1)ire8ions againft the Fear of Sujferin~s for Cbrift. God: For confider him that tndured fuch contradiWo11 of finntrJ againjl Umfclf, ltjl ye be wwi•d and faint in your mindJ. ) Diro/J, 12. ~· 12· Direlt. 11· Bcof good cheer: o11r Lord bath ovrrcom• the world, John 16. 33· And fhall we fear inordinately a conquered world? Yea, he overcame it by [uffering, to (hew us that by fojffring we jhaU overcome it. He triu"'_lphed over principalities and powers (greater than morcals) 011 tbe Crnfi, Col. 2· I 5· And therefore aU power in Heaven and Earth is given to him, Matth. 28. 19. and he is Lord both of tbe dladandliving. R.om. 14· 9• and if made head sver all thingi to tbeChurcb Ephef. I· 21, 22· And fo, though f or bis [ak~ we be kJUed all the d9y long, and counted as jhrep ,; tJJe jlaJtghter, yet in aU theft thiHgs we are morl than con1uero11rJ, tbrougbhim th:Jt loved uJ: that is we have a nobler viQ:ory than if we conquered them by the fword. , Dire[/. 13· ~· 13· Dired:. 13· Thinlz how little your foffering iJ i11 compatifon of what yottr fin de[erved, ami yJur Lord bath freely faved you from. Should a man grudge at the opening ot a Vein for his health, who defetved to have loft his life. Can you remember Hell which was your due, and yet make a great matter of any thing that man can do againfi you? Dire[/. 14· i>· 14· Di1elt. 14· Remember that to fin through fear of fuffrrillg, it to leap into HeU to {cape a little pain on earth. Are yott •fraid of man l Be more afraid ofGod: Is not God more terrible? I• i< a jeatful thing to fall into hi< handr: for he i< • confuming fire, Heb.to.31·26,27,29· Heb. 12. 29. 0 hear your Lord, Luke 13. 4, 5• And·I fay to you my frimdr, Be not afraid 'J them that bJO the bo– dy, and after tb.zt have no more that they can do: But I wiUforew;~rn you wbom youfh,;l/fear; Fear him n:hich after he bat!J kJl!ed, hatb power to cajl iltlo Hell : yea, I fay unto yote, fiar him. If their tire be hot, remember that Hell is hotter: and that God is the bef/ friend, and the dreadfieUejl emmy. v· l1 ~· 15· Direct:. I 5· Remember that ) 'OU jbaU !•!fer ( and its lilze, lH much) •ven here from God, if you ""·l5• {cape by fin your fuffrringr fromme>t· If you{111 rofCapedeath, youfhal\ dye when youhavedone? And 0 how quickly. And how much more joyful is it (O dye for Chrifi, than a lictle after unwil· Jingly to part with that life which you den~ed to par< with for your Lord' And what galls will you tee] in your guilty confcience both in lite and at your death? So that even in this life, your fear would drive you into greater mi(ery. Dirtll• 1 6. §. 16. DireCt. I 6. 1hinl{ of the dangeroM ejfetiJ of your immodErate fear ? It is the way with Ptter to deny your Lord; Yea, the way to Apofiafie or any wicktdnefs which men fhall drive you to by terror~. If you were where the T~tr~ is now tyrannizing among Chrillians, if you overcome not your ~i propt(~ fear, he might overcome your fidelity, and make you turn from ]efi1s Chrifi ; And that is the fin urnore1~1 rett- which the Apofile fo dreadfully defcribech, Heb. xo. 26, 27, 29· if we fin wilfully, ( that is, wi.l– ~t yer~tatcm, fuUy renounce our Lord) after the ac~nowledgtme?nt of the trutb, tbcre remaineth 11Q more [acrifice for di~~~ta~~.pro- fin, but a fearful lookJng for of judgement, and fire which jhall devour the od:;er{ary. 0 how many Hi-;wnar. Rb~- have been drawn by the fear of men, to wrnmd their confciences, neglect their duties, comply witll mtttj. Diakg. dt fin, forfake the truth, difhonour God, and undo their fouls: And often in this life they do as poor Statr~Ec,l. Spira did, who by (inning through the fear of man, did cJH hirnfelf imo melancholy and felt~murdering defpair. Your fear is a more dangerous CJl(;my to you than thofe rlut you fear are, Pwv.29. 