A39696:275
Two treatises the first of fear, from Isa. 8, v. 12, 13, and part…
Two treatises the first of fear, from Isa. 8, v. 12, 13, and part of the 14 : the second, The righteous man's refuge in the evil day, from Isaiah 26, verse 20 / by John Flavell.
London: printed by H.H. for Robert Boulter, 1682
A PRACTICAL TREATISE OF Fear, &c. › Chapter 6 › Section 1 › Subsection 6: 6. Rule.
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.
Behold the cloud of witnesses encompassing you round about; a cloud like that over the Israelites to direct you: Yea, a cloud for multitude of excellent persons to animate and encourage you. Heb. 12. 1. O take them for an ensample in suffering affliction, and patience. James 5. 10. Examples of excellent persons that have broken the ice, and beaten the path before us, are of excellent use to suppress our fears, and rouse our courage in our own encounters.
Behold the cloud of witnesses encompassing you round about; a cloud like that over the Israelites to direct you: Yea, a cloud for multitude of excellent persons to animate and encourage you. Heb. 12. 1. O take them for an ensample in suffering affliction, and patience. Iames 5. 10. Examples of excellent persons that have broken the ice, and beaten the path before us, are of excellent use to suppress our fears, and rouze our courage in our own encounters.
The first sufferers had the hardest task, they that first entered the lists for Christ, wanted those helps to suppress fear which they have left unto us. Strange and untried torments are most terrible, for magnitudinem ream consuetudo subducit, trial and acquaintance a bates ⟨p. 93⟩the formidable greatness of evils. they knew not the strength of that enemy they were to engage, but we fight with an enemy that hath been often beaten and triumphed over by our brethren that went before us: certainly we that live in the last times, have the best helps that ever any had to subdue their fears; we have heard of the courage and constancy of our brethren, in as sharp trials of their courage as ever we can be called to; we have read with what Christian gallantry they have triumphed over all sorts of sufferings and torments, how they have been strengthened with all might in the inner man unto all patience, and long suffering, with joyfulness, 1 Collos. 11. How they have gone away from the Courts that censured and punished them, rejoicing that they were honoured to be dishonoured for Christ, as the strict reading of that Text is,