it prevailes mightily because the heart is ingaged in God and his truth and indeed if so be we did understand aright we should see more of our own good to consist in God then in our selves and this is the ground and principle of self denial when as the soule shall come to see my good is more in God then in my selfe and therefore I will deny my good and comfort so far as it is in my selfe and I will seeke my good and comfort in God and indeed no men in the world seek themselves more then the Godly only the one seeks himself in himself and the other seeks himself in God the one is engaged to his self-ends and self-praise and the other makes himself only ingaged in God and when a man comes to be thus engaged in God then any truth prevails with a mighty strength more then before And this is the first reason which is a principal one that causeth the heart to be at a different condition at one time from that it is at another Reason 2. The second Reason is in regard of the differences of their presentations of a truth though when we are indisposed let the truths come never so powerfully it is all one but if the heart be fit in any reasonable manner to receive a truth there may be a great deal of difference in the manner of the representation of a truth somtimes the truth comes more cleerly and with more evidences more particularly more powerfully Somtimes it comes with greater evidence of the spirit of God then at other times there is not only a little gloss of a truth of God but the shine of it that a man cannot shut his eyes against it somtime the truth comes more particularly to the heart God doth not only present a truth in the general to him that this is a duty Christians must do but it shal come to the particular frame of the heart and shal meet with every objection and he shall find the secrets of his thoughts to be discovered and answered so that the truth shal come like a key that is fitted to a lock if you bring a key to the lock though it may be like the right key and as strong a key as the right is yet if it be not indeed the right if it miss but in one ward of the lock never so little you may spoil both the lock and the key but you cannot open the lock though you have never so much strength but come with a key suted to that lock and do but turn it and it opens presently So when it pleaseth God to come with his truth to our souls we were backward and we heard many truths but they did not meet with all our objections and therefore it was stopped with some one or other but afterward it pleased God so to dispose of things and to bring the truth so fully to the heart as it meets with every objection and then the heart quietly yeilds and therefore it is said God opened Lydias heart Paul preached to others and had much wringing with them and could not prevail but Saint Paul came to Lydia and he prevailed presently because God did so dispose of Lydias heart as it was fitted to the truth Saint Paul spoke of as many when they come to hear the word cannot but say the truth of God hath met with me in every particular and I have no secret object on in my heart but it is answered somtimes the truth comes more powerfully then at other times as in Isaiah 8.11 For the Lord spake thus to me with a Strong hand instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people God did not only tell the prophet his duty but he spake with a strong hand so when God comes sometimes he tels you what you ought to do but he doth not alwaies come with a strong hand as sometimes he doth Job 36.10 He openeth also their Eares to discipline and commandeth that they returne from iniquity does not God command men at al times to returne from their iniquities doth not god command men in prosperity to return from their Iniquities yes but in the time of affliction ordinarily the truth comes with more commanding power then he sealeth instruction as in Job 33.16 when people came to hear the word they heard instructions to do such and such duties but those instructions did not come with command they were not sealed but in affliction God seals them if a man see a writing and see the hands of others to it it is somthing to perswade him to see others are of that opinion but when he sees the broad Seal to it then it comes with authority and so when men come and hear the word of God they think it is but our opinion and cast it off but in affliction those truths come with authority and have the seal of Heaven upon them and then they prevail you have other manner of thoughts of them then before that which Saint Paul spoke it was in power to the hearts of the people and they could not resist the spirit wherewith Stephen spake because he was ful of faith and power So sometimes God speaks with so much power as they cannot stand out we may see the different spirits of men by the different representation of a truth in our selves or in others somtime when God pleaseth to convince us and work upon us we admire it our selves did we not hear these things before what was it that kept me from being convinced I never was stirred before and now methinks there is such mighty power in them as I cannot stand against them what was the matter and so in others let there be two men that shal go upon the same principles and their ends