Practical Reflections on the Late Earthquakes, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Concerning the Fear of Divine Judgments, and the Regulation of it. What Fear of Evil God hath promiſed, and we may expect to be delivered from, and what not. Counſels proper to obtain an Intereſt in thoſe Promimiſes, and to experience the fulfilling of them.
AFter all theſe Examples of terrible Earthquakes, which may make us tremble, it may be proper to add ſomething to regulate our Fears of Divine Judgments, and to eſtabliſh our Hearts under the doubtful Expectatitions of what God will do againſt us. There is a natural Fear of approaching Evil, which we muſt not expect to be delivered from, nor is it poſſible we ſhould. There is alſo a Fear of prudent Caution, that may help us to ſuppoſe, and provide againſt the worſt that may happen: This we are obliged to, as oppoſite to Security: This will make us flee to God as our Refuge, and Hiding-place. Neither muſt we expect to be delivered from the Fear of all temporal Evils; conſidering what our preſent State in this World is, and what is ſutable for ſuch imperfect ſinful Souls, who muſt have Matter of Mourning, while there are ſuch Remainders of Sin: Eſpecially being in the Condition of Strangers, in a Foreign Country, and in the midſt of Enemies; and who have this preſent World to be ſaved from, and the Love of the World to be mortified; and who muſt expect to be treated as the Followers of a Crucified Saviour; and ſo to be conformed to him, our Head, in Suffering, or in Reſolution and Readineſs for it. Therefore, though it be true, that if our Hearts are fixed on God, we need not be afraid of evil Tidings; and God has promiſed to deliver us from anxious, tormenting Fears: Yet ſo much Fear of Evil as is needful to drive us to God, by Prayer, Dependance and Truſt, we muſt not expect to be delivered from; eſpecially as we are Members of a defiled, divided Church; or live in a City, or Country, where are many whoſe Sins call for Judgment; whom God does puniſh in this World. We may not think in ſuch a Caſe, that we ſhall be quiet from all Fear of Evil, eſpecially if we our ſelves have (as doubtleſs we all have) contributed our own ſhare to the common Guilt.
But ſuch as fear the Lord, may hope to be delivered from the Fear of Evil; ſo as it ſhall not overwhelm their Spirits, and deſtroy their Confidence and Hope in God, weaken their Hands in preſent Duty, and take away the Reliſh of their preſent Mercies, or would deſpirit and diſtract them. Such a Fear of Evil is threatned as a Puniſhment, Deut. 28.64. Job 15.21. Job 18.5. Terrors ſhall make him afraid on every ſide, and ſhall drive him to his Feet. Thou ſhalt be afraid to go forth into the Field, or to walk by the Way: for the Sword of the Enemy, and Fear is on every ſide. Jer. 6.25. chap. 20.2. chap. 49.29. They ſhall cry unto one another, and uſe this Expreſſion, FEAR IS ON EVERY SIDE. That is; We know not what to do, or what to expect; whither to go, or what Courſe to take; what Counſel to follow, or what Evil next to look for; or how far it will proceed, or when or where it will iſſue. The like Inſtance ſee, Iſai. 28.2.
God promiſes his People, that they ſhall be kept in Peace, ſhall ſleep in Quiet, ſhall dwell in Safety, Pſal. 4. laſt. Prov. 3.24, 25, 26. When thou lieſt down, thou ſhalt not be afraid: Yea, thou ſhalt lie down, and thy Sleep ſhall be ſweet. Be not afraid of ſudden Fear, neither of the Deſolation of the Wicked, when it cometh: For the Lord ſhall be thy Confidence, and ſhall keep thy Foot from being taken, Job 11.18, 19. Pſal. 112.7, 8. God promiſeth us Quiet, Peace and Safety, from the real Hurt of temporal Evil; and from the temporal Afflictions themſelves, if that be beſt; and from ſuch a Fear of approaching Judgment and Calamity, as the Wicked are puniſhed with.
If you would be intereſted in theſe Promiſes, and experience the fulfilling of 'em, ſtudy much the Covenant of Grace, and God's unchangeable Fidelity to it. This is the Ground of Support in the worſt times, Iſa. 41.1. Fear not, for I am with thee; be not diſmayed, for I am thy God. He hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant, ordered in all things and ſure. This is all my Deſire, and all my Salvation, 2 Sam. 23.5. I now need nothing more, I fear nothing, I am ſolicitous for nothing. Let God build up or pull down, ſave or deſtroy; prolong, or ſhorten my Life; do what he will with me and mine, he is my God in Covenant. This made the Pſalmiſt triumph in Faith, Pſal. 118.6. The Lord is on my ſide, I will not fear: God is our Refuge and Strength, we will not be afraid, though the Earth be moved, and the Pillars thereof be ſhaken, Pſal. 46. beginning; Habak. 3.17. I am not afraid of what Man can do, I am not afraid of what God will do, or what I ſhall do, or the Nation do. By this Conſideration, That He is my God, I can anſwer all my Fears: By this I know my great Intereſt is ſecure, my Treaſure is ſafe, my principal Concern is out of danger. He is my God in an everlaſting Covenant; He will not leave till he bring me to Glory: If my Body periſh by an Earthquake, my Soul ſhall aſcend to Heaven. The Noiſe of Wars, and Rumours of Wars, ſhall not break my Reſt, for I have Peace with God through Chriſt. Study therefore the Covenant of Grace, and the Promiſes of it; and believe the Unchangeableneſs of God, and his Power, Truth and Goodneſs, to make them good.
