The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

but if you would be ⟨p. 92⟩daughters of Sarah, you must be daughters in this, not to be afraid with amazement, you should be true yoke-fellows to help them in that work, & not to hinder them with passionate fear. Further whose daughters you are this is spoken to Christian women, now then many had Infidels to their husbands, now the Apostle would have them imitate this example of Sarah and by faith to go beyond their sex, may be their husbands would threaten them; if you do thus and thus, you shall live such and such an uncomfortable life with me, this might discourage many, and hinder them in their way, how shall I be able to live with such a one that shall always be crossing and vexing of me because of such and such ways that I take; therefore the Apostles instance in this particular, if God have revealed his way and truth to you, whatsoever difficulties you are like to meet withal be not afraid with amazement. Again they living in those times, whether they had good Husbands or bad, they were like to suffer persecution: and now might they say how shall such poor women as we; that are weaker usually then men, be able to lie in prison or Burn in the fire? this would bring down the spirit of the strongest man. The Apostle therefore directs this to women, be not afraid with amazement, you have a strong God to be with you in whatsoever you are called to suffer. There are many Gracious promises that we find in Scripture that there is a time Coming when God will deliver his people from the fear of man that will be a blessed time, for much evil doth come to the people of God by the sinful fear of man, and we should labour to fulfil Gods promises what we can. In Isa. 54.11. God promises. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempests and not comforted, behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Sapphires; where was this promise ever fulfilled? the condition of the Church shall be very Glorious, that God will lay the foundations with Sapphires, and the stones with fair colours; we use to lay the foundation ⟨p. 93⟩with rubbish, and ordinary stone, but God will lay it with Sapphires, vers. 14. In righteousness shalt thou be established, thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee: So in