Prescribing the rules to cure our sinful fears, and pre-
A Practical Treatise of Fear.
CHAP.
VI.
Prescribing the rules to cure ourfinful fears, and prevent these fadandwoful effects of them .
Set. 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 enemies and troubles, and, like the fun in the heavens, keep on our steddy 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.
I 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 greatest argument used by Christ to extinguish our fears of them that kill the body, Mat. x.
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 stroke, cut offthefoul from all the means and possibilities of mercy and happiness for ever, what can be offered in such a case, to relieve am an 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 andchronical disease, it will be hard for them totally 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 tranquillity and comfort .
3 Caution. Whosoever expects the benefit of the following prescriptions and rules, must not think the reading, or bar remembringofthem 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
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cure am an, but he must resolve to take the bitter and nauseous potion, how much soever he loath it; to abstain from hurtful diet, how well soever he loves it, if ever he expect to be a found and healthful man.
So it is in this case also.
These things premised, the i 1Rule. The first rule to relieve us against our slavish fears,
Isferiously toconfider, and more thoroughly 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 goagreatway 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 weakness, fears, and doubts, and therefore proceeds with us in the highest way of solemnity, confirming his promises by oath, Heb. vi. 13, 17. and by his seals,
Rom. vi . 11.
Putting himself under the most solemn ties and engagements that can be, to his people, that from fo firm a ratificationofthe covenant with us, we might have strong consolation, Heb. vi. 18.
He hathfo ordered it, that it might afford strong supports, and the most reviving cordials to our faint and timorous spirits, in all the plunges of trouble both from within, and from without.
In the covenant God makes over himself to his people, to be unto them a God, Jer. xxxi. 33 .
Heb. viii. 10.
Wherein the Lord bestows himself in all his glorious essential properties upon us, to the end that whatsoever his almighty power, infinite wisdom,and incomprehensible mercy can afford for our protection, support, deliverance, direction, pardon, or refreshment ; we might be assured shall be faithfully performed 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, Ifa. xliii. 1, 2. " Thus faith 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.
Ifa. xli. 10. " Fear not, for I am with thee, " be not dismayed, for I am thy God."
And if thou, reader, be within the bonds of the 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 straits, wants, and troubles,he will never leave, nor forsake thee.
From the covenant it was thatDavidencouragedhimself against all his troubles, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. " Although my house be not so with God, yet
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" hath he made with me an everlasting covenant,well ordered " in all things and sure; this is all my salvation, and all my
" desire, though he make it not to grow." He could fetch all reliefs, all comforts, and salvation out of it, and why cannot we? Hedefiredno more for the support of his heart ; this is all
mydefire; and sure if we understood and believed 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 midstofpotent, politic,andenragedenemies ; we have heard what they have done, and see what they are preparing to do again. We tremble to think what bloody tragedies are like to be acted over again in the world by their cruel hands : ButO what heroic and noble acts of faith should the covenant of God enable thee to exert amidst all these fears ? If God be thy
God,then thou hast anAlmightyGod on thy side, and that is enough to extinguish all these fears, Psal. cxviii. 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, andifGodbe 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; foonermayatender mother forget her fucking child, Ifa. xlix. 15. no, no, " Hewithdraweth not his
" eye from the righteous, Job. xxxvi . 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 . xvi. 9.
Are you afraid he will forsake and cast you off? It is true, your sins have deserved he should do so, but he hath secured you fully against that fear in his covenant, Jer. xxxii. 40. " I will
" not turn away from them, to do them good."
All your fears of God's forgetting or forsaking you, spring out of your ignorance of the covenant.
3. Are you afraid what you shall do? It is usual for the peopleofGod to propose difficult cases to themselves, and put starthng 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 trial of their conditions and estates, and make preparation for the worst; but Satan usually improves it to a quite contrary end, todeject, affright, and discourage them. O if fiery trials should come, if my liberty and life
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come once to be touched in earnest, 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 shipwreck 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.
IfI can scarce run with footmeninthe landofpeace, how do I think tocontendwithhorses in these fwellings of Jordan ?
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, annexed to the former, in the same text, Jer.xxxii. 40. " I will put my fear into their hearts, 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 undermine thy assurance, as this doth, but to guard and maintain it.
And this isthefearthat shallbeenabledtovanquish and expel all thy other fears .
4.Or are you afraid what the church shall do ? And what will become of the arkofGod ? Doyoufee astormgathering, winds begintoroar, 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 publicness and excellency of thy spirit, to be thus touched with the feeling sense of the church's sufferings, and dangers. Most men seek their own things, and hot the things that are Christ's, Phil. ii. 21. But yet. it is your sin so to fear, as to sink and faint under a spiritofdespondency, anddiscouragement,whichyetmanygoodmenare but too apt to do.
I remember an excellent passage in a letter of * Luther's toMelancthon upon this very account.
• In private troubles, *faith he, I am weaker, and thou art stronger; thou despisest
' thy own life, but fearest the public cause : but for the public I am at rest, being assured that the cause is just and true, yea, that it is Christ's and God's cause.
I am wellnigh * a secure spectator of things, and esteem not any thing these * fierceandthreatningPapists can do. Ibeseechthee by Christ,
، neglect not so divine pro miss and confolations, where the scripture faith, Cast thy care upon the Lord, wait upon the
VOL . IV.
G *Epift. adMelanct. An no 1549,
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6• Lord, be strong, and he shall comfort thy heart." + And in another epistle ! ' I much dislike those anxious cares, which as • thou writeft do almost consume thee. It is not the greatness
' of the danger,but the greatness of thy unbelief.
John Hufs 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 who bids us be still ? as if you were able to do any good by such unprofitable cares. I be- * seech thee, thou that in other things art valiant, fight a- ' gainst thyself, thine own greatest enemy, that puts weapons
into Satan's hand.'
You fee how goodmenmaybeeven overwhelmed with public fears ; but certainly if we did well consider the bond of the covenant that is betwixt God and his people, we should be more quiet and composed.
For by reason thereof it is, 1. That God is in the midst of them, Plal. xlvi. 1, 2,3, 4. When any great danger threatened the reformed church in its tender beginning, in Luther's time, he would fay,Comeletusfing the xlvi. Psalm ; and indeed it is a lovely song for such times; it bears the title ofA Song uponAlamoth, or a song for the hidden ones, God is with them to cover them under his wings. 2.And itisplainmatter of fact, evident to all the world, that no people under the heavens have been so long and fo wonderfully preserved as the church hath been; it hath over-lived many bloody massacres, terrible perfecutions, subtle and cruel enemies ; still God hath preserved and delivered it, for his promises oblige him to do it, amongst which those two are signal and eminent ones, Jer. xxx.
11. Ifa. xxvii. 3. And it is obvious to all that will confider things, that there are the self-fame motives in God, and the felftame 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 fame.
What though Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, those renowned believers, be in their graves, and those that fucceedbe far inferior to them in grace and spiritual excellency ; yet faith the church, doubtless thou art our Father.
There is the fame 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 fame, for that endures for ever : his bowels yearn as tenderly over his people in their present, as ever they did in any past afflictions, or straits.
(3.) The rage †An no 1530.
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and malice ofhisandhispeoples enemies is still the same, they will reflect as blafphemously anddishonourably upon God now, should he give up his people, as ever they did.
Moses's argu. ment is as good now as ever it was, What will the Egyptians fay? and so is Joshua's too, What wilt thou do unto thy great name ? Oh! if these things were morethroughly studied and believed, they would appease many fears.
2. Rule. Work upon your hearts the consideration of the many mischiefs and miseries men draw upon themselves and others, both in this world and that to come, by their ownfinfulfears.
1. The miseries and calamities that sinful fear brings upon men in this world are unspeakable: this isitthathathplunged 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 korror and despair.
" * In the year 1550 there was at Ferrara in " Italyone Faminus, who by reading good books was by the grace of God converted to the knowledge of the truth, where- " in he found such sweetness, that by constant reading, medi- " tation, and prayer, he grew so expert in the scriptures, that he
" was able to instruct others ; and though hedurft not go out " of the bounds of his calling to preach openly, yet by confe- " rence and private exhortations he did good to many.
This " coming to the knowledge of the pope's clients, they appre- "hended 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; fo as falling intohor- " rible torments of conscience, he was near unto utter de- " spair; nor could he be freed fron those terrors, before he
"had fully resolved to venture his life more faithfully in the " service of Christ ."
Dreadful was that voice which poorSpiraseemed to hear in his own conscience, as soon as ever his sinful 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 haftbroken thy vow ; hence, apostate,
" bear with thee the sentence of thine eternal damnation."
Presently he falls into a swoon, quaking and trembling, and till affirmed to his death, " That from that time he never found
"any ease or peace in his mind;" but professed," that he was * Clark's Examp. p. 27.
