Whore no not to save his life offered to him on those terms Holy Fear will tell us that sin must not be done to avoid suffering that we were better bear all reproaches then dishonour God lose our Estates then leave our Religion nay and lay down our lives then be separated from the Divine Love O let us look upon sin as the Maximum formidabile as that which hath in it the most proper cause of fear and flight that no external miseries and dangers may be able to drive us into it 2. Holy Fear looks at the sufferings which God inflicts in Hell as incomparably greater then those which man doth or can inflict upon Earth Our Saviour directing our fear to its right Object takes notice of the vast difference between them Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill he soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell Math. 10.28 Mans killing is one thing but Gods destroying another Man may kill the Body and it may be in a tormenting manner but there is no death like the second no torments on Earth are comparable to those in Hell no finite arm can strike so hard as the infinite One no Culinary or Elementary Fire can burn so hot as the Infernal doth God bid Moses take and sprinkle the ashes of the Furnace and they should become boils and blains Exod. 9.8 9. A Great Doctor of ours glosses on the words thus The sufferings here on Earth are but the ashes of the Furnace small things in comparison of the Furnace itself an Hell of unquenchable fire man may kill the body but he is not alwaies a killing of it he may torment but he cannot bear up the Patient in long suffering the torments in a little time will cease and the Martyr Sleep in Jesus but God kils the damned and is still a killing them power supports them and Justice punishes them the fire of Hell kindled by eternal breath never goes out and the smoak of their torment ascends for ever and ever After thousands and ten thousand of years still there will be wrath to come such as no time can measure Man may kill the body but after that he can do no more his Engines of Cruelty cannot reach the Soul or touch the inward man which is a Sanctuary for God but God kils the soul his wrath is in a peculiar manner poured out there where the chief seat of sin was the neverdying Worm is ever growing upon corscience The spirit of the damned furiously reflects upon itself over the eternal misery that it lies under All the horrors of a Spira or a Judas are far short of that desperate rage and anguish which tortures the lost souls in Hell He that hath this holy fear in him will chuse any sufferings on Earth rather then those in Hell One of the sons of Solomona told the Tyrant Antiochus that his fire was cold and indeed it was so comparatively to the Fire of Hell St. Austin putting the question whom we should obey God commanding one thing or the Emperor commanding another makes his answer Da veniam Imperator tu carcerem minaris ille gehennam Gives place O Emperor De Verb. Dom. serm 6. thou threatnest a Prison he a Hell When Polycarp was threatned with Fire his answer was That the Persecuter threatned only a momentary Fire but knew not The Eternal one He that ever heard that true Thunder which is the voice of God would hardly be afraid of such Artificial Cracks as the Emperor Cajus Caligula used to make to shew himself a God And he that carries upon his heart an awe of those sufferings which God inflicts in Hell will hardly fear those which men inflict on Earth 3. Holy Fear looks upon Spiritual and Eternal Losses as incomparably greater then Carnal and Temporal ones The loss of the World may be made up in the saving of the Soul but for the loss of a Soul nothing can make a recompence That little sparkle of Divinity mightily outweighs the great Globe of the World What are Bodies to Spirits Nemo saith Austin bene se inspexit qui non omni corpori qualemlibet animam praeponendam esse fateatur he that looks well into himself must confess that any Soul is to be preferred before all Bodies The loss of mans favor may be richly made up by the presence of Gods Moses endured the King's wrath as seeing the invisible one the presence of God was so with him that he feared no human frowns But if the Divine Favour be wanting nothing can supply the defect of it It 's true a man without it may have all outward blessings flowing round about him but he eats and drinks and Sleeps under the wrath of God which hangs over his head as the sword did over the head of Damocles at the Tyrants Table and as soon as the thread of life breaks it comes down upon him in an utter ruine The loss of Creatures may be made up by an interest in God a real Christian having nothing may possess all things in him but if a man forsake God what will the World give in exchang for him It 's Riches are but poor moth-eaten things which in a little time vanish away its Pleasures are but the titillations of Sense and perish in the using its Honours are but a blast a little popular Air which soon go away and come to nothing When once God who is the Fountain and Spring of all good departs it is in vain to hope for any thing from the little Rivulets and Cisterns of the Creature He that hath this holy Fear in him will chuse to suffer loss in Carnal and Temporal things rather then in Spiritual and Eternal It is the saying of St. Ambrose Eaest vera