the rockes and into the caves of the earth for the feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he arises to shake terribly the earth Apoc. 6.16 They shall say sayth Saint Iohn the Divine to the mountaines and rockes fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne This feare cares not how farre God and it bee asunder Like that fâ—are of the Egyptians Psal 105 38. Egypt was glad of the Israelites departure for they were afrayd of them But the filiall feare of God unites the heart to God it drives him who is possest of it unto God When David was in a great streight hee cries 2 Sam. 24.14 Let us fall into the hands of God And it is Gods promise Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare into their hearts and they shall never depart from me The feare of a slave provokes him to runne from his master the feare of a loving childe prompts him to apply himselfe the closer to his father In these sixe effects these two feares are differenced 4. And lastly they differ in regard of time and duration To wind them up together Slavish feare dreads not GOD in prosperity when all things smile and succeed according to expectation wish Because the wicked have no changes Psal 55.19 sayth the Psalmist therefore they feare not God He that filially feares God feares him at all times you may imagine it to be a misery a bondage to be alwaies in feare but the contrary is true of this feare Happy is that man that feareth alwayes Pro. 28.14 sayth Salomon The righteous man feares not God by fits and starts Hee feares most when hee is most prosperous He thinkes that the greatest calmes are but fatall and immediate fore-runners of the lowdest tempests When the Churches had rest and comfort in the holy Ghost Acts 9.31 even then they walked in the feare of the Lord. They think with St. Bernard Tum magis irascitur cum non irascitur Bern. when they are spared too long that then God is most angry when hee seemes least angry When they sinne unpunished they cry with Saint Austin Nâ—leâ—â—re in sâ—â—â— erdiam Aug. Lord let mee have none of this mercie lest it prove but a reservation of mee to greater misery In a word hee that feares God slavishly feares little longer than the rod is on his backe It was the guise of K. Pharaoh 1 King 21. three last reâ—ses and K. Ahab when the pang was off they stil hardened their hearts and ran their old Bias. 1 King 12.18.19 We finde Ahab fasting and humbling himselfe in one Chapter and the next newes we heare of him in the next Chapter is he is quarrelling with the Prophet for telling the truth Nay this feare turnes into a greater security as the anvill is harder for beating as hot water cooling growes colder than ever it was afore But the filiall feare of God is a lasting feare it endures for ever saith David Psal 19.9 the spirit of the feare of the Lord is not flitting Esay 11.2 it rests on him on whom it pitches Let us all try our faces at this glasse it is no flattering one it will tell you truely whether your feare bee of the right stampe whether stampe whether it will stand you in stead or no. CHAP. X. Of those signes that discover whether we feare God more than man or man more than God THere are signes of a third rank that will make a full discovery to us whether we feare man more than God or God more than man 1. They that study more to please man than to please God they that passe not to displease God so they humour men they feare man more than God If I yet seeke to please men Gal. 1.10 I am no servant of Christ As if he should say I cannot feare Christ as a servant shold feare his master if I seeke to please men Would any of you judge that a servant did feare his master more than other men if his daily care were to please other men rather than his master Gal. 3.22 It is not for nothing that Saint Paul opposeth man pleasing to fearing of God implying that light and darknesse can as well consist together as sycophanticke slavish pleasing of man can stand with the feare of God Who doubts but that at that time Aaron feared man more than God when to condescend to the peoples fancie hee made gods for them to worship in Moses absence Exod. 32.22.23.24 Whether did Pilate feare God or man most when to content the people hee released Barabbas Mark 15.15 and delivered Iesus to bee crucified When Herod the King vexed the Church of God and killed Iames with the sword Acts 12.1.2 3. and because he saw it pleased the Ieas hee proceeded further to take Peter also as it is writ of him will any man say that Herod feared God more than man On the contrary part they that feare God more than man though in all indifferent things hee will please men as St. Paul testifies of himselfe 1 Cor. 10. last verse I sayth he please all men in all things that is in all lawfull things for the profit of many that they may be saved 1 Cor 9.20.21.22 Vnto the Iewes sayth hee I became as a Iew that I might gaine the Iewes to them that are under the law as under the law that I might gaine them that are under the law to them that are without law as without law that I might win them to the weake I became as weake that I might gain the weake I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes gaine some Yet in those things that are not adiaphorous indifferent but either necessary or unlawfull they will not yeeld a haires bredth though to please the greatest and their best benefactors And therefore the question of those that feare God is not what man but what God will bee pleased with as it was their question though with other intention in the Prophet Micha 6.7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes or with ten thousand rivers of oyle 1 Thess 2.4 We speak sayth Saint Paul not as pleasing man but God who trieth our hearts That preacher who feares God more than man will in the pulpit speake his conscience with modesty good discretion even to the faces of the highest Grandees and Magnificoes of the World though hee knowes it will prove harsh untuneable and unwelcome to their eares When King Ahab sent for Michaiah to prophesie to him hee was desired to speake as the Prophets afore him spake that which was good and might please the King his answer was 1 King 22.13.14 As the Lord lives what the Lord sayth unto me that I will speake As if he should say Tel not mee what other Prophets have sayd what God puts into my
to bring it into act till after he fell As Adam standing had a power a facultie in him to bee pittifull if there had been an object whereupon to exercise his pitty And there is no question but in his innocent estate he feared God with the feare of honour reverence and observance Next for the Angels and Saints in heaven though that place will admit of no feare of punishment because no evill is possibly incident to the blessed for the celestiall pararadise is a mansion of eternall security wherin the enioyers are not onely safe but sure they are safe Et silvi securt But yet it doth not derogate from their happinesse to say that those that are in heaven doe feare God with a feare of honour and reverence which St Austin calles a secure feare Timor securus Aug. And Gregorie in his Morals speaking of those words in Iob the pillars of heaven tremble sayth Job 26.11 The powers in heaven stand in awe in the contemplation of God Virtutes coelestes in Dei contemplatione contremiscunt Greg. Non timor paenalis sed â—dmtrationis which feare he saith is not a penall feare but a feare of admiration extasie astonishment at the transcendent immensity of Gods glory And wee shall offer no violence to that Psal 19.9 The feare of God endures for ever and that Ier. 32.39 I will give them a heart to feare mee for ever if wee fasten this sence upon them CHAP. V. How the feare of God can stand with the love of God with joy faith and hope in God IT may be questioned next How the feare of God can consist and stand with the love of God and with joy faith and hope in God since it is sayd that perfect love casteth out feare 1 Ioh 4.18 and feare ioy feare and faith feare hope seem to bee plain contraries and to exclude each other To resolve which doubts we must know 1. For the love of God that though nothing is more opposite than sincere love and slavish feare yet none are more neare deare companions than love and the filiall feare of God Nothing is more fearfull than his love and nothing is more loving than his feare Where there is love Res est solliciti plâ—â—â— timo 〈…〉 there is a feare of the wronging of the thing beloved Love fulfills the Law sayth S. Paul And to feare God and obey him is the whole duty of man sayth Salomon Love is a grace that unites and knits the heart to God and feare is an uniting grace Psal 86.11 Vnite my heart to feare thy name sayth David I will put my feare into their hearts Jer. 32.40 and they shall not depart from me sayth God Feare and love keepe a man equally close to God And the same promises are made to love and feare in the Psalmist Psal 145.18.19 2. The case is as cleare for joy in God If feare and joy did expell each other David would never have said Rejoyce with trembling Psal 2.11 neither would he have joyned these two counsels together Feare the Lord Psal 112.1 and rejoyce greatly in his Commandements Hee that feares to offend God hath most cause of joy Gaudebit sapious coetert lasciviunt Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 14. Mat. 28.8 He that feares God is truly joyfull others are but wanton It is sayd of the two Maries that they departed with feare and great joy So that great joy and feare may stand together 3. The feare of God is no more an enemy to faith in God Noah beleeved that God would bring an universall deluge upon the world and yet save him from it and therefore beeing moved with feare hee prepared an Ark. Heb. 11.7 Noah being warned of God in faith and feare built an Arke Nothing is more common with David than to put faith and feare together Taste sayth he Psal 34.8.9 and see how good the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him O feare the Lord all yee his Saints for there is no want to them that feare him The promises are made unto feare if therefore you feare God you may on that ground beleeve that God wil make his promises good to you You shall finde feare joy and faith linked together in two verses in the Psalme All men shall feare God Psal 6â— two last verses the righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust in him Therfore the righteous feare God because they beleeve that God is just and powerfull And therefore many doe not feare God because they doe not beleeve Besides hee that stedfastly beleeves that God will save