The Cause Use Cure of Fear, Section 1
SECT. I.
The ſumme and ſcope of this Treatiſe; The kinds of Feare; The ſtrange effects there from; What the worſt effect; What the great deſigne of the Adverſary; How he proſecutes it; His advantage if he can effect it; His power and malice that way gives us juſt cauſe of feare.
CHAP. I.
The Introduction to, and purpoſe of this Treatiſe.
OUr Affections doe us the greateſt ſervice, or diſſervice, that well can be imagined: and this they doe, as wee maſter them; or as they maſter us. If we maſter them, they are the winds of the ſoule, carrying it ſo as it is neither becalmed, that it moves not when it ſhould; nor yet toſſed, that it moves diſorderly: If they maſter us, they raiſe ſtorms there, and we are ſtorm-like, ſudden and violent, carryed as a ſhip in a tempeſt. If we maſter them, they are the very wings of the ſoule; A Prayer without them, (ſo we may ſay of any other performance) is like a bird without wings: (a)Oratio ſine malis, avis ſine alis.If I cared for nothing, (ſaid Melancthon) I ſhould pray for nothing: (b)Si nihil curarem, nihil Orarem.If they maſter us, they are the clogs of the ſoule; or if they be as wings, it is to make us flee away from God, and goodneſſe; from our ſelves and Duty. Our Affections are the ſprings of all our ſervices to GOD: we are dry, and cold, and dead without them; with them (well ordered) the ſoule is ſet on work, and then the work will be done, when the heart is upon it: David had prepared much for the houſe of GOD, himſelfe gives the reaſon, Becauſe I have ſet my AFFECTION to the houſe of my GOD. (c)1 Chr. 29. 3.Feare puts on the ſoule almoſt as faſt as Love doth, that great Centurion, or puts it farther back: I cannot doe this and ſin; I muſt doe this, and why? Becauſe I have ſet my FEARE upon GOD; and knowing the TERROR of the LORD, (d)2 Cor. 5. 11.I muſt perſwade men. In a word, weare as a dead ſea without our affections; and as a raging ſea if they exceed the bounds: And no affection beats more ſtrongly upon the ſoule, (and more like waves againſt the banks) to exceed its juſt bounds, and get over, then feare doth: and when it hath got over, no affection ſooner drowns the Spirits, ſinks Reaſon, and ſo becomes a Paſſion indeed, vexatious and troubleſome: for where feare is (in exceſſe) there is torment. (e)1 John. 4. 18.This tormenting Paſſion, the ſtilling its unreaſonable motions, is the ſubject of my Diſcourſe now; but GODS work, To calme the Spirit, to make it ſtand ſtill, when the earth ſhakes, (f) Exod. 1…. …. Ne con… …. …un.and the kingdomes are moved; I ſay, His work, Who chid the winds, and commanded the ſeas, and they obeyed Him, and preſently there followed a great calme. Feare, let alone to work its owne effects, (for like water it hath no bounds of its owne) is (g) …. Math. 8. 20.in the heart, as the tongue in the body, kindleth a great fire (h)Jam. 3. 5.there from every little matter, quickly raiſeth that little to a raging flame, which no man can quench, onelyonly GOD can. And what way He commands and preſcribes us▪ (for we muſt keep to His preſcriptions, the ſame, which the whole City of GOD, All His People, have taken in all troublous times upward to this day) To reaſon with this unreaſonable Paſſion, To keep it within bounds of juſt moderation, is the maine intendment of this Treatiſe, wherein, but in paſſage only, I muſt make cleare proofe to them, who will be as are many now adayes, willingly ignorant That the Citties feare is juſt and Reaſonable; That all the Cauſes and reaſons both, which can be imagined, from within, and from without, commands the wiſeſt men to feare, yea commends them ſo fearing, for they are wiſe men, they can not be afraid with any amazement. But that I may begin in order, I muſt diſtinguiſh firſt,
CHAP. II.
The Kindes of feare, The diſquietings therefrom, and ſharp effects; The worſt effect of all, is, It maketh a man chooſe ſinne rather then affliction.
