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SERA!.
XXXII.]
OR
REMEDIES
AGA,IN$T
FEAR.
An
pers of the
flesh,
that
fear
is
a
constant tyrant
over them
:
Their
case
is
to
be
pitied indeed,
but
they
ought
to
stir
up
themselves as
far
as
possible
to
shake off this bondage,
lest it withhold them from the
practice of necessary
du-
ties,
and rob
them
of
all the comforts
of
religion.
This
slavish
fear
is
a disease
of
the mind,
as well as
a
weakness
of nature
;
and
besides,
our
summoning toge-
ther
all
the powers and
precepts of
reason,
we
should also
apply
the
remedies
of
religion,
in
order
to remove it
:
If
the divine
Spirit concur
with
his blessing,
the
following
methods
may be
made happily successful
;
I.
See
to
it
that
Ye
are ehristians indeed,
that
you
have
the power
of
religion wrought in
your hearts, otherwise
you
will
never
be
able boldly
to
maintain
the form
and
the profession
of
it in
an hour of
danger.
Fear
will
pre-
vail over every
thing
but true
faith
:
And
if
your religion
he
not
inward
and
sincere,
and built
on solid
founda-
tions,
it
will
tremble and
totter,
and
be
in
great danger
of
being
utterly
lost.
One hard
name,
one biting
reproach,
one
witty scoff
or
ugly
slander,
will
dash
the hypocrite
out of countenance, and
he
dares
not stand
up for his
God
and Saviour.
And remember
also
that your
faith
must
be
always
kept
awake and
lively. See to
it
that
your hope
be
not
only well-
established,
but
you
must preserve
your evi-
dences
for heaven
ever clear,
that
ye
may look
upon
Yourselves as
the
care and charge
of
Christ,
and
under
the special
eye
and
protection
of
God
your
Saviour.
This
was
the divine
foundation
on which the
great apos-
tle
raised
his
courage
in
the gospel to
so
high
a
degree.
I
am
neither
afraid to
suffer
these things,
says he,
that
is,
bonds and
imprisonments;
nor
am
I
ashamed
of
this
gospel,
for
I
know whom
I
have believed,
I
know him
.as
my
Saviour, and
I
am
persuaded
that
he
is
able
to
keep
that which I
have
committed
to him
against
the
day
of
his
appearance,"
2
Tina,
i.
12.
If
yolk
would raise your spirits to a sublime
pitch
of
holy
.fortitude, brighten
your
faith and hope
daily,
by
a
frequent examination of
the frame
of
your
hearts,
by
watchful walking
before
God,
by committing
your
souls
afresh
into
the
hands of
Jesus
and
his
Spirit, for
pardon-
ing
and renewing
grace,
that
you may believe on
just
and
solid
grounds,
that
you
are the children
of
God, and
that
c4