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PRESENTED TO THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINSRY 
 
 BY 
 
 |VIps. Ale^^ander Ppoudfit. 
 BV 4500 .F73 1801 
 Francke, August Hermann, 
 
 1663-1727. 
 Nicodemus, or, A treatise 
 
 aaainst the fear of man 
 
//^ — 
 

 ■ ■■». 
 
NICODEMUS ; 
 
 OR 
 
 .d T M B ^1 T I S E 
 
 AGAINST 
 
 THE FEAR OF MAN; 
 
 WHEREIN 
 
 THE CAUSES AND SAD EFFECTS 
 Thereof are briefly described^ 
 
 WITH 
 
 SOME REMEBTFS JGAINST IT. 
 
 By AUGUST. HERMAN FRANCK, 
 Professor ofBivimiy in the Unwersity at Hall, and 
 Minister of Glaucha in the suburbs. 
 
 Rendered into English from the High-Dutch. 
 
 THE THIRD EDITION. 
 
 BATH;. 
 
 PRINTED AND SOLD BY S. HAZARD IN CHEAP-STREET, 
 
 50LD IN LONDON BY MATTHEWS, STRAND ; 
 
 AND MESSRS. ARCH, GRACECHURCH-STREET. ' 
 
 IN BRISTOL BY ^VhQl^. 
 
 1801, 
 
/ 
 
THE author's dedication. 
 
 To all viinisters and teacliers in churches and 
 schools throughout Germany ; grace, viercy 
 and peace from God the Father, and our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, in the felloicship and 
 Communion of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Dearly beloved Brethren, 
 
 GIVE me leave, who am the leaft of all the fervants 
 of Jefus Chrift, for the love wherewith God hath 
 loved us in his Son, to dedicate to you the following 
 treatife. For though I be the mcaneft member in the fpi- 
 litual body of our Lord Jefus Chrift, (if fo much may be 
 allowed me,) yet am I made thereby partaker of the liFe, fpi- 
 rit and power refiding in him as our ever bleffed Head ; 
 and confequently, what defcends from him, is not mine, 
 but his; deriving itfelf, by virtue of that Head, not only 
 to the weak and defpicable, but alfo to the flrong and 
 more honourable members, which ftand in need of the 
 co-operation of the weakefl member, to the end, the 
 whole body may perform the work for which it is defign- 
 ed, viz. its own growth and edification. If there beany 
 thing in thefe few lines, conformable unto the mind of 
 our chief Shepherd, and proceeding from the unftion ot 
 his Spirit, why fhould it not be readily received ? And 
 if after a truly fpiritual trial thereof, you find any thing 
 that is human, faulty or impcrfe61:, 'tis hoped you will 
 commend the fame to the mercy and love of our great 
 Shepherd, to correal it in me by the gracious influence of 
 
 £ hi^. 
 
« 'TUP. author's DEDICATION'. 
 
 his Spirit. And I fhall be very thankful, if any one, en- 
 dued with a larger meafure, will be pleafed to inflruft me 
 for my further edification. 
 
 I do not offer this as a piece of great learning, or a 
 thing extraordinary, as fome might perhaps conckide, 
 from theperfons to whom it is dedicated. The plain truth 
 of my God, fet oat in its natural luftre, and the leall 
 communication of his divine power lively affe^ling the 
 heart, is infinitely more valuable to me, than all the po- 
 lite arts and learning of this world. And my only boaft- 
 ing in the Lord is this, that I have betaken myfelf to that 
 fchool, and without any merit or worthinefs of my own, 
 have been received into it, wherein the higheft: wifdom 
 is, to know Jefus Chrifl, and him crucified. And though 
 I (who have fcarcely learned the firft elements, and, as it 
 were, my A B C in this fchool,} have the boldnefs to re- 
 peat this my lefTon in the hearing of all, yet ought it not 
 to be deemed an effefl of pride in me, fince I do not 
 commend it as any thing great or finguiar. But the love 
 of my neighbou! (fince we all have but one Creator and 
 Redeemer) hath conftrained me, fome years ago, to offer 
 my plain thoughts to the confideration of others, concern- 
 ing the inordinate Fear of Man, under the title of Nicode- 
 mus, that niglit difciple of our Lord. And although 
 fome fiieets of it were then printed ; yet hath the finifhing 
 of it, by manifold intervening hindrances, been interrupt- 
 ed till now, that the Lord was pleafed to excite me anew, 
 and gracioufly afford his afTiflance, to give it the finifliing 
 ilroke at laft. 
 
 My foul hath been grieved many a time in the fenfe of 
 'he apparent corruption, not only of all men in general, 
 
 but 
 
THE author's dedication.' Hi 
 
 hu\ alfo oF our order in particular. More efpecially hath 
 my heart been touched to the quick, when from innume- 
 rable inftances I have been convinced, that the Fear of 
 Man is become the epidemical difeafe of our teachers. 
 Por when I reflefl on one hand, with what fpirit, with 
 what joy, with what undaunted courage and boldnefs the 
 fervants of God, in the old and new Teftament, fet afide all 
 regard and fear of man, delivering, as the Lord's ambaf- ' 
 fadors, their meffage plainly, and without mincing the 
 matter, though it expofed them to the apparent hazard of 
 their lives : and on the other, how gently and ho\>r foftly 
 '^ve go about it now a- days ; and how little we manifeft the 
 truth to the confcience of every one : when I moreover 
 confidered how much they fufFered with Christ their Lord, 
 for the fake of their teftimony ; and how the most of us 
 take care to preach fo fmoothly, as not to incur the leaft 
 fhadow of their fufFerings : all this made the difference 
 between us and them appear fo exceeding great to me, 
 that I could not but be amazed and aftonifhed at it. 
 
 Pardon me, beloved brethren, if you think me to fpeak 
 with too much plainnefs and fimplicity ; for I am not at 
 all alliamed to become a "Fool fo- Chrill's fake," that I 
 may be wife indeed. I muft own, that it is much upon 
 my mind, how very few there be amongft us, that really 
 believe what Chrift faith, Luke xiv. 33. "Whoever he 
 *' be that forfaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my 
 difciple :" as alfo, how few there be amongft us, that csu 
 fay with St. Peter and the reft of the apoftles ; *' Lord 
 *' we have forfaken all, and followed thee. Matt. xix. 27. 
 I queftion not, but we are all very well pleafed, that wc 
 are allowed to have wives and children, and to pofFefs 
 
 B 2 the 
 
^^ THE author's dedication, 
 
 the goods of this world, and indeed the Scripture ^oe<^ 
 not difallow it. But do we as well confider that of St. 
 Paul, 1 Cor. vii. 29, 30, 31. " This I fay, my brethren, 
 *' the time is fhort. It remains, therefore, that both they 
 *' that have wives, be as though they had none : and thofe 
 •' that weep, as though they wept not ; and they that re- 
 •' joice, as though they rejoiced not : and they that buy, 
 *' as though they pofTeffed not ; and they that ufe this 
 "world, as not abufing it, for the fafhion of this world 
 " pafTeth away." When our Lord and Mafter v/as in this 
 World, he was fo far from defiring the honours, pleafures 
 and riches of it, that he was indeed the poorefl and moft 
 defpifed amongft men, entirely fpending the days of his 
 humiliation in procuring our falvation and happinefs. 
 And 'tis he that tells us, Luke xiv. 27. " Whofoever 
 " doth not bear his crofs, and come after me, cannot be 
 " my difciple." And St. Peter faith, 1 Eph. ii. 21. 
 *' Chrift fuffered for us, leaving us an example^ that we 
 ** Ihould follow his fleps." Whence I conclude, that we 
 alfo ought to be fo many fhining lights before others, by 
 our hearty denial of allthe honours, pleafures, and riches 
 of this world; and by employing our lives entirely for 
 the fervice and affiflance of our neighbour. But if, on 
 the contrary, we feek ourfelves, being influenced In what 
 we do, by temporal concerns ; then, as far as I under- 
 iland, we depart from that glorious pattern Chrift our 
 Lord and Mafter hath fet before us : neither is there any 
 thing, to myapprehenfion, that doth more effeftually de- 
 prive us of God's blefling in our calhng, than this doth. 
 For fure it is, that the greater concern we have for our 
 own profit, eafe and honour, the lefs we Ihall have for 
 
 promoting 
 
THE AUTHORS DED1CATI0N\ Y 
 
 promoting the real good of our nciglibour. And as long 
 as our minds are not ^vho]ly conformable to the mind of 
 car great Slieplierd, (whofe fervants we are,] it is impof- 
 fible he fhould be well pleafed with us. For he fearcheth 
 our very hearts, and regards all our doings and intentions, 
 whether we feed the flock, or ourfelves : whether we 
 feek every one his own or that which is His ; and if he 
 be not well pleafed with us, whence can we expeft ablef- 
 fmg upon fo facred a function as ours, fince we cannot 
 have it but from his grace ? This I take to be the true 
 caufe why w^e are fo ftrongly poiTcITed with the fear of 
 man ; fordid we defire nothing in the world, we ftiould 
 not fear it. 
 
 Give me leave, beloved brethren, to add a word more 
 to you. We have a day of judgment before us, when we 
 mufl give an account to the Supreme Bifhop of our llew- 
 ardfhip, who will demand of us whether we have defired 
 the things in this world infinitely lefs than the falvalion 
 and happinefs of man, according to his own example, 
 who had nothing elfe in his eye ? How can w^e then en- 
 tertain the leaft thought of appearing before him in that 
 day with joy, when our hearts will upbraid us, that whilft 
 we were here, we took more pains to improve our land, 
 than the fouls committed to our care ? To increafe our 
 flock, and fum up our yearly revenues, than to lay up in 
 flore a good foundation againfl the time to come ? That 
 we were either carelefs in our preaching, without the leall 
 ?in8ure of godly zeal and earneflncfs, as if it were no 
 jnore than fome other common trade; or elfe intending 
 by it rather to fet forth our own arts and learning, than to 
 recomj-nend the fimple truth of Jefus Chriff, without any 
 
 JB 3 glofs 
 
v\ ^HE author's dedication. 
 
 glofs or trimming, to the confciences oF men ? Alas ! it 
 is but too apparent, that the generalhy oFmen, both in ci- 
 ties and villages, are funk into the blackefl vices, and all 
 manner of the moll abominable corruptions. 
 
 It fo be now we continue fleeping, and do not fet upon 
 the work of reformation with another kind ot earneftnefs 
 than hitherto we have done, how think ye, fliall we be 
 able, with any boldnefs, to ftand before the Son of Man, 
 or allege that common excufe, that we have done our 
 endeavour and we could do no more ? There are but few 
 amongft us who fo truly take to heart their incumbent du- 
 ty, as did the late pious * Grofgebauer in his " Watch- 
 man's voice." For did we feriouily confider what he hath 
 written, it were impoluble for us not to join hand in 
 hand, and with united force, to hazard life and e{late» 
 heads and crowns, in refcuing the honour of God, which 
 is fo horribly affaulted and violated in thefe days. 
 
 It appears alfo, that we are very little concerned about 
 what the Scriptures both of the Old and New Tellament 
 reprefent to us, viz. that our order hath been always mofl 
 in fault, whenever a general corruption hath overfpread 
 the people. Do we confider what a thundering le6f ure is 
 read to pallors and teachers in Jercm. xxiii, Ezek. xxxiv. 
 
 and 
 
 * Theophilus Grofgebauer, a Lutheran minifter at Rollack, 
 left the mentioned book at his death, which was foon after 
 printed with an approbation of the faculty of divines. It con- 
 tains a difcovery of the caufes of the decay of chriltian piety, 
 and the unfuccefsfulnefs of the word of God, and of the facra- 
 ments in the evangelical churches for the promoting a real con- 
 verfion in fouls. See the preface to *'Fietas Hallenfis." 
 
THE author's ©EDICATI0>T. tl} 
 
 and Matt, xxii ? If we did, fhould ^■v'c not apply our- 
 felves to our duty with another kind of fervour than hi- 
 therto we have ? Sliould we not be more foHcitous 
 about the ilate of our own fouls in the firft place, and in 
 the next, about the fouls that belong to our charge ? 
 Should we not break loofe from the tranfitory amufements 
 of this world ? Should not we enter into greater familia- 
 rity with Chrift our Lord and Mafter, by prayer ? 
 Should not we in many things, give a more edifying and 
 fhining example to our flocks? Should not we more ef- 
 fectually clear ourfelves from all fufpicion of covetouf- 
 nefs and other vices reigning among the clergy ? Should 
 not our preaching be compofed with more phinnefs and 
 fimplicity, and delivered with greater power and demon- 
 liration of the Spirit ? Should we not be more careful 
 to examine thofe that we admit to the communion, whe- 
 ther they be worthy receivers, and whether they grow 
 better by receiving it ? Should we not be more fervent 
 and earneft to admonifn every one in particular ; Should 
 not we ftrive and wreflle more, in prayers for the welfare 
 and falvation of their immortal fouls ? Should we not^ 
 as foon as any defire and love to God's word appears in 
 our hearers, more readily lend them our helping hand 
 that the fparks of grace kindled in their hearts might not 
 be extinguifhed, but increafed and blown up into a 
 flame ? Should not we, by frequent catechizing, endea- 
 vour to put a ftop to the overflowing of ignorance and 
 vice ? Should not our outward converfation with men 
 be more holy, and confequently more fuccefsful and edi- 
 fying ? Verily^ my brethren, I fear we have good rea- 
 
 B 4 fon 
 
^"' THE author's DEDICATIO>r. 
 
 ion to be afhamed, when we read, what ^ Taulerus faith, 
 in his expofitjon of the Gofpel for the fourth Sunday in 
 Advent ; " a fpiritual perfon ought to be fo inkindled and 
 " all-flaming with divine love, and both inwardly and 
 *' outwardly fo conformable to God, that whenever an.y 
 " one came to him, he might hear nothing from him but 
 *' God ; and his heart and mind ought to be fixed on him 
 *' by burning love, and fo ready in all things faithfully to 
 *' obey his will, that fuch as vifited him, though with 
 " cold and lukewarm hearts, might be heated and fet on 
 *• fire by him ; as we fee that cold and dead coals are 
 " kindled, when they are put to glowing ones, which 
 *' foon impart their light and heat to them." 
 
 Did we without intermifhon fupplicate our Lord and 
 
 Saviour, 
 
 ^ This author was a Dominican friar, of a very holy life and 
 converfation, and preached firft at Cologn, and afterwards at 
 Strafbourg, where he died in the year 1379. He is highly 
 commended for his holy doclrine and exemplary life, both by 
 ProtelUnts and PapiftSj efpecially by Luther and Melanithon. 
 His excellent works, written originally in the old high Dutch' 
 language, are tranflated into Latin by Surius, and printed feveral 
 times at Paris and Cologn. The moft famous of them are his 
 fermons, inllitutions, letters, meditations upon the paflion of 
 Chrift and a fmall treatife concerning the Poor Life of Chrift, 
 publillied in Englilh in 1708 ; being a moft admirable teftimo- 
 ny of the true fpiritual part of the chriftian religion, and hav- 
 ing fome remarkable paifages of the author's life prefixed to it. 
 The famous German divine John Arndt, imbibed chiefly his 
 practical way of teaching from this author's writings, as compe- 
 tent judges may fee in his large work of True Chriftianityj 
 printed in Lutin at London, in the year 1708, 
 
THE AUTHORS DEDICATION. 1^ 
 
 Saviour, what could hinder him from making us fpiritual 
 men, not in name only, but In deed and in truth, and lb far 
 eftranged from the frienddiip of this world, that according 
 to the example of God's fervants of old, we might bran- 
 difh the fword of the Spirit, with a cheerful and un- 
 daunted courage, that it might be faid of us, " Behold 
 *' the fword of the Lord and of Gideon !" True it is, we 
 liave this our treafure, the light of the Gofpel in earthen 
 vefTels ; but fmce Gideon's earthen pitchers muH be bro- 
 ken, what a folly is it for us to dream of faving our fkins 
 by being afliamed or afraid of fuffering ! As if" we only 
 forsooth, were an exception from a general rule : " for 
 <' thy fake we are killed ail the day long, we are ac- 
 *' counted as (heep for the flaughter." Alas! what will tliis 
 temporal life, or the eafe of it, the riches we hoard up, the 
 dignities and the honours of men we hanker after avail 
 us, when for purfuing of thefe, we fliall fufFer lofs in the 
 life to come, or neglect the welfare of one fmgle foul ? 
 
 I have opened my mouth, and made bold to addrefs 
 you with the fimplicity of a child ; and am very willing 
 to appear mean in your eyes, my brethren, only defpifc 
 not the truth, which is not mine, but my Lord and Savi- 
 our's. I am not at all afliamed freely to acknowledge, that 
 I do not account myfelf to have apprehended, or to be al- 
 ready perfeft. But this I dare to tell you in truth, fmy 
 cpnfcience bearing me witnefs in the Holy Ghofl, which 
 alfo the righteous Judge will teftify for me at that day ;J 
 that I do not in the leaft feek to diftinguifli myfelf bv 
 publifhing any ffrange or new do6frine, by what name 
 foever it may be called : but fmce I have found grace in 
 the eyes of the Lord to perceive my own mifery, and to 
 
 find 
 
% THE AUTHORS DEDICATION. 
 
 the way, called by our Lord the narrow way ; all my 
 thoughls and endeavours have been bent, in the fimplicity 
 and failhlulnefs of my heart, to continue in it, and ftill 
 more eagerly purfue it, and as far as pofhble, to dire61 all 
 men to it. I delpife or envy none of you that are of the 
 fame fun8:ion with me, either in the univerfities or minif- 
 try ; nay, I know many amongH: you whom I honour to 
 that degree, as to think myfelf unworthy to do them the 
 ineaneil fervice, and whom I love and honour without 
 the lead alloy of envy or contempt. But on the other 
 hand, I know many, and I fear the moft of ourprofefli- 
 on, whofe converfation, as far as I can difcern, is not at 
 all conformable to the pattern Chrill hath fet us, and who 
 have not yet attained to a living experience of the work of 
 converfion in their own fouls, which they are to preach 
 to others. And as for thofe, I heartily pity 'em, and 
 pray for 'em, that the God of all mercies would enlighten 
 their eves, to know the things that belong to their ever- 
 lalling peace. 
 
 Neither is my heart in the lead incenfed againfl thofe 
 that do mofl unjullly flander and reproach me, upon no 
 other ground but that of falfe fuppofition and prejudice, 
 I rather find my heart moved with compafTion towards 
 them, feeing we mull all one day appear before the fame 
 Ju<lge, to give an account how we have dealt v/ith our 
 fellow fervants. For ray part, I cannot call black white, 
 Ror take him for a follower of Chrifc and a pattern of his 
 flock, in whom I find nothing of the nature and mind of 
 Chrift. 
 
 True it is, I have made this the matter of my public 
 complaints-, and continue fo to dc, but not at all out of 
 
 any 
 
THE author's dedication. 
 
 any bitternefs or difrefpefl ; but rather from a hearty and 
 inward pity for the lofs of fo many thoufand fouls, who, in 
 my apprehenfion, might and ought to be more carefully 
 looked after. By nature I am never a whit better than 
 another, but what I am, I wholly owe to the grace of our 
 Lord and Saviour Chr^ft Jefus, to whom, alfo I afcrib^ 
 all the glory, and not at all to myfelf. And therefore I 
 defpife nobody, though I am not infenfible of the dange- 
 rous ftate of their immortal fouls. When I fay that by 
 the grace of God I am what I am, I intend nothing elfe 
 but that God hath been pleafed to fhew mercy to me, 
 and of mere grace draw me to himfelf ; or if any thing 
 more has been vouchfafed to me, it is this, (wherein alfo 
 I heartily rejoice,) that I have been made partaker of the 
 fufferings of Chrift, thougli in a very low degree. And it 
 is the grcateft comfort to me, that men of this world 
 fpeak all manner of evil of me falfely, and loading me 
 with cenfures and accufations, the groundlefsnefs whereof 
 the Lord at that dav will difcover. 
 
 Let us all, my brethren, think of this great day, and 
 fo even our accounts againfl it, that we may then appear 
 with joy and confidence. Let us call away all other 
 cares, and be earneftly concerned about this only. Then 
 will all thefe unprofitable contefts and oppofitions flarted 
 hitherto, drop of themfclves, and we with united hands, 
 carry on the work of the Lord, and be heartily glad to 
 fee any fruit raifed thence to the glory of God, be it by 
 ourfelves or others. And I befeech God, from the very 
 bottom of my heart, to influence you all with a meafure 
 of his holy Spirit, and to fanctify you to himfelf for vef- 
 fels of his honour, and to pour down his tranfcendent 
 
 bleffing 
 
:di THE author's dedication. 
 
 blefling and divine power upon all your planting and wa- 
 tering ! that it may appear clear as the day, that the Lord 
 is rifen to build his Zion. The Spirit of love and truth 
 keep all our hearts, and lead them into the true fellow- 
 ihip and communion of Jefus Chrift, who alone is able 
 to give that true peace, which the world cannot give. 
 
 August. Herm. Franck, 
 
 At Glaucha, near Hall: 
 October 265 1701. 
 
NICODEMUS ; 
 
 OR A 
 
 TREATISE CONCERNING 
 
 THE 
 
 FE^K OF M^JV. 
 
 CHAP. L 
 
 JVhat the Fear of Man is, and the severa^ 
 Kinds of it. 
 
 BY the fear of man, (the fubjeft of this treatifej is 
 not under flood, (i St} that natural balhfulnefs, whereby 
 a man is apt to be dafhed out of countenance in the doing 
 or {peaking any thing before thofe, with whom he is not 
 acquainted. Nor (2dly} that natural warinefs, whereby a 
 man feeing one ftronger than himfelf, or whom he be- 
 lieves to be an overmatch for him, is not forward to 
 ftrive with him : nor indeed any thing elfe, which in hu- 
 man affairs is called fear of man. But here w^e fpeak of 
 that fear of man which difcovereth itfelf in things relating 
 to God. In this refpeft it is confidered, either as a noto- 
 rious vice and abominable fruit of unbelief in the unre- 
 generate, who thereby are kept back from a true conver- 
 fion, from being built up in God, and from confeffing 
 
 the 
 
2 Of the Nature of the Fear of Man* 
 
 the truth of God before men, ancl confequently from their 
 everlafting blifs and falvatlon ; and by this their conform- 
 ing to the world are tempted to many fins, to deny 
 Chrift, his Word and members. Or this fear of man 
 may be confidered as a failure cleaving to the regenerate 
 themfelves, who ftrive again ft it, and by faith, which is 
 the viftory that overcometh the world, at laft entirely tri- 
 umph over it. 
 
 Now this fear of man, whether it be in the unregenerate 
 or regenerate, admits of certain degrees, as being in one 
 much ftronger than in another. God often makes his 
 own fervanls and deareft children, as in other cafes, fo 
 efpecially in this, fenfible that they are but men ; whereof 
 we have a pregnant inftance in the Old Teftament in Ja- 
 cob, who was fore afraid of his brother Efau, Gen. xxxii. 
 7, 11. And in St. Paul in the New, who was with the 
 Corinthians in weaknefs, and in fear, and in much trem- 
 bling. 1 Cor. ii. 3. Wherefore alfo the Lord was gra- 
 cioufly pleafed to comfort him with thefe words ; "be 
 *' not afraid, but fpeak, and hold not thy peace ; for I 
 " am with thee, and no man fhall fet on thee to hurt thee ; 
 •' for I have much people in this city. Afts xviii. 9, 10."' 
 This fear of Man, fo far as it cleaves to the regenerate, is 
 continually oppofed and ilriven agalnft from a principle 
 of faith raifed in them. In this contention, though th(* 
 corruption of our nature do powerfully exert itfelf, yet 
 by the power of God, and continual wreftling in prayer, 
 we are enabled fuccefsfully to war againft it, and to over- 
 come it at laft ; fo that after the conteft, the glory of God 
 is rendered thereby the more vihble and confpicitous. 
 We therefore think it needful, to treat here of the fear o£ 
 
 man. 
 
Of die Nature of the Fear of Man; 3 
 
 man, both as It is a reigning fin in the unregenerate, and 
 as it is a weaknefs adhering to the regenerate themfelves. 
 Becaufc even fins of infirmity muft be more and more put 
 off and fubdued ; that fo believers, through the power of 
 Chrift, may prefs into further degrees of that unOiaken 
 firmners of heart, and that holy boldnefs a true faiih is 
 generally attended with. 
 
