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
most humbling and heart-breaking sight in the world it is fearful Object But would you not have us rejoyce at the sight and sense of the forgiveness of our sins Answer Yes But yet I would have you and indeed you shall when God shall tell you that your sins are pardoned indeed Rejoyce with trembling Psal. 2.8 For then you have sollid and Godly joy a joyful heart and wet eyes in this will stand very well together and it will be so more or less For if God shall come to you indeed and visit you with the forgiveness of sins that visit removeth the guilt but increaseth the sense of thy filth and the sense of this that God hath forgiven a filthy sinner will make thee both rejoyce and tremble O! the blessed confusion that will then cover thy face whiles thou even thou so vile a wretch shalt stand before God to receive at his hand thy pardon and so the first fruits of thy eternal salvation That thou maiest remember and be comforted and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame thy filth when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God Ezek. 16.63 2. But Secondly As the presence so the name of God is dreadful and fearful wherefore his name doth rightly go under the same tittle That thou maiest fear that glorious and fearful name the Lord thy God Deut. 28.58 The name of God what is that but that by which he is distinguished and known from all others Names are to distinguish by so man is distinguished from beasts and Angels from men so Heaven from Earth and Darkness from Light especially when by the name the nature of the thing is signified and expressed and so it was in their original for then names exprest the nature of the thing so named And therefore it is that the name of God is the object of our fear because by his name his nature is exprest Holy and reverend is his name Psal. 111.9 And again he proclaimed the name of the Lord the Lord the Lord God gracious and mercifull long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands pardoning iniquity transgression and sins and that will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 3.6 7. Also his name I AM JAH JEHOVAH with several others what is by them intended but his nature as his Power Wisdom Eternity Goodness and Omnipotency c. might be expressed and declared The name of God is therefore the object of a Christians fear David prayed to God that he would unite his heart to fear his name Psal. 86.11 Indeed the name of God is a fearful name and should alwaies be reverenced by his people Yea his name is to be feared for ever and ever and that not only in his Church and among his Saints but even in the world and among the Heathen So the Heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all Kings thy glory Psal. 102.15 God tells us that his name is dreadful and that he is pleased to see men be afraid before his name Yea one reason why he executeth so many judgments upon men as he doth is that others might see and fear his name So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the Sun See Mal. 4.2 Rev. 11.18 Mal. 1.4 chap. 2.5 Isa. 59.18 19. The name of a King is a name of fear And I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts The name of Master is a name of fear And if I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord Yea rightly to fear the Lord is a sign of a gracious heart And again To them that fear my name saith he shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings yea when Christ comes to Judge the world He will give reward to his Servants the Prophets and to his Saints and to them that fear his name small and great Now I say Since the name of God is that by which his nature is expressed and since he naturally is so glorious and incomprehensible his name must needs be the object of our fear and we ought alwaies to have a reverent awe of God upon our hearts at what time soever we think of or hear his name but most of all when we our selves do take his holy and fearful name into our mouths especially in a religious manner that is in preaching praying or holy conference I do not by thus saying intend as if it was lawful to make mention of his name in light and vain discourses for we ought alwaies to speak of it with reverence and godly fear but I speak it to put Christians in mind that they should not in religious duties shew lightness of mind or be vain in their words when yet they are making mention of the name of the Lord And let every one that nameth the name of our Lord Jesus Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 Make mention then of the name of the Lord at all times with great dread of his Majesty upon your hearts and in great soberness and truth To do otherwise is to profane the name of the Lord and to take his name in vain And the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Yea God saith that he will cut off the man that doth it so jealous is he of the honour due unto his name Exod. 20.7 Levit. 