1. THere is a feare, which ſinks Reaſon, then raiſeth up unreaſonable motions, ſuch which make a man feare where no feare is; heare a noiſe meerly fancyed; flee, when none purſueth; ſo betrayeth the ſuccors which reaſon offers. (a)Wiſdom. 17. 12.This feare made the Syrians, and others, infamous in the ſacred Writ, to fly, (b)2 Kings 7&c. And the Papiſts, in their houre of Darkneſſe, and Saint Maries Church in *Act. and M… pa 1102.Oxford, To ſhelter their heads againſt the ſcalding lead, melted in the fornace of their own conceits, and guilty conſciences: for they heard a noiſe of fire onelyonly, could ſee none, and yet they thought they ſhould be ſcalded to death with the droppings of lead melted in a fancyed fire of their owne imaginary. This is a Panick feare, a feare where there is no cauſe of fear; a noiſe, which GOD cauſeth the wicked to heare, His enemies and adverſaries to feele: the effects thereof, as we heard.
2. There is a naturall feare, which all partake of, that partake of the ſame common nature: Nay all creatures that have ſenſe, have ſenſe of feare, feare of ſuffering, It is naturall; The Beares will roare; Ravens Crye; Doves Chatter; Lambs Bleat; The Swine are troubled in a windy night, though I read of Pyrrhos Hogge, that eate his meate quietly in the ſhip almoſt covered with waves, while the Paſſengers there were almoſt dead with feare: And I have knowne ſome men, who ſeemed to have no other ſenſe, but that ſenſe of feeling, fearleſſe men; They feared nothing: But this fearleſneſſe was not from any cleanneſſe and ſerenity of mind; not from a true ſecurity and peace from within: but from a dead palſie rather, a ſtupor, a blockiſh ſtupidity upon their ſpirits.
3. There is a feare, which hath a ſtrong foundation in nature: ſo alſo muſt it needs have the ſame foundation in ſin: A corrupt, a ſinfull feare: And the more or leſſe ſin is maſtered and ſubdued in us, ſo will this feare be; ſo quieted, or ſo diſquieting: And this all men partake of, and in meaſure, according to the proportion before mentioned. If ſin beare rule in us, feare, when it comes, will command in chiefe too, and be exceeding: Weakneſſe and wickedneſſe are the very eſſentialls, whereof it doth conſiſt, the ſupporters of it; and when it exceeds its bounds, it becomes a paſſion indeed: We ſuffer much by it, and act or practiſe in it, I know not how, but as men forſaken of all, wit and reaſon both. It cauſeth ſtrange and ſtrong motions within, no paſſion ſtronger or ſtranger then feare doth. It is within us like foule weather upon the ſea; It no ſooner riſeth and getreth maſtery, but it cloudeth our Heaven, and ſils the ſoul… with thick miſts and ſmoak. The Apoſtle ſpeaks all in one word, Where feare is, there is torment. (b)… 22. 2.It is the very Rack of the ſoule; it ſlayeth without a ſword: Thy ſlaine men are not ſlaine with the ſword nor dead (c) in Battell. How then were they ſlayn? with feare, that ſurpriſed … eye… cove… ed … his death, and … covered again tha… hee might …ead his … dead upon th… Scaf…old. ….them before the Battell, and did the part of an executioner before the ſword came.
But that is not the worſt; feare can doe a worſe office to a man then ſlay him; It can put us cleane off from GOD and from Duty, and that is worſt of all. What baſe ſhifts will the ſoule uſe when feare poſſeſſeth her? Feare of mans wrath, feare of loſſe of goods, of good name, of liberty, of life, will put a man upon the loſſe of all we properly call good; upon ſtrange adventures, upon deviliſh projects; It will daſh his ſoule upon this rock and the other, till He hath ſplit himſelfe, and made ſhipwrack of thoſe ineſtimable treaſures, (which render a man rich in the loweſt eſtate, and ſecure in the greateſt danger) FAITH and a good CONSCIENCE: It will make a man ſeek for ſecurity from every thing, but where it ſhould: it will make him look to all means but one; in his diſtracting …eare, he will not look to God, and an upright converſation.
CHAP. III.
The deſigne of the wicked ever was and now is To make the Godly afraid: The advantage if they can effect it: Tongue and hand imployed about it: Their judgement from the Lord: Their pretence, and ſcarce that, for their works are manifeſt.
