mens misery and it may be said with respect to these Happy is the Man that never feareth But what is the Blessed Fear or what is there in it In short it is this It is such on aversation of the Heart from all manner of future Evils whether of Sin or of Misery which we apprehend our selves in danger of as puts the Soul upon making the best Provision it can for its security against them The Matter or Object of this Fear is Sin together with all the Fruits of it The Form or proper Nature of it is an aversion or starting back or shrinking in from it The Effect of it is to put the Soul to its shifts for its own security against it There are implyed or included in it these following Particulars 1. There is Vnderstanding in it Psal 111.10 The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom a good Vnderstanding have they that do it They are wise and understanding Men that Fear As we Love not so neither do we Fear but whom or what we have some apprehension of our Affections follow our Apprehensions as our Love we cannot love but what we apprehend to be good so our Fear we cannot fear but what we apprehend to be evil Our mistakes are the ground of the inordinate workings of our Affections when we apprehend that to be good which is not good we love what we should not love when we apprehend that to be evil which is not evil we fear what we should not fear when we apprehend that to be good which is evil we love what we should fear and when we apprehend that to be evil which is good we fear what we should love The reason of our sinful Fear is our Ignorance Ignorance both causes us to fear when we should not and leaves us without fear of what we should fear 1. Ignorance is the reason why we fear what we should not How is it that there is so much Fear of Men in the World Why it is because we understand them not what a vain thing what a weak thing they are how short their power is and how little 't is that Man can do Did we know more how great the Power of God is how terrible the Wrath of God is sure there would be more fear of God in the World And did we know how little there is in the Power of Man and in the Wrath of Man we should ease our selves of much of that Carnal Fear which now torments our Spirits Isa 2.22 Cease ye from Man whose Breath is in his Nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Cease ye from Man as from trusting in him so from fearing him for wherein is he to be accounted of How little is it that he can do for or against you There 's little help in him and there 's little hurt that he can do Men pretend to be great and make great boasts of their Power So did Pilate to Christ John 19.10 Knowest thou not that I have power to Crucifie thee and I have power to Release thee What art thou so sullen and so stubborn that thou wilt not speak to me Consider Man the Power of Liberty and Bonds the Power of Life and Death are in my hands Dost thou not know me Yes I know thee well enough sayes Christ Thou hast no Power but what is given thee and therefore limited thee from Above It 's for those that know thee not to fear thee I know thee well enough 2. Mens Ignorance is the reason why they fear not what they should fear Why is it that the ungodly fear not S n O it 's because they know it not Psal 14.4 Have the workers of Iniquity no knowledg Sure enough they have none for they eat up my People as they eat Bread such Morsels would scald their Mouths they would not dare to be such Persecutors and Destroyers of the People of God they would be afraid to touch them if they did but know what they did How bold are Sinners upon Sin How venturously do they run on They Lie they Swear they commit Adultery they Covet they Defraud they Oppress they Persecute But how is it that they are not afraid to do thus O! they know not what they do They are the Men of Understanding that Fear to transgress Christians those whose Minds are enlightned dare not do as others do they see what Sin is they see it to be an unclean thing odious and abominable in the sight of God they see it to be a dangerous and deadly thing They know God and thereby understand Sin which is contrary to him They know the kindness of God and the terrors of the Lord and see that Sin is an unworthiness and abusing of kindness and disobliging of goodness that makes a forfeit of the Divine Love and exposes to his Wrath and Indignation They know the worth of a Soul they have learn'd from their Lord Matth. 