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
grace of fear in his heart may perhaps be a Scruple to some but in my judgment the next must have respect to the latter to wit to the grace of fear for without that be indeed in the heart the word will not produce that good selfdenial in us that here you find this good man to live in the daily exercise of The fear of God therefore that was the cause of his Self-denial was this grace of fear in his heart This made him to be as was said before tender of the honour of God and of the Salvation of his brother yea so tender that rather then he would give an occasion to the weak to stumble or be offended he would even deny himself of that which others never sticked to do Paul also through the sanctifying operations of this fear of God in his heart did deny himself even of Lawful things for the profit and Commodity of his Brother I will not eat flesh while the World standeth least I make my Brother to offend That is if his eating of it would make his Brother to offend 1 Cor. 8.13 Men that have not this fear of God in them will not cannot deny themselves of love to God and the good of the weak who are subject to stumble at indifferent things but where this grace of fear is there follows Selfdenial there men are tender of offending and count that it far better becoms their profession to be of a Self denying condesending conversation and temper them to stand sturdily to their own liberty in things inexpedient who even is offended thereat This grace of fear therefore is a very excellent thing because it yieldeth such excellent fruit as this For this Self-denial of how little esteem soever it be with some yet the want of it if the words of Christ be true as they are takes quite away from even a professor the very name of a disciple Mat. 10.37 38. Luke 14 ver 26 27.33 They saies Nehemiah Lorded it over the Brethren but so did not I. They took Bread and Wine and forty Shekles of Silver of them but so did not I yea even their Servants bare rule over the people but so did not I because of the fear of God Sixthly There flows from this godly fear of God singleness of heart Col. 3 2. Singleness of heart both to God and man singlenes of heart that is it which in an other place is called sincerity and godly simplicity and it is this when a man doth a thing simply for the sake of him or of the Law that commands it without respect to this by end or that desire of praise or of vain-glory from others I say when our obedience to God is done by us simply or alone for Gods sake for his words sake without any regard to this or that by-end or reserve not with eye service as men pleasers but with singleness of heart fearing God A man is more subject to nothing then to swerve from singleness of heart in his service to God and obedience to his Will How doth the Lord charge the Children of Israel and all their obedience and that for seventy years together with the want of singleness of heart towards him when ye fasted and mourned in the fift and seventh month even those seventy years did ye at all fast to me even to me And when ye did eat and when ye did drink did you not eat for your selves and drink for your selves Zech 7.5 6. They wanted this singleness of heart in their fasting in their eating in their mourning and in their drinking they had double hearts in what they did They did not as the Apostle bids whether they eat or drink or what ever they did do all to the glory of God And the reason of their want of this thing was they wanted this fear of God for that as the Apostle here saith effecteth singleness of heart to God and makes a man as John said of Gains do faithfully what ever he doth 3 John 5. And the reason is as hath bin already urged for that Grace of fear of God retaineth and keepeth upon the heart a reverent and awful sense of the Dread Majesty and All-seeing eye of God also a due consideration of the day of account before him it likewise maketh his service sweet and pleasing and fortifies the soul against all discouragements by this means I say the soul in its service to God or man is not so soon captivated as where there is not this fear but through and by it its service is accepted being single sincere simple and faithful when others with what they do are cast into Hell for their hypocrisie for they mix not what they do with Godly fear Singleness of heart in the service of God is of such absolute necessity that without it as I have hinted nothing can be accepted because where that is wanting there wanteth love to God and to that which is true holiness in deed T was this singleness of heart that made Nathaniel so honorable in the eyes of Jesus Christ. Behold said he an Israelite indeed in whom there is no Guile John 1. And t was the want of it that made him so much abhor the Pharisees They wanted sincerity simplicity and godly sincerity in their souls and so became an abhorrence in his esteem Now I say this golden Grace singleness of heart it flows from this godly fear of God Seventhly There flows from this godly fear of God compassion and bowels to those of the Saints that are in necessity and distress This is manifest in good Obadiah It is said of him That he took an hundred of the Lords Prophets and hid them by fifty in a Cave and fed them with Bread and Water in the daies when Jezebel that Tyrant sought their lives to distroy them 1 King 18.3 4. But what was it that moved so upon his heart as to cause him to do this thing why it was this blessed grace of the fear of God Now Obadiah saith the text Feared the Lord greatly for so it was when Jezebel cut off the Prophets of the Lord that Obadiah took an hundred Prophets and hid them by fifty in a Cave and fed them with Bread and Water This was charity to the distressed even to the distressed for the Lords sake Had not Obadiah served the Lord yea had he not greatly feared him he would not have been able to do this thing especially as the case then stood with him and also with the Church at that time for then Jezebel sought to stay all that indeed feared the Lord yea and the persecution prevailed so much at that time that even Elijah himself thought that she had killed all but him But now even now the fear of God in this good mans heart put forth it self into acts of mercy though attended with so eminent danger Se here therefore that the fear of God will put forth it self in the heart where God hath put it even to
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
is counted the excellent man 'T is not the knowledge of the Will of God but our sincere complying therewith that proveth we fear the Lord and it is our so doing that putteth upon us the note of excelling hereby appears our perfection herein is manifest our uprightness A perfect and an upright man is one that feareth God and that because he escheweth evil Therefore this grace of fear is that without which no part or piece of service which we do to God can be accepted of him It is as I may call it The salt of the Covenant which seasoneth the heart and therefore must not be lacking there it is also that which salteth or seasoneth all our doings and therefore must not be lacking in any of them Levit. 2.13 For 5. I take this grace of fear to be that which softeneth and mollifieth the heart and that makes it stand in AWE both of the mercies and Judgments of God This is that that retaineth in the heart that due dread and reverence of the heavenly majesty that is meet should be both in and kept in the heart of poor sinners Wherefore when David described THIS fear in the exercise of it he calls it an AWE of God Stand in AWE saith he and Sin not and again mine heart standeth in AWE of thy Word and again Let all the Earth FEAR the Lord what 's that or how is that why Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in AWE of him Psal. 4.4 Psal. 119.161 Psal. 33.8 This is that therefore that is as I said before so excellent a thing in the eyes of God to wit a grace of the spirit the fear of God his treasure the salt of the covenant that which makes men excel all others for it is that which maketh the sinner to stand in AWE of God which posture is the most comely thing in us throughout all ages But Secondly and more particularly 1. This grace is called The beginning of knowledge Prov. 1.7 because by the first gracious discovery of God to the soul this grace is begot and again because the first time that the soul doth apprehend God in Christ to be good unto it this grace is animated by which the soul is put into an holy AWE of God which causeth it with reverence and due attention to hearken to him and tremble before him It is also by vertue of this fear that the soul doth enquire yet more after the blessed knowledge of God This is the more evident because where this fear of God is wanting or where the discovery of God is not attended with it the heart still abides rebellious obstinate and unwilling to know more that it might comply therewith nay for want of it such sinners say rather As for God let him depart from us and for the Almighty we desire not the knowledge of HIS waies 2. This fear is called The beginning of Wisdom Job 28.28 Psal. 111.10 because then and not tell then a man begins to be truly spiritually wise what wisdom is there where the fear of God is not Therefore the fools are described thus For that they hated knowledg and did not chuse the fear of the Lord Prov. 1.29 The word of God is the fountain of knowledg into which a man will not with godly reverence look until he is endued with the fear of the Lord Therefore it is rightly called the beginning of Wisdom But fools despise wisdom and instruction Prov. 1.7 It is therefore this fear of the Lord that makes a man wise for his soul for life and for another world 'T is this that teacheth him how he should do to escape those spiritual and eternal ruins that the fool is overtaken with and swallowed up of forever A man void of this fear of God whereever he is wise or in what ever he excels yet about the matters of his soul there is none more foolish than himself for through the want of the fear of the Lord he leaves the best things at sixes and sevens and only pursueth with all his heart those that will leave him in the snare when he dies 3. This fear of the Lord Is to hate evil To hate sin and vanity sin and vanity they are The sweet morsels of the FOOL Job 20.12 and such which the carnal appetite of the flesh runs after and it is only the vertue that is in the fear of the Lord that maketh the sinner have an antipathy against it By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil Proverbs 16.6 That is men shun separate themselves from and eschew it in its appearances Wherefore it is plain that those that love evil are not possessed with the fear of God There is a generation that will pursue evil that will take it in nourish it lay it up in their hearts hide it and plead for it and rejoyce to do it These cannot have in them the fear of the Lord for that is to hate it and to make men depart from it where the fear of God and sin is it will be with the soul as it was with Israel when Amri and Tibni strove to reign among them both at once one of them must be put to death they cannot live together sin must down for the fear of the Lord begetteth in the soul a hatred against it an abhorrence of it therefore sin must die that is as to the affections and lusts of it for as Solomon saies in another case where no wood is the fire goeth out So we may say where there is a hatred of sin and where men depart from it there it loseth much of its power waxeth feeble and decayeth Therefore Solomon saith again Fear the Lord and depart from evil Prov. 3.7 as who should say fear the Lord and it will follow that you shall depart from evil departing from evil is a natural consequence a proper effect of the fear of the Lord where it is By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil that is in their Judgment will mind and affections not that by the fear of the Lord sin is annihilated or has lost its being in the soul there still will those Canaanites be but they are hated lothed abominated fought against prayed against watcht against strove against and mortified by the soul Rom. 7. 4. This fear is called a fountain of life The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death Prov. 14.27 It is a fountain or spring which so continually supplieth the soul with variety of considerations of sin of God of death and life eternal as to keep the soul in continual exercise of vertue and in holy contemplation It is a fountain of life every opperation thereof every act and exercise thereof hath a true and natural tendency to spiritual and eternal felicity Wherefore the wise man saith in another place the fear of the Lord tendeth to life and be that hath it shall abide satisfied he shall not be visited with evil
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
shew kindness and to have co have compassion upon the distressed Servants of God even under Jezebels Nose for Obadiah dwelt in Ahabs hose and Jezebel was Ahabs Wife and an horrible persecutor as was said before yet Obadiah will shew mercy to the poor because he feared God yea he will venture her displeasure his place and neck and all but he will be merciful to his Brethren in distress Cornelius also being a man possessed with this fear of God became a very free-hearted and open-handed man to the poor He feared God and gave much Alms to the people Indeed this fear this godly fear of God it is an universal grace it will stir up the soul unto all good duties It is a fruitful grace from it where it is floweth abundance of excellent virtues nor without it can there be any thing good or done well that is done But Eightly There flows from this fear of God hearty fervent and constant prayer This also is seen in Cornelius that devout man He feared God and what then why he gave much Alms to the people and prayed to God alwaies Act. 10.1 2. Did I say that hearty fervent and constant prayer flowed from this fear of God I will add that if the whole duty and the continuation of it be not managed with this fear of God it profiteth nothing at all It is said of our Lord Jesus Christ himself He was heard in that he feared He prayed then because he feared because he feared God and therefore was his prayer accepted of him even because he feared He was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 This Godly fear is so essential to right prayer and right prayer is such an inseperable effect and fruit of this fear that thou must have both or none he that prayeth not feareth not God yet he that prayeth not fervently and frequently feareth him not and so he that feareth him not cannot pray for if prayer be the effect of this fear of God then without this fear prayer fervent prayer ceaseth How can they pray or make conscience of the duty that fear not God O prayerless man thou fearest not God! Thou wouldest not live so like a Swine or a Dog in the world as thou dost if thou fearedst the Lord. Ninthly There floweth from this fear of God a readiness or willingness at Gods Call to give up our best injoyments to his dispose This is evident in Abraham who at Gods call without delay rose early in the morning to offer up his only and well-beloved Isaac a burnt offering in the place where God should appoint him It was a rare thing that Abraham did and had he not had this rare grace this fear of God he would not he could not have done to Gods liking SO wonderful a thing 'T is true the Holy Ghost also makes this service of Abraham to be the fruit of his faith By faith Abraham offered up Isaac and he that had the promises offered up his only Son Heb. 11. Jam. 2. Ay and without doubt love unto God in Abraham was not wanting in this his service nor was this grace of fear nay in the story where it is recorded There it is chiefly accounted for the fruit of his godly fear and that by an Angel from Heaven And the Angel called out of Heaven and said Abraham Abraham And he said here am I. And he said lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do thou any thing unto him for now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only Son from me Gen. 22.11 12. Now I know it NOW now thou hast offered up thine only Isaac thine All at the bidding of thy God Now I know it The fear of God is not presently discerned in the heart and life of a man Abraham had long before this done many a holy duty and shewed much willingness of heart to observe and do the Will of God yet you find not as I remember that he had this testimony from Heaven that he feared God till now but now he has it now he has it from Heaven Now I know that thou fearest God Many duties may be done though I do not say that Abraham did them without the fear of God but when a man shall not stick at or withhold his darling from God when called upon by God to offer in up unto him that declareth yea and gives conviction to Angels that NOW he feareth God Tenthly There floweth from this godly fear humility of mind This is evident because when the Apostle cautions the Romans against the venom of Spiritual Pride he directs them to the exercise of this blessed grace of fear as its antidote Be not high minded saith he but fear Rom. 11.20 Pride Spiritual Pride which is here set forth by the word high minded is a sin of a very high and damnable nature it was the sin of the fallen Angels and is that which causeth men to fall into the same condemnation Left being puffed up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil Pride I say it damns a Professor with the damnation of Devils with the damnation of Hell and therefore it is a deadly deadly sin Now against this deadly sin is set the Grace of humility that comely garment for so the Apostle calls it saying be clothed with humility But the question is now how we should attain to and live in the exercise of this Blessed and comly grace to which the Apostle answers FEAR be afraid with godly fear and thence will flow humility Be not high minded but fear That is fear or be continually afraid and jealous of your selves and of your own naughty hearts also fear least at some time or other the Devil your adversary should have advantage of you FEAR lest by forgeting what you are by nature you also forget the need that you have of continual pardon support and supplies from the Spirit of Grace and so grow proud of your own abilities or of what you have received of God and fall into the condemnation of the Devil FEAR and that will make you little in your own eyes keep you humble put you upon crying to God for protection and upon lying at his foot for mercy that will also make you have low thoughts of your own parts your own doings and cause you to prefer your Brother before your self and so you will walk in humiliation and be continually under the teachings of God and under his conduct in your way The humble God will teach The meek will he guide in judgment the meek will he teach his way From this grace of fear then flows this excellent and comly thing humility yea it also is maintained by this fear FEAR takes off a man from trusting to himself it puts a man upon trying of all things it puts a man upon desiring counsel and help from Heaven it makes a man ready and willing to hear instruction and makes a man walk lowly softly and