shal be the same and both their hearts shal be upright and yet they cannot yeild to the same thing because the same thing is presented to the one one way and he sees it cleerly and the same thing is presented to another another way and he cannot see it And therefore it should teach us to have patience when we have to deal with such as do not see a thing clear As when we come to a lock that we have not the right key and we try and it wil not open we do not presently throw it away but we think it may be there is some dust in it we pick that out and try again if it do not open then we think may be we did not put in the key right too far or not far enough and if it do not open then we think may be we did not turn the right way we try again if it do not open then we think we did not turn strong enough we try again if it do not open then we think may be we have not the right key if I choose another key that would open it Then we try again if it do not open it we are loath to loose
stay to suffer and the bottome is because they are loath to suffer so much presently as the departing from their country and shops and estates is Peter Martyr in a treatise of his about fleeing from persecution gives a notable answer to those people and hath a pretty expression to set out the temper and humour of those people It is like to many that are diseased and the disease is such as there must be the cutting off of a Limbe or the induring some great extremity to cure it one that is delicate and loath to endure hardship if he can but get any one to plead his cause that this is not the way to cure this disease to put the patient to such pain it may be cured by more gentle means and it were better for to venture with more gentle meanes then to cut off a Limb now some through their loathness to indure some present certain paine wil venture to have it cured with more gentle meanes though at length it cost them their lives So some because they are loath to indure so much certain present trouble as to part from their Countries and Estates they rather venture with more gentle meanes when as many times they grow to deny the truth and to defile their consciences with superstitious things and shamefully to subject them unto others But why do not they stay to suffer may be their time is not come as Christ saies in another case if they had seen their time come they should have been as willing to stay as others Againe if they should stay they should shew themselves unthankfull for the providence of God in opening to them a doore to injoy the ordinances otherwhere Againe they dare not stay because they should tempt God and trust in their own strength if they should stay and have not Gods call they could not expect Gods strength and they know their own weakness Objection 3. But is not God Alsufficient and able to help in the greatest dangers Answ 1. Certainly if it were compared who trusts in Gods power most I beleeve it may be found that those that do fly to avoid danger have more exercise of their faith in trusting in Gods power then many that stay and plead in that manner as if so be we had not much need of the power of God for to support us and releeve us and the trusting in Gods power for that is as much as an ordinary Yea a strong faith is able to do 2. Again we must take heed of stretching Gods power to work according to our minds God hath power enough for the releife of his people and he will put it forth for the defence of his people but if we wil think to bring Gods power to work for our wills it is not beleeving but presumption if God will put forth his power in the upholding that way that he is in Who art thou man or Woman to think God should put forth his power in the upholding thy way Besides God will put forth his power in the use of meanes Object 4. But then we leave to give Testimony to the truth and is not the giving Testimony to the truth of God more worth than our estates Answ 1. Fleeing is giving witness and those that plead against it are loath to give so much witness for a man to leave his estate and Country for a truth is not that witness 2. Besides being absent they may by their writing or by their practice give witness they may be reserved to give witness further Object 5. But many of Gods deare servants as the Martyrs had power to flie and they would not Answ 1. To that I answer first may be there were many engagements upon them God did not loose al the tyes they had 2. Besides secondly much doth depend on circumstances which a Christian that is faithful by compareing one thing with another may see in which most of Gods glory is 3. It may be they felt some extraordinary work of Gods spirit in them in away of assistance and comfort and emboldning of them so as their example cannot be drawn into a general rule Object 6. But what shal become of those that are left behind if others that have abilities forsake them Answ 1. To that I answer first by the example of those that fly what to do if God open a door But if it be said they cannot Flee To those I answer 2. Secondly though they cannot Fly they may be confirmed in a truth by others that do depart and are willing to suffer so much for the truth in their departures and that more perhaps than they would have been by many exhortations 