are the signes by which the feare of God is discerned The plaister is made knowne the physicke is prescribed there wants nothing but the applying of it Are thy hands often stretched out to God art thou content to wait his pleasure to vndergoe his wrath to endure the smart of his rod though to thine owne ruine with continuing in pietie towards him and praising of him Art thou informed informed dost thou prouide prouiding seest thou assistance to sustaine thy hope in encountring encountring findest thou strength in resisting is thy resisting seconded with preuailing and thy preuailing accompanied with persisting Art thou pitifull toward and prouident for such as are more wofull than thy selfe commiserating them in thine heart comforting them in thy words and helping them with thy best endeuors Dost thou yeeld submissiue reuerence and sincere obedience towards those who are any way aboue thee or thou bound to Liuest thou humbly peaceably iustly with all Hast thou a care to giue the dead their due and is not thy loue finished when their life is ended but dost thou manifest the truth of it towards them in theirs Of a certaine the feare of God is in thee indeed and surely his saluation sauing assistance assured safety is neere vnto thee Thou needest not be afraid of the perillous time thou shalt not be visited with euill Thou needest not be discouraged for Sathans subtleties thou shalt auoid the snares of death Thou needest not feare thy finall falling for thou shalt continue Pro. 14.27 But as for those who liue as though they receiued no good from him could haue no vse of him or it were vnprofitable for them to pray vnto him who murmure in their miseries grudge in all their griefes snarle at the stones which hurt them neuer looke to the hand which throwes them who seeke not to him as men without hope despairing of his helpe who adde sinne to sinne drinke iniquity like water and pull transgression to them with Cart-ropes who obserue no benefit or blessing from him and therefore cannot hold him worthy either to be sanctified in them or magnified by them who doubt no danger preuent no perill hope for no aide haue no strength to resist dare not encounter and cannot conquer yeeld themselues cowardly to bee captiued at Sathans pleasure and remaining without stability haue their states like Reubens Gen. 49. vnstable as water and are themselues like water runne out and spilt vpon the earth vnpossible to be gathered vp or at best vnprofitable for any necessary vse in the house of God who mocke at others miseries without commiseration take aduantage at others calamity to oppresse them vse their power wit wealth to worke their iniurious wills in others wants and weaknesse who are so farre from furthering in that they put the blinde out of his way lay snares to entrap the ignorant insult ouer the impotent and are faithlesse in what is committed to them whose pride selfe-conceit and arrogancy stop the passage and damme vp the streame of mutuall comfort and conference who embrace no opinion though most true saue their owne though most false who admit of no alteration in things wherein change is commendable preferring their owne censure before the grauest sentence their owne disgrace in recanting before Gods glorie his Churches good their owne eternall quiet in confessing and disclaiming what was either vnfit to bee done or thought Prou. 31. wilfully forsaking their owne mercie who with the Salamander loue to liue in though they might auoid the fire of contention and contradiction renting the Commonwealth with seditions and the Church with schismes thinking suits in law to bee the surest course to keepe what their soules assure them is anothers right and the wisest way still to hold what their conscience tels them is not truth whose ingratitude forgets anothers goodnesse lust respects not anothers interest and care is to laugh though other weepe selfe pleasing and profit making all fish that comes to net All these are as farre from Gods feare as they are neere to these faults and as much as they are haunted with these hellish Hags so little are they frequented with those happinesses which accompany the feare of God For well may I say with the Prophet Dauid Psal 36.1 The transgression of the wicked man saith within my heart that there is no feare of God before his eyes My conscience tels me that sinne and impiety perswade the vngodly and vnrighteous person that there is no God of whom he should be afraid And what is the cause of all impiety toward God iniquity towards man Is it not the want of this feare The Prophet there affirmes it For thence is it that he flattereth himselfe in his owne eies vntill his iniquity be found to be hatefull Thence is it that the words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit and himselfe hath left off to be wise and to doe good Thence is it that He deuiseth mischiefe vpon his bed setteth himselfe in a way that is not good and abhorreth not euill Rom. 3.10 And the Apostle Paul hauing from the same Prophet affirmed that None is righteous no not one proueth it by their inward defects they had no vnderstanding by their outward failings in the generall course of their life They did not seeke after God they are all gone out of the way in the particular members of their bodies their throats are an open sepulcher their tongues deceitfull poysonous and bitter and their feet are