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
rather stumble and fall even at your conversation and at your profession itself Wherefore to prevent this mischief that is of stumbling of souls while you make your profession of God by a conversation not becoming your profession God bids you fear him Implying that a good conversation coupled with fear delivers the blind world from those falls that otherwise they cannot be delivered from Thou shalt not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind but shalt fear thy God I am the Lord Levit. 19.14 But shalt fear thy God that is the remedy that will prevent their stumbling at you at what else soever they stumble Wherefore Paul saies to Timothy Take heed to thy self and to thy doctrine continue in them for in so doing thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee 1 Tim. 4.16 12. Another Motive to fear and grow in this fear of God is This is the way to engage God to deliver thee from many outward dangers whoever fals therin Psal. 34.7 This is proved from that of the story of the Hebrew Midwives The Midwives saies Moses feared God and did not drown the Men-Children as the King had commanded but saved them alive And what follows Therefore God dealt well with the Midwives and it came to pass that because the Midwives feared God that he made them houses Exod. 1. That is he sheltered them and caused them to be hid from the rage and fury of the King and that perhaps in some of the Houses of the Egyptians themselves for why might not the Midwives be there hid as well as was Moses even in the Kings Court And how many times are they that fear God said to be delivered both by God and his Holy Angels as also I have already shewed 13. Another Motive to fear and to grow in this fear of God is This is the way to be delivered from Errors and damnable opinions There are some that perish in their righteousness that 's an Error there be some that perish in their wickedness and that 's an Error also Some again prolong their lives by their wickedness and others are righteous over much and also some are over wise and all these are snares and pits and holes But then saiest thou how shall I escape Indeed that 's the question and the Holy Ghost resolves it thus He that feareth God shall come out of them all Eccles. 7.15 16 17 18. 14. Another Motive to fear and to grow in this fear of God is Such have leave be they never so dark in their souls to come boldly to Jesus Christ and to trust in him for life I told you before that they that fear God have in the general a licence to trust in him but now I tell you and that in particular that they and they specially may do it and that though in the dark you that sit in darkness and have no light if this grace of fear be alive in your hearts you have this boldness Who is among you that feareth the Lord mark that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa. 50.10 It is no small advantage you know when men have to deal in difficult matters to have a patent or licence to deal now to trust in the Lord is a dificult thing yet the best and most gainful of all But then some will say since t is so difficult how may we do without danger why the Text gives a licence a patent to them to trust in his name that have his fear in their hearts Let HIM trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God 15. Another Motive to fear and grow in the grace of fear is God will own and acknowledge such to be his who ever he rejecteth Yea he will distinguish and seperate them from all others in the day of his terrible Judgments He will do with them as he did by those that sighed for the abominations that were done in the Land Ezek. 9. command the man that hath his Inkhorn by his side To set a mark upon their foreheads that they might not fall in that Judgment with others So in Mal. 3. God saies plainly of them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name That they should be writ in his Book A Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name and they shall he mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the day that I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Mala. 3.16 17. Mark he both acknowledges them for his and also promises to spare them as a man would spare his own Son Yea and moreover will wrap them up as his chief Jewels with himself in the bundle of life Thus much for the Motives How to grow in this Fear of God Having given you these Motives to the duty of growing in THIS fear of God Before I leave this use I will in few words shew you HOW you may grow in THIS fear of God 1. Then If thou wouldest grow in this fear of God Learn aright to distinguish of fear in general I mean learn to distinguish between THAT fear that is godly and that which in it self is indeed ungodly fear of God and know them well the one from the other lest the one the fear that in it self indeed is ungodly get the place even the upper hand of that which truly is godly fear And remember the ungodly fear of God is by God himself counted an enemy to him and hurtful to his people and is therefore most plentifully forbidden in the word Gen. 1.15 Chap. 26.24 Chap. 46.3 Exo. 14.13 Chap. 20.20 Num. 14.9 Chap. 21.34 Isa. 41.10 13 14. Chap. 43.1 Chap. 44.2 8. Chap. 54.4 Jer. 30.10 Dan. 10.12.19 Joel 2.21 Hag. 2.5 Zech. 8.13 Secondly If thou wouldest grow in this Godly fear learn rightly to distinguish it from that fear in particular that is Godly but for a time Even from that fear that is wrought from the spirit as a spirit of bondage I say learn to distinguish this from that and also perfectly to know the bounds that God hath set to that fear that is wrought by the spirit as a spirit of bondage Lest instead of growing in the fear that is to abide with thy soul for ever thou be overrun again with that first fear which is to abide with thee but till the spirit of adoption come And that thou mayest not only distinguish them one from the other but also keep each in its due place and bounds consider in general of what hath already been said upon this head and in particular that the first fear is no more wrought by the holy spirit but by the Devil to distress thee and make thee to live not like a Son but a slave And for thy
I will abide in thy tabernacle that is in thy Christ by faith and in thy way of worship by love for ever And observe it he makes the believing remembrance of his first evidences for Heaven the ground of this his cry and faith for thou sayes he O God hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name Thou hast made me meet to be partaker of the mercy of thy chosen and hast put me under the blessing of goodness wherewith thou hast blessed those that fear thee Thus you see how David in his distresses musters up his prayers faith and evidences for eternal life that he might deliver himself from being over-whelmed that is with slavish fear and that he might also abound in that Son-like fear of his fellow brethren that is not only comely with respect to our profession but profitable to our souls Sixthly Wouldest thou grow in this fear of God then set before thine eyes the being and majesty of God For that both begetteth maintaineth and increaseth this fear And hence it is called the fear of God that is an holy and awful dread and reverence of his majestie For the fear of God is to stand in aw of him but how can that be done if we do not set him before us And again if we would fear him more we must abide more in the sence and faith of his glorious majestie Hence this fear and Gods name is so often put together as fear God fear the Lord fear thy God do this in the fear of the Lord and thou shalt fear thy God I am the Lord. For these words I am the Lord thy God and the like are on purpose put in not only to shew us who we should fear but also to beget maintain and increase in us that fear that is due from us to that glorious and fearful name the Lord our God Deut. 28.58 Seventhly Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear then keep alwaies close to thy conscience the authority of the word Fear the commmandment as the commandment of a God both mighty and glorious and as the commandment of a father both loving and pittiful let this commandment I say be alwaies with thine eye with thine ear and with thine heart For then thou wilt be taught not only to fear but to abound in the fear of the Lord. Every grace is nourished by the word and without it there is no thrist in the soul Pro. 13.13 Chap. 4.20 21 22. Deut. 6.1.2 Eightly Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then be much in the faith of the promise of the promise that maketh over to thy soul an interest in God by Christ and of all good things The promise naturally tendeth to increase in us the fear of the Lord because this fear it grows by goodness and mercie They shall fear the Lord and his goodness now this goodness and mercie of God it is wrapped up in and made over to us by promise for God gave it to Abraham by promise Therefore the faith and hope of the promise causeth this fear to grow in the soul. Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2. Cor. 7.1 perfect holiness in the fear of God therefore that fear by the promise must needs grow mighty for by with and in it you see holiness is perfected Ninthly Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then remember the Judgments of God that have or shall certainty over take those professours that have either been down-right hypocrites or else unwatchful Christians For both these sorts partake of the Judgments of God the one to wit the true Christian for his unwatchfulness for his correction the other to wit the hypocrite for his hypocrisie to his destruction This is a way to make thee stand in aw and to make thee tremble and grow in the grace of fear before thy God Judgments you may say what Judgments Answ. Time will fail me here to tell thee of the Judgments that sometimes overtake Gods people and that alwaies certainly overtake the hypocrite for his transgressions For those that attend Gods people I would have thee look back to the place in this Book where they are particularly touched upon And for those that attend the hypocrite in general they are these 1. Blindness of heart in this world 2. The death of their hope at the day of their death 3. And the damnation of their souls at the day of Judgment Matth. 23.15 16 17 18 19. Job 8.13 Chap. 11.20 Chap. 18.14 Chap. 20.4 5 6 7. Matth. 23.33 Chap. 24.51 Luk 20.47 The godly consideration of these things tend to make men grow in the fear of God Tenthly Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then study the EXCELLENCIES of the grace of fear and what profit it yieldeth to to them that have it and labor to get thy heart into the love both of the exercise of the grace it self and also of the fruit it yieldeth For a man hardly grows in the encrease of any grace until his heart is united to it and until it is made lovely in his eyes Psal. 119.119 120. Now the excellencies of this grace of fear have also been discoursed of in this Book before where by reading thou shalt find the fruit it bears and the promises that are anexed to it which because they are many I refer thee also thither for thy instruction Eleventhly Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then remember what a world of priviledges do belong to them that fear the Lord As also I have hinted namely that such shall not be hurt shall want no good thing shall be guarded by Angels and have a special licence though in never so dreadful plight to trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon their God 12. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then be much in prayer to God for abundance of the encrease thereof To fear God is that which is according to his will and if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Pray therefore that God will unite thy heart to fear his name this is the way to grow in the grace of fear Lastly Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then devote thy self to it Psal. 119.38 Devote my self to it you will say how is that I answer why give thy selfe to it addict thy self to it Solace thy self in the contemplation of God and of a reverence of his name and word and worship Then wilt thou fear and grow in this grace of fear What things they are that have a tendency in them to hinder the growth of the fear of God in our hearts And that I may yet be helpful to thee Reader I shall now give thee caution of those things that will if way be given to them hinder thy growth in this fear of God the which because they are very hurtful to the people of