20.3 This therefore sheweth you the dreadful state of those that lightly vainly lyingly and profanely make use of the name this fearful name of God either by their blasphemous cursing and oaths or by their fraudulent dealing with their neighbour for some men have no way to prevail with their nighbour to bow under a cheat but by calling falsly upon the name of the Lord to be witness that the wickedness is good and honest but how these men will escape when they shall be judged devouring fire and everlasting burnings for their profaning and blaspheming of the name of the Lord becomes them betimes to consider of Jer. 14.14 15. Ezek. 20.39 Exod. 20.7 3. But Thirdly As the Presence and Name of God are dreadful and fearful in the Church so is his Worship and Service I say his Worship or the works of service to which we are by him enjoyned while we are in this world are dreadful and fearful things This David conceiveth when he saith But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy FEAR will I worship towards thy holy Temple Psal. 5.7 And again saith he Serve the Lord with fear To praise God is a part of his worship But saies Moses Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Exod. 15.11 To rejoyce before him is a part of his worship But David bids us Rejoyce with trembling Psal. 2.8 Yea the whole of our service to God and every part thereof ought to
Word of God joyntly designing the glory of it Among which phrases as you see this is one The FEAR of the Lord is clean enduring for ever This written Word is therefore the object of a Christians Fear This is that also which David intended when he said Come ye children hearken to me I will teach you the Fear of the Lord Psal. 34.11 I will teach you the Fear That is I will teach you the Commandments Statutes and Judgments of the Lord even as Moses commanded the children of Israel Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up Deut. 6.4 5 6 7. That also in the 11th of Isaiah intends the same where the Father saith of the Son That he shall be of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord that he may judge and smite the earth with the ROD of his mouth This Rod in the Text is none other but the FEAR the Word of the Lord for he was to be of a quick understanding it IT that he might smite that is execute it according to the Will of his Father upon and among the children of men Now this as I said is called the Fear of the Lord because it is called the Rule and Director of our Fear For we know not how to fear the Lord in a saving way without its guidance and direction As it is said of the Priest that was sent back from the captivity to Samaria to teach the people to fear the Lord. So it is said concerning the written word it is given to us and left among us that we may read therein all the daies of our life and LEARN to fear the Lord Deut. 6.1 2 3 24. chap. 10.12 chap. 17.19 And hear it is that trembling at the Word of God is even by God himself not only taken notice off but counted as laudable and praise-worthy as is evident in the case of Josiah 2 Chron. 34.26 27. Such also are the approved of God let them be condemned by whomsoever Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my names sake said let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed Isa. 66.5 Further Such shall be looked too by God himself cared for and watched over that no distress temptation or affliction may overcome them and destroy them To this man will I look saith God even to him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and that trembles at my word It is the same in substance with that in the same Prophet in chap. 57. For thus saith the High and Holy One that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy Place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Yea the way tâ— escape dangers foretold is to hearken to understand and fear the Word of God Hâ— that feared the Word of the Lord amongst the Servants of Pharaoh made his Servants and his Cattle flee into houses and they were secured But he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his Servants and Cattel in the Field and they were destroyed of the hail Exod. 9.20 21 22 23 24 25. If at any time the sins of a Nation or Church are discovered and bewailed it is by them that know and tremble at the Word of God when Ezra heard of the wickedness of his brethren and had a desire to humble himself before God for the same who were they that would assist him in that matter but they that trembled at the word of God Then saith he were assembled to me every one that trembled at the Word of the God of Israel because of the transgression of these that had been carried away Ezra 9.4 They are such also that tremble at the Word that are best able to give counsel in the matters of God for their Judgment best suiteth with his mind and will Now therefore said he let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the Strange wives according to the counsel of my Lord and of those â—hat tremble at the Commandment of our God â—nd let it be done according to the Law Ezra â—â— 3 Now something of the dread and terrour of the Word lieth in these things 1. As I have already hinted from the Author of them They are the Words of God Therefore you have Moses and the Prophets when they came to deliver their errand their message to the people still saying Hear the Word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord and the like So when Ezekiel was sent to the house of Israel in their state of Religion thus was he bid to say unto them Thus saith the Lord God Thus saith the Lord God Ezek. 2.4 Chap. 3. v. 11. This is the honour and majesty then that God hath put upon his written Word and thus he hath done even of purpose that we might make them the rule and directory of our FEAR and that we might stand in aw of and tremble at them When Habakkuk heard the Word of the Lord his belly trembled and rotteness entred into his bones I trembled in my self said he that I might have rest in the day of trouble Hab. 3.16 The word of a King is as the roaring of a Lion where the word of a King is there is power what is it then when God the great God shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem whose voice shakes not only Earth but also Heaven How doth holy David set it forth The voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the LORD is full of majesty c. Psal. 29. 2. It is a word that is fearful and may well be called the fear of the Lord because of the subject matter of it to wit the state of sinners in another world for that is it unto which the whole Bible bendeth it self either more immediately or more mediately all its doctrines counsels incouragements threatnings and judgments have a look one way or other upon us with respect to the next world which will be our last state because 't will be to us a state eternal This word this law these Judgments are they that we shall be disposed of by The word that I have spoken saies Christ it shall judge you and so consequently dispose of you at the last day Joh. 12. Now if we consider that our next state must be Eternal either Eternal glory or Eternal fire and that this Eternal glory or this Eternal fire must be our portion according as the words of God revealed in the holy Scriptures shall determine who will not but conclude that therefore the words of God are they at which we should tremble and they by which we should
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
the text The Angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear him and delivereth them Answer The way that they take to deliver them that fear the Lord is sometimes by smiting of their enemies with blindness that they may not find them And so they served the enemies of Lot Gen. 19.10.11 Sometimes by smiting of them with deadly fear and so they served those that laid feige against Samaria 2 King 7.6 And sometimes by smiting of them even with Death it self and thus they served Herod after he had attempted to kill the Apostle James and also sought to vex certain others of the Church Act. 12. These Angels that are servants to them that fear the Lord are them that will if God doth bid them revenge the qarrell of his servants upon the stoutest monarch on earth This therefore is a glorious priviledge of the men that fear the Lord. Alas they are some of them so mean that they are counted not worth taking notice of by the high ones of the World but their betters do respect them the Angels of God count not themselves to good to attend on them and camp about them to deliver them This then is the man that hath his Angel to wait upon him even he that feareth God Seventhly Dost thou fear the Lord Salvation is nigh unto thee Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that glory may dwell in their Land Psal 85.9 This is another priviledge for them that fear the Lord. I told you before that the Angel of the Lord did incamp about them but now he saith his Salvation is also nigh them the which although it doth not altogether exclude the conduct of Angels but include them yet it looketh further Surely his Salvation his saving pardoning grace is nigh them that fear him That is to save them out of the hand of their spiritual enemys The Devil and Sin and Death do alwaies wait even to devour them that fear the Lord but to deliver them from these his salvation doth attend them So then if Satan tempts here is their salvation nigh if sin by breaking forth beguiles them here is Gods salvation nigh them yea if death it self shall suddenly seize upon them why here is their Gods salvation nigh them I have seen that great mens little children must go no whither without their nurses be at hand If they go abroad their nurses must go with them if they go to meals their nurses must go with them If they go to bed their nurses must go with them yea and if they fall a sleep their nurses must stand by them O my brethren those little ones that fear the Lord they are the children of the highest therefore they shall not walk alone be at their spiritual meats alone go to their sick beds or to their graves alone the salvation of their God is nigh them to deliver them from the evil This is then the glory that dwels in the Land of them that fear the Lord. Eightly Dost thou fear the Lord Heathen yet again The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear him and his righteousness unto childrens children Ps. 103.17 This still confirms what was last asserted that is that his salvation is nigh unto them His salvation that is pardoning mercy that is nigh them But mind it there he saies tis-nigh them but here it is upon them His mercy is upon them it covereth them all over it compasseth them about as with a Shield Therefore they are said in an over place to be clothed with salvation and covered with the robe of righteousness The mercy of the Lord is VPON them that is as I said to shelter and defend them The mercy the pardoning preserving mercy the mercy of the Lord is upon them who is he then that can condemn them Rom. 8. But there yee is more behinde The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on them T was designed for them before the world was and shall be upon them when the world it self is ended From everlasting to everlasting it is on them that fear him This from everlasting to everlasting is that by which in another place the eternity of God himself is declared From everlasting to everlasting thou art God Psal. 90.2 The meaning then may be this That so long as God hath his being so long shall the man that feareth him find mercy at his hand According to that of Moses The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting Arms and he shall thrust out the Enemy before thee and say destroy them Deut. 33.27 Child of God thou that fearest God here is mercy nigh thee mercy enough everlasting mercy upon thee This is long-lived mercy It will live longer then thy sin it will live longer then temptation it will live longer then thy sorrows it will live longer then thy persecutors It is mercy from everlasting to contrive thy salvation and mercy TO everlasting to weather it out with all thy adversaries Now what can hell and death do to him that hath this mercy of God upon him And this hath the man that feareth the Lord. Take that other blessed word and O thou man that fearest the Lord hang it like a Chain of Gold about thy neck As the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is his mercy towards them that fear him Psal. 103.13.18 If mercy as big as high and as good as Heaven it self will be a priviledge the man that feareth God shall have a priviledge Ninthly Dost thou fear God Like as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him Psal. 103.13 The Lord pittieth them that fear him That is condoleth and is affected feeleth and sympathizeth with them in all their afflictions It is a great matter for a poor man to be in this manner in the affections of the great and mighty but for a poor sinner to be thus in the heart and affections of God and they that fear him are so this is astonishing to consider In his love and in his pity be redeemed them In his love and in his pity In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and bare them and carried them all the day of old Isa. 63.9 I say in that he is said to pity them it is as much as to say he condoleth feeleth and sympathizeth with them in all their afflictions and temptations So that this is the happiness of him that feareth God he has a God to pity him and to be touched with all his miseries 'T is said in Judges His soul was grieved for the miseries of Israel Judg. 10.16 and in the Hebrews He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and can succour them that are tempted Chap. 4.15 Chap. 2.17.18 But further let us take notice of the comparison As a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them
that fear before him Fear therefore the Spirit of the fear of the Lord is a grace that greatly beautifies a Christian his words and all his waies Wherefore now let the FEAR of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts I come now to make some use and application of this doctrine The use of this Doctrine Having proceeded thus far about this Doctrine of the fear of God I now come to make some Use and Application of the whole and my first use shall be a use of Examination Is this fear of God such an excellent thing Is it attended with so many blessed priviledges then this should put us ever soul of us upon a diligent examination of our selves to wit whether this grace be in us or no for if it be then thou art one of these blessed ones to whom belong these glorious priviledges for thou hast an intrest in every of them but if it shall appear that this grace is not in thee then thy state is fearfully miserable as hath partly been manifest already and will further be seen in what comes after Now the better to help thee to consider and not to miss in finding out what thou art in thy self examination I will speak to this 1. In general 2. In particular 1. In general 1. No man brings this grace into the world with him Every one by nature is destitute of it for naturally none fear God there is NO fear of God none of this grace of fear before their eyes they do not so much as know what it is for this fear flows as was shewed before from a new heart faith repentance and the like of which new heart faith and Repentance if thou beest void thou art also void of this godly fear Men must have a mighty change of heart and life or else they are strangers to this fear of God alas how ignorant are the most of this yea and some are not afraid to say they are not changed nor desire so to be can these fear God can these be possessed with this grace of fear No Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God Psal. 36.1 Rom. 3.18 Psal. 55.19 Wherefore sinner consider whoever thou art that art destitute of this fear of God thou art void of all other graces for this fear as also I have shewed floweth from the whole