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
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
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
so securely in the way Eleventhly There flows from this grace of fear Hope in the mercy of God The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in them than hope in his mercy Psal. 147.11 The latter part of the Text is an explanation of the former as if the Psalmist had said They be the men that fear the Lord even they that hope in his mercy for true fear produceth hope in Gods mercy And it is further manifest thus Fear true fear of God inclineth the heart to a serious enquiry after that way of salvation with God himself hath prescribed now the way that God hath appointed by the which the sinner is to obtain the salvation of his soul is his mercy as so and so set forth in the word and godly fear hath special regard to the word To this way therefore the sinner With this godly fear submits his soul rouls himself upon it and so is delivered from that death into which others for want of this fear of God do headlong fall It is as I also hinted before the nature of godly fear to be very much putting the soul upon the enquiry which is and which is not the thing approved of God and accordingly to imbrace it or shun it Now I say this fear having put the soul upon a strict and serious enquiry after the way of Salvation at lest it finds it to be by the mercy of God in Christ therefore this fear putteth the soul upon hoping also in him for eternal life and blessedness by which hope he doth not only secure soul but become a porson of Gods delight The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him in them that hope in his mercy Besides This godly fear carrieth in it Self-evidence that the state of the sinner is happy because possessed with this happy grace Therefore as John saith We know we are passed from death to life because we love the Brethren 1 John 3.14 So here The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him in them that hope in his mercy If I fear God and if my fearing of him is a thing in which he taketh such pleasure then may I boldly venture to roll my self eternal life into the Bosom of his mercy which is Christ. Thus fear also produceth hope if therefore poor sinner thou knowest thy self to be one that is possessed with this fear of God suffer thy self to be perswaded therefore to hope in the mercy of God for salvation for the Lord takes pleasure in thee And it delights him to see thee hope in his mercy Twelfthly There floweth from this godly fear of God An honest and conscientious use of all those means which God hath ordained that we should be conversant in for our attaining salvation Faith and hope in Gods mercy is that which secureth our justification and hope and as you have heard they do flow from this fear But now besides faith and hope there is a course of life in those things in which God hath ordained us to have our conversation without which there is no eternal life You have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life and again without holiness no man shall see the Lord Not that faith and hope are deficient if they be right but they are both of them counterfeit when not attended with a reverent use of all the means upon the reverent use of which the soul is put by this grace of fear Wherefore beloved said Paul as you have alwaies obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in mine absence work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Rom. 6.22 Heb. 12.14 Philip. 2.12 There is a Faith and Hope of mercy that may deceive a man Though the faith of Gods elect and the hope that purifies the heart never will because they are alone and not attended with those companions that accompany salvation Heb. 6.3 4 5 7 8. but now this godly fear carries in its bowels not only a moving of the soul to faith and hope in Gods mercy but an earnest provocation to the holy and reverent use of all the means that God has ordained for a man to have his conversation in in order to his eternal salvation Work out your salvation with fear Not that work is meritorious or such that can purchase eternal life for eternal life is obtained by hope in Gods mercy but this hope if it be right is attended with this godly fear which fear putteth the soul upon a diligent use of all those means that may tend to the strengthening of hope and so to the makeing of us holy in all manner of conversation that we may be meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light For hope purifieth the heart if fear of God shall be its companion and so maketh a man a vessel of mercy prepared unto glory Paul bids Timothy to fly pride covetousness doteing about questions and the like and to follow after righteousness godliness faith Love patience to fight the good fight of faith and to lay hold of eternal life 1 Tim. 6. So Peter bids that we Add to our faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience to patience godliness to Godliness brotherly-kindness and to brotherly kindness charity Adding For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ Wherefore the rather Brethren give deligence to make your calling and election sure for if you do these things ye shall never fall For so an entrance sâ—all be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 9 10 11. The sum of all which is that which was mentioned before to wit to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling For none of these things can be conscientiously done but by and with the help of this blessed grace of fear Thirteenthly There flows from this fear this godly fear A great delight in the holy commands of God that is a delight to be conformable unto them Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that greatly delighteth in his commandments Psal. 112.1 This confirmeth that which was said before to wit that this fear provoketh to a holy and reverent use of the means for that cannot be when there is not an holy yea a great delight in the commandments Wherefore this fear maketh the sinner to abhor that which is sin because that is contrary to the object of his delight A man cannot delight himself at the same time in things directly opposite one to another as sin and the holy commandment is therefore Christ saith of the servant he cannot love God and Mammon he cannot serve God and Mammon If he cleaves to the one he must hate and dispise the other there cannot at the same time be service to both because that themselves are at
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
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
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
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
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
