Of FEAR.  
The CAUSE  
The USE  
The CURE     
OR, Strong Consolations (The Consolations of God) Cordial at all times, but most comfortable now in these uncomfortable times, To fix, quiet, and establish the heart, though the earth shake, and make it stand still, To see the salvation of The Lord.  
Taken from GOD'S mouth, And Penned by HEZEKIAH WOODWARD, That all His Servants may have assured confidence for ever.  PSAL. 56. 3, 9 
What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee: When I cry unto Thee, Then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know, for God is for me, He will save me, because I Trust in Him.  Psal. 37. 40. 
Nil terribile, nisi ipse timor.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Underhill, and are to be sold at the sign of the Bible in Woodstreet. 1643.   

To the Right HONOURABLE, Isaac Pennington, LORD Mayor Of the City of LONDON.  
BY the Blessing of God upon this treatise (containing His own directions there) it can heal the heart and the hand palsied with fear: It will be no dishonour then to take it into your hand, and to lay these directions (if it can be) yet closer to your heart, whereby the City of God have been a quiet habitation, 
(a) Esay 33. 20.  when, as now, The blast of the terrible ones have made the earth to shake and tremble under us: And you now, with such as you, that love, fear, trust GOD, doing your duty, and maintaining your watch, do maintain PEACE, and at such a time. 
(a) Ezra. 4. 17.   
Peace is good at all times, but ever best in the worst times, perilous and fierce, as are the times of Reformation, troublous evermore: when hands and 
* Dan. 9 28. Jer. 20. 3.  Tongues are bend to make the City of GOD MAGOR MISSABIB, terror on every side: Then peace is good; Then cordials are so indeed, strong consolations (they are the consolations of GOD) at such a time. Peace in and with the world is good, if it could be had upon good terms: But that it not possible. The world will love their own, And they shall have peace, such as the world can give; They, who can comply with the world; can give out unto them the right hand of fellowship, to thrust Christ from His Throne, and out of the world: these shall have peace, for they are the world's first born, and right hands of the times, but you cannot do so. Such a peace, peace without truth is of vile esteem with you, you abhor it at such a price, and upon such terms as the world bids for it, and doth purchase the same. You follow peace with all men, and Holiness (That is a point of the highest wisdom) without which no man shall see the LORD: you pursue 
(c) Heb. 11. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  this peace, as others persecute it: your zeal cannot boil higher than to their As, as they persecute it. Pursue it so still, and if you overtake it not, (for it flees from you (else you should not need to pursue it) if you cannot establish peace in the City; yet, in that you have done your office, you have peace in your soul, a peace, which passeth all understanding; for whatsoever things are true 
(d) Phil. 4. 7. 8.  are henest; are just; are pure; are lovely; are of good report, these things you have done, and will do, you have assured confidence now in this which follows, and the peace of 
ver. 9  GOD shall be with you. What a good word is this, and at such a time, when the Adversary doth, as in all times he hath done (it is no new thing, when the breaches of Jerusalem's walls are making up) he sends, and writes, and lies, and rails, and blasphemes, what doth he not, after his manner, to make the work to cease 
d Nehe. 4. and 6. . You know your charge concerning him, Answer him 
* 2 King. 18. 36.  not; you look to the answer from a good conscience, That, in zeal to you▪ LORD, The City's peace and crown of rejoicing, you have done and spoken hitherto: And you are resolved so to do still, To stand up for Christ still, To shoulder up His Throne still; And you have made up your reckoning, you know what it will cost you, possible as much as it hath cost All His faithful servants in all ages at such a time; And having so wisely counted your Cost, you can mock at fear; and laugh at your Adversaries, as the LORD doth, seeing their day is coming 
(e) Psal. 37. : for their rage riseth high, and their rising by steps that way, are but steps and degrees to utter destruction, which shall rise as their rage doth, unto heaven, and be lifted up, even to the skies. 
* Jer. 51. 9  You cannot be deceived now, as, we think, good Jeremiah was; He heard the defaming of many, fear was on every side, and he heard a cry: nay he cried out himself, and said, Violence and spoil! Then says Jeremy, 
Jer. 20. 8. 10. ●●.  O LORD, Thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived. He was indeed, but GOD did not deceive him; He had set up Jeremtah, and made him so strong for Himself, and for such a time as that, when the adversaries deeds and words would be as hard as iron against the Truth and him; but Jeremiah should be hard enough for them; The Adversary might, to as good purpose, strike his hand against a rock as strike Jeremiah: shall iron break 
Jer. 15. 12.  the Northern iron and steel?  
No, no, the Adversary was hard, and cruel, and violent against Jeremiah, but God made Jeremiah too hard for them all, as He will all His faithful ones, (standing up for Him) a defenced City and a strong brazen 
ver. 20.  wall: That was the promise to Jeremiah, and in him to all faithful ones, many thousand years ago, and you have the comfort, and your fast standing from it at this day; The blast of the terrible ones, what can it do? It was answered long ago; As much as a blast of wind against a brazen wall, so the Spirit slights what flesh can do against Him: 
(a) ●●●say 2● 4.  They shall sight against Thee (The Adversary will make an experiment, what metal you are made of, so you must expect) but they shall not prevail 
ser. 1. 1●.  against Thee; There is the comfort, and it is yours, who will stand up for God and at such a time. As your expectation from the World cannot deceive you (after the experiences of all the faithful that have stood up for God) All hath been done against them, All shall be done against you, that Angry Nations can do, Atheists and Papists swollen with wrath, and big with rage: So, nor will The Lord, The Hope of Israel and Saviour thereof in time of trouble, He will not deceive you. Then you shall see your strength presently, that you are better bottomed than are the perpetual Hills, and everlasting Mountains, a sight worth the beholding and at such a time. And because your work is now to read the times, not book●s; To get understanding in them, and what Israel ought to do; and because you feel so many shocks and thrusts made against you to make you fall, noman more; I will make bold to draw out this Epistle (against my disposition and judgement) beyond its usual proportion to persons of your rank; That I may make known not to you but to the world of ungodly men, where your strength lies. Then past all question it will be said, their rock is not as your Rock, the enemies themselves being Judges.  
I have by the assistance of the great Physician written, I hope, from His Mouth, touching the Cure of Fear, your Lordship may have the marrow of it here.  
First, You magnify your Office, contending for Christ against His enemies, who would shoulder Him out of His Throne and out of His Kingdom; These enemies are in a rage, because you are a friend to Christ; they fight against you, and have fair hopes too, they shall take revenge on you. Let them hope till their day comes, when their flesh must consume away, and their eyes in their holes, and their tongues in their mouth, 
c Zech. 14. 12.  you have the answer of a good conscience within: A GOD to go to, His promise to cleave to, which you find, in the place you were upon even now; They shall not prevail against thee, for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee: And not barely so, but a Mighty TERRIBLE one: There 
Jer. 20. 11.  you may read what follows, to your everlasting comfort, and confusion of your Adversaries. This answers all that can be said or done against you, all hard words and ungodly deeds.  
GOD is with you; All His attributes, power, wisdom, goodness shall be laid out for you, and for all like you, who lay out themselves, all they are and have for Him.  
You have now, as All His faithful servants have, written this down in the Table of your heart. Now you may write what you will, for a Legion, now marching on against the City of God, you can set down quickly (before fear surpriseth the heart, for it hath sudden and violent motions) and writ, fifty: what? frogs, lice, flies. So The Church despised her proud adversary, that terrible one, laughing him to scorn, regarding his huge Host, not so much as 
2 Kings 91. 2●.  a legion of frogs, an army of louse, or swarm of flies. These Egyptian, these Northern Troops (the Armies of The Lord of Hosts have been a plague to the Egyptians, and other Nations, as idolatrous as they, never so to a people with whom God is, a mighty terrible One. Certain it is That he, who will search into the records of time, shall never read, that an Army of Papists, a People of God's curse, ever did the Church hurt: They have annoyed it, that is granted: For frogs, and louse, and flies in abundance, can do so, (& yet not so much unless God pleaseth, but if so, then) for the Churches good. Idolatrous Israel have pillaged Judah, and have taken away much spoil (sometime the Lord made the Adversary vomit it up again:) their rage has reached yet higher, but then their day hasteneth as now it doth, and they come down mightily, this also was forth Churches good. Indeed, and to contract; every thing, which we commonly call evil, nay, what properly is so, (sin itself) is for the good of those with whom the LORD is, a God in covenant, our God. You see your stability now, your security, your exceeding comfort. It is good to look upon it with all your eyes, well to consider on it at such a time as this, lest you faint in your mind, as a faithful servant of the Lord did, eyeing his Adversaries, and not observing his standing, nor his strength where it was, and then he speaks unadvisedly with his lips. 
c Jer. 22. 14.   
Truly I think it my Duty, being upon such a Subject, and at such a time, to make some enlargement to my Epistle here, now that tongues and hands are so busied to cause fear, which is so encroaching, you cannot keep it out with all your power, unless you hold fast still-fast to this strong hold, I will be with thee a mighty terrible One, blessed be His name for that promise.  
You shall hear yourself charged as Job, perhaps by Eliphas a friend, and that, if you will observe it (a) you will think very strange, and nothing now that is new. 
job. 22. ●, 6, etc.  Your enemies, and they are many, all that are enemies to Christ, they will for His sake defame you, speak all manner of evil against you, for they call you by their 
Exulem me de suo nomine vocat. Cic. parad.  own names. While they reproach God in you, you feel a sword in your bones: 
b Psal 42. 10  But in reference to yourself, and that good thing within you, the souls pillow, you go away rejoicing, bearing the reproach; and, being at peace 
Recta conscientia culcitra animae.  with God, no more moved than the Moon is at the barking of dogs. Behold her course, saith one, 
* Chrysost.  the course of the Sun too, they run on like mighty Giants: such is the course of a godly man, he is for God, God is with him, he breaks through all difficulties in this way, as through spider's webs: he is above all, hard words, and ungodly deeds, riding upon the high places of the earth. 
a Esay. 58. 14.   
Again, you shall see the earth smitten terribly, that her blood may be discovered, and her Idols there given up to the Moles and to the Bats; you shall feel it shake under you, and the Kingdoms totter like a drunken man. All the while you shall stand still, 
b Exod. 14. 13.  calm in your mind, beholding the salvation of GOD, for you stand up for Him, and He is with you as a Mighty Terrible One.  
Again, you shall hear of War, and the desolations that it causeth; Whether you shall live to hear that GOD'S peace is concluded on, and established in the land, I cannot tell, nor, perhaps, the best Seer in your City: But this I can tell you, because you have the Answer of a good conscience, and can tell yourself, you fear GOD, and you stand for Him, and He is with you, a God in Covenant, and a Mighty Terrible One, That you, and all such as you, who follow peace, and holiness, shall have peace, not as the world gives, but peace in God. Oh how sweet it is! and as sure, as it is sweet, in God; and yet sweeter yet at such a time, when the Kingdom's totter, the gods there are all starved, nay when the heartstrings and eye- strings must break: O how sweet is Peace then! sweeter than honey was to Jonathan, when his soul fainted. This peace is yours, for you are Christ's, and Christ is GOD'S, Whose you are, and Whom you serve. This peace is yours, and now it passeth all understanding indeed, when you shall hear the most comfortable word that ever was spoken, Well done good and faithful servant.  
This is the heritage of them that fear the LORD; hard words and ungodly deeds cannot discourage you now, for God is with you, there is your security 
a Christum ●sse cum Pa●●● summa secu●itas: Paulum asse cum Christo summa foelicitas. 1 Thes. 4. 17, 18. ; you shall be with Him anon, there is your happiness; for ever with the Lord, you can comfort yourself in these words.  
Hear me with patience one word more, touching the success of the great work in hand, and the security of this great City, where the Lord hath made you a Watchman, and hath found you faithful, which is your glory, but in The Lord. Surely, surely, the work shall prosper, for it is wrought by God; your City shall not be destroyed, for it is GOD'S City.  
Surely a work carried on with so many hands and hearts; so much life, and spirit, love, faith, patience, cannot be disappointed of its end. And for the City 
b Where are many thousands that cannot speak, yet is their language very moving with their Lord. Jonah 4. 11. , her filthiness is in her skirts 
c Lam. 1 9 ; Ai and upon her forehead too: But yet a righteous people are there, and Gaius mine Host 
d Rom. 16. 23. , and many such as he: She is a refuge to the oppressed, a great Sanctuary at this 
* The day of jacob's trouble. Jer. 30. 7.  time; and much good is found there: We do not boast of her goodness, but we boast in The Lord, Who hath instructed her to discretion, To stand up for Him and His Cause above all the Cities, that are or ever were in the world, and at such a time. Surely the Lord will watch over her; & her Watchmen think so too, & pray for her night and day. And because they be such, as never sought God in vain, they are bold and confident, That The Lord will watch over this City for good, it shall still be said, The LORD helpeth them; The North shall give in unto them, the south shall not keep back: the East and West shall confer unto them the blessings of the Land and of the Sea. But this is the compliment of all, Salvations will God appoint for walls and Bulwarks. I will conclude with the close of a Psalm, Let 
Ps. 48. 11, 12, 13  mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Thy judgements: walk about Zion, and go round about her, tell the towers thereof (A goodly prospect, and at such a time) Mark ye well her Bulwarks, consider her palaces, that you may tell it to the generation following. What shall they tell? or what is this strength? wherein doth it consist? or where is it? for it is not visible. It follows, For This GOD is our GOD for ever and ever: He will be our guide even 
Psal. 41. 13.  unto death. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting. AMEN and AMEN.   

By way of Preface to the Reader.  
INeed not tell thee what the times are, how hard, fierce, and perilous; nor how we are distracted in them; so much thy very looks can tell me: The news, now a-dayes, is so legible, that he who runs may read it, and in most men's faces.  
There is a passion now, quick and stirring within us, which may stand us in great stead at this time, as it may be ordered and pointed; if in a right way, and to the right object, nothing can do us better service to stay and establish us: but if out of the way, and from that object, nothing works us more mischief: nothing more unsettles us. It will betray all our succour; it will shake us, as a leaf with the wind, and make us flee as a Roe before the hunter.  
It were seasonable now to read a Lecture upon this passion of fear, not as a Philosopher, but as a Christian; I cannot say, so I have done; but I have bestowed many sad (yet quiet) thoughts upon its uncomfortable and unquiet motions; and here I have made them legible, That, though the adversary doth all he can to make us afraid, yet he may not have his will 
1 Pet. 3. 6.  so fare, as to make us afraid with any amazement, for we have made three Conclusions, are fixed thereupon, and resolved to take the Product or Result therefrom, That we will do our Duty, not disquieting ourselves about what The LORD will do hereafter, or what our foes are doing now. The first Conclusion.  
1. That things stand at as great a distance from an honourable 
2 King. 9 22.  Peace, as Israel stood when the WITCHCRAFTS of their mother Jezebel, and her whoredoms were so many. If one man sin against another, a third may take up the difference, and make an agreement betwixt them: 
d 1 Sam. 2. 25.  The case is not so here; Man hath sinned against The Lord, and we have provoked Him to His face by our Idolatries and bloodshed: Man shall not determine this case, a case of blood, and betwixt GOD and Man. There may be essays and overtures that way, to scab-over the matter, but it cannot be; the wound is deep, much venom in the hottome, it hath laid festering there these by past years, three or four, and now The Lord is searching into it, making inquisition for blood: and before He hath done (for that is His manner) He will find it out, and His sword shall not rest, till He hath required and avenged it. That is the first Conclusion. The adversary makes a second, That as  
2. He hath done all he can by fraud, so he doth and will do all he can by force, not to waste and destroy only, not to out Israel short, but clean off from being a Nation: So the 
Psal. 74.  Adversary hath concluded now. And now the Church makes a third Conclusion, and thereon she will fix, and be established for ever.  
3. That God will make His Church a cup of trembling in the adversaries hand, as a burdensome stone upon his 
Zach. 12. 2.  shoulders, as a torch of fire in a sheaf, or amidst stubble. The 
ver. 6.  Lord doth open His eyes upon His people; He doth plead His own cause. So the Church hath concluded.  
I could set down some Premises whence she draws her Conclusion, but it is her LORDS promise so; and that is enough, given long since, but written for the generations to come. 
Psal. 74. 22, 23.   
The Result from hence is, That we do our duty, as the Church doth, & not trouble ourselves with unnecessary quaeres, what, how, or when GOD will work: He works wonders every day, and let Him work as He pleaseth, He will work all for good, and all in the fittest season. Let us doeour duty, that is our work; work out our salvation; & for the salvation of Israel, by all such means, wherein GOD, Nature, Grace, have given us a capacity, and power of working. We must lie on our face in deep humiliation, while the Joshuahs' are searching the tents, that the accursed thing may be cast out, for so they have commanded us. We must do for the cause of Christ, as the spiritual Lords, Devils, and men do against Christ, to shoulder Him out of His throne: This is to do our duty, to do As, etc. and so doing, we do our duty hearty, and shall rejoice in time to come; that is very comfortable, as we read it; but there is more comfort in it then so, we shall laugh at the time to come 
a Prov. 21. 2●. Ridet ad tempera seq●●ontra. : Not care so much for the Army in the north, as their forefathers did for an Army of frogs, lice, & swarms of flies; nor for any other mountain in the way, for he shall be made a plain: We have and will do our Duty; They that do so may laugh and sing too.  
But these are but words, the Lord knows not the speech, but the power of our doing our duty. And He put it into our hearts, and keep it there for ever. We can hardly set upon it, though we are set upon by the hand of violence, our gods are taken away from us, I mean that we dote upon, which quickened a man as dead in his body, as we in our spirits; For thus it was The Physicians knew no way to quicken him out of his lethargy but by gingling his bags before him upon the table; then he awakened and stirred himself up, for he would hold 
Hor. li. 2. S●. satire. 3.  his bags, as long as he could hold his breath. This god is taken from us, our liberty too, and that is our god also; Nay our LORD Christ is taking from us, Who gives all to us, He is GOD indeed. Now or never we will bethink ourselves, and lay out all we have & are to keep Him, the LIFE of our lives, and SOUL of our souls, we will keep Him. There is but this that can discourage us (and it is the greatest encouragement in the world, if we can contend for Him) we may lose our estates and lives too. That is true; All may be lost, & most happily lost in such a contention; Nay it is not lost, it is gained, and the greatest gain, for He is worthy, for Whose cause we do expend all this, if it be our dearest blood, and all: He became poor for us, to make us 
2 Cor. 8 9  rich ᵉ; nay, a Curse for us, to make us a Blessing. If we think of this, goods shall go and life too, and bless God with all our hearts, that He put such a price into our hand, to lay out ourselves for Christ, to suffer for Him: Indeed it is as glorious a work as to believe in Him; we cannot do the one without the other, but suffering hath the pre-eminence, that no man may be dismayed at his sufferings, if called thereunto, and for Christ, for unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but 
Philip. 1. 29.  also to suffer for His sake.  
I have done prefacing, The Lord give us understanding in the times, and what Israel ought to do.  PROV. 29. 25. 
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but who so putteth his trust in The Lord, shall be safe.   

IT is ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing, this 22. day of December 1642. that this book Entitled (The usefulness of Fear, etc.) be printed.  
John White.   





Of FEAR.  
The Just Cause  
The True Use  
The Sovereign Cure      

SECT. I.  
The sum and scope of this Treatise; The kinds of Fear; The strange effects there from; What the worst effect; What the great design of the Adversary; How he prosecutes it; His advantage if he can effect it; His power and malice that way gives us just cause of fear.  

CHAP. I.  
The Introduction to, and purpose of this Treatise.  
OUr Affections do us the greatest service, or disservice, that well can be imagined: and this they do, as we master them; or as they master us. If we master them, they are the winds of the soul, carrying it so as it is neither becalmed, that it moves not when it should; nor yet tossed, that it moves disorderly: If they master us, they raise storms there, and we are storm-like, sudden and violent, carried as a ship in a tempest. If we master them, they are the very wings of the soul; A Prayer without them, (so we may say of any other performance) is like a bird without wings: 
(a) Oratio sine malis, avis sine alis.  If I cared for nothing, (said Melancthon) I should pray for nothing: 
(b) Si nihil curarem, nihil Orarem.  If they master us, they are the clogs of the soul; or if they be as wings, it is to make us flee away from God, and goodness; from ourselves and Duty. Our Affections are the springs of all our services to GOD: we are dry, and cold, and dead without them; with them (well ordered) the soul is set on work, and then the work will be done, when the heart is upon it: David had prepared much for the house of GOD, himself gives the reason, Because I have set my AFFECTION to the house of my GOD. 
(c) 1 Chr. 29. 3.  Fear puts on the soul almost as fast as Love doth, that great Centurion, or puts it farther back: I cannot do this and sin; I must do this, and why? Because I have set my FEAR upon GOD; and knowing the TERROR of the LORD, 
(d) 2 Cor. 5. 11.  I must persuade men. In a word, wear as a dead sea without our affections; and as a raging sea if they exceed the bounds: And no affection beats more strongly upon the soul, (and more like waves against the banks) to exceed its just bounds, and get over, than fear doth: and when it hath got over, no affection sooner drowns the Spirits, sinks Reason, and so becomes a Passion indeed, vexatious and troublesome: for where fear is (in excess) there is torment. 
(e) 1 John. 4. 18.  This tormenting Passion, the stilling its unreasonable motions, is the subject of my Discourse now; but GOD'S work, To calm the Spirit, to make it stand still, when the earth shakes, 
(f) Exod. 1●. ●●. Ne con●● 〈…〉. ●un.  and the kingdoms are moved; I say, His work, Who chid the winds, and commanded the seas, and they obeyed Him, and presently there followed a great calm. Fear, let alone to work its own effects, (for like water it hath no bounds of its own) is 
(g) 〈◊〉. Math. 8. 20.  in the heart, as the tongue in the body, kindleth a great fire 
(h) Jam. 3. 5.  there from every little matter, quickly raiseth that little to a raging flame, which no man can quench, only GOD can. And what way He commands and prescribes us▪ (for we must keep to His prescriptions, the same, which the whole City of GOD, All His People, have taken in all troublous times upward to this day) To reason with this unreasonable Passion, To keep it within bounds of just moderation, is the main intendment of this Treatise, wherein, but in passage only, I must make clear proof to them, who will be as are many now adays, willingly ignorant That the City's fear is just and Reasonable; That all the Causes and reasons both, which can be imagined, from within, and from without, commands the wisest men to fear, yea commends them so fearing, for they are wise men, they can not be afraid with any amazement. But that I may begin in order, I must distinguish first,   

CHAP. II.  
The Kinds of fear, The disquietings therefrom, and sharp effects; The worst effect of all, is, It maketh a man choose sin rather than affliction.  
1. THere is a fear, which sinks Reason, then raiseth up unreasonable motions, such which make a man fear where no fear is; hear a noise merely fancied; flee, when none pursueth; so betrayeth the succours which reason offers. 
(a) Wisdom. 17. 12.  This fear made the Syrians, and others, infamous in the sacred Writ, to fly, 
(b) 2 Kings 7  etc. And the Papists, in their hour of Darkness, and Saint Mary's Church in 
* Act. and M●pa 1102.  Oxford, To shelter their heads against the scalding lead, melted in the furnace of their own conceits, and guilty consciences: for they heard a noise of fire only, could see none, and yet they thought they should be scalded to death with the droppings of lead melted in a fancied fire of their own imaginary. This is a Panic fear, a fear where there is no cause of fear; a noise, which GOD causeth the wicked to hear, His enemies and adversaries to feel: the effects thereof, as we heard.  
2. There is a natural fear, which all partake of, that partake of the same common nature: Nay all creatures that have sense, have sense of fear, fear of suffering, It is natural; The Bears will roar; Ravens Cry; Doves Chatter; Lambs Bleat; The Swine are troubled in a windy night, though I read of Pyrrhos Hogge, that eat his meat quietly in the ship almost covered with waves, while the Passengers there were almost dead with fear: And I have known some men, who seemed to have no other sense, but that sense of feeling, fearless men; They feared nothing: But this fearlessness was not from any cleanness and serenity of mind; not from a true security and peace from within: but from a dead palsy rather, a stupor, a blockish stupidity upon their spirits.  
3. There is a fear, which hath a strong foundation in nature: so also must it needs have the same foundation in sin: A corrupt, a sinful fear: And the more or less sin is mastered and subdued in us, so will this fear be; so quieted, or so disquieting: And this all men partake of, and in measure, according to the proportion before mentioned. If sin bear rule in us, fear, when it comes, will command in chief too, and be exceeding: Weakness and wickedness are the very essentials, whereof it doth consist, the supporters of it; and when it exceeds its bounds, it becomes a passion indeed: We suffer much by it, and act or practise in it, I know not how, but as men forsaken of all, wit and reason both. It causeth strange and strong motions within, no passion stronger or stranger than fear doth. It is within us like foul weather upon the sea; It no sooner riseth and getreth mastery, but it cloudeth our Heaven, and sils the soul● with thick mists and smoke. The Apostle speaks all in one word, Where fear is, there is torment. 
(b) 〈…〉 22. 2.  It is the very Rack of the soul; it slayeth without a sword: Thy slain men are not slain with the sword nor dead (c) in Battle. How then were they slain? with fear, that surprised 
〈…〉 eye● cove●ed 〈◊〉 his death, and 〈◊〉 covered again tha● he might ●ead his 〈…〉 dead upon th● Scaffold. 〈…〉.  them before the Battle, and did the part of an executioner before the sword came.  
But that is not the worst; fear can do a worse office to a man then slay him; It can put us clean off from GOD and from Duty, and that is worst of all. What base shifts will the soul use when fear possesseth her? Fear of man's wrath, fear of loss of goods, of good name, of liberty, of life, will put a man upon the loss of all we properly call good; upon strange adventures, upon devilish projects; It will dash his soul upon this rock and the other, till He hath split himself, and made shipwreck of those inestimable treasures, (which render a man rich in the lowest estate, and secure in the greatest danger) FAITH and a good CONSCIENCE: It will make a man seek for security from every thing, but where it should: it will make him look to all means but one; in his distracting ●eare, he will not look to God, and an upright conversation.   

CHAP. III.  
The design of the wicked ever was and now is To make the Godly afraid: The advantage if they can effect it: Tongue and hand employed about it: Their judgement from the Lord: Their pretence, and scarce that, for their works are manifest.  
THis the wicked know very well, they have learned it of their Fathers: therefore hear what they have devised anciently, to make the righteous afraid. When the breaches of jerusalems' walls were making up, what was the great design of the adversary then? To make the bvilder's AFRAID. We read often 
N●he. 6.  The adversaries sent and wrote Letters, raised false reports, hired light fellows; All this they did, That they might make the bvilder's 
ver. 13.  afraid. Can they have effected it according to their minds, than the hands of the bvilders had been weakened from the work: it had not been done. 
(d) ver. 9  If you will do any thing for The LORD, keep up your spirits, and keep out fear, that enfeebling Passion, which cuts a Man's sinews, renders him unfit for action. When the heart sinks, than the hands hang down, and the work ceaseth. If Nehemiah had given way to base and cowardly fear, he had done so and so, and sinned. Besides, he had given matter for an evil 
ver. 13.  report, That the adversary might reproach him.  
Thus The Adversary did anciently, So he doth now, He takes the same way; his design and end is the very same with theirs; still He sends, he writes, he raiseth false reports, he hires light fellows (if there be any lighter than himself:) what tongue or hand can do he doth, to cause terror on every side; Their tongue walketh about the City, and all to disquiet the inhabitants 
Psal. 42. 4.  thereof. What shall be done unto thee thou deceitful and mischievous tongue? for thou lovest all devouring words: I cannot make full answer to that, but I read; The Lord shall destroy thee for ever, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out 
ver. 5.  of the land of the living: here is also a prayer put up against these tongues, these fiery flying serpents; Let the mischief of their own 
Psal. 140. 9 10.  lips cover them; let burning coals fall upon them, The Church seeks not her God in vain, she makes account it is done.  
The hand is more rough and violent, and put forth as fare as it could be, to make both City and Country MAGOR-MISSABIB 
〈…〉 3.  fear on every side. What shall be done unto thee thou violent and bloody man? Man cannot answer that; blood pursues him; the Destroyer shall be destroyed; God hath sworn by His Holiness, utter destruction shall come unto them; He will UNDO all that asslict his people 
(a) Zeph. 3. 1●.  Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet; and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth; 
(b) Zeph. 14. 12.  This is the portion of them that hate His Church; they shall be utterly destroyed, in the close of this work (for there is a great work to be done upon mount Zion) and about the close of the day they shall be utterly undone. But first they shall be made a terror to themselves, and round about: As they thought to do to the Righteous, so it shall be done to them: As they have determined, so it shall be unto them, that shall be their lot and portion of their cup from the Lord in his appointed Time.  
But do we not wrong these harmless people, these innocent Lambs (some of them were in sheep's clothing, and they would 
Mal. 8. 15.  be accounted sheep till their cloak fell off, and the wolf appeared) what have they done, or spoken to make the City afraid? They will tell us, Nothing at all. We do but fancy our fears; we hear a rumour, we scarce know of what, or from whom, and we are afraid, we know not wherefore. We conceit danger only, as they, who took shadows for men: or 
Judges 19 36.  as those, who, beholding at a distance, a field overgrown with tall thistles, thought verily they had been so many spearmen. So the adversary saith, and so say they too, who should speakas the Oracles of GOD, for they speak from the Pulpit. And what said they? As the Adversary before them, That there was no cause of fear formerly, nor any cause now; A Phantasm, a conceited thing, a Panic fear the City is possessed with, whereof they can give neither cause nor reason for, neither is real nor visible. They have said; and so they have forced themselves, as unjust men do. Now we will take leave to consider the matter, and their words, and give no more credit to them then we do to such men, who know no shame. 
(a) Zeph. 3. 5.   
Catholic men, bloody Papists, (universally, all the world over) brawned in villainies, these fellows, that hate the Lord, make Tumults, lift up the head, and yet no ground of fear, not any. The neighbour's house is on fire, there the fire rageth, and the wind blows the flame directly hitherward; it began there, to end here; yet no cause of fear, That our common-house may smell of the smoke, or that it is time for every common man to look to his own: No reason for that, none at all, speaks the adversary, but he is not so mad as to think any wise man believes him. The vile Priests and the Treacherous Prophets, that have polluted the Sanctuary, have done violence to the Law; 
(c) Zeph. 3. 4.  These do rage, and are swelled with malice: The brutish people, almost as much, make tumults; and they that sung forth their requests, roar like Bears, and are as fierce as the she-beares, fearing their sweet morsels may be taken from them, and their service ordered according to Rule, and yet no ground of fear. The tumult of those, that rise up against The LORD, that would dethrone Him, increaseth continually, and ●et no cause of fear. Indeed there is not; no cause we should be afraid, when we look up to GOD, for it is the Tumult of those that rise up against Him, and He will look to His own Cause and Glory, That shall receive no loss, no diminution at all, but advantage a great deal: But looking down to the Adversary, there is cause we should fear, after a godly sort: so as to make provision against him, and then secure ourselves and the cause in GOD. This fear is a Godly fear: The Godly man's fear is his humility, and casting away of Pride; his reverend care to walk in the ways of God: A fear which drives out security, not a fear which takes away the boldness of faith. More of this anon. This here, that there is just cause of fear, but of such a fear that hath been described unto us, which secureth the soul, the godly man, and his cause in God; And great need of such a fear, for whatever the Adversary saith, no man that hath his eyes in his head will believe him; though his words were as soft as butter: and his deeds as smooth as oil: much less now, when his words are as drawn swords, violence is in his hands, & war in his heart. The Adversary is so mad with rage now, That he casteth firebrands, arrows and death, and cannot deceive his neighbour 
Pro. 26. 18.  now, saying, 〈◊〉 not I in sport? No sure, no man is so senseless as ●● believe that; for when he seemed to speak fair, we believed 〈◊〉 not, ● knowing there were seven abominations in his heart: He that hateth, may dissemble for a time, and lay up deceit within him; for words, which are wounds, and lying lips and a wicked heart may be like a potsherd covered with silver dross for a time. But now his hatred (as active as fire) cannot be covered by deceit, his wickedness is shown before the whole congregation.  
These are Generals; That I may be more particular, I will quarter out this Legion, the Adversary I mean, for he is many, and behold him as a man of War, in his Ranks and Postures: doubtless, if we so behold him, and can look no higher, he will seem terrible, as an Army with banners; or rather, as Goliath before the Israelites; I said not, before David, for he laughed him to scorn, and despised him: but this I may say truly, just cause we have to be afraid, for consider the Church's enemies, how many they are.   

CHAP. IU.  
Without number for multitude. 2. Without reason for rags and cruelty. 3. Boundless in malice, mischievous in projecting, and watchful in executing thereof.  
1. HOW many adversaries hath the Church? It were well with the Church if she could number her enemies, tell how many adversaries she hath: We say, They are but a few, that can be numbered. The Shepherd can tell his sheep, but he cannot tell how many Wolves, nor Foxes there be: nor how many dogs, which do their office the contrary way, hurrying the sheep, and are as bloody as the wolse or fox, every whit. The Church can say, They are, as in former days, increased that 
Psal. 3. 1. Psal. 22. 12. 13.  trouble me; Many Bulls have compassed me, strong Bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and roaring lion. 
(c) Psal. 31. 1.  She hath heard the slander of many, fear was on every sickle. While they took, counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. The Church can only answer, MANY, Many are my Adversaries, many my persecutors; 
Psal. 119. 15●.  Many, that sight against my soul, because I seek the thing that good is. All the lukewarm Protestants, these are not a few; and they are against the Church, for they are not with her: All the light Prophets, and Treacherous Priests, These are exceeding many, and their rage is exceeding, as is their zeal to their ease, and filthy lucre, to their pleasure also boiled up to the height: All the Devils in hell, and both their hands on earth, right and left, Pope and Popelings, with the Atheists too, these swarm every where, such multitudes there are. But thanks be to God, we know where they settle, and fix, though a gadding company, yet we know where they are solden together as thorns; and if their bodies 
Nah. 1. 10.  are not there, yet their hearts are, joined all together from all the quarters of the world. And now we can give a guess how many they be, that band themselves against the Church, as the sands by the Seashore for multitude: and then it follows, That we may have just cause of fear, In the second place consider we their  
2. Cruelty. The dark places of the earth are full of it, where the light of the Gospel comes not, is thrust out, or despised. Their Doctrine and Discipline, their Laws, the best things with them are as the blood of a dead man. What are their manners then? Bloody sure. These sons and daughters of men, stand upon everlasting record, To be the most bloody enemies that ever the Church met withal in this world: They are free of the Corporation of the Malignant Church, and have purchased their freedom there: How? and at what rate? By Massacres, outrages and villavies of all sorts and sizes. If any of the company are not so cruel by nature, yet they must be so by command, and warranted to be so, by Law. They may and must pursue their brother with the sword, and cast off all pity: Their rage must tear perpetually, 
Amos 1. 11.  they must keep their wrath for ever. Keep wrath for ever? Yes, for ever; for though they are but Mortal enemies, yet doth their enmity manage an immortal hatred against the righteous; for they pursued him to death; and when he had got into his strong-hold, the grave, there they troubled him, that they did.  
They have executed their rage and malice against the Sanctuaries of the dead, the Graves, the place where job was confident he should lie at rest: even thither, to their Sanctuaries, the hand of 
Job 3. 17.  the oppressor reached; There the wicked did not cease to trouble the bones, and sacred ashes of the Martyrs; there, at that Sanctuary, the dead were not free from the oppressors, his anger did ●●are perpetually, he did keep his wrath for ever. They have been cruel to the living and to the dead, and so are they to this day. Histories Ancient and Modern, a cloud of witnesses would crowd in here to give evidence to what was last said; but it needs not, all the world is fully satisfied in that point, for in allusion to that which the learned Knight saith touching Henry the eight of England, I may say touching the Papists; If all their Histories were lost; if all the massacres, outrages, villainies of these merciless men were forgot and quite out of mind, they might be renewed and described forth to their life, out of these three year's story concerning their practice in Ireland, where they have slain their brethren with a rage that reacheth up to heaven. They have made 
2 Chron. 28. 9  that Country a Land of wrath, a field of blood at this day. So they would make this Land also, that is their design, we shall come to that presently, for I will spend no more time, nor blot any more paper in making known how cruel they are, how they breathe forth threaten, and how exceeding mad with rage: Papists are the executioners of wrath, we need not then add, They are grievous as wolves, and fierce as she-beares: their Natures such, their Laws such: their words and deeds, how hard and ungodly they are, all the Christian world, the heathen people also, all know and seel. Observe we then,  
3. The Adversaries Design; how mischievous and Devilish; the same which we read of, 
(a) Psal. 83.  or as haman's was, not to cut Israel short, but clean off from being a Nation: 
(b) Esther 3. 6  And his heart is bend upon this Design, now, Now he moves every stone, as the Proverb is; now they put shoulder to shoulder, heaving at the Church, to remove and shoulder her down. Why now? Because he had brought the Church once and again to the brow of the ●ill, but, as her Lord before her, she passed through the midst of 
Luke 4. 20.  them she knows not how, and went her way; This admirable Rescue enrageth the adversary; Now he hath them in the open field, he says, as their fore fathers, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my lust shall be satis sied upon them, I will draw my sword, mine hand shall destroy them 
(c) Exod. 15. 9  But see the Adversaries COLOURS, under which he marcheth, I mean his pretences, for though he pursues the enemy with open face, yet 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  he puts a vizor over it, and that makes the face more ugly: it puts an accent upon the design, making it above measure horrid, sinful and abominable. The Adversary fights (I take him single though he be many) against God, under a pretence of being for Him: he fights against the life and soul of our lives; he sheds innocent blood to his Power; he treads the Righteous as mire in the streets: doth what he can to lay the Glory in the dust, and all this he doth under a colour (but blood hath quite washed off the varnish) of Advancing Religion and the glory: he hath engaged himself to subject our consciences, our laws, our liberties, our estates, to a perpetual slavery: but observe the manner how he prosecutes all this, for there is the abomination, pretending liberty to conscience; establishment to laws; property in our goods; & a free enjoyment of all unto us, as to free men. Never was there such a thing as this heard of since man was upon the earth: nor was there ever an Hypocrisy so pellucide, so transparent, that every child laughs at it, sees through it, as through the clearest glass. But The LORD sees it, He beholds iniquity and wrong, and hath taken it into His own hand to Require it: which speaks comfort to the Righteous, as it should terrors to the ungodly.  
Now we will look over the Premises, and conclude, The Adversary is a Legion, and more, without number for multitudes; without Reason for rage and cruelty: Boundless in their malice, bloody designs, and mischievous Projects: restless continually, watching thereunto (that I should have added) for their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall. 
Prov. 4. 16.   
We conclude: There is just cause of a just fear, which makes the city stand upon their Watch-Tower, gird on their Armour, and, when they have done all, stand fast in the faith▪ To maintain it, and a good conscience, To do this with all their strength, and To do it continually, praying and watching thereunto: As Rome said once touching her Adversary Carthage; she would never forbear to watch against Carthage, till they saw that City quite demolished and laid even with the ground: So this City will never forbear to keep watch and ward and herself in a Posture of Defence against Rome now, and her vassals, till she sees them, as the Israelites saw the Egyptians, dead before her upon the sands.  
This City stands as much engaged to Watch and Pray too, (so they gird up their loins) as David did, when Saul pursued him, for The City may say as David did at that time, my soul is among Lions; I lie even among them, that are set on fire, 
Psal. 57 4.  even the Sons of men, whose Teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp Sword: fiery Adversaries, who sent and watched the house to kill him. It was even so with the City as we read in the title of the 
(d) Psal. 5●  Psalm: Oh! great Reason of fear! I mean such a fear, as puts a man upon Duty, To pray and watch too. Why? The Adversary, as we may remember, did, when time was, watch and guard his Cross, that Abominable pile of images, stocks and stones, such despicable things: much more will the wise in heart, in tender compassion to their lives, and just liberties, keep watch night and day over themselves, and this great City, where are so many thousand persons, that cannot discern between their Right hand and their Left, and also much . And so (Blessed be God) they can sanctify The Lord God in their hearts, and are ready always to give an answer to every man, that asketh them a Reason of their fear, and hope also, that is in them, with meekness. So we have seen a just account given of our fear, how just it is, no fancied thing, but Real and visible: we will see now what use GOD makes of this affection, in the hearts of the Righteous. And indeed it is very notable to observe the wisdom of God in planting His People there, where they must look for disquietings; And in Implanting in them such an affection as fear is; When we have observed this, than I shall set down the means how the Righteous have had power, and been able to command over their fears, deporting themselves calmly in such shaking times: And this will make much for the settling our minds in our disquietments, and so I shall bring it down and make it useful for the present time.    

