2. It is not casual for God to estrange himself from his people in trouble, nor to frown upon them when men do. The common evidence of believers stands ready to attest and seal this truth, that Christians never find more kindness from God than when tliey feel most cruelty from men for his sake ; consult the whole cloud of witnesses, and you will find they have still found the undoubted verity of that tried word, in 1 Pet. iv. 14. That " the Spirit of '^ glory and of God resteth upon sufferers." The expression seems to allude to the dove that Noah sent forth out of the ark, which flew over the watery world, but could not rest herself any where till she returned to the ark. So the Spirit of God is called here the Spirit of glory, from his effects and fruits, viz. his cheering, sealing, and reviving influences which make men glory and triumph 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 so long upon any, as those that suffer for righteousness sake; there he commonly takes up his abode and residence.
3. And what if it should fall out in some respect according to your fearsf that heaven and earth should be both clouded together ? Yet it will not be long before the pleasant hght will spring up to you again, Psal. cxii. 4. " Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness." You shall have his supporting presence till the Comforter do come. When Mr. Glover came within sight of the stake, he suddenly cries out, Oh Austin ! he is come ! lie is come.
Plea 6. Oh ! but what if my trial should be long, and the siege of temptations tedious ? Then I am persuaded I am lost ; I am no way able to continue long in a prison, or in tortures for Christ, I have no strength to endure a long siege, my patience is too short to hold out from month to month, and from year to year as many have done. Oh ! I dread the thoughts of long continued trials, I tremble to think what must be the issue.
Answer 1. Cannot you distrust your own strength and ability, but you must also limit God's ? WKat if you have but a small stock of patience.? Cannot the Lord strengthen you with all might in the inner-man, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, according to his glorious power. Col. i. 11. And is it not his pro- mise to confirm you to the end ? 1 Cor. i. 8. You neither know how 7mich, nor how long- you can bear and suffer. It is not inherent, but assisting grace, by which your suffeiing abilities are to be mea- sured. God can make that httle stock of patience you have to hold
320 A PRACTICAL TREATISE OF FEAK.
out «s the poor widow's cruse 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 sorts 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 mar* vellous 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 accor- dingly 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. 8. Ubi definit humanu7n, ibi mcipit divmum auocilium ; God's power watches the opportunity of your weakness.
Plea 7. But what if I should be put to cruel and exquisite tor- tures, suppose to the rack, to the fire, or such most dreadful suffer- ings 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 ?
Ansivei'. Who enabled those Christians you mentioiT to endui'e these things ? They loved their lives, and sensed their pains as well as you, they had the same thoughts and fears, many of them, that you now have ; yet God carried them through all, and so he can you. Did not he make the devouring flames a bed of roses to some of them ? Was he not within the fires ? Did he not abate the ex- tremity of the torment, and enable weak and tender persons to en- dure them patiently and cheerfully ? Some singing in the midst of flames, others clapping their hands triumphantly, and to the last sight that could be had of them in this world, nothing appeared but signs and demonstrations of joy unspeakable. Ah friends! we judge of sufferings by the out-side and appearance, which is terrible ; but w^e know not the inside of sufferings which is exceeding comfortable. Oh ! when shall we have done with our unbelieving if's and hits^ our questionings and doubtings of the power, wisdom, and tender care of our God over us, and learn to trust him over all. Now the just shall live by faith ; and he that lives by faith shall never die by fear. The more you trust God, the less you will torment yourselves. I have done ; the Lord strengthen, stablish, and settle the trembling and feeble hearts of his people, by what hath been so seasonably offered for their relief by a weak hand. Amen.
RIGHTEOUS MAN S REFUGE.
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER. Christian Reader,
" XF * Heinsius, when he had shut up himself in the library at " Leyden, reckoned himself placed in the very lap of eternity, *' because he conversed there with so many Divine souls, and pro- " fessed he took his seat in it with so lofty a spirit and sweet con- " tent, that he heartily pitied all the great and rich men of the ^' world, that were ignorant of the happiness he there daily en- " joyed ;''^ How much more may that soul rejoice in its own hap- piness, who hath shut himself up in the chambers of the Divine Attributes, and exerciseth pity for the exposed and miserable mul- titude that are left as a prey to the temptations and troubles of the world.