you but plead them with God, as Jacob did, Gen. xxxii. 22. Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, &c. they would relieve you in every distress.

Obje. But that promise was made personally, and by name to him; so are not these to me.

Answ. If Jacob's God be your God, you have as good an interest in them as he had. The church, a thousand years after that transaction betwixt God and Jacob, applied that which God spake to him, as if it had been spoken to themselves, Hos. xii 1. He found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us.

7 Rule. Quiet your trembling hearts by recording and consulting your past expe riences of the care and faithfulness of God in former distresses.

These experiences are food for your faith in a wilderness condition, Psal. lxxiv. 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 answered by Silentiarius, when one told him, that his enemies waylaid him to take his life, if God take no care of me how have I escap-. ed hitherto? You may plead with God old experiences to procure new ones; for it is, in pleading with God for new deliv erpuces, as it is in pleading for pardons

Now, mark how Moses pleads on that ac-count with God, Numb. xiv. 19. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of his 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 troubled before to sign this pardon but, Lord, because thou hast pardoned them so often, I beseech thee pardon them once again. So in new straits, Lord, thou hast often heard, helpt and saved, in for mer fears; therefore now help again for with thee there is plentious redemption, and thine arm is not shortened.

8 Rule. Be well satisfied that you are in the way of your duty, and that will beget holy courage in times of danger.

Who will harm you, if you be followers of that which is good, 1 Pet. iii. 13.0 Or, if any dare attempt it, you may boldly commit yourselves to God in well doing,

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 assume this title, Cedo nulli. A good cause will bear up a man's spirit bravely. 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,

ble answer,

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to speak nothing but what he would have him; the senator returned this nothat, as he was a senator, it was fit he should be at the senate; and if, being there, he were required to 6 give his advice, he would speak freely that which his conscience commanded him. The emperor threatning, that then he should die; he answered, did I never 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 con፡ stantly"

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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.

9 Rule. Get your consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ from all guilt, and that will set your hearts above all

fear.

It is guilt upon the conscience that softens and cowardizes our spirits: the reighteous is bold as a lion, Prov, xxviii. 1. It was guilt in Cain's conscience that made him cry, every one that meets me will 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 wit

ness against himself in his own bosom. It was guilt that made Herod cry 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 sinner 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.

10 Rule. 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; Lord, if at any time a storm rise, I will make bold to shelter 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. lxii. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. God takes it well when thou comest to himi thus; Father, my life, my liberty, or estate, are hunted after, and I canuot secure them; O let me leave them in thy hand: The poor leaveth himself with thee; and aeth 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 tid ings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord; he doth not 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.

II Rule. Consult the honour of reli.gien more, and your personal safety less.

Is it for the honour of religion (think you) that christians should be as timerous 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 mens? O what mischief may the discoveries of your fears before them do! It was a noble saying of Nehemiah, chap. vi. 11. Should such a man as I fee? and who, being as I am would flee? Were it not better you should die, than that the world should be prejudiced against Christ by your example? For, alas! how apt is the world (who judge more by what they see in your prac tices, than by what they understand of your principles) to conclude from your timerousness, that how much soever you