SECT. II.  
The wisdom of God in planting His Church in the world, not the place of their rest: And in implanting in them, This Affection of Fear; The True use thereof; The advantage His people get by it.  

CHAP. I.  
This world no paradise: The Church expects her heaven above, her Purgatory here: It is her Lord's pleasure so, and she is content, and thankful.  
SEE What a place the Church lives in! where she hath no rest, nor must look for any. They who were disquieted yesterday, must look to be disquieted again: They that suffered, must suffer, and perhaps unto blood. Last years were vexatious and troublous; so are these: the next following may be worse: If better, The Church will be very thankful: if much more troublous, The Church hath counted the cost, she cannot be deceived, but she can be very thankful too. We see the Changes and Turn in the world: They, who sat at rest as we do, two years ago, They sit as a widow now: at five a clock all was peace, (for so I heard a Minister of their own say) and before six, behold War, and the terrors thereof on every side. This world now answers to the Israelites Wilderness once, variety of fears and troubles here. Our life is as a Checquer work, interwoven with black and white, here Good, there Evil, but the Evil takes up the greatest part: Blessed be God, that it is so, else even His own People would be much in love with the place, where their Rest is not; They would build Tabernacles here, never think of removing hence. If the cloud of fear and discontent did not sometimes overshadow them; if there were not unsettled times, we would settle on our lees; if there were not a want, when we are at the fullest, we would be so full of earth, that there would be no room for heaven; If we had no fear, we should have no Care; But we are still in fear, for something is still wanting, and we fear and are troubled lest that want should not be supplied: That want is supplied, and then we are in more fear than before, lest we come to be at a loss again. To explain this: We have a full estate, and health is wanting; we have plenty of all things, and health withal, but now the fear is, That the spoiler may come, men skilful to destroy, and take away all, goods, life, and all. But suppose now we could be secure, That none of this could happen to us; our estates could be secured to us, and our health too, suppose it so, for we may suppose impossible things: then Abraham's 
(a) Gen. 15. ●.  fear troubles us, we have not a child to inherit: and then, WHAT is all our fullness unto us? We make but a [What] of all the rest of our enjoyments, because a child is wanting, for so that good man did, though God be there as a portion: Then A child is given us, but what a fear there is lest the child be taken away again? why then, if we would keep him, we must sacrifice him. That is true, but that is a death too; we cannot think of the withering of that Gourd, (such a thing as that was, a child, is quickly withered) and so the gourd withers, and we die: That we fear is come upon us; It grows up as a flower, and is cut down like the grass. And all this That God's people may not fix and fasten upon such reeds, which, if you lean and bear upon, they break and pierce too: And yet we will lean upon them, we will be very glad of our gourds; then The LORD knaps them asunder, 
Jonah 4. 6.  withers them, and then we are troubled exceedingly.  
In the last place, suppose we have health, and wealth, and peace withal, and children round about our table, yet there is a fear That we may be taken away in the midst of all our fullness. What is our life? We know what the Apostle answers, and every day 
James 4. 14.  saith as much, It appeareth for a little time, & then vanisheth away. A man is well to day, and dead to morrow, and this fear (if there be not a hand over it to subdue it) holds us in bondage all our life time. 
Heb. 2. 15.   
But Blessed be God, so He unbottomes His People, drawing the heart to Himself. If it were not for these fears, Faith would have no mastery: but so it is, we are in such fears often, and that is almost to be in death as often: so in this our wilderness, and God beareth with our manners here; weaneth His people 
Acts 13. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  from drawing so hard at the breasts of the world: Assureth them, This is not the place of their rest, but there remaineth a Rest to his people, which shall last as long as Eternity is long, for ever. Therefore they may bear patiently their disquietings, their changes here below, for a moment, a little, a small 
(c) Esay 26. 20. 54. 7.  moment, quickly over, and then they shall see evil no more. 
(d) Zeph. 3. 15.  Shortly they shall be above in the heaven of Heavens, where all is peace for evermore. And their disquietments and fears make them work more strongly after this place now: so God makes all work for their good, whereof in the close This here must be considered, even   

CHAP. II.  
The wisdom of God in planting this affection of fear in His People.  
BLessed be God, we are in fears, often it is best for us so to be; we should surfeit every day of our sweets, if the fear of losing them did not allay the lussiousnesse of the same: we should bottom ourselves too strongly upon our mountain, if we were Confident (we are too confident) it cannot be removed. Daily experience tells us so much therein, That we cannot stand fearless upon the strongest and best bottomed comfort, that hath its bottom upon the earth. And Blessed be God for all this, even for this affection of fear: So also, and that The Lord hath put a vanity and vexation into the Creature, and fears many; fear make us all pull up our feet, and walk more warily; fear feeds us with food Convenient: So it clothes us: fear is our watch keeper: It is the most waking affection, most serviceable of any, if it doth Its office. It is the house-porter, the body's Espial: and the souls too, still keeping watch: It is, next to love, the most Commanding affection: our keeper, and Truth's keeper also; It is the best King in the world, (the great or little) for it keeps both tables. I should speak more of it, but I find myself prevented here in a Book called The Child's portion, 
Pag. 1●2, 163.  whereto I would refer the Reader, if please him, I would rather speak somewhat more touching the usefulness of this affection, God sanctifying the same.  
It makes the people of God to put no confidence at all in the flesh: I mean by [Flesh] All things under the moon: They cannot fear now the changes of things here below, and vexation from them, for they have been so used to it, That, which they feared from the creature so often came upon them, That now they expect no stability in the creature at all, but changes, and troubles, and vexations from it evermore. They can now suffer the spoiling of their goods with joy. They did indeed put some confidence in such things, They thought such things to be a HIGH WALL, (a) but it was (and they see it now to be) a mere conceit 
Prov. ●●. ●●.  only, and no more. They know now, and they are fearless about it, That the thief and the robber breaks in upon these treasures every day; therefore it is nor their treasure, they account not of it so: they have laid up their treasure in a safe place, where they fear not the thief nor the moth, and it is well they are so well instructed to discretion.  
I remember a Story worth the noting, of Paulinus, Bishop of Nola: he had abundance of wealth, but no affection to it; bags 
Aug. deciv. De● lib. 1. c. 10. V●l●●●ate pauper●imu●●● c●p●o s●●me sanct●●.  full, and coffers full, but his heart was not set upon that fullness, but on a better treasure, and full of the same. It was well for him that he had a Treasure, which Man could not give, nor take away: For, though he was a very rich man but as yesterday, yet was he stripped of all presently, and as poor as job. The Goths, a barbarous people, almost as any we can see or hear of, broke into that City Nola, like so many Devils, and did flee upon the prey, flee presently upon all the Bishop had in this world, and took it 
Cum ab cis ●eneretur, si●● cord suo, ut ab co postea cogno ●imus, p●●cabatur: Domine, non excrucier propter aurum & argentum: ubi e●●m sunt omnia mea tu s●is. ibid. etc.  into their possession, and the Bishop prisoner also. Now mark his Prayer, for that was all the refuge he had now, being in the hands of Robbers: LORD GOD, Let me not be greatly troubled for my silver and gold: Thou knowest, Lord, it is not my Treasure, That is laid up according to Thy Commands, Who didst tell us long before, That this would happen, These barbarous people would break in upon us for our sins: therefore, Lord, I was warned, and laid up my Treasure, as Thou hast charged me, and as Thou knowest. What a wise man was this! Truly all his neighbours counted him so; for though they were not so wise beforehand, yet now they had learned by sad experience, 
(c) Si non praedente sapientia certe consequente experientia didicerunt.  (an after-wisdome, that comes too late) That so they should have done too; They should have laid up their Treasure where their Teacher did, and charged his people so to do. For mark how it happened to those after-wits, They counted the wedge of gold their Treasure, and all their care and fear was To secure that, so they hide it in the ground. The Robbers came, they knew there was silver and gold both, and they would have it, and by torments the enemy forced the distressed Captives, To tell where they had hid their treasure. Nay the Adversaries cruelty was such, That they tormented some poor wretches, that had neither silver nor gold, upon supposition that they had both, and dissembled the having of it. Other some, the richest men amongst them, were so hardy, That they would die upon the rack rather than discover where their gold was; and so they were admonished (saith the Author) by suffering such 
Si autem to●queri quam aurum prodere maluerunt admonendi crant, qui tanta patiebantur pro auro, quanta essent sustinenda pro Christo. ibid. etc.  things, rather than betray their gold, WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE SUFFERED FOR CHRIST. Other some again, the fewest of them, could not be forced to betray their Treasure, or forgo the same, for, indeed, they had not laid it upon earth, but in heaven, where Robbers could not break-in, and steal: So well they had profited by their fear about such uncertain things, that now they were not careful about them at all. They could take joyfully the spoiling of such goods, knowing in themselves, That they had in heaven a better and enduring substance. 
Heb. 10. 34.  And so the Father concluses, No man kept his gold but by denying 
In e● tormenta nemo Christum confitendo amisit: nemo aurum nisi negando servavit.  it: that is, by taking off his love and fear from it: and no man kept Christ, but by confessing him, (that is) by giving up his love and fear unto him.  
2. It is so with and about their children too; Their discreet fear hath taught them, not to be careful about children neither: The Lord gave them, He may take them; They can bless His Name in all: They did not set their hope, nor their hearts on such perishing things, and then, when God takes them away, their hope is where it was, and heart also, even in heaven, where their Love, and JOY, and TREASUREIS: And they can submit to their FATHER in heaven; It is He, The LORD, He hath done it, and they are silent; It is His will so, thereto they resolve all, and there they rest, saying, The will of the LORD be done. So their fear (the Lord sanctifying it) hath taught them touching their Children.  
3. They have brought their hearts to the same point touching their life also; that is a precious thing: skin after skin, a man will part withal to save his life: And yet, they are not now fearful about it; it is of small continuance here below: and, while it doth continue here, it is full of changes and sorrows. They are the less careful about it. They that have been most afraid, and so would save their life, have sooner lost it, and upon the greatest disadvantage. They, who have loved their life more than Christ, Who is the life of their life, have lost their life, and Him too: and They that have hated their life in this world for His sake, have made no account of it in reference to Christ, and their love to Him, have kept it unto eternal life. 
(c) John 12. 2●  That is the life they think upon, of being BLESSED FOR EVER; That is a life indeed. This here, in comparison, abides but a moment, a small, a little moment, not worth the setting our fear upon, ever since we could look through it, what a life it is. They make no account of any thing, but what sets them backward or forward toward eternity, where they shall live blessed for ever in eternity: 
〈◊〉 nitas facit bonum infinite melius; malum infinite pe●us.  The thought wher● of makes that which is good, infinitely better; and that which is evil, infinitely worse. Thereon, upon Eternity, they place their fear now, and concerning this life they are fearless. We have seen what use the righteous make of fear, they work good out of it: and by these unquiet motions here below, they get an establishment in God. I come now in the third place to the means whereby the righteous Nation can and do master their fears, keeps them under so, as they are a quiet habitation, when all about them are full of stirs, a tumultuous people.    

SECT. III.  
The means of the righteous man's establishment, and how his fear, the disease of it is cured.  
WE see the righteous are a people that are not afraid with any amazement. They fear, but with a godly fear; They fear, but nothing so much as sin, and the frown of their God; They fear, but so, as they can look up with confidence, and down to the means of their safety with comfort; They fear, and yet they can gird up their loins, and put on their armour; They fear, and yet do trust perfectly; They fear, and are disquieted, but not greatly. Their hearts may shake, and their heads ache with fear, and yet then they can calm their hearts, and rest their heads in the lap and bosom of their everlasting Father, there laying their selves down quietly, assured they may rest in safety, and the end will be peace. How comes this to be so? The Answer is, They expect troubles in the world, afflictions there; and they expect, nay they know God will deliver them out of them all: For they LOVE God hearty, so they FEAR HIM, so they TRUST IN HIM, so they OBEY HIM, even from the heart, walking in His way, doing His work; They keep continual watch against their Adversary, and over themselves. All this must be considered on distinctly and apart, and so we shall learn the way how to settle the heart in the most unsettled times: The chief scope and mark we would carry all level unto.  