in the mystical world man It is not placed in the head as knowledge is nor in the mouth as utterance is but in the heart the seat of all I will put my fear in their heart If a King will keep a Town secure to himself let him be sure to man sufficiently the main FORT thereof If he have twenty thousand men well armed if they lie scattered here and there the Town may be taken for all that but if the main fort be well man'd then the Town is more secure What if a man had all the parts yea all the arts of Men and Angels that will not keep the heart to God But when the heart this principal fort is possessed with the fear of God then he is safe but not else 2. As the heart in general so the will in special That chief and great faculty of the soul is the principal that is acted by this fear The will which way that goes all goes If it be to Heaven or Hell Now the will I say is that main faculty that is governed by this fear that doth possess the soul therefore all is like to go well with it This Samuel insinuateth where he saith If ye WILL fear the Lord. Fearing of God is a voluntary act of the will and that being so the soul is kept from rebellion against the Commandment because by the will where this fear of God is placed and which IT governeth is led all the rest of the powers of the soul 1 Sam 12.14 In this will then is this fear of God placed that this grace may the better be able to govern the soul and so by consequence the whole man for as I said before look what way the will goes look what the will does thither goes and that does the whole man See Psal. 110.3 Man when his will is alienate from God is reckoned rebellious throughout Joh. 5.40 and that not without ground for the will is the principal faculty of the soul as to obedience and therefore things done without the will are as if they were not done at all The spirit is willing If ye be willing she hath done what she could and the like by these and such like sayings the goodness of the heart and action is judged as to the subjective part thereof Now this fear that we have been speaking of is placed in the soul and so consequently in the will that the man may thereby the better be kept from final and damnable apostacy 3. This fear as I may say even above every other grace is Gods well-wisher and hence it is called as I also have shewed you HIS fear As he also saies in the Text mentioned above I will put MY fear in their heart These words HIS and MY they are intimate and familiar expressions bespeaking not only great favor to man but a very great trust put in him As who should say this fear is my special friend it will subject and bow the soul and the several faculties thereof to my pleasure it is my great favorite and subdueth sinners to my pleasure you shall rarely find faith or repentance or parts go under such familiar characters as this blessed fear of the Lord doth Of all the counsellors and mighties that David had Hushi only was called the Kings Friend 2 Sam. 15.37 Ch. 16.16 So of all the graces of the spirit this of the fear of God goes mostly if not alwaies by the title of my fear Gods fear his fear c. I told you before if the King will keep a Town the main fort therein must be sufficiently man'd and now I will add that if he have not to govern those men some trusty and special friend such as Hushi was to David he may find it lost when it should stand him in greatest stead If a soul should be possessed with all things possible yet if this fear of God be wanting all other things will give place in time of rebellion and the soul shall be found in and under the conduct of Hell when it should stand up for God and his truth in the World This fear of God it is Gods special friend and therefore it has given unto it the chief seat of the heart the will that the whole man may now be and also be kept hereafter in the subjection and obedience of the Gospel For 4. This grace of fear is the softest and most tender of Gods honour of any other grace It is that tender sensible and trembling grace that keepeth the soul upon its continual watch To keep a good watch is you know a wonderful safety to a place that is in continual danger because of the enemy Why this is the grace that setteth the watch and that keepeth the watchman awake Song 3.7 8. A man cannot watch as he should if he be destitute of fear let him be confident and he sleeps he unadvisedly lets into the garison those that should not come there Israels fault when they came to Canaan was that they made a Covenant with the inhabitants of the Land to wit the Gibeonites without asking counsel of God But would they have done so think you if at the same time the fear of God had had its full play in the soul in the Army no they at that time forgat to fear The grace of fear had not at that time its full stroke and sway among them 5. This grace of fear is that which as I may so say first affects the hearts of Saints with Judgments after we have sinned and so is as a begining grace to bring again that to rights that by sin is put out of frame O it is a precious grace of God I know what I say in this matter and also where I had been long ago through the power of my lusts and the wiles of the Devil had it not been for the fear of God But Secondly Another encouragement for those that are blessed with this blessed grace of fear is this This fear failes not to do this work for the soul if there in truth be it never so small in measure A little of this leven levens the whole lump ' True a little will not do or help the soul to do those worthy exploits in the heart or life as well as a bigger measure thereof nor indeed can a little of any grace do that which a bigger measure will but a little will preserve the soul from final apostacy and deliver it into the armes of the Son of God at the final Judgment Wherefore when he saith I will put my fear in their heart he saies not I will put so much of it there such a quantity or such a degree but I will put my ear there I speak not this in the least to tempt the godly man to be content with the least degree of the fear of God in his heart ' True men should be glad that God hath put even the least degree of this grace into their souls but they should not
A TREATISE OF THE Fear of God SHEWING What it is and how distinguished from that which is not so ALSO Whence it comes Who has it What are the Effects And What the Priviledges of those that have it in their hearts By John Bunyan Psal. 128. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. LONDON Printed for N. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultry over against the Stocks-Market 1679. Rev. 14.7 Fear God THIS Exhortation is not only found here in the Text but is in several other places of the Scripture pressed and that with much vehemency upon the children of men as in Eccles. 12.13 1 Pet. 1.17 c. I shall not trouble you with long preambles or fore-speech to the matter nor shall I here so much as meddle with the context but shall immediately fall upon the words themselves and briefly treat of the Fear of God The Text you see presenteth us with matter of greatest moment to wit with GOD and with the FEAR of him First They present us with God the true and living God Maker of the worlds and upholder of all things by the word of his power that incomprehensible Majesty in comparison of whom all Nations are less than the drop of a bucket and than the small dust of the ballance This is he that fills Heaven and Earth and is every where present with the children of men beholding the evil and the good for he hath set his eyes upon all their waies So that considering that by the Text we have presented to our souls the Lord God and Maker of us all who also will be either our Saviour or Judge we are in reason and duty bound to give the more earnest heed to the things that shall be spoken and be the more careful to receive them and put them in practice for as I said as they present us with the mighty God so they exhort us to the highest duty towards him to wit to fear him I call it the highest duty because it is as I may call it not only a duty in it self but as it were the SALT that seasoneth every duty For there is no duty performed by us that can by any means be accepted of God if it be not seasoned with godly fear Wherefore the Apostle saith Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Of this fear I say I would discourse at this time but because this word fear is variously taken in the Scripture and because it may be profitable to us to see it in its variety I shall therefore chuse this method for the managing of my discourse even to shew you the nature of the word in its several especially of the chiefest acceptations 1. Then by this word FEAR we are to understand even God himself who is the object of our FEAR 2. By this word FEAR we are to understand the WORD of God the Rule and Director of our FEAR Now to speak to this word fear as it is thus taken 1. Of this word FEAR as it respecteth God himself who is the object of our fear By this word Fear as I said we are to understand God himself who is the object of our fear For the Divine Majesty goeth often under this very name himself This name Jacob called him by when he and Laban chod together on Mount Gilead after that Jacob had made his escape to his Fathers house Except said he the God of Abraham and the FEAR of Isaac had been with me surely now thou hadst sent me away empty So again a little after when Jacob and Laban agree to make a Covenant of Peace each with other though Laban after the jumbling way of the Heathen by his oath puts the true God and the false together yet Jacob sware by the fear of his Father Isaac Gen. 31.42 53. By the FEAR that is by the GOD of his Father Isaac And indeed God may well be called the FEAR of his people not only because they have by his grace made him the object of their FEAR but because of the dread and terrible Majesty that is in him He is a mighty God and terrible and with God is terrible Majesty See Dan. 7.21 chap. 10.17 Neh. 1.5 chap. 4.14 ch 9.32 Job 37.22 Who knows the power of his anger The mountains quake at him the Hills melt and the Earth is burnt at his presence Yea the world and all that dwell therein Who can stand before his indignation who can abide the fierceness of his anger his fury is poured out like fire and the Rocks are thrown down by him Neh. 1.5 6. His people know him and have his dread upon them by vertue whereof there is begot and maintained in them that godly awe and reverence of his Majesty which is agreeable to their profession of him Let him be your FEAR and let him be your Dread Set his Majesty before the eyes of your souls and let his excellency make you afraid with godly fear Isa. 8.12 13. There are these things that make God to be the Fear of his People First His presence is dreadful and that not only his presence in common but his special yea his most comfortable and joyous presence When God comes to bring a soul news of mercy and salvation even that visit that presence of God is fearful When Jacob went from Beer-sheba towards Haron he met with God in the way by a dream in the which he apprehended a Ladder set upon the Earth whose top reached to Heaven now in this dream from the top of this Ladder he saw the Lord and heard him speak unto him not threatningly not as having his fury come up into his face but in the most sweet and gracious manner saluting him with promise of goodness after promise of goodness to the number of eight or nine as will appear if you read the place Gen. 28.10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Yet I say when he awoke all the grace that discovered it self in this heavenly vision to him could not keep him from dread and fear of God's Majesty And Jacob awoke out of his sleep and said Surely the Lord was in this place and I knew it not and he was afraid and said How dreadful is this place this is none other but the House of God and this is the Gate of Heaven At another time to wit when Jacob had that memorable visit from God in which he gave him power as a Prince to prevail with him yea and gave him a name that by his remembring it he might call God's favour the better to his mind yet even then and there such dread of the Majesty of God was upon him that he went away wondering that his life was preserved Gen. 32.30 Man crumbles to dust at the presence of God yea though he shews himself to us in his robes of salvation We have read how dreadful and how terrible even the presence of Angels have been unto men and that when they have
brought them good tidings from Heaven Judg. 13. v. 22. Mat. 28.5 Mark 16.5 6. Now if Angels which are but creatures are through the glory that God has put upon them so fearful and terrible in their appearance to men how much more dreadful and terrible must God himself be to us who are but dust and ashes When Daniel had the vision of his salvation sent him from Heaven for so it was O Daniel said the messenger a man greatly beloved yet behold the dread and terrour of the person speaking fell with that weight upon this good mans soul that he could not stand nor bear up under it He stood trembling and cries out O my Lord by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me and I have retained no strength And how can the servant of this my Lord talk with this my Lord for as for me straightway there remaineth no strength in me Dan. 10.10 11 12 17. See you here if the presence of God is not a dreadful and a fearful thing yea his most gracious and merciful appearances how much more then when he sheweth himself to us as one that disliketh our waies as one that is offended with us for our sins And there are three things that in an eminent manner make his presence dreadful to us 1. The first is God's own greatness and Majesty the discovery of this or of himself thus even as no poor mortals are able to conceive of him is altogether unsupportable The man dies to whom he thus discovers himself And when I saw him saies John I fell at his feet as dead Rev. 1. v. 17. 'T was this therefore that Job would have avoided in the day that he would have approached unto him Let not thy dread saies he make me afraid Then call thou and I will answer or let me speak and answer thou me Job 13.21 22. But why doth Job after this manner thus speak to God why it was from a sense that he had of the dreadful Majesty of God even the great and dreadful God that keepeth covenant with his people The presence of a King is dreadful to the Subject yea though he carries it never so condescendingly if then their be so much glory and dread in the presence of the King what fear and dread must there be think you in the presence of the Eternal God 2. When God giveth his presence to his people that his presence causeth them to appear to themselves more what they are than at other times by all other light they can see O my Lord said he by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me and why was that but because by the glory of that vision he saw his own vileness more than at other times So again I alone saies he saw this great vision and what follows why and my comeliness was turned in me into corruption and I retained no strength Dan. 10.8 By the presence of God when we have it indeed even our best things are our comliness our Sanctity and righteousness and all do immediately turn to corruption and polluted rags The brightness of his glory dimns them as the clear light of the shining Sun puts out the glory of the fire or candle and covers them with the shadow of death See also the truth of this in that vision of the Prophet Isaiah Wo is me said he for I am undone for I am a man of polluted lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips Why what 's the matter how came the Prophet by this sight why saies he mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Isa. 6. But do you think that this outcry was caused by unbelief no nor yet begotten by slavish fear this was to him the vision of his Saviour with whom also he had communion before Chap. 1.2 3 4 5. It was the glory of that God with whom he had now to do that turned as was noted before of Daniel his comliness in him into Corruption and that gave him yet greater sense of the disproportion that was betwixt his God and him and so a greater sight of his defiled and polluted nature 3. Add to this the revelation of Gods goodness and it must needs make his presence dreadful to us for when a poor defiled creature shall see that this great God hath notwithstanding his greatness goodness in his heart and mercy to bestow upon him this makes his presence yet the more dreadful They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Hos. 3.5 The goodness as well as the greatness of God doth beget in the heart of his elect an awful reverence of his Majesty Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence and then to ingage us in our soul to the duty he adds one of his wonderful mercies to the world for a motive Fear ye not me why who art thou He answers even I which have set or placed the Sand for the bound of Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass and though the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it Isa. 5.22 Also when Job had God present with him making manifest the goodness of his great heart to him what doth he say how doth he behave himself in his presence I have heard of thee saies he by the hearing of the ear but now mine eyes see thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42.5 6. And what means the tremblings the tears those breakings and shakings of heart that attend the people of God when in an eminent manner they receive the pronunciation of the forgiveness of sins at his mouth but that the dread of the Majesty of God is in their sight mixed therewith God must appear like himself speak to the soul like himself nor can the sinner when under these glorious discoveries of its Lord and Saviour keep out the beams of his Majesty from the eyes of its understanding I will cleanse them saith he from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgressed against me And what then And they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it Jer. 33.8 9. Alas there is a company of poor light frothy professors in the world that carry it under that which they call the presence of God more like to Anticks than sober sensible Christians yea more like to a fool of a Play than those that have the presence of God They would not carry it so in the presence of a King nor yet of the Lord of their Land were they but receivers of mercy at his hand They carry it even in their most eminent seasons as if the sense and sight of God and his blessed grace to their souls in Christ had a tendancy in it to make men wanton But indeed it is 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
be done by us with reverence and godly fear And therefore let us as Paul saith again Cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Hebr. 12. 2 Cor. 7.1 That which makes the worship of God so fearful a thing is 1. For that it is the worship of GOD all manner of service carries more or less dread and fear along with it according as the quality or condition of the person is to whom the worship and service is done This is seen in the service of subjects to their Princes the service of servants to their Lords and the service of chlldren to their Parents Divine Worship then being due to God for it is now of Divine Worship we speak and this God so great and dreadful in himself and Name his Worship must therefore be a fearful thing 2. Besides this glorious Majesty is himself present to behold his Worshippers in their woshiping him When two or three of you are gathered together in my Name I am there That is gathered together to worship him I am there saies he And so again he is said to walk in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks Rev. 1. that is in the Churches and that with a countenance like the Sun with a head and hair as white as Snow and with eyes like a flame of fire This puts dread and fear into his service and therefore his servants should serve him with fear 3. Above all things God is jealous of his worship and service In all the ten words he telleth us not any thing of his being a jealous God but in the second which respecteth his worship Exod. 20. Look to your selves therefore both as to the matter and manner of your worship For I the Lord your God saies he am a jealous God visiting the sins of the Fathers upon the Children This therefore doth also put dread and fear into the woship and service of God 4. The Judgments that sometimes God hath executed upon men for their want of godly fear while they have been in his worship and service put fear and dread upon his holy appointments 1. Nadab and Abihu was burned to death with fire from Heaven because they attempted to offer false fire upon God's Altar Levit. 10.1 2 3. And the reason rendred why they were so served was because God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him To sanctifie his Name is to let him be thy dread and thy fear and to do nothing in his worship but what is well-pleasing to him But because these men had not grace to do this therefore they died before the Lord. 2. Ely's Sons for want of this fear when they ministred in the holy worship of God were both slain in one day by the sword of the uncircumcised Philistines See 1 Sam. 2. 3. Vzza was smitten and died before the Lord for but an unadvised touching the Ark when the men forsook it 1 Chron. 13.9 10. 4. Ananias and Saphira his Wife for telling of a lye in the Church when they were before God were both stricken dead upon the place before them all because they wanted the fear and dread of God's Majesty Name and Service when they came before him Acts 5. This therefore should teach us to conclude that next to God's Nature and Name his Service his instituted Worship is the most dreadful thing under Heaven His Name is upon his Ordinances his eye is upon the Worshippers and his wrath and judgment upon those that worship not in his fear For this cause some of those at Corinth were by God himself cut off 1 Cor. 11.27 28 29 30 31 32. and to others he has given the back and will again be with them no more This also rebuketh three sorts of people 1. Such as regard not to worship God at all be sure they have no reverence of his Service nor fear of his Majesty before their eyes Sinner thou dost not come before the Lord to worship him thou dost not bow before the High God thou neither worshipest him in thy closet nor in the Congregation of Saints The fury of the Lord and his indignation must in short time be poured out upon thee and upon the families that call not upon his Name Psal. 79.6 Jer. 10.25 2. This rebukes such as count it enough to present their body in the place where God is woshiped not minding with what heart or with what spirit they come thither Some come into the worship of God to sleep there some come thither to meet with their chapmen and to get into the wicked fellowship of their vain companions Some come thither to feed their lustful and adulterous eyes with the flattering beauty of their fellow-sinners O what a sad account will these worshipers give when they shall count for all this and be damned for it because they come not to worship the Lord with that fear of his Name that became them to come in when they presented themselves before him 3. This also rebukes those that care not so they worship how they worship how where or after what manner they worship God Those I mean whose fear towards God is taught by the precepts of men They are hypocrites their worship also is vain and a stink in the nostrils of God Wherefore the Lord said forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men Therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people even a mavelous work and a wonder For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid Isa. 29.13 14. Mat. 15.7 8 9. Mark 7.6 7. Thus I conclude this first thing namely that God is called our dread and fear I shall now come to the second thing to wit to the Rule and Director of our Fear 2. Of this word FEAR as it is taken for the Word of God But again this word Fear is sometimes to be taken for the Word the written Word of God for that also is and ought to be the Rule and Director of our Fear So David calls it in the 19th Psalm The fear of the Lord saith he is clean enduring for ever The FEAR of the Lord that is the Word of the Lord the written Word for that which he calleth in this place the Fear of the Lord even in the same place he calleth the Law Statutes Commandments and Judgments of God The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart The Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean induring for ever The Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether All these words have respect to the same thing to wit to the
Word of God joyntly designing the glory of it Among which phrases as you see this is one The FEAR of the Lord is clean enduring for ever This written Word is therefore the object of a Christians Fear This is that also which David intended when he said Come ye children hearken to me I will teach you the Fear of the Lord Psal. 34.11 I will teach you the Fear That is I will teach you the Commandments Statutes and Judgments of the Lord even as Moses commanded the children of Israel Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up Deut. 6.4 5 6 7. That also in the 11th of Isaiah intends the same where the Father saith of the Son That he shall be of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord that he may judge and smite the earth with the ROD of his mouth This Rod in the Text is none other but the FEAR the Word of the Lord for he was to be of a quick understanding it IT that he might smite that is execute it according to the Will of his Father upon and among the children of men Now this as I said is called the Fear of the Lord because it is called the Rule and Director of our Fear For we know not how to fear the Lord in a saving way without its guidance and direction As it is said of the Priest that was sent back from the captivity to Samaria to teach the people to fear the Lord. So it is said concerning the written word it is given to us and left among us that we may read therein all the daies of our life and LEARN to fear the Lord Deut. 6.1 2 3 24. chap. 10.12 chap. 17.19 And hear it is that trembling at the Word of God is even by God himself not only taken notice off but counted as laudable and praise-worthy as is evident in the case of Josiah 2 Chron. 34.26 27. Such also are the approved of God let them be condemned by whomsoever Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my names sake said let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed Isa. 66.5 Further Such shall be looked too by God himself cared for and watched over that no distress temptation or affliction may overcome them and destroy them To this man will I look saith God even to him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and that trembles at my word It is the same in substance with that in the same Prophet in chap. 57. For thus saith the High and Holy One that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy Place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Yea the way tâ— escape dangers foretold is to hearken to understand and fear the Word of God Hâ— that feared the Word of the Lord amongst the Servants of Pharaoh made his Servants and his Cattle flee into houses and they were secured But he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his Servants and Cattel in the Field and they were destroyed of the hail Exod. 9.20 21 22 23 24 25. If at any time the sins of a Nation or Church are discovered and bewailed it is by them that know and tremble at the Word of God when Ezra heard of the wickedness of his brethren and had a desire to humble himself before God for the same who were they that would assist him in that matter but they that trembled at the word of God Then saith he were assembled to me every one that trembled at the Word of the God of Israel because of the transgression of these that had been carried away Ezra 9.4 They are such also that tremble at the Word that are best able to give counsel in the matters of God for their Judgment best suiteth with his mind and will Now therefore said he let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the Strange wives according to the counsel of my Lord and of those â—hat tremble at the Commandment of our God â—nd let it be done according to the Law Ezra â—â— 3 Now something of the dread and terrour of the Word lieth in these things 1. As I have already hinted from the Author of them They are the Words of God Therefore you have Moses and the Prophets when they came to deliver their errand their message to the people still saying Hear the Word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord and the like So when Ezekiel was sent to the house of Israel in their state of Religion thus was he bid to say unto them Thus saith the Lord God Thus saith the Lord God Ezek. 2.4 Chap. 3. v. 11. This is the honour and majesty then that God hath put upon his written Word and thus he hath done even of purpose that we might make them the rule and directory of our FEAR and that we might stand in aw of and tremble at them When Habakkuk heard the Word of the Lord his belly trembled and rotteness entred into his bones I trembled in my self said he that I might have rest in the day of trouble Hab. 3.16 The word of a King is as the roaring of a Lion where the word of a King is there is power what is it then when God the great God shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem whose voice shakes not only Earth but also Heaven How doth holy David set it forth The voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the LORD is full of majesty c. Psal. 29. 2. It is a word that is fearful and may well be called the fear of the Lord because of the subject matter of it to wit the state of sinners in another world for that is it unto which the whole Bible bendeth it self either more immediately or more mediately all its doctrines counsels incouragements threatnings and judgments have a look one way or other upon us with respect to the next world which will be our last state because 't will be to us a state eternal This word this law these Judgments are they that we shall be disposed of by The word that I have spoken saies Christ it shall judge you and so consequently dispose of you at the last day Joh. 12. Now if we consider that our next state must be Eternal either Eternal glory or Eternal fire and that this Eternal glory or this Eternal fire must be our portion according as the words of God revealed in the holy Scriptures shall determine who will not but conclude that therefore the words of God are they at which we should tremble and they by which we should
have our fear of God guided and directed for by them we are taught how to please him in every thing 3. It is to be called a fearful word because of the truth and faithfulness of it The Scriptures cannot be broken Hear they are called the Scripturs of truth the true sayings of God and also the fear of the Lord for that every jot and tittle thereof is for ever settled in Heaven and stands more stedfast than doth the world Heaven and Earth said Christ shall pass away but my word shall not pass away Matth. 24. Those therefore that are favoured by the Word of God those are favoured indeed and that with the favour that no man can turn away but those that by the word of the Scriptures are condemned those can no man justifie and set quit in the sight of God Therefore what is bound by the text is bound and what is released by the text is released also the bond and release is unalterable Dan. 10.21 Revel 19.9 Matth. 24.35 Psal. 119.89 Joh. 10.35 This therefore calleth upon Gods people to stand more in fear of the Word of God than of all the terrours of the World There wanteth even in the hearts of Gods people a greater reverence of the Word of God than to this day appeareth amongst us and this let me say that want of reverence of the word is the ground of all disorders that are in the heart life conversation and in Christian Communion Besides The want of reverence of the word layeth men open to the fearful displeasure of God Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the word shall be rewarded Prov. 13.13 All transgression beginneth at wandring from the word of God but on the other side David saith Concerning the works of men by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer Psal. 17.4 Therefore Solomon saith My Son attend to my words eneline thine ear unto my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keep them in the midst of thy heart for they are life to them that find them and health to all their flesh Prov. 4.20 21. Now if indeed thou wouldest reverence the Word of the Lord and make it thy Rule and Director in all things Believe that the Word is the Fear of the Lord the Word that standeth fast for ever without and against which God will do nothing either in saving or damning of the souls of sinners But to conclude this 1. Know that those that have not due regard to the Word of the Lord and that make it not their dread and their fear but the Rule of their life is the lusts of their flesh the desire of their eyes and the pride of life are sorely rebuked by this Doctrine and are counted the fools of the world For Lo they have rejected the Word of the Lord and what wisdom is in them Jer. 8.9 That there are such a people is evident not only by their irregular lives but by the manifest testimony of the Word As for the Word of the Lord said they to Jeremiah which thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee but will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth Jer. 44.16 Was this only the temper of wicked men then is not the same spirit of rebellion amongst us in our daies doubtless there is for there is no new thing The thing that hath been is that that shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the Sun Eccles. 1.9 Therefore as it was then so it is with many in this day As for the Word of the Lord it is nothing at all to them their lusts and whatsoever proceedeth out of their own mouths that they will do that they will follow Now such will certainly perish in their own rebellion for this is as the sin of witchcraft it was the sin of Corah and his company and that which brought upon them such heavy judgments yea and they are made a sign that thou shouldest not do as they for they perished because they rejected the Word the Fear of the Lord from among the Congregation of the Lord and they became a sign The Word which thou despisest still abideth to denounce its woe and judgment upon thee and unless God will save such with the breath of his Word and 't is hard trusting to that they must never see his face with comfort 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Numb 26.9 10. 2. Are the words of God called by the name of the Fear of the Lord Are they so dreadful in their receipt and sentence then this rebukes them that esteem the words and things of men more than the words of God as those do who are drawn from their respect of and obedience to the Word of God by the pleasures or threats of men Some there be who verily will acknowledge the authority of the Word yet will not stoop their souls thereto such whatever they think of themselves are judged by Christ to be ashamed of the Word wherefore their state is damnable as the other Whosoever saith he shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this sinful and adulterous Nation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of the Father with the holy Angels Mark 8.38 3. And if these things be so what will become of those that mock at and professedly contemn the words of God making them as a thing ridiculous and not to be regarded shall they prosper that do such things from the promises it is concluded that their judgment now of a long time slumbreth not and when it comes it will devour them without remedy 2 Cor. 36.15 If God I say hath put that reverence upon his Word as to call it The Fear of the Lord what will become of them that do what they can to overthrow its authority by denying it to be his Word and by raising cavils against its authority such stumble indeed at the Word being appointed thereunto but it shall judge them in the last day 1 Pet. 2.8 John 12.48 But thus much for this Having thus spoken of the Object and Rule of our Fear I should come now to speak of FEAR as it is a grace of the Spirit of God in the hearts of his people but before I do that I shall shew you that there are divers sorts of fear besides For man being a resonable creature and having even by nature a certain knowledge of God hath also naturally something of some kind of fear of God at times which although it be not that which is intended in the text yet ought to be spoken to that that which is not right may be distinguished from that that is Of several sorts of fear of God in the heart of the Children of men There is I say several sorts or kinds of fear in the hearts of the
Sons men I mean besides that fear of God that is intended in the text and that accompanieth Eternal Life I shall hear make mention of three of them 1. There is a fear of God that flows even from the light of nature 2. There is a fear of God that flows from some of his dispensations to men which yet are neither universal nor saving 3. There is a fear of God in the heart of some men that is good and godly but doth not forever abide so To speak a little to all these before I come to speak of FEAR as it is a grace of God in the hearts of his Children And first to the first to wit that there is a fear of God that flows even from the light of nature A people may be said to do things in a fear of God when they act one towards another in things reasonable and honest ' twxt man and man not doing that to others they would not have done to themselves This is that fear of God which Abraham thought the Philistians had destroyed in themselves when he said of his wise to Abimelech she is my Sister For when Abimelech asked Abraham why he said of his wife she is my Sister He replied saying I thought verily that the fear of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wives sake Gen. 20.11 I thought verily that in this place men had stifled and choaked that light of nature that is in them at least so far forth as not to suffer it to put them in fear when their lusts were powerfull in them to accomplish their ends on the object that was present before them But this I will pass by and come to the second thing Namely to shew that there is a fear of God that flows from some of his dispensations to men which yet are neither universal nor saving This fear when opposed to that which is saving may be called an ungodly fear of God I shall describe it by these several particulars that follow First There is a fear of God that causeth a continual grudging discontent and heart-risings against God under the hand of God And that is when the dread of God in his coming upon men to deal with them for their sins is apprehended by them and yet by this dispensation they have no change of heart to submit to God thereunder The sinners under this dispensation cannot shake God out of their mind nor yet graciously tremble before him but through the unsanctified frame that they now are in they are afraid with ungodly fear and so in their minds let fly against him This fear oftentimes took hold of the Children of Israel when they were in the Wilderness in their journey to the promised Land still they feared that God in this place would destroy them but not with that fear that made them willing to submit for their sins to the judgment which they fear but with that fear that made them let fly against God This fear shewed it self in them even at the beginning of their voyage and was rebuked by Moses at the Red Sea but it was not there nor yet at any other place so subdued but that it would rise again in them at times to the dishonour of God and the a-new making of them guilty of sin before him Exod. 14.11 12 13. Numb 14.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. This fear is that which God said he would send before them in the day of Joshua even a fear that should possess the inhabitants of the land to wit a fear that should arise for that faintness of heart that they should be swallowed up of at their apprehending of Joshua in his approaches towards them to destroy them I will send my fear before thee and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee This day saies God will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the Nations that are under the whole Heavens who shall hear report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee Dut. 2.25 Chap. 11.25 Now this fear is also as you here see called anguish and in another place an Hornet for it and the soul that it falls upon do greet each other as Boys and Bees do The Hornet puts men in fear not so as to bring the heart into a sweet compliance with his terrour but so as to stir up the spirit into acts of opposition and resistance yet withall they flee before it I will send Hornets before thee which shall drive out thee Hâ—vite c. Exod. 23.27 Now this fear whether it be wrought by a misapprehending of the judgments of God as in the Israelites or otherwise as in the Canaanites yet ungodliness is the effect thereof and therefore I call it an ungodly fear of God for it stirreth up murmurings discontents and heart-risings against God while he with his dispensations is dealing with them Secondly there is a fear of God that driveth a man away from God I speak not now of the Athest nor of the pleasurable sinner nor yet of these and that fear that I speak of just now I speak now of such who through a sense of sin and of Gods justice fly from him of a slavish ungodly fear This ungodly fear was that which possessed Adams heart in the day that he did eat of the tree concerning which the Lord had said unto him In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die For then was he possessed with such a fear of God as made him seek to hide himself from his presence I heard said he thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid my self Gen. 3.10 mind it he had a fear of God but it was not godly it was not that that made him afterwards submit himself unto him for that would have kept him from not departing from him or else have brought him to him again with bowed broken and contrite spirit But this fear as the rest of his sin managed his departing from his God and pursued him to provoke him still so to do by IT he kept himself from God by IT his whole man was carried away from him I call IT ungodly fear because it begat in him ungodly apprehensions of his Maker Because it confined Adams conscience to the sense of justice only and consequently to disspair The same fear also possessed the children of Israel when they heard the law delivered to them on Mount Sinai as is evident for it made them that they could neither abide his presence nor hear his word It drove them back from the Mountain It made them saith the Apostle to Hebrews That they could not endure that which was commanded Heb. 12. Wherefore this FEAR Moses rebukes and forbids their giving way thereto Fear not said he but had THAT fear been godly he would have incouraged it and not
forbid and rebuke it as he did Fear not said he for God is come to prove you they thought otherwise God saith he is come to prove you and that HIS fear may be before your faces Therefore that fear that already had taken possession of them was not the fear of God but a fear that was of Satan of their own misjudging hearts and so a fear that was ungodly Exod. 20.18.19 Mark you here is a fear and a fear a fear forbidden and a fear commended a fear forbidden because it engendered their hearts to bondage and to ungodly thoughts of God and of his word It made them that they could not desire to hear God speak to them any more ver 19.20 21. Many also at this day are possessed with this ungodly fear And you may know them by this They cannot abide conviction for sin and if at any time the word of the law by the preaching of the word comes near them they will not abide that preacher nor such kind of sermons any more They are as they deem best at ease when furthest off of God and of the power of his word The word preached brings God nearer to them than they desire he should come because whenever God comes near their sins by him are manifest and so is the judgment too that to them is due Now these not having faith in the mercy of God through Christ nor that grace that tendeth to bring them to him they cannot but think of God amiss and their so thinking of him makes them say unto him depart from us For we desire not the knowledge of thy waies Wherefore their wrong thoughts of God beget in them this ungodly fear and again this ungodly fear doth maintain in them the continuance of these wrong and unworthy thoughts of God and therefore through that devilish service wherewith they strengthen one another the sinner without a miracle of grace prevents him is drowned in destrustion and perdition 'T was this ungodly fear of God that carried Cain from the presence of God into the Land of Nod and that put him there upon any carnal wordly business if perhaps he might by so doing stifle convictions of the majesty and justice of God against his sin and so live the rest of his vain life in the more sinful security and fleshly ease This ungodly fear is that also which Samuel perceived at the peoples apprehension of their sin to begin to get hold of their hearts wherefore he as Moses before him quickly forbids their entertaining of it Fear not said he ye have done all this wickedness yet turned aside from following the Lord. For to turn them aside from following of him was the natural tendency of this fear But fear not said he that is with that fear that tendeth to turn you aside Now I say the matter that this fear worketh upon as in Adam and the Israelites mentioned before was their sin You have sinned saies he that 's true yet turn not aside yet fear not with that fear that would make you so do 1 Sam. 12.20 Note by the way sinner that when the greatness of thy sins being apprehended by thee shall work in thee that fear of God as shall incline thy heart to fly from him thou art possessed with a fear of God that is ungodly yea so ungodly that not any of thy sins for hainousness way be compared therewith as might be made manifest in many particulars but Samuel having rebuked this fear presently sets before the people another to wit the true fear of God fear the Lord saies he serve him with all your hearts ver 24. And he giveth them this incouragement so to do for the Lord will not forsake his people This ungodly fear is that which you read of in Isa. 2. and in many other places and Gods people should shun it as they would shun the devil because its natural tendency is to forward the destruction of the soul in which it has took possession Thirdly There is a fear of God which although it hath not in it that power as to make men flee from Gods presence yet it is ungodly because even while they are in the outward way of Gods ordinances their hearts are by it quite discouraged from attempting to exercise themselves in the power of religion Of this sort are they which dare not cast off the hearing reading and discourse of the word as others no nor the assembly of Gods children for the excercise of other religious duties for their conscience is convinced this is the way and worship of God But yet their heart as I said by this ungodly fear is kept from a powerful gracious falling in with God This fear takes away their heart from all holy and godly prayer in private and from all holy and godly Zeal for his name in publick and there be many professors whose hearts are possessed with this ungodly fear of God and they are intended by the slothful one He was a servant a servant among the servants of God and had gifts and abilities given him therewith to serve Christ as well as his fellows yea and was commanded too as well as the rest to occupy till his Master came But what does he why he takes his talent the gift that he was to lay out for his Masters profit and puts it in a napkin digs a hole in the earth and hides his Lords money and lies at a lazy manner at to-elbo all his days not out of but in his Lords Vineyard for he came among the servants also at last By which it is manifest that he had not cast off his profession but was slothful and negligent while he was in it But what was it that made him thus slothful what was it that took away his heart while he was in the way and that discouraged him from falling in with the power and holy practice of religion according to the talent he received why it was this he gave way to an ungodly fear of God and that took away his heart from the power of religious duties Lord said he behold here is thy pound which I have kept laid up in a napkin for I feared thee Why man doth the fear of God make a man idle and slothful no no that is if it be right and godly This fear was therefore evil fear it was that ungodly fear of God of which I have here been speaking of For I feared thee or as Matthew hath it for I was afraid Afraid of what of Christ That he was an hard man reaping where he sowed not and gathering where he had not strewed This his fear being ungodly made him apprehend of Christ contrary to the goodness of his nature and so took away his heart from all endeavours to be doing of that which was pleasing in his sight Luke 19.20 Matth 25.24 25. And thus do all those that retain the name and shew of religion but are neglecters as to the power and godly practice of it
should overthrow as a spirit of bondage AGAIN what before he had built as a spirit of adoption And the third must therefore needs follow that is he overthroweth the testimony of his servants for they have said That now we receive the spirit of bondage AGAIN to fear no more that is after that we by the Holy Ghost are enabled to call God Father Father 2. This is evident also because the covenant in which now the soul is interested abideth and is everlasting not upon the supposition of my obedience but upon the unchangable purpose of God and the efficacy of the obedience of Christ whose blood also hath confirmed it It is ordered in all things and sure said David and this said he is all my salvation 2 Sam. 23.5 The covenant then is everlasting in it self being established upon so good a foundation and therefore standeth in it self everlastingly bent for the good of them that are involved in it Hear the tenor of the covenant and God's attesting of the truth thereof This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more Heb. 8.10 11 12. Now if God will do thus unto those that he hath comprized in his everlasting covenant of grace then he will remember their sins no more that is unto condemnation for so it is that he doth forget them then cannot the Holy Ghost who also is one with the Father and the Son come to us again even after we are possessed with these glorious fruits of this covenant as a spirit of bondage to put us in fear of damnation 3. The Spirit of God after it is come to me as a spirit of adoption can come to me no more as a spirit of bondage to put me in fear that is with my first fears because by that faith that he even he himself hath wrought in me to believe and call God Father Father I am united to Christ and stand no more upon mine own legs in mine own sins or performances but in his glorious righteousness before him and before his Father but he will not cast away a member of his body of his flesh and of his bones nor will he that the Spirit of God should come as a spirit of bondage to put him into a grounded fear of damnation that standeth compleat before God in the righteousness of Christ for that is an apparent contradiction And the third must therefore needs follow that is he overthroweth the testimony of his servants for they have said That now we receive the spirit of bondage AGAIN to fear no more that is after that we by the Holy Ghost are enabled to call God Father Father 2. This is evident also because the covenant in which now the soul is interested abideth and is everlasting not upon the supposition of my obedience but upon the unchangable purpose of God and the efficacy of the obedience of Christ whose blood also hath confirmed it It is ordered in all things and sure said David and this said he is all my salvation 2 Sam. 23.5 The covenant then is everlasting in it self being established upon so good a foundation and therefore standeth in it self everlastingly bent for the good of them that are involved in it Hear the tenor of the covenant and God's attesting of the truth thereof This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more Heb. 8.10 11 12. Now if God will do thus unto those that he hath comprized in his everlasting covenant of grace then he will remember their sins no more that is unto condemnation for so it is that he doth forget them then cannot the Holy Ghost who also is one with the Father and the Son come to us again even after we are possessed with these glorious fruits of this covenant as a spirit of bondage to put us in fear of damnation 3. The Spirit of God after it is come to me as a spirit of adoption can come to me no more as a spirit of bondage to put me in fear that is with my first fears because by that faith that he even he himself hath wrought in me to believe and call God Father Father I am united to Christ and stand no more upon mine own legs in mine own sins or performances but in his glorious righteousness before him and before his Father but he will not cast away a member of his body of his flesh and of his bones nor will he that the Spirit of God should come as a spirit of bondage to put him into a grounded fear of damnation that standeth compleat before God in the righteousness of Christ for that is an apparent contradiction Quest. But may it not come again as a spirit of bondage to put me into my first fears for my good Ans. The Text saith the contrary For we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear Nor is God put to it for want of wisdom to say and unsay do and undo or else he cannot do good When we are sons and have received the adoption of children he doth not use to send the spirit after that to tell us we are slaves and heirs of damnation also that we are without Christ without the promise without grace and without God in the World and yet this he must do if it comes to us after we have received him as a spirit of adoption and put us as a spirit of bondage in fear as before Quest. But by what spirit is it then that I am brought again into fears even into the fears of damnation and so into bondage by Ans. By the spirit of the Devil who alwaies labours to frustrate the faith and hope and comfort of the godly Quest. How doth that appear Answ. 1. By the groundlesness of such fears 2. By the unseasonableness of them 3. By the effects of them 1. By the groundlesness of such fears The ground is removed for a grounded fear of damnation is this I am yet in my sins in a state of nature under the law without faith and so under the wrath
of God this I say is the ground of the fear of damnation the true ground to fear it but now the man that we are talking of is one that hath the ground of this fear taken away by the testimony and seal of the spirit of adoption he is called justified and has for the truth of this his condition received the evidence of the spirit of adoption and hath been thereby enabled to call God Father Father now he that hath received this has the ground of the fear of damnation taken from him therefore his fear I say being without ground is false and so no work of the Spirit of God 2. By the unseasonableness of them This spirit alwaies comes too late It comes after the spirit of adoption is come Satan is alwaies for being too soon or too late If he would have men believe they are children he would have them believe it while they are slaves slaves to him and their lusts If he would have them believe they are slaves it is when they are sons and have received the spirit of adoption and the testimony by that of their sonship before And this evil is rooted even in his nature He is a lyar and the Father of it John 8. and his â—ies are not known to Saints more than in this that he labours alwaies to contradict the work and order of the spirit of truth 3. It also appears by the effects of such fears For there is a great deal of difference betwixt the natural effects of these fears which are wrought indeed by the spirit of bondage and those which are wrought by this spirit of the Devil afterwards The one to wit the fears that are wrought by the spirit of bondage causeth us to confess the truth to wit that we are Christless graceless faithless and so at present that is while he is so working in a sinful and damnable case but the other to wit the spirit of the Devil when he comes which is after the spirit of adoption is come he causeth us to make a lye that is to say we are christless graceless and faithless Now this I say is wholly and in all the parts of it a lye and HE is the Father of it Besides the direct tendency of the fear that the Spirit of God as a spirit of bondage worketh in the soul is to cause us to come repenting home to God by Jesus Christ but these latter fears tend directly to make a man he having first denyed the work of God as he will if he falleth in with them to run quite away from God and from hâ—s grave to him in Christ as will evidently appear if thou givest but a plain and honest answer to these questions following 1. Quest. Doth not these fears make thee question whether there was ever a work of grace wrought in thy soul Answ. Yes verily that they do 2. Quest. Doth not these fears make the question whether ever thy first fears was wrought by the Holy Spirit of God Answ. Yes verily that they do 3. Quest. Doth not these fears make thee question whether ever thou hast had indeed any true comfort from the Word and Spirit of God Answ. Yes verily that they do 4. Quest. Dost thou not find intermixed with THESE fears plain assertions that thy first comforts were either from thy fancy or from the Devil and a fruit of his delusions Answ. Yes verily that I do 5. Quest. Doth not THESE fears weaken thy heart in prayer Answ. Yes that they do 6. Quest. Doth not these fears keep thee back from laying hold of the promise of salvation by Jesus Christ Answ. Yes for I think if I were deceived before if I were comforted by a spirit of delusion before why may it not be so again so I am afraid to take hold of the promise 7. Quest. Doth not these fears tend to the hardning of thy heart and to the making of thee desperate Answ. Yes verily that they do 8 Quest. Doth not THESE fears hinder thee from profiting in hearing or reading of the Word Answ. Yes verily for still whatever I hear or read I think nothing that is good belongs to me 9 Quest. Doth not THESE FEARS tend to the stirring up of blasphemies in thy heart against God Answ. Yes to the almost distracting of me 10 Quest. Doth not these fears make thee sometimes think that it is in vain for thee to wait upon the Lord any longer Answ. Yes verily and I have many times almost come to this conclusion that I will read pray hear company with Gods people or the like no longer Well poor Christian I am glad that thou hast so plainly answered me but prethee look back upon thy answer how much of God dost thou think is in these things how much of his Spirit and the grace of his Word just none at all for it cannot be that these things can be the true and natural effects of the workings of the Spirit of God NO not as a spirit of bondage These are not his doings dost thou not see the very paw of the Devil in them yea in every one of thy ten confessions is there not palpably high wickedness in every one of the effects of this fear I conclude then as I began that the fear that the Spirit of God as a spirit of bondage worketh is good and godly not only because of the Author but also because of the ground and effects but yet it can last no longer as such as producing the aforesaid conclusion then till the spirit as the spirit of adoption comes because that then the soul is manifestly taken out of the state and condition into which it had brought it self by nature and sin and is put into Christ and so by him into a state of life and blessedness by grace Therefore if first fears come again into thy soul after that the spirit of adoption hath been with thee know they come not from the Spirit of God but apparently from the spirit of the Devil for they are a lie in themselves and their effects are sinful and devilish Object But I had also such wickedness as those in my heart at my first awaking and therefore by your argument neither should that be but from the Devil Answ. So far forth as such wickedness was in thy heart so far did the Devil and thine own heart seek to drive thee to despair and dround thee there but thou hast forgot the question the question is not whether then thou wast troubled with such iniquities but whether thy fears of damnation at that time were not just and good because grounded upon thy present condition which was for that thou wast out of Christ in thy sins and under the curse of the Law and whether now since the spirit of adoption is come unto thee and hath thee and hath done that for thee as hath been mentioned I say whether thou oughtest for any thing whatsoever to give way to the same fear from the same
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
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
hazzard and reproach of all the mighty people Psal. 119.151 Psal. 89.50 5. How tender of the glory of God was Ely Daniel and the three Children in their day 1. Ely died with fear and trembling of heart when he heard that the Ark of God was taken 1 Sam. 4.13 14 15 16 17 18. 2. Daniel ran the danger of the Lions mouths for the tender love that he had to the word and worship of God Dan. 6.10.16 3. The three children ran the hazzard of a burning fiery Furnace rather than they would dare to dishonour the way of their God Dan. 3.13 16 20. This therefore is one of the fruits of this godly fear to wit a reverence of his name and tenderness of his glory Secondly There flows from this godly fear watchfulness As it is said of Solomons Servants they watched about his bed because of fear in the night So it may be said of them that have this godly fear It makes them a watchful people 1. It makes them watch their hearts and take heed to keep them with all diligence lest they should by one or another of its sleights lead them to do that which in it self is wicked Prov. 4.23 Heb. 12.15 2. It makes them watch lest some temptation from Hell should enter into their heart to the destroying of them 1 Pet. 5.8 3. It makes them watch their mouths and keep them also at sometimes as with a bitt and bridle that they offend not with their tongue knowing that the tongue is apt being an evil member soon to catch the fire of hell to the defiling of the whole body Jam. 3.2 3 4 5 6 7. 4. It makes them watch over their ways look well to their goings and to make strait steps for their feet Psal. 39.1 Heb. 12.13 Thus this godly fear puts the soul upon its watch lest from the heart within or from the Devil without or from the world or some other temptation something should surprize and overtake the child of God to defile him or to cause him to defile the waies of God and so offend the Saints open the mouths of men and cause the enemy to speak reproachfully of religion Thirdly There flows from this FEAR a holy provocation to a reverential converse with Saints in their religious and godly assemblies for their further progress in the faith and way of holiness Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Spake that is of God and his holy and glorious name kingdom and works for their mutual edification a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name Mal. 3.16 The fear of the Lord in the heart provoketh to this in all its acts not only of necessity but of nature It is the natural effect of this godly fear to exercise the Church in the contemplation of God together and apart All fear good and bad hath a natural propenseness in it to incline the heart to contemplate upon the object of fear and though a man should labour to take off his thoughts from the object of his fear whether that object was Men Hell Devils c. yet do what he could the next time his fear had any act in it it would return again to its object And so it is with godly fear that will make a make a man speak of and think upon the name of God reverentially Psal 89 7. Yea and exercise himself in the holy thoughts of him in such sort that his soul shall be sanctified and seasoned with such Meditations Indeed holy thoughts of God such as you see this fear doth exercise the heart withal prepare the heart to and for God This fear therefore it is that David prayed for for the people when he said O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their heart unto thee 1 Chron. 29.18 Fourthly There flows from this Fear of God great reverence of his Majesty in and under the use and enjoyment of God's holy Ordinances His Ordinances are his Courts and Palaces his Walks and Places where he giveth his presence to those that wait upon him in them in the fear of his name And this is the meaning of that of the Apostle Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judah and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied Act. 9.31 And walking that word intendeth their use of the ordinances of God They walked in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless This in Old Testament Language is called treading Gods Courts and walking in his Paths This saith the Text they did here in the fear of God That is in a great reverence of that God whose Ordinances they were You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord Levit. 19.30 Chap. 26.2 It is one thing to be conversant in Gods ordinances and another to be conversant in them with a due reverence of the Majesty and name of that God whose Ordinances they are it is common for men to do the first but none can do the last without this fear In thy fear said David will I worship Psal. 5.7 It is this fear of God therefore from whence doth flow that great reverence that his Saints have in them of his Majesty in and under the use and injoyment of Gods holy ordinances and consequently that makes our service in the performance of them acceptable to God through Christ. Heb. 12. last For God expects that we serve him with fear and trembling and it is odious among men for a man in the presence or about the service of his Prince to behave himself lightly and without due reverence of that Majesty in whose presence and about whose business he is And if so how can their service to God have any thing like acceptation from the hand of God that is done not in but without the fear of God this service must needs be an abomination to him and these servers must come off with rebuke Fifthly There flows from this godly fear of God Selfdenial That is an holy abstaining from those things that are either unlawful or inexpedient According to that of Nehemiah The former governours that had been before me were chargeable unto the people and had taken of them Bread and Wine besides forty Shekels of Silver yea even their Servants bear rule over the people but so did not I because of the fear of God Nehe. 5.15 Here now was Selfdenial he would not do as they did that went before him neither himself nor should his Servants but what what was it that put him upon these acts of Self-denial The answer is The fear of God But so did not I because of the fear of God Now whether by the fear of God in this place be meant his word or the
enmity one with the other So is sin and the commandment Therefore if a man delighteth himself in the commandment he hateth that which is opposite which is sin how much more when he greatly delighteth in the commandment Now this holy fear of God it taketh the heart and affections from sin and setteth them upon the holy Commandment Therefore such a man is rightly esteemed blessed For no profession makes a man blessed but that which is accompanied with an alienation of the heart from sin nor doth any thing do that when this holy fear is wanting It is from this fear then that love to and delight in the holy commandment floweth and so by that the sinner is kept from those fals and dangers of miscarying that other professors are so subject to He greatly delights in the Commandment Lastly There floweth from this fear of God enlargement of heart Then thou shalt see and flow together and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged Isa 60.5 Thine heart shall fear and be enlarged enlarged to God-ward enlarged to his waies enlarged to his holy People enlarge in love after the salvation of others Indeed when this fear of God is wanting though the profession be never so famous the heart is shut up and straitned and nothing is done in that princely free spirit which is called the spirit of the fear of the Lord Psal. 51.12 Isa. 11.2 But with grudging legally or with desire of vain glory This enlargedness of heart is wanting for that flows from this fear of the Lord. Thus have I shewed you both what this fear of God is what it flows from and also what doth flow from it I come now to shew you some of the priviledges of those that thus do fear the Lord. Of the priviledges of them that thus do fear the Lord. Having thus briefly handled in particular thus far this fear of God I shall now shew you certain of the excellent priviledges of them that fear the Lord not that they are not priviledges that have been already mentioned for what greater priviledges then to have this fear producing in the soul such excellent things so necessary for us for good both with reference to this world and that which is to come but because those fourteen above named do rather flow from this grace of fear where it is then from a promise to the person that hath it therefore I have chosen rather to discourse of them as the fruits and effects of fear then otherwise Now besides all these there is intailed by promise to the man that hath this fear many other blessed priviledges the which I shall now in a brief way lay open unto you First Then That man that feareth the Lord has a grant and a licence to trust in the Lord with an affirmation that he is their help and their shield Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their Helper and Shield Psal. 115.11 Now what a priviledg is this An exhortation in general to sinners as sinners to trust in him is a priviledge great and glorious but for a man to be singled out from his Neighbours for a man to be spoken to from Heaven as it were by name and to be told that God hath given him a licence a special and peculiar grant to trust in him this is abundantly more and yet this is the grant that God hath given that man He hath I say a licence to do it a licence indicted by the Holy Ghost and left upon record for those to be born that