stock of grace where it is There is not one of the graces of the Spirit but this fear is in the bowels of it yea as I may say this fear is the flower and beauty of every grace neither is there any thing let it look as much like grace as it will that will be counted so indeed if the fruit thereof be not this fear of God wherefore I say again consider well of of this matter for as thou shall be found with reference to this grace so shall thy judgment be I have but briefly treated of this grace yet have indeavoured with words as fit as I could to display it in its colours before thy face first by shewing you what this fear of God is then what it flows from as also what doth flow from it To which as was said before I have added several priviledges that are annexed to this fear that by all if it may be thou mayest see it if thou hast it and thy self without it if thou hast it not Wherefore I refer thee thither again for information in this thing Or if thou art loth to give the Book a second reading but wilt go on to the end now thou art gotten hither Then secondly and particularly I conclude with these several propositions concerning those that fear not God 1. That man that is proud and of an high and lofty mind fears not God This is plain from the Exhortation Be not high minded but fear Rom. 11.20 Here you see that an high mind and the fear of God are set in direct opposition the one to the other and there is in them closely concluded by the Apostle that where indeed the one is there cannot be the other where there is an high mind there is not the fear of God and where there is the fear of God the mind is not high but lowly Can a man at the same time be approved man and fear God too why then is it said God beholdeth every one that is proud and abases him and again he beholds the proud afar off He therefore that is proud of his person of his Riches of his Office of his Parts and the like feareth not God It is also manifest further for God resisteth the proud which he would not do if he feared him but in that he sets him at such a distance from him in that he testifies that he will abase him and resist him it is evident that he is not the man that hath this grace of fear for that man as I have shewed you is the man of Gods delight the object of his pleasure Psal. 138.6 Jam. 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 Mal. 4.1 2. The covetous man feareth not God This also is plain from the word because it setteth covetousness and the fear of God in direct opposition Men that fear God are said to hate covetousness Exod. 18.21 Besides the covetous man is called an Idolater and is said to have no part in the Kingdom of Christ and of God And again The wicked boasteth himself of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhoreth Ezek. 33.31 Ephes. 5.4 5. Psal. 10.3 Hearken to this you that hunt the world to take it you that care not how you get so you get the world Also you that make even religion your stalking-horse to get the world You fear not God And what will you do whose hearts go after your covetousness you who are led by covetousness up and down as it were by the Nose sometimes to swear to lie to couzen and cheat and defraud when you can get the advantage to do it You are far very far from the fear of God Ye adulterers and adulteresses for so the covetous are called Know ye not that the friendship of this world is the enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world is the enemy of God James 4. ver 4. 3. The riotous eaters of flesh have not the fear of God For this is done without fear Jud. 12. Gluttony is a sin little taken notice of and as little repented of by those that use it but yet it is odious in the sight of God and the practise of it a demonstration of the want of his fear in the heart yea so odious is it that God forbids that his people should so much as company with such Be not saith he among wine bibers among rioters eaters of flesh Prov. 23.20 And he further tels us that they that are such are spots and blemishes to those that keep them company for
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
no may have the dispose of those things but if God has any thing in special to bestow upon his people of this worlds good then he will intrust it in the hands of men fearing God Joseph must now be made Lord of Aegypc because Israel must be kept from starving Obadiah must now be made Steward of Ahabs house because the Lords Prophets must be hid from and fed in despite of the rage and bloody mind of Jezebel Daniel with his companions and Mordecai also they were all exalted to earthly and temporal dignity that they might in that state they being men that abounded in the fear of God be serviceable to their Brethren in their straits and difficulties Gen. 42.18 Chap. 41.39 1 King 18.3 Hester the two last Chapters Dan. 2.48 Chap. 3.30 Chap. 5.29 Chap. 6.1 2 3. 