CHAP. I.  
The righteous man's expectation from the world, and from his GOD, shall not be deceived: He expects all the evil the world and their god there, can do against them; And from His GOD all that is truly called Good, or is made so: All this he is sure of, therefore he waits patiently for God. He will come surely and in season, Blessed are all they that wait for Him.  
THe righteous are in continual expectation: Of what? Of troubles in the flesh, of afflictions in the world: Ever since they understood themselves, they sat down to consider what it would cost them, To do their Master's work; To serve Him in sincerity and truth; and Their brethren, in love to their souls, and faith of the Gospel: In this great work now, (whereunto evermore Christians stand so engaged) the building themselves up, and jerusalems' wall in faith and love, They have counted their cost, and they know what they must find at the bottom of their reckoning, troubles from within, disquietings, persecutions from without, of all sorts and sizes: And it was well, and they bless God with all their hearts, Who hath instructed them to discretion, To count their cost so soon as they thought of Temple-work, The edifying (the building up) themselves and others in their most holy faith. This was the use they made of their Rest and Peace, GOD was graciously pleased to afford unto them: They knew this Temple-work would cost them dear, Labour and Trouble both: They expected all this, and whatever it be it is but answerable to their expectation: they looked for it, and now it is come, it is welcome: They are fit to entertain it, they are fitted for it, as the burden is fitted for the shoulder, and the yoke for the neck.  
I will tell a known and sad story of a man that lived in prosperity all his life long, God spoke to him once and again, and every day by every mercy he gave unto him; but he would not hearken, and that was his manner 
* Jer. 22. 21.  from his youth, he would not obey God's voice, what cared he what God said, he was inprosperity, had no changes, and expected none; Towards the end, as the manner is, The Lord made a breach upon him, sorrows overwhelmed him like a mighty flood. O, said he, I never looked for this: Ai, that was true enough; and therefore his sorrows pressed his soul we know not how low. We looked for peace, said they. 
(a) Jer. 8. 15. ver. 19  Why did they so? For first, They had provoked GOD to anger with their Images, and strange vanities: Secondly, (for I hasten here) The word is gone forth of His mouth, Who cannot lie, In the world affliction: Yet say they, We looked for Peace, what follows? No good came; we looked for a time of health, and behold trouble. A miserable case to be so deceived, and in point of Peace.  
The righteous not so, They are not deceived; They expect trouble, what the gates of hell can do against them. All this is done against them, they are not troubled at it; They had their master's word, it would be so, and so it is. Where is their comfort now? In ME PEACE; Trouble round about, and War at the doors, making breaches upon them; That which upholds them is, and fully to their expectation, IN ME PEACE.  
I will ask a Question, and resolve it in two Answers; when I have cleared them, than I will conclude this point.  
Is the Church never deceived in her expectation? Quest.  
No, never deceived in the world, in her expectation therein; Answ. 1 she expects no favour from it, but all the evil that can be done against her; and she is sure to have it from the world: And  
2. Nor shall their expectation in GOD be frustrate; and there is the comfort.  
I will clear these premises, and then conclude.  
1. The Church's expectation from the world is never deceived. What doth she expect? As aforesaid, Affliction and Persecution thence; Her Lord hath bid her expect it, for the world love their own, not His people, as they love not Him; and they must not look to far better than their Lord: Affliction in the world, Persecution from the world, is a part of the Church's Dowry. See what a jointure her Good Lord hath made His Church and People! He hath given to her All, Himself and All, the world and All, ALL THINGS 
(b) 1 Cor. 3. 21  ARE YOURS, you shall profit and receive benefit from all, even from all that is called evil in the world: All is yours. There we read the particulars of her Dowry, and amongst them, DEATH, afflictions, persecutions, pains, sorrows, troubles in the flesh, (that is Death) and all this is in the Church's Dowry: no Part or parcel of it is so large as this, for it contains necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labours, watch, fastings; all this a very DEATH to a man's sense, and present feeling. Is it not think you Death to be as the Church is in some of her people always? 
2 Cor 6. 4, 5.  In journeyings, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by her own Countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the City, in perils in the wilderness, in perils amongst false brethren, 
2 Cor. 11. 26.  in weariness, and painfulness. That was Paul's case you will say. Nay it is the Church's case with some of her sons and daughters, and it will be their case unto the world's end. And certainly all this is a very death: To sojourn in Mesech, to dwell in the tents of Kedar, amongst them that hate peace, a very Death all this, working 
Psal. 120.  indeed graciously and gloriously, through GOD, that order all for Good; but a very death to sense, to flesh and blood. But it is her portion in this life (and no longer, but durante vitâ, a span, a little moment, in comparison to eternity, in the heavens, where God hath time enough to do them good, and refresh their hearts after their hard labours here, with joys there unspeakable, and long-lasting pleasures, lasting as long as eternity is long, for ever: but I say their sorrows last no longer but durante vitâ) and disposed to her as a Legacy by her EVERLASTING FATHER, and she is content. Content! A poor and beggarly expression; she rejoiceth in her portion: for all that, which went before comes in at last with advantage, adding very much to the weight of her crown: so she blesseth God for all, but for nothing so much as for death, for it makes the world nothing to her while she lives, and when she dies, sets her clear of all, that we call Evil; makes her complete throughout, FITTED and 
(d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Col. 1. 11.  Meet for after - Glory. Death in some sort is like the Whale, which swallowed jonah, a terrible thing; but it wasteth the man to Land, setteth him clear from all winds and storms.  
But Death is Part of the Church's Dowry; her lot To be made the portion of foxes; To be persecuted in this world: she hath so much of Heaven in her, that she must far the worse in the world, which knows none, favours none hearty but its own; Without controversy, persecution is the note of a True Church, There is God or something of God, some plain character of His Image, against whom the Assemblies of violent men, The Nimrods', The Esau's, The nero's of the world do bend themselves.  
But can this People endure all this hardship? are they able to Quest. bear up against all this persecution from the tongues and hands of violent men?  
Yes, no doubt of that, for God hath fitted them for shocks, and Ans. brunts, and violent blasts; He hath made their faces like flints, their shoulders like brass, their Hands and Arms like Iron. What 
Esay 1. 5, 7. Jer. 1. 18.  can the Adversary do now? The blast of the terrible ones, what can it avail? It is answered; As much as a storm against a brazin 
Esay 25. 4.  wall: so the SPIRIT scorns what flesh can do against Him. Greater is He That is in you, Than he that is in the world. 
(k) 1 Joh. 4. 4.  These people are resolved upon that, and they have overcome the world; should then such men as they fear, when they hear the Defaming of many, (which they look to hear) and crying out violence and spoil? Should such men as these fear? 
Jer. 20. 8, 10.  No, They cannot be afraid with any amazement, for I am with them saith The 
(a) Jer. 1. 19  LORD, they are assured of that. What then? Then what They will follows, for They will ask nothing, but according to His will. If they have written down that, as one saith, than they may write what they will, for GOD is with them, than all is with them, That can make for their provision and protection; They shall dwell on high, their place of Defence shall be the munitions of Rocks; BREAD shall be given them; their WATERS shall be sure 
(b) Esay 33. 16 Ac si dice●et p●ris & integ●is Dei culto●ibus nihil defuturum panis ●nim & a quae nomine significat omnia, etc. Cal. Jer. 20. 11.  God is with them, Then All That is in God, His Goodness, wisdom, Power, All shall be laid out for them, to make all that is needful for them, sure unto them. And then touching their Adversary, though he be a Legion, this follows; he shall fight against them, but he shall not prevail against them: The LORD IS WITH ME as a MIGHTY TERRIBLE ONE, therefore my persecuters shall stumble & be greatly ashamed; his everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. Nay, the adversary shall be so far from hurting them, that he shall do them good, and they shall hurt him; for now that God is with them, they have Arms of steel, and feet of brass, and they shall thresh the mountains like straw, and the hills like Chaff, and come upon Princes as 
Esai. 41. 15. 25.  upon mortar.  
2. Are the Righteous people assured of all this?  
Yes, for the Lord hath said it, as we have read, He hath given His word for their security, they take it, are secure, fixed and Rest thereon. As their expectation from the world never deceived them since the world was, and they were in the world; So, nor shall their expectation from God fail them, they have an assured confidence of That. Shall the expectation of the Righteous fail? No, the Lord forbidden, nay the Lord forgive u● to them any such misgiving thoughts within them. The hope of the Righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. 
(b) 2 Pro. 6●. 10. 18.  Can the Righteous fear this, That their hope shall fa●le them? No; It cannot be, for they have set their hope in God. The hope of the wicked shall be cut off: they shall be afraid and ashamed o● (the word) their expectation; and of (the Content●●ents there) their Glory, 
(c) Esai. 20. 5.  And now, LORD, what 
(d) Psal. 39 7.  wait I for? says DAVID. As if the servant of The LORD had said; do I wait, do I expect, do I look for Peace, Comfort, establishment and satisfaction from the world? do I seek great things for myself therein? Thou knowest, LORD, what I wait for, none of all this from the world; But, as it follows, my hope is in Thee. What an unreasonable thing were it, how unworthy of GOD, The God not of some but of all consolations, how unworthy a thought of Him, To think, That a poor creature, who hath set his hope in GOD, expects all from Him, from The world nothing at all; how unworthy a thought, That This GOD will deceive this poor creature, that waits for Him; though He hideth His face, yet looks for Him: He frowns upon him, answers him Roughly, yet this soul expects from Him; notwithstanding what is said or done, the poor soul will not return to vanity, he will not look to the world, he will wait, he hath set his hope in GOD, he will look for Him; Will the LORD deceive this Man, that expects all from Him, hath set his hope upon Him? It is sure enough, He will not; The needy shall not be always forgotten; the hopes of th● afflicted shall not perish for ever: 
(e) Psal. 9 18.  The poor and needy man's expectation (set upon God) is not delayed, but deferred, and strained. Why? To open the mouth and heart wider, that the more comfort may come in at last; and that their heart and JOY there may be 
(g) Joh. 16. 24. Psal. 40. 1. Esay 8. 17.  FULL. They have waited patiently for The LORD, they waited upon Him. They, When He hide His face, than they looked for Him: They waited the time, when He would be gracious. Now harken, Therefore will The LORD wait that He may be gracious unto you: and therefore He will be exalted, That he may have mercy upon you: for The Lord is a God of judgement, Blessed 
Esay 30. 18.  are all they that wait for Him.  
Ai, but hope deferred maketh the heart sick. That is true, but 
Pro. 13. 12.  there is a time coming, when the heart shall recover, be made every whit whole, and perfectly well again: and it shall be the more hail and comforted, the sicker it was: for When the desire cometh it is a tree of life. Therefore though The Lord tarry, the soul will patiently wait for Him, because He will surely 
Hab. 2. 3.  come, and will not tarry. And when He, That was so long expected, waited-looked-for, when He cometh (and then He comes, and Tarries not, when the Church's season is come) than He makes amends for His long tarrying (as the world thought, and sometimes the Church also, and in her haste counted it slackness) He tarried so long, that He might come in season, that His people's joy might be brimful: when their hearts, wearied with long waiting, shall the more rejoice, and their withered bones 
(o) Esay 66. 14  shall flourish like an herb: For it shall be said in that day, (after their long walting) Lo This is our GOD, we have waited for Him; This is The LORD, we have waited for 
Esay 25. 9  Him: and we are glad He is come; with all our hearts do we rejoice in His salvation, for it is His, a marvelous, great, exceeding salvation, the greater, the longer it stayed: And now these waiting people shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with 
Esay 40. 31.  wings as Eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.  
We are concluded now upon these Points,  
1. That the righteous man's expectation from the world will not deceive him; what the world and the god therein can do against him, shall be done, he expects it, therefore they shall not be able to do him hurt.  
2. His expectation from God cannot deceive him; for GOD is faithful: They that wait for Him, (do expect all from Him, and from the world nothing but affliction thence) shall not repent of their waiting, for GOD will come in season, and not tarry, when they shall be most glad of His coming, and say, It is best of all that He came not sooner: for now their hearts are brimful of joy: So they have concluded: In assured confidence hereof, thes people are not afraid now with any amazement: As their hope is in GOD, so is their heart and love set upon Him also. This follows,   