 The outward diifinclion of men makes no difference in 
 the thing itfelf ; for even kings, princes, and great men 
 of the world are no lefs fubjeft to the enflaving fear of 
 man, than thofe of a far lower and meaner condition. 
 There are many princes v/ho would do more good, did 
 they not Hand in awe of their own fervants. And expe- 
 rience convinces us, that men of the firfl rank are more 
 infefted with the bane of the fear of man, than thofe of a 
 mean condition. The reafon is, becaufe they have more 
 of the pomp and glory of this world to renounce : thcy^ 
 have from their youth up been lead: accuflomed to the 
 pra£^ice of felf-denial, and very rarely have met with any 
 that offered to deal plainly with them, and to tell them 
 the truth. Teachers and hearers are alike infnlted by this 
 fin ; but in teachers it proves more dangerous : for they 
 are the moft back\vard of all others to acknowledge it. 
 They think themfelves to be teachers of others, and 
 therefore are very fliy to call their new-birth in queflion- 
 they are more ready to fit as judges over the confciences 
 of others who often faithfully labour in Chrifl's vineyard; 
 and do not only abound with this finful fear themfelves, 
 but pofTefs others whh It alfo. Nay, they are often found 
 to be the men, whofe fear deters others from givlnor God 
 the glory, and openly confefTing his triuh. 
 
 In 
 
V 
 
 4 or the Caufes of the Fear oi* Man. 
 
 In a word : this fear oF man, wherefoevcr it is found, 
 is in itfcU" a moll heinous vice, and a kind of idolatry, 
 arifing from the fpawn of an unbelieving heart, whereby 
 we lay afide the fear of God from before our eyes, and 
 think, fpeak, or do any evil, or leave thinking, fpeak- 
 ing, or doing that which is good for any confideration or 
 regard of men ; it being our duty, fimply to follow the 
 Word of God, and to eye the fame as our rule and direc- 
 tory in all that we do or leave undone. Now the more 
 there is of this fear ftill cleaving to believers, and the lefs 
 tiiey endeavour through the power of God granted to 
 them, to get a iuil conqueft over it, the more dangerous 
 is the condition of their fouls. 
 
 But I {hall haveoccafion in the fequel of this difcouife, 
 cfpecially in the third chapter, to give fome further de- 
 claration of this fear of man and the feveral kinds of it. 
 
 CHAP. 2. 
 
 Of the Sources and Causes of the 
 Fear of Man. 
 
 THE caufes thereof are either internal or externa]. 
 The internal are chiefly thefe : 
 
 1 Unbelief, which is the fpringand Root of all vices. 
 
 2 The love of the World, and of the things of the 
 world, viz. The luft of the flefh, the luft of the eyes, and 
 the pride of life. . 
 
 3 The want of true felf-denlal, which is always joined 
 with the love cf the world ; or when we fear, left men 
 
 (hould 
 
Of the Caufes of the Fear of Man. 5 
 
 fliould prejudice us in our reputation, eftates, eafe, or in 
 our bodies and life itfelf, if we fhould fimply follow the 
 guidance of the word of God. 
 
 4 Flefhly wifdom fucked in from corrupt reafon, which 
 ufes to meafure divine things by its own ftandard. 
 
 ^ The ialfe imagination we have of ourfelves, and the 
 prejudice fettled in the mind, and making men believe, 
 they may be acceptable to God, though they fhould yield 
 in feveral cafes merely out of regard to man, without any 
 leave from God's w^ord to do fo. 
 
 6 Falfe humility, which is fwayed more by human au- 
 thority than by the word of God ; and prompts us to refer 
 all things to the judgments of others, whom we pretend 
 to underftand them better than ourfelves. 
 
 7 The great deceitfulnefs of our own hearts, which 
 can put fo fair a colour upon all manner of fms, that we 
 perfuade ourfelves, we a£i very prudently, whilft we are 
 influenced all this while by nothing but unbelief and fear 
 of man. 
 
 8 The defire or hope to be advanced to fome place of 
 honour in the world. 
 
 9 The want of experience in the ways of God, which 
 makes us hefitate in difficult cafes, and indifpofes the 
 foul to rely wholly upon God, fearing leafl he fhould let 
 us fail or mifcarry in them. This proceeds from our not 
 having fufficicntly learned how dear they are to God, 
 that entirely truft in him ; and what pow^erful affiftance 
 he affords them, to accomplifh his own work in them. 
 
 10 Fear of prefumption, left we fhould feem to tempt 
 God in calling ourfelves wholly upon him. 
 
 1 1 Secret pride, which prompts us eagerly to defire an 
 happy end, and vifible fuccefs in all our undertakings : 
 whereas indeed we fhould reft fatisfied with an inward 
 fuccefs and vifl:ory ; that is, in having kept a good con- 
 fcience towards God. c i^ 
 
6 Of the Caufcs of the Fear of Man. 
 
 12 Natural fhynefs, for it cannot be denied, but that 
 feme are more inclined to fearfulnefs than others. And 
 from this natural weakncfs fprings bafhfulnefs, whereby 
 many are hindered from performing that with cheerfiil- 
 nefs, which a well grounded faith requires of them. 
 
 13 Ncgle8; of prayer, which not only prevents us 
 from obtaining a full conquell over the fear of man, but 
 drives us down further into the ftream of hypocrify. 
 
 I'he external caufes are thefe following : 
 1 The tyranny of many in power, who take upon 
 them to bind and fetter the confciences both of teachers 
 and hearers, being only concerned to preferve thereby 
 publick peace and tranquillity. 
 
 ■ 2 The forwardnefs of our univerfities in their dubbing 
 of heretics : for they no fooner perceive any breakings 
 forth of the fpirit of true chriftianity, but they are fure to 
 ca{l a Our upon it by giving it an ill name, and all this 
 under a cloak oi their great zeal for their highly valued 
 orthodoxy. 
 
 . 3 The condu6l of tliofe that enter into holy orders 
 whilfl they are unholy themfelves, and after a loofe edu- 
 cation in the univerfities, engage now in the facred func- 
 tion, for no other end than only to fatisfy the cravings of 
 the belly. 
 
 4 The high regard and efleem we have for men. This 
 blinds many to that degree that they cannot imagine, that 
 fuch great men, fo eminent for wifdom and learning, 
 fhould be fo grofsly miftaken and drawn afide. 
 
 5 The fpecious and plaufible reafonings of fuch as fol- 
 low their corrupt reafon more than the word of God. 
 
 6 The frequent examples of fuch as are bound down 
 by the fear of man as well as themfelves. 
 
 7. V/orldly riches, that cafl frequent and manifold 
 
 rubs 
 
Of the Signs of the Fear of Man* / 
 
 rubs in our way, and hinder us from prefTing fonvards 
 Inceffantly in the fimplicity of faith. 
 
 8 Wife and children, that by their importunate way of 
 arguing, and their unbeHeving tattle and clamour do vvea- 
 iy out and overcome many. 
 
 9 The honour and elleem we have already gained in 
 the world. This makes us very loath to make others 
 think, that hitherto we have deceived the world, and 
 been in an error ourfelves. To which may be added, 
 that when a man is placed in fome high poft, he finds it a 
 hard lelTon to give it up, and fuffer reproach with the 
 people of God. 
 
 10 The threats of others, efpecially of thofe in power. 
 
 1 1 The fair promifes of the world, which offers great 
 tilings, if we will but own that odd is even. , 
 
 12 Great and honourable acquaintance and friends, 
 who under the pretence of hearty love and kindnefs, are 
 always cautioning us not to venture too far. 
 
 13 Too great and too intimate a familiarity with the chil- 
 dren of this world. Hereby many deliver up their fpiri- 
 tual weapons, and fo difable themfelves from reproving 
 what is amifs in others with courage and prefence of mind. 
 
 14 The neglecl of frequent converfation with true be- 
 lievers, who walk in the power of faith, and rather 
 choofi ng thofe for our companions that are themfelves in- 
 flaved by the fear of man. 
 
 CHAP. 3, 
 
 Of the Signs and Effects which discover the 
 
 Fear of Man, 
 
 I A FEARFUL man knows to do good, but doth it 
 
 **^ "*" not, for fear of incurring the hatred and enmity of 
 others, c 2 
 
> Of the Signs of the Fear of Man. 
 
 2 ,He is not cafily convinced of the truth ; and though 
 it be laid before him with the cleareft evidence, yet he 
 ftarts many doubts and fcruples about it, as having a fe- 
 cret fear, that if he fiiould confefs the truth too- rouridly, 
 he fliould be hated, perfecuted, and reputed an heretick 
 by others. 
 
 3 When after all, a man is fully convinced of the truth, 
 and believes it in his heart ; yet for fear of man he hides 
 tliis light under a bufhel, by not confefiing it before man. 
 
 4 Or if he do confefs it, 'tis only among them that are 
 lovers of truth themfelvcs, and from whom he hath no- 
 thing to fear ; but before the enemies of truth he conceals 
 or denies it, and reafons fo dubioufly about it, as to leave 
 them uncertain whether he believes it or no : at leaft he 
 takes care fo to order his words, as to be able to give 
 them alw3}'s a handfome turn, and fo to come off without 
 trouble, 
 
 5 When a fearful pcrfon lives in a place where truth 
 and religion is profelTed, there he owns it open-mouth'd : 
 but if he comes to another place, he finds many knots and 
 difficuhies in the point, fo that he refolves to halt betwixt 
 both, and leave it undetermined ; for a timorous perfon is 
 always unliable and wavering. 
 
 6 Such a one, when he finds he cannot avoid the own- 
 ing of the truth, yet takes care fo to limit and pinch it, 
 tliat it may appear tolerable even to the enemies of truth. 
 
 7 A fearful man will at laft break forth with an avowed 
 confeflion of truth, but it is when he finds himfelf well 
 back'd with human authority ; that is, when a perfon of 
 unfpotted reputat'Ion in the world, and of a great name 
 and learning hath alferted the fame before him, under 
 whofe patronage and authority he then fhelters himfelf, 
 not daring to trull himfelf under the fhelter of Cod\ 
 word. 
 
Of the Signs of the Fear of Man. 9 
 
 8 Accordingly fuch a one is more careful to furnifh 
 and arm himfelf with a fine train of human teftimonies, 
 than with the word of God itfelf ; and thinks he hath a 
 ri<Tht fo to do, becaufe he fees that the cheerful confefTors 
 of truth have fometimes flopped the mouths of their 
 fhamelefs adverfaries with fuch arguments. 
 ' 9 A fearful man is very cautious of reading thofe books 
 which might be a means of opening his eyes, pretending 
 that fome fecret poifon may lurk in them ; when indeed 
 the caufe of his fear is, left he fliould fall under thefufpi- 
 cion of hcrefy, if he were known to read them. And lor 
 tliis reafon 
 
 10 Fearful men do ufe to lay a fide and hide good 
 books, though they own them to be fo, and find them- 
 felves edified by them ; not confidering that in fo doing 
 they arc afhamed of the words of Chrift. 
 
 1 1 A fearful man's fpeech or filence is regulated by 
 the wind that blows from court. 
 
 12 He holds his peace when abominable open pro- 
 phanenefs and fins call for his reproof ; and when he is 
 put in mind, that his fun6lion obligeth him to fpeak, he 
 faith, he knew it would be to no puipofe, and therefore 
 choofeth rather to fay nothing. 
 
 13 His word is always, 'fof'tly and fairly, my friends !' 
 Soft and fair goes far; becaufe he is afraid of fufFering 
 by the ready boldnefs of faith fo confpicuous in others. 
 
 14 He always fears that others go too far, not confi- 
 dering, that himfelf goes not far enough. He quickly 
 perceiveth the mole in his brother's eye, but minds not 
 the beam that is in his own eye. 
 
 15 The common fort of people he can reproach boldly 
 enough ; but when he is to fpeak to great and honourable 
 perfons, his mouth is gagged. 
 
 16 When a fearful man at any time bears witnefs to 
 
 c 3 the 
 
10 Of the Skns of the Fear of Man. 
 
 
 the truth, he takes care to fpeak it behind the backs of 
 thofe concerned ; whereas when he fpeaks face to face, 
 he gives it quite another turn. 
 
 17 A fearful man having taken upon him the minifle- 
 rial function is like a fox, that hath always fome kennel 
 to efcape to : as long as he finds himfelF well back'd, he 
 thunders it out ; but when that which he depended on, 
 fails him, he creeps into his hole again. 
 
 18 Being got into the pulpit, he reproves and exclaims, 
 boldly ; but being told of it, he denies that in fo doing he 
 meant any particular perfon. 
 
 19 The pulpit is a fearful preacher's ftrong hold and. 
 caflle; but when he is to fpeak face to face, and to bear 
 witnefs to the truth, then he is very fupple and complai. 
 fant. 
 
 20 As the hare flieth at the beat of a drum, fo a fear-, 
 ful minifler drops the freedom of his fpeech, when the 
 world threatens and terrifies him with apparent danger of. 
 being punifiied for it. 
 
 21 He is always complaining of the fecular power, 
 becaufe he is altogether ignorant of the power of God. 
 
 22 He profefTeth in the pulpit that he mufl leave the 
 work of reformation with the magi Urates ; for his part, 
 he could do no more towards it ; when at the fame time 
 he admits all perfons, without diftin6lion, to the Lord's 
 table. 
 
 23 He preaches often of the power of the keys ; (viz, 
 of binding and loofing:) and yet complains forely that the , 
 key of binding is taken from him : not confidering, that 
 no man can take that from him, to which God and his 
 funftion do entitle him. 
 
 24 He faith always with the flothful, " there is a lion 
 " in the way ;" for he fears, fhould he alter any thing of 
 long received cuftoms, he might bring himfelf into trou- 
 
-Of the Signs of the Fear of Man, 11 
 
 25 When he hears filthy fpeech, foolifli talk and jeft« 
 ing, he holds his tongue ; and when it comes from great 
 men, he graces it with a fmile. 
 
 26 He goes oft into had company, to the vifible haz- 
 ard of his foul ; for the fear of man makes him their flave. 
 
 27 Sometimes a good thought comes into his mind to 
 do fomething for the glory of God ; but he foon con- 
 fronts it with a ' but what will the people fay of it ? 
 Wont they conllrue it fo and fo ?* And then fairly 
 drops it. 
 
 28 Above aU things he cannot abide to be thought fin-*- 
 gular. 
 
 29 He carefully avoids too great earneftness in his. 
 function, or profefTion of chriflianity, left it fhould ex- 
 pofe him before men, and fo make him incapable of do- 
 ing any further good. 
 
 30 He very caution (ly fhuns frequent and familiar 
 converfation with the poor members of Chrifl, that are 
 call off and defpifed by the world ; for fear people Ihould 
 fix a name of reproach upon him. 
 
 31 By night or in fecret, he is willing enough to dis- 
 courfe with good people; but cares not to walk with them 
 publickly in the ftreet, left others fhould take notice of it. 
 He rather appoints fome certain place to meet them, 
 where his converfing with them may be concealed, or at 
 leafl do him no prejudice. 
 
 32 A fearful man that begins to relifli truth, willingly 
 keeps to the hearing of good preachers ; but yet takes 
 care fo to manage the matter, as that he may not incenfk 
 fuch as he knows to be ungodly and belly-fervants ; 
 which often gives occafion to damnable hypocrify, and 
 makes the laft-error worfe than the firft. 
 
 33 (Out of complalfance) he goes fometimes to hear the 
 fernrons of hirelings, though they di^penfe nothing but 
 
 c 4 railing 
 
12 Of the Signs of the Fear of Mah. 
 
 railing and controverfy, as being, very loath to be quite 
 out with them : and therefore he gives them a good cha- 
 ra6ler before others, for fear o'f having them upon him, 
 
 34 A learned rtian that is convinced of truth, but 
 fomewhat fearful withal, makes it his bufinefs in his fer- 
 mons, difputations, and upon other occafions, to bring ia 
 fomething againft quakerifm, enthufiafm, and fanaticifmt 
 in order to perfuade his hearers, that he is truly orthodox. 
 And this done, he thinks he may venture to fpeak the truth 
 alfo, and that the world will let him pafs for what he pre- 
 tends tobf : which is true enough ; for th^ world takes i* 
 for granted, that he means, as they apprehend it, that is, 
 as fpoken againft thofe, upon whom they falfely beftow 
 thefe names. 
 
 35 A fearful man rejoiceth for a time, whilft the light 
 of truth fliines upon him ; but as foon as he is called to an 
 account for it, he is fore afraid, makes many excufes, and 
 by all manner of fhifts and evafions endeavours to extricate 
 himfelf, and to get rid of the fufpicion. 
 
 36 If he apprehends himfelf in danger of being accufed 
 for his owning of the truth, he endeavours to prevent it by 
 pleading his innocency, or othcrwife to avoid it. 
 
 37 When fome good and ufeful work is to be done, he 
 doth not undertake it with a fimple reliance upon the living 
 God ; but when he finds good patrons on his fide, and no 
 appearance of danger, he at laft fets upon it : but as foon 
 as a rough wind blows him in the face, he begins to fink, as 
 St. Peter did, after he went out of the fhip to mtct the 
 Lord. 
 
 38 Like as a coward in an cnterprize where his life is 
 expofed to danger, is not willing to ftand in the front, but 
 would rather bring up the rear ; the fame is the cafe of a 
 fearful man in divine things. When others have boldly 
 laced their enemy, ventured limb and life, fufFered re- 
 proach ' 
 
Of the Signs of the Fear of Man. 1 3 
 
 proach and contempt, and after all have obtained the vic- 
 tory and prevailed through the power of truth, immedlat-ely' 
 ^hefe fearful ones join with them, and would fain be look- 
 ed upon as perfons who have owned the truth lojig fincc. 
 But there is a vaft difference between confelTing the tnrtk 
 with the mouth, and patiently fubmittingto fuch trials aad 
 difficulties as ufually attend the confeflion thereof. 
 
 39 He doth not willingly keep correfpondencc with 
 thofe whom the wicked world doth reje£l : for he fears 
 his letters might be intercepted, and he become the fubjeS: 
 of men's talk. « 
 
 40 A timorous minifter, though he be convinced of the 
 truth, yet he is defirous to live in outward peace wiila 
 thofe of his own profedion, tlinugh ungodly, cfpecialiv 
 which officiate in the fame place with him. llie effefe 
 whereof is, that he is trufted by neither good nor bad, and 
 reaps no good fruits frcnn hisminiftry. 
 
 41 He alferts and maintains rafhly and without due 
 confideration, that wicked miniflers can rightly difcharge 
 their office, though they want the fpirit of power, of love, 
 and of a found mind ; he fays that we are not to with- 
 draw from them, but diligently to attend their fermons^ 
 notwithftanding, that by their railing againft that which h 
 good, and expofiug it to fcorn and contempt, they prove 
 an offence to the people, and<livert them from true repen- 
 tance and amendment of life, rather than any way contri- 
 bute to the building them up in God ; not confidcring, 
 thatthey do nothing elfe but pull down what he endeavours 
 to build. He feareth, that if he ihould lay open the great 
 niischief caufed by worldly minded preachers, and the 
 difference there is betwixt one that is a true servant of 
 God, and an hypocritical flave to his belly, (though in so 
 doing he doth not at all derogate from the power of God's 
 word) he would be counted a Donatift, 
 
14 OF the Signs of the Fear of Man, 
 
 42 Fear of man is apt to perfuade us, that fhonld we 
 undertake to carry on the work of the Lord with a great- 
 er application and earneflnefs, we might be hindered from 
 doiiif]!; the good 'which now we are permitted to do ; not 
 confidering, tha' God is ready to open a wider door to the 
 cheerful and courageous labourers in his vineyard. 
 
 43 This fear makes many at their firfl entrance upon 
 the miniflry to yield fo much in all things, that afterwards 
 they are quite at a lofs how to begin the reforming of any 
 thing. 
 
 44 The fear of man finds always fomething to blame 
 in the behaviour of faithful labourers, either about the 
 manner of their afting, or fome circumftances of it ; and 
 yet takes no care to mend the matter in himfelf. 
 
 45 The fame fear expofes thofe as prefumptuous, ftub^ 
 born, difobedient, felf-conceited, proud and pharifaical, 
 who with a free and child-like fpirit break through all op-, 
 pofulon. 
 
 46 It will not allow a minifter to make a too plain and 
 particular application of his fermons, fo as to awaken his 
 hearers to a due fenfe and under {landing of their deep cor- 
 ruption, that tliey might be delivered from it. 
 
 47 Fearfulnefs is a daughter of unbelief, and a mother 
 of hypocrify. Wherever we meet with thefe, we may- 
 conclude, that the fear of man is not far off. Never a 
 one of thefe three will ever break with the world, and 
 therefore are excluded from the friendfhip of God. The 
 man is convinced of the truth, and commendeth it, when 
 he Is amongfl good people ; but as foon as he lights into 
 bad company, the fear of man feduceth him into a com- 
 pliance with all their folly, vanity and wantonnefs, under 
 a falfe and miftaken notion of allowable chrlflian liberty. 
 
 48 The fear of man calls drunkennefs a fm, and yet 
 allows the drinking of a perfon of quality's health, though 
 a man hath already drunk as much as is fufEcient, ^9 
 
Of tlie Signs oF the Fear of Man. i'> 
 
 49 A fearful man fees the glory of God violated, hears 
 curfmg, fvveavin.cr, taking of God's name In vain, bl^- 
 phcming, ridiculing the fcrlpture, without roufing himfell 
 to refcu^'e the honour of his God, who hath reicued hira 
 out of To many dangers. 
 
 -o The fear of man Is never To bufy In Parting objec- 
 tions, as In cafes that tend mod to the promoting the glory 
 of God, and the good of our neighbour. Hereby fuch a 
 one hinders him felf from ever experiencing the glory af 
 God In his powerful help and affiftance ; yea, it be- 
 wltcheth him to that degree, that it glveth him a falfe evil 
 confclence, (as Luther calls h,) which perfuades him, he 
 need not concern himfelf with h; though It be notlilng 
 elfe but the fear of man that keeps him back. 
 
 51 A fearful man, if he be a lover of that winch is 
 crood, rejoiceth to fee others break through In faith, aPi^ 
 obtain viaories and blefTings one after another in tlie 
 ^vork of reformation ; but yet is afraid himfelf to put his 
 hand cheerfully to the work fo happily begun. 
 
 52 When he finds nothing to cavil at, he cries, Hhe 
 work is not well timed, or is not to be fet upon in this 
 place, when indeed there is no fault at all, but his own 
 
 lack of faith. 
 
 53 He faith, 'I mufltake care to live in peace with my 
 brethren, and not to make them my enemies,' and contln» 
 ues to diffemble with them ; and fo the dead bury their 
 
 dead. 
 
 54 A fearful man is eafily moved to en-.-y, efpeaally 
 when he fees thofe that are young afting cheerfully in 
 faith, and cries, 'that is none of your work, but rauft be 
 left to thofe that have a greater knowledge and experience,-^ 
 
 55 He often faith, *my hands are bound; it istheiju^ 
 fmefs of the maglftrates, and of my fuperiors ; the eccle 
 ficiftical courts ought to regulate thefe matters : if I w" 
 
 ■;eF£ 
 
16 Of the Signs of the Fear of Man, 
 
 never fo willing to begin a good work, I can expe£l ik* 
 afliftance in it/ 
 
 56 He cries, *I can do nothing alone, if others would 
 aH as well as myfelf, fomething might be done.' 
 
 ^7 He is afraid of burning his fingers, and therefore 
 rather employeth another to do it for him ; he makes the 
 arrows, but others mull (hoot them. 
 
 58 He fays, 'I have been hit already, I don*t care to 
 come there again.* 
 
 59 He fometimcs ventures himfelf in many particulars, 
 but when he finds the florm arife, and the waves beat, he 
 gives way, and fo lofeth again what he Teemed to have 
 already gained. 
 
 60 He fometimes makes ufe of the Scripture to over- 
 throw that which it plainly aflerts and teacheth, that he 
 may appear a ftiff maintainer of orthodoxy, which he ef- 
 teems his crown, and therefore cannot think of parting 
 with it. 
 
 61 He cries, *furely we ought to proceed with pru» 
 dence in all things ;' not confidering that the foolifhnefs 
 of God is wifer than men. 1 CoR. i. 25. 
 
 62 When a fearful man findeth nothing to tax in the 
 thing itfelf, he blames the manner of doing it, and faith, 
 it fliould have been undertaken after another manner ; 
 when he himfelf finds no way or manner at all to under- 
 take it as he ought. 
 
