The Cause Use Cure of Fear, Title page – Dedication
Of FEARE.
The CAUSE
The VSE
The CURE
OR, Strong Conſolations (The Conſolations of God) Cordiall at all times, but moſt comfortable now in theſe uncomfortable times, To fixe, quiet, and ſtabliſh the heart, though the earth ſhake, and make it ſtand ſtil, To ſee the ſalvation of The Lord.
Taken from GODS mouth, And Penned by HEZEKIAH VVOODWARD, That all His Servants may have aſſured confidence for ever.
PSAL. 56. 3, 9.
What time I am afraid I will truſt in Thee: When I cry unto Thee, Then ſhall mine enemies turne back: this I know, for God is for me, He will ſave me, becauſe I Truſt in Him.
Pſal. 37. 40.
Nil terribile, niſi ipſe timor.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Underhill, and are to be ſold at the ſigne of the Bible in Woodſtreet. 1643.
To the Right HONOVRABLE, Iſaac Pennington, LORD MAjOR Of the City of LONDON.
BY the Bleſſing of God upon this treatiſe (containing His own directions there) it can heale the heart and the hand palſied with feare: It will be no diſhonour then to take it into your hand, and to lay theſe directions (if it can be) yet cloſer to your heart, whereby the City of God have been a quiet habitation, (a)Eſay 33. 20.when, as now, The blaſt of the terrible ones have made the earth to ſhake and tremble under us: And you now, with ſuch as you, that love, feare, truſt GOD, doing your duty, and maintaining your watch, doe maintayne PEACE, and at ſuch a time.(a)Ezra. 4. 17.
Peace is good at all times, but ever beſt in the worſt times, perilous and feirce, as are the times of Reformation, troublous evermore: when hands and *Dan. 9. 28. Jer. 20. 3.Tongues are bent to make the City of GOD MAGOR MISSABIB, terrour on every ſide: Then peace is good; Then cordialls are ſo indeed, ſtrong conſolations (they are the conſolations of GOD) at ſuch a time. Peace in and with the world is good, if it could be had upon good termes: But that it not poſſible. The world will love their own, And they ſhall have peace, ſuch as the world can give; They, who can comply with the world; can give out unto them the right hand of fellowſhip, to thruſt Chriſt from His Throne, and out of the world: theſe ſhall have peace, for they are the worlds firſt born, and right hands of the times, but you cannot do ſo. Such a peace, peace without truth is of vile eſteeme with you, you abhor it at ſuch a price, and upon ſuch termes as the world bids for it, and doth purchaſe the ſame. You follow peace with all men, and Holyneſſe (That is a point of the higheſt wiſdome) without which no man ſhall ſee the LORD: you purſue (c)Heb. 11. 14. foreign.this peace, as others perſecute it: your zeale cannot boile higher then to their As, as they perſecute it. Purſue it ſo ſtill, and if you overtake it not, (for it flees from you (elſe you ſhould not need to purſue it) if you cannot eſtabliſh peace in the City; yet, in that you have done your office, you have peace in your ſoul, a peace, which paſſeth all underſtanding; for whatſoever things are true (d)Phil. 4. 7. 8.are heneſt; are juſt; are pure; are lovely; are of good report, theſe things you have done, and will doe, you have aſſured confidence now in this which follows, and the peace of ver. 9.GOD ſhall be with you. What a good word is this, and at ſuch a time, when the Adverſary doth, as in all times he hath done (it is no new thing, when the breaches of Jeruſalems walls are making up) he ſends, and writes, and lies, and rayles, and blaſphemes, what doth he not, after his manner, to make the work to ceaſe dNehe. 4. and 6.. You know your charge concerning him, Anſwer him *2 King. 18. 36.not; you look to the anſwer from a good conſcience, That, in zeale to you▪ LORD, The Cities peace and crown of rejoycing, you have done and ſpoken hitherto: And you are reſolved ſo to do ſtill, To ſtand up for Chriſt ſtill, To ſhoulder up His Throne ſtill; And you have made up your reckoning, you know what it will coſt you, poſſible as much as it hath coſt All His faithfull ſervants in all ages at ſuch a time; And having ſo wiſely counted your Coſt, you can mock at feare; and laugh at your Adverſaries, as the LORD doth, ſeeing their day is comming (e)Pſal. 37.: for their rage riſeth high, and their riſing by ſteps that way, are but ſteps and degrees to utter deſtruction, which ſhall riſe as their rage doth, unto heaven, and be lifted up, even to the skies. *Jer. 51. 