Two treatises the first of fear, from Isa. 8, v. 12, 13, and part of the 14 : the second, The righteous man's refuge in the evil day, from Isaiah 26, verse 20 / by John Flavell.

A PRACTICAL TREATISE OF Fear, &c.

Isaiah 8. v. 12, 13, and part of the 14.

Say ye not a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy; neither fear ye [their fear] nor be afraid.

v. 13.

Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread;

v. 14.

And he shall be for a sanctuary.

CHAP. I

Wherein the Text and Context are opened, the Doctrines propounded; and the general method stated.

THere is not more diversity found in the out∣ward features, than in the inward tempers and dispositions of men: some are as timo∣rous as Hares and start at every sound, or yelp of a dog: others are bold as Lions, and can face dangers without trembling, Some fear more than they ought, and some before they ought, and others when they ought not at all. The carnal person fears man, not God; the strong Christian fears God,

not man; the weak Christian fears man too much, and God too little.

There is a Fear which is the effect of sin, spring∣ing from guilt, and hurrying the soul into more guilt; and there is a fear which is the effect of grace, springing from our love to God and his interest, and driving the soul to God in the way of duty. The less fear any man hath the more happiness, except it be of that fear which is our happiness and our ex∣cellency.

It cannot be said of any man as it is said of Levi∣athan, Iob 41. 33. that he is made without fear, those that have most fortitude, are not without some fears: And when the Church is in the storms of per∣secution, and almost covered with the waves, the stoutest passengers in it may suffer as much from this boisterous passion within, as from the Storm without; and all for want of throughly believing, or not sea∣sonably remembring, That the Lord High Admiral of all the Ocean, and Commander of all the winds is on board the Ship, to steer and to preserve it in the storm.

A pregnant instance hereof is furnished to our hands in this Context, where you find the best men trem∣bling in expectation of the worst events both on the Church in general, and themselves in particular. Their hearts were moved like the trees of the wood sha∣ken with the wind, Chap. 7. v. 2.

And indeed if their dangers were to be mea∣sured by sense only, their fears were not above the value of the cause, yea their dangers seemed to ex∣ceed their fears; for it was the invasion of a forein and cruel enemy, even the Assyrian who were to break in upon them like a breach of the Sea, and overflow the land of Immanuel, v. 7. The Lord bring∣eth

up upon them the waters of the river strong and many; even the King of Assyria and all his glory, and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks. And as the 7. verse resembles the enemy to waters which quickly drown the countrey into which they break, so the 8 verse tells you how far they should prevail, and how near it should come to a general and total ruine. He shall pass through Iudah, he shall over∣flow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck, and the stretching ou•• of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land O Immanuel. All the body should be under water, except the capital City, which remained above water.

Having thus described the power and success of the invading enemy, in the 9 and 10 verses he de∣rides their plots and combinations, assuring them that although God for just and holy ends would permit them for a time to afflict his people, yet in the issue all their councels and cruelties should recoyl upon themselves, and end in their own ruine and confusion.

And thereupon Isaiah is commanded to encourage the feeble and trembling hearts of such as feared God in those distracted and frightful times, v. 11, 12, 13. The Lord spake unto me with a strong hand and in∣structed me, that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, say ye not a confederacy, &c.

God speaking to the Prophet by a strong hand, imports the strong and mighty impression that was made upon his heart by the Spirit of Prophecy: Wherein the Lord did as it were lay his hand upon him, as a man doth upon one to whom he is about to impart some special secret in a familiar way, q. d. Come hither Isaiah, (drawing him to him at the same instant with a friendly hand) take deep notice of what I am now to give thee in charge both with respect to thy self, and my elect people that follow

thee; say not you a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy, (i. e.) let not these frightful tidings work upon you, as they do up∣on Ahaz, and the common multitude with him▪ who are so terrified and scared with the approching dan∣gers that all their councels, thoughts and studies are taken up in preventing it by making a confederacy or league with the Assyrian; or if that cannot be, then with some Forein power that may se∣cure them against the Assyrian,* 1.1 but their eyes are not all to me for pro∣tection and deliverance, they expect more from Egypt than from Heaven; from a broken reed, than from the rock of ages. Fear not you their fear; Their fear drives them from God to the creature; it first Distracts them, and then Ensnares them.

But on the contrary, see that thou, and all the faithful in the land with thee do sanctifie me in your hearts, and make me your fear, and your dread. (i. e.) rely upon me by faith in this day of trouble, and see that you give me the glory of my wisdom, power▪ and faithfulness; by relying intirely upon those my attributes engaged for you in so many tried promises: And do not betake your selves to such sinful and vain shifts as those do that have no interest in me, nor ex∣perience of me. This is the general scope and design of the Text; wherein more particularly you have,

• 1. An evil practice prohibited.
• 2. An effectual remedy prescribed.
• 3. A singular encouragement to apply that remedy.

1. An evil practice prohibited, Fear not their fear, neither be afraid. This is that sinful principle, which was but too apt to incline them to do as others

did, scil. to say a confederacy. Sinful fears are apt to drive the best men into sinful compliances, and in∣direct shifts to help themselves.

Their fear may be understood two ways;

• 1. Subjectively.
• 2. Effectively.

1. Subjectively, for the self same fear wherewith the carnal and unbelieving Iews feared: a fear that enslaved them in bondage of Spirit; a fear that is the fruit of sin, a sin in its own nature, the cause of much sin to them, and a just punishment of God upon them for their other sins.

2. Effectively, Let not your fear produce in you such mischievous effects as their fear doth; to make you forget God, magnifie the creature, prefer your own wits and policies to the Almighty power, and unspotted faithfulness of God; if you say, but how shall we help it?

2. Why in the next place you have, An Effectual remedy prescribed, But sanctifie the Lord of hosts him∣self, and let him be your fear and your dread. The fear of God will swallow up the fear of Man, a reve∣rential awe and dread of God will extinguish the sla∣vish fear of the creature; as the Sun-shine puts out fire; or as one fire fetches out another; so will this fear fetch out that.

By sanctifying the Lord of Hosts himself, is meant a due ascription of the glory of his Sovereign power, wisdom and faithfulness, not only in verbal and pro∣fessed acknowledgments thereof, but especially in those internal acts of affiance, resignation, and intire dependence on him, which as they are the choicest respects of the creature towards its God, and give him the greatest glory, so they are certainly the most beneficial and comfortable acts we can perform for

our own peace and safety in times of danger.

If a man do really look to God in a day of trouble and fear, as to the Lord of Hosts, (i. e.) one that governs all the creatures, and all their actions; at whose beck and command all the Armies of Heaven and Earth are; and then can rely upon the care and love of this God, as a child in danger of trouble reposes on, and commits himself with greatest confidence to the care and protection of his Father: O what peace, what rest must necessarily follow upon this! Who would be afraid to pass through the midst of Armed Troops and Regiments, whilst he knows that the General of that Army is his own Father? The more power this filial fear of God obtains in your hearts, the less will you dread the power of the Creature. When the Dictator ruled at Rome, then all other Officers ceased; and so in a great measure will all other fears where the fear of God is Dictator in the heart. This is the Remedy.

3. And to enable us to apply this remedy in the worst and most difficult times, we have a singular encouragement proposed. If we will thus sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself, by such an acknowledg∣ment of, and child-like dependence on him in times of danger,* 1.2 then he will be to us for a San∣ctuary (i. e.) he will surely protect, defend and provide for us in the worst times and cases, then will the Lord Create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion and upon her As∣semblies, * 1.3 a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defence, and there shall be a Tabernacle, for a shadow in the day-time from the heat, and for a place of refuge and for a covert from the storm, and

from rain. Let the winds roar, the rain beat, the lightnings flash, you are in safety, and have a good roof over your heads. Hence these two points of Doctrine offer themselves.

1. Doctrine.

That the best men are too apt to be overcome with slavish fears in times of eminent distress and danger.

2. Doctrine.

That the fear of God is the most effectual means to extinguish the sinful fear of man, and to secure us from danger.

These two points take in the substance and scope of the Text, but because I design to treat in the follow∣ing Chapters, of the Kinds, Nature, Uses, Causes, Effects, and Remedies of Fear, I shall not distinctly prosecute them, but proceed in this order in the fol∣lowing Chapters.

CHAP. II.

Wherein the kinds and nature of Fear are opened, and particularly the distracting slavish Fear of Creatures.

SECT. I.

THere is a threefold Fear found in men. viz.

Fear

• 1. Natural
• 2. Sinful
• 3. Religious

1. Natural Fear, of which all are partakers that partake of the common nature, not one excepted.

Natural Fear is the trouble or perturbation of mind from the apprehension of approaching evil, or impen∣ding danger.

The Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 comes from a Verb that signifies Flight;* 3.1 this is not always sinful, but it is always the fruit and conse∣quent of sin. Since sin entred into our nature there is no shaking off Fear, no sooner had Adam transgressed, but he feared and fled, hiding himself among the Trees of the Garden, Gen. 3. 8. when he had transgressed the Covenant, he presently fear∣ed the execution of the Curse. First he eats, then he hides. And this afflictive passion is from him trans∣mitted and derived to all his children.

To this natural Fear it pleased our Lord Iesus Christ to subject himself in the days of his flesh, he was afraid, yea, he was sore amazed. Mark 14. 33. For though his humane nature was absolutely free from ••in, yet he came in the likeness of sinful flesh. Rom. 8. 3.

This fear creates great trouble and perturbation in the mind, 1 Iohn 4. 18. Fear hath torment; in proportion to the danger is the fear, and in propor∣tion to the fear, the trouble and distraction of the mind, if the fear be exceeding great, reason is displaced, and can conduct us no farther, as the Psalmist speaks of Mariners in a Storm, they are at their wits end,* 3.2 Psal. 107. 27. or as it is varied in the Margin, all wisdom is swallowed up, and this is the mean∣ing of Deut. 28. 25.* 3.3 that they should go out against their enemies one way, and flee before them seven ways, (i. e.) so great shall be the fright and distraction that they shall attempt

now one way, then another, striving every way, but liking none; for fear so far betrays the succours of reason, that their counsels are always in uncertainty and at a loss,* 3.4 and the usual voice of a man in this condition is, I know not what to do, I know not which way to turn.

Evil is the object of fear, and the greater the evil is, the stronger the fear must needs be, and therefore the terrours of an awakened and terrified conscience must be allowed to be the greatest of terrours, be∣cause in that case a man hath to do with a great and terrible God, and is scared with apprehensions of his infinite and eternal wrath: Than which no evil is or can be greater. You see at what height Christs con∣flict with it wrought, when it made him sweat as it were great clots of bloud. Of all temporal evils death is the greatest, and therefore Iob calls it the King of terrours, Iob 18. 14. or the most terrible of terribles.* 3.5 Thuanus re∣lates two strange instances of the fear of death, One of a certain Captain who was so terrified with the fear of death, that he poured out a kind of bloudy sweat from all parts of his body.* 3.6 Another, is of a Young man condemned for a small matter by Sixtus Quintus who was so vehemently terrified with the fears of death, that he shed a kind of bloudy tears. These are strange and terrible effects of fear, but vastly short of what Christ felt and suffered, who grapled with a far greater evil than the Terrors of death, even the wrath of an incensed God, poured

out to the full, and that immediately upon him.

But yet evil, as evil, is rather the object of hatred, than of fear, it must be an imminent or near approa∣ching evil, which we see not how to escape or put by, that provokes fear, and rouzes this Lion. And therefore the Saints in glory are perfectly freed from fear, because they are out of the reach of all danger: Nor do we that are here in the midst of e∣vils fear them till we see them approching us, and we see not how to avoid them. To hear of Fire, Plague, or the Sword in the Indies, doth not affright us, because the evil is so remote from us: It's far e∣nough off, we are in no danger of it; but when it is in the Town, much more when within our own dwellings, we tremble. Evil hurts us not by a sim∣ple apprehension of its nature, but of its union; and all propinquity is a degree of union as a learned Divine speaks.* 3.7 And its worth Observation that all carnal security is maintained by putting evils at a great distance from us. As it is noted of those secure Sensualists Amos 6. 3. they put far from them the evil day. the mean∣ing is not that they did, or could put the evil, one minute farther from them in reality, but only by imagination and fancy, they shut their own eyes and would not see it, lest it should give an unpleasing interruption to their mirth; and this is the reason why death puts the living into no more fear, because it is apprehended as remote, and at an undetermined di∣stance, whereas if the precise time of death were known, especially if that time were near, it would greatly scare and terrifie.

This is the nature of natural Fear, the infelicity of nature which we all groan under the effects of: It is in all the creatures in some degree, but among

them all none suffer more by it than man, for hereby he becomes his own tormentor, nor is any torment greater than this when it prevails in an high degree upon us. Indeed all constitutions and tempers admit not the same degrees of fear, some are naturally cou∣ragious and stout like the Lyon for magnanimity and fortitude, others exceeding timorous and faint-hear∣ted like the Hare or Hart, one little dog will make an hundred of them fear and flee before him. Luther was a man of great courage and presence of mind in dangers, Melancthon very timorous and subject to despondency; thus the difference betwixt them is expressed in one of Luther's Letters to him,

I am well nigh a secure spectator of things, and esteem not any thing these fierce and threat∣ning Papists.* 3.8 I much dislike those anxious cares which as thou wri∣test do almost consume thee.

There might be as great a stock of grace in one as in the other, but Melancthon's grace had not the advantage of so stout and couragious a temper of body and mind as Luther's had. Thus briefly of natural Fear.

SECT. II.

THere is a Fear which is formally and intrinsical∣ly sinful, not only our infelicity, but our fault, not our simple affliction and burden, but our great evil and provocation; and such is the fear here dissua∣ded, called Their Fear. (i. e.) the fear wherewith carnal and unbelieving men do fear, when dangers threaten them; and the sinfulness of it lies in five things.

1. In the spring and cause of it, which is unbelief, and an unworthy distrust of God, when we dare not

rely upon the security of a divine promise, nor trust to Gods protection in the way of ou•• duty: This was the very case of that people, Isai. 30. 15. Thus saith the Lord, the holy one of Israel, in returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength; and ye would not, but ye said no, for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and we will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift, one thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one, &c.

Thus stood the case, Sennacherib with a mighty Host was ready to invade them, this puts them into a fright, in this distress God assures them by the mouth of the Prophet, That in returning and rest they should be saved, in quietness and confidence should be their strength. The meaning is, never perplex your selves with various councels and projects to secure your selves under the wings of Egypt, or any other Prote∣ctor, but with a composed, quiet, and calm temper of mind rest upon my power by faith, take my pro∣mises for your security, this shall be your salvation, and your strength, more effectual to your preserva∣tion, than Armies, Garisons, or any creature de∣fence in the World; one act of faith shall do you bet∣ter service than Pharaoh and all his forces can do.

But ye said no, q. d. we dare not trust to that, a good horse will do us more service at such a time than a good promise; Egypt is a better security in their eye than Heaven. This is the fruit of gross infidelity. And as wicked men do thus forsake God and cleave to the creature in time of trouble, so there is found a spice of this distrustfulness of God producing fear and trouble in the best men. It was in the Disciples themselves, Matth. 8. 26. Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith? A Storm had befallen them at Sea, danger began to threaten them, and presently you

find a storm within, their fears were more boisterous than the winds, and had more need of calming than the sea, and it was all from their unbelief, as Christ tells them; the less their faith, the greater their fear: If a man can but rely upon God in a promise, so far as he is enabled to believe, so far he will reckon himself well secured. Illy∣ricus* 3.9 in his Catalogue of the witnesses re∣lates this remarkable passage of one Andre∣as Proles, a godly aged Divine who lived somewhat before Luther, and taught many points soundly, ac∣cording to his light then, he was called to a Synod at Millain, and afterwards in the Lateran, where op∣posing a proposition of the Pope about burdening the Church with a new Holiday, he was brought into much danger, and escaping very narrowly from Rome, he bought him a Bow and Weapons, but as he was riding, he began to bethink himself, That the cause was not his but Gods, and not to be maintain∣ed with sword and bow, and if it were, yet what could such a decrepit old man do with weapons? Upon which he threw away his weapons, committed him∣self, his cause, and his journey to God, relied upon his promises more than sword or bow, and came home safe, and afterward died quietly in his bed.

2 The sinfulness of Fear lies in the excess and im∣moderacy of it, when we fear more than we ought; for it may be truly said of our fears as the Philoso∣pher speaks of waters, difficilé suis terminis continen∣tur, 'tis hard to keep them within bounds, every bush is a Bear, every petty trouble puts us into a fright, our fear exceeds the value and merit of the cause. 'Tis a great sin to love or fear any creature above the rate of a creature, as if they were Masters of all our tem∣poral and eternal comforts. Thus when the men of

Israel heard of the confederacy and conjuction of their enemies against them, the Text saith, their hearts were moved, as the Trees of the wood are moved with the wind, Isai. 7. 1. or as we use to say prover∣bially, like an Aspine leaf: 'tis a sad sight to behold men shaking and quivering as the trees do in a windy day, yet thus did the house of David, partly through the remembrance of past calamities, but especially through incredulity in Gods protecting care in their present and future dangers; yea, this is too often the fault of good men in creature fear, as well as in creature love, to transgress the due bounds of modera∣tion. 'Tis noted of Iacob though a man of much Faith, and one that had the sweetest encouragements to strengthen it both from former experiences, and Gods gracious promises to be with him; yet when Esa•• was come nigh, he was greatly afraid and di∣stressed, Gen. 32. 7. It was but a little before that God had graciously appeared to him, and sent a Royal guard of Angels to attend him, even two hosts or armies of Angels, verse 1, 2. and yet assoon as Esau approched him, he was afraid, greatly afraid, yea, greatly afraid and distressed, notwithstanding such an encouraging vision as this was.

3. The sinfulness of our Fears lies in the inordina∣cy of them; to fear it more than we ought is bad enough, but to magnifie its power above the power of a creature; to exalt the power of any creature by our fears, and give it such an Ascendent over us, as if it had an Arbitrary and absolute dominion over us, or over our comforts, to do with them what it plea∣sed; this is to put the creature out of its own Class and rank, into the place of God, and is therefore a very sinful and evil fear.

To trust in any creature as if it had the power of a

God to help us, or to fear any creature, as if it had the power of a God to hurt us, is exceeding sinful, and highly provoking to God. This inordinate trust is taxed and condemned in Isai. 31. 3. They would needs go down to Egypt for help, and trust in their horses and horsemen, because they were strong (i. e.) in their opinion they were able to secure them against all those dangers the Prophet from the Lords own mouth had threatned them with, but to take them off from this sinful and inordinate dependence on the crea∣ture he tells them, v. 3. Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses flesh, and not spirit, when the Lord shall stretch forth his hand, both he that help∣eth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down; and they shall fail together, q. d.

'Tis a sinful and dangerous mistake for one crea∣ture to give that trust and dependence to another creature, which is due only to God, to look upon men as if they were Gods, and horses as if they were Spi∣rits: All creatures, even the strongest, are but as the Hop, the Vine, or the Ivy, if they clasp about the pole, the wall, or the oak; they may be supported, as you also may by leaning upon God, but if they depend, and intangle themselves one upon another, as you and the Egyptians do, you shall fail, and fall all together.

And as one creature is apt inordinately and sinfully thus to trust and lean upon another; so there is as great a proness in the creatures inordinately to fear and dread each other, as if the creature feared were rather a God, than a man, rather a Spirit than flesh; and thus our fear magnifies and exalts the creature, and puts it as it were into the room and place of God. This was the sin which God rebuked in his own people, Isai 51. 12, 13. I even I am he that comforteth thee,

who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass, and forgettest the Lord thy maker, &c. See how fear exalts man, and depresseth God, it thinks upon the noxious power of men so much, that it forgets the saving power of God, as if that stood for nothing; thus a mortal worm that shall perish as the grass, eclipses the glory of the great God, that stretch∣ed forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth.

And this was the evil against which Christ caution∣ed his own Disciples in Matth. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. q. d. Have a care you never fear any man, be he armed with never so much power, and rage; as if the power of making or marring you for ever were in his hands, as if you lay at the feet of his will and pleasure to be saved or ruined for ever. Fear not him that can only touch your bodies as if he would damn your souls, invest not any creature with the sovereign and incommunicable power of God.

4. The sinfulness of Fear consists in the distracting influence it hath upon the hearts of men, whereby it discomposeth and unfits them for the discharge of their duties.

Fear sometimes puts men into such an hurry, and their thoughts into such disorder, that for the present they have scarce any succour or relief from their gra∣ces, or from their reason; for under an extraordina∣ry fear both grace and reason like the wheels of a watch wound above its due height, stand still, and have no motion at all. It is rare to find a man of that largeness and constancy of heart and mind in a day of fear, that was found in Iehoshaphat, 2 Chro. 20. 2, 3.

Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat saying, there cometh a great multitude against thee from be∣yond the sea, on this side Syria, and behold they be in Hazazon Tamar which is Engedi, and Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord. He set him∣self (i. e.) he composed and fixed his heart for Prayer in the time of so great a fright, and terrible an Alarm: But it is rare to find such constancy and eveness of mind as this; in like cases it is with most in great frights, as the Prophet describes the condition of the Jews, Isaiah 22. 2, 3. when the City of Ierusalem was be∣sieged and the enemy came under the walls of it; that which a little before was the joyous City, or as some read, the revelling City, is now in such a panick fear, that it is full of stirs and tumults, some run up to the tops of the houses either to hide or bewail them∣selves, or take a view of the dreadful enemy without; others prevent the sword of the enemy, and die by fear before hand, their own apprehensions of misery killed them before the sword of any other enemy once touched them, but you read of none that ran into their closets to seek the Lord; the city was full of stirrs, but not of prayers; alas, Fear made them cry to the mountains, rather than to God, ver. 5. The best men find it hard to keep their thoughts from wander∣ing and their minds from distraction in the greatest calm of peace, but a thousand times harder in the hur∣ries and tumults of fear.

5. The sinfulness of Fear consists in the power it hath to dispose and incline men to the use of sinful means to put by their danger, and to cast them into the hands and power of temptation. The fear of man bringeth a snare, Prov. 29. 25. or puts and lays a snare before him; Satan spreads the net, and Fear like the stalking horse drives men right into it. It

was fear which drew Abraham that great believer in∣to the snare of dissimulation, to the great disparage∣ment of Religion, for it was somewhat an odd sight to see Abimelech an heathen so schooling an Abra∣ham for it, as he did Gen 20. 9. And for the same evil you find God chiding his people in Isaiah 57. 11. And of whom hast thou been afraid, or feared that thou hast lied, and hast not remembred me? There is a double lie occasioned by Fear, one in words, another in deeds: Hypocrisie is a lie done, a practical lie, and our Church History abounds with sad examples of dissimulation through fear: 'tis Satans great engine to make his Tempations victorious and successful with men.

SECT. III.

3. There is an holy and laudable Fear, a Fear which is our treasure, not our torment, the chief ornament of the Soul, its beauty and perfection, not its infe∣licity or sin, viz. the awful filial fear of God; natu∣ral fear is a pure or simple passion of the Soul: Sinful fear is the disordered and corrupt passion of the soul; but this is the natural passion sanctified, and thereby changed and baptized into the name and nature of a Spiritual grace. This fear is also mentioned in my Text, and prescribed as an Antidote against sinful fears; it devours carnal fears as Moses serpent did those of the Enchanters. It's one of the sorest judg∣ments to be in the fear of man day and night, Deut. 28. 65, 66, 67. and one of the sweetest mercies to be in the fear of God all the day long, Prov. 23. 17. The fear of men shortens our days, Isaiah. 22. 34▪ but the fear of the Lord prolongeth our days, Prov. 10. 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life

Prov. 14. 27. But the fear of man a fountain of mischiefs and miseries. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil, Prov. 16. 6. but by the fear of man, men run themselves into evil Prov. 29. 25.

This Fear is a gracious habit or principle planted by God in the soul, whereby the soul is kept under an holy awe of the eye of God, and from thence is inclined to perform and do what pleaseth him, and to shun and avoid whatsoever he forbids and hates.

1. It is planted in the soul as a permanent and fix∣ed habit, it is not of the natural growth and produ∣ction of mans heart, but of supernatural infusion and implantation. Ier. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their inward parts. To fear man is natural, but to fear God is wholly supernatural.

2. This gracious fear puts the soul under the awe of Gods eye, Psal. 119. 161. my heart standeth in awe of thy word. 'Tis the reproach of the servants of men to be eye-servants, but it is the praise and honour of Gods servants to be so.

3. This respect to the eye of God inclines them to perform and do whatsoever pleaseth him, and is com∣manded by him; hence fearing God, and working righteousness are connected and linked together, Acts. 10. 35. If we truly fear God, we dare not but do the things he commands, and if his fear be exalted in our hearts to an high degree, it will enable us to obey him in duties accompanied with deepest self de∣nial, Gen. 22. 12. Now I know thou fearest God, see∣ing thou hast not with held thy son, thine only son from me.

4. This fear ingageth, and in some degree inableth the soul, in which it is to shun and avoid whatsoever is displeasing to God, and forbidden by him, in this Io•• discovered himself a true fearer of God, he would

not touch what God had forbidden, and therefore was honoured with this Excellent Character, He was one that feared God▪ and eschewed evil, Iob. 1. 3.

And thus of the several kinds of Fear.

CHAP. III.

Shewing the various uses of Fear, both Natu∣ral, Sinful, and Religious, in the Govern∣ment of the world by providence.

SECT. I.

HAving taken a brief view of the several kinds and sorts of Fear that are found among men, our next•• work will be to open the Uses of them in the Government of this world, for one way or other they all subserve the most wise and holy purposes of God therein. And we will first enquire into

1. The Use of Natural Fear.

Which if we well consider, it will be found ex∣ceeding necessary and useful to make man a gover∣nable creature by Law, and consequently the order comfort and tranquillity of the world necessarily de∣pends upon it. How immorigerous and intractable would the corruptions of mans nature make him, and uncapable of any moral restraint from the most flagitious and barbarous crimes, had not God plant∣ed such a passion as this in his na∣ture, which like a* 3.10 bridle curbs in the corrupt propensions there∣of. If fear did not clap its mana∣cles

and fetters upon the wild and boysterous lusts of men, they would certainly bear down all milder motives and break loose from all ingenuous bands of restraint, the world would inevitably be filled with disorders tumults, rapines, theft, murders, and all manner of uncleanness, and unrighteousness, nec hospes ab hospite tutus,* 3.11 men would become like the fishes of the sea, as the Prophet complains, Habak. 1. 14. where the greater swallow up a multitude of the smaller fry alive at one gulp; propriety could not be maintain∣ed in the world, no mans person could be safe or inviolate; power and opportunity to do mischief would measure out to men their Lot and inheritance, and conse∣quently all Societies must disband and break up. We say, and the observation is sure, he that fears not his own, may easily be master of another mans life. 'Tis law, and fear of punishment that keeps the World in order; men are afraid to do evil, because they are afraid to suffer it, they see the Law hath inseparably linked penal and moral evils together, if they will presume upon the one, they must necessarily pull the other upon them too; and this keeps them in some order, and decorum; there would be no order or security without Law; but if Laws had no annexed penalties to inforce them and give them their Sanction as good there were no Laws; they would have no more power to restrain the corruptions of mens hearts, than the new cords or green withs had to bind Sam∣son; And yet if the severest penalties in the world,

were annexed to, or appointed by the Law, they could signifie nothing to the ends of Government without Fear. This is that tender sensible power or passion on which threatnings work, and so brings men under moral government and restraint, Rom. 13. 3, 4. Magistrates are a terror to evil works; wilt thou not then be afraid of the power? but if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. And by this means a world of evil is restrained and prevented in the world.

It was the custom and policy of the Persians, (I can∣not say laudable) at the death of their Kings to give every man liberty for the space of five days to do what he would, and such mischiefs were done every where by the unbridled lusts of men in those days, that it made the people long and pray for the instal∣ment of their next King, it exceedingly endeared Go∣vernment to them: Blessed be God for Law and Go∣vernment, for curbing by this means the raging lusts of the hearts of men, and procuring rest and comfort for us in the world this way.

2. The Use of Sinful Fear.

This is formally evil and sinful in its own nature, as well as the fruit of sin, and offspring of sinful na∣ture, yet the Lord knows how to over-rule it in his providential Government of the world to his own wise and holy purposes, and he doth so;

First, by making it his scourge to punish his ene∣mies. If men will not fear God, they shall fear men, yea, they shall be made a terrour to themselves. And in∣deed it is a dreadful punishment for God to deliver a man up into the hands of his own fears: I think there is scarce a greater torment to be found in the world,

than for a man to be his own Tormenter, and his mind made a Rack, an Engine of torture to his Bo∣dy, we read in 2 Kings 17. 25. that God sent Lyons among the people, but certainly that is not so bad as for God to let loose our own Fears upon us. No Lion is so cruel as this passion, and therefore David esteemed it so great a deliverance to be delivered from all his fears, Psal. 34. 4. It is a dreadful threatning which is recorded in Deut. 28. 65, 66, 67. against the disobedient and rebellious, Thou shalt find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest, but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind, and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have no assurance of thy life; in the morning thou shalt say, would God it were Even, and at Even thou shalt say would God it were morning, for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. When fear hath once seized the heart, you may see deaths colours displayed in the face. What a dismal life do they live, who have neither any peace by day, nor rest by night, but wearisom days and nights are appointed to them. The days of such men are tiresome days, they wish for the night hoping it may give them a little rest, but their fears go to bed with them, their hearts pant, and meditate terrour, and then, O that it were day again.

2 By Fear God punisheth his enemies in hell: It is that flagellum Dei, terrible scourge of God, by which a great part of the torment of the damned is in∣flicted on them. Divines use to make this tripar••ite distinction of hell torments, and tells us God punishes the wicked there partly by remembrance what is past, viz. the mercies and means they once had, but are

there irrecoverably lost, partly by the sense of things present, even the wrath of God overlaying soul and body, and partly by the fear of what is to come; and sure this is not the least part of the misery of those wretched cast-aways:* 3.12 O that fear∣ful expectation of fiery indignati∣on! more and more of Gods wrath still coming on as the waves of the Sea, thrusting forward one another: Yea, this is that which makes the De∣vils tremble, Iames 2. 19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the word signifies such a noise as the rote of the sea, or the roaring of the waves when they break them∣selves against the rocks, and this is occasioned by the fears which are continually held as a whip over them.

3 Providence makes use of the slavish fears and terrors of wicked men to dissipate and scatter them when they are combined and confederated against the people of God; by these have they been routed and put to flight when there hath been no other visible power to do it: It's said, Psal. 78. 55. God cast out the Heathen before his people Israel; and by what means were those mighty nations subdued? not by the strength or multitudes of the Israelites, but by their own fears; for its said, Ioshuah 24. 11, 12. The Lord sent the hornet before them, which drave them out.* 3.13 These Hornets were the fears and terrors of their own guilty and presa∣ging minds, which buzzed and smarmed in their own breasts, and stung them to the heart, worse than the swords of the Israelites could do. Theodoret relates a memorable story of Sapores King of Persi••

who had besieged many Christians in the City ••Nisibis, and put them to great straits, so that little hopes of safety were left them, but in the depth of their di∣stress God sent an Army of Hor∣nets and Gnats among their ene∣mies,* 3.14 which got into the trunks of their Elephants and ears and nostrils of their Horses which so enraged them, that they brake their harness, cast their Riders, and put them all to the rout; by which providence the Christians escaped. These Hornets were terrible to them, but Fears which are Hornets in a figure, are ten thousand times more terrible; they will quell and sink the very hearts of the stoutest men, yea, they will quickly make those, that in their pride and haughtiness took themselves rather to be Gods, and almighty Powers, to know themselves to be but men, as it is, Psal. 9. 20. Put them in fear O Lord, that they may know themselves to be but men: One fright will scare them out of a thousand fond conceits and idle dreams.

3. The use of Religious Fear.

If God can make such fruit to grow upon such a bramble as the sinful slavish fear of man is, what may we expect from Religious Fear, a choice root of his own spirits planting? The uses and benefits hereof are innumerable, and inestimable, but I must con∣tract and will only instance in three special uses of it.

1. By this Fear the people of God are excited to,

and confirmed in the way of their duty. Eccles. 12. 13. Fear God, and keep his commandments. It is Custos utriusque Tabulae, the keeper of both Tables; because the duties of both Tables are influenced by it. 'Tis this Fear of God that makes us have a due respect to all his commands, and it is as powerful to confirm us in, as it is to excite us to our duties, Ier. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their inwards, and they shall not de∣part from me. Look as he that soweth doth not re∣gard the winds, but goes on in his labour whatever weather the face of Heaven threatens; so he that fears God will be found in the way of his duty, let the as∣pect of the times be never so lowring and discourage∣ing; and truly, this is no small advantage in times of frights and distractions. Slavish fear sets a man up∣on the Devils ground, Religious fear upon Gods ground; and how vast an odds is there in the choice of our ground, when we are to endure a great fight of affliction.

2. Another excellent use of this Fear, is to pre∣serve the purity and peace of our Consciences, by preventing guilt, and grief therein, Prov. 16. 6. The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil. See how it kept Ioseph, Gen. 39. 9. and Nehemiah, chap. 5. 15. And this benefit is invaluable, especially in a day of outward calamity and distress; look in what degree the fear of God prevails in our hearts, answerable thereunto will the serenity, peace, and quietness of our Consciences be; and proportionable unto that will our strength and comfort be in the e∣vil day, and our courage and confidence to look dangers in the face.

3 To conclude, A principal use of this fear of God is to awaken us to make timely provisions for future distresses, that whensoever they come, they

••ay not come by way of surprize upon us. Thus No∣••h, being moved with fear, prepared an Ark, Heb. •• 1. 7. It was the instrument of his and his Families salvation. Some men owe their death to their fears, ••ut good men in a sense owe their lives to their fears; ••••nful fears have slain some, and godly fears have sa∣••ed others. A wise man feareth, and departeth from ••••vil, (saith Solomon) but a fool rageth and is con∣••••dent. His fears give him a timely Alarm before the ••nemy fall into his quarters and beat them up, by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his means he hath time to get into his chambers of ••••curity and rest, before the storm fall; but the fool ••••ageth and is confident, he never fears till he begin 〈◊〉〈◊〉 feel, yea, most times he is past all hope, before 〈◊〉〈◊〉 begin to have any fears.

These are some of the uses God makes of the seve∣••al kinds of Fear.

CHAP. IV.

Wherein the springs and causes of Sinful Fear are searched out, and the evil of such fears thence discovered.

SECT. I.

HAving shewn before the Kinds and uses of Fear, it remains that next we search out the springs ••••om which these waters of Marah are derived, and ••••d. And,

1. Cause.

First, we shall find the sinful fears of most good

men to spring out of their ignorance, and the dark∣ness of their own minds. All darkness disposes to fear, but none like intellectual darkness, you read, Cant. 3. 8. how Solomon's Life-guard had every man hi•• sword upon his thigh, because of fear in the night▪ The night is the frightful season in the dark, every bush is a bear, we sometimes smile by day, to see what silly things those were that scared us in the nigh; so it is here, were our judgment but duly informed, how soon would our hearts be quieted?

Now there is a five fold Ignorance out of which ou•• fears are generated.

1 Ignorance of God, either we know not, or at least, duly consider not his Almighty power, vigi∣lant care, unspotted faithfulness, and how they are all engaged by Covenant for his people: This igno∣rance and inconsiderateness lay at the root of thei•• fears, Isai. 40. 27, 28. My way, (saith Sion) is hi•• from the Lord, and my judgment passed over from my God, words imparting a suspicion that God had le••t her out of the account of his providence, and the Ca∣talogue of those whom he would look after and take care for.

But were it once throughly understood and be∣lieved what power there is in Gods hand to defend us▪ what tenderness in his bowels to commiserate us▪ what faithfulness in all the promises in which they are made over to us, O how quiet and calm woul•• our hearts be! Our courage would quickly up, an•• our fears down.

2. Our ignorance of men generates our fears o•• men, we fear them, because we do not know them if we understood them better, we would fear them less, we over-value them, and then fright at them▪ They say the Lion is painted more fierce than he is

I am sure our fancy paints out man more dreadful than indeed he is. If wicked men, especially if mul∣titudes of wicked men be confederated against us, our hearts quail, and presently apprehend inevitable ruine. The floods of the ungodly made me afraid, saith David, (i. e.) the multitudes of them, which he thought like a flood or mighty torrent of waters, must needs sweep away such a straw, such a feather as he was before them; but mean time we know or consider not that they have no power against us, but what is given them from above, and that it's usual with God to cramp their hands, and clap on the bands of restraint upon them when their hearts are fully set in them to do mischief; did we see and consider them as they are in the hand of our God, we should not tremble at them as we do.

3. Ignorance of our selves, and the relations we have to God, cre∣ates slavish fears in our hearts.* 3.15 For did believers but throughly understand how dear they are to God, what relations they sustain to him, of what account and value they are in his eyes, and how well they are secured by his faithful promises and gra∣cious presence, they would not start and tremble at every noise, and appearance of danger as they do. God reckoned it enough to cure all Abraham's sinful fears when he told him how his God s••ood engaged for his defence, Gen. 15. 1. Fear not Abraham, I am thy shield.

And noble Nehemiah valued himself in times of dan∣ger and fear by his interest in God, as his words im∣port, Nehem. 6. 11. the conspiracy against him was strong, the danger he and the faithful with him at that time were in, was extraordinary, some there∣fore advised to flee to the Temple, and Barracado

themselves there against the Enemy, but Nehemi•• understood himself better, Should such a man as I flee And who being as I am, would flee? saith he, q. d. a ma•• so called of God to this service, a man under such pro••mises, a man of such manifold and manifest exper••••ences; should such a man flee? Let others who hav•• no such encouragements flee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they will, for my part I will no•• flee. I remember it was an argu••ment used by Tertullian* 3.16 to quie•• the fears, and stay the flight 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Christians in those bloudy times▪ Art thou afraid of a man, O Chri∣stian, when devils are afraid 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thee, as a Prisoner is of his Judge, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 whom the whole world ought 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fear, as being one that shall judg•• the world: O that we could with∣out pride and vanity but value our selves duly, ac∣cording to our Christian dignities, and priviledges which if ever it be necessary to count over an•• value, it is in such times of danger and fear, whe•• the heart is so prone to dejection and sinking fears.

4. Ignorance of our dangers and troubles cause our frights and terrours, we mistake them, and there∣fore fright at them; we are ignorant of two thing•• in our troubles among others. viz.

• 1. The comforts that are in them.
• 2. The outlets and escapes from them.

There is a vast odds betwixt the outward appearance and face of trouble and the inside of it; 'tis a Lion to the eye at a distance, but open it, and there is honey in its belly. Paul and Silas met that in a prison that made them sing at midnight, and so have many more since their day.

And as we are ignorant of the comforts that are sometimes found in our troubles, so of the outlets and doors of escape God can, and often doth open out of trouble; To God the Lord belong the issues from death, Psal. 68. 20. he knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptation, 2 Pet. 2. 9. he can with every tempta∣tion make away to escape, 1 Cor. 10. 13. the poor captive exile cast upon nothing but dying in the pit, making their graves in the land of their captivity, Isai. 51. 14. For they could think upon none but the usual methods of deliverance, power, or price, and they had neither; little did they dream of such imme∣diate influences of God upon the Kings heart, to make him dismiss them freely contrary to all rules of State policy, Isai. 45. 13.

5. But especially the fears of good men arise out of their ignorance and inconsiderateness of the Covenant of Grace. If we were better acquainted with the nature, extent, and stability of the Covenant, our hearts would be much freed thereby from these tor∣menting passions, this Covenant would be a Panacea, a universal remedy against all our fears, upon spiri∣tual or temporal accounts, as will be made evident hereafter in this discourse.

2. Cause.

2. Another cause and fountain of Sinful Fear, is guilt upon the Conscience: A servant of sin cannot but first or last be a slave of Fear, and they that have done evil, cannot chuse but expect evil, no sooner had Adam defiled and wounded his Conscience with guilt, but he presently trembles and hides himself, so it is with his children, God calls to him not in a threatning, but gentle dialect, not in a tempest, but in the cool of the day, yet it terrifies him, there being in himself mens conscia facti, a guilty and con∣demning

Conscience, Gen. 3. 8. 'Tis Seneca's obser∣servation, That a guilty Con∣science is a terrible whip and tor∣ment to the Sinner,* 3.17 perpetually lashing him with solicitous thoughts and fears, that he knows not where to be secure, nor dare he trust to any promises of pro∣tection, but distrusts all, doubts and jealouzeh all; of such it is said, Iob 15. 21. That a dread∣ful sound is in their ears, noting not only the effects of real, but also of imaginary dangers, his own pre∣saging mind and troubled fancy scares him where no real danger is, suitable to that Pro. 28. 1. The wicked fleeth when none pursues, but the righteous is bold as a Lion, just as they say of sheep, that they are affright∣ed by the clattering of their own feet, when once they are set a running; so is the guilty Sinner with the noise of his own Conscience which sounds nothing in his ears, but misery, wrath, and hell; we may say of all wicked men in their frights as Tacitus doth of Tyrants that if it were possible to open their inside,* 3.18 their mind, and conscience, many terrible stripes and wounds would be found there; and it's said, Isai. 33. 14. The sinners in Sion are afraid trembling ta∣keth hold on the hypocrite fear; and trembling as na∣turally ariseth out of guilt, as the sparks do out of a fiery charcoal, Histories abundantly furnish us with sad examples of the truth of this observation. Cati∣line that monster of wickedness would start at any suddain noise, being haunted with the furies of his own evil conscience. Charles the IX. after his bloudy

and barbarous Massacre of the Protestants, could neither sleep nor wake without musick to divert his thoughts. And our Richard the Third after the mur∣ther of his two innocent Nephews, saw divers ima∣ges or shapes like Devils in his sleep, pulling and haling him. Mr. Ward tells of a Iesuit in Lan∣cashire who being followed by one that had found his Glove, out of no other design but to restore it to him, but being pursued by his own guilty Conscience also, he leaped over the next hedge and was drowned. And remarkable is that which Mr. Fox relates of Cardinal Cresentius who fancied the devil walking in his cham∣ber, and sometimes couching under his Table as he was writing Letters to Rome against the Protestants. Impius tantum metuit, quantum nocuit, so much mis∣chief as Conscience tells them they have done, so much it bids them expect. Wolfius tells us of one Iohn Hofmeister who fell sick with the very terrours of his own Conscience in his Inn, as he was travelling to∣wards Auspurge in Germany, and was frighted by his own Conscience to that degree that they were fain to bind him in his bed with chains, and all that they could get from him was, I am cast away for ever, I have grievously wounded my own Conscience.

To this wounded and trembling conscience is op∣posed the spirit of a sound mind, mentioned 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind; A sound mind, is in this place the same thing with a pure and peace∣able Conscience, a mind or Conscience not infirmed or wounded with guilt, as we say a sound or heal body which hath no disease to infirm it, such a mind is op∣posed to the spirit of fear; it will make a man bold as a Lion; Nil conscire tibi, nullâ Pallescere culpâ, hic mu∣•••••• aheneus esto—

An evil and guilty Conscience foments fears and terrours three ways.

1. by aggravating small matters and blowing them up to the height of the most fatal and destructive evils; so it was with Cain, Gen. 4. 14. Every one that meets me will slay me. Now every child was a Giant in his eye, and any body he met, his over-match. A guilty Conscience gives a man no sight of his enemy, but through a magnifying, or a multiplying glass.

2 It begets Fears, by interpreting all doubtful cases in the worst sense that can befastened upon them; Pessimus in dubiis Augur timor. If the Swallows do but chatter in the chimney, Bessus interprets it to be a discovery of his crime, that they are telling take of him, and saying, Bessus killed a man. Nay,

3 If a guilty Conscience have nothing to aggravate, and magnifie, nor any doubtful matter to interpret in a frightful sense, it can and often doth create fears and terrors out of nothing at all: the rules of Fear 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not like the rules in Arithmetick where many no∣things make nothing, but fear can make something out of nothing, yea, many thing•• and great things out of nothing at all.* 3.19 Psal. 53, 5. there wer•• they in great fea•• where no fear was; here was a great fear raise•• or created out of nothing at all•• had their fear been examined, an•• hunted home to its original, it would have bee•• found a pure creature of fancy, a Chimaera have•••••• no fundamentum in re, no other foundation but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 troubled fancy, and a guilty Conscience; thus it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with Pashur, he was a very wicked man, and a bit•••• enemy to the Prophet Ieremy, and if there be none 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fright and terrifie from abroad, rather than he 〈◊〉〈◊〉

want it, he shall be a terror to himself, Ier. 20. 3, 4. he was his own bug bear, afraid of his own shadow; and truly this is a great plague and misery; he that is a terror to himself, can no more flee from terrors than he can flee from himself. O the effic••cy of Conscience! how doth it arrest the stoutest sinners, and make them tremble, when there is no visible ex∣ternal cause of fear! Nemo▪ sejudice, nocens absolvitur.