CHAP. II.  
The Righteous love God: That Love casteth forth Fear: Sad objections cleared to the hearts of the righteous: God comes-in to secure and rescue those, whom He loveth, not always when they call, but always in season, and fittest time: Seldom to their will, but ever to their weal, when they shall see least in themselves, and most in God: The persons, whom God loveth, shall be afflicted, but for their good.  
THe Righteous love GOD: And Love to the soul is like the Rudder to the Ship, it turns about all the powers and faculties of the soul, and all to God; It jades and unlades all the goods there, all for GOD'S glory; it receives all in, and gives all forth for that same great end: so Love doth. I have said all, when I have said, The Righteous love GOD. It forms every work they do; and nothing forms a man or his work so dexterously as Love doth, Love to God, Love to His Truth, Love to His People, Love to their peace; This inflames men's minds, works them suddenly to great perfection, facilitates the work, makes it slide on. Nay farther, as one observes truly, That all other Affections, though they raise the mind, yet they do it by distorting, and uncomeliness of ecstasies, or excesses; but only Love doth exalt the mind, and nevertheless, at the same instant, doth settle and compose it: So in all other excellencies, though they advance Nature, yet they are subject to excess: only Charity admitteth no excess. The righteous love God. I have said all.  
Why, but all will say as much: No man in the world, but will Ob. say, I love GOD: he dares not, nay he is ashamed to say otherwise.  
True, I will reply shortly to this, and once for all, for all will Answ. say as much touching their fear too, and their trust also, etc.  
As the Kingdom of God, so the love of God is not in word, but in power: GOD doth know (that is, approves) not the speech of them, that say 
(a) 1 Cor. 4. 19, 20.  so, but the power of them, that do so: That love The Lord, not in word, but in deed. We have all, I verily believe it, a kind of faint, weak, waterish love, which indeed the Scripture calls an hatred, when the creature hath the strength, and as I may say, the firstborn of our love: and God the afterbirth, which is of no account with Him, but counted as aforesaid. The righteous people love God; They see an excellency in God, a transeendent goodness. As it was said of Peter and john, when they saw their boldness, They took knowledge of them that they had 
Acts 4. 13.  been with jesus: So, do we observe the Saints love to Christ! We must take knowledge, That the City of God do know The Lord Christ, they have and do see His Goodness; They are with Him by their graces of love, and faith; they converse with Him day and night. Therefore they so love God, even as they glorify Him, As 
(b) Rom. 1. 21. Exod. 15. 11. 1 Tim. 6. 15.  GOD, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders: The only Potentate, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They Love GOD as they are thankful to Him, as To GOD, in Whom they live, move, and have their Being: in Whose hands is their Time, their Breath, and all their ways: from Whom they have all things richly to enjoy, to whom He communicates Himself: so they glorify Him, so they are thankful, and so they love HIM with an exceeding love, a love that commands in chief; the great Centurion, it commands all within and without, to speak, to do, to strive for God, for so they love HIM with a predominate love, which carrieth the soul on high. And where this love of God rules, there peace rules, be the earth never so unquiet. Get we this love rooted in our hearts; it is the fittest of any thing to expel fear, to keep down the workings of it, for it maintains and guards Reason, and raiseth the soul above the world, so as it can bid defiance to death, and then to unreasonable men, and devils too. If I bear a true love to God, stronger than death, if so, than I can bear any thing; I can go through fire, and water, all along before the face and nose of the adversaries, (if I am called to do it) and fear nothing. The love of GOD constrains me, yea commands me, and, as the peace of 
Phil. 4. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  God, keeps and safeguards me also; It keeps my heart and mind, my soul and my spirit, through Christ jesus: It keeps my understanding, that there be no defilement there through the errors of wicked men. It keeps my will, that there be no perverseness there, not subdued and brought under: It keeps my affections, that they be clean and holy; that my hatred be to all iniquity, and my love to righteousness, for I love God, how then should I think or do thus and thus, and so sin against him? The love of God keeps me in perfect peace, so far as that love is perfect in me. If a man can resolve himself (by the Spirit) That God loves him, That he is in Christ reconciled unto Him, This is enough To dissolve the thickest cloud of fear, overcasting the soul; enough to take off the edge, and blunt that eager and keen passion, which so cuts, and lanceth the spirits: for then, he can say also, He loves GOD with a Childlike love, as a child loves the father; so as he can repose himself in his father's lap or bosom, in assured confidence He careth for him; and then he can be as bold as Paul was, and as well persuaded, That neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, 
(a) Rom. 8. 38, 39  etc.  
The work then of a Christian is to clear this point; for when that is done, all is done; he lives as a man in the upper Region of the world, riding upon the high places of the earth, above the winds 
Esav 58. 14.  and storms, which infested and trouble us here below. I remember I have read of one, who being upon a tempestuous sea, and his ship almost covered with waves, and the passengers there almost dead with fear, was, not withstanding, very cheerful and comfortable, calm and quiet in his mind, rather inclined to sing then to mourn: Being asked the reason of his settlement, and so quiet repose of spirit, answered thus: My Father is the Pilot of the ship; He is at the stern, holds the helm: He loves me, I love Him, The winds and storms fulfilling his word, 
(b) Psal. 148. 8  He bids them rise, and they are up, and so blustering: then (He chideth) He rebuketh them, than they fall and are still. I know and am well persuaded, 
Mat. 8. 26.  whether storms or calms, I shall get to my Heaven, and in passage thither nothing shall do me hurt, every thing shall do me good from His hand that loves 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Chrysost. Facile impetratur semper quod filius postulat. Ter●ul. de po●n. c. 11.  me. And this makes me fearless, this calms me within, what unquiet motions soever are without. Oh of what mighty concernment is this, in these times! when the commandment is gone forth to restore and to build jerusalems' wall, (evermore TROUBLOUS TIMES) 
(c) Dan. 9 25.  That every man should labour to clear his spirit (by the Spirit) at this great point, The love of GOD towards him, his love to GOD; for this makes fair weather within, however tempestuous it is abroad. Here comes in an Objection, I will resolve it at the first, and once for all.  
A man may love GOD, and fear Him too, (which follows Ob. next) and obey Him also, and all this from the heart, and yet he may be afraid: he may have a great deal of love, and faith too, and yet have a great deal of fear; he may love, and fear God above many, and yet fear the creature more than is meet.  
1. jacob, a very good man, he loved God with all his heart, yet jacob was GREATLY 
(a) Gen. 32. 7.  afraid. [GREATLY,] Mark that.  
2. David, a man after Gods own heart, yet hear him what he saith, Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and terror hath overwhelmed me. 
(b) Psal. 52. 5.   
3. jehoshaphat, a very good King, yet he feared. 
(c) 2 Chr. 20. 3.   
4. The Disciples, choice men all, such as loved their Master with all their heart, and with their whole soul, yet fearful. 
(d) Mat. 8. 26.   
Before the Answer, note this: A man may love God much, and yet fear much hurt from the creature. And a man may have no love to God, and yet no fear of the creature: so stupefied his spirit may be. Now I answer, indeed the Context answers it for me.  
jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; how then? his fear Answ. did not put him off from duty, but engaged him thereunto. Now see how wisely he disposeth of things, then rolls himself and 
Gen. 32. 7, 8, 9, etc.  all his upon GOD, wraps up his soul, and all his concernments in a promise, and there is an end of the matter, and enough for jacob.  
2. David's case was extraordinary, a thick cloud was over his spirit, and the face of God was clouded towards him too. He 
〈…〉 exe●●et Deus, ●●●la est tenta s●●t●tudo quae 〈◊〉 ●●bescat. Cal●. in Psal. 55.  had troubles within, and storms without; whether Saul pursued him, or his own son, it is not resolved, but he was in the straits, and God was not so present to sense, and then we must give the stoutest heart leave to quail, saith Master Calvin. The Conclusion is sure and certain; Clear your evidence, That God loves you, and you shall clear your spirits of these thick fogs which fear raiseth. Nay, if you cannot clear your evidence, but God will keep you humble all your days, in a hanging, and doubtful estate, yet cast yourself upon Him; though He kill, yet trust in Him. But more of this a little after.  
3. jehoshaphat feared also, for he heard that which would quicken any man that had life in him: There cometh a great multitude against thee. 
(e) 2 Chron. 2●. ●.  Then he FEARED. 
(f) ver. 3.  But take the following words, And set himself to seek the Lord, etc. His Fear put him upon Duty. Then be remembered God, in Whose hand is power and might, Art not Thou God in heaven? 
(g) ver. 6.  Then he pleads his interest in his God, Art not Thou OUR GOD? 
(h) ver. 7.  Then he calls to mind the right hand of the Almighty, what He had done of old. O blessed be God for that fear, (as was said before) you cannot have too much of that fear, which renders you much in seeking, which makes you love much, fear much, obey much.  
4. The Disciples were fearful, but they were prayerful; They would not let GOD alone; they would give Him no rest. GOD seems to be (for he speaketh to our capacity) as jonah, asleep, when the Ship of the Church is covered with waves. Nay The Lord Christ was, at that time, as clothed with our flesh, so subject to our infirmities, and was asleep: And then the Disciples are fearful, All will be cast away, Christ and all. Indeed they that fear the Church will be drowned, do fear that Christ will be drowned too: for if the Body drown, the Head must drown; and if the Head drown not, the Body cannot drown: it may be overwhelmed with great waters of affliction. While the Head is above, the Body is safe enough. But such was the Disciples infirmity at this time, and such was our Lord's infirmity at that time, that then He was asleep. What then? They awoke God with their prayers, as we know the manner is. A blessed fear then (as was said) which makes a man a wake Christ by his importunity; which puts a man upon duty, makes him more prayerful, makes him love more, and cling to his Father the faster, so jacob, so David, so jehoshaphat, so the Disciples feared, so as they did their Duty the better.  
But much may be said touching this love of GOD: It is not Ob. such a Cure of fear, not such a buckler to a person; we see here how the  were terrified, yet they loved GOD. Look I pray you and it is a sad sight, Thou art become cruel to me, with Thy strong hand Thou opposest Thyself against me. Thou liftest me up to the wind, Thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance. 
(a) Job 30. 21, 22.  I will defer the Answer to this till anon. The Objection now runs thus: Not how the Lord hath dealt with particular persons, whom He loves dearly: nor what those persons have said, when they walked in darkness, and saw no light, [We must take it for granted, That there are sad expressions breaking forth of the lips, when there are grievous apprehensions within the soul] But How he hath dealt with a whole Nation, and that the dearly beloved of Hi● soul; He hath delivered such a Nation into His enemy's hands: 
(c) Jer. 12. 7.  So that they who hated them, have Lorded it over them, have dealt hatefully and despitefully with them. 
(d) Ezek. 23. 28, 29.   
This cannot be denied, and since His judgements are manifest, and the Reasons of them also are written and made legible for Answ. our instruction, we stand charged to take good notice of them here, I mean The Reasons, which moved The Lord to proceed in wrath against His dearly beloved, and to cast them out of their own Land, and into the hands of them, from whom their mind was alienated first.  
1. When GOD'S People do not walk As His People; when He takes them near unto Himself, and they walk lose with him; not as a separated and peculiar people to Him, whom He hath separated, and bestowed upon them special and peculiar mercies. When His people walk so contrary to Him, and their own Protestation, Then His manner is to walk contrary to them. He may go out of that path when He listeth, and exempt a Nation from the general rule: But this is His manner; He may d●al● with us according to His Prerogative Royal, which is ever in showing mercy: He may do so, but it is extraordinary, as we have cause to observe above all the Nations in the world.  
2. When His People do not do according to the CHARGE, 
(l) Deut. 25 19  utterly to root out the name of Amalek, that old and ancient enemy to His Church, and the very same to this day: when this charge is neglected or slighted, and the contrary is done; Amalek is countenanced, encouraged, fostered, suffered to get head; Then it shall come to pass, That these Adversaries and enemies shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall v●xe you in the Land wherein you dwell, 
(m) Num 3●. 35.  saith the Lord. They shall be snares and traps unto you, until ye perish from off the good Land, which The Lord your God hath given you. 
(n) Jo●. 23. ●●  It is the good word of The Lord, which is the same for ever.  
3. When the Rulers, the Princes and Judges of the earth are like the evening wolves, ravening the prey: 
(o) 〈◊〉 22.  What then? Then, for their sakes, Zion must be ploughed as a field. 
(p) Mich 3. 11 Z●ph. 3. 3. czech. 22.  When the Priests violate the Law, profane the holy things, devour souls, hid their eyes from the Sabbath, put no difference between the holy and profane: What then? Then peace is taken from the earth: When the Sabbaths are gone, when the people 
Mic. 5. 12, 13.  oppress, exercise tyranny, and vex the poor and needy: When the Priests are become brutish, the people no better: when they that are good, and have power, sit still, and contend not against the stream: Then we read this, All ye beasts of the field, come to 
Esay 56. 9  devour, yea all the beasts of the forest. 
(q) Jer. 12. 9  His Watchmen are blind, and the Pastors are become brutish: 
(r) Jer. 10. 2●.  what then? Then all their flocks shall be scattered. Behold the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion to make Cities desolate, and a den of dragons.  
In these cases, The Lord is provoked very much, even till there be no remedy. 
(s) 2 Chr. 36. 16. Jer. 12. 7.  And then He forsakes His house, leaves His heritage, gives up the dearly beloved of His soul into the hands of her enemies, let's in judgements like a flood, and it carrieth down all, good and bad, with the impetuousness of its stream. What, good and bad together? Will the LORD destroy the righteous with the wicked? Yes, No man knoweth either love, or hatred by all that is before the eye. 
(p) Eccles. 9 1.  All things come ali●e to all; The same Common destruction takes away all together, makes no difference: And there is a great reason for that, which we must take in, in passage, for,  
The Righteous did comply too much with the time, went along with the stream, sided with the strongest in sight, or looked on hearing Blasphemies, beholding iniquity and wrong, In the mean time, said and did nothing; 
* Jure istam ●●●am quando di● initus affliguntu●, cum eis ●maram s●ntiunt, cupus amando dul●edi●em peccan●ib●● eye amari esse nolue unt. Aug. d● civ. l. 1. c. 9  stood not up in the gap; And therefore now he is thrust down also, hurried along with the Torrent and breaking in of mighty Waters: he is overwhelmed in the ●lood, even these good Men for the reason aforesaid: No difference at all in the suffering, for the manner and time thereof; but in the fruit, issue and end, an infinite distance, and inequality. Where we note, That this difference between the good & bad, in a Common Calamity, is not visible, not discernible by the Eye, & yet a great, wide, and an everlasting difference; the good are delivered in it; The bad utterly destroyed by it; The good 
Manet dissimil●tud● passo●um etiam in ●●●il●tudine ●assionum, & licet in eodem tormento non est idem ●●tus & vitium. Nam sicut sub uno igne aurum ru●●lat, pal●● fumat, etc. Aug. de ci. l. 1. c. 8. Am●s 9 9  pur●●ed; The bad consumed. Good and bad are in the same calamity, But as the Gold and Chaff are in the same fire, The one shines there, the other smokes, As the stubble, and the wheat-corne are under the same flail, the one is bruised there, the other cleansed; freed of its Chaff, and fitted for the s●ive, not a Corn shall be lost. So also one and the same violence carries away all the good and the bad all together; destroyeth, wasteth the one with an utter destruction: ●ut trieth, purgeth, purifieth the good.  
It is good to note this with all observation; for here we have a Clear difference betwixt the good and the bad, betwixt the persecuted now, and the persecutors afterwards, The good may fall, but they shall be helped with a little help: And their falling by the sword and by spoil many days, shall be to them as of old it was, To try them, and to purge and make them white. 
(s) Dan. 11. 33  But for the wicked it is not so with them, but as we heard. It is a comfortable speech; Rejoice 
(t) Micah 7. 8.  not against me O mine enemy: When I fall I shall arise; But when thou fallest, Thou shalt fall; Thy casting down shall be like the fall of a millstone 
(u) Rev. 18. 21  into great waters, Thou shalt rise no more: When I fall, I shall arise; This is the heritage of them that love The Lord: when their Adversary falls he shall rise no more, This is the portion of his measures for ever.  
The conclusion is, It shall be well with them that love The Lord. Nay it is well with them now, though not to sense, yet to faith. The case of David was not ordinary; jobs case extraordinary: That which follows will give some light and some satisfaction to both.  
It is a most prevailing argument, which the sister used in behalf of her brother Lazarus; LORD, behold he whom Thou lovest 
John 11. 3.  is sick. This will prevail sure; It is the mightiest argument in the world, LORD, The Person, whom Thou lovest; The Cause, the Faith, the Truth, the Religion, WHICH THOU LOVEST is now in jeopardy; The Malignants oppose it, oppress it, they would thrust it out of the world, and the professors of it; That which THOU LOVEST, these sons of the earth do hate; Those whom Thou lovest, these men would cut off from being a Nation. Certainly GOD will come in for rescue now, and work a glorious Deliverance. And yet perhaps not at the just and set time of our overhasty expectation: Before Deliverance comes, this person, whom Christ loveth, may be surprised with fearfulness; trembling may come upon him, and horror may over-whelme him, that it may. The Cause, the Truth, which GOD loveth, may seem to be delivered up into the enemy's hands, so as they may lay the Glory of it (for a time, and in the eye of man) in the dust. Let us consult with the context once more, and with good consideration. There we read; Lord, he whom Thou lovest, is sick; when jesus heard that He abode two days still in the place where He was. 
(a) John 11. 3.  That is a strange matter; we should think, and so the sisters thought too, That when jesus heard, That The man, whom He loved was sick, He would have made haste away, and come with all speed to His sick friend; But it was not so, when He heard THAT, He abode two days still in the same place. 
ver. ●.  Was this His kindness to His friend? jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus: But His abode two days longer, and when He heard that Lazarus was sick, made no clear proof of it unto them at that time. Jesus came indeed, but when Martha, and Mary, and the jews also thought it was too late, when the breath was departed, the body laid in a cave, and a stone 
ver 38.  laid upon it four days before jesus came. Then, and then when the case was so helpless, and hopeless, then Jesus came. Truly, that is His manner now, but see mighty reason for His so long tarrying then. Had He come quickly, as soon as He was sent unto, and called for, possible it was, That He, who opened the eyes of the blind, might have caused even this man Lazarus should not have died: 
(b) ver. 37.  so some there reasoned at that time, and so we have reasoned (in such cases) ever since. The Persons, or the Cause, which Jesus loveth, have been in jeopardy; to the eyes of man, in an helpless and hopeless condition; If God had come in to his servants and their cause so soon as they called for Him, than their hopes had flourished, but staying till the case is desperate to sense & reason, their hope is perished. Surely, so the servants of God have reasoned many a time. But let the servants of The Lord well observe The Lords coming in to these two sisters, at that time, and they can never distrust The Lord at any time. Had their Lord come in unto them, when they called for Him, He might have caused that even Lazarus should not have died. But than what singular thing had He done? A Physician, an ordinary man, had done many a time as much as that before Him. But when as He abode two days longer in the same place, where He was, when He heard of Lazarus sickness; and stayed yet two days longer by the way (of set purpose to let the last enemy alone to complete its conquest, to close the pits mouth upon Lazarus, and to role a stone over him) and now coming in for rescue, and taking the prey out of the hands of the terrible one; This made Christ admired in all, that did believe: for now, they must needs see, The Glory of GOD, whereas, had jesus came at their call, before Death had made its conquest, they had seen no more but the mere exercise of power, and skill, which might be put forth by a mere man. Jesus said plainly (without a figure, for he called death a 
John 14. ●.  sleep before) Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes. Why glad that His friend Lazarus was dead? and glad for their sakes? They were all very sorry that Lazarus was dead; and it grieved them to the heart, that Jesus came not sooner, for if Jesus had been there, their Brother had not died, said the sister: Then why was Jesus glad that he was not there? Because, that they presently beholding His glorious work in raising a putrified carcase, they would then believe, and rejoice with an exceeding joy, 
If any thing 〈◊〉 to the advantage of His people 〈◊〉 (speaking to our capacity) is glad, and there is joy in Heaven even new.  which they had not done, had Jesus been there before, and caused that Lazarus had not dyes. We may conclude now; That the ●ord ●ill come in for the safeguard and rescue of His people, whom He loveth, of His Cause, which He so favoureth, in season, the fittest time, when His beloved people shall most admire His coming, beholding the exceeding glory thereof. When is this time? Then, when the Righteous man's hopes are dead to the world, sense and reason▪ and when the malignants hopes flourish, Then The Lord comes in, That is His Time, when the wicked think they have their hope in their hands, and when the Righteous are emptied of all creature-confidence, they set no hope there, but all in God: Then The Lord comes in, when they are to sense, as dead bones, than they shall flourish like an herb, for then the hand of the Lord shall be known towards His 
say 66. 4.  servants, when they are Orphans, poor, peeled, helpless, comfortless people, than the Lord comes with His comforts, and how doth he comfort? As one whom His mother comforteth. Then they shall be comforted indeed, For as a mother comforteth her 
ver. 13.  child, so will I comfort you, and you shall be comforted: From these premises the conclusion is worth the repeating, and recalling again and again. The Lord comes in ever to His beloved people most seasonably, in the fittest and best time, when they can see the most of God that can be seen, and the least of the creature. He will come in them, when His people shall say, if He had come sooner, it had not been so well, we had not loved Him so much, admired Him so much, we had not seen so much of His Glory, we had not so rejoiced in His salvation. So they love God, and so they are beloved of Him, therefore they are not afraid, at no time greatly troubled. If there be a cloud of fear, there is an eclipse of God's Love, only we must remember we make an allowance to the best man, when we weigh him upon the balance, for he is supposed ever in a Christian. 
Homo supponitur in Christiano.   
Before we close, let us note this from the premises, That The Lords manner is, To exercise the persons whom He loveth, with the sorest afflictions; jesus loved Martha and her 
John. 11. 3.  sister and Lazarus: therefore He would try their patience; He would not come to them at their call, till the case was desperate; till, that they feared, had taken hold of them, and overwhelmed them; whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every 
Heb. 12. 6.  ●on whom He receiveth. It is the manner of Parents so to do, not scourage strange children, but him, whom they love they will scourge. The Lord hath delivered up The dearly beloved of His Soul; whither? As we have read, Into the enemy's hands. It was ever so, it is so at this Day; he, whom GOD loveth, is spoiled, rob, pillaged; the enemies bend all their malice against him, whom GOD loveth; And God suffers them so to do, for excellent ends spoken of before, for these here To hid pride from their eyes by hiding the creature from them, To try their patience; To raise up their hope after an enduring substance; To try them, I said, and to pu●ge them to make them white even 
(c) Dan. 11. 35.  to the time of the end. To make them Meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light. 
(d) Colos. 1. 12.  It is notable, The Lord useth these vile wretches, as scullions, To purge and whiten His vessels, oppointed for honour. Indeed the rod of the wicked may be so heavy upon the back of The Righteous, and may raise within them such a thick cloud, that he can hardly discern a Fatherly love and Hand through it (for there are strange apprehensions and tremble within the heart, when there is a cup of trembling in the hand:) But it will be fair weather anon; The thick cloud shall be dissolved, and The FATHER'S love will shine forth the clearer, the thicker the cloud hath been, The FATHER'S love overrules the Adversary, binds him, measureth out the effects of their fury and malice, order all as He did that long captivity, FOR THY 
(c) Jer. 24. 5.  GOOD, whom He loveth; That is the comfort and the conclusion of this point, for their Good, whom He loveth, And who make Him their fear.   

CHAP. III.  
The Righteous fear God, as God; they that do so, cannot fear the creature.  
THe Righteous fear GOD; what then? I have said all. They fear GOD, than they fear neither men, nor Devils. If we observe, we meet with this expression often, I FEARED. what? The Creature, what he could do against me; I was afraid of a Man, and then he deserted his Duty, ran away from GOD and from himself. We read again, I know not how often, I fear GOD; And then he fears nothing, he goes on, as bold as a lion, the enemy is behind him, a mountain of straits on each hand, a sea of troubles before him, yet he goes on with the more courage: he sets GOD before his eyes, Whom he serves, Whom he fears, His Cause, His Glory, and goes on, breaks through the straits, as you will do through a spider's web. He fears God, of whom should he be afraid? He fears God, he keeps himself from every evil work, though he might commit it in secret, 
(d) Levit. 19 14  no eye upon him, His Lord's eye, Which runs through the world, 
(e) 2 Chron. 26. 9  That is upon him, That awes him, even to the observing his thoughts, and bringing them into subjection, and them most of all. So he fears GOD, And the Armies of men, or Devils, not so much as the wicked have feared an Army of flies. Let 
(f) Esai. 33. 14.  sinners in ZION, who seem to maintain the established Religion with their mouth, and persecute it with their hand, let them be afraid, fearfulness must surprise the Hypocrites, those that profess one thing, and do another: But this man fears God, that is, He walks righteously, speaketh uprightly, despiseth the 
ver. 15.  gain of oppressions, shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, stoppeth his ear from hearing of blood, (Oh how far is he from shedding of it) shutteth his eye from seeing evil. Read on. He shall dwell on high, his defence shall be the munitions of rocks, bread shall be 
ver. 16.  given him, and his waters shall be sure. And he is sure of all this, for he fears GOD, and all we read before is but the result of that fear. Why then, Lions, and Bears, and Wolves, and Foxes, I mean (for so the Scripture doth) by these, bloody and treacherous men, these may be hungry and starved too, they may fear famine. The righteous, who fear God, they fear it not; In famine, 
Fides famem non metuit. Hieron.  that is, in every extremity, they shall be provided for, they shall have enough, for they have God, and he is All. I will contract. Indeed, and in truth, the fear of GOD (for it contains the whole Duty of man) is excellent.  
Now I know what All will say; for I know their hearts and their language there by my own. I and every man will say for himself, I fear GOD too, that I do: he that fears not an oath, (that is too paticular) he that fears not to sin before The Lord; nay, he, that doth violence to the law, and sheds blood to his power, the Man that neither feareth God nor reverenceth man, will say, I fear GOD too. It is as commonly said as any thing in the world, for every man says it, as was said, and answered before. It is not considerable than what men say, but what men do; not what they profess with the tongue, but what they act with the hand. They profess, saith Paul, that they fear GOD, (for they that know GOD, fear Him) but in works they deny Him, being abominable, 
Titus 1. 16.  and disobedient, and unto every good work, reprobate. They walk clean contrary to that man, that fears God, (we heard how he walketh, and how he speaketh) and yet they fear GOD. It is but a bare profession so, with the mouth only. But observe what their case will be when their 
(b) Jer. 2. 24.  month cometh, and they must cast-out their sorrows, they will be afraid; then fear fullness will surprise them, and hear them what they 
Esai. 33. 14.  say; Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with the everlasting burn? And so much be spoken to my own heart, and to theirs, who profess to fear GOD, yet walk so notoriously contrary to what they do profess.  
We also, who, not perhaps so notoriously wicked, yet are pretenders to this HOLY AFFECTION, (professing we fear GOD, when indeed it is not so) we do not fear Him in Power, which appears thus: When danger presents its self, where are we then? Almost dead with fear, which could not be, if we feared GOD in Power. When trouble shows itself, we shake at it as at some new and strange thing, never looked for, nor feared till it come: And these shaking fits declare, That we, whatsoever we say and pretend, do not fear GOD: fear will not be concealed no more than folly can; when he that is afraid, 
Eccles. 10. 8.  walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one he is afraid: And he can give a Reason for his fear, which is this, That hell is let lose now, and Devils are broke-in amongst us, in the shape and likeness of men. Grant it to be so, as so it is, yet the Righteous he that feareth God in Power) feareth not, (that is) he is notvoid of fear, but he is above his fear, he is as bold as a Lion, for he feareth GOD; how? As God: That cal●es and quieteth his spirit: we do not as the Righteous do, maintain the fear of God; Set up God ruling as chief over all. Certain it is They that fear God indeed as GOD do so: do set Him up in their hearts, and so ruling in the world. They that fear the Creature, do set the Creature above God: they make God the Vial, and Man the pourer forth of the wrath: whereas it is clean contrary. And, Oh! the torment they feel within (if their hearts be not as Nabals was, like a stone) when terrors is round about! They shown themselves gods against GOD: and row they show themselves slaves towards men, whose bodies and consciences are alike rotten. Who art thou that thou art afraid of a man? 
(g) Esai. 51. 12.  Read and resolve that Question. He that forgetteth The LORD his Maker, makes no more account of Him, then of a mere man, nor so much neither, though He stretched forth the Heavens, and laid the foundations of the Earth: and makes a mere man a God, heightens that low and diminutive thing (for, in Comparison, he is a very small thing, very little more than nothing, not so big as a drop of water, or the small dust of the Balance) 
(h) Esay. 40. 15.  that shall die, and be made as grass; A goodly thing, if we observe it well, to make our object, to set our fear upon. O wonderful Ignorance of ourselves, and of God Ai, It is want of knowledge, therefore we set our fear upon perishing things, and we perish with them. Truly upon due consideration, who would not fear Thee O Lord? He hath said ten times, fear not; 
(i) Esai. 41. 10.  I am thy God: I am with thee, I will uphold thee, etc. I am God, and Thy God, It is enough. He created the Smith 
(k) Esai. 54. 1●.  that blows the coal. He is The Lord General of all the forces of Heaven, Earth, and Sea; Master of the Armoryes: 
Jer. 50. 25.  There is not a Sword, not an instrument there, but it is for His Work, He gives it forth, stamps His Commission upon it, Go so far, do this, and no more; not an inch farther, not to the loss of a hair more; no marvel, The Righteous are as bold as a Lion, they fear nothing, for they fear GOD: They Sanctify the Lord of 
Esay 8. 13.  H●●●s Himself. What then? Then He will be a Sanctuary, The Righteous know it, they are assured of it, and it is enough to qui●tand calm the spirit, when the Earth is moved, and the Nations are an●ry.  
This will seem strange, which follows, THE RIGHTEOUS ARE NEVER SO SAFE AND SECURE AS IN AN EARTHQUAKE. And yet, why should it seem strange? It is demonstrated and made evident to sense and reason. In a shaking Time, when the Kingdoms are moved; Nay in that time, which is not yet come, but hasting and coming apace, when there will be a great earthquake, such as was not 
Revel. 16. 18.  〈◊〉 m●n were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great, The Righteous then will cling the faster to The Arm of The Almighty, (there is security you will say) And then, at such a time as that, The Arm of the Almighty holds them the faster: We parents do so; If my child be in danger, If my child shake, I will hold it fast, if I can, perhaps I cannot, It is not f●r want of love, but for want of strength: GOD can hold them fast, for none can take His children out of His Hands, There is no want in Him, neither of Love nor Power, Therefore it follows, cleared to sense and reason both, That when the Kingdom is moved, w●en it totters like a drunken man, nay, when that Earthquake shallbe, than the Righteous shall stand most steadfast, secure, and steady, even then when that Earthquake shall be, so mighty an Earthquake and so great, never so secure as then, than they shall lift up the head, for than they hold fast by God's Arm, and they ●inde by good experience, that he holds them fast.  
I fear GOD, said joseph 
(a) Gen. 42. 28.  I am an Hebrew said jonah 
(b) Jonah. 1. 8.  and I fear The Lord God of Heaven, Who hath made the Sea and the dry land. This put in security for them both, That, though they might be overcome through infirmities, yet willingly they would do no wrong. But that is not the point we are now upon, This is it, which is clear from hence, That the true fear of God secureth the servants of The Lord, against the wrong and injurious dealing from man. Man (for his mercies are cruel) will do the faithful what wrong he can, but he cannot hurt them, nor are they careful concerning that.  
I remember a short Answer from a true servant of GOD to an overhearing and tyrannical Lord, Am not I your head and Commander? 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The need hath an Head; All things shall be don● 〈…〉 w●l have it, 〈◊〉 th●u n●●st ●●●mand as God will have it. Choosest.  Yes said the faithful servant, but your headship hath an Hea● That is over you and me both, I FEAR HIM. Cannot I thrust thee into prison? Yes, if God will give you leave, and I FEAR HIM: And if He permits you so to do, yet His Word is not bound, nor can His influence be restrained any more than can the influence from the Sun. I fear GOD, said he: and this was all the answer this domineering Lord could get from this good man: For he professed, That no man's terror could make him afraid: The terror of The LORD, that could do it; none could daunt his spirit, but He, Who could cast body and soul both into hell. Him indeed he feared with all his heart, his CREATOR, therefore he could not fear his creature. We have here our lesson, if we do thereafter, we may read our comfort, Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled, 
1 Pe●. 3. 14.  but sanctify, etc. We have proceeded in our Cure thus fare; Expectation of evil from the world, and of good from a Good God, works a great Cure of Fear: Love to Him, fear of Him, is very sovereign also. We proceed now to Trust in God, and that is sovereign indeed: it establisheth, it fortifies a man mightily, it makes a man stand like Mount Zion, he cannot be moved, for he stands better bottomed than are The everlasting hills or 
Hab. 3. 6.  perpetual mountains.   

