degrees and extents of their operations The second distinction The second distinction is this that there is a forced feare and a voluntary feare of God 1. The forced is the guilty the slavish feare For he that is possessed with it labours to drive it away to drown it with drinking merriment joviall company vaine discourse or obscene songs as the ancient Italians would confound the noyce of thunder with the sound of Bells This was Belshazzars feare Dan. 5.5.6 when God sent a hand to write his doome upon the wall afore his face hee would faine have continued his mirth but it would not be for will he nill he his countenance was changed his thoghts troubled him so that the joynts of his loyns were loosed and his knees knockt one against the other Such was the feare of Felix the Romane Governour when he sent for Paul to speake before him hee was so farre from thinking that Paul should terrifie him that hee thought to terrifie Paul For when S. Pa l reasoned of Righteousnesse Act. 24.24.25 and Temperance and the Iudgement to come Felix trembled And he dismissed Saint Paul that he might rid himselfe of those fits and qualmes of feare 2. There is a voluntary free unconstrained feare of God and such is the filiall feare A feare that is desired and prized by him that feares It is thirsted after Nehem. 1.11 We desire to feare thy Name sayth Nehemiah It is prayed for Vnite my heart to feare thy Name Psa 86.11 sayth David It is a feare that a Saint dedicates and gives up himselfe unto Psa 119.38 Thy servant sayth David who is devoted to thy feare It is a feare that by the fearer is esteemed and valued at a high rate The feare of the Lord is his treasure Esay 33.6 This is the second distinction The thrid distinction is this The third distinction There is a fourefold feare of GOD. 1. A feare that flowes from the Spirit of God but is not resident in the heart with the Spirit of God and this is that initiall feare that paves a path for the Spirit of Adoption and for the true filiall feare The Spirit workes many a common grace in that heart wherein it selfe is not as it works this feare As the Sun afore it riseth darts light into that part of the heaven and ayre wherein he himselfe is not This feare is from the Spirit but not with the Spirit 2. There is a feare where the Spirit of God is and yet it flows not from the Spirit as many things may be done by children or servants in a house where the father or master is and yet they may not be the authors of them Thus a soule that is the mansion of the holy spirit of God may harbour in it carnall distrustfull feares and cares that the Spirit of GOD hath no hand in This was Davids feare that was joyned with a diffidence in Gods many promises made unto him to the contrary I shall perish one day 18 am 27.1 saith he by the hand of Saul This feare was with but not from the Spirit 3. There is a feare that neither proceedes from nor is joyned with the Spirit of God Such is that unsanctified slavish feare that turnes the affection from God and moves a man to flie from God It was the fear of those in the Psalmist that were in feare where no feare was Psal 53.3.5 and yet they turned back from God they were filthy they devoured Gods people they called not upon God This feare is neither with nor from the Spirit There is a feare that hath the holy Spirit of God both for its original and also its companion like that day light that is both with and from the Sunne this is filiall feare The Spirit of God is stiled the spirit of this feare Isai 11.2 because it is both from the Spirit and with the Spirit These distinctions beeing well weighed wil cast such beames of light upon the matter in quest that hee that runnes may read the full comprehension of the nature of the feare of God CHAP. III. How God being the chiefest good can bee feared IF it bee demanded how GOD beeing good in himselfe and good to all can be feared seeing wee usually feare onely evill T is answered 1. That we may feare God with a feare of honour and regard If I be a father sayth God where is my honour Matth. 1.6 If I be a master where is my seare In that text feare and honour are all one 2. Though God bee good and wee cannot feare him as euill yet we may feare a losse of and a sepâ—ration from our good GOD the more good any thing is the more wee feare the cutting off of our interest in it And in this sense are those wordes of S. Nihil timemus nisi neid juod amanous aut adeptum amittamus aut non adipiscamur speratum Aug. Austine to bee taken We feare good in fearing lest wee should lose that good wee enjoy or not obtaine that good wee desire or hope for 3. We may feare our God though hee bee good because hee is a great and a just God who is able to save and to destroy I am 4.