THis the wicked know very well, they have learnt it of their Fathers: therefore heare what they have deviſed anciently, to make the righteous afraid. When the breaches of Ieruſalems walls were making up, what was the great deſigne of the adverſary then? To make the builders AFRAID. We reade often N…he. 6.The adverſaries ſent and wrote Letters, raiſed falſe reports, hired light fellows; All this they did, That they might make the builders ver. 13.afraid. Could they have effected it according to their minds, then the hands of the builders had been weakned from the worke: it had not beene done. (d)ver. 9.If you will do any thing for The LORD, keepe up your ſpirits, and keepe out feare, that infeebling Paſſion, which cuts a Mans ſinewes, renders him unfit for action. When the heart ſinks, then the hands hang downe, and the work ceaſeth. If Nehemiah had given way to baſe and cowardly feare, he had done ſo and ſo, and ſinned. Beſides, he had given matter for an evill ver. 13.report, That the adverſary might reproach him.
Thus The Adverſary did anciently, So hee doth now, Hee takes the ſame way; his deſigne and end is the very ſame with theirs; ſtill Hee ſends, hee writes, hee raiſeth falſe reports, hee hires light fellowes (if there bee any lighter then himſelfe:) what tongue or hand can doe hee doth, to cauſe terrour on every ſide; Their tongue walketh about the City, and all to diſquiet the inhabitants Pſal. 42. 4.thereof. What ſhall bee done unto thee thou deceitfull and miſcheivous tongue? for thou loveſt all devouring words: I cannot make full anſwer to that, but I read; The Lord ſhall deſtroy thee for ever, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and roote thee out ver. 5.of the land of the living: here is alſo a prayer put up againſt theſe tongues, theſe fiery flying ſerpents; Let the miſcheife of their own Pſal. 140. 9. 10.lips cover them; let burning coals fall upon them, The Church ſeekes not her God in vain, ſhee makes account it is done.
The hand is more rough and violent, and put forth as farre as it could bee, to make both Citty and Country MAGOR-MISSABIB … 3.feare on every ſide. What ſhall bee done unto thee thou violent and bloody man? Man cannot anſwer that; blood purſues him; the Deſtroyer ſhall bee deſtroyed; God hath ſworne by His Holineſſe, utter deſtruction ſhall come unto them; Hee will UNDOE all that aſſlict his people (a)Zeph. 3. 1….Their fleſh ſhall conſume away while they ſtand upon their feete; and their eyes ſhall conſume away in their holes, and their tongues ſhall conſume away in their mouth; (b)Zeph. 14. 12.This is the portion of them that hate His Church; they ſhall be utterly deſtroyed, in the cloſe of this work (for there is a great work to be done upon mount Sion) and about the cloſe of the day they ſhall be utterly undon. But firſt they ſhall bee made a terrour to themſelves, and round about: As they thought to do to the Righteous, ſo it ſhall bee done to them: As they have determined, ſo it ſhall bee unto them, that ſhall bee their lot and portion of their cup from the Lord in his appointed Time.
But do wee not wrong theſe harmeleſſe people, theſe innocent Lambs (ſome of them were in ſheepes clothing, and they would Mal. 8. 15.bee accounted ſheepe till their cloak fell off, and the wolfe appeared) what have they done, or ſpoken to make the City affraid? They will tell us, Nothing at all. We doe but fancie our feares; we heare a rumour, we ſcarce know of what, or from whom, and we are afraid, we know not wherefore. We conceit danger onelyonly, as they, who took ſhadows for men: or Judges 19. 36.as thoſe, who, beholding at a diſtance, a field over-grown with tall thiſtles, thought verily they had been ſo many ſpearmen. So the adverſary ſaith, and ſo ſay they too, who ſhould ſpeakas the Oracles of GOD, for they ſpeak from the Pulpit. And what ſaid they? As the Adverſary before them, That there was no cauſe of feare formerly, nor any cauſe now; A Phantaſme, a conceited thing, a Panick feare the City is poſſeſſed with, whereof they can give neither cauſe nor reaſon for, neither is reall nor viſible. They have ſaid; and ſo they have forced themſelves, as unjuſt men doe. Now we wil take leave to conſider the matter, and their words, and give no more credit to them then we doe to ſuch men, who know no ſhame.(a)Zeph. 3. 5.