9.You cannot be deceived now, as, we thinke, good Jeremiah was; He heard the defaming of many, fear was on every ſide, and he heard a cry: nay he cryed out himſelfe, and ſaid, Violence and ſpoile! Then ſayes Jeremy, Jer. 20. 8. 10. ….O LORD, Thou haſt deceived me, and I was deceived. He was indeed, but GOD did not deceive him; He had ſet up Jeremtah, and made him ſo ſtrong for Himſelf, and for ſuch a time as that, when the adverſaries deeds and words would be as hard as iron againſt the Truth and him; but Jeremiah ſhould be hard enough for them; The Adverſary might, to as good purpoſe, ſtrike his hand againſt a rock as ſtrike Jeremiah: ſhall iron breake Jer. 15. 12.the Northern iron and ſteele?
No, no, the Adverſary was hard, and cruell, and violent againſt Jeremiah, but God made Jeremiah too hard for them all, as He will all His faithfull ones, (ſtanding up for Him) a defenced City and a ſtrong brazen ver. 20.wall: That was the promiſe to Jeremiah, and in him to all faithfull ones, many thouſand yeeres agoe, and you have the comfort, and your faſt ſtanding from it at this day; The blaſt of the terrible ones, what can it doe? It was anſwered long agoe; As much as a blaſt of winde againſt a brazen wall, ſo the Spirit ſlights what fleſh can do againſt Him: (a)… …ſay 2… 4.They ſhall ſight againſt Thee (The Adverſary will make an experiment, what mettal you are made of, ſo you muſt expect) but they ſhall not prevaile ſer. 1. 1….againſt Thee; There is the comfort, and it is yours, who wil ſtand up for God and at ſuch a time. As your expectation from the World cannot deceive you (after the experiences of all the faithfull that have ſtood up for God) All hath been done againſt them, All ſhall be done againſt you, that Angry Nations can doe, Atheiſts and Papiſts ſwelled with wrath, and big with rage: So, nor wil The Lord, The Hope of Iſrael and Saviour thereof in time of trouble, He will not deceive you. Then you ſhall ſee your ſtrength preſently, that you are better bottomed then are the perpetuall Hills, and everlaſting Mountains, a ſight worth the beholding and at ſuch a time. And becauſe your work is now to read the times, not book…s; To get underſtanding in them, and what Iſrael ought to doe; and becauſe you feele ſo many ſhocks and thruſts made againſt you to make you fall, noman more; I will make bold to draw out this Epiſtle (againſt my diſpoſition and judgement) beyond its uſuall proportion to perſons of your ranke; That I may make known not to you but to the world of ungodly men, where your ſtrength lyes. Then paſt all queſtion it will be ſaid, their rock is not as your Rock, the enemies themſelves being Judges.
I have by the aſſiſtance of the great Phyſitian written, I hope, from His Mouth, touching the Cure of Fear, your Lordſhip may have the marrow of it here.
Firſt, You magnify your Office, contending for Chriſt againſt His enemies, who would ſhoulder Him out of His Throne and out of His Kingdome; Theſe enemies are in a rage, becauſe you are a friend to Chriſt; they fight againſt you, and have faire hopes too, they ſhall take revenge on you. Let them hope till their day comes, when their fleſh muſt conſume away, and their eyes in their holes, and their tongues in their mouth, cZech. 14. 12.you have the anſwer of a good conſcience within: A GOD to go to, His promiſe to cleave to, which you find, in the place you were upon even now; They ſhall not prevaile againſt thee, for I am with thee, ſaith the LORD, to deliver thee: And not barely ſo, but a Mighty TERRIBLE one: There Jer. 20. 11.you may reade what follows, to your everlaſting comfort, and confuſion of your Adverſaries. This anſwers all that can be ſaid or done againſt you, all hard words and ungodly deeds.
