• fpeak freely that which his confcience commanded him; the emperor threatening that then he fhould die, he answered, Did I ever • tell you 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 breaft-plate, the caufe of God will pay all your expences; let them tremble whom danger finds out of the way of duty.

Rule 9. Get your confciences Sprinkled with the blood of Chrift from all I guilt, and that will fet your hearts above all fear.

It is guilt upon the confcience 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 fhall flay me," Gen. iv. 14. A guilty confcience is more ter- Y rified with conceited dangers, than a pure confcience is with real ones. A guilty finner carries a witness against himself in his own bofom. It was guilty Herod cried out," John Baptift is rifen from the dead.” Such a confcience is the devil's anvil, on which he fabricates all those fwords and fpears, with which the guilty finner pierces and wounds himself; guilt is to danger what fire is to gun-powder; a man need not fear to walk among many barrels of powder if he have no fire about him.

Rule 10. Exercife holy trust in times of great distress.

Make it your bufinefs to truft God with your lives and comforts, and then your hearts will be at reft about them. So did David, Pfal. lvii. 3. "At what time I am afraid, I will truft in thee;" q. d. Lord, if at any time a storm rife, I will make bold to fhelter me from it under the covert of thy wings. Go to God by acts of faith and trust, and never doubt but he will fecure you. Ifa. Ixii. 3. "Thou "wilt keep him in perfect peace, whofe mind is stayed on thee, be"cause he trusteth in thee." God takes it well when thou comeft "to him thus; Father, my life, my liberty, or eftate, are hunted af"ter, and I cannot fecure 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," Pfal. x. 14. that is,' thou art the helper of the deftitute one, that hath none to go to but God. And that is a sweet scripture, Pfal. cxii. 7. "He fhall not be "afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord;" he doth not fay, his ear fhall be privileged from the report of evil tidings, he may hear as fad tidings as other men, but his heart fhall be privi leged from the terror of those tidings, "his heart is fixed."

Rule 11. Confult the honour of religion more, and your perfonal fafety less.

Is it for the honour of religion, think you, that Christians should be as timorous as hares, to start at every found? Will not this tempt the world to think, that whatever you talk, yet your principles are no better than other mens? O what mischief may the discoveries of

your fears before them do! It was a noble faying of Nehemiah, chap. vi. II. "Should fuch a man as I flee? And who, being as I am, "would flee?" Were it not better you should die, than that the world fhould be prejudifed, againft Chrift by your example? For, alas! how apt is the world, who judge more by what they fee in your practiçes, than by what they understand of your principles, to conclude from your timorousness, that how much foever you commend faith, and talk of aflurance, yet you dare trust to thofe things no more than they when it comes to the trial. O let not your fears lay such a ftumbling-blook before the blind world.

Rule 12. He that will fecure his heart from fear, must first secure the eternal intereft of his foul in the hands of Jefus Chrift.

When this is done, then you may fay, Now world, do thy worst. You will not be very folicitous about a vile body, when you are once affured it fhall be well to all eternity with your precious fouls. "Fear

not them (faith Christ) that can kill the body, and after that have "no more that they can do." The affured Christian may fmile with contempt upon all his enemies, and fay, Is this the worst that you do? What lay you, Chriftians? Are you affured that your fouls are fafe, that within a few moments of your diffolution they shall be received by Chrift into an everlafting habitation? Well, if you be fure of that, never trouble yourselves about the inftruments and means of your diffolution.

Objection. O, but a violent death is terrible to nature!

Anfwer. But what matter is it, when thy foul is in heaven, whether it were let out at thy mouth, or at thy throat? Whether thy familiar friends, or barbarous enemies, ftand about thy dead body, and clofe thine eyes? Alas! it is not worth the making fo much to do about; Nihil corpus fentit in nervo cum anima fit in cœlo, thy foul thall not be fentible in heaven how thy body is ufed on earth; no, it shall be swallowed up in life.

Rule 13. Learn to quench all flavil creature-fears, in the rever ential fear of God..