1. Object. But may not a good man whose sins are pardoned be affrighted with his own fancies, and scared with his own imaginations?

Sol. No doubt he may, for there is a twofold fountain of fears, one in the body, another in the soul, one in the constitution▪ another in the consci∣ence; it is the affliction and infelicity of many par∣doned and gracious souls to be united and married to such distempered and ill habited bodies as shall afflict them without any real cause from within, and wound them by their own diseases and distempers, and these wounds can no more be prevented or cured by their reason or Religion, than any other bodily disease suppose an Ague or a Feaver can be so cured. Thus Physicians tell us when adust choler and melancholy overflows and abounds in the bo∣dy,* 3.20 as in the Hypochondriacal distemper, &c. what sad effects it hath upon the mind as well as upon the body, there is not on∣ly a sad and fearful aspect or countenance without, but sorrow, fear and afflicting thoughts with∣in; this is a sore affliction to ma∣ny good men whose Consciences are sprinkled with the bloud of Christ from guilt, but yet God

sees good to clog them with such afflictions as this for their humiliation, and for the prevention of worse evils.

2. Object. But many bold and daring sinners are found, who notwithstanding all the guilt with which their consciences are loaded, can look dangers in the face without trembling, yea, they can look death it self the King of terrors in the face, with less fear than better men.

Sol. True, but the reason of that is from a spiritual judgment of God upon their hearts and consciences, whereby they are hardened, and seared as with an hot iron, 2. Tim. 4. 2. and so Conscience is disabled for the present, to do its office, it cannot put forth its efficacy and activity now, when it might be useful to their salvation, but it will do it to purpose hereafter when their case shall be remediless.

3. Cause.

3. We see what a forge of Fears a guilty Consci∣ence is, and no less is the sin of Unbelief, the real and proper cause of most distracting and afflictive fears; so much as our Souls are empty of faith, they are in times of trouble filled with fear: We read of some that have died by no other hand but their own fears; but we never read of any that died by fear, who were once brought to live by faith: If men would but dig to the root of their fears, they should certainly find unbelief there, Matth. 8. 26. Why are ye fearful, Oye of little faith? The less faith still the more fear: Fear is generated by unbelief, and unbelief strengthened by fear, as in nature there is an observable 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 circular generation, vapours beget showers, and showers new vapours; so it is in things moral, and therefore all the skill in the world can never cure us of the disease of fear, till God first cure us of our unbe∣lief:

Christ therefore took the right method, to rid the disciples of their fear, by rebuking their unbelief. The remains of this sin in Gods own people is the cause and fountain of their fears, and more particularly to shew how fear is generated by unbelief, let a few par∣ticulars be heedfully adverted.

1. Unbelief weakens and stumbles the assenting act of Faith, and thereby cuts off from the soul in a great measure its principal relief against dangers and troubles. It is the use and office of Faith to reallize to the Soul the invisible things of the world to come, and thereby encourage it against the fears and dan∣gers of the present world: Thus Moses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the King, for he endured, as seeing him that is invisible, Heb. 11. 27. If this assent∣ting act of Faith be weakned or staggered in the soul, if once invisibles seem uncertainties, and visibles the only realities, no wonder we are so scared and fright∣ed when these visible and sensible comforts are ex∣posed and endangered, as they often are, and will be in this mutable world. That man must needs be afraid to stand his ground, that is not throughly perswaded the ground he stands on is firm and good; 'tis not to be wondred that men should tremble, who seem to feel the ground shake and reel under them.

2. Unbelief shuts up the refuges of the Soul in the Divine promises, and by leaving it without those refuges,* 3.21 must needs leave it in the hands of fears and ter∣rors. That which fortifies and emboldens a Christian in evil times, is his dependence upon God for protection, Psal. 143. 9. I flie unto thee to hide me. The cutting off of this retreat (which nothing but unbelief can do) deprives the soul of all those succours and supports

which the promises afford, and consequently fills the heart with anxiety and fear.

3. Unbelief makes men negligent and careless in providing for troubles before they come, and so brings them by way of surprize upon them, and the more surprizing any evil is, the more frightful it is always found to be; we cannot think that Noah was so affrighted at the Flood when it began to swell above all the hills and mountains as all the rest of the world was, nor was there any reason that he should, having foreseen it by Faith, and made provision for it, Heb. 11. 7. By faith Noah being warned of God, prepared an Ark.* 3.22 Augustine relates a very per∣tinent and memorable story of Pau∣linus Bishop of Nola, who was a very rich man, both in goods and grace, he had much of the world in his hands, but little of it in his heart, and it was well there was not; for the Goths a barba∣rous people breaking into that City, like so many Devils fell upon the prey, those that trusted to the treasures which they had, were deceived and ruined by them; for the rich were put to tortures to confess where they had hid their moneys: This good Bishop fell into their hands and lost all he had, but was scarce moved at the loss, as appears by his prayer which my Author relates thus, Lord let me not be troubled for my gold and silver, thou knowest it is not my treasure, that I have laid up in heaven, according to thy command. I was warned of this judgment before it came, and provided for it, and where all my interest lies. Lord thou knowest.

Thus Mr. Bradford, when the Keepers wife came running into his Chamber suddenly, with words able to have put the most men in the world into a trem∣bling posture, O Mr. Bradford, I bring you heavy ti∣dings,

to morrow you must be burned, and your chain is now buying; he put off his hat and said, Lord I thank thee I have looked for this a great while, it is not terrible to me, God make me worthy of such a mercy, see the benefit of a prospect of, and prepara∣tion for sufferings.

4. Unbelief leaves our dearest interests and con∣cerns in our own hands, it commits nothing to God, and consequently must needs fill the heart with distra∣cting fears when eminent dangers threaten us. Rea∣der, if this be thy case, thou wilt be a Magor missabib surrounded with terrours, whensoever thou shalt be surrounded with dangers and troubles. Believers in this as well as in many other things have the advan∣tage of thee, that they have committed all that is precious and valuable to them, into the hands of God by Faith, to him they have committed the keeping of their souls, 1 Pet. 4. 19. and all their eternal con∣cernments, 2 Tim. 1. 12. And these being put into safe hands, they are not distracted with fears about other matters of less value, but can trust them where they have intrusted the greater, and enjoy the quiet∣ness and peace of a resigned Soul to God, Prov. 16. 3. but as for thee, thy life, thy liberty, yea, which is in∣finitely more than all these things, thy Soul will lie upon thy hands in the day of trouble, and thou wilt not know what to do with them, nor which way to dispose of them; O these be the dreadful streights and frights that unbelief leaves men in, 'tis a foun∣tain of Fears, and distractions. And indeed it can∣not but distract and confound carnal men in whom it reigns and is in its full strength, when sad experi∣ence shews us what fears and tremblings the very re∣mains and relicts of this sin begets in the best men, who are not fully freed from it. If the unpurged re∣licts

of unbelief in them, can thus darken and cloud their evidences, thus greaten and multiply their dan∣gers, if it can draw such sad and frightful conclusi∣ons in their hearts, notwithstanding all the contrary experiences of their lives, as we see in that sad instance, 1 Sam. 27. 1. What panick fears, and unrelieved terrors must it put those men under, where it is in its full strength and dominion.

4. Cause.

Moreover, we shall find many of our Fears raised and provoked in us by the Promiscuous administrati∣ons of providence in this world, when we read in Scripture, That There is one••••vent to the righteous and to the wicked, and all things come alike to all, Eccles. 9. 2. That when the sword is drawn, God suffers it to cut off the righteous and the wicked, Ezek. 21. 3. The Sword makes no difference, where God hath made so great a difference by grace, it neither distinguishes faces, nor breasts, but is assoon sheath∣ed in the bowels of the best, as of the worst of men; when we read how the same fire of Gods indignation, devours the green tree and the dry tree, Ezek. 20. 47. How the basket of good figs (the Embleme of the best men of those times) were carried into Baby∣lon as well as the bad, Ier. 24. 5. How the flesh of Gods Saints hath been given for meat to the fowls of heaven, and to the beasts of the field, Psal. 97. 12. and how the wicked have devoured the man that is more righteous than himself as it is Habak. 1. 13. I say when we observe such things in Scripture, and find our observations confirmed by the accounts and histories of former and later ages, when we reflect up∣on the unspeakable miseries and butcheries of those plain hearted and precious servants of Christ, the Al∣bingenses and Waldenses, how they fell as a prey to

their cruel adversaries notwithstanding the convin∣cing simplicity and holiness of their lives, and all their fervent cries, and appeals to God, how the very flower of the reformed Protestant interest in France was cut off with more than barbarous inhumanity, so that the Streets were washed, and the Canals of Paris ran with their precious bloud.

What horrid and unparallelled tortures the servants of God felt in that cruel Massacre in Ireland, a history too tragical for a tender hearted Reader to stay long upon: And how in our own Land, the most eminent Ministers and Christians were sent to heaven in a fiery chariot in those doleful Marian day: I say when we read and consider such things as these, it rouzes our fears, and puts us into frights when we see our selves threatned with the same enemies and dangers; when the feet of them that carried out the dear servants of God in bloudy winding sheets to their graves, stand at the door to carry us forth next, if providence loose their chain, and give them a permission so to do; and our fears on this account are heightned by consi∣dering and revolving these four things in our thoughts, which we are always more inclined to do, than the things that should fortifie our faith, and heighten our Christian courage; as,

1. We are very apt to consider that as the same race and kind of men that committed these outrages upon our brethren, are still in being and that their rage and malice is not abated in the least degree, but is as fierce and cruel as ever it was, Gal. 4. 29. As then he that was born after the flesh, perseouted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. So it was then, and just so it is still, the old enmity is en∣tailed upon all wicked men from generation to gene∣ration; multi adhuc sunt qui clavum sanguine

Abelis rubentem adhuc circumferunt. Cain's club is to this day carried up and down the world stained with the bloud of Abel, as Bucholtzer speaks; 'tis a rooted antipathy, and it runs in a bloud, and will run as long as there are wicked men from whom and to whom it shall be propagated, and a devil in hell, by whom it will not fail to be exasperated and irritated.

2. We know also that nothing hinders the execu∣tion of their wicked purposes against us, but the re∣straints of providence; should God loose the chain, and give them leave to act forth the malice and rage that is in their hearts, no pity would be shewen by them, or could be rationally expected from them, Psal. 124. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. We live among Lions, and them that are set on fire of hell, Psal. 57. 4. the on∣ly reason of our safety is this, that he who is the keep∣er of the Lions is also the shepherd of the sheep.

3. We find that God hath many times let loose these Lions upon his people, and given them leave to tear his lambs in pieces, and suck the bloud of his Saints; how well soever he loves them, yet hath he often delivered them into the hands of his enemies, and suffered them to perpetuate and act the greatest cruelties upon them; the best men have suffered the worst things, and the Histories of all ages have deli∣vered down unto us the most tragical relations of their barbarous usage.

4. We are also conscious to our selves how fa•• short we come in holiness, innocency, and spiritual excellency of those excellent persons who have suffer∣ed these things, and therefore have no ground to ex∣pect more favour from providence than they found •• we know also there is no promise in the Scriptures t•• which they had not as good a claim and title as ou••••selves: With us are found as great, yea, greater sin

than in them, and therefore have no reason to please our selves with the fond imaginations of extraordina∣ry exemptions. If we think these evils shall not come in our days, 'tis like many of them thought so too, and yet they did, and we may find it quite otherwise, Lam. 4. 12. Who would have thought that the enemy should have entered in at the gates of Ierusalem? The revolving of these and such like considerations in our thoughts, and mixing our own unbelief with them creates a world of fears even in good men, till by resignation of all to God, and acting faith upon the promises that assure us of the sanctification of all our troubles, as that, Rom. 8. 28. Gods presence with us in our troubles, as that Psal. 91. 15. his moderation of our troubles to that measure and degree in which they are supportable, Isai. 27. 8. And the safe and comfortable outlet and final deliverance from them all at last, according to that in Rev. 7. 17. We do at last recover our hearts out of the hands of our fears a∣gain, and compose them to a quiet and sweet sa∣tisfaction in the wise and holy pleasure of our God.

5. Cause.

5. Our immoderate love of life, and the comforts and conveniencies thereof may be assigned as a proper and real ground and cause of our sinful fears, when the dangers of the times threaten the one or other: did we love our lives less, we should fear and trem∣ble less than we do. It is said of those renowned Saints, Rev. 12. 11. They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their Testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the Death.

They overcame, not only the fury of their ene∣mies without them, but their sinful fears within them; and this victory was atchieved by their mortification, to the inordinate and immoderate love of life, cer∣tainly

their own fears had overcome them, if they had not first overcome the love of life: It was not therefore without very great reason that our Lord injoyned it upon all his disciples and followers, to hate their own lives, Luke 14. 26. not absolutely, but in comparison and competition with him, (i. e.) to love it in so remiss a degree, as to slight and under∣value it as a poor low thing in such a comparison, he foresaw what sharp tryals and sufferings were coming upon them, and he knew if the fond and immode∣rate love of life were not overcome and mortified in them, it would make them warp and bend under such temptations.

This was it that freed Paul from slavish fears, and made him so magnanimous and undaunted; indeed he had less fear upon his spirit though he was to suffer those hard and sharp things in his own person, than his friends had who only Sympathized with him, and were not farther concerned than by their own love and pity: He spake like a man who was rather a spectator than a sufferer, Acts 20. 24, 25. none of these things move me, saith he, Great soul! not moved with bonds and afflictions? how did he attain so great courage and constancy of mind in such deep and dreadful sufferings? It was enough to have moved the stoutest man in the world, yea, and to have re∣moved the resolutions of any that had not loved Christ better than his own life; but life was a trifle to him in comparison with Jesus Christ, for so he tells us in the next words, I count not my life dear unto me; q. d. 'Tis a low priz'd commodity in my eyes, not worth the saving or regarding on such sinful terms: O how many have parted with Christ, peace, and eternal life, for fear of losing that which Paul regar∣ded not. And if we bring our thoughts closer to the

matter, we shall soon find that this is a fountain o•• fears in times of danger, and that from this excessive love of life, we are rack'd and tortured with ten thou∣sand terrors. For,

1. Life is the greatest and nearest interest men naturally have in this world, and that which wraps up all other inferiour interests in it self, Iob 2. 4. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life. It is a real truth, though it came from the mouth of the father of lies; afflictions never touch the quick till they touch the life; liberty, estates, and other accommodations in this world receive their va∣lue and estimation from hence, if life be cut off these accidents perish, and are of no account. Gen. 25. 32. Behold, I am at the point to die, (said Esau) and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

2. Life being naturally the dearest interest of men in this world, the richest treasure, and most beloved thing on earth to a natural man; that which strikes at, and endangers life, must in his eyes be the greatest evil that can befall him; on this account death be∣comes terrible to men, yea, as Iob calls it, the King of Terrors, Iob 18. 14. The black prince or the prince of clouds and darkness, as some translate those words: Yea, so terrible is death upon this account, that the very fear of it hath sometimes precipitated men into the hands of it, as we sometimes observe in times of pestilence,* 3.23 the excessive fear of the Plague hath indu∣ced it.

3. Though death be terrible in any shape, in the mildest form it can appear in; yet a violent and bloudy death by the hands of cruel and merciless men, is the most terrible form that death can appear in; 'tis now the King of terrors indeed, in the most ghastly representation and frightful form, in its scarlet Robes, and terrifying formalities. In a violent death all the barbarous cruelty that the wit of our enemies can in∣vent, or their malice inflict, is mingled together; in a violent death are many deaths contrived into one, and it oftentimes approaches men by such slow and deliberate paces, that they feel every tread of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 foot as it advanceth towards them. Moriatur, ut sentiat se mori, Let him so die, (said the Tyrant) that he may feel himself to die, yea, and how he dies by inch-meal or slow and lingring degrees; this is ex∣ceeding frightful, especially to those that are of a more soft and tender nature and temper, who must needs be struck through with the terrours of death, except the Lord arm them against it with the assu∣rance of a better life, and sweeten these bitter appre∣hensions by the foretasts of it. This is enough of put even sanctified nature into a consternation, and make a very gracious heart to sink, unless it be so upheld by Divine strength and comfort: And hence come ma∣ny, very many of our fears, and terrors, especially when the same enemies that have been accustomed to this bloudy work, shall be found confederating and designing again to break in upon us, and act over ••∣gain as much cruelty as ever they have done upon ou•• brethren in times past.

6. Cause.

To conclude, many of our sinful fears and con∣sternations flow from the influences of Satan upon our phantasies. They say winds, and storms are of••

times raised by Satan both by sea and land, and I ne∣ver doubted but the Prince of the power of the air by Gods permission can, and often doth put the world into great frights and disturbances by such tempests, Iob 1. 19. He can raise the loftiest winds, pour down roaring showers, rattle in the air with fearful claps of thunder, and scare the lower world with terrible flashes of lightning. And I doubt not but he hath by the same permission a great deal of influ∣ence and power upon the fansies and passions of men. and can raise more terrible storms and tempests within 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••han ever we heard or felt without us: he can by leave from God approach our Phantasies, disturb and trouble them exceedingly by forming frightful Idea's there; for Satan not only works upon men mediately by the ministry of their external senses, but by reason of his Spiritual angelical nature, he can have immediate access to the internal sense also, as appears by diabolical dreams, and by practising upon that power of the Soul, he influences the pasti∣ons of it, and puts it under very dreadful apprehen∣sions and consternations: Now if Satan can provoke and exasperate the fury and rage of wicked men, as it is evident he can do, Rev. 2. 10. and so disturb our Fansies and influence our passions, as there is no reason to doubt but by leave from God he can do, as well as he can go to the magazines and store-houses of thunder, lightnings, and storms. O what inward storms of Fear, can he shake our hearts withal, and if God give him but a permission how ready will he be to do it? seeing it is so conducible to his design: for by putting men into such frights he at once weakens their hands in duty as is plain from his attempt this way upon Nehemiah, Chap. 6. 13. and if he prevail there, he drives them into the snares, and trains of

his temptations, as the fisherman and fowler do the birds and fishes into their nets, when once they have flusht and frighted them out of their coverts. And thus you have some account of the principal and true causes of our Sinful Fears.

CHAP. V.

Laying open the sinful and lamentable effects of slavish and inordinate Fear both in car∣nal and regenerate persons.

SECT. I.

HAving taken a view in the former Chapters of the Kinds and Causes of Fear, and seen what lies at the root of Slavish Fear and both breeds and feeds it, what fruit can we expect from such a cursed Plant, but gall and wormwood, fruit as bitter as death it self? Let us then in the next place examine and well consider these following and deplorable effects of Fear to excite us to apply our selves the more con∣cernedly to those directions that follow in the close of this Treatise for the cure of it. And,

1. Effect.

The first Effect of this sinful and exorbitant passion, is distraction of mind and thoughts in duty; both Cicero and Quintilian will have the word tumultus, a tumult to come from timor multus, much fear, 'tis a compound of those two words; much fear raises great uproars and tumults in the Soul, and puts all in∣to hurries and distractions, so that we cannot attend

upon any service of God, with profit or comfort. It was therefore a very necessary mercy that was request∣ed of God, Luk. 1. 74. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear. For it is impossible to serve God without distractions, till we can serve him without the slavish fear of ene∣mies. The reverential fear of God is the greatest ••pur to duty, and choicest help in it, but the distra∣cting fears of men will either wholly divert us from our duty, or destroy the comfort and benefit of our duties; 'tis a deadly snare of the Devil, to hinder all comfortable intercourse with God.

It is very remarkable, that when the Apostle was gi∣ving his advice to the Corinthians, about marriage in those times of persecution and difficulty, he com∣mends to them a single life as most eligible; where it may be without other sinful inconveniencies, and that principally for this reason, That they might attend upon the Lord without distractions, 1 Cor. 7. 35. He foresaw what streights, cares, and fears must unavoi∣dably distract them in such times that were most clog∣ged and incumbred with families, and relations; when a man should be thinking, O what shall I do now to to get my doubts and fears resolved about my interest in Christ? How may I so behave my self in my suffer∣ings as to credit Religion, and not become a scandal and stumbling stone to others? His thoughts are taken ••p with other cares and fears! O what will become of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wife and poor little ones! what shall I do with ••hem, and for them, to secure them, from danger?

I doubt not but it is a great design of the Devil to ••eep us in continual alarms and frights, and to puzzle ••ur heads and hearts with a thousand difficulties which ••ossibly may never befall us, or if they do, shall ne∣••er prove so fatal to us as we fancy them, and all this

to unfit us for our present duties, and destroy our comfort therein; for if by frights and terrors of mind he can but once distract our thoughts, he gains three great points upon us, to our unspeakable loss.

1. Hereby he will cut off the freedom and sweet∣ness of our communion with God in duties, and what an empty shell will the best duties be, when this ker∣nel is wormed out by such a subtle artifice? Prayer as Damascen aptly expresses it, is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the ascension of the mind or soul to God; but distracti∣on clips its wings; he can never offer up his soul and thoughts to God, that hath not the possession of them himself; and he that is under distracting fears pos∣sesseth not himself. The life of all communion with God in Prayer, consists in the harmony that is betwixt our hearts and words, and both with the will of God, this harmony is spoiled by distractions, and so Satan gains that point.