3. And Lastly I answer if God shut the door against them that they cannot flie and open the doors to others though their parts and graces be weak if they be faithful they may comfortably expect that God wil provide for them and come in with more blessings and more assistance than those that have strong parts and strong graces could have expected if they had not taken the way that God opened for them Object 7. But if men would stay a while the clouds may blow over but they are fearful and cannot stay Answ To that I answer we should be glad of that that those that abide may enjoy so much as we do and bless God for it and shall not enjoy them at all but though this should be yet it is not enjoyed for the present And if it be the enjoyment of the ordinances one year we should account it more than should countervail the loss of our estates all our lives And thus we have finished the eight particular in answering this case of conscience but that we may further direct christians in this there are divers notes for the ordering of our selves when we do Fly When we are put into fear by man and caused to Flie we must shew it as a work of faith and therefore let us learne so to order our selves in our Fleeing and when we are Fled from danger as it may appeare it was a work of Faith as 2. When any are put to Flee danger let them be careful they leave as little guilt behind them in that place they Flee from as possibly they can let them labor to purge out the guilt they brought on that place as much as they can for there are none that have not only brought guilt upon their own consciences but upon the place where they lived and consider whether that were your care to remove the guilt from the place and if it were not our care now we are gone let us mourn for our sins so as they may not bring judgment upon the place Again in the place into which we are Fled let us labor so to carry our selves as the name of God may not suffer among us that they should have occasion to say these are the men that Flee for religion do they live as such but let us labor so to
walk as they may say these people that make conscience of their waies surely they did come for conscience sake Their ways are according to that they profess We have a notable expression of some that came from another country for religion and yet walked so offensively as the name of God suffered much by them that the heathen said These are the people of the Lord and are gone forth out of his land Ezekiel 36.20 we dare not say we are among heathens but when they were among heathens they prophaned my holy name says God and so many Fleeing from their own Country profane the name of God in another Country that give occasion to the people among whom they are Fled to say look here are some that are gone from their own Land that profess themselves to be the people of the Lord and to Flee for religion look what kind of people they are thus Gods name is profaned let us take heed that we give no such occasion to the people with whom we live to say these are the people of the Lord that are Fled for religion 3. We should be careful to behave our selves as those that are Fled for religion as exiled people to be mortified to the things of the world and to be content with any condition that God shal cal us unto shal we repine when we meet with any trouble that were an argument we had too too delicate spirits when we Flee from great danger and yet think we should meet with no trouble at all 4. When we are Fled we should labor to get our spirits into a contented frame and walk in subjection unto God and give God praise as if we were in the greatest prosperity that we could have been in in our own Country we should not have our hearts dulled with any inconveniency but keep up our spirits free in the service of God It is a notable expression we have of David if you compare two Psalms together Psal 57. with the 108. and the 57. Psal was when he Fled from Saul and was in the care but mark how Davids spirit was kept up he was not dulled and stupified as many are that come from delicate houses and are faine to live in Sellars and blind holes their hearts begin to rise Oh! the fresh aire and brave living that once they had David was so and yet his heart was kept up In the shadow of thy wings wil I make my refuge a poor dark hole he was in and he counted that dark hole the shadow of Gods wings againe I wil cry to God most high though I be brought low and meane I have an interest in this high God and wil cry to that high God unto God that performeth al things Had God performed al things for David God promised David the kingdome and David is brought into a poor hole to shift for his life and yet David sayes he wil cry unto God that performeth all things for him He shal send from Heaven and save me though I be in this blind place the God of heaven regards me and shal send from heaven to save me vers 5. Be thou exalted above the heavens let thy glory be above al the earths vers 7. My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise al this was when he was in the Cave if you compare this with Psal 108. which was a Psalm of thanksgiving and rejoycing that he made upon his deliverance and the same expression that David had within the cave the same expressions