Selected quad for the lemma: law_n
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A10081
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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.
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Price, William, d. 1666.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 20335; ESTC S113693
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54,780
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288
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the rockes and into the caves of the earth for the feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he arises to shake terribly the earth Apoc. 6.16 They shall say sayth Saint Iohn the Divine to the mountaines and rockes fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne This feare cares not how farre God and it bee asunder Like that fâ—are of the Egyptians Psal 105 38. Egypt was glad of the Israelites departure for they were afrayd of them But the filiall feare of God unites the heart to God it drives him who is possest of it unto God When David was in a great streight hee cries 2 Sam. 24.14 Let us fall into the hands of God And it is Gods promise Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare into their hearts and they shall never depart from me The feare of a slave provokes him to runne from his master the feare of a loving childe prompts him to apply himselfe the closer to his father In these sixe effects these two feares are differenced 4. And lastly they differ in regard of time and duration To wind them up together Slavish feare dreads not GOD in prosperity when all things smile and succeed according to expectation wish Because the wicked have no changes Psal 55.19 sayth the Psalmist therefore they feare not God He that filially feares God feares him at all times you may imagine it to be a misery a bondage to be alwaies in feare but the contrary is true of this feare Happy is that man that feareth alwayes Pro. 28.14 sayth Salomon The righteous man feares not God by fits and starts Hee feares most when hee is most prosperous He thinkes that the greatest calmes are but fatall and immediate fore-runners of the lowdest tempests When the Churches had rest and comfort in the holy Ghost Acts 9.31 even then they walked in the feare of the Lord. They think with St. Bernard Tum magis irascitur cum non irascitur Bern. when they are spared too long that then God is most angry when hee seemes least angry When they sinne unpunished they cry with Saint Austin Nâ—leâ—â—re in sâ—â—â— erdiam Aug. Lord let mee have none of this mercie lest it prove but a reservation of mee to greater misery In a word hee that feares God slavishly feares little longer than the rod is on his backe It was the guise of K. Pharaoh 1 King 21. three last reâ—ses and K. Ahab when the pang was off they stil hardened their hearts and ran their old Bias. 1 King 12.18.19 We finde Ahab fasting and humbling himselfe in one Chapter and the next newes we heare of him in the next Chapter is he is quarrelling with the Prophet for telling the truth Nay this feare turnes into a greater security as the anvill is harder for beating as hot water cooling growes colder than ever it was afore But the filiall feare of God is a lasting feare it endures for ever saith David Psal 19.9 the spirit of the feare of the Lord is not flitting Esay 11.2 it rests on him on whom it pitches Let us all try our faces at this glasse it is no flattering one it will tell you truely whether your feare bee of the right stampe whether stampe whether it will stand you in stead or no. CHAP. X. Of those signes that discover whether we feare God more than man or man more than God THere are signes of a third rank that will make a full discovery to us whether we feare man more than God or God more than man 1. They that study more to please man than to please God they that passe not to displease God so they humour men they feare man more than God If I yet seeke to please men Gal. 1.10 I am no servant of Christ As if he should say I cannot feare Christ as a servant shold feare his master if I seeke to please men Would any of you judge that a servant did feare his master more than other men if his daily care were to please other men rather than his master Gal. 3.22 It is not for nothing that Saint Paul opposeth man pleasing to fearing of God implying that light and darknesse can as well consist together as sycophanticke slavish pleasing of man can stand with the feare of God Who doubts but that at that time Aaron feared man more than God when to condescend to the peoples fancie hee made gods for them to worship in Moses absence Exod. 32.22.23.24 Whether did Pilate feare God or man most when to content the people hee released Barabbas Mark 15.15 and delivered Iesus to bee crucified When Herod the King vexed the Church of God and killed Iames with the sword Acts 12.1.2 3. and because he saw it pleased the Ieas hee proceeded further to take Peter also as it is writ of him will any man say that Herod feared God more than man On the contrary part they that feare God more than man though in all indifferent things hee will please men as St. Paul testifies of himselfe 1 Cor. 10. last verse I sayth he please all men in all things that is in all lawfull things for the profit of many that they may be saved 1 Cor 9.20.21.22 Vnto the Iewes sayth hee I became as a Iew that I might gaine the Iewes to them that are under the law as under the law that I might gaine them that are under the law to them that are without law as without law that I might win them to the weake I became as weake that I might gain the weake I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes gaine some Yet in those things that are not adiaphorous indifferent but either necessary or unlawfull they will not yeeld a haires bredth though to please the greatest and their best benefactors And therefore the question of those that feare God is not what man but what God will bee pleased with as it was their question though with other intention in the Prophet Micha 6.7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes or with ten thousand rivers of oyle 1 Thess 2.4 We speak sayth Saint Paul not as pleasing man but God who trieth our hearts That preacher who feares God more than man will in the pulpit speake his conscience with modesty good discretion even to the faces of the highest Grandees and Magnificoes of the World though hee knowes it will prove harsh untuneable and unwelcome to their eares When King Ahab sent for Michaiah to prophesie to him hee was desired to speake as the Prophets afore him spake that which was good and might please the King his answer was 1 King 22.13.14 As the Lord lives what the Lord sayth unto me that I will speake As if he should say Tel not mee what other Prophets have sayd what God puts into my