pietas quaepraeponit divina humanis perpetua temporalibus Lib. 7. Epist 56. that is true Piety which prefers Divine Things to humane and perpetual things to temporal St. Austin sets out servile and filial Fear by an Adulterous and a Chast Wife Timet mulier adultera In Joh. Tract 63. in E pist Joh. Tract 9. ne vir ejus veniat timet casta ne vir ejus abscedat The adulterous woman sears lest her husband may come the chast woman fears lest her husband depart In like manner servile Fear makes us afraid that God will punish filial Fear makes us afraid that God will depart The loss of him is more then the loss of all things When the Martyr Menas under the Persecution of Dioclesian Magd. hist Cent 4. cap. 12. was brought forth to suffer he gave this reason for it Nihilest quod meâ sententiá conferripossit cum regno coelorum neque enim totus Mundus potest aequâ lance expensus uni comparari animae there is nothing in my judgment like the Kingdom of Heaven neither may the whole World if weighed in an equal ballance be compared with one Soul He had
but giveth grace unto the humble Jam. 4.6 God hath two hands with the one he casts down the proud that lift up themselves against him with the other he lifts up the humble that lye at his feet for mercy Humility is not only a Grace but a capacity to receive more of it He that goes to a River to take up water puts the mouth of his Vessel downward to do it he that goes to God for Grace must put his mouth in the dust and cry to have it not for his worths sake but for his spiritual poverty An humble Heart is as Parisiensis cals it a spiritual Vacuum and as nature doth not suffer a Vacuum in Bodies but fils up the space one way or other so Grace doth not suffer a Vacuum in Spirits but fils up the humble Soul with fresh supplies of Grace St. Austin sets out this by a notable similitude Si humiles sunt valles sunt quod infuderis capiunt non dimittunt Aust de Verb. Apost ser 9. The water that fals down from Heaven upon the Mountains flows away but the water that fals upon the Vallys stays there In like manner the Divine Grace that distils from above doth not rest upon high proud persons but upon humble ones God leaves the full Souls and fils the empty abases the exalted and exalts the abased All other Graces grow together with Humility the more humble we are the more we have of God with us the more we have of Grace in us and the more we have of these the more we have of strength in the inner man and the more we have of preparation for a day of Trial. If we build so high as suffering for Christ we must dig deep and lay the Foundation low that when the storm comes we may stand fast and unmovable 3. Humility makes a man freely to bow and subject himself to God in all things This is a choice and excellent preparative for suffering the same which our Saviour commends to weary and heavy laden souls take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Math. 11.29 Christians are to take up a double yoke the yoke of Evangelical Commands and the yoke of the Cross that accompanies them in both subjection is requisite In the one Subjection to Christs Authority commanding in the other subjection to his Providence ordering And that Christians may be subject to both they must look to the great Pattern learn meekness and humility from him The heart of man naturally is a very proud Belial thing that will bear no yokes it will not be under Christ not under his Righteous Commands by Obedience nor under his Afflicting Providences by Patience it lifts up itsel and by a kind of Blasphemy practicalls aspires to be above God himself But when the Divine Grace hath melted the heart and made it humble then it will bow down and take both yokes upon itself it will become freely subject to God and all his holy pleasure I say freely A proud man may be bowed down under the pressure of an external Calamity but an humble man bows himself down by an internal Principle of Grace in the one the subjection is meerly of necessity in the other it is free and of choice Humility makes a man lye at Gods foot and say Lord what wilt thou have me to do or What wilt thou have me to suffer Let the word of God come saith Baldasser the German Divine and we will submit to it six hundred necks if we had so many Let the Cross come saith the humble man and I will submit to it Humility is virtually all obedience and patience it makes a man to be as a little child ruleable by all the Will of God Whether that Will come forth in Precepts or providences Humility will comply and bow down under it The lowly in heart will do or be any thing for God therefore our Saviour promises rest to such De Tempore Ser. 213. as the gracious reward of their labors and sufferings It is good counsel that St. Austin gives Esto parvus in oculis tuis ut sis magnus in oculis Dei be thou little in thine own eyes that thou mayst be great in Gods Subjecting thy self to all his pleasure is the way to be exalted by him 4. Humility causes a man to depend upon God for support and comfort in his Sufferings The proud person stands in the posture of the Pharisee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 standing to himself Luk. 18.11 he stands upon his own bottom and thinks himself able by his own power to do or suffer any thing as he pleases But standing in his own presumption it is