furious affaults of temptation, and instead of a cloud of witneffes, been fo many pillars of falt, and monuments of reproach and fhame to religion, if their faith had failed in its trial.

CHA P. IX.

Wherein the neceffity and usefulness of Christian fortitude in or der to fufferings is evinced, with a brief account of its na ture and the means of attaining it.

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HE next grace which concurs to the completeing of our actual readiness for sufferings, is Chriftian fortitude, or holy courage; which muft fay in thy heart, in a time of dan ger, as Elijah once did, "As the Lord lives, I will fhew my

felf." This alfo is a choice part of your preparation-work In this grace our apoftle was eminent: when he was told "Bonds and afflictions waited for him;" he could fay, That "none of these things moved him," Acts xx. 24. Yea, when he was to appear before the lion Nero, and not a man would own or stand by him, yet he ftands his ground, refolving rather to die on the place, than difhonourably to recede from his principles and profeffion, 2 Tim. iv, 16, 17. He fet the world, with all its threats and terrors, lower than it fet him. O how confpicuous was this grace in all those heroes that have paft 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 neceffity thereof will appear upon these four confiderations.

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1. Because the fuccefs and prevalence of Satan's temptations in the hour of perfecution depends upon the fainting and over throw of this grace. Wherefore doth he raife perfecutions in the world, but because fuch terrible things are fitted to work upon the paffion of carnal fear, which rifes with thofe dangers, and makes the foul as a tumultuous fea. This is it he aims at, Neh. vi. 13. This is a multiplying paffion, that reprefents dangers more and greater than they are, and fo drives the foul into the very net and fnare laid by the devil to take it. Prov xxix. 25. “The fear of man brings a fnare;" which was fadly exemplified in Abraham, Gen. xii. 12. and divers others of the faints. If he can but fubdue this grace, he will quickly bring you to capitulate for life and liberty, upon the bafeft and moft difhonourable terms; therefore the preparation of this grace is fo exceedingly neceffary.

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2. Because this is the grace that honours Jefus Chrift abundantly, when you are brought upon the stage for him.

There is a great folemnity at the fuffering and trial of a faint heaven, earth, and hell, are fpectators, obferving the iffue, and how the faints will acquit themselves in that hour, We are made a Spectacle, faith the apostle. The word is Derpov yer, we are fet as upon a theatre in public view, 1 Cor. iv. 9. God, angels, and faints, wait to fee the glorious triumphs of their faith and courage, reflecting honour upon the name and caufe of Chrift. Devils and wicked men gape for an advantage by their cowardife. Certainly very much lies now upon the Chriftian's hands. Should he faint and give. ground, how will it furnish the triumphs of hell, and make Chrift's enemies vaunt over him, as if his love ran so low in the hearts of his people, that they durft not adventure any thing for him? Or, as if, notwithstanding their brave words and glorious profeffion, they durft 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 refolution for Chrift, how will it daunt the enemies, and make them fay as Marcus bishop of Aretheufa made one of Julian's nobles, prefent at his torments, to fay concerning him, We are afbamed, O empe ror, the Chriftians laugh at your cruelty! And how will God himself rejoice and glory over them, as he once did over Job when he fetched him with honour off that first field! Job ji. 3. "Still he holdeth faft his integrity."

3. Your own peace is wrapt up in it, as well as God's glory. Is it nothing, think you, to be freed from those vultures and harpies, 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. i. ult. Pfal. cxii. 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 eft in mundo pro nihilo? What, is God in the world for nought? And like to this was the anfwer of Silentiarius in the like cafe; Si Deus mei curam 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 confufion and dif traction, which is a choice mercy.

4. Your magnanimity is of fpecial use to other faints, who are following you in the fame path of fufferings. If you faint, it is like the fainting of a standard-bearer in an army: you bring thereby an evil report upon the cross of Chrift, as the firft fpies did upon the land of Canaan. And a like influence with that

it is like to have on your brethren; fo that there is a neceffity of improving this grace alfo before you can fay with Paul you are ready.

2. But what is this Christian fortitude, and wherein doth it confift.

I anfwer briefly, It is an holy boldness in the performance of difficult duties, flowing from faith in the call of God, and his promife to us in the difcharge of them.

And fo you have the nature of it in these four particulars. 1. It is an holy boldness, not a natural or finful boldness, arifing either from the natural conftitution, or evil difpofition of the mind.

2. It is expreffed about duties for truth, not error, Jer. ix. 3. for the intereft of Chrift, not of the flesh.

3. The feafon in which it appears is, when duties are fur rounded and befet with difficulties and dangers, Dan. iii. 16. Dan. vi. 10.

4. The fountain whence it flows is faith, and that as it refpects the command and call of God to duty, Acts xvi. 10. And his promise to us in the discharge thereof, Josh. i. 5,6.

And this grace ftands oppofed, both to the fear of man in the cause of God, Heb. xi. 27. and to apoftacy from the truth for fear of fuffering. Thus briefly of the nature of it.

3. In the last place, I fhall lay down fome rules for the promoting and improvement of it, and fo finish this chapter.

Now there are ten rules heedfully to be obferved for the breeding of holy courage in the breaft of a faint in evil times.