16.26 that the whole World is not a price for it neither sufficient to be its Ransom nor to recompence its loss They live in the Invisible World and have taken a view both of that life which is the reward of the Righteous and of that Death which is the recompence of the Sinners They see that Sin is the loss and the death of the Soul the only poison that can kill that immortal part by this alone Immortality is swallowed up of Death They understand that sin as it is the Worm that gnaweth at the root of all their hopes for hereafter so it is the Wormwood which imbitters all their Comforts here this is the Rust that cats out all their Treasures the Moth that frets out all their Garments the Stain that marrs all their Beauty In fine this is it that hath fill'd the World with vanity and vexation of Spirit and Hell with torment And hence it is that they fear it and fly from it Dost thou not fear Sin Sure thou dost not know it O what a light thing doth the World make of it to sin against God! how open do our hearts lie to it how easily doth it beset us we are surpriz'd by it every day and hour Sin lies at the door lies in wait for us in our Fields in our Houses at our Tables in our Closets and how often doth it take us and carry us away for Captives and still we make nothing of it neither feeling the mischief it has done us nor fearing those ruines which it is further bringing upon us We can talk of the evil of Sin of the folly of it of the filthiness of it but we cannot tremble at it sure we do not know it whatever we talk The World would be all up in Arms against this Enemy or else betake themselves to their heels running away from it were it throughly understood 2. There is Faith in this Fear It is but little that we can see of the evil of Sin our understandings at the best have much dimness upon them the
the Soul a destructive Evil that will undoe and destroy it 2. To be an evil hardly to be escaped It sees the Soul to be in danger of it every day and every hour Evil as Evil is not the Object of Fear but Evil that we are in danger of Evil as Evil is the Object of Hatred not so of Fear there 's no Fear of Sin in Heaven because there 's no danger of it To hear of the Plague or Sword or Famine or Earthquakes or Fire in the Indies or any other remote parts of the World this doth not move Fear it 's far enough off us we are in no danger of it But when the Plague is in the Town when the next House is on Fire then we are startled 3. To be an Evil not to be endured an intolerable Evil Hereupon the Heart shrinks back from it and is in pain till it can be secured against it 5. There is foresight in it Fear is of future Evil apprehended to be coming on Prov. 22.3 A prudent Man foreseeth the Evil. This prudent Man is the very same with this fearing Man as appears by the next words and hideth himself 't is Fear that makes Men hide A bold Sinner is blind and cannot see afar off 2 Pet. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pur-blind that can see things very near but through the weakness of his Eyes cannot see at a distance he is but short-sighted Sinners are Men for the present and they look not to what comes after But sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.18 We look on the things that are not seen as on the Good things so on the Evil not seen He that Fears God sees what 's out of sight to the blear-ey'd World He sees Evils in the beginning of them he sees Midnight in the Evening he sees the Winter in the Autumn He sees Evils in the causes of them he sees the Storms in the Cloud the Birth in the Conception James 1.15 Lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth Sin and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death What is there in a Thought What is there in a Lust or an evil Motion Who would fright himself with Fancies saith the Pur-blind World I but what will this Thought or this Lust bring forth Who knows saith the Fearing Soul what a numerous Brood may spring forth out of this pregnant Womb Lust when it hath conceived brings forth Sin any Sin the worst that can be imagined multitudes of Sins all manner of Iniquities Lust will bring forth Sin and what will Sin bring forth Why Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death A prudent Man foreseeth all this sees Sin 's last in its first its Fruits in its Root he sees the product and issues of things that do appear the burning down of the House in the first Spark that kindles in the Thatch in the entrance of the Thief in at the Door he sees all the rifling and bloodshed that afterwards follows Sinner how is it that thou art so secure Friend what seest thou Some it may be will answer as the Prophet's Servant when he first went up to Carmel 1 Kin. 18.43 I see nothing Others will answer as he did at his last going up I see a Cloud but it 's but a little one no bigger than a Man's hand But the Prophet saw a great Rain in that little Cloud Sinner thou that yet seest nothing nothing to trouble thee nothing to make thee afraid look again and again even unto seven times Dost thou yet see a Cloud rising do not say it is a little one take heed if thy foresight do not thy sense will quickly tell thee what a Storm there is in it Christian how is it that thou art so secure where be thine eyes art thou blind also Dost thou not see the Spark in the Thatch Dost thou not see the Thief at the Door Hast thou a Treasure within hast thou a God a Conscience a Soul hast thou Grace hast thou Peace hast thou Hope And dost thou not see the Thief breaking in and the Fire breaking out that Lust that is in thine Heart and the Temptations that are at the Door ready to steal away or burn up every good thing thou hast How is it that there is no Cry heard within thee Fire Fire Thieves Thieves Look to thy self save thy self O my Soul from the mischiefs and miseries that are coming upon thee We may give a Judgment of what Sin is bringing forth by observing what