to do us good But though God turn not away from us oh how apt are we to turn away from Him Nay saith the Lord I will Jer. 32. 40. put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me God inclines our hearts to do those things which He commandeth and so by over-powring our stubborn and perverse wills He makes us to be a willing people in the day of His power Psal 110. 3. First This Covenant of Grace is one in substance for there is one God one Mediator between God and men even Christ Jesus one manner of reconciliation Acts 4. 12. Joh. 14. 6 8. 56. one faith one way of salvation and that for all those that are saved since the beginning of the world or shall be saved to the end of it So the Covenant of Grace is one according to the principal conditions whereby 1. God obligeth Himself to us promising remission of Sins to all those who repent and believe and we do bind our selves to believe in God and act repentance 2. But according to the less principal conditions or as others say the manner of administration so they are two Covenants the Old and the New the first and the second Q. Wherein do the two Covenants agree viz. this old and new A. 1. They agree in the author God and in the Mediator Christ 2. In the promise of Grace which is of pardon of Sin and life everlasting freely given to those that believe by and through Christ which promise of Grace was common to the Saints of old as well as unto us although now it is more clear and more often repeated 3. In the condition in respect of us In both God required faith and obedience So to Abraham Walk before Gen. 17. 1. Mark 1. 15. me and be upright And to us Repent and believe the Gospel So the new Covenant agrees with the old according to the principal conditions both in respect of God and also of us Q. Wherein the new Covenant and the old do differ A. 1. In corporal promises as the Land of Canaan promised to the Jews their form of ceremonial Worship and their outward political Government until Christ came Christ to be of their seed and many other such-like But the new Covenant hath not such special corporal promises but only in general that God will preserve His Church to the end of the world c. 2. In the circumstances of the promise of Grace In the old Covenant they were received into Grace and favour upon believing in Christ that was to come In the new Covenant we are received into Grace and favour by believing in Christ that is already come 3. In the rights and signs added to the promise of Grace for in the old Covenant there were other Sacraments various chargeable painful as Circumcision the Passeover Oblations Sacrifices But in the new Covenant there are fewer Sacraments and they more simple as Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. 4. In the clearness in the old Covenant all were typical and under shaddows as their Priests Sacrifices c. so all things were obscure But in the New Covenant all things are clearer both in Doctrine and in Sacraments we having the fulfilling of the types 5. The old Covenant and the new do differ in gifts heretofore it was more narrow and sparing now a more large Jer. 31. 31 2 Cor. 3. 9. Joel 2. 28. and plentiful effusion of the Graces of the Spirit I will make a new Covenant with them saith the Lord I will write My Law in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be My people c. I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh c. 6. In the time the old Covenant was but temporary until the coming of the Messiah The new Covenant is eternal I will make an everlasting Covenant Jer. 32. 40 with them 7. In obliging the old Covenant obliged the people to all the Law both both Moral Ceremonial and Judicial The new Covenant obligeth us only to the Moral Law and to the use oâ— the Sacraments of Christ 8. In the amplitude and largeness in the old Covenant the Church was included within the Jewish Nation to which all others that would be saved must joyn themselves thence was that saying Salvation is of the Jews But in Joh. 4. 22. the new Covenant the Church is scaâ—tered over all Nations and access is open to it unto all believers Of every nation he that feareth God and worketh Acts 10. 35. righteousness is accepted of Him 1. Then take we heed of refusing this acceptable time and this day of Salvation Now the door is open let us come in thereat and joyn our selves to the Lord to be His Covenant-Servants and that for ever taking the Lord to be our God to love serve and fear Him and to keep his Commandments 2. The cause why God enters into Covenant with us is as because He loves Heb. 6. 18 us so to give us strong consolation that He will do us good and make us for to know it Labour we therefore for more knowledg of God in Christ to understand the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3. 