Directions against the Sinful Fear of Men, and Sufferings by Them, by Richard Baxter
Direct. IV. Remember that men as well as devils are chained, and dependent upon God, and have no power but what he gives them, and can do nothing but by his permission. And if God will have it done, you have his promise that it shall work unto your good, Romans 8:28. And are you afraid lest God should do you good by them? If you see the knife or lancet in an enemy's hand only, you might fear it; but if you see it in the surgeon's or in a father's hand, though nature will a little shrink, yet reason will forbid you to make any great matter of it, or inordinately to fear. What if God will permit Joseph's brethren to bind him, and sell him to the Amalekites; and his master's wife to cause him to be imprisoned? Is he not to be trusted in all this, that he will turn it to his good? What if he will permit Shimei to curse David; or the king to cast Daniel into the lions' den; or the three confessors into the furnace of fire? Do you believe that your Father's will is the disposer of all? And yet are you afraid of man? Our Lord told Pilate when he boasted of his power to take away his life or save it, "You could have no power at all against me, except it were given you from above," John 19:II.
Direct. V. Either you fear suffering from men as guilty or as innocent; for evil-doing, or for well-doing, or for nothing. If as guilty and for evil-doing, turn your fears the right way, and fear God, and his wrath for sin, and his threatenings of more than men can inflict; and acknowledge the goodness of justice both from God and man: but if it be as innocent or for well-doing, remember that Christ commands you exceedingly to rejoice; and remember that martyrs have the most glorious crown: and will you be excessively afraid of your highest honour, and gain, and joy?
Believe well what Christ has said, and you cannot be much afraid of suffering for him. Matthew 5:10-12, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." And will you fear the way of blessedness and exceeding joy? Matthew 10:17-19, "Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues, and you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them---But take no thought," &c.
You are allowed to beware of them, but not to be over-fearful or thoughtful of the matter. Verse. 22, 23, "And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that endures to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, fly to another."---Fly, but fear them not, with any immoderate fear: verse. 39, "He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it." Luke 18:29, 30, "Verily I say unto you, there is no man has left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come, life everlasting."
Can you believe all this, and yet be so afraid of your own felicity? Oh what a deal of secret unbelief is detected by our immoderate fears! 1 Peter 4:12-16, 19, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: but rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as an evil-doer. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him glorify God on that behalf---Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator." There is scarce any point that God has been pleased to be more full in, in the holy Scriptures, than the encouraging of his suffering servants against the fears of men; acquainting them that their sufferings are the matter of their profit and exceeding joy and therefore not of too great fear.
Sinful Fear of Man (3)
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