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" captivated under the revenginghand 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, " andcouldneither hope for grace, or that Christ should inter- " cede for him to the Father."
In our dreadful Marian days, Sir John Cheek, who had been tutor to King Edward VI. was cast intotheTower, and kept close prisoner, and there put to this miserable choice, either to forego bis 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, joined with threats of much worse in case of his refusal, at last wrought so upon him, whilst he consulted with flesh and blood, 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 apostacy, and the daily fight of the cruel butcheries exercised upon others for their constant adherence to the truth, made such deep impressions upon his broken spirit, as brought him to a speedy end of his life, yet not without some comfortable 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 ofPeter Moon, who being driven by his own fears to deny the truth, presently fell into such horror of conscience, thatfeeinga sword hanging in hisparlour, 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 mischiefed himself, had not his friends pro vented him; thereupon he said, Oh! that I were above God, for I know that he will have no mercy on me. He lay about eight weeks
(faith the historian) in a continual burning, neither desiring, or 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 bell, yet coveting death ; ina continual torment, yet his own tormentor ; and thus consuming bimselfwithgriefandhorror, impatienceanddespair, like a living man in hell, he represented an extraordinary example of God's ju sticeandpower, and so ended his miserable life.
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Surely it were good to fright ourselves by such dreadful examples out of our sinful fears ; is any misery we can fear from the hands of man like this ? Oh, reader ! believe it, " it is
" a fearful thingtofallintothehands of an angry 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 ofmenshoulddrive thee into such an hell upon earth as this is,
2.And yet, though thisbeadoleful case, itisnotthe worst case your own sinful fears will cast you into, except the Lord over- .. come and extinguishtheminyou by the fear of his name, they will not only bring you into a kind ofhellupon earth, but inte hell itself forevermore; for so the righteousGodhath said in his word of truth, Rev. xxi. 8. " but the fearful and unbelieving,
" &r. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire " and brimstone, which is the second death."
Behold here the martial 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 and faint-hearted professors : you cannot bear the thoughts of lying in anastydungeon, how will you lie then in the lake of fire and brimstone ? You are afraid of the face and frowns of am an 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 fingerofGodheavier than the loins of all the tyrants in the world? remember what Christ hath said, Matth. x. 33. "But whosoever shall deny me be- " foremen, him will I also deny before my Father which is in " heaven."
Reader, the time is coming when he that spake these words shall break outofheavenwith a shout, accompanied with myriads of angels, and ten thousands of his saints, the heavens and the earth shall be in dreadful conflagrations round about him; the last trump shall found, the graves shall open, the earth and seashallgiveupthedead 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 faceofallenemies and dangers, fitting on the bench, as asseffors with him ; and then to be disclaimed and renounced for ever by Jesus Christ, in the face of that great assembly, and proclaimedadelinquent, a traitortohim, 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 ofconfciencehere, and the desperate horror ofitinhell; this is a par-boiling, that as a roasting in the flames of God's insufferable wrath: the seas somescaldingdrops sprink-
A Practical Treatise of Fear. led before-hand upon thy conscience, that tender and sensible part of man; that as the lake burning for ever with fire and brimstone. Oh ! who would suffer himself to be drivenintoall this misery, by the fears of these sufferings which canbuttouch the flesh; and for their duration, they are but for a moment ?
Think, and think again upon those words of Christ, Mark viii. 35." He that willfave 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 without the comfort or joy of life; a life ending in the second death; and all this for fear of a trifle, compared with what thou shalt afterwards feel in thine own conscience, and less than a trifle, nothing, compared with what thou must suffer from God for ever.
Rule 3. He that will overcome his fears of sufferings, must foresee and provide before-hand for them.
The fear of caution is a good cure to the fear of distraction ; and the more of that, the less of this ; this fear will cure that, as one fire draws forth another, Heb. xi. 7. " Noahbeingmoved
" with fear, prepared an ark." In which he provided as much for the rest and 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 comingbyway of fur prize upon us.
Those troubles that find us secure,do leave us distracted and desperate.
Presumptionofcontinued tranquillity 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 fufferthe unexpected vials of God's wrath, and I wish none but she and her children maybe so surprized.
Rev. xviii.
7. Oh! It were well for us, if, in the midst of our pleasantenjoyments, we would be putting the difficultest cases to ourselves, and mingle afewsuch thoughts as these with all our earthly enjoyments 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 finiles and honours; I may fee none shortly but the faces of enemies, full of frowns and terrors.
I have now an estate to lupplymywants, 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 hasfegetes.
I have yet my life given me for a prey; but, oh ! how soon may it fall into cruelandblood-thirsty hands ! I have no better security for these things than the martyrs had, who suffered the loss of all these
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things for Christ's fake. A double advantage would result to usfromfuchmeditations as these, viz. the advantage,
1. Of acquaintance with 2. Of preparation for Troubles.
{ 1. Hereby our thoughts would be better acquainted with theseevils; and the more they are acquainted with, the less they will start and fright at them. We should not think it strange concerning the fiery trial, as it is 1 Pet. iv. 12.
It is with our thoughts as it is with young colts; they start at every new thing they meet; but we cure them of it, by bringing them home to that they start at, and making them smell to it; better acquaintance cures this starthng humour.
The newness of evil*, faith a lategraveand learned divine, is the cause of fear, when the mind itselfhathhadno preceding encounter with it, wherebytojudge of its strength, nor example ofanotherman's prosperous issue, to confirm its hopes in the like success: For, as I noted before out of the Philosoper †, 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 μορ μολυκεια και προσωπεια, scare-crows andvizors, which children fear only out of ignorance; as soon as they are known they cease to be terrible.
I know our minds naturally reluctate, 'and decline such harsh and unpleasant subjects: It is hard to bring our thoughts to them in good earnest, and harder to dwell so long as is necefsarytothis end upon them. We had rather take a pleasant prof. pect of future felicity and prosperity in this world ; of multiplying our days asthefand, and at last dying quietly in our nest, as Job speaks.
Our thoughts run nimbly upon such pleasant fancies, like oiled wheels, and have need of trigging ; but whentheycome into the deep anddirtyways of suffering, there they drive heavily, like Pharaoh's 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, tho' our thoughts be such great strangers to them; he often thought and spake of his sufferings, and of the bloodybaptismwith which he was to be baptized, Luke xii. 50. and he notonlyminded his own sufferings before-hand, but, when he perceived the fond imaginations and vain fancies of some that followed and professed him, deluding them with expectations of earthly profperityand rest, he gave their thoughts a turn to i * Dr. Edward Reynolds.
+Epictetus.
A Practical Treatise of Fear.. 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 fitting on his right and left hand, like earthly grandees, he rebukes the folly of the Questionist, and asks a less pleasing question, Mat.xx. 22. " But Jesus answered
" and said, Ye know not what ye ask : are ye able to drink of " the cup that I thall drink of, and to be baptized with thebap- " tism that I shall be baptized with ?" q. d. You do but abuse yourselves with such fond and idle dreams, there is other employment cut out for you in the purposes of God; instead of fitting upon thrones andtribunals, it would become you to think of being brought before them as prisoners to receiveyourdoom and sentence to die for my fake; these thoughts woulddoyou a great deal more service.
2. As such meditations would acquaint us better, so they would prepare us better, to encounter troubles and difficult thingswhenthey come.
Readiness and preparationwouldfubdueand banish our fears ; we are never much scared with that for which our minds are prepared.
There is thesamedifference in this case, as there is betwixt a soldier in complete armour, andreadyatevery point for his enemy; and one that is alarmed in his bed,who hath laid his clothes inoneplace, and his arms in another, when his enemy is breaking open his chamber-door upon him.
Itwasnottherefore without the most weighty reason, that the apostle presses us so earnestly,Eph. vi. 13, 14. " Take
" unto you the whole armour of God, that ye maybe able to " withstand in the evil day, and having done all test and. Stand
" therefore, having your lions girt about with truth, and having " on the breast plateofrighteousness, and your feet shodwith
" the preparation of the gospelofpeace." Weseethebenefitof suchprevisions and provisions for suffering,in that great example of courage andconftancy,Acts xxi. 13., " I am ready, (faith
" Paul) not only to be bound,but to die atJerusalem." And the fame courage and constancy remained in him,when he was entring the very lifts, and going to lay his veryneckupon the block, 2 Tim. iv. 6. "I am ready to be offered up, the time
" of my departure is at hand."
The word σπένδομαι, properly signifies a libation or drink-offering,whereinfome conceive he alluded to the very 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 blood for Christ, as thepriestsusedtopour out drink-offerings to the Lord.