Judah and streets of Jerusalem They are not humbled to this day neither have they FEARED nor walked in my Law Jer. 44.8 9 10. Here is a Land full of wickedness and none to bewail it for they wanted the fear of God and love to walk in his Law But how say you if they that are not humbled at their own and others wickedness are said not to fear or have the fear of God what shall we think or say of such that receive that nourish and rejoyce in such wickedness do they fear God yea what shall we say of such that are the inventors and promoters of wickedness as of oaths beastly talke or the like Do they do you think fear God Once again what shall we say of such that cannot be content to be wicked themselves and to invent and rejoyce in other mens wickedness but must hate reproach vilify and abuse those that they cannot perswade to be wicked Do they fear God 9. They that take more heed to their own dreams than to the word of God fear not God This also is plain from the word for in the multitude of dreams there is also divers vanities but fear thou God that is take heed unto his word Eccle. 5.7 Isa. 8.20 Here the fearing of God is opposed to our overmuch heeding dreams and there is implied that it is for want of the fear of God that men so much heed those things What will they say to this that give more heed to a suggestion that ariseth from their foolish hearts or that is cast in thither by the Devil then they do to the holy word of God These are filthy dreamers Also what shall we say to those that are more confident of the mercy of God to their soul because he hath blessed them with outward things than they are afraid of his wrath and condemnation thought the whole of the word of God doth fully verify the same These are filthy dreamers indeed A dream is either real or so by way of semblance and so some men dream sleeping and some waking Isa. 29.7 And as those that a man dreams sleeping are caused either by God Satan Business Flesh or the like so are they that a man dreams waking to pass by those that we have in our sleep Men when bodily awake may have dreams that is visions from Heaven such are all they that have a tendency to discover to the sinner his state or the state of the Church according to the word But those that are from Satan business and the flesh are such especially the first and last to wit from Satan and the flesh as tend to imbolden men to hope for good in a way disagreeing with the word of God These Jude calls filthy dreams such whose principles were their dreams and they led them to defile the flesh that is by fornication and uncleanness To despise dominion that the reins might be laid upon the neck of their lusts To speak evil of dignities of those that God had set over them for their governing in all the Law and Testament of Christ these dreamt that to live like brutes to be greedy of gain and to take away for it as Cain and Balaam did by their wiles the lives of the owners thereof would go for good Coin in the best of tryals These also Peter speaks of in 2 Epist. 2 Chap And he makes their dreams that Jude calls so their principle and errors in life and doctrine you may read of them in that whole Chapter where they are called cursed Children and so by consequence such as fear not God 10. They fear not God who are Sorcerers Adulterers false swearers AND that oppress the hireling of his wages It is a custom with some men to keep back by fraud from the hireling that which by covenant they agreed to pay for their labor pinching I say and pareing from them their due that of right belongs to them to the making of them cry in the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth Jam. 5.4 These fear not God they are reckoned among the worst of men and in their day of account God himself will bear witness against them And I saith God will come near to you to Judgment and I will be a swift witness against false swearers and against the adulterers and against those that oppress the hireling of his wages the Widdow and the Fatherless and that turn aside the stranger from his right and FEAR not me saith the Lord. 11. They fear not God who instead of pittying of rail at Gods people in their affliction temptations and persecutions and rather rejoyce and skip for joy then sympathize with them in their sorrow Thus did Davids enemies thus did Israels enemies and thus did the Thief he railed at Christ when he hanged upon the Cross and was for that even by his fellow accounted for one that feared not God Luk. 23.40 Psal. 35.1 22 23 24 25 26. Read Obadiah 10.11 12 13 14 15. Jer. 48.2 7. This is a common thing among the Children of men even to rejoyce at the hurt of them that fear God and it ariseth even of an inward hatred to Godliness They hate you saies Christ because they hated me Therefore Christ takes what is done to his in this as done unto himself and so to holiness of life But this falls hard upon such as despise at and rejoyce to see Gods people in their griefs and that take the advantage as dogged Shimei did to augment the griefs and afflictions of Gods people 2 Sam. 16.5 6 7 8. These fear not God they do this of enmity and their sin is such as will hardly be blotted out 1 King 2.8 9. 12. They fear not God who are strangers to the effects of fear If I be a Master where is my fear That is shew that I am so by your fear of me in the effects of your fear of me You offer polluted Bread upon mine Altar This is not a sign that you fear me ye offer the blinde for Sacrifices where is my fear ye offer the lame and the sick these are not effects of the fear of God Mal. 1.6 7 8. Sinner it is on thing to say I fear God and another to fear him indeed Therefore as James saies shew me thy faith by thy works so here God calls for a testimony of thy fear by the effects of fear I have already shewed you several effects of fear if thou art a stranger to them thou art a stranger to this grace of fear Therefore to conclude this It is not a feigned profession that will do nothing is good here but what is salted with this fear of God and they that fear him are men of truth men of fingleness of heart perfect upright humble holy men wherefore reader examine and again I say examine and lay the word and thy heart together before that thou concludest that thou fearest God What! fear God and in a state of nature fear God without a change 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
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
These will live like Dogs and Swine in the house they pray not they watch not their hearts they pull not their hands out of their bosoms to work they do not strive against their lusts nor will they ever resist unto blood striving against sin they cannot take up their Cross or improve what they have to Gods glory Let all men therefore take heed of this ungodly fear and shun it as they shun the Devil for it will make them afraid where no fear is It will tell them that there is a Lion in the street the unlikeliest place in the world for such a beast to be in it will put a vizzard upon the face of God most dreadfull and fearful to behold and then quite discourage the soul as to his service so it served the slothful servant and so it will serve thee poor sinner if thou entertainest it and givest way thereto But Fourthly This ungodly fear of God it shews it self also in this It will not suffer the soul that is governed thereby to trust only to Christ for justification of life but will bend the powers of the soul to trust partly to the works of the Law Many of the Jews was in the time of Christ and his Apostles possessed with this ungodly fear of God for they was not as the former to wit as the slothful servant to receive a talent and hide it in the earth in a napkin but they were an industrous people they followed after the Law of righteousness they had a Zeal of God and of the religion of their fathers but how then did they come to miscarry why their fear of God was ungodly it would not suffer them wholly to trust to the righteousness of faith which is the imputed righteousness of Christ. They followed after the Law of righteousness but attained not to the Law of righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law But what was it that made them joyn their works of the Law with Christ but their unbelief whose foundation was ignorance and fear they were afraid to venture all in one bottom they thought two strings to one bow would be best and thus betwixt two stools they came to the ground And hence to fear and to doubt are put together as being the cause one of another yea they are put oft times the one for the other thus ungodly fear for unbelief Be not afraid only believe and therefore he that is over-ruled and carried away with this fear is coupled with the unbeliever that is thrust out from the holy City among the dogs But the fearful and unbelievers and murderers are without Revel 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving you see are put together for indeed fear that is this ungodly fear is the ground of unbelief or if you will unbelief is the ground of fear this fear but I stand not upon nice distinctions This ungodly fear hath a great hand in keeping of the soul from trusting only to Christs righteousness for justification of life Fifthly This ungodly fear of God is that which will put men upon adding to the revealed Will of God their own inventions and their own performances of them as a means to pacifie the anger of God For the truth is where this ungodly fear reigneth there is no end of Law and Duty When those that you read of in the book of Kings 2 King 17. Were destroyed by the Lions because they had set up Idolatry in the Land of Israel they sent for a Priest from Babilon that might teach them the manner of the God of the Land but behold when they knew it being taught it by the Priest yet their fear would not suffer them to be content with that worship only They feared the Lord saith the text and served their own Gods And again So these Nations feared the Lord and served their graven Images It was this fear also that put the Pharisees upon inventing so many traditions as the washing of cups and beds and tables and basons with a bundance of such other like gear Mark 7. none knows the many dangers that an ungodly fear of God will driv a man into How has it wrakt and tortered the Papists for hundreds of years together for what else is the cause but this ungodly fear at least in the most simple and harmless of them of their penances as creeping to the Cross going barefoot on pilgrimage whiping themselves wearing of sackcloth saying so many paternosters so many avemaries making so many confessions to the Priest giving so much money for pardons and abundance of other the like but this ungodly fear of God For could they be brought to believe this Doctrine that Christ was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification and to apply it by faith with Godly boldness to their own souls this fear would vanish and so consequently all those things with which they so needlessly and unprofitably afflicted themselves offend God and grieve his people Therefore gentle reader although my text doth bid that indeed thou shouldest fear God yet it includeth not nor accepteth of any fear no not of any fear of God For there is as you see a fear of God that is ungodly and that is to be shunned as ther sins Wherefore thy wisdom and thy care should be to see and prove thy fear to be godly which shall be the next thing that I shall take inhand The third thing that I am to speak to is that there is a fear of God in the heart of some men that is good and godly but yet doth not for ever abide so Or you may take it thus There is a fear of God that is godly but for a time In my speaking TO and opening of THIS to you I shall observe this method 1. I shall shew you WHAT this fear is 2. I shall shew you by WHO or what this fear is wrought in the heart 3. I shall shew you what this fear DOTH in the soul. And 4. I shall shew you WHEN this fear is to have an end For the first This fear is an effect of sound awakenings by the word of wrath which begetteth in the soul a sense of its right to eternal damnation for this fear is not in every sinner he that is blinded by the Devil and that is not able to see that his state is damnable he hath not this fear in his heart but he that is under the powerful workings of the word of wrath as God elect are at first conversion he hath this godly fear in his heart That is he fears that that damnation will come upon him which by the justice of God is due unto him because he has broken his holy law This is the fear that made the three thousand cry out men and brethren what shall we do and that made the Jaylor cry out and that with great trembling of soul sirs what must I do to be saved Acts 2. Chap.
ministration as to this particular in leaving off to work now by the Law as afore and comming to the soul with the sweet word of promise of life and salvation by Jesus Christ. Thus far this fear is godly that is until Christ by the spirit in the Gospel is revealed and made over unto us and no longer Thus far this fear is godly and the reason why it is godly is because the ground-work of it is good I told you before what this fear is namely It is the fear of damnation Now the ground for this fear is good as is manifest by these particulars 1. The soul feareth damnation and that rightly because it is in its sins 2. The soul feareth damnation rightly because it hath not faith in Christ but is at present under the Law 3. The soul feareth damnation rightly now because by sin the Law and for want of faith the wrath of God abideth on it But now although thus far this fear of God is good and godly yet after Christ by the Spirit in the word of the Gospel is revealed to us and we made to accept of him as so revealed and offered to us by a true and living faith this fear to wit of damnation is no longer good but ungodly Nor doth the Spirit of God ever work it in us again Now we do not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear that is to say to fear damnation but we have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry father father But I would not be mistaken when I say that this fear is no longer godly I do not mean with reference to the essence and habit of it for I believe it is the same in the feed which shall afterwards grow up to an higher degree and into a more sweet and gospel currant and manner of working but I mean refference to this act of searing damnation I say it shall never by the spirit be managed to that work it shall never bring forth that fruit more And my reasons are 1. Because that the soul by closing through the promise by the spirit with Jesus Christ is removed off of that foundation upon which it stood when it justly feared damnation It hath received NOW forgiveness of sin it is now no more under the law but in Jesus Christ by faith therefore there is now NO condemnation toit Act. 26.18 Rom. 6.14 chap. 8.1 The ground-work therefore being now taken away the spirit worketh that fear no more 2. He cannot after he hath come to the soul as a spirit of adoption come again as a spirit of bondage to put the soul in t his first fear to wit a fear of eternal damnation because he cannot say and unsay do and undo As a spirit of adoption he told me that my sins were forgiven me that I was included in the covenant of grace that God was my Father through Christ that I was under the promise of salvation and that this calling and gift of God to me is permanent and without repentance And do you think that after he hath told me this and sealed up the truth of it to my precious soul that he will come to me and tell me that I am yet in my sins under the curse of the Law and the eternal wrath of God No no the word of the Gospel is not yea yea nay nay It is only yea and amen it is so as God is true 2 Cor. 1.17 18 19 20. 3. The state therefore of the sinner being changed and that too by the spirits changing his dispensation leaving off to be now as a spirit of bondage to put us in fear and coming to our heart as the spirit of adoption to make us cry father father he cannot go back to his first workagain for if so then he must gratify yea and also ratifiy that profane and Popish doctrine forgiven to day unforgiven to morrow a child of God to day a child of Hell to morrow but what saith the Scriptures Now therefore such are no more strangers and foreiners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and are built upon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Jesus himself being the chief Corner-stone In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy Temple in the Lord in whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit Ephes. 