him wil not therefore presume but feare to dishonour so gracious a God 4. Feare and hope kisse each other also He that hopes sayth the Apostle purifies himself 1 Ioh. 3.3 that is he feares to present his God with an unpurified heart No man thinkes that that man hopes to rise who feares not to vex crosse and abuse his Prince A loyall subiect who feares to moove his Prince is the man of hopes And therefore David chaines feare and hope together The eye of the Lord sayth hee is upon them that Psal 33.18 feare him upon them that hope in his mercie And againe Psal 147.11 the Lord takes pleasure in those that feare him in those that hope in his mercie If the Soule triumph then in the Chariot of Grace whereof Love Ioy and Hope be three of the wheels I know not why the feare of God may not be a fourth wheele The Soule standing on these foure is like a foure square stone which way soever you cast it it falles right CHAP. VI. How far the filial feare of God may stand with the feare of Man THE filiall feare of God may stand 1. With the feare of reverence due unto men as they are subordinate unto God as they are the Deputies of God on earth God allowes that the sonne should honour his father and the servant his master and on this very ground hee challenges feare and honor to himselfe If then sayth hee I bee a Father where is my honor Mal. 1.6 If I be a Master where is my feare This feare of Man Saint Paul imposeth on us all Render to all their due Rom. 13.7 feare to whom feare honour to whom honour belongs and his reason is in the fore-going verse For they are Gods Ministers Hee cannot feare and reverence God whom doth not feare and reverence those that are Gods substitutes And therfore Salomon knew what he did when hee put these two duities together My son feare thou the Lord Pro. 24.21 and the King Feare the Lord first and most but yet feare the king too who is Gods Vicegerent on earth These two are not like the Arke and Dagon they will both stand under the roof of one heart Who feared God more than David and yet who feared King Saul more than hee
him 1 Pet. 2.17 Feare God honour the King sayth S. Peter Children must feare their parents Yee shall feare every man his mother and his father Leuit. 19.3 sayth Moses God in their parents and their parents in and for God First God and then their parents Wives must feare and reverence their husbands Let the wife see that shee feare her husband Eph. 5. last verse sayth Saint Paul Servants must feare their masters Servants be obedient to your masters according to the flesh Col. 3.22 with feare and trembling sayth Saint Paul who else-where conjoynes the obedience to masters with the feare of God Servants sayth he bee obedient to your masters in all things Ephes 6.5 not with eye-service but in singlenesse of heart fearing God That is fearing God in their masters and their masters for Gods sake 8. Wee must feare God above all the creatures in the world though all their force and vigour were united together This is the meaning of that of our Saviour Mat. 10.28 Feare not them that can kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but seare him who is able to kill both body and soule Feare not him that can kill the body that is feare not him so much as God Shal wee feare the creature and not God for whose sake only wee feare the creature for what strength hath any creature where with God invests it not What can any creature doe for thee or against thee that God cannot doe What can any man doe against or for thee that God doth not permit and that he cannot interupt or revoke The strength of all creatures combined together is but infirmity weaknes to Gods power human policy is folly to Gods wisdome Wee feare a giant more then an infant a mountaine then a molchill a flame then a sparke a sea then a drop why then feare wee not God more then al things Lastly We must feare God alwayes constantly without intermission or interruption In youth in age in adversity in prosperity Iosh 4.24 That you might feare the Lord your God for ever sayth Ioshua 1 Kings 18.12 I have feared the Lord my God from my youth Psal 72.5 saith Obadiah They shall feare then as long as the Sunne Pro. 23.17 and moone endureth sayth David Bee thou in the feare of the Lord all the day long saith Salomon Many duties there are that are sometimes out of season but the feare of the Lord never Thus I have displayd afore the readers eye the manner how wee ought to manage our feare of God Wherein I have studied plainenes to leave the lowest capacities without excuse In matter of direction in a duty wherin depends life or death it is absurd to walke in clouds or to use the enticing words of mans wisedome CHAP. XVII The meanes whereby the feare of God may bee wrought and increased Next to the manner how wee ought to feare God The meanes whereby this feare is ordinarily ingenerated confirmed and increased come next to hand 1. Bee a companion of all them that feare God Psal 119.63 as David professeth that hee was The company of bold fool-hardy wretches that dare venture upon any sinne is the next way to make thee who ever thou art fearelesse and carelesse till sudden unrecouerable mischief fal upon thee Megnâ— tibi cusledia necessariaest qui ante oculos judicis vivis cuncta cernentis Bern. Medit. 