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 feai's 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 of a 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 disentangled heart from the world ; ibr, 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 j^our- selves of your uncomfortable and uncomely fears, use all God's means to mortify your 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 encounters. The believing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goodsj Tcnowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and endm'- ing substance^ Heb. x. 34. They carried it rather like unconcern- ed spectators, than the true proprietors ; they rejoiced when rude soldiers carried out their goods, as if so many friends had been bringing them in. And whence was this but from an heart fixed upon heaven, and mortified to things upon earth .'* Doubtless, they esteemed and valued their estates, as the good providences of God for their more comfortable accommodation in this world; but it seems they did, and O that we could look upon them as mercies of the lowest and meanest rank and 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 for a little time did minister refreshment to them, but they knew them to be transitory enjoyments, things that would make to themselves wings and flee away, if their enemies had not touched them ; but the substance
296 A PHACTICAL TREATISE OF FEAR.
laid up for them in heaven, that was an enduring substance. Sc» far as those earthly things might further them towards heavenly things, so far they prized and valued them, but if Satan would turn them into snares and temptations to deprive them of their better substance in heaven, they could easily slight them, and take the spoiling of them joyfully. In a stress of weather, when the ship is ready to sink and founder in a storm, all hands are readily employ- ed to throw the richest goods overboard ; no man saith it is pity to cast them away, but reason dictates to a man in that case. Better these perish, than I perish with and for them. These be the wares that some will not cast overboard, and therefore they are said to drown men in perdition, ] Tim. vi. 9. Demas would rather perish than jjart with these things^ 2 Tim. iv. 10. But, reader, consider 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 yielded Judas ; 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 great an esteem upon it, or necessity in it. Liberty is a desirable 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 may be more comfort and sweetness 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 when their feet were made fast in the stocks, they never fared so deliciously as when they fed upon prisoners fare. God spread a table for them in the prison, sent them in a rich feast, yea, and they had music at their feast too, and that at mid- night, Acts xvi. 25.
Patmos was a barren island, and a place designed for banished persons ; it lay in the Egean sea, not far from the coast of the Lesser Asia* : it was inhabited by none, because of the exceeding barrenness of it, but such who were appointed to it for their punishment ; so that here John could meet with no more earthly refreshment than what the barren rocks, or wild and desperate persons condemned to live upon it, could afford. Ay, but there, there it was, that Christ appeared to him in inexpressible glory ; there it w^as that he had those ravishing visions, and saw the whole scheme of Providence in the government of this world ; there he
A PRACTICAL TREATISE OF FEAR. 297
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 thi« did. So that Christians may not think there is so strict and neces- sary a connexion betwixt liberty and comfort, that he tiiat takes away the first, must needs deprive them of the other.
Again, Suppose we should be so fond of our liberty as to ex- change truth and a good conscience for it ; cannot God so imbitter it to you, yea, hath he not so imbittered it to many, that they were quickly weary of it, and glad of an opportunity to change it for a prison. Our own Martyrology furnishes us with many sad exam- ples of it. Oh, what will you do with your bitter, dear-bought li- berty, 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."