must know it is not without infinite wisdome in God which dispenseth his Truths in such an order to the Sons of men And though I would not hold you long in the Preface yet I would speak a little further to this because I see many in this day at a great loss for want of observing the order of truth that God hath layed down in his Word some are very much troubled about Baptisme before they are really setled upon Jesus Christ and some are very much busying themselves about the matters of Worship before they close with Christ the foundation and so having not closed with Jesus Christ they build as men without a foundation Others againe when they come to be instructed in matters of Faith are apt to minde other Ordinances that are further off as Breaking of Bread whereas the order of Jesus Christ in the Gospel is that the very next thing after beleeving is to be Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus which persons not observing but missing the true way of God they are tossed to and fro and know not where to fix not taking notice of the due order wherein the Lord lays down truth in his blessed Word And possibly some also may be under the temptation of neglecting those truthes which concerne the foundation in matters of Faith and Order nay it is frequently so seen of many of whom I desire to speak tenderly supposing they do it weakly that they are busying themselves in the understanding of the highest discoveries of God in this Book of the Revelations and yet are not setled upon the foundation of the Gospel nor brought into the order of it and therefore as to many that are soaring high in these things I desire they would consider whether they have not unadvisedly leaped over those foundation truthes which they should have minded in their going on to those glorious Truths revealed in the Revelation I will not say God is tied up to this order but yet I say this is the way God would have his people waite upon him in and God bringing his people out of Babylon will I doubt not lead them to observe truth in that order wherein it was laid down in the first dispensation of the Gospel And therefore I being now to speak unto a Church of Christ already planted in the Faith and order of the Gospel I hope none will bee offended at my making choyce of a portion of Scripture in this Book of the Revelations if any be I may make my Apology from the eleventh verse of the first Chapter which holds forth unto us that this Book with the things therein revealed is sent unto the Churches I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie these things in the Churches and hee that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches which you have severall times repeated in the second and third Chapters of this Book so that you see the things held forth in this Book are such as the Churches of Christ are specially to hearken unto because Christ hath in a special manner commended these things to the Churches And let me adde that this Book hath a glorious blessing annexed to the reading and hearing of it and the keeping those things which are written therein you have not such a Blessing annexed to every Book as to this and oh that it were not the Sin of many Churches that they are so backward in looking into the things written in this Book of the Revelations when as God sends it especially and particularly unto them And indeed I judge it is a matter of duty especially for the Angels Messengers and Pastors of Churches to be diligently searching into in order to the finding out of those Truths that are written therein and according to the measure of the gift of Christ to hold them forth to the Churches for truly I grieve to think how much Church-members are unacquainted with many things written therein as what the Beast is what is his Mark and the Number of his Name when as such dreadful Judgements are pronounced against such as worship the Beast or his Image or receive his Mark in their fore-heads or in their hands yet alas how few Members in Churches are there that labour to bee informed in these things surely hee that knows not of a danger where it is and how it lies is in danger of falling into it unawares But to come to my Text in this fifteenth Chapter you read of a Victory obtained over the Beast and not only so but over his Image Mark and the number of his Name by a Party standing on the Sea of Glass having the Harps of God vers 2. their Song follows and they sang the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy Works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name Before I come to the words themselves I would in a general way lay down something for your information from the Context that which I suppose will bee the great inquiry upon the view of this Scripture is what the Beast is and who they are that get the victory over him his Mark and Image and therefore I shall briefly hint something concerning this Beast and the conquering Party that shall prevail over him That which to me is the best help to discover the Beast his Mark and Image especially the Beast what he is are the several qualifications of those which get the victory over him you may partly know the Beast by his opposites those which rejoyce at the overcoming of him now who they are that have had and maintained a controversie with this Beast you may see described in the second third and fourth verses of this Chapter and their frames and qualifications may be judged by several Characters given to them 1 They are a People attained to some measure of purity therefore set forth standing upon a Sea of Glass 2 They are a People bent to praise God for his great Works they have the Harps of God and they sing c. They are a people that dare not slight Gods great Works if God bring them out of Egypt they have it much upon their hearts and they sing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb like those in Exod. 15. and you know upon what account it was that Moses sang that Song it was when Gods Israel was brought out of Egypts bondage and the Egyptians destroyed whence it appears 3 That these are a people seriously minding of and much affected with Gods wonderful Works in their deliverance from Spiritual Egyptian bondage and therefore they cry out Great and marvellous are thy Works Lord God Almighty 4 They are a People that ascribe all to God and give him the praise of all his Works I suppose all will grant that the great Works God is to doe in the World will
be done by Instruments yet this people doe not extoll man in this work but cry out Great and marvellous are THY Works Lord God Almighty 5 They are a People that justifie God in all his Works and ways both of deliverance to his People and judgement upon his enemies which shews that they are such as compare Gods Word and his Works together and have also been seriously exercised in the observation of the sins of the Enemy that they thus justifie God in his Judgements towards them it being what they had deserved and hee had spoken and therefore they cry out Just and true are thy ways But 6 They acknowledge Christ to bee King of Saints Thou King of Saints 7 They are a People truly fearing God and standing up for the glory of his Name and this you have in the Text Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name they are a people of serious spirits truly fearing God and such as stand for the glory of God and not their own advantages in the world but that God may have glory this is that which they have most in their eye and upon their hearts that God may have a great Name in the world Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name So that you see those which shall get the victory over the Beast are not a People of a loose and wanton conversation I take Antichrist his Power and false Ministery which have stood up in Christendome so called for many Generations to be the Off-spring of those which Peter and Jude spake of in their Epistles which you have there described but those that shall get the victory over them are persons of a contrary spirit But againe 8 It appears they are a People of great Light and much Faith in the Prophesies concerning the coming in of the Nations to Worship God and own Jesus Christ for this is a part of their Song All Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgements are made manifest they are not a narrow spirited People which contest with the Beast such as only desire that Christ should bee exalted in the Nations Cities or places wherein they live or in their own Church but throughout all the earth so zealous are they for the honour of Christ above their own private and personal interests These are their qualifications And therefore if you consider where these qualifications are most to be found and who they are that oppose them it may help you to finde out the Beast in his most Refined Habit. But to return to that part of the Song that I propounded to speak unto in these words Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name Two things there are which are very much upon the heart of this People that get victory over the Beast the First is to Fear the Lord. Secondly To exalt the greatness of his name and this upon the account of his Judgements being made manifest so that the observation I shall give you from the words is this Obs That the two great Lessons that God calls upon men to learn by his great Dispensations in the last days when hee brings his Judgements upon the wicked is to fear God and give glory to his name This may be concluded from this holy Expostulation of theirs in their Spiritual rejoycing this they had learned themselves and this they rejoyce in that others should learn to fear God and give glory to his name so that I say these are the two Lessons God would learn the Sons of men when he is bringing Judgements upon his enemies namely to fear him and glorifie his name That this is so you may see clearly in Revel 14.6 7. And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell upon the earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People saying Fear God and give glory to him Why so for the hour of his Judgement is come so that you see these are the two great Lessons that God calls upon men to learn when his Judgements are going forth in the earth as if indeed in these two things were summed up the whole duty of man in the last days But I shall briefly lay before you some things further to clear this truth that these are the two Lessons God calls men to learn from the Dispensation of his great Works in the last days and it may further appear upon this ground Reas 1. Because these are the two Lessons which being learned doe very much serve to fit and prepare men for those great designes which God hath to bring to pass in the last days now those qualifications God especially looks after and requires of the Sons of men at any time and season which may best fit them for the Work God hath to doe at such a season Now what qualifications are there that more fitly serve for the carrying on of Gods great Works than to fear God and have respect unto his name 1 For the fear of God you shall finde when God had any Work to doe of old this was one chief qualification that God looked at if it were but to a Civil Office between men and men God requires this that they should be men fearing God consider that counsel that was given by Jethro the Prophet of the Lord to Moses Exod. 18 21. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as fear God men of truth hating covetousness and place such over them Rulers of hundreds of fifties and tens and let them judge the people to wit Israel at all seasons and oh that men would walk after the Laws of this blessed people whose Laws were extolled by God above all Laws given to any Nation under heaven Deut. 4.8 What Nation is there saith God so great that hath Statutes and Judgements so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day and the truth is men of great abilities that have not the fear of God in their hearts they are but the greater enemies to the great Designes and Works of the God of heaven And therefore this is a sweet and blessed qualification that God would have in every one that shall bee set up for him see 2 Sam. 23.2 3. which are the words of the Spirit of the Lord by his servant David and this is often inculcated The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee and his word was in my tongue The God of Israel said the Rock of Israel spake to mee hee that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God And this hath been formerly much set upon the hearts of many that have been great instruments in the work of God in this Nation that if they put any in place or office in the Nation they should bee men fearing God And hath not God made way for such to Rule having converted so many in the Nation But again
