comfortable walking with God. 107 -,000.9.4.0.11. mandoth shrug together for horrour, quake like `an Afpen leafe, and die all the while, when this teáre doth reprefent unto it in theglafle ofhis imagination,thegrieily formes and ougly face ofdeath,with thofeother dreadful' circumftances, as the wailings andout-cries ofwife, children and friends a- bout his laft bed, parting fromall worldly pleafures for ever, rotting in the grave, dragging to theTribunali and terror of the laft Day,Sec ! Betides thefe imaginary fufferings,and untimely forrowes, take notice ofthree other bafepeftilent effe6ts and mifchiefe4, which this naturali, llavifh, diftruftfull feare, (for that I onely meane in the whole point) puts upon a man. 'r. It maybring upon him the thingwhich hee feares : by fearing to become miferable, bee may become that bee feares, and fo turnehis vaine fearesinto certaine miferies ; according to that of Salomon, Proverbs io. 24. That which the wicked feareth, fhall come upon him. And that of Ifni. 66. 4. will bring their fearesupon then. Thou haft a wife,, a child, an outward Rate, an high place, which thou art immoderately afraid to lode ; now this very diftruftfull feare derogating from theglory ofGods merciful' providence,which fweetly and wifely difpofeth all things, may juftly provoke him to deprive thee of them, whereasotherwife, thoumight'll have enjoyed them Rill. r . It robs and bereaves theeof the kindly rellifh, and comfortableenjoyment even ofgood things. A mancan take no delight in the fruition of that good, which bee feareth to lode. Life it felfe is loathfome, if a man fia- Quotidiè merit vifhlyfeare to die. That good breeds the trueft prefent con- mortem qui .di. tentment, againft the lotie whereof wee are alwaies prepa- du` pave. red, And therefore thofe who live incontinual) feare tobofe their child, goods, liberty, life, or any other thing, that is deare unto them, lode a great deale of that honeft joy and newts=., allowed pleafiare theymight have , even in thefe outward things. 3. It dejeets and debafes his noble nature, below the miferies and bafeneffe of beafts in this point : for they are fenced from this follyandvanity, by the benefit oftheir weakeneffe, and want ofreáfen; never re-affliting them- felves
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