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. l. 2. c. 5. as St. Iames speakes Those things saith Aristotle are to be feared which have an apparent power to inflict great punishments upon us and to doe us much hurt And this agrees with that of our Saviour Feare him who is able to destroy both body and soule Math. 10.28 All punishment comes from God but in that respect punishment is good because it is a worke of Iustice Thus wee may feare GOD though he be good Lastly wee may bee fearfull of offending God in the ingenuity of our dispositions because he hath been and is every way so good a God unto us Psal 30.4 1 Sam. 12.24 There is mercie with thee that thou mayst bee feared saith David And these two duties are joyned together Feare the Lord and Consider what great things hee hath done for you Wee feare God not onely for that evill that hee may do against us but also for that good that hee hath done for us Nay feare of God is thing so proper that some deriv◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of God from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies feare And why is GOD sayd to bee fearfull in prayses Exod. 15.11 but because we both feare and prayse him for his greatnesse and his goodnesse The object both of feare and prayse may be the same And to this sounds that of the Prophet They shall feare the Lord Hosea 3.5 and his goodnesse in the latter dayes CHAP. IIII. Whether Adam in the state of innocencie feared God and whether the Angels and Saints in heaven feare God ADAM had the naturall affection of feare in his Soule while he stood though he had no occasion
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
Mal. 2.5 He was afraid afore my Name that is he was reverent in my worship And therefore these two are joyned together in St. Iohn Feare God Rev. 14.7 and glorifie and worship him To glorifie God in a reverent worshipping of him is to feare God It is the song of the Saints in heaven Who shall not feare thee Rev. 15.4 O Lord and glorifie thy Name For all Nations shall come and worship before thee Summe up all it amounts to this He that feares God reverences the name of God hohours the messengers of God hee behaves himselfe reverently in the place of Gods worship in the parts of Gods worship in prayer in preaching in hearing in administring and participating the holy Sacrament On the other side hee that can blasphemously tosse and teare the awfull name of God by hellish swearing and divellish cursing hee that can take the sacred name of God into his mouth when there is little or no thought of it in his heart Esa 29.13 hee that disesteemes undervalues despises scornes mocks the messengers of God hee that puts no difference betweene Gods house his owne 1 Cor. 11.22 between the sacramentall Bread and Wine cōsecrated to configure such mysteries 1 Cor. 11.29 common bread wine he that can willingly sleep or otherwise regardlesly oscitantly demeane himselfe in the service of his God he hath no feare of God afore his eyes 2. Hee that feares God will thirst to bee fully acquainted with the whole will of God that so through ignorance or mistake hee may neither neglect what God commands nor doe what hee forbids nor misdoe nor over-doe any thing This is called proving or searching what is the good and acceptable will of God Rom. 12.2 what hee accepts what hee mislikes It was King Davids prayer Psa 86.11 Teach mee thy way O Lord unite my heart to feare thy name He manifests his desire to feare God by desiring that GOD would teach him his way This he requests more than once in one Psalme Psal 119.12 26.33 teach mee thy statutes teach mee the way of thy statutes As that sonne that feares his father will punctually inquire into his fathers disposition and wil what he likes what displeases him But he that takes no care to build up himself in the knowledge of the will of God but contents himselfe with ignorance nay it may bee winks against the light the beames whereof would otherwise dart into and irradiate up on his soule on purpose that hee might sin more freely without check of conscience Gravis mile cons ientiae lux est◠en Epist 123. which being enlightened would doe its office in accusing That man doth not feare God Of this stampe were those whereof Iob speakes Iob. 21.14 that sayd unto God We desire not the knowledge of thy wayes and that say to the Seers See not and to the Prophets Isa 30.10 Prophesie not unto us right things speake smooth things As if they shold say Doe you looke for thankes of us for preaching freely and frequently wee would you wold preach lesse you would give us better content There is sayth David no feare of God afore the wicked mans eyes Psal 36.1.2 How doth that appeare By this He flatters himself and hee desires to be flattered Hee would not willingly know the plain truth he loves to drinke in troubled waters that hee might not see his own deformitie nor understand his dutie 3. Hee that feares God hath a soft melting yeelding pliable heart to all