it hath brought forth Fear will conclude that what hath been may be It 's like to be my case which hath been the case of others What hath Sin done upon the World How hath it filled them with all Vnrighteousness Fornication Covetousness Wickedness Maliciousness Envy Murder Debate Deceit Malignity c. Rom. 1.29 What Fools and Bruits and Stocks hath it made them fit for nothing but to be Fuel for the Eternal Fire And what hath it done even upon Christians or the Professors of Christianity How low hath it held many of them so low that they can hardly tell whether they are alive or dead and those that have seem'd to be gotten up a little higher how often hath it pull'd them down again even to Death's Door Some Professors it hath slain out-right The Christianity they seem'd to have is dead and buried O Friends when you see what Sin and the Temptations thereof have done to others is it not to be feared what it may do to you May I not say to you as Peter did to Saphira if you look not the more carefully to it Acts 5.19 The Feet of those that have buried thy Husband are at the Door to carry thee out The same Sins the same Temptations that have slain your Friends and buried them behold their feet are at the Door waiting for your Souls also Open your eyes a little and look who there are round about you Behold the Pleasures of Sin waiting for you behold the Gains of Unrighteousness waiting behold your Carnal Friends and Sinful Companions behold the Persecutions and Scoffs and Scorns the Bonds and Imprisonments that are waiting at the Door and what wait they for but to carry out your Souls also dead to those that you have seen slain before you Hast thou seen what hath become of others and dost not therein foresee what may become of thee and canst thou yet be secure Christians you are Men of like Passions and subject to the same Temptations with other Men there 's the same Pride the same Lust after the World the same love of Carnal Pleasures the same fears of Fleshly Sufferings rooted in your Natures And do you not feel these Evil Roots sometimes budding these Fires kindling And have you not often suffered loss by them Yet you hope you have a little Faith some Love to Christ some Hope towards God some Conscience of Sin some Affection for Things Above let Lust alone a-while venture on upon Temptations a-while and O what leanness of
in Christ am I in Covenant have I broken my Covenant with Death and disannulled my Agreement with Hell Am I no longer in League with my Sins and this evil World have I broken with them all and am I gotten within the Bond of the Covenant of God If I think I have yet am I not mistaken Many Souls have been mistaken have thought themselves within who have yet dyed without and am not I mistaken also Is the thing sure Is Christ mine indeed How is it that there is no more asking the way to the City of Refuge How may I get into Christ Or how may I know whether I be in Christ or not O how is it that we do not awaken our slumbring Spirits and call upon our careless Hearts Come on O my lingring Soul make haste get thee up to the Rock to Sanctuary to Sanctuary Awake thou Sleeper carest thou not that thou perish Come my Soul enter thou into thy Chamber hide thy self till the Indignation be over-past How is it that there is no more such care taken Are we so solicitous as we should be about this matter How is it with you Friends Are you busie in considering and fore-casting and enquiring how you may escape What is it that your fear of a Deluge hath put you upon to provide your selves against it Is there any more circumspection and heedfulness in your goings any more tenderness of Sin Are you throwing off those weights that will sink you with the multitude Are you busie in breaking down your Sins and building up your selves in hope of the Salvation of God Behold how generally our other Matters do still take up our Time and Thoughts we are building of Houses and planting of Vineyards and Buying and Selling and Marrying and giving in Marriage seldom giving our selves leave to think of a Flood that 's coming to take us all away O fear and let your fear set you on work to save your selves from Misery and Ruine The foolish World laugh at this Fear What jealous-headed melancholick Souls are these What Dreams and Fancies do they fright themselves withal And so did the old World doubtless laugh at Noah to see him such a Fanatick to amuse himself and others with such a strange conceit of a Flood and to go build an Ark to save himself from that Dream of a Deluge What laughing and mocking think you was there then amongst them to hear this Preacher of Righteousness to Preach and prepare for such a strange incredible thing Such mockings are there of the Men of this World at the fears and preparations of the Saints against the Judgments of God I but when the Ark was finished and Noah and his Family gotten in and the Flood came in earnest when they saw the Rain pouring down the Waters swelling the Seas roaring and tumbling in in whole Mountains of Waters upon them where was the laugh of the World then What a cry was their laugh then turned to Let Sinners laugh at last when they shall see all these things