hazzard and reproach of all the mighty people Psal. 119.151 Psal. 89.50 5. How tender of the glory of God was Ely Daniel and the three Children in their day 1. Ely died with fear and trembling of heart when he heard that the Ark of God was taken 1 Sam. 4.13 14 15 16 17 18. 2. Daniel ran the danger of the Lions mouths for the tender love that he had to the word and worship of God Dan. 6.10.16 3. The three children ran the hazzard of a burning fiery Furnace rather than they would dare to dishonour the way of their God Dan. 3.13 16 20. This therefore is one of the fruits of this godly fear to wit a reverence of his name and tenderness of his glory Secondly There flows from this godly fear watchfulness As it is said of Solomons Servants they watched about his bed because of fear in the night So it may be said of them that have this godly fear It makes them a watchful people 1. It makes them watch their hearts and take heed to keep them with all diligence lest they should by one or another of its sleights lead them to do that which in it self is wicked Prov. 4.23 Heb. 12.15 2. It makes them watch lest some temptation from Hell should enter into their heart to the destroying of them 1 Pet. 5.8 3. It makes them watch their mouths and keep them also at sometimes as with a bitt and bridle that they offend not with their tongue knowing that the tongue is apt being an evil member soon to catch the fire of hell to the defiling of the whole body Jam. 3.2 3 4 5 6 7. 4. It makes them watch over their ways look well to their goings and to make strait steps for their feet Psal. 39.1 Heb. 12.13 Thus this godly fear puts the soul upon its watch lest from the heart within or from the Devil without or from the world or some other temptation something should surprize and overtake the child of God to defile him or to cause him to defile the waies of God and so offend the Saints open the mouths of men and cause the enemy to speak reproachfully of religion Thirdly There flows from this FEAR a holy provocation to a reverential converse with Saints in their religious and godly assemblies for their further progress in the faith and way of holiness Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Spake that is of God and his holy and glorious name kingdom and works for their mutual edification a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name Mal. 3.16 The fear of the Lord in the heart provoketh to this in all its acts not only of necessity but of nature It is the natural effect of this godly fear to exercise the Church in the contemplation of God together and apart All fear good and bad hath a natural propenseness in it to incline the heart to contemplate upon the object of fear and though a man should labour to take off his thoughts from the object of his fear whether that object was Men Hell Devils c. yet do what he could the next time his fear had any act in it it would return again to its object And so it is with godly fear that will make a make a man speak of and think upon the name of God reverentially Psal 89 7. Yea and exercise himself in the holy thoughts of him in such sort that his soul shall be sanctified and seasoned with such Meditations Indeed holy thoughts of God such as you see this fear doth exercise the heart withal prepare the heart to and for God This fear therefore it is that David prayed for for the people when he said O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their heart unto thee 1 Chron. 29.18 Fourthly There flows from this Fear of God great reverence of his Majesty in and under the use and enjoyment of God's holy Ordinances His Ordinances are his Courts and Palaces his Walks and Places where he giveth his presence to those that wait upon him in them in the fear of his name And this is the meaning of that of the Apostle Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judah and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied Act. 9.31 And walking that word intendeth their use of the ordinances of God They walked in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless This in Old Testament Language is called treading Gods Courts and walking in his Paths This saith the Text they did here in the fear of God That is in a great reverence of that God whose Ordinances they were You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord Levit. 19.30 Chap. 26.2 It is one thing to be conversant in Gods ordinances and another to be conversant in them with a due reverence of the Majesty and name of that God whose Ordinances they are it is common for men to do the first but none can do the last without this fear In thy fear said David will I worship Psal. 5.7 It is this fear of God therefore from whence doth flow that great reverence that his Saints have in them of his Majesty in and under the use and injoyment of Gods holy ordinances and consequently that makes our service in the performance of them acceptable to God through Christ. Heb. 12. last For God expects that we serve him with fear and trembling and it is odious among men for a man in the presence or about the service of his Prince to behave himself lightly and without due reverence of that Majesty in whose presence and about whose business he is And if so how can their service to God have any thing like acceptation from the hand of God that is done not in but without the fear of God this service must needs be an abomination to him and these servers must come off with rebuke Fifthly There flows from this godly fear of God Selfdenial That is an holy abstaining from those things that are either unlawful or inexpedient According to that of Nehemiah The former governours that had been before me were chargeable unto the people and had taken of them Bread and Wine besides forty Shekels of Silver yea even their Servants bear rule over the people but so did not I because of the fear of God Nehe. 5.15 Here now was Selfdenial he would not do as they did that went before him neither himself nor should his Servants but what what was it that put him upon these acts of Self-denial The answer is The fear of God But so did not I because of the fear of God Now whether by the fear of God in this place be meant his word or the
