17 It is wonderful to see a poor sinner ready to swoon and fall dead almost at every little sin, when nothing in the world doth fear him or drive him to this fear; and yet when adversity, strange judgements of God, persecution & death come, to be exceeding1 patient and comfortable, courageous and valiant: and again, it is strange to see others, who marvel that men will suffer themselves to be feared with sin, and ask, what men mean to stand trembling at the word; yet let sickness come, or if the hand of God be upon them, or let death come towards them, they quail at the name of sickness, hell, or death, and either they prove very senseless blocks, or else they be in a most desperate estate Yea, if God begin to reckon with them, every stirring of a mouse, shaking of a leaf, moving of a shadow, every noise of the ear, every countenance of a godly man, every chirping of a bird, or drawing near of the least and weakest creature towards them, appals their courage, and makes them most fearful cowards. They most fear when God his judgements are executed, which fear least when they are threatened, and they fear least when God his judgements are accomplished, which tremble most when his wrath is denounced. Wherefore as we most long for courage and most loth cowardliness, when the evil day approacheth; so let us labour for a good conscience, which breedeth true boldness, & fly far from sin, which bringeth a spirit of fear on us. And surely experimental wisdom may teach us, that it is better to fear the evil to come, when only fear and no evil is upon us, than to fear then, when besides the fear the affliction itself so sorely presseth us, that we have no liberty or leave to breathe for any comforts, or to hope for any deliverance.
17 It is wonderfull to see a poore sinner readie to swound and fall dead almost at euery little sinne, when nothing in the world doth feare him or driue him to this feare; and yet when aduersitie, strange iudgements of God, persecution & death come, to be exceeding1 patient and comfortable, couragious and valiant: and againe, it is straunge to see others, who maruell that men will suffer themselues to be feared with sinne, and aske, what men meane to stand trembling at the word; yet let sicknes come, or if the hand of God be vpon them, or let death come towards thē, they quaile at the name of sicknes, hell, or death, and either they proue very senselesse blocks, or else they be in a most desperate estate Yea, if God begin to reckon with them, euery stirring of a mouse, shaking of a leafe, mouing of a shadow, euery noise of the eare, euery countenance of a godly man, euery chirping of a bird, or drawing neere of the least and weakest creature towards them, appalles their courage, and makes them most fearefull cowards. They most feare when God his iudgements are executed, which feare least when they are threatned, and they feare least when God his iudgements are accomplished, which tremble most when his wrath is denounced. Wherefore as we most long for courage and most lothe cowardlines, when the euill day approcheth; so let vs labour for a good conscience, which breedeth t•ue boldnes, & flie far from sinne, which bringeth a spirit of feare on vs. And surely experimentall wisdome may teach vs, that it is better to feare the euill to come, when onely feare and no euill is vpon vs, than to feare then, when besides the feare the affliction itselfe so sorely presseth vs, that we haue no libertie or leaue to breathe for any comforts, or to hope for any deliuerance.
- 1The •••re of the godly and godless how they differ.The •••re of the godly and godlesse how they differ.