 63 He faith, 'faith is faith, though it be weak.* Thus 
 he comforts himfelf, and ftrives not to attain to greater de- 
 grees of fpiritual flrength, whereby he might break thro' 
 all oppofition. 
 
 64 He feareth where no caufe of fear is, and frameth 
 many difficulties to himfelf, which would all be difpelled 
 as a mill by a lively faith. 
 
 65 He is not forward to give way to univerfal love to- 
 
 wards 
 
Of the Signs of the" Fear of Man. 17 
 
 wards thofe that are engaged in other fe£ls, for fear of in. 
 curring the difpleafure of thofe of his own. And by 
 reafon of this want of love, the fame enmity is kept up 
 amongft our modern parties, as was between the Jews and 
 Samaritans of old. 
 
 66 A fearful man forfaketh his bed friends in the time 
 of trial. 
 
 6y He has no courage to reprove his neighbour, but 
 fays, 'that God is fo merciful, and fo great a Lover of 
 mankind, that he doth not doubt but he will pluck him 
 out of the mire in his due time.' 
 
 68 He faith, 'things are not to be forced at once, we 
 mufl proceed by fteps,' though he liimfelf do not advance 
 in faith from one ftep to another ; that is, from a lower 
 to a higher degree. 'A flrong place,' faith he, 'is not to 
 be taken at once ; the line of circumvallation rauft firft 
 be drawn :' but before he hath done with his line and got 
 things ready for an alTault, the caufe is loft ! 
 
 6g When a fearful man is to prefs the inward truth of 
 chriftianity, he faith, 'alas ! it is too high lor them.* If 
 he is to reprove any outward mifcarriage, he accounts it 
 a thing indifferent, or elfe faith, 'we muft not begin at 
 outward things.' 
 
 70 He goes further fometimes, and faith, 'to what pur- 
 pofe is all this buftle ? my reproofs would but make the 
 people worfe. 
 
 71 He is very apt to believe any falfe reports againfl 
 the faithful children of God ; and becaufe his heart is 
 to fled with fear, he is very forward in warning them to 
 take heed to themfelves, and by his imprudence damps 
 and ftifles the chccrfulnefs of their holy faith. 
 
 72 He fits on the bench when believers and good fouls 
 are condemned, and confents to the unjuft fentence pro- 
 nounced againit them, 
 
 73 
 
IS - OfthefadEiFeas 
 
 73 He faith, *as long as I can but keep myfelf witfijir 
 ^,vie bounds, I (hall be in a better condition to gain others : 
 lor we mufl with St. Paul *bccome weak with the weak/ 
 But here lies the difference, that what St. Panl did, pro- 
 ceeded from faiih, and a divine difcerning wifdoni ; 
 %vhereas in him it is the fiuit of unbelief and of worldly 
 wifdom. 
 
 CHAP. 4. 
 
 Of the manifold Mischiefs caused by t/ie 
 
 Fear (f Man, 
 
 I 
 
 MANY thoufands of fouls are thereby kept back from 
 a true and thorough repentance and converfion ; 
 beeaufe they do not fuffer the knowledge of the truth (the 
 brightnefs whereof hath in fome degree enlightened them,) 
 to fhine forth in its full ftrength, but hold it, as it were, 
 imprlfoned by manifold hypocritical ftiifts and pietences. 
 One is afraid of his wicked minider ; another of his 
 brethren in the fame funftion ; another, of his patrons ; 
 another feareth the cenfure of fome famous divines ; 
 another, that of his fuperiors and magiflrates, &c. In 
 eonfidcration whereof, we have great reafon to fay with 
 our Saviour, Mat. xviii. 7. " Woe unto the world bc- 
 *' caufe of offences !" For what an abominable and hor- 
 rible iln is it for a man, to give occafion to others of fal- 
 ling into this fmful fear, and thereby to hinder their con- 
 veriion ? But yet this is not fufficient to excufe thofe, 
 ■who fear men more than the living God. Would to 
 God the magiflrates might here open their eyes to fee the 
 fad cffc6h of their over-forwardnefs in determining and 
 regulating divine matters, by which they very much ob- 
 rvict liic edification of others, and pinch it within fuch 
 
 narrow 
 
 
refulting from the Fear of Man. 19 
 
 narrow bounds, by tying it up to their manner and form, 
 though no fuch limitations are to be found in the word of 
 God, and bind the confciences of men where God hath 
 not bound them, and take upon them the judgment which 
 God hath referved to himfelf! True it is, that by this 
 means they make themfelves to he feared by men, and 
 are an occafion of turning afide m.any, that were in a fair 
 way to repentance, to diffimulation and hypocrify ; but 
 they will once, to their great forrow, be made fen fiblc 
 who they be that are concerned in that of our Lord : 
 ♦* woe unto them, that fhall offend one of thefe little ones.'* 
 
 II 
 Neither is the fear of man a Icfs obflacle, in thofe that 
 are already converted, to their growth in godlinefs : for- 
 afmuch as thereby they deprive themfelves of many op- 
 portunities to ftrengthen and edify themfelves in God, 
 which they {land greatly in need of. For this fear makes 
 us avoid the converfation of thofe who are mod able to 
 build us up in our moft holy faith : it makes us guilty of 
 many fins againft the diftates of our own knowledge and 
 confcience : and as a free and ready confelTion of the 
 truth is attended with comfort and happinefs, and highly 
 ufeful for advancing a man in faith and the love of God ; 
 fo on the contrary doth the hiding or utter denying of 
 what a man owns in his heart, keep him quite down, 
 and hinder him from ever arriving at any power of the 
 fpirltual life, and a cheerful (hewing forth of the fruits 
 refulting from thence. Many know not what the reafoii 
 is why they make fuch flow advances in their fpiritual 
 growth, when all this while the enemy, that is, the fear 
 of man, fecretly lurks within, and eats out, as it were, 
 the very vigour and a6livlty of the life of grace ; though 
 they take him for their bell friend, fuppofing this fearful- 
 nefs to be nothing elfe but wifdom and prudence. 
 
 JIL 
 
^O OfthefadEfTeas 
 
 rr 
 
 When true miniflers, on one hand, are over-rulecl by- 
 force, their confcienccs (hackled, and their good purpo- 
 fes hindered, ani every way daflied and terrified ; and 
 ibey, on the other, have not courage enough to encoun- 
 ter this enemy, the fear of man, and to vanquifh it at 
 IdSi ; they become dejefted and heartlefs in the difcharge 
 of their f un61ion, lofe their power, infomuch that, they 
 Ijardly trvow themfelves, what or how they ought to 
 fpeak ; they expofe themfelves to frequent regrets, con- 
 fume themfelves with inward grief and forrow, and be-» 
 come lifllefs in all their performances. And by this 
 means God's judgments are drawn down upon the magif- 
 trates, (having taken npon them to domineer over other 
 men's confciences,) cities and countries : churches and 
 fchools are deprived of their faithful teachers, and pu- 
 niflied with carelefs hirelings ; the mofl excellent gifts 
 v.'hich God hath beflowed upon them, becoroe altogether 
 .fruitlefs ; and what good might have been effefted by 
 them, is every where obdrufted. How great an encou- 
 ragement is it to a faithful labourer in tlie Lord's vine- 
 yard, when his endeavours, tending to a thorough re- 
 formation, are acknowledged by others, and when they 
 readily ofR'r their helping liand for feconding the gene- 
 rous efforts of the teacher ? On the other hand, it muft 
 ::eeds cool and damp his fpirits, when he finds, that he 
 can do nothing that will pleafethofe that are fet over him, 
 and after much ado hardly obtain the liberty of promoting 
 real goodncfs and piety. 
 
 IV 
 
 When others fee thofe who know that which is good, 
 (or at leafl ought to know it,) not only backward in own- 
 liifi and declaring of it to others ; but alfo out of fearful- 
 refs diffemble it, they are not a little encourag'd thereby, 
 
 no 
 
refuking from the Fear of Man. 21 
 
 to play the hypocrite and worldling in their ftation. And 
 the grolTer this hypocrify and fearfulnefs is, the more hurt 
 it doth to others, by confirming them in the fame. Nay, 
 it happens often, that by the fearfulnefs of one fingle mi- 
 nifter, many thoufands are infe6led with the fpirit of hy- 
 pocrify and difTimulation. 
 
 V 
 This fear of man makes great and honourable perfons 
 the moft miferable of all men : for hence it is, that nobo- 
 dy will venture to deal plainly with them, in order to 
 bring them over to a thorough knowledge of their inward 
 ilate and condition. A preacher at a prince's court ought 
 above all men to ftand free of the fear of man, and to be 
 provided with a good flock of a holy boldnefs of faith, to 
 charge and reprove princes to their very face, as Nathan 
 did to David. But, alas ! where are fuch to be found ? 
 O ! the horrible and irreparable evils caufed l)y the fear 
 of man at courts ; which they are like to account for, 
 who hold their tongues, when they fhould fpeak and re- 
 prove boldly. 
 
 VI 
 The fear of man is always for maintaining old cufloms, 
 and whilft every one is afraid of innovation, all abufes are 
 thereby more and more authorized, fo that all things pro- 
 ceed continually from bad to worfe, bccaufe nothing is 
 reformed ^r amended. Wherefore it cannot be expected 
 that a minifter, guilty of this fear of man, ftiould ever by 
 his cold endeavours bring his church or parifh into a bet- 
 ter and more reformed Hate and condition. 
 
 VII 
 
 Where there are two or more fearful minifters in the 
 
 fame place, though they may perchance have a good in. 
 
 tention, yet in effe6l they perform nothing worthy of their 
 
 calling. Tor the one hindereth the other from the fmcerc 
 
 J> and 
 
52 OfthefadEflFeas 
 
 and faithful tlifcharging of his paftoral duty. It would be 
 better for fome to have for their fellow-labourer one that 
 is avowedly wicked, who perhaps by his enormities 
 might force the truth from them, than to have a fearful 
 Nicodemus for their companion, who being a timorous 
 iiight-difciple fliuns the light. 
 
 VIII 
 
 God crowns his true fervants with manifold fuccefs and 
 blefhng: he manifefts his glory in them, and makes bare 
 his arm before them ; but there is nothing of all this 
 where unbelief hath gained admittance, and where the 
 honour due to God from and before all men, is not cheer- 
 fully and undauntedly rendered unto him. For a fearful 
 man trulls God no further than his reafon reaches and 
 carries him. When any thing cfofTeth that, he prefently 
 giveth away. And therefore he can never behold the glo- 
 ry of God, becaufe he wants the courage oi a lively faith 
 to prepare him for it. 
 
 IX 
 
 When the adverfaries of truth fee thofe that love it, 
 iTiun the light, this flrengthens them in their bad caufe, 
 concluding them not to be in the right; becaufe, if they 
 were, they would have no need to fear. 
 
 X 
 
 A fearful man thinks fometimes by human contrivan- 
 ces to avoid the perfecuiion that is raifed becaufe of the 
 Word ; whereas thereby he commonly expofeth himfelf 
 mach more to the fcorn, contempt and infults of others. 
 The reafon is, becaufe he would rather owe his fafety to 
 his own ability, than to the divine proteftion.. 
 
 XI 
 
 St. James faith, Ch. iv. 7. ♦' Refill the devil and he 
 ** will flee from you ;" and the rcverfe of It is full as true; 
 for the more we give way to the devil and his inflruments 
 
 out 
 
refuking from the Fear of Man. 23 
 
 Out of fear, the more they purfue and prefs upon us. Men 
 might rid themfelves of many troubles, could they but re- 
 fignedly rely upon the authority of their funftion, and 
 boldly perform what God hath commanded them. If we 
 negle£l this, it is no wonder if the devil infult at us. 
 
 XII 
 
 When a houfe is on fire, whatever we have a defire to 
 fave, muft be laid hold of with courage and refolution : in 
 like manner, when we fee the near approach of God's 
 judgments, we ought to fnatch men like firebrands out of 
 the fire ; but a fearful man always apprehends he might 
 burn himfelf by endeavouring to fave his neighbour. In 
 the mean time the judgments of God overtake us, and 
 crulh us both together. 
 
 XIII 
 
 God doth infinitely abound with mercy, love and good- 
 nefs towards mankind, and would willingly every day 
 pour out new grace and bleffings upon us ; but we are 
 not receptive of them, fave only by the child-like fpirit of 
 faith. Since therefore a fearful man doth not a6l in this 
 finglenefs of faith as children ought to do, but always ap- 
 prehends God might fome time or other forfake him, he 
 deprives himfelf of manifold and great bleflings, not only 
 temporal, but eternal alfo. 
 
 XIV 
 
 Children commonly refemble their parents; and as the 
 minifter is, fuch commonly are his hearers. If therefore 
 a minifter be fearful, how will his hearers be ever excited 
 to a true cheerfulnefs of faith ? And thofe of them who 
 by the grace of God are freed from this bafe fearfulnefs, 
 and ferve God without fear, will never have any confi- 
 dence towards their teacher, till they perceive him difen- 
 gaged from that fervile fpirit whereby he is difcouraged 
 from promoting the real good of the church. Many mi- 
 
 D 2 ni Iters 
 
54 OfthefadEfFeas 
 
 Tiiflcrs do wonder, why the true children of God have {o 
 little confidence in them; not confidering, that the reafon 
 of it is, becaufe their flock never faw in them the leaft 
 proof or charafter of a good fhepherd, who readily expof- 
 es himfelf to all manner of fufFerings for his flock's fake. 
 XV 
 
 Unfaithful hirelings do rob and murther many fouls, 
 by making them (laves to their authority to that degree^ 
 that for fear of them people dare not go to hear fuch mi- 
 nillers as have an experimental fenfe of religion, and con- 
 fcquently arc able to inftruft them in the way of truth ; 
 though they be convinced they are fo. And this is the 
 very thing I faid before, that this fear of man hinders ma- 
 ny thoufands either from being converted at all, or from 
 their further growth and progrefs in the pra6lic^ of real 
 piety. 
 
 XVI 
 
 This fear of man is the general bane both of city and 
 country. Our fuperiors would appoint good minifters 
 but Fea'r hinders them ; becaufe they are not willing to 
 difpleafe this or the other man, and this for fome trifling 
 realon too. Thus the people mufl be plagued with a 
 wicked prieft. They that fhould fpeak at the eleftion of a 
 minifler hold their tongues for fear. In the courts of ju- 
 dicature this fear perverts juflice, and bereaves widows 
 and orphans, the poor and diflrefTed of their right, be- 
 caufe nobody will heartily efpoufe their caufe. The mi- 
 nifters flatter their fuperiors, and they the minifters, and 
 the reft flatter them both. And all this is the goodly fruit 
 of the fear of man. 
 
 XVII 
 
 Innumerable fouls are loft by reafon of this vicious 
 fearfulnefs. A fearful minifter flatters himfelf with the 
 hope of gaining upon hig people by little and little ; *fbr,» 
 
 faith 
 
refuking from the Fear of Man. ^5 
 
 faith he, *It muft not be done all at once. But before he i.^ 
 aware, unlook'd for death prevents and fpoils all his cau- 
 tious prudentials, leaving him nothing but a bad confci- 
 ence. 
 
 XVIII 
 He that is convinced of the divine truth, and is fenfi- 
 ble of the corruption into which Men are funk in our age, 
 but withal captivated by this fear, or made a flave to hu- 
 man authority, fuch a one is always plagued and torment- 
 ed by a bad confcience : and being unwilling quite to 
 break either with the woild or the children of God, he is 
 look'd upon as an unfaithful Reward by them both ; and 
 he expofeth himfclf to far more trouble and anxiety than 
 the breaking through with a ready prefence of faith would 
 have cod him. He finds no joyful and filial affurance in 
 prayer, the word of God hath no relifh for him. What 
 he utters is ambiguous, wavering and diftafteful to the 
 children of God, becaufe it is not feafoned with fait. 
 He never attains to a true communion of the faints ; and 
 when he fhould comfort and flrengthcn others, by exci- 
 ting and exhorting them in the power of God ; he rather 
 drives them to fear and defpondency, and quenches the 
 fpirit of God in them : and whereas he fhould unite them 
 in the bond of love, he rather divides and feparates them 
 for fear of their offending his darling, I mean the wicked 
 world. Thus he goes on himfelf without any fpiritual 
 experience, contenting himfelf with the bare letter and 
 jbadow of chrillianitv, which he hath laid hold on, in- 
 ftcad of the fpirit and truth of it. He has left nothing 
 but fome empty and gingling words to fet it forth ; being 
 at the fame time void of foul and life, of fpirit and pow- 
 er ; he depriveth others as well as himfelf of their fpiri- 
 tual (Ircngth, and fo falling at lail into a ftate of carnal 
 f^curltVj carries others alfo along with him, and by thefe 
 
 D 3 fteps 
 
26 Of the Excufes made 
 
 ileps is In danger of utterly denying the truth, and preci- 
 pitating himfelf into final defpair. 
 
 CHAP. 5. 
 
 Of the Excuses that are usually made to 
 palliate the Fear of Man. 
 
 AS foon as we begin with true humility to acknow- 
 ledge the fear of man, as a great and moft heinous 
 evil, and fo ft rive againft it with prayer and fupplication ; 
 ihen the danger is not fo great ; for then the work is real- 
 ly begun, which, if but ftrenuoufly profecuted, will at 
 laft get the full conqueft over it. But there are very few 
 that will acknowledge this fault in themfelves, and rather 
 expeft to be looked upon as men afting prudently enough 
 in their ftation ; nay, moreover they are very ready to 
 find fault with others that come in their way. Whenever 
 one body or other cannot juftify their aftions, but by a 
 ferious difcourfe endeavours to fet them to rights, they are 
 entirely for juftifying themfelves, and do what they can, 
 to palliate their fear of man, with various ftiifts and excu- 
 fes ; fome whereof are more grofs, and palpably difcover 
 the want of the grace of felf-denial in thofe that alledge 
 them ; but others are {o fpecious and plaufible, that they 
 blind the eyes of many, who take them for men endued 
 with wifdom and under ftanding. Now the grofTer fort of 
 excufes areas follow : 
 
 1 Says one ; fhould I a6l at this rate, I fhould foon be 
 called to an account for it. Well ! but fhould this hin. 
 der a faith lul fervant from executing his Matter's com- 
 mands with all fincerity ? or ought he to have fo little 
 confidence in his God, as to queftion his prote£lion when 
 the vyicked gather themfelves together againft him, fay- 
 ing* 
 
for the Fear of Man. Q7 
 
 ing, Met us bring an accufatlon againft him,* as they did 
 to Jeremiah, and otiiers of the prophets of old ? 
 
 2 'Well,' but fays another, 'by this means I fhall be 
 put to charges and trouble.* Ans. Thofe that put you to 
 thofe charges and lofs, aft very unjuftly ; and the magif- 
 trate, that doth not punifh fuch crimes, doth worfe, in 
 fufFering a faithful preacher to be put to trouble and 
 charge for difcharglng his duty. But as for thee, thou 
 art only a fteward ; let the money go ; afTure thyfelf they 
 will get nothing by it, neither wilt thou lofe any thing. 
 Have faith in God, he will reftore to thee an hundred 
 fold what thou haft loft for his name's fake. God is a 
 faithful Lord and Alafter, be it only thy care to be a 
 faithful fervant ; he will not let thee be a lofer for his 
 fake. 
 
 3 But you will fay, 'indeed If I had not a wife and 
 children, fomething might be done ; and befides, I am 
 commanded to take care of my family. Ans. Chrift 
 faith , Mat. x. 37. "he that loveth father or mother 
 more than me ; and he that loveth fon and daughter more 
 than me, is not worthy of me." You muft forfake all, 
 or elfe you can't be a difciple of Chrift. Luke xiv. 33. 
 
 4 But it is written, " if any man provide not for his 
 " own, and efpecially for thofe of his own houfe, he hath 
 *' denied the faith, and is worfe than an infidel." 1 Tim. 
 V. 8. Ans. If children, and chlldrens' children, do not 
 Dourifti and take care for their old and impotent parents, 
 nor behave thcmfelves dutifully and thankfully toward 
 them, they fhew thereby, that the religion they pretend 
 tOy is but a deceitful piece of hypocrify ; the heathens 
 themfelves being very careful to perform their duty to- 
 wards their parents. And this is the right fenfe of St. 
 Paul's words : but nobody will hinder thee from main- 
 taining and defending thine own right and that of thy fa- 
 
 i> 4 mily. 
 
28 Of the Excufes made 
 
 mily, provided thy converfation be free from the ftain 
 of covetoufnefs, and thou contented with fuch things as 
 thou haft. But God's honour muft not fuffer a jot under 
 pretence of providing for thy family. Therefore learn 
 thou this lefTon ; " feek firft the kingdom of God, and 
 *' his rijihteoufnefs, and all thefe things fhall be added un- 
 •• toyou." Mat. vi. 33. 
 
 5 'But this is the bufinefs of our magiftrates and fupe- 
 riors, let them look to it.' Ans. We ought to obey God 
 rather than man. The magiftrate muft anfwer for it, if 
 he require unjuft things ; thou muft be anfwerable for it 
 if thou obeyeft them in things unlawful, or if upon their 
 account thou omitteft what God requires of thee. It 
 doth not belong to thee to fay, Met the magiftrate look to 
 it.' God hath made thee alfoa fteward and overfeer, and 
 therefore he'll require an account from thee, and not from 
 another. 
 
 6 'We may be turned out of our places and benefices 
 for it.* Ans. Happy art thou when thou fufFereft for 
 confcience fake. Though man caft thee off, yet God- 
 will take thee up. And as foon as thou thus far over- 
 comeft the fear of man, thou wilt then get a lively tafte 
 of the joy attending the conqueft of this vice : neither 
 fhalt thou need to bury thy talent upon this account ; for 
 God can provide for thee without a benefice ; and when- 
 ever it pleafeth him, can make ufe of thee for thy neigh- 
 bour's profit, and the advancement of his own glory. 
 But it is plain, that thou ferveft thy belly and not God, 
 when thou art unwilling to lofe thy benefice for the fake 
 of God and a good confcience. 
 
 7 'But we do what we can.' Ans. Thou canft not do 
 any thing of thyfelf ; but if thou art in Chrift, then he 
 alone doth all that is good in and by thee. But who can 
 boail that he does as much as the grace and fpirit of Chrift 
 
 dotK 
 
for the Fear of Man. 9B 
 
 ^oth enable him to do ? Valiant foldiers never think 
 they have behaved themfelvcs in battle with all the zeal 
 and courage that is poflible for them. He that is tho- 
 roughly fenfible of the vveightincfs of the minifterial func- 
 tion, muft needs acknowledge he cannot anfwcr God for 
 the many things he hath omitted for tear of man, which 
 he might have overcome by the power of faith, and 
 which will appear in judgment againfl him. He that 
 fays, he does what he can, fhews plainly that he hath 
 never yet tried what is pofTibie by the grace of God. At 
 the beginning indeed, very little appears pofTible to us ; 
 but if we venture boldly, relying upon God, we fhall find 
 ourfelves fupported for doing great things ; and in the 
 end be able to fay with St. Paul, Phil. iv. J3. *' I can 
 *' do all things through Chrifl who ftrengtheneth me.'* 
 Overcome but once the fear of man, and then undoubt- 
 edly thou wilt proceed from flrength to ftrength. 
 
 8 'We have our church-orders, and if we obfervc 
 them, then, who can find fault with us ?' Ans. Some 
 church-orders are better than others ; but God's word is 
 the heft rule of all, more particularly both the epiflles to 
 Timothy, and that to Titus, arc the rule and ftandardof 
 all the church-regulations. There are fome necefTary 
 points that are hardly touch'd by fome church conflituti- 
 ons. Some church-ordinances meafure things too fhort, 
 fo that the church-concerns cannot efFe6lually be promot- 
 ed and fecured by them. And too often fome things are 
 allowed by them that God's word doth not allow. Thou 
 fhalt not be judged by any church-ordinances, but ac- 
 cording to God's word. This cafe excepted, it is very- 
 commendable for thee to be diligent in obferving all 
 church-orders, and in making ufe of them for promoting 
 the honour of God and the common good. 
 
