any Offering from him If God shut mens Prayers out of Heaven it is a sad Prognostick that he will shut their Persons out of Heaven See the Priviledge of the Godly they have Gods Ear the Lord hearkened and heard Psalm 34.15 His Ears are open to their cry it would be counted a great happiness to have the Kings ear but what is it to have Gods Ear The Lord hearkened and heard Believers have the Spirit of God breathing in them and God cannot but hear the Voice of his own Spirit See what an encouragement here is to be conversant in the duties of Gods Worship he takes Notice of the services of his People he hearkens to them as to sweet Musick Who would not come with their humble addresses to God when he is so pleased with them Prov. 15.8 But my deserts are nothing God bestows not his Favours according to our desert but according to his Promise But I have prayed a long time and have no Answer God may hear Prayer when he doth not Answer He may lend us his Ear when he doth not shew us his Face The Text saith the Lord hearkened and heard 'T is not said he gave an Answer but he hearkened It becomes suitors to wait Faith stays upon God Patience stayes for God Psal. 123.2 As the Eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters so our Eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have Mercy upon us See the difference between God and men God takes Notice of the good in his people the Wicked pass by the good in the Godly and take Notice only of their failings If they can spy any indecency or blemish in them they upbraid them with it Like those children 2 King 2.23 who reproached Elisha for his Baldness but took no Notice of the Prophets Miracles Erasmus speaks of one who observed all the lame Verses in Homer but passed over the good From this the Lord hearkened and heard Behold the folly of Idolaters they worship a God who can neither hearken nor hear The Cretians Pictured Iupiter without Ears Idol-Gods have Ears but hear not Psalm 115.16 A life-less God is good enough for a life-less worship Let the People of God stand and Wonder 1. At Gods Condescension that he who is so high in the praises and acclamations of the Angels should stoop so low as to listen to the lispings of his children The Lord hearkened and heard Alas God hath no need of our Services he is infinitely blessed in reflecting upon the Splendour of his own infinite Being we cannot adde the least Cubit to his Essential Glory Iob 35.7 If thou be Righteous what givest thou to him or what receiveth he at thy hands yet such is his sweet Condescention that he doth as it were stoop below himself and take Notice of his Peoples Poor Oblations 2. Wonder at Gods Love that he should regard those services of his People which are so mixed with Corruption Isa. 64.6 Our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags The Eucharistical Sacrifice which was the highest had some Leaven joined with it Levit. 7.13 Our best duties have some Leaven of Imperfection in them yet such is Gods love that he hath a liking to them and accepts them Cant. 5.1 I have eaten my Hony-Comb with my Hony Hony is sweet but the Hony-comb is Viscous and bitter and can hardly be eaten yet such was Christs love to his Spouse that he eat of her Hony-comb her services mixed with Imperfection and was pleased to take delight in them Oh the Love of God! that he should have respect to our offerings that are interlarded with sin Our best duties are as sweet Wine coming out of a Sowre Cask If God hearkens to us when we speak let us hearken to him when he speaks In the word preached God speaks to us He is said now to speak to us from Heaven Heb. 12.25 That is by the preaching of the word as a King speaks by his Ambassadour Doth God hearken to us and shall not we hearken to him Be not like the Deaf-adder which stoppeth her Ear. This the Lord complains of Iob 33.14 God speaketh Once yea Twice yet man regardeth it not If Gods word doth not prevail with us our prayers will not prevail with him CHAP. XIV Shewing the second Good Effect of the Saints Piety 2. THE Second Good effect of the Saints Piety was God recorded it A Book of Remembrance was written before him The word in the Original for Book of Remembrance Signifies a Book of Memorials or Monuments The words immediately foregoing recite Gods hearkening and hearing but lest any should say though God doth at the present hear the Holy Speeches and Thoughts of his Children yet may they not in time slip out of his Mind therefore these words are added a Book of Remembrance was written before him The Lord did not only hear the Good speeches of the Saints but Recorded them and Wrote them down a Book of Remembrance was written This is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men Not that God hath any book of Records by him he needs not write down any thing for the