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A10081 Ianitor animæ: the soules porter to cast out sinne, and to keepe out sinne. A treatise of the feare of God. Written by William Price, Batchelour of Divinitie, and vicar of Brigstocke in Northamptonshire. Price, William, d. 1666. 1638 (1638) STC 20335; ESTC S113693 54,780 288

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vaunt of his sins then let the prisoner glory in his fetters the dogge in his vomit and the infefected person in his plague-sore This is presumption in language 3. There is presumption in action 1. When a man dishonoureth God in that place wherein GOD uses and ought to bee worshipped namely the Temple This is to abuse God to his face and in his own house Hos 7.2 2. When a man wilfully dishonours God in a time of generall humiliation when others are be way ling their sins afore God 3. When a man sets himselfe as in the presence of God and yet then dissembles with his lips As those that with Saint Augustine before his conversion pray against lust● and yet secretly wish that God would not heare their prayer And all that with spleenfull spirits come to the Communion professing before God that they are reconciled unto their brethren when they intend no such thing And those preachers that willingly deliver unsound doctrine to the people onely to corrupt them using the Name of God to poyson their hearers doing what in them lies to make God a lyer In a word knights of the Post with their hackny consciences that dare in a false oath cal down God to testifie to an untruth which is so horrid a crime that I am perswaded that many a man now damned in hel would have been ashamed to bee guilty of 4. When a man therfore breaks a commandment merely because it is a command As St. Augustine confessed that in his youth he robbed an orchard not because hee wanted apples Gens ●umanaruit in v●titum resat for hee had as good or better at home but only because he coveted what was forbidden 5. When therefore a man abuses GOD more because God is patient and long suffering Which sordidnesse of humane disposition Salomon takes notice of and brands Because saith hee sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily Eccle. 8.11 therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe mischiefe This is to sight against God with his own weapon To turne his grace into wantonnesse 6. When man runs into a knowne grosse sin that Gods watchmen his ministers have newly warned him of or then when the Holy spirit of God suggests motions to him to the contrary This is to quench the Spirit and to despise prophesying 1 Thes 5.19.20 Acts 7.51 1 Thes 4.8 to resist the holy Ghost and his instruments Lastly when a man the more revolts from God the more hee is smitten Isay 1.5 as they in Isay Like Pharoh whose heart was the more hardned the more the sorer plagues God inflicted on him Like the Thracians that then shoot their arrowes against heaven when it thunders and lightens Like Augustus who having beene tempest tost at Sea defied Neptune the Sea-God and in the middest of his Circean sports hee caused his im ge to be pulled downe to bee revenged of him Like Xerxes whoscourged the sea and wrote a bill of defiance against the hill Athos because they intercepted him in his expedition Me thinkes the very naming of these things should move us to ab horre them But to win more upon our affectio is let us consider 1. That this audacious presumption is a despising of God He that feares not GOD Quod non metuitur contemnitur Lactant. Pial 10 13 contemnes him Wherefore doe the wicked despise God sayth David For a superiour to despise his inferiour is no wonder but for a peasant to despise his Prince for a peece of clay for a worme to slight his maker is intolerable Hee that despiseth me 1 Sam. 2.30 shall be lightly esteemed sayth God Saint Paul was grieved at heart that by sinnes of infirmity hee offended his God The evill sayth hee that I would not I do Rom. 7.19.