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Show 4°4 r668. ~ Chap.XJX. No CROSS, No CROWN. VoL. I. yield to his Lulls. Having forc'd l>is 10icked End, (he fends for her Father, then Govemour of Rnme, her Huiliand and her Frie~ds, to whom having revealed the Matter, and with Tears lame1_aed _her mep:uabl~ Calamity, {be flew her felf in their Prefence ; That lC m1ghr "?' be fa1~, Lucretia ouc-liv'd her Chaftiry even when the could nor defend it. 1 pratfe the Virtue, not the AU: Ru'r God foon Avenged. this, with other Impieties, upon that Wicked Family; for the People h~artng. what StXIIIS had don.e, whoft Flagitious Life they Equally hated wnh h1s Father's Tyranny, and their fen1e of Both, aggr:wared by th~ Re\'erence they conceiv'd ~or the Ch3fle and Exemplary Life of L11crtfla, betook themfel ves ~o then Arms; and headed by her Father, her Husband, Bruflts and Vakrrus, they drove out that Tarquin Family: In which Afl:ion the Ha.nd of Br~t~t-1 avenged the Blood of Lucrnia upon inf::~m o us Stxtus, whom hetlew tn the Battle. §. LXXXII. «:otnelh, alfo a Noble Roman Matron, and Siller to Scipi,, was efteemed the moit tamous and honourable Perfon3ge of her Time, not more for the grearnefs of her Birth, than her exceeding Temperance. And Hifiory particularly mentions this, as one great lnfhrice of her Vinue, for which fbe was fo much admir'd, to wit. That fhe never was accuftomed to wear Rich .Appard, but fuch Apparel as was very Plain and Grave ; rather m:lking her Children (whom her InfiruClions and Example had made Vira tuous) her greateft Ornaments: A good Pattern for the Vain and Wanton Dames of the .A~e. §. LXXXIII. •ontfa was another Roman Dame, renowned for her fin .. gular Modefty: For tho' OUavilu attempted her with all imaginable Allor~ ments and Perfw:lfions; fhe chafe rather to Dye by bi11Crullty, than be~ol/ uted by his Lufl. So he took her Life, that could not violate her Cba iry. §. LXXXIV. Jlttfa, Wife to Cecinna P~ttus, is not lefs famous in tory for the Magnanimity fhe fbewed, in being the Companion of her Hulband's Difgraces, who thruft her felf into Prifon with him,. thac, fhe might be his Servant; and {hew'd him fidt hy Death to be revenged of the. Tynnr. §. LXXXVI. t9omllf!S 1\lautlna, Wife to ]ulianut the .Emperor, com· mended for her Com_paffion of the Poor, ufed the Power her Virtue had given her with her Hu!kt.nd, to put him -.pon all the juft and tender Things that became his Charge, and to diffwade him from whatfoe.ver feem'd barf!J to the People; Particu1arly, fhe di\'ened· him from a great Tax his Flar• terers ad vi fed him tQ lay upon the People. §. LXXXVI. \,\\lotfns, the Wife of Trojnn, a Woman (faith a cemin Author) adorn'd With Piety, Cbajlity, anJ all the Virtues that a Woman is capable of. There are two I nUances; one of her Piety, t'othcr of her Cb•f tity: The firft is this; When her Hu!band was proclaim'd .Emperor, fhe mounted the Capitol afrer the Choice; where, in 3 R>eligious Manner, lha f aid, Oh that I may live under all this Honour, with the fame Virtue and Content, that 1 enjoyed before I had it I The fecond is this : Her Hulband being once Exil'd, fhe. &aufedJ btr Hair Ia be cut jbort, a1 the JUen wart it, rbat with lrj1 Notice ttnd Danger jbe migbt be tbe Omp'4nion of his Banijb· tfJtltl. §. LXXXVII. Pompt!a Paulfns, a Roman Lady of Youth and Beauty, defi.:ended of the moit Noble Families of Rome., feU in love with StnectJ1 for the F.xceller..cy of his Do8:tine, and the Grav~ty and Puri[)l of his Man· nets. They Married, and lived great Examples together, to both their Sexes. So great wa1 her Value for her Huib3nd, am:l. fo little did fhe care to live, when he wa.s to.dyc, that fhe cbofeto-be the Comp1111ion of his J.?tatbt tU foe hnd been P/ h11 Life: And ber Vems were cur tU weU dS his, wbiijljhe Wal the .AuJitor of his ExrcUent Difcourje; : But Nero. hearing of ir, and fearihg, left Pau/fn,t s Death might bring· him great Re.proa.ch, beca11fe of her Noble Alliance jn Rome, fent with all haUe, To have her Wou11d1 dcj1rl, and if it .were poffible, ta favc her Life: \Vhich, tho' as one h::~lf Deadl was done, and fhe againfther Will lived; bm always with a PJle Hue, <~nd Wan Complexion of Face, to tell how much of her Life was goi\c wilh Se.ncca her deareft Friend, Philifopber and Hufb'!.mL §r'LXXV!U. VoL. I. No CR.Oss; M CROW if. ' , . §.LXXXVIII. Thus may_ the VoluptuousWot~~en oftheTimrsread their 1668 . . Reproof 1n the Charaaer of a brave Heathen; and learn TbatJalid-Hap pi· ~ nefs corrfills in a NrgleO of \Vealr~ and Grearnefs, and a Contempt ot aU Chap.XIX. Corporal Pleafures; as more hcfitnng Beafts, than Immortal Spirits: And which ar~ lo\'ed by none but fuch, as nor knowing the Excellency of Heaa \ 1en.ly Th~ngs, are ~o ~h Inventing and Delighting, like Brt~teJ, In that wb~ch ~rtfheth : qn•mg the Prerere~ce to poor MorraUty, and fpending. the1r Lives ~o grati}i~ the Lufts of a lmlc dirry Flellt and Blood, that jhllli never ~mer mro Jfe Ktngdom of Heavrn: By all which their Minds become darken d, and fo.mfenfible of more ~::deftial Glories, that they do nat on· ly refufe to enquue after them, but •nfamoufly Scoff 2nd Defpife rhofe that· do, 'aS a Fooli.fh and Mad People: To that 1trange Degree of Darknefs and lr~1pudence th1s Age has got. But if the exceeding Temperance, Chaftity •. Vtrtue, lndu~ry ::md Contentednefs of very Heathens, with Jhe plain and· nccefl'ary Enjoyments, God has been pleafed to- vouchfafe the Sons and Daugbters of Men, as f~fficient to their Wants, and conveniency (that they rn~y be .. the more at le1fure to anfwer the great End of their being Born) will not fuffi~e, hut tltat they will Exceed the Bounds, Precepts and Exam· ples both ot Heathens and Cbriftians; .Anguifh and Tribulation wil) over .. take them, when they fh.all have an Eternity to think upon, wirh gnafhina Teeth, what to all Eterntty they can never rem~dy: Thefe Difma.l Wage:; are decreed for ~hem, w':o Jo /ar .affront God, Heave11 and Eternal Feii&IIJ-tU lo neg_ leO thetr Slll'?aflon fro• Sm here, and Wralh to come, for the Enjoy· me~t o~ a few fa.dmg Pleafurcs. For fuch to think, n_otwithftanding the1r. Ltves Qf Senfe and Pleafure, wherein their Minds become Slaves to their Bodies, that they !hall be Everlallingly Happy is an Addition to, their Evils? fince :tis a great Abufe to the Holy God, th'at Men and Worn~ fh?u\d bel1eve htm an_ Eternal Companion for theil' Carnal and Senfual Mmds: For, ...ds the Tree faU.s, fo it lies; and as De alb ltllv#r Men Judg· mcnt finds them: And< chere is no Repentance io the Grave. The~efore I befeech you, to _whof!l this comes, to Retire: Whhdraw a whiie; let not the. Body See All, Taite AD, Enjoy All; but \et th,e Soul Sec too, Talle and EnJOY. thofe ~eavenlYJ Comforts .and Refrefhmepts, proper to that Ete1'1t6l lVorid, of wh1ch fbei:l IS an lnhabttant, and where fhe mutt e.ver a.Oide in a State of Peace or Elagues, when tbis vifible One (hall he diffolved. CHAP. XX. Ch~p. x:t; §. t. T~' DoE!rint of Chrijl· from Mat. s. nbout Denial of Self. §. 2. John ~ Rdpt1~ s Ex~mtlt • . §. 3· 1bt T~~imonie-s of rk Apojlle Peter, ~~ •. ,§'. 4. Paul's God.!J Ex~ "!Wu.now •t:AI'Ijl Pride. Covetoufnelii And. luxury. $ J• '!be Pnm1t1ve Chriftians N~tDtf~ Jonu'.! to'~ ll'orU. §. 6, Clerhens .Romanus lf&«Jnjt tk-Vanity. -f rile Gentiles. §. 1 J.tach~avel of the. ZtU of r¥ Primitive. Chrift:ians. S. 8. Tortuu.ian, Chryroftom, ~~: flf Mat. 12. 36, §. 9· Gfe&ory Naz13.n:~ene. ~· 10. J~rom. §. 11. Hilary. §. n. A'J!Ib~ofe, S· t ]• Auguftme. §. 14. Countil 1 Qrchage. §. ·~· Cardan. §. 1 ~. O,rat1~o. §~ ~1~ Perrus,Belloniur. §. 18. aldcnfes.. §. 12. Jllbai ,bet und.t•ft,,J lJDa_JlyRread "''~llordsPrayer. S· 20. Tht:ir!itJ&mtfltiORurni•gTaverns. §. 12; I>.wcmg, Mufick, f.!/1. \. :a. An Epi}lle of Bartbotomew Tertian ,,. UJt Waldenfian Cbwnbes• &c, \. 2}·. Their Extream Suifering .and F.aithfulaefs. Their Dtgt'flrruJ re .. pn:l\'ed th.tJ'e"fJ r.btnl rlm .Anetf!Ms, §, 24o Paulinus Bifbop of Nola, rtlit vi11g Sllllt:J Atfll Prifonm. §. 2~. Acadus Bifoop of Am ida, bi1 ah.vif) 10,. Enemies. HA.ving 'abundantly fhewn, how much the DoCtrine andConverf:ztion of The Doarlnc the Vin.uo.m Genrilu C~ndemn dte Pride, Avarice and Luxury of the and Praflice pr ... H ~ifed Chnftl:J.ns of the T1mes_; I ~an, . in the next Place, ro difcharge I:o~j~f~ed my Enga~ement, and fat~her forufie.thts D1fcourfe, prefent my Re:~der with and his A· the Judgmenc and PraEhce of the moft Chrifti.m Times. as alfo of Emi .. poftles, the nent W ricers, borh Ancient and Modern, I !h:tll begin 'with rbe Bleffei l'riwitiYe · Author of that Religion. §.I. |