come upon them when the overflowing Scourge cometh and they shall then see the derided Saints gotten into the Ark and themselves left out to perish in the Waters Well by this time you may see what this Fear is or who is this Man that feareth The Man of Understanding that so knows God his Goodness and Severity that so knows Sin its Malignity and the Misery that it exposes to that so believes God that hath such a love for God and his own Soul and such an aversation from Sin that so foresees the danger he is in of running into Sin and falling into Misery that he wisely and warily looks to himself keeps himself from Iniquity and hides himself from those Mischiefs and Miseries which the rest of the World foolishly venture upon and are destroyed by in the end This is the Man that feareth this is the happy Man 2. What is that blessedness that is pronounced to him that feareth Happy is the Man that feareth To Happiness two things are required 1. Sufficiency 2. Security 1. Sufficiency He that is in want is in misery what-ever he hath how greatly soever he abounds yet if he hath not all that he needs yea all that he desires In the fulness of his Sufficiency he is in straits The pain of what he desires and hath not imbitters the pleasures of what he hath No Sufficiency no Satisfaction short of Satisfaction so far short of Happiness He must have all things that would find rest in any thing He that possesses what-ever he can desire that 's an happy Man only to this must be added 2. Security What we have to day may be lost to morrow He that hath most and holds it by such an uncertain Tenure is so far from finding rest in what he hath that he may be in greater perplexity than he that hath nothing Therefore can there be no happiness in any thing under the Sun for besides the insufficiency of these worldly things the whole Earth is too little to fill the Soul all this great World is not enough to fill the little World Man but besides this were they sufficient what security can be had for the continuance of them to us They are all but casualties they come and go they have all their Wings and who knows how soon they may take their flight At the best The things that are seen are but Temporal 2 Cor. 4.18 There must be permanence durableness in the matter of our Happiness The durable Riches the enduring Substance an Inheritance that fadeth not away and there must be security against their being lost or taken away Now this is the happiness of him that feareth he hath sufficient and what he hath is in safety 1. He hath a sufficiency This Fear as appears from what hath been spoken is a Religious Fear the Fear of God is sometimes taken for all Religion here only for one particular Branch of it yet such as argues the Truth of Religion and intitles the Soul to the whole income and revenue of Religion He that knows believes and loves God and therefore fears and flies from Sin and Wrath is certainly a Godly Man and shall have his Inheritance with the Just The first Sermon that ever we read that Christ Preached begins with an enumeration of the Beatitudes of this very Man He shall inherit the Earth he shall be comforted he shall be filled he shall obtain Mercy he shall see God his is the Kingdom of Heaven All these Graces that are there mentioned Poverty of Spirit Purity in Heart hunger after Righteousness Meekness c. are the particular Qualifications of this very Man And we may write down after that Copy Blessed is the Man that feareth for his is the Kingdom of God Blessed is the Man that feareth for he shall be comforted he shall obtain Mercy he shall see God This is the Man who shall inherit all things Rev. 21.7 and shall want nothing Psal
doth Lust lead but to Sin and whither doth Sin lead but to Death and to Hell Be not mistaken that 's the Lake that this whole Herd of Swine being driven by the Devil are running headlong into Friends this is the very case that the World is brought into it lyeth in Wickedness and runneth upon Vengeance And yet behold all at quiet all secure no news nor noise nor fear of danger but all in peace Dost thou not find Sinner that none of these things move thee or put thee to any trouble or care And is this sleepy Evil the Disease only of the World Are there none to be found in the Churches of God sick of the same Disease Is there that watchfulness that jealousie that should be upon those that profess themselves Christians and to have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Do these Virgins alwayes stand with their Loins girded and their Lights burning Do not our Souls also lie open to the temptation is not our foot often taken in the snare What means the dimness of our Light the damp that is upon our Love the spots upon our Faces the clouds that we sometimes find upon all our Comforts What means our poverty and leanness our frequent decayes and backsliding How hath this World crowded in with so much of its Cares and Lusts and hath seated it self so near the Throne of God Are there no worldly Professors no covetous greedy Professors Is it a sign thou hast stood upon thy Guard that there are so many Thorns sprung up so many Thieves stollen in before thou wert aware Dost thou