you

commend faith, and talk of assurance, yet dare trust to these things no more than they, which is come to the trial? O let not your fears lay such a stumbling block before the blind world.

12 Rule. He that will 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 can 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 everlasting habitations? Well, if you be sure of that, never trouble yourselves abour the instruments and means of your dissolution.

Object. O but a violent death is terrible to nature.

Answ. But what matter is it, when thy soul is in heaven, whether it were let

out at thy mouth, or at thy throat? whether thy familiar friends or barbarous enemies stand about thy dead body, and close thine eyes? Alas, it is not worth the making so much ado about. Thy soul shall not be sensible in heaven how thy body is used on earth. No, it shall be swallowed up in life.

13 Rule. Learn to quench all slavish creature fears, in the reverential fear of God.

This is a cure by diversion. It is a rare piece of christian wisdom, to turn those passions of the soul, which most predominate, into spiritual channels; to turn naturab anger into spiritual zeal, natural mirth into holy cheerfulness, and natural fear into an holy dread and awe of God, This method of cure Christ prescribes in that forementioned place, Mat. x. like to which is that in Isa. i. 12, 13Fear not their fear: but how shall we help it? Why, sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear and dread. Natural fear may ye allayed for the present by natural reason, or the removal of the occasion; but then it is but like a candle blown out with a puff of breath, which is easily blown in again; But, it the fear of God extinguish it, then it is like a candle quencht in water, which

eannot easily be rekindled.

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

Prayer is the best outlet to fear. Where is the christian that cannot set his proba tum est to his direction? I will give you the greatest example in the world to encourage you in the use of it, even the example of Jesus Christ, Mark xiv. 22: When the hour of his danger and death drew nigh, he gets into the garden, separates from the disciples, and there wrestles mightily with God in prayer, even unto an agony in reference to which, the apostle saith, Heb. v. 7. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong cries and tears, to him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared. He was heard as to strength and support to carry him through it, though not as to deliverance, or exemption from it.

Now, O that these things might abide with you, and be reduced to practice in these evil days, that many trembling souls Inay be established by them!

5 Season. The fifth season to exert this diligence in keeping the heart, is the time of straits and outward pinching

wants. Although at such 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 wants begin to pinch hard, how prone are the, < best hearts to distrust the fountain! when 'the meal in the barrel and the oil in the 6 cruse are almost spent, our faith and pa'tience are almost spent too; now, it is difficult to keep down the proud and un'believing heart in an holy quietude and 'sweet submission at the foot of God. It is an easy thing to talk of trusting God' for daily bread, while we have a full barn or purse; but to say, as the prophet, Hab. iii. 17, Though the fig tree, should not blossom, neither fruit be in the vine, &c. yet I will rejoice in the Lord; sure this is not easy.

case therefore shall be this ;

The fifth

5 Case, How a christian may keep his heart from distrusting God, or repining. against him, when outward wants are ei ther felt or feared.

This case deserves to be seriously pondered, and especially to be studied now,, since it seems to be the design of providence to empty the people of God of their creature fulness, and acquaint them with those straits which hitherto they have been

altogether strangers to.

Now, to secure the heart from the forementioned dangers attending this condition, these following considerations, thro' the blessing of the spirit, may prove effectual. And the first is this ;

I Consid. That if God reduce you to straits and necessities, yet he deals no otherwise therein with you, than he hath done with some of the choicest and holiest men that ever lived.

Your condition is not singular; though you have hitherto been strangers to wants, other saints have daily conversed and been familiarly acquainted with them. Hear what blessed Paul speaks, not of himself only, but in the names of other saints reduced to like exigencies, 1 Cor. iv. 11. Even to this present hour we both han ger and thirst, and are naked and buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place. To see such a man as Paul going up and down the world with a naked back, and empty belly, and not a house to put his head in, one that was so far above thee in grace, and holiness, one that did more service for God in a day, than perhaps thou hast done him all thy days, and yet thou repine as if hardly dealt with! Have you forgo what necessities and straits even a David · hath suffered? How great were his straits