 9 Neither are preachers the only men that feek to ex- 
 
 cufe 
 
30 Of the Excufes made 
 
 cufe their fearfulnefs after fuch a grofs manner : for the 
 people make ufe of fuch evafions as are never a whit bet- 
 ter. -When the magiftrates are enftaved by the fear of 
 man, and confequenily endeavour to crufli that which is 
 good in others, their topping excufe is, that public peace 
 arid tranquillity is to be preferved whatever come of it. 
 And this is, becaufe they don't under ftand the nature and 
 de&gn of the gofpel, of which Clirifl fays, Mat. x. 34, 
 35. *' think not that I am come to fend peace on earth ; I 
 *^ come not to fend peace on earth but the fword. For I 
 " am come to fet a man at variance againft his father^ 
 " and the daughter againft her mother, and the daughter- 
 ** in-law againil lier mother-in-law ; and a man's foes 
 *^ fhall be thofe of his own houfhold." But, alas ! we 
 never inquire who is the caufe of the trouble. Not they 
 who earneftly contend for God's word, but they that will 
 Hot receive it, and who by belching out their lies and 
 ianders againft it, are the caufe of all the noife and dif- 
 «|uiet, and therefore ought to be punilhed. But where 
 the wolf is judge, the poor flieep always troubles the wa- 
 tep* ''^ When I," fays David, *' fpeak to them of peace, 
 **■ they make themfelves read to battle." Much might be 
 &id here ; God grant that the magiftracy may feel the di- 
 "cine peace in their own fouls, then would they endeavour 
 fro lay the right foundation of a lafling peace amongft 
 thofe committed to their care, and not concern them- 
 •feives with the falfe peace where every one is fettled upon 
 the lees of his corrupt and ungodly nature. 
 
 10 The common people fay, *we muft not difpleafc 
 the clergy, our fpiritual guides.' Ans. If they be fpiri- 
 tual indeed', as you call them, they will never be againft 
 you in any thing that is good ; but if they be againft you 
 when you are earneftly purfuing your edification and 
 growth in grace,, have then no fcllowfliip with the un- 
 fruitful 
 
for the Fear of Man* 31 
 
 Fruitful works of darknefs, but rather reprove them ; for 
 be fure they are not then fpi ritual, but carnal. What 
 fays Chrift, Mat. xv. 14. " Let them alone, they are 
 *' blind leaders of the blind ?" 
 
 11 'But we muft not defpife our teachers.' Ans. An 
 hypocritical fervant of his belly fancicth himfelf defpifed 
 when any feck to be edified by others befide himfelf; and 
 yet more, if we tell him to his face, that we do profit 
 more by another's preaching than by his. True fervants 
 of God feek not their own honour, but much rather re- 
 joice, when they fee the people built up in their moll ho- 
 ly faith, let it be done by whom it will. Will a wife 
 fhepherd complain that he is defpifed, if any other brings 
 a ftrayed flieep to his flock again. 'Tis of far greater con- 
 cern that thy foul be faved, than that the refpeft of an 
 ambitious preacher (hould be preferved. Let him be 
 converted, and preach with the demonftration of fpirit 
 and power, and then the (heep will foon know his voice, 
 and follow him as a good fhepherd. A farthing is not de- 
 fpifed, becaufe we value it for a farthing ; for 'tis coined 
 for no more. The fame is the cafe, when we value an 
 idle babbler according to his worth, what reafon has he to 
 complain, that he is defpifed ? or if it be a contempt, let 
 him mend, and {o take away the caufe of it. For it is 
 God's punifhment upon wicked preachers, to render 
 them defpicable, Mal. ii. 8, 9. *' But ye are departed 
 ** out of the way ; ye have caufed many to ftumble at the 
 *' law : ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, faith 
 *' the Lord of hods : therefore have I alfo made you con- 
 *' templible and bafe before all the people, according as 
 *' you have not kept my ways, but have been partial in 
 *' the law." Thou mayft not flander any body, for then 
 thou art jullly complained of. But when thou only feek- 
 eft the edification of thy foul wherefoever thou findeft it 
 
 moil, 
 
32 Of the Excufes made 
 
 mof!, and heartily to follow thy Saviour's fleps, then no- 
 body has reafon to complain of thee ; and he that does, 
 i)etrdvs himfelf, that he feekcth his own, and not what is 
 Chrifl's. 
 
 12 'We muft not worfhip other Gods.' Ans. This 
 trifting excufe is ufually alledged by thofe that will not go 
 from their own paiifli-church, nor have any other minif- 
 ter to edity themfelves. And wicked preachers are [o 
 impudent as to make ufe of this text, to deter others from 
 hearing God's word from any but themfelves. But if it 
 be thy earneft defire to feek thy growth and edification in 
 God, in fo doing thou doft not worfhip other Gods; but, 
 on the contrary, do{[ abhor and rejeft them, as the lufl of 
 the flelh, the lull of the eyes, and pride of life, choofmg 
 to ferve the only true living God alone. But if the fear 
 of man makes thee ftand in awe of, and depend upon en« 
 vious and ambitious fervants of their own bellies, and to 
 keep fair with them, thou doft negleft thereby the edifica- 
 tion of thy foul. Then certainly thou art a worfhipper 
 of other Gods, and a fervant of helplefs idols, who are 
 dead in fin, withered and barren trees. Wherefore, fuf- 
 fer not thyfelf to be blinded by fuch a grofs and abomina- 
 ble wrefting of fcripture : but feek thy edification to the 
 utmoft thou art able, and purfue thy chriftian race with- 
 out fear, let the world fay what it will. 
 
 13 'Tis St. Paul's advice to Titus, (ii. 15.) " let no 
 *' man defpife thee." Ans. 'Tis great pity that this text 
 ffiould commdnly be made ufe of as a cover to carnal 
 preachers, and be perverted in favour of their pride and 
 ambition. They conclude from hence, that they have 
 reafon to maintain all the punftilios of their outward re- 
 fpeft with the greateft ftri6lnefs, and not fuffer anv the 
 lea ft contempt to be brought upon them. They interpret 
 whatever is done to their perfons^ as an afTault again ft 
 
 their 
 
for the Fear of Man. 33 
 
 tTieir holy funBIon, engaging themfelves in worldly con- 
 tefts, and pouring forth their mah'ce and bitternefs upon 
 all thofe who they fuppofe have affronted them. If a 
 true child of God, and efpecially one of an inferior rank, 
 deals plainly with them, they fwell with anger, and teli 
 him, they are not accountable to him ; he fhould meddle 
 with his own bufmefs, and not refleQ; upon the facred 
 order. 
 
 Now people being very well acquainted with the churl- 
 ifh temper of a great many miniflers, they are afraid to 
 fpeak to them at all, or to do any thing which the minif- 
 ters mav interpret to be again ft the refpecl due unto 
 them : as for example ; to frequent the fermons of 
 others, whereby they may be better edified, or otherwlfe 
 to converfe with God's faithful fervants. And moreover 
 perfuade themfelves, that it would be a piece of injuftice 
 in them to do it when they hear the preachers alledge 
 fuch fpecious texts as thofe ; " let no man defpiCe tliee ; 
 *' whofo defpifes you, defpifes me." But this is a fcan- 
 dalous abufe of thefe paffages ; for the apoftle means nG> 
 more than this, that Titus Ihould with earneftnefs applv 
 himfelf to the difcharge of his funftion, and at the fame 
 time be a fliining example to others by the hollnefs of his 
 life, that nobody might have caufe to vilify his chara6lei\. 
 This appears from the preceding words ; " thefe things 
 *' fpeak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority^ 
 And in the 7th and 8th verfes, he fays, " in all things? 
 *• fhewing thyfelf a pattern of good works, in doaiine 
 *' fhewing uncorruptnefs, gravity, fmcerity, found fpeech 
 *' that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contra- 
 *' ry part may be afhamed, having no evil thing to fay of 
 " you." The fame he writes alfo to Timothy in the 1 
 epift. iv. 12. '• let no man defpife thy youth." 
 
 Shall we think that St. Paul by thefe words intended to 
 
 warn 
 
34 Of the Excufes made 
 
 xvarn Timotliy to be very careful to maintain his outward 
 refpe6l and authority ; to fufFer none of the vulgar to put 
 him in mind of his duty, nor permit his auditors to be edi- 
 fied by others, which would tend to the lefTening of him- 
 felf ? Not at all ; for he fully explains himfelf in the 
 following words ; *' but be thou an example of the belre- 
 *' vers in word, in converfation, in charity, in fpirit, in 
 •* faith, in purity, till I come, give attendance to read- 
 *' ing, to exhortation, to doftrine." That is to fay, the 
 T\^ay for mini Hers to avoid contempt, is to perform their 
 duty "^vith all application and diligence, and by leading a 
 blamelefs life, ward off the reproaches and cenfures of 
 men. 
 
 True it is, the wicked will fpeak evil of them, belie and 
 llander them, notwithllanding their unfpotted life and 
 converfation ; but it is no more than fmoke difiipated by 
 the fun, and their calumny will foon vanifh away ; for 
 when they are known, nobody will believe them any 
 more ; but Chrifl's own lambs will then put an high va- 
 lue and efteem upon the minifters of Chrift. And this 
 alfo is the meaning of the words of Chriff, Luke x. i6. 
 *' Chrift there commands that we fhould hear thofe who 
 *' come in his name, or are fent by him, and abide in his 
 *' truth ;" that we fhould attend to their words, and not 
 to let them in at one ear, and out at the other. Accord- 
 ingly every one ought ftriftly to try and to examine him- 
 felf, whether he comes truly in the name of Chrift ; 
 whether he be fent by him, and keep clofe to the word 
 of God ; or whether, inftead of God's word, he entertain 
 his hearers with fine critical remarks, hiftories, fymbols, 
 emblems, flourifhes of wit, flov/ers of oratory, and other 
 fuch like human inventions ; yea, whether he doth in 
 his fermons wholly pervert God's ordinance by his re- 
 jeBing and calumniating thofe who defire heartily to gov- 
 ern 
 
for the Fear of Man* 3S 
 
 efn tlicir lives by the gofpel of Chrift. He that hears 
 fuch a raller doth not hear Chrift, but the devil himfelf ^^ 
 therefore no man ought to be afraid of the threatenings of 
 fuch a carnal preacher ; but endeavour to promote the 
 falvatlon of his foul with all earneftnefs, and to procare 
 his own edification as much as poflibly he can. For it 
 out of fear to difpleafe others, a man neglefts his faving 
 converfion, who will be able to make good the lofs \& 
 him ? 
 
 The more fubtle and refined excufes, wTiich carry a 
 greater appearance of truth, are as follow : 
 
 1 'However, we muft ufe prudence ; for Chrift him- 
 felf fays, " be as wife as ferpents, and innocent as doves," 
 Mat. X. 16. If we fbould imprudently blunder out all 
 we fhould fpoil all.* Ans. There are two forts of wif- 
 dom, one that comes from above, and another, that is 
 from beneath, James iii. 1,5. The former of thefe is 
 unreproveable, and a moft precious gift of the Moft 
 High ; and is called the wifdom of the juft, Luke i. 17^ 
 This is a noble wifdom indeed, whofoever doth thereaf- 
 ter, his praife {hall endure for ever. But now what is 
 this wifdom ? no other than the fear of the Lord, Psalm 
 iii. 5. Wherefore this wifdom is the true and only poi- 
 fon that infallibly deftroys the fear of man, and makes us 
 to contemn the wicked, but to honour them that fear the 
 Lord, Psalm xv. 4. This wifdom reprefents God fo 
 glorious and full ot majefty in our hearts, that we readily 
 give up money, goods, honours, yea our body and 1 if e^ 
 rather than willingly and wittingly to offend our God, or 
 fo much as expofe ourfelves to the leaft hazard of offend- 
 ing him. This wifdom leans upon the word of G-od, 
 (Psalm cxviii.9.} as upon a fure ftaffand ftay^ and puts 
 no confidence in princes, but fays, " it is better to trull 
 '♦ in the Lord than to put any confidence in man. At! 
 
 jiati&fts 
 
26 Of the Excufes made 
 
 •* nations compafTed me about, but in the name of the 
 ♦' Lord will I deftroy iliem. They compafTed me about 
 •' like bees, they are quenched as the fire of thorns ; for 
 " in the name of the Lord I will deftroy them. They 
 ** havethruft fore at me, that I might fall, but the Lord 
 *' helped me. The Lord is my Strength and Song, and 
 *' is become my Salvation : the voice of rejoicing and fal- 
 *' vation is in the tabernacle of the righteous : the right 
 " hand of the Lord doth valiantly ; the right hand of the 
 *' Lord is exalted ; the right hand of the Lord doth vali- 
 *' antly. I fliall not die, but live, and declare the works 
 " of the Lord.'' 
 
 Thus the wifdom ofthejuft vanquiflies, fings and tri- 
 umphs over all the fear of man, and rejoiceth as a valiant 
 man to nm his race. For they that love the Lord, fhall 
 be as the fun, when he goes forth in his might, JuD. v. 
 31. This was the wifdom of thofe three worthies, Sha- 
 drach, Melhach, and Abednego, who, when Nebuchad- 
 nezzar in his rage fpoke to them, and faid, ** if you will 
 *' not worfhip the image I have fet up, ye fhall be call out 
 " the fame hour in the midfl of a burning fiery furnace, 
 *' and who is that God, that fhall deliver you out of my 
 *' hand ?" They replied, '* we are not careful to anfwer 
 " thee in this matter. If it be fo, our God whont we 
 " ferve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery fur- 
 *' nace ; but if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that 
 " we will not ferve thy gods, nor worfhip the golden 
 «' image thou hafl fet up." Dan. iii. 15, 16. 'Tis by 
 this wifdom that a man is " made flrong in the Lord and 
 *' in the power of his might, and puts on the whole ar- 
 *♦ mour of God, that he may be able to fland againfl the 
 *' wiles of the devil." Eph. vi. 10, 11. " Stand there- 
 ** fore," fays St. Paul, " having your loins girt about with 
 •* truth, and having on the breaff -plate of righteoufnefs, 
 
 and 
 
for the Fear of Man. 37 
 
 " and your feet fhod with the preparation of the gof- 
 *' pel of peace : above all, taking the fhield of faith* 
 *' wherewith ye fliall be able to quench all the fiery darts o{ 
 ** the wicked: and take the helmet of falvation, and the 
 •' fword of the fpirit, wliich is the word of God: praying 
 " always with all prayer and fupplication in the fpirit, 
 " and watching thereunto with allperfeverance and fuppli- 
 *' cation for all faints." Verfe 14th to the 18th. 
 . Happy is he that is armed with this wifdom, which 
 will inftrufl him to aft prudently in every thing he under- 
 takes. But the wifdom that is from beneath, hath fome 
 appearance indeed, but not the fubftance of true wifdom 
 itfelf ; but is earthly, ftnfual, and devililh. This is that 
 goodly wifdom whereby Adam and Eve became acquaint- 
 ed with the knowledge of good and evil near the forbidden 
 tree. Where the fear of the Lord is not continually be- 
 fore our eyes, the foundation of that falfe wifdom is alrea- 
 dy laid. Where faith is weak, there (he raifes herfelf, 
 where love grows cold, flie exalts herfelf, and is puft up 
 without reafon. She feeks not what is God's, but under 
 the cloak of his name (he feeks her own. She informs us 
 how to pleafe God without difpleafmg the world ; to fol- 
 low Chrift, and yet avoid the crofs. Her greatefl; fludy is 
 how to live in eafe and affluence without touching the 
 crofs, Psalm xlix. 19. She trembles at the (baking of 
 a leaf, for fear (he fhould be difappointed of this her be- 
 loved aim. As long as the kingdom of God confifts in 
 words only, (he is fo very learned, that (he cannot utter 
 all flie has to fay ; but when it is to be evidenced and de- 
 monftrated in power, then (he hath recourfe to her many 
 (lilfts, and cautions others, (as having a hearty good will 
 for us,) not to venture too far, for fear of throwing them- 
 felves into fome inconvenlency : jumbling light and 
 darknefs together, (he (hifts and turns every way to keep 
 
 E the 
 
33 Of the Excufes made 
 
 thecrofs from her Hioulders : (he fwims Vvith the current, 
 and avoids all converfe whh. thofe who luffor reproacli 
 ior ChriiVs fake, or elfe like an imperious iniftrefs will 
 domineer over them. If her advice be rejected, then fhe 
 fwells with bitternefs, and judges all they do to proceed 
 from difobedience, obftinacy and felf-wiil. She keeps 
 up the appearance of godlinefs as long as (lie can, and 
 will by no means be thought wicked or ungodly : and 
 yet fhe holdeth her tongue when called to fit in judgment, 
 where the children of God are condemned ; nay often af- 
 fifls in pronouncing their fentence, and then fays, they 
 have precipitated themfelves into this misfortune through 
 their own felf-will and want of prudence. She does 
 much evil that good may come of it, or under pretence 
 thit all doing of good may not be hindered. But as foon 
 as the light rifeth again out of darknefs upon God's chil- 
 dren, and the fun fliines upon them after their night ot 
 tribulation, then fhe would fain be looked upon as their 
 laft friend. And indeed, who is able to defcribe in all its 
 colours, this horrible monfter, which is come up out of 
 the bottomlefs pit. 'Tis true, we mufl make ufe of pru- 
 dence ; but confider well both thefe forts of prudence, 
 and judge which of them is to be chofen ; yea, fet thy- 
 felf before this looking-glafs, that thou may ft know by 
 which of thefe two thou hafl fquared thy life and a^lions 
 hitherto. 
 
 2 'By too free and open a declaration wc may hinder a 
 great deal of good, that otherwife tnight be done, and en- 
 danger the overturning of all ; wiiereas by prudent re- 
 Jtraint and concealing ourfelves, we may underhand pro- 
 mote a great deal of fervice.' Ans. This is nothing elfe 
 but a piece of falfe prudence ; for though it is not to be 
 deny'd, but that an underftanding man finds a time for fi- 
 ience as well as fpeaking, yet a true chriflianoughHo put 
 
 his. 
 
for the Fear of Man. 39 
 
 his trull In God, not doubting but that he will fo far blefs 
 the good that he aims at, that no other good undertaking 
 will be hindered by it. If we do not continue m this 
 fledfaft confidence in God, the devil will be fure to de- 
 lude us at plea fure, always reprefenting fuch phantoms to 
 us, that will make us let go what we have in our mouths, 
 to catch at a fiiadow. 
 
 Tis a matter of wonder, that there are many, who, 
 though they cannot fo much as natne one man, whom 
 they have really converted to God by their minillry, yet 
 for all that, will not in any one particular rigoroufly 
 break through in order to the difcharging of their func- 
 tion after another manner, and with more earneftnefs and 
 application, and this under the fame pretext of fearing to 
 overthrow all, when in truth they have never yet built up 
 any thing that can be overthrown. But if a miniiler has 
 already done fome good, why then he ought to think that 
 God will yet further blefs his labours, and by his power 
 ftrengthen and confirm what he hath already begun, and 
 by his own arm effc6l and accomplifh what hereafter will 
 be undertaken with faith and prayer. "There fhall not any 
 *' man be able to (land before thee all the days of thy life. 
 •' As I was with Mofes, fo I will be with thee. I will 
 *' not fail thee nor forfake thee," fays God to Jofhua, 
 chap. i. 6. And with this promife, every true fervant of 
 God may bid defiance to all the world ; becaufe the 
 words are fpoke, (as we fee they are applied by St. Paul, 
 Heb. xiii. 5,) to all fincere chriflians for their fpecial 
 comfort. The words of St. James, iv. 17. are of incon- 
 teftable truth and clearnefs ; " to him that knows to do 
 *' good and doth it not, to him it is fm." Let us but fol- 
 low this rule in fmglenefs of heart, and refign up to God 
 the care for what is to come : for this we may be fure of, 
 that the good can never be better advanced tharx when one 
 V ^ £2 wedge 
 
40 Of the Excufes made 
 
 wedge drives another, and we daily gather more ftrength, 
 heartily to promote the caufe of Chrifl: and the good of 
 his church, being fapported by the gracious help and af- 
 fi fiance of God himfclf. 
 
 3 'We mufl hold in a little, that wlien opportunity of- 
 fers we may promote a good work with greater force and 
 efficacy.' Ans. Where has God given thee leave to let 
 Hip an opportunity of doing good, in order to refcrve thy- 
 felf for fome other time which thou fancieft may be more 
 favourable ? St. Paul, Eph. v. 16. bids us redeem the 
 time, or (more exaftly according to the greek,) to buy up 
 every opportunity, that is, to lay hold of it as foon as it 
 ofTers itfelf. For when it is once paff, you cannot regain 
 it at any price. And that St. Paul calls true wifdom. Rc- 
 ferving ourfelves for a future uncertainty proceeds from 
 falfe prudence. This refervation accuftoms thee to hypo- 
 crify, and will hinder thee from ever meeting with a« op- 
 portunity to exert the true power of faith. 
 
 4 'To undertake a thing, without being able to efFeft it, 
 doth more hurt than good ; wherefore it were better never 
 to begin.* Ans. Thou doft well to compute the charge 
 before thou doll begin to build a tower ; but whence wilt 
 thou procure the charges ? from thy own ability ? no, 
 that can never reach it. Begin thy work with full reli- 
 ance upon God, and draw thy fupplies from his almighty 
 power, goodnefs, wifdom and truth ; and by this means 
 thou wilt be enabled to accomplifh at his coft the work 
 once begun. 
 
 Or if God, for holy reafons, fhould not afford fuccefs 
 to thy pious endeavours, yet will it be no fmall comfort 
 io thee, that thou haft left no ftone unturned in order to 
 bring it about ; and thy confcience will be much more ea« 
 fy than it would have been, if from a miftruft of God's 
 afli fiance, ihou had ft never fet upon it. Perhaps God 
 
 inten<ls 
 
for the Fear of Man. 41 
 
 intends to put thee upon trial, and though it hath not fuc- 
 ceeded this time, it may perhaps at another. God can 
 blcfs thy endeavours in the hearts of many, in ftirring 
 them up to an imitation of thy zeal. And if thou fhouldft 
 be difappointcd in all thy good purpofes, by the difobedi- 
 ence and perverfenefs of thofe thou art willing to do good 
 to, wouldfl thou therefore conclude that thy work of 
 love had been in vain ? Was not this the cafe of Chrifl: 
 himfelf, when he was forced with tears to lament over tlie 
 city, faying, *' O Jerufalem ! Jerufalem ! thou that kill- 
 •' eft the prophets, and ftonell them which are fent unto 
 '* thee ! how often would I have gathered thy children 
 *' together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under 
 *' her wings, and ye would not. Behold your houfe is 
 " left unto you defolate." Mat. xxiii. 37, 3^. In like 
 manner muft we try all things, were it for no other rea- 
 fon, than that our endeavours may ftand as fo many wit- 
 nelfes againft the wicked. Examine thyfelf, whether thy 
 defire of fucceeding and overcoming in all things, and 
 this even before the world, be not the efFe6l of great 
 pride lurking within ? Be thou fatisfied with the inward 
 vitlory a true chriftian can never be deprived of, which 
 confifts in thy continuing unwearied in the patience of 
 hope. And even the outward vi61ory will at laft, as 
 the ftoppcd current of a river, break forth more gloriouf- 
 ]y. Thy rofe muft flour i(h under the crofs. 
 
 5 'We cannot do all at once,* Axs. Thou unprofit- 
 able fervant, fliouldft thou therefore bury thy talent in a 
 napkin ? Though thou hadft tried all manner of ways, 
 and couldft gain but one foul after all, yet wouldft thou 
 have no reafon to repent thy labour. God is able to do 
 ** exceeding abundantly above all that we afk or think, 
 *' according to the power that worketh in us ; unto 
 '*' whom be glory in the church throughout all ages, 
 
 f. 3 world 
 
42 . Of the Exeufe's made 
 
 " world without end, Amen." Eph. iii. 20, 21. If we 
 would but venture upon It boldly in the ftrength of God, 
 and lay afide all fear of inan, we fhoiild effeftually expe- 
 rience that God would do more for us and by us, than we 
 could have imagin-ed. 
 
 6 'We muft have a care not to become the talk of the 
 world, and of getting an ill name. As long as we have 
 no odious name with the world, we may do fome good ; 
 but if once an odious name be fixed upon us, this makes 
 all our endeavours fo likewife.' Ans. This is to fet rea- 
 fon again ft faith. Haft thou learned this in the word of 
 God? Does not Chrift fay, "bleffed are ye when men 
 *' ftiall hate you, and when they (hall feparate you from 
 " their company, and fhall reproach you, and caft out 
 •* your name as evil for the Son of man's fake. Rejoice 
 " ye in that day, and leap for joy ; for behold your re- 
 '•' ward is great in heaven ; for in the like manner did 
 *' their fathers unto the prophets. Woe unto you when 
 " all men fhali fpeak well of you f for fo did their fathers 
 *' to the falfe prophets." Luke vi. 22, 23, and 26. 
 This is a true fetch of the devil's, to perfeiade men that 
 the reproach of Chrift is a hindrance to the courfe of th,e 
 gofpel, by which he endeavours to make void the crofs of 
 Chrift ; whereas on the contrary, every orie of us muft 
 moft certainly believe that he can do nothing at all to the 
 purpofe, as long as he refufes to wear this badge of Chrift. 
 We muft refolutely break through all oppofitions fur- 
 rounding us, and take up the reproach of Chrift, before 
 we can expe6l that the full blcfting of the gofpel fliould 
 attend our endeavours. 
 