good impressions I am afrayd of God sayth Iob◠for he maketh my heart soft Iob. 23 1◠6 Isa◠48.4 Ier. 3 3. But hee that hath a brow of brasse a whoores fore-head an iron sinew an adamantine heart a perverse thwart crosse will that neither threats nor promises neither mercies nor judgements can dissolve or mollifie that man owns not the feare of God Therefore it is that the feare of God and hardnesse of heart are opposed one to another by Salomon Blessed is he that feareth alwayes Prov. 28.14 but he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischiefe Our hearts are hardened from thy feare sayth the Prophet Esa 63.17 4. Hee that feares God will tremble at Gods comminations in his word This is poverty and contritenesse of spirit to tremble at Gods word Isa 66.2 as it is in the Prophet When I heard sayth Habakkuk my belly trembled my lips quivered Hab. 3.16 〈◊〉 rottennesse entred into my bones When Micha prophesied of the destruction of Ierusalem King Hezekiah feared the Lord Ier. 26.18.19 and besought him to avert the evill When Baruch read the booke of Gods threatnings in the eares of the Princes the text sayth Ier. 36.15.16 they were afrayd both one and other But hee that hearing the words of this Book of GOD Deut. 29.19 1 Thes 5.3 Amos 6.3 blesseth himselfe in his heart and promises himselfe peace and safety and puts from him the evill day Hee that thinkes pulpit threats to be but Bug-beares and Scar-crowes to affright children with and is no more mooved with them than the seat hee sits on That man hath no feare of God afore his eyes 5. He that truly feares God is in love with the feare of God hee rejoyces in it hee cherishes it he wisheth the increase of it The Saints desire to feare thy name Nehem. 1.11 sayth Nehemiah Thy servant is devoted to thy feare Psal 119.38 sayth the sweet singer of Israel But he that resolves to lead a merry life to take nothing to heart to sing care away and to stop the mouth of conscience when it chideth hee knowes not experimentally what the feare of GOD meanes 6. Hee that feares God when he conceiveth he hath provoked God to anger he never ceaseth praying intreating the prayers of others interposing the merits of Christ between every word of his prayer his heart is in unconstant rest till his peace be made with God till he finde God reconciled to him Thus did David lively expresse his feare of God According to the multitude of thy tender mercies Psal 51.1.28 6.11.12 blot out all my transgressions wash me throughly from my iniquitie and cleanse me from my sinne Cast me not from thy presence Make mee to heare the voyse of ioy that the bones that thou hast broken may reioyce Restore to me the ioy of thy salvation How long wilt thou hide thy face Psal 89.46.49 for ever And shall thy wrath burne like fire Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses But he that because sentence against sinne is not speedily executed Eccles 8.11 12. sets his heart to do evill and thinkes that God hath forgotten and so runnes on the score and never thinks of agreeing with his maker and making up the breach hee is a stranger to the feare of God 7. Hee that feares God doth at all times and in all places set himselfe as in
the presence of God As David set God alwayes afore his eyes Psal 16.8 Psal 139.2.4 7.8.9 Thou knowest sayth hee my thoughts afarre off there is not a word of my tongue but thou knowest it altogether Whither shall I flye from thy presence Feare quickens the memory Nothing more dwelles in our thoughts than that person or thing that wee most love or feare He that fears God alwayes sees him who is invisible He conceives that God is alwayes present Heb. 11.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic semper deum presentem intelligit ac si in sua essentra viderat Ber. form bon vit .. Acts 10.33 Psal 10.4 as if he saw his very essence He sayes especially in solemne conventions and actions as Cornelius did Wee are all present afore God But hee in whose thoughts God is non-resident hee is as farre from the feare of God as the thought of God 8. Hee that feares God hath a quicke eye to discerne when God is displeased and he is grieved at heart when Gods honour is im peached either by himselfe or others Hee grieves for his owne sinnes and Ephraim bemoaned himselfe After I was instructed Ier. 31.18 19. I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded And as David cried out in the bitternesse of his heart Against thee against thee onely have I sinned Psal 51.4 Hee had sinned against Vriah against Bathsheba against Israel but he is most sensible of his offending of God Againe he that feares God grieves when others are injurious to Gods glory Psal 119.136 vers 53. Rivers of waters sayth David runne down mine eyes because men keep not thy lawes Horror hath taken hold upon mee because the wicked have forsaken thy lawes Hee that feares