his wife to say that she was his sister in this respect the feare of God is both by Dauid and also by Salomon called the beginning of wisedome Psa 111.10 Prou. 1.7 that is the root and fountain of all goodnes and therefore we must feare the Lord Deut. 6.13 stand in great awe and reuerence of him Thou shalt feare saith Moses to Israel the Lord thy God and serue him and shalt sweare by his name Esay doth require the same Esay 8.13 when hee saith vnto them Sanctifie the Lord of hoasts and let him be your feare and let him be your dread But Salomon sayes Let vs heare the end of all Eccle. 12.23 feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole duty of man These reasons should be motiues to vs to fear the Lord. And there are diuers reasons to mooue vs hereunto as first the greatnes of his power and might aboue vs. Secondly his authority and iurisdiction which he hath ouer vs. Thirdly his goodnesse and mercy which hee doth shew vnto vs. Fourthly his maiesty glory which doth shine glister round about vs. Fifthly his purity and holinesse that is in his eyes beholding vs. And lastly the great blessings which the feare it selfe being had will bring vnto vs for al these things may iustly worke a feare in men Meane men do feare great men and they dare not in any case displease thē childrē feare their parents such as haue a ruling tuition ouer thē Workemen feare their masters by whom they liue are maintained Simple persons feare great states and such as excell in glory and maiestie aboue themselues though otherwise they owe no homage or subiectiō vnto them Loose liuers and wantons feare graue and religious persons and such as are zealous for Gods glory and earnest for the saluation of mans soule as being ashamed to poure out their euill words or to commit their wicked facts before them and in their presence Lastly euery one by nature is forward to apply himselfe to those things which hee doth know will bring great profit and benefit vnto himselfe and to liue in happinesse and prosperitie all the dayes of his life Now to apply this to God and to our selues First he is of power and he is able to pay vs home if we do displease him this our Sauiour tels vs when hee biddeth vs not to feare men who can kill but the body Mat. 10.28 but to feare the Lord who is able to destroy both body and soule in hell Secondly he hath authoritie and iurisdiction ouer vs wee are his he hath made vs and he may doe with vs what hee will as the Potter doth with his vessell this reason the Lord himselfe doth giue when he saith A sonne honoureth his father Mal. 1.6 and a seruant his master if then I bee a father where is mine honour and if I bee a master where is my feare saith the Lord of hosts vnto you O Priests that despise my name Thirdly he is good and kind to vs his benefits which wee do enioy from him are infinite we haue all that wee haue from him euen our liues and all the rest Psal 130.4 this reason Dauid doth touch when he saith vnto the Lord but mercy is with thee that thou marest be feared Fourthly he is a God of infinite maiestie and glory and wee are but poore simple creatures made of the dust and clay of the ground the heauen of heauens cannot containe him neither can the Angels themselues stand before him for his brightnes vnlesse they couer their faces with two of their wings this reason doth Moses glance at when hee shewes the end wherefore the Lord did publish his law Exo. 22.20 in that glorious and maiesticall manner as hee did in thunders and lightnings and the like saying For God is come to proue you and that his feare may be before you that ye sinne not Fifthly he is holy and righteous his eyes are pure eyes and cannot behold sin and iniquity this reason is layde downe before the eyes of the Israelites oftentimes in the old Testaments by the spirit of God when hee would draw them to the true feare and seruice of God from all such manners as were found among the Gentiles Finally the the commodities which the feare of the Lord being had will bring vnto vs are exceeding great For first The benefits which we shall receiue should moue vs to feare the Lord. it wil make vs holy and frameable vnto Gods will in auoyding those things which hee hath condemned and performing those things which hee hath commanded The feare of the Lord saith Salomon is to hate euill Prou. 8.13 as pride and arrogancy the euill way where hee sheweth that in what measure any one feares God in the same measure he doth loath and detest all euill for he saith not to hate euill as murther and adultery but pride and arrogancy which lie in the heart and doe not shew themselues to the world Yet hee that feareth God will hate them Secondly it will make vs blessed and happy in all our wayes Blessed saith Dauid is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes this reason the sweet singer of Israel hath alledged when he saith feare the Lord ye his Saints for nothing wanteth to them that feare him nothing he meanes which is good and wholesome for them Psal 84.11 as he speakes else where saying the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will hee withhold