A30570:315
The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs
The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs ; published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]
London: printed by Peter Cole and Edward Cole, 1661
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For a general answer unto this, consider these five things.
Your question is, whether a Christian may not flee danger?
I answer, First, That the greatest care of a Christian ought to be to do his duty, rather then to avoid danger that may fall out in his duty: we should be more afraid of our own base, earthly, cowardly, unbelieving hearts then we should be afraid of any evil that the malice and power of all the men in the world, and Devils in hell can being upon us: No Christian is in so much danger of evil from the malice and power of all the men in the world and Devils in hell, as he is in danger of mischief from his own heart, and that man that doth not fear himself and his own vile heart, more then he doth all the power and malice of the men of the world and the Devils in Hell, he doth not yet know his heart: It is a greater judgment to be delivered up to a mans own heart: then to be delivered up to the malice of all the enemies we have in the world; yea, it is a greater judgment to be delivered up to ones own heart, then to be delivered up to the Devil himself.
I answer, First, That the greatest care of a Christian ought to be to do his duty, rather then to avoid danger that may fal out in his duty: we should be more affraid of our own base, earthly, cowardly, unbeleeving hearts then we should be affraid of any evil that the malice and power of al the men in the world, and Devills in hell can being upon us: No Christian is in so much danger of evil from the malice and power of al the men in the world and Devils in hell, as he is in danger of mischeif from his own heart, and that man that doth not feare himself and his own vile heart, more then he doth al the power and malice of the men of the world and the Devils in Hell, he doth not yet know his heart: It is a greater judgment to be delivered up to a mans own heart: then to be delivered up to the malice of al the enemies we have in the world; yea, it is a greater judgment to be delivered up to ones own heart, then to be delivered up to the Devil himself.