rather stumble and fall even at your conversation and at your profession itself Wherefore to prevent this mischief that is of stumbling of souls while you make your profession of God by a conversation not becoming your profession God bids you fear him Implying that a good conversation coupled with fear delivers the blind world from those falls that otherwise they cannot be delivered from Thou shalt not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind but shalt fear thy God I am the Lord Levit. 19.14 But shalt fear thy God that is the remedy that will prevent their stumbling at you at what else soever they stumble Wherefore Paul saies to Timothy Take heed to thy self and to thy doctrine continue in them for in so doing thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee 1 Tim. 4.16 12. Another Motive to fear and grow in this fear of God is This is the way to engage God to deliver thee from many outward dangers whoever fals therin Psal. 34.7 This is proved from that of the story of the Hebrew Midwives The Midwives saies Moses feared God and did not drown the Men-Children as the King had commanded but saved them alive And what follows Therefore God dealt well with the Midwives and it came to pass that because the Midwives feared God that he made them houses Exod. 1. That is he sheltered them and caused them to be hid from the rage and fury of the King and that perhaps in some of the Houses of the Egyptians themselves for why might not the Midwives be there hid as well as was Moses even in the Kings Court And how many times are they that fear God said to be delivered both by God and his Holy Angels as also I have already shewed 13. Another Motive to fear and to grow in this fear of God is This is the way to be delivered from Errors and damnable opinions There are some that perish in their righteousness that 's an Error there be some that perish in their wickedness and that 's an Error also Some again prolong their lives by their wickedness and others are righteous over much and also some are over wise and all these are snares and pits and holes But then saiest thou how shall I escape Indeed that 's the question and the Holy Ghost resolves it thus He that feareth God shall come out of them all Eccles. 7.15 16 17 18. 14. Another Motive to fear and to grow in this fear of God is Such have leave be they never so dark in their souls to come boldly to Jesus Christ and to trust in him for life I told you before that they that fear God have in the general a licence to trust in him but now I tell you and that in particular that they and they specially may do it and that though in the dark you that sit in darkness and have no light if this grace of fear be alive in your hearts you have this boldness Who is among you that feareth the Lord mark that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa. 50.10 It is no small advantage you know when men have to deal in difficult matters to have a patent or licence to deal now to trust in the Lord is a dificult thing yet the best and most gainful of all But then some will say since t is so difficult how may we do without danger why the Text gives a licence a patent to them to trust in his name that have his fear in their hearts Let HIM trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God 15. Another Motive to fear and grow in the grace of fear is God will own and acknowledge such to be his who ever he rejecteth Yea he will distinguish and seperate them from all others in the day of his terrible Judgments He will do with them as he did by those that sighed for the abominations that were done in the Land Ezek. 9. command the man that hath his Inkhorn by his side To set a mark upon their foreheads that they might not fall in that Judgment with others So in Mal. 3. God saies plainly of them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name That they should be writ in his Book A Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name and they shall he mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the day that I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Mala. 3.16 17. Mark he both acknowledges them for his and also promises to spare them as a man would spare his own Son Yea and moreover will wrap them up as his chief Jewels with himself in the bundle of life Thus much for the Motives How to grow in this Fear of God Having given you these Motives to the duty of growing in THIS fear of God Before I leave this use I will in few words shew you HOW you may grow in THIS fear of God 1. Then If thou wouldest grow in this fear of God Learn aright to distinguish of fear in general I mean learn to distinguish between THAT fear that is godly and that which in it self is indeed ungodly fear of God and know them well the one from the other lest the one the fear that in it self indeed is ungodly get the place even the upper hand of that which truly is godly fear And remember the ungodly fear of God is by God himself counted an enemy to him and hurtful to his people and is therefore most plentifully forbidden in the word Gen. 1.15 Chap. 26.24 Chap. 46.3 Exo. 14.13 Chap. 20.20 Num. 14.9 Chap. 21.34 Isa. 41.10 13 14. Chap. 43.1 Chap. 44.2 8. Chap. 54.4 Jer. 30.10 Dan. 10.12.19 Joel 2.21 Hag. 2.5 Zech. 8.13 Secondly If thou wouldest grow in this Godly fear learn rightly to distinguish it from that fear in particular that is Godly but for a time Even from that fear that is wrought from the spirit as a spirit of bondage I say learn to distinguish this from that and also perfectly to know the bounds that God hath set to that fear that is wrought by the spirit as a spirit of bondage Lest instead of growing in the fear that is to abide with thy soul for ever thou be overrun again with that first fear which is to abide with thee but till the spirit of adoption come And that thou mayest not only distinguish them one from the other but also keep each in its due place and bounds consider in general of what hath already been said upon this head and in particular that the first fear is no more wrought by the holy spirit but by the Devil to distress thee and make thee to live not like a Son but a slave And for thy