GOD is with you; All His attributes, power, wiſdom, goodneſſe ſhall be laid out for you, and for all like you, who lay out themſelves, all they are and have for Him.
You have now, as All His faithfull ſervants have, written this downe in the Table of your heart. Now you may write what you will, for a Legion, now marching on againſt the City of God, you can ſet down quickly (before feare ſurpriſeth the heart, for it hath ſudden and violent motions) and write, fifty: what? froggs, lice, flies. So The Church deſpiſed her proud adverſary, that terrible one, laughing him to ſcorne, regarding his huge Hoſt, not ſo much as 2 Kings 91. 2….a legion of froggs, an armie of lice, or ſwarme of flies. Theſe Egyptian, theſe Northerne Troops (the Armies of The Lord of Hoſts have been a plague to the Aegyptians, and other Nations, as idolatrous as they, never ſo to a people with whom God is, a mighty terrible One. Certain it is That he, who wil ſearch into the records of time, ſhall never read, that an Army of Papiſts, a People of Gods curſe, ever did the Church hurt: They have annoyed it, that is granted: For frogs, and lice, and flies in aboundance, can doe ſo, (& yet not ſo much unleſſe God pleaſeth, but if ſo, then) for the Churches good. Idolatrous Iſraell have pillaged Judah, and have taken away much ſpoile (ſometime the Lord made the Adverſary vomit it up again:) their rage has reached yet higher, but then their day haſteneth as now it doth, and they come down mightily, this alſo was forthe Churches good. Indeed, and to contract; every thing, which we commonly call evill, nay, what properly is ſo, (ſinne it ſelfe) is for the good of thoſe with whom the LORD is, a God in covenant, our God. You ſee your ſtability now, your ſecurity, your exceeding comfort. It is good to looke upon it with all your eyes, well to conſider on it at ſuch a time as this, leſt you fainte in your minde, as a faithfull ſervant of the Lord did, eying his Adverſaries, and not obſerving his ſtanding, nor his ſtrength where it was, and then he ſpeakes unadviſedly with his lips.cJer. 22. 14.
Truly I thinke it my Duty, being upon ſuch a Subject, and at ſuch a time, to make ſome enlargement to my Epiſtle here, now that tongues and hands are ſo buſied to cauſe feare, which is ſo encroaching, you cannot keep it out with all your power, unleſſe you hold faſt ſtill-faſt to this ſtrong hold, I will be with thee a mighty terrible One, bleſſed be His name for that promiſe.
You ſhall heare your ſelfe charged as Job, perhaps by Eliphas a friend, and that, if you will obſerve it (a) you will think very ſtrange, and nothing now that is new. Iob. 22. …, 6, &c.Your enemies, and they are many, all that are enemies to Chriſt, they will for His ſake defame you, ſpeak all manner of evill againſt you, for they call you by their Exulem me de ſuo nomine vocat. Cic. parad.owne names. While they reproach God in you, you feele a ſword in your bones: bPſal 42. 10But in reference to your ſelfe, and that good thing within you, the ſouls pillow, you goe away rejoycing, bearing the reproach; and, being at peace Recta conſcientia culcitra animae.with God, no more moved then the Moone is at the barking of dogs. Behold her courſe, ſaith one, *Chryſoſt.the courſe of the Sun too, they run on like mighty Giants: ſuch is the courſe of a godly man, he is for God, God is with him, he breaks through all difficulties in this way, as through ſpiders webs: he is above all, hard words, and ungodly deeds, riding upon the high places of the earth.aEſay. 58. 14.
Againe, you ſhall ſee the earth ſmitten terribly, that her bloud may be diſcovered, and her Idols there given up to the Moles and to the Bats; you ſhall feele it ſhake under you, and the Kingdomes totter like a drunken man. All the while you ſhall ſtand ſtill, bExod. 14. 13.calme in your mind, beholding the ſalvation of GOD, for you ſtand up for Him, and He is with you as a Mighty Terrible One.