And in order to your advantage, by the Conſideration of God as in Covenant, labour to ſtrengthen and increaſe your Faith, that you may be able to apply all the Promiſes of the Covenant for your Comfort. If we did heartily aſſent to the Truth of the Promiſes, and had a realizing View of what God is, and can be, and do, for all that fear and truſt him; and did more entirely yield, and devote our ſelves to him, as our Lord and Soveraign, our God and Portion, to be governed and diſpoſed of according to the Tenor of his Covenant, (all which is implied in Faith) this would relieve us againſt a thouſand Fears: This would make it evident to our ſelves, that let our Dangers be what they will, we are ſafe in the Hands of a faithful, and a good God: All Events are under his Management, and ſhall accompliſh his Counſel. Our Dangers ſhall reach no further, riſe no higher, laſt no longer, than to ſerve his glorious Purpoſes.
Accordingly we read, Iſa. 30.7. compared with the 15th Verſe, that in Caſes of Danger, our Strength is to ſit ſtill. Not in oppoſition to the uſe of Means for our Safety, for that is the Duty of every Man in his place: But in oppoſition to Reliance on any other Help than God; as an Expreſſion of Faith in God, deſcribed at the 15th Verſe: In Returning, and in Reſt ſhall you be ſaved; in Quietneſs, and in Confidence ſhall be your Strength. Waiting on God in the way of our Duty, ſo far as we know it, in expectation of what God ſhall pleaſe to do for, or againſt us.
You ought alſo to recollect, and improve former Experiences, to ſilence diſtruſtful Fears. The Lord is my Strength and my Shield, my Heart truſted in him, and I was helped, Pſal. 28.7. Experience worketh Hope; and that which aſſiſteth our Hope, muſt needs ſcatter our Fears.
Endeavour alſo to mortify the Love of this World, and of Life it ſelf; and look to your Integrity and Uprightneſs of Heart: This will make you as a Brazen-Wall, and an Iron-Pillar: Whereas an Hypocrite will be afraid of every Shadow. No wonder if the Sinners in Sion are afraid, and Fear ſurprizeth the Hypocrite, while the Righteous are as bold as a Lion. It is therefore good Advice of Zophar unto Job, chap. 11.14, 15. If Iniquity be in thy Hands, put it far from thee, and let not Wickedneſs dwell in thy Tabernacle. And then it follows, Thou ſhalt lift up thy Face without Spot; yea, thou ſhalt be ſtedfaſt, and thou ſhalt not fear.
Reſign and give up your ſelves, and all you have, into the Hands of God. Commit the keeping of your Souls, and the keeping of the Nation, and of the City, and of your Families, and Friends, and Relations, into the Hands of God, as of a faithul Creator and Preſerver, 1 Pet. 4.19. Leave all to his Care, reſolving to be ſatisfied, and pleaſed with his holy Will. We ſhall not be afraid of loſing that by Violence, which we have voluntarily given up into the Hands of God.
But eſpecially let us give up our ſelves, by renewing our Covenant, penitently and ſeriouſly, at the Table of the Lord. See that there be no Controverſy between God and you, while he hath a Controverſy with the Nation in general. Renew Repentance for paſt Backſlidings, that your Peace may be made with Heaven; that God may not be your Terror, in a Day of evil: For nothing will ſo much take away the Heart, abate the Courage, the Vigor, and Firmneſs of your Spirits, as the Jealouſy and Miſgivings of a guilty Conſcience. If you cannot look up to God with Comfort, if you cannot lift up your Eyes to Heaven with Hope, to what Refuge will you flee in a Day of Evil?
This is the great Counſel I would give, and take, as the beſt Preparation, for whatſoever ſhould come to paſs. For what can daunt the Courage of that Man, or Woman, who can ſay, This God is my God for ever; This Saviour, who hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth, is my Saviour and my Lord, and the Lord of all this World? An upright Chriſtian, with Aſſurance, was never a Coward, and never can be. But if we live at Uncertainties about our Spiritual State, if our Backſlidings be many, our Corruptions ſtrong, and our Evidences blotted; we muſt needs be afraid of publick Changes, and threatned Calamities, becauſe we are afraid to die. Shall I mind you how ſad the Caſe of Saul was, when he cries out, 1 Sam. 18.15. I am ſore diſtreſſed, for the Philiſtines make War againſt me, and God is departed from me, and anſwers me no more? How miſerable is their Caſe, who, in a time of Trouble, cannot eaſe their Hearts by Prayer to God? who, in a time of Danger, cannot look to the End and Iſſue of Things with Comfort? who have no Anchor to drop in a Storm? The Difference is unſpeakably great, at ſuch a time, between the one ſort and the other: For while the Wicked is driven away in his Wickedneſs, and hurried by Temporal Sufferings into Eternal Ones, the Righteous hath Hope in his Death, Prov. 14.2.