heart and life what fear God and be proud and covetous a wine bibber and a riotous eater of flesh how fear God and a lyer and one that cries for mercies to spend them upon thy lusts this would be strange True thou mayest fear as devils do but what will that profit Thou mayest by thy fear be driven away from God from his worship people and waies but what will that avail It may be thou mayest so fear at present as to be a little stopped in thy sinfull course perhaps thou hast got a knock from the word of God and art at present a little dazled and hindred from being in thy former and full carrier after sin but what of that If by the fear that thou hast thy heart is not united to God and to the love of his Son Word and People thy fear is nothing worth Many men also are forced to fear God as underlings are forced to fear those that are by force above them If thou only thus fearest God 't is but a false fear it flows not from love to God this fear brings not willing subjection which indeed brings the effect of right fear but being over mastred like an hypocrite thou subjectest thy self Psal. 18.44 by feigned obedience being forced I say by meer dread to do it Psal. 66.3 It is said of David That the same of him went out into all Lands and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all Nations 1 Chron. 14.17 But what did they now love David did they now chuse him to be their King no verily they many of them rather hated him and when they could made resistance against him They did even as thou dost feared but did not love feared but did not chuse his government that ruled over them It is also said of Jehosaphat when God had subdued before him Amon Moab and Mount Seir. That the fear of God was upon all the kingdoms of the Countries when they heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel 2 Ch. 20.29 But I say was this fear that is called now the fear of God any thing else but a dread of the greatness and power of the King no verily nor did that dread bring them into a willing subjection to and likeing of his laws and government it only made them like slaves and underlings stand in fear of his executing the vengeance of God upon them Therefore still notwithstanding this fear they were rebels to him in their hearts and when occasion and advantage offered themselves they shewed it by rising in rebellion against Israel This fear therefore provoked but feigned and forced obedience a right emblem of the obedience of such who being still enemies in their minds to God are forced by vertue of present conviction to yield a little even of fear to God to his word and to his ordinances Reader whoever thou art think of this it is thy concern therefore do it and examine and examine again and look diligently to thy heart in thine examination that it beguile thee not about this thy so great concern as indeed the fear of God is One thing more before I leave thee let me warn thee of Take heed of deferring to fear the Lord. Some men when they have had conviction upon their heart that the fear of God is not in them have through the overpowring of their corruptions yet deferred and put off the fear of God from them as it is said of them in Jeremiah This people have a revolting and a rebellious heart they are revolted and gone neither said they in their heart let us now fear the Lord Jer. 5.22 23 24. They saw that the Judgments of God attended them because they did not yet fear God but that conviction would not prevail with them to say let us now fear the Lord. They were for deferring to fear him still they were for puting off his fear from them longer Sinner hast thou deferred to fear the Lord is thy heart still so stubborn as not to say yet let us fear the Lord Oh the Lord hath taken notice of this thy rebellion and is preparing some dreadful Judgment for thee Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be avenged of such a Nation as this ver 29. Sinner why shouldest thou pull vengeance down upon thee why shouldest thou pull vengeance down from Heaven upon thee Look up perhaps thou hast already been pulling this great while to pull it down upon thee Oh pull no longer why shouldest thou be thine own Executioner Fall down upon thy knees man and up with thy heart and thy hands to the God that dwels in the Heavens cry yea cry aloud Lord unite mine heart to fear thy name and do not harden mine heart from thy fear Thus holy men have cryed before thee and by crying have prevented Judgment Before I leave this use let me give thee a few things that if God will may provoke thee to fear the Lod. 1. The man that feareth not God carrieth it worse toward him then the beast the bruit beast doth carry it towards that man The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every Beast of the earth yea and upon every Fowl of the air and upon all that moveth upon the earth and upon all the Fishes in the Sea Gen. 9.2 Mark All my creatures shall fear you and dread you saies God None of them shall be so hardy as to cast off all reverence of you But what a shame is this to man That God should subject all his creatures to him and he should refuse to stoop his heart to God The Beast the Bird the Fish and all have a fear and dread of man yea God has put it in their hearts to fear a man and yet man is void of fear and dread I mean of godly fear of him that thus lovingly hath put all things under him Sinner art thou not ashamed that a silly Cow a Sheep yea a Swine should better observe the Law of his creation then thou dost the Law of thy God 2. Consider He that will not fear God God will make him fear him whether he will or no. That is He that doth not will not now so fear him as willingly to bow before him and put his neck into his yoak God will make him fear him when he comes to take vengeance on him Then he will surround him with terror and with fear on every side fear within and fear without fear shall be in the way even in the way that thou goest when thou art going out of this World and that will be dreadful fear Eccles. 12.5 I will bring their fears upon them saith the Lord. Isa. 66.4 3. He that fears not God now the Lord shall laugh at his fears then Sinner God will be even with all them that chuse not to have his fear in their hearts For as he calls and they hear not now so they shall cry yea howl then
expect more and to hope a good end shall be made of all Gods present dispensations towards us Mich. 7.9 Lam. 1.18 Psal. 77.10 11 12. Lam. 3.31 32 33 34. Now God would have us thus fear his rod because he is resolved to chastize us therewith if so be we sin against him as I have already shewed for although Gods bowels turn within him even while he is threatning his people yet if we sin he will lay on the rod so hard as to make us cry Wo unto us that we have sinned Lam. 5.16 and therefore as I said we should be afraid of his judgments yet only as afore is provided as of the rod wrath and judgment of a Father Quest. But have you yet any other considerations to move us to FEAR God with child-like FEAR Answ. I will in this place give you five 1. Consider that God thinks meet to have it so and he is wiser in heart than thou he knows best how to secure his people from sin and to that end hath given them Law and Commandments to read that they may learn to fear him as a Father Job 37.24 Eccles. 3.14 Deut. 17.18 19. 2. Consider he is mighty in power if he touch it but with a fatherly touch man nor Angel cannot bear it yea Christ makes use of that argument he hath power to cast into hell fear him Luke 12.4 5. 3. Consider that he is every where thou canst not be out of his sight or presence nor out of the reach of his hand Fear ye not me saith the Lord can any hide himself in secret places that I should not see him saith the Lord do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Jer. 5.22 chap. 23.24 4. Consider that he is holy and cannot look with liking upon the sins of his own people Therefore saies Peter Be as obedient children not fashioning your selves according to your former lusts in your ignorance but as he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy And if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 5. Consider that he is good and has been good to thee good in that he hath singled thee out from others and saved thee from their death and hell though thou perhaps was worse in thy life than those that he left when he laid hold on thee O this should engage thy heart to fear the Lord all the daies of thy life They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter daies Hos. 3.5 And now for the present I have done with that fear I mean as to its first workings to wit to put me in fear of damnation and shall come in the next place to treat of the grace of fear more immediately intended in the text Of the grace of fear more immediately intended in the text I shall now speak to this fear which I call a lasting godly fear First By way of Explication by which I shall shew 1. How by the Scripture it is described 2. I shall shew you what this fear flows from 3. And then I shall also shew you what doth flow from it For the first of these to wit how by the Scripture this fear is described and that 1. More generally 2. More particularly First More generally 1. It is called a grace that is a sweet and blessed work of the Spirit of grace as he is given to the elect by Hence the Apostle saies let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear Heb. 12. for as that fear that brings bondage is wrought in the soul by the spirit as a spirit of bondage so this fear which is a fear that we have while we are in the liberty of sons is wrought by him as he manifesteth to us our liberty where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty that is where he is as a Spirit of adoption setting the soul free from that bondage under which it was held by the same spirit while he wrought as a spirit of bondage Hence as he is called a spirit working bondage to fear so he as the Spirit of the Son and of adoption is called The Spirit of the fear of the Lord Isa. 11.2 Because it is that Spirit of grace that is the author animater and maintainer of our filial fear or of that fear that is son-like and that subjecteth the elect unto God his Word and Waies unto him his Word and Waies as a Father 2. This fear is called also the fear of God not as that which is ungodly is nor yet as that may be which is wrought by the spirit as a spirit of bondage but by way of eminency to wir as a dispensation of the grace of the Gospel and as a fruit of eternal love I will put MY FEAR in their hearts and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.38 39 40 41. 3. This fear of God is called Gods Treasure for it is one of his choice Jewels it is one of the rarities of Heaven The fear of the Lord is his treasure Isa. 33.16 And it may well go under such a title for as treasure so the fear of the Lord is not found in every corner It is said all men have not faith because that also is more precious than gold the same is said about this fear There was no fear of God before their eyes that is the greatest part of men are utterly destitute of this goodly Jewels this treasure the fear of the Lord. Poor vagrants when hey come straglling to a Lords house may perhaps obtain some scraps and fragments they may also obtain old shooes and some sorry cast-off rags but they get not any of his Jewels they may not touch his choycest treasure that is kept for the children and those that shall be his heirs We may say the same also of this blessed grace of fear which is called here Gods treasure It is only bestowed upon the elect the heirs and children of the promise all others are destitute of it and so continue to death and Judgment 4. This Grace of fear Is that which maketh men excell and go beyond all men in the account of God It is that which beautifies a man and prefers him above all other Hast thou saies God to Satan considered my servant Job that there is none like him in all the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil Job 1.8 chap. 2. ver 4. Mind it There is none like him none like him in all the earth I suppose he means either in those parts or else he was the man that abounded in the fear of the Lord none like him to fear the Lord he only excelled others with respect to his reverencing of God bowing before him and sincerely complying with his will and therefore
Prov. 19.23 It tendeth to life even as of nature every thing hath a tendency to that which is most natural to it self the fire to burn the water to wet the stone to fall the sun to shine sin to defile c. Thus I say the fear of the Lord tendeth to life the nature of it is to put the soul upon fearing of God of closing with Christ and of walking humbly before him It is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death What are the snares of death but sin the wiles of the Devil c. From which the fear of God hath a natural tendence to deliver thee and to keep thee in the way that tendeth to life 5. This fear of the Lord it is called The instruction of Wisdom Prov. 15.33 You heard before that it is the beginning of wisdom but here you find it called the instuction of wisdom for indeed it is not only that which makes a man begin to be wise but to improve and make advantage of all those helps and means to life which God hath afforded to that end That is both to his own and his neighbours salvation also It is the instruction of wisdom it will make a man capable to use all his natural parts all his natural wisdom to Gods glory and his own good There lieth even in many natural things THAT into which if we were instructed would yield us a great deal of help to the understanding of spiritual matters For in wisdom has God made all the World nor is there any thing that God has made whether in Heaven above or on Earth beneath but there is couched some spiritual mystery in it The which men matter more than they do the ground they tread on or than the stones that are under their feet and all because they have not this fear of the Lord for had they that that would teach them to think even from that knowledg of God that hath by the fear of him put into their hearts that he being so great and so good there must needs be abundance of wisdom in the things he hath made that fear would also indeavour to find out what that wisdom is yea and give to the soul the instruction of it In that it is called the instruction of wisdom it intimates to us that its tendency is to keep all even and in good order in the soul. When Job perceived that his friends did not deal with him in an even spirit and orderly manner he said that they forsook the fear of the Almighty Job 6.14 For this fear keeps a man even in his words and judgment of things It may be compared to the ballace of the Ship and to the poys of the ballance of the Scales it keeps all even and also makes us steer our course right with respect to the things that pertain to God and man What this fear of God flows from I come now to the second thing to wit to shew you what this fear of God flows from First This fear this grace of fear this son-like fear of God It flows from the distinguishing love of God to his elect I will be their God saith he and I will put my fear in their hearts None other obtain it but those that are inclosed and bound up in that bundle Therefore they in the same place are said to be those that are wrapt up in the eternal or everlasting covenant of God and so designed to be the people that should be blessed with this fear I will make an everlasting covenant with them saith God that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 This covenant declares unto men that God hath in his heart distinguishing love for some of the children of men for he saith he will be their God that he will not leave them nor yet suffer them to depart to wit finally from him Into these mens hearts he doth put his fear this blessed grace and this rare and effectual sign of his love and of their eternal salvation 2. This fear flows from a new heart This fear is not in men by nature the fear of Devils they may have as also an ungodly fear of God but this fear is not in any but where there dwelleth a new heart another fruit and effect of this everlasting covenant and of this distinguishing love of God An new heart also will I give them a new heart what a one is that why the same Prophet saith in another place A heart to fear me a circumcised one a sanctified one Jer. 32.39 Ezek. 11.19 Chap. 36.26 So then until a man receive an heart from God an heart from Heaven a new heart he has not this fear of God in him New wine must not be put into old bottles lest the one to wit the bottles mar the wine or the wine the bottles but new wine must have new bottles and then both shall be preserved Matth. 9.17 This fear of God must not be cannot be found in old hearts old hearts are not bottles out of which this fear of God proceeds but 't is from an honest and good heart from a new one from such an one that is also an effect of the everlasting covenant and love of God to men I will give them an heart to fear me there must in all actions be heart and without heart no action is good nor can there be faith love or fear from every kind of heart these must flow from such an one whose nature is to produce and bring forth such fruit Do men gather Grapes of thorns or Figs of thistles so from a corrupt heart there cannot proceed such fruit as the fear of God as to believe in God and love God Luke 6.43 44 45. The heart naturally is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked how then should there flow from such an one the fear of God it cannot be He therefore that hath not received at the hands of God a new heart cannot fear the Lord. 3. This fear of God it flows from an impression a sound impression that the word of God maketh on our souls for without an impress of the word there is no fear of God Hence it is said that God gave to Israel good laws statutes and judgements that they might learn them and in learning them learn to fear the Lord their God Therefore saith God in another place Gather the people together men women and children and the stranger that is within thy gates that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God Deut. 6.1 2. Chap. 31.12 For as a man drinketh good doctrine into his soul so he feareth God If he drinks it in much he feareth him greatly if he drinketh it in but little he feareth him but little if he drinketh it not in at all he feareth him not at all This therefore teacheth us how
Horeb when the Lord thy God said unto thee gather me the people together and I will make them hear my Words that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the Earth Dut. 4.9 10 11. The remembrance of what we saw felt feared and trembled under the sense of when our first fears were upon us is that which will produce in our hearts this godly filial fear 9. This godly fear it flows from our receiving of an answer of prayer when we supplicated for mercy at the hand of God See the proof for this If there be in the Land famine if there be pestilence blasting mildew locust or if there be Catterpillars if their Enemies besiege them in the Land of their Cities whatsoever plague whatsoever sickness there be What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands towards this house Then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and do and give to every man according to his waies whose heart thou knowest for thou even thou only knowest the hearts of all the Children of men that they may fear thee all the daies of their life that they live in the Land which thou gavest unto our Fathers 1 King 8.37 38 39 40. 