of the forest; and this fear is often forbidden to Abraham, Gen. xv. 1. And to Isaac, Gen. xxvi. 24. And when Israel was in the greatest dangers that ever men were, they were forbid to fear; Exod. xiv. 13. Isa. viii. 12. And in the New Testament, our Lord strongly cautions against this fear, Luke xii. 4, 32. Rev. ii. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Slavish fear troubles the heart more than any thing.

Object. But may we not fear God's judgments? Did not good Josiah tremble at them? And did not holy David say in Psal. ïix. 120. I am afraid of thy Judgments?

Answ. Doubtless, it is our duties so to do; When we see the same sins abound, for which God hath executed his judgments in former times, we ought to lay them to heart, and to be affected, Jer. vii. 12. Luke xvii. 26, &c. Remember Lots wife, said our Lord. So, 1 Cor. x. 2 Pet. ii. 6. Rom. i. 18. Zeph. iii. 6, 7. a remarkable Scripture.

Although it went well with Nehemiah himself, yet had he a sad resentment of the state of Jerusalem, Nehem. i.

God's people have tender hearts, wicked men have hearts of stone; when God smites them, they are not grieved, Jer. v. 3.

But we must distinguish of fear.

1. There is a natural lawful fear, when evils are approaching to our bodies, or names, or friends, or the like, dangers are apparent, it is natural to fear. This was in the best men in the world; it was in Christ himself, Mark xii. 14, 15. Also it is said, He feared, and was sore amazed, Mar. xiv. 33. yet without sin.

Secondly, There is a lawful filial fear of God's judgments, which ariseth from the consideration of the evil of sin, and of God's righteousness, of his hatred of sin, and his wrath against it; which fear produceth, repentance, self-examination, a turning to God with our whole hearts, through reformation, and an endeavour to secure ourselves in God's covenant, and to hide ourselves. Prov. xxii. 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself. A striving to get into Christ, and to get clear evidence of God's love to us in Christ I say, such a fear, that worketh these effects, is a great duty.

Thirdly, There is a base slavish fear of approaching evils, arising from our mis-apprehensions of God; producing in us unworthy thoughts, sinking into despondency, and inciting to murmuring and impatience, and putting us upon sinful shifts, the use of unlawful means to prevent or escape dangers; a fear of despondency, a vexatious, distracting fear, that drives from God, and unfits for service. A tormenting, disquieting fear, that unsettles, and discomposeth our minds, disturbs our peace, suspends our acts of faith, and disposeth us to diffidence, distrust, and impatience; this is the fear that Christ would not have his peoples hearts troubled with.

Thirdly, Another piece of Heart-trouble is care, vexatious distracting care, which our Lord would not have his disciples trouble themselves with, and therefore he useth so many powerful arguments to dissuade them from it, Matth. vi. from ver. 25. onward. 1st. He assures us, it is God that takes care for our bodily life, we trust him with that, how much more should we for food and raiment. 2ly. Saith he, Your father

takes care for the fowls, and provides, for them, Are ye not much better than they? 3ly. He cloatheth the lillies, And will he not cloath you? 4ly. You cannot by all your care make your condition better than God hath appointed it shall be, ver. 27. 5ly. Your heavenly father knows you want all these things. 6ly. They that are ignorant of God, and of his fatherly care and good providence, that have no God to care for them, they trouble themselves with those cares; therefore you should not do so who have an heavenly father that dearly loves you, and looks after you. 7ly. You have the promise of the faithful God, to have all necessaries provided for you, while you make it your care to serve, and please, and trust him, ver. 23. All these things shall be added unto you. 8ly. We have no cause to be thoughtful for time to come, because every day brings evil enough with it; and, therefore it is no wisdom to perplex ourselves with cares, ver. last. So again, Luke xxi. 34. Phil. iv. 6. Be careful in nothing: Our Lord also shews us how prejudicial such cares are to our profiting by the word. Matt. xiii. 22. And, expressly com mands us, To cast our cares upon him, for he careth for us, 1 Pet. v. 7.

Fourthly, despondency of spirit, dejectedness, distrust, discouragement, are other pieces of Heart-trouble. Such as was in David, Psal. cxlii. 5, 4, 5. and cxliii. 4. and Psal. xlii. 5. Casting down, breeds disquietness, because it springs from pride, which is a turbulent passion; and every thing that crosseth and disappoints it, causeth a combustion in the mind: When a man cannot come down, and stoop to that condition that God casts him into, then is he discontented; and this comes from his pride.

A Christian should be very careful to keep up his spirits, when his condition in the world falls down. Could we but bring our minds to our conditions, to like and be pleased with our conditions, as being certainly persuaded that our present condition is best for us: It would be all as good, all as well, all as comfortable to us, as if we could bring our conditions to our minds; for one of these must be done, or else we shall never be free from Heart-trouble while we live; Either our minds must be brought just even to, and suited and compliant to our conditions, be it sickness, poverty, shame, prison, &c. or, our conditions must be suited just even to our minds. We have a mind to health, to liberty, &c. we must have them, or we are troubled. Now, this latter is wholly and altogether out of our power, we cannot add a cubit to our statue. It is the Lord that appoints all our conditions for us; we cannot make our conditions happy, honourable, &c. of ourselves, and without God; but the former is in our power, by the help of God's spirit of grace, we may bring our minds to our conditions: it is an holy art, attainable in the use of God's means. Contentment in, and with our condition, is the bringing of our minds to our conditions, to lie even, and suitable, and square one with the other; and this is, as I said, an holy art, attainable by christians, Phil. iv. 11. Saint Paul had learned it, and so may other christians. It is suitableness between our minds, and our conditions, that breeds quiet and content; and if we have not quiet in our own minds, all outward comforts will do no more good, then a silken stocking to a scabbed leg; or, a golden slipper, to a gouty foot.

Now, it is only God that can, but never will (except in wrath) bring any man's condition to his mind; for then his condition should be changed almost every moment; so mutable is man's mind: God will not bring the condition of the wicked to their mind, (except in wrath, as was said;) for, as their outward prosperity doth increase, so do their desires after more: Cressit amor Nummi, &c. And the wise man tells us, The eye is never satisfied with seeing. And the more they have, the more they crave. They can never have enough. And for the Godly themselves, they are not so free from covetousness, as they should be, but still need to learn this lesson of contentment, and to be learning of it all their days. And most commonly, if not always, God by his grace brings their minds to their conditions, and not their conditions to their minds. And for this, wise Agur prays, Prov. xxx. 9. Two dangerous extremes he prays against, the one is poverty, that would breed discontent, in that his mind. would be below his condition, debased to vile and sinful practices, as stealing, &c. The other is riches, that would breed discontent, in that his mind would be above his condition, and that would lift him up to base pride, and forgetfulness of God; therefore he begs a suitableness and conveniency between his mind and his condition: Feed me with food convenient.

Certainly we shall never be free from Hearttrouble, till our minds be brought suitable to our conditions, and such a frame would prevent casting-down in time of affliction. To like our condition, to be pleased and satisfied with it, and with the holy will of God in it; that is, to be