help of his Memory he is not Subject to oblivion Things done a thousand years ago are as fresh to him as if they were done but Yesterday Psalm 90.4 A thousand years in thy sight are but as Yesterday when it is past This book of Remembrance therefore is a borrowed speech taken from Kings who have their Chronicles wherein they note Memorable things King Ahasuerus had his book of Records wherein were written the worthy deeds of Mordecai Esther 6.1 2. So God bears in Mind all the Good speeches and pious actions of his Children Gods curious and Critical observation is a Book of Records where nothing can be lost or torn out God doth Eternally remember all the Good designs and Pious endeavours of his People Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous to forget your Work and labour of love which you have shewed towards his Name Eight things God writes down in his Book of Remembrance 1. The Lord writes down the Names of his Saints Philip. 4.3 Whose Names are in the Book of Life This Book hath no Errata's Rev. 3.5 2. The Lord writes down the good speeches of his People When Christians speak together of the Mysteries of Heaven which is like Musick in consort God is much taken with it When their Tongues are going Gods pen is going in Heaven They that fear'd the Lord spake often one to another and a Book of Remembrance was written 3. The Lord writes down the Tears of his People Tears drop down to the Earth but they reach Heaven God hath his Bottle and his Book Psalm 56.8 Put thou my Tears into thy bottle are they not in thy Book Tears drop from the Saints as Water from the Roses they are fragrant to God and he puts them in his Bottle
Origen sprinkle incense before the Idol but fear 2. Positively the Fear meant in the Text is a Divine Fear which is the reverencing and adoring Gods Holiness and setting our selves always under his Sacred inspection The infinite distance between God and us causeth this Fear When Gods Glory began to shine out upon the Mount Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 Such as approach Gods presence with light feathery Hearts and Worship him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a rude careless manner have none of this fear In the words are two parts 1. The Act Fear 2. The Object the Lord. They that feared the Lord The fear of God is the Summe of all Religion Eccles. 12.13 Fear is the leading Grace the first seed God sows in the Heart When a Christian can say little of Faith and perhaps nothing of Assurance yet he dares not deny but he fears God God is so Great that he is afraid of displeasing him and so Good that he is afraid of losing him It is an indispensible Duty incumbent on Christians to be Fearers of God Eccles. 5.7 Fear thou God Deut. 28.58 That thou maist fear this Glorious and fearful name the Lord thy God This goes to the very constituting of a Saint One can no more act as a Christian without Fear than he can act as a man without reason This Holy Fear is the fixed temper and Complexion of the Soul This Fear is not Servile but Filial there is difference between Fearing God and being afraid of God the Godly fear God as a Child doth his Father the wicked are afraid of God as the Prisoner is of the Judge This divine Fear will appear admirable if you consider how it is mixed and interwoven with several of the Graces 1. The Fear of God is mixed with Love Psal. 145.19 20. The Chast Spouse fears to displease her Husband because she loves him There 's a necessity that fear and love should be in conjunction Love is as the Sails to swiften the Souls motion and Fear as the Ballast to keep it steady in Religion Love will be apt to grow wanton unless it be poised with fear 2. The Fear of God is mixed with Faith Hebr. 11.7 By Faith Noah moved with fear c. When the Soul looks either to Gods Holiness or it 's own sinfulness it fears but it is a fear mixed with faith in Christs merits the Soul doth tremble yet trust Like a Ship which lies at Anchor though it shakes with the wind yet it is fixed at Anchor God in Great wisdom coupleth these two graces of Faith and Fear Fear preserves seriousness faith preserves chearfulness Fear is as Lead to the Net to keep a Christian from floating in presumption and Faith is as Cork to the Net to keep him from sinking in despair 3. The Fear of God is mixed with Prudence he who fears God hath the Serpents eye in the Doves head He foresees and avoids those Rocks which others run upon Prov. 22.3 Though divine Fear doth not make a Person Cowardly it makes him Cautions 4. The Fear of God is mixed with Hope Psalm 33.18 The eye of the Lord is on them that fear him that hope in his mercy One would think Fear should destroy Hope but it cherisheth it Fear is to Hope as the Oil to the Lamp it keeps it burning the more we fear Gods Justice the more we may hope in his Mercy Indeed such as have no Fear of God do sometimes hope but it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good hope through Grace 2 Thessa. 