and he will laugh at their fears I will laugh saith he at their destruction I will mock when their fear cometh when your fear cometh as disolation and your distruction like a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall you call upon me but I will not answer you shall seek me early but you shall not find me for that you hated knowledge and did not chuse the FEAR of the Lord Prov. 1.26 27 28 29. Sinner thou thinkest to escape the fear but what wilt thou do with the pitt Thou thinkest to escape the pit but what wilt thou do with the Snare The Snare say you what is that I answer it is even the work of thine own hands The wicked is snared in the works of his own hands he is snared by the words of his lips Psal. 9.16 Chap. 12.13 Sinner what wilt thou do when thou comest into this snare that is into the guilt and terror that thy sins will snaffle thee with when they like a cord are fastned about thy soul This snare will bring thee back again to the pit which is Hell and then how wilt thou do to be rid of thy fear The fear pit and the snare shall come upon thee because thou fearest not God Sinner art thou one of them that hast cast off fear poor man what wilt thou do when these three things beset thee whither wilt thou fly for help And where wilt thou leave thy glory If thou fliest from the fear there 's the pit if thou fliest from the pit there 's the snare The second use is an Exhortation to fear God My next word shall be an Exhortation to fear God I mean an Exhortation to Saints O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him Not but that every Saint doth fear God but as the Apostle saith in an other case I beseech you do it more and more The fear of the Lord as I have shewed you is a grace of the new covenant as other saving graces are and so is capeable of being stronger or weaker as other graces are Wherefore I beseech you fear him more and more It is said of Obadiah That he feared the Lord greatly every Saint fears the Lord but every Saint does not greatly fear him O there are but few Obadiah's in the world I mean among the Saints on earth See the whole relation of him 1 King 18. As Paul said of Timothy I have none likeminded so it may be said of some concerning the fear of the Lord They have scarce a fellow So it was with Job There is none like him in all the earth one that feareth God c. Job 1. Chap. 2. There was even none in Jobs day that feared God like him no there was not one like him in all the earth but doubtless there were more in the World that feared God but this fearing of him greatly that 's the thing that Saints should do and that was the thing that Job did do and in that he did outstrip his fellows It is also said of Hananiah That he was a faithful man and feared God above many Nehe. 7.2 He also had got as to the exercise of and growth in this grace the start of many of his Brethren He feared God above many Now then seeing this grace admits of degrees and is in some stronger and in some weaker let us be all awakned as to other graces so to this grace also That like as you abound in every thing in faith in utterance in knowledg and in all diligence and in your love to us See that ye abound in this grace also I will labour to inforce this exhortation upon you by several motives 1. Let Gods distinguishing love to you be a motive to you to fear him greatly He hath put his fear in thy heart and hath not given that blessing to thy neighbour perhaps not to thy Husband thy Wife thy Child or thy Parent Oh what an obligation should this consideration lay upon thy heart greatly to fear the Lord Remember also as I have shewed in the first part of this book that this fear of the Lord is his Treasure a choice Jewel given only to favorites and to those that are greatly beloved Great gifts naturally tend to oblige and will do so I trust with thee when thou shalt ingeniously consider it It is a signe of a very bad nature when the contrary shews it self Could God have done more for thee then to have put his fear in his heart This is better then to have given thee a place even in Heaven without it Yea had he given thee all faith all knowledge and the tongue of Men and Angels and a place in Heaven to boot They had all been short of this gift of the fear of God in thy heart Therefore love it nourish it exercise it use all meanes to cause it to increase and grow in thy heart that it may appear it is set by at thy hand poor sinner 2 Another motive to stir thee up to grow in this grace of the fear of God May be the priviledges that it laies thee under What or where wilt thou find in the Bible so many priviledges so affectionately intailed to any grace as to this of the fear of God God speaks of this grace and of the priviledges that belong unto it as if to speak with reverance he knew not how to have done blessing of the man that hath it It seems to me as if this grace of fear is the darling grace the grace that God sets his heart upon at the highest rate As it were he imbraces and hugs and laies the man in his bosom that hath and grows strong in this grace of the fear of God See again the many priviledges in which the man is intrested that hath this grace in his heart and see also that there are but few of them wherever mentioned but have intailed to them the pronunciation of a blessing or else that man is spoken of by way of Admiration 3. Another motive may be this The man that groweth in this grace of the fear of the Lord will escape those evils that others will fall into Where this grace is it keepeth the soul from final apostacy I will put my fear in their heart and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 But yet if there be not an increase in this grace much evil may attend and be commited notwithstanding There is a child that is healthy and hath its limbs and can go but 't is careless now the evil of carelessness doth disadvantage it very much carelessness is the cause of stumblings of falls of knocks and that it falls into the dirt yea that somtimes 't is burned or almost drowned And thus it is even with Gods people that fear him because they ad not to their fear a care of growing more in the fear of God therefore they reap dammage whereas were they more in his fear it