shoulders, and lookest thou for that which they cannot give themselves? Not in wise men, whose designs recoil oft upon themselves, that they cannot perform their enterprise. Amplioracapii institui currentc rota cur urceus exit. Man's carnal wisdom intends one thing, but God turns the wheel, and brings forth another. Trust not in holy men ; they have flesh, and so their judgment not hifallible, yea, their way sometimes doubtful. His mistake may lead thee aside, and though he returns, thou mayest go on and perish. Trust not in any man, in all men, no not in thyself, "thou art flesh. 'He is a fool,' saith the wise man, 'that trusts his heart.' Not in the best thou art or doest ; the garmeiit of thy righteousness is spotted with the flesh ; all is counted by St. Paul, ' confidence in the flesh,' besides oiu- rejoicing in Christ, Phil, iih 3.
Use 3. Thirdly, Fear not man, he is but flesh. This was David's resolve, Psa. Ivi. 4 : ' I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.' Thou needest not, thou oughtest not to fear. Thou needest not. What, not such a great man ; not such a number of men, who have the keys of all the prisons at their girdle ; who can kill or save alive? No, not these; only look they be thy enemies for righteousness' sake. Take heed thou makest not the least child thine enemy, by offering wrong to him ; God will right the wicked even upon the saint. If he offends, he shall find no shelter under God's wing for his sin. This made Jerome complain, that the Christian's sin made the arms of those barbarous nations which invaded Christendom victorious : Nostris pcccatis fortes sunt barbari. But if man's wrath find thee in God's way, and his fury take fire at thy holiness, thou needest not fear though thy life be the prey he hunts for. Flesh can only wound flesh; he may kill thee, but not hurt thee. Why shouldst thou fear to be stripped of that which thou hast resigned already to Christ? It is the first lesson thou learnest, if a Christian, to deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow thy Master ; so that the enemy comes too late ; thou hast no life to lose, because thou hast given it already to Christ ; nor can man take away that without God's leave ; all thou hast is insured ; and though God hath not promised thee immunity frojn suffering in this kind, yet he hath undertaken to bear the loss, yea, to pay thee a hundredfold, and thou shalt not stay for it till another world. Again, thou oughtest not to fear flesh. Our Saviour, Matt, x., thrice in the compass of six verses, commands us not to fear man ; if thy heart quail at him, how wilt thou behave thyself in the list against Satan, whose little finger is heavier than man's loins? The Romans had arnia pra-lusoria, weapons rebated, or cudgels, which they were tried at before they came to the sharp. If thou canst not bear a bruise in thy flesh from man's cudgels and blunt weapons, what wilt thou do when thou shalt have Satan's swoi-d in thy side? God counts himself reproached when his children fear a sorry man ; therefore we are bid sanctify the Lord, not to fear their fear. Now, if thou wouldst not fear man, who is but flesh, laboui*.
First, to mortify thy own flesh ; flesh only fears flesh : when the soul dege- nerates into cai-nal desires and delights, no wonder he falls into carnal fears. Have a care. Christian, thou bringest not thyself into bondage : perhaps thy heart feeds on the applause of man ; this will make thee afraid to be evil spoken of, as those who shuffled with Christ, John xii. 42, owning him in private, when they durst not confess him openly, for they loved the praise of men. David saith, ' The mouth of the wicked is an open sepulchre ; ' and in this grave hath many a saint's name been buried. But if this fleshly desire were mortified, thou wouldst not pass to be judged by man, and so of all carnal aft'ections. Some meat you observe is anguish : if thou settest thy heart on any- thing that is carnal, wife, child, estate, &c., these will incline thee to a base fear of man, who may be Ciod's messenger to afflict thee in these.
Secondly, Set faith against flesh : faith fixeth the heart, and a fixed heart is not readily afraid. Physicians tell us, we are never so subject to receive infection as when the spirits are low, and therefore the antidotes they give are all cordials. When the spirit is low through unbelief, every threatening from man makes a sad impression. Let thy faith but take a deep draught of the promises, and thy courage will rise.
Fourthly, Comfort thyself, Christian, with this, that thou art flesh, so thy heavenly Father knows it, and considers thee for it.
gg NOT WITH FLESH AND I3L00P.