2. But this is not all he gains, and we lose by di∣stracting fears; for as they cut off the freedom and sweetness of our intercourse with God in prayer, so they cut off the Soul from the succours and re∣liefs it might otherwise draw from the promises. We find when the Israelites were in great bondage, where∣in their minds were distracted with fears and sorrows, they regarded not the supporting promises of delive∣rance sent them by Moses, Exod. 6. 9. David had an express and particular promise of the Kingdo•• from the mouth of God, which must needs include his deliverance out the hand of Saul, and all his stra∣tagems to destroy him; but yet when eminent ha∣zards were before his eyes, he was afraid, and tha•• fear betrayed the succours from the promise, so tha•• it drew a quite contrary inclusion, 1 Sam. 27. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall one day perish by the hand of Saul: And again 〈◊〉〈◊〉

is at the same point, Psal. 116. 11. All men are liars, not excepting Samuel himself who had assured him of the Kingdom. This is always the property and na∣ture of fear (as I shewed before) to make men distrust the best security when they are in eminent peril: But Oh what a mischief is this! to make us suspicious of the promises which are our chief relief and support in times of trouble: Our fears will unfit us for prayer, they will also shake the credit of the promises with us, and so great is the damage we receive both ways, that it were better for us to lose our two eyes, than two such advantages in trouble. But,

3. This is not all, by our present fears we lose the benefit and comfort of all our past experiences, and the singular relief we might have from all that faith∣fulness and goodness of God which our eyes have seen in former streights and dangers, the present fear clouds them all, Isai. 51. 12, 13. Men and dangers are so much minded, that God is forgotten, even the God that hath hitherto preserved us, though our for∣mer fears told us, the enemy was daily ready to de∣vour us. All these sweet reliefs are cut off from us by our distracting fears, and that at a time when we have most need of them.

2. Effect.

Dissimulation and Hypocrisie is the fruit of slavish Fear; distraction you see is bad enough, but dissimu∣lation is worse than distraction, and yet as bad as it is, fear hath driven good men into this snare; it will make even an upright soul warp and bend from the rules of that integrity and candor which should be in∣separable at all times from a Christian: Of whom (saith God to his Israel) hast thou been afraid, that

thou hast lied, and hast not remembred me? God finds falshood, and charges it upon Fear, q. d. I know it was against the resolutions of my peoples hearts thus to dissemble, this certainly is the effect of a fright; Who is he that hath scared you into this evil? It was Abraham's fear that made him dissemble to the reproach of his Religion, Gen. 20. 2, 11. And in∣deed it was but an odd sight to see an heathen so schooling and reproving great Abraham about it as he there doth.

It was nothing but fear that drew his son Isaac into the like snare, Gen. 26. 7. And it was fear that over∣came Peter against his promise as well as principle to say concerning his dear Saviour, I know not the man, Matth. 26. 69. Had Abraham at that time remem∣bred, and acted his Faith freely upon what the Lord said to him, Gen. 17. 1. Fear not Abraham, I am thy shield, he had escaped both the sin and shame into which he fell, but even that great believer was foiled by his own fears; and certainly this is a great evil, a complicated mischief. For,

1. By these falls and scandals, Religion is made vile and contemptible in the eyes of the world, it reflects with much reproach upon God and his promises, as if his word were not sufficient security for us to rely upon in times of trouble, as if it were safer trusting to our wit, yea, to sin; than to the Promises.

2. It greatly weakens the hands of others, and proves a sore discouragement to them in their trials, to see their brethren faint for fear, and ashamed to own their principles; sometimes it hath this mischievous effect, but it is always improved by Satan and wicked men to this purpose. And,

3. It will be a terrible blow and wound to our own Consciences, for such flaws in our integrity we may

be kept waking and sighing many a night; O see the mischiefs of a timorous and faint spirit!

3. Effect.

Slavish Fears of the Creature exceedingly streng∣then our temptations in times of danger, and make them very efficacious and prevalent upon us. Prov. 29. 25. The fear of man brings a snare. Satan spreads the net, but we are not within its reach, till our own fears drive us into it; the recoyling of our spirits from some eminent danger, may cause the pulse of a true Christian to intermit and faulter, how regular soever it beats at other times, this will cause great trepidation and timidity in men that are sincere and upright, and that is it that brings the snare over their souls. Aaron was a good man, and Idolatry he knew to be a great sin, yet fear prevailed with that good man to give too much way to that great evil, Exod. 32. 22. Thou knowest the people that they are set upon mischief, saith he in his own excuse, in the matter of the golden calf, q. d. Lord I durst do no otherwise at that time, the people were violently and passionately set upon it; had I resisted them, it might have cost me dear.

It was fear that prevailed with Origen to yield so far as he did in offering incense to the Idol, the con∣sideration of which fact brake his heart to pieces. It was nothing but fear that made David play the fool, and act so dishonourably as he did, I Sam. 21. 12. Fear is a snare in which Satan hath caught as many souls as in any other of his stratagems and toyls what∣soever. It were easy to give instances, so many and so sad, as would inlarge this head even to tediousness, but I chuse rather to come to the particulars wherein

the danger of this snare of the Devil consists. And,

1. Herein lies the ensnaring danger of sinful fear, that it drives men out of their proper station, out of their place and duty, beside which there is none to be found but what is Satans ground. The subtle enemy of our salvation is aware that we are out of Gun shot, be∣yond his reach, whilst we abide with God in the way of our duty, that the Lord is with us, whilst we are with him, and there is no attempting our ruine under the wings of his protection. If ever therefore he mean∣eth to do any thing upon us, he must get us off that ground, and from under those wings, and there is nothing like fear to do this; then we are as the birds that are wandring from their nests, Prov. 27. 8. or like Shimei out of his limits.

2. Fear is usually the first passion in the soul that beats a parley with the enemy, and treats with the tempter about terms of rendition; and as the French proverb is, The Castle that parlies, is half wone. 'Tis fear that consults with flesh and bloud, whilst faith is ingaged with God for the supply of strength to en∣dure the siege; we have a sad and doleful instance of this in Spira, he tells us how his own fears betrayed him, by parlying with the tempter, for thus Mr. Ba∣con in the History of his life records the occasion of his fall.

Whilst Spira was tossing upon the restless waves of doubts, without Guide to trust to, or Ha∣ven to flee to for succour; on the sudden, Gods spirit assisting, he felt a calm, and began to di∣scourse with himself in this manner: Why wan∣derest thou thus in uncertainties? Unhappy man! cast away fear, put on thy shield of faith; where is thy wonted courage, thy goodness, thy constancy? Remember that Christs glory lies at the stake, suffer then without fear, and he will defend thee, he will

tell thee what thou shalt answer; he can beat down all danger, bring thee out of prison, raise thee from the dead: consider Peter in the dungeon, the Mar∣tyrs in the fire, &c.

Now was Spira in reasonable quiet, being resol∣ved to yield to those weighty reasons; yet holding it wisdom to examine all things, he consults also with flesh and bloud; thus the battel renews, and the flesh begins in this manner: Be well advised, fond man, consider reasons on both sides, and then judge, how canst thou thus overween thine own sufficiency, as thou neither regardest the examples of thy progenitors, nor the judgment of the whole Church; dost thou not consider what misery this days rashness will bring thee unto? Thou shalt lose all thy substance gotten with so much care and travel, thou shalt undergo the most exquisite torments that malice it self can devise, thou shalt be counted an Heretick of all, and to close up all, thou shalt die shamefully. What thinkest thou of the loathsome stinking Dungeon, the bloudy Ax, the burning Faggot? Are they delightful, &c. Thus through fear he first parlied with the Tempter, consulted with flesh and bloud, and at last fainted and yielded.

3. 'Tis fear that makes men impatient of waiting Gods time and method of deliverance, and so preci∣pitates the soul, and drives it into the snare of the next temptation, Isai. 51. 14. The Captive exile hasteth to be delivered out of the pit. any way or means of escape that comes next to hand, saith Fear, is better than to lie here in the pit; and when the soul is thus prepared by its own fears, it becomes an easy prey to the next temptation, by all which you see the mischief that comes by fear in times of danger.

4. Effect.

4. Fear naturally produceth Pusillanimity, and cowardliness in men, a poor low spirit, that present∣ly faints and yields upon every slight assault; it extin∣guisheth all Christian courage and magnanimity where ever it prevails, and therefore you find it joyn∣ed frequently in the Scriptures with discouragement, Deut. 1. 21. Fear not, neither be discouraged with fainting and trembling. Deut. 20. 3. Let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble; with dis∣mayedness. Deut. 31. 6. and faint heartedness, Isai. 7. 4. these are the effects and consequents of sinful fear: And how dangerous a thing it is to have our courage extinguished, and faintness of heart prevail upon us in a time when we have the greatest need and use of courage and our perseverance, peace and eternal happiness rely and depend so much upon it, let all seri∣ous Christians judge. 'tis sad to us and dishonourable to Religion to have the hearts of women, as it's said of Egypt, Isai. 19. 16. when we should play the men as the Apostle exhorts us, 1 Cor. 16. 13. We find in all ages those that have manifested most courage for Christ in time of trial, have been those whose Faith hath surmounted Fear, and whose hearts were above all discouragements from this world.

Such a man was Basil, as appears by his answer to Valens the Emperor who tempting him with offers of preferment, received this answer, Offer these things, said he, to children; and when he threatned him with grievous sufferings, he replied, threaten these things to your purple gallants that give themselves to plea∣sure, and are afraid to die.

And this was the spirit of courage and magnanimity

with which the generality of the Primitive Christians were animated, they feared not the faces of Tyrants, they shrunk not from the most cruel torments, and it redounded not a little to the credit of Christianity, when one of Iulians Nobles present at the tormenting of Marcus Bishop of Arethusa told the Apostate to his face, We are ashamed O Emperor, the Christi∣ans laugh at your cruelty, and grow more resolute by it. So Lactantius also testifies of them, our wo∣men and children, saith he, not to speak of men, o∣vercome their torments, and the fire cannot fetch so much as a sigh from them. If carnal fear once get the ascendant over us, all our courage and resolution will flag, and melt away, we may suffer out of una∣voidable necessity, but shall never honour Christ and Religion by our sufferings.

5. Effect.

Carnal fear is the very root of Apostacy, it hath made thousands of professors to faint and fall away in the hour of temptation, it is not so much from the fury of our enemies without, as from our own fears within, that temptations become victorious over us; from the beginning of fears Christ dates the begin∣ning apostacy, Matth. 24. 9, 10. Then shall they de∣liver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name sake, and then shall many be offended. When troubles and dangers come to an height then fears begin to work at an height too, and then is the critical hour; fears are high, and faith is low; temptation strong, and re∣sistance weak. Satan knocks at the door, and fear opens it, and yields up the soul to him, except speci∣al aid and assistance come in seasonably from heaven,

so long as we can profess Religion without any great hazard of life, liberty, or estates, we may shew much zeal and forwardness in the ways of godliness, but when it comes to the sharpes, to resisting unto bloud, few will be found to own and assert it openly in the face of such dangers. The first retreat is usually made from a free and open to a close and concealed practice of Religion; not opening our windows as Daniel did, to shew we care not who knows we dare worship our God and are not ashamed of our duties, but hiding our principles and practi∣ces with all the art and care imaginable, reckoning it well if we can escape danger by letting fall our profession which might expose us to it: But if the in∣quest go on, and we cannot be secured any longer under this refuge, we must comply with false worship, and give some open signal that we do so, or else be marked out for ruine; then saith Fear, give a little more ground and retreat to the next security, which is to comply seemingly with that which we do not allow, hoping God will be merciful to us, and ac∣cept us if we keep our hearts for him, though we are forced thus to dissemble and hide our principles. Ea∣mus ad communem errorem, said Calderinus, when going to the Mass, Let us go to the common er∣ror; and as Seneca adviseth about worshipping the Roman Gods, in animi religione non habeat, sed in actibus fingat, let us make a semblance and shew of worshipping them, though our hearts give no Reli∣gious respect to them: But if still the temptation hunt us further, and we come to be more narrowly sifted, and put to a severer Test, by subscribing con∣trary Articles, or renouncing our former avowed principles, and that upon penalty of death, and loss of all that is dear to us in this World; now nothing

in all the world hazards our eternal salvation, as our own fears will do; this is like to be the rock on which we shall split all, and make an horrible shipwrack both of truth and peace: This was the case of Cranmer, whose fears caused him to subscribe against the dictates of his own Conscience, and cowardly to betray the known truth, and indeed there is no temptation in the world that hath overthrown so many as that which hath been backt and edged with fear; the love of Pre∣ferments and honours hath slain its thousands, but fear of sufferings its ten thousands.

6. Effect.

Sinful Fear puts men under great bondage of Spi∣rit, and makes Death a thousand times more terrible and intolerable than it would otherways be to us. You Read of some, Heb. 2. 15. Who through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage, (i. e.) It kept them in a miserable anxiety and perplexity of mind, like slaves that tremble at the whip which is held over them: Thus many thousands live under the lash, so terrible is the name of death, especially a vio∣lent death, that they are not able with patience to hear 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mentioned; which gave the ground of that saying, Praestat semel, quam semper mori, Its better to die once than to be dying always. And surely there is not a more miserable life any poor creature can live, than such a trembling life as this is. For,

1. Such a bondage as this destroys all the comfort and pleasure of life, no pleasure can grow or thrive under the shadow of this cursed Plant, Nil ei beatum cui semper aliquis terror impendeat,* 3.24 saith Cicero. All the com∣forts we possess in this World are imbittered by it.

'Tis storied of Democles a flatterer of Dionysius the Tyrant, that he told him he was the happiest man in the World, having Wealth, Power, Majesty, and abundance of all things: Dionysius sets the Flatte∣rer in all his own pomp at a Table furnished with all dainties, and attended upon as a King, but with an heavy sharp sword hanging by a single Horse hair right over his head, this made him quake and trem∣ble so that he could neither eat nor drink but desired to be freed from that estate: The design was to con∣vince him how miserable a life they live who live under the continual terrors of impending death and ruine. It was a sore judgment which God threatned against them in Ier. 5. 6. A Lion out of the forrest shall slay them, and a Wolf of the evening shall spoil them, a Leopard shall watch over their Cities, every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces. What a miserable life must those people live, who could not stir out of the City, but they presently were seized by Lions, Wolves, and Leopards, that watch'd over them, and lurked in all the Avenewes to make them a prey, and yet this is more tolerable than for a mans own fear to watch continually over him.

2. And yet I could wish this were the worst of it, and that our Fears destroyed no better comforts than the natural comforts of this life; but alas, they also destroy our spiritual comforts which we might have from Gods promises, and our own and others experi∣ences, which are incomparably the sweetest pleasures men have in this World: But as no creature comfort is pleasant, so no promise relishes like it self to him that lives in this bondage of Fear; when the terrors of death are great, the consolations of the Almighty are small.

In the written word are found all sorts of refreshing

strengthening, and heart-reviving promises, prepa∣red by the wisdom and care of God for our relief in the days of darkness and trouble; promises of sup∣port under the heaviest burdens and pressures, Isai. 41. 10. Fear not, for I am with thee, be not dismay∣ed, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. A promise able to make the most timorous and trembling soul to shout with the joy of men in harvest, or as they that divide the spoil.

There are found the encouraging promises of de∣fence and protection, Isa. 27. 2, 3. and Isa. 33. 2. promises that lead us into the Almighty power of God, and put us under the wings of his care in time of danger.

Promises of moderation and mitigation in the day of sharp affliction that we may be able to bear it, Isai. 27. 8. 1 Cor. 10. 13.

Promises of deliverance out of troubles, if the malice of man bring us into trouble, the mercy of God will assuredly bring us out. Psal. 91. 14, 15. and Ps. 125. 3.

And which is most comfortable of all the rest, pro∣mises to Sanctifie and bless our troubles to our good, so that they shall not only cease to be hurtful, but by vertue of the promise, become exceeding beneficial to us. Isa. 27. 9. Rom. 8. 28.

All these promises are provided by our tender Fa∣ther for us against a day of straits and fears; and be∣cause he knew our weakness, and how apt our fears would be to make us suspect our security by them, he hath for the performance of them, engaged his wisdom, power, care, faithfulness, and unchangea∣bleness, 2 Pet. 2. 9. Isai. 27. 2, 3. 2 Chron. 16. 9. 1 Cor. 10. 13. Isai. 43. 1, 2. In the midst of such

promises so sealed how chearful and magnanimous should we be in the worst times? And say as David, Psal. 49. 5. Why should I fear in the day of evil? Let those that have no God to flee to, no promise to re∣ly upon, let them fear in the day of evil, I have no cau••e to do so. But even from these most comforta∣ble refuges in the promises, our own Fears beat us, we are so scared that we mind them not, so as to draw encouragement, resolution, and courage from them. Thus the Shields of the mighty are vilely castaway.

So for all the choice records of the Saints experi∣ences in all former troubles and distresses; God hath by a singular providence, (aiming at our relief in future distresses,) preserved them for us; if danger threaten us, we may turn to the recorded experiences his people have left us, of the strange and mighty in∣fluence of his providence upon the hearts of their ene∣mies, to shew them favour, Gen. 31. 29. Psal. 106. 46. Ier. 15. 11.

There also are found the ancient Rolls and Records of the admirable methods of his peoples deliverance, contrived by his infinite and unsearchable wisdom for them, when all their own thoughts have been at a loss, and their understandings posed and staggered. Exod. 15. 6. 2 Chron. 20. 12, 15. 2 Kings 19. 3, 7.

There are the recorded experiences of Gods un∣spotted faithfulness, which never failed any soul that durst trust himself in its arms. Mica. 6. 4, 5. Ioshuah 7. 9.

There also are to be found the Records of his tender and most fatherly care for his children, who have been to him as a peculiar treasure in times of danger. Psal 40. 17. Deut. 32. 10, 11, 12. Isai. 49. 16. Iob 36. 7. 2. Chron. 16. 9.

All these and many more supports and cordials are

made ready to our hand and provided for a day of trouble; but alas, to what purpose, if our own fears, so transport us that we can neither apply them, nor so much as calmly ponder and consider them.

3. To conclude, by these Fears we are deprived of those manifold advantages we might gain by the calm and composed meditations of our own death, and the change it will make upon us; could we sit down in peace, and meditate in a familiar way upon death; could we look with a composed and well set∣led mind into our own graves, and not be scared and frighted with the thoughts of death, and startle when∣ever we take it, (though but in our thoughts) by the cold hand: To what seriousness would those meditati∣ons frame us? And what abundance of evils would they prevent in our conversations? The sprinkling of dust upon new writing, prevents many a blot and blur in our books or letters; and could we thus sprinkle the dust of the Grave upon our minds, it would prevent many a sin and miscarriage in our words and actions: But there is no profit or advan∣tage redounding to us either from promises, experi∣ences, or death it self when the soul is discomposed and put into confusion by its own fears. And thus you see some of those many mischievous effects of your own fears.

CHAP. VI.

Prescribing the rules to cure our Sinful Fears, and prevent these sad and woful effects of them.

SECT. I.

WE are now come to the most difficult part of the work, viz. The Cure, of the sinful and slavish fear of Creatures in times of danger, which if it might through the blessing of God be effected, we might live at hearts ease in the midst of all our ene∣mies and troubles, and like the Sun in the Heavens, keep on our steady course in the darkest and gloomiest day: But before I come to the particular Rules, it will be necessary for the prevention of mistakes, to lay down three useful cautions about this matter.

1. Caution.

Understand that none but those that are in Christ are capable to improve the following Rules to their advantage. The security of our souls is the great ar∣gument used by Christ to extinguish our fears of them that can kill the Body, Matth. 10. 28. But if the Soul must unavoidably perish when the Body doth, if it must drop into hell before the Body be laid in the grave: If he that kills the body doth by the same stroak cut off the Soul from all the means and possi∣bilities of mercy and happiness for ever; what can be offered in such a case, to relieve a man against fear and trembling.

2. Caution.

Expect not a perfect cure of your Fears in this life; whilst there are enemies and dangers, there will be some fears working in the best hearts: If our Faith could be perfected, our Fears would be perfectly cured; but whilst there is so much weakness in our Faith, there will be too much strength in our Fears.

And for those who are naturally timorous, who have more of this passion in their constitution than other men have; and those in whom melancholy is a rooted and chronical disease; it will be hard for them to∣tally to rid themselves of fears and dejections, though in the use of such helps and means as follow, they may be greatly relieved against the tyranny of them, and enabled to possess their souls in much more tran∣quillity and comfort.

3. Caution.

Whosoever expects the benefit of the following Prescriptions and Rules, must not think the Reading or bare remembring them will do the work; but he must work them into his heart by believing and fixed meditation, and live in the daily practice of them. It is not our opening of our case to a Physician, nor his Prescriptions and written directions that will cure a man, but he must resolve to take the bitter and nauseous potions how much soever he loath it, to ab∣stain from hurtful diet, how well soever he loves it, if ever he expect to be a sound and healthful man. So it is in this case also. These things premised the

1. Rule.

The first Rule to relieve us against our Slavish Fears, Is seriously to consider, and more throughly to study the Covenant of Grace, within the blessed Clasp and Bond whereof all believers are. I think the clear understanding of the Nature, Extent, and Stability of the Covenant, and of our interest therein, would go a great way in the cure of our sinful and slavish Fears.

A Covenant is more than a naked promise, in the Covenant, God hath graciously consulted our weak∣ness, fears, and doubts, and therefore proceeds with us in the highest way of solemnity, confirming his Promises by Oath, Heb. 6. 13, 17. and by Seals, Rom. 4. 11. Putting himself under the most solemn∣ties and engagements that can be, to his people, that from so firm a ratification of the Covenant with us, we might have strong consolation, Heb. 6. 18. He hath so ordered it, that it might afford strong sup∣ports, and the most reviving cordials to our faint and and timorous Spirits, in all the plunges of trouble both from within, and from without. In the Co∣venant God makes over himself to his people, to be unto them a God, Ier. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 10. Where∣in the Lord bestows himself in all his Glorious Essen∣tial properties upon us, to the end that whatsoever his Almighty power, Infinite wisdom, and Incom∣prehensible mercy can afford for our protection, support, deliverance, direction, pardon, or refresh∣ment; we might be assured shall be faithfully per∣formed to us in all the straits, fears, and exigencies of our lives. This God expects we should improve by Faith, as the most sovereign antidote against all

our Fears in this world. Isaiah 43. 1, 2. Thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel; fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine; when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, &c. Isai. 41. 10. Fear not, for I am with thee, be not dismaied, for I am thy God.