he had when God had fulfilled his promises and he was Blessing his name for his great deliverance noting thus much look what temper of heart we should have in the enjoyment of the greatest mercies we should labor to have that temper of heart in our submissions unto God when we are Fled from danger 5. Again let it be our care when we are delivered from the danger that we apprehended our selves to be in to keep our selves in the fervency of our hearts and spirits for God and in the fervency of our love unto God and his truth as we had in danger Many when they are in danger of their enemies and afraid of them their hearts are in a great deal of fervency and zeal for God and his truth and if they can get a few together to fast and pray or hear a Sermon repeated how do they rejoyce but when they are in safety their hearts are dead and Flat and if they meet together to pray or to commune about the word their spirits are not so fervent as before the Lord keep this from us 6. Again let us labor to do al the good we can to the place which we are Fled from by our prayers or any other way we can as the people of God when they were from their own country yet they would remember Jerusalem so ought we to do for we are much bound to God for it in regard of the good we have received in it 7. Lastly let us labor to make that hiding place that God provides for us to deliver us from danger to be but a preparing place for greater danger let us not think because we have avoided some danger and are in some safety that al is well but this should be our care that those places that are our hiding places to hide us from some danger should be our preparing places for greater dangers afterwards and thus using these directions we shal honor God in our Fleeing and shal not have cause to repent us And thus we have done with that argument the answering the case of conscience about Fleeing CHAP. 13. How the Heart may be taken off from the fear of man First it is against the solemn charge of God Secondly It is an Idolizing of the Creature Thirdly It becomes not the State and Spirit and profession of a Christian Fourthly It dishonors God and the Cause of God Fifthly It mightily heartens the enemies of Gods people Sixthly It is threatned as a great judgment of God upon a people Seventhly The evil effects of the sinful feare of man 1. It distracts our thoughts 2. Weakens the heart 3. Eates out the true feare of God 4. It indisposeth us to any service 5. Insnares a Christian 6. It causeth other desperate fears 7. Procures the judgment of God in our destruction A VVord of Exhortation How the heart may be taken off from the fear of man There are two things that yet remain in this point namely to labor to take off the heart from the fear of man or any danger by shewing the evil that there is in the sinful fearing of man or of any danger that may befal us Secondly by laying down some means to bring off the heart from creature fear First A Christian must take heed of sinful fear of man and not to fear any creature in an inordinate sinful way for there is much evil in it more than we are aware of 1. In
boldly upon it and say God hath established me in my kingdom and made me many promises to uphold me why should I flee he did flee but was it not an abatement of his faith and confidence in God no at vers 3 But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of my head To shew there may be fleeing and yet confidence in God as our sheild and glory and lifter up of our head and at verse 5. I laid me down and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained me he Fled but he was quiet for al that in verse 6. I wil not be affraid of ten thousand of people that have set themselves against me round about He Fled from his Son and yet said he would not be affraid of ten thousands of people in verse 7. Arise O Lord save me O God for thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheek bone thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly His faith was so confident as it made him to think that which was to be done as done already and yet he penned this psalm in a Fleeing condition So that the second thing is appearent Thirdly In some cases a man not onely may but must Flee he hath not only a permission but a command when they persecute you in this citty flee into another Quest What cases are those Answ First If the case be such as no extraordinary thing depends upon me in that station that God hath set me There is no station but hath somthing depends upon it therefore if we should say they may not Flee but when the case is that nothing depends upon it then none should Flee but where there is nothing extraordinary depends upon it Secondly When I feel the hand of God loose my relations which are otherwise tyes to me Thirdly when God in the way of his providence doth open a door to me else where where I may honor him may be honor him more Fourthly When I find my heart doubtful about my call to suffer for the present after much seeking of God and much examination of things yet with a heart desirous to submit to God when the case is such no question there is a bond to Fleeing and it wil be a sin against God and tempting of God not to do it Fourthly There are some cases we must not Flee in If you