8 19. and to be filled with all the fulness of God For there may be knowledg without Grace but there can be no Grace without knowledg Then may we comfort our selves in applying the promises of the Covenant to our selves as to instance in these three promises only As 1 Of Justification when Sin lyes heavy on thy Conscience lay claim to the Covenant wherein God hath said Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more 2. Of Sanctification if a lust be too strong for thee and thou wouldst fain be rid of it go to God and beseech Him to make good His Covenant in this respect to deliver thee from all thine enemies to write His Law in thy heart to give thee a new heart to pour clean Ezek. 36. 25 26. water upon thee even the sanctifying Graces of His holy Spirit and from all thy filthinesses to cleanse thee And then as He said to St. Paul His Grace 2 Cor. 12. 6. shall be sufficient for thee 3. Of outward blessings and deliverances in every streight want danger disease or the like plead hard with God tell Him of His Covenant pray Him to be thy buckler and to deliver thee to supply all thy need and to be a present help unto thee in thy needful time of trouble c. The promises are full of consolation but thou must suck hard at these breasts of consolation and draw them out Isai 66. 11. And so make use of the promises to the utmost Thus Jacob stayed himself upon the promise when he was in great extremity and in very much fear of his rough brother Esau he urged God with his promise Lord thou hast said Thou Gen. 32. 12. 28. 13 15. wilt surely do me good deliver me
back and that they had cast away the Law There is no fear Isai 5. 24. Psal 36. 1. of God before their eyes Like the unjust Judge who neither feared God nor regarded man We may have cause to Luk. 18. 2. fear such as Abraham said of the Philistins at Gerar Because I thought that Gen. 20 11. 1 Sam. 21. 10 23. 26. the fear of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wifes sake So David fled for fear of Saul There are many acceptations of fear in Scripture 1. It is taken for natural fear which is a certain natural affection whereby men are stricken by reason of some natural or hurtful evil either true or imagined So Jacob said of his brother Gen. 32. 11. Esau I fear him lest he will come and smite me and the mothers with the children So the City of Jericho feared because of Israel So Peter being on the Josh 2. 9 11. Mat. 14. 30. 28. 4. Sea when he saw the wind boysterous was afraid and cryed out c. This natural fear is in it self neither good nor evil It was in Christ Himself as He was man It becomes evil and sinful Heb. 5. 7. Mark 14. 33. when distrust is mixed with it 2. There is a free voluntary fear and reverence which inferiours shew to their superiours making them careful to obey and loth to offend and that for the Lord's sake Let the wise see Eph. 5. 33. that she reverence her husband but the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that she fear her husband So render to all their due fear to whom fear Rom. 13. ◠belongeth 3. Fear sometimes in Scripture is taken for the thing or danger feared the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me said Job and that which I was Job 3. 25. Prov. 1. 27. afraid of is come unto me When their fear cometh as desolation c. that is when that which they feared cometh c. 4. For the person which is feared In this sence God is called the fear of Isaac So Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac that is by God whom Isaac Gen. 31. 42 53. feared a Metonymie 5. Fear in Scripture sometime is taken for an holy affection of the heart awing us and making us loth to displease God by sin in respect of His great goodness and mercies and for a love we bear to righteousness There is mercy Psal 130. 4. with Thee that Thou mayest be feared This is a filial or child-like fear spoken of before The Godly are commanded Job 1. 2. Acts 10. 2. thus to fear and are commended for it so is Job and so Cornelius that they feared God 6. For a terrour in the heart of wicked men fearing God as a Judge being loth to offend Him by sin in regard of His punishments and not from any hatred of wickedness Thus Felix trembled Acts 24. 25. and feared This is servile and slavish fear spoken of also before 7. Fear is taken for the whole worship of God Thou shalt fear the Lord. In every nation he that feareth God and Deut. 6. 13. Acts 10. 35. Prov. 1. 7. Psal 112. 1. 128. 1. worketh righteousness is accepted of Him Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord where is a Synechdoche of the part for the whole For where the fear of God is truly planted there will follow the whole worship of God 8. To think upon dangerous things which breed fear So thine heart shall Isai 33. 18. meditate fear 9. For a great terrour and fear from God which was sent on the hearts of the men of those Cities of the Canaanites that they pursued not after the sons of Gen. 35. 5. Jacob to slay them And the fear of 2 Chr. 17. 