And if thou Reader, be within the bond of this Covenant, thou mayest surely find enough there to quiet thy heart, whatever the matter or ground of thy fears be: If God be thy Covenant God, he will be with thee in all thy streights, wants and troubles, he will never leave, nor forsake thee. From the Cove∣nant it was that David encouraged himself against all his troubles. 2. Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God, yet hath he made with me an ever∣lasting Covenant, well ordered in all things and sure; and this is all my salvation, and all my desire, though he make it not to grow. He could fetch all reliefs, all comforts, all salvations out of it, and why cannot we? He desired no more for the support of his heart; this is all my desire; and sure if we understood and belie∣ved it as he did, we could desire no more to quiet and comfort our hearts than what this Covenant affords us. For,

1. Are we afraid what our enemies will do? We know we are in the midst of Potent, Politick, and enraged enemies; we have heard what they have done, and see what they are preparing to do again; we tremble to think what bloudy Tragedies are like to be acted over again in the World by their cruel hands: But O what heroick and noble acts of Faith should the Covenant of thy God enable thee to exert amidst all these fears? If God be thy God, then thou hast an Almighty God on thy side, and that is enough

to extinguish all these Fears, Psal. 118. 6. The Lord is on my side, I will not fear what man can do unto me. Your fears come in the name of man, but your help in the name of the Lord: Let them plot, threaten, yea, and smite too; God is a shield to all that fear him, and if God be for us, who can be against us?

2. Are we afraid what God will do? Fear it not, your God will do nothing against your good; think not that he may forget you, it cannot be; sooner may a tender mother forget her sucking child, Isai. 49. 15. no, no, He withdraweth not his eye from the Righteous, Iob 36. 7. His eyes are continually upon all the dangers and wants of your Souls and Bodies, there is not a danger or an enemy stirring against you, but his eye is upon it. 2 Chron. 16. 9.

Are you afraid he will forsake and cast you off? 'Tis true, your sins have deserved he should do so, but he hath secured you fully against that fear in his Co∣venant, Ier. 32. 40. I will not turn away from them, to do them good. All your fears of Gods forgetting or forsaking you, spring out of your ignorance of the Covenant.

3. Are you afraid what you shall do? 'Tis usual for the people of God to propose difficult cases to themselves, and put startling questions to their own hearts; and there may be an excellent use of them, to rouze them out of security, put them upon the search and tryal of their conditions and estates, and make preparation for the worst; but Satan usually improves it to a quite contrary end, to deject, affright, and discourage them. O if fiery trials should come, if my liberty and life come once to be toucht in ear∣nest, I fear I shall never have strength to go on a step farther in the way of Religion: I am afraid I shall faint in the first encounter, I shall deny the words of

the Holy One, make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience in the first gust of temptation. I can hear, and pray, and profess; but I doubt I cannot burn, or bleed, or lie in a dungeon for Christ. If I can scarce run with footmen in the land of peace, how do I think to contend with Horses in the swellings of Iordan?

But yet all these are but groundless fears, either forged in thy own misgiving heart, or secretly shuffled by Satan into it; for God hath abundantly secured thee against fear in this very particular, by that most sweet supporting and blessed promise, an∣nexed to the former, in the same Text, Ier. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts, and that they shall not depart from me. Here is another kind of Fear, than that which so startles thee, promised to be put into thy heart, not a fear to shake and under∣mine thy assurance as this doth, but to guard and maintain it. And this is the fear that shall be enabled to vanquish and expel all thy other fears.

4. Or are you afraid what the Church shall do? And what will become of the Ark of God? Do you see a storm gathering, the winds begin to roar, the waves to swell; and are you afraid what will become of that vessel the Church, in which you have so great an interest?

It is an argument of the publickness and excellency of thy spirit, to be thus touched with the feeling sense of the Churches sufferings, and dangers. Most men seek their own things, and not the things that are of Christ, Phil. 2. 21. But yet it is your sin so to fear as to sink and faint under a spirit of despondency, and discouragement, which yet many good men are but too apt to do.* 3.25 I remem∣ber an excellent passage in a Letter of

Luther's to Melancthon upon this very account.

In Private troubles, saith he, I am weaker, and thou art stronger; thou despisest thy own life, but fearest the Publick cause; but for the Publick I am at rest, being assured that the cause is just and true; yea, that it is Christ's and Gods cause. I am well nigh a secure spectator of things, and e∣steem not any thing these fierce and threatning Pa∣pists. I beseech thee by Christ, neglect not so Divine promises and consolations where the Scrip∣ture saith, Cast thy care upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord, be strong, and he shall comfort thy heart. And in another Epistle. I much dislike those anxious cares,* 3.26 which as thou writest do almost con∣sume thee: 'Tis not the greatness of the danger, but the greatness of thy unbelief. Iohn Hus and others were under greater danger than we; and if it be great, he is great that orders it. Why do you afflict your self? If the cause be bad, let us renounce it; if it be good, why do we make him a liar that bids us be still? As if you were able to do any good, by such unprofitable cares. I beseech thee, thou that in other things art valiant, fight a∣gainst thy self, thine own greatest enemy that puts weapons into Satans hand.

You see how good men may be even overwhelmed with publick fears, but certainly if we did well con∣sider the bond of the Covenant that is betwixt God and his people, we should be more quiet and compo∣sed. For by reason thereof it is, 1. That God is in the midst of them, Psal. 46. 1, 2, 3, 4. When any great danger threatned the Reformed Church in its tender beginnings in Luther's time, he would say, come, let us sing the 46 Psalm, and indeed it is a lovely Song

for such times, it bears the Title of A song upon Alamoth, or a song for the hidden ones, God is with them to cover them under his wings. •• 2. And it is plain matter of Fact, evident to all the world, that no people under the Heavens have been so long, and so wonderfully preserved as the Church hath been: It hath overlived many bloudy Massacres, terrible persecutions, subtle and cruel enemies; still God hath preserved and delivered it, for his promises oblige him to it, amongst which those two are signal and eminent ones, Ier. 30. 11. Isai. 27. 3. 3. And it is obvious to all that will consider things, that there are the self same motives in God, and the self same grounds and reasons before him to take care of his Church and people that ever were in him, or did ever lie before him from the beginning of the world. For, (1.) The relation is still the same: What though Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, those renowned believers be in their Graves, and those that succeed be far inferiour to them in Grace and Spiritual excellen∣cy; yet saith the Church, Doubtless thou art our Father. There is the same tie and bond betwixt the father and the youngest, weakest child in the family, as the eldest and strongest. 2. His pity and mercy is still the same, for that endures for ever: His bowels yern as tenderly over his people in their present, as ever they did in any past afflictions or streights. 3. The rage and malice of his and his peoples ene∣mies, is still the same, they will reflect as blasphe∣mously and dishonourably upon God now, should he give up his people, as ever they did. Moses Argu∣ment is as good now as ever it was, what will the Egyptians say? and so is Ioshuah's too, What wilt thou do unto thy great name? O if these things were

more throughly studied and believed, they would ap∣pease many Fears.

2. Rule.

Work upon your hearts the consideration of the many mischiefs and miseries men draw upon them∣selves and others, both in this world and that to come, by their own sinful fears.

1. The miseries and calamities that sinful Fear brings upon men in this world, are unspeakable; this is it that hath plunged the Consciences of so many poor wretches into such deep distresses! this it is that hath put them upon the Rack, and made them roar like men in Hell, among the damned. Some have been recovered, and others have perished in these deeps of horror and despair. In the year 1550.* 3.27 there was at Ferrara in Italy, one Faninus who by reading good Books was by the grace of God converted to the knowledge of the truth, wherein he found such sweetness, that by constant reading, me∣ditation and prayer, he grew so expert in the Scrip∣tures, that he was able to instruct others; and though he durst not go out of the bounds of his calling to preach openly, yet by conference and private exhor∣tations he did good to many. This coming to the knowledge of the Pope's Clients, they apprehended and committed him to Prison; where he renounced the truth, and was thereupon released: But it was not long before the Lord met with him for it: So as falling into horrible torments of Conscience, he was near unto utter despair, nor could he be freed from those terrors, before he had fully resolved to venture his life more faithfully in the service of Christ.

Dreadful was that voice which poor Spira seemed to hear in his own Conscience assoon as ever his sin∣ful fears had prevailed upon him to renounce the truth. Thou wicked wretch, thou hast denied me, thou hast renounced the Covenant of thine obedience, thou hast broken thy vow, hence Apostate, bear with thee the Sentence of thine eternal damnation. Presently he falls into a swoon, quaking and trembling, and still affirmed to his death, that from that time, he ne∣ver found any ease or peace in his mind; but pro∣fessed that he was captivated under the revenging hand of the Almighty God, and that he continually heard the sentence of Christ, the just Judge against him, and that he knew he was utterly undone, and could neither hope for grace, or that Christ should intercede for him to the Father.

In our dreadful Marian days Sir Iohn Cheek who had been Tutor to King Edward the Sixth, was cast into the Tower, and kept close Prisoner; and there put to this miserable choice, either to forego his life, or that which was more precious, his liberty of Conscience, neither could his liberty be procured by his great friends at any lower rate, than to recant his Religion; this he was very unwilling to accept of, till his hard imprisonment, joyned with threats of much worse in case of his refusal, at last wrought so upon him whilst he consulted with flesh and bloud, as drew from him an Abrenunciation of that truth which he had so long professed, and still believed. Upon this he was restored to his liberty, but never to his comfort; for the sense of his own Apostasie, and the daily sight of the cruel butcheries exercised upon others for their constant adherence to the truth, made such deep im∣pressions upon his broken spirit, as brought him to a speedy end of his life, yet not without some com∣fortable hopes at last.

Our own Histories abound with multitudes of such doleful examples.

Some have been in such horror of Conscience, that they have chosen strangling rather than life; they have felt that anguish of Conscience that hath put them upon desperate resolutions and attempts against their own lives to rid themselves of it. This was the case of Peter Moon, who being driven by his own fears to deny the truth, presently fell into such horrour of Conscience, that seeing a sword hanging in his Par∣lor, would have sheathed it in his own bowels. So Francis Spira, before mentioned, when he was near his end, saw a knife on the Table, and running to it would have mischieved himself, had not his friends prevented him; thereupon he said, O that I were above God, for I know that he will have no mercy on me. He lay about eight weeks (saith the Historian) in a conti∣nual burning, neither desiring, nor receiving any thing but by force, and that without digestion; till he became as an Anatomy, vehemently raging for drink, yet fearful to live long, dreadful of hell, yet coveting death, in a continual torment, yet his own Tormentor; and thus consuming himself with grief and horror, impa∣tience and despair, like a living man in hell, he repre∣sented an extraor dinary example of Gods justice and po∣wer, and so ended his miserable life.

Surely it were good to fright our selves by such dreadful examples, out of our sinful fears; is any mi∣sery we can fear from the hands of man like this? O Reader, believe it, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God: Hadst thou ever felt the rage and efficacy of a wounded and distressed Conscience, as these poor wretches felt it, no fears or threats of men should drive thee into such an Hell upon earth as this is.

2. And yet though this be a doleful case, it is not the worst case your own sinful fears will cast you in∣to, except the Lord overcome and extinguish them in you by the fear of his name, they will not only bring you into a kind of hell upon earth, but into hell it self for evermore: For so the righteous God hath said in his word of truth, Rev. 21. 8. But the fearful, and unbelieving, &c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Behold here, the Marshal Law of Heaven, executed upon Cowards and Renegadoes, whose fears make them revolt from Christ in the time of danger. Think upon this you timorous & fainthearted professors; you cannot bear the thoughts of lying in a nasty Dungeon, how will you lie then in the lake of fire and brimstone? You are afraid of the face and frowns of a man that shall die, but how will you live among Devils? Is the wrath of man, like the fury of God poured out? Is not the little finger of God hea∣vier than the loyns of all the Tyrants in the World? Remember what Christ hath said, Matth. 10. 33. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I al∣so deny before my father which is in heaven. Reader, The time is coming when he that spake these words shall break out of Heaven with a shout, accompani∣ed with myriads of Angels, and ten thousands of his Saints, the Heavens and the Earth shall be in dread∣ful conflagrations round about him: The last Trump shall sound, the Graves shall open, the Earth and Sea shall give up the dead that are in them. Thine eyes shall see him ascend the awful throne of judgment, his faithful ones that feared not to own and appear for him in the face of all enemies and dangers, sitting on the bench as Assessors with him; and then to be dis∣claimed and renounced for ever by Jesus Christ in the

face of that great assembly, and proclaimed a delin∣quent, a Traitor to him, that deniedst his name, and truths, because of the frowns of a fellow Creature long since withered as the grass; O how wilt thou be able to endure this! now put both these together in thy serious consideration, think on the terrors of Consci∣ence here, and the desperate horror of it in Hell; thi•• as a perboiling, that as a roasting in the flames of Gods insufferable wrath: These as some scalding drops sprinkled before hand upon thy Conscience, that tender and sensible part of man; that as the lake burning for ever with fire and brimstone. O who would suffer himself to be driven into all thi•• misery, by the fears of those sufferings which can but touch the flesh, and for their duration, they are but for a moment.

Think, and think again upon those words of Christ, Mark 8. 35. He that will save his life shall lose it. It may be a prolonging of a miserable life, a life worse than death, even in thine own account; a life with∣out the comfort or joy of life, a life ending in the se∣cond death, and all this for fear of a trifle compare•• with what thou shalt afterwards feel in thine own Conscience, and less than a trifle, nothing, compare•• with what thou must suffer from God for ever.

3. Rule.

He that will overcome his fears of sufferings, mu•••• foresee and provide before hand for them.

The fear of Caution, is a good cure to the fear of Distraction, the more of that, the less of this; this fear will cure that, as one fire draws forth another Heb. 11. 7 Noah being moved with fear, prepared 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ark. In which he provided as much for the rest an••

quiet of his mind, as he did for the safety of his person and family. That which makes evils so frightful as they are, is their coming by way of surprize upon us. Those troubles that find us secure, do leave us distra∣cted and desperate. Presumption of continued tranquil∣lity, proves one of the greatest aggravations of misery. Trouble will lie heavy enough when it comes by way of expectation, but it is intolerable when it comes quite contrary to expectation. It will be the Lot of Babylon to suffer the unexpected Vials of Gods wrath, and I wish none but she and her children may be so surprized. Rev. 18. 7. O it were well for us, if in the midst of our pleasant enjoyments we would be putting the difficultest cases to our selves, and mingle a few such thoughts as these with all our earthly enjoy∣and comforts.

I am now at ease in the midst of my habitation, but the time may be at hand, when my habitation shall be in a Prison, I see no faces at present, but those of friends, full of smiles and honours, I may see none shortly but the faces of enemies full of frowns and terrors. I have now an estate to supply my wants, and provide for my family, but this may shortly fall as a prey to the enemy, they may sweep away all that I have gathered, reap the fruits of all my labours, — Impius has segetes. I have yet my life given me for a prey, but O how soon may it fall into cruel and bloud-thirsty hands? I have no better security for these things than the Martyrs had, who suffered the loss of all these things for Christs sake; a double ad∣vantage would result to us from such meditations as these, viz. The Advantage,

Troubles.

• 1. Of Acquaintance with
• 2. Of Preparation for

1. Hereby our thoughts would be better acquain∣ted

with these evils, and the more they are acquain∣ted, the less they will start and fright at them: We should not think it strange concerning the fiery tri∣al, as it is 1 Pet. 4. 12. It is with our thoughts, as it is with young colts, and so they start at every new thing they meet, but we cure them of it, by bring∣ing them home to that they start at, and making them smell to it; better acquaintance cures this startling humour at them. The newness of evil, saith a late grave and Learned Divine, is the cause of fear,* 3.28 when the mind it self hath had no preceding encounter with it, whereby to judge of its strength, nor example of another mans prosperous issue, to confirm its hopes in the like success: For, as I noted before out of the Philosophers, experience is instead of armour, and is a kind of fortitude, enabling both to judge, and to bear troubles; for there are some things which are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 3.29 scarecrows and vizors which children fear, only out of ignorance; assoon as they are known they cease to be terrible.

I know our minds naturally reluctate, and decline such harsh and unpleasant subjects: 'Tis hard to bring our thoughts to them in good earnest, and harder to dwell so long as is necessary to this end upon them. We had rather take a pleasant prospect of future felicity and prosperity in this world; of multiplying our days as the sand, and at last dying quietly in our Nest, as Iob speaks. Our thoughts run nimbly upon such pleasant fancies like oyled wheels, and have need of trigging, but when they come into the deep and dirty ways of suffering, there they drive heavily lik Pharaohs Chariots, dismounted from their wheels. But that which is most pleasant, is not always most

useful and necessary; Our Lord was well acquainted with griefs, though our thoughts be such great stran∣gers to them, he often thought and spake of his suf∣ferings, and of the bloudy Baptism, with which he was to be baptized, Luke 12. 50. and he not only minded his own sufferings before hand, but when he perceived the fond imaginations, and vain fansies of some that followed and professed him, deluding them with expectations of earthly prosperity and rest; he gave their thoughts a turn to this less pleasing, but more needful subject, the things they were to suffer for his name; instead of answering a foolish and groundless question, of sitting on his Right and Left hand, like earthly Grandees, he rebukes the folly of the Questionist, and asks a less pleasing question, Matth. 20. 22. But Iesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask, are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? And to be baptized with the baptism that I shall be baptized with? q. d. You do but abuse your selves with such fond and idle dreams, there is other imployment cut out for you in the pur∣pose of God; Instead of sitting upon Thrones and Tribunals, it would become you to think of being brought before them as Prisoners to receive your doom and sentence to die for my sake; these thoughts would do you a great deal more service.

2. As such meditations would acquaint us better, so they would prepare us better to encounter troubles and difficult things when they come. Readiness and preparation would subdue and banish our fears; we are never much scared with that for which our minds are prepared. There is the same difference in this case, as there is betwixt a Souldier in compleat Ar∣mour, and ready at every point for his enemy; and one that is allarm'd in his bed, who hath laid his

cloaths in one place, and his Arms in another, when his enemy is breaking open his chamber door upon him. It was not therefore without the most weighty reason, that the Apostle presses us so earnestly, Eph. 6. 13, 14. Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore having your loyns girt about with truth, and having on the breast∣plate of Righteousness, and your feet shod with the pre∣paration of the Gospel of peace. We see the benefit of such previsions and provisions for sufferings in that great example of courage and constancy, Acts 21. 13. I am ready, (saith Paul) not only to be bound, but to die at Jerusalem. And the same courage and constan∣cy remained in him, when he was entering the very Lists, and going to lay his very neck upon the block, 2. Tim. 4. 6. I am ready to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 properly signifies a libation or drink-offer∣ing, wherein some conceive he alluded to the ve∣ry kind of his own death, viz. by the Sword: His heart was brought to that frame, that he could with as much willingness pour out his bloud for Christ, as the Priests used to pour out the drink offering to the Lord. 'Tis true, all the meditations and prepara∣tions in the world made by us, are not sufficient in themselves to carry us through such difficult services, 'tis one thing to see death as our fancy limnes it out at a distance and another thing to look death it self in the face. We can behold the painted Lyon without fear, but the living Lyon, makes us tremble; but yet though our suffering-strength comes not from our own preparations, or forethoughts of Death; but from Gods gracious assistance, yet usually that assistance of his is communicated to us, in and by the conscionabl••

and humble use of these means; let us therefore be found waiting upon God for strength, patience, and resolutions to suffer as it becomes Christians, in the daily serious use of those means whereby he is pleased to communicate to his people.

4. Rule.

If ever you will subdue your own slavish fears, Com∣mit your selves, and all that is yours into the hands of God by Faith.

This Rule is fully confirmed by that Scripture, Prov. 16. 3. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. The greatest part of our trouble and burden in times of danger, arises from the unsetledness and distraction of our own thoughts, and the way to calm and quiet our thoughts is to commit all to God. This Rule is to be applied for this end and purpose when we are going to meet Death it self, and that in all its terrible formalities, and most frightful appearances, 1 Pet. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. And if this committing act of Faith be so useful at such a time, when the thoughts must be supposed to be in the greatest hurry▪ and fears in their full strength; much more will it esta∣blish the heart, and calm its passions in lesser troubles, you know what ease and relief it would be to you, if you had a Trial depending in Law for your Estates, and your hearts were overloaded and distracted with cares and fears about the issue of it: If one whom you know to be very skilful and faithful, should say to you at such a time, trouble not your self any further ••bout this business, never break an hours sleep more

for this matter; be you as an unconcerned Spectator, commit it to me, and trust me with the management of it▪ I will make it my own concernment, and save you harmless. O what a burden, what an heavy load would you feel y••••r selves eased of, assoon as you had thus transferred, and committed it to such a hand! then you would be able to eat with pleasure, and sleep in quietness: Much more ease and quietness doth your committing the matter of your fears to God give, even so much more, as his power, wisdom, and faithfulness is greater than what is to be found in men. But to make this Rule practicable, and improveable to peace, quietness of heart in an evil day, it will be necessary that you well understand,

• 1. What the committing act of Faith is.
• 2. What grounds and encouragements Belie∣vers have for it.

1. Study well the nature of this committing act of Faith, and what it supposes or implies in it, for all men cannot commit themselves to God, 'tis his own people only that can do it; nor is it every thing they can commit to God, they cannot commit themselves to his care and protection in any way, but only in his own ways. Know more particularly,

1. That he who will commit himself to God, must commit himself to him in well doing, as the Apostle limits it in 1 Pet. 4. 19. and in things agreeable to his will; else we would make God a Patron and Prote∣ctor of our sins, Let t••••m that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well doing. We cannot commit our sins, but our duties to Gods protection: God is so great a friend to truth and righteousness, that in such a case he will

not take your part, how dear soever you be to him, if truth be found on your enemies part, and the mistake on yours. Think not to entitle God to your errors or failings, much less to any sinful designs: You may commit a doubtful case to him to be decided, but not a sinful case to be protected. It is in vain to shelter any cause of your own under his wings, except you can write upon it as David did, Psal. 74. 22. Thine own cause, O Lord, thine own, as well as mine. Lord plead thine own cause.

2. He that commits his all to God, supposes and firmly believes that all events and issues of things are in Gods hands; that he only can direct, over rule, and order them all as he pleaseth. Upon this supposition, the committing acts of Faith in all our fears and distresses are built, I trusted in thee, O Lord, I said, thou art my God, my times are in thy hand, deliver me from the hands of my enemies, and from them that persecute me. His firm assent to this great truth, that his times were in Gods hands, was the reason why he committed himself into that hand. If our times, ourlives, or comforts were in our enemies hands; it were to little purpose for us to commit our selves into Gods hands. And here the contrary sences and methods of Faith and unbelief, are as conspicuous as in any one thing whatsoever: Unbelief perswades men that their lives and all that is dear to them, is in the hands of their enemies, and therefore perswades them the best way they can take to secure themselves, is by complyance with the will of their enemies, and pleasing them. But Faith determines quite contrary, it tells us we and all that is ours is in Gods hand, and no enemy can touch us or ours till he give them a permission; and therefore it is our duty and interest to please him, and commit all to him.

