The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

And so Elisha, how full of courage was he when the three Kings came to him, saith he, Had it not been for Jehoshaphat I had not seen thy face: What was the reason? he had the Spirit of Elijah double upon him, and therefore he was bold. As there is a Plerophory of evil that causeth boldness, so there is a Plerophory of good that filleth the heart with boldness, and nothing ⟨p. 40⟩doth so fill the heart as faith: that fetcheth of the fullness of Christ, and of his fullness we are full.

And so Elisha, how full of courage was he when the three Kings came to him, saith he, Had it not been for Jehosaphat I had not seen thy face: What was the reason? he had the Spirit of Elijah double upon him, and therefore he was bold. As there is a Plerophorie of evil that causeth boldness, so there is a Plerophorie of good that filleth the heart with boldness, and nothing ⟨p. 40⟩doth so fil the heart as faith: that fetcheth of the fulness of Christ, and of his fulness we are full.

In the Tenth place; Faith hath a great deal of power to cause boldness and take off the heart from the fear of Man; because Faith doth acquaint a believer with the ways of God towards his people, and therefore he doth not fear: A believer comes to have skill in the passages of Gods Providence, and his dealings towards his people, and thereby he comes to know that it is Gods ordinary way to suffer the enemies of his people to rage against them and prevail against them, and to have much power over them, and yet they are his people. And it is no argument that God hath forsaken them because of their affliction: And therefore you know, the Scripture speaks oftentimes of Gods leading his people through the Fire and the Water, and that God will be with them there, Isa. 43.2. It is the way of God to choose his people, and set his heart upon them in the Fiery Furnace; when he intends the greatest good to his people, He brings them through Fire and Water, and setteth them in wealthy places: