shew kindness and to have co have compassion upon the distressed Servants of God even under Jezebels Nose for Obadiah dwelt in Ahabs hose and Jezebel was Ahabs Wife and an horrible persecutor as was said before yet Obadiah will shew mercy to the poor because he feared God yea he will venture her displeasure his place and neck and all but he will be merciful to his Brethren in distress Cornelius also being a man possessed with this fear of God became a very free-hearted and open-handed man to the poor He feared God and gave much Alms to the people Indeed this fear this godly fear of God it is an universal grace it will stir up the soul unto all good duties It is a fruitful grace from it where it is floweth abundance of excellent virtues nor without it can there be any thing good or done well that is done But Eightly There flows from this fear of God hearty fervent and constant prayer This also is seen in Cornelius that devout man He feared God and what then why he gave much Alms to the people and prayed to God alwaies Act. 10.1 2. Did I say that hearty fervent and constant prayer flowed from this fear of God I will add that if the whole duty and the continuation of it be not managed with this fear of God it profiteth nothing at all It is said of our Lord Jesus Christ himself He was heard in that he feared He prayed then because he feared because he feared God and therefore was his prayer accepted of him even because he feared He was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 This Godly fear is so essential to right prayer and right prayer is such an inseperable effect and fruit of this fear that thou must have both or none he that prayeth not feareth not God yet he that prayeth not fervently and frequently feareth him not and so he that feareth him not cannot pray for if prayer be the effect of this fear of God then without this fear prayer fervent prayer ceaseth How can they pray or make conscience of the duty that fear not God O prayerless man thou fearest not God! Thou wouldest not live so like a Swine or a Dog in the world as thou dost if thou fearedst the Lord. Ninthly There floweth from this fear of God a readiness or willingness at Gods Call to give up our best injoyments to his dispose This is evident in Abraham who at Gods call without delay rose early in the morning to offer up his only and well-beloved Isaac a burnt offering in the place where God should appoint him It was a rare thing that Abraham did and had he not had this rare grace this fear of God he would not he could not have done to Gods liking SO wonderful a thing 'T is true the Holy Ghost also makes this service of Abraham to be the fruit of his faith By faith Abraham offered up Isaac and he that had the promises offered up his only Son Heb. 11. Jam. 2. Ay and without doubt love unto God in Abraham was not wanting in this his service nor was this grace of fear nay in the story where it is recorded There it is chiefly accounted for the fruit of his godly fear and that by an Angel from Heaven And the Angel called out of Heaven and said Abraham Abraham And he said here am I. And he said lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do thou any thing unto him for now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only Son from me Gen. 22.11 12. Now I know it NOW now thou hast offered up thine only Isaac thine All at the bidding of thy God Now I know it The fear of God is not presently discerned in the heart and life of a man Abraham had long before this done many a holy duty and shewed much willingness of heart to observe and do the Will of God yet you find not as I remember that he had this testimony from Heaven that he feared God till now but now he has it now he has it from Heaven Now I know that thou fearest God Many duties may be done though I do not say that Abraham did them without the fear of God but when a man shall not stick at or withhold his darling from God when called upon by God to offer in up unto him that declareth yea and gives conviction to Angels that NOW he feareth God Tenthly There floweth from this godly fear humility of mind This is evident because when the Apostle cautions the Romans against the venom of Spiritual Pride he directs them to the exercise of this blessed grace of fear as its antidote Be not high minded saith he but fear Rom. 11.20 Pride Spiritual Pride which is here set forth by the word high minded is a sin of a very high and damnable nature it was the sin of the fallen Angels and is that which causeth men to fall into the same condemnation Left being puffed up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil Pride I say it damns a Professor with the damnation of Devils with the damnation of Hell and therefore it is a deadly deadly sin Now against this deadly sin is set the Grace of humility that comely garment for so the Apostle calls it saying be clothed with humility But the question is now how we should attain to and live in the exercise of this Blessed and comly grace to which the Apostle answers FEAR be afraid with godly fear and thence will flow humility Be not high minded but fear That is fear or be continually afraid and jealous of your selves and of your own naughty hearts also fear least at some time or other the Devil your adversary should have advantage of you FEAR lest by forgeting what you are by nature you also forget the need that you have of continual pardon support and supplies from the Spirit of Grace and so grow proud of your own abilities or of what you have received of God and fall into the condemnation of the Devil FEAR and that will make you little in your own eyes keep you humble put you upon crying to God for protection and upon lying at his foot for mercy that will also make you have low thoughts of your own parts your own doings and cause you to prefer your Brother before your self and so you will walk in humiliation and be continually under the teachings of God and under his conduct in your way The humble God will teach The meek will he guide in judgment the meek will he teach his way From this grace of fear then flows this excellent and comly thing humility yea it also is maintained by this fear FEAR takes off a man from trusting to himself it puts a man upon trying of all things it puts a man upon desiring counsel and help from Heaven it makes a man ready and willing to hear instruction and makes a man walk lowly softly and