3. The committing of our selves to God implies the resignation of our wills to the will of God, to be disposed of as seems good in his eyes: So David com∣mits to God the event of that sad and doubtful provi∣dence which made him flie for his life from a strong conspiracy, 2 Sam. 15. 25. And the King said unto Zadock, Carry back the Ark of God into the City; if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord; he will bring me again, and shew me both it and his habitation, but if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good to him: q. d. Lord, the conspiracy against my life is strong, the danger great, the issue exceeding doubtful: but I commit it all into thy hand, if David may yet be used in any further service for his God; I shall see this City and thy lovely Temple again, but if not, I lie at thy foot to be disposed either for life or death, for the earthly or the heavenly Ierusalem, as seemeth best in thine eyes: This submission to Divine pleasure is in∣cluded in the committing act of Faith. Christian, what sayest thou to it? Is thy will content to go back, that the will of God may come on, and take place of it? It may be thou canst refer a difficult case to God, provided that he will determine and issue it according ••o thy desires, but in truth that is no submission or re∣signation at all, but a sinful limiting of, and prescribing to God. It was an excellent reply that a choice Chri∣stian once made to another; when a beloved and only Child lay in a dangerous sickness at the point of death; a friend asked the mother, what would you now de∣sire of God in reference to your Child? Would you beg of him its life, or death, in this extremity it is now in? The Mother answered, I refer that to the will of God. But said her friend, if God would ••••∣fer it to you, what would you chuse then? Why tru∣ly

said she, if God would refer it to me, I would e∣ven refer it to God again.

This is the true committing of our selves, and our troublesome concerns to the Lord.

4. The committing act of Faith, implies our re∣nouncing and disclaiming all confidence and trust in the arm of flesh, and an expectation of relief from God only: If we commit our selves to God, we must cease from man. Isai. 2. 22. To trust God in part, and the Creature in part, is to set one foot upon a Rock, and the other in a Quick-sand: Those acts of Faith that give the intire glory to God, give real relief and comfort to us.

2. Let us see what grounds and encouragements the people of God have to commit themselves and all the matters of their fear to God, and so to enjoy the peace and comfort of a resigned will; and there are two sorts of encouragements before you, let the case be as difficult and frightful as it will; you may find suffi∣cient encouragements in God, and somewhat from your selves, viz. your relation to him, and experi∣ences of him.

1. In God there is all that your hearts can desire to encourage you to trust him over all, and commit all into his hands. For,

1. He is able to help and relieve you, let the case be never so bad, yet let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7, 8. Plenteous redemption (i. e.) all the stores of power, choice of methods, plenty of means, abundance of ways to save his people, when they can see no way out of their troubles: Therefore hope Israel in Ie∣hovah.

2. As his Power is Almighty, so his Wisdom is

Infinite and unsearchable, He is a God of judgment, blessed are all they that wait for him, Isa. 30. 18. When the Apostle Peter had related the wonderful preserva∣tions of Noah in the Deluge, and of Lot in Sodom; one in a general destruction of the world by Water, and the other in the overthrow of those Cities by Fire: He concludes, and so should we, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, 2 Pet. 2. 9. Some men have much Power, but little wisdom to manage it, others are wise and prudent, but want ability; in God there is an infinite fulness of both.

3. His love to and tenderness over his people, is transcendent, and unparallelled; and this sets his wisdom and power both a work for their good, hence it is that his eyes of providence run continually throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose hearts are perfect (i. e.) upright towards him. 2 Chron. 16. 9. Thus you see how he is every way fitted as a proper object of your trust.

2. Consider your selves and you shall find encou∣ragements to commit all to God. For,

1. You are his children, and to whom should chil∣dren commit themselves in dangers and fears but to their own father? Doubtless thou art our father, saith the distressed Church, Isai. 63. 15, 16. Yea, Christian, Thy maker is thy husband, Isai. 54. 5. Is not that a suffici∣ent ground to cast thy self upon him? What! a Child not trust its own Father? A wife not commit her self to her own husband?

2. You have trusted him with a far greater con∣cern already than your estates, liberties, or lives; you have committed your souls to him, and your e∣••rnal interests, 2 Tim. 1. 12. Shall we commit the

••ewel, and dispute the Cabinet? Trust him for heaven, and doubt him for earth?

3. You have ever found him faithful in all that you trusted him with, all your experiences are so many good grounds of confidence, Psal. 9. 10. Well then, resolve to trust God over all, and quietly leave the dispose of every thing to him; he hath been with you in all former streights, wants, and fears, hither∣to he hath helped you, and cannot he do so again, ex∣cept you tell him how? O trust in his wisdom, power, and love, and lean not to your own understandings. The fruit of resignation will be peace.

5. Rule.

If ever you well get rid of your fears and distracti∣ons, get your affections mortified to the world, and to the inordinate and immoderate love of every injoyment in the world.

The more you are mortified, the less you will be terrified; 'tis not the dead, but the living world, that puts our hearts into such fears and tremblings: If our hearts were once crucified, they would soon be quieted. 'Tis the strength of our affections that puts so much strength into our afflictions. It was not therefore without great reason that the Apostle com∣pares the life of a Christian to the life of a Souldier, who if he mean to follow the Camp, and acquit him∣self bravely in fight, must not intangle himself with the affairs of this life, 2 Tim. 2. 4. Sure there is no following Christ's Camp., but with a disintangled heart from the world, for proportionable to the heat of our love will be the strength and height of our fears about these things; more particularly, if ever you will rid your selves of your uncomfortable and un∣comely

fears, use all Gods means to mortifie your af∣fections to the exorbitant esteem and love of,

• 1. Your Estates.
• 2. Your Liberty.
• 3. Your Lives.

1. Get mortified and cooled hearts to your Possessi∣ons and Estates in the world. The poorest age afforded the richest Christians, and noblest Martyrs. Ships deep∣est laden are not best for encounters. The believing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, know∣ing in themselves that they had in heaven a better, and induring substance, Heb. 10. 34. They carried it ra∣ther like unconcerned Spectators, than the true Pro∣prietors: They rejoyced when rude Souldiers carried out their goods, as if so many friends had been bring∣ing them in: And whence was this? But from an heart fixed upon Heaven, and mortified to things on Earth. Doubtless they esteemed and valued their Estates as the good providences of God, for their more comfortable accommodation in this world; but it seems they did, and O that we could look upon them as mercies of the lowest and meanest rank and na∣ture. The substance laid up in Heaven was a better substance, and as long as that was safe, the loss of this did not afflict them.

They could bless God for these things which for a little time did minister refreshment to them, but they knew them to be transitory enjoyments, things that would make to themselves wings and flee away, if their enemies had not toucht them; but the substance laid up for them in Heaven, that was an enduring sub∣stance; So far as those earthly things might further them towards Heavenly things, so far they prized and

valued them, but if Satan would turn them into snares and temptations to deprive them of their better substance in Heaven, they could easily slight them, and take the spoiling of them joyfully. In a stress of weather when the Ship is ready to sink and founder in a Storm, all hands are readily imployed to throw the richest goods over-board: No man faith it's pity to cast them away, but reason dictates to a man in that case, better these perish, than I perish with and for them. These be the wares that some will not cast overboard, and therefore they are said to drown men in perdition. 1 Tim. 6. 9. Demas would rather perish than part with these things. 2. Tim. 4. 10. But Rea∣der, consider seriously what comfort they can yield thee, when thou must look upon them as the price for which thou hast sold Heaven, and all the hopes of glory; even as much as the price of bloud yielded Iudas; and so they will ensnare thee if thy unmortified heart be overheated with the love of them as his was.

2. Be mortified to your liberty, and take heed of placing too great an esteem upon it, or necessity in it. Liberty is a desirable thing to the very birds of the air, accommodate them the best you can in your cages, feed them with the richest fare, they had rather be cold and hungry with their liberty in the woods, than fat and warm in your houses. But yet as sweet as it is, there may be more sweetness and comfort in part∣ing with it, than in keeping it, as the case may stand. The doors of a Prison can lock you in, but they can∣not lock the comforter out. Paul and Silas lost their liberty for Christ, but not their comfort with it; they never were so truly at liberty as when their feet were made fast in the stocks; they never fared so deliciously, as when they fed upon Prisoners fare. God spread a

Table for them in the Prison, sent them in a rich feast, yea and they had musick at their feast too, and that at midnight, Acts 16. 25.

Patmos was a barren Island, and•• place designed for banished persons;* 3.30 it lay in the Aegean Sea, not far from the coast of the Lesser Asia: it was inhabited by none because of the exceeding barrenness of it, but such who were appointed to it for their punishment; so that here Iohn could meet with no more earthly re∣freshment, than what the barren rocks, or wild and desperate persons condemned to live upon it, could afford: Ay, but there, there it was that Christ ap∣peared to him in unexpressible glory; there it was that he had those ravishing visions, and saw the whole Scheme of Providence in the Government of this world, there he saw the New Ierusalem coming down from God out of heaven, as a bride prepared for her husband; This made a Patmos become a Para∣dice: never did any place afford him such comfort as this did. So that Christians may not think there is so strict and necessary a connection betwixt Liberty and Comfort, that he that takes away the first, must needs deprive them of the other.

Again, Suppose we should be so fond of our Li∣berty as to exchange truth and a good Conscience for it; cannot God so imbitter it to you, yea, hath he not so imbittered it to many, that they were quick∣ly weary of it, and glad of an opportunity to ex∣change it for a Prison. Our own Martyrology fur∣nishes us with many sad examples of it: O What will yo do with your bitter dear bought Liberty, when peace is taken away from the inner man? When God shall clap up your souls in Prison, and put your Con∣sciences into his bonds and fetters; then you will

say as the Martyr did, I am in Prison, till I be in Prison.

3. Be mortified to the inordinate and fond love of life, as ever you expect relief against the fears of death. Reason thy self into a lower value of thy life: Methinks you have arguments enough to cure your fondness in this point: Have you found it such a pleasant life to you, for so much of it as is past? You know how the Apostle represents it, 2 Cor. 5. 4. We that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burthen∣ed. And is a burthened and a groaning life so desirable? You know also as he speaks in the next Verse, that whilst you are at home in the body, you are absent from the Lord; and is a state of absence from Jesus Christ so desirable to a soul that loves him? Can you find much pleasure so far from home? You may fancy what you will, but upon serious re∣collection you will be able to tell your selves, that till you be dead you will never be out of the reach of Satans temptations, never freed from your own in-dwelling corruptions, these conflicts cannot have an end till life be ended. You also stand convinced that till you be dead, your Souls cannot be satisfied, nor your desires be at rest; have what comforts soe∣ver from God in the way of faith, and course of du∣ties your hearts are still off the center, and will still gravitate and gasp heaven-ward. You also know that die you must, and the time of your departure is at hand, and of all deaths, if you might have your choice, none is more honourable to God, or like to be so evidential and comfortable to you as a violent death for Christ; therein you come to him by consent and choice, not by necessity and con∣straint therein you give a publick testimony for Christ, which is the highest use that ever our bloud

can be put to, or honoured by; and for the pain and torment, as the Martyr said, He that takes away from my torment, takes away from my reward. But even in that point, God can make it easier to you than a natural death would be; he will be with you in your extremity, and administer such reviving cordials as other men must not look to taste, at least not ordina∣rily; they being prepared and reserved for such, a∣gainst such an hour.

O then, work out the inordinate love of life by working in such mortifying considerations upon your own hearts, and if once you gain but this point, you will quickly find all your pains and prayers richly an∣swered in the ease and rest of your hearts, in the most scaring and frightful times.

6. Rule.

Eye the encouraging examples of those that have ••rod the path of sufferings before you, and strive to imi∣tate such worthy patterns.

Behold the cloud of witnesses encompassing you round about; a cloud like that over the Israelites to direct you: Yea, a cloud for multitude of excellent persons to animate and encourage you. Heb. 12. 1. O take them for an ensample in suffering affliction, and patience. Iames 5. 10. Examples of excellent per∣sons that have broken the ice, and beaten the path before us, are of excellent use to suppress our fears, and rouze our courage in our own encounters.

The first sufferers had the hardest task, they that first entred the lists for Christ, wanted those helps to suppress fear which they have left unto us. Strange and un∣tried torments are most terrible, for magnitudinem re∣••um consuetudo subducit, trial and acquaintance a bates

the formidable greatness of evils. they knew not the strength of that enemy they were to engage, but we fight with an enemy that hath been often beaten and triumphed over by our brethren that went before us: certainly we that live in the last times, have the best helps that ever any had to subdue their fears; we have heard of the courage and constancy of our brethren, in as sharp trials of their courage as ever we can be called to; we have read with what Christi∣an gallantry they have triumphed over all sorts of suf∣ferings and torments, how they have been strengthen∣ed with all might in the inner man unto all patience, and long suffering, with joyfulness, 1 Collos. 11. How they have gone away from the Courts that cen∣sured and punished them, rejoycing that they were ho∣noured to be dishonoured for Christ, as the strict reading of that Text is, Acts 5. 41.* 3.31 counting the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of E∣gypt, Heb. 11. 26. which at that time was the Ma∣gazine of the world for Riches: You read what Trials they have had of cruel mockings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonments, how they were stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword, wandred a∣bout in Sheep skins, and Goat skins, destitute, afflicted, tormented, Heb. 11. 36, 37. In all which they ob∣tained a good report, they came out of the field with triumphant faith and patience; and this was not the effect of an over-heated zeal at the first outset, but the same spirit of courage was found among Christians in after ages, who have put off their Persecutors with a kind of pleasant scorn and contempt of Tor∣ments.

So did Basil, truly sirnamed the great, when Valens the Emperour in a great rage threatned him with ba∣nishment,

and tortures, as to the first, said he, I lit∣tle regard it, for the earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof;* 3.32 and as for tor∣tures what can they do upon such a poor thin body as mine, nothing but skin and bone?* 3.33 And at another time when Eusebius Governour of Pontus told him in a great rage, he would tear his very liver out of his bowels: Truly said Basil, you shall do me a very good turn in it, to take out my naughty liver; which inflames and diseaseth my whole body. Their enemies have professed the Christians put them to shame, by smiling at their Cruelties and and threatnings. Ignatius his love to Christ had so perfectly overcome all fears of sufferings, that when he was going to be thrown for a prey among the Lyons and Leopards, he professed he longed to be a∣mong them, and, said he, if they will not dispatch me the sooner, I will provoke them, that I may be with my sweet Jesus. And if we come down to later ages, we shall find as stout Champions for Christ▪ The Courage and undauntedness of Luther is trum∣peted abroad throughout the Christian world, it would swell this small Tract too much, but to note the most eminent instances of his courage for Christ; The last he gave was by his sorrow in his last sickness, that he must carry his bloud to the Grave. The like Heroick Spirit appeared in divers persons of Honour and eminency, who zealously espoused the same cause of reformation with him. Remarkable to this pur∣pose is that famous Epistle written by Ulricus ab Hut∣ten a German Knight, in defence of Luther's cause against the Cardinals and Bishops assembled at Wormes.

I will go through (said he) with what I have un∣dertaken against you, and will stir up men to seek

their freedom: Such as yield not to me at first, I will overcome with importunity; I neither care nor fear what may befal me, being prepared for either event; either to ruine you, to the great be∣nefit of my Countrey, or my self to fall with a good Conscience; therefore that you may see with what confidence I contemn your threats; I do profess my self to be your irreconcilable enemy, whilst ye persecute Luther and such as he is. No power of yours, no injury of fortune shall alter this mind in me; though you take away my life, yet this well deserving of mine towards my countries liberty shall not die. I know that my endeavour to re∣move such as you are, and to place worthy Mini∣sters in your room, is acceptable to God; and in the last judgment, I trust it will be safer for me to have offended you, than to have had your fa∣vour.

It was also a brave Heroick spirit by which Iohn Duke of Saxony was acted to defend the Reforma∣tion, who despising all the favours and offers of the Court, and of Rome, and the terrors of Death it self; appeared as my Author speaks in its behalf against all the Devils,* 3.34 and the Pope, in three publick Imperial Assem∣blies, saying openly to their faces, I must serve God, or the world; and which of these two do ye think is the better? And assoon as Lu∣ther's Sermons were forbidden, he hasted away, say∣ing, I will not stay there where I cannot have my li∣berty to serve God.

And now Reader, thou hast a little taste of the courage and zeal of those worthies who are gone be∣fore thee in defence of that cause for which thou fear∣est to suffer. Most men, saith Chrisostom, that read

or hear such examples, are like the Spectators of th•• Roman Gladiators, who stood by and praised their courage, but durst not enter the Lists, to undertake what they did. If ever thou wilt get like courage for Christ, thus improve such famous examples.

1. Make use of them to obviate the prejudice of singularity; you see you have store of good com∣pany, the same things you are like to suffer for Christ, have been accomplished in the rest of your brethren in the world. 1 Pet. 5. 9.

2, Improve them against the prejudice of all that shame that attends sufferings, here you may see the most excellent persons in the world reckoning it their glory to suffer the vilest things for Jesus Christ. Acts 5. 41. Heb. 11. 26.

3. Improve them against the conceit of the insup∣portableness of sufferings. Lo here, poor weak creatures which have been carried honourably and comfortably through the cruellest and difficultest sufferings for Christ. Our Women and Children, not to speak of men (saith Tertullian) overcome their Tor∣mentors, and the fire cannot fetch so much as a sigh from them.

4. Improve them against thine own unbelief, and staggerings at the faithfulness of God in that promise, Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest through the fire, I will be with thee, &c. Lo here you have the recorded and faithful t••stimonies of such as have tried it, with one voice wit∣nessing for God, Thy word is truth, thy word is truth.

5. Improve them against the sensible weakness of your own graces, are you afraid your faith, love, and patience are too weak to carry you through great trials? Why, doubtless so were many of them too, they were men of like fears, troubled with a bad heart, and a busie devil 〈◊〉〈◊〉 well as you, they also had their

clouds and damps as you have; yet the Almighty power of God supported them; and out of weakness they were made strong: Despond not therefore but get a judgment satisfied, Psal. 44. 22. A Conscience sprinkled, 2 Tim. 1. 7. And a Call cleared, Dan. 6. 10. Exercise Faith also with respect to Divine assistan∣ces, and everlasting rewards as they did; and doubt not but the same God that enabled them to finish their course with joy, will be as good to you as he was to them. Consider, Christ hath done as much for you as he did for any of them, and deserves as much from you as from any of them; and hath prepared 〈◊〉〈◊〉 same glory for you, that he prepared for them:•• that such considerations might provoke you to shew as ••uch courage and love to Christ, as any of them ever 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

7. Rule.

If ever yi will get above the power of your own fears in a ••••ffering day, make haste to clear your in∣terest in Christ, and your pardon in his blood before that evil day com

The clearer th••••s, the bolder you will be; an as∣sured Christian w••••••never known to be a coward in sufferings: It is impo••••••ble to be clear of fears, till you are cleared of the ••••ubts about interest in, and pardon by Christ. N••thing is found more streng∣thening to our fears, th•••• that which clouds our evi∣dences; and nothing ••••re to quiet and cure our fears, than that which clears ••r evidences. The shedding abroad of Gods love i•• our hearts, will quickly fill them with a spirit of g••••rying in tribulations, Rom. 5. 5. When the beli••••ing Hebrews once came to know in themselves t••••t they had an enduring sub∣stance

in Heaven, they quickly found in themselves an unconcerned heart for the loss of their comforts on earth, Heb. 10. 34. and so should we too. For,

1. Assurance satisfies a man that his treasure and true happiness is secured to him, and laid out of the reach of all his enemies; and so long as that is safe, he hath all the reason in the world to be quiet, and chear∣ful, I know (saith Paul) whom I have believed, and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day, 2 Tim. 1. 12. And he gives this as the reason why he was not ashamed of Christs sufferings.

2. The assured Christian knows that if death it self come, (which is the worst men can inflict) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall be no loser by the exchange; nay he shall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the best bargain that ever he made since he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 parted with all in his afflictions, to follow Christ There are two rich bargains a Christian makes; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is whe•• he exchanges the world for Christ in his ••••rst choice at his conversion, in point of love and stimation: the other is when he actually parts wit••'he world for Christ at his dissolution: both th••e are rich bar∣gains, and upon this ground it wa••••the Apostle said, To me to live is Christ, and to die is ••••ain, Phil. 1. 21. The death of a believer in Chr••••, is gain unspeaka∣ble, but if a man would ma•••• the utmost gain by dying, he shall find it in dyin•• for Christ, as well as in Christ: And to shew you werein the gain of such a death lies, let a few particul•••••• be weighed, where∣in the gain will be cast up in b••••h; he that is assured he dies in Christ, knows,

1. That his living time is hi••••labouring time, but his dying time is his harvest ti••••: whilst we live we are plowing and sowing in all te•••• duties of Religion, but when we die, then we reap 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fruit and comfort

of all our labours and duties, Gal. 6. 8, 9. As much therefore as the reaping time is better than the sowing and plowing time, so much better is the death than the life of a believer.

2. A Believers living time is his fighting time, but his dying time is his conquering and triumphing time, 1 Cor. 15. 55, 56. The conflict is sharp, but the tri∣umph is sweet; and as much as victory and triumph is better than fighting, so much is death better than life, to him that dieth in Jesus.

3 A Believers living time is his tiresome and weary time, but his dying time is his resting and sleeping time. Isai. 57. 2. Here we spend and faint, there we rest in our beds, and as much as refreshing rest in sleep is better than tiring and fainting; so much is a Believers death better than his life.

4. A Believers living time is his waiting and longing time, but his time of dying is the time of enjoying what he hath long wished and waited for, Phil. 1. 23. Here we groan and sigh for Christ, there we behold and enjoy Christ, and so much as vision and fruition is better and sweeter than hoping and waiting for it; so much is a believers death better than his life.