10. This grace of fear also flows from a blessed conviction of the alseeing eye of God That is from a belief that he certainly knoweth the heart and seeth every one of the turnings and returnings thereof this is intimated in the text last mentioned Whose heart thou knowest That they may fear thee To wit so many of them as be or shall be convinced of this Indeed without this conviction this godly fear cannot be in us the want of this conviction made the Pharisees such hypocrites You are they said Christ that justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts Luk. 16.15 The Pharisees I say were not aware of this therefore they so much preferred themselves before those that by far were better than themselves and it is for want of this conviction that men go on in such secret sins as they do so much without fear either of God or his judgments 11. This grace of fear also flows from a sense of the impartial judgment of God upon men according to their works This also is manifest from the Text mentioned above And give unto every man according to his works or waies that they may fear thee c. This is also manifest by that of Peter 1 Pet. 1.17 And if ye call upon the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans works pass the time of your sojourning here in fear He that hath godly conviction of this will fear of God will fear before him by which fear their hearts are poised and works directed with trembling according to the will of God Thus you see what a weighty and great grace this grace of the holy fear of God is how all the graces of the Holy Ghost yield mutually their help and strength to the nourishment and life of it and also how it flows from them all and hath a dependance upon every of them for its due working in the heart of him that hath it And thus much to shew you from whence it flows And now I shall come to the third thing to wit to shew you what flows from this godly fear What flows from this godly fear Having shewed you what godly fear flows from I come now I say to shew you what proceedeth or flows from this godly fear of God where it is seated in the heart of man And First There flows from this godly fear a godly reverence of God He is great said David and greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints God as I have already shewed you is the proper object of godly fear it is his Person and Majestly that this fear alwaies causeth the eye of the soul to be upon Behold said David as the eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until he have mercy upon us Psal. 122. verse 2. Nothing aweth the soul that feareth God so much as doth the glorious Majesty of God 1. His person is above all things feared by them I fear God said Joseph Gen. 42.18 That is more than any other I stand in awe of him he is my dread he is my fear I do all mine actions as in his presence as in his sight I reverence his holy and glorious Majesty doing all things as with fear and trembling before him 2. This fear makes them have also a very great reverence of his word for that also I told you was the rule of their fear Princes said David persecute me without a cause but my heart standeth in AWE in fear of thy word This grace of fear therefore from it flows reverence of the words of God of all laws that man feareth the Word and no law that is not agreeing therewith Psal. 119.116 3. There flows from this godly fear tenderness of Gods glory This fear I say will cause a man to afflict his soul when he seeth that by professors dishonour is brought to the name of God and to his word Who would not fear thee said Servius O King of Nations for to thee doth it appertain He speaks it as being affected with that dishonour that by the body of the Jews was continually brought to his name his word and waies he also speaks it of a hearty wish that they once would be otherwise minded The same saving in effect hath also John in the Revelations O who would not fear thee Lord said he and glorify thy name Revel 15.4 clearly concluding that godly fear produceth a godly tenderness of Gods glory in the world for that appertaineth unto him that is it is due unto him 't is a debt which we owe unto him Give unto the Lord said David the glory due unto his Name Now if there be begotten in the heart of the godly by this grace of fear a godly tenderness of the glory of God then it follows of consequence that where they that have this fear of God do see his glory diminished by the wickedness of the children of men there they are grieved and deeply distressed Rivers of waters said David run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Psal. 119.136 Let me give you for this these following instances 1. How was David provoked when Goliah defied the God of Israel 1 Sam. 17.23 29 45 46. 2. Also when others reproached God he tells us that that reproach was even as a Sword in his bones Psal. 42.10 3. How was Hezekiah afflicted when Rabshakah railed upon his God Isa. 37. 4. David also for the love that he had to the glory of Gods word ran the
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
These will live like Dogs and Swine in the house they pray not they watch not their hearts they pull not their hands out of their bosoms to work they do not strive against their lusts nor will they ever resist unto blood striving against sin they cannot take up their Cross or improve what they have to Gods glory Let all men therefore take heed of this ungodly fear and shun it as they shun the Devil for it will make them afraid where no fear is It will tell them that there is a Lion in the street the unlikeliest place in the world for such a beast to be in it will put a vizzard upon the face of God most dreadfull and fearful to behold and then quite discourage the soul as to his service so it served the slothful servant and so it will serve thee poor sinner if thou entertainest it and givest way thereto But Fourthly This ungodly fear of God it shews it self also in this It will not suffer the soul that is governed thereby to trust only to Christ for justification of life but will bend the powers of the soul to trust partly to the works of the Law Many of the Jews was in the time of Christ and his Apostles possessed with this ungodly fear of God for they was not as the former to wit as the slothful servant to receive a talent and hide it in the earth in a napkin but they were an industrous people they followed after the Law of righteousness they had a Zeal of God and of the religion of their fathers but how then did they come to miscarry why their fear of God was ungodly it would not suffer them wholly to trust to the righteousness of faith which is the imputed righteousness of Christ. They followed after the Law of righteousness but attained not to the Law of righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law But what was it that made them joyn their works of the Law with Christ but their unbelief whose foundation was ignorance and fear they were afraid to venture all in one bottom they thought two strings to one bow would be best and thus betwixt two stools they came to the ground And hence to fear and to doubt are put together as being the cause one of another yea they are put oft times the one for the other thus ungodly fear for unbelief Be not afraid only believe and therefore he that is over-ruled and carried away with this fear is coupled with the unbeliever that is thrust out from the holy City among the dogs But the fearful and unbelievers and murderers are without Revel 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving you see are put together for indeed fear that is this ungodly fear is the ground of unbelief or if you will unbelief is the ground of fear this fear but I stand not upon nice distinctions This ungodly fear hath a great hand in keeping of the soul from trusting only to Christs righteousness for justification of life Fifthly This ungodly fear of God is that which will put men upon adding to the revealed Will of God their own inventions and their own performances of them as a means to pacifie the anger of God For the truth is where this ungodly fear reigneth there is no end of Law and Duty When those that you read of in the book of Kings 2 King 17. Were destroyed by the Lions because they had set up Idolatry in the Land of Israel they sent for a Priest from Babilon that might teach them the manner of the God of the Land but behold when they knew it being taught it by the Priest yet their fear would not suffer them to be content with that worship only They feared the Lord saith the text and served their own Gods And again So these Nations feared the Lord and served their graven Images It was this fear also that put the Pharisees upon inventing so many traditions as the washing of cups and beds and tables and basons with a bundance of such other like gear Mark 7. none knows the many dangers that an ungodly fear of God will driv a man into How has it wrakt and tortered the Papists for hundreds of years together for what else is the cause but this ungodly fear at least in the most simple and harmless of them of their penances as creeping to the Cross going barefoot on pilgrimage whiping themselves wearing of sackcloth saying so many paternosters so many avemaries making so many confessions to the Priest giving so much money for pardons and abundance of other the like but this ungodly fear of God For could they be brought to believe this Doctrine that Christ was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification and to apply it by faith with Godly boldness to their own souls this fear would vanish and so consequently all those things with which they so needlessly and unprofitably afflicted themselves offend God and grieve his people Therefore gentle reader although my text doth bid that indeed thou shouldest fear God yet it includeth not nor accepteth of any fear no not of any fear of God For there is as you see a fear of God that is ungodly and that is to be shunned as ther sins Wherefore thy wisdom and thy care should be to see and prove thy fear to be godly which shall be the next thing that I shall take inhand The third thing that I am to speak to is that there is a fear of God in the heart of some men that is good and godly but yet doth not for ever abide so Or you may take it thus There is a fear of God that is godly but for a time In my speaking TO and opening of THIS to you I shall observe this method 1. I shall shew you WHAT this fear is 2. I shall shew you by WHO or what this fear is wrought in the heart 3. I shall shew you what this fear DOTH in the soul. And 4. I shall shew you WHEN this fear is to have an end For the first This fear is an effect of sound awakenings by the word of wrath which begetteth in the soul a sense of its right to eternal damnation for this fear is not in every sinner he that is blinded by the Devil and that is not able to see that his state is damnable he hath not this fear in his heart but he that is under the powerful workings of the word of wrath as God elect are at first conversion he hath this godly fear in his heart That is he fears that that damnation will come upon him which by the justice of God is due unto him because he has broken his holy law This is the fear that made the three thousand cry out men and brethren what shall we do and that made the Jaylor cry out and that with great trembling of soul sirs what must I do to be saved Acts 2. Chap.