2. Object But this is contrary to my experience Why Christian what is thy experience Why I was at first as you have said possessed with the fear of damnation and so under the power of the spirit of bondage Well said and how was it then Why after some time of continuance in these fears I had the spirit of adoption sent to me to seal up to my soul the forgiveness of sins and so he did and was also helped by the same spirit as you have said to call God Father Father Well said and what after that Why after that I fell into as great fears as ever I was in before Ans. All this may be granted and yet nevertheless what I have said will abide a truth for I have not said that after the spirit of adoption is come a Christian shall not again be in as great fears for he may have worse than he had at first but I say that after the spirit of adoption is come the spirit of bondage as such is sent of God no more to put us into those fears For mark for we have not received the spirit of bondage AGAIN to fear Let the Word be true whatever thy experience is Dost thou not understand me After the Spirit of God has told me and also helped me to believe it that the Lord for Christ's sake hath forgiven mine iniquities he tells me no more that they are not forgiven After the Spirit of God has helped me by Christ to call God my Father he tells me no more that the Devil is my Father After he hath told me that I am not under the Law but under grace he tells me no more that I am not under grace but under the Law and bound over by it for my sins to the wrath and judgment of God But this is the fear that the Spirit as a spirit of bondage worketh in the soul at first Quest. Can you give me further reason yet to convict me of the truth of what you say Answ. Yes 1. Because as the Spirit cannot give himself the lie so he cannot overthrow his own order of working nor yet contradict that testimony that his servants by his inspiration hath given of his order of working with them But he must do the first If he saith to us and that after we have received his own testimony that we are under grace that yet we are under sin the Law and wrath And he must do the second if after he hath gone through the first work on us as a spirit of bondage to the second as a spirit of adoption he
give not way to thy first fears lest as I said before thou addest to thine affliction and to help thee here Let me give thee a few instances of the carriages of some of the Saints under some of the most heavy afflictions that they have met with for sin 1. Job was in great affliction and that as he confessed for sin Joh. 7.20 Insomuch that he said God had set him for his mark to shoot at and that he ran upon him like a Giant that he took him by the neck and shook him to pieces and counted him for his enemy that he hid his face from him and that he could not tell where to find him yet he counted not all this as a sign of a damnable state but as a tryal and chastizement and said when he was in the hottest of this battel when I am tried I shall come forth like gold And again when he was pressed upon by the tempter to think that God would kill him he answers with greatest confidence Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 16.14 ver 12. Chap. 19.11 Chap. 23.8 9 10. Chap. 13.15 2. David complained that God had broken his bones that he had set his face against his sins and had taken from him the joy of his salvation yet even at this time he saith O God thou God of my Salvation Psal. 51.8 9 12 14. 3. Haman complained that his soul was full of troubles that God had laid him in the lowest pit that he had put his acquaintance far from him and was casting off his soul and had hid his face from him That he was afflicted from his youth up and ready to die with trouble he saith moreover that the fierce wrath of God went over him that his terrours had cut him him off yea that by reason of them he was distracted and yet even before he maketh any of these complaints he takes fast hold of God as his saying O Lord God of my Salvation Psal. 88. 4. The Church in the Lamentations complains that the Lord had afflicted her for her transgressions and that in the day of his fierce anger also that he had trodden under foot her mighty men and that he had called the heathen against her she saies that he had covered her with a cloud in his anger that he was an enemy and that he had hung a chain upon her she adds moreover that he had shut out her prayer broken her teeth with gravel stones and covered her with ashes and in conclusion that he had utterly rejected her But what doth she do under all this tryal doth she give up her faith and hope and return to that fear that begot the first bondage No The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him yea she adds O Lord thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul thou hast redeemed my life Lamen 1.5 Chap. 2.1 2 5. Chap. 3.7 8 16. Chap. 5.22 Chap. 3 24 31 58. These things shew that Gods people even after they have received the spirit of adoption have fell foully into sin and have been bitterly chastized for it and also that when the rod was most smart upon them they made great conscience of giving way to their first fears wherewith they were made afraid by the Spirit as it wrought as a spirit of bondage for indeed there is no such thing as the coming of the Spirit of bondage to put us in fear the second time as such that is after he is come as the spirit of adoption to the soul. I conclude then that THAT fear that is is wrought by the spirit of bondage is good and godly because the ground for it is sound and I also conclude that he comes to the soul as a spirit of bondage but once and that once is before he comes as a spirit of adoption and if therefore the same fear doth again take hold of thy heart that is if after thou hast received the spirit of adoption thou fearest again the damnation of thy soul that thou art out of Christ and under the Law that fear is bad and of the Devil and ought by no means to be admitted by thee Quest. But since it is as you say how doth the Devil after the spirit of adoption is come work the child of God into those fears of being out of Christ not forgiven and so an heâ—r of damnation again Answ. 1. By giving the lie and by prevailing with us to give it too to the work of grace wrought in our hearts and to the testimony of the holy spirit of adoption Or 2. By abusing of our ignorance of the everlasting love of God to his in Christ and the duration of the covenant of grace Or 3. By abusing some scripture that seems to look that way but doth not Or 4. By abusing our senses and reason Or 5. By strengthening of our unbelief Or 6. By overshaddowing of our judgment with horrid darkness Or 7. By giving of us counterfeit representations of God Or 8. By stirring up and setting in a rage our inward corruptions Or 9. By pouring into our hearts abundance of horrid blasphemies Or 10. By putting of wrong constructions on the rod and chastizing hand of God Or 11. By charging upon us that our ill behavours under the rod and chastizing hand of God is a sign that we indeed have no grace but are down-right damned graceless reprobates By these things and others like these Satan I say Satan bringeth the Child of God not only to the borders but even into the bowels of the fears of damnation after it hath received a blessed testimony of eternal life and that by the holy spirit of adoption Quest. But would you not have the people of God stand in FEAR of his rod and be afraid of his judgments Answ. Yes and the more they are rightly afraid of them the less and the seldomer they will come under them for 't is want of fear that brings us into sin and 't is sin that brings us into these afflictions But I would not have them fear with the fear of slaves for that will add no strength against sin but I would have them fear with the reverential fear of Sons and that is the way to depart from evil Quest. How is that Answ. Why having before received the spirit of adoption still to believe that he is our father and so to fear with the fear of children not as slaves fear a tyrant I would therefore have them to look upon his rod rebukes chidings and chastizements and also upon the wrath wherewith he doth inflict to be but the dispensations of their Father This believed maintains or at least helps to maintain in the heart a Son-like bowing under the rod. It also maintains in the soul a Son-like confession of sin and a justifying of God under all the rebukes that he grieveth us with It also engageth us to come to him to claim and lay hold of former mercies to