 7 'However, by this way of being rcferved, and not 
 expofing ourfelves, fome may be won.' Ans. I fear 
 thou wilt only make hypocrites like thyfelf; men that are 
 alhamed of Chrift and his word, and unwilling to fufFer 
 
 any 
 
for the Fear of Man. 43 
 
 any peiTecutlon for the crofs of Chrift, and yet are at the 
 fame time vainly p»fFed np with fome knowledge of 
 truth. But if once thou can ft refolve with boldnefs and 
 an unlhaken prefence of mind to break loofe from the 
 bondage of feartLdnefs, and thus to evidence thy faith, by 
 taking to thee the reproach of Chrift, then others waxing 
 confident by thy fufferings, will be the more emboldened 
 to fpeak the word without fear. Philip, i. 14. But as 
 long as this is not done, thou wilt not be trufted by anv 
 of God's real children. For a fervant of God muft be 
 tried and approved by fuffering. 
 
 . 8 'We muft not expofe ourfelves, and let others make 
 fools of ug, for how then fnall we be in a condition to edi- 
 fy them.' Ans. This is a common obje£lion with them, 
 who by the fear of man, fuffer themfelves to be kept back 
 from their real converfion. True it is we ought not to do 
 any thing, that is weak or fooliOi, I mean that is contrary 
 to God's word ; but it is the devil's fuggeftion to think 
 we Ihall expofe ourfelves by breaking through in faith, 
 and direfting our a61ions precifely according to God's 
 word. Here 'tis that St. Paul's caution will do us great 
 fervice ; " let no man deceive himfelf : if any man among 
 *' you feemeth to be wife in this world, let him become 
 •' a fool, that he may be wife ; for the wifdom of this 
 *' world is fooliflinefs with God." 1 CoR. iii. 18, 19." 
 *' We are fools for Chrift's fake." 1 CoR. iv. 10. Is it 
 not a ihame, when the Lord of glory was taken for a 
 madman, and one pofTcfled by the devil, that thou 
 wouldft catch at the applaufe of men, and be highly ef- 
 teemedof the world ? by this thou giveft evidence againft 
 thyfelf, that thou doft not belong to Chrift, neither know- 
 eft thou <he dignity of his crofs ; and how then wilt thou 
 be able to rejoice in him ? It neither can or muft be 
 ctherwlfe. Thou muft be looked upon as a fool, in the 
 
 E 4 world 
 
44 Of the Excafes made 
 
 world, if tliou wilt be a difcipleof Chrift ; it will not fail 
 thee an hair's breadth. High and low, teachers and 
 hearers, mufl alike fufFer themfelves to be cenfured by 
 the world, when once they earneflly turn themfelves to 
 God. For as foon as their aftions do no more comport 
 with the fafhionable ways of the world, fhe feoffs and 
 rails, crying them down for fanaticifm, Angularity, pha- 
 rifaical hypocrify, and loading them with a thoufand lies 
 and calumnies. Now he that is afraid of this reproach 
 from the world, mufl needs continue a hypocrite as long 
 as he lives. And after all, how foolifli is it to be a flave 
 and bondman to the humour of the world, when after 
 vou have done all you can to pleafe it, and to comply 
 with it to the uttermoft, you will ftill be found fault with 
 one way or other ? And yet we are unwilling to fuffer 
 this for the glory of God and the welfare and falvation of 
 our fouls ! 
 
 9 'AVe mull beeome all to all, as St. Paul did, i Cor. 
 ix. 2 2. " to the weak I became as weak, that I might gain 
 *• the weak : I am made all things to all men, that I might 
 ** by all means fave fome." Ans. St. Paul gave fuffici- 
 cnt proof of his being a cheerful and undaunted workman, 
 £o whom God had given, '* not the fpirit of fear, but the 
 " fpirit of power." 2 Tim. i. 7. But what haft thou to 
 ihew for thyfelf ? crafty and worldly-minded courtiers 
 have alfo learned to become all to all, but from another 
 principle, by other means, and for quite another end, 
 than St. Paul did. Thou imagineft, perhaps, that thy 
 aim is good ; but does it flow in thee from the pure bottom 
 of a tenderly compaffionate maternal love, as it did in St. 
 Paul ? On the other hand, confider whether thou canft 
 cxprefs the bold alacrity of St. Paul, who was not afraid 
 to withlland St Peter himfelf, to his face, when the fear 
 of man had made him play the hypocrite, and drew others 
 
 int« 
 
for the Fear of Man. 45 
 
 into the fame difUmulation with him, which was contratV 
 to the truth of the gofpeh Gal. ii. \^. It is certainly a, 
 great piece ot wifdom thus to become weak with the 
 weak, as not to lofe any thing of our own ftrength ; as 
 to become all to all, and yet Itand free at the fame time 
 from all manner of hypocrify. Examine thyfelt whether 
 the innocent dove-like nature be in thee, or whether the 
 ferpent, with his feigned prudence, hath not corrupted 
 and perverted thy mind from the fimplicity in Chrift. 
 There is no cloak that more plaufibly covers the fear of 
 man than this ; therefore look to it, that above all thiniT-s 
 tliou difpatch this enemy. 
 
 10 'If fuch as are leading men would once begin to 
 break the ice, fuch as doclors, fuperintendants, &c. who 
 ought to be foremoft in all our good undertakings, we 
 would readily follow them ; but we are not willing to he 
 the firft beginners, becaufe it may be conftrued as pride in 
 us, or have fome other ill name put upon it.' Ans. Do 
 as a fervant that carries the link before his mafter, and 
 yet does not think himfelf better than his mafter ; tl>e 
 kingdom of God comes commonly lafi: to the men of the 
 firft rank, and to thofe that make the greateft figure in the 
 world. When thou art to receive thy falarv, thou doft 
 not refufe receiving it till thy fiiperintendant be paid firft, 
 but art very willing to be firft fei ved. And ftiall the un- 
 belief of others keep thee back in thy race ? in the kino-, 
 dom of God there muft be no difpute about precedencv. 
 When thou art convinced of the truth, but doft not obey 
 it, God will certainly punifli thee, though thou fhouldft 
 appeal to Pope or Emperor. Confider alfo that thy crown 
 will be by fo much the more glorious, by how much 
 greater thy combat hath been in which thou haft over- 
 come. 
 
 1 1 *But it is vifible \that great diforders arife up and 
 
 iiown. 
 
4S Of the Excufcs made 
 
 sfown, when people are too forward, and do not rcflrain 
 thcmfclres, wliich is the caufe oi manilold fcandals.' 
 Ans. It is impoffible but young and inexperienced chrif- 
 tians will make fome falfe ftcps, and not always aft To 
 wifely as they ought. Here our timorous gentlemen pre- 
 sently difcern this mote in tlieir eyes, and all the while do 
 Biot perceive the beam in thei-r own. Here they begin 
 to triumph, and fay, 'do but fee how thefe people have 
 expofed themfelves : it is very well for us that we have 
 not been too far concerned with them; if we bad, we 
 Ihould now have been partakers of their fiiame and re- 
 proach.' In this cafe we mull give good heed to that 
 caution of our Lord, ^' blelfcd is he whofoever fhall not 
 **- be offended in me.*' Mat. xi. 6. We ought to bear 
 with- the faults of beginners with great moderation and a 
 <X)mpafriona(e love ; and if we think ourfelves to be more 
 wife and more knowing than they, we fhould endeavour 
 tiO' reftify them in the fpirit of meeknefs, confidering our- 
 *' felves, left we alfo be tempted/' Gal. vi. i. But 
 God and the goodly-minded look upon the thing with 
 Ck'ber eyes ; for there is a vaft difference between a perfon 
 tihat is as yet fpiritually dead, and one that has recovered 
 Me from God, but yet is feized by fome temptation and 
 weaknefs common to man ; this his High-Prieft knowing 
 verv well, will accordingly take compaffion on his infir- 
 inity» The way of the world is, always to fpy faults in 
 *he children of God, but will take no notice of the good 
 srt them. If thou wilt draw back, becaufe others do not 
 what they ought, thou wilt never be converted. Break 
 •hoti thvfelf through thefe impediments, in the true pow- 
 er of faith, and ihew others by thy example, how they 
 snaft ferve God in all purity. If thou fuffer reproach 
 lifire with the children of God, and lendeft thy helping 
 bawd to- bear their burden, then fli.alt thou alfo partake with 
 tlsena m their glory hereafter. li 
 
for the Fear of Man. 47 
 
 12 *But we mufl; not draw down fufferlngs upon mir 
 heads, or wilfully run into them'. Ans. Neither muft 
 thou be afraid of fufTcring, nor fly from it ; as long as 
 this flinching from the crofs is in thee, thy faith is not 
 what it fhould be. When a good thing is not to be at- 
 tained without fufFering, thou art abfolutely bound to take 
 it up. 'Tis better to fuffer all things than to have an evil 
 confcience. Learn what that means ; " he that would be 
 *' my difciple, muff lake up his crofs daily." Luke ix. 
 It is not required of thee tliat thou fliouldil trouble thyfelf 
 when thou art to fuffer any thing, only do thou heartily the 
 will of God, and all will be well. God will not lav more 
 upon thee than thou art able to bear ; for he is faithful, 
 and will not fuffer thee to be tempted bevond thy power. 
 Thou reprefenteR it to thyfclf more hazardous than in- 
 deed it is. Now thou art afraid of men ; inflead thou 
 fhouldft endeavour to get a conqued over thefe fearful re- 
 prefentations, and glorify the Lord God in thy heart, and 
 then they will be alraid of thee. 
 
 13 *But however, we ought to go fair and foftiy in 
 work, and do what good we can confiderately and by de- 
 grees.' Axs. Ay, this is fomething indeed. If we could 
 but perfuade the devil to go fair and foftly too ! but alas ! 
 he walks about like a roaring lion, feeking whom he mav 
 devour : what is to be done then ? *' whom refift ftedfafl 
 " in the faith." 1 Pet. v. 8. Here thou hearefl; that by 
 being ftedfafl in faith, that is, in the power and demon- 
 ftration of the Holy Ghoft, thou muft. reft ft him without 
 any fear of man, " by the armour of righteoufnefs, on 
 " the right hand and on the left, by honour and difhon- 
 *' our^ by evil report and good report, as deceivers and 
 *' yet true." 2 Cor. vi. 7, 8. The devil laughs at all 
 thy fair and foftly ; give him but time and place, and you 
 may be fure, he wiU not be idle. And Cod ^vill require 
 
 the 
 
4S Of the Excufes made 
 
 the blood wl/ich thou haft negle£led by thy fofilinefs at 
 thy hands. 
 
 14 " An edge too fharp is eafily turned".-" Ans. If 
 this proverb be intended to fignify that we may fometimes 
 let odd be even, not to be over-careful about the peace of 
 our confcicnce, and now and then in our I'unBion wink 
 at the f'iult of thofe committed to our charge, orotherwife 
 diiTemble with them, then it is all ialfe prudence, and di- 
 leftly contrary to the crofs of Chrift. It is but juft that 
 we (hev/ love and meeknefs toward all men. And we 
 ought more efpecially to declare to our hearers the graci- 
 ous and overflowing kindnefs of God, that they may be 
 gained thereby, rather than by railing and threatening. 
 But at the fame time we muft ufe earneftnefs, and by all 
 means take heed that " liberty be not made a cloak of 
 " malicioufners." 1 Pet. ii. 16. Unbelief and the fear 
 of man are at the bottom of our heart, and with thefe fpe- 
 cious and plaufible fayings we excufe ourfelves : and 
 though we are neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, and 
 through our bafe fearfulnefs let all things lie in the great- 
 eft diforder and conlufion, we \\'ould fain be looked up- 
 on as if we obferved the golden middle way, and were 
 careful in all things to preferve a due temperature and 
 due moderation. 
 
 15 Furthermore, the fpiritual prieflhood of chriftians 
 is but liule known now-a-days; and much lefs how in 
 virtue of the fiime, every believer hath not only power, 
 but is even obliged to (hew his neighbour the right way 
 whenever he fees him led away into vice and delufion. 
 Hence it is, that thofe who are not engaged in the publick 
 teaching-office, are apt to excufe themfelves, fliifting this 
 duty from one to another, when their neighbour fliould 
 be admonifbed and reproved. This, in truth, is nothing 
 dfe but an hypocritical fear of man, which commonly 
 
 makes 
 
for the Fear of Man. 49 
 
 makes people fpeak as follows ; 'why, what Is It to me? 
 I am no preacher, nor ever took the care of fouls upon 
 me. I am none of his tutors, nor mafter of the family^ 
 Let them look to duty and charge.' Yea, fome that are 
 minifters think that they have found a good excufe for 
 themfelves in faykig, 'I am not his father confeflbr, and 
 'tis no bufinefs of mine to take care for his foul.' To 
 wliich may be added that pernicious diftinftion, derived 
 from popery, and whereby thofe that are preachers, or 
 defigned for that office, are called fpiritual men, and the 
 reft of people, laymen ; whereas indeed all true chrifti- 
 ans, be they in what ftate they will, muft be fpiritually 
 minded, as St. Paul teacheth, i Cor. iii. 16. " know ye 
 " not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of 
 *' God dwelleth in you." And Rom. viii. 9. " but ye 
 ** are not in the fleOi, but in the Spirit, if fo be that the 
 ** Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have 
 ** not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his." And verfa 
 14. *' for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they 
 *' are the fons of God." But we don't think of this, and 
 fcarcely know what the name of ChrilUan imports, viz. 
 one anointed with the Spirit of Chrift, and therefore 
 think ourfelves fufficiently cxcufcd when we can fay, 'I 
 am a lais and no fpiritual man.* It is not to be exprefted 
 what horrid mifchief this wicked dilHnclion is the caufe 
 of, and what deep root it hath taken in men's minds, in- 
 fomuch, that the devil himfelf could hardly have found 
 out a better way to perfuade people, that one is not as 
 ruuch bound as another exaftly to order his life in all 
 things according to the rule of God's word. According- 
 ly, Satan fails not prefently to fliev/ his claws whenever 
 this fpiritual, prieftly office, commanded to all chriftians, 
 h earneftly prefted and inculcated. *' Thou fhalt in any 
 -wife rqbukethy neighbour, and notfuffer fin upon him,'* 
 
 favs. 
 
50 Of the Excufes, Sec. 
 
 fays God, Lev. xix. 17. not to the teachers alone, but 
 to all in general. Thou canft not therefore but acknow- 
 ledge that the commandments were given as well to thee, 
 as to teachers ; and that thou art bound to obferve all the 
 rules of Chrift as well as they, although this does not take 
 away the particular duty of each in their feveral ftations. 
 
 16 Every whit as abfurd and frivolous is the excufe 
 -which many allege from their outward flate and condi- 
 tion, when they fay, 'the placel am in requires it of me.* 
 Many will fay, 'I take no delight in thefe vanities, in 
 rich clothes, in banquets, in dancing, in plays, in operas, 
 and the like : but I mud do it, my ftate and quality obli- 
 ges me to it ; if I fhould not do it, others would take an 
 opportunity to do worfe ; 'tis better therefore, that I prevent 
 more wickednefs by my prefencc.' This is one of the. 
 fruits of our modern religions, raifed on maxims of {fate 
 and policy : but if we bring it to the flandard of apoftoli- 
 cal chriftianity, it would be moil convincingly evident, 
 that it is altogether inconfiftent with the truth, as it is in 
 Jefus. The world excufes all with this wretched fliift ; 
 *tollatur abufus, maneat ufus ;' Hake away the abufe of 
 things, but let the ufe continue.' The true children of 
 God, who are cru( ified to the world, and the world to 
 them, cannot find the leaft true ufe in thefe things ; but 
 plainly difcern that by them Satan enfnares the world flill 
 more and more, and makes his fervice more agreeable by 
 means of thofe pleafant baits he lays before them ; he in- 
 fmuates, and this under a fair pretext too, that they are, 
 things indifferent, and that may lawfully be ufed, engag- 
 ing them herebv to be his avowed votaries. When the 
 true children of God would avoid or prevent any evil, 
 they have no need of the devil's rattles and puppet- 
 fhews, but fly to their God, and commit themfelves to 
 his holy direclion, in faith and confidence of his affii- 
 
 lance 
 
Of fome Remedies, Sec. 51 
 
 iance, and by raifing tbemfelvcs into the patience ancl 
 long-fuffciing of God, tbev endure what tbey cannot pite- 
 veiit. They enjoy the necedary nourifiiment and r^Frefti- 
 ingof their bodies for no other end but to fpj^nd the 
 ilrength received thereby i^i humble acknowledgment an^ 
 chiid-like thankfuhiefs, and to renew the vigour of fofifl 
 and body for the fervice of their neighbour. 
 
 CHAP. 6, 
 
 Of the JMcans icJiercb]/ we may he ielincrjci 
 from the Fear if Man, 
 
 THE fia-ft and mofl: neceflary means to cafl ofF this 
 fear of man, is a confiant and earneft endeavour t» 
 free ourfelves from the mofl dangerous deceitfulnefs^f 
 our own hearts. Nothing is more mifciiievous, or 
 proves a greater hindrance to a man's falvatlon, than t'hat 
 falfe conceit, when a man fancieth himfelf to be already 
 a good chriftian, and aftually in the flatc of grace, a«d 
 ^onre<iucnt]y having no more need of repentance and the 
 firfl conveiTion to God. This falfe and moft dangerotre 
 opinion is, alas ! but too commonly entertained by the 
 greateft part even of proteftants themfelves, who arendt 
 a little encouraged and fortified therein by nnconvertea 
 i-uinifters ; for by them they are all, without any diftinc- 
 tion, called beloved brethren in Chrift ; tliev are all ab« 
 folved from their fins, admitted to the holy facramentg 
 and after death declared happy and bleffed, being crowii*. 
 ed whh the glorious title of dear brethren. 
 
 For this reafon h is the mofl difficult tafk of a miniflei:, 
 firft to convince people from the word of God that thef 
 have not yet attained to true converfion, and that thay 
 jHuft pafs over into a quite different Hate from what'thay 
 
52 Of fome Remedies 
 
 are in, if To be they flefireto enter into tlie kingdom of 
 God. Now when this falfe conceit is entertained by 
 preachers alfo, and thev fancy themfelves already con- 
 vened, though indeed they are not ; (the greateft part ol 
 them having never tafted and experienced a real conver- 
 fion in themfelves ;) then this falfe perfuafion proves ftill 
 more dangerous. Truly a minifter is not eafily removed 
 from this opinion ; for having taken upon him to dire€l 
 others in the wav t ) heaven, he prefuppofes it is a mod 
 certain truth, that h^ is enlightened by the Holy Ghoft, 
 and that being a fpiritual man, he muft needs have admit- 
 tance to heaven before others. But becaufe hfe fees but 
 little difference, (if any at all,) betwixt himfelf and his 
 auditors, and knoweth nothing of a faving change oi 
 heart, he by wholefale takes them all for true chriftians, 
 and like a blind pharifee, reproaches nothing but outward 
 vices ; his own inward part being not yet cleanfed itfelf 
 by the Spirit of God, and confequently neither he him- 
 felf acquainted ^vith the difference between the law and 
 the gofpel, nor with the right application of both, fo as 
 to awaken people thereby out of their flumberand to bring 
 them over from their falfe and imaginary faith, to a true 
 living one, working by love. And by means of thefe 
 unconverted preachers, deflitute of all experimental 
 knowledge in fpiritual affairs, whole parifhes, cities and 
 ■countries, are countenanced in their carnal fecurity. 
 
 Now when God is pleafed to fend forth faithful witncf- 
 -fes of his truth, and thefe begin to awaken people out of 
 <heir fpiritual ileep and deadnefs, then the devil is very 
 bufy to keep them captives to the fear of man, one fear- 
 ing this, another that, and fo refufing to arife from their 
 ilupifying coldnefs, are unwilling to betake themfelves to 
 a llrifter fort of life. And now the habitual ftate of car- 
 nal fecurity joining with this fear of man choaks the truth 
 
againft the Fear of Man. 63 
 
 of God in the heart, that it cannot break forth with pow- 
 er. The bed advice that can be given a man in this cafe, 
 is, that he thoroughly fearch and inquire into his own 
 flate and condition, according to the tenour of the word 
 of God, that he may not delude himfelf by a vain and 
 fond conceit, hoping always the beft of himfelf. By this 
 means he may come to a full affurance of the ftateof his 
 foul, and feels at lafl the witnefs the Spirit of God bears 
 him, that he is in truth a child of God. For as long as a 
 man is unwilling to part whh his darling felf-love, and to 
 take the pains to fearch into the bottom of his heart, it is 
 impoffible for him to be rid of this inordinate fear ; nay, 
 he will not be able to make a right ufe of any means at all 
 that may be offered him ; for in this cafe the power of the 
 Holy Gholl is abfolutely neceffary, being only obtained 
 in our true converfion to God. Without this, a man 
 will never go fo far as in all his a£lions to eye God only, 
 and to difcharge his duty without the leaft fear of man. 
 But how can this be done ? no other way but by humble 
 and continual prayer to our infinitely gracious God and 
 heavenly Father, that he would be pleafed to open the 
 eyes of many to acknowledge their own mifery, and to 
 turn themfelves from the bottom of their heart unto God, 
 that fo they may learn to draw ftrength out of the fulnefs 
 of Chrift to ferve God without fear, in holinefsand right- 
 eoufncfs, which is acceptable unto him. Luke i. 74, 75. 
 2 And forafmuch as the want of felf-denial is one of 
 the chief caufes of the fear of man, it will therefore be ab- 
 folutely neceflary, in order to our fubduing of this vice, 
 to endeavour after a true felf-denying frame of fpirit ; for 
 as long as we fear the lofs of our honour and greatnefs in 
 the world, of our goods or eafe, fo long we fhall be loath, 
 by a clofe following the fteps of our Lord, to incur the 
 difpleafure and dirrefpe6l of men. But when we are 
 
 F once 
 
54 Of fome Remedies 
 
 once convinced, that godlinefs with contentment is the 
 greateft gain ; when we feek no other honour but what 
 comes from God hlmfelf, nor any pleafure befides that of 
 doing his will, we fiiall find it an eafy matter to over- 
 come the awe of men, and with undaimtednefs to confefs 
 the truth both in word and deed. Our Saviour's maxim 
 is of unchangeable and indubitable truth, Luke xiv. 33. 
 " Whofoever doth not renounce all he hath, cannot be 
 " my difciple." 
 
 3 He that would enter into a thorough felf-denying 
 life, and fo free himfelf from the fear of man, muft often 
 fet before his eyes the vanity and even nothingnefs of this 
 tranfitory world : for whilfl a man overvalues the honour, 
 the riches and pleafures of this world, it is impoflible ta 
 deny himfelf in them : but as foon as he begins to difcern 
 that all this while he hath been iti purfuit of an idle 
 dream and vanifhing fliadow, he is aftiamed of himfelf, 
 and looks out for fomething more worthy and durable. 
 To this end it will be of great ufe to imprint in our hearts 
 the following texts of fcripture ; " as for man, his days 
 " are as grafs ; as a flower of the field fo he flourifheth : 
 " for the wind paGTeth over it, and it is gone, and the 
 " place thereof fhall know it no more, but the mercy of 
 *' God is from everlafting to everlafting, upon them that 
 " fear him ; and his righteoufnefs unto children's child- 
 " ren." Psalm ciii. 15, 16, 17. "All flefh is grafs, 
 " and all the goodlinefs thereof is as the flower of the field. 
 ** The grafs withereth, the flower fadeth, becaufe the 
 "Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it." IsA. xl. 6, 7. 
 ** The world pafleth away, and the lull thereof ; but he 
 •' that doth the will of God, abideth for ever." i JoH>r 
 ii. 17. *' The rich fliall pafs away as the flower of grafs ; 
 *' for the fun is no fooner rifen with a burning heat, but 
 '' it withereth the grafs, and the flower thereof falleth, 
 
againfl: the Fear of Man. 55 
 
 *Vatl(! the grace of the fafhion of it perlftieth ; fo alfo 
 •* fhall the rich man fade away in his ways." Jas. i. lo, 
 11. " What hath pride profited us ? or what good hath 
 »* ridies and the vaunting fhow of it brought us ? All 
 •* thefe things are pafTed away hke a fliadow, and as a poft 
 ** that hafted by. As a fhip that palTeth over the waves 
 «' of the water, which when it is gone by, the trace 
 •V thereof cannot be found, neither the way of the keel 
 •' in the waves." Wis. V. 8, 9, 10. What reafon there- 
 fore hath any one to fear man upon the account of fuch 
 vain and fading things ? 
 