10. God was upon those cities round about them c. Thus we see the several significations and acceptations of fear in Scripture and also what the true fear of God is which is whereby we so fear and reverence His holy Majesty and His Word that we take heed by all means of offending so gracious a Father not so much for fear of punishment as out of true love to God Several encouragements out of Scripture to fear God 1. God wisheth it Oh that they would fear Me that it may be Deut. 5. 29. well with them and with their children and for their good alwayes 6. 24. 2. The secret of the Lord is with them Psal 25. 14. that fear Him and He will shew them His Covenant He will teach them 119. 102. 3. There is no want to them that fear Him The young lyons shall lack and Psal 34. 9 10. suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord shall lack no good thing 33. 18 19. Prov. 22. 4. By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches honour and life There is Psal 11 1. 5. 112. 1 2. Prov. 15. 16. Psal 61. 5. a special heritage belongs to those that fear God therefore David said Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name That is as these present so also eternal good things which properly belong to God's Children wherein they of the world have no part at all 4. The Lord is nigh them that fear Psal 85. 9. Him And blessed are they to whom the Lord is nigh to hear and help Moses described the happiness of Israel herein and said What nation is there so great Deut. 4. 7. who hath the Lord so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is to us in all things that we call upon Him for Surely His salvation is nigh them that Psal 85. 9. fear Him c. In the fear of the Lord is strong considence Prov. 14. 26. and his children shall have a place of resuge The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting Psal 103. 11 to everlasting on them that fear Him c. He will fulsil the desire of them that 145. 19. fear Him He also will hear their cry and save them For the Lord taketh pleasure in them 147. 11. that fear Him in those that hope in His mercy The fear of the Lord prolongeth days Prov. 10. 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of 14. 27. life to depart from the snares of death The fear of the Lord tendeth to life 19. 23. and he that hath it shall be satisfied To you that fear My name shall the Mal. 4. 2. Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings c. His mercy is on them that fear him Luk. 1. 50. from generation to generation Who is among you that feareth the Isai 50. 10. Lord that 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
In every nation he that feareth God Act. 10. 35. and worketh righteousness is accepted of him To whomsoever feareth God the word 13. 26. of salvation is sent ENCOMIUMS or Praises of the fear of God Behold the fear of the Lord that is Job 28. 28. wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding The fear of the Lord is clean enduring Psal 19. 9. for ever That is the rule of His fear and of all true Religion contained in His Word is pure and clean and it cleanseth and purifieth us it is invariable and incorruptible and produceth the effect of eternal life in them that observe it The fear of the Lord is the beginning Psal 111. 10. of wisdom that is the fear of the Lord is the foundation as well as beginning of wisdom The Lord taketh pleasure in them that 147. 11. fear Him c. The fear of the Lord is the beginning Prov. 1. 7. of knowledg beginning is the chief point or sum of knowledg The fear of the Lord is to hate evil c. 8. 13. that is he that hath the true knowledg and fear of God in his heart it will make him hate sin which is so hateful unto God The fear of the Lord is a fountain of 14. 27. life to depart from the snares of death The fear of the Lord is the instruction 15. 33. of wisdom that is the fear of the Lord is the best and only means to have our hearts framed to receive true wisdom By the fear of the Lord men depart 16. 6. from evil that is they that truly fear God will not willingly run into sin but say with Joseph How can I do this wickedness Gen. 39. 9. and sin against God And this fear of God was a curb to Joseph when he dealt roughly with his brethren when he had cast them into Prison on the third day he brought them Gen 42. 18. out and said this do and live for I fear God So let this fear of God be always before our eyes as a spur to every good duty and a bar against all sin and wickedness Happy is the man that feareth always Prov. 28. 14. that is through the awful respect he hath to God's glorious Majesty fearing to offend Him and being no ways confident of himself that doth so always and at all times it is a special preservative against sin and so happy is that man A man or woman that so feareth the Prov. 31. 30. Lord shall be praised God is greatly to Psal 89. 7. be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all that are about Him God is to be feared above all gods 96. 