This is a cure by diverfion: It is a rare piece of Christian wifdom to turn thofe paffions of the foul which moft predominate into fpiritual channels; to turn natural anger into spiritual zeal, natural mirth into holy cheerfulnefs, and natural fear into an holy dread and awe of God. This method of cure Chrift prescribes in that forementioned place, Matth. x. like to which is that in Ifa., viii. 12, 13. fear not their fear; but how fhall we help it? Why, "fanc"tify the Lord of Hofts himself, and let him be your fear and your "dread." Natural fear may be allayed for the prefent by natural reason, or the removal of the occation, but then it is but like a candle blown out with a puff of breath, which is easily blown in again; but if the fear of God extinguifh it, then it is like a candle quenched in water, which cannot easily be rekindled.

Rule 14. Laftly, Pour out thofe fears to God in prayer, which the devil and your own unbelief pour in upon you in times of danger.

Prayer is the best ont-let to fear; where is the Chriftian that cannot fet his probatum eft to this direction? I will give you the greatest example in the world to encourage you in the use of it, even the example of Jefus Chrift, Mark xiv. 32. When the hour of his danger and death drew nigh, he gets into the garden, feparates from the difciples, and there wrestles mightily with God in prayer, even unto an agony in reference to which the apoftle faith, Heb. v. 7. "Who in the days of his flefh, when he had offered up prayers "and fupplications, with strong cries and tears, to him that was able to fave him from death, and was heard in that he feared." He was heard as to ftrength and fupport to carry him through it, though not as to deliverance, or exemption from it.

Now, O that thefe things might abide with you, and be reduced to practice in thefe evil days, that many trembling fouls may be eftablished by them.

Seafon 5. The fifth feafon to excite this diligence in keeping the · heart, is a time of ftraits and outward pinching wants; although at fuch times we should complain to God, and not of God, (the throne of grace being erected for a time of need, Heb. iv. 16.) yet when the waters of relief run low, and want begins to pinch hard, how prone are the best hearts to diftruft the fountain! when the • meal in the barrel, and the oil in the cruise are almost spent, our faith and patience are almost spent too. Now it is difficult to keep down the proud and unbelieving heart in an holy quietude and fweet fubmiffion at the foot of God: It is an eafy thing to talk of • trusting God for daily bread, while we have a full barn or purfe; but to fay, as the prophet, Hab. iii. 17. "Though the fig tree "fhould not bloffom, neither fruit be in the vine, &c. yet will I "rejoice in the Lord:" furely this is not easy.' The fifth cafe therefore fhall be this:

Cafe 5. How a Chriftian may keep his heart from distrusting God, or repining against him, when outward wants are either felt or feared.

This cafe deferves to be seriously pondered, and especially to be ftudied now, fince it feems to be the defign of providence to empty the people of God of their creature-fulnefs, and acquaint them with thofe ftraits which hitherto they have been altogether strangers to.

Now, to fecure the heart from the afore-mentioned dangers attending this condition, thefe following confiderations, through the bleffing of the Spirit, may prove effectual. And the firft is this;

Confideration 1. That if God reduce you to ftraits and neceffities, yet he deals no otheravife therein with you, than he hath done with fome of the choiceft and holiest men that ever lived.

Your condition is not fingular; though you have hitherto been ftrangers to wants, other faints have daily converfed, and been fa

miliarly acquainted with them. Hear what bleffed Paul fpeaks, not of himself only, but in the name of other faints reduced to like exigencies, 1 Cor. iv. 11. «Even to this prefent hour we both hun"ger and thirft, and are naked and buffeted, and have no certain "dwelling-place." To fee fuch a man as Paul going up and down the world with a naked back, and empty belly, and not a houfe to put his head in, one that was fo far above thee in grace and holiness, one that did more fervice for God in a day, than perhaps thou haft done in all thy days, and yet you repine as if hardly dealt with! Have you forgot what neceffities and ftraits even a David hath fuffered? How great were his ftraits and neceffities? 1 Sam. xxv. 8. « Give, I "pray thee (faith he to Nabal) whatfoever cometh to thy hand, to thy fervants, and to thy fon David." Renowned Mufculus was forced to dig in the town ditch for a maintenance. Famous Ainfworth (as I have been credibly informed) was forced to fell the bed he lay on to buy bread. But what fpeak I of these? Behold a greater than any of them, even the Son of God, who is the heir of all "things, and by whom the worlds were made;" yet fometimes would have been glad of any thing, having nothing to eat, Mark xi. 12, 136 "And on the morrow, when they were come from "Bethany, he was hungry; and feeing a fig-tree afar off, having "leaves, he came, if haply he might find [any thing] thereon."