very likely that he will fall off as soon as the trial comes But it is otherwise with the humble man he knows that he is weak in himself and must be strong in God and therefore he will not trust in his own Power or Will but look up to God for support and comfort in the evil day De Verb. Dom. ser 13. It is a notable passage of St Austin Multos impedit a firmitate praesumptio firmitatis nemo a Deo fit firmus nisi qui a seipso sentit infirmum A presumption of firmness hinders many from being firm no man is made firm by God but he that feels infirmity in himself The story in the Marian Persecution is very memorable Mr. Sanders the Martyr at first shewed much weakness and fear but Dr. Pendleton said to him What man fear I will see every drop of my grease melted before I forsake Christ and his truth But afterwards Sanders triumphantly Suffered kissing the Stake and saying Welcome the Cross of Christ but proud Pendleton turned Papist Unto this instance I shall add a more ancient one Peter a Great Apostle fell and denied his Lord but among the Primitive Christians Women and little Children suffered in a brave and heroical maner Aust in Joh. tract 113. The greatest Christians may fall by presuming upon themselves the Least may stand by depending on the power of God The poor in Spirit would not be their own Keepers but would commit themselves unto God Psal 10.14 as being safer in his hands then in their own Humble souls not being able to bear up their own weight lean upon the Rock of Ages and having no rest in themselves they acquiesce in the Center of Souls The feeble Conies have their houses in the Rocks and the weak Christians dwell in the secret of the most high Annas Burgus a Senator of Paris suffered for the pure Religion with that constancy that many were curious to know what Religion that was for which he so patiently endured death and one reason of his patience was his humble dependance upon God which he expressed in that often repeated prayer at his death Deus mi ne me derelinquas ne ego te derelinquam Thuan Lib. 23. O my God leave me not lest I leave
him The more we act our Love Meekness Mercy Goodness or any Grace the more we are united to him and incorporated with him nay true Obedience makes us to be of neer alliance to him When our Saviour was told that his Mother and Brethren stood without to see him his answer was My Mother and my Brethren are those which hear the word of God and do it Luke 8.20 21. St. Ambrose upon these words tels us In Lucam cap. 8. Religiosiores copulae mentium quam corporum the conjunction of Minds is more sacred than that of Bodies The Obedient Christian is Brother to Christ being born of the same holy Spirit in Regeneration of which he was conceived in his Incarnation nay he is Mother to Christ bringing him forth in the exercise of holy Graces somewhat of the Love Mercy Piety Meekness of Christ is still a coming forth from him In both these respects doth obedience dispose us to suffering the more we grow up into Christ the Head the more Divine Power and Virtue we have from him our chief strength lies not in our selves but in our Head we may do nay and suffer any thing through him strengthning us And the more we are allied to him the more we are bound to adhere to him Our supernatural Birth obliges us to live to him nay and if need be to die for him and we are to bring him forth not only in other holy Virtue but in that of Patience St. Paul bore about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 and the Allies of Christ must be ready at Gods call to suffer with him 4. True Obedience produces an increase of Grace and spiritual Strength Obedience is a Christians daily walk the more he exercises himself to Godliness the more grace he hath in his Soul That Faith which was but as a little grain of Mustard-seed becomes a Tree spreading itself forth at last as high as assurance That love which was as a little spark raked up in the ashes comes to be a vehement Flame aspiring after the fruition of God in Heaven That Hope which was but a poor weak thing in the Soul comes to have more liveliness and supernatural stature The path of the just which is in obedience is as the shining light which shines more and more unto the perfect day in heaven Prov. 4.18 The more a Christian exercises himself in Obedience the stronger he grows in the Inner-man of a Plant he comes to be a Tree of Righteousness of a Babe he comes to be a Man in Christ His vital Principles become more strong his supernatural hear increased he holds on his way of Obedience and so grows stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Such an Obedience as this admirably Disposes a man for suffering The greater his stock of Grace is the better will he hold out in the straits of the World The more strength he hath in the inner-man the more able he will be to bear the burden of the Cross If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small Prov. 24.10 Great strength will keep a man from fainting When the Children of Israel were come to be above six hundred thousand Numb 1.46 it was a great encouragement to make them go on gallantly against their Enemies And when Christians have their Graces multiplied and among the rest Patience comes to be all Patience as the expression is Col. 1.11 it gives them spirit and life to bear sufferings 5. True obedience obtains the gracious Presence of God to help and comfort good men in the doing his Will The Rabbins say That if two sit together conferring about the Law the Shechinah is among them I may say if one single Christian be a doing of Gods will the Divine Presence is with him Thus our Saviour saith If any man love him and keep his words the Father and the Son will come and make their abode with such an one John 14.23 Such an one hath a Shechinah in his heart God will be there helping and comforting of him Whilst he is a doing of Gods will strength will come in as it did to the Levites 1. Chron. 