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
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
small in the worlds eyes in thine own eyes in the Saints eyes as sometimes one Saint is little in another Saints eye yet thou because thou fearest God art put among the blessed 2. By small sometimes is meant those that are but small of stature or young in years little Children that are easily passed by and looked over as those that sang Hosanna in the Temple were when the Pharisees deridingly said of them to Christ dost thou hear what THESE say Matth. 20.16 Well but Christ would not dispise them of them that feared God but preferred them by the Scripture-Testimony far before those that did contemn them Little Children how small so ever and although of never so small esteem with men shall also if they fear the Lord be blessed with the greatest Saints He shall bless them that fear him small and great 3. By small may sometimes be meant those that are small in grace or gifts these are said to be the least in the Church that is under this Consideration and so are by it least esteemed Thus also is that of Christ to be understood In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me 1 Cor. 6.4 Matth. 25.45 Art thou in thine own thoughts or in the thoughts of others of these last small ones small in grace small in gifts small in esteem upon this account yet if thou fearest God if thou fearest God indeed thou art certainly blessed with the best of Saints The least Star stands as fixed as the bigest of them all in Heaven He shall bless them that fear him small and great He shall bless them that is with the same blessing of eternal life For the different degrees of grace in Saints doth not make the blessing as to its nature differ 'T is the same Heaven the same Life the same Glory and the same Eternity of Felicity that they are in the text promised to be blessed with That is observable which I mentioned before where Christ at the day of Judgment particularly mentioneth and owneth the least In as much as ye did it not to one of the least The least then was there in his Kingdom and in his Glory as well as the biggest of all He shall bless them that fear him SMALL and great The small are mamed first in the text and are so the first in rank it may be to shew that though they may be slighted and little set by in the world yet they are much set by in the eyes of the Lord. Are great Saints only to have the Kingdom and the glory everlasting Are great works only to be rewarded works that are done by vertue of great grace and the abundance of the gifts of the holy Ghost No Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple Verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose a Disciples reward Mark here is but a little gift a Cup of cold water and that given to a little Saint but both taken special notice of by our Lord Jesus Christ Matth. 10.42 He will give reward to his Servants the Prophets and to his Saints and to them that fear his name small and great Revel 11.18 The Small therefore among them that fear God are blessed with the great as the great with the same salvation the same glory and the same eternal life and they shall have even as the great ones also shall as much as they can carry as much as their hearts souls bodys and capacities can hold Thirteenthly Dost thou fear God why the Holy Ghost hath on purpose indicted for thee an whole Psalme to sing concerning thy self So that thou mayest even as thou art in thy calling bed Journey or when ever sing out thine own blessed and happy condition to thine own comfort and the comfort of thy fellows The Psalm is called the 128. Psalm I will set it before thee both as it is in the reading and in the singing Psalms Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his waies for thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Thy wife shall be a fruitful Vine by the sides of thine house thy children like Olive Plants round about thy Table Behold that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the daies of thy life yea thou shalt see thy childrens Children and peace upon Israel As it is sung Blessed art thou that fearest God And walkest in his way For of thy Labour thou shalt eat Happy art thou I say Like fruitful Vines on thy House side So doth thy wife spring out Thy Children stand like Olive Plants Thy Table round about Thus art thou blest that fearest God And he shall let thee see The promised Jerusalem And her felicity Thou shalt thy Childrens Children see To thy great Joyes increase And likewise grace on Israel Prosperity and Peace And now I have done with the priviledges when I have removed one Objection Object But the Scripture saies Perfect love casteth out fear and therefore it seems that Saints after that a Spirit of Adoption is come should not fear but do their duty as another Scripture saith without it 1 Joh. 4.18 Luk. 1.74 75. Answ. Fear as I have shewed you may be taken several waies 1. It may be taken for the fear of Divels 2. It may be taken for the fear of reprobates 3. It may be taken for the fear that is wrought in the godly by the Spirit as a Spirit of bondage or 4. It may be taken for the fear that I have been but now discoursing of Now the fear that perfect love casts out cannot be that sonlike gracious fear of God that I have in this last place been treating of because that fear that love casts out hath torment but so has not the Son-like fear Therefore the fear that love casts out is either that fear that is like the fear of Devils and Reprobates or that fear that is begot in the heart by the Spirit of God as a Spirit of bondage or both for indeed all these kinds of fear have torment and therefore may be cast out and are so by the Spirit of Adoption which is called the Spirit of Faith and love when he comes with power into the soul so that without this fear we should serve him But to argue from these texts that we ought not to fear God or to mix fear with our worship of him is as much as to say that by the Spirit of Adoption we are made very Rogues for not to fear God is by the Scripture applied to such Luk. 23.40 But for what I have affirmed the Scripture doth plentifully confirm saying Happy is the man that feareth alway And again It shall be well with them that fear God
better help in this matter know that God himself hath set bounds to this fear and has concluded that after the spirit of Adoption is come that other fear is wrought in thy heart by him no more Rom. 8.15 2 Tim. 1.7 Again before I leave this let me tell thee that if thou dost not well bestir thee in this matter this bondage fear to wit that which is like it though not wrought in thee by the Holy Ghost will by the management and subtilty of the Devil the author of it haunt disturb and make thee live uncomfortably and that while thou art an heir of God and his Kingdom This is that fear that the Apostle speaks of That makes men all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2.14.15 For though Christ will deliver thee indeed at last thou having imbraced him by faith yet thy life will be full of trouble and death though Jesus hath abolished it will be alwaies a living bug-bear to thee in all thy waies and thoughts to break thy peace and to make thee to draw thy loins heavily after him Thirdly wouldest thou grow in this Godly fear then as thou shouldest learn to distinguish of fears so thou shouldest make conscience of which to entertain and cherish If God would have his fear and it is called his fear by way of eminency that his fear may be before you that you sin not Exo. 20.20 Jer. 32.4 I say if God would have this his fear be with thee then thou shouldest make conscience of this and not so lightly give way to slavish fear as is Common for Christians to do There is utterly a fault