swift to shed bloud and then sheweth the iust recompence of that their vnrighteousnesse that calamity and misery is in their waies as attending on them in all their pathes and lastly makes knowne the cause of all these their wants wickednesse and woe to be this that there is no feare of God before their eies Let vs then worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2.12 For it is the feare of God which bridleth the fury of men and interesteth men deepely in the fauour of God Gen. 31.29.42 Psal 147.11.34.103.12 13 14. seeing the eies of the Lord are ouer them his mercy towards thē is as great as the heauen is aboue the earth in height and his louing kindnesse is for euer and euer vpon them that feare him Oh let vs ponder the purenesse of his iustice and the greatnesse of his iudgements that wee may attaine to a reuerence of his name aswell as a loue of his Maiestie in the meditation of his mercy Yet let not these two bee seuered for is he mercifully iust and iustly mercifull mixeth he clemencie with seuerity and is not iustice in him separated from mercie Man must then render vnto him a fearing loue and a louing feare for what God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder Now the fearing and louing of the Lord are linked together by their 1. Commander 2. Causes 3. Companions 4. Subiects 5. Acts. 6. Effects 7. Opposites 8. Conditions By their Commander for
wee be deafe hee is hearing though wee be lame he is walking though we be weak he is strong to foresee to attend to prouide and to prosecute whatsoeuer may perfect our good or preuent our euill insomuch as euery one of vs may truly say with the Prophet Dauid Psal 73.26 Thou art my lot and inheritance the strength of my heart and saluation of my soule Let the Fish challenge the waters for their due the beasts claime the earth for their possession the Fowles the aire for their interest and the glorious Angels the Heauens for their habitation 1 Cor. 3.22 23. yet being Christs and Christ Gods in him all are ours he being to vs all in all Psa 73.24 Counsell to aduise vs wisdome to direct vs righteousnesse to acquit vs sanctification to cleanse vs 2 Cor. 1.30 redemption to free vs and a King to receiue vs into glory so as euery one of vs may well say with the sweet singer of Israel Psal 73.25 Whom haue I in Heauen but thee and here is nothing in earth that I desire besides thee And therefore to be admired admiring to bee loued of vs in duty who did first giue vs birth and being protecting vs against all dangers preseruing vs in all perils prouiding for vs in all wants resoluing vs in all doubts comforting vs in all discontents in a word causing all things euen all things though in nature of contrariety Rom. 8.28 to worke together and shake hands in amity for our good if as we ought we loue him who is our God which duty how should we deny vnto him if wee consider the dignity of it which appeareth in the Lords approbation acceptation and remuneration of it esteeming it highly else would he not inioyne so strictly and inculcate it so frequently strictly he enioynes it Deut. 6.5 for there is no part of any heart but must harbour it no parcell of any soule but must solace in it nor no portion of any ones mind must be missing to it nor the least mite of any ones might must be deteined from it vnto this Ocean as well the little streames as the greatest Riuers must pay their tribute vnto this Sea as well the smallest torrents as the largest chanels must send their presents so strictly it is commanded and the more strictly in that it is so often called for called for by the Law called for by the Gospell That which a father perceiuing through his age that death approcheth doth most counsell his children either by way of admonition or exhortation to shunne or follow the experience of his yeeres and his haires grauity doe seale the necessity of it to them and signifie especially if he often repeat it how worthily it is conceited of by him Moses in diuers messages from the Lord either by way of precept or explanation either exhorting or disswading either commanding or commenting vpon his former lawes or louing fauours often plainly presseth this duty as the Lords due and the peoples debt Often doth our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles propound it as a grace most excellent decipher it as a vertue most orient paint it out as a duty most pleasant in it selfe pleasing vnto nay the very pleasing of God and that in so high a degree as he graciously accepts it for in the Word that infallible Truth they imply that the affecting of his Maiestie in his account is the acting of his command and the fixing vpon him our loue is the fulfilling of the whole Law Mat. 22. Gal. 2. As he esteemes it highly accepts it heartily so doth he recompence it manifoldly with temporall spirituall and eternall blessings As for temporall without raine the earth is as brasse the ground as iron but to those that loue him hee that is faithfull cannot either deceiue or be deceiued he who is truth and cannot faile he who is wisdome and cannot erre hath promised that he will giue them raine Deut. 11.13 14. there 's a blessing in due time there 's the greatnesse of the blessing euen the first and the latter raine that is in the seed time and towards Haruest to this end that vnlesse they wilfully contemne his offred blessings of plenty and obstinately draw vpon their owne heads a curse of scarcity they may gather in their wheat their wine and their oile Corne without raine could not grow ripe and through raine vnseasonably falling we could not reape to haue it then is a blessing to want it a curse and to haue it out of season is rather a curse than a blessing In his giuing it then to them that loue him in due season lies the sweetnesse and marrow of the blessing but though the grapes be pressed and the wine sugred in the cup yet may a man bee depriued of it at the lip as was Ancaeus from whence arose that Adage Eras Adag chil 1. ceat 5. Multa cadunt inter calicem supremaque labra though a man bee in full expectation to reape 2 Sam. 14.30 yet a reuengefull Absolom may send to burne vp the fields of Ioab when his Corne is ripe and Samson by his Foxes frustrate the hope of the Philistins Jud. 15.5 hindring their fruitfull haruest Psal 128.2 but those that loue the Lord shall enioy the fruit of their labours and eat the labours of their hands No politike Achitophel no malicious Absolom no enuious Samson shal disappoint them their enemies must be cast out before them and their borders much inlarged and because all these may be enioyed and yet we not ioyned with him to this temporall hee addes spirituall blessings and such whereby we may perceiue him to be ours and vnited to vs in the bonds of loue And lest strangenesse in association should beget a strangenesse in his our mutuall affections lest discontinuance of communion should breed a dislike or disunion in opinion or lest want of societie should worke the violation of amity Christ promiseth that both his Father and He will descend from their glorious Thrones and Seats of Maiestie Iohn 1â— 29. and come vnto him that loueth him and make not as guests whose stay is momentary but as dwellers and Masters of the Mansion their abode with him to whom it is impossible that any spirituall blessing should be absent where the Author of all spirituall grace is present Can that field be vnrefreshed where a springing fountaine remaineth or can waters be wanting where is a liuing Well Heauenly graces necessarily there abound where the giuer of them abideth not for once but for euer for to those that loue him his blessings are eternall Many Conquerors doe enioy a crowne which is maintained attended with great care subiect to the greatest crosses nay the head which it adorneth many times is diuided from the body but he giues to them that loue him a Crowne of life Iam. 1.12 Many enioy the crowne but want power to possesse his Kingdome but
whereupon the Prophet Dauid perswadeth all the earth and all that dwell in the world to feare him Extraordinary acts imprint in men a reuerent awe to the Agent what our eare heareth our eye obserueth our iudgement apprehendeth to bee spoken seene or done and was not cast in our mould not portraied in our proportion not comprehensible in our iudgements leaueth in the heart a seale of an admiring reuerence and reuerent admiration Ieremy who with Iohn Baptist participated of the same manner of calling to their seuerall functions in contemplation of the Lords great power with whom none is to be compared seemes to bee peremptory and concludeth with a none-excepting-question-answering admiration Jer. 10.7 Who would not feare thee O King of nations Why did you Exod. 14.31 yee people of Israel yeeld such reuerence vnto the Lord testifie such feare of his name manifest such a we in his Worship Oh you that now liue would yee know the ground and cause of our fearing him The Mountaines which did hinder our passage were cast downe by the Lords power the Vallies which threatned our contempt were filled vp by his working the mighty men in Aegypt were discouraged and the meane ones were afraid by his might his power turned their waters into bloud so as they wanted to quench their thirst his power brought Frogs ouer all their land euen into their Kings houses odious to their choisest sights his power turned dust to Lice abhorred of their daintiest touch his power corrupted the earth with swarmes of Flies offen siue to their sweetest smels his power sent a murraine amongst their cattel so as prouision was hindred his power by casting vp ashes brought scabs vpon all their skinnes so as their beauty was spoiled by his power the Heauens opened their windowes and sent forth haile and fire mingled together haile of the nature to quench fire and fire of the nature to dry vp haile so as whosoeuer was in the fields felt but neuer reported the violence of them his power brought Grashoppers so as their Fruit was deuoured his power brought darknesse so as the comfort of seeing conferring associating one with another was denied his power depriued of life their first borne Gen. 49.3 their might the beginning of their strength the excellency of their dignity the excellency of their power the hope of their succession the comfort of their yeeres and the staffe of their age so as they became like water spilt vpon the earth as vnprofitable for any vse as it is without expectation of being gathered his power diuided their waters set vs free and put them in fetters so as they could not passe stopped their breath and brought their confusion These seized O yee sonnes of men vpon our soules filled our apprehensions with admiration of that great God which hath so confounded their counsels ouerthrowne their deuices and