A Practical Treatise Of Fear,
PRACTICAL TREATISE
OF F E AR.
Whereinthevarious kinds, uses, causes, effects and remedies thereof are distinctly opened and prescribed, for the relief and encouragement of all those that fear
God in these doubtful and distracting times.
To the Right Worshipful Sir JOHN HARTOP, Knight and Baronet.
SIR, AMONG all thecreaturesGodhath made (devils only excepted) man is the most apt and able to be his own tormentor; and of all the scourges with which he lasheth and afflicteth both his mind and body, none is found so cruel and intolerable as his own fears. The worse the times are like to be, the more need the mind hath of fuccour and encouragement, to confirm and fortify it for hard encounters; but from the worst prospect, fear inflicts the deepest and most dangerous wounds upon the mind of man, cutting the very nerves of its passive fortitude and bearing ability.
The grief we suffer from evil felt, would be light, and easy, wereitnotincenfed by fear ; reasonwoulddo much, and religion more, todemulce and lenify our sorrows, did notfearbetraythe fuccours of both. And it is from things to come that this prospecting creature raiseth up to himself vast hopes and fears: if he have a fair and encouraging prospect of serene and prosperous days, from the scheme, and position of second causes, hope immediately fills his heart with chearfulness, and displays the signals of it in his very face, answerable to that fair, benign aspect of things : but if the face of things to come, be threatening and inauspicious, fear gains the ascendant over the mind; an unmanly, and unchristian faintness pervades it, and, among the many other mischiefs it inflicts, this is not the least, that it brings the evil of to-morrow
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( 2 ) upon to-day, and so makes the duties of to-day wholly unferviceable to the evils of to-morrow ; which is as much as if a man having an intricate, and difficult business cut out for the next day, which requires the utmost intention, both of his mind and body, and (haply) might be profperoufly managed, if both were duely prepared, should lie, all the night, restless and difquietedaboutthe event, torturing and spending himself with his own presaging fears, sothatwhenthe day is come, and the business calls for him, his strength is noway equal to the burden of it, but he faints, and fails under it.
There is indeed an excellent use that God makes of our fears, to stimulate our flothful hearts, to greater vigilance and preparation for evils; and there is a mischievous use Satan makes of our fears, to cast us under despondency and unbecoming pufillanimity: and I reckon it one of the greatest difficulties of religion, to cut, by a thread, here, and so to manage ourselves underthreatningor doubtful providences, as to be touched with so much sense of those approaching evils, as may prepare us to bear them; and yet to enjoy that constancyand firmnessofmind, in the worst times, that may answer the excellent principles we are professedlygovernedby.
These last times are certainly the most perilous times ; great things are yet to be acted upon the stage of this world, before itbetakendown; and thescena antepenultima, latter-end, I fay not the last, will be a tragedy.
There isanultima clades adhuc metuenda, a dismal slaughter of the witnesses of Christ yet to be expected: the last bite of the cruel beast will be deadly, and if we flatternotourselves, all things seem to be disposing themselves in the course of providence towards it.
4 But, Sir, If our union with Christ be sure in itself, and sure to us also; iffaithgive us the daily visions and praelibations of the world to come, what well-composed spectators shall we be of these tragedies ! Let things be tossedsusque, deque, and the mountains cast into the midst of the sea, yet then
Psal. xlvi. the assured Christian may sing his fongupon Alamoth, A song composed for God's hidden ones.
This so poiseth and steddies the mind, that we may enjoy the comfort and tranquillity of a resigned will, when others are at their wit's end.
With design to promote this blessed frame, in my own and others hearts, in these frightful times, I meditated, and now publish this small tract, to which a dear friend (from whom I have often had the fair idea and character of your excellent spirit) hath occasioned the prefixing of your worthy name ; I beg
A Practical Treatise of Fear.
pardon for such an unusual presumption, as also your charity in censuring the faults that will appear in it, when it shall come under so exact and judicious an eye; it may be useful, tho' it be not elegant; its teasonableness isitsbestcommendation, and its aim better than its performance. As for you, Sir, I hope faith hath reallyplacedyour foul in that serene and happy ftationwhere Seneca fancied moral virtue to have placed a good man, Fatendum eft, cacumine Olympi conftitutus, fupra ventes etprocellas, et omnes res human as: Above the storms and tempests of this unquiet and distracting world. But there are many gracious persons at this day labouring under their own fears, and whose hearts are ready to fail with looking for those things that are coming to try them that dwelluponthe earth; and possibly somewhat of relief maybe administred tomanyfuch,by this discourse; somebivious and staggering foulsmaybe established; fomediscouragedand fainting spirits may be revived; fomedoubts maybe dissolved that have longperplexedgracious hearts. Whatever use it maybe of to any, I humbly call in the aid of your prayers to my own, for a special blessing upon it, and remain, Sir, Yours to honour, hve, andferveyou,
JOHN FLAVEL.
** Isa. viii. 12, 13, and part of ver. 14.
Ver. 12. Say ye not, A confederacy to all them to whom this peopleshallsay a confederacy; neither fear ye [their fear] nor be afraid.
13. Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let himbeyourfear, and let him be your dread;
14. And he Shall beforafanctuary.CHAP.
Whereinthetext, and context, are opened, the doctrinespropound. ed, and thegeneralmethodftated.
THe Here is no more diversity found in the outward features, than in the inward tempers and dispositions of men ; some are as timorous as hares, and start at every found, or yelp of a dog; others are bold as lions, and can face dangers with A2
A Practical Treatise of Fear. out trembling; some fear more than they ought, andfomebefore 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 off in, springing 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 excellency.
It cannot be said of anyman, as it is said of Leviathan, Job xli. 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 persecution, and almost covered with the waves, the stouteft passengers in it may suffer as much from this boisterouspassionwithin, as from the storm without; and all for want ofthoroughlybelieving, or not seasonably remembering 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 trembling 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 shaken with the wind," chap. vii . 2.
And, indeed, if their dangers were to be measuredbysense only, their fears were not above the value of the cause, yea, their danger seemed to exceed their fears ; for it was the invasion ofa foreign, and cruel enemy, even the Assyrian, who were to break inuponthem, like a breach of the sea, and overflow the Jand of Immanuel. Ver. 7. " The Lord bringeth up upon them
" the waters of the river, strong and many; even the king of " Affyria, and all his glory, and he shall come up over all his
" channels, and go over all his banks."
And as the 7th verse resembles the enemy to waters, which quickly drown the country into which they break, so the 8th verse tells you, how far they should prevail, and how near it should come to a general, and total ruin. " He shall pass throughJudah, he shall overflow,
" andgo over ; he shall reachevento the neck, and the stretch- " ing out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Im- " manuel."
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
A Practical Treatise of Fear.
enemy, in the 9th, and 10th verses, he derides 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 the issue of all their councils, and cruelties, should recoil upon themselves, and end in their own ruin and confusion.
Andthereupon Isaiah is commanded to encourage the feeble, and trembling hearts of such as feared God, in those distracted, and frightful times, Ver. 11 , 12, 13. " The Lordspakeuntome
" with a strong hand,and instructed me that I should not walk " in the way of this people, saying, Sayye not a confederacy," c.
God speaking to the prophet by a strong hand, imports, the strong, and mighty impressionthatwasmade upon his heart, by the spirit of prophecy; wherein the Lord did, as it were, lay his hand upon him, as am an 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 thyself, and my elect people that follow thee ; " Saynotyou aconfederacy to all them
" to whom this people shall say a confederacy," (i. e.) let not thesefrightfultidingsworkupon you as theydouponAhaz, and the common multitude with him, who are so terrified, and scared, with the approaching dangers, that all their councils, thoughts, and studies, are taken up in preventing it, by making aconfederacy, or league, with the Assyrian ; Hos. v. 13. or if that cannot be, then with some foreign power, that may secure them against the Assyrian: but their eyes are not at all to me for protection 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 sanctify me in your hearts, and make me your fear, and yourdread, (i. e.) rely upon me, by faith, in this day of trouble, and fee that you give me the gloryofmywisdom, power, and faithfulness, by relying intirely upon those my attributes engaged for you in so many tried promises; and do not betakeyourselves to such sinful, and vain shifts, as those do, that have no interest in me, nor experience of me. This is the general scope, and design of the text, wherein, more particularly, you have, :
A Practical Treatise of Fear.
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, to wit, to say a confederacy.
Sinful fears are apt to drive the best men into sinful compliances, and indirect shifts to help themselves.
Their fear may be understood two ways ; 1. Subjectively.
2. Effectively.
1. Subjectively, for the self-fame fear wherewith the carnal, andunbelievingJews feared; a fear that enslaved them in bondage of spirit, a fear that is the fruit of fio, a sin initsown nature, the cause of much sin to them, and a just punishment ofGoduponthem for their other fins.
2. Effectively, Let not your fear produce in you such mischievous effects, as their fear doth ; to make you forget God, magnify the creature, prefer your own wits, and policies, to the Almighty Power, and never failing faithfulness of God: if you fay, but how shall we help it?
2. Why, in the next place, you have an effectual remedypreferibed; butfanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, andyourdread The fear of God will swallow up the fear of man, a reverential awe, and dreadofGodwill extinguish the slavish fear of the creature, as the fun shine puts out fire, or as one fire fetches out another; so will this fear fetch out that.
Byfanctifying the Lord of hosts himself, is meant a due afcrip. tionoftheglory of his sovereign power, wisdom, and faithfulness, not only in verbal, and professedacknowledgments thereof, but especially in those internal acts ofaffiance, resignation, and intiredependance on him, which as they are the choicest respects ofthecreaturetowards its God, andgivehimthe greatest glory, so they are certainly the most beneficial, and comfortable actswecanperform, for our own peace, and safety, in times of danger.
Ifamando really look to God in a day of trouble, and fear, astotheLordofhosts, (i. e)one that governs all the creatures, and all their actions ; atwhosebeck, and command, all the armies of heaven, and earth are, and thencanrelyupon the care, and
love of this God, as a child in danger of trouble reposes on, and commits himself, with greater 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