from them that walke vprightly First this serueth to condemne those that haue not the true feare of the Lord before their eyes Alas their case is miserable for they serue not the true and liuing God what shew of religion soeuer they do make or what brags soeuer they doe giue foorth concerning the same for seeing the feare of God is the very beginning of wisedome and the foundation or groundsill of Gods worshippe as hath bene proued it is vnpossible that either they should haue any true wisedome in them or else religiously should serue the Lord when they want this feare the only cause and fountaine thereof Secondly this may serue for to stirre vs vp to get the true feare of the Lord vnto our selues and labour by all meanes possible to bring our hearts thereunto Ioh. 4.18 that so we may truely say of our selues that the Lord is our dread But against this it may bee obiected that perfect loue doth cast out feare and we are commanded to serue God without feare Luke 1.74 To this I answer that perfect loue doth cast out hellish and slauish or seruile feare whereof wee spake before that makes men to tremble before God for feare of punishment but on the contrary side it causeth that holy and childish feare that makes man carefull to come vnto him and to worship him as wee ought to doe From the former of these wee
are deliuered but not from the latter We haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe Rom. 8.5 but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abbah Father So that true loue is so farre off from casting out this holy feare of adoption whereby wee are drawne to hate sinne in loue towards God and not for punishments sake that it doth bring it in and establish it within vs yet this is to bee noted by the way that seruile feare is a good meanes at the first to bring vs vnto God for it prepareth a place for the holy Ghost to bring him into our soules as the bristles bringeth in the thred But when it is once entred into vs and hath taken vp the possession of our soules within vs then this feare is gone as the bristle is when the thred is entred into the hole Besides this we must marke that as the children of God are not by and by perfect so a peece of this feare may still remaine in them but the feare that is here required of vs and which is to last for euer is that feare of reuerence whereby we beholding our owne weakenesse and the excellency of God and his incomprehensible Maieiestie dare not lift vp our selues against him but do stand in awe of him with all reuerence being loath to offend him in any thing and most carefull to please him in all things it is such a feare as is in louing children toward their parents in dutifull wiues towards their husbands and in faithfull subiects towards their Princes the fountaine whereof is loue and a due consideration of his excellency euery away about vs. A plain difference betweene the true filiall and sonne-like feare the seruile slauish feare Here we may see a plaine difference betweene the true filial feare of God and the seruile and slauish feare the filiall feare keepeth vs from finall falling away but the seruile doth not the filiall is onely in the godly the seruile in the wicked the filiall is a peculiar gift of the spirit so is not the seruile and the filial feare is ioyned with loue but there is no seruile feare in loue And as the true feare of God proceeds from loue so it must bee continued in loue end in loue therefore if the Lord loue thee then thou doest loue him againe this Saint Iohn doth confirme We loue him because he loued vs first Ioh. 4.19 examine then what loue thou bearest towards God try whether it be sound for certainely if thou louest him thou art beloued of him It is thought to be a commō thing and easie to loue the Lord This feare of God must be louely for where God is not truly loued hee cannot be truly feared and he is a wretch and vnworthy to liue that doth not loue his maker but let euery one beware lest it be found in himselfe for it is not so common a thing to loue the Lord as the world takes it to bee Bee thou therefore of a good ground try thy loue by the fruits and effects therefore if thou louest God truely Mat. 10.37 Psal 63.3 Phil. 3.4 thou doest esteeme him his fauour aboue all things in the world besides counting his louing kindnesse better vnto thee then life and the signes of his fauour thy greatest ioy all things shall be counted but as drosse and dung in comparison of it Thirdly if thou louest God thou wilt then delight in his presence for the nature of true loue is such that it earnestly desireth the presence of the party which is beloued Psal 26.8 thou wilt loue his house and the place where his honour dwelleth thou wilt haue frequent recourse to those means by which the Lord is pleased to conuerse with his children whether publike as to the hearing of the word or priuate as reading singing c. Take all occasions to speake vnto him by prayer and meditation Phil. 1.25 yea thou wilt haue an ardent desire to be dissolued that thou mayest bee with Christ and to be absent from the body 2 Cor. 5.8 that thou mightest bee