 4 It will be needful alfo to have continually before our 
 eyes the nothingnefs and vanity of man himfelf, that we 
 may not be '* afraid of their terror^ neither be troubled* 
 •* but fanftify the Lord God in our heart." 1 Pet. iii. 
 14, 15. " Surely men of low degree are vanity, and 
 •' men of high degree are a lie : to be laid in the balance 
 ** they are altogether lighter than vanity itfelf.'* Psalm 
 Ixii. 9. that is as Luther adds, *' he that puts his truft in 
 •• men, will fail of his hopes j for let them be never (o 
 •' great, yet they are ftill but as nothing and vanity ; and 
 *' as they themfelves muft fail, fo they will fail thofe (hat 
 *' expe£l help from them." ** Lord, make me know 
 •' mine end, and the meafure of my days, what time I 
 ** have to live. Behold thou haft made my davs as an 
 •' hand^breadth, and mine age is as nothing before thee : 
 ** verily every man at his beft ftate is altogether vanitv, 
 *' Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain fhew ; 
 ** furely they are difquieted irtM^ajn. He heapeth up 
 *' riches, and knoweth not who (hall gather them." Psalm 
 xxxix. 4, ^, 6. When a man from ihefe and other texts 
 of fcripture, duly confidered and pondered, is convinced 
 of his own and other men*s nothingnefs and vanity, then 
 he will find no caufe to fear themj but will fay with Da- 
 
 F 9 viJ, 
 
56 Of fome Remedies 
 
 vi^, Psalm xxvll. i. *' the Lord is my Light and mv 
 ** Salvation, whom fhall I fear ? The Lord is the Strength 
 ** of my. life, of whom (hall I then be afraid ?" &c. A 
 man that duly confiders thefe things, will no more make 
 account of this prefent life, nor be afraid of men for the 
 maintenance of it. 
 
 5 The frequent and ferious confideration of the pre- 
 eminence of heavenly, divine and everlafting things, will 
 alfo not a little contribute towards an entire conqueft over 
 the fear of man ; for as by this means our hearts are moft 
 powerfully withdrawn from the love of temporal and 
 earthly things, fo as no longer to look at the things that 
 are vifible and temporal, but at thofe which are invifible 
 and eternal, fo it will make all the fear we had for thofe, 
 who at their worft can but damage us in temporals, to 
 vanifh into fmoke. What we value not, neither are we 
 afraid to lofe ; but we never ceafe valuing a thing till we 
 get a fight of better and more glorious objefts. He that 
 hath continually in his eye the glorious majefty of the aU 
 mighty Creator of heaven and earth, looks down upon 
 men as weak and pitiful things, how high and dazzling 
 foever they appeared to him before. Here we learn to 
 obey the command o{ our Lord Jefus, who faith, Mat. 
 X. 28. ** fear not them that kill the body, but are not able 
 ** to kill the foul : but rather fear Him who is able to de- 
 ** flroy both foul and body in hell." He that is tranf- 
 formed into a heavenly frame of life, hath his converfa- 
 tion in heaven, and fets his affeftions on things above, 
 and not on things of the earth, how {hould he fear men, 
 who neither by flight nor might can put him by his ulti- 
 mate end ? The hurt men do themfelves by diftrafting 
 their minds about the concerns of this temporal life, and 
 but feldom or never fufficiently applying them to the life 
 eternal, and the ineftimablc treafures of it, is altogether 
 
 unutterable. 
 
againft the Fear of Man. 67 
 
 unutterable. What was the main reafon why the primi- 
 uve chiiltians were fo far eftranged from all fear of man, 
 <hat they joyfully embraced martyrdom, and even ran to 
 meet it, but becaufe their minds were fixed upon the fu- 
 ture eternal glory after this life, nay, had all the powers 
 of their fouls aheady dwelling there in a manner, 
 
 6 The faithful champions of Chrift have found this al- 
 fo a certain and fure means to conquer the fear ot man, 
 viz. to enter immediately into a profound meditation of the 
 bitter paiTion of our Lord Jefus Chrift, as foon as they 
 found themfelves under any temptation to it. It was the 
 antidote St. Peter prefcribed to believers againft the fear 
 of man in the firft epift. c. iv. 12, 13. *' beloved, think it 
 *' not ftrange concerning the fiery trial which is to try 
 *' you, as though fome ftrange thing happened unto you ; 
 *' but rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Chrift's 
 " fufferings ; that when his glory fliall be revealed, ye 
 *' may be glad alfo with exceeding joy." And the ex- 
 hortation, Heb. xii. 3. recommends the fame remedy to 
 us ; " confider him that endured fuch contradiftions o£ 
 *' fmners againft himfelf, left ve be wearied and faint in 
 *' your minds." And in the fourth ch. of the 2d epift. to 
 the Corinth, he faith ; " we always bear about in the bo- 
 " dy the dying of the Lord Jefus, that the life alfo of Je* 
 " fus might be made manifeft in our mortal body." This 
 is the true prophetical and apo^folical mind which few do 
 apprehend ; but they that apprehend and have it, tread in 
 their foot fteps, and declare themfelves fervants of the liv- 
 ing God in true cheerfulnefs of faith. They are not afraid 
 of the terror of man, neither are they troubled, but fanc« 
 tify the Lord God in their hearts. 1 Pet. iii. 14. *0 
 Lord, help and aftift us by thy mighty power to attain to 
 that degree, that we may from the bottom of our hearts 
 fay with St, Paul, ** we determine not to know any thing 
 
 F 3 fave 
 
5 8 Of fome Remedies 
 
 ** fave Jcfus Chrift and him crucified." i Corin. li. 2. 
 
 7 In thisconfifts the whole myftery of the crofs, which 
 is the wifdom St. Paul declared among them that are per- 
 feft ; " yet not the wifdom of this world, nor of the 
 "princes of this world, that come to nought; but the 
 *' wifdom of God in a myftery, even the hidden wifdom, 
 " which God ordained before the world unto our glory.'* 
 1 Cor. ii. 6, 7. He that begins to be a proficient in this 
 hidden wifdom, will find the fear of man vanifhing of it- 
 felf. Why do we fear men ? for no other rcafon, but be- 
 caufe we are afraid of the crofs. And why do we fear 
 the crofs ? becaufe we underiland not the infinite good 
 that lies in it ; even becaufe we do not apprehend, that 
 (ince the fall, any thing that is to be really good, mud 
 fpring up under, and as it were, be begotten by the 
 crofs. 
 
 8 More efpecially would it be found an eafy thing for 
 us to overcome the fear of man, if we ferioufly confidered 
 what a mighty reward is annexed to the denial of this 
 temporal life and goods, and the cheerful taking up of the 
 crofs. Chrift tells us. Mat. v. 10, 11, X2. ** every one 
 ** that forfaketh houfes, or bretliren, or fifters, or father, 
 *' or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my 
 *' name's fake, fhall receive an hundred fold, and fhall 
 " inherit everlafting life, BlefTed are they that are per, 
 *' fecuted for righteoufnefs' fake, for their's is the king- 
 ** dom of heaven, BlefTed are ye, when men fhall revile 
 ** you, and perfecute you, and fhall fay all manner of evil 
 •* again ft you falfely for my fake. Rejoice and be ex- 
 ** ceeding glad : (rejoice you in that day, and leap for joy. 
 •* Luke vi. 22. j for great is your reward in heaven.** 
 Psalm cxxvi. 5, 6, ♦* they that fow in tears, (hall reap 
 *' in joy : he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing pre- 
 •* cjous feed, fhall doubtlefs come again with rejoicing, 
 
 bringing* 
 
againft the Fear of Man, 59 
 
 ** bringing his fheaves with him." 2 CoR. iv. tj, 18. 
 *' for our light affli61ion, 'uliich is but for a moment, 
 *' worketh for us a far more exceeding and el&ir.al vveight 
 *' of glory ; while we look not at the tilings that are fecn, 
 •' but at the things that crc 7iot fecn." And who is able 
 to enumerate all the gloiions promifes of God, that arc 
 made to fuch as willingly take up the crofs ol Chrift ? 
 
 9 The means alfo of dul v co-nfilering the TcVcral de- 
 grees of charity and gloiy, uhich fhall be revealed in the 
 chiluren of God, doth not a little contribi?'C to the de- 
 taining of men in fubjeftiaa to fne fear of hian. For 
 even the far greatefl part of men are funk into fo much 
 ignorance, that they fcarcely remember ever to have 
 heard of it ; whereas if they lived in the knowledge and 
 belief of it, they would wiih much more eafe rid them- 
 felves of this flavifh fea. Trdnefs. Of this Mofes bad a 
 view, when " he efteemed the reproach of Chrift tar 
 ** greater riches than the treafures of Egypt ; for he had 
 *' refpeQ unto the recompence of the reward : whereJore 
 " alfo he forfook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the 
 *' king." Heb. xi. 26, 27. And thofe believers men- 
 tioned, Heb. xi, 35. had the fame objeft before them, 
 who would not accept of deliverance, that they might ob- 
 tain a better refurreQion. What can be conceived more 
 glorious than to be a bride of the Lamb, which flands at 
 his right-hand in gold of Opliir ? PsALM xlv. lo. A 
 glory never afligned to any of the angels themfelves. 
 This moft precious gold is nothing elfe but faith itfelf, 
 which, after we have been exercifed here in heavinefs for 
 a feafon, through manifold temptations, is made much 
 *' more precious than the gold that perilheth, being tried 
 *' in the fire, that it may be found unto praife, and hon- 
 »' our, and glory, at the appearing of Jefus CliriH." 1 
 
 '^ "^; ? 4 Ndne 
 
60 Of fome Remedies 
 
 None therefore can arrive at the g'ory of beihg" called 
 the dove and bride of Chrifl, but they that pafs this trial 
 of the crofs, and overcome all in Jefus Chrift. *' For to 
 *' him that overcometh/' faith he himfelf, " will I grant 
 *' to fit with me in my throne, even as I alfo overcame, 
 *' and amTet down with my Father in his throne." Rev. 
 iii. 2 1. To be made wholly conformable to Chrift, in 
 his crofs and fufFerings, is the mod glorious conformity ; 
 fince the confequence thereof will be the higheft con- 
 formity with him in his glory and eternal clarity follow- 
 ing it. He that hath this imprinted in his mind, fpeaks 
 heartily with St. Paul, RoM. viii. 35 to 39. ** who fhall 
 *' feparate us from the love of Chrift ? Shall tribulation, 
 *' or diilrefs, or perfecution, or famine, ornakednefs, or 
 *' peril, or fword ? As it is written, for thy fake we arc 
 *• killed all the day long, we are accounted as fheep for 
 *' the flaughter : nay, in all thefe things we are more than 
 *^ conquerors through him that loved us. For I am per- 
 •Iffu)a4e4».:that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 
 *» principalities, nor powers, nor things prefent, nor 
 *' things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other 
 *' creature, fliall be able to feparate us from the love of 
 *' God, which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord. 
 
 10 Neither is the frequent reprefenting to ourfelves of 
 thofe courageous and faithful champions of Chrift, men- 
 tioned in the fcripture as well as other hiftories, ol lefs 
 avail towards the ftrengthening of our faith in Chrift. 
 This was the way St. Paul took to excite the Hebrews, 
 who were weak in taith, in the nth chap, of his epift. to 
 them ; which being an excellent abftraft of the whole 
 Old Teftament, ought to be more efpecially pondered by 
 us, and applied for the fupport of our faith in all outward 
 and inward temptations. St. Paul alfo takes notice in hi$ 
 epift. to the Philip, ch. i. 14. " that many of the brethren 
 
 waxing. 
 
agalnR the Fear of Man. 61 
 
 «' waxin,(T confident by bis bonds, had been much more 
 bold to fpeak the word without fear." The hi (lories 
 likewife of the primitive as well as latter martyrs, were 
 they more attentively confidered, would contribute much 
 towards our attainment of a true boldnefs of faith, fo ne- 
 ceflary for our chriftian warfare. Martin Luther gave 
 this advice to his friend Jerome Wcller, when he faw 
 him forrowlul and much dejefted, which moved him to 
 make a colleftion out of the hiftories of the martyrs for 
 his own ufe and edification as appears from his fmall trea- 
 tife, printed in the year 1697, and reprinted anno 1700, 
 under the title of the fchool of the crofs. Neither are the 
 modern perfecutions lefs remarkable than thofe of old, 
 and it is a blameworthy negligence and want of love, that 
 they are fo little minded. What BroufTon and others 
 have written concerning the late perfecutions in France, 
 may prove very beneficial and improving to an under- 
 ftandiniT reader. More efpecially the example of Lu- 
 ther ; and his oft-expreffed courageoufnefs of faith ought 
 to be a great encouragement towards the conquering of all 
 fear of man, if not to others, at leall to them that call 
 themfelves alter his name. 
 
 1 1 But forasmuch as the ftrength of man is not fuffi- 
 cient to bring this about, it is necefTary for every one to 
 apply himfelf to God in earneft prayer, that he would be 
 pleafed gracioufly to vouchfafe unto him his Holy Spirit, 
 which is not a Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, 
 and of a found mind, 2 Tim. i. 7. And this is not of us, 
 but the free gift of God, which gift he is moil ready ^ to 
 impart to thofe that heartily pray for it. Let us afk there- 
 fore, that we may receive. Neither muft we only pray 
 for this gift, but more efpecially at fuch times when we 
 are called forth to a6l any thing, requiring forae exerting 
 of the power of faith ; that then we may do nothing ac- 
 cording 
 
6^ Of fome Remedies 
 
 cwcling to our own conceit and apprehenfron, but in the 
 St ft place lay it open before God in prayer, and then fet 
 upon it armed and well appointed with the whoie armour 
 of God. ^' Above all," faith St. Paul, Eph. vi. 16, 17, 
 18. " taking the fhield of faith, wherewith ye fhall be 
 *'' able to quench all the fiery darts of the ^vicked ; and 
 ** take the helmet of falvation, and tlie fword o-f the Spi- 
 ^ rit, which is the word of God ; praying always with all 
 " prayer and ftipplication in the fpirit ; and watching 
 ** thereunto with all perfeverance and fapplication for all 
 " faints. 
 
 Of this we have a notable in ftance in Jacob, Gen. iii. 
 2. liow refolutely he wreftled with God, when he was 
 afraid of his brother Efau. Let us therefore in like man- 
 ner \vTeffle with God, and the fear of man will foon va- 
 m(b^ and we fhall be bleffed with Jacob, becoming now 
 the true Ifrael of God, who enjoy the blefling of peace 
 »nd mercy. Gal.vi. 16. 
 
 12 As this cheerfulnefs of faith is greatly ob{lru61ed, 
 and the vice of fearful nefs confirmed and increafed, when 
 we Gonfult with flefh and blood, or with other fearful 
 jnen ; fo we ought wholly to forfake fuch perfons, and 
 avoid all converfation with them, or to ufe it with great 
 camion and circumfpcftion, for fear of being involved m 
 the fnares of fearfulnefs. There are many that take cou- 
 I3ge in God to undertake this or the other thing in readi- 
 irefs of faith ; but whilft they do not with St. Paul fet 
 about it immediately, without conferring with flefh and 
 blood, fas he did when he was to preach Chrift among 
 the heathens,) but firit take the advice of this or another 
 irknd, who reprefent the thing doubtful and hazardous, 
 Ithey give over the defign, and flifle the gift of God that 
 was in them. Indeed it is not to be exprefled how many 
 afeluil defign* are by this means hindered, ftifled and 
 
 nipt* 
 
againft the Fear of Man. 63 
 
 nipt in the bud. It is praifeworthy not to rely too much 
 lipon our own prudence, but to take the advice of expe- 
 rienced perfons alfo into confideration : but withal we 
 mufl: be wife and prudent, left we fall into the other ex- 
 treme, of being toflTed and rocked with every wind oi 
 doftrine : for it is a good thing that the heart be eftab- 
 lifhed, which ftability indeed is obtained by faith, but it 
 is eafily loft again by the fearful talk of thofe that have 
 but little faith themfelves, as appears in the inftance of 
 the children of Ifrael, mentioned Num. xiii. 32. & 
 xiv. 1. 
 
 13 Becaufe the apoftles of our Lord were fo fcnfible of 
 the great damage which aiccrues to men by their confer- 
 ring with flefh and blood, they themfelves did not only 
 carefully avoid it, (Gal. i. 16.) but warned others alfo 
 againft It ; and though they were not wanting to fet be- 
 fore them a whole cloud of witneffes, by whofe example 
 they might be effe6lually excited to a faith attended with 
 iife and energy, yet they chiefly pointed them to Chrift, 
 as the Beginner and Finiftier of our faith. Heb. xii. 2^ 
 And it is very emphatical, what he adds, v. 3. " confid- 
 «* er him that endured fuch contradi6lion of finners ao-ainft: 
 *' himfelf, left ye be wearied and faint in your minds," 
 Where the meaning of the word in the greek text is pro- 
 perly this ; make a comparifon, viz. betwixt that which 
 Chrift hath fuffered, and what ye fuffer ; confider what a 
 proportion and analogy there is betwixt thefe two : for 
 fure it is, in cafe you refolve to be his true followers 
 you muft refift unto blood, ftriving againft fin. 
 
 This it was that fo powerfully infpired and encourao-ed 
 St. Paul to expofe himfelf to all manner of fufFerings for 
 the name of Chrift, without any regard to the fear oi 
 man. For the mark he had always in his eye was, to 
 know Chrift and the power of his rcfurre6lion, and the 
 
 fellowihip 
 
64 Of fome Remeaies 
 
 •' fellowfhip of his ruflTerings, being made conformable 
 •* unto his death ; if by any means he might attain unto 
 •* the lefuncOion of the dead." Philip, iii. jo, ii. 
 And 2 Tim. ii. 8, 9. he faith, *' remember that Jefus 
 *' Chrift, of the feed of David, was ralfed from the dead, 
 ** according to my gofpel : wherein 1 fufFer trouble as an 
 •* evil-doer, even unto bonds ; but the word of God is 
 *" not bound." And St. Peter, 1 epift. ii. 20, 21. from 
 the fame ground faith, " if when ye do well, and fuffer 
 *' for it,, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God : 
 •' for even hereunto were ye called ; becaufe Chrifl alfo 
 *' fuffered for us, leaving us an example, that we fhould 
 ♦* follow his Heps." Thus Mofes alfo " efteemed the re- 
 *' proach of Chrifl greater riches than the treafures of 
 *' Eo^vpt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endur- 
 *^ ed as feeing him who is invifible." Heb. 11. 26, 27. 
 Chrift himfelf likewife giveth the fame inftruftion to his 
 difciples, John xv. 18. *' if the world hate you, ye 
 •' know that it hated me before it hated you : and v. 20. 
 *' remember the word that I faid unto you ; the fervant 
 " is not greater than his lord : if thev have perfecuted 
 *' me, they will alfo perfecute you : if they have kept 
 " my fayings, they will keep your's alfo." And in his 
 laft farewell he encourageth them with his continual pre- 
 fence, this being the fitted argument to comfort and raife 
 their fpirits ; " lo," faith he, " I am whh you alway^ 
 •* even unto the end of the world." Mat. xxviii. ?o. 
 Wheretore if any man would in good earneft be .rid .pf 
 the fear of man, let him eye continually tl:^ example 
 and image of Chrift, and know afTuredly that he cannot 
 be happier in this world, than when he cometh up, to the 
 neareft conformity with the image of his fuffering and 
 crucified Lord. And if his love-to Chrift be fipcere, it 
 will kindle in his heart an ardent defire to-be ^lade like 
 
 unta 
 
again ft the Fear of Man. 65 
 
 unto his image. And this defire will difpel all the fear of 
 man, becaiife it makes the crofs, which is fo bitter unto 
 the flefh, fweet and deHghtful unto the fpirit ; by which 
 means the fpirit at laft gains a compleat viftory over the 
 fearfuinefs of the flefh, fo that it can no more hinder him 
 to drink up moll wilHngly the cup his Saviour hath ap- 
 pointed for him. 
 
 Nay, St. Paul affureth us, that a man not only over- 
 comes thereby, but that he is even more than a conque- 
 ror ; intimating, that by this viftory he obtains an incon- 
 ceivable advantage over all the fufferings which can befal 
 him for the gofpel's fake. And to this purpofe he enu- 
 merates thofe fevcn calamities which may happen to a 
 true child of God, Rom. viii. 35. " who fhaM feparate 
 *' us from the love of God ? fhall tribulation, or diftrefs, 
 •* or perfecution, or famine, or nakednefs, or peril, or 
 *' fword ?" and hereupon he adds, v. 37. " nay, in all 
 *' thefe things we are more than conquerors through him 
 " that loved us." Neither doth he flop here, but exprefT- 
 eth the undaunted chcerfulnefs of his heart in Chrift yet 
 more emphatically, v. 38, 39. *' for I am perfuaded, that 
 " neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 
 " nor powers, nor things prefent, nor things to come, 
 *' nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, fhall be 
 ** able to feparate us from the love of God, which is in 
 <* Chrift Jefus our Lord." Let us, dear brethren, in 
 like manner, as the firfl fruits of the Lord, prefs in fpirit 
 into the living and powerful fellowfhip of Chrifl Jefus, fo 
 that we may live no more, but that he mav live in us; 
 ** and the life which we now live in the flefli, we mav 
 '**■ live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us, and 
 " gavehimfelt for us." Gal. ii. 20. Thus all fear of 
 mail will fbon vanifh out of our hearts, and the joyful fpi- 
 rit orChrift Jefus will fall up the room it had there, and 
 
 make 
 
66 Of fome Remedies 
 
 make us grow in ftrength, comfort and encourage us in 
 all our combats, and afford us a continual train of vifto- 
 i-ics. 
 
 14 Now forafmucli as Jefus ChriR himfelf is he that 
 moft certainly can deliver us from all lear of man, and 
 clothe us with his power, fo as that though we be afTaulted 
 hy it, yet we fhall notwithftanding get the viftory over 
 it ; fo none can teach us better how and by what means 
 we muft flrive and fight againft the temptations of this 
 fearful nefs, than he himfelf. And this he hath done 
 mofl faithfully, efpecially in the latter part of his ftate of 
 humiliation, comforting and raifing the fpirits of his for- 
 rowful difciples in his farewell-difcourfe, to that degree, 
 that every one that is plagued with the fear of man will 
 find a moft effeftual medicine againft it in the 13th, 14th, 
 35th, 16th and 17th chapters of St. John's Gofpel, if we 
 would but read and confider them with due application, 
 accompanied with hearty prayer and fupplication to God. 
 Now the principal point infifted upon in thefe chapters, 
 is Chrift's promife of fending the Holy Ghoft to his difci- 
 ples, whom alfo he calleth the Comforter, becaufe he 
 drives away all fear of man out of the heart, filling and 
 overflowing the fame with a ft ream of life and power : 
 (which no rational grounds of comfort can afford, though 
 they may convince our underftanding.) 
 
