But my Brethren, these things ought not to be so; Saints should be of a more raised Spirit: •o was David when his heart was kept in a good frame, Psal. 27. •. ⟨p. 71⟩The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my Life, of whom shall I be afraid: let none but the servants of sin be the slaves of fear, let them that have delighted in evil, fear evil, impius tantum metuit, quantum nocuit. O let not that which God hath threatened as a Judgment upon the wicked, ever seize upon the breasts of the righteous; I will send (saith God) faintness into their hearts in the land of their enemies, and the sound of a shaking leaf shall chase them, Lev. 26. 36. O what poor spirited men were these, to fly at a shaking leaf! which makes a pleasant, and not a terrible noise, and is in it self a kind of natural music; but to a guilty Conscience, the whistling leaves are Drums and Trumpets: but God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, and of a sound mind, 2 Tim. 1. 7. A sound mind as it stands there in opposition to the spirit of fear, is an unwounded Conscience, not infirmed by guilt: and th•s should make a man as bold as a Lyon. I know it cannot be said of a Saint, what God spake of Leviathan, that he is made without fear: there is a natural fear in every man, and it's as impossible to be wholly put off, as the body it self is: 'tis a perturbation ⟨p. 72⟩of the mind, rising from the […] of approaching danger; and as […] can approach us, we shall find some perturbations within us. 'Tis […] my purpose to commend to you a […] apathy, nor ye• to take you off fr•m […] • degree of cautional preven•ve•car as may fit you for troubles, and be serviceable to your souls. There is • provident •ear that opens our eyes to […] danger and quickens to a prudent and ••wful use of means to preve•• it; Such was Jacobs fear, Gen. 32. 7, 9, 10, &c. but it is the fear of diffidence. I persuade you to keep your hearts from that Tyrannical passion which invades the heart in times of danger, distracts, weakens, and unfits the heart for duty, drives men upon unlawful means, and brings a snare with it. Well then, the fourth Case will be this.
But my Brethren, these things ought not to be so; Saints should be of a more raised Spirit: •o was David when his heart was kept in a good frame, Psal. 27. •. ⟨p. 71⟩The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my Life, of whom shall I be afraid: let none but the servants of sin be the slaves of fear, let them that have delighted in evil, fear evil, impius tantum metuit, quantum nocuit. O let not that which God hath threatned as a Judgment upon the wicked, ever seize upon the breasts of the righteous; I will send (saith God) faintness into their hearts in the land of their enemies, and the sound of a shaking leaf shall chase them, Lev. 26. 36. O what poor spirited men were these, to fly at a shaking leaf! which makes a pleasant, and not a terrible noise, and is in it self a kind of natural musick; but to a guilty Conscience, the whistling leaves are Drums and Trumpets: but God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, and of a sound mind, 2 Tim. 1. 7. A sound mind as it stands there in opposition to the spirit of fear, is an unwounded Conscience, not infirm'd by guilt: and th•s should make a man as bold as a Lyon. I know it cannot be said of a Saint, what God spake of Levia•han, that he is made without fear: there is a natural fear in every man, and it's as impossible to be wholly put off, as the body it self is: 'tis a perturba•tion ⟨p. 72⟩of the mind, rising from the 〈…〉 of approaching danger; and as 〈…〉 can approach us, we shall find some perturbations within us. 'Tis 〈…〉 my purpose to commend to you a 〈…〉 apathy, nor ye• to take you off fr•m 〈…〉 • degree of cautional preven•ve•car as may fit you for troubles, and be erviceable to your souls. There is rovident ear that opens our eyes to danger and quickens to a prudent and wful use of means to preve it; Such was Iacobs fear,