It is true, all the meditations and preparations in the world, made by us, are not sufficient in themselves to carry us through such difficult services; it is one
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thingtofeedeath as our fancylimns it out at a distance, and anotherthingtolookdeath itself in the face. Wecanbehold the paintedlionwithout fear, but the living lion makes us tremble : but yet, tho'ourfuffering-strength comes not from our own preparationsorforethoughtsofdeath,but from God's gracious assistance ; yet usually that assistance of his is communicated to us in and by the conscientious and humble use of these means ; let us therefore be found waitinguponGodfor 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.
Rule 4. If ever you will subdue your own lavish fears, commit yourselves, and all that is yours, into the hands of God by faith.
This rule is fully confirmed by that scripture, Prov. xvi . 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 unsettledness and distraction of our own thoughts; and the way to calm and quietourthoughts is to commit all to God.
This rule is to be applied for this end and purpose, when we are going to meet death itself, and that in all its terrible formalities, and most frightful appearances,
1 Pet. iv. 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 fo 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 establish the heart, and calm its passions in lesser troubles.
You know what ease and relief it would be to you, if youhadatrialdependingin law for your estates,and your hearts were overloaded and distracted with cares and fears about the issue of it : ifonewhomyou know to be very skilful and faithful, should fay to you at such a time, trouble not yourself any farther about this business, never break an hour's sleep more for this matter; be you an unconcerned spectator, commit it tome, and trust me with the management of it; I will make it myownconcernment, and save you harmless. Owhat a burden,what an heavy load would you feel yourselves eased of, as soon as you had thus transferred and committed it to such a hand! then you would be able to eat with pleasure, and sleep inquietness : 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
VOL. IV.;
A Practical Treatise of Fear. tobefoundinmen. But to make this rule practicable, and improvable to peace and quietness of heart in an evil day, it will be necessary thatyouwellunderstand, 1. What the committing act of faith is.
2.What grounds and encouragements believers have for it.
1. Studywellthe nature of thiscommittingact of faith, and what it supposes or implies in it; for allmen cannot commit themselves to God, it is his own people only that can do it : nor is it everything theycancommit to God;theycannotcommit themselves to his care and protection in anyway but only in his own ways. Know more particularly, ift, That he, who will commit himself to God, must commit himself to him in well doing, as the apostle limits it in 1 Pet. iv. 19. and in things agreeable to his will; else we would make
God a patron and protector of our fins : Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing. We cannot commit our fins, but our duties, to God's protection; God is so great a friend to truth and righteousness, that in such a case he will not take your part, how dear foeveryou be to him, if truth be found on your enemies part, and the mistake on yours.
Think not to entitle God to your errors and 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 Daviddid, Psal. lxxiv. 22. Thine own cause, O Lord, as well as mine.
Lord, plead thine own cause.
2dly, He that commits his all to God, supposes and firmly believes that all events and issues of things are in God's 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,
OLord, If aid, Thou art my God, my times are in thy hand, deliwer me from the hands of my enemies, and from them that perfecuteme.
His firm affent to this great truth, That his times were in God's hands, was the reason why he committed himself into that hand.
If our times, or lives, or comforts were in our enemies hands, it were to little purpose for us to commit ourselves into God's hands. And here the contrary senses and methods of faith and unbelief are as conspicuous as in any one thing whatsoever : unbeliefperfuades men that their lives, and all that is dear to them is in the hands of their enemies, and therefore persuades them the best way they can take to secure themselves, isbycompliancewith the willoftheirenemies, and
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pleasing them : but faith determines quite contrary, it tells us, We and all that is ours, is in God's hand, and no enemy can touch us, or ours, tillhegive them apermiffion; and therefore it is our duty and interest to please him, and commit all to him.
3. The committing ourselves to God, implies the resignation of our wills to the will of God, to be disposed of as seems goodinhiseyes: SoDavid commits to God the event of that fad and doubtful providence, which made him fly for his life, from a strong conspiracy, 2 Sam. xv. 25. " And the king said
" unto Zadock, Carry back the arkofGod 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
" tome 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 all into thy hand; if David may yet: be used in any farther service for his God, I shall see this city: and thy lovely temple again; but if not, I ly at thy foot, to be disposed either for life or death, for the earthly or the heavenly Jerusalem, as feemeth best in thine eyes.
This fubmiffiontoDivinepleasure isincludedinthe committing act of faith.
Christian, what sayest thou to it?
Is thy will contenttogo back, that thewillofGodmay come on, and take place of it ?
It maybe thou canst refer a difficult case to God, provided he will determine and issue it according to thy desires ; but, in truth, that is no submission or resignation at all, but a sinful limiting of, and prescribing to God.
It was an excellent reply that a choice Christian once made to another, when a beloved andonlychild lay in a dangerous sickness at the point of death, a friend asked the mother, What would you now desire of God in reference to your child ? would you beg of him its life or its death, in this extremity that it is now in ? The mother answered, I refer that to the will of God. But, said her friend, if God would refer it to you, what would you chuse then ?
Why truly, said she, if God would refer it to me, I would even refer it to God again.
This is the true committing of ourselves and our troublesome concerns to the Lord.
4. The committing act of faith implies our renouncing and disclaiming all confidence and trust in the arm of flesh, and an expectation of relief from God only.
If we commit ourselves to God, we must cease from man, Isa. ii. 22.
To trust God in part, and the creature in part, is to set one foot upon a rock, and the other upon a quicksand. Those acts of faith that H2
A Practical Treatise of Fear. give the entire glory to God, give real relief and comfort to us.
2. Let us fee what grounds and encouragements the people of God have to commit themselves and all the matters of their fears to God, and so to enjoy the peace and comfort of are signed will; and there are two forts ofencouragements before you, let thecafebe as difficult and frightful as it will, you may find sufficient encouragements in God, and somewhat from yourselves, viz . your relationtohim, and experiences 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. cxxx. 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 noway out of their troubles: therefore hope, Israel, in Jehovah.
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," Ifa. xxx. 18.
When the apostle Peter had related the wonderful preservation of Noah in the deluge, and of Lot in Sodom, one in ageneraldestruction of the world by water, and the other in the overthrow of those cites by fire ; he concludes, and so should we, " The Lord knoweth how to " deliver the godly out of temptation," 2 Pet. ii. 9.
Some men have niuch power, but little wisdom to manage it, others are wife 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 unparalleled: and this sets his wisdom and power both at 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. xvi. 9.
Thus you see how he is every way fitted as a proper object of your trust.
2. Consider with yourselves, and you shall find encouragements to commit all to God.
For, 1. You are his children, and to whom should children commit themselves in dangers and fears, but to their own father ?
Doubtless thou art our Father, faith the distressed church, Ifa.
Ixiii. 15, 16. yea, Christian, Thy Maker is thy bus band, Ifa, liv. 5.
Is not that a sufficient ground to cast thyself upon him?
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What! a child not trust its own father ? a wife not commit herself to her own husband ?
2. You have trusted him with a far greater concern already than your estates, liberties, or lives; you have committed your fouls to him, and your eternal interests, 2 Tim. i. 12.
Shall we commit the jewel, 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. ix. 10.
Well then, resolve to trust God over all, and quietly leave the disposal of everything to him : he hath been with you in all former straits, wants, and fears, hitherto he hath helped you, and cannot he do so again, except you tell him how ? Oh ! trust in his wisdom, power and love, and lean not to your own understandings. The fruit ofrefignationwillbe peace.
Rule 5. If ever you will get rid of your fears and distractions, get your affections mortified to the world, and to the inordinate andimmoderate love of every enjoyment in the world.
The more you are mortified, the less you will be terrified; it is 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.
It is the strength of our affections that puts so much strength into our afflictions.
It was not therefore without great reason that the apostle compares the life ofa Christian to the life of a soldier, who, if he mean to follow the camp, and acquit himself bravely in fight, must not entangle himself with the affairs of this life, 2 Tim. ii. 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 yourselves of your uncomfortable and uncomely fears, use all God's means to mortifyyour affections to the exorbitant esteem and love of, 1. Your estates.
2. Your liberty.
3. Your lives.
1. Get mortified and cooled hearts to your possessions and estates in the world. The poorest age afforded the richest Christians and noblest martyrs.
Ships deepest laden are not best for The believing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they had in heaven abetter and enduring substance, Heb. x. 34.
They carried it rather like unconcerned spectators, than the true proprietors ; encounters . theyrejoicedwhenrude soldiers carried out their goods, as if
A Practical Treatise of Fear. fomanyfriendshadbeenbringing them in. And whence was this, but from an heart fixed upon heaven, and mortified to things upon earth ?
Doubtless, theyesteemedand valued their estates, as the good providences of God for their more comfortable accommodation in this world; but it seems they did, andoh that we could lookuponthem as mercies of the lowest and meanest rank and nature.