Catholique men, bloody Papiſts, (univerſally, all the world over) brawned in villanies, theſe fellowes, that hate the Lord, make Tumults, lift up the head, and yet no ground of feare, not any. The neighbours houſe is on fire, there the fire rageth, and the wind blows the flame directly hitherward; it began there, to end here; yet no cauſe of feare, That our commonhouſe may ſmell of the ſmoak, or that it is time for every common man to look to his owne: No reaſon for that, none at all, ſpeaks the adverſary, but he is not ſo mad as to think any wiſe man beleeves him. The vile Prieſts and the Treacherous Prophets, that have polluted the Sanctuary, have done violence to the Law; (c)Zeph. 3. 4.Theſe doe rage, and are ſwelled with malice: The brutiſh people, almoſt as much, make tumults; and they that ſung forth their requeſts, roare like Beares, and are as fierce as the ſhe-beares, fearing their ſweet morſels may be taken from them, and their ſervice ordered according to Rule, and yet no ground of feare. The tumult of thoſe, that riſe up againſt The LORD, that would dethrone Him, encreaſeth continually, and …et no cauſe of feare. Indeed there is not; no cauſe we ſhould be afraid, when we look up to GOD, for it is the Tumult of thoſe that riſe up againſt Him, and He will look to His owne Cauſe and Glory, That ſhall receive no loſſe, no diminution at all, but advantage a great deale: But looking down to the Adverſary, there is cauſe we ſhould feare, after a godly ſort: ſo as to make proviſion againſt him, and then ſecure our ſelves and the cauſe in GOD. This feare is a Godly feare: The Godly mans feare is his humility, and caſting away of Pride; his reverent care to walk in the wayes of God: A feare which drives out ſecurity, not a feare which takes away the boldneſſe of faith. More of this anon. This here, that there is juſt cauſe of feare, but of ſuch a feare that hath been deſcribed unto us, which ſecureth the ſoule, the godly man, and his cauſe in God; And great need of ſuch a feare, for whatever the Adverſary ſaith, no man that hath his eyes in his head will beleeve him; though his words were as ſoft as butter: and his deeds as ſmooth as oyle: much leſſe now, when his words are as drawn ſwords, violence is in his hands, & war in his heart. The Adverſary is ſo mad with rage now, That he caſteth firebrands, arrows and death, and cannot deceive his neighbour Pro. 26. 18.now, ſaying, … not I in ſport? No ſure, no man is ſo ſenſleſſe as … beleeve that; for when he ſeemed to ſpeak faire, we beleeved … not, … k…wing there were ſeven abominations in his heart: Hee that hateth, may diſſemble for a time, and lay up deceit within him; for words, which are wounds, and lying lips and a wicked heart may be like a pot…ard covered with ſilver droſſe for a time. But now his hatred (as active as fire) cannot be covered by d…ceit, his wickedneſſe is ſhewne before the whole congregation.
Theſe are Generalls; That I may be more particular, I will quarter out this Legion, the Adverſary I meane, for he is many, and behold him as a man of War, in his Ranks and Poſtures: doubtleſſe, if we ſo behold him, and can look no higher, he will ſeem terrible, as an Army with banners; or rather, as Goliah before the Iſraelites; I ſaid not, before David, for he laughed him to ſcorne, and deſpiſed him: but this I may ſay truly, juſt cauſe we have to be afraid, for conſider the Churches enemies, how many they are.
CHAP. IV.
Without number for multitude. 2. Without reaſon for rags and cruelty. 3. Boundleſſe in malice, miſchievous in projecting, and watchfull in executing thereof.
