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A64957 A covert from the storm, or, The fearful encouraged in times of suffering from Rev. 2. 10 : fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer ... / by Nathanael Vincent ... Vincent, Nathanael, 1639?-1697. 1671 (1671) Wing V404; ESTC R6000 63,594 154

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Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ he knew how to be abased how to be hungry now to suffer need and learned in whatever state he was therewith to be contented Phil. 4. 11 12. compared with v. 20. of ch 3. 6. A sixth Antidote against fear is a due consideration who your enemies and troublers are Bring them into the Sanctuary and there take a view of them weigh them in the ballance and themselves with all their power will be found so light that you will conclude that to be a very vain fear which such vain and weak creatures as they are do raise in you 1. Your enemies are but men let them do their worst their most they can but kill the body Cease ye from man saith the Prophet whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of The hand of man as 't is not able to suppo●t us so neither to throw us down and consequently he doth no more deserve to be feared than to be trusted in by us 2. Your enemies are men whom the Lord hates and sets his face against He ordains his arrows against the persecutors Psal 7. 13. God shall shoot at them suddenly shall they be wounded He is more angry at them than they can be enraged against you and it will not be long ere he ease himself and you ●oo of th●se burthensome oppressours Isa 1. 24. Therefore saith the Lord the Lord of Hosts the mighty one of Israel Ah I will case me of my adversaries and avenge me of my enemies Fear becomes them that have such a mighty God their enemy not you that have him to be your Father and Defender The Third Doctrine Among other troubles some believers endure bonds and imprisonment In the Catalogue of sufferings imprisonment is reckoned by the Holy Ghost Heb. 11. 36. And others had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment And the Apostle speaks after this manner Acts 20. 22 23. And now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there save that the holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me The members of Christ though made free by their Head yet may have fetters put upon them by unreasonable men In the imprisonment of the Saints two things are to be considered 1. Their confinement and the restraint that is laid upon them Liberty is agreeable to Nature 't is therefore a great tryal to lose it and the closer the imprisonment is Nature accounts it the more irksome To have lovers and friends and acquaintance put far away may well be lookt upon as a great affliction To be within double doors and those doubly barr'd to look through Iron grates is a condition which needs so●thing from above to sweeten it 2. Their being numbred among evil doers is another part of the imprisoned believers tryal As the Lord himself was numbred among the transgressours Isa 53. 12. so are his Prisoners The same Gaol contains Thieves and Harlots and the Witnesses of Jesus their innocency is ●ull●ed and things that they know not are laid to their charge But the Lord hath promised that within a while their righteousnesse shall be brought forth as the light and their judgment as the Noon day Psal 37. 6. Now the Reason why the Saints are imprisoned by their enemies is twofold 1. That they may be punished If their enemies can go no further they will go thus far and hereby they think to take some revenge upon them though they little imagine what a sweet place they send the Saints to God turns their revenge into a kindnesse 2. That they may be hindred from doing good is another Reason why the Saints are confined They went about doing good while Liberty was enjoyed therefore they are restrained and their feet made fast that they may no longer be thus employed though it be as their Lord and Master himself was in the dayes of his flesh But it is the application of this Doctrine I principally intend USE I. Of Direction how the Saints should behave themselves when they are imprisoned Their carriage I shall direct in these particulars 1. They must carry themselves humbly before God Sin and the desert of it should be called to remembrance and how a worse place than a prison hath been justly merited You should lament your not improving of Liberty while you had it your unprofitableness your unusefulness that so little good was done when you had opportunities in your hands The Crosse indeed that 's laid upon you is a badge of honour and yet withall there is somewhat medicinal in it which argues remainders of spiritual distempers that should be matter of humiliation The more humble and contrite you are the more visits you are likely to have from the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth Eternity He dwells with the lowly that he may revive the spirit of the humble and that he may revive the heart of the contrite ones Isa 57. 15. 2. You must carry your selves meekly and modestly towards your enemies you must bless them that curse you and p●●y for your despightful persecutors Mat. 5. 44. Call not the Wild-fire of your own passions by the name of zeal and ever remember that excellent and divine Maxime The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Jam. 1. 20. Imitate the perfect Pattern who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffer'd he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Meekness and humility will be lovely and convincing too in the eyes of your adversaries and they may be brought to acknowledge if Christ hath any followers that you do most resemble him and are likely to be the persons 3 Be not daunted at imprisonment Look with another kind of countenance than those do that suffer for evil doing Let not your joyes be so low as to be in the power of creatures to rob you of them Shew by your chearfulness you have chosen that good part which men cannot take away from you Check your spirits when they begin to despond and say with David Psal 43. ult Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God And that you may be thus fortified beg that the Lord would strengthen you according to his glorious power with all might unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Col. 1. 11. 4. Since you are taken off from other business abound the more in duty Now the Throne of Grace should be often visited and the Word which strengthens in weakness which revives in heaviness should be more than ever searched into It is meet that Prisons should be Houses of Prayer Being sequestred from the World you should be the m●re with God Pull up all the Flood-gates and let the stream of your affections run with an