2. The hourely consideration of Gods al-secing ey will keepe the feare of God lively and fresh in the heart That man cannot but bee fearefull and carefull that thinkes with himselfe that hee lives alwayes in the eyes of such a Iudge that is the great and unswayed spectator of all things 3. Reade and heare the word of God frequently and diligently there O Christian thou wilt finde what God is and what the fear of God is and what unanswerable reasons thou hast to feare him Deut 4.10 Gather the people sayth God I will make them heare my words that they may learne to feare me All the people shall heare and feare sayth Mâ—ses And againe Deut. 17.13 Deut 31.13 that their children may heare and learne to feare the Lord. The soule is in the care what knowest thou but that upon thy constant attendance on this sacred ordinance God may strike the speeding blow and worke his feare in thee Lastly we must daily and zealously pray to him whom we ought to feare to implant this his feare in us David will put words into our mouthes Psal 86. â—1 Lord unite my heart to feare thy name Arowse our drowsie leaden and secure spirits and cause the spirit of thy feare to rest upon us that at all times in all places above all things we may feare thee Much more might be added but he who conscionably uses these meanes cannot bee a stranger to the feare of GOD. You will say these means are but ordinary and plaine The better what wise Phisitian will goe a chymicall curious way to cure a patient when knowne remedies will doe the deed That were onely to try conclusions upon the patient Wee use to say plain iron may do that Ferrwn potest quod aurum non potest that gold cannot doe You cannot now say the way is dark for you have had sufficient direction nor that the well is deepe and you have no bucket to draw with for wholesome meanes have been prescribed If we now feare not God it is because we will not The next worke then must bee to bow our perverse wils and to provoke our cold dull affections to this transcendent grace CHAP. XVIII Arguments for and motives unto the feare of God AND now what incentives shall I use to worke our affections to this feare Let us looke but upon Gods little booke his word and upon his great booke of nature the world and there is no line in the one nor thing in the other but argueth hard and powerfully pleadeth for the feare of God But not to let my discourse loose into a hedgelesse field let us remember 1. The surpassing excellencie of this grace in it selfe It is an epitome an abstract of all religion That which Moses calleth feare Deu. 6.13 our Saviour quoting that place Mat. 4.10 calles worship And in the Greeke the same words doe signifie feare and religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if all religion lay in this feare When the Scripture would â—â—â—escribe a good 〈◊〉 denominateth 〈◊〉 from the feare of God As a tradesman commonly takes his name from that wherein hee most dealeth It was the stile of Obadiah Hee feared God greatly 1 Kin. 18.3 And of Hananiah Hee feared God above many Nehe. 7.2 And of Iob Hee feared God Nay Iob 1.1 the feare of God is the Alpha and Omega Et principuna praeâ—ipuum the beginning and end the complement and perfection of all Salomon calles it Pro. 1.7 Eccl.
his heart smot him for cutting off but the skirt of K. Saul his garment 1 Sam. 24.4.5 Let the Pope whose religion is rebellion Forme of prayer on Novem. 5. and whose faith is faction perswade his mis-led fooles and his sworne slaves that to feare God and to kill Kings at his command are two vertues of one house Iam. 3.17 They whose religion is from above pure and peaceable know that light and darknesse heaven and hell God and the divell may as well have fellowship together The feare of God doth neither make voyd nor weaken this feare of observance towardes man but rather confirme and establish it 2. Wee may filially feare God and yet feare man with a feare of caution that is wee may feare the persecution and the societie of evill men 1. Wee may feare their persecutions our Saviour will justifie us in it Behold sayth he I send you forth as sheepe in the midst of wolves Mat. 10.16.17.23 Be yee therefore wise as Serpents and beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Councels they wil scourge you in their Synagogues But when they shall persecute you in one Citie flye into another Moses fled from Pharaoh David from Saul Eliah from Iezebel Nay our Saviour himselfe from the Iewes Luke 4.29.30 when they would have cast him downe a hill When Athanasius was persecuted by the Arrians hee made this motion to his friends Secedamus ad tempus nubecula est quae citò evanescet Let us step aside for a time till this tempest bee overpast it will not bee long afore this little cloud vanishes And when his persecutors upbraided him with his flight he returned this answer to them Si sugere mihi turpe vobis me persequi turpius If it be a shame for me to flie it is a greater shame for you to persecute me Thus we may feare persecution 2. We may feare the societie of bad men both for the infection and the danger of it 1. We have just cause to feare the contagion of ill company Grex totus magris unius scabie cadit Iuv. Cum inter homines fui redeo inbumanior Sen. When I have been among men sayth Seneca I returne from them more inhumane Beware sayth