David tells us the like Psal 36.1 they have not this true Son-like fear natural men are unacquainted with it 2 That this fear comes by union with Christ and his Spirit that is the cause of it you may see Psal 86.11 Vnite my heart to fear thy name this fear of God it comes by vertue of an union with Jesus Christ by faith for the spirit of the fear of the Lord it is given to Christ Isa 11.2 And he received of that annoynting to shed it abroad amongst his Members and to give it to those that are united to him and no further then we live in union with Christ by faith can we bee partakers of this gracious frame of spirit to fear the Lord in truth this is a Lesson which the Spirit teaches and therefore it was by the Spirit that David cries out Come yee children and hearken unto mee and I will teach you the fear of the Lord Psa 34.11 and this God hath promised to give to his people Jerem. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me But if you ask me how the Spirit works this in the heart of a Beleever 3 I say it is through the discovery of the glory of God in his Word and Works by Christ by the Glory of God I understand his Attributes when Moses desired to see Gods Glory he shews him his Attributes in Exod. 34.5 6. he proclaimed the Name of the Lord and what is it why The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth This is the discovery of Gods Glory the discovery of his Name 1 Hee begins with his Attribute that denotes his Soveraignty and Dominion The Lord Salomon tells us The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdome and indeed until a Soul understands something of the Soveraignty and Dominion of God over him hee never comes to make a right use of Gods love and goodness for until the Soul comes to see that God orders all things in Heaven and Earth and that he is in the hands of the great God to dispose of him as he will and that he can destroy him and cast him to Hell if hee pleaseth he cannot finde any sweetness in the tenders of Grace in the Gospel nor apply his Soul in reality to them and therefore I finde that when the Prophets of God of old time brought Gods Message to the Sons of men they usually spake to them as from the Lord saying Thus saith the Lord you have it sometimes twice in a verse setting forth Gods right of Soveraignty over them to whom they delivered their Message and this is that which is exceeding needful to bee set upon the hearts of the Sons of men when they come to hear Gods Word or have any thing to doe in his Works when the Soul considers Gods Soveraignty over him it causes him to stand in awe and fear before him and therefore by this you may try your selves whether this fear of God be in you or no Did the Lord ever shew himself to you as the Soveraigne Lord and make you to lye at his feet as dust and ashes and as clay in the hands of the Potter for if ever God have wrought this fear in your heart this was your frame I know many have a notional knowledge of Gods Soveraignty and are able to write Books of it but are your hearts really affected with it so as to lye low before the Lord in the apprehensions of it I finde it hard in every action to know this God to be the Soveraigne Lord of all and that he ruleth in all things and wee are to obey him in thought word and deed and to fear continually before him But 2 There is Gods goodness which is another thing wherein his glory appears he is the Lord God merciful and gracious and this following the former much conduces to fear him when the Soul considers that the great God that made the Heavens and the Earth and before whom all Nations are but as the drop of a Bucket should offer tenders of Grace and Mercy to be reconciled to such a poor sinfull Creature this inclines the heart to hearken to him and fear before him knowing this that he is the Lord that exerciseth loving kindness judgement and righteousness in the earth Jerem. 9.24 and that he is good to all those that fear him Psal 34.9 10 11. this brings the heart over to God indeed when Gods greatness and goodness is displayed before the Soul together this works up the heart in reality towards God O how doth David admire Gods love when he considers the great Works of God in Psal 8.3 When I consider the heavens the works of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast made what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him and at vers 9. O Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth he could not but admire and fear and fear and admire Gods great name But again 3 Let us also consider Gods power which much conduces in the hand of the Spirit to work this fear of God in our hearts and therefore you shall finde when God calls upon his people to hearken to him hee useth such kinde of expressions as these Thus saith the Lord that made the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth that they cannot bee moved And what a strong influence it hath you may see in Jer. 10.6.7.10 12 13. There is none like unto thee Oh Lord thou art great and thy Name is great in might Who would not Fear thee thou King of Nations the Lord is the true God and the everlasting King at his wrath the earth shall tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his indignation he hath made the earth by his power he hath established the world by his wisdome and hath stretched forth the heavens by his discretion hee maketh lightning with rain and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures Very gloriously you see the Prophet sets forth the greatness of Gods power when he comes to declare a message to the people from him So also the Prophet Isaiah in the 40. Chap. 12 13 14 15 16 17. sets forth Gods Power as he hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the Mountains in scales and the Hills in a ballance Behold the Nations before him are but as the drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the ballance he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing and all Nations before him are as nothing And if that bee not enough he tells you They are counted to him less than nothing and vanity So vers 22. It is hee that sitteth upon the Circle of the earth and the Inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers that stretcheth out