present with the Lord. Readinesse to obey signes of true loue Fourthly our loue to God may be tryed by our readines in obeying of his commands Loue can hardly deny any worke which the party beloued doth enioyne Loth we are to deny to doe any thing for those whom we entirely loue Hee that hath my commandements and keepeth them Ioh. 14.21 he it is that loueth me saith our Sauiour this is the loue of God that wee keepe his commandements his commandements are not greeuous So then 1. Ioh. 5.3 where there is loue there is obedience yea willing carefull obedience This may serue for the great comfort of all such as haue Gods loue manifested vnto them for as the terrors are great which that man hath in his conscience who is in doubt of the loue of the Almighty towards him so is the comfort as great which that man hath who is hereof perswaded for come tribulation or distresse or persecution Rom. 8 25 11. Heb. 11. or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword or life or death yet the certainty of Gods loue will support him this assurance doth make bitter things sweet and gall to relish as hony Comfort then thy heart thou beloued of the Lord let nothing dismay thee though the wicked mocke though the world scorne thee though thy acquaintance hate thee yet remember God loues and fauours thee 1. Sam. 1.8 and hath manifested the same vnto thee Is not my loue better vnto thee then ten children said Elkanah to Hannah so is not the loue of God vnto vs better then tenne worlds let then the meditation of this harden thy face like brasse against all dangers and sad times of temptations and persecution for God shall giue his beloued rest they shall be deliuered for he will helpe them with his right hand Therfore to this feare we must stir vp our soules euery day and so farre as we would either worship God aright or haue his blessings powred downe vpon vs whether for this life or the life to come we must striue and contend with our soules and our hearts to bring them hereunto that so wee may alwayes reuerence and dread the great name of the Lord of hosts doubtlesse we shall neuer serue the Lord aright or become happy and blessed vntill this bee brought to passe well wee may performe some duties in outward appearance wee shall neuer looke to all with a good heart and conscience within And howsoeuer we prosper and flourish for a while yet woe and destruction will ouertake vs at the last but let his feare bee once planted within vs then shall wee inwardly and from the heart haue a respect vnto all his commandements and bee most carefull to please him in all things and then againe shall wee prosper and flourish for euer not onely in this world but
all so that it will make vs blessed happy in all our waies so that the feare of the Lord brings with it alwaies a plenty of al good things and comes laden with the blessings of God wheresoeuer it comes for all these causes now rehearsed should we feare the Lord and endeauor to please him The feare of the Lord giueth vnderstanding to the simple Fourthly hee that feareth the Lord hath the promise of spirituall graces as knowledge instruction wisedome and the like Art thou ignorant in Gods matters and wouldest faine know and vnderstand the wayes of God then feare the Lord. For what man is he that feareth the Lord him shall hee teach in the way that hee shall choose Psal 25.12 Verfe 14. yea the secret of the Lord is among them that feare him and he will shew them his Couenant the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome A good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter Psal 111.10 Wouldest thou haue the Lord to shew pitty and compassion vpon thee and to forgiue thee all thy sinnes O then feare the Lord Mal. 3.16.17 For the Lord wil spare them that feare him as a man that spareth his owne sonne that serueth him as a father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him Yea the mercy of the Lord is from euerlasting to euerlasting vpon them that feare him and his righteousnesse vpon childrens children Againe Psal 103.13 the Lord heareth the Prayers of those that feare him and granteth their request Yea the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will hee withhold frō them that walke vprightly Psal 84.11 Thus wee see no grace needefull to saluation shall be wanting to vs if we feare the Lord Lastly it hath the maine promise of eternall life in the world to come His endlesse mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation The maine reason to enforce vs to labour for this holy feare is that it hath the promises of eternall life in the world to come Luke 150. Psal 85.9 Mal. 2.5 Psal 25.12 This is a main reason to enforce vs to labour for this holy feare and howsoeuer the wicked beleeue it not but account it altogether in vaine to feare God and serue him yet let no man doubt of it who belongs to God for as Dauid speaketh Surely Gods saluation is nigh all them that feare him And the couenant of life and peace was with Leui because he feared God and the soule of him that feareth God shall dwell at ease Deut 5.20 yea If we feare the Lord alwayes