no longer ashamed of the cross, but it was worn upon breasts, printed in the air,* drawn upon fore

* Bacon in his New Atlantis, says :

"About twenty years after the ascension of our Saviour "it came to pass, that there was seen by the people of Renfusa, "a city upon the eastern coast of our island, within night, the "night was cloudy and calm, as it might be some mile into "the sea, a great pillar of light; not sharp, but in form of a "column or cylinder rising from the sea, a great way up "towards heaven: and on the top of it was seen a large cross "of light, more bright and resplendent than the body of the "pillar. Upon which so strange a spectacle, the people of "the city gathered apace together upon the sands to wonder ; " and so after put themselves into a number of small boats, to 66 go nearer to this marvellous sight. But when the boats were come within about sixty yards of the pillar, they "found themselves all bound, and could go no further, yet so 66 as they might move to go about, but might not approach nearer: so as the boats stood all as in a theatre, beholding "this light as an heavenly sign. It so fell out, that there 66 was in one of the boats one of the wise men of the society of "Solomon's house, which house or college, my good brethren, "is the very eye of this kingdom; who having awhile atten66 tively and devoutly viewed and contemplated this pillar and cross, fell down upon his face; and then raised himself upon "his knees, and lifting up his hands to heaven, made his 66 prayers.

66

"When he had made his prayer, he presently found the "boat he was in moveable and unbound; whereas all the rest "remained still fast; and taking that for an assurance of "leave to approach, he caused the boat to be softly and with

heads, carried upon banners, put upon crowns imperial-presently it came to pass that the religion of the despised Jesus did infinitely prevail : a religion that taught men to be meek and humble, apt to receive injuries, but unapt to do any; a religion that gave countenance to the poor and pitiful, in a time when riches were adored, and ambition and pleasure had possessed the heart of all mankind: a religion that would change the face of things, and the hearts of men, and break vile habits into gentleness and counsel. That such a religion, in such a time, by the sermons and conduct of fishermen, men of mean breeding and illiberal arts, should so speedily triumph over the philosophy of the world, and the arguments of the subtle, and the sermons of the eloquent; the power of princes and the interests of states, the inclinations of nature and the blindness of zeal, the force of custom and the solicitation of

"silence rowed towards the pillar. But ere he came near it, "the pillar and cross of light brake up, and cast itself "abroad, as it were into a firmament of many stars; which "also vanished soon after, and there was nothing left to be 66 seen but a small ark or chest of cedar, dry, and not wet at "all with water, though it swam. And in the fore-end of it "which was towards him, grew a small green branch of "palm."

passions, the pleasures of sin and the busy arts of the devil; that is against wit and power, superstition and wilfulness, fame and money, nature and empire, which are all the causes in this world that can make a thing impossible; this, this is to be ascribed to the power of God, and is the great demonstration of the resurrection of Jesus. Every thing was an argument for it, and improved it; no objection could hinder it, no enemies destroy it; whatsoever was for them, it made the religion to increase; whatsoever was against them, made it to increase; sun-shine and storms, fair weather or foul, it was all one as to the event of things: for they were instruments in the hands of God, who could make what himself should chuse to be the product of any cause; so that if the christians had peace, they went abroad and brought in converts; if they had no peace, but persecution, the converts came in to them. In prosperity they allured and enticed the world by the beauty of holiness; in affliction and trouble they amazed all men with the splendor of their innocence, and the glories of their patience; and quickly it was that the world became disciple to the glorious Nazarene, and men could no longer doubt of the resurrection of Jesus, when it became so demonstrated by the certainty of them that saw

like the breath of heaven; if it goes abroad into the open air, it scatters and dissolves.

THE DANGER OF PROSPERITY.

As long as the waters of persecutions are upon the earth, so long we dwell in the ark; but where the land is dry, the dove itself will be tempted to a wandering course of life, and never to return to the house of her safety.*

Many are not able to suffer and endure prosperity; it is like the light of the sun to a weak eye, glorious indeed in itself, but not proportioned to such an instrument.+

In the tomb of Terentia certain lamps burned under ground many ages together; but as soon as ever they were brought into the air, and saw a bigger light, they went out, never to be reenkindled. So long as we are in the retirements of sorrow, of want, of fear, of sickness, or of any sad accident, we are burning and shining lamps; but when God comes with his ανοχή, with his forbearance, and lift us up from the gates of death, and carries us abroad into the open air, that we

The Faith and Patience of the Saints; Serm. x. 272. †The Mercy of the Divine Judgments; Serm. xii. 290. "We are as safe at sea, safer in the storm which God sends us, than in a calm when we are befriended with the world."

converse with prosperity and temptation, we go out in darkness; and we cannot be preserved in heat and light, but by still dwelling in the regions

If God suffers men to go on in sins, and punishes them not, it is not a mercy, it is not a forbearance; it is a hardening them, a consigning them to ruin and reprobation and themselves give the best argument to prove it; for they continue in their sin, they multiply their iniquity, and every day grow more enemy to God; and that is no mercy that increases their hostility and enmity with God. A prosperous iniquity is the most unprosperous condition in the whole world. When he slew them, they sought him and turned them early, and enquired after God; but as long as they prevailed upon their enemies, they forgat that God was their strength, and the high God was their redeemer. It was well observed by the Persian embassador of old; when he was telling the king a sad story of the overthrow of all his army by the Athenians, he adds this of his own; that the day before the fight, the young Persian gallants, being confident they should destroy their enemies, were drinking drunk, and railing at the

* Ibid. 292.

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