preuailed against their power who did resist his will and plot our woe hinder his Word and determine our ruine that wee cannot but feare him Tell me O Pharaoh what hath thy greatnesse got thee Greatnesse without godlinesse is become thy griefe in what hath thy sorcery preuailed for thee it could neither salue thy sore nor procure thy succour what hath thy wisdome produced to thee it could neither warne thee nor warrant thee against these plagues what goodnesse haue thy gods granted they could neither prouide for thy good nor preuaile against his greatnesse whose most contemptible creatures haue beene his mighty army to subdue thy might Him will I feare whose hand thou hast felt him will I reuerence whose power hath curbed thy peruersnesse Can I consider the counsell of the wise by him turned to folly the strength of the potent by him turned to impotency the malice of the enuious turned to their owne mischiefe and not feare him Oh the power of his feare With it my soule is rauished through it my heart is enlarged by it my affections are inflamed with a desire of and a delight in it When I suruey his rare vnexpected vnthought of preseruation of those that feare him and confusion of those that are disobedient to him let the waters cease to drowne the fire to burne winds to blow seas to boile earth their solidity Heauens their glory sooner than I to forget or cease to feare him for what Dauid feares not seeing Vzzah strucke to death 2. Sam. 6.9 for comming vpon what colour soeuer without the limits of his owne calling my flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements which worke feare of thee in the heart of the very Heathen The people whom the King of Ashur after he had caried away the Israelites placed in Samaria 2. King 17.24 25 26 27. were slaine by Lions and the superstitious policy of his Princes would prouide a remedy and send of the Priests to worship God in their owne fashion according to former custome of that Nation who being now a commixed people ver 33 34. performed a diuided seruice and are said to feare God and yet not to feare him It was rotten at the core faulty at the heart they feared him as a negligent seruant doth his master to auoid displeasure not as an obedient sonne his father to discharge his duty we must not feare as a Slaue doth a Tyrant in dread of his law but as a faithful subiect doth a fauourable Soueraigne out of loue That is the feare of the Reprobate which in time of extremity driues them from him and causeth them to murmure when they are afflicted This the feare of his children which in time of misery drawes them to him and causeth them to magnifie him when they are corrected Whence it is sometimes taken for his whole worship and may thus bee discerned by the effects it worketh whether we consider God our selues or others In respect of God finde me prayer patience piety praise and you cannot faile of his feare Where true feare hath taken sure possession there is feruent frequent prayer as Eliphaz the Temanite truly affirmed how vnaptly soeuer he applide it to Iob Surely saith he thou hast cast off feare Iob. 15.4 and restrainest prayer before God Note how confidently he doth affirme it his heart his affection his reason his soule and spirit were so possessed with the truth of this that there is no restraining of praier where the feare of God is that hee takes them to be inseparable and iustly for feare being the beginning of wisdome Prou. 9.10 foreseeth the danger and preuenteth it by prayer presents a blessing and procures it by prayer reuealeth Gods pleasure and obtaineth ability to obey it by prayer There is no good which is not truly disciphered no euill which is not liuely delineated by feare the one whereof is obtained and the other auoyded only by prayer Be it that hee deferreth to grant the suites we make conferreth not his blessings which we neede or withdraweth not his hand which
his prey and a Lionesse robbed of her whelpes pointing at his fury to a tender mother comforting her childe and a pittifull father compassionating his owne bowels painting out his mercy Sometimes saying that he is dreadfull yet to be delighted in fearefull yet fauourable terrible euen to the Kings of the earth and yet tender carrying his children vpon Eagles wings farre and free from any danger as loth to haue them harmed as the Apple of his owne eye hurt A God of wrath with his Bow bent Arrowes ready and Weapons prepared and yet a Sun to solace a Shield to shelter those that are afflicted Truly therefore did the sweet singer of Israel concerning him warble vpon his Harpe Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other For this is demonstrated by his works of both Mercy and Iustice wheresoeuer for the place on whomsoeuer for the persons manifested For the place whether in Heauen Earth or Hell In Heauen the persisting of the good Angels the ioyes prepared there for these blessed Saints who yet continue in their fleshly Tabernacles and enioyed there by those happy euer happy soules who in him haue remoued from their earthly mansions resound his mercy In Heauen his thence expelling the backsliding Angels and excluding out the cursed crue blazon his Iustice for his retinue in Heauen abide in their created condition by his goodnesse his redeemed on earth are restored to their former farre firmer felicity through his grace and the hellish reprobates are for