Againe, you ſhall heare of War, and the deſolations that it cauſeth; Whether you ſhall live to heare that GODS peace is concluded on, and eſtabliſhed in the land, I cannot tell, nor, perhaps, the beſt Seer in your City: But this I can tell you, becauſe you have the Anſwer of a good conſcience, and can tell your ſelfe, you fear GOD, and you ſtand for Him, and He is with you, a God in Covenant, and a Mighty Terrible One, That you, and all ſuch as you, who follow peace, and holineſſe, ſhall have peace, not as the world gives, but peace in God. Oh how ſweet it is! and as ſure, as it is ſweet, in God; and yet ſweeter yet at ſuch a time, when the Kingdomes totter, the gods there are all ſtarved, nay when the heart-ſtrings and eye- ſtrings muſt break: O how ſweet is Peace then! ſweeter then honey was to Jonathan, when his ſoule fainted. This peace is yours, for you are Chriſts, and Chriſt is GODS, Whoſe you are, and Whom you ſerve. This peace is yours, and now it paſſeth all underſtanding indeed, when you ſhall heare the moſt comfortable word that ever was ſpoken, Well done good and faithfull ſervant.
This is the heritage of them that feare the LORD; hard words and ungodly deeds cannot diſcourage you now, for God is with you, there is your ſecurity aChriſtum …ſſe cum Pa… ſumma ſecu…itas: Paulum aſſe cum Chriſto ſumma foelicitas. 1 Theſ. 4. 17, 18.; you ſhal be with Him anon, there is your happineſſe; for ever with the Lord, you can comfort your ſelfe in theſe words.
Heare me with patience one word more, touching the ſucceſſe of the great work in hand, and the ſecurity of this great City, where the Lord hath made you a Watchman, and hath found you faithfull, which is your glory, but in The Lord. Surely, ſurely, the work ſhal proſper, for it is wrought by God; your City ſhall not be deſtroyed, for it is GODS City.
Surely a work carryed on with ſo many hands and hearts; ſo much life, and ſpirit, love, faith, patience, cannot be diſappointed of its end. And for the City bWhere are many thouſands that cannot ſpeak, yet is their language very moving with their Lord. Jonah 4. 11., her filthineſſe is in her skirts cLam. 1 9.; Ai and upon her forehead too: But yet a righteous people are there, and Gaius mine Hoſt dRom. 16. 23., and many ſuch as he: She is a refuge to the oppreſſed, a great Sanctuarie at this *The day of Jacobs trouble. Jer. 30. 7.time; and much good is found there: We doe not boaſt of her goodneſſe, but we boaſt in The Lord, Who hath inſtructed her to diſcretion, To ſtand up for Him and His Cauſe above all the Cities, that are or ever were in the world, and at ſuch a time. Surely the Lord will watch over her; & her Watchmen think ſo too, & pray for her night and day. And becauſe they be ſuch, as never ſought God in vaine, they are bold and confident, That The Lord will watch over this City for good, it ſhal ſtil be ſaid, The LORD helpeth them; The North ſhall give in unto them, the ſouth ſhal not keep back: the Eaſt and Weſt ſhall confer unto them the bleſſings of the Land and of the Sea. But this is the complement of all, Salvations will God appoint for walls and Bulwarks. I will conclude with the cloſe of a Pſalm, Let Pſ. 48. 11, 12, 13mount Sion rejoyce, let the daughters of Judah be glad, becauſe of Thy judgements: walk about Sion, and go round about her, tell the towers thereof (A goodly proſpect, and at ſuch a time) Mark ye well her Bulwarks, conſider her palaces, that you may tell it to the generation following. What ſhall they tell? or what is this ſtrength? wherein doth it conſiſt? or where is it? for it is not viſible. It follows, For This GOD is our GOD for ever and ever: He will be our guide even Pſal. 41. 13.unto death. Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael from everlaſting and to everlaſting. AMEN and AMEN.