God will tremble to heare another ly and sweare and curse and provoke God But he that is neither moved with his owne nor with other mens sins but makes the one his pride and the other his mirth how can the feare of God dwell in that man 9. Hee that feares God will bee carefull for the future to avoyd whatsoever may prove offensive to God And therefore David puts these together Stand in awe Psal 4.4 and sinne not And therefore he saith That the feare of God is cleane Psal 19.9 because it keeps mens hearts and hands cleane The feare of the Lord is to hate evill Pro. 8.13 Pro. 16.6 and by the feare of the Lord men depart from evill sayth Salomon He that feares God feares sin T is part of the description of a good man in Ecclesiastes Eccles 9.2 that hee feares an oath And so I may say of other sins Nay hee feares sinne when time place and opportunity do wooe him to it As Ieseph would not yeeld to his mistresses lust though there was no feare of discovery All his argument was How can I doe this great wickednes Gen. 39.9 and sin against God But hee that passe not how much God bee displeased so hee may please humour and satisfie his owne lust his heart is not possess with the feare of God 10. Hee that feares GOD will study in all things to please God Hee will obey God conscionably and constantly And therefore to feare God and to keepe his commandements Eccles 12.13 are put together by the wise man T is sayd of the Centurion that hee feared God Acts. 10.2 Psal 2.11 and it is added he was a devout man he gave almes hee prayed Serve the Lord with feare sayth David He that serves God feares him and he that feares him will serve him they cannot bee disjoyned If thou makest no conscience of diligent serving of God both in thy general and particular calling and of serving him in that manner that he desires to bee served in never say that thou fearest God Lastly he that feares God will not willingly wrong his neighbour neither in word or deed Doe this sayth Ioseph to his brethren and live Gen 42.18 for I feare God that is I will keepe my promise with you if you performe the condition for I feare God and therefore dare bee no promise-breaker The Hebrew mid-wives would not kil the male-children at the Kings command because sayth the text Exod. 1.17 they feared God And the law of God runnes thus Thou shalt not curse the deafe Leuit. 19 14. nor put a stumbling blocke afore the blinde but thou shalt feare God As if GOD should say If thou feare me thou wilt not offer injury to thy neighbour No not though thou couldest escape unknowne thou wilt not curse him that cannot heare thee nor offend him that cannot see thee to call thee to account for it My predecessors sayth Nehemiah opprest the people Nehem. 5.15 so do not I because I feare God But he that makes no scruple of prejudicing and injuring superiour equall inferiour any that may fall with in his reach he may call himselfe a servant of God and a Christian but as yet the feare of God hath no place in his heart These are more simple and absolute signes of the feare of God considerable in it selfe CHAP. IX Of those signes that put a difference betweene the slavish and the filiall feare of God THE slavish and thes on-like kindly feare of God differ 1. In their severall grounds and principles 1. The slavish feare is awaked onely by threatnings denounced by God against disobedience This moved King Abimelech to restore Sara to Abraham God in a dreame signified to him that if hee restored her not Gen. 20.7 8. hee and all his should dye for it When Ionas had cryed Ionas 3.4.5 Fourty dayes and Niniveh should bee destroyed then they were amazed and fasted and prayed On the otherside the filiall feare of God will be awaked by the meere commandment of God though there were no commination annexed thereunto This Salomon calles Pro. 13.13 fearing the commandement that is fearing not to do what is commanded meerely because it is commanded and fearing to doe what is forbidden because it is forbidden though the commandment were not backed nor seconded with any sanction either of promise or threatning 2. The slavish feare is stirred up onely by judgements inflicted on mens selves or on others Thou O God sayth Asaph didst cause judgement to bee heard from heaven Psal 76.8 then the earth feared whereas filiall feare is excited by the mercy and loving kindnesse of God There is mercy with thee that thou mayest bee feared Psal 130.4 Hosea 3.5 They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse sayth the Prophet God will not afflict sayth Iob therefore doe men feare him Iob. 37.23.24 What men Certainly not slaves but loving and loyall sonnes 2. Slavish and filiall feare differ in their objects For 1. The object of slavish feare is not sinne but punishment As children feare a Cole onely when it burnes but otherwise be it never so blacke they will delight to handle