ask what they are It is breifely answered the contrary to the other when as God hath set me in such a place as some special thing depends upon me or if I be convinced in my conscience being willing to be convinced that the cause of God and people of God shall have more prejudice and hurt by my fleeing then by my staying It is an expression of Augustine in his Epistle to Honoratus about this argument When any by fleeing shal do more hurt then he is able to requite by any worke in all his life as the case is so sometimes then he is bound to venture himself and not to flee And it doth depend much upon a mans own conscience and the judgment of others to know this a man would be willing to favour himself in such a case but let him be sure he deal uprightly with God and his own soul and not go only upon his own judgment but take the judgment of others and then if conscience shal give him this dictate his life cannot recompence that hurt he shal do by Fleeing he is to stay when he shal see the cause of God shal suffer much in it and God comes in by some especial assistance helping of him in a more then ordinary way he may take it as an item from God that God hath a speciall work for him to do And this was the case of Daniel He saw the cause of God lay upon that work and it would suffer if he should baulk his way and God did come in with especial assistance and strength to him and rather then the cause of God should suffer he would put himself upon that danger men according to natural discretion would think he might have spared the opening of his window but his conscience was convinced that his life was not of so much use as his witnessing to the cause of God at that time and especially if we be in such a way as we find God hemming of us in and knocking off those things that may further our fleeing that we cannot flee but we must do somthing against conscience and do somthing that is evil you are to know that God doth cal you rather to suffer and to venture upon him in such a case Fiftly Those that flee to avoid danger if they take not heed there may be many miscarriages in their fleeing whereby they may much sin against God and dishonor their cause As 1. To flee upon every slight thing that doth not beseem a Christian it should be somthing of weight that should cause him to leave his station for there is no man or woman in any Station but God set them in that station and therefore without the command of God we may not stir We are all as Souldiers and God hath put us into our ranks as a Captain sets his Souldiers in their ranks now a Souldier dare not presume to Go out of his rank without a commission whatsoever pretence he hath though it be to do much good for his country so we must have a Commission from God and not flee upon every slight thing 2. Many in their fleeing flee much to their spiritual disadvantage as they wil flee for feare of suffering loss in their estates and outward liberties and care not whither they flee to further themselves in their spiritual course though may be they might with some loss of their estates have more spiritual advantage then in the place whither they flee yet they wil rather flee then loose some of their estates this is a miscarriage Indeed if this be the care of a man when he flees to flee where he may have most spiritual advantage not outward trading but God in his ordinances he may have comfort in it but if men flee into places where they have no spiritual advantage but onely for trading this is a miscarriage 3. When secretly they have denied the truth before-hand not only fear what they may do but their hearts tells them if they be called to suffer they cannot stand out and they flee only to prevent the shame of their apostacy they cannot tell how to look upon the faces of their acquaintance that shal know they are Apostates this is a miscarriage Tertullian hath a whol treatise upon this concerning fleeing in persecution and I know no man that ever denied it might not be but only he he would not have any flee in any danger for the case of religion and he brings in many arguments but they are not such but an ordinary understanding Christian may answer but this is one thing amongst the rest says he When you
flee either you find in your hearts you shall deny the truth of God or you have done it or you know not whether you shal or no if you find in your hearts you shal deny the truth you have done it already but if you know not whether you shal or no says he it is in your own power or in Gods power to uphold you if it be in your owne power why should you not rather think you should stand for the truth of God if it be in Gods power why do you not depend upon God But I bring this to shew that if you already think you cannot stand for the truth you have declined already 4. A fourth miscarriage is this when people in their fleeing look at their own safety but do not take care to fit themselves for further future service for God or for suffering afterwards if God shal at any other time cal them to it never minding to make their chamber of hiding to be a place of provision for suffering afterward when God shal cal to it 5. Know a man may flee out of cowardlyness and a man may flee out of faith Moses by faith forsooke Egypt Quest But how shal a