4. Let us therefore strive as good Obadiah though in the Court of wicked Ahab to fear the Lord from our youth 1 King 18. 3 12. and to fear Him greatly And as Cornelius that religious Captain who feared Acts 10. 2. God with all his house to be faithful Nehem. 7. 2. men and to fear God above many Passing the time of our sojourning here in 1 Pet. 1. 17. fear in carefulness to please God fearing lest we should offend Him Surely I know that it shall be well with Eccles 8. 12. them that fear God which fear before Him David could not express it but breaks Psal 31. 19. out in admiration of it Oh how great is Thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men Let us therefore sanctifie the Lord of Isai 8. 13. hosts Himself and let Him be our fear and let Him be our dread Whâ— shall not fear Thee O Lord and Rev. 15. 4. glorifie Thy name for Thou only art holy for all nations shall come and worship before Thee for Thy judgments are made manifest Q. But what fear may Saints have in the Service of God A. 1. There may be a fear of God's wrath they may have apprehensions of Psal 6. 2 3. God's heavy displeasure the hot displeasure of God's wrath may even vex their bones and cause their soul to be sore vexed They may conceive themselves Psal 13. 1. forgotten of God and that God doth hide His face from them to have their soul pained within them and horrour to overwhelm them and think 55. 4 5. Cant. 5. 6. that Christ may with-draw Himself and be gone in regard of any comfortable and sensible enjoyment of His fellowship which they have 2. There may be a great fear even of performing holy Duties they may be startled not dare adventure upon sâ—ch holy performances without much shame of Spirit and holy reluctancy as Ezra said I am ashamed and blush to Ezra 9. 6. lift up my face to Thee O my God for our iniquities are increâ—sed over our heads and our trespass is grown up unto the hâ—â—vens And with the poor woman Mark 5. 33. in the Gospel who came fearing and trembling and fell down before Christ And yet the Saints never depart or fall away from that assured confidence they have conceived of the mercies of God though they have a continual strife with their own distrustfulness In all these assaults faith upholds the Godly and is like to a Palm-tree endeavouring to rise up against all burdens how great soever they may be He that striving with his own weakness resorts to faith in his troubles is already in a manner a Conquerour So David checks his own heart Why art thou cast down O my soul Why art thou thus disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise Him Psal 42. 11. who is the health of my countenance and my God And wait on the Lord be of 27. 14. good courage and He shall strengthen 39. 2. thine heart and so he iterates it wait I say on the Lord. Sometimes the Saints may become even dumb with silence as though their faith were utterly overthrown yet they faint not but proceed in the Battel and by Faith and Prayer do still encourage themselves in God who at length will come in with the saving strength of His own right hand Psal 20. 6. There is great difference between the fears of the Godly and of the wicked The fear of the wicked ariseth out of the evidences of the guilt of sin but the fear of the Godly from a tender apprehension of the greatness goodness holiness and Majesty of God and His most pure eyes which cannot endure Habb 1. 13. to behold iniquity but with indignation and out of a deep sence of their own vileness and unworthiness to meddle with holy things But yet this fear in the Saints never brings any dislike or hatred of God or any wilful disobedience against Him For as the fear of the soul deters so the necessity of the
15. yet in faith she calls Him O God of Israel the Saviour His way is in the sea and his paths in the mighty waters and his foot-steps are not known Clouds Psal 77. 19. and darkness are round about him and yet righteousness and judgment are the Psal 97. 2. habitation of his throne God hath not said to the house of Jacob seek ye Me in Isai 45. 19. vain Be not as those wicked idolatrous Jews who said It is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts Although Mal. 3. 14. God rewarded their outward labours about His Service that He would not have them to shut the doors for nought nor kindle fire on His altar for nought the meanest service to go unrewarded Let us so wait as we Mal. 1. 10. ought and it will not be unrewarded Let us wait and work work and wait our labour will never be in vain in the Lord. This is our waiting and working 1 Cor. 15. 58. time our praying and seed-time we sowing in righteousness here shall reap Hos 10. 12. 2 Joh. 8. Prov. 11. 18. Psal 84. 6. Psal 126. 6. in mercy hereafter even a full reward and a sure reward He that goeth forth and weepeth in this valley of tears bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him He shall have sheafs in stead of grains even a full measure Luk. 6. 