their disobedience left altogether frustrate of any hope of Heauens happinesse in his anger In earth the seating of Adam before his fall as Soueraigne Viceroy and Lord Lieutenant ouer all his other creatures in Paradise a place of pleasure ready and fully furnished with all things to satisfie the minde and sustaine the body after his fall the fatherly calling fauourable conuenting mild examining of him nay his prouiding euen publishing the remedy to redresse his ruines Adam not so much as dreaming of much lesse desiring least of all endeuoring any dictate his Clemency But the sharpe inflicted censure vpon the serpent perswading and our first parents perpetrating that Act of disobedience their then present and for euer after perpetuall exile so duly deserued from that place so greatly abused declare his seuerity In hell the worme of conscience gnawing the firie flame scorching darknesse molesting the eies howling and gnashing of teeth possessing the eares bitternesse and vnquenchable thirst offending the taste sulphurious stench infesting the smell endlesse easelesse remedilesse paines surprising the touch To conclude in one word what must be continued beyond all worlds and is not to be expressed by any words sorrow without solace mourning without melody grieuous pangs without the least gladding pleasure paint out his fury yet euen there this doth point at his fauour that hee might at this present more seuerely punish them seeing by an infinite Maiestie offended by an incomprehensible deity disobeyed an endlesse torment might duly be exacted an vnspeakable torture might iustly be inflicted as well for the greatnesse as the continuance of the punishment as soone as the transgression was committed In that then their miseries are not more nor their sufferings more vnsufferable as yet is extended mercy towards those who are altogether miserable so as if we consider the place the Lord is seene both in heauen earth and hell neither wholly depriued of pitty nor fully possessed with displeasure The same wee may note in him if we glance at the persons on whom his workes of Iustice and Mercy are executed whether we suruey their diuersity or Identity The persons diuersity the Lord being mercifull to one at that time when he is iust to another contrarily against one furious when to another he is fauourable Thus when his wrathfull power made way to his indignation vtterly to consume Sodome and Gomorrha Gen. 19. at the same instant his mercifull Prouidence found out a path safely to conuey Lot and his family In like manner when his mercy staied the furious waters of the Red sea Exod. 14. for deliuering his chosen Israel his rage burst out by the same waters ouer the banks of that mercy and drowned the Egyptians The Lord as the Sun withdrawing his presence and light from one Nation at the same season disperseth the comfort of his raies vpon another region and as the fire hath a diuers operation extending its heate to things of different qualities softning hard wax and hardning soft clay in the same moment yet herein the Creator exceeds these creatures that he workes diuersly vpon the same subiect being both iust and mercifull mercifull and iust vnto men considered in the Identitie of their persons where without respect of or relation to any other the same man is the obiect of his actions be he bad or good The bad haue children at their desire leaue their substance for their babes their Tabernacles doe prosper Iob 12.6 and they themselues are in safety who prouoke God their bellies are filled with his rich treasure their riches doe so increase Psal 37.4 and their wealth commeth on so fast in their life is such a seeming blisse and in their death no bands that they doe euen what they list they are rauished with delight passe their daies in iollity make feasts like Kings drinke their Wine in bowles and stretch their bulks vpon beds of Iuory in this to them is extended Gods fauour but either in that instant they are besotted with a forgetfulnesse of Gods mercies sacrificing to their owne nets and of others miseries not thinking of Hab. 1.16 or not caring for the affliction of Ioseph or they are in the same moment arested with a sudden feare as the rich man in the Gospell or they are presently attached with a senslesse despaire as Nabal or at the last howsoeuer long first they are summoned to a dreadfull sentence as Diues so that as truly said Salomon that long-experienced much-obseruing King Prou. 14.13 either in laughing their hearts are sorrowfull or their mirth doth end in mourning either their inward griefes are vshered with outward gladnesse or their temporall prosperity attended on with eternall misery the one whereof in them is a badge of Gods louing bounty the other the very cognizance of the Lords iust punishing equitie But doe the bad only beare the badges of mercy and misery is he not also as well a Lion as a Lambe to the good before in after their conuersion Yes surely Before their conuersion as they differ not from the wicked in vnworthinesse so neither are they altogether free from the signes and suffering of his wrath threatnings sounding in their eares hell gnawing on their soules iudgement seasing on them and theirs whereby they cannot but discerne him iust Yet in that he is so patient in waiting for so diligent in working of their conuersion Esa 65.2 spreading his hands out early and late towards