among Christians about this thing That is they make not that conscience of resisting of slavish fear as they ought they rather cherish and entertain it and so weaken themselves and that fear that they ought to strengthen And this is the reason that we so often lie grabling under the black and amazing thoughts that are engendred in our hearts by unbelief For this fear nourisheth unbelief that is now it doth to wit if we give way to it after the spirit of Adoption is come readily closeth with all the fiery darts of the wicked But Christians are ready to do with this fear as the Horse does when the tines of the fork are set against his side even lean to it untill it entereth into his belly We lean naturally to this fear I mean after God has done good to our souls it is hard striving against it because it has even our sence and feeling of its side But I say If thou wouldest be a growing Christian growing I say in the fear that is Godly in the fear that is is alwaies so then make conscience of striving against the other and against all these things that would bring thee back to it Wherefore should I fear said David in the day of evil when the iniquities of my heels compasseth me about Psal. 49.5 What! not fear in the day of evil what not when the iniquities of thy heels compasseth thee about no not then saies hee that is not with that fear that would bring him again into bondage to the law for he had received the spirit of Adoption before Indeed if ever a Christian has ground to give way to slavish fear it is at these two times to wit in the day of evil and when the iniquitie of his heels compasseth him about But you see David would not then no not then give way thereto nor did hee see reason why he should Wherefore should I said he I wherefore indeed since now thou art become a Son of God through Christ and hast received the spirit of his son into thy heart crying father father Fourthly wouldest thou grow in this grace of Godly fear then grow in the knowledge of the new covenant for that is indeed the girdle of our reins and the strength of our souls Hear what Zacharias saith God saies he hath raised up to us an horn of salvation in the house of his servant David as he spake by the mouth of all the Holy Prophets which have been since the world began But what was it what was it that he spake Why That he would grant us that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear without this slavish bondage fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the daies of our life But upon what is this princely fearless service of God grounded Why upon the holy covenant of God upon the oath that he swore unto Abraham Luk. 1.69 70 71 72 73 74 75. Now in this covenant is wrapped up all thy salvation in it is contained all thy desire and I am sure that then it containeth the compleat salvation of thy Soul and I say since this covenant is confirmed by promise by oath and by the blood of the son of God and that on purpose that thou mightest serve thy God without slavish fear Then the knowledge and faith of this covenant is of absolute necessity to bring us into this liberty and out of our slavish terrors and so consequently to cause us to grow in that son-like Godly fear which became even the Son of God himself and becomes all his Disciples to live in the growth and exercise of Fifthly wouldest thou grow in this Godly fear then labour even alwaies to keep thine evidences for Heaven and of thy salvation alive upon thy heart for he that loseth his evidences for heaven will hardly keep slavish fear out of his heart but he that hath the wisdom and grace to keep them alive and apparent to himself he will grow in this godly fear See how David words it from the ends of the earth saith he will I cry unto thee when my heart is over-whelmed lead me to the rock that is higher then I. For thou hast been a shelter to mee and a strong tower from the enemy I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever For thou God hast heard my prayer thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name Psal. 61.5 Mark a little David doth by these words in the first place suggest that some times to his thinking he was as far off of his God as the ends of the earth are asunder and that at such times he was subject to be over-whelmed afraid Secondly The way that he took at such times to help himself was 1. To cry to God to lead him again to Jesus Christ lead me to the rock that is higher than I. for indeed without faith in him and the renewing of that faith there can be no evidence for Heaven made to appear unto the soul. This therefore he prays for first 2. Then he puts that faith into exercise and that with respect to the time that was past and also of the time that was to come For the time past sayes hee thou hast been a shelter to me and a strong tower from the enemy And for the time to come he said
God I would have thee be warned by them And they are these which follow 1. If thou wouldst grow in this grace of fear Take heed of an hard heart for that will hinder thy growth in this grace Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear Isa. 63.17 was a bitter complaint of the Church heretofore for it is not only the judgement that in it self is dreadful and sore to Gods people but that which greatly hindereth the growth of this grace in the soul. An hard heart is but barren ground for any grace to grow in specially for the grace of fear there is but little of this fear where the heart indeed is hard neither will there ever be much therein Now if thou wouldst be kept from an hard heart 1. Take heed of the beginings of sin Take heed I say of that though it should be never so small A little leaven leavens the whole lump there is more in a little sin to harden than in a great deal of grace to soften Davids look upon Bathsheba was one would think but a small matter yet that begining of sin contracted such hardness of heart in him that it carried him almost beyond all fear of God It did carry him to commit lewdness with her murder upon the body of Vriah and to abundance of wicked dissimulation which are things I say that have direct tendency to quench and destroy all fear of God in the soul. 2. If thou hast sinned lie not down without repentance for the want of repentance after one has sinned makes the heart yet harder and harder Indeed an hard heart is impenitent and impenitence also makes the heart harder and harder So that if impenitence be added to hardness of heart or to the beginings of sin which makes it so It will quickly be with that soul as is said of the house of Israel it will have A Whores forehead it will hardly be brought to shame Jer. 3.3 3. If thou wouldst be rid of an hard heart that great enemy to the growth of the grace of fear Be much with Christ upon the Cross in thy Meditations For that is an excellent remedy against hardness of heart a right sight of him as he hanged there for thy sins will dissolve thy heart into tears and make it soft and tender They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn Zech. 12.10 11. Now a soft a tender and broken heart is a fit place for the grace of fear to thrive in But 2. If thou wouldst have the grace of fear to grow in thy soul Take heed also of a prayerless heart for that is not a place for this grace of fear to grow in Hence he that refraineth prayer is said To cast off fear Thou casteth off fear said one of his friends to Job But how must he do that why the next words shew Thou restrainest prayer before God Job 15.4 Seest thou a Professor that prayeth not that man thrusteth the fear of God away from him Seest thou a man that prays but little that man feareth God but little for it is the praying soul the man that is mighty in praying that has an heart for the fear of God to grow in Take heed therefore of a prayerless heart if you would grow in this grace of the fear of God Prayer is as the pitcher that fetcheth water from the Brook therewith to water the herbs break the pitcher and it will fetch no water and for want of water the Garden withers 3. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then take heed of a light and wanton heart For neither is such an heart good ground for the fear of God to grow in wherefore 't is said of Israel She feared not but went and plaid the Harlot also She was given to wantonness and to be light and vain and so her fear of God decaied Jer. 3.8 Had Joseph been as wanton as his Mistress he had been as void of the fear of God as she but he was of a sober tender godly considerate spirit therefore he grew in the fear of God 4. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear Then take heed of a covetous heart for neither is that which is such an one good ground for this grace of fear to grow in Therefore this covetousness and the fear of God are as enemies set the one in opposition to the other one that feareth God and hateth COVETOVSNESS Exod. 18.21 And the reason why covetousness is such an obstruction to the growth of this grace of fear is because covetousness casteth those things out of the heart which alone can nourish this fear It casteth out the word and love of God without which no grace can grow in the soul how then should the fear of God grow in a covetous heart Ezek. 33.30 31 32. 1 John 2.15 5. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear then Take heed of an unbelieving heart For an unbelieving heart is not good ground for this grace of fear to grow in An unbelieving heart is called an evil heart Heb. 3.13 because from it flows all the wickedness that is committed in the World Now it is faith or a believing heart that nourisheth this fear of God Heb. 11.7 and not the other and the reason is for that faith brings God Heaven and Hell to the soul and maketh it duly consider of them all this is therefore the means of fear and that which will make it grow in the soul but unbelief is a BANE thereto 6. Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear Then take heed of a forgetful heart Such an heart is not an heart where the grace of fear will flourish when I remember I am affraid c. Therefore take heed of forgetfulness do not forget but remember God and his kindness patience and mercy to those that yet neither have grace nor special favor from him and that will beget and nourish his fear in thy heart but forgetfulness of this or of any other of his judgments is a great wound and weakening to this fear Job 21.6 When a man well remembers that Gods judgments are so great a deep and mystery as indeed they are that remembrance puts a man upon such considerations of God and of his judgments as to make him fear Therefore saies Job I am afraid of him See the place Job 23.15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him When I remember and consider of the wonderful depths of his judgments toward man 7. Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear then Take heed of a murmuring and repining heart for that is not an heart for this grace of fear to grow in As for instance when men murmur and repine at Gods hand at his dispensations and at the Judgments that overtake them in their persons estates families or relations THAT their murmuring tendeth to destroy fear for a murmuring spirit is such an one as seems to correct God and to find
fault with his dispensations and where there is that the heart is far from fear A murmuring spirit either comes from that wisdom that pretends to understand that there is a failure in the nature and execution of things or from an envy and spite at the execution of them Now if murmurings arise from this pretended wisdom of the flesh then instead of fearing of God his actions are judged to be either riged or ridiculous which yet are done in judgment truth and righteousness So that a murmuring heart cannot be a good one for the fear of God to grow in alas the heart where that grows must be a soft one as you have it in Job 23.15 16. And an heart that will stoop and be silent at the most abstruse of all his Judgments I was silent because thou didest it The heart in which this fear of God doth flourish is such that it bowes and is mute if it can but espie the hand wisdom justice or holiness of God in this or the other of his dispensations and so stirs up the soul to fear before him But if this murmuring ariseth from envy and spite that looketh so like to the spirit of the Devil that nothing need be said to give conviction of the horrible wickedness of it 8. Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear then Take heed of an high and captious spirit for that is not good ground for the fear of God to grow in a meek and quiet spirit is the best and there the fear of God will flourish most therefore Peter puts meekness and fear together as being most suited in their nature and natural tendency one to another 1 Pet. 3.14 Meekness of spirit is like that heart that hath depth of earth in it in which things may take root and grow but an high and captious spirit is like to the stony ground where there is not depth of earth and consequently where this grace of fear cannot grow therefore take heed of this kind of spirit if thou wouldst that the fear of God should grow in thy soul. 9. Wouldst thou grow in the grace of fear then Take heed of an envious heart for that is not a good heart for the fear of God to grow in Let not thy heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Prov. 23.17 To envy any is a signe of a bad spirit and that man takes upon him as I have already hinted to be a controller and a judge yea and a malicious executioner too and that of that fury that ariseth from his own lusts and revengeful spirit upon perhaps the man that is more righteous then himself But suppose he is a sinner that is the object of thine envy why the Text sets that envy in direct opposition to the fear of God Envy not sinners but be thou in the fear of God These two therefore to wit envy to sinners and fearing of God are opposites Thou canst not fear God and envy sinners too And the reason is because he that envieth a sinner hath forgotten himself that he is as bad and how can he then fear God He that envies sinners rejects his duty of blessing of them that curse and praying for them that despitefully use us and how can he that hath rejected this fear God He that envieth sinners therefore cannot be of a good spirit nor can the fear of God grow in his heart Lastly Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear Then Take heed of hardning thy heart at anytime against convictions to particuler duties as to Prayer Alms Self-denial or the like Take heed also of hardning thy heart when thou art under any judgment of God as sickness losses crosses or the like I bid you before to beware of an hard heart but now I bid you beware of hardning your soft ones For to harden the heart is to make it worse then it is harder more desperate and bold against God then at the present it is Now I say if thou wouldest grow in this grace of fear take heed of hardning thy heart and especially of hardning of it against convictions to good for those convictions are sent of God like seasonable showrs of rain to keep the tillage of thy heart in good order that the grace of fear may grow therein but this stiffling of convictions makes the heart as hard as a piece of the nether Milstone Therefore happy is he that receiveth conviction for so he doth keep in the fear of God and that fear thereby nourished in his soul but cursed is he that doth otherwise Happy is the man that feareth alway but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28.14 A use of Encouragement I come now to a use of encouragement to those that are blessed with this grace of fear The last text that was mentioned saith Happy is the man that feareth alway and so doth many more Happy already because blessed with this grace and happy for time to come because this grace shall abide and continue till the soul that hath it is brought unto the mansion house of glory I will put my fear in their heart and they shall not depart from me Therefore as here is saith Happy IS he so it saith also It SHALL go well with him that is in time to come It SHALL go well with them that fear the Lord Eccles. 