1. Rule. And the first rule is this, Get a weaned heart from all earthly enjoyments. If the heart be inordinately fixed upon any one thing that you poffefs in the world, that inordinate eftimation of, and affection for it, will strangely effeminate, foften, and cowardize your spirit when your trial comes, 2 Tim. ii. 4. You meet not with a man of courage for God, but had his heart dead to earthly things; fo it was with Paul, Phil. iii. 8. Since the apoftles, we scarce meet with a greater example of holy magnanimity than Luther; and if you read his story, you will find few men ever fet a lower rate on the world than he All the Turkish empire in his eye was but a crumb caft to the dogs. Germana eft haec beftia pecuniam non curat. Money could not tempt him.

2. Rule. Suffer not guilt to lie upon your confciences: it is a fountain of fears, and you can never attain boldness for God, till it be removed, Rom. v. 1, 2, 3. The fpirit of a found mind

is opposed to the spirit of fear, 2 Tim. i. 7. Now that found mind is a mind or spirit that is not wounded, and made fick and infirm by guilt. O what black fogs and mifts arise out of guilt, which becloud our evidences, and fill us with fears and discouragements! Gen. xlii. 21, 22.

3. Rule. Clear your call to difficult fervices, be well fatisfied that you are in that way and posture God expects to find you in." O what courage this will give! Joth. i. 9. Then a man may pro mife himself God's prefence and protection, 2 Chron. xv. 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 eourage 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. ii. 9. And further, till a man be clear in this, he cannot commit his cause to God. And it is a fad thing to be cut off from fo choice a relief as that is, 1 Pet. iv. 19.

4. Rule. Get right notions and apprehenfions of your enemies. We are apt to magnify the creature, as if he could do more than he can, and thereby disable ourselves from doing what we bould. Poffefs your fouls with the belief of these five things concerning them. (1.) That they are poor weak enemies, Ifa. xl. 15, 17, 22. But as a fwarm of gnats in the air. See how God defcribes them, Ifa. li. 13, 14.

(2.) That little power they have is limited by your God, who hath the bounding and ordering of it, John xix. 11. Pfal. lxxvi. 10. (3.) They carry guilt upon them, which makes them more timorous than you, Ifa. viii. 12. Their fear is a ftrange fear. (4.) They only use carnal weapons against you, which cannot touch your fouls. If they were praying enemies that could engage God against you, they would be formidable enemies indeed; but this they cannot do. The largest commiffion that any of them ever had from God, extended but to the bodies and bodily concernments of the faints, Luke xii. 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 Jerufalem; therefore fear not man. (5.) Your enemics are God's enemies; and God hath espoused your cause and quarrel. The more cruel they are, the kinder he will be to you, John ix. 34, 35.

5. Rule Labour to engage the prefence of God with you in all places and conditions. Whilft you enjoy this, your fpirits will be invincible and undaunted, Jofh. i. 9. Pfal. cxviii. 6. A weak creature affifted 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 itself. A lit tle dog, if his mafter be by, and animates him, will seize upon a greater beast than himself, though he would run from him were his mafter abfent. Our courage ebbs and flows as the manifestations of the divine presence do. Oh get thyfelf once within the line of that promise, Ifa. xliii. 1, 2. and thou art invincible.

6. Rule. Get an high estimation of Jefus Chrift, and all his concernments. They that value him higheft, will adventure for him fartheft. Magnanimous Luther, how ineftimable a value did he fet upon the truths of Chrift! Ruat coelum, &c. Let heaven rub rather than a crumb of truth should perifh. Thou wilt never be a man of zeal and courage for Christ's in tereft, until that interest of Christ have swallowed up all thine own interefts. No fooner is the foul acquainted with, and in terested in Christ, but he heartily wishes well to all his affairs and concernments, Pfal. xlv. 3, 4. This is that which puts metal and refolution for Chrift into the foul,

7. Rule. Beware you be not cheated with maxims of carnal policy, miftaken for Christian prudence. Many are so: and they prove destructive to all true zeal and courage for Chrift. Never was religion profeffed with greater plainness and fimpli city, than by the primitive Chriftians: and never was there an higher fpring-tide of courage and zeal for God, than in those days. We are apt to call it prodigality, and are grown wifer to hufband our lives and comforts, better than they did. But indeed our prudentials have even swallowed up our religi on. It is true, there is fuch a thing as Chriftian prudence; but this doth not teach men to shun all coftly and difficult du ties, and profttitute confcience to fave the skin. "A man of "understanding walketh uprightly," Prov. xv. 21.

8, Rule. Look upon the infide of troubles for Chrift, as well as upon the outside of them. If you view them by an eye of fenfe, there appeareth nothing but matter of difcouragement. To look on the outside of a prifon, banishment, or death, is affrighting and horrible: but then, if ye look into the infide of thefe things by faith, and see what God hath made them to his people, and how joyful and comfortable they have been in thefe conditions; what honey they have found in the carcals of a lion, what fongs in the frocks and dungeons, what glory. ing in tribulation, an hundred-fold reward even in their fuf ferings: O then! that which looked like a ferpent at a diftance, will appear but as a rod in hand. How many have found themfelves quite miftaken in their apprehenfions of fufferings;