1. HOW many adverſaries hath the Church? It were well with the Church if ſhe could number her enemies, tell how many adverſaries ſhe hath: We ſay, They are but a few, that can be numbred. The Shepherd can tell his ſheep, but hee cannot tell how many Wolves, nor Foxes there be: nor how many dogs, which doe their office the contrary way, hurrying the ſheep, and are as bloody as the wolſe or foxe, every whit. The Church can ſay, They are, as in former dayes, encreaſed that Pſal. 3. 1. Pſal. 22. 12. 13.trouble me; Many Bulls have compaſſed me, ſtrong Bulls of Baſhan have beſet me round. They gaped upon me with their mouthes, as a ravening and roaring lyon. (c)Pſal. 31. 1.She hath heard the ſlander of many, feare was on every ſicle. While they took, counſell together againſt me, they deviſed to take away my life. The Church can onelyonly anſwer, MANY, Many are my Adverſaries, many my perſecutors; Pſal. 119. 15….Many, that ſight againſt my ſoule, becauſe I ſeek the thing that good is. All the luke-warm Proteſtants, theſe are not a few; and they are againſt the Church, for they are not with her: All the light Prophets, and Treacherous Prieſts, Theſe are exceeding many, and their rage is exceeding, as is their zeale to their eaſe, and filthy lucre, to their pleaſure alſo boyled up to the height: All the Devils in hell, and both their hands on earth, right and left, Pope and Popelings, with the Atheiſts too, theſe ſwarm every where, ſuch multitudes there are. But thanks be to God, wee know where they ſettle, and fixe, though a gadding company, yet we know where they are ſolden together as thornes; and if their bodies Nah. 1. 10.are not there, yet their hearts are, joyned all together from all the quarters of the world. And now we can give a gueſſe how many they be, that band themſelves againſt the Church, as the ſands by the Sea-ſhore for multitude: and then it follows, That we may have juſt cauſe of feare, In the ſecond place conſider we their
2. Cruelty. The dark places of the earth are full of it, where the light of the Goſpel comes not, is thruſt out, or deſpiſed. Their Doctrine and Diſcipline, their Laws, the beſt things with them are as the bloud of a dead man. What are their manners then? Bloody ſure. Theſe ſons and daughters of men, ſtand upon everlaſting record, To be the moſt bloody enemies that ever the Church met withall in this world: They are free of the Corporation of the Malignant Church, and have purchaſed their freedome there: How? and at what rate? By Maſſacres, outrages and villauies of all ſorts and ſizes. If any of the company are not ſo cruell by nature, yet they muſt be ſo by command, and warranted to be ſo, by Law. They may and muſt purſue their brother with the ſword, and caſt off all pity: Their rage muſt teare perpetually, Amos 1. 11.they muſt keep their wrath for ever. Keep wrath for ever? Yes, for ever; for though they are but Mortall enemies, yet doth their enmity mannage an immortall hatred againſt the righteous; for they purſued him to death; and when he had got into his ſtrong-hold, the grave, there they troubled him, that they did.
They have executed their rage and malice againſt the Sanctuaries of the dead, the Graves, the place where Iob was confident he ſhould lye at reſt: even thither, to their Sanctuaries, the hand of Job 3. 17.the oppreſſour reached; There the wicked did not ceaſe to trouble the bones, and ſacred aſhes of the Martyrs; there, at that Sanctuary, the dead were not free from the oppreſſours, his anger did …are perpetually, he did keepe his wrath for ever. They have been cruell to the living and to the dead, and ſo are they to this day. Hiſtories Ancient and Modern, a cloud of witneſſes would croud in here to give evidence to what was laſt ſaid; but it needs not, all the world is fully ſatisfied in that point, for in alluſion to that which the learned Knight ſaith touching Henry the eight of England, I may ſay touching the Papiſts; If all their Hiſtories were loſt; if all the maſſacres, outrages, villanies of theſe mercileſſe men were forgot and quite out of mind, they might be renewed and deſcribed forth to their life, out of theſe three yeares ſtory concerning their practice in Ireland, where they have ſlaine their brethren with a rage that reacheth up to heaven. They have made 2 Chron. 28. 9.that Countrey a Land of wrath, a field of bloud at this day. So they would make this Land alſo, that is their deſigne, we ſhall come to that preſently, for I will ſpend no more time, nor blot any more paper in making knowne how cruell they are, how they breathe forth threatnings, and how exceeding mad with rage: Papiſts are the executioners of wrath, we need not then adde, They are grievous as wolves, and fierce as ſhe-beares: their Natures ſuch, their Laws ſuch: their words and deeds, how hard and ungodly they are, all the Chriſtian world, the heathen people alſo, all know and ſeele. Obſerve we then,