9. Another motive to grow in this grace of fear is Where the fear of God in the heart of any is not growing there no grace thrives nor duty done as it should 1. There no grace thrives neither Faith Hope Love nor any grace This is evident from that general Exhortation perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Perfect holiness what is that but as James saies of patience let every grace have its perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire lacking nothing Jam. 1. But this cannot be done but in the fear of God yea in the exercise of that grace and so consequently in the growth of it for there is no grace but grows being exercised If then you would be perfect in holiness if you would have every grace that God has put into your souls grow and flourish unto perfection lay them as I may say a soak in this grace of fear and do all in the exercise of it for a little done in the fear of the Lord is better then the revenues of the wicked And again the Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous the soul that liveth in the fear of the Lord to famish but he casteth away the abundance of the wicked Bring abundance to God and if it be not seasoned with godly fear it shall not be acceptable to him but lothsome and abominable in his sight for it doth not flow from the spirit of the fear of the Lord. 2. Therefore where there is not a growth in this fear there is no duty done so acceptably This flows from that which goes before for if grace rather decays than grows where this grace of fear is not in the growth and increase thereof then duties in their glory and acceptableness decay likewise 10. Another motive to stir thee up to grow in the increase of this grace of fear is It is a grace do but abound therein that will give thee great boldness both with God and men Job was a man a none-such in his day for one that feared God and who so bold with God as Job who so bold with God and who so bold with men as he 1. How bold was he with God when he wishes for nothing more then that he might come even to his seat and concludes that if he could come at him he would approach even as a prince unto him and as such would order his cause before him Job 23.3 4 5 6 7. Chap. 31.35 36 37. Also before his friends how bold was he For ever as they laid to his charge that he was an hypocrite he refels them with the testimony of a good conscience which good conscience he got and kept and maintained by increasing in the fear of God yea his conscience was kept so good by this grace of fear for 't was by that that he eschewed evil that 't was common with him to appeall to God when accused and also to put himself for his clearing under most bitter curses and imprecations Job 13.3 4 5 6 7 8 9.18 19 20 21 22 24. Job 31. This fear of God is it that keeps the conscience clean and tender and so free from much of that defilement that even a good man may be afflicted with for want of his growth in this fear of God Yea let me add if a man can with a good conscience say that he desires to fear the name of God it will ad boldness to his soul in his approaches into the presence of God O Lord said Nehemiah I beseech thee let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy Servant and Servants who desire to fear thy name Nehe. 1.11 He pleaded his desire of fearing the name of God as an argument with God to grant him his request and the reason was because God had promised before to bless them that fear him both small and great Ps. 115.13 11. Another motive to stir you up to fear the Lord and to grow in this fear is by it thou maiest have thy labours blessed to the saving of the souls of others 'T is said of Levi of whom mention was made before that he feared God and was afraid before his Name that he saved others from their sins The law of truth was in his lips and he walked with me in Peace and Equity and did turn away many from iniquity Mal. 25.6 The fear of God that dwelt in his heart shewed its growth in the Sanctifying of the Lord by his life and words and the Lord also blessed this his growth herein by blessing his labours to the saving of his Neighbors Wouldest thou save thy Husband thy Wife thy Children c. then be greatly in the fear of God This Peter teaches Wives saith he be subject to your own husbands that if any obey not the word they may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives while they behold your chast conversation coupled with fear 1 Pet. 3.1 2. So then if Wives and Children yea if Husbands Wives Children Servants c. did but better observe this general rule of Peter to wit of letting their whole conversation be coupled with fear they might be made instruments in Gods hand of much more good then they are But the misery is the fear of God is wanting in actions and that is the cause that so little good is done by those that profess 'T is not a conversation that is coupled with a profession for a great profession may be attended with a life that is not good but scandalous but it is a conversation coupled with fear of God that is with the impressions of the fear of God upon it that is convincing and that ministreth the awakenings of God to the conscience in order to saving the unbeliever O they are a sweet couple to wit a Christian conversation coupled with fear The want of this fear of God is that that has been a stumbling block to the blind oftentimes Alas the World will not be convinced by your talk by your notions and by the great profession that you make if they see not therewith mixed the lively impressions of the fear of God but will as I said
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