruel thing that any man should kill another; what is it then, if thou shouldest kill thy own child? Yet if thou be so bent, take my life and spare my conscience; spare my soul, that I may deliver it up into his hands that hath given it me; I would be obedient unto thee, thou art my father, but I may not disobey God. He is the Father of fathers. He hath said (Matt. x.), "He that loveth father or mother more than me, he is not worthy of me." It is a miserable case when persecution groweth so hot, that the child is driven to forsake his father, or the father his child; yet so doth the world blind many, and Satan so possesseth their hearts, that he turneth their love into hatred, and shutteth their senses, and choketh and dammeth up the springs of nature. They become so blind and so insensible, that they neither feel their own flesh, nor know their own blood. They think, in so doing, they do God good service. They are enemies to the truth. They are the enemies of the cross of Christ, their end is destruction.

And forbid us to preach unto the Gentiles, that they might be saved. This is the end whereunto the

Gospel is given, that the people should be saved. St. Paul saith (1 Tim. ii.), "God willeth that all men shall be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth." Therefore our Saviour appointed his Apostles to this office of preaching his word, saying, "Go and preach the Gospel unto all nations. Go unto the lost sheep of Israel." He saith, "It is not the will of my Father, that one of these little ones should perish. Whosoever believeth and shall be baptized, shall be saved." St. James exhorteth the faithful; "Receive with meekness the word that is grafted in you, which is able to save your souls." By it we hear the sweet voice of our Saviour: "Come unto me all ye that travail, and be heavily laden, and I will refresh you." (Matt. xi.) By it we hear the merciful calling of God: "Turn unto me, and ye shall be saved." By it we are warned. to depart from the company of such as are enemies to the truth, and to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. "Save yourselves" (saith St. Peter, Acts, ii.) "from this froward generation." By it we are taught to believe, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that his name is Jesus, because he shall save his people from their sins, and that there is not salvation in any other besides him. For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This is, therefore, the duty of the preacher, to preach unto the people, that so they may be saved; that they may know the ways of God; that they may repent them of their sins, and be renewed unto godliness.

Who would think there were any that would hinder the course of the Gospel, or forbid to preach it unto the people ? fault to the Jews, to the Gentiles."

The Apostle here layeth that "that they forbid him to preach The same fault Christ found in

the Scribes and Pharisees: "Woe be to you, inter,

preters of the law, for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye entered not in yourselves, and them that came in ye forbad."

Such there have been always, and such there are now. Oh! say they, why should the people know these things? what, should they meddle with the Scriptures let them do their business, and apply their occupations. It is not reason nor fit, that every one should be learned. When they think they know somewhat, they become proud, and devise heresies and maintain them; as if God had not left them to instruct the people, or as if the holy Scriptures, and not the malice of Satan, were the cause of heresies.

But God hath said (Deut. xxxi.), "Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God, and keep and observe all the word of this law." The Prophet David thought it meet the people should know the Scriptures; therefore said, "Blessed is that man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in that law doth exercise himself day and night.' And again, "Wherewith shall a young man redress his ways? In keeping thy words."

When Christ himself came first into the world to plant his church, he vouchsafed the poor and simple the knowledge of his truth, and shewed it first unto them. The first that had tidings of his birth were not Scribes and Pharisees, but a company of poor shepherds. The first that received his Gospel, and taught it in the world, were not doctors or learned men, but fishers, and toll-gatherers, and of base condition. The first that met him with triumph at Jerusalem, and sang Hosanna, were not bishops and priests, but babes and infants. They that followed him most and believed, were not the greatest men