An Offer of Farther Help to Suffering Saints, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Wherein the neceſſity and uſefulneſs of Chriſtian fortitude, in order to ſufferings, is evinced; with a brief account of its nature, and the means of attaining of it.
THe next Grace which concurs to the compleating of our actual readineſs for ſufferings, is Chriſtian Fortitude, or holy courage; which muſt ſay in thy heart in a time of danger, as Elijah once did, As the Lord lives I will ſhew my ſelf. This alſo is a choice part of your preparation work. In this Grace our Apoſtle was eminent. When he was told, Bonds and Afflictions waited for him; he could ſay, That none of thoſe things moved him, Acts 20.24. yea, when he was to appear before the Lion Nero, and not a man would own or ſtand by him, yet he ſtands his ground, reſolving rather to die on the place, then diſhonourably to recede from his principles and profeſſion, 2 Tim. 4.16, 17. He ſet the world, with all its threats and terrours, lower then it ſet him. Oh how conſpicuous was this Grace in all thoſe Heroes that have paſt on before us! And if ever you hope to ſtand in the evil day, and be fetched off the Field with honour, you muſt rouze up and awaken your courage for God: And the neceſſity thereof will appear upon theſe four conſiderations:
1. Becauſe the ſucceſs and prevalence of Satans temptations in the hour of perſecution depends upupon the fainting and overthrow of this Grace. Wherefore doth he raiſe perſecutions in the world, but becauſe ſuch terrible things are fitted to work upon the paſſion of carnal fear, which riſes with thoſe dangers, and makes the ſoul as a tumultuous Sea. This is it he aims at, Neh. 6.13. This is a multiplying paſſion, that repreſents dangers more and greater then they are, and ſo drives the ſoul into the very net and ſnare laid by the Devil to take it. Prov. 29.25. The fear of man brings a ſnare; which was ſadly exemplified in Abraham, Gen. 12.12. and divers others of the Saints. If he can but ſubdue this Grace, he will quickly bring you to capitulate for life and liberty upon the baſeſt and moſt diſhonourable terms; therefore the preparation of this Grace is ſo exceedingly neceſſary.
2. Becauſe this is the Grace that honours Jeſu… Chriſt abundantly, when you are brought upon the ſtage for him.
There is a great ſolemnity at the ſuffering and trial of a Saint: Heaven, Earth, and Hell ar… Spectators, obſerving the iſſue, and how the Saint… will acquit themſelves in that hour. We are made … ſpectacle, ſaith the Apoſtle. The word is foreign, we are ſet as upon a Theatre in public… view. 1 Cor. 4.9. God, Angels, and Saints wait to ſee the glorious triumphs of their Faith and Courage, reflecting honour upon the Name and Cauſe of Chriſt. Devils and wicked men gape for an advantage by their cowardiſe. Certainly very much lies now upon the Chriſtians hands. Should he faint and give ground, how will it furniſh the triumphs of Hell, and make Chriſts enemies vaunt over him, as if his love ran ſo low in the hearts of his people, that they durſt not adventure any thing for him: or as if notwithſtanding their brave words and glorious profeſſion, they durſt not truſt their own principles when it comes to the trial! But if now they play the men, and diſcover an holy gallantry of Spirit and reſolution for Chriſt, how will it daunt the enemies, and make them ſay as Marcus Biſhop of Aretheuſa made out of Julian's Nobles, preſent at his torments, to ſay concerning him, We are aſhamed, O Emperour; the Chriſtians laugh at your cruelty! And how will God himſelf rejoyce and glory over them, as he once did over Job when he fetch'd him with honour off that firſt Field! Job 2.3. Still he holdeth faſt his integrity.
3. Your own peace is wrapt up in it, as well as Gods glory. Is it nothing think you, to be freed from thoſe Vultures and Harpyes, that feed upon the hearts of men at ſuch times? Surely God reckons that he promiſeth a very great mercy to his people, when he promiſeth it, Prov. 1. ult. Pſal. 112.7. When Borromaeus was told of ſome that lay in wait to take away his life, it troubled him not; but he ſaid, An Deus eſt in mundo pro nihilo? What, is God in the world for nought? And like to this was the anſwer of Silentiarius in a like caſe; Si Deus mei turam non habet; quid vivo? If God take not care for me, how do I live? Oh this is it that brings you to an holy quietude of Spirit in times of confuſion and diſtraction, which is a choice mercy.
4. Your magnanimity is of ſpecial uſe to other Saints, who are following you in the ſame path of ſufferings. If you faint, it's like the fainting of a Standard-bearer in an Army: You bring up thereby an evil report upon the Croſs of Chriſt, as the firſt Spies did upon the Land of Canaan. And a like influence with that it is like to have on your Brethren; ſo that there is a neceſſity of improving this Grace alſo, before you can ſay with Paul you are ready.