CHAP. IU.  
The Righteous are faithful, they trust God: He never deceives them, that trust in Him: They commit all to Him, secured in His faithfulness.  
THe Righteous, they Trust GOD, and They know Whom they have trusted, To whom they have committed their lives, liberties, and estates, their children, all they have; and they know He is faithful and true, and now they are fearless, now they hear of robbing, and spoiling, and pillaging; nay, though it come home to their own houses, they can suffer the spoiling of their goods with joy: They Trust God, He is their Guardian, they are not careful, they are, as was said, fearless. Master Dearing hath an excellent Speech, indeed he was an excellent man; Commit your health, your sickness, your body, 
Lett. 13.  your Soul, your life, and your death to the protection of Him, That died for us, and is risen again: A sick body (let me say with reference to the present, a person, an house marked out by the spoilers) with such an aid, hath a greater treasure than the Queen's jewell-house. It hath indeed, a greater treasure than hath the King's jewell-house. That house may be emptied of the treasure there: He may make an hole in all our Cisterns, and let-out all our comforts. All succours from earth may fail, nay the heart, and that is the strongest Fort, may fail, but God never fails. Trust in the Lord for ever. Why for ever? There 
Esay 26. 4.  is a mighty reason or ground for everlasting Trust, because in The LORD JEHOVAH is EVERLASTING STRENGTH. 
Psal. 23. 4.  I will fear no evil, saith David. A very bold and confident speech. Fear no evil! He might sit in darkness, walk in the shadow of death, the rod might be sore upon his back, much evil might be towards him, and much might be upon him, and yet fear no evil? No, for  befell him, it was The Lord, from His hand, His rod, and wherever he sat, and wheresoever he walked, God was with him, Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. WHAT TIME I AM AFRAID, 
Psal. 56. 3.  I WILL TRUST IN THEE. Ai, it was a point of great discretion, To trust in The Lord. Truly in vain is salvation hoped 
●er 3. 23.  for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: Truly in The LORD our GOD is the salvation of Israel. Then truly, saith the Godly man, When I am afraid, when I see all things out of course, I will trust IN The Lord; He will do all things well, and all those contrarieties of wills, and workings, shall work together for the good of all them that Trust in Him, (whereof anon.) Therefore I will trust in The Lord for ever: I will commit life and livelihood all to Him, A faithful Creator, and I know Him to be so. When I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. So the godly man hath made his conclusion, thereon he resteth his soul, and is confident, as bold as a Lion, for he doth Trust in The Lord. I will say of The LORD, HE IS MY 
●●●l ●1. 2.  REFUGE, and my FORTRESS, MY GOD, in Him will I trust. Will he so? Is the good man resolved upon it, That he will trust in GOD? Yes, that is plain in the Text. Now mark, God will not deceive this Trust. Indeed an honest man will not, he will not deceive me, if I trust in him; much less will GOD do it, a faithful Creator. Now The Lord will deliver this man, how often? as often as he falls into the straits. 
●ob. 5. 1●.  In six troubles, yea in seven there shall no evil come unto him: (That is) Neither devils, nor men, neither their counsels, nor their strength, neither sword, nor pestilence, nor devouring beasts, shall be able to do this man any hurt. If the devouring pestilence, if the oppressing sword, if famine, if wild beasts, 
Jer. 46. 16.  (those four sore judgements) come into the Land, (a noble Scholar calls these plagues, the great winding sheets of the world) these shall do this man no hurt. Observe what you read, The terrors by night shall not affray this man, nor the arrow by day, nor the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor the destruction 
Psal 91.  that wasteth at noon day.  
True, you will say, none of all this shall hurt this man, for all this is more immediately the Sword of the Lord 
(a) 1 Chron. 21. 12.  the very Hand of God: 
(b) ver. 13.  and The Lord will order it so, That His Sword shall not slay this man; His Hand shall not hurt him. But this man must look that the sword of the enemies will overtake him; he must look to fight with men after the manner of Beasts, they will hurt him sure, for they are Adversaries, and for their might and cruelty called Lions, and Adders, and Dragons, these will hurt this man sure enough.  
No, all these, with all their might and malice too, shall not hurt this man: But he shall hurt them, he shall wound them in the head, which is the seat of life; He shall tread upon the Lion 
Psal 91. 1.  and the Adder, the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou TRAMPLE under foot. And why shall this man be so delivered, and be so victorious? That is worth the enquiring unto; it is answered; Because this man made The LORD his refuge, even the most HIGH his habitation: Therefore shall no evil befall 
ver. 9  him; because this man hath set his LOVE, his Heart, his Delight, his Hope, his Trust, he hath set All upon GOD, Therefore God will deliver him: This man hath ex●l●ed GOD above all gods; He hath set Him on high, he hath known His Name, (that is) he hath trusted in Him; Therefore will The Lord set this man on high; he shall ride upon the high places of the earth, over the heads of his Adversaries, Because he hath known My Name. O Blessed man, and in a blessed condition! for he had covered himself with the Arms of the Almighty, and under that shelter he doth trust. What then? It follows; His Truth shall be Thy Shield and Buckler. A weak and foolish Question will thrust in here, I will quickly resolve it.  
May we not trust in the creature? in means, they may be fair Quest. and likely; In instruments, these are honourable and specious; may we not trust in these?  
No, Be these instruments or means never so excellent and Ans. glorious, yet they are but flesh, we must not trust in them. Never did any 〈◊〉 from the beginning of time to this Day, prosper that put his ●●ust in means, in instruments. Some trust in charets 〈…〉 in horses. 
(b) Psal. 20. 7.  And what of them? how speed they? They are brought down and faden. 
(v) ver. 8.  nay, there is a curse upon the●●hat trust in man, and make flesh their Arme. 
(d) Jer. 17. 5.  And this cu●●e must neede●●vertake them, For their heart departeth from the LORD: Then ●o resolve the question, we may esteem honourably of the instruments, but we must set GOD above them; We must set Him on high, as we read before; we must praise GOD for them; we must not Idolise them: we must use the means; we must not trust in them: we must give the instrument his due praise, but all the glory to GOD. There is another Question more worthy the resolving.  
It is commonly said by every man, I do trust in GOD. But wilt thou know, O man, whether thou dost as thou sayest? Try thyself by this, and deal truly with thy own soul. Where art thou when the LORD takes away the stay and the staff, 
Esay 3. 1.  the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water (that is) every thing, that thy soul took delight in, being but flesh, where art thou then? upon the ground, a dejected man, thy spirit is quite fallen; why then assure thyself, thou didst make flesh thy foot and thy arm too, thereon thou didst trust, and not on GOD: Flesh upheld thee, and not spirit: hadst thou trusted in GOD, He had upheld thee now, never more firmly then when the stay and staff of the creature is taken away: Then The Arm of the Lord upholds most gloriously, when it sustains alone, made bare of flesh. I know some sudden disaster, some unexpected breach (yet nothing is sudden or unexpected to a faithful man) may make his confidence quail, and his spirit fall: but if he fall flat, and there lie with his face upon the ground, and upon serious considerations, cannot raise himself and get up his spirit, then certain it is, The creature was his stay and confidence. I mean thus, If when the stay and staff is taken away, the heart fainteth away and dies. If the spirits be sunk then, they will not up again, then certain it is, That stay and staff, be it the wedge of gold, husband, wife, or child, that was the prop that stayed the heart up: but now these bearers, these supporters are taken away, the person is down, his spirit flat and sunk.  
But thou mayst say, Th●u wast never put to that straight yet; God never yet took from thee the stay and staff. Say, Blessed be His Name. And yet do not trust to this trust, do not be confident of this strength. It is not tried yet as gold in the Furnace. That which holds thee up now, may not be sufficient in the day of Trouble. Thou thinkest now, That Thou dost trust in God, and He upholds thy Spirit, whereas perhaps the creature is thy stay and thy staff; Examine the truth of this betimes, and take all advantage of experiences from what GOD hath done, and from promises what He will do, and all to make improvement of this Trust in God. Till our strength be tried, till we have some experience, we cannot tell how great the rebellion of the flesh will be under God's afflicting hand. It is an easy thing to be valiant before the combat, to dream of a good courage before the heart be tried,: but indeed To be unshaken in the midst of a tempest; and To stand upright, when the ground under us doth tremble, This is to know assuredly That we are strong indeed, That we have boldness and can trust perfectly.  
Surely never was there more cause than at this time, To set our hope in GOD, To make good our confidence, To exercise this grace of saith and trust, To look back to what God hath done, how wonderful He hath wrought for those that put their trust in Him: And so to gather experience, that is a great means to support the heart, and to engage it to trust in God.  
I remember a passage, which surely is worth the noting, this it is. David comes hastily to Abimeleck, and after some greeting, 
2 Sam. 21.  and some other passages betwixt them, demands of the Priest, Whether he could help him to a sword? Yes, said the Priest, here is in my keeping The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom 
verse 9  THOU SLEWEST: If thou wilt take that, take it, for here is no other. No other, thought David, (for so he said) if thou hadst all the swords in the world, yet there is none LIKE THAT, give it me. And why so? There were other Giants in the world, and other swords as great as that, why none like that? The Text resolves it, That was the sword where with David slew Goliath the Philistine. None like that sword, That revived David's spirits (indeed they were fainting) with the sense of experience of GOD'S faithfulness: He had wrought wonderfully for David, a weakling, and yet He gave him strength to slay the Giant with his own sword; none like that; a double weapon with a double edge, it had slain behind him, it would slay before him: God had delivered him from such a death, and there was the sword now in his hand, a memorial of such a deliverance, He would put his Trust in GOD for aftertime. This is the Point than we are engaged upon, even To put our Trust in GOD: and, that we may do so, To Consider well what God hath done, and then To exercise our faith upon it, for the better improvement of our Trust in Him.  
Surely the very set time is now come, That so we should do, improve our Trust in GOD, live by faith now, (that is) live upon God, with God, in God, to God; to make up a life in Him alone. Therein is assurance, and strength, strong confidence: 
(a) Pr●. ●4. ●●.  And The LORD will reject all other confidences, 
(b) ●●●●2. 3●.  so as man shall not be held up by them, nor prosper in them.  
You will say, you must have FAITH first before you can Ob. exercise it and live upon it.  
True, and before you have it, you shall know how you got it. Ans. It is an admirable grace, and wrought by the operation, (c) effectual 
(c) Col●s 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  working of God, (the great Work of God) but we must work too, use all diligence, and all the means God hath sanctified for the getting of the same; use the means faithfully, and you shall get the Treasure, a Treasure indeed, such as we heard. A man may live upon it, if he have nothing else. Cry after this grace, life up thy voice for it, as for hid treasure, (it is the gift of God) but so it must be sought for, or it will never be had; it is the principal thing, with all thy getting, get faith.  
You will say, There is need of Patience too. Yes, and that it hath a perfect work to calm, quiet, and silence the reasoning of our spirits. There is no possessing of a man's soul without patience, specially now in such a perilous, and exceeding (e) fierce time as this is, now the Devil is lose, and rageth amongst us; 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 8. 28.  great need of Patience. Yet, I say, we stand in more need of faith, for there is no grace like that at this time. Thou shalt forgive Thy Brother seven and seven times, saith the LORD CHRIST. 
Luke 17. 4.  We would think this would follow now, LORD INCREASE OUR LOVE; let that have a perfect work, that we may forgive an offender even so often; But the Apostles said, Lord increase our faith: Yes, That is the mother grace, get that, strengthen that, all is done. She is a mother in Israel, never alone, but honourably accompanied still with her children, Patience, meekness, Love, Hope, joy, all these. Would I then rest quietly in a stormy night, when the winds blow, the rain and hail beat upon my house; would I be secure when terror is round about; would I stand still, unmoveable in an earthquake? Then I must say when I close mine eyes, and when I awaken, Lord increase my faith. You have need of faith; It is impossible to do or suffer any thing without it, but, by it, All things are done and suffered, that we think impossible and most terrible: but nothing is impossible to faith: Therefore we must cry after this grace, and lift up 
Prov. 3. 22.  our prayer for it; it is life unto the soul, and grace to the neck: Thereby we walk in our way safely, and at the end, we lie down, and are not afraid: for faith makes The LORD our confidence, and therefore we will say evermore, Lord increase our faith, it is the only necessary thing: For, 
Job 18. 14.   
First, it purifieth the heart, it subdues iniquity, it overcomes the world, nay it gives you victory over the King of terrors: I do not mean Death, though that is a most terrible King, but Sin, which is the strength and sting of death, which makes a man seek for death as for hid treasure, that he might be rid of those thoughts of eternity, which is are the poison of vipers, and gall of Asps. It sets an edge upon our fears and our sorrows. This evil, a pure evil, Faith subdueth and mastereth through Christ, in the power of His might, and so we are made more than conquerors, by laying holdfast on Him, The Rock of our salvation.  
Secondly, Faith bottoms the heart upon GOD, which was said before, and Faith encourageth the heart to duty (which follows) To live to God, To improve all we have and are To His Glory; so assureth the person, as He walks before Him here now, so he shall live in Glory for ever with The Lord. Faith then is the principal thing, that excellent, that admiring grace, get that, and we have all things completely fitted both to do or to suffer as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. I will shut up this with the words wherewith the righteous have concluded their 
Psal. 33. 21, 22  Psalm, and closed up their hearts against fear, Our heart shall rejoice in Him: because we have trusted in His holy Name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.   