2. As the advantage a Believer makes of death is great to him by dying only in Christ; so it is much grea∣ter, and the richest improvement that can be made of death to die for Christ as well as in Christ: For com∣pare them in a few particulars and you shall find,

1. That though a natural death hath less horrour, yet a violent death for Christ hath more honour in it. To him that dies united with Christ the grave is a bed of rest; but to him that dies as a Martyr for Christ, the grave is a bed of honour. To you (saith the A∣postle) it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe, but also to suffer for his sake, 1 Phil. 29.

To you it is granted as a great honour and favour to suffer for Christ; all that live in Christ have not the honour to lay down their lives for Christ. It was the great trouble of Ludovic••s Marsacus a Knight of France,* 3.35 to be exempted because of his dignity, from wearing his chain for Christ, as the other Prisoners did; and he resented it, as a great injury, Give m•• (saith he to his Keeper) my chain as well as they, and create me a Knight of that noble Order.

2. By a natural death we only submit our selves to the unavoidable consequence of sin, but in dying a violent death for Christ, we give our testimony a∣gainst the evil of sin, and for the precious truths of Jesus Christ. The first is the payment of a debt of justice due by the fall of Adam; the second is the pay∣ment of a debt of thankfulness and obedience due to Christ, who redeemed us with his own bloud. Thus we become witnesses for God, as well as sufferers upon the account of sin: In the first, sin witnesseth against us, in this we witness against it; and indeed it is a great testimony against the evil of sin: We declare to all the world that there is not so much evil in a Dunge∣on, in a bloudy Ax, or consuming flames; as there is in sin: That it is far better to lose our carnal friends, estates, liberties, and lives, than part with Christs truths and a good Conscience, as Zuinglius said,* 3.36 What sort of death should not a Christian chuse, what punishment should he not rather undergo; yea into what vault of hell should he not ra∣ther chuse to be cast: than to wit∣ness against truth & Conscience.

3. A natural death in Christ may be as safe to our selves, but a violent death for Christ, will be more beneficial to others; by the former we shall come to heaven our selves, but by the latter we may bring many souls thither. The bloud of the Martyrs is truly called the seed of the Church. Many waxed confident by Pauls bonds, his sufferings fell out to the furtherance of the Gospel, and so may ours: In this case a Christian, like Samson, doth greater service against Satan and his cause, by his death, than by his life.

If we only die a natural death in our beds we die in possession of the truths of Christ our selves; but if we die Martyrs for Christ, we secure that precious inheritance to the generations to come, and those that are yet unborn shall bless God, not only for his truths, but for our courage, zeal, and constancy by which it was preserved for them, and transmitted to them.

By all this you see that death to a Believer is great gain, it's great gain if he only die in Christ, it's all that, and a great deal more added, if he also die for Christ: And he that is assured of such advantages by death either way, must needs feel his fears of death shrink away before such assurances; yea,* 3.37 he will rather have life in patience, and death in desire? he will not only sub∣mit quietly but rejoyce exceedingly to be used by God in such honourable imployment. Assurance will call a bloudy death a safe passage to Canaan through the Red Sea. It will call Satan that insti∣gates these his instruments, and all that are imployed in such bloudy work by him, so many Balaams brought to curse, but they do indeed bless the people of God,

and not curse them. The assured Christian, looks upon his death as his wedding day, Rev. 19. 7. And therefore it doth not much differ whether the horse sent to fetch him to Christ be pale, or red, so he may be with Christ his love as Ignatius call'd him.

He looks upon death as his day of enlargement out of Prison, 2 Cor. 5. 8. and it is not much odds what hand open the door, or whether a friend or enemy close his eyes, so he have his liberty, and may be with Christ.

O then, give the Lord no rest till your hearts be at rest by the assurance of his love, and the pardon of your sins; when you can boldly say, the Lord is your help, you will quickly say what immediately follows, I will not fear what man shall do unto me, Heb. 13. 6. And why, if thy heart be upright, may∣est thou not attain it? Full assurance is possible, else it had not been put into the command, 2 Pet. 1. 10. The sealing graces are in you, the sealing spirit is ready to do it for you, the sealing promises belong to you; but we give not all diligence, and therefore go without the comfort of it: Would we pray more, and strive more, would we keep our hearts, with a stricter watch, mortifie sin more throughly, and walk before God more accurately; how soon may we attain this blessed assurance, and in it, an excel∣lent cure for our distracting and slavish fears.

8. Rule.

Let him that designs to free himself of distracting fears, be careful to maintain the purity of his consci∣ence, and integrity of his ways in the whole course of his conversation in this world.

Uprightness will give us boldness, and purity will yield us peace. Isa. 32. The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness, and assurance for ever. Look as fear follows guilt and guile, so peace and quietness follows Righteous∣ness and sincerity, Prov. 28. 1. The wicked flee when none pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a Lyon. His confidence is great, because his Conscience is quiet, the peace of God guards his heart and mind. There are three remarkable steps by which Christians rise to the height of courage in tribulations. Rom. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4. First they are justified and acquitted from guilt by faith, v. 1. Then they are brought into a state of favour and acceptation with God, v. 2. Thence they rise one step higher, even to a view of Heaven, and the glory to come, V. 3. and from thence they take an easy step to glorying in tribulations, v. 4.

I say, 'tis an easy step, for let a man once obtain the pardon of sin, the favour of God, and a believ∣ing view and prospect of the glory to come, and it is so easy to triumph in tribulation, in such a station as that is, that it will be as hard to hinder it, as to hin∣der a man from laughing when he is tickled.

Christians have always found it a spring of courage and comfort. 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing, even the testimony of our Consciences, that in all sin∣cerity and godly simplicity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God; we have had our conversation in this world. Their hearts did not reproach them with by-ends in Religion; their Consciences witnessed that they made not Religion a cloak to cover any fleshly design, but were sincere in what they profes∣sed; and this enabled them to rejoyce in the midst of sufferings. An earthen vessel set empty to the fire will crack and fly in pieces, and so will an hypocritical,

formal, and meer nominal Christian: but he that hath such substantial and real principles of courage as these within him, will endure the trial, and be never the worse for the fire.

The very Heathens discovered the advantage of Moral integrity, and the peace it yielded to their natu∣ral Consciences in times of trouble.

Nil c••nscire tibi, nullâ pallescere culpa hic murus aheneus estc— It was to them as a wall of brass, much more will godly simplicity, and the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ upon our Consciences, secure and encourage our hearts. This Atheistical Age laughs Conscience and purity to scorn; but let them laugh, this is it will make thee laugh when they shall cry.* 3.38 Paul exercised him∣self, or made it his business, To have always a Conscience void of offence, both towards God and towards men, Acts 24. 16. And it was richly worth his labour, it repayed him ten thousand fold in the peace, courage, and comfort it gave him in all the troubles of his life, which were great and many.

Conscience must be the bearing shoulder on which the burden must lie, beware therefore it be not galled with guilt, or put out of joynt by any fall into sin, 'tis sad bearing on such a shoulder: Instead of bearing your burdens, you will not be able to bear its pain and anguish. To prevent this, carefully observe these rules.

1. Over-awe your hearts every day and in every place with the eye of God; this walking as before God will keep you upright, Gen. 17. 1. If you so speak and live as those that know God sees you, such will be your uprightness, that you will not care if all the world see you too. An Artist came to Drusius and offered to build him an house so contrived, that he might do

what he would within doors and no man see him; nay said Drusius, so build it that every one may see.

2. Do no action, undertake no design that you dare not preface with Prayer; this is your rule, Phil. 4. 6. Touch not with that you dare not pray for a blessing upon; if you dare not pray, dare not to engage: If you cannot send your prayers before, be confident shame and guilt will follow after.

3. Be more afraid of grieving God, or wounding Conscience, than of displeasing or losing all the friends you have in the world besides; look upon every ad∣venture upon sin to escape danger, to be the same thing as if you should sink the Ship to avoid one that you take to be a Pirate; or as the fatal mistake of two vi∣als wherein there is poyson and physick.

4. What counsel you would give another, that give your selves, when the case shall be your own; your judgment is most clear, when interest is least felt. Da∣vids judgment was very upright, when he judged himself in a remote parable.

5. Be willing to bear the faithful reproofs of your faults from men, as the reproving voice of God; for they are no less when duly administred: This will be a good help to keep you upright, Psal. 135. 23, 24. Let the Righteous smite me, &c. It is said of Sir An∣thony Cope, that he shamed none so much as himself in his family Prayers, and desired the Ministers of his acquaintance not to favour his faults; but tell me, said he, and spare not.

6. Be mindful daily of your dying day, and your great Audit day, and do all with respect to them. Thus keep your integrity and peace, and that will keep out your fears and terrors.

9. Rule.

Carefully record the experiences of Gods care over you, and faithfulness to you in all your past dangers, and distresses, and apply them to the cure of your pre∣sent fears and despondencies.

Recorded experiences are excellent remedies. Exod. 17. 14. Write this for a memorial in a book, and re∣hearse it in the ears of Joshuah. There were two things in that Record; the victory obtained over Amalek, and the way of obtaining it by incessant prayer: And there were two things to be done to secure this mer∣cy for their use and benefit in future fears, it must be recorded and rehearsed, preserved from oblivion, and seasonably produced for relief.

There are two special assistances given us against fear by experience.

• 1. It abates the terror of Sufferings.
• 2. It assists Faith in the promises.

1. Experience greatly abates the terror of suffer∣ings, and makes them less formidable and scaring than otherwise they would be; fear saith, they are deep waters, and will drown us; experience saith, they are much shallower than we think, and are safely fordable: Others have, and we may pass through that Red sea, and not be overwhelmed. Fear saith the pains of death are unconceivable sharp and bitter, the living little know what the dying feel; and to lie in a stinking Prison in continual expecta∣tions of a cruel death is an insupportable evil: Ex∣perience contradicts all these false reports which make our hearts faint, as the second Spies did the daunting

stories of the first; and assures us, Prisons and Death are not when we come home to them for Christ, what ••hey seem and appear to be at a distance. O what a good report have those faithful men given who have searched and tried these things! Who have gone down themselves into the valley of the shadow of death, and seen what there is in a Prison, and in death it self, so long as they were in sight and hearing able by words or signs to contradict our false Notions of it. O what a sweet account did Pomponius Algerius give of his stinking Prison at Lions in France! Dating all his Letters whilest he was there, From the delectable Orchard of the Leonine Prison: And when carried to Venice, in a Letter from the Prison there he writes thus to his Christian friends; I shall utter that which scarce any will believe, I have found a nest of honey in the entrails of a Lyon, a Paradise of pleasure in a deep dark Dungeon, in the place of sorrow and death, tranquillity of hope and life. O here it is, that the Spirit of God, and of glory rests upon us.

So Blessed Mr. Philpot our own Martyr, in one of his sweet encouraging Letters, O how my heart leaps, (saith he) that I am so near to eternal bliss, God for∣give me my unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great glory; I have so much joy of the reward pre∣pared for me, the most wretched sinner, that though I be in the place of darkness and mourning, yet I cannot lament, but am night and day so joyful as though I were under no cross at all; in all the days of my life I was never so joyful, the name of the Lord be praised.

Others have given the signals agreed upon betwixt them and their friends in the midst of the flames, there∣by to the last confirming this truth, that God makes the inside of sufferings quite another thing what the ap∣pearance

and outside of them is to sense. Thus the ex∣perience of others abates the terrors of sufferings to you; and all this is fully confirmed by the personal experience you your selves have had of the supports and comforts of God, wherein soever you have consci∣ientiously suffered for his sake.

2. And this cannot but be a singular assistance to your faith, your own and others experiences; just like Aaron and Hur, stay up the hands of Faith on the one side and the other that they hang not down, whilst your fears like those Amalekites fall before you For what is experience, but the bringing down of the Divine promises to the test of sense and feeling? It is our duty to believe the promises without tryal and experiments, but it is easier to do it after so many trials; so that your own and others experiences care∣fully recorded and seasonably applied; would be food to your faith, and a cure to many of your fears in a suffering day.

10. Rule.

You can never free your selves from sinful fears, till you throughly believe and consider Christ providenti∣al Kingdom over all the creatures and affairs in this lower world.

Poor timorous soul, is there not a King, a Supreme Lord under whom Devils and men are? Hath not Christ the reins of Government in his hands? Matth. 28. 18. Phil. 2. 9, 10, 11, 12. Iohn 17. 2. Were this dominion of Christ and dependence of all crea∣tures on him well studied and believed, it would cut off both our trust in men, and our fear of men; we should soon discern they have no power either to help us, or to hurt us but what they receive from above.

Our enemies are apt to over-rate their own power in their pride, and we are as apt to over-rate it too in our fears. Knowest thou not, saith Pilate to Christ, that I have power to crucifie thee, and I have power to release thee, q. d. Refusest thou to answer me? dost thou not know who and what I am? Yes, yes, saith Christ, I know thee well enough to be a poor impotent creature, who hast no power at all, but what is given thee from above; I know thee, and therefore do not fear thee. But we are apt to take their own boasts for truth, and believe their power to be such as they vainly vogue it to be; whereas in truth all your enemies are sustained by Christ. Colos. 1. 17. they are bounded and limited by Christ, Rev. 2. 10. Providence hath its influences upon their hearts and wills immediately, Ier, 15. 11. Psal. 106. 46. So that they cannot do whatever they would do, but their wills as well as their hands are ordered by God. Iacob was in Laban's and in Esau's hands; both hated him but neither could hurt him. David was in Sauls hand, who hunted for him as a prey, yet is forced to dismiss him quietly, blessing instead of slaying him. Melancthon and Pomeren both fell into the hands of Charles the Fifth, than whom Christen∣dom had not a more prudent Prince, nor the Church of Christ a fiercer enemy; yet he treats these great and active Reformers gently, dismisseth them freely, not once forbidding them to preach or print the Do∣ctrine which he so much opposed and hated.

O Christian, if ever thou wilt get above thy fears settle these things upon thy heart by faith:

1. That the reins of Government are in Christs hands; enemies like wild horses may prance and tramp up and down the world, as though they would tread down all that are in their way; but the bridle

of Providence is in their mouths, and upon their proud necks, 2 Kings 19. 28. And that bridle hath a strong curb.

2. The care of the Saints properly pertains to Christ; he is the head of the body, Eph. 1. 22, 23. Our consulting head: And it were a reproach and dishonour to Christ, to fill our own heads with distra∣cting cares and fears, when we have so wise an head to consult and contrive for us.

3. You have lived all your days upon the care of Christ hitherto, no truth is more manifest than this, that there hath been a wisdom beyond your own, that hath guided your ways, Ier. 10. 23. A power above your own, that hath supported your burdens, Psal. 73. 26. A spring of relief out of your selves that hath supplied all your wants, Luke 22. 35. He hath performed all things for you.

4. Jesus Christ hath secured his people by many promises to take care of them how dangerous soever the times shall be, Eccles. 8. 12. Psal. 76. 10. Amos 9. 8, 9. Rom. 8. 28. O if these things were through∣ly believed and well improved! fears could no more distract or afflict our hearts, than storms or clouds could trouble the upper Region: But we forget his providences and promises and so are justly left in the hands of our own fears to be afflicted for it.

11. Rule.

Subject your carnal reasonings to Faith, and keep your thoughts more under the government of faith, if ever you expect a composed and quiet heart in distracting evil times.

He that layeth aside the Rules of Faith, and mea∣sures all thing by the rule of his own shallow reason,

will be his own bugbear; if reason may be permitted to judge all things, and to make its own inferences and conclusions from the aspects and appearances of second causes, your hearts shall have no rest day nor night; this alone will keep you in continual A∣larms.

And yet how apt are the best men to measure things by this rule, and to judge of all Gods designs and mysterious providences by it: In other things it is the Judge and Arbiter, and therefore we would make it so here too; and what it concludes and dictates, we are prone to blieve, because its dictates are backt and befriended by sense, whence it gathers its intelligence and information. O quam sapiens Argu∣mentatrix sibi videtur ratio humana? How wise and strong do its Arguments and conclusions seem to us, saith Luther. This carnal reason is the thing that puts us into such confusions of mind and thoughts. 'Tis this that,

1. Quarrels with the promises, shakes their credit, and our confidence in them, Exod. 5. 22, 23.

2. 'Tis this that boldly limits the Divine power, and assigns it boundaries of its own fixing, Psal. 78. 20, 41.

3. 'Tis carnal reason that draws desperate conclu∣sions from providential appearances and aspects, 1 Sam. 27. 1. and prognosticates our ruine from them.

4. 'Tis this carnal reason that puts us upon sinful shifts and indirect courses to deliver and save our selves from danger, which do but the more perplex and en∣tangle us, Isai. 30. 15, 16.

5. It is mostly from our arrogant reasoings that our thoughts are discomposed and divided; from this fountain it is that they flow into our hearts in multi∣tudes when dangers are near, Psal. 94. 19. Psal. 42. 1.

All these mischiefs owe themselves to the exorbitant actings and intrusions of our carnal reasons; but these things ought not to be so, this is beside rule▪ For,

1. Though there be nothing in the matters of faith or providence contrary to right reason▪ yet there are many things in both, quite above the reach, and beyond the ken of reason, Isai.. 55. 8. And,

2. The confident dictates of reason are frequently confuted by experience all the world over; 'tis every day made a liar, and the frights it puts us into, proved to be vain and groundless, Isai. 51. 13.

Nothing then can be better for us, than to resign up our reason to faith, to see all things through the promises, and trust God over all events.

12. Rule.

To conclude, exalt the fear of God in your hearts▪ and let it gain the ascendent over all your other fears.

This is the prescription in my Text for the cure of all our slavish fears, and indeed all the forementi∣oned rules for the cure of sinful fears run into this, and are reducible to it. For,

1. Doth the knowledge and application of the Co∣venant of Grace cure our fears? The fear of God is both a part of that Covenant, and an evidence of our in∣terest in it, Ier. 32. 40.

2. Doth sinful fear plunge men into such distresses of Conscience? Why, the fear of God will preserve your ways clean and pure, Psal. 19. 9. and so those mischiefs will be prevented.

3. Doth foresight and provision for evil days pre∣vent distracting fears when they come? Nothing

like the fear of God enables us to such a prevision, and provision for them. Heb. 11. 7.

4. Do ••e relieve our selves against Fear by com∣mitting all to God? Surely 'tis the fear of God that drives us to him as our only Asylum, and sure refuge, Malachi 3. 16. They feared God, and thought upon his name, (i. e.) they meditated his name which was their refuge, his Attributes their chambers of rest.

5. Must our affections to the world be mortified, before our fears can be subdued? This is the instru∣ment of mortification, Nehem. 5. 15.

6. Do the worthy examples of those that are gone before us, tend to the cure of our cowardise and fears? Why, the fear of God will provoke in you an holy self∣jealousie, lest you fail of the grace they manifested, and come short of those excellent patterns, Hebrews 12. 15.

7. Is the assurance of Interest in God, and the pardon of sin, such an excellent Antidote against slavish fear? Why, he that walks in the fear of God, shall walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost also, Acts 9 31.

8. Is integrity of heart and way such a fountain of courage in evil times? Know Reader, no grace pro∣motes this integrity and uprightness more than the fear of God doth, Prov. 16. 6. Prov. 23. 17.

9. Do the reviving of past experiences suppress sinful fears? no doubt this was the subject which the fear of God put them upon, for mutual encourage∣ment, Mal. 3. 16.

10. Are the providences of God in the world such cordials against fear? The fear of God is the very character and mark of those persons over whom his providence shall watch in the difficultest times, Eccles. 8. 12.

11. Doth our trusting in our own reason, and

making it our rule and measure, breed so many fears? Why, the fear of God will take men off from such self-confidence, and bring them to trust the faithful God with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 doubtful issues and events, as the very scope of my Text fully manifests. Fear not their fear; their fear moving by the direction of carnal reason drove them not to God, but to the Assyrian for help, follow not you their example in this: But how shall they help it? Why, sanctifie the Lord of Hosts, and make him your fear.

CHAP. VII.

Answering the most material Pleas for slavish Fears, and dissolving the common Objecti∣ons against courage and constancy of mind in times of danger.

THe Pleas and excuses for our cowardliness and faintness in the day of trouble are endless, and so would his task be that should undertake particularly to answer them all. 'Tis but the cutting off an Hy∣dra's head, when one is gone, ten more start up; what is most material I will here take into considera∣tion. When good men (for with such I am dealing in this Chapter) see a formidable face and appearance of sharp and bloudy times approaching them, they begin to tremble, their hearts faint, and their hands hang down with unbecoming despondency, and pu∣sillanimity; their thoughts are so distracted, their reason and faith so clouded by their fears, that their temptations are thereby exceedingly strengthened

upon them, and their principles and professions brought under the derision and contempts of their e∣nemies; and if their brethren, to whom God hath gi∣ven more courage and constancy, and who discern the mischief like to ensue from their uncomely carri∣age, admonish and advise them of it: They have a∣bundance of Pleas and defences for their fears, yea, when they reason the point of suffering in their own thoughts, and the matter is debated (as in such times it's common) betwixt faith and fear, O what endless work do their fears put upon their faith, to solve all the Buts and Ifs which their fears will object or sup∣pose.

Some of the principal of them I think it worth while here to consider, and endeavour to satisfie, that if possible I may prevail with all gracious persons to be more magnanimous. And first of all:

1. Plea.

Sufferings for Christ are strange things to the Chri∣stians of this age, we have had the happy lot to fall into milder times than the Primitive Christians did, or those that strugled in our own land in the begin∣ning of Reformation; and therefore we may be ex∣cused for our fears, by reason of our own unacquaint∣edness with sufferings in our times.

Answer.

1. One fault is but a bad excuse for another, why are sufferings such strangers to you? Why did you not cast upon them in the days of peace, and reckon that such days must come? Did you not covenant with Christ to follow him whithersoever he should go,

to take up your cross and follow him? And did not the Word plainly tell you, that All that will live god∣ly in Christ Iesus, must suffer persecution, 2 Tim. 3. 12. And that we must through much tribulation en∣ter into the Kingdom of God, Acts 14. 22. Did we fall asleep in quiet and prosperous days, and dream of Halcyon days all our time on earth? that the mountain of our prosperity stood strong, and we should never be moved? That we should die in our nest, and multiply our days as the sand; Babylon's Children indeed dream so, Rev. 18. 7. but the Chil∣dren of Sion should be better instructed. Alas! how soon may the brightest day be overcast? The wea∣ther is not so variable, as the state of the Church in this world is; now a calm, Acts 9. 31. and then a storm, Acts 12. 1, 2. You could not but know what con∣tingent and variable things all things on earth are; Why then did you delude your selves with such fond dreams? But as a learned man rightly ob∣serves,* 3.39 Mundus senescens patitur Phantasi∣as, The older the world grows the more drowzie and doting it still grows, and these are the days in which the wise as well as the foolish Virgin•• slumber. Sure 'tis but a bad Plea, after so many warnings from the word, and from the rod to say, I did not think of such times, I dreamed not of them.