it shall be well with vs and with our children for euer The consideration of all which should moue euery one of vs to breake out with the Prophet saying Who would not feare thee Ier. 10.7 Reuel 15.7 Psa 115.13 O King of Nations and with Gods seruāts Who wil not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy Loe These gracious promises should moue vs to feare the Lord. 2. Cor. 7.1 Phil. 2.12 Esay 8.13 thus will the Lord blesse them that feare him both small and great Therefore seeing we haue such promises let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himselfe and let him be your dread Now let the feare of the Lord be vpon you take heede and doe it And whatsoeuer yee doe doe it in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart Let vs with good King Iehosaphat feare the Lord 2. Chr. 19.79 and set our hearts earnestly to seeke him For as the Heauen is high aboue the Earth 2. Chr 20.3 Psal 103.11 so great is Gods mercy towards them that feare him as farre as the East is from the West so farre hath God set our transgressions from vs. Psal 33.8 O let all the earth feare the Lord let all the Inhabitants of the World stand in awe of him Psal 2.11 Serue the Lord with feare and reioyce before him with reuerence The Lord of his mercy giue vs this grace and good Lord vnite our hearts to thee that wee may feare thy Name For thou onely Psal 86.11 Psal 76.7 O Lord euen thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry Wherefore let vs performe these things with care and conscience and no doubt but wee shall haue the true feare of the Lord within vs which will bee a comfort vnto vs for euermore Our chiefest ioy and delight should be in the Commandements of God Now follwes the practise of this blessed man and that is in actions of piety and delights greatly in his Commandements that is the whole Doctrine diuinely inspired is the very ioy of his heart and delight of his soule It is sweeter vnto him then the Honny and the Honny-combe It is more precious vnto him then gold yea then much fine gold It is more worth vnto him then the whole World and where the heart is once enkindled with loue there the imagination imbraceth with dearest apprehension the thoughts are impatient of any other obiect all the powers of the Soule are vnited in a strong endeauour for the attainement the whole minde must needes bee possest with Meditation and Prayer If hee delight in the Law of the LORD his GOD hee must needes meditate therein And this feruency of the heart cannot possibly be inclosed within the compasse of the brest it will spred it selfe in speech and actions as is plaine by Dauids speech Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome and his tongue will talke of iudgement for the Law of God is in his heart Psa 119.167 and Dauid saith My soule hath kept thy testimonies for I loue them exceedingly And this loue delight meditation and exercise in the Commandements of God of this blessed man is not a morning cloud and as the morning dew before the Sunne but like the light of the Sunne that shineth more and more vnto perfect day it is not for a start for feare vpon restraint for rereputation for aduantage or to couer the terrors of conscience for a while but it is out of a free resolution and with vndaunted constancy as hee speakes else where day and night So that Gods Law and Word cannot simply profit vs Gods word cannot bee profitable except first it be comfortable vnto vs. except we take ioy and comfort in the same We must first taste and proue the sweetenesse thereof wee must before hand finde out and feele the vertue thereof When wisedome entreth into thy heart Pro. 2.10.11 Psal 1.2 and knowledge delighteth thy soule then and not before shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way and from the man that speaketh
are thine euen all things are thine and thou art Christs and Christ is Gods onely stand fast in thy faith quit thy selfe like a man and bee strong gird thy sword vpon thy thigh buckle fast to thee the whole armour of God ride on because of the word of truth Psal 45.3 and the Lord thy God bee with thee breake through for a while with vndanted courage the bitternesse of the worlds malice the keene razours of empoysoned tongs the teares and tediousnes of a few wretched daies for thou art neerer the prize of the high calling thē when thou first beleeuedst shine more and more in faith in patience in loue in knowledge in obedience and all other christian graces vntill the perfect day vntill thou reach the height of heauen and the full glory of the Saints of God A true mark of our repētance if we haue left our euill wayes to serue the liuing God First here is matter of great consolation for vs for hereby wee may gather assurance vnto our owne hearts of the soundnesse of our repentance and conuersion to the Lord if we haue indeede turned from our euill wayes to serue the liuing God so that we delight in the commandements therefore they may take this for their comfort who are still proposing of good questiōs what they must do and how they must do it by what meanes they may get out of this or that