most humbling and heart-breaking sight in the world it is fearful Object But would you not have us rejoyce at the sight and sense of the forgiveness of our sins Answer Yes But yet I would have you and indeed you shall when God shall tell you that your sins are pardoned indeed Rejoyce with trembling Psal. 2.8 For then you have sollid and Godly joy a joyful heart and wet eyes in this will stand very well together and it will be so more or less For if God shall come to you indeed and visit you with the forgiveness of sins that visit removeth the guilt but increaseth the sense of thy filth and the sense of this that God hath forgiven a filthy sinner will make thee both rejoyce and tremble O! the blessed confusion that will then cover thy face whiles thou even thou so vile a wretch shalt stand before God to receive at his hand thy pardon and so the first fruits of thy eternal salvation That thou maiest remember and be comforted and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame thy filth when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God Ezek. 16.63 2. But Secondly As the presence so the name of God is dreadful and fearful wherefore his name doth rightly go under the same tittle That thou maiest fear that glorious and fearful name the Lord thy God Deut. 28.58 The name of God what is that but that by which he is distinguished and known from all others Names are to distinguish by so man is distinguished from beasts and Angels from men so Heaven from Earth and Darkness from Light especially when by the name the nature of the thing is signified and expressed and so it was in their original for then names exprest the nature of the thing so named And therefore it is that the name of God is the object of our fear because by his name his nature is exprest Holy and reverend is his name Psal. 111.9 And again he proclaimed the name of the Lord the Lord the Lord God gracious and mercifull long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands pardoning iniquity transgression and sins and that will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 3.6 7. Also his name I AM JAH JEHOVAH with several others what is by them intended but his nature as his Power Wisdom Eternity Goodness and Omnipotency c. might be expressed and declared The name of God is therefore the object of a Christians fear David prayed to God that he would unite his heart to fear his name Psal. 86.11 Indeed the name of God is a fearful name and should alwaies be reverenced by his people Yea his name is to be feared for ever and ever and that not only in his Church and among his Saints but even in the world and among the Heathen So the Heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all Kings thy glory Psal. 102.15 God tells us that his name is dreadful and that he is pleased to see men be afraid before his name Yea one reason why he executeth so many judgments upon men as he doth is that others might see and fear his name So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the Sun See Mal. 4.2 Rev. 11.18 Mal. 1.4 chap. 2.5 Isa. 59.18 19. The name of a King is a name of fear And I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts The name of Master is a name of fear And if I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord Yea rightly to fear the Lord is a sign of a gracious heart And again To them that fear my name saith he shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings yea when Christ comes to Judge the world He will give reward to his Servants the Prophets and to his Saints and to them that fear his name small and great Now I say Since the name of God is that by which his nature is expressed and since he naturally is so glorious and incomprehensible his name must needs be the object of our fear and we ought alwaies to have a reverent awe of God upon our hearts at what time soever we think of or hear his name but most of all when we our selves do take his holy and fearful name into our mouths especially in a religious manner that is in preaching praying or holy conference I do not by thus saying intend as if it was lawful to make mention of his name in light and vain discourses for we ought alwaies to speak of it with reverence and godly fear but I speak it to put Christians in mind that they should not in religious duties shew lightness of mind or be vain in their words when yet they are making mention of the name of the Lord And let every one that nameth the name of our Lord Jesus Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 Make mention then of the name of the Lord at all times with great dread of his Majesty upon your hearts and in great soberness and truth To do otherwise is to profane the name of the Lord and to take his name in vain And the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Yea God saith that he will cut off the man that doth it so jealous is he of the honour due unto his name Exod. 20.7 Levit. 20.3 This therefore sheweth you the dreadful state of those that lightly vainly lyingly and profanely make use of the name this fearful name of God either by their blasphemous cursing and oaths or by their fraudulent dealing with their neighbour for some men have no way to prevail with their nighbour to bow under a cheat but by calling falsly upon the name of the Lord to be witness that the wickedness is good and honest but how these men will escape when they shall be judged devouring fire and everlasting burnings for their profaning and blaspheming of the name of the Lord becomes them betimes to consider of Jer. 14.14 15. Ezek. 20.39 Exod. 20.7 3. But Thirdly As the Presence and Name of God are dreadful and fearful in the Church so is his Worship and Service I say his Worship or the works of service to which we are by him enjoyned while we are in this world are dreadful and fearful things This David conceiveth when he saith But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy FEAR will I worship towards thy holy Temple Psal. 5.7 And again saith he Serve the Lord with fear To praise God is a part of his worship But saies Moses Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Exod. 15.11 To rejoyce before him is a part of his worship But David bids us Rejoyce with trembling Psal. 2.8 Yea the whole of our service to God and every part thereof ought to