not see how thou art surprized daily and met with at every turn Dost thou not often confess this to the Lord and complain against thy self what an uneven unstable Soul thou art and how many and how great thy Falls and Corruptions are and hast thou not still abundant matter of the same Complaints to make Who would think 't were possible that such a soul should yet be secure and careless Hast thou catch'd so many a Fall for want of fear of falling how then canst thou but Fear And yet after all this after this sinning and falling and confessing and complaining how quickly is all forgotten and about the World again we go to our Businesses to our Recreations to this Company to that any whither whither our Hearts or Occasions lead us leaving our selves as open to every Temptation that meets us as if we had never suffered by it This Evil as 't is a common so it is a dreadful Evil there 's a Woe denounced against it Amos 6.1 Wo to them that are at ease in Zion To them that are at ease that is to th m that are secure as you have it in the Margin In Zion in the Church of God Woe to the secure Israelites to secure Professors there 's no Priviledg there 's no Profession that will secure the Secure from the Woe and Wrath of God 'T is a wretched thing to behold a secure Worldling secure Aliens and Strangers from God who know not the Judgments of God but to see a company of secure Israelites of secure Christians to whom it hath been said Awaken thou that sleepest stand up from the Dead save thy self from that misery that is coming upon the World this is indeed a woful and a wonderful thing Thou that hast been warned so often that hast been preached to and prayed over and hast been as a Brand pull'd out of the Burning and yet no more to dread the Fire thou that hast tasted of the bitterness of Sin and felt the smart of it and hast had thine Eyes opened to see what it is preparing for thee thou that canst talk sometimes of tenderness of watchfulness of care and heedfulness and of the constant necessity thereof art thou a secure careless Soul Wo be unto thee Vers 3. We have a particular Instance of one piece of this Security that put far away the evil day which because it hath an influence upon the maintaining of this whole Disease I shall enlarge a little upon it By the Evil Day understand the day of retribution or recompence whether it be the day of tribulation in this World or the day of Death and of Judgment There is a double putting this evil day afar off There is a putting it 1. Far from our Reins 2. Far from our Loyns 1. Far from our Reins That is from our Thoughts and Consideration as Jer. 12.2 Thou art near in their Mouth and far from their Reins Thou art much spoken of but little thought on Thus Men put the Evil Day far off when they do not think of such a day it 's out of sight and out of mind with them 't is the least of all their Thoughts that there is an evil day coming The thoughts of such a day would have the same effect as that cry that was made at the coming of the Bridegroom Matth. 25.6 At midnight there was a Cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh and this cry turn'd Midnight into Morning all the Sleepers awakned and arose and trimmed their Lamps How is it Friends that there is not such a Cry made every Day and every Night How is it that your Hearts do not still cry in your Ears The Day of the Lord is near the Judg is at the Door the Avenger is at the Heels Behold the Bridegroom cometh O this seldom enters into our Hearts this Day of the Lord is far from our Reins If the Evil Day were kept nearer us 't would make Evil Works keep farther off If when Men are jolly and merry and mad after their Lusts and drunken into a dead sleep in their Sins If whilst others are idle and slothful are retchless and supine in their Spirits and Ways laying by all care and circumspection over themselves giving themselves up to the heedlesness of their sluggish hearts and hereby led out into those sins vanities which are the Fruits of such Security if such Thoughts should arise in their Minds and sit close upon their Hearts How shall I answer for this in the Day of the Lord Is not the Day of the Lord coming Is it not near May not the very next day be the Evil Day And if it should prove to be so indeed what a case am I in if my Judg should find me thus How would such Thoughts scatter away Iniquity and scare such drowsie Souls out of all their ease and slothfulness Friend consider thou knowest what a life 't is thou ordinarily livest Art not thou one of those that art at ease in Zion art not thou the Man that dwellest careless that art quiet and secure hast not thou left thy Soul like that City that hath neither Gates nor Bars is not that heart of thine left open Night and Day let the Tempter come when he will he may find easie entrance Is not thine heart open to Temptations yea and open