give not way to thy first fears lest as I said before thou addest to thine affliction and to help thee here Let me give thee a few instances of the carriages of some of the Saints under some of the most heavy afflictions that they have met with for sin 1. Job was in great affliction and that as he confessed for sin Joh. 7.20 Insomuch that he said God had set him for his mark to shoot at and that he ran upon him like a Giant that he took him by the neck and shook him to pieces and counted him for his enemy that he hid his face from him and that he could not tell where to find him yet he counted not all this as a sign of a damnable state but as a tryal and chastizement and said when he was in the hottest of this battel when I am tried I shall come forth like gold And again when he was pressed upon by the tempter to think that God would kill him he answers with greatest confidence Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 16.14 ver 12. Chap. 19.11 Chap. 23.8 9 10. Chap. 13.15 2. David complained that God had broken his bones that he had set his face against his sins and had taken from him the joy of his salvation yet even at this time he saith O God thou God of my Salvation Psal. 51.8 9 12 14. 3. Haman complained that his soul was full of troubles that God had laid him in the lowest pit that he had put his acquaintance far from him and was casting off his soul and had hid his face from him That he was afflicted from his youth up and ready to die with trouble he saith moreover that the fierce wrath of God went over him that his terrours had cut him him off yea that by reason of them he was distracted and yet even before he maketh any of these complaints he takes fast hold of God as his saying O Lord God of my Salvation Psal. 88. 4. The Church in the Lamentations complains that the Lord had afflicted her for her transgressions and that in the day of his fierce anger also that he had trodden under foot her mighty men and that he had called the heathen against her she saies that he had covered her with a cloud in his anger that he was an enemy and that he had hung a chain upon her she adds moreover that he had shut out her prayer broken her teeth with gravel stones and covered her with ashes and in conclusion that he had utterly rejected her But what doth she do under all this tryal doth she give up her faith and hope and return to that fear that begot the first bondage No The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him yea she adds O Lord thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul thou hast redeemed my life Lamen 1.5 Chap. 2.1 2 5. Chap. 3.7 8 16. Chap. 5.22 Chap. 3 24 31 58. These things shew that Gods people even after they have received the spirit of adoption have fell foully into sin and have been bitterly chastized for it and also that when the rod was most smart upon them they made great conscience of giving way to their first fears wherewith they were made afraid by the Spirit as it wrought as a spirit of bondage for indeed there is no such thing as the coming of the Spirit of bondage to put us in fear the second time as such that is after he is come as the spirit of adoption to the soul. I conclude then that THAT fear that is is wrought by the spirit of bondage is good and godly because the ground for it is sound and I also conclude that he comes to the soul as a spirit of bondage but once and that once is before he comes as a spirit of adoption and if therefore the same fear doth again take hold of thy heart that is if after thou hast received the spirit of adoption thou fearest again the damnation of thy soul that thou art out of Christ and under the Law that fear is bad and of the Devil and ought by no means to be admitted by thee Quest. But since it is as you say how doth the Devil after the spirit of adoption is come work the child of God into those fears of being out of Christ not forgiven and so an heâ—r of damnation again Answ. 1. By giving the lie and by prevailing with us to give it too to the work of grace wrought in our hearts and to the testimony of the holy spirit of adoption Or 2. By abusing of our ignorance of the everlasting love of God to his in Christ and the duration of the covenant of grace Or 3. By abusing some scripture that seems to look that way but doth not Or 4. By abusing our senses and reason Or 5. By strengthening of our unbelief Or 6. By overshaddowing of our judgment with horrid darkness Or 7. By giving of us counterfeit representations of God Or 8. By stirring up and setting in a rage our inward corruptions Or 9. By pouring into our hearts abundance of horrid blasphemies Or 10. By putting of wrong constructions on the rod and chastizing hand of God Or 11. By charging upon us that our ill behavours under the rod and chastizing hand of God is a sign that we indeed have no grace but are down-right damned graceless reprobates By these things and others like these Satan I say Satan bringeth the Child of God not only to the borders but even into the bowels of the fears of damnation after it hath received a blessed testimony of eternal life and that by the holy spirit of adoption Quest. But would you not have the people of God stand in FEAR of his rod and be afraid of his judgments Answ. Yes and the more they are rightly afraid of them the less and the seldomer they will come under them for 't is want of fear that brings us into sin and 't is sin that brings us into these afflictions But I would not have them fear with the fear of slaves for that will add no strength against sin but I would have them fear with the reverential fear of Sons and that is the way to depart from evil Quest. How is that Answ. Why having before received the spirit of adoption still to believe that he is our father and so to fear with the fear of children not as slaves fear a tyrant I would therefore have them to look upon his rod rebukes chidings and chastizements and also upon the wrath wherewith he doth inflict to be but the dispensations of their Father This believed maintains or at least helps to maintain in the heart a Son-like bowing under the rod. It also maintains in the soul a Son-like confession of sin and a justifying of God under all the rebukes that he grieveth us with It also engageth us to come to him to claim and lay hold of former mercies to
to judge who feareth the Lord they are those that learn and that stand in awe of the word those that have by the holy word of God the very form of it self engraven upon the face of their souls they fear God Rom. 6.17 But on the contrary those that do not love good doctrine that give not place to the wholsom truths of the God of Heaven revealed in his testament to take place in their souls but rather despise it and the true professors of it they fear not God For as I said before this fear of God it flows from a sound impression that the word of God maketh upon the soul and therefore 4. This godly fear it floweth from faith for where the word maketh sound impression on the soul by that impression is faith begotten whence also this fear doth flow Therefore right hearing of the word is called the hearing of faith Galla. 3. verse 2. Hence it is said again By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith Heb. 11.7 The word the warning that he had from God of things not seen as yet wrought through faith therein that fear of God in his heart that made him prepare against unseen dangers and that he might be an inheritour of unseen happiness Where therefore there is not faith in the word of God there can be none of this fear and where the word doth not make sound impression on the soul there can be none of this faith So that as vices hang together have the links of a chain dependance one upon another even so the graces of the spirit also are the fruits of one another and have such dependance on each other that the one cannot be without the other No faith no fear of God Devils faith Devils fear Saints faith Saints fear 5. This godly fear it also floweth from sound repentance for and from sin godly sorrow worketh repentance godly repentance produceth this fear For behold saies Paul This self same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you what clearing of your selves yea what indignations yea what fear 2 Cor. 7.10 11. Repentance is the effect of sorrow and sorrow is the effect of smart and smart the effect of faith now therefore fear must needs be an effect of and flow from repentance Sinner do not deceive thy self if thou art a stranger to sound repentance which standeth in sorrow and shame before God for sin as also in turning from it thou hast no fear of God I mean none of this godly fear for that is the fruits of and floweth from sound repentance 6. This godly fear it also flowes from a sense of the love and kindness of God to the soul. Where there is no sense or hope of the kindness and mercy of God by Jesus Christ there can be none of this fear but rather wrath and despair which produceth that fear that is either devilish or else that which is only wrought in us by the spirit as a spirit of bondage but these we do not discourse of now wherefore the godly fear that now I treat of it floweth from some sense or hope of mercy from God by Jesus Christ. If thou Lord saies David shouldest mark iniquity O Lord who should stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Psal. 130.3 4. There is mercy with thee This the soul has sense of an hope in and therefore feareth God Indeed nothing can lay a stronger obligation upon the heart to fear God than sense of or hope in mercy See Jer. 33.8 9. This begetteth true tenderness of heart true godly softness of spirit this truly endeareth the affections to God and in this true tenderness softness and indearedness of affection to God lieth the very essence of this fear of the Lord as is manifest by the fruit of this fear when we shall come to speak of it 7. This fear of God flows from a due consideration of the judgments of God that are to be executed in the world yea upon professors too yea further Gods people themselves I mean as to themselves have such a consideration of his judgments towards them as to produce this godly fear When Gods judgments are in the earth they effect the fear of his name in the hearts of his own people My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am said David afraid of thy judgments Psal. 119.120 When God smote Vzza David was afraid of God that day Chron. 13.12 Indeed many regard not the works of the Lord nor take notice of the opperation of his hands and such cannot fear the Lord. But others observe and regard and wisely consider of his doings and of the judgments that he executeth and that makes them fear the Lord. This God himself suggesteth as a means to make us fear him Hence he commands the false Prophet to be stoned That all Israel might hear and fear Hence also he commanded that the rebellious Son should be stoned That all Israel might hear and fear False Witness was also to have the same judgment of God executed upon him That all Israel might hear and fear The man also that did ought presumptuously was to die That all Israel might hear and fear Deut. 13.11 Chap. 21.21 Chap. 17.13 Chap. 19.20 There is a natural tendency in judgments as judgments to beget a fear of God in the heart of man as man but when the observation of the judgments of God is made by him that hath a principle of true grace in his soul that observation being made I say by a gracious heart produceth a fear of God in the soul of its own nature to wit a gracious or godly fear of God 8. This godly fear it also flows from a godly remembrance of our former distresses when we were distressed with our first fears for though our first fears were begotten in us by the spirits working as a spirit of bondage and so are not alwaies to be entertained as such yet even that fear leaveth in us and upon our spirits that sense and relish of our first awakenings and dread as also occasioneth and produceth this godly fear Take heed saies God and keep thy soul deligently lest thou forget the things that thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the daies of thy life but teach them thy Sons and thy Sons Sons But what was the things that their eyes had seen that would so damnify them should they be forgotten The answer is The things which they saw at Horeb to wit the Fire the Smoke the Darkness the Earthquake their first awakenings by the Law by which they were brought into a bondage fear yea they was to remember this especially Especially saith he the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in