15.26 and not only strength but comfort too In keeping his commands there is great reward some of the oyl of Joy which is upon Christ the great doer of Gods will drops down upon good men in their sincere obedience they have an inward peace and joy unspeakeable In this respect obedience prepares the heart of Christians to endure suffering An obedient Christian can argue thus with himself I have found Gods gracious Presence strengthning and comforting me in the doing of his will much more shall I have it when I come to suffer and part with all for his sake When all forsook St. Paul yet the Lord stood with him and strengthned him 2 Tim. 4.16.19 When Mr. Sanders was examined about his Religion he was wonderfully comforted and received a tast of the Communion of Saints a pleasant refreshing did issue from every part of his Body to his heart and from thence into all parts again Cicely Ormes was filled with such joy and comfort that at the kindling of the fire she said My soul doth magnify the Lord and my Spirit doth rejoice in God my Saviour O let us firmly conclude this with our selves that God will not leave or forsake his people no not at other times much less will he do it in the time of Fiery Trials Then they shall have strength and comfort in a more than ordinary way enough to make them to triumph over their Sufferings or at leastwise to bear them with Patience 6. True Obedience is the way to Heaven Those blessed ones that do the commands of God have right to the Tree of Life and enter in through the gates into the City Rev. 22.14 The more obedient a man is to the Divine Will the richer entrance he hath into the blessed Kingdom After sowing to the Spirit comes the Crop of Eternal Glory after walking in holy Obedience comes the blessed end of Life and Immortality In this respect Obedience fits us for Sufferings A man that is in the way to Hell is not capable of suffering it is not imaginable that a man should bear Reproach for Christ who hath no hope of Glory or that he should part with his Treasure here who hath none in Heaven or that he should lay down his Life Temporal who hath no right to an Eternal one or that he should let go his Portion of good in this World who hath none in another But the Obedient Christian who is in the way to Heaven is in a capacity to suffer any thing that meets him in the passage thither Reproaches may come but he is going to shine in glory Worldly Goods may be spoiled but he hath an Inheritance incorruptible that fadeth not away Temporal Life may be lost but in the very instant there begins an Eternal one with the blessed God in Heaven he may by
as the Chaff before the fierce Anger of the Lord come upon you before the day of the Lords Anger come upon you Zeph. 2.1.2 Approaching Judgments alarum us to self examination Sit down O Christian and consider what the state of thy Heart is what of Corruption is there and what of Grace how much is there for the World and how much for God what concupiscential Strings are there that tie thee to the present world and what Anchors cast in Heaven are there to bear thee up in a Storm what Chaff or Vanity is there that will go away with every Wind and what massy Grace that will abide the trial Never is it more necessary to descend into our selves than in a time of Suffering Search out the Corruption and Deceitfulness in thy Heart If thou wilt believe him that knows the Heart better than it knows it self The Heart is deceitful above all things Jer. 17.9 full of windings and turnings deceitful beyond its own power of reflection which when acted knows the deceit in part but cannot dive into the bottom of it Commune with thine own Heart O Christian ask it seriously Is there not much Corruption within are there not reliques of Unbelief Earthiness Sensualness Pride Hypocricy Apostacy found in thee Consider what these are these fight under the same Colours and aim at the same end with the persecuting World these would root grace out of thy Heart as wicked men would root Good out of the World As it was with Israel there went up with them out of Egypt a mixed multitude which was ready to return again thither so it is with good men there are corrupt mixtures in them which would turn back to Egypt again Be not deceived thy whole entire self is not for suffering the unregenerate part will hang back and say to thee as Satan in Peter did to our Saviour Master Spare thy self When dangers approach the Flesh will cry out Oh Spare thy Estate Spare thy Relations Spare thy Life why shouldest thou destroy thy self Take notice therefore that there is a Traitor in thine own bosom which unless thou watch will like the Idolaters deceived Heart turn thee aside from God Again ask thy Heart Doth