man know when he flees that it is of faith and not of cowardliness Answ First That which is by faith it is not in a violent rash and heady way in the hurrying and confusion of a mans spirit in his Flight he doth not run as one scared by common fire or by the enemies coming upon them no but his Fleeing to avoid danger being from faith it is in a quiet setledness of spirit and for that take these two scriptures The first is that which before was named in Psal 3.5 I laid me down and slept He did not Flee as a man agasted but he was in the way that God opened to him and his spirit was very quiet he laid him down and slept And again that which is observed by one in 1 Kings 19.8 Concerning Elijah Fleeing he arose and went he did not run eagerly but he went on in the strength of that meate in the way that God would have him the phrase denotes a quietness and sedateness of spirit so those that Flee by faith do it with much quietness of spirit being contented with the hand of God and not with bitterness and vexation of spirit as many wil do because conscience wil urge them they must Flee or suffer and they dare not go against the dictate of Conscience but will Flee but they wil do it with abundance of bitterness of spirit A man thinks with himself There was a time I lived and had al outward accommodations a house and estate and trading and meanes coming in and all my freinds about me what a comfortable condition is this and now I must break off all and go into a strange land among strange people and I know not what shall become of me this is far from that contentedness of spirit that should be in leaving al for the cause of God whereas Christians should not only go on in a way of contentedness but with joyfulness because Fleeing is suffering 2. Again where Fleeing is a work of faith such a man or woman that Flees from danger wil Flee with such a disposition of spirit as he is willing to returne again to witness for Gods truth if God calls him though now he doth not see his call clear Chrisostome speaking upon this text of Moses Fleeing seems to take it for his first Fleeing when he had slaine the Egyptian and when it came to be known he Fled from Egypt but says he the scripture saith Moses was affraid and here it says he was not affraid to that he answers thus The Scripture says he was affraid but now it is not attributed to feare because though when he was affraid yet he had a heart willing to returne when God should cal him he did feare because he did not see his call cleare yet he went away with such a disposition of heart willing to witness in Gods cause when he called him to it therefore the Scripture says he was not affraid 3. It is an argument I Flee out of Faith when I do but make that receptacle a chamber to fit me for suffering and make use of al the liberty I have to get such a heart to returne when God shal cal this is a Fleeing that is rather to be attributed to faith then to fear Seventhly For the case of those that are in publick office in Magistracy and Ministry great care is to be had in their Fleeing they above al men should most venture themselves yet in some cases Magistrates and Ministers may Flee and avoid danger As the people would not suffer in 2 Sam. 21.17 David to go out to warr Least the light of Israel should be put out It is a notable expression Augustine hath upon that in his epistle to Honorius says he he would have gone he would not of himself have abstained from the danger least others should have been imitators of his sluggishness but it was their work to keep him from it But now to speak especially of the case of a Minister whose tye is most to stand out against danger in dangerous times he is not very readily to Flee especially when the persecution is general and Saint Augustine hath notable expressions about this in his epistle that he writ to Honorius in answer to this question being against it He that is weake shal perish by that knowledg saith the Apostle in Cor. 1. S. 11. no he that is weak shal perish by thy ignorance rather Again says he There is more cause to feare that the living Stones of Christs building should be demolished we fleeing then that the stones of the buildings of our earthly houses should be set on fire we being present Againe saies he Let us rather feare that the members of the body of Christ being destitute of their spiritual food should be hurt then that the members of our bodies by the violence of our enemies should be tormented and never so afflicted But if it be so then consider this First You that are the people you must not lightly forsake a Minister neither if Ministers are so tyed to you in time of danger as they must venture themselves for your good surely people are not at liberty to depart from their Ministers for the tye is a mutual tye You wil say there is a difference between the Minister and another member it is true in regard of use but if you come to the tye the tye of another member is as real and strong as the tye of a minister As in the body the eye is of more use then the hand yet somtimes the hand may preserve life more then the eye and though it be of more use the hand is as strongly and as truly tyed to the body as the eye yea take al the members conjunctive and there is a greater tye upon them