2.16 Sinners pretend to have the helmet of Hope 1 Thes. 5.8 but want the breast-plate of Righteousness Ephes. 6.14 5. The Fear of God is mixed with Industry Heb. 11.7 Noah moved with fear prepared an ark There is 1. A fear of diffidence which represents God as a severe Judge this takes the Soul off from duty 2. A fear of diligence a Christian fears and prayes fears and repents Fear quickens Industry The Spouse fearing lest the Bridegroom should come before she is dressed hastens and puts on her Jewels that she may be ready to meet him Fear causeth a watchful eye and a working hand Fear banisheth sloth out of it's Diocese The Greatest labour in Religion saith Holy Fear is far less than the least pain the damned feel in Hell no Greater Spur in the Heavenly race than fear CHAP. III. Cogent Reasons enforcing the Fear of God THe Reasons enforcing this Holy Fear are 1. Because Gods eye is alwayes upon us He who is under the eye of his earthly Prince will be carefull of doing any thing that should offend him Iob 31.4 Doth not he see my wayes and count all my Steps God sees in the dark Psalm 139.12 The darkness hideth not from thee The night is no Curtain the clouds are no Canopy to hinder or intercept Gods sight He sees the Heart A Judge can judge of the fact but God judgeth of the Heart Ier. 17.10 He is like Ezekiels wheels full of eyes Ezek. 10.12 and as Cyril saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Eye Should not this make us walk with fear and circumspection we cannot sin but our Judge looks on 2. God interprets our not fearing him a slighting of him As not to praise God is to wrong him so not to fear God is to sleight him Of all things a person can least endure to be sleighted Psalm 10.13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God For a worm to sleight it's Maker causeth the fury to rise up in Gods face Ezek. 38.18 3. God hath power to destroy us Mat. 10.28 Fear him who hath power to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell God can look us into our Grave and with a breath blow us into Hell and shall we not fear him Is it easie to wrestle with flames Psalm 90.11 Who knoweth the Power of his anger What engines or buckets can quench the infernal fire We are apt to fear men who have power in their hand to hurt us what is their power to Gods They threaten a Prison God threatens Hell They threaten our Life God threatens our Soul and shall we not tremble before him O dreadful when the great Fountains of Gods wrath shall be broken up and all his Bitter Vials poured out Ezek. 22.14 Can thy heart endure or can thy hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee But are not we bid to serve God without Fear Luke 1.74 We must not Fear God with such a fear as the wicked do they fear him as a Turkish Slave doth his Pateroon they fear him so as they hate him and wish there were no God We must not serve God with this hellish fear but we must serve him with an ingenuous fear sweetned with love CHAP. IV. Containing a practical Improvement of the Proposition IT confutes the Papists who hold that a Christian cannot have Assurance because he is to serve God with
feaâ— Assurance and Fear are diversa but not Opposita different but not contrary A Child may have assurance of his Fathers love yet hath a fear of offending him Who more fearful of Sin than St. Paul 1 Cor. 9.27 Yet who had more assurance Galat. 2.20 Who Loved me and Gave himself for me Faith procures assurance fear preserves it Is it a duty to Fear God what strangers then are they to Religion who are void of this Holy Fear The Godly fear and sin not the wicked sin and fear not They are like the Leviathan who is made without Fear Iob 41.33 Want of the fear of God is the innate Cause of all Wickedness Rom. 3.14 Whose mouth is full of Cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood Whence was this vers 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes Abraham surmized the men of Gerar would stick at no Sin why so Gen. 20.11 I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place The Judge in the Gospel is called an unjust Iudge Luke 18.6 And no wonder for vers 2. he feared not God There must needs be an excess of Sin where there wants the Fear of God to restrain it The water must needs Overflow where there are no banks to keep it out We live in a Godless age durst men Sin at that rate as they do if the fear of God were regent in their hearts durst they swear be unclean use False weights bear false witness hate purity deride Gods signs in the Heaven Forge Plots Persecute Christs body if they had the fear of God before their eyes these men proclaim to the World that they are Atheists they