shall fear the Lord to trust in him And not only so but as the text affirmeth he is their Help and their Shield Their help under all their weaknesses and infirmities and a Shield to defend them against all the assaults of the Devil and this World So then the man that feareth the Lord is licenced to make the Lord his stay and God of his Salvation the succour and deliverer of his soul. He will defend him because his fear is in his heart O ye Servants of the Lord ye that fear him live in the comfort of this boldly make use of it when you are in straits and put your trust under the shaddow of his wings for indeed he would have you do so because you do fear the Lord. Secondly God hath also proclaimed concerning the man that feareth the Lord That he will also be his teacher and guide in the way that he shall chuse and hath moreover promised concerning such that their soul shall dwell at ease What man is he that feareth the Lord saies David him shall he teach in the way that he shall chuse Psal. 25.21 Now to be taught of God what like it yea what like to be taught in the way that thou shalt chuse Thou hast chosen the way to life Gods way but perhaps they ignorance about it is so great and those that tempt thee to turn asid so many and so subtil that they seem to out wit thee and confound thee with their guile Well but the Lord whom thou fearest will not leave thee to thy ignorance nor yet to thine enemies power or subtilty but will take it upon him himself to be thy teacher and thy guide and that in the way that thou hast chosen Hear then and behold thy priviledge O thou that fearest the Lord and who ever wanders turns aside and swerveth from the way of Salvation who ever is benighted and lost in the midst of darkness thou shalt find the way to the Heaven and the glory that thou hast chosen Further He doth not only say that he will teach them the way for that must of necessity be supplied but he saies also that he will teach such IN it Him shall he teach IN the way that he shall chuse This argueth that as thou shalt know so the way shall be made by the communion that thou shalt have with God therein sweet and pleasant to thee For this text promiseth unto the man that feareth the Lord the presence company and discovery of the mind of God while he is going in the way that he hath chosen It is said of the good Scribe That he is instructed unto as well as into the way of the Kingdom of God Instructed VNTO that is he hath the heart and mind of God still discovered to him in the way that he hath chosen even all the way from this world to that which is to come even until he shall come to the very gate and door of Heaven Matth. 13.52 what the Disciples said was the effect of the presence of Christ to wit that their hearts did burn within them while he talked to them by the way Luk. 24. shall be also fulfilled in thee he will meet with thee in the way talk with thee in the way he will teach thee IN the way that thou shalt chuse Thirdly Dost thou fear the Lord he will open his secret unto thee even that which he hath hid and keeps close from
all the world to wit the secret of his covenant and of thy concern therein The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Psal. 25.14 This then further confirmeth what was said but just above his secret shall be with them and his Covenant shall be shewed unto them His secret to wit that which hath been kept hid from ages and generations that which he manifesteth only to the Saints or holy Ones that is his Christ for he it is that is hid in God and that no man can know but he to whom the Father shall reveal him Matth. 11.27 But oh what is there wraped up in this Christ this secret of God! why all treasures of Life of Heaven and Happiness In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge And in him dwels the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2. This also is that hidden one that is so full of grace to save sinners and so full of truth and faithfulness to keep promise and covenant with them that their eyes must needs convey even by every glance they make upon his Person Offices and Relation such affecting ravishments to the heart that it would please them that see him even to be killed with that fight This secret of the Lord shall be nay IS with them that fear him for he dwelleth in their heart by faith And he will shew them his Covenant That is the Covenant that is confirmed of God in Christ that everlasting and eternal covenant and shew him too that he himself is wrapped up therein as in a bundle of life with the Lord his God These are the thoughts purposes and promises of God to them that fear him Fourthly Dost thou fear the Lord His eye is alwaies over thee for good to keep thee from all evil Behold the eyes of the Lord is upon them that fear him on them that hope in his mercy to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine Psal. 33.18 19. His eye is upon them that is to watch over them for good He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps His eyes are upon them and he will keep them as a Shepherd doth his Sheep that is from those wolves that seek to devour them and to swallow them up in death His eyes are upon them for they are the Object of his delight The rarities of the world in whom saith he is all my delight His eye is upon them as I said before To teach and instruct them I will teach thee and instruct thee in the way that thou shalt go I will guide thee with mine eye Psal. 32.8 2 Chron. 7.15.16 The eye of the Lord therefore is upon them not to take advantage of them to destroy them for their sins but to guide to help and deliver them from death from that death that would feed upon their souls To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine Take Death here for Death spiritual and Death eternal and the Famine here not for that that is for want of bread and water but for that which comes on many for want of the word of the Lord Revel 20.14 Amos 8.11 12. and then the sence is this The man that feareth the Lord shall neither die spiritually nor eternally for God will keep him with his eye from all those things that would in such a manner kill him Again should there be a famine of the word should there want both the word and them that preach it in the place that thou dost dwell yet Bread shall be given thee and thy water shall be sure thou shalt not die of the famine because thou fearest God I say that man shall not Behold he shall not because he feareth God and this the next head doth yet more fully manifest Fifthly Dost thou fear God fear him for this advantage more and more O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions do want and and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord that fear him shall want no good thing Psal. 34.9 10. Not any thing that God sees good for them shall those men want that fear the Lord. If health will do them good If sickness will do them good If riches will do them good If poverty will do them good If life will do them good If death will do them good then they shall not want them neither shall any of these come nigh them if they will not do them good The Lions the wicked people of the world that fear not God are not made sharers in this great priviledge all things fall out to them contrary because they fear not God In the midst of their sufficiency they are in want of that good that God puts into the worst things that the man that feareth God doth meet with in the world Sixthly Dost thou fear God He hath given charge to the armies of Heaven to look after take charge of to camp about and to deliver thee The Angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear him and delivereth them Psal. 34.7 This also is a priviledge intailed to them that in all generations fear the Lord. The Angel the heavenly creatures have it in commission to take the charge of them that fear the Lord one of them is able to slay of men in one night 185000. These are they that camped about Elisha like horses of fire and chariots of fire when the enemy came to destroy him They also helped Hezekiah against the band of the enemy because he feared God 2 King 6.17 Isa. 37.36 Jer. 26.19 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that is left the enemy should set upon them on any side but let him come where he will behind or before on this side or that the Angel of the Lord is there to defend them The Angel It may be spoken in the singular number perhaps to shew that every one that feareth God hath his Angel to attend on him and serve him When the Church in the Acts was told that Peter stood at the door and knocked at first they counted the messenger mad but when she did constantly affirm it they said It is his Angel Act. 12.13 14 15. So Christ saith of the Children that came unto him Their Angels behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven Their Angels that is those of them that feared God had each of them his Angel who had a charge from God to keep them in their way We little think of this yet this is the priviledge of them that fear the Lord yea if need be they shall all come down to help them and to deliver them rather then contrary to the mind of their God they should by any be abused Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. last But how do they deliver them for so saies
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
that fear before him Fear therefore the Spirit of the fear of the Lord is a grace that greatly beautifies a Christian his words and all his waies Wherefore now let the FEAR of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts I come now to make some use and application of this doctrine The use of this Doctrine Having proceeded thus far about this Doctrine of the fear of God I now come to make some Use and Application of the whole and my first use shall be a use of Examination Is this fear of God such an excellent thing Is it attended with so many blessed priviledges then this should put us ever soul of us upon a diligent examination of our selves to wit whether this grace be in us or no for if it be then thou art one of these blessed ones to whom belong these glorious priviledges for thou hast an intrest in every of them but if it shall appear that this grace is not in thee then thy state is fearfully miserable as hath partly been manifest already and will further be seen in what comes after Now the better to help thee to consider and not to miss in finding out what thou art in thy self examination I will speak to this 1. In general 2. In particular 1. In general 1. No man brings this grace into the world with him Every one by nature is destitute of it for naturally none fear God there is NO fear of God none of this grace of fear before their eyes they do not so much as know what it is for this fear flows as was shewed before from a new heart faith repentance and the like of which new heart faith and Repentance if thou beest void thou art also void of this godly fear Men must have a mighty change of heart and life or else they are strangers to this fear of God alas how ignorant are the most of this yea and some are not afraid to say they are not changed nor desire so to be can these fear God can these be possessed with this grace of fear No Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God Psal. 36.1 Rom. 3.18 Psal. 55.19 Wherefore sinner consider whoever thou art that art destitute of this fear of God thou art void of all other graces for this fear as also I have shewed floweth from the whole stock of grace where it is There is not one of the graces of the Spirit but this fear is in the bowels of it yea as I may say this fear is the flower and beauty of every grace neither is there any thing let it look as much like grace as it will that will be counted so indeed if the fruit thereof be not this fear of God wherefore I say again consider well of of this matter for as thou shall be found with reference to this grace so shall thy judgment be I have but briefly treated of this grace yet have indeavoured with words as fit as I could to display it in its colours before thy face first by shewing you what this fear of God is then what it flows from as also what doth flow from it To which as was said before I have added several priviledges that are annexed to this fear that by all if it may be thou mayest see it if thou hast it and thy self without it if thou hast it not Wherefore I refer thee thither again for information in this thing Or if thou art loth to give the Book a second reading but wilt go on to the end now thou art gotten hither Then secondly and particularly I conclude with these several propositions concerning those that fear not God 1. That man that is proud and of an high and lofty mind fears not God This is plain from the Exhortation Be not high minded but fear Rom. 11.20 Here you see that an high mind and the fear of God are set in direct opposition the one to the other and there is in them closely concluded by the Apostle that where indeed the one is there cannot be the other where there is an high mind there is not the fear of God and where there is the fear of God the mind is not high but lowly Can a man at the same time be approved man and fear God too why then is it said God beholdeth every one that is proud and abases him and again he beholds the proud afar off He therefore that is proud of his person of his Riches of his Office of his Parts and the like feareth not God It is also manifest further for God resisteth the proud which he would not do if he feared him but in that he sets him at such a distance from him in that he testifies that he will abase him and resist him it is evident that he is not the man that hath this grace of fear for that man as I have shewed you is the man of Gods delight the object of his pleasure Psal. 138.6 Jam. 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 Mal. 4.1 2. The covetous man feareth not God This also is plain from the word because it setteth covetousness and the fear of God in direct opposition Men that fear God are said to hate covetousness Exod. 18.21 Besides the covetous man is called an Idolater and is said to have no part in the Kingdom of Christ and of God And again The wicked boasteth himself of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhoreth Ezek. 33.31 Ephes. 5.4 5. Psal. 10.3 Hearken to this you that hunt the world to take it you that care not how you get so you get the world Also you that make even religion your stalking-horse to get the world You fear not God And what will you do whose hearts go after your covetousness you who are led by covetousness up and down as it were by the Nose sometimes to swear to lie to couzen and cheat and defraud when you can get the advantage to do it You are far very far from the fear of God Ye adulterers and adulteresses for so the covetous are called Know ye not that the friendship of this world is the enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world is the enemy of God James 4. ver 4. 3. The riotous eaters of flesh have not the fear of God For this is done without fear Jud. 12. Gluttony is a sin little taken notice of and as little repented of by those that use it but yet it is odious in the sight of God and the practise of it a demonstration of the want of his fear in the heart yea so odious is it that God forbids that his people should so much as company with such Be not saith he among wine bibers among rioters eaters of flesh Prov. 23.20 And he further tels us that they that are such are spots and blemishes to those that keep them company for