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of sinne Shall hee groane under infirmities and shall wee make no conscience of presumptions God forbid 3. What doest thou meane fond man to wrest Thunder-bolts out of the hand of God that would delight to powre blessings upon thee Who hath hardened himselfe against God Iob. 9.4 and prospered sayth Iob 2 Kings 19 Sennacherib slighted GOD and the fruit of it was an Angell in one ni●ht slew his army consisting of one hundred eighty and five thousand men and he himselfe returning home was slaine by his owne sonnes in the temple of his God Libanius a Philosopher at Antioch demanding of a good Christian in scorne How the Carpenters son meaning Christ busied himselfe He answered him that he was making a Coffin for him and indeed hee presently after dyed In the yeare of our Lord 510. one Olympius an Arrian Bishop in a B●th at Carthage blasphemed openly the holy Trinity and the words were scarce out of his mouth but lightning descended thrice from heaven Paul D●●● and at length consumed him Iulian the uncle of the Emperour Iulian comming into a Christian Church pissed in despight upon the Communion Table and struck Euzoius for reproving him for it But shortly after his entrails rotted and he voyded his excrements at his mouth and dyed And Foelix Iulian his Treasurer that jeered at Christ under the name of Maries sonne hee vomited blood night and day Theodoret till hee died You will say wee hope none of us shall ever runne into these extremities But yet let us know that every presumptuous sin against God binds us over to as great mischiefes as any I have named Will wee beleeve Saint Paul If sayth hee wee sin wilfully Heb. 10.26.27 after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a fearfull ezpectation of judgement 2 Pet. 2.9.10 and fiery indignation The presumptuous are reserved unto the day of judgement sayth Saint Peter The arrowes thou shootest against heaven shall fall back upon thine owne head againe Woe to him saith the Prophet that striveth with his Maker Isay 45.9 let the pot-sheards strive with the pot-sheards of the earth What gaine the waves by striking against a rocke they stirre not that but dash themselves in peeces It is hard for thee to kick against the prickes sayth our Saviour to Saul Acts 9.5 If you walk contrary to me Lev. 26.23.24 sayth God I wil walk contrary to you Oh then let that of David bee our prayer Psal 19.13 Keepe back thy servant from presumptuous from presumptuous sinnes let them not have dominion over mee then shall I be upright and innocent from the great transgression This presumption is a second vice contrary to the feare of GOD. And therefore Salomon opposes hardning of the necke unto feare Pro. 28.14 And Aristotle sayth that those that are fearlesse they slight God and man they are audacious and presumptuous This is the Goliah that biddeth defiance to God CHAP. XIII Of Superstitious feare and the
Mal. 2.5 He was afraid afore my Name that is he was reverent in my worship And therefore these two are joyned together in St. Iohn Feare God Rev. 14.7 and glorifie and worship him To glorifie God in a reverent worshipping of him is to feare God It is the song of the Saints in heaven Who shall not feare thee Rev. 15.4 O Lord and glorifie thy Name For all Nations shall come and worship before thee Summe up all it amounts to this He that feares God reverences the name of God hohours the messengers of God hee behaves himselfe reverently in the place of Gods worship in the parts of Gods worship in prayer in preaching in hearing in administring and participating the holy Sacrament On the other side hee that can blasphemously tosse and teare the awfull name of God by hellish swearing and divellish cursing hee that can take the sacred name of God into his mouth when there is little or no thought of it in his heart Esa 29.13 hee that disesteemes undervalues despises scornes mocks the messengers of God hee that puts no difference betweene Gods house his owne 1 Cor. 11.22 between the sacramentall Bread and Wine cōsecrated to configure such mysteries 1 Cor. 11.29 common bread wine he that can willingly sleep or otherwise regardlesly oscitantly demeane himselfe in the service of his God he hath no feare of God afore his eyes 2. Hee that feares God will thirst to bee fully acquainted with the whole will of God that so through ignorance or mistake hee may neither neglect what God commands nor doe what hee forbids nor misdoe nor over-doe any thing This is called proving or searching what is the good and acceptable will of God Rom. 12.2 what hee accepts what hee mislikes It was King Davids prayer Psa 86.11 Teach mee thy way O Lord unite my heart to feare thy name He manifests his desire to feare God by desiring that GOD would teach him his way This he requests more than once in one Psalme Psal 119.12 26.33 teach mee thy statutes teach mee the way of thy statutes As that sonne that feares his father will punctually inquire into