it not Steal out of holy duties When thou art a hearing the holy Word will not thy Heart go out to worldly objects When thou art joyning with others in Prayer do not thy thoughts rove up and down about Carnal things If thy Heart be a little elevated towards Heaven doth it not immediately fall down again If it be a little inflamed towards God doth it not instantly cool again Think with thy self that Heart that steals away from Duties in which there is nothing grevious to the Body will be ready to steal away from Sufferings which grate upon the Flesh and Sense Thou hadst need to get thy Heart fixed on God in Duties that when thou comest to Suffering thou myest not start away from him Further yet ask thy heart Hath it not been false in Vows and Promises of better obedience and those made at Sacraments or upon Sick-beds Is not thy Goodness as a morning Cloud and thy life a vain circle of commissions of Sin and Confessions And canst thou trust such an Heart as this Assure thy self that an Heart which is false in Promises will not be true in Sufferings that goodness that passes away like the early Dew at other times will utterly vanish when a scorching Persecution comes Learn therefore to be true in Promises that thou mayst be true in Suffering get such a real Goodness as may abide the trial in an Evil day Moreover ask thy self one question more Cannot thy Heart colour over evil things Is it not apt to extenuate sin and say It is but a little one to make nothing of idle Words or petty Oaths And what may not such an Heart do to avoid Sufferings May it not put a fair gloss upon Popery it self and say the Papists have the substance of Religion and why should we scruple humane Rights and Ceremonies They have the sacred Scriptures and why should we stumble at superfluous Traditions Their Images are not the terminative object of Worship but the motive only and why may we not use Humane Inventions to move us to Devotion Transubstantion it self is but a kind of nicety they say the body of Christ is in the Eucharist after the maner of Spirits we say Bellar. de Euch. Lib. 1 ca. 2. Lib 3. cap. 4. that it is there Spiritually And how little doth the difference seem to be Praying to Saints and Angels is but a vanity a void thing Humane merit is an harmless thing if it be grafted upon Christ and the Promise The Pope himself is a Bishop and what need we think him Antichrist The false heart can paint the Whore in every part and make her look as if she were not Mystery Babilon the Mother of Harlots Abominations of the Earth Labour then to know more and more of the deceitfulness of thy heart that it may not cheat thee in times of Persecution He that trusts in his heart is a Fool nay a secret Idolater let us carry an holy jealousy over our hearts The Carnal heart will presume but knows not its own weakness it will promise much but perform little or nothing Peter was in a very high strain though all men be offended yet will not I Matth. 26.33 And again though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee Verse 35. But alas he was herein as Forus observes but a Figure of those that lean upon their own Free-will Ecce columna firmissima ad unius aurae impulsum tota contremuit ubi est illa promittentis audacia dese plurimum presumentis Aust in Joh. Tract 11 3. he knew too little of himself presumed too much upon his own power and fell miserably in the denial of his Lord This great Pillar fel before the breath of a poor Damsel his Confidence and Presumption proved but a meer Vanity Do not O Christian think thy self better than this great Apostle study thine own heart and see the Corruption there that thou maiest not fall by presumption but stand in the Power of his Grace who is able to confirm thee to the end 2. Search thy heart and see what uprightness is there thou hast a name a notion of Religion a form of Godliness but hast thou the thing the truth of grace the power of Religion in thy heart It is grace true grace that must establish the heart Hebr. 13.9 It is Gold tried in the fire Revel 3.18 that is pure grace that must endure the fiery trial Consider thy self O Christian Is there any true integrity in thee Where are the Marks and Caracters of it appearing in thee Put Interrogatories to thine own heart Dost thou indeed set the Lord alwaies before thee Dost thou do every thing as in his Presence and under his Eye This is very comfortable he that
or Notion but it is an active and lively thing it doth not meerly look to the glory above but puts the Soul into a posture for it Every one that hath in him the hope of so great a thing as the seeing the blessed God is purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 He knows Darkness cannot have communion with Light unclean eyes cannot be opened in so pure a place as Heaven is the earthly heart is too gross to be in the Region of holy Spirits he that drowns himself in Sensual Pleasures is not meet to drink of the pure Rivers that are above Malitious Spirits cannot be capable of dwelling there wher infinite Love opens it self in all its sweetness The false-hearted Hypocrite can never be admitted to see Truth in the Original nor the evil man to drink Goodness at the Fountain-head He therefore that hath a right hope of being with God in Heaven will purifie himself for such an high estate he will