2. Or if you say, though you have conversed wit•• death and sufferings by speculation, yet you live•• not in such times wherein you might see (as othe•• sufferers did) the encouraging faith, patience, an zeal of others set before your eye in a lively patte•••• and example. Sufferings were not only familiarize•• to them by frequency, but facilitated also by the dail•• examples of those that went before them.

But think you indeed that nothing but encourage∣ment and advantage to followers, arose from the trials of those that went before? Alas, there were some∣times the greatest damps and discouragements ima∣ginable; the zeal of those that followed hath often been inflamed by the faintings of those that were tried before them. In the Seventh Persecution under Decius,* 3.40 there were standing before the Tribunal, certain of the Warriours or Knights, viz. Ammon, Zenon, Ptolomeus, Ingenuus, and a certain aged man called Theophilus, who all standing by as Spectators when a certain Christian was examined, and there seeing him for fear, ready to decline, and fall away, did al∣most burst for sorrow within themselves; they made signs to him with their hands, and all gestures of the body to be constant; this being noted be all the stan∣ders by, they were ready to lay hold upon them; but they preventing the matter, pressed up of their own accord, before the bench of the Judge, professing themselves to be Christians, insomuch that both the President and the Benchers were all astonished, and the Christians which were judged, the more encoura∣ged. Such damping spectacles the Christians of for∣mer ages had frequently set them before them.

And it was no small trial to some of them, to hear the faintings & abnegation of those that went before them, pleaded against their constancy; as in the time of Valens it was urged by the Persecutors: Those that came to their trial before you, have acknowledged their errors, begged our Pardon, and returned to us; and why will you stand it out so obstinately? But the Christi∣ans answered, Nos hac potissimum ratione viriliter stabimus, For this very reason we will stand to it the more manfully, to rep••ir their scandal, by our greater

courage for Christ. These were the helps and advan∣tages they often had in those days, therefore lay not so much stress upon that; their courage undoubt∣edly flowed from an higher spring and better princi∣ple, than the company they suffered with.

3 And if presidents and experiences of others to break the Ice before you, be so great an advantage, surely we that live in these latter times have the most and best helps of that nature that ever any people in the world had. You have all their examples record∣ded for your encouragement, and therefore Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, as though some strange thing had happened to you, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Pet. 4. 12. This Plea is weighed, and no great weight found in it.

2. Plea.

But my nature is soft and tender, my constitution more weak and subject to the impressions of fear than others; some that have robust bodies and hardy stout minds, may better grapple with such difficulties than I can, who by constitution and education am alto∣gether unfit to grapple with those torments, that I have not patience enough to hear related; my heart faints and dies within me, if I do but read or hear of the barbarous usages of the Martyrs, and therefore I may well be excused for my fears and faint-hearted∣ness when the case is like to be my own.

Answer.

1. 'Tis a great mistake to think that the mee•• strength of natural constitution can carry any one through such sufferings for Christ, or, that natu∣ral

tenderness and weakness Divinely assisted, cannot bear the heaviest burden that ever God laid upon the shoulders of any sufferer for Christ. Our suffering and bearing abilities are not from Nature but from Grace. We find men of strong bodies and resolute daring minds, have fainted in the time of trial. Dr. Pendleton in our own story was a man of a robust and massie body, and a resolute daring mind; yet when he came to the trial, he utterly fainted and fell off. On the other side, what poor feeble bodies have sustained the greatest torments! and out of weakness been made strong, Heb. 11. 34. The Virgin Eulalia of Emerita in Portugal was young and tender, but Twelve years old, and with much indulgence and tenderness brought up in an honourable family, be∣ing a person of considerable quality; yet how coura∣giously did she sustain the most cruel Torments for Christ! when the Judge fawned upon her with this tempting language, Why wilt thou kill thy self, so young a flower, and so near those honourable Mar∣riages and great Dowries thou mightest enjoy: In∣stead of returning a retracting or doubtful answer, Eulalia threw down the Idol, and spurnt abroad with her feet the heap of incense prepared for the censers: And when the Executioner came to her, she enter∣tained him with this language, Go to thou Hang∣man, burn, cut, mangle thou these earthly mem∣bers; it is an easie matter to break a brittle substance, but the inward mind thou shalt not hurt.* 3.41 And when one joynt was pul∣led from another, she said, Behold, what a pleasure it is for them O Christ, that remember thy triumphant victories, to attain unto these high dignities. So that our con∣stitutional strength is not to be made the measure of

our passive fortitude: God can make the feeblest and tenderest person stand, when strong bodies and blustering, resolute, daring minds faint and fall.

2. Are our bodies so weak, and hearts so tender that we can bear no sufferings for Christ? Then we are no way fit to be his followers. Christianity is a war∣fare, and Christians must endure hardship, 2 Tim. 2. 3. Delicacy and tenderness is as odd a sight in a Christian, as it is in a Souldier: And we cannot be Christs disciples, except we deliberate the terms, and having considered well what it is like to cost us, do resolve in the strength of God to run the hazard of all with him and for him. 'Tis in vain to talk of a Re∣ligion that we think not worthy the suffering and en∣during any great matter for.

3. And if indeed Reader, thy constitution be so delicate and tender, that thou art not able to bear the thoughts of torments for Christ; how is it thou art not more terrified with the torments of hell, which all they that deny Christon earth must feel and bear eternally. O what is the wrath of man in compari∣son with the wrath of God, but as the bite of a flea to the rendings of a Lyon. This is the consideration propounded by Christ in Matth. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. The infinite and insupportable wrath of the great and terrible God should make our souls shrink and shake at the thoughts of it, rather than the sufferings of the flesh which are but for a mo∣ment.

4. Know that the wisdom and tenderness of thy father, will proportion the burden thou must bear, to thy back that must bear it; he will debate in mea∣sure, and not overload thy feeble shoulders: Thou

shalt find those things easie in trial, that now seem insupportable in the terrible prospect; a way of escape or support will certainly be opened that thou mayest be able to bear it.

3. Plea.

But others plead the sad experience they have had of their own feebleness and weakness in former trials and exercises of an inferiour nature, in which their faith and patience hath failed them: and how can they imagine they shall ever be able to stand in the fiercest and most fiery trial. If we have run with the footmen and they have wearied us in the land of peace, how shall we then contend with horses in the swellings of Iordan? Ier. 12. 5.

Answer.

1. We are strong or weak in all our Trials, be they great or small, according to the assisting grace we receive from above; if he leave us in a common and light trial to our own strength, it will be our over-match, and if he assist us in great and extraor∣dinary trials we shall be more than Conquerours. At one time Abraham could offer up his only son to God with his own hand; at another time he is so a∣fraid of his life, that he acts very unsuitable to the character of a Believer, and was shamefully rebuked for it by Abimelech. At one time David could say, Though an Host encamp against me I will not fear: At another time he feigns himself mad, and acted be∣neath himself, both as a man, and as a man enriched with so much faith and experience. At one time Peter is afraid to be interrogated by a Maid; at ano∣ther

time he could boldly confront the whole Coun∣cil, and own Christ and his truths to their faces. In extraordinary trials, we may warrantably expect ex∣traordinary assistances, and by them we shall be car∣ried through the greatest, how often soever we have failed in smaller trials.

2. The design and end of God in giving us expe∣rience of our own weakness in lesser troubles, is not to discourage and daunt us against we come to grea∣ter, (which is the use Satan here makes of it) but to take us off from self-confidence and self-dependence; to make us see our own weakness, that we may more heartily and humbly betake our selves to him in the way of faith and fervent supplication.

4. Plea.

But some will object that they cannot help their fears and tremblings when any danger appears; be∣cause fear is the disease, at least the sad effect and Symptome of a disease with which God hath woun∣ded them; a deep and fixed melancholy hath so far prevailed, that the least trouble overcomes them: If any sad afflictive providence befal, or but threaten them; their fears presently rise, and their hearts sink, sleep departs, thoughts tumultuate, the bloud boyls, and the whole frame of nature is put into disor∣der. If therefore the Lord should permit such great and dreadful trials to befal them, they can think of nothing less than dying by the hand of their own fears, before the hand of any enemy touch them; or which is a thousand times worse, be driven by their fears into the net of temptation, even to deny the Lord that bought them.

Answer.

This I know is the sad case of many gracious per∣sons, and I have reason to pity those that are thus ex∣ercised; O 'tis an heavy stroke, a dismal state, a deep wound indeed: But yet the wisdom of God hath or∣dered this affliction upon his people for gracious ends and uses; hereby they are made the more tender and watchful, circumspect and careful in their ways, that they may shun and escape as many occasions of trouble as they can, being so unable to grapple with them. I say not but there are higher and nobler motives that make them circumspect and tender, but yet the pre∣servation of our own quietness is useful in its place, and 'tis a mercy if that or any thing else be sanctified to prevent sin, and promote care of duty. This is your clog to keep you from straying.

2. And when you shall be called forth to greater trials, that which you now call your snare, may be your advantage, and that in divers respects.

1. These very distempers of body and mind serve to imbitter the comforts and pleasures of this world to you, and make life it self less desirable to you than it is to others, they much wean your hearts from, and make life more burdensome to you than it is to others who enjoy more of the pleasure and sweetness of it than you can do. I have often thought this to be one design and end of Providence in permitting such di∣stempers to seize so many gracious persons as labour under it, and providence knows how to make use of this effect to singular pur∣pose and advantage to you,* 3.42 when

a call to suffering shall come; this may have its place and use under higher and more spiritual considerations to facilitate death, and make your separation from this world the more easie to you; for though it be a more noble and raised act of faith and self denial to offer up to God our lives, when they are made most pleasant and desirable to us upon natural accounts, yet it is not so easie to part with them as it is when God hath first imbittered them to us. Your lives are of little value to you now, because of this burdensome clog you must draw after you, but if you should increase your burden by so horrid an addition of guilt, as the denying of Christ, or his known truths would do, you would not know what to do with such a life; it would certainly lie upon your hands as a burthen. God knows how to use these things in the way of his provi∣dence to your great advantage.

2. Art thou a poor melancholy and timorous per∣son? Certainly if thou be gracious as well as timorous this will drive thee nearer to God; and the greater thy dangers are, the more frequent and fervent will thy addresses to him be: Thou feelest the need of everlasting arms underneath thee to bear thee up under, and to carry through smaller troubles; that other persons make nothing of, much more in such deep trials, that put the strongest Christians to the utmost of their faith and patience.

And 3dly. What if the Lord will make an advan∣tage out of your weakness, to display more evident∣ly his own power in your support? you know what the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 12. 9, 10. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness: most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me—for when I am weak, then am I

strong. If his infirmities might serve as a foil to set off the grace of God with a more bright and spark∣ling lustre, he would rejoyce in his infirmities, and so should you: Well then, let not this discourage you, the infirmity of nature you complain of may make death the less terrible; it served to that purpose to blessed Basil (as you heard before) when his ene∣my threatned to tear out his Liver, he thought it a kindness to have that Liver torn out that had given him so much trouble. It may drive thee nearer to God, and minister a fit opportunity for the display of his grace in the time of need.

5. Plea.

But what if God should hide his face from my soul in the day of my streights and troubles, and not on∣ly so, but permit Satan to buffet me with his horrid temptations and injections, and so I should fall like the Ship in which Paul sailed, betwixt these two boisterous Seas; what can I suspect less than a shipwrack of my soul, body, and all the comforts of both, in this world, and in that to come?

Answer.

1. So far as the fears of such a misery awaken you to prayer for the prevention of it, it may be service∣able to your souls, but when it only works distraction and despondency of mind, it is your sin, and Satans snare. The Prophet Ieremy made a good use of such a supposed evil by way of deprecation, Ier. 17. 17. Be not a terror unto me, thou art my hope in the day of evil. q. d. In the evil day I have no place of retreat or refuge, but thy love and favour; Lord,

that is all I have to depend on, and relieve my self by: I comfort my self against trouble with this con∣fidence, that if men be cruel, yet thou wilt be kind; if they frown, thou wilt smile; if the world cast me out, thou wilt take me in; but if thou shouldest be a terror to me instead of a comforter, if they afflict my body, and thou affright my soul with thy frowns too; what a deplorable condition shall I be in then! Improve it to such an end as he did, to secure the favour of God, and it will do you no harm.

2. It is not usual with God to estrange himself from his people in trouble, nor to frown upon them when men do. The common experience of Belie∣vers stands ready to attest and seal this truth, that Christians never find more kindness from God, than when they feel most cruelty from men for his sake; consult the whole cloud of witnesses, and you will find they have still found the undoubted verity of that tried word in 1 Pet. 4. 14. That the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon sufferers. The expression seems to allude to the Dove that Noah sent forth out of the Ark, which flew over the watry world, but could not rest self any where till she returned to the Ark. So the Spirit of God, called here the Spirit of Glory, from his effects and fruits, viz. his chear∣ing sealing and reviving influences which makes men glory and triumph in the most afflicted state. This spirit of God seems like that Dove to hover up and down, to flee hither and thither, over this person and that, but resteth not so long upon any, as those that suffer for righteousness sake, there he commonly takes up his abode and residence.

3. And what if it should fall out in some respect according to your fears? that heaven and earth should be both clouded together, yet it will not be long before the pleasant light will spring up to you again, Psal. 112. 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness. You shall have his supporting presence till the comforter do come. When Mr. Glover came within sight of the stake, he suddenly cries out, O Austin, he is come, he is come.

6. Plea.

O but what if my trial should be long, and the siege of temptations tedious, then I am perswaded I am lost; I am no way able to continue long in a Prison, or in tortures for Christ, I have no strength to endure a long siege, my patience is too short to hold out from month to month, and from year to year, as many have done: O! I dread the thoughts of long continued trials, I tremble to think what must be the issue.

Answer.

1. Cannot you distrust your own strength and ability, but you must also limit Gods? What if you have but a small stock of Patience, cannot the Lord strengthen you with all might in the inner man unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, according to his glorious power, 1 Coll. 11. And is it not his promise, to confirm you to the end. 1 Cor. 1. 8. You neither know how much, nor how long you can bear and suffer. It is not inherent, but as∣sisting grace by which your suffering abilities are to

be measured. God can make that little stock of pa∣tience you have to hold out as the poor Widows cruise of oyl did, till deliverance come, he can enable your patience unto its perfect work, (i. e.) to work as extensively to all the kinds and sorts of trials, as in∣tensively to the highest degree of trial, and as proten∣sively to the longest duration and continuance of your trials, as he would have it: If this be a marvellous thing in your eyes, must it be so in Gods eyes also?

2. The Lord knows the proper season to come in to the relief of your slideing and fainting patience, and will assuredly come in accordingly in that season; for so run the promises, The Lord shall judge his peo∣ple, and repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone, and that there is none shut up or left, Deut. 32. 36. Cum duplicantur lateres venit Moses. In the mount of difficulties and extre∣mities it shall be seen. The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the Righteous, lest the Righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity, Psal. 125. 3. Ubi desinit humanum, ibi incipit divinum auxilium. Gods power watches the opportunity of your weak∣ness.

7. Plea.

But what if I should be put to cruel and exquisite tortures, suppose to the rack, to the fire, or such most dreadful sufferings as other Christians have been, what shall I do? do I think I am able to bear it? Is my strength the strength of stone, or are my bones brass, that ever I should endure such barba∣barous cruelties? Alas! death in the mildest form is terrible to me; how terrible then must such a death be?

Answer.

Who enabled those Christians you mention to en∣dure these things? They loved their lives, and sensed their pains as well as you, they had the same thoughts and fears many of them, that you now have; yet God carried them through all, and so he can you: Did not he make the devouring Flames a bed of Roses to some of them? Was he not within the fires? Did he not abate the ex••remity of the torment, and enable weak and tender persons to endure them patiently and chearfully? some singing in the midst of flames, others clapping their hands triumphantly, and to the last sight that could be had of them in this world, nothing appeared but signs and demonstrations of joy unspeakable. Ah friends! we judge of sufferings by the outside, and appearance, which is terrible, but we know not the inside of sufferings which is exceed∣ing comfortable. O when shall we have done with our unbelieving ifs and buts, our questionings and doubtings of the power, wisdom and render care of our God over us, and learn to trust him over all. Now the just shall live by faith, and he that lives by faith, shall never die by fear. The more you trust God, the less you will torment your selves. I have done; the Lord strengthen, stablish, and settle the trem∣bling and feeble hearts of his people, by what hath been so seasonably offered for their relief by a weak hand. Amen.

THE END.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hos. 5. 13.
• * 1.2

  Asyli loco.
• * 1.3

  Praestabit vos inac∣cessos, & inviolabiles ab his regibus.
• * 3.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 fugio, perfect▪ med. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in∣de 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 timor, fuga.
• * 3.2

  Rector in incer∣to est, nec quid fugiatve petat∣ve, invenit.
• * 3.3

  Ovid.
• * 3.4

  pavidi semper consilia in in∣certo.
• * 3.5

  Dux quidam indigno mortis metu, adeo con∣cussus fuit, ut sangui∣neum sudorem toto corpore fudit. Hist. lib. 11.
• * 3.6

  Iuvenis ob levem cau∣sam à Sixto V•• damna∣tus, prae doloris vehe∣mentia fertur lacry∣mas cruentes fudisse. lib. 80.
• * 3.7

  Dr. Reynolds.
• * 3.8

  Epist. ad Melanc. An. 1549.
• * 3.9

  Illyr. Cat. Test. lib. 19.
• * 3.10

  Est timor instar frae∣••i quo equus regitur, hic metus si toleretur, omnia conciderent. La∣vat. in pro. 29. v. 25.
• * 3.11

  Intellectualis creatu∣ra eò ipso quòd crea∣tura est, superiorem habet, cujus provi∣dentiae & ordinationi subjaceat: & qua in∣tellectualis est capax est gubernationis mo∣ralis, qua dirigatur ad bonum, & arceatur à malo, & talis lex est illi simpliciter neces∣saria, ut convenien∣ter suae naturae vive∣re possit. Suarez de leg. lib. 1 cap. 3.
• * 3.12

  Calamitosus est ani∣mus futuri anxius, & ante miserias mi∣ser. Senec.
• * 3.13

  Crabrones per meta∣phoram repentinum terrorem significant, qui in animos malè sibi conscios a Deo im∣missus fuit. Lavater in loc.
• * 3.14

  Sapores Rex Persarum cum urbem Nisib in qua erant Christiani, obse∣disset, eamque afflige∣ret, magna vis Cra∣bronum, & Culicum repenté venit, & in Promuscides cavas E∣lephantorum consedit, complevitque aures E∣quorum, ita ut sessores excusserint, & turba∣tos ordines in fugam converterint. Hist. lib. 2. cap. 30.
• * 3.15

  Isai. 51. 12.
• * 3.16

  Tertul. de fuga. Times hominem Chri∣stiane, quem timeri oportet ab Angelis, Siquidem Angelos ju∣dicaturus es: quem timeri oportet à De∣moniis, siquidem & in Demoniis, accepisti potestatem: quem time∣ri oportet ab univers•• mundo, siquidem & in te mundus judicatur.
• * 3.17

  Malè facinorum con∣scientia flagellari, & plurimum illi tormen torum esse, eo quod perpetuo illam solici∣tudo urget, ac verbe∣rat quod sponsoribus securitatis suae non potest credere. Senec. Epist. 97.
• * 3.18

  Si recludantur mentes Tyrannorum posse as∣pici laniatus & ictus. Annal.
• * 3.19

  in metu & periculo plura & majora vi∣dentur metuentibus, cum creduntur facili∣us, tum singuntur im∣punius. Cicero.
• * 3.20

  Fernel. Pathiol. lib. 2. c. 16. Corporis ha∣bitus siccus & maci∣lentus, aspectus incon∣stans, horridus ac moe∣stus, in morbis animi∣metus & moestitia, taciturnitas, solitudo, inanis rerum commen∣tatio somnus turbu∣lentus, horrendis i••∣somniis fluctuans, & agitatus spectris re∣rum nigrarum; &c.
• * 3.21

  multa fidem pro∣missa levant.
• * 3.22

  August. decivit. Dei, lib. 1. c. 10.
• * 3.23

  Nonnullos ob timorem morte subitanea peri∣isse refert Galenus. Quod igitur homo, ti∣more mortis quae est terribilissima, ex sententia Aristotleis alio∣rum{que} penè omnium, moriatur, mirandum non est. Fuga mali, ipsum interdum accersit, quod liquet exemplis eorum, quorum metus mortem à judice ipsis designatam prevenit. Stern. de mort. p. 167.
• * 3.24

  Cicer•• Tusc. Q. 15.
• * 3.25

  Ep. ad Melanct. Anno 1549.
• * 3.26

  Anno 1530.
• * 3.27

  Clarks examp. p. 27.
• * 3.28

  Dr. Edw. Reynolds.
• * 3.29

  Epictet.
• * 3.30

  Rev. 1. 9, 10.
• * 3.31

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 3.32

  Socrat. Hist. l. 4. c. 26.
• * 3.33

  Theod. lib. 4. cap. 19.
• * 3.34

  Spangenberg. ad An. 1531.
• * 3.35

  Cur me non quoque torque donas, & illu∣stris illius ordinis mi∣litem non creas?
• * 3.36

  Quas non oportet mor∣tis praeeligere, quod non supplicium potius ferre, imo inquam pro∣fundum inferni Abys∣sum non intrare, quam contra conscientiam ••ttestari?
• * 3.37

  potius nobis deliciae quam tormenta sunt. Basil.
• * 3.38

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 meditor, operam do.
• * 3.39

  Gerson.
• * 3.40

  Anno 250.
• * 3.41

  Acts and Mon. v. 1. p. 120.
• * 3.42

  It was common with the Martyrs to sweeten death to themselves by reckoning what infirmities it would cure them of, one of his blindness, another of his lameness, &c.