How may a Christian keep his heart from distracting and tormenting fears, in times of great, threatening dangers? Here are some excellent rules1 to help keep the heart from sinful fear when imminent dangers threaten us:
Rule 1. Look on all created things as in the hand of God, who manages them in all their motions – limiting, restraining and determining them all at His pleasure.
Get this truth well settled by faith in your hearts; it will marvellously guard them against slavish fears. Ezekiel 1 contains an admirable scheme of providence; there you may see the living creatures who move the wheels – that is, the great affairs and turnings of things here below – coming to Christ, who sits on the throne, to receive new instructions from Him (vv 24-26). And in Revelation 6 you read of white, black and red horses, which are the instruments which God uses in executing His judgements in the world: such as wars, pestilence and death. But when these horses are prancing up and down the world, here is what may quieten our hearts: God has the reins in His hand. Wicked men are sometimes like mad horses; they would stamp the people of God under their feet if the bridle of providence was not in their lips (Job 1:11,12). A lion at liberty is terrible to meet, but who is afraid of the lion that is held by the keeper?
Rule 2. Remember that this God, in whose hand all created things are is your Father, and is much more tender to you, than you are, or can be, to yourselves: “He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye” (Zec 2:8).
Let me ask the most timorous woman, Is there not a vast difference between the sight of a drawn sword in the hand of a bloodthirsty ruffian, and the same sword in the hand of her own tender husband? There is as great a difference in looking on created things with an eye of sense, and looking on them as in the hand of your God with an eye of faith; that is a sweet scripture to this purpose: “Thy maker is thy Husband; the Lord of Hosts is His name” (Is 54:5). He is Lord of all created things in the world. Who would be afraid to pass through an army, though all the soldiers should turn their swords and guns towards him, if the general of that army was his friend or father?
I have read an excellent story of a religious young man, who was at sea with many other passengers in a great storm. They were half dead with fear; he only was seen to be very cheerful, as if he was little concerned in that danger. One of them asked why he was cheerful. He said, “It is because the pilot of the ship is my father”. Consider Christ, first as the King and supreme Lord over the kingdom of providence, and then as your Head, Husband and Friend, and you will quickly say, “Return, unto thy rest, O my soul”. This truth will make you cease trembling and cause you to sing in the midst of dangers: “God is King of all the earth, sing ye praises with understanding” (Ps 47:7) – understanding of this heart-reviving and establishing doctrine: the dominion of our Father over all created things.
1The first two rules out of 14, taken with editing from Flavel’s Works, vol 5.