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 fora 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 touched them; but the substance laid up for them in heaven, that was an enduring substance. 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, theycod easily flight them, and take the spoilingofthem joyfully.
In a stress of weather, when the ship is ready to finkandfounder ina storm, all hands are readily employed to throw the richest goods overboard ; no man faith it is pity to cast them away,but reason dictates to am an 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, I Tim. vi. 9.
Demas would rather perish, than part with these things, 2 Tim. iv. 10. But, reader, confider seriously what comforts 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 blood yieldedJudas ; and so they will ensnare thee, if thy unmortified heart be over-heated with the love of them as his was.
2. Be mortified to your liberty, and take heed of placing too greatanesteem upon it, or necessity in it.
Liberty is adefirable thing to the very birds in 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 maybe more comfort and sweerness in parting with it, than in keeping it, as the case may stand.
The doors of a prison may lock you in, but they cannot 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
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when their feet were made fast in the stocks, they never fared sodeliciousfly aswhenthey fed upon prisoners fare. God spread at able for them in the prison, sent them ina rich feast, yea, and they had music at their feast too, and that at midnight,
Acts xvi. 25.
Patmos was a barren island, andaplacedesigned for banished persons ; it lay in the Egean sea, not far from the coaftof the Lesser-Asia : it was inhabited by none, because of the exceedingbarrenness of it, but suchwhowere appointed to it for their punishment; so that here John could meet with no more
earthly refreshment than what the barren rocks, or wild and desperate persons condemned toliveupon it, could afford. Ay, but there, there it was that Christ appeared to him inunexprefsibleglory ; 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 Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, as a bride prepared for her husband. This made a Patmos become a Paradise; never did any place afford him such comfort as this did. So that Christians may not think there is so strict and necessary a connexion betwixt liberty and comfort, that he that takes away the first, must needs deprive them of the other .
Again, Suppose we shouldbesofondofour liberty as to exchange truth and agoodconfcience for it; cannot God so imbitter it to you, yea, hath he not so imbittered it to many, that they were quickly weary of it, and glad of an opportunity to change it for a prison. Our own Martyrology furnishes us with many fad examples of it. Oh, what will you do with your bitter, dear-bought liberty, when your peace is taken away from the inward man ? when God shall clap up your souls in prison, and put your consciences into his bonds and fetters, then will you 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 thyself 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. v. 4.
" that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burthened." And 66 We i i isa burthened and a groaning life so desirable ? You know also,as he speaks inthenextverse,that " whilst you are at home
*Rev. i. 9, 10.
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" in the body, you are absent from the Lord." And is a state of absence from Jesus Christ so desirable to a soul thatloveshim ?
Can you find much pleasure so far from home ? You may fancy what you will, but, upon serious recollection, you will never be out of the reach of Satan's temptations, never freed from your own indwelling 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 soever from God in the way of faith and course of duties, your hearts are still off the center, and will still gravitate and gasp heavenward. 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 constraint; therein you give a public testimony for Christ, which is the highest use that ever ourbloodcan be put to, orhonouredby; and for the pain and 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 ordinarily, they being prepared and reserved for such, against such an hour.
Oh then, work out the inordinate loveoflife,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 answered in the ease and rest of your hearts, in the most scaring and frightful times.
Rule 6. Eye the encouraging examples of those that have trod the path of sufferings before you, and strive to imitatefuch worthy patterns.
Behold the cloud of witnesses encompassingyou roundabout ; a cloud like that over the Ifraelites to direct you ; yea, a cloud for multitude of excellent persons to animate and encourage you,
Heb. xii.
1. " Oh take them for an ensample in suffering, " affliction and patience," Jamesv. 10.
Examples of excellent persons that have brokentheice,and beaten the path before us, are of excellent use to suppress our fears, androuze our courage in our own encounters.
コ The first sufferers had the hardest task; they that first entered the lifts for Christ, wanted those helps to suppress fear which they have left unto us.
Strange anduntiredtorments are most
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terrible, for magnitudinem rerum confuetudo fubducit, trial and acquaintanceabates the formidable greatness ofevils; 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 tharp trials of their courage as ever we can be called to; we have read with what Christian gallantry they have triomphed over all forts of sufferings and torments, howtheyhave been strengthened with all might in the inner manuntoallpatience and long-suffering,withjoyfulness, Col. i.
11. how theyhavegone away from the courts that censured and punished them, rejoicing that they were honoured to be dishonoured for Christ, as the strict reading of that text is, Acts v.
41. * counting the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 26, which at that time was the magazine of the world for riches: You read what " trials they
" have had of cruel mockings, yea, moreover ofbouds and " imprisonments ; how they were stoned,fawnasunder, tempted,
" lainwith the sword, wandered about in sheeps skins, and " goat skins, destitute, afflicted, tormented," Heb. xi. 36, 37In all which they obtained 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 haveputofftheir perfecutors with a kind of pleasant scornand contemptoftorments.
So did Basil, truly firnamedtheGreat, whenValens the emperor in a great rage threatened him with banishment, and tortures, as to the first, said he, † I little regard it: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; and as for tortures, what cantheydoupon such a poor thinbodyas mine, nothing but skinandbone? And atanothertime †,when Eufebius governor ofPontus told him inagreatrage,he would tear his very liver out of his bowels : Truly, said Basil, you will do me avery good turn in it, to take out my naughty liver ; which in- : flames and diseaseth my whole body.
Their enemies have professed, the Christians put them to shame, by smiling * Ὅτι κατηξιωθησαν ἀτιμασθῆναι .
+ Socrates, hift . 1. 4. c. 26.
‡ Theod. lib. 4.cap. 19.
VOL. IV.
A Practical Treatise of Fear. at theircruelties and threatnings.
Ignatius's love to Christ had so perfectly overcome all fears of sufferings, that when he was going to be thrown for a prey among the lions and leopards, he professed he longed to be among 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 andundauntedness of Luther is trumpeted 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 blood to the grave. The like heroic spirit appeared in divers persons of honour and eminence, who zealoufly espoused the same cause of reformation with him.
Remarkable to this purpose is that famous epistle witten by UlricusabHutten, a German knight, indefenceof Luther's cause against the cardinals and bishops assembled at Worms.
' I will go through (faidhe) with what I have undertaken 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 maybefal me,being prepared for • either event; either to ruin you, to the great benefit of my
• country, or myself to fall with a good conscience; therefore ⚫that you may fee with what confidence I contemn your
⚫threats, I do profess myself 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; tho you take away my life, yet this well deserving of mine to- •wards my country's liberty, shall not die. I know that my
⚫endeavour to remove such as you are, and to place worthy ministers 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 favour."
It was also a brave heroic spirit by which John duke of Saxony was acted to defend the reformation, who despising all the favours and offers of the court, and of Rome, and the terrors of death itself; appeared, as my author speaks, in its behalf against all the devils, and the pope||, in three public imperial assemblies, saying openly to their faces, I must serve God, or the world: and which of these twodoye think is the better ? And as soon as Luther's sermons were forbidden, he hafted away, saying, I will not stay there, where I cannot have my liberty to ferveGod.
|Spangenberg, adan.1531.
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Andnowreader, thou hast a little taste of the courage and zeal of those worthies who are gone before thee indefence of that cause for which thou fearest to suffer.
Most men, saith Chryfoftom, that read or hear such examples, are like the spectators of the Roman gladiators, who stood by and praised their courage, but durst not enter the lists to do what they did.
If ever thou wilt get like courage for Christ, thus improve such famous examples.
1. Make use of them toobviate the prejudice of singularity ; you see you have store of good company, the same things you are like to suffer for Christ, have been accomplished in the rest of your brethren in the world, 1 Pet. v. 9.
2. Improve them against the prejudice of all that shame that attends sufferings, here you may seethe most excellent persons in the world reckoning it their glory to suffer the vilest things for Jesus Christ, Acts v. 31. Heb. xi. 26.
3. Improve them against the conceit of the insupportableness of sufferings. Lo here, poor weak creatures which have been carried hononrably and comfortably through the cruelest and difficultest sufferings for Christ.
Our women and children, not to speak of men, (faith Tertullian) overcome their tormentors, 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. xliii. 2. " When
" thou passest through the fire, I will be with thee," &c.
Lo here you have the recorded and faithful testimonies of such as have tried it, with one voice witnessing 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 fo were many of them too, they were men of like fears, troubled with a bad heart, and abusydevil as 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,
Plal. xliv. 22. a conscience sprinkled, 2Tim. i. 7. and a call cleared, Dan. vi . 10.
Exercise faith also with respect to divine assistances, 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.