his fathers disposition and wil what he likes what displeases him But he that takes no care to build up himself in the knowledge of the will of God but contents himselfe with ignorance nay it may bee winks against the light the beames whereof would otherwise dart into and irradiate up on his soule on purpose that hee might sin more freely without check of conscience Gravis mile cons ientiae lux est● en Epist 123. which being enlightened would doe its office in accusing That man doth not feare God Of this stampe were those whereof Iob speakes Iob. 21.14 that sayd unto God We desire not the knowledge of thy wayes and that say to the Seers See not and to the Prophets Isa 30.10 Prophesie not unto us right things speake smooth things As if they shold say Doe you looke for thankes of us for preaching freely and frequently wee would you wold preach lesse you would give us better content There is sayth David no feare of God afore the wicked mans eyes Psal 36.1.2 How doth that appeare By this He flatters himself and hee desires to be flattered Hee would not willingly know the plain truth he loves to drinke in troubled waters that hee might not see his own deformitie nor understand his dutie 3. Hee that feares God hath a soft melting yeelding pliable heart to all good impressions I am afrayd of God sayth Iob● for he maketh my heart soft Iob. 23 1● 6 Isa● 48.4 Ier. 3 3. But hee that hath a brow of brasse a whoores fore-head an iron sinew an adamantine heart a perverse thwart crosse will that neither threats nor promises neither mercies nor judgements can dissolve or mollifie that man owns not the feare of God Therefore it is that the feare of God and hardnesse of heart are opposed one to another by Salomon Blessed is he that feareth alwayes Prov. 28.14 but he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischiefe Our hearts are hardened from thy feare sayth the Prophet Esa 63.17 4. Hee that feares God will tremble at Gods comminations in his word This is poverty and contritenesse of spirit to tremble at Gods word Isa 66.2 as it is in the Prophet When I heard sayth Habakkuk my belly trembled my lips quivered Hab. 3.16 〈◊〉 rottennesse entred into my bones When Micha prophesied of the destruction of Ierusalem King Hezekiah feared the Lord Ier. 26.18.19 and besought him to avert the evill When Baruch read the booke of Gods threatnings in the eares of the Princes the text sayth Ier. 36.15.16 they were afrayd both one and other But hee that hearing the words of this Book of GOD Deut. 29.19 1 Thes 5.3 Amos 6.3 blesseth himselfe in his heart and promises himselfe peace and safety and puts from him the evill day Hee that thinkes pulpit threats to be but Bug-beares and Scar-crowes to affright children with and is no more mooved with them than the seat hee sits on That man hath no feare of God afore his eyes 5. He that truly feares God is in love with the feare of God hee rejoyces in it hee cherishes it he wisheth the increase of it The Saints desire to feare thy name Nehem. 1.11 sayth Nehemiah Thy servant is devoted to thy feare Psal 119.38 sayth the sweet singer of Israel But he that resolves to lead a merry life to take nothing to heart to sing care away and to stop the mouth of conscience when it chideth hee knowes not experimentally what the feare of GOD meanes 6. Hee that feares God when he conceiveth he hath provoked God to anger he never ceaseth praying intreating the prayers of others interposing the merits of Christ between every word of his prayer his heart is in unconstant rest till his peace be made with God till he finde God reconciled to him Thus did David lively expresse his feare of God According to the multitude of thy tender mercies Psal 51.1.28 6.11.12 blot out all my transgressions wash me throughly from my iniquitie and cleanse me from my sinne Cast me not from thy presence Make mee to heare the voyse of ioy that the bones that thou hast broken may reioyce Restore to me the ioy of thy salvation How long wilt thou hide thy face Psal 89.46.49 for ever And shall thy wrath burne like fire Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses But he that because sentence against sinne is not speedily executed Eccles 8.11 12. sets his heart to do evill and thinkes that God hath forgotten and so runnes on the score and never thinks of agreeing with his maker and making up the breach hee is a stranger to the feare of God 7. Hee that feares God doth at all times and in all places set himselfe as in