believe not the Immortality of the Soul They are worse than brutish a Beast fears the fire these fear not Hell Fire They are worse than Devils for they believe and tremble Jam. 2.19 Let us bewail the want of the Fear of God Terras Astraea reliquit Whence is it so few fear God 1. Because they have not the knowledge of God Prov. 1.24 They hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord did men know God in his immense glory they would be swallowed up with divine amazement When the Prophet Isaiah had a glimpse of Gods Glory he was stricken with holy consternation Isaiah 6.5 Wo is me I am undone for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts But the Ignorance of God banisheth fear 2. Men fear not God because they presume of his Mercy God is merciful and they doubt not of the Vertue of this soveraign Balm But who is Gods mercy for Luke 1.50 His mercy is on them that fear him Such as fear not Gods Justice shall not tast his Mercy Let this be for a Lamentation that the fear of God is so vanished Where almost is it to be found Some fear shame others fear danger but where is he who fears a Deity Diogenes came into a full Market with a Candle and Lanthorn they asked him what he sought saith he Hominem quaero I seek a man that is a wise man So in the Crowd of people we may go and seek a man fearing God And not only among the Commonalty but even among Professors how sew fear God in truth Profession is often made a Mantle to cover sin Absalom palliated his Treason with a Religious Vow 2 Sam. 15.7 The Pharisees made long Prayer a preface to Oppression Mat. 23.14 This is sordid to carry on wicked designs sublarva Pictatis under a pretext of Piety The Snow covers many a dung-hill A snovvy vvhite Profession covers many a foul heart The sins of Professors are more odious Thistles are bad in a Field but vvorse in a Garden The sins of the vvicked anger God but the sins of Professors Grieve him It reproves Iovial Sinners vvho are so far from fearing God that they spend their time in mirth and vvantonness Luke 17.27 They did eat they drank they married till the flood came and destroyed them all There is a place in Affrica called Tombutium where the Inhabitants spend all the day in piping and dancing What sensual effeminate lives do the Gallants of our age live They spend their Life in a Frolick As if God had made them to be like the Leviathan who plays in the Sea Job 21.13 They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ They ride to Hell upon the back of Pleasure and go merrily to damnation Though the Times are sad they have no fear in regard of the publique Doth not God call us to trembling our sins are the fiery Comets that presage evil May not we fear the Glory is departing may not we fear the death of Religion before the birth of Reformation May not we fear some portentous calamity should bring up the rear of former Judgments and as the Prophet Ezekiel saith Should me then make-mirth Ezek. 21.10 But Jovial spirits have banished the fear of God Amos 6.4 5. That lye upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches that drink wine in Bowls and anoint themselves with the chief Oyntments Sinners whose hearts are hardned with soft pleasures let them have their lusts and farewell Christ and his Gospel Iude 12. Feeding themselves without fear But they Forget death will bring in the reckoning and they must pay the reckoning in Hell The Great Turk when he intends the death of any of his Bashaws invites them to a Sumptuous Feast and then causeth them to be taken away from the Table and strangled so Satan Gluts men with sinful pastimes and delights and then strangles them Foolish Gallants are like the Fish that swim pleasantly through the Silver streams of Iordan till at last they fall into the dead Sea It reproves secure Sinners who have no Fear of God Like Laish of old Iudg. 18.27 A people quiet and secure Those who are least safe are most confident Security casts men into a deep Sleep Birds that build and roost in Steeples being used to the continual ringing of Bells the noise doth not at all disquiet them So Sinners who have been long used to the sound of Aarons Bells though ever and anon they have a peal rung out against their sins yet being used to it they are not startled A secure sinner is Known thus 1. He lives as bad as the worst yet hopes to be saved as well as the best He doth bless himself saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart Deut. 29.19 As if a man should drink Poison yet not doubt but he shall have his health A secure sinner lies in Delilahs lap yet hopes to be in Abrahams bosom 2. A secure sinner thinks all is well because all is in peace He hears others speak of a Spirit of bondage and the terrors they have felt for sin he thanks God he never Knew what Trouble of spirit meant he thinks his