Confider, 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
A Practical Treatise of Fear, prepared the same glory for you, that he prepared for them =
Othat fuchconfiderations mightprovokeyou toshew as much courage and love to Christ, as any of them ever did.
Rule 7. Ifeveryou willgetabove the power of your own fears. inafufferingday make haste to clear your interest in Christ, and your pardon in his blood before that evil day come.
The clearer this is, thebolderyou will be ; an assuredChristianwas never known to be a coward in sufferings : it is impoffibletobe clear of fears, till you areclearedofthe doubts about interest in, and pardon by Christ.
Nothing is found more strengthning to our fears,than that which clouds our evidences : and nothing more to quiet and cure our fears, than that which clears our evidences.
The sheddingabroadofGod's love in our hearts, will quickly fill them withaspiritofglorying intribulati-. ons, Rom. v. 5. When the believing Hebrews once came to know in themselves that they had an enduring substance in heaven, they quickly found in themselves an unconcerned heart for the loss of their comforts on earth, Heb. x. 34. and so should we too.
For, 1. Assurance satisfies amanthathis treasure and true happiness is secured to him, and laid out of the reach of all his enemies; and so long as that is safehehath all the reason in the world to be quiet, and chearful, " I know (faith Paul) whom I have be- " lieved, and am perfuadedthat he is able to keep that which I "have committed to him against that day," 2 Tim. i. 12. And he gives this as his reason why he was not ashamed of Christ's sufferings.
2. The assured Christian knows that if death itself come, (which is the worstmencan inflict) he shall be no loser by the exchange; nay he shall make thebestbargainthat ever he made since he first parted with all his afflictions, to follow Christ.
There are two rich bargains a Christian makes; one is, when he exchanges the world for Christ in his first choice at his conversion, in point of love and estimation : the other is, when he actually parts with the world for Christ at his dissolution : both these are rich bargains, and upon this ground it was the a postle said, "To me to live is Christ and to die is gain," Phil, i. 21. The death of a believer in Christ, isgainunspeakable, but ifa man would make the utmost gain by dying, he shall find it in dying for Christ, as well as in Christ: and to shew you wherein the gain of such a death lies,let a few particulars be weighed, wherein the gain will be cast up in both; he that is assured he dies in Christ, knows,
I. That his living time is his labouring time, but his dying
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time is his harvest time, whilst we live we are plowing andfowinginall the duties of religion, but when we die, then we reap the fruit and comfort of all our labours and duties, Gal. vi..
&9.As much therefore as the reaping time is better than the fowingand plowing time, so much better is the death than the life ofa believer.
2. A believer's living time is his fighting time, but his dying time is his conquering and triumphing time, 1 Cor. xv. 55, 56.
The conflict is sharp, but the triumph is sweet ; and as much as victory and triumph are better than fighting, so much is death better than life to himthatdieth in Jet us.
3. A believer's living time is his tiresome and weary time, but hisdyingtime is his resting and sleeping time.
Isal lvii. 2.Here we spend and faint, there we rest in our beds, and as much as refreshing rest in sleep isbetterthantiring and fainting, so much is a believer's death better than his life .
4.A believer'slivingtime is his waiting and longing time,but histimeofdying isthetimeofenjoyingwhathe hath long wished and waited for, Phil. i.23. here wegroan and sigh for Christ, there we behold and enjoy Christ, and so much as vision and fruition are better and sweeter than hoping and waiting for it; so much is a believer'sdeath 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 greater, and the richest improvement that can be made of Death to die for Christ, as well as in Christ : for compare them ina few particulars and you you shall find, 1. That though a natural death hath less horror, yet a violent death for Christ hath more honour in it.
To him that dies united with Christ, the grave is a bed of reft ; but to him that dies as a martyr for Christ, the grave is a bedofhonour. " Το you (faith the apostle) it is given in the behalf of Christ, not " only to believe, but also to suffer for his sake," Phil. i. 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 Ludovicus Marsacus , a knight of France, 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 me (faith he
" to his keeper) my chain as well as they, and create mea " knight of that noble order."
* Curmenon quoque torque donas, et illuftris ill i us ordinis militem non creas?
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2. By a natural death we only submit ourselves to the unavoidable consequence of fin, but in dying a violent death for Christ, we give our testimony against the evil of fin, and for the precious truths of Jesus Christ.
The first is the payment of a debt ofjusticeduebythe fallofAdam; the second is the payment of a debt of thankfulness and obedience due to Christ, who redeemed us with his own blood.
Thus we become witnesses for God, as well as sufferers upon the account of fin: 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 dungeon, in a bloody 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 Christ's truths and a good conscience, as * Zuinglius said, " What fort of death should not a Christian
" chuse, what punishment should he not rather undergo; yea, " intowhatvault of hell should he not ratherchuse to be cast,
" than to witness against truth and conscience."
3.A natural death in Christ may be as safe to ourselves, but a violent death for Christ, will be more beneficial to others ; by the former we shall come to heaven ourselves, but by the latter we may bring many fouls thither.
The blood of the martyrs is truly called the seed of the church, Many waxed confident by Paul's bonds, his sufferings fell out to the futheranceof the gospel, and so may ours: in this case a Christian, like Sampson, 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 ourselves : 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 fee that death to a believer is great gain, it is great gain ifheonlydie in Christ, it is 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, he will rather have life in patience, and death in desire ; he will not only submit quietly, but rejoice exceedingly to be used by God
* Quas non oportet mortes praceligere, quodnonfupplicium potiusferre, imo in quam profundam inferni abyssum non intrare, quam contra confcientiam attestari?
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insuchhonourable enjoyment *.
Assurance will calla bloody deathafafe passage toCanaan through the red sea.
It will call Sat an that instigates these his instruments, and all that are employed in such bloody 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. xix. 7. And therefore it doth not much differ, whether the horse sent to fetch him to Christ be pale or red, fo he may be with Christ, his love, as Ignatius called him.
He looks upon death as his day of enlargement out of prison, 2 Cor v. 8. and it is not much odds what hand opens 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 fins ; when you can boldly say, the Lord is your help, you will quickly fay what immediately follows, I will not fear what man can do unto me, Heb. xiii. 6. And why, if thy heart be upright,mayst thou not attain it ? Full assurance is possible, else it had not been put into the command, 2 Pet. i. 10. The sealing graces are in you, the sealing Spirit is ready to do it for you, the fealingpromises belong to you; but we give not all diligence, and there forego without the comfort of it. Would we pray more, and strive more, would we keep our hearts with a stricter watch,. mortify sin more thoroughly, and walk before God more accurately; how soon may we attain this blessed assurance, and in it an excellent cure for our distracting and slavish fears.
Rule 8. Let him that designs to free himselfofdistractingfears, be careful to maintain the purity of his conscience, 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.
Ifa. xxxii. 17. "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 follow righteousness and sincerity, Prov.
Xxviii. 1. The wickedfleewhen no man purfueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
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. v. 1, 2, 3, 4. First they are justified and acquitted from guilt by faith, ver. 1. Then they
*They are rather delights to us than torments.
Basil.
A Practical Treatise of Fear. are brought into a state of favour and acceptationwith God, ver. 2. Thencetheyrise one step higher,even toa view of heaven, and the glory to come, ver. 3. and from thence they take an easy step toglorying in tribulations, ver. 4.
I say, it is an easy step; for let am an once obtain the pardon of fin, the favour of God, and a believing 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 found as hard to hinder it, as to hinder a man from laughing when he is tickled.
Christians have always found it a spring of courage and comfort, 2 Cor. i. 12. " For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of 66 our conscience, that in simplicity, and godly sincerity, not " with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had
" our conversation in the 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 professed; and this enabled them to rejoice in the midst of sufferings. An earthen vessel set empty on the fire will crack and fly in pieces, and fo will an hypocritical, formal, andmerenominal 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 natural consciences in times of trouble.
Nil confcire tibi, nulla pallefcere culpa .
Hicmurus aheneus esto.-* It was to them as a wall of brass. Much more will godly simplicity, and the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon our conIciences, fecureand encourage our hearts.
This atheistical age laughs conscience and purity to scorn; but let them laugh, this is it which will make thee laugh when they shall cry.
Paul exercised himself, or made it his business, "To have always a con- " science void of of fence, both towards God, and towards man,"
Acts xxiv. 16. †.
And it was richly worth his labour, it re- * Nil confcire, &c. Englished thus, Be this thy brazen bulwark of defence, Still to preserve thy conscious innocence,
Nor e'er turn pale with guilt.-- †`Ασκω meditor, operam do,
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paidhimtenthousand-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 mustly, beware therefore it be not galled with guilt, or put out of joint by any fall into fin, it is sad bearing on such a shoulder ; instead of bearing your burdens,you willnotbeable to bear its painandanguish.
To prevent this carefully observe these rules.