CHAP. V.  
The Righteous obey from the heart: True sound and sincere obedience is never found but in keeping to God's Work, and in His way: They meet with Lions and Bears there, but they have a safeguard over them, and are not afraid: They are sure they are in their way, and upon Duty, which must be done, and the work prosper and increase with the increase of God: And all this in the fittest time, when the Adversary shall be most confounded, and God most glorified.  
THe Righteous obey from the 
(a) Rom. 6. 1●.  heart. An hearty obedience, that is obedience indeed, and it is ever found in GOD'S way and Work. Such an obedience then, a walking in GOD'S way, an engaging the heart to GOD'S work, is a sovereign means To quiet and calm the spirit, when here is trouble on every side. For thus The righteous man reasoneth; Some Lion, some Esau, some fierce Adversary, some great trouble or cross may meet me in my way: Yes, but I am in GOD'S way, I am doing my duty, let GOD alone for the rest; He will work for my comfort. As the valiant Roman said (I allude to it) when it was told him, That the enemy would be upon his back quickly, 
●go autem Sacrifico.  Let him come, said he, I will keep to my service, I will do my duty for all that. I would rather instance in Nehemiah; he saw and heard enough to have daunted any man's spirit, that was not such a man as himself, That had not another spirit, and could set his face like a flint: And yet he was not careful, he was not afraid, should such a man as he fear, employed in GOD'S work, and in His way? Should he fly? No not he. Let the adversary rage, and roar, and send, and write, and flatter, and lie, and slander, and blaspheme, (the adversaries did all this, and more) yet he would to his work, and abide by it, for he was upon Temple-work, a sworn Man to do his Lord service; And this Lord hath sworn to protect that man. Truly it is so. Let a Lion, a she-beare, or the devil meet such a person, cross him in the way, he need not be careful nor afraid, being groundedly resolved of this, I am in God's way, upon His work. O let me be still found so doing. What? GOD'S work, and in His way, a mighty comfort this. It is as a Cordial to the heart, when we suffer from the hand there; That there and then we have done our duty, God's work in God's way, so obeying from the heart. The Angels are a safeguard about us; They bear us up: what would we have more for our security? The case is evident, it is an exceeding comfort, a marvelous establishment to a man surrounded▪ with terrors, That he is in GOD'S way, upon His work. It is a Sovereign Cordial now in these perilous and exceeding fierce times; It stays and cheers the heart, and silenceth the reasoning of the Spirit. What? That I am in God's way, and upon His work; the heart may meditate terror now, when the Nations are angry, & 
Esa. 33. 18.  the Kingdom totters like a drunken man. We will consider with all our hearts the case that Nehemiah was in, and his courage, for it is very notable; his case is the case of our Worthies, even of all that are able to stand in the gap for the help of the Church: And this time runs parallel with that then, after the very same Line: Therefore we will hear what Nehemiah says, and reason the case about him. What says he? Should such a man as I flee? And Who is there, that being as I am, would go into the Temple 
Neh. 6. 1●.  to save his life? A very bold speech; I pray you, since it is not too late, and it may be of much use now, let us examine this man's confidence.  
Why might not such a man as he flee? what manner of man was he? A faithful man; one that feared God above many: There is the Answer for that. A faithful man cannot be fearful; a man full of faith cannot be full of fear: BEING AS I AM; In what a case was Nehemiah in then? In a very sad and perplexed case sure; All the reason he had, if he had no more than we have, could not tell him, which way to take; for he had heard no less than ten times, That from all places the Adversary would be upon him: 
(c) Nehe. 4. 12.  And when The Lord brought that counsel to nought, they fell upon another, (The devil's mint 
* Fabricator. Prov. 6. 14.  is still going, his servants are still hammering there) The Ad-Adversary sent to Nehemiah no less than FOUR TIMES to procure a brotherly conference about an an Accommodation forsooth (but they thought to do him 
* Chap 6. 2. 3. 4.  mischief) And when Nehemiah returned the Adversary still the same Answer, Four times together, I AM DOING A GREAT WORK WHICH MUST NOT CEASE, while I come down to you to Parley about an Accommodation, (which was never in the adversaries thoughts, for they THOUGHT to do him MISCHIEF:) Then the Adversary sent his servant the fift time, with an open 
ver. 5.  letter in his hand, and a loud lie, a Blasphemy rather, in his mouth, which was as we find it written: (a) And all this to 
ver. 6, 7.  make the Bvilder's afraid, and the work to cease; which prevailed so far with Shemajah, (I will mention no more of the false brethren;) 
ver. 10  That he penned himself up (like a wise man, who was resolved to save one) in a place, which had gates, Doors, and Bars (which the City had not at that time:) and he persuaded Nehemiah so to do also (by a Spirit, as he said, of Revelation) To slink aside from the work, letting that cease till the brunt of opposition were over, and in the mean time provide for his life, Let us meet together in the house of GOD within the Temple, and let us shut the doors of the Temple, for they will come to 
ver. 10.  slay thee. And Nehemiah said, No man, being as I am, would go into the Temple to save his life, I will not go in. No truly, being as 
ver. 11  I am I will trust to an open place, that hath neither Walls nor Bulwarks; I am doing my duty; upon my Master's work; in His way, I am doing a great work, which must not rest, It is not necessary that I must live (though I know my times are (my life is) in my GOD'S hands, not at the dispose of the Adversary) but the work must be done, that is necessary at this time: Being as I am upon This work, and in This way, I will not go into the Temple to save my life, not 1 Should such a man as I flee? and being as I am? No, I Will do my Work, my Duty, I will walk in the way boldly (wherein never man miscarried yet) and for my poor life (well hazarded in such a work and such a way) and all my concernements about it; all these I have committed into His hands, Who is as a strong City; Salvation will 
Esay 26. 1.  GOD appoint for walls and Bulwark.  
There is an end of that dispute, That I am in God's way, & upon His work, answers all doubts, silenceth all gainsayers. A man may be reproached and persecuted, etc. in this way, but he cannot be distressed there, nor forsaken. The experience of all times, & of all the faithful in all times will give clear evidence hereunto.  
The practice of Luther runs parallel with this of Nehemiah; Hell gates opened upon him, when he opened his mouth for God, and for His cause, and to promote His Glory. It is notable to read how Luther encouraged Melanchthon against his oppressing fears, and himself also in The LORD: The enemy lives said Melanchthon and is strong: GOD lives for ever, answered Luther, and is Almighty. We cannot bear up against the tide of such opposition, said Melanchthon, an excellent man, but his spirit was fallen at that time quite: Nor men, nor Devils can hinder now we are in God's way, and upon His work, said Luther; We carry GOD along with us, His cause is in our ship, though the storm riseth high, yet God is above; The floods of ungodliness shall not make us afraid: That God is with us, (He is with us while we are with Him:) that it is His cause we are engaged upon, answereth all doubts, silenceth the reasoning of a timorous spirit, and fortifies it mightily against all disputes and debates from within the soul or from without.  
The great question is now, will God restore jerusalem? shall her breaches be made up? shall her wall be raised even now? This is the question, and it is much doubted, and the very best have careful thoughts about it. But surely they do not well to be so careful, neither do they wisely inquire into the matter. It is true; Jerusalem's wall and her breaches there, should take up the firstborn of our thoughts; but not the time when, nor the manner how these breaches shall be stopped, and the walls set up. The times and seasons for the accomplishing hereof, the means too, and the manner how, The Father hath put in His own power. The work goes on a pace; Blessed be His Name for all those that have offered themselves willingly to this work; I say it, goes on with the increase of God; and the times are TROUBLOUS, 
(d) Dan. 9 25.  which is a good sign too. But whether this be the SET time, when GOD will perfect this work, it is not for us to inquire; Think we of doing our duty, and upon our COST; It shall be done and perfected in GOD'S time, & that is the best time: and for the Church, the very season of Time, and that we may resolve upon. The LORD is wise in counsel and mighty in work; and there the Church resteth. He may not do all this, this year, or the next, or the third year; for This work, Temple-work, the restoreing the Kingdom of Israel, goes on surely, but slowly; mighty Adversaries set themselves against it, and decree against it, and will hinder as long as God pleaseth, till His set time comes. Truly we wonder He hath done so much for a people at this time, who have done so much against Him now and in all times: But Now sets a mark upon our frowardness, and makes it exceeding sinful. And yet His patience is not wearied, though at every difficulty, and cross way, we are at a stand. He works gloriously every day, and reviveth still his servants hopes: And yet He may not make the earth to bring forth in one day, nor a Nation to be 
●sa●. 66. 8.  borne at once; and what are a few years in His account? not so much as a few minutes in ours. The earth shall bring forth, even to our largest expectation, That is certain; And the manchild shall be borne perfect and complete, that's out of doubt: perhaps not so soon as we would have it, we are too hasty. It may seem to stick even at the birth so long, that the Adversary may lift up his horn with fair hopes, That it will never come forth: But it shall come forth in due time (that's God's time, and it is His promise) when they that see it shall the more rejoice, the more their sorrow and anguish was because it stuck at the birth so long: And the bones of the Righteous shall flourish like an Herb. 
ver. 14.  Why like an Herb? Because they were dried like an hearth with long expectation: for now The hand of the Lord shallbe known (the more gloriously the longer the stop was) towards his servants, and His Indignation towards His enemies; for God hath given His servants leave to make this conclusion from His own words, kind and gracious, He hath brought to the Birth, He will give strength to bring forth (in his appointed time) And there His people set up their rest, doing their Duty, walking in God's way, and doing His work. And this sustains them in their fainting fits; quiets and settles them in troublous times, They do their duty, They are upon their work, This I say, for it cannot be said too often, is as comfortable to them, and cordial as this remembrance was to the good king, when he heard the sentence of Death, Behold Lord I have walked before Thee in Truth and with 
2 Kings. 20. 3.  a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight.  
I may not conclude yet, for there is a great difficulty behind; but Let every man, according to his measure, and proportion of gifts, and power God hath put into his hand, offer himself with a willing mind, wholly up to God in His way and work, so doing his Duty, and committing the issue and success to God, in assurance hereof, That The Lord does all things well; orders all for the advancing His own Glory, and His Churches good: He will, in His own good time, perform His whole work upon mount Zion, and on jerusalem, and then He will punish the 
Esai. 10. 12.  stouthearted, and bring down the Glory of their looks. And, in the mean time, for this man, that attends his Duty, minds that wholly; is only careful at that point, The Lord will guide him with His eye, will uphold him with His hand, so as he shall not dash his foot against a stone. Now the difficulty follows, and that will make us dash and fall too, if we look not to our bottom, and our standing there upon. We shall hear now of sad and grievous things that befell them, which have stood to the cause of Christ, and done their duty: But blessed be God, though we shall hear such things, which shall make some ears tingle, yet we shall not hear, That the righteous have forsaken their way, or their duty, though they have been sore broken in the place of dragons, and covered with the shadow of death: YET, no not YET shall we hear, That their heart turned back, nor that their feet have declined from THY WAY: No, though all this, which we 
(b) Psal. 44. 17. 18. 19  shall hear, is or may come upon them, what though? YET they are resolved, as their Fathers before them, The resolution of a gracious spirit ever, To keep close to GOD, and to Duty, To stir ●p themselves against the hypocrite; 
(c) Job. 17. 8. 9  To hold on their way, for they have clean hands, and clean hearts, washed white in the blood of the Lamb. What follows? We need not make it a Question, They shall be stronger and stronger. Having now premised this, I come to that, which is said against it, to scare the fearfull-hearted, mentioning only that first, which occasioneth it; I had said, rather The Lord hath said it for me, He that keeps close with GOD, holds on his way, doth his duty, is resolved at that point, The LORD hath sworn by His holiness, He will uphold this man, he shall not dash his foot. I will be bold to say, This is good Divinity, and as comfortable as any you can meet with in all your readings. Now harken what is said to scare the Israel of GOD out of it, all His Antipasses that they may letin fear, and let go Duty. The Adversary shall never effect this while he breathes; with Gods help I shall be able to beat him with his own weapons, and fetch comfort, and light, and glory for the righteous, from out of his darkness, and most ignominious usages of God's people, doing their duty, and holding to His way and work.  
But the fearful have looked upon all this already, and they object,  
He that does his duty, keeping to God's way and work, may Ob. dash his foot and fall too, and rise no more in this world, if he be resolute upon that way, and to do his duty therein; as like to dash upon danger and to be swallowed up of it too, in no way more likely then in GOD'S way, and when we do our Duty. Take we for example the Patirarches, Prophets, Apostles, that 
1 Cor. 11.  cloud of witnesses in the little book of Martyrs, they walked in God's way and did their Duty, and did they not dash upon danger? To come nearer to our own times. Look upon those TWO WITNESSES, those few 
* Vocatur Antipas non ficto sed vero nomine: tot pene literis & syllabis Martyres hujus temporis declarat fore Antipapas. Revel. 2. 13.  Antipasses, faithful Magistrates; and faithful, Ministers, and faithful people, opposing, in all ages of the world, upward to this day, and so will all their Days, Room and their abominable Idolatries, and then you will say they do their Duty and are in God's way; But see I pray you, and mark well how they are used, you would not use a Dog so; And see where they lie, A goodly recompense for doing their Duty, and walking in God's way, will the world say.  
No matter what the world says, not a pin matter, nor how they Answ. use the servants of God: They are vile and refuse with the world, because they do their Duty, and are the excellent there, not of the world: A sure Testimony of perdition to the world of ungodly men, whose superstitions may be out of ignorance, but their cruelty is out of malice. But to the point. It is granted, That if ever the Devil, (that Legion, for I mean with him, all his servants) stand with open mouth and outstretched arm against a man; it is then, when he walks in GOD'S way, and doth his Duty. The wicked are carried with an indignation against no way, no work but that, only because it is an holy way, and a godly work. Therefore a way of suffering it may be, a way of perishing it cannot be.  
Not a perishing way! See yonder, The Beast shall make war Ob. against them, shall overcome them and kill them; Then see where 
Rev. 11. 7.  their bodies lie, and how long, and how merry the Adversary is over them, very jocund and glad when he hath done such an exploit upon those that tormented them.  
We have a proverb, he that laughs after laughs too, and more Ans. hearty; he that laughs before, is as he that girdeth-on his harness▪ he knows not what may happen to damp his mirth: But he that laughs after sees all clear before him, and is as he, that putteth his harness off. Certainly, for It was never questioned yet, These witnesses shall have their time again to laugh, when the Adversaries shall gnaw their tongues for pain. But to the point. We have seen the worst that can befall the men of GOD in GOD'S way and upon His work; and how small a thing do we see? Some Dead bodies. I must take leave now, To speak according to my understanding and to his capacity, also who, if he meets with a Dead body, takes it to be a Carcase, all life is gone: Doubtless these are not carcasses, for if so, They had not laid so long above ground, in the street of the great City: nor had the Adversary any Cause to rejoice over them (indeed he hath not, but I speak with respect to the offence of a dead body, lying uncovered) or hinder their bodies to be put in the graves. 
(c) Rev. 11. 9  They were mystically dead sure, for such also is their resurrection, their coming to life again: I think thus it was, and yet I cannot express it in words what Antichristian Rome, far more cruel than heathenish Rome: (She was a Dragon fell and Cruel, but not so Cruel, as a Lamb with horns, as She is, that looks like a sheep, and is so in her clothing, but inwardly is a grievous wolf: O beware of her, and her Religion: she is MYSTERY BABYLON the GREAT, The mother of Harlots, And abominations of the earth, 
Rev. 17. 5.  and hath no more good in her, then what can be found in the bottomless pit, from whence her Power and Authority ascendeth.) 
Rev. 11. 7.  I was saying, That death there is not properly so called; but mystically; thus I think it was, Rome with her sworn servants, hath done (and will do) all the indignities, that are Imaginable against these witnesses, suspending, putting out of office, Defaming, Defacing, Degrading; Truly I know not what, but what Rome (that delights in proud wrath) could do, she hath done, and will do against these witnesses. And how far doth their malice reach? To the Body, no farther: And that was Dead in law before (the Body is dead because of sin) The Body, It is GOD'S building, we must think and esteem honourably of it, for it shall be a Glorious body: but as it is here, and in comparison, the people of GOD put little or no account upon it, and it is according to the Spirits allowance; The Body is not mentioned in the Scripture, but with this addition, a Dead, a vile, a corruptible Body: The Soul stands for All, and indeed it is All, that we might put esteem upon it more than upon all the world. We see Bodies and dead bodies there, than the Adversary can but kill the Body, their proud wrath can reach no farther: They can but take down that Tabernacle, which, had it stood a little longer, would have  of its self; God has never given a man His security, That his Body shall be kept from perishing. The stream of the promise runs still towards the Soul; I was in the very mouth of Danger, says Paul, almost swallowed up there: I was delivered at that time: Nero (he was the Lion) had not power over me at that time: And the 
2 Tim. 4. 17.  LORD shall deliver me, there is his security: from what? from Nero? No, he says not so; for at length (when Paul had finished his testimony) he was given up to that devourer: The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work: An evil work, a complying with the workers of iniquity, and with their wicked ways, that is worse than the Devourers mouth, a thousand times worse: so nor Paul nor the witnesses did do. Now take all, will preserve me to His heavenly Kingdom, That's all indeed; and makes amends for all, will preserve me to His heavenly Kingdom, where the dead bodies now, that have all the dishonours put upon them, that are conceivable, shall be glorious Bodies. We have viewed the Bodies, now we consider where they lie.  
2 Where lie they? In the street, All the disgrace that can be imagined shall be put upon them, that will do their Duty, if they come into their Adversaries hand, and it shall be done against them in the openest place, where the Adversary may glut his eye in the exercise of proud wrath, wherewith his heart is filled. To express it as we read, The Adversary having made himself drunk with blood, will make these witnesses a GAZIMG-STOCK, by reproaches and afflictions; a spectacle to the world, Angels and men. 
(d) Heb. 10. 13. 1 Cor. 4. 9  Why then, who is on God's side, who? he that is resolved to take God's part must expect such usage, but then he may expect such an exceeding and superlative comfort as will countervail and make amends for all. If all the comforts in the world were distilled into one elixir, & put into these witnesses hands, it would not be so cordial as this which follows; All this villainous usage upon these Bodies shall be done; where? where also our LORD CHRIST was Crucified. That was without the Gates of Jerusalem. True; and without the territories too, by a Law not their own, for the jews could put no man to Death, but from Caesar Tiberius, he was the Emperor in Rome; It is very comfortable: what follows? There also our Lord was Crucified: But rejoice in as much as ye 
1 Pet. 4. 13.  are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. Who would not rejoice to be put to open shame for Christ, where Christ was put to open shame for him? A great Commander refused a Crown of gold in that place, where the Lord Christ had put upon him a Crown of thorns. There is a continual spring of comfort from thence, which abundantly makes amends for all the proud wrath, put forth against these Bodies, in the street of the great City: There also our Lord was crucified. They shall suffer no more, but what their Lord hath suffered before them; and in that He hath 
1 Pet. 4. 13.  suffered that shame, He suffered it for them, that their shame now might be their glory. Truly there is a comfort contained in these words, that is not expressible but by the mouths of these witnesses; And they felt it then, even a joy unspeakable. I say then, when that wicked woman, that abominable strumpet, with her 
Rev. 11. 10.  lovers, were so jocund and joyful over them, making merry and sending gifts one to another: for this is a conclusion of experience, That GOD leaves not His Servants (Orphans) comfortless: 
John. 14. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  At such a time as this, when they are in the eyes of man, fatherless, friendless, helpless, in the hands of proud wrath, exercising all the indignities, that are imaginable upon them, and glutting their eye therewith, than they are orphans, (you will say) for all have left them, and there they lie as you see. But now mark the promise, I will not leave you (Orphans) comfortless: I will come to you: nay He is come, it is in the present tense, now He is come in, for all the creature-comforts are gone forth, then God comes 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  in, in that season and nick of time: And if there be any comfort in His presence, as sure there is, for He is The God of comforts, and 
God speaks to His people most comfortably in a Wilderness. The sweetest comforts come forth of the greatest straits.  the Father, not of some, but of all consolations: then they are sure to find it at such a time, when they are, in the eye of the world, comfortless, free among the dead, put to open shame, and the Adversary, jocund and merry over them. Then is God's time to comein, and that is His Promise, and it is comfort enough for the present: For aftertime read on, how these faithful servants have concluded, That, after the rate of their sorrows and sufferings, shall their comforts and consolations be: And by the measure of their shame and reproach for Christ here, shall their robe of Glory be cutout hereafter, wherewith they shall be vested in heaven. So they have concluded, and cannot faint in their minds.  
Thirdly, Consider how long the Bodies shall lie there; how long shall they be so despitefully used? Three days and a half. They are long days, as we account length of time, who account GOD'S Patience a slackness; But were they three thousand years, yet that length of time makes no difference in eternity. Their souls are safe enough; Souls and Bodies shall meet again, The spirit of life from GOD shall enter into them: and then they, that were so merry and glad over them, shall be sad enough, for great fears shall fall on them: And quickly after these turmoils they shall be for ever with the Lord, more glorious than the sun when he shines in his strength; for their bodies were put to open shame for Christ, and where He was crucified (Oh it was a sweet consideration) and so long, three whole long Days: now they shall have such a length of Glory, that we have not a thought to measure it. He that hath observed this, hath let it sink down into his heart, and he will hold to the way and work of The LORD, & his countenance will be no more sad: He may hear sad things, and observe cross ways, and cross wills; he may smart under the execution of proud wrath: But he hath resolved all into this, The will of The LORD be done. He is most content, That GOD should go that way, which shall make most for His Glory, Who will make, as we shall see anon, all cross ways and wills meet at that highest point; and in a sweet harmony, consent, good agreement, and a full answerableness to His most Holy will. In the mean time he doth, and by the grace of God, is resolved to do his duty, and to hold to the way, all the faithful have gone in before him, maintaining his watch over his enemies, himself also, and his own ways, so finding abundance of Peace. This follows.   