labor to have more of the light of Faith to fit him for that of Vision to have more purity of heart to make him meet to see the holy One to have more of Heaven in his affections to prepare him for that blessed Region to have more spiritual delight here that he may be capable of entring into the joy of his Lord hereafter to have his heart more filled with holy Love that he may be in an apt posture for the rich effusions of Love in Heaven to have more truth and goodness in his heart that he may be the more ready to enjoy the Fountain and Fulness of both I mean the blessed God who is All in All Thus this lively Hope makes a man meet for Heaven and in so doing it makes him meet for those Sufferings that lie in his way thither That Purity which disposes him to enjoy God in Heaven doth also dispose him to suffer for him on Earth and the greater disposition is to Heaven the Center of blessedness the stronger will the motion be to break through all difficulties that are in the passage thereunto Let us therefore get a purilying Hope that we may be fit for the Cross 3. Hope doth not only dispose us for the good things to come but it waits for them unto the end Hope is a waiting grace it makes a Christians life to be a perpetual waiting All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come saith Job Chap. 14. Vers 14. Job had many changes but he waited for that great one which should bring him into a state of unchangeaale happiness Whatever holy men are a doing still they are in a waiting posture When Jacob was blessing his Sons he did not for get this but broke out in a Sudden sweet Ejaculation I have waited for thy Salvation O Lord Gen. 49.18 Hope makes Christians to wait for the good things to come at all times but in a Special manner in time of Sufferings St Paul speaking first of the suffering Saints and then of the groaning World Expresseth himself thus We our selves also which have the First-fruits of the Spirit groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption the Redemption of our Body for we are saved by Hope Rom. 8.23 24. Here we may observe the true state and posture of the Saints Afflictions make then groan but the Divine Hope the First-fruits of the Spirit make them wait for a better World in which Adoption and Redemption shall have their compleat perfection A Chrisstian in Afflictions being tormented in this World will wait for a better The Martyr Agatha having her Breasts cruelly cut off for Religion told the persecutor That yet she had two breasts remaining such as he could not touch the one of Faith the other of Hope which afforded her great Comforts in her Torments Faith adheres to the Promise Hope waits for the good things promised both strengthen in a day of Trial It is the very nature of Divine Hope to wait for the good things to come When the Sun of Prosperity Shines it waits in a way of obedience Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and do thy Commandments saith David Psal 119.166 He waited in a way of obedience to Gods Commands And when the storm of Perfecution comes it waits in a way of Patience Hence the Apostle speaks of the patience of hope 1. Thessal 1.3 That hope which in Prosperity waited in a way of Obedience will in Adversity wait in a way of Patience Hope would have the Christian to be always waiting for the upper World but when the Cross comes it presseth upon him more vehemently and will speak after this manner to him what hast thou waited for the great reward in Heaven in Duties and Ordinances and wilt thou not wait for it in Sufferings too Heaven is the same still and Sufferings are not worthy to be compared with it Do but suffer a little and thou shalt be there When the Martyr Ananias in the Persian Persecution seemed to tremble at the approaching Cross Pusices spake thus to him Sozom. L. 2. cap. 10. Paulisper O senex oculos claude nam statim lumen Dei videbis Shut thine eyes a little O old man and immediately thou shalt see the light of God Excellent is that of the Apostle Our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal 2. Cor. 4.17 18. Here it is observable Affliction is light and momentary but glory is a weight and eternal there is no proportion between them If by hope we look at the invisible and eternal things this will support our hearts that it is but a little short suffering and we shall be in Heavenly bliss for ever Let us therefore labor after a waiting hope that we may patiently bear the Cross CHAP. X. The Seventh Direction for Suffering is holy Fear not the Fear of man but of God not a diffidential Fear but a fiducial one not a servile Fear but a filial one Holy Fear looks at Sin more then at suffering at Sufferings in Hell more then at those on Earth at Spiritual and Eternal losses more then at Carnal and Temporal THe Seventh Direction is this if we would be in a fit posture for suffering we must get an holy Fear in our hearts The wise Solomon begins his Proverbs with this The fear of the Lord is the beginning or head of Knowledge Prov 1.7 and ends his Ecclesiastes with this That to fear God and keep his Commandments is the whole duty of Man Eccl. 12.13 Other things appertain to the Beast or the Devil but holy Fear is the All of man it makes him a perfect man not only to do Gods Will but to suffer under it In speaking to this I shall first consider