consider That this glorious qualification of the fear of God fitted Christ for the great work of his Mediatorship Mal. 2.5 My Covenant was with him of life and peace for the fear wherewith he feared mee and was afraid before my Name And in Isaiah 11.2 3. which is a Prophesie of Christ it is said The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdome and understanding the Spirit of counsel and might the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord And doubtless this is a most blessed qualification to fit a man for any work for God hee that hath the fear of God in his heart dares not take the gain of oppression nor do any thing that is evill and unrighteous See it in good Nehemiah Chap. 5. vers 15. speaking of the former Governors how they oppressed and tyrannized over the people but saith he So did not I because of the Fear of God That man that truly fears God trembles before him and stands in awe of the Great God continually And thus you see how this Fear of God fits men to serve Gods designs in their generation and therefore this is one lesson that God would have men to learn by his great works in these last dayes But Secondly The other is like to this viZ. To have respect to the glory of Gods Name God hath alwayes laid aside a people that were selfish and did not minde the advancement of his Name See Mal. 1.10 11. saith God Who is there even among you that would shut the door for nought neither do you kindle a fire on my Altar for nought What follows I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hoasts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Why so For from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my NAME shall bee great among the Gentiles c. as if God should say These are not a people which will bee seeking my Name and my glory and will do nothing in my service without a present reward therefore I will shake them off and will not accept an offering from their hand A narrow hearted self-seeking man is unfit to follow God in his great works for those which will honour God and give glory to his Name they must trust God for their daily bread and above all things minde the hallowing and advancing of Gods Name and if they will make it good in earnest that they are followers of Christ they must be ready to follow the Lord to the loss of ALL. For saith Christ He that hates not father and mother wife and children brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple Luke 14.26 And this is made by God the distinguishing difference between those that fear God and those that fear him not Mal. 3.14 15 16. you may there read of a people that though they gave God some outward service yet they looked not at the glory of God but their own advantage and therefore they cry out It is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that wee have kept his Ordinances c. And this is that which a hypocrite looks at in his serving God even his own profit and advantage And here I would a little note to you the practise of this Nation especially their Ministry that Ordinances which brings no profit to the Ministers as namely the great Ordinance of Excommunication which tends to vindicate the Name of God in the earth and to distinguish the precious from the vile yet because this Ordinance of casting out brings them no profit how have they cast it out from among them whiles other things that bring them in profit they appear zealous for And are there not many that seem ready to serve God and his cause but if wee look thoroughly upon them is not their Eye rather upon their own profit than Gods glory But to return to Malachy you have also mention there made of a people that Feared the Lord and what they did in that day verse 17. of which one thing is That they thought upon Gods Name And you may see what notice God takes of it and how hee will reward them for it and this is the distinguishing difference between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not vers last And thus you may see how these blessed qualifications of the Fear of God and Respect to his Name will fit persons to bee used in the great works God hath to do in the last dayes and therefore they are the two great Lessons he requireth of them I might for further demonstration of the truth of the point adde a 2 Reason Grounded upon Gods severity against persons for the neglect of these things Gods great controversie with men all along hath been upon this score for not fearing him and giving glory to his Name because they did not fear God before all and honour God above all See Jeremiah 5.24 c. Neither say they in their heart Let us now fear the Lord our God c. And at the 29. verse see what God saith Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul bee avenged on such a Nation as this So Mal. 3.5 I will be a swift witness against Sorcerers and Adulterers and false swearers and those that turn aside the stranger from their right and Fear not mee saith the LORD of Hosts And that the judgements of God in the latter dayes shall come upon men for this see that forecited text Rev. 14.7 Fear God and give glory to him for the Hour of his Judgement is come and therefore the way to escape the just Judgements of God that are coming forth Is to fear God and give glory to his Name Quest But some may ask as to the first thing God requires What this fear of God is which is so often spoken of in the Scriptures as that which God doth so much delight in Answ I shall at present tender you with some description of it according to that light and experience which I hope I may truly say the Lord hath communicated to me and you may take it as followeth Description It is a precious effect of the Spirit of Christ in the heart of a Beleever whereby through the discovery of the glory of God in his word and works by Christ and in consideration of the vast disproportion between God and the creature he is made to think highly of God in all his Attributes and to have respect unto all his Commandements The definition is something long but I shall prove the particulars to you and 1 I say It is a precious effect of the Spirit of Christ in the heart of a Beleever hee is the subject of it and there is none else that hath this fear of God in him the Apostle speaking of the wicked Rom. 3.18 saith There is no fear of God before their eyes And
the Heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in That bringeth Princes to nothing and maketh the Judges of the earth as vanity Thus you see Gods Power which is another of his Attributes and did but persons consider this who would not fear and tremble before him Again This fear of God is very much kept in the hearts of the children of God by eying the Providences of God and the Works of God as it is in the description there is a hand of God in all things that come to pass in the world But oh how many are there that live in the world like Atheists not eying God at all or else perhaps a little at morning and evening I do not speak against this but their fault is they do not eye God continually and therefore if they have got a little of the fear of God upon their hearts after prayer in the morning they quickly lose it by going out into the world and therefore it is of excellent use to keep the fear of God alive in the heart to see God in every business wee are imployed in with David to set the Lord alwayes before us and you may see in that 107. Psalm at large how excellently the Providences of God are set forth relating to various conditions to raise up the hearts of persons to fear him and love him and praise him Oh then what 's the reason that Professors are found so light and vain in their conversations but because they do not eye God in his Providences the fear of the Lord is not really in their hearts and continually before their eyes if it were they durst not bee so light and vain in their spirits as oft-times they are and so also the great work of Redemption is that which causeth souls indeed to fear God as I might abundantly shew you but I must hasten and therefore shall pass on to a 4 Thing in the description which further relates to the manner how this fear of God is wrought in the heart and that is by the consideration of the vast disproportion which is between God and the Creature this is that which tends much to the begetting of the fear of God in the heart consider those expressions used by that Servant of the Lord Abraham in his drawing nigh to God in Gen. 18.27 Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes he did not look upon it as a small matter to come and pray to God and speak to God as too many poor Creatures do that come to God without that reverence of him in their hearts and such a gesture in their bodies both publickly and in their Families and Closets as becomes persons in their drawing nigh to God by prayer and so Salomon presseth us to reverence and fear upon this account Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou art upon earth therefore let thy words be few and also that fore-mentioned place Isa 40. sets forth the disproportion between God and the creature Behold all Nations before him are but as the drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the ballance hee taketh up the Isles as a very little thing And therefore if men did but consider what this great God is they durst never walke proudly before him nor speak proudly against him but would even cast themselves upon the ground as those of old did when they spake to God And oh that the consideration of Gods greatness and that vast disproportion that is between him us were more upon our hearts that so we may fear before him continually and so I shal come in the Fifth place to speak to this fear of God with respect to the nature of it and the fruits and effects of it which is set forth in the Description by two things First A thinking highly of God in all his Attributes Secondly A having respect to all his Commandements 1 This fear of God is that whereby the soul is made to think highly of God in all his Attributes it brings a soul to thinke highly of Gods Name which is his Attributes see it in David a man fearing God Psal 111.9 10. Holy and Reverent is his Name and hee subjoyns The fear of the Lord c. 2 This fear of God causes the soul to have respect to all Gods Commandements the man that truly fears God he trembleth at the word of God hath God said it it shall be done saith the poor humble soul what ever it bee that God commands though it bring never so much loss or shame or suffering upon mee yet if the fear of God be in my heart I shall do it A soul that truly fears God will endeavour to avoid in thought word or deed what ever offends God and dishonours God as hee would avoid hell And therefore Solomon tells us The fear of the Lord is to depart from evill Prov. 3.7 Yea to hate evill Prov. 8.13 And therefore take a soul that hath the fear of God upon his heart and hee looks upon it as a dreadful thing to sin against God and to dishonour God in thought word or deed and therefore as much as may bee such a soul will avoid the occasions of sin you may see it in Agur in Prov. 30.8 9. saith he Give me neither poverty nor riches and why because both those states were dangerous temptations to sin against God and the best way to avoid the sin is to avoid the temptation But alas How many are there in this our day that are bold and venterous upon temptations that will rush in upon them without fear How few are there that have this in their prayers to God Lord give mee not riches but on the contrary how do many run into multitude of business in the world which so takes up their time and hearts that they are not fit to serve God in their Generation Not considering that of our Saviour How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdome of Heaven But the fear of God it teaches the soul to avoid the occasions of sin and to abstain from all appearances of evill according to that of Paul in 1 Thess 5.22 And surely if wee are to pray Not to bee led into temptation then wee are not to lead our selves into temptation But first to seek the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof and all these things shall be added unto you And thus the Fear of God teaches to abstain from what God hath forbidden and to do what God hath required to thinke highly of God in all his Attributes and to have respect to all his Commandements And thus you have the Description opened and proved concerning the fear of God I cannot come to the other duty of giving glory to his name and therefore shall make some Application of what hath been