These expenences are food for your faith in a wilderness condition, Psal. Ixxiv. 14. By this David kept his heart in time of danger, 1 Sam. xvii. 37. and Paul his, 2 Cor. i. 10. It was sweetly answer- ed by Silentiarius, when one told him that his enemies way -laid him to take away his life, Si Dcus mei curam non hahit, quid vivo f If God take no care of me, how have I escaped hitherto ? you may plead with God old experiences to procure new ones ; for it is in pleading with God for new deliverances, as it is in pleading for new pardons. Now mark how Moses pleads on that account with God, Numb. xiv. 19- " Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, " as thou hast forgiven them from Egypt until now." He doth not say as men do. Lord, this is the first fault, thou hast not been troub- led before to sign their pardon : But, Lord, because thou hast par- doned them so often, I beseech thee pardon them once again. So in new straits. Lord, thou hast often heard, helped, and saved in former fears ; therefore now help again, for with thee there is plen- teous redemption, and thine arm is not shortened.
Rule 8. Be tceU satisfied that you are in the way of your duty^ and that will beget holy courage in times of danger.
" Who will harm vou, if you be followers of that which is good ^"^ " 1 Pet. iii. 13. Or, if any dare attempt it, " you may boldly com- " mit yourselves to God in well-doing," 1 Pet. iv. 19- It was this consideration that raised Luther s spirit above all fear : ' In the cause ' of God (said he) I ever am, and ever shall be stout ;' herein I as- sume this title, Cedo 7iulU, a good cause will bear up a man''s spirit bravel}'. Hear the saying of a * heathen, to the shame of cowardly Christians: ' When the emperor Vespasian had commanded Fluidius ' Priscus not to come to the senate ; or if he did, to speak nothing ' but what he would have him ; the senator returned this noble an- ' swer. That as he was a senator, it was fit he should be at the senate; ' and if being there he were required to give his advice, he would
* Char, of Wisdom, p. 35S.
HOW TO KEEP THE HEAPvT YRO'Sl FEARS. 455
* speak freely that which his conscience commanded him ; the era- < peror threatening then that he should die, he answered, Did I ever
* tell vou that I was immortal ? Do you what you will, and I will
* do what I ought ; it is in your power to put me to death unjustly,
* and in me to die constantly."*
Righteousness is a breast-plate, the cause of God will pay all your expences; let them tremble whom danger finds out of the way of duty.
Rule 9. Get your consciences sprinMed with the blood of Christ Jrom all guilty and that will set your hearts above all fear.
It is guilt upon the conscience that softens and cowardizes our spirits: " The righteous are bold as a lion," Prov. xxviii. 1. It was guilt in Cain's conscience that made him cry, " Every one that " meets me shall slay me," Gen. iv. 14. A guilty conscience is more terrified with conceited dangers, than a pure conscience is with real ones. A guilty sinner carries a witness against himself in his own bosom. It was guilty Herod cried out, " John Baptist is risen " from the dead." Such a conscience is the devil's anvil, on which he fabricates all those swords and spears, with which the guilty sin- ner pierces and wounds himself; guilt is to danger what fire is to gun-}iowder ; a man need not fear to walk among many barrels of powder if he have no fire about him.
Rule 10. Exercise holy trust in times of great distress.
Make it your business to trust God with your lives and comforts, and then your hearts will be at rest about them. So did David, Psal. Ivii. 3. " At what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee ;" q. d. Lord, if at any time a storm rise, I will make bold to shelter me from it under the covert of thy wings. Go to God by acts of faith and trust, and never doubt but he will secure you, Isa. Ixii. 3. " Thou " wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, be- " cause he trusteth in thee." God takes it well when thou comest to him thus; " Father, my life, my liberty, or estate, are hunted " after, and I cannot secure them ; O let me leave them in thy hand : " The poor leaveth himself with thee;" and doth his God fail him? No, " thou art the helper of the fatherless," Psal. x. 14. that is, thou art the helper of the destitute one, that hath none to go to but God. And that is a sweet scripture, Psal. cxii. 7. " He shall not be " afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord ;" he doth no^ say, his ear shall be privileged from the report of evil tidings, he may hear as sad tidings as other men, but his heart shall be privileged from the terror of those tidings, " his heart is fixed."
Rule 11. Consult the honour of religion more, and your personal safety less.
Is it for the honour of religion, think you, that ChrivStians should be as timorous as hares, to start at every sound ? Will not this tempt the world to think, that whatever you talk, yet your principles are no better than other men's ? O what mischief may the discoveries of
456 HOW TO KEEP THE HEAftT FHOM FEARS.
your fears before them do ! It was a noble saying of Nehemiah, chap, vi. 11. " Should such a man as I flee? And who, being as I am, « would flee?" Were it not better you should die, than that the \vor\d should be prejudiced against Christ by your example ? For» alas ! how apt is the world, who judge more by what they see in your practices, than by what they understand of your principles, to conclude from your timorousness, that how much soever you com- mend faith, and talk of assurance, yet you dare trust to those things no more than they when it comes to the trial. O let not your fears lay such a stumbling-block before the blind world.
Rule 12. He that icUl secure his heart from fear ^ must first secure the eternal interest of his soul in the hands of Jesus Christ.
When this is done, then you may say, Now world do thy worst. You will not be very solicitous about a vile body, when you are once assured it shall be well to all eternity with your precious souls. '' Fear not them (saith Christ) that can kill the body, and after that " have no more that they can do.'' The assured Christian may smile with contempt upon all his enemies, and say. Is this the worst that you do ? What say you. Christians ? Are you assured that your souls are safe, that within a few moments of your dissolution they shall be received by Christ into an everlasting habitation ? Well, if you be sure of that, never trouble yourselves about the instruments and means of your dissolution.
Objection. O, but a violent death is terrible to nature!