indeed they fear not God 2 Pet. 2.13 Rom. 13.13 1 Pet. 4.4 Alas some men are as if they were for nought else born but to eat and to drink and pamper their carcasses with the dainties of this world quite forgeting why God sent them hither but such as is said fear not God and so consequently are of the number of them upon whom the day of Judgment will come at unawars Luk. 21.34 4. The lyer is one that fears not God This also is evident from the plain Text Thou hast lied saith the Lord and hast not remembred me nor laid it to thy heart have not I held my peace even of old saith the Lord and thou fearest me not Isa. 57.11 What lie this was is not material 't was a lie or a course of lying that is here rebuked and the person or persons in this practice as is said were such as feared not God a course of lying and the fear of God cannot stand together This sin of lying is a common sin and it walketh in the world in several guises There is the profane scoffing lier there is the cunning artificial lier there is the hypocritical religious lier with lyers of other ranks and degrees But none of them all have the fear of God nor shall any of them they not repenting escape the damnation of Hell All lyers shall have their part in the lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone Revel 21.8 Heaven and the new Jerusalem are not a place for such And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye ver 27. Therefore another Scripture saies That all liers are without For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolators and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie Chap. 22.15 But this should not be their sentence judgment and condemnation if they that are lyers were such as had in them this blessed fear of God 5. They fear not God who cry unto him for help in the time of their calamity and when they are delivered they return to ther former rebellion This Moses in a spirit of Prophecy asserteth at the time of the mighty judgment of the Hail Pharoah then desired him to pray to God that he would take away that judgment from him Well so I will saies Moses But as for thee and thy servants I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God Exod. 9.30 As who should say I know that so soon as this judgment is removed you will to your old rebellion again And what greater demonstration can be given that such a man feareth not God then to cry to God to be delivered from affliction to prosperity and to spend that prosperity in rebellion against him This is crying for mercies that they may be spent or that we may have something to spend upon our lusts and in the service of Satan Jam. 4.1 2 3. Of these God compalins in the 16 of Ezekiel and in the second of Hosea Thou hast saith God taken of thy fair Jewels of my Gold and of my Silver which I had given thee and madest to thy self images c. Ezek. 16.17 This was for want of the fear of God Many of this kind there be now in the World both of men and women and Children Art not thou that readest this Book of this number Hast thou not cried for health when sick for wealth when poor when lame for strength when in prison for liberty and then spent all that thou gottest by thy prayer in the service of Satan and to gratify thy lusts look to it sinner these things are signes that with thy heart thou fearest not God 6. They fear not God that way-lay his people and seek to overthrow them or to turn them besides the right path as they are journying from hence to their eternal rest This is evident from the plain Text. I Remember saith God what Amalek did unto thee by the way when ye were come forth out of Aegypt how he met thee by the way and smote the hindmost of thee even all that were feeble behind thee when thou wast faint and weary and he feared not God Deut. 25.17 18. Many such Amalekites there be now in the world that have set themselves against the feeble of the flock against the feeble of the flock especially still smiting them some by power some with the tongue some in their lives and estates some in their names and reputations by scandal slanders and reproach but the reason of this their ungodly practise is this They fear not God For did they fear HIM they would be afraid to so much as think much more of attempting to afflict and destroy and calumniate the Children of God but such there have been such there are and such there will be in the world for all men fear not God 7. They fear not God who see his hand upon backsliders for their sins and yet themselves will be backsliders also I saw saith God when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce yet her treacherous Sister Judah FEARED NOT but went and played the harlot also Jer. 3.8 Chap. 2. verse 19. Judah saw that her Sister was put away and delivered by God into the hand of Salmanezer who carried her away beyond Babylon and yet though she saw it she went and plaied the harlot also A signe of great hardness of heart and of the want of the fear of God indeed For his fear had it been in her heart it would have taught her to have trembled at the judgment that was executed upon her Sister and not to have gone and played the harlot also And not to have done it while her Sisters judgment was in sight and memory But what is it that an heart that is destitute of the fear of God will not do No sin comes amiss to such yea they will sin they will do that themselves for the doing of which they believe some are in Hell Fire and all because they fear not God But pray observe if those that take not warning when they see the hand of God upon backsliders are said to have none of the fear of God have they it think you that lay stumbling blocks in the way of Gods people and use devices to cause them to backslide yea rejoyce when they can do this mischief to any And yet many of this sort there are in the world that even rejoyce when they see a professor fall into sin and go back from his profession as if they had found some excellent thing 8. They fear not God who can look upon a Land as wallowing in sin and yet are not humbled at the sight thereof Have ye said God by the Prophet to the Jews forgot the wickedness of your Fathers and the wickedness of the Kings of Judah and the wickedness of their Wives which they have committed in the Land of
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
would keep them better deliver them more and preserve them from these snares of death 4. Another motive may be this To grow in this grace of the fear of God is the way to be kept alwaies in a conscientious performance of Christian duties An increase in this grace I say keeps every grace in exercise and the keeping of our graces in their due exercise produceth a conscientious performance of duties Thou hast a Watch perhaps in thy pocket but the hand will not as yet be kept in any good order but does alwaies give thee the lie as to the hour of the day well but what is the way to remedy this but to look well to the spring and the wheels within for if they indeed go right so will the hand do also This is thy case in spiritual things Thou art a gracious man and the fear of God is in thee but yet for all that one cannot well tell by thy life what time a day it is Thou givest no true and constant signe that thou art indeed a Christian why the reason is thou dost not look well to this grace of the fear of God Thou dost not grow and increase in that but sufferest thy heart to grow careless and hard and so thy life remiss and worldly Job's growing great in the fear of God made him eschew evil Job 1. chap. 2. 5. Another motive is This is the way to be wise indeed A wise man feareth and departeth from evil It doth not say a wise man hath the grace of fear but a wise man feareth that is pureth this grace into exercise There is no greater signe of wisdom then to grow in this blessed grace Is it not a signe of wisdom to depart from sins which are the snares of Death and Hell Is it not a signe of wisdom for a man yet more and more to indeavour to intrest himself in the love and protection of God Is it not a high point of wisdom for a man to be alwaies doing of that which laies him under the conduct of Angels surely this is wisdom And if it be a blessing to have this fear is it not wisdom to increase in it doubtless it is the highest point of wisdom as I have shewed before therefore grow therein 6. Another motive may be this It is seemly for Saints to fear and increase in this fear of God 1. He is thy Creator is it not seemly for creatures to fear and reverence their Creator 2. He is thy King is it not seemly for Subjects to fear and reverence their King 3. He is thy Father is it not seemly for Children to reverence and fear their Father yea and to do it more and more 7. Another motive may be It is honourable to grow in this grace of fear when Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel Hos. 13.1 Truly to fear and to abound in this fear is a signe of a very princely spirit and the reason is when I greatly fear my God I am above the fear of all others nor can any thing in this world be it never so terrible and dreadful move me at all to fear them And hence it is that Christ counsels us to fear And I say unto you my friends said he fear not them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do I but this is an high pitch how should we come by such princely spirits well I will forewarn you whom you shall fear and by fearing of him arrive to this pitch Fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him Luke 12.4 5. Indeed this true fear of God sets a man above all the world And therofore It saith again fear not their fear but sanctify the Lord God in your heart and let him be your fear and let him be your dread Isa. 8. Your great ranting swaggering Roysters that are ignorant of the nature of this fear of God count it a poor sneaking pittiful cowardly spirit in Men to fear and tremble before the Lord but whoso looks back to gaols and gibbits to the sword and burning stake shall see that there in them has been the most mighty and invincible spirit that has been in the world Yea see if God doth not count that the growth of his people in this grace of fear is that which makes them honourable when he positively excludeth those from a dwelling place in his house That do not honour them that fear him Psal. 15.4 And he saith moreover A woman that feareth the Lord shee shall be praised If the world and godless men will not honour these they shall be honoured some way else Such saith he that honour me I will honour and they shall be honoured in Heaven in the Churches and among the Angels 8. Another motive to grow in this fear of God may be This fear and the encrease of it qualifies a man to be put in trust with heavenly and spiritual things yea and with earthly things too 1. For heavenly and spiritual things My covenant saith God was with Levi of life and peace and I gave THEM to him for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name Mala. 2.5 Behold what a gift what a mercy what a blessing this Levi is intrusted with to wit with Gods everlasting covenant and with the life and peace that is wrapped up in this Covenant But why is it given to him the answer is for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name And the reason is good for this fear of God teaches a man to put a due estimation upon every gift of God bestowed upon us also it Teaches us to make use of the same with reverence of his name and respect to his glory in most Godly-wise all which becomes him that is intrusted with any spiritual gift The gift here was given to Levi to minister to his brethren doctrinally thereof for he saith God shall teach Jacob my Statutes and Israel my Law See also Exod. 18.21 and Neh. 7.2 With many other places that might be named and you will find that men fearing God and hateing covetousness that men that fear God above others are intrusted by God yea and by his Church too with the trust and ministration of spiritual things before any other in the world 2. For earthly things This fear of God qualifies a man to be put in trust with them rather then with another Therefore God made Joseph Lord of all Aegypt Obadiah Steward of Ahabs house Daniel Mordecai and the three Children were set over the province of Babilon And this by the wonderful working hand of God because he had to dispose of earthly things now not only in a common way but for the good of his people in special True when there is no special matter or thing to be done by God in a Nation for his people then who will that is whether they have grace or
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
I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth Also when the Mariners enquired of Jonah saying What is thine occupation and whence comest thou what is thy Country and of what people art thou This was the answer he gave them I am an Hebrew and I fear the Lord the God of Heaven which hath made the Sea and the dry Land Jon. 1.8 9. Indeed this answer is the highest and most noble in the world nor are there any save a few that in truth can thus express themselves though other answers they have enough most can say I have wisdom or might or riches or friends or health or the like these are common and are greatly boasted in by the most but he is the man that feareth God and he that can say when they say to him what art thou I thy servant do fear the Lord he is the man of many he is to be honoured of men Though this to wit that he feareth the Lord is all that he hath in this World He hath the thing the honour the life and glory that is lasting his blessedness will abide when all mens but his is buried in the dust in shame and contempt A Word to Hypocrites Hypocrites My last word is to you The hypocrite is one that would appear to be that in mens eyes that he is nothing of in Gods Thou hypocrite that wouldest be esteemed to be one that loves and that fears God but does not I have this to say to thee thy condition is damnable because thou art an hypocrite and seekest to deceive both God and Man with Guises Vizards Masks shews pretences and thy formal carnal feigned subjection to the outside of Statutes Laws and Commandments but within thou art full of rotteness and all excess Hypocrite Thou maiest by thy cunning shifts be veild and hid from men but thou art naked before the eyes of God and he knoweth that his fear is not in thy heart Luk. 16.15 Hypocrite Be admonished that there is not obedience accepted of God where the heart is destitute of this grace of fear Keeping of the Commandments is but one part of the duty of man and Paul did that even while he was an Hypocrite Philippians 3. To FEAR GOD and keep his Commandments that is the whole duty of man Ecclesiastes 12.13 This fear God the hypocrite cannot as an hypocrite do and therefore as such cannot escape the damnation of Hell Hypocrite Thou must fear God first even before thou dost offer to meddle with the Commandment that is as to the keeping of them Indeed thou shouldest read therein that thou maiest learn to fear the Lord but yet fear God goes before the Command to keep his Commandments And if thou dost not fear God first thou trangressest instead of keeping of the Commandments Hypocrite This word fear God is that which the hypocrite quite forgets although it is that which sanctifies the whole duty of man For this is that and no thing without it that can make a man sincere in his obedience the hypocrite looks for applause abroad and forgets that he is condemned at home and both these he does because he wanteth the fear of God Hypocrite Be admonished that none of the priviledges that are spoken of in the former part of the Book belongs to thee because thou art an hypocrite and if thou hope thy hope shall be cut off and if thou lean upon thy house both thou and it shall fall into Hell-fire Triumph then thy Triumph is but for a while Joy then but the Joy of the Hypocrite is but for a moment Job 8.13 14 15. Chap. 20.4 5 6. Perhaps thou wilt not let go now what as an Hypocrite thou hast got But what is the hope of the Hypocrite when God shall take away his soul Job 21.8 Hypocrite Thou shouldest have chosen the fear of God as hou hast chosen a profession without it but thou hast cast off fear because thou art an Hypocrite and because thou art such thou shalt have the same measure that thou meetest God will cast thee off because thou art an Hypocrite God hath prepared a fear for thee because thou didst not chuse the fear of God and that fear shall come upon thee like desolation and like an armed man and shall swallow the up thou and all that thou art Prov. 1.29 Hypocrite Read this Text and tremble The Sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrite 〈…〉 shall dwell with devouring fire 〈…〉 as shall dwell with everlasting burning◠Isa. 33.13 14. Hypocrite Thou art not under the fatherly protection of God because thou art an Hypocrite and wantest his fear in thine heart The eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him to deliver them But the fearless man or Hypocrite is left to the snare and wiles of the Divel to be catched therein and overcome because he is destitute of the fear of God Hypocrite Thou art like to have no other reward of God for thy labour than that which the goats shall have the Hypocrite because he is an Hypocrite shall not stand in Gods sight The gain of thy religion thou spendest as thou gettest it Thou wilt not have one farthing overplus at Death and Judgment Hypocrite God hath not intrusted thee with the least dram of his saving grace nor will he because thou art an Hypocrite And as for what thou hast thou hast stolen it even every man of you from his Neighbour still pilfering out of their profession even as Juda◠did out of the bag Thou comest 〈◊〉 a thief into thy profession and like a thief thou shalt go out of the same Jesus Christ hath not counted thee faithful to commit to thee any of his Jewels to keep because thou fearest him not He hath given his banner to them that fear him that it may be displayed because of the truth Psal. 60.4 Hypocrite Thou art not true to God nor man nor thine own soul because thou art an Hypocrite how should the Lord put any trust in thee Why should the saints look for any good from thee Should God give thee his word thou wilt sell it should men commit their souls to thee thou wilt destroy them by making Merchandize of them for thy own Hypocritical designs Yea if the Sun waxes hot thou wilt throw all away and not endure the heat because thou art an Hypocrite ERRATAS REader thou art desired to correct these Errata's with some others which were occasioned by the Printer by reason of the absence of the Author Page 96. line 11. after matter read no p. 109. l. 23. for serrini r. Jeremy p. 116. l. 14. for next r. text p. 117. l. 18. for even r. ever p. 128. l. 3. for lest r. last and l. 23. after self r. for l. 25. for thus r. this FINIS