the text The Angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear him and delivereth them Answer The way that they take to deliver them that fear the Lord is sometimes by smiting of their enemies with blindness that they may not find them And so they served the enemies of Lot Gen. 19.10.11 Sometimes by smiting of them with deadly fear and so they served those that laid feige against Samaria 2 King 7.6 And sometimes by smiting of them even with Death it self and thus they served Herod after he had attempted to kill the Apostle James and also sought to vex certain others of the Church Act. 12. These Angels that are servants to them that fear the Lord are them that will if God doth bid them revenge the qarrell of his servants upon the stoutest monarch on earth This therefore is a glorious priviledge of the men that fear the Lord. Alas they are some of them so mean that they are counted not worth taking notice of by the high ones of the World but their betters do respect them the Angels of God count not themselves to good to attend on them and camp about them to deliver them This then is the man that hath his Angel to wait upon him even he that feareth God Seventhly Dost thou fear the Lord Salvation is nigh unto thee Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that glory may dwell in their Land Psal 85.9 This is another priviledge for them that fear the Lord. I told you before that the Angel of the Lord did incamp about them but now he saith his Salvation is also nigh them the which although it doth not altogether exclude the conduct of Angels but include them yet it looketh further Surely his Salvation his saving pardoning grace is nigh them that fear him That is to save them out of the hand of their spiritual enemys The Devil and Sin and Death do alwaies wait even to devour them that fear the Lord but to deliver them from these his salvation doth attend them So then if Satan tempts here is their salvation nigh if sin by breaking forth beguiles them here is Gods salvation nigh them yea if death it self shall suddenly seize upon them why here is their Gods salvation nigh them I have seen that great mens little children must go no whither without their nurses be at hand If they go abroad their nurses must go with them if they go to meals their nurses must go with them If they go to bed their nurses must go with them yea and if they fall a sleep their nurses must stand by them O my brethren those little ones that fear the Lord they are the children of the highest therefore they shall not walk alone be at their spiritual meats alone go to their sick beds or to their graves alone the salvation of their God is nigh them to deliver them from the evil This is then the glory that dwels in the Land of them that fear the Lord. Eightly Dost thou fear the Lord Heathen yet again The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear him and his righteousness unto childrens children Ps. 103.17 This still confirms what was last asserted that is that his salvation is nigh unto them His salvation that is pardoning mercy that is nigh them But mind it there he saies tis-nigh them but here it is upon them His mercy is upon them it covereth them all over it compasseth them about as with a Shield Therefore they are said in an over place to be clothed with salvation and covered with the robe of righteousness The mercy of the Lord is VPON them that is as I said to shelter and defend them The mercy the pardoning preserving mercy the mercy of the Lord is upon them who is he then that can condemn them Rom. 8. But there yee is more behinde The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on them T was designed for them before the world was and shall be upon them when the world it self is ended From everlasting to everlasting it is on them that fear him This from everlasting to everlasting is that by which in another place the eternity of God himself is declared From everlasting to everlasting thou art God Psal. 90.2 The meaning then may be this That so long as God hath his being so long shall the man that feareth him find mercy at his hand According to that of Moses The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting Arms and he shall thrust out the Enemy before thee and say destroy them Deut. 33.27 Child of God thou that fearest God here is mercy nigh thee mercy enough everlasting mercy upon thee This is long-lived mercy It will live longer then thy sin it will live longer then temptation it will live longer then thy sorrows it will live longer then thy persecutors It is mercy from everlasting to contrive thy salvation and mercy TO everlasting to weather it out with all thy adversaries Now what can hell and death do to him that hath this mercy of God upon him And this hath the man that feareth the Lord. Take that other blessed word and O thou man that fearest the Lord hang it like a Chain of Gold about thy neck As the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is his mercy towards them that fear him Psal. 103.13.18 If mercy as big as high and as good as Heaven it self will be a priviledge the man that feareth God shall have a priviledge Ninthly Dost thou fear God Like as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him Psal. 103.13 The Lord pittieth them that fear him That is condoleth and is affected feeleth and sympathizeth with them in all their afflictions It is a great matter for a poor man to be in this manner in the affections of the great and mighty but for a poor sinner to be thus in the heart and affections of God and they that fear him are so this is astonishing to consider In his love and in his pity be redeemed them In his love and in his pity In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and bare them and carried them all the day of old Isa. 63.9 I say in that he is said to pity them it is as much as to say he condoleth feeleth and sympathizeth with them in all their afflictions and temptations So that this is the happiness of him that feareth God he has a God to pity him and to be touched with all his miseries 'T is said in Judges His soul was grieved for the miseries of Israel Judg. 10.16 and in the Hebrews He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and can succour them that are tempted Chap. 4.15 Chap. 2.17.18 But further let us take notice of the comparison As a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them
that fear him Here is not only pity but the pity of a relation a Father 'T is said in another place Can a woman a mother forget her sucking child that shee should not have compassion on the Son of her womb yea she may yet will not I forget thee The pity of neighbors and acquaintance helpeth in times of distress but the pity of a Father and a mother is pity with an over and above The Lord saies James is very pitiful and of tender mercy Pharaoh called Joseph his tender Father because he provided for him against the famine but how tender a Father is God how full of bowels how full of pity Jam. 5.11 Gen. 41.43 marg 'T is said that when Ephraim was afflicted Gods bowels were troubled for him and turned within him towards him O that the man that feareth the Lord did but believe the pity and bowels that are in the heart of God and his Father towards him Jer. 31.18 19 20. Tenthly Dost thou fear God He will fill the desire of them that fear him he will hear their cry and will save them Psal. 145.9 Almost all those places that make mention of the men that fear God do insinuate as if they still were under affliction or in danger by reason of an enemy But I say here is still their priviledge their God is their Father and pities them He will fâ—lfil the desire of them that fear him Where now is the man that feareth the Lord let him harken to this What saist thou poor soul will this content thee the Lord will fulfil thy desires It is intimated of Adonijah that David his Father did let him have his head and his will in all things His Father saies the text had not displeased him at any time in so much as saying why hast thou done so 1 King 1.6 But here is more here is a promise to grant thee the whole desire of thy heart according to the prayer of holy David The Lord grant thee according to thine own heart and fulfil all thy counsel And again The Lord fulfill all thy petitions Psal. 20. O thou that fearest the Lord what is thy desire All my desires says David is all my salvation 2 Sam. 23.5 so saiest thou All my salvation is all my desire Well the desire of thy soul is granted thee yea God himself hath engaged himself even to fulfill this thy desire He will fulfill the desires of them that fear him he will hear their cry and will save them O this desire when it cometh what a Tree of life will it be to thee Thou desirest to be rid of thy present trouble the Lord shall rid thee out of trouble Thou desirest to be delivered from temptation the Lord shall deliver thee out of temptation Thou desirest to be delivered from thy Body of death and the Lord shall change this thy vile Body that it may be like to his glorious Body Thou desirest to be in the presence of God and among the Angels in Heaven This thy desire also shall be fulfiled and thou shall be made equall to the Angels Exod. 6.6 2 Pet. 2.9 Phil. 3.20.21 Luk. 16.22 chap. 26.35 36. Oh! but it is long first Well learn first to live upon thy portion in the promise of it and that will make thy expectation of it sweet God WILL fulfill thy desires God WILL do it though it tarry long wait for it because it will SVRELY come it will not tarry Eleventhly Dost thou fear God The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him Psal. 147.11.12 They that fear God are among his chief delights He delights in his Son he delights in his works and takes pleasure in them that fear him As a man takes pleasure in his Wife in his Children in his Gold in his Jewels So the man that fears the Lord is the object of his delight He takes pleasure in their prosperity Psal. 35.27 and therefore sendeth them health from the Sanctuary and makes them drink of the River of his pleasures They shall be abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy pleasures Psal. 36.8 2. That or those that we take pleasure in that or those we love to beautifie and adorn with many ornaments We count no cost too much to be bestowed on those in whom we place our delight and whom we make the object of our pleasure And even thus it is with God For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people and what follows he will beautify the meek with Salvation Psal. 149.4 3. Those in whom we delight we take pleasure in their actions yea we teach them and give them such rules and laws to walk by as may yet make them that we love more pleasurable in our eyes Therefore they that fear God since they are the object of his pleasure are taught to know how to please him in every thing 1 Thes. 4.1 And hence it is said that he is ravished with their looks that he delighteth in their cry and that he is pleased with their walking Solomons Song Ch. 4 9. Prov. 15.8 Ch. 11. v. 20. 