1. Over-awe your hearts everyday, and in every place with the eye of God.
This walking as before God will keep you upright, Gen xvii. 1.
If you so speak and live as those that know God fees you, such will be your uprightness, that you will not care if all the world see you too. An artist came to Drufius, and offered to build him an house, so contrived, that he might do what he would withindoors, and noman see him : Nay said
Drufius, fo build it that every one may fee.
2. Do no action, undertake no design, that you dare not preface with prayer; this is your rule, Phil. iv. 6.
Touch not that you dare not pray for a blessing upon; ifyoudarenot 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 adventure upon fin to escape danger to be the same thing as if you should fink the ship to avoid one that you take to be a pirate ; or as the fatal mistake of two vials, wherein there is poison andphysic.
4. What counsel you would give another, that give yourselveswhen the case shall be your own ; your judgment is most clear, when interest is least felt.
David's 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. cxxxv. 23, 24. " Let the righteous smite me," &c.
It is said of Sir Anthony 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.
: VOL . IV.
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Rule 9. Carefully record the experience of God's careoveryou, and faithfulness to you in all your past dangers and distresses, and apply them to the cure of your presentfearsand defpondencies.
Recorded experiences are excellent remedies, Exod. xvii. 14.
" Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears " of Joshua."
There were two things in that record; the victory obtained over Amalek, and the way of obtaining it by inceffantprayer: and there are two things to be done to secure this mercy for their use and benefit in future fears, it must be recorded and rehearsed, prefervedfrom oblivion, andseasonably produced for relief.
There are two special assistancesgivenus against fear by ex perience.
1. It abates the terror offufferings.
2. It assists faith in the promises.
1. Experience greatly abates the terror of sufferings, and makes them less formidable and scaring than otherwise they would be.
Fear faith, they are deep waters, and will drown us; experience faith, they are much shallower than we think, and are safely fordable; others have, and we may pass through the Red-sea, and not be overwhelmed. Fear faith, the pains of death are unconceivable, sharp and bitter, the living little know what the dying feel; and to lye in a stinking prison in continual expectation of a cruel death, is an unsupportable evil : Experience 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 they seem and appear to be at a distance. Owhat a goodreporthave those faithful men given, who have searched and tried these things ! who have gonedownthemselves into the valley of the shadowofdeath,and feenwhat there is ina prison, and in death itself, so long as they were in fight and hearing, able by words or signs to contradict our false notions of it.
Oh what a sweet account did Pomponius Algerius give of his linking prison at Lyons in France! dating all his letters whilst he was there, From the detectable orchard of the Leonine prison; and when carried to Venice, ina letter from the prison there, he writes thus to his
Christian friend ; I shall utter that which scarce any will believe, Ihavefounda nest of honey in the entrails of a lion, a paradise of pleasure in a deep dark dungeon, in a place of for row and death, tranquillity of hope and life. Oh! here it is that the Spirit of God and of glory rests upon us.
So bleffedMr. Philpot, our own martyr, in one of his sweet F
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encouraging letters :
O how my heart leaps (faith he) that I am so near to eternal bliss !God forgive me my unthankfulness
' andunworthinessof sogreatglory.
I have so much joy of the ' reward prepared for me, the most wretched sinner, that though
' I be in the placeofdarkness and mourning, yet I cannot lament, ' but am night and day so joyful as though I were undernocross
' 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, thereby, to the last, confirming this truth, that God makes the inside of sufferings quite another thing to what the appearance and outside of them is to sense.
Thus the experience of others abates the terrors offufferings to you; and all this is fully confirmed by the personal experience you yourselves have had of the supports and comforts of God, wherein foeveryou have conscientiously suffered for his sake...
2. And this cannot but be a singular assistance to your faith ; your own and others experiences, just likeAaron andHur, stay up the hands of faith on the one side and the other, that they hangnotdown, whilst your fears, like those Amalekites, fallbeforeyou. For what is experience, but thebringingdown of the divine pro miles to the test of sense and feeling ? It is our duty to believe the promises without trial and experiments, but it is easier to do it after so many trials ; so that your own and others experiences, carefully recorded and seasonably applied, would be food to your faith, and a cure tomanyofyour fears in a fufferingday.
Rule 10. You can never freeyourselffrom sinful fears, 'till you throughly believe and confider Christ's providential kingdom overall the creatures and affairs in this lower world.
Poortimorous fouls! is there not a King, a supreme Lord under whom devils and men are ? hath not Christ the reins of government in his hands? Mat. xxviii. 18. Phil. ii. 9, 10, 11, 12.
John xvii. 2. Werethisdominion of Christ, and dependence of all creatures on him, well Audied and believed, it would cut off both our trust in men, and our fear of men; we shouldfoon 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 areas apt to over-rate it too in our fears.
Knowest thou not(faith Pilate to Christ) that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thes ?
1. d. Refusest thou to answer me ? dost thou not know who K2
A Practical Treatise of Fear. and what I am ? Yes, yes, faith 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 our enemies are sustained by Christ, Col. i . 17. they are bounded and limited by Christ, Rev, ii. 10. Providence hath its influencesupontheir hearts and wills immediately, Jer. xv. 11.
Psal. cvi. 46. So that they cannot do whatever they would do, but their wills as well as their hands are ordered by God.
Jacob was in Laban's and in Efau's hands ; both hated him, but neither could hurt him.
David was in Saul's hand, who hunted for him as a prey, yetis forced to dismiss him quietly, blessing instead of slaying him.
Melancthon and Pomeron both fell into the hands of CharlesV. than whom Christendom had not a more prudent prince, nor the church of Christ a fiercer en enemy; yet he treats these great and active reformers gently, dismisseth them freely, not once forbidding them to preach or print the doctrine which he sa much opposed and hated.
Oh Christian ! if ever thou wilt get above thy fears, fettle these things upon thy heart by faith, 1. That the reins of government are in Christ's hands; ene mies, 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, 2Kings xix. 28. and that bridle hath a strong curb..
2. The care of the saints properly pertains to Christ ; he is theheadofthe body, Eph. i. 22, 23. our consulting head; and it were a reproach and dish on our to Christ, to fill our heads with distracting 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, Jer. x. 23. a power above your own, that hath supported your burdens, Psal. Ixxiii. 26. a spring of relief out of yourselves that hath supplied all your wants, Luke xxii. 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,
Ecclef. viii. 12. Psal. lxxvi. 10. Amos ix. 8, 9. Rom. viii. 28.
Oh! if these things were throughlybelieved andwellimproved,
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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 are so justly left in the hands of our own fears to be afflicted for it .
Rule 11. Subject your carnal reasonings to faith, and keep your thoughts more under the government of faith, ifeveryou expect a composed and quiet heart in distracting evil times.
He that layeth aside the rules of faith, and measures all things by the rule of his own shallow reason, will be his own bugbear; ifreasonmaybe permitted to judge all things, and to make its own inferences and conclusions from the aspects and appear an ces of second causes, your hearts shall have no rest day nor night; this alone will keep you in continual alarms .
Andyethow apt are the best men to measure things by this rule, and to judge of all God's designs and mysterious providencesby 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 believe, because its dictates are backed and befriended by sense, whence it gathers its intelligence and information. O quamfapiens argumentatrix fibi videtur ratio bum an a?How wife and strong do its arguments and conclusions seem to us ! faith Luther. This carnal reason is the thing that puts us intofuch confufions of mind and thoughts.
It is this that, 1. Quarrels with the promises, shakes their credit, and our confidence in them, Exod. v. 22, 23 .
2. It is this that boldly limits the divine power, and assigns itboundariesofits own fixing, Psal. lxxviii. 20, 41 .
3. It is carnal reason that draws desperate conclusions fromprovidential appearances and aspects, I Sam. xxvii. 1. and prognosticates our ruin from them.
4. It is this carnal reason that puts us upon sinful shifts and indirect courses to deliver and save ourselves from danger, which do but the more perplex and entangle us, Ifa. xxx. 15,
16.
5. It is mostly from our arrogant reasonings that our thoughts arediscomposed and divided; from this fountain it is that they flow into our hearts in multitudes when dangers are near, Psal. xciv. 16. Psal. xlii. 1 .
All these mischiefs owe themselves to the exorbitant actings and intrufions 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
A Practical Treatise of Fear.. both, quite above the reach, and beyond the ken of reason,
Isa. Iv. 8.
And, 2. The confident dictates of reason are frequently confuted by experience all the world over; it is every day made a liar, and the frights it puts us into, proved to be vain and groundless, Isa. li. 13.
Nothing can be better for us, than to resign up our reason to faith, to fee all things through the promises, and trust God over all events.
Rule 12. To conclude, exalt the fear of God in your hearts, and let it gain the ascendant over all your other fears.