2. But what is this Chriſtian fortitude, and wherein doth it it conſiſt?
I anſwer briefly. It is an holy boldneſs in the performance of difficult duties, flowing from Faith …n the call of God to it, and his promiſe to us in …he diſcharge of it.
And ſo you have the nature of it in theſe four …articulars:
1. It is an holy boldneſs, not a natural or ſinful …oldneſs, ariſing either from the natural conſtitution, or evil diſpoſition of the mind.
2. It is expreſt about duties for truth, not error, …erem. 9.3. for the Intereſt of Chriſt, not of the …eſh.
3. The ſeaſon in which it appears is, When duties; are ſurrounded and beſet with difficulties and dangers, Dan. 3.16. Dan. 6.10.
4. The Fountain whence it flowes is Faith, and that as it reſpects the command and call of God to duty, Acts 16.10. and his promiſe to us in the diſcharge thereof, Joſh. 1.5, 6.
And this Grace ſtands oppoſed both to the fear of man in the Cauſe of God, Heb. 11.27. and to Apoſtacy from the Truth for fear of ſuffering. Thus briefly of the nature of it.
3. In the laſt place I ſhall lay down ſome Rules for the promoting and improvement of it, and ſo finiſh this Chapter.
Now there are ten Rules heedfully to be obſerved for the breeding of holy courage in the breaſt of a Saint in evil times.
And the firſt Rule is this: Rule. 1 Get a weaned heart from all earthly enjoyments. If the heart be inordinately fixed upon any one thing that you poſſeſs in the world, that inordinate eſtimation and affection of it will ſtrangely effeminate, ſoften, and cowardize your Spirit when your trial comes, 2 Tim. 2.4. You meet not with a man of courage for God, but had his heart dead to earthly things; ſo it was with Paul, Phil. 3.8. Since the Apoſtles dayes we ſcarce meet with a greater example of holy magnanimity then Luther; and if you read his ſtory, you will find few men ever ſet a lower rate on the world then he. All the Turkiſh Empire in his eye was but a Crumb eaſt to the Dogs. Germana eſt baec beſtia paecuniam non curat, Money could not tempt him.
Suffer not guilt to lie upon your Conſciences: Rule. 2 It is a fountain of fears, and you can never attain boldneſs for God, till it be removed, Rom. 5.1, 2, 3. The Spirit of a ſound mind is oppoſed to the Spirit of fear, 2 Tim. 1.7. Now that ſound mind is a mind or ſpirit that is not wounded, and made ſick and infirm by guilt. Oh what black Fogs and Miſts ariſe out of Guilt, which becloud our Evidences, and fill us with fears and diſcouragements! Gen. 42.21.22.
Clear your Call to difficult ſervices; Rule. 3 be well ſatisfied that you are in that way and poſture God expects to find you in. O what courage this will give! Joſh. 1.9. Then a man may promiſe himſelf Gods preſence and protection, 2 Chron. 15.2. But whilſt a man is dubious here, and cannot tell whether it be his duty or not that he is engaging in; how can he have courage to hazard any thing for it? For thinks he, I may ſuffer much from men, and yet have no thanks of God for it, 1 Pet. 2.19. And further till a man be clear in this, he cannot commit his Cauſe to God. And it is a ſad thing to be cut off from ſo choice a relief as that is, 1 Pet. 4.19.
Get right notions and apprehenſions of your enemies. Rule. 4 We are apt to magnifie the Creature, as if he could do more then he can, and thereby diſable our ſelves from doing what we ſhould. Poſſeſs your ſouls with the belief of theſe five things concerning them. (1) That they are poor weak enemies, Iſa. 40.15, 17, 22. but as a ſwarm of Gnats in the aire. See how God deſcribes them, Iſa. 51.13.14. (2) That little power they have is limited by your God, who hath the bounding and ordering of it, John 19.11. Pſal. 76.10. (3) They carry guilt upon them, which makes them more timerous then you, Iſa. 8.12. Their fear is a ſtrange fear. (4) They onelyonly uſe carnal weapons againſt you which cannot touch your ſouls. If they were praying enemies that could engage God againſt you, they would be formidable Enemies indeed; but this they cannot do. The largeſt Commiſſion that any of them ever had from God, extended but to the bodies and bodily concernments of the Saints, Lake 12.4, 5. They cannot thunder with an arm like God, nor blot your name out of the Book of Life, nor take away your part out of the New Jeruſalem; therefore fear not man. (5) Your Enemies are Gods Enemies; and God hath eſpouſed your Cauſe and Quarrel. The more cruel they are, the kinder he will be to you, John 9.34, 35.