4. Those in whom we delight and take pleasure many things we will bear and put up that they do though they be not according to our minds A man will suffer that in and put up that at the hand of the Child or Wife of his pleasure that he will not pass by nor put up in another They are my Jewels saies God even them that fear me and I will spare them in all their comings short of my will even as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Matt. 3.16 17. On how happy is the man that feareth God! His good thoughts his good attempts to serve him and his good life pleases him because the feareth God You know how pleasing in our eyes the actions of our Children are when we know that they do what they do even of a reverent fear and aw of us yea though that which they do amounts but to little we take it well at their hands and are pleased therewith The woman that cast in her two mites into the Treasury cast in not much for they both did but make one farthing Mark 12.40 41 42 43. Yet how doth the Lord Jesus trumpet her up he had pleasure in her and in her action This therefore that the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him is another of their great priviledges Twelfthly Dost thou fear God The least dram of that fear giveth the priviledg to be blessed with the biggest Saint He will bless them that fear the Lord SMALL GREAT Psal. 115.13 This word SMALL may be taken three waies 1. For those that are small in esteem for those that are but little accounted of Judg. 6.15 1 Sam. 18.23 Art thou small or little in this sence yet if thou fearest God thou art sure to be blessed He shall bless them that fear him small and great be thou never so
small in the worlds eyes in thine own eyes in the Saints eyes as sometimes one Saint is little in another Saints eye yet thou because thou fearest God art put among the blessed 2. By small sometimes is meant those that are but small of stature or young in years little Children that are easily passed by and looked over as those that sang Hosanna in the Temple were when the Pharisees deridingly said of them to Christ dost thou hear what THESE say Matth. 20.16 Well but Christ would not dispise them of them that feared God but preferred them by the Scripture-Testimony far before those that did contemn them Little Children how small so ever and although of never so small esteem with men shall also if they fear the Lord be blessed with the greatest Saints He shall bless them that fear him small and great 3. By small may sometimes be meant those that are small in grace or gifts these are said to be the least in the Church that is under this Consideration and so are by it least esteemed Thus also is that of Christ to be understood In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me 1 Cor. 6.4 Matth. 25.45 Art thou in thine own thoughts or in the thoughts of others of these last small ones small in grace small in gifts small in esteem upon this account yet if thou fearest God if thou fearest God indeed thou art certainly blessed with the best of Saints The least Star stands as fixed as the bigest of them all in Heaven He shall bless them that fear him small and great He shall bless them that is with the same blessing of eternal life For the different degrees of grace in Saints doth not make the blessing as to its nature differ 'T is the same Heaven the same Life the same Glory and the same Eternity of Felicity that they are in the text promised to be blessed with That is observable which I mentioned before where Christ at the day of Judgment particularly mentioneth and owneth the least In as much as ye did it not to one of the least The least then was there in his Kingdom and in his Glory as well as the biggest of all He shall bless them that fear him SMALL and great The small are mamed first in the text and are so the first in rank it may be to shew that though they may be slighted and little set by in the world yet they are much set by in the eyes of the Lord. Are great Saints only to have the Kingdom and the glory everlasting Are great works only to be rewarded works that are done by vertue of great grace and the abundance of the gifts of the holy Ghost No Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple Verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose a Disciples reward Mark here is but a little gift a Cup of cold water and that given to a little Saint but both taken special notice of by our Lord Jesus Christ Matth. 10.42 He will give reward to his Servants the Prophets and to his Saints and to them that fear his name small and great Revel 11.18 The Small therefore among them that fear God are blessed with the great as the great with the same salvation the same glory and the same eternal life and they shall have even as the great ones also shall as much as they can carry as much as their hearts souls bodys and capacities can hold Thirteenthly Dost thou fear God why the Holy Ghost hath on purpose indicted for thee an whole Psalme to sing concerning thy self So that thou mayest even as thou art in thy calling bed Journey or when ever sing out thine own blessed and happy condition to thine own comfort and the comfort of thy fellows The Psalm is called the 128. Psalm I will set it before thee both as it is in the reading and in the singing Psalms Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his waies for thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Thy wife shall be a fruitful Vine by the sides of thine house thy children like Olive Plants round about thy Table Behold that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the daies of thy life yea thou shalt see thy childrens Children and peace upon Israel As it is sung Blessed art thou that fearest God And walkest in his way For of thy Labour thou shalt eat Happy art thou I say Like fruitful Vines on thy House side So doth thy wife spring out Thy Children stand like Olive Plants Thy Table round about Thus art thou blest that fearest God And he shall let thee see The promised Jerusalem And her felicity Thou shalt thy Childrens Children see To thy great Joyes increase And likewise grace on Israel Prosperity and Peace And now I have done with the priviledges when I have removed one Objection Object But the Scripture saies Perfect love casteth out fear and therefore it seems that Saints after that a Spirit of Adoption is come should not fear but do their duty as another Scripture saith without it 1 Joh. 4.18 Luk. 1.74 75. Answ. Fear as I have shewed you may be taken several waies 1. It may be taken for the fear of Divels 2. It may be taken for the fear of reprobates 3. It may be taken for the fear that is wrought in the godly by the Spirit as a Spirit of bondage or 4. It may be taken for the fear that I have been but now discoursing of Now the fear that perfect love casts out cannot be that sonlike gracious fear of God that I have in this last place been treating of because that fear that love casts out hath torment but so has not the Son-like fear Therefore the fear that love casts out is either that fear that is like the fear of Devils and Reprobates or that fear that is begot in the heart by the Spirit of God as a Spirit of bondage or both for indeed all these kinds of fear have torment and therefore may be cast out and are so by the Spirit of Adoption which is called the Spirit of Faith and love when he comes with power into the soul so that without this fear we should serve him But to argue from these texts that we ought not to fear God or to mix fear with our worship of him is as much as to say that by the Spirit of Adoption we are made very Rogues for not to fear God is by the Scripture applied to such Luk. 23.40 But for what I have affirmed the Scripture doth plentifully confirm saying Happy is the man that feareth alway And again It shall be well with them that fear God
and he will laugh at their fears I will laugh saith he at their destruction I will mock when their fear cometh when your fear cometh as disolation and your distruction like a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall you call upon me but I will not answer you shall seek me early but you shall not find me for that you hated knowledge and did not chuse the FEAR of the Lord Prov. 1.26 27 28 29. Sinner thou thinkest to escape the fear but what wilt thou do with the pitt Thou thinkest to escape the pit but what wilt thou do with the Snare The Snare say you what is that I answer it is even the work of thine own hands The wicked is snared in the works of his own hands he is snared by the words of his lips Psal. 9.16 Chap. 12.13 Sinner what wilt thou do when thou comest into this snare that is into the guilt and terror that thy sins will snaffle thee with when they like a cord are fastned about thy soul This snare will bring thee back again to the pit which is Hell and then how wilt thou do to be rid of thy fear The fear pit and the snare shall come upon thee because thou fearest not God Sinner art thou one of them that hast cast off fear poor man what wilt thou do when these three things beset thee whither wilt thou fly for help And where wilt thou leave thy glory If thou fliest from the fear there 's the pit if thou fliest from the pit there 's the snare The second use is an Exhortation to fear God My next word shall be an Exhortation to fear God I mean an Exhortation to Saints O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him Not but that every Saint doth fear God but as the Apostle saith in an other case I beseech you do it more and more The fear of the Lord as I have shewed you is a grace of the new covenant as other saving graces are and so is capeable of being stronger or weaker as other graces are Wherefore I beseech you fear him more and more It is said of Obadiah That he feared the Lord greatly every Saint fears the Lord but every Saint does not greatly fear him O there are but few Obadiah's in the world I mean among the Saints on earth See the whole relation of him 1 King 18. As Paul said of Timothy I have none likeminded so it may be said of some concerning the fear of the Lord They have scarce a fellow So it was with Job There is none like him in all the earth one that feareth God c. Job 1. Chap. 2. There was even none in Jobs day that feared God like him no there was not one like him in all the earth but doubtless there were more in the World that feared God but this fearing of him greatly that 's the thing that