rather stumble and fall even at your conversation and at your profession itself Wherefore to prevent this mischief that is of stumbling of souls while you make your profession of God by a conversation not becoming your profession God bids you fear him Implying that a good conversation coupled with fear delivers the blind world from those falls that otherwise they cannot be delivered from Thou shalt not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind but shalt fear thy God I am the Lord Levit. 19.14 But shalt fear thy God that is the remedy that will prevent their stumbling at you at what else soever they stumble Wherefore Paul saies to Timothy Take heed to thy self and to thy doctrine continue in them for in so doing thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee 1 Tim. 4.16 12. Another Motive to fear and grow in this fear of God is This is the way to engage God to deliver thee from many outward dangers whoever fals therin Psal. 34.7 This is proved from that of the story of the Hebrew Midwives The Midwives saies Moses feared God and did not drown the Men-Children as the King had commanded but saved them alive And what follows Therefore God dealt well with the Midwives and it came to pass that because the Midwives feared God that he made them houses Exod. 1. That is he sheltered them and caused them to be hid from the rage and fury of the King and that perhaps in some of the Houses of the Egyptians themselves for why might not the Midwives be there hid as well as was Moses even in the Kings Court And how many times are they that fear God said to be delivered both by God and his Holy Angels as also I have already shewed 13. Another Motive to fear and to grow in this fear of God is This is the way to be delivered from Errors and damnable opinions There are some that perish in their righteousness that 's an Error there be some that perish in their wickedness and that 's an Error also Some again prolong their lives by their wickedness and others are righteous over much and also some are over wise and all these are snares and pits and holes But then saiest thou how shall I escape Indeed that 's the question and the Holy Ghost resolves it thus He that feareth God shall come out of them all Eccles. 7.15 16 17 18. 14. Another Motive to fear and to grow in this fear of God is Such have leave be they never so dark in their souls to come boldly to Jesus Christ and to trust in him for life I told you before that they that fear God have in the general a licence to trust in him but now I tell you and that in particular that they and they specially may do it and that though in the dark you that sit in darkness and have no light if this grace of fear be alive in your hearts you have this boldness Who is among you that feareth the Lord mark that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa. 50.10 It is no small advantage you know when men have to deal in difficult matters to have a patent or licence to deal now to trust in the Lord is a dificult thing yet the best and most gainful of all But then some will say since t is so difficult how may we do without danger why the Text gives a licence a patent to them to trust in his name that have his fear in their hearts Let HIM trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God 15. Another Motive to fear and grow in the grace of fear is God will own and acknowledge such to be his who ever he rejecteth Yea he will distinguish and seperate them from all others in the day of his terrible Judgments He will do with them as he did by those that sighed for the abominations that were done in the Land Ezek. 9. command the man that hath his Inkhorn by his side To set a mark upon their foreheads that they might not fall in that Judgment with others So in Mal. 3. God saies plainly of them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name That they should be writ in his Book A Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name and they shall he mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the day that I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Mala. 3.16 17. Mark he both acknowledges them for his and also promises to spare them as a man would spare his own Son Yea and moreover will wrap them up as his chief Jewels with himself in the bundle of life Thus much for the Motives How to grow in this Fear of God Having given you these Motives to the duty of growing in THIS fear of God Before I leave this use I will in few words shew you HOW you may grow in THIS fear of God 1. Then If thou wouldest grow in this fear of God Learn aright to distinguish of fear in general I mean learn to distinguish between THAT fear that is godly and that which in it self is indeed ungodly fear of God and know them well the one from the other lest the one the fear that in it self indeed is ungodly get the place even the upper hand of that which truly is godly fear And remember the ungodly fear of God is by God himself counted an enemy to him and hurtful to his people and is therefore most plentifully forbidden in the word Gen. 1.15 Chap. 26.24 Chap. 46.3 Exo. 14.13 Chap. 20.20 Num. 14.9 Chap. 21.34 Isa. 41.10 13 14. Chap. 43.1 Chap. 44.2 8. Chap. 54.4 Jer. 30.10 Dan. 10.12.19 Joel 2.21 Hag. 2.5 Zech. 8.13 Secondly If thou wouldest grow in this Godly fear learn rightly to distinguish it from that fear in particular that is Godly but for a time Even from that fear that is wrought from the spirit as a spirit of bondage I say learn to distinguish this from that and also perfectly to know the bounds that God hath set to that fear that is wrought by the spirit as a spirit of bondage Lest instead of growing in the fear that is to abide with thy soul for ever thou be overrun again with that first fear which is to abide with thee but till the spirit of adoption come And that thou mayest not only distinguish them one from the other but also keep each in its due place and bounds consider in general of what hath already been said upon this head and in particular that the first fear is no more wrought by the holy spirit but by the Devil to distress thee and make thee to live not like a Son but a slave And for thy