45b SOLY t'OYCTITUDEe you, apath,which the eagle's eye hath not seen : He has led yott as one that was blind, by theway that you knew not, he has made darkness light before you, and crooked things straight, according to his promise; Is. xlii. 18. And remember also, that sometimes when the very evil which you feared has fallen upon you, it has not been half so heavy and painful as your fears have represented it, and youhave been . enabled to bear that which you thought was intolerable,. Remember the years of ancient time, and rejoice in that God who has often disappointed yourfears of destruction, andhas outdone all your hopes in a way of deliverance. I said, I ans cut offfrom the earth, and shall go to the gates ofthe grave : I reckonedfrom night till the morning that he will cut me of withpining sickness, from day even to night, hewill make an endofme: But in love to my soul, O Lord, thou hast delivered itfrom thepit of corruption, for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. Perhaps your own experiencemay teach you to sing this song of Hezekiah, as it is recorded ; Is. xxxviii. 10-17. or to join with holy David, and repeat hishymns of praise. And thus, beside your ownexperi- ences you may review the happy experiences of the saints of old, or ofchristians in later times, and encourage your faith in oppo- sitionto all your fears. VIII. Charge your conscience solemnly with the authority of the divine command to suppress your fears. Remember that the exercises of faith, courage, and holy firmness of soul, are dutiesas well as blessings. Read how often the great God for- bids his people to indulge their fears ; Is. xl. 10-13, 14. xliii. 1 -5. xliv. 2 S. Fear not, is a command perpetually repeat- ed, because God well knew how prone our feeble natures are to be affrighted at every appearance of danger : And evenwhen he calls his peopleJacob a worm, and confesses the extreme weak- ness of their nature under that emblem, yet he insists on the sameprecept still, Fear not thou wormJacob ; Is. xli. 14. Our blessed Lordjoins frequently in the same prohibition of a slavish fear; Mat. x. 28. Fear not them which can kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but fear him rather, who can destroy body and soul inhell. And Peter, who once wanted courage, and denied his Lord, in his elder and better days, grew bolder for the name of Christ, and he forbids us to be afraid or troubled at the terror of men; 1 Pet.. iii. 13. He repeats the charge of the prophet Isaiah, sanctify the Lord of hosts in your heart; Is. viii. 13. the Lord of hosts alone is the proper object of our supreme fear. This will over-rule andabolish all other fears, as the littlenoises of earth are lost in the thunders of heaven. The fear of God in a sublime degree will be an effectual cure of our sinfulfear of creatures.
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