CHAP. VI  
Now Gods Work goes on, and His Servants do their duty. The Devil rageth and watcheth to do mischief: Therefore the Righteous maintain their watch and guard also; but specially over themselves, Considering the manner of their Adversaries, and of their Masters coming.  
Watchfullnesse over the Enemy, and a man's self, is the great duty of a Christian, renders him Blessed, highly honoured of GOD; and secure against his Adversary;  
First, Blessed is he that watcheth, 
(a) Rev. 16. 14.  for he will keep his garments, so that the shame of his nakedness shall not appear: And 
(b) Rev. 3. 18.  The LORD will honour those Servants, whom He finds watching, with the greatest honour that can be imagined: He will gird himself, and come forth and serve them. 
Luke 12. 37.   
Secondly, Secure. They who are found watching, are secure against their Adversary; he comes like a roaring Lion, thinking to do mischief, (for that is the purpose of his heart) but he can do them no hurt, for he finds them waking in their watchtower.  
So we come to the Duty; we have seen the honour of it, the security in it: now see the necessity, to be now, as in all times, the servants of The LORD have been, WATCHFUL. They are bold and fearless, because they make their watch strong: They maintain a wakeful eye over the Adversary, to prevent his coming against them, To hinder the work. What needs that? you 
Nehe. 4. 1. Jer. 31. 28.  will say, The Watchman of Israel keeps His servants, I will watch over them to build and to plant, saith the Lord: And His Angels are a guard about them. True, But all this doth not make them carnally secure; but indeed the more watchful: Gods watching over His servants, His giving His Angels charge over them, doth not give them licence to snore in the daytime, or to sleep in their harvest: No, they are in God's way, and upon God's work, then, as The Lord Christ said to His Disciples, 
* Mat. 26. 45.  Sleep on now and take your rest. He knew that could not be, No time for sleeping then: So these servants of The Lord cannot sleep now, now they are in God's way and work, for they must look for all the opposition the devil and his Angels can make against them, but the fruit of all that old enmity, that is in the Spirit, which rules in and amongst the children of disobedience. There is no enemy in all the world, but, if you do meet him, it will be in GOD'S way, and when you are upon GOD'S work, Church-work, Temple-work, making up the breaches in Jerusalem's walls: there the Adversaries are, there, etc. then they will appear in their likeness, the Lion, the Adder, and the Dragon, Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabian 
(c) Nehe. 6. 1.  too, and the rest of your enemies, there they will meet you upon That WALL, and perhaps be upon you before you are ware. If the Adversary may have his will, ye shall neither know nor see. And behold a strange greeting; you 
Neh. 4 11.  had as good meet with a Bear rob of her whelps, for you will find that Adversary, the very same he was, very 
(a) Nehe. 4. 1.  wroth, taking great indignation against the work, and the way; perhaps he will now, as then, mock too, and grin like a dog.  
So it hath been ever since the first restoring of the Church; When Moses came into Egypt, and made his demands, very peremptory, (for such are the demands of GOD touching His service) he would have all to an hoof, not leave so much as a hoof in Egypt: Then we read what followed. How it was after their return from Babylon, Ezra and Nehemiah have told us. It was so in latter times towards the close of the former Centurie, and beginning of this, when Luther appeared in Germany, spoiling the Pope and his Merchants of that great gain and income by Indulgences, (It was an ordinary Merchandise with those cunning Merchants, for amongst their wares they have the precious souls of men. 
(d) Rev. 18. 13.   
So I say, it was when Luther appeared in Germany, that glorious instrument, confounding the Pope and his cunning Merchants, rescuing the cause of Christ, and advancing His Glory; Then, and not till then, Germany was full of stirs, a tumultuous Nation; Hell seemed to be let lose, and the devils roaring upon him; But than Luther was as bold as a Lion, yet as wise as a Serpent; He was upon GOD'S work, and in His way, that made him bold and confident; and so he would have Melanchthon then to be strong in The Lord, (his encouragements are notable;) he did live amongst Lions, his soul lay amongst those that were set on fire, that kept him waking and watchful; but thus he did encourage himself in The LORD, he was in God's way, and upon His work. A marvellous comfort, and which commands an holy security; his heart might meditate terror, but it commands watchfulness too, even to do as the Builders or Reformers did in ancient days, Make your prayer unto God, and set watch against them day and night, because of them: For, as the Adversaries said then, so they say now; and therefore what the servants did then, so they must do now, Set the people in their courses with 
Nehe. 4 89.  their swords, their spears, and their bows, and the bvilders every one gird his sword by his side, and so build. And though they do put off their clothes, which the bvilders than did not, (saving that every one put them off for washing) yet they must keep a strong watch, and their sword under their pillow. 
Read M. N●wcemens Sermon upon Neh. 4. 11. wherein, by the good hand of God with him, he hath discovered the adversaries skirts upon their face; he hath shown the Nation their nakedness, and the 3. Kingdoms their shame; he hath cast abominable filth upon them, & made them as they are, vile.   
This is watchful●nesse, and as needful now as then (for now the breaches are stopping up) now the enemy saith, The bvilders shall not know neither see till we come in the midst amongst them and slay them. We are assured that all the enemies in the world, are now setting themselves against this way, and consulting how they may hinder this work: It is temple-worke, the restoring and building jerusalems' walls. There is need of watchfulness then, mighty cause to maintain a continual watch over this Legion (for he is many and full of wrath) as great cause to watch as David had, when Saul sent, and they did watch the house to kill him. (* title of the 59 Psal.)  
It is observable, That where the servants of The Lord have their warrant for their greatest security, there they may observe cause enough why they should be exceeding watchful. A vineyard of red wine is My Church, My people, unto Me, most pleasant and most Delightful: I The LORD do keep it: I will water 
(d) Rev. 18. 13.  it every moment lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. 
ver. 3.  There is security. Observe now what a mighty Adversary the Church hath (not to speak of the little foxes, and other grievous Beasts, wherewith God's vine-yard is annoyed) Leviathan, 
ver. 1.  the piercing serpent, even Leviathan that crooked serpent; The spirit means, All the devils in hell, and all his servants on earth, their force and fraud both: And how prevailing by these ways, This Adversary is, we may collect by the instrument. The LORD brings forth against him, His sore, and great, and strong sword; very comfortable to the Church all this, but it is very stirring and commanding to keep their watch strong, their garments white and close girt unto them. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom 
1 Pet. 5. 8.  he may devour. The conclusion is, The Righteous must be full of eyes; They had need to set a Thousand eyes over this Adversary rather; that is first; And then  
Secondly, Then thousand eyes over themselves, even that every man maintain over himself now, a double watch, considering they are the soldiers of Jesus Christ, engaged in the war with the Lamb, and going out against the Lamb's enemies, and must keep themselves, according to the charge, from every wicked thing: therefore had they need (as the devout Spaniard said) to 
Deut. 23. 9  set ten thousand eyes over themselves: then again, consider, A man's enemies are those of his own house; enemies also, and those the strongest within his own breast.  
Thirdly, Add to this; That we know not the day, nor the hour; but the coming of the Lord will be at midnight, in the midnight of the world, when they say all is peace, and think they may be secure, and so fall all asleep, than He comes as a thief. Put all this together, and it will command watchfulness; we shall double our watch, we shall make it strong, That we may be in a readiness, with our loins girt, our armour at hand, for, as we said, we know not at what time danger and trouble may come. We know not the hour, when the general Judgement, nor when the particular shall be; we know not the hour; when we lie down, we know not how we may be awakened, with what cry, nor what noise we may hear at midnight. What lieth in the womb of a day, is darkness unto us; and what a night may bring forth, lieth in the same womb of darkness also: We cannot see into an hour before us. Happy is that man that makes his watch strong, that fortifies himself in The Lord his God, That keeps himself in His fear all the day long, and night also; That closeth his eyes with GOD, and makes his Christ the end of his thoughts: so sleeps, as in the lap or arms of The Almighty. This man is prepared, and what ever the cry be, with which he is awakened, he is in a readiness, his loins girt, his lamp burning, and oil for supply. So he goes forth to meet, and if he meet with enemies, nay, with devils, he is in a readiness, and as bold as a Lion: But if he go forth to meet his LORD and CHRIST, O how joyful is he! Him he served all his life long, with Him his last thoughts closed, when he fell asleep: therefore in the morning of his awaking, he is bold, and confident, joyful and glad; all his days he watched for this time, as the Watchman for the morning.  
To draw to a conclusion. Truly this Mother-City, the City of God, have done even thus as we heard, and as we all should do so they wait for GOD, so they love GOD, so they fear Him, so they Trust in HIM, so they obey: And, to make clear proof that so they do, so watchful they are over the Adversary, And themselves. And so, they thank their GOD, they have profited very much by all the hatred, the hard words, & ungodly deeds from the adversary: his violent dealing hath made their love the hotter, their fear more refined, and fixed, their confidence better bottomed, more settled upon the rock, their obedience more pure, more single, and more hearty, and their watch a thousand times stronger, against their enemies, and over themselves. Thus all things tend to the advantage of His people, and work together for their good, which must be considered on, now in the last place.   

CHAP. VII.  
We must not judge hastily of God's works, These are wrought in an excellent Method, though they seem confused to us, and do work together for the good of them, that love God; whereunto the present time gives clear evidence.  
GReat are the works of The Lord, Sought out of them that take pleasure therein; SOUGHT OUT with diligent inquiry, not with a curious prying into them, much less with an overhasty censuring and judging of them; here we must walk softly, taking leisure.  
We must not judge of the acts of GOD'S providence by pieces, here a part and there a part; as we do not a piece of Arrace, not half unfolded: stay till GOD hath done His whole work, hath accomplished it upon mount Zion, then unfold the work, and behold a glorious symme●try and uniformity all together working for the good of those, that love Him. If we look upon GOD'S works apart and alone, here one piece and there another, they will be as unpleasing to the eye, as are the members of a body divided, and lying apart from the head: They will seem fearful and terrible, wondrous cross to the mark they tend to.  
joseph must be a prime and chief man in Egypt; look you how cross all things go! he is sold for a servant, and it was well he scaped so; when he had gained no little favour, and became a great master, than his feet were put in the stocks.  
Things went as cross with David too. How long? To the very day (I reckon within a few hours) he was to be King, that very day the people spoke of stoning of him. 
1 Sam. 30 6.   
GOD'S providence seemed as strange, and as cross towards Mordecai; and as favourable to Haman, That Enemy and Adversary; Mordecai must ride in state through the city, and Haman must lead the horse, and lacquie by; and so it was. But before that day came, Haman was very confident, That he should see Mordecai set on high upon a gallows, which he had provided for his purpose. Truly the admonition is seasonable; judge nothing before the time, but remember these are GOD'S works, and He will work like a GOD, His providences, what ever they seem to be now, they will appear to be admirable, exceeding glorious; 
Little can we by the beginning of any action, guess at God's intention in the conclusion.  Now here is a piece of providence, and it seems terrible; here is another piece and causeth distractions; A third piece, and that causeth a sword; here is a fourth piece, and Oh how cross it is to the high mark it tends to! for there be thoughts of accommodation, of compounding the cause of Christ, and that is a cross way indeed: so we judge before the time, stay a little while and we shall see all these cross ways meet, and kiss each other: so as we shall say, in the close of the work, All was carried on in a curious Method; things seem to be carried very confusedly in our eye, up and down, and then a cross as upon wheels: But there is a wheel within the wheels and eyes, (providences) 
Ezech. 1.  round about. If we could see we would say; All things are carried in an excellent Method. The lines of God's providence drawn in the circumference of the world, seem no less confused than the moths in the sun.  
But we shall see one day, That not one line could be spared; And that all tend Directly to the great centre, The Glory of the Workman and The rest of His people. We think we see crookedness, an unevenness in the lines and ways of God's Providence; But we are deceived; man's ways are unequal, God's ways are equal: stay a little, we shall say so too. I said well, stay a while, as those that live by faith, and do not make haste, until GOD hath wrought His whole work, till we can put all together; Then we shall discern plainly, That all together worked gloriously for the promoting the great, supreme and sovereign ends, GOD'S Glory and HIS Church's peace, in the exalting His people, plucking down and confounding the Adversary.  
Nay GOD hath not wearied out His people, with expectation; Though He hath not yet accomplished His whole work, yet He gives His people leave to behold some pieces thereof; And see how wonderful and admirable they are, what strange providences, cross ways, as was said, hath he made to meet; contrary natures, and wills have wrought effectually towards the settling of Truth and Peace, that these might meet in a sweet agreement. Take a view of it at once, and behold the poison of Asps, viperous tongues, embalming; wounds, healing; weakness, strengthening; temptations, fortifying; straits, enlarging; perverse counsels, ensnaring (the perverse counsellors:) fears, supporting; distractions, uniting; troubles, quieting; stops & pressures to bear down the spirits of men, heightening the same. Thus the LORD hath done in this short time. What then may the people of GOD expect to see in after time, when the work is done, and they can put all together, who have seen such strange providences, and glorious workings thereof already? He that hath wrought so gloriously, and hath given His people such a discerning, will work much more, and will be admired in the close of His whole work when His people can put all together.  
Now we are to consider with more enlagement what The LORD hath done, making cross ways meet in a good agreement, and cross spirits to stand in a posture for the safeguarding His Kingdom; And what a good GOD do His people serve! who would not fear Him? who would not serve such a God? who would not trust Him now? He makes all work for good; All that we call evil; and to sense it is so, is good to them; never any thing in the world fell out to The people of GOD whereof they could not say, this is good now, for it works thereunto; and which is yet more comfort, they can say confidently, it will be better anon, within an hour, a minute, a little minute. GOD'S Hand is with them, and through Him they improove all, good and evil, all is good to them; they find it so or they make it so: or, rather against the nature thereof, it is made so to them: things disagreeing are made to agree very well, and impossible things to be possible, for so we read, if we read the History of these last months. Can a man imagine, (who walks by sense) but that the noise of swords, and staves would silence the laws, and daunt the spirits of men utterly? yet it was not so, This noise wakened the laws, and raised the spirits the higher: would we not think that the sword would make divisions? It was taken up for that end, and so it works most naturally. But so it shall not do, It shall work contrary effects: it shall cement and sodder men together: It shall make many to be as one man, of one mind in a house, and so to seek the peace of Israel.  
Yea but the sword draws blood, makes havoc in the Land, It robs, and spoils, etc.  
Very true: but it had made more havoc, had it come upon us, and found us sleeping: than it had cut all our throats. It had raged all the Land over with a rage reaching unto heaven, as now in Ireland. Blessed be God, we know our friends now, we see our enemies, the Papists and Atheists all the World over. It is not a Kingdom divided against itself, but one Kingdom divided against another: The Kingdom of CHRIST against the Kingdom of Antichrist. And this Antichristian kingdom will rage's as they can, to their power to shed blood, But The LORD hath them in His chain, and hath caused His people to set a watch over them: and hath sent forth His Host against them: There is this good in it now, and it is a great good, The enemies of the Church are in part manifest now: they shall be more manifest anon. So are her friends, she knows now and can resolve herself in the question, Who will rise up for me against the evil doers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? 
Psal. 94. 16.  The Church cannot forsake her confidence now in her GOD; He that hath wrought HITHERTO will work: He that hath discovered the Adversary: He that hath made their madness so manifest, will go on to do yet more: what will He do? The Church can answer, That which shall be best for her sons and daughters both for the time, manner and means of doing it, though all this they leave in their LORDS hand, let Him work as He pleaseth, if in the dark, and His footsteps are upon the waters, and no print of them, yet, as Master Bradford said, so saith the Church, She will follow her LORD in the dark. Though he seem to go by compass, by the bow, as we call it, yet He goes the straightest, and nearest course to His GLORY, carrying all level thereunto. The Church is marvailously contented with this, (That all works for her Lord's Glory) her spirit shall work after Him, even the strength of her spirit, in that way He goes, though clouded and over-shadowed with darkness: for she is confident, This very way wherein she sees not the prints of all his footsteps, (she sees very much) tends most directly to her full comfort here, and her glory hereafter.  
The Church hath seen so much of God, such sweet experiences, so many providences, so strange, so wonderful, such commings-in of God unto her, when in her Egypt, in her wilderness, that she cannot distrust him now. 
* Psal. 22. 4.  Our father's trusted in thee: What follows? Thou didst deliver them: They cried unto thee, and they were delivered. Though we are full of changes, yet God is the same to His Church for ever: And to distrust now after all this, were a provocation as was theirs (by unbelief) at the SLA, even at the RED Sea. The Church cannot question God's love to her, nor dare she question His Power; He is GOD, The King of His Church, He reigneth in the midst of His enemies, and then like Himself, most gloriously. He brought along Captivity upon His people for THEIR GOOD. He hath 
Jer. 24 5.  ordered our distractions so, that they have been for our good. How so? GOD will have it so, and we need not ask a question, when we see it to be so, distractions for GOOD. They have tended to union, and joining together, the good with the good never faster, the bad with the bade never closer, like the scales of the Leviathan, they stick together that they cannot be sundered. Cross spirits, who will be opposite, and spurn against the pricks for their hurt, these shall be suffered and countenanced for the good of His people, To make them more in love with Truth, to contend for it more earnestly, in a more orderly and unanimous way, now that they see all the wicked, all the Malignants of the world are bend and do contend against them: Then we must conclude, All tends to advance GOD'S glory and His people's good; Their fears have wrought for GOOD; it hath made them wait patiently for God; it hath made their love more perfect, their fear more refined, their dependence more glorious, their obedience more sincere and hearty, their watch ten thousand times stronger against their adversaries, and over themselves. Blessed be GOD who hath done all this, made their fears and disquietings to pull down and spoil their own strong-holds, Nature and Sin, and to build up and fortify their impregnable Forts, Love to God, Fear of God, Confidence in God, Obedience unto God, and Watchfulness in all.  
To shut up all. The Righteous wait patiently for God; they love Him, they fear Him, they stay themselves upon Him, they obey from the heart, (if their Obedience were not hearty, their Trust were presumption) they make their watch strong over themselves, and against their adversaries: Go thou thy way now, thou art in God's way, and do likewise, and be no longer sad: if thou standest alone now, and there be none that will take thee by the hand, unless to thrust thee down, yet fear not: Though an Host encamp about thee, thou art in God's way, and upon His work, fear not: He will hold thee by His hand, He will be thy Arm every morning, thy salvation also in the time of trouble.  
Only keep to your strong hold, (i. e.) hold fast your confidence. Let sinners in Zion be afraid, fearfulness must surprise the Idolatrous Nation, they have no God to look unto, no chambers 
Esay 26. 20.  to enter into, while the indignation passeth over: They are now like a tottering wall, and a broken fence; they are falling and dashing to pieces like a potter's vessel. The Lord sees their day is coming, for they are very proud, their rage riseth high, and so many steps and degrees to their utter ruin, and everlasting confusion. As the righteous work out their salvation with fear and trembling, so do the wicked work out their destruction with joy and gladness over the ruins they have made in the world: you can wait upon God, you love Him, you fear Him, you trust in Him. We have concluded. Our fathers trusted in Thee: they 
Psal. 22. 4, 5.  trusted, and Thou didst deliver them. They cried unto Thee and were delivered. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but 
Psal. 37. 17.  The Lord upholdeth the righteous.    
FINIS.