8.12 Had God given thee all the world yet cursed hadst thou been if he had not given thee the fear of the Lord for the fashion of this world is a fading thing but he that feareth the Lord shall abide for ever and ever This therefore is the first thing that I would propound for thy encouragement thou man that fearest the Lord. This grace will dwell in thy heart for it is a new covenant grace and will abide with thee forever It is sent to thee from God not only to joyn thy heart unto him but to keep thee from final apostacy I will put my fear in their heart and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32. That thou maist never forsake God is his design and therefore to keep thee from that wicked thing he hath put his fear in thy heart Many are the temptations difficulties snares traps trials and troubles that the people of God pass through in the world but how shall they be kept how shall they be delivered and escape Why the answer is the fear of God will keep them He that feareth God shall come out of them all It is not therefore a wonderful mercy to be blessed with this grace of fear that thou by it maiest be kept from final which is damnable apostacy Bless God therefore thou blessed man that hast this grace of fear in thy soul. There are five things in this grace of fear that have a direct tendency in them to keep thee from final apostacy 1. It is seated in the heart and the heart is as I may call it the main FORT
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
be content therewith they should earnestly covet more pray for more and use all lawful that is all the means of Gods appointing that they may get more There are as I have said already several degrees of this grace of fear and our wisdom is to grow in IT as in all other the graces of the Spirit The reasons why I have shewed you and also the way to grow therein but the least measure thereof will do as I said that is keep the soul from final apostacy There are as I have shewed you those that greatly fear the Lord that fear exceedingly and that fear him above many of their brethren but the small in this grace are saved as well as these that are great therein He will save them that fear him small and great This fear of the Lord is the pulse of the soul and as some pulses beat stronger some weaker so is this grace of fear in the soul. They that beat best are a signe of best life but they that beat worst shew that life is present As long as the pulse beats we count not that the man is dead though weak and this fear where it is preserves to everlasting life Pulses there are also that are intermitting to wit such as have their times for a little a little time to stop and beat again ' True these are dangerous pulses but yet too a signe of life This fear of God also is sometimes like this intermitting pulse there are times when it forbears to work and then it works again David had an intermitting pulse Peter had an intermitting pulse as also many other of the Saints of God I call that an intermitting pulse with reference to the fear we speak of when there is some obstruction by the workings of corruptions in the soul I say some obstruction from and hindrance of the continual motion of this fear of God yet none of these though they are various and some of them sings of weakness are signs of death but life I will put my fear in their heart and they shall not depart from me But you may say How shall I know that I fear God Ans. If I should say that desires true sincere desires to fear him is fear it self I should not say amiss Nehe. 1.11 For although a desire to be or do so and so makes not a man to be in temporal or natural things what he desires to be for a sick or poor or imprisoned man may desire to be well to be rich or to be at liberty and yet be as they are sick poor or in prison Yet in spirituals a mans desire to be good to believe to love to hope and fear God doth flow from the nature of grace it self I said before that in temporals a man could not be properly be said to be what he was not yet a man even in naturals or temporals shews his love to that thing that he desires whether it be health riches or liberty and in spirituals desires of from love to this or that grace of God sincere desires of it flow from the root of the grace it self Thy Servants that desire to fear thy name Nehemiah bore himself before God upon this That he desired to fear his name And hence again it is said concerning desires true desires The desire of a man is his kindness Prov. 19.22 For a man shews his heart his love his affections and his delights in his desires and since the grace of fear of God is a grace so pleasant in the sight of God and of so sanctifying a nature in the soul where it is a true sincere desire to be blessed with that grace must needs flow from some being of this grace in the soul already ' True desires are lower than higher acts of grace but God will not look over desires But now they DESIRE a better Country that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City Mark they desire a Country and they shall have a City At this LOW place to wit sincere desires God will meet the soul and will tell him that he hath accepted of his desires that his desires are his kindness and flow from grace it self He will fulfil the desires of them that fear him Therefore desires are not rejected of God but they would if they did not flow from a principle of grace already in the soul therefore desires sincere desires to fear God flow from grace already in the soul. Therefore since thou fearest God and it is evident by thy desires ' that thou dost so do thou ART happy NOW in this thy fear and SHALT be happy for ever hereafter in the injoyment of that which God in another world hath laid up for them that fear him 3. Another encouragement for those that have this grace of fear is this This grace can make that man that in many other things is not capable of serving of God serve him better then those that have all without it Poor Christian man thou hast scarce been able to do any thing for God all thy daies but only to fear the Lord. Thou art no Preacher and so canst not do him service that way Thou art no rich man and so canst not do him service with outward substance Thou art no wise man and so canst not do any thing that way But here is thy mercy thou fearest God Though thou canst not preach thou canst fear God Though thou hast no bread to feed the belly nor fleece to cloth the back of the poor thou canst fear God O how blessed is the man that feareth the Lord because this duty of fearing of God is an act of the mind and may be done by the man that is destitute of all things but that holy and blessed mind Blessed therefore is that man for God hath not laid the comfort of his people in the doing of external duties nor the salvation of their souls but in believing loving and fearing God Neither hath he laid these things in actions done in their health nor in the due mannagement of their most excellent parts but in the receiving of Christ and fear of God The which good Christian thou maiest do and do acceptably even though thou shouldest lie bed-rid all thy daies thou maiest also be sick and believe be sick and love be sick and fear God and so be a blessed man And here the POOR Christian hath some thing to answer them that reproach him for his ignoble pedigree and shortness of the glory of the wisdom of the World ' True may that man say I was taken out of the Dunghil I was born in a base and low estate But I fear God I have no worldly greatness nor excellency of natural parts but I fear God When Obadiah met with Elijah he gave him no worldly and fantastical complement nor did he glory in his promotion by Ahab the King of Israel but gravely and after a gracious manner said