Christ of false prophets who come to you in sheeps clothing Mat. 17.15 but within are ravening wolves Like our sneaking Masse-priests that pretend a pitty towardes our soules Haeretici sub specie corsulendi agunt negotium seducendi Greg. Mot. but their end is to make us seven-fold more the children of the Divell Heretickes act seducers under the habits of Counsellors And of such Saint Paul forewarnes us gives us their Character Traytors heady 2 Tim. 3.4.5 high-minded having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof From such turne away 2. We have authority for fearing as the infection so the danger of ill societie by no lesse than a voyce from heaven Come out from Babylon my people Rev. 18.4 lest you bee partakers of her sins and of her plagues We read in Ecclesiasticall history that S. Iohn the Apostle being in a Bath at Ephesus wherin Cerinthus a grand Hereticke was bathing himselfe he leaped out of the Bath as if he had spied a serpent and with these words in his mouth I feare lest the ground should sink under me whereon such a mortall enemy of the truth stands So then the feare of God may stand with Nay what if I say it cannot stand without this kinde of feare of men Besides I must adde to prevent all mistake that Gods dearest saints and servants may bee tempted though not habitually yet actually to feare Man more than God The feare of man moved Abraham to deny his wife Sarah Gen. 20.2 so that shee might have beene exposed to Abimelechs lust The feare of K ng Saul moved Samuel to refuse to goe at Gods command 1 Sam. 16.1.2 to annoynt David King Davids feare of King Achish 1 Sam. 21.12.23 moved him to the dishonour both of religion and manhood to faine himselfe mad to scrabble on the dores and to let fall his spittle on his beard afore king Achish Ionah the Prophet Iona 1.2.3 his feare of the Ninivites moved him when hee was sent by God one way to flye another Iona 1.2.3 The feare of man moved Peter to deny Christ his master with an oath Mat. 26.69 and a bitter execration And yet when the Saints thus feare men 1. The Spirit of the feare of God hath residence in them Those that are in heaven are all spirit and no flesh the wicked on earth are all flesh and no spirit The saints on earth are partly flesh and partly spirit new converts are more flesh lesse spirit Ancient standers in the schoole of Grace are more spirit lesse flesh In all the faithfull there is a combate betweene the flesh and the spirit Gal. 5.17 The flesh and the spirit are contrary to each other so that we cannot doe the things that we would The spirit is willing but the flesh is weake A Christian betweene these two is like a peece of iron between two load-stones the one drawes one way and the other the other way like a horse under an unskilfull rider that spurres him on and reines him in Sometimes the spirit hath the better of the flesh sometimes the flesh hath the upper hand of the spirit sometimes the carnall feare of man prevailes against the filiall feare of GOD. When the Saints are thus shaken and winnowed by the reliques of sin in them and by the temptation of Sathan they are not hereby proved to bee chaffe though it appeares that they are not without chaffe 2. As this feare of men in good men is not separated from the true feare of God so neither from the true love of God When S. Peter denied Christ he did not hate Christ Non odio habendo Christum sâ—d scipsum nimis amando only he loved himselfe too much saith Saint Bernard It is one thing for a man to fall throgh the feare of the world another thing to fall through the love of the world for he that loves the world hates God if wee beleeve S. Iames Iam. 4.4 But hee that sometimes over-feares the world may yet both dearly love and sincerely feare God 3. When hee that feares God doth thus over-feare man hee doth it not with the uninterrupted swing of his affection but hee resists this carnall feare and heartily desires that it were wholly expelled and that the feare of God in him were perfect and unmixed Thy servants desire to feare thy name Nehem. 1.11 sayth Nehemiah The feare of man in them is a tyrant that forces their subjection not their King to whom they freely yeeld their homage 4. When the filiall fearers of God doe fall thus through the feare of men they fall not upon premeditation but suddenly beeing surprized by
12.13 Eccl. 1.6.20 the beginning of wisedome and the conclusion of all It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the root of wisedome Eccl. 1.23 It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulnesse of wisedome It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the crowne of wisedome I had need of the tongue of men Angels to give it its due prayse and full character But 2. Let us turne our eyes upon God the object of this feare we will find that he deserveth may challenge our feare and when we speake of God we will with David give him this addition God who ought to be feared For Psa 76. 