 Therefore he that would be a difciple of Chrift in truth 
 and good earneft, hath nothing elfe to do, but with full 
 affurance to accept of and to rely upon this his promife, 
 and with a filial freedom and confidence pray to Chrift, 
 hat he would powerfully make good the faid promife to 
 him. This was it, to which St. Paul direfted Timothy, 
 2 epift. i. 7. 8. *' God hath not given us the fpirit of fear, 
 •' but of power, and of love, and of a found mind. Be 
 *' not thou therefore afhamed of the teftimony of our 
 
 Lord* 
 
againfl: the Fear of Man. 67 
 
 ** Lord, nor of me his prlfoner ; but be thou partatcr of 
 ** the affliftions of the gofpel according to the power of 
 " God." St. Peter fays to the fame purpofe, i Pet. iv* 
 13, 14. that when we are partakers of Chrift's fufferings, 
 and wilHngly bear reproach for his name's fake, the Spirit 
 of glory and of God reileth upon us. And fince Chrifl: 
 himfelf is fo near at hand to a man that fuffers for kk 
 fake, that thereby he becometh a tabernacle or habitat! on 
 of God, upon which the glor)' of God refteth, yea, whick 
 is filled with the Spirit of glory and of God, fiiould he 
 not be powerfully moved thereby, at any time when lic 
 lies under the temptation of the fear of man, willingly to 
 embrace the crofs, as believing that the power of Jefus 
 Chrift: will be perfe£fed in his weaknefs ? And wliatA 
 furpafTing comfort is it, that the fame Holy Spirit alfb 
 helpeth our infirmities ; that whereas we know not whsBt 
 we (hould pray for, as we ought, the Spirit itfelf maketh 
 interceffion for us v.ith groans that cannot be uttered -I 
 That is, moft powerfully and in a manner inconceivabk 
 by human reafon, he being our chief Advocate in heaven, 
 and in the counfel of the Holy Trinity, bequeathed to u« 
 by Chrift, as long as we continue orphans m this worlds 
 fee JoHM xiv. 17, 18. Rom. viii. 26. Nay, Chri-1 
 himfelf, who is at the right hand of God, makes alfo ia- 
 tercedion for us, v. 34. O that we were thoroughly fen- 
 fible of the joy and readinefs lodged in the heart of God, 
 to fupport all thofe that feeking all their comfort and f^lp 
 from him alone, rely entirely upon his paternal goodnefs I 
 How eafy would it be for us then to get rid of the fear of 
 man, and even blulh for fliame, that we had ever bee® 
 diverted by it from any good undertaking ? 
 
 15 Would we further lay to heart with what extraordi- 
 nary earneftnefs the apoftles endeavoured to free cveiy 
 one that nanaed the name "QI Chrift, from the fear ^ 
 
68 Of fome Remedies 
 
 man ; or would we know wherewith they ftrengthenec?, 
 and with what weapons they armed themfelves, as good 
 foldiers of Jefus Chrift, againft all manner of affaults 
 from within and without, let us read the i6th chap, of St. 
 Paul's epift. to the Ephefians, from the loth to the 2Cth 
 verfe, and follow the good advice given us therein ; then 
 without doubt this enemy, the fear of man, will firft be 
 conquered, and we enabled thereby to cut down with the 
 fame weapons all the reft of our enemies in the name of 
 the Lord. " Finally," faith he, •' my brethren, be 
 " ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 
 •' Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able 
 *' to {land againft the wiles of the devil : for we wreftle 
 •' not againft flefli and blood, but againft principalities* 
 " againft powers, againft the rulers of the darknefs of 
 " this world, againft fpiritual wickednefs in high places. 
 " Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, 
 " that ye may be able to withftand in the evil day, and 
 •' having done all to ftand," and thus gain the viftory, 
 which you will in no ways be able to obtain by human 
 weapons, viz. natural wit, learning and the like. 
 
 Stand therefore, and be not of the number of thofe that 
 give way for fear of their enemies ; having your loins 
 girt about with truth, (Is a. xi. 5.) that the knowledge of 
 the truth, which is according to godlinefs, may keep 
 your heart and mind, your words, works, and affeftions, 
 within the right bounds, that ye lofe not your raiment, 
 and the fhame of your nakednefs do not appear. And 
 having on the breaft. plate oF righteoufnefs, to keep your 
 breaft and heart from all unjuft things and praftices, giv- 
 ing them no inlet into your foul. (Isa. lix. 17.) And 
 your feet fhod with the preparation ; that is, the forward 
 readinefs and cheerful nefs of the fpirit of the gofpel of 
 peace, (Isa. Hi. 7.) Above all taking the fhield of faith. 
 
againft the Fear of Man. §9 
 
 •o 
 
 as Abraham did, Gen. xv. 16. And David, Psalm 
 Xci. 4, 5. " Wherewith ye fliall be able to quench all 
 *• the fiery darts of the wicked ;" and fo not only the fear 
 of man, but of all the devils in hell alfo. And take the 
 helmet of falvation, Is A. lix. 17. 1 Thes. v. 8. " and 
 " the fword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,'* 
 Heb. iv. 21. Apoca. i. 6. "as Chrift himfelf did," 
 Mat. iv. 4, &c. " praying always with all prayer and 
 •' fupplication in the fpirit," John iv. 23, 24. " and 
 " watching thereunto," Mat. xxvi. 41. " with all per- 
 " feverance, and fupplication for all faints, and for me 
 " alfo, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may 
 ** open my mouth boldly," without any fear of man, even 
 then, when my life is thereby expofed to apparent dan- 
 ger ; to make known the myftery of the gofpel ; not to 
 hide it under a buftiel of fearfulnefs ; for which I am an 
 arnbaffador in bonds, that therein I may fpeak boldly as I 
 ought to fpeak, without being baffled or daflied by the 
 fear of prefent death. 
 
 Is not the whole ftorehoufe of divine ammunition open- 
 ed in thefe words, and the whole armour of God prefent- 
 ed to us, not merely to gaze upon them, but to lay hold 
 of, and to put them on, if we would not with horror 
 remember the words of the Holy Ghoft, Rev. xxi. 7, 8. 
 *' he that overcometh fhall inherit all things, and I will 
 *' be his God, and he fliall be my fon. But the fearful 
 ** and unbelieving fhall have their part in the lake which 
 *' burneth with fire and brimftone, which is the fecond 
 *' death." Oh ! dreadful fentence pronounced againft 
 the fear of man, which yet too commonly is looked upon 
 as a mere trifle, and inconfiderable. Neither need we won- 
 der at the punifliment afligned to this fin, if we call to 
 mind what before hath been faid of the manifold hurt and 
 mifchicf that is caufcd, and the great good that is hindered 
 bv it. Q t$ 
 
7u Of fome Remedies 
 
 10 To tills piirpofc alfo we fhould call to mind the 
 doftrine of" the royal priefthood of Chriftians, whereof 
 we meet with fach glorious declarations in the fcripture, 
 and ill particular that of St. Peter, i epift. ii. 9, 10. " ye 
 " are a chofen generation, a royal priefthood, a holy na- 
 *' tion, a peculiar people, that ye fhould fhew forth the 
 *' praife of him that hath called you out oF darknefs into 
 ** his marvellous light ; which in time paft were not a 
 *' people, but are now the people of God, which had not 
 *' obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.'* 
 Which words of St. Peter direft us to Exodus, xix. 34, 
 35' 3^- Where we find thefe emphatical exprefTions of 
 God : " the Lord called unto Mofes out of the mountain, 
 *' faying, Thus (halt thou fay to the houfe of Jacob, and 
 " tell the children of Ifrael ; ye have feen what I did un- 
 ** to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagle's wings^ 
 ** and brought you unto myfelf. Now therefore if ye 
 ** will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, 
 ** then ye fliall be a peculiar treafure unto me, above all 
 *' people ; for all the earth is mine. And ye fhall be a 
 " kingdom of priefts, and a holy nation. Thefe are the 
 *' words which thou fhalt fpeak unto the children of Ifrael." 
 
 But becauf« fome that are weak in faith might objeft, 
 that thefe words do not belong to them, becaufe they were 
 fpoken by God to Ifrael after the flefh ; therefore St. 
 Peter points them further to the 2d chap, of Hofea, ver. 23. 
 thereby informing them, that by faith they are become 
 the true peculiar people of God, and have right to lay 
 claim to, and to comfort themfelves with all the glorious 
 promifes of God, with an afTurance, no lefs than Ifrael 
 after the flefh. And now, to what purpofe did God in 
 ^the forefaid place make this moft comfortable declaration 
 to the Ifraelites ? was it not that he might chafe away all 
 fear of man from their hearts, affuring themfelves, that 
 
 nortc, 
 
asainft the Fear of Man. 7 1 
 
 'o 
 
 none, how powerful foever, fhould be able to hurt them, 
 as long as they continued faithful to his covenant, not by 
 profeiTion only, hut in deed and in truth, and yielded fili- 
 al obedience to his commands ? As they had feen with 
 their own eyes, how that all the power of" the Egyptians 
 was confounded before them ; and therefore reprefents to 
 them their high rank and nobihty, that they are a pried ly 
 kingdom and holy people. This promife alt'o he made 
 good to them indeed ; for though ihis people were the 
 leafl of all nations, yet none were able to refifl them, as 
 long as they continued in his ways. He hath moreover 
 evidenced, by many inflances, that the whole world can- 
 not hurt a man that entirely relies upon this his promife. 
 Por he that trufls in God, doth by this faith unite himfelf 
 to that degree with the power of the living God and Cre- 
 ator of heaven and earth, that thereby he becomes much 
 ftronger tiian the whole world, whether vifible or invifi- 
 ble. 
 
 This precious promife of God concerning the royal 
 priefthood of the faints, v/as confirmed and fealed by the 
 death, and in the blood of the Son of God, Rev. i. 5, 6. 
 *' Jefus Chrifl, the faithful Witnefs, and the Firfl Be- 
 *' gotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the 
 *' earth, hath loved us, and wafhed us from our fms in 
 " his own blood, and hath made us kings and priells un- 
 *' to God and his Father. To him be glory and domi- 
 *' nion for ever and ever ! Amen !" But who is it that 
 giveth him the glory due unto him, but he that demon- 
 Urates himfelf to be one of thefe royal priefts, by caffing 
 off all the fear of man, and fighting the good fight (vo/u,/- 
 (jLus) lawfully, according to the rules of combats, that 
 having finilhed his courfe and kept the faith, he may ob^ 
 tain the crown of righteoufnefs from the hand of his God ? 
 2 Tim. ii. 5. iv. 7, 8. Does not St, Paul deny this royal 
 
 G 2 crown 
 
7'2 Of fome Remedies 
 
 crown even to them that ftrivp, and fo feera in fome fort 
 to conquer the fear of man, but not lawfully ? It is 
 therefore necelfary to break through in faith, and to give 
 to God the things that are his, and to Caefar the things 
 that are Caefar's. A divided heart is not at all acceptable 
 unto God; and though he feems often to bear with it in 
 patience ; yet nobody ought to turn the divine forbear- 
 ance into a cloak of floth, negligence, and fearfulnefs ; 
 but rather ought to be the more awakened and excited 
 thereby to break through all difficulties, into a true cheer- 
 fulnefs of faith, which God is willing to give to all, with- 
 out refpeft of perfons. For what other reafon has he giv- 
 en fuch great and precious promifes to men, but toteftify^ 
 how earneftly he defires that thofe who hear and read 
 them, might thereby be made partakers of the divine na- 
 ture, which has no fellowfhip at all with the bafe vice of 
 liuman fearfulnefs. 
 
 Oh ! how fenfible fhall many be at that day, of the 
 horrible effefts of this difmal fi4a ; perceiving now, but 
 too late, what a glorious crown, what a heavenly king- 
 dom, and unfpeakable glory, they have loft by it ! 
 
 Let every one therefore roufe himfelf, that in his holy 
 baptifm hath once begun to renounce the devil and all his 
 works, and entirely to dedicate himfelf to the fervice of 
 the Lord of Hofts, ferioufly confidering with hov\^ holy 
 and high a Majefty, with how great a monarch, fwho in- 
 deed is the only Potentate,) he hath entrufted his foul and 
 body, to the end he may rid himfelf of this foolifli and 
 unreafonable fear of man, and " no more fear them which 
 " kill the body, but are not able to kill the foul : but ra- 
 " ther fear him, which is able to deftroy both foul and 
 " body in hell." Mat. x. 28. Let him think with him- 
 felf, that he is not only fecure under the proteftion of fo 
 great a King ; for ** he that dwelleth in the fecret place o{ 
 
 the 
 
againfl the Fear of Man; 73 
 
 *' 'tlie Mofl High, and abides under the fhadow of 
 *' the Almighty, faith of the Lord, He is my Refuge 
 ** and my Fortrefs ; my God ; in hira will I truft." 
 Psalm xci. i, 2. But let him alfo duly confider, 
 that he is not to fight this combat by his own ftrength, 
 but that the Captain of the Lord's hofts, delivering 
 his own fword to him, will arm him with his own 
 power, and encourage him, as he did Jofhua, Josh. i. 
 S, 6, 7,^- "I will rrever leave thee, nor forfake thee : 
 *' (HEB.xiii. 1.) be ftrong and of good courage, that 
 *' ihou mayft obferve to do according to all the law which 
 *' Mofes my fervant commanded thee ; turn not from it 
 *' to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayft profper 
 ** whither foever thou goeft. For then thou fhalt make 
 ** thy ways profperous, (if thou continueft in the keeping 
 *' of my words,) and then thou fhalt have good fuccefs. 
 ** Have not I commanded thee ? Be ftrong and of good 
 *' courage, be not afraid, neither be thou difmayed, for 
 *' the Lord thy God is with thee, whitherfoever thou 
 •' goeft." 
 
 Thefe words were fpoken in particular to Joftiua de- 
 figned (as a type of Chrift,) to conquer the land of pro- 
 roife, and put the children of Ifrael in pofTeflion of it : but 
 in as much as it is the duty of every one of us to overcome 
 the world by faith, and to take pofteffion of the true Ca- 
 naan, they as truly are addreffed to us; and therefore we 
 ought firmly to believe that thefe words are fpoken to eve- 
 ry one of us, as well as to Jofhua himfelf. And for this 
 reafon, St. Paul alfo allegeth them as a general promife. 
 HEB.xiii. 5. 
 
 Laftly, let every one of us confider that the only way for 
 
 us to fecure to ourfelves the preeminence of this royal 
 
 priefthood, is to fight manfully the battles of the Lord of 
 
 feoftsj and come life, come death, prefs through to him : 
 
 G 3 •; fg 
 
74 Of fome Remedies 
 
 *' fo fhall we forget thofe things which are behinrl, and 
 *' reach forth unto thofe things which arc before, preffing 
 *' towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of 
 *' God In Chrift Jefus." Phil. ill. 13, 14. 
 
 17 In a word, All holy writ, from the beginning to 
 the end, nay, even heaven and earth, and ail the crea- 
 tures of God, would prove happy means to rid us of 
 the fear of man, could we behold and confider them with 
 a believing heart. Docs not our Saviour upbraid and re- 
 proach our foolifh fear of man, by fending us to the fpar- 
 rows for better information ? Mat. x. 29. '* are not two 
 *' fparrows fold for a farthing ? and one of them fliall not 
 *• fall on the ground without your Father." Nay, he dl- 
 reQs us to the very hairs of our head, faying, ** but the 
 *' very hairs of your head are all numbered ;" and from 
 thence infers, ver. 31. " fear ye not therefore, ye are of 
 *' more value than many fparrows." He takes the grafs 
 of the field to witnefs againft our little faith, Mat. vi. 
 30. and all this to expofe our horrible unbelief to fhame 
 and corifufion, and to reprefent to us In a clear light, that 
 a man by faith becomes the mofl glorious, as by unbelief 
 the moft bafe and mlferable of all creatures. 
 
 18 But becaufe the heart of man is fo deeply funk into 
 atheifm and denial of God : (for what is the fear of man 
 but a denying of that Majefly, which alone can defend 
 and preferve us, fo as that even in death itfelf, nothing 
 can hurt us ?) therefore It is highly neceifary that a man, 
 (how bold and courageous foever his nature may be;) re- 
 new himfeif in the fpirit of his mind, and daily draw life 
 and nouriftiment from the word of God ; illr up himfeif 
 in prayer, and ftrengthen himfeif with the company of 
 other true and faithful chriftians, if it may be ; fince 
 Chrift himfeif has promifed to be among, and to impart 
 bis blelTing aiid power to thpfe th^t arc gathered together 
 
 xn 
 
againfl the Fear of Man» > ^ 
 
 in Ills name. Mat. xvill. He ought to fllr up the gift of 
 God ; that is, the childlike, cheerful fpirit, always and 
 without intermiffion ; (as St. Paul exhorts his fon Timo- 
 thy, 2 epift. i. 6.) even as a fire by conflant blowing is 
 kept up to a flame. He ought to prefs to higher degrees 
 of faith, by pondering the precious promifes oF God, and 
 continually exercifing his love to his neighbour to the uf 
 termoft of his power, with all frngienefs of heart, when' 
 ever God aflfords him opportunity ; for nothing condu- 
 ceth more to the growth and increafe of faith than a 
 continual exercife. 
 
 If he perceives himfelfto be naturally inclin'd tobafh- 
 fulnefs and fearful nefs, let him with the greater earneftnefs 
 alTault this enemy, and above all things make it his bufi- 
 nefs to keep a good and unblameable confcience, left his 
 natural fearfulnefs grow upon him, and when his fword is 
 broke, expofe him to the reproach and uncharitable re- 
 flexions of others. He ought to have a care in the be- 
 ginning, not to make himfelf a Have of other men ; 
 efpecially of them that are in high places, and who can 
 eafily frighten him, through their power and authority ; 
 but behave himfelf always as a faithful fervant of God, in 
 all humility and difcretion. And if in the beirinnincr he 
 have perhaps fallen fnort, and been wavering, yet after- 
 wards he may the more encourage himfelf in God, thence- 
 forward to obey him more than men : not fuffering him- 
 felf any more to be diverted from this kingly refolution 
 and courage, either by force or fuhtlety. He ought to lift 
 up his head in the power o[ Chrift, though it were under 
 the hardefl combat, and greateft poverty of fpirit. 
 
 He is to make the glory of God his end in all he does 
 
 or leaves undone, diligently fearching himfelf, that this 
 
 mark be not removed by the fuhtlety of the ferpcnt, or 
 
 mingled with falfe and finifler by-ends. For though God 
 
 G 4 be 
 
75 Of chrlftlan Difcretion. 
 
 be fo faithful as not to fuffer us to be tempted beyond 
 what we are able to bear, yet withal be hath placed us 
 here in a flate of warfare and fighting, and to this end 
 hath himfelf put weapons into our hands, to the end we 
 may not be negligent and flothful, but unweariedly fight 
 it out, and make the heft ufe of our fplritual weapons ; 
 and whenever we perceive a failure, to amend the fame 
 prefently, not cafting away our confidence, but continue 
 faithful unto the end. Blefied is he that thus holds out, 
 and ftands his ground in all combats and afTaults ; (Josh. 
 ^v. lo.) and even then when the enemy cries, I have pre- 
 vailed again ft him : for he (hall go from faith to faith, 
 from flrength to ftrength, and finally overcome and inhe- 
 rit all in and with Chrift. 
 
 CHAP. 7. 
 
 Of christian Discretion, Wisdom and Pru- 
 dence, to be observed in the exercise of a true 
 Boldness of Faith, That we must distin- 
 guish between Faith and Rashness. 
 
 "T X THAT hath been alleged in the foregoing chapter^ 
 ^ ^ from the word * of God, concerning the proper 
 means whereby to get rid of the fear of man, and to at- 
 tain to a true chriftian boldnefs of faith, might be thought 
 fufficient ; but forafmuch as flefh and blood is commonly 
 inclined either to exceed or fall fhort in matter of dutv ; 
 fo it may eafily happen that whilft a man endeavours to 
 avoid the fear of man, he may fall into the contrary vices 
 of rafhnefs, prefumption, inconfideratenefs, and other 
 fuch like unwarrantable doings, defpifing others in his 
 heart, who perhaps do not half the mifchief by their bafh. 
 fulnefs and fearfulnefs, as he doth by his indifcreet over- 
 
 forwardnefs 
 
or chririian Difcretion. 77 
 
 Forwardnefs and boldnef";. This now mud needs produce 
 all manner of monftrous and untimely births ; and there- 
 fore it will be necelTary for every one to be upon his 
 guard, that he may, by the grace of God, be taught to 
 move in the middle way, endeavouring after a true bold- 
 nefs of a divine faith, and not plcafmg himfelf with a 
 dead phantom, or a vain conceit of it. 
 
 2 Wherefore we are before all things to confider, that 
 as there is no true faith which hath not true repentance 
 for its ground and foundation, fo neitlier can there be any- 
 true boldnefs of faith, unlefs a man have pafTed through a 
 true procefs of repentance, and exercife himfelf in it. 
 For a cheerful and undaunted faith is no fuch bold ungov- 
 erned rafhnefs as is found in a wild foldier; but is the 
 fear of God, which having taken poflfeffion of the heart, 
 does expel the fear of man. Where the fpirit of man is 
 truly humbled and broken under the mighty hand of 
 God, there the power and vSpirit of God dwells and ex- 
 erts itfelf To glorioufly, that there is no room left for the 
 flefh to boafl: itfelf. Let no man here deceive himfelf; 
 there is no efcaping the troublefome work of true repen- 
 tance ; and where that is pad through, there thy vain 
 boaftings will be cut off. Whatfoever is not raifed on a 
 folid and divine bottom, cannot lafl; long, let the outward 
 appearance ot it be never fo great and glorious. 
 
 3 The true boldnefs of faith appears then mofl vifibly, 
 when it is mofl aftive and operative by love. By faith a 
 }uan is made a lord over all ; but by love he is a fervant 
 of all ; by faith he is a king, by love a fpiritual prieft, 
 miniftering, not lording in God's fan6luary. " God him- 
 *' felf is Love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in 
 " God, and God in him." i John iv. i6. Now when 
 a man doth not abide in love, but is puffed up and fway- 
 pd by his carnal paffions, as hatred, wrath, railing and 
 
 fcorning, 
 
7g Of ehriRian Difcretion. 
 
 fcormng, be mttft not pretend then to a true boldnefs of 
 faiths And though he may have had fome degree of it 
 fcelore, yet is it now impaired and fophifticated by fuch 
 imgodly exorbitancies. Therefore in this cafe, a man 
 Gw^ht to liumble himfelf before God, and by a fincere 
 xenewal of his mind in the fpiiit of love and divine peace, 
 to prefs in again into the pofTeflion of a true cheerfulnefs 
 ©f faith. Satan indeed will not be wanting, by occafion 
 of thefc failings, to call him down and deprive him of all 
 t!ie prefence and ferenity of mind ; but here it is then, 
 tbat he nuift rend him iledfaft in faith, and humble him- 
 felf the more under the mighty hand of God, owning 
 liimfelf guilty before him, and then proceed again in his 
 work of faith, and in his. labour of love, and patience of 
 
 4 To keep up and preferve this cheerfulnefs, we muft 
 ct>nlinue in praver and childlike communion with God ; 
 for by this ilie mind of a man becomes fan£lified, and is 
 bell guarded from all wanderings and vain excurfions, 
 and infpired with true love of meeknefs towards men. If 
 faith be attended with fo noble a train of divine virtues, its 
 lK>ldnefs will then mod powerfully and effeftually exert 
 itfelf. Whofoever obferves this advice, and by humble 
 poyer endeavours after communion with God and holi- 
 nefs of heart, he will not only be fortified again ft all pre- 
 cipitancy and haftinefs of fpirit, but alfo his tempting of 
 God, againft which the men of little faith chiefly put in 
 llieir caveats. 
 
 5 Neither doth this boldnefs of faith take away that fo 
 often and eavneilly enjoined obedience which one chrilli* 
 311 owes another, (according to i Pet. v. ,5.) and more 
 efpecially which the younger and unexperienced owe to 
 their elders and more experienced ; children to their pa- 
 ic'^ts * ''by natiyre or grace ;) yet with this caution, that it 
 
 ■ b^ 
 
Of chriftian Difcretion. 79 
 
 be never a blindfold obedience, preferring the authority 
 of a man before the clear and evident command of God. 
 
 The nature of this gofpel-obedience has been lately de- 
 fcribcd to the life, in a treatife writ in high-dntch, by 
 Bahhazar Kopke, infpeftor at Nauen, in the king of 
 PrufTia's dominions. Truly, this caution is highly necef- 
 fary, there being but too many, that think they a£t entire- 
 ly in faith, and exprefs an extraordinary courage and cheer- 
 fulnefs when indeed they follow their own wild-fire, and 
 exalt themfelves above others by a vain felf-conceit and 
 wilfulnefs. Which dlflemper is the more dangerous, the 
 lefs remedy can be applied to cure it. For thofe that 
 walk in the light of the fire of their own kindling, when- 
 ever they are advifcdto true humility, chriftian difcretion 
 and obedience, they are very apt to fufpeft that it pro- 
 ceeds from a defign of lording over their confciences, and 
 that all the good counfels given to them, are no better 
 than the effc6t of the fear of man, and unbelief : they 
 think themfelves very happy that they do not adhere to 
 men, without taking notice how deep they are enflaved to 
 themfelves. He is truly wife and prudent who endeav- 
 ours more and more to humble himfelf, and is ready to 
 fubmit to all men. For where humility is conftantly prac- 
 tifed, there the enemy finds no room for dangerous temp- 
 tations. He that Hands lo\feil falls eafieft. 
 