Saints should do and that was the thing that Job did do and in that he did outstrip his fellows It is also said of Hananiah That he was a faithful man and feared God above many Nehe. 7.2 He also had got as to the exercise of and growth in this grace the start of many of his Brethren He feared God above many Now then seeing this grace admits of degrees and is in some stronger and in some weaker let us be all awakned as to other graces so to this grace also That like as you abound in every thing in faith in utterance in knowledg and in all diligence and in your love to us See that ye abound in this grace also I will labour to inforce this exhortation upon you by several motives 1. Let Gods distinguishing love to you be a motive to you to fear him greatly He hath put his fear in thy heart and hath not given that blessing to thy neighbour perhaps not to thy Husband thy Wife thy Child or thy Parent Oh what an obligation should this consideration lay upon thy heart greatly to fear the Lord Remember also as I have shewed in the first part of this book that this fear of the Lord is his Treasure a choice Jewel given only to favorites and to those that are greatly beloved Great gifts naturally tend to oblige and will do so I trust with thee when thou shalt ingeniously consider it It is a signe of a very bad nature when the contrary shews it self Could God have done more for thee then to have put his fear in his heart This is better then to have given thee a place even in Heaven without it Yea had he given thee all faith all knowledge and the tongue of Men and Angels and a place in Heaven to boot They had all been short of this gift of the fear of God in thy heart Therefore love it nourish it exercise it use all meanes to cause it to increase and grow in thy heart that it may appear it is set by at thy hand poor sinner 2 Another motive to stir thee up to grow in this grace of the fear of God May be the priviledges that it laies thee under What or where wilt thou find in the Bible so many priviledges so affectionately intailed to any grace as to this of the fear of God God speaks of this grace and of the priviledges that belong unto it as if to speak with reverance he knew not how to have done blessing of the man that hath it It seems to me as if this grace of fear is the darling grace the grace that God sets his heart upon at the highest rate As it were he imbraces and hugs and laies the man in his bosom that hath and grows strong in this grace of the fear of God See again the many priviledges in which the man is intrested that hath this grace in his heart and see also that there are but few of them wherever mentioned but have intailed to them the pronunciation of a blessing or else that man is spoken of by way of Admiration 3. Another motive may be this The man that groweth in this grace of the fear of the Lord will escape those evils that others will fall into Where this grace is it keepeth the soul from final apostacy I will put my fear in their heart and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 But yet if there be not an increase in this grace much evil may attend and be commited notwithstanding There is a child that is healthy and hath its limbs and can go but 't is careless now the evil of carelessness doth disadvantage it very much carelessness is the cause of stumblings of falls of knocks and that it falls into the dirt yea that somtimes 't is burned or almost drowned And thus it is even with Gods people that fear him because they ad not to their fear a care of growing more in the fear of God therefore they reap dammage whereas were they more in his fear it
no may have the dispose of those things but if God has any thing in special to bestow upon his people of this worlds good then he will intrust it in the hands of men fearing God Joseph must now be made Lord of Aegypc because Israel must be kept from starving Obadiah must now be made Steward of Ahabs house because the Lords Prophets must be hid from and fed in despite of the rage and bloody mind of Jezebel Daniel with his companions and Mordecai also they were all exalted to earthly and temporal dignity that they might in that state they being men that abounded in the fear of God be serviceable to their Brethren in their straits and difficulties Gen. 42.18 Chap. 41.39 1 King 18.3 Hester the two last Chapters Dan. 2.48 Chap. 3.30 Chap. 5.29 Chap. 6.1 2 3. 9. Another motive to grow in this grace of fear is Where the fear of God in the heart of any is not growing there no grace thrives nor duty done as it should 1. There no grace thrives neither Faith Hope Love nor any grace This is evident from that general Exhortation perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Perfect holiness what is that but as James saies of patience let every grace have its perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire lacking nothing Jam. 1. But this cannot be done but in the fear of God yea in the exercise of that grace and so consequently in the growth of it for there is no grace but grows being exercised If then you would be perfect in holiness if you would have every grace that God has put into your souls grow and flourish unto perfection lay them as I may say a soak in this grace of fear and do all in the exercise of it for a little done in the fear of the Lord is better then the revenues of the wicked And again the Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous the soul that liveth in the fear of the Lord to famish but he casteth away the abundance of the wicked Bring abundance to God and if it be not seasoned with godly fear it shall not be acceptable to him but lothsome and abominable in his sight for it doth not flow from the spirit of the fear of the Lord. 2. Therefore where there is not a growth in this fear there is no duty done so acceptably This flows from that which goes before for if grace rather decays than grows where this grace of fear is not in the growth and increase thereof then duties in their glory and acceptableness decay likewise 10. Another motive to stir thee up to grow in the increase of this grace of fear is It is a grace do but abound therein that will give thee great boldness both with God and men Job was a man a none-such in his day for one that feared God and who so bold with God as Job who so bold with God and who so bold with men as he 1. How bold was he with God when he wishes for nothing more then that he might come even to his seat and concludes that if he could come at him he would approach even as a prince unto him and as such would order his cause before him Job 23.3 4 5 6 7. Chap. 31.35 36 37. Also before his friends how bold was he For ever as they laid to his charge that he was an hypocrite he refels them with the testimony of a good conscience which good conscience he got and kept and maintained by increasing in the fear of God yea his conscience was kept so good by this grace of fear for 't was by that that he eschewed evil that 't was common with him to appeall to God when accused and also to put himself for his clearing under most bitter curses and imprecations Job 13.3 4 5 6 7 8 9.18 19 20 21 22 24. Job 31. This fear of God is it that keeps the conscience clean and tender and so free from much of that defilement that even a good man may be afflicted with for want of his growth in this fear of God Yea let me add if a man can with a good conscience say that he desires to fear the name of God it will ad boldness to his soul in his approaches into the presence of God O Lord said Nehemiah I beseech thee let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy Servant and Servants who desire to fear thy name Nehe. 1.11 He pleaded his desire of fearing the name of God as an argument with God to grant him his request and the reason was because God had promised before to bless them that fear him both small and great Ps. 115.13 11. Another motive to stir you up to fear the Lord and to grow in this fear is by it thou maiest have thy labours blessed to the saving of the souls of others 'T is said of Levi of whom mention was made before that he feared God and was afraid before his Name that he saved others from their sins The law of truth was in his lips and he walked with me in Peace and Equity and did turn away many from iniquity Mal. 25.6 The fear of God that dwelt in his heart shewed its growth in the Sanctifying of the Lord by his life and words and the Lord also blessed this his growth herein by blessing his labours to the saving of his Neighbors Wouldest thou save thy Husband thy Wife thy Children c. then be greatly in the fear of God This Peter teaches Wives saith he be subject to your own husbands that if any obey not the word they may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives while they behold your chast conversation coupled with fear 1 Pet. 3.1 2. So then if Wives and Children yea if Husbands Wives Children Servants c. did but better observe this general rule of Peter to wit of letting their whole conversation be coupled with fear they might be made instruments in Gods hand of much more good then they are But the misery is the fear of God is wanting in actions and that is the cause that so little good is done by those that profess 'T is not a conversation that is coupled with a profession for a great profession may be attended with a life that is not good but scandalous but it is a conversation coupled with fear of God that is with the impressions of the fear of God upon it that is convincing and that ministreth the awakenings of God to the conscience in order to saving the unbeliever O they are a sweet couple to wit a Christian conversation coupled with fear The want of this fear of God is that that has been a stumbling block to the blind oftentimes Alas the World will not be convinced by your talk by your notions and by the great profession that you make if they see not therewith mixed the lively impressions of the fear of God but will as I said