38. pressed down shaken together and running over shall be given to him For God is not unrighteous to forget our work of faith our labour of love and our patience in waiting Be not like that Heb. 6. 10 11 wicked Servant who said My Lord delayeth his coming and so fall to riotting and to be swallowed up with the pleasures and vanities of this world the Lord of that servant will come in Mat. 24. 51. â— day that he looked not for Him and in an hour when he is not aware and will cut him in peices and give him his portion with hypocrites in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever Therefore be servent in spirit Rom. 12. 13. serving the Lord. Watch and pray for thou knowest not at what hour the Master of the house cometh whether at midnight or at the cock-crowing or dawning Mark 13. 35. of the day Lest coming suddenly He â—ind thee sleeping And be not weary in well-doing for in due season thou shalt Gal. 6. 9. reap if thou faint not Wait God's leisure wait His time God knows the sittest time when mercy is ripe for us when we are fit to receive such or such a mercy when we are throughly humbled and reformed when we know how to value the mercy aright how to use it how to improve it wisely and not to abuse it when our hearts are taken off from all creature-props and confidences when God hath exercised and tryed our Graces and us also to the utmost thus long God will have us to wait that the tryal of our faith being much 1 Pet. 1. 7. more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tryed with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ Now for the word Only Wait thou only upon God For He alone is able to support us uphold and encourage us in our waiting upon Him to supply all our wants and to fulfill all our desires He will fulfil the desires Psal 145. 19 of them that fear Him He also will hear their cry and save them He alone is able to supply all our need according to His riches in glory by Phill. 4 19. Jesus Christ The word here rendered wait in the Hebrew the Original signifies is silent Which denotes my Soul is silent without any murmuring fretting or repining and so resolved to wait upon God to await His leisure His good-pleasure and blessed will and that with patience contentment and satisfaction I wholly resigning my self to Him So the word in the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies my soul subject or submit thy self wholly unto God be obedient to Him in all things run not to rest or relye upon instruments or means but wait wholly upon God 1. If thou trust on means there thou wilt fail For riches be uncertain therefore trust not in uncertain riches Hodâ—e Craesus cras Irus Job was the 1 Tim. 6. 17. richest man in the morning before night he was poor to a Proverb As poor as Job Wilt thou set thine eyes upon Prov. 23. 5. Psal 52. 7. Jer. 19 1. Zeph. 1. 18. Psal 62. 10. Isai 30. 12. Hos 10. 13. Luk. 11. 22. that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they fly away at an eagle towards heaven Neither our Silver nor our Gold shall be able to deliver us in the day of the Lord's wrath Trust not in oppression c. Do not trust in thine own way nor to thine own righteousness Ezek. 33. 13. nor in thine armour or weapons of war nor in thine own heart Prâ—v 28. 26. for the heart of man is deceitful above all Jer. 17. 9. things desperately wicked c. 2. If thou rest or rely on instruments or men they will fail Cursed is the Jer. 17. 5. man that trusteth in man and whose heart departeth from the Lord. A man would think if he should trust in any man surely then it is best to trust in Princes but the Lord bids us Put not Psal 146. 3 4. your trust in Princes nor in the Son of man in whom there is no help his breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish Therefore trust in the Lord Prov. 3. 5. with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding That so thou mayst say to the Lord Thou art my goodness and my fortress my high tower and my deliverer my shield Psal 144. 2. and He in whom I trust And they that trust in the Lord and wait only upon him shall be as mount Zion which Psal 125. 1. cannot be removed but abideth for ever Thus far for the former part of the Verse My soul wait thou only upon God Now for the latter words for my expectation is from him From the sence and apprehension of the love and favour of God unto us in Christ there follows a patient enduring a confirmed hope or confidence and an undoubted expectation of mercies from God Which we describe thus to be an unwearied and perpetual continuation of the same purpose and resolution of attending upon God Or an abiding with patience and a continual looking for and expectation of help from God My expectation is from Him for temporal spiritual and everlasting mercies 1. For temporals and here 1. For Psal 104. 21. maintenance and provision The young lyons seek their meat from