Labour to engage the preſence of God with you in all places and conditions. Rule. 5 Whilſt you enjoy this, your ſpirits will be invincible and undaunted, Joſh. 1.9. Pſal. 118.6. A weak Creature aſſiſted and encouraged by the preſence of a great God, will be able to do and ſuffer great things. Poor Fleſh in the hand of an Almighty Spirit acts above it ſelf. A little Dog, if his Maſter be by and animates him, will ſeize upon a greater Beaſt then himſelf, though he would run from him were his Maſter abſent. Our courage ebbs and flowes, as the manifeſtations of the Divine Preſence do. Oh get thy ſelf once within the Line of that Promiſe,, Iſa. 43.1, 2. and thou art invincible.
Get an high eſtimation of Jeſus Chriſt, Rule. 6 and all his concernments. They that value him higheſt, will adventure for him fartheſt. Magnanimous Luther how ineſtimable a value did he ſet upon the Truths of Chriſt! Ruat Coelum, &c. Let Heaven ruſh, rather then a crumb of Truth ſhould periſh. Thou wilt never be a man of zeal and courage for Chriſts intereſt, untill that intereſt of Chriſt have ſwallowed up all thine own Intereſts. No ſooner is the Soul acquainted with, and intereſted in Chriſt, but he heartily wiſhes well to all his affairs and concernments, Pſal. 45.3, 4. This is that which pnts mettle and reſolution for Chriſt into the ſoul.
Beware you be not cheated with Maximes of carnal policy, miſtaken for Chriſtian prudence. Rule. 7 Many are ſo: And they prove deſtructive to all true zeal and courage for Chriſt. Never was Religion profeſſed with greater plainneſs and ſimplicity, then by the Primitive Chriſtians: And never was there an higher Spring-tide of courage and zeal for God, , then in thoſe dayes. We are apt to call it prodigality, and are grown wiſer to husband our lives and comforts, better then they did. But indeed our Prudentials have even ſwallowed up our Religion. It's true, there is ſuch a thing as Chriſtian prudence; but this doth not teach men to ſhun all coſtly and difficult duties, and proſtitute Conſcience to ſave the Skin. But a man of underſtanding walketh uprightly, Prov. 15.21.
Look upon the in-ſide of Troubles for Chriſt, Rule. 8 as well as upon the outſide of them. If you view them by an eye of ſenſe, there appeareth nothing but matter of diſcouragement. To look on the out-ſide of a Priſon, Baniſhment, or Death, is affrighting and horrible: But then if you look into the inſide of theſe things by Faith, and ſee what God hath made them to his people, how joyfull and comfortable they have been in theſe conditions; what honey they have found in the carkaſs of a Lion, what ſongs in the Stocks and Dungeons, what glorying in tribulation, and an hundred fold reward even in their ſufferings: O then that which looked like a Serpent at a diſtance, will appear but as a Rod in hand. How many have found themſelves quite miſtaken in their apprehenſions of ſufferings! and been more loth to come out of a Priſon, then they were no go in. If you did but ſee your ſupports, and comforts that Souls ordinarily meet with in their troubles for Chriſt, you would not look on them as ſuch formidable things.
View the iſſue and reward of ſufferings by an eye of Faith: Rule. 9 this alſo will ſtrongly abate the horrour and dread of them, Heb. 10.34. Upon this account it is the Saints have ſo ſlighted and contemned them, Rom. 8.18. 2 Cor. 4.16, 17. But then ſee that you act your Faith, (1) Upon the certainty of it: Look at it as a moſt reall and ſubſtantial thing, Heb. 11.1. (2) View it as a great and glorious reward. And (3) as near at hand: And then ſay to thy ſoul, Come on, my ſoul, come on; Seeſt thou the joy ſet before thee! the Crowns of glory ready to be ſet on thy head by the hand of a righteous God. Oh what compare is there betwixt thoſe Sufferings and that Glory!
Propound to your ſelves the beſt patterns and examples. Rule. 10 Keep your eye upon the Cloud of Witneſſes; theſe are of ſpecial uſe to beget holy courage, Heb. 12.1. Jam. 5.10. Who would be afraid to enter the Liſts, and grapple with that Enemy that he hath ſeen ſo often foiled, and that by poor weak Chriſtians? To this end I cannot but judge theſe choice Collections in thy hands ſingularly uſefull. Oh converſe frequently with theſe Worthies; who being dead, yet ſpeak to thee, and have beaten the path before thee.