sinne and attaine to such or such a grace how they may bee profitable helpfull and comfortable to themselues and others this was the practise of the Publicans and Souldiers and all sorts that were inwardly touched in their consciences by the preaching of Iohn Baptist Luk. 3.10 euery one of them came vnto him saying What must we do and of the Iayler who when once hee began to be humbled came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas saying Act. 18.29.30 What must I doe to be saued For howsoeuer Gods seruants haue learned for the most part what things in general must be done yet still they need to bee enformed in many things therefore if wee truely repent vs of our sinnes the Lord wil neeuer leaue vs till all our iniquities bee quite remoued from vs for they that turne to the Lord by true repentance the Lord will wash them from all their sinnes by the bloud of his Sonne that whatsoeuer offences we repent of wee shal be sure to haue thē pardoned Secondly God accepteth of penitent persons the wil for the deed as for the fulfilling of the law in absolute perfection If we haue a willing mind to performe our duty the Lord will accept the will for the deed that Christ alone hath performed he hath paid our debt and cancelled the bond and taken away the hand-writing that was against vs now this onely remaineth for vs that we haue a good inclination and a willing mind to performe our duty and labor to the vtmost of our strength so to do seeing and bewailing our manifold imperfections errors faylings in euery one of our seruices which if wee can doe God will bee as well pleased with vs through his beloued sonne as if wee had kept the whole law without any declining from it at al eyther to the right hand or to the left That which is spoken in the matter of communicating vnto the necessities of the Saints in the Epistle to the Corinthians to wit if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath Cor 2.8.12 not according to that he hath not holdeth as true in all other seruices that wee are accepted with the Lord according as we are inwardly affected albeit our actions bee not answerable to our desires for hee that hath a ready minde to what hee can and doth the same would bee as ready to doe a great deale more if his ability did serue and therefore the Lord will shew his gracious acceptance of that which is done by him though it be neuer so little as well as if it had beene a matter of a farre greater worth Now that the true purpose and intent of the heart is that which God principally regardeth in his seruants is plainly proued out of holy Scripture for we may reade in Genesis what God saith of Abraham Gen. 22.7 By my selfe haue I sworne saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing and not spared thine only son therefore I will surely blesse thee and yet Isaac was not slaine but Abraham withdrew his hand from him and spared him yet because hee was content to kill him and made all things ready for the sacrificing of him God accounts it as good and rewardeth it as wel as if he had killed him indeed So Dauid had but a purpose to build the temple 1. Chron. 17 1. 1. Kin. 8.16 which worke was afterward layd vpon Salomon and by him performed yet the Lord giueth him a good testimony and large reward for his readinesse that way hee was content to spare him because he had beene at great paines before in shedding the bloud of many enemies of the Church and some remained yet still to be subdued by him yet this he telleth him for his comfort whereas it was in thine heart to build an house vnto my name 1. Chro. 17.10.11.12 thou diddest well that thou wert so minded and besides this he biddeth Nathan to carry him this message that the Lord would build him an house and would raise vp seed after him and employ his sonne in that honourable seruice of building an house vnto the name of the Lord and that hee would establish his throne for euer and therefore if we can beleeue that hee is pleased with our good actions we may as well bee perswaded that hee is delighted with good our motions and holy desires that are stirred vp in our hearts by his owne spirit And the reason why God taketh such small things in good worth is Psal 103.13 because hee is both in name and nature a father Mal. 3.17 yea an heauenly father and therfore hath compassion of those that feare him now hee that is a most mercifull and wise and louing father as those will be most mercifull to others that haue tasted most of Gods mercy to themselues when he seeth that his child doth as well as he can though it be but simply and poorely yet hee will shew his liking of it commend him for it and so will God deale with vs though wee cannot doe things perfitly yet if we doe them obediently hee will shew his loue and approbation of vs and of our workes When a little child doth cheerefully ayme and shoot at the marke which his father proposeth vnto him though by reason of his weaknesse he shoot very wide and short yet it is well accepted of his father as if hee did hit the white and the like fatherly dealing shall we finde in God that if wee bee faithfull in a