3. The Adverſaries Deſigne; how miſchievous and Diveliſh; the ſame which wee read of, (a)Pſal. 83.or as Hamans was, not to cut Iſrael ſhort, but cleane off from being a Nation: (b)Eſther 3. 6And his heart is bent upon this Deſigne, now, Now he moves every ſtone, as the Proverbe is; now they put ſhoulder to ſhoulder, heaving at the Church, to remoove and ſhoulder her downe. Why now? Becauſe hee had brought the Church once and againe to the brow of the …ill, but, as her Lord before her, ſhe paſſed through the midſt of Luke 4. 20.them ſhee knowes not how, and went her way; This admirable Reſcue enrageth the adverſary; Now hee hath them in the open feild, hee ſayes, as their fore fathers, I will purſue, I will overtake, I will devide the ſpoile, my luſt ſhall bee ſatis ſied upon them, I will draw my ſword, mine hand ſhall deſtroy them (c)Exod. 15. 9.But ſee the Adverſaries COLOURS, under which hee marcheth, I meane his pretences, for though hee purſues the enemy with open face, yet foreignhee puts a vizor over it, and that makes the face more ugly: it putts an accent upon the deſigne, making it above meaſure horrid, ſinfull and abominable. The Adverſary fights (I take him ſingle though hee bee many) againſt God, under a pretence of being for Him: he fights againſt the life and ſoul of our lives; he ſheds innocent blood to his Power; hee treads the Righteous as mire in the ſtreets: doth what hee can to lay the Glory in the duſt, and all this he doth under a colour (but blood hath quite waſhed off the varniſh) of Advancing Religion and the glory: he hath engaged himſelf to ſubject our conſciences, our laws, our liberties, our eſtates, to a perpetuall ſlavery: but obſerve the manner how he proſecutes all this, for there is the abomination, pretending liberty to conſcience; eſtabliſhment to lawes; property in our goods; & a free enjoyment of all unto us, as to free men. Never was there ſuch a thing as this heard of ſince man was upon the earth: nor was there ever an Hypocriſie ſo pellucide, ſo tranſparent, that every child laughs at it, ſees through it, as through the cleareſt glaſſe. But The LORD ſees it, Hee beholds iniquity and wrong, and hath taken it into His owne hand to Require it: which ſpeaks comfort to the Righteous, as it ſhould terrors to the ungodly.
Now we will look over the Premiſes, and conclude, The Adverſary is a Legion, and more, without number for multitudes; without Reaſon for rage and cruelty: Boundleſſe in their malice, bloody deſigns, and miſchievous Projects: reſtleſſe continually, watching thereunto (that I ſhould have added) for their ſleepe is taken away unleſſe they cauſe ſome to fall.Prov. 4. 16.
We conclude: There is juſt cauſe of a juſt feare, which makes the city ſtand upon their Watch-Tower, gird on their Armour, and, when they have done all, ſtand faſt in the faith▪ To maintain it, and a good conſcience, To do this with all their ſtrength, and To do it continually, praying and watching thereunto: As Rome ſaid once touching her Adverſary Carthage; ſhee would never forbeare to watch againſt Carthage, till they ſaw that City quite demoliſhed and laid even with the ground: So this City will never forbeare to keepe watch and ward and her ſelf in a Poſture of Defence againſt Rome now, and her vaſſals, till ſhe ſees them, as the Iſraelites ſaw the Egyptians, dead before her upon the ſands.
This City ſtands as much engaged to Watch and Pray too, (ſo they gird up their loynes) as David did, when Saul purſued him, for The City may ſay as David did at that time, my ſoul is among Lions; I lye even among them, that are ſet on fire, Pſal. 57. 4.even the Sonnes of men, whoſe Teeth are ſpeares and arrowes and their tongue a ſharpe Sword: fiery Adverſaries, who ſent and watched the houſe to kill him. It was even ſo with the City as wee read in the title of the (d)Pſal. 5…Pſalme: Oh! great Reaſon of feare! I mean ſuch a feare, as puts a man upon Duty, To pray and watch too. Why? The Adverſary, as wee may remember, did, when time was, watch and guard his Croſſe, that Abominable pile of images, ſtocks and ſtones, ſuch deſpicable things: much more will the wiſe in heart, in tender compaſſion to their lives, and juſt liberties, keepe watch night and day over themſelves, and this great City, where are ſo many thouſand perſons, that cannot diſcerne between their Right hand and their Left, and alſo much Cattel. And ſo (Bleſſed bee God) they can ſanctify The Lord God in their hearts, and are ready alwayes to give an anſwer to every man, that asketh them a Reaſon of their feare, and hope alſo, that is in them, with meekneſſe. So wee have ſeen a juſt account given of our feare, how juſt it is, no Phancied thing, but Reall and viſible: wee will ſee now what uſe GOD makes of this affection, in the hearts of the Righteous. And indeed it is very notable to obſerve the wiſdom of God in planting His People there, where they muſt look for diſquietings; And in Implanting in them ſuch an affection as feare is; When wee have obſerved this, then I ſhall ſet downe the meanes how the Righteous have had power, and been able to command over their feares, deporting themſelves calmly in ſuch ſhaking times: And this will make much for the ſetling our minds in our diſquietments, and ſo I ſhall bring it downe and make it uſefull for the preſent time.