This is the prescription in my text for the cure of all our navish fears, and indeed all the for mentioned rules for the cure of sinful fears run into this, and are reducible to it.
For, 1. Doth the knowledge and application of the covenant of grace cure our fears ? The fear of God is both a part of that covenant, and an evidence of our interest in it, Jer. xxxii. 40.
2. Doth sinful fearplungemeninto such distresses of conscience ? Why, the fearofGod will preserve your ways clean and pure, Psal. xix. 9. and so those mischiefs will be prevented.
3. Doth foresight and provision for evil days prevent distracting fears when they come ?
Nothing like the fear of God enables us to such a prevision and provision for them, Heb. xi. 7.
4. Do we relieve ourselves against fearbycommitting all to God? Surely it is the fear of God that drives us to him as our only asylum and sure refuge, Mal. iii. 16. TheyfearedGod, and thought upon his name, (i. e.)they meditated on 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 instrument of mortification, Neh. v. 15.
6. Do the worthy examples of those that are gone before us, tend to the cure of our cowardice and fears ? Why the fear of God will provoke in you an holy self-jealousy, left you fail of the grace they manifested, and come short of those excellent patterns, Heb. xii. 15.
7. Is the assurance of interest in God, and the pardon of fin such an excellent antidote against slavish fear ? Why, he that walks in the fear of God, small walk in the comforts of the
Holy Ghost also, Acts ix. 31 .
: 8. Is integrity of heart and way such a fountain of courage ineviltimes? Know, reader, no grace promotes this integrity
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anduprightness more than the fear ofGoddoth, Prov. xvi. 6.
Prov. xxiii. 17.
9. Do the reviving of past experiences fappress sinful fears ?
No doubt this was the subject which the fear of God put them upon, for mutual encouragement, Mal. iii. 16.
10. Are the providences of God in this 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, Ecclef. viii. 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 takemenoff from such self confidence, and bring them to trust the faithful God with all 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,sanctify the Lord of Hosts, and make him your fear.
CHAP.
VII.
Answeringthemost materialpleasforflavish fears,and dissolving the common objections against courage and constancy of mind in times of danger.
THE pleas and excuses for our cowardly faintness in the day of trouble are endless, and fo would his task be that should undertake particularly to answer them all.
It is but the cutting off an Hydra's head, when one is gone, ten more start up; what is most material I will here take into consideration.
When good men (for with such I am dealing in this chapter) fee a formidable face and appearance of sharp and bloc'y times approaching them, they begin to tremble, their hearts faint, and their hands hang down with unbecoming defpondency, andpusilanimity ; their thoughts are so distracted, their reason and faith focloudedby their fears, that their temptations are thereby exceedingly strengthened upon them, and their principles and professions brought under thederifion and contemptoftheirenemies; and if their brethren, to whom God hathgivenmore courage and constancy, and who discern the mischief like to ensue from their uncomely carriage, admonish
A Practical Treatise of Fear. and advise them of it : they have abundance of pleas anddefences 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 is 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 suppose.
Some of the principal of them I think it worth while here to consider, and endeavour to satisfy, that, if possible, I may prevail with all gracious persons to be more magnanimous. And first, of all, Plea 1. Sufferings for Christ are strange things to the Christians of this age, we have had the happy lot to fall into milder times than the primitive Christians did, or those that struggled in our own land in the beginning of reformation; and there-, fore we may be excused for our fears, by reason of our own unacquaintednesswith 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 inthedaysofpeace, andreckonthatfuchdays must come ?
Did you not covenant with Christ to follow him whithersoever he shouldgo, to take up your cress, and follow him ? And did not the word plainly tell you, that " All that will live godly in " Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution," 2Tim. iii. 12. "And " that we must through much tribulation enter into the king- " dom of God," Acts xiv. 22. Did we fall asleep in quiet and profperousdays, anddreamofhalcyondays all our timeonearth?
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. xviii. 7. but the children of Sion should be better instructed.
Alas ! how soon may the brightest day be overcast ?
The weather is not so variable, as the state of the church in this world is ; now a calm,Acts ix. 31. and then a storm, Acts xii. 1 , 2.
You could not but know what contingent and variable things all things on earth are ; why then did you delude yourselves with such fond dreams ? But as a learned man * rightly observes, Mundus fenescens patitur phantafias.
The older the world grows, the more drowzy and doting it still grows, and these are the days in which the wife as well as the foolish virgins lumber.
Sure it is 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.
*Gerfon.
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8t 2. Or if you say, though you have conversed with death and sufferings by speculation, yet you lived not in such timeswhere inyoumight fee(as other sufferers did) the encouraging faith, patience and zeal of others set before your eyes in a lively pattern and example.
Sufferings were not only familiarized to them by frequency, but facilitated also by the daily examples of those that went before them.
But think you indeed that nothing but encouragement and advantage to followers, arose from the trials of those that went before ? Alas, there were sometimes the greatestdamps anddif-
couragements imaginable; the zeal of those that followed have oftenbeeninflamedby the faintings of those that were tried before them.
In the seventh persecution underDecius, an no 250,, there were standing before the tribunal, certain of the warriors or knights, viz. Ammon, Zenon, Ptolemeus, Ingennus, 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 almost 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 by all the standers by, they were ready tolayhold 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 encouraged. Such damping spectacles the Christians of former ageshadfrequently set before them.
And it was no small trial to some of them, to hear the faint. ings and abnegation of those that went before them, pleaded against theirconstancy; as in the time of Valens, it was urged by the perfecutors ; those that came to their trial before you, haveacknowleged their errors, begged our pardon, andreturnedtous: and why will you stand it out soobstinately ? But the Christians aufwered, Nos hac potiffimum ratione viriliterftabimus, For this very reason we will stand to it the more manfully, to repair their scandal, by our greater courage for Christ. These were the helps and advantages they often had inthosedays, therefore lay not so much stress upon that; their courage undoubtedly flowed from an higher spring and better principle, thanthecompany they suffered with.
3. And if precedents and experiences of others to break the ice before you, be so great an advantage, surely we that live in VOL. IV.
A Practical Treatise of Fear. these latter times have the most and best helps of that nature thateverany people in the world had. You have all their ex amples recorded for your encouragement, and therefore think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, as tho fomestrange thing badhappenedtoyou, as the apostle speaks,
Pet. iv. 12.
This plea is weighed, and no great weight found in it.
Plea 2. But my nature is soft and tender, myconftitution more weak and subject to the impressions of fear than others: fomethat have robust bodies, and hardy stout minds, maybettergrapplewith such difficulties than I can, who by constitution and education, am altogether unfit to grapple with those torments, that I have not patience enough to hear related; my heart faints and dies within me, if Ido but read, or hear of the barbarous usages of the martyrs, and therefore I may well be excused for my fears and faint-heartedness, when the case is like to be my own.
Answer 1. It is a great mistake to think that the mere strength of natural constitution, can carry any one through such sufferings for Christ, or that natural tenderness and weakness di vinely assisted, cannot bear the heaviest burdenthateverGod laid upon the shoulders of anyfufferer for Christ. Our suffering and bearing abilities are not from nature, but from grace.
We find men of strong bodies and resolutedaringminds, have fainted in the time of trial.
Dr. Pendleton, in our own story, was am an of a robust and massy 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 fuf. tainedthegreatest torments, and out of weakness been made strong! Heb. xi. 34. The virgin Eulalia of Emerita inPortugal, wasyoungandtender, but twelve years old, and with much indulgence and tenderness brought up in an honourable family, being a person of considerable quality; yet how courageously did she sustain the most cruel torments for Christ ! When the judge fawnedupon her with this tempting language, " Why
" wiltthou kill thyself, so young a flower, and so near those " honourable marriages and greatdowries thou mightest en- " joy? "
Instead of returning a retracting or double answer, Eulalia threw down the idol, and spurned abroad with her feet the heap of incense prepared for the centers ; and when the executioner came to her, she entertained him with this language: *"Go to, thou hangman, burn, cut, mangle thou
"these earthly members; it is an easy matter to break a briule Acts and Mon. V. 1. p. 120,
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*fübstance,bút the inward mind thou shaltnothurt."And when onejointwas pulled from another, she said, " Behold what a "pleasure it is for them, oh Christ! that remember thy tri
" umphant victories, to attain unto those high dignities."
So that our constitutional strength is not to be made the measure of our passive fortitude: God can make the feeblest and ten derest persons stand, when strong bodies, andblustering, resolute, and daring minds faintandfall.
2. Are our bodies so weak, and hearts so tender, that we can bear no sufferings for Christ ?
Then we are noway fit to be his followers.
Christianity is a warfare, and Christians must endure hardships, 2Tim. ii. 3.