2 5, 26. The fear of matt bringetb a fitJre: but rrho[u puttedJ hi! lrujf in tbl Lord jh:.1U be [.l}e: Mauy fltk the R:tlcrs favour, but every m.ms judgement cometh of the Lord. :Fear is given to preferve you: ufe it not to deHroy you. · Dircl1• 17 . 9· 17· Dired. I7· Believe and remember Gods [pccial pro11idmce, exteuding to every b.Jir of your bead, m:d alfo the gu.1rd of Angelr wbich he bath {tt over you. Matt!1. IO· 29, 30. Arl not two Sparrows fald f or a[.Jrthi11g? and one of them ]hall not'fall on tbe gro:end witbrJUt your Father: Bfft the very htJirs of you;· besd are membered: Fear ye 110t tbcrefore ; ye are of more V:Jlue tb.m many Sparrowr. Othat this were well believed and confidered! FC.I. 34• 7· Tbe Angeluf the Lord encamp– etb round about tbem thiJt fear him, and delivered> them. Direl1.18. 1· 18. Direct. x8. 1hin~ wbat a vile di(honour it is to God to h:JVe bis creature, evtn brratbing dirt See Ifa. 7· 4· to be feared more than him! As if he were lefs powerful to do good or hurt to you than m<1n, and & 3S4· & 41 • were not able or willing to fecure you, fo far as to fee that no man Chall ever be a lofcr by him, or 10 ' 8 13 & & 4t· any thing which he fuffcreth for his caufe! Ifa. 57· I I. And of whom lujt tlmt bun afr.tid ur ft:Jred, j~r.' f. 2. 5:.~ 4 ' that tbott h~~ l)'ed, and haft not remembred me, nor laid it to thy heart : Have I mt held my peace even of old, and tho" fearej! "" WJt? How did Daniel and the three Confdfors honour God, but by fearint PlUs dicam: him more thantheKingandthefla!ningFornace. Saying, We are m• carefitl to a11[wer thuintbis t~nro. eft m~~ matter: If it be fo, our God whom we j frve i1 able to deliver m from the burning fiery Forn,ue : and ~~:Ja~~~::t be will delivrr zy out .of thy band, 0 King:. But ifnot, be it k_nown_ zmto t?ee, 0 King, that. rre .wiU not quam injufie [erve thy GodJ, ~c. Dan.3. x6, I7, 18. Danul would not ceafe praymg thncca day openly mJus houfe, abfo!vi ) for fear of the King, or of the Lyons. Mofes forfool<_ Egypt, not ftadlf~ the wrath of the King; for qu~nt~ dl be endured aJ fieiHg him that if iuvifible, Heb. I r. 27· So th:1t we m.1y boldly fay) 'lhe L~rdHmyhelper, ~f~~1 1~f~~n and I will not fear what man jhaU do unto me, Heb. 15. 6. · ~~.Pj~iboc enim fceleri junEb jufliti2 eR : malo ml£-no bonum ihgens : In illo :tutr:m fr:elus & impunit:Js, quz nefcio, 1111 fee~ lcre ipfo pejor fit. Pelrarcb. Dial. 66. fi. t. Dire[/. '9•' jl. 19• Direel. 19. Remember tbe dangm which yot< have been Javed from already: Efpecially from Sin andHfll: And is an uncircurncifed Philijiine more invincible rhan rhc lyon and the Bear? . ])irrtl. 2 o. 9.20· Direct. 20. Remember the great approaching day of Judgement, whrre weat and (maU wtU be equal bifore Gcd : and where God wiO right aU tbat were wro11grd by mm, and be thef"U and final aVtnger ..
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