 6 St. Paul's words are emphatical, 2 Tim. i. 7. and 
 ought to be well confidered ; " God has not given us the 
 *' fpirlt of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a found 
 " mind." Happy therefore is that man in whom not the 
 fpirit of fear, but of power, takes place, and enables him 
 both to do good, and fuffer evil, with courage and cheer- 
 fulnefs ; but this fpirit, muft be ali^o a fpirit of love, fo 
 that all actions and fufFerings of a man flow from a 
 found fenfe of the love of God and man. It muH be alfo 
 
80 Of chriftlan Difcretion. 
 
 a fpiiit of foundnefs of mind ; that is, accordmg to the 
 true fenfe of the greek word, a fpirit of vvifdom, prudence, 
 difcretion, moderation and fobriety of mind. This fpirit 
 %vorks all this in man, and through him again, in others ; 
 makinrr him not only to difcharge his duty with all un- 
 daunted courage, and influencing him with a pure defire 
 to promote nothing but the glory of God and the good of 
 his neighbour ; but enabling him moreover to behave 
 himfelf in all his doings and fufferings with divine pru- 
 dence and wifdom. This St. James intended, when he 
 advifeth, chap. i. ver. 5. " if any of you lack wifdom, let 
 «» hrm afk of God, that giveth to all men liberally and up- 
 ** braideth not, and it fliall be given him." For there is 
 alio a falfe prudence, with which St. Peter was overtaken, 
 when he took Chrift afide, and began to rebuke him, fay- 
 ins ; *' be it far from thee. Lord ; this fhall not be unto 
 " thee." Whereupon Cbrift turned, and faid unto Peter, 
 ** get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto 
 *« me ' for thou favoureft not the things that be of God, 
 " but thofe that be of men." How can a man be better 
 fecured and fet free from this fpecious but falfe prudence, 
 than by continually keeping a watchful eye over his own 
 fpirit, humbling himfelf always before God ; and like an 
 helplefs infant, praying to God for wifdom and under- 
 ilanding, and taking the word of God to be his conflant 
 counfellor ? For God's word cannot lie ; and this gives 
 us the affured promife, that he who endeavours to aft in 
 all things, according to what is written in the law, (hall 
 profper in whatever he undertakes. See Luke i. vi. 
 Psalm i. 2, 3. Psalm cxix. 9. 
 
 7 Where this foundation is laid, we need not fear any 
 hurt from the boldnefs of faith. And though perhaps, for 
 want of experience, it may not be always exerted in due 
 place or time ; yet are we to take heed, as foon as we are 
 
 fenfible 
 
Of chriftian Difcretidn. 81 
 
 fenfible of It, that we be not too much cad down on ac- 
 count of this imperfeftion, but rather praife God from 
 the bottom of our heart, who gives us a fenfe of our fail- 
 ings for this very end, that we may mend them, and he 
 himfelf in time bring all things into a better order and 
 more compofed condition. But whenever we obferve 
 fuch like failures in others, we ought ftill to be much 
 more cautious of judging them ; becaufe God will not 
 judge according to our, but according to his own mind ; 
 and " God's thoughts are not as our thoughts, neither are 
 *' his ways our ways." In this cafe we often find the 
 truth of what the pfalmift faith, *' out of the moufh of 
 *' babes and fucklings, thou haft perfeflcd praife." Mat. 
 xxi. 16. Psalm viii. 3. '' and if thefe fhould hold their 
 «' peace, the flones would immediate! v cry out." Luke 
 xix. 40. It is much eafier to judge others than to judge 
 ourfelves ; and it happens frequently, that we find fault 
 with the manner of another man's afting, though we nev- 
 er undertook to do it better ; doing hardly any good 
 ourfelves, or fuffering others to do it, fince we fee no 
 way to undertake it, without provoking the devil and his 
 inftruments. And thus we quench the Spirit of God, by 
 endeavouring to avoid outward diforders, as we find it 
 exemplified in the behaviour of the high-pricfls and 
 fcribcs towards the apoftles of the Lord, in Acts iv. 16, 
 
 But hereby we do not in the leaft reflet: upon any one, 
 who from a long experience in the ways of the Lord, and 
 in the fpirit of wifdom and love, doth admonifii his 
 brother, and mind him of the failings which have overtak- 
 en him in any of his aftions, performed in the cheerful- 
 nefs of faith, and fo fets him right in the fpirit of meek- 
 nefs. By this he doth not ftifle any good that is in him, 
 but rather prunes the good tree from its fuperfiuous and 
 
 irregular 
 
S2 Of the Advantages 
 
 irregular fuckers ; and for the reft, like a {kilful gardener 
 lakes care of, and has an eye over him, that he bring 
 forth his fruit in his feafon, and his leaf may not wither, 
 but profper in all he does. 
 
 8 Let us then continually join the exercife of daily re- 
 pentance, of true humility, hearty love, chriftian difcre- 
 tion, the denial of ourfelves and our own wills, obedience, 
 fubmifTion, prayer, meeknefs, and patience of Chrift, 
 hearty compafhon with the failings of our brethren, and 
 all other virtues, that flow from the wifdom that is from 
 above ; let us, I fay, join and knit all thefe together with 
 the cheerful exercife of faith and truft in God, carting off 
 all inordinate fear of man. Let us excite one another 
 with comfortable words to a ready pra6lice of faith. 
 Wherefoever God has wrought a good will, let us take 
 heed of damping it, or defpifing what is good, in any 
 of the Icaft members of Chrift ; but let us cherifh it 
 through the word ol the gofpeJ, and by the rules of wif- 
 dom keep it within fuch bounds as may in time bring it 
 to a fuller and more fubftantial maturity. Thus what has 
 been loft or fpoiled by want of faith, and the fear of man 
 may in the power of God be recovered and reftored 
 through faith and love. 
 
 CHAP. 8. 
 
 Of the inestimable good which ariseth from the 
 boldness of faith conquering all Fear of Alan. 
 
 I TT doth not feem needful to fet forth the manifold 
 •*• and glorious advantages which accrue to thofe, who 
 by the Spirit of God are fet free from the fear of man. 
 For if any one will but duly weigh and confider what has 
 been faid in the ^^th chapter, of the manifold great mif- 
 
 chiefs* 
 
of a ilrong Faith, '&3 
 
 cliieFs that proceed from the fear of man, he will eafilf 
 perceive, by the rule of contraries, the exceeding great 
 profit that refults from the cheerfuhiefs of faith. Where- 
 fore I refer the reader to that chapter, defiring him feri- 
 oufly to confider what is there offered. But yet if a maa 
 were inclined further to enlarge upon this fubjeft, by 
 reprefenting from fcripture all the wonderful advantages 
 of a bold and atlive faith, it would not be altogetlier 
 fruitlefs, but be a further confirmation of what has be©a 
 faid before, 
 
 '2 The 11th chapter to the Hebrews lays an ampk 
 foundation for thefe refleftions ; for it does not only re- 
 prefent the manifold glorious eftefts of faith for ourexcite- 
 ment and edification, but moreover teaches us how to 
 underRand all holy fcripture, and to know the power a^ 
 God, which hath fo manifeftly exerted itfelt in true be- 
 lievers. But here it will be nccefTary to bid you takt:? 
 heed of making God changeable, in faying with the unbe- 
 lieving world, 'this indeed hath been done formerly, bust 
 now it happens no more ;' for by this falfe maxim, fug- 
 gefted from the bottomlefs pit, the highel! difhonoiar 
 imaginable is put upon the living God, by making vmi. 
 all his precious promifes, together with all the exam- 
 ples he hath fet before our eyes, and all his divirae 
 calls, invitations and allurements to an aftive faith, are 
 made null and infignificant. And whereas we have nor^ 
 to blame but ourfelves, for not treading in the fame foot- 
 fleps of farth, in which the faints of old walked, and cam- 
 fequently for not feeing the glory of God as thev did, wc 
 rather chufe to caft all the blame upon God, and devife a 
 dilTercnce of times, whereas the difference i'S to be looked 
 for in the perfons themfelves. For though it cannot fee 
 faid that every believing chriffian muft do the very fame 
 works which were done by Noab, Abraham, Mofes, aiaa 
 
 others^ 
 
84 OF the Advantages 
 
 others ; yet ought every one to follow the faith of thefe 
 godly men, and to fhew and exert the fame with full pow- 
 er and energy, in that ftate and condition wherein God 
 has placed him, and in thofe circum fiances which are 
 daily offered. And in fo doing, he may be fully afTured 
 that he alfo fhall fee the glory of God, as well as they oC 
 old did experience the fame. And with fuch an heart 
 and mind is the fcrlpture to be read and fearched into, 
 and the examples of faith, and the glorious efFefts of it to 
 be duly confidered ; that fo by this means we may receive 
 ftrength and holy boldnefs, more nearly to unite ourfelves 
 with God, and to enjoy his infinite love, goodnefs and 
 faithfulnefs, in a more ample and abundant manner. 
 
 3 The chief advantage, not only of cheerfulnefs in be- 
 lieving, but of faith itfelf abfolutely confidered, as it 
 treats with God, and relies upon the redemption made by 
 Jefus Chrilf , is this, that it lays hold on the righteoufnefs 
 of God, and makes man a friend of God ; and this is 
 confirmed by the example of Abraham. And ought not 
 we therefore to make it our great bufinefs to obtain the 
 fame fpirit of faith that dwelt in Abraham, and mod feri- 
 oufly to weigh and confider the fruits and power of it, 
 with more exaftnefs than is commonly done, and fo learn 
 to know Abraham according to that inward divine ground 
 afid bottom that was in him, and according to that infinite 
 blefhng which attended his faith ? Thus we fhould foon 
 perceive that the faith refiding In Abraham was fomething 
 far more confiderable, glorious and divine, than a bare 
 and idle conceit of the brain, (which fom.e take to be 
 faith,) without ever tailing and experiencing the fruits, 
 which Abraham reaped from it. Oh ! it is indeed a 
 great thing to be a true fon of Abraham in faith, and to 
 walk In the fame foot Heps of faith, and cheerfully to fight 
 his way through all temptations ; to hope agalnll hope^ 
 ^nd believe what we fee not. 4 
 
of a ftrong Faith. 85 
 
 4 Now becaufe faith is fo high and precious a gift of 
 God, and yet commonly not efteemed according to its 
 true worth and dignity, it is no wonder that there arc fo 
 very few that read the fcripture with a feeing eye, as to 
 know that it is a book which throughout teacheth, that all 
 the good that ever was wrought in the world by men, is 
 done by faith, by which God unites himfelf fo clofely 
 with men, that all things become pofTible to them ; and 
 tliat God hath mani felled him felt fo gloriouily and pow- 
 erfully in all believers, though in fome otherwife than in 
 others, according to the feveral works they were engaged 
 in. Wherefore it is highly neceffary, with all plainnefs 
 and earneftnefs, to reprefent, not only to the world, but 
 to the children of God alfo, that faith is fomething far 
 more great and glorious, than reafon is able to conceive 
 or exprefs ; for as long as a man is not fenfible of this, 
 nor duly lays it to heart, fo long he will be utterly unable 
 to comprehend in the leaf}, what an ineftimable treafure 
 true faith brings along with it, notwithftanding that the 
 whole iith chapter to the Hebrews lays before us a large 
 catalogue of its wonderful fruits or efFefts. But when 
 this faith cometh to be known according to the true de- 
 fcription given of it, Heb. xi. i. viz. that is the fub- 
 ftance, (luosroLsis) the ground and bottom of things hoped 
 for, whereupon, as an immoveable fure foundation, all 
 the inconceivable happinefs we hope for doth reft : and 
 an (£A!7;^oy) or convincing evidence and teftimony of the 
 Spirit, which affures us, beyond all doubt, of things no^: 
 feen ; I fay, where faith is thus known in the light of 
 God's Spirit, and a man experiences it to be fo in his 
 heart, then he fees at the fame time that the fruit and ad- 
 vantage of that faith which overcometh all fear of man, 
 is of fo large a compafs, as to contain all the good things 
 we can conceive or hope for from God, even all that can 
 be conceived or exprelfed, h For 
 
86 Of the Advantages 
 
 For then he difcovers, that It is taith that carries a man 
 through, and dcHvers him from, all evil of foul and bo- 
 dy ; and on the other hand, puts him in pofTelhon of fov* 
 ereign blifs, and the fulnefs of God himfclf, (or the di- 
 vine fulnefsjj and unites him with God, (beyond all 
 rational comprehenfion,} making him a right happy man 
 in time and eternity. When a man, I fay, attains to a 
 true and experimental knowledge of this, then he will al- 
 fo more fully comprehend, what a vaft advantage a true 
 cheerfulnefs of faith hath above fearfulnefs and pufillani- 
 mity, and that God, both in the Old and New Teftament, 
 whenever he was about performing any thing that was 
 great and glorious, alwavs employed thofe he had fet free 
 from the bonds of the flavifli fear of man ; fo that it may 
 be truly faid : " thou dofl fend forth thy Spirit, and it 
 *' created them, and there is none that can refift thy voice. 
 *• For the mountains fhall be removed from their founda- 
 *' tions with the waters, the rocks fhall melt as wax at 
 " thy prefence : yet thou art merciful to them that fear 
 "thee," (and not man.) Judith i6, 17, 18. On the 
 other hand, the fcripture as plainlv afTerts, that wherever 
 the fear of man has intruded itfelf, all good undertakings 
 have been entirely fpoiled and deffroyed. A fmgle man 
 fetting afide the fear of flefh and blood, and venturing in 
 the name of the living God, hath frequently been a means 
 of faving a whole nation ; and what was more remarkable 
 in the apoffles, at their firff entering upon preaching the 
 gofpel, than their great boldnefs and prefence of mind, at 
 which the high-priefts, fcribes and elders therafelves flood 
 amazed, Afts iv. 13. where we clearly fee that the fear 
 of man was to be expelled, before the gofpcl of Chrifl 
 could be preached to all the world. And for this reafon, 
 the apoflles of the Lamb are fet before us as examples, 
 •teaching us by the vif^ory of their faith, to call off the 
 
 fe^r 
 
of a ftrong FaiLb. 8^ 
 
 fear of man, and confcfs Chrift and his gofpel before all 
 the world, bearing his crofs and reproach willingly, that 
 in due time we may alfo be partakers of his glory. 
 
 If fo be the reader is now convinced by what has been 
 faid, that the fear of man is a mofl; damnable fruit or pro- 
 du6l of unbelief, and the mother of many other abomina- 
 ble evils, and hath ferioufly laid to heart the means 
 whereby he may attain to a true cheerfulnefs of faith, then 
 nothing remains, but that he experience in himfeU, 
 that where the fear of man is overcome, there, a door is 
 opened to the obtaining of all divine gifts and graces, and 
 an entrance vouchfatcd into the happy fellowfliip of the 
 blefled crofs, and the exceeding great glory that will fol- 
 low after it : and therefore a certain author calls it, *the 
 firft feal of the book, mentioned Rev. v. of which he 
 fays, the firfl. evil fpirit, or firft feal to be opened in this 
 book, is the fear of man, a moft wicked devil indeed !* 
 who hinders and oppofes the fear of God in us. One 
 fear calls out another ; and where men are feared, there 
 God, his counfel and word are defpifed and made light 
 of. Now when a man is about to follow Chrift, and to 
 enter into the reft of God, by walking in the way of the 
 crofs, and performing his baptifmal vow through much 
 tribulation, then the fear of man and his tyranny fteps in, 
 and ftops him from attaining the favour and fear of God, 
 which is the beginning of divine wifdom ; for he fears, 
 Ihould he comply with the will of Chrift, it might coft: 
 him life, and all he hath. Here is a bolt in his way, and 
 a feal on the book, confining him to a fervile ftate, and 
 reftraining him from arriving to that true fonfhip and li- 
 berty, promifed to all the children and freemen in the 
 houfe ot" God. Every one therefore, by fliaking off the 
 fear of man, muft hazard himfelf, cafting behind him, 
 liaung, forfaking and denying his own dear foul and life, 
 
 II 2 and 
 
^ A Prayer 
 
 :^ and much more wife, children, parents, houfe and lands, 
 if he defire to attain to the art of God, which will teach 
 him not tounderftand, interpret and explain the fcriptures 
 according to the anxious imprefhons of the fear oFman, 
 as the world, and blind letter-learned, which are not in- 
 lfru6led to the kingdom of God, are ufed to do, to avoid 
 thereby the crofs ; but freely, according to the fenfe and 
 mind of God in the Holy Ghoft. Certainly we muft fol- 
 low Chrift, bear the crofs, hate our lite, and forfake all, 
 if we would be Chrift's difciples, as indeed Wf meet with 
 nothing fo frequently inculcated by the evangelifts, who 
 underftood the necefTity of it, and without it we cannot 
 be admitted into the fchool of Chrifl, nor ba his difciples, 
 therefore muft this feal be firft opened, and this devil of 
 the fear of man caft out, before the fear of God can enter, 
 and this feal of the book be opened. Bat a man muft 
 fuffer manifold trials and great oppofition until the fear of 
 man be wholly caft out, and the pure fear of God enter 
 in. As far as the fear of God enters, fo far the devil 
 leaves him, and the feal of the fear of man is opened, and 
 the wifdom of God begins to take place in him. EccL. i. 
 
 A PRAYER 
 
 Against the Fear of Man, 
 
 OLORD, whofe wifdom is everlafting, and power 
 infinite, and whofe eyes are open over the ways of 
 the children of men, to give to every one according to his 
 ■ways, and the fruit of his doings ; it is manifeft to thee, 
 that the fear of man, (by which thy glory and majefty is 
 denied, and thy inhnite power, which thou haft fhown 
 from the beginning, is defpifed and made to truckle un- 
 der by the nothingnefs of mortal men, who arc but duft 
 
 anrd 
 
againit the Fear of Man, 89 
 
 and a flies,) bears the fway every where, and is the moth- 
 er of innumerable crimes and abominable fms, though 
 generally efteemed by men as a piece oF prudence, and 
 ranked in the number of virtues. O Lord, how deeply 
 are we funk and plunged into atheifm, and a denial of 
 thy eternal Godhead, from our youth up, through that 
 general corruption that ovcrfpreads the face of the whole 
 earth. In thee we Hve, and move, and have our being; 
 and yet how backward are we to feek thee, if haply we 
 might feel after thee, and find thee, though thou art not 
 far from us, and nothing can fubfill without thee. Alas ! 
 how entirely are we turned towards thefe outward things, 
 though the nature of true faith be to look, '* not at the 
 " things that are feen, but at the things that are not feen ? 
 This word, faith, we have much in our mouths, but not 
 as an olive-leaf of peace ; for the power of faith is almoft 
 no where to be found. What is all our doing, when com- 
 pared with the examples of the ancients ? Thefe were men 
 indeed, and performed manly deeds ; but whatever we pre- 
 tend to is mere child's play and a tranfitory dream. We 
 boa ft of faith, and are put into a fright by the leaft rufh- 
 ing of a leaf; when indeed our hearts ought not to be 
 afraid though many hundred thoufands were encamped 
 againft us round about, to devour us. Art not thou, O 
 Lord, our Light and Salvation, whom then have we 
 caufe to fear ? Art not thou the Strength of our life ; 
 why then are we terrified ? Do we believe that thou art 
 with us ; why then do we fear any that are againft us ? 
 Who is it that can hurt us when we have our almighty 
 Father, the Creator of heaven and earth, for our Friend ? 
 But thou feeft, O Lord, that hypocrify has filled the 
 earth, and that men diilemble and lie to their neighbour 
 for temporal intereft ; and yet for all that, we imagine 
 ourfelves to be in a gooii ftate, and think the church in a 
 
 flourifliing 
 
90 A Prayer 
 
 floarifhing condition. But be thou pleafed, O Lord, ta 
 infp-cft our cafe, and to create a help for us. Send forth 
 again the Spirit of faith, as of old, that thy fervants may 
 be known by their not being the fervants of men ; and thy 
 irrefFengers, by being raifed above the fear of tyranls. O 
 Lord, let the fimplicity and chcerfulnefs of thy fervants, 
 defpifed of the world, fhine forth and flouriih again, 
 whom thou did ft make ufe of as of thy mouth, and did ft 
 confirm their teftimony by their fufferings and thy won- 
 derful affiflance ; honouring them that did honour thee, 
 without anv refpeft of perfons. Thou didft make them 
 a fenced wall of brafs, which every one did fight againif, 
 bat could not prevail over them ; for thou didff deliver 
 l(hem out of the hands of the wicked, and didfl redeem 
 them otit of the hands of the terrible ones. O Lord, let 
 thy face fhine upon us again, that we may behold thy 
 glory ; fo fhall we be healed, and thou alone magnified, 
 and thy iTarne only fantlified in our liearts, and through 
 tfiy power we fhall overcome all. 
 
 Open the eyes of thofe, whofe feet thou haft turned 
 into the path of peace, and difcover to them the great pe- 
 rifoKifnefs of our times, ttiat they may know how highly 
 neceffary it is for them in their foul, and from the bottom 
 af their hearts, to be feparated from all creatures, and to be 
 firmly united to thee by faith ; to the end tl>ey may conti- 
 nue farthiul under all the manifold temptations which dai- 
 ly befal them, or may affault them for the future : and 
 that they may not fuffer themfelves to be drawn away with 
 others into a perverfe mind. Confound, O Lord, all 
 falfe prudence, which flies back at the crofs of Jefus 
 Chrift, and leads the inconfiderate into the w-ays of Bala- 
 am. O Lord, awaken them that are afleep in the ftate of 
 carnal fecunty, perfuading themfelves, that they faithtul- 
 \v feive thee, whilli in all things they endeavour only to 
 
 imitate- 
 
as^alnft the Fear of Man. 91 
 
 imitate and plcafe men. Rojjze them, O Lord, tliat the 
 <leacl may no loncrer bury the dead. Send thy Holy Spi- 
 rit, even the Spirit of power, of love, and of a found 
 mind, into the hearts of the paflors of thy church, that 
 every one may clearly fee and perceive, not in a few, 
 but many thoufands, what a vaft difference there is be- 
 twixt hirelings, who are afraid of men, and of lofing a 
 temporal benefice, and the true fcrvants of God, the mi- 
 nifters of the Moff High, who do not feek their own, nor 
 defne to pleafe men, but count not their lives dear ; *'always. 
 ** bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jefus, 
 ** that the life alfo of Jefus might be made manifeft in 
 ** their mortal bodies." Prepare the youth for thy fer- 
 vice, and vouchfafe thy bleffing unto them, that they may 
 be like arrows in the hand of the mighty. Fill many 
 thoufands with the bold and joyful fpirits of thy prophets 
 and apoffles, and make them as fo many po^ifhed a«"ow6 
 in thy hand, that they may fly ftraight to the mark, that 
 fo at lafl all the earth may be filled witli thy glory, 
 Vouchfafe alfo, of thine infinite grace, thy ble fling to 
 thisteftimony, that many learning thereby to mind them- 
 felves, may begin to feel their own deplor^le condition, 
 and fo courageoufly enter upon a conflant warfare again'il 
 the fear of man, and througli thy mighty power fiullv 
 overcome and conquer it. O Lord God ot Hofts, hear 
 us, and comfort us again with thy help 1 To thy name 
 give the glory, that thou mayfl be known by all men^ 
 according as thou haft revealed thyfeli in thy mofl holy 
 •ivord. Amen. 
 
 FL 
 
 l/U.'i 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 The Author's dedication i 
 
 CHAP. 1. What the fear of man is, and the feveral 
 
 kinds of it p. i 
 
 2» Of the fources and caufes of the Fear of 
 
 man ^ 
 
 3. Of the figns and effe6ls which difcover 
 
 the fear of man 7 
 
 4. Of the manifold mifchiefs caufed by the 
 
 fear of man 1 8 
 
 5. Of the excufes that are ufually made to 
 
 palliate the fear of man 26 
 
 6« Of the means whereby we may be deliv- 
 ered from the fear of man 5 1 
 
 7, Of chrlftian difcretion, wifdom and pru- 
 *" dence, to be obferved in the exercife 
 
 of a true boldnefs of faith. That we 
 muft diftinguifh betwixt faith and 
 rafhnefs j6 
 
 8. Of the ineftimable good which arifetli 
 
 from the boldnefs of faith, conquer- 
 ing all fear of man 82 
 
 A Prayer again ft the fear of man 88 
 
 [Hazard, Printer, Cheap-Street, Bath^l 
 
DATE DUE 
 
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 Theological Semmary-Speer 
 
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