Delicacy and tenderness is as oddafight in a Christian, as it is ina soldier; and we cannot beChrift's 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.
It is in vain to talk of a religion that we think not worthy the suffering andenduringany great matter for.
3.And if indeed, reader, thy conflitutionbe so delicate and tender, that thou art not able to bear the thoughts of torments for Christ, how is it that thou art not more terrified with the torments of hell, which all they that deny Christ on earth must feel and bear eternally ? Oh, what is the wrath of man, in comparison with the wrath of God! but as the bite of a flea totherendings of a lion.
This is the consideration propoundedbyChrift in Matth. x. 28. " Fear not them who kill the " body, but are not able to kill the foul; but rather fear him
" who is able todestroyboth foulandbodyin hell." The infinite and unsupportable 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 lesh, which are but for a moment.
4. Know that the wisdom and tenderness ofthyFather, will proportion the burden thou must bear to thy back that must bear it; he will debate in measure, and notoverloadthy feeble shoulders: thou shalt find those things eaty in trial, that now seem insupportable in the terrible prospect; away of escape or support will certainly be opened, that thou mayestbe able to bear it.
Plea 3. But others plead the sad experiences they have had of their own feebleness and weakness in former trials and exercises of an inferior nature, in which their faith and patience hathfailedthem: and how can they imagine they shall ever be
A Practical Treatise of Fear. 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 thencontendwith horses in the swellings of Jordan, Jer. xii. 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 extraordinary trials, we shall be morethanconquerors. At one time Abraham could offer up his only son to God with his own hand; at another time he is so afraid of his life, that he acts very unsuitablyto the character of a believer, and was shamefully rebuked for it by Abimelech.
At one time David could fay, Though an host encamp against me, I will not fear ; at another time he feigns himself mad, and acted beneath 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 another time he could boldly confront the whole council, and own Christ and his truths to their faces.
In extraordinary trials we may warrantably expect extraordinary afsistances, and by them we shall be carried through the greatest, how oftenfoever we have failed in smaller trials.
2. The design and end of God'sgiving us experience of our own weakness in lesser troubles, is not to discourage and daunt us against we come to greater, (which is the useS at an here makes of it) , but to take us off from self-confidence and felfe dependence; to make us fee our own weakness, that we may moreheartly andhumblybetake ourselves to him in the way of faith and fervent fupplication.
Plea 4. But some will object that they cannot help their fears and tremblings when any danger appears; because fear is the disease, at least the sad effect and symptom of disease, with which God hath wounded 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 blood boils, and the whole frame of nature is put into disorder.
If therefore the Lord should permit such great and dreadful trials tobefal them,they canthinkofnothing
•less thandyingby 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 own fears into the net of temptation, even to deny the Lord that bought them.
Answer. This I know is the fad case of many gracious per
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sons, and I have reason to pity those that are thus exercised:
O it is a heavy stroke, a dismal state, a deep wound indeed: but yet the wisdom ofGodhath ordered this affliction upon his people for gracious ends and uses; hereby they are made the moretenderandwatchful, circumspectandcareful 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 preservation ofourownquietness is useful in its place, and it is a mercy if that or any thing elfebe sanctified to prevent fin, 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 whichyounow call your snare, maybe your advantage, and that in divers respects.
1. These verydistempers of body and mind serve to imbitter the comforts and pleasures of this world to you, and make life it selfless 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, whoenjoymore of the pleasure and sweetness of itthanyoucando. I have often thought this to be one design and end of providence, in permitting such distempers to seize somanygraciouspersons as labour under them, and providence knows how to make use of this effect to singular purpose and advantage to you, 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 easy 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 usuponnatural accounts, yet it is not so easy 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 Christ, or his known truths would do, you would not know what to do with such a life ; it would certainly lieuponyourhands as a burthen.
Godknowshowto use these things in the way of his providence to your great advantage.
2. Art thou a poor melancholy andtimorous person ? Cer- * It was common with the marytrs, to sweeten death to themselves, by reckoning what infirmities it would cure them of, one of bisblindness, another of his lameness, &c.
Practical Treatise of Fear. tainly 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 ofeverlastingarms underneath theetobear theeupunder, and to carry thee thro' finaller 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 advantage out of your weakness, display more evidently his own power in your support? you know what the apostle faith, 1 Cor. xii. 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 " restuponme for when I am weakthenam I strong."
If his infirmities might serve as afoil to set off the grace of God with amorebright and sparkling luftre, he would rejoice in his in. firmities, 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 enemy threatened to tear out his liver, he thought it a kindness to have that liver torn out, that hadgivenhimso much trouble.
It may drive thee nearer to Godandminifter a fit opportunity for the display of his grace in the time of need.
Plea 5.But what ifGodshouldhide his face from my soul inthedayofmy straits and troubles,and not only so, but per. mit Satan to buffet me with his horrid temptations and inject i ons, and so I should fail like the ship in which Paul failed,betwixt these two boisterous seas; what can I suspect less than 2 thipwreck of my foul, body, andallthecomforts of both, in this world, and in that to come?
Answer 1. Sofar as the fears of such amiseryawakenyou to pray for the prevention of it, itmaybeserviceable to your souls, but when it only works distraction anddespondency of mind, it is your fin and Sat an's snare.
The prophetJeremymadeagood ufeoffuch a supposedevilbyway ofdeprecation, Jer. xvii. 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 placeofretreator refuge, but thy love and favour; Lord, that is all I have to depend on, and relieve myself by : I comfort myself against trouble with this confidence, thatifmenbe cruel,yet thou wiltbekind; if they frown, thon wilt smile; if the world cast me out, thou wilttake me in; but if thou shouldestbe at error tome instead of a comforter, if
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they afflict my body, and thou affright my soul with thy frown's too; whatadeplorable condition shall Ibeinthen ! Improve it to such an end as he did, tosecurethefavour of God,and it will do younoharm.
2. It is notufual for God toe strange himself from his people in trouble, nor to frown upon themwhenmendo.
The common evidence of believers 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 ofthattriedword, in 1 Pet. iv. 14. That,
" the Spiritofglory,and of God,resteth uponfufferers." The expression seems to allude to the dove thatNoah sent forth out of the ark, which flew overthewatry world,but could not rest herselfanywheretill she returned to the ark. So the Spirit of
God is called here the spirit of glory, from his effects and fruits, viz.his chearing, sealing, and reviving influences which make mengloryandtriumph in the most afflicted state.
The 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 fo longuponany, as those that suffer for righteousness sake; there he commonlytakesuphis abode and residence.
3.And what if it should fallout in some respect according to your fears, that heaven and earth should bebothcloudedtoge. ther ? Yet it will not be long before the pleasant light will spring up to you again, Plal. cxii. 4. " Unto the upright there arifeth
" light in the darkness." You shall have his supporting presence 'till the Comforter do come. When Mr. Glover came within fight of the stake,he suddenly cries out,OhAustin! he is come! be is come!
Plea6. Oh! but what if my trial should be long, and the fiegeof temptations tedious ? Then I am perfuadedI am lost;
I am nowayable to continue.long in a prison, or in tortures for Christ, I have no strengthtoendurealong siege, my patience is too short to hold out from month to month, and from year to year as many have done. Oh! Idread the thoughts oflongcontinued trials,I tremble to think what must be the ifssue.
Answer 1. Cannot you distrust your own strength, and ability, but you must also limit God's ? What if you have but a small stock of patience ? Cannot the Lord strengthen you with all might in the inner-man, untoallpatience and long-suffering withjoyfulness, according to his glorious power, Col. i. 11. And is it not his promise toconfirmyou to the end ? I Cor. i. 3.
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You neither know how much, nor how long you can bear and suffer.
It is not inherent, but assisting grace, by which your suffering abilities are to be measured. God can make that little stock of patience you have to hold out as the poor widow's cruise of oil did, 'till deliverance come; he can enable your patience unto its perfect work, (i.e.) to work as extensively to all the kinds and forts of trials, as intensively to the highest degree of trial, and as protensively 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 God's eyes also?
2. The Lord knows the proper season to come in to the relief of your sliding and fainting patience, and will assuredly come in accordingly in that season; for so run the promises,
" The Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his " servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and that " there is none shut up or left," Deut. xxxii. 36. Cum duplicantur lateres venit Moses ; in the mount of difficulties and extremities 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. cxxv. 3. Ubi definit humanum, ibi incipit divinum auxilium; God's power watches the opportunity of your weakness.
Plea 7. 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 barbarous 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 endure these things ? They loved their lives, and sensed their pains as well as you, they had the fame thoughts and fears, many of them, that you now have; yet God carried them thro 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 extremity 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 fight 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 out-side and appearance, which is terrible ; but we know not the inside of sufferings, which is exceeding com