When

Well then, hereby God hath fet no mark of hatred upon you, neither can you infer the want of love from the want of bread. thy repining heart puts the queftion, Was there ever any forrow like unto mine? Afk thefe worthies, and they will tell thee, though they did not complain and fret as thou doft, yet they were driven to as great ftraits as thou art.

Confid. 2. If God leave you not in this neceffitous condition without a promife, you have no reason to repine or despond under it.

That is a fad condition indeed to which no promife belongs. I remember Mr Calvin, upon thefe words, Ifa. ix. 1. "Nevertheless "the dimnefs fhall not be fuch as was in her vexation," &c. folves the doubt, in what fenfe the darknefs of the captivity was not fo great as the leffer incurfions made by Tiglath Pilnefer. In the captivity the city was deftroyed, and the temple burnt with fire, there was no comparifon in the affliction; but yet the darknefs fhould not be fuch, and the reafon (faith he) is this, Huic certam promiffionem effe additam, cum in priorbus nulla effet; i. e. there was a certain promife made to this, but none to the other.

It is better to be as low as hell with a promife, than in paradife without one. Even the darknefs of hell itfelf would be comparatively no darkness at all, were there but a promise to enlighten it. Now God hath left many fweet promises for the faith of his poor people to feed on in this condition: fuch are thefe: Pfal. xxxiv. 9, 10. " O "fear the Lord, ye his faints, for there is no want to them that fear

him; the lions do lack and fuffer hunger, but they that fear the

"Lord fhall want nothing that is good." Pfal. xxxiii. 18, 19. "The "eye of the Lord is upon the righteous, to keep them alive in fa"mine."Pfal. lxxxiv. II. "Nogood thing will he with-hold from them "that walk uprightly." Rom. viii. 32. "He that spared not his "own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with "him alfo freely give us all things?" Ifa. xli. 17. "When the poor "and the needy feek water, and there is none, and their tongue "faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Ifrael "will not forfake them." Here you fee, first, their extreme wants, water being put even for the neceffaries of life. (2.) Their certain relief, Ithe Lord will hear them; in which it is fuppofed that they cry unto him in their straits, and he hears their cry.

Having therefore these promises, why should not your distrustful hearts conclude like David's, Pfal. xxiii. 1. "The Lord is my Shep"herd, I fhall not want."

Objection. But thefe promifes imply conditions: if they were abfolute, they would afford more fatisfaction.

Solution. What are those tacit conditions you speak of but these : (1.) That either he will supply or fanctify your wants: (2.) That you thall have fo much as God fees fit for you. And doth this trouble you? Would you have the mercy whether fanctified or no? Whether God fees it fit for you, or no? Methinks the appetites of saints after earthly things should not be fo ravenous, to feize greedily upon any enjoyment, not caring how they have it.

But oh, when wants pinch, and we fee not whence fupplies should come, then your faith in the promise shakes, and we, like murmuring Ifrael, cry, "He gave bread, can he give water alfo ?" O unbelieving hearts! When did his promife fail? Whoever trusted them, and was ashamed? May not God upbraid thee with thine unreasonable infidelity; as Jer. ii. 31. "Have I been a wilderness unto you?" &c. Or as Chrift said to the difciples, "Since I was with you, lack"ed ye any thing?" Yea, may you not upbraid yourselves, may you not fay with good old Polycarp, Thefe many years I have ferved Christ, and found him a good mafter. Indeed he may deny what your wantonness, but not what your real wants call for. He will not regard the cry of your lufts, nor yet defpife the cry of your faith; though he will not indulge and humour your wanton appetites, yet he will not violate his own faithful promifes. Thefe promifes are your best fecurity for eternal life; and it is ftrange if they should not fatisfy you for daily bread: remember ye the words of the Lord, and folace your hearts with them amidst all your wants. It is faid of Epicurus, that in the dreadful fits of the cholic, he often refreshed himfelf, Ob memoriam inventorum,-by calling to mind his inventions in philofophy: and of Poffidonius the philofopher, that in a great fit of the ftone he folaced himself with difcourfes of moral duty; and when the pain twinged him, he would fay, Nihil agis, dolor; quamvis fis moleftus, nunquam confitebor te effe malum:-O pain, thou dost

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