11 1. He is omnipresent omniscient The eyes of the Lordin every place behold the evill Prov. 15.3 and the good therefore in every place stand in awe of him If a man were sure that his princes eye were alwayes upon him how fearefull how wary wold hee bee in all his carriage Feare him saith Aug. whose constant care it is to looke upon thee and walke chastly or if thou wilt needs offend seek some retired place wherein God cannot see thee then doe thy pleasure What height of Atheisme is it to feare the eye of a child and not to feare God his alseeing eye 2. Hee is omnipotent able to save I am 4.12 to destroy saith Iames now power is the proper object of seare Thou even thou saith David Psal 76.7 art to bee seared who may stand in thy sight who thou art angry and therfore God might well with indignation ask the question Ier. 5.12 Feare you not me will ye not trèble at my presence who have placed the sand for abound of the sea by a perpetuall decree the waues though they tosse roare cannot passe it Our lives our soules are in Gods hands Hee hath the keies of death of hell Thou turnest man to destructioÌ„ Psal 90.3 Mat. 10 28 saith David Hee is able to cast both body and soule into hel And shall wee not feare him Our Saviour redoubleth his words Luke 12.5 feare him yea I say unto you feare him afore whom man is but as a moth as the dust of the ballance 3. God is as just as Iealous as severe as powerfull Hee will not spare his owne children the aples of his eye the signets on his right hand if they wilfully offend him You only saith God to Israel have I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will be sure to punish you for all your iniquities Amos 3.2 Rom. 8.32 Nay he would not spare his onely son when heewold stand in the place of sinners Now what guilty man feares not an austere upright unswayd Iusticer What child feares not an angry fathers what servant feares not his incensedmaster Do you know what Gods anger is The fire kindled in his wrath burnes to the lowest hell as saith God Deut. 32.22 Psal 2. last verse If his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him saith David Doe they provoke mee to anger Ier. 7.19 saith the Lord doe they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces Heb. 10.31 It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God sayth Saint Paul Heb. 12. two last verses Serve the Lord with feare for hee is a consuming sire sayth the same Apostle And who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings Isay 33.14 sayth the Prophet 4. God is gracious therefore feare him There is mercie with thee Psa 130.4 that thou mayest bee feared sayth the Psalmist A loving wife is fearfull to offend an indulgent husband An obedient childe is fearfull to offend a carefull father And shall wee turne Gods grace into wantonnesse and slight him for his kindnesse That were pitty 5. There is none so holy as the Lord 1 Sam. 2.2 sayth Hannah therefore wee ought to feare and reverence him King Herod feared Iohn Baptist Mar. 6.20 because hee was a just and a holy man and hee observed him sayth the Text. Shall a wicked man feare a man who is holy onely by participation â—â—â—d â—hall not we feare 〈◊〉 whose Essene is holines it selfe It is Davids argument Worship reverence God Psal 99.5 for he is holy 6. What ever God is in himselfe sure we are he is our God our Lord our master our father All which are strong obligations up on us to feare him Sanctifie the Lord of hosts Isay 8.13 let him bee your feare and dread There is one reason He is God But more then that hee is our Lord If I be father where is my honour If I be a master where is my feare Mala. 1.6 saith God Hee claimes our feare by this undoubted right It is Saint Peters inference If you call him father 1 Pet. 1.17 passe the time of your soiourning here in feare Lastly If wee regard not the duty for its owne sake nor for Gods sake yet let us feare God for our own sake For 1. The feare of God hath temporall promises annexed to it What doest thou desire the feare of God will make thee owner of it worldst thou have rest and ease and estate for thy selfe and thine this feare bring it what man is he saith David that feareth the Lord Psal 25.12 13. his soule shall dwell at ease his seed shal inherit the earth Wouldest thou not bee brought to poverty penury then fear God There is no want to them that feare the Lord Psal 34.9 saith David Woldst thou live long why the feare of the Lord prolongeth dayes Pro. 10.27 saith Salomon woldst thou have plentiful issue it is promised to the fearers of GOD. Woldst thou be content with thy present estates Psal 128. Hee that hath the feare of the Lord shall abide satis fied saith Salomon In a word God counts nothing too deere for such By the feare of the Lord are riches Pro. 22.4 honor life saith Salomon Either thou shalt enioy all these things or that which is equivalent to them or better then them or thou shalt be content with thy present state Better is a little with the feare of the Lord Pro. 15.16 then a great treasure But 2 all this is but drosse to the spirituall fruites of the feare of God For 1. It is the mother of wisedome Pro. 1.7 What man is hee that feares God Psal 25.12.14 him shall he teach in the way that hee shal choose saith David The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him and hee will shew them his covenant Hee that feareth God shall bee acquainted with the pith and marrow of Gods wil when others shall scarce pierce the bark of it this is true wisedome to be wise to a mans selfe Pro. 9.12 every fearer of God is A prudent man foreseeth the evill Pro. 27.12 and hideth himselfe under the wings of Gods