God I would have thee be warned by them And they are these which follow 1. If thou wouldst grow in this grace of fear Take heed of an hard heart for that will hinder thy growth in this grace Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear Isa. 63.17 was a bitter complaint of the Church heretofore for it is not only the judgement that in it self is dreadful and sore to Gods people but that which greatly hindereth the growth of this grace in the soul. An hard heart is but barren ground for any grace to grow in specially for the grace of fear there is but little of this fear where the heart indeed is hard neither will there ever be much therein Now if thou wouldst be kept from an hard heart 1. Take heed of the beginings of sin Take heed I say of that though it should be never so small A little leaven leavens the whole lump there is more in a little sin to harden than in a great deal of grace to soften Davids look upon Bathsheba was one would think but a small matter yet that begining of sin contracted such hardness of heart in him that it carried him almost beyond all fear of God It did carry him to commit lewdness with her murder upon the body of Vriah and to abundance of wicked dissimulation which are things I say that have direct tendency to quench and destroy all fear of God in the soul. 2. If thou hast sinned lie not down without repentance for the want of repentance after one has sinned makes the heart yet harder and harder Indeed an hard heart is impenitent and impenitence also makes the heart harder and harder So that if impenitence be added to hardness of heart or to the beginings of sin which makes it so It will quickly be with that soul as is said of the house of Israel it will have A Whores forehead it will hardly be brought to shame Jer. 3.3 3. If thou wouldst be rid of an hard heart that great enemy to the growth of the grace of fear Be much with Christ upon the Cross in thy Meditations For that is an excellent remedy against hardness of heart a right sight of him as he hanged there for thy sins will dissolve thy heart into tears and make it soft and tender They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn Zech. 12.10 11. Now a soft a tender and broken heart is a fit place for the grace of fear to thrive in But 2. If thou wouldst have the grace of fear to grow in thy soul Take heed also of a prayerless heart for that is not a place for this grace of fear to grow in Hence he that refraineth prayer is said To cast off fear Thou casteth off fear said one of his friends to Job But how must he do that why the next words shew Thou restrainest prayer before God Job 15.4 Seest thou a Professor that prayeth not that man thrusteth the fear of God away from him Seest thou a man that prays but little that man feareth God but little for it is the praying soul the man that is mighty in praying that has an heart for the fear of God to grow in Take heed therefore of a prayerless heart if you would grow in this grace of the fear of God Prayer is as the pitcher that fetcheth water from the Brook therewith to water the herbs break the pitcher and it will fetch no water and for want of water the Garden withers 3. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then take heed of a light and wanton heart For neither is such an heart good ground for the fear of God to grow in wherefore 't is said of Israel She feared not but went and plaid the Harlot also She was given to wantonness and to be light and vain and so her fear of God decaied Jer. 3.8 Had Joseph been as wanton as his Mistress he had been as void of the fear of God as she but he was of a sober tender godly considerate spirit therefore he grew in the fear of God 4. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then take heed of a covetous heart for neither is that which is such an one good ground for this grace of fear to grow in Therefore this covetousness and the fear of God are as enemies set the one in opposition to the other one that feareth God and hateth COVETOVSNESS Exod. 18.21 And the reason why covetousness is such an obstruction to the growth of this grace of fear is because covetousness casteth those things out of the heart which alone can nourish this fear It casteth out the word and love of God without which no grace can grow in the soul how then should the fear of God grow in a covetous heart Ezek. 33.30 31 32. 1 John 2.15 5. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear then Take heed of an unbelieving heart For an unbelieving heart is not good ground for this grace of fear to grow in An unbelieving heart is called an evil heart Heb. 3.13 because from it flows all the wickedness that is committed in the World Now it is faith or a believing heart that nourisheth this fear of God Heb. 11.7 and not the other and the reason is for that faith brings God Heaven and Hell to the soul and maketh it duly consider of them all this is therefore the means of fear and that which will make it grow in the soul but unbelief is a BANE thereto 6. Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear Then take heed of a forgetful heart Such an heart is not an heart where the grace of fear will flourish when I remember I am affraid c. Therefore take heed of forgetfulness do not forget but remember God and his kindness patience and mercy to those that yet neither have grace nor special favor from him and that will beget and nourish his fear in thy heart but forgetfulness of this or of any other of his judgments is a great wound and weakening to this fear Job 21.6 When a man well remembers that Gods judgments are so great a deep and mystery as indeed they are that remembrance puts a man upon such considerations of God and of his judgments as to make him fear Therefore saies Job I am afraid of him See the place Job 23.15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him When I remember and consider of the wonderful depths of his judgments toward man 7. Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear then Take heed of a murmuring and repining heart for that is not an heart for this grace of fear to grow in As for instance when men murmur and repine at Gods hand at his dispensations and at the Judgments that overtake them in their persons estates families or relations THAT their murmuring tendeth to destroy fear for a murmuring spirit is such an one as seems to correct God and to find
fault with his dispensations and where there is that the heart is far from fear A murmuring spirit either comes from that wisdom that pretends to understand that there is a failure in the nature and execution of things or from an envy and spite at the execution of them Now if murmurings arise from this pretended wisdom of the flesh then instead of fearing of God his actions are judged to be either riged or ridiculous which yet are done in judgment truth and righteousness So that a murmuring heart cannot be a good one for the fear of God to grow in alas the heart where that grows must be a soft one as you have it in Job 23.15 16. And an heart that will stoop and be silent at the most abstruse of all his Judgments I was silent because thou didest it The heart in which this fear of God doth flourish is such that it bowes and is mute if it can but espie the hand wisdom justice or holiness of God in this or the other of his dispensations and so stirs up the soul to fear before him But if this murmuring ariseth from envy and spite that looketh so like to the spirit of the Devil that nothing need be said to give conviction of the horrible wickedness of it 8. Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear then Take heed of an high and captious spirit for that is not good ground for the fear of God to grow in a meek and quiet spirit is the best and there the fear of God will flourish most therefore Peter puts meekness and fear together as being most suited in their nature and natural tendency one to another 1 Pet. 3.14 Meekness of spirit is like that heart that hath depth of earth in it in which things may take root and grow but an high and captious spirit is like to the stony ground where there is not depth of earth and consequently where this grace of fear cannot grow therefore take heed of this kind of spirit if thou wouldst that the fear of God should grow in thy soul. 9. Wouldst thou grow in the grace of fear then Take heed of an envious heart for that is not a good heart for the fear of God to grow in Let not thy heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Prov. 23.17 To envy any is a signe of a bad spirit and that man takes upon him as I have already hinted to be a controller and a judge yea and a malicious executioner too and that of that fury that ariseth from his own lusts and revengeful spirit upon perhaps the man that is more righteous then himself But suppose he is a sinner that is the object of thine envy why the Text sets that envy in direct opposition to the fear of God Envy not sinners but be thou in the fear of God These two therefore to wit envy to sinners and fearing of God are opposites Thou canst not fear God and envy sinners too And the reason is because he that envieth a sinner hath forgotten himself that he is as bad and how can he then fear God He that envies sinners rejects his duty of blessing of them that curse and praying for them that despitefully use us and how can he that hath rejected this fear God He that envieth sinners therefore cannot be of a good spirit nor can the fear of God grow in his heart Lastly Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear Then Take heed of hardning thy heart at anytime against convictions to particuler duties as to Prayer Alms Self-denial or the like Take heed also of hardning thy heart when thou art under any judgment of God as sickness losses crosses or the like I bid you before to beware of an hard heart but now I bid you beware of hardning your soft ones For to harden the heart is to make it worse then it is harder more desperate and bold against God then at the present it is Now I say if thou wouldest grow in this grace of fear take heed of hardning thy heart and especially of hardning of it against convictions to good for those convictions are sent of God like seasonable showrs of rain to keep the tillage of thy heart in good order that the grace of fear may grow therein but this stiffling of convictions makes the heart as hard as a piece of the nether Milstone Therefore happy is he that receiveth conviction for so he doth keep in the fear of God and that fear thereby nourished in his soul but cursed is he that doth otherwise Happy is the man that feareth alway but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28.14 A use of Encouragement I come now to a use of encouragement to those that are blessed with this grace of fear The last text that was mentioned saith Happy is the man that feareth alway and so doth many more Happy already because blessed with this grace and happy for time to come because this grace shall abide and continue till the soul that hath it is brought unto the mansion house of glory I will put my fear in their heart and they shall not depart from me Therefore as here is saith Happy IS he so it saith also It SHALL go well with him that is in time to come It SHALL go well with them that fear the Lord Eccles. 8.12 Had God given thee all the world yet cursed hadst thou been if he had not given thee the fear of the Lord for the fashion of this world is a fading thing but he that feareth the Lord shall abide for ever and ever This therefore is the first thing that I would propound for thy encouragement thou man that fearest the Lord. This grace will dwell in thy heart for it is a new covenant grace and will abide with thee forever It is sent to thee from God not only to joyn thy heart unto him but to keep thee from final apostacy I will put my fear in their heart and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32. That thou maist never forsake God is his design and therefore to keep thee from that wicked thing he hath put his fear in thy heart Many are the temptations difficulties snares traps trials and troubles that the people of God pass through in the world but how shall they be kept how shall they be delivered and escape Why the answer is the fear of God will keep them He that feareth God shall come out of them all It is not therefore a wonderful mercy to be blessed with this grace of fear that thou by it maiest be kept from final which is damnable apostacy Bless God therefore thou blessed man that hast this grace of fear in thy soul. There are five things in this grace of fear that have a direct tendency in them to keep thee from final apostacy 1. It is seated in the heart and the heart is as I may call it the main FORT