overcome Flee all sin but especially your beloved and accustomed sins remember what I have said of these already Be not the men you have been us'd to be do not the evils you have lov'd to do I do not yet mean that you should only change your sins forbear covetousness and turn prodigals give off your drudgery for this world and give your selves to idleness forbear prophaneness and turn hypocrites but put away all iniquity especially your accustomed and beloved sins Friends whenever you see your old sins that have gotten your hearts coming upon you and assaulting you as suppose pride suppose covetousness or sinful anger or the like which you have been us'd to be overcome by whenever you find your selves tempted to any of these again let your hearts startle at it Here comes my deadly enemy I know you of old what a snare you have been to me what a meer slave you have made of me I remember how it hath been with me all the time that I have been governed by this covetousness led by these companions commanded by these passions or this fleshly appetite these are they that kept me back from Christ that thrust out every good thought quench'd every good motion resisted every good word that was spoken to me When the Word of God the Ministers of Christ and mine own Conscience call'd upon me Go foolish Soul joyn thy self to Christ make thy peace with God accept of Grace submit to Mercy turn at his reproofs such was their power over me and I was so bewitched to them that I could not bring mine heart to hearken to the Lord. And are you come to me again tempting me and enticeing me again after you what shall I be a Drunkard again an Earth-worm an Epicure and flesh-pleaser again Away away I have done with all iniquity but especially I must have an eye to you I dare not touch with you for my life and therefore come my soul put on thine armour stand upon thy guard and resist them And in special call up fear to thine help and set that for thy Sentinel against them Fear will quickly espy and will give the alarm to the Soul Rise Sampson the Philistines are upon thee Rise Soul the Devil is at thy back sin lyes at the door Fear will espy and will not slight the danger we are in The flesh counts sin a friend that comes to do it a kindness or if it be apprehended as an enemy that 's like to do the Soul a mischief presumption will tell you the mischief may not be great if it make a breach upon thy peace 't is but repenting afterwards and that will make it up whatever wound it makes upon thy heart it may soon be healed the best that is may be drawn aside and yet do well enough Or if Conscience say it is not to be made light of it is a dangerous and deadly enemy yet security will tell you the enemy is yet afar off take thine ease and trouble not thy self before the time When the tempter is come 't will be time enough to look about thee But now fear will hold sin in constant suspition and it will ever suspect the worst look to thy self he is at hand that betrayes thee sin lyes at the door watching for entrance and if it get in once God knows what mischief it may do thee e're ever thou get clear of it Whatever mischief sin hath done to any person in the world thy fear will suspect it may do as bad by thee How many Souls has this pride made to fall into the condemnation of the Devil How many Souls hath this covetousness drown'd in perdition and destruction How many Souls has this evil company led down into the deep What did Nebuchadnezzar's pride do by him why it drove him from men amongst the beasts of the field How did lust and luxurie serve the prodigal It fetch'd him out from his fathers house and left him at the Pigs trough Whether did the rich man's gluttony carry him from the pleasures of his Table to the torments of Hell What kindness did Gehazi's bribes do for him they smote him a leper What advantage did Achan's Gold Judas his Silver Ananias his lye bring to them was not death all their wages yea it will put it to be consider'd what sin hath done not only to particular persons but to Kingdoms and Nations to Countreys and Cities what brought it on the whole world A flood of waters to destroy them What on Sodom It burnt it to ashes What on Shiloh Destruction and Devastation Look to thy self Soul this same enemy that hath made such woful work every where in the world this very enemy stands watching at thy door every little sin that comes thou knowest not who or what may be at its heels Dost thou not see Sword and Famine and Pestilence following after it behold the Devil leading on the Van and Death and Hell bringing up the Rear O what easie admission and entertainment notwithstanding all this mischief sin hath done do fearless Souls ordinarily give unto it It 's suffered to come upon them as it will to lodge with them and dwell with them and walk with them It meets them at every turn at their Tables their Beds in their Shops in their Fields and yet it is with them as if there were no enemy near If your houses were haunted with the Devil you would flee out of them if you saw Death in every cup of excess if you saw a toad in every gluttonous dish would you not be startled at it if you saw Robbers and Murtherers at your heels would you not run for it How is it that you are not running for your lives Fear and you will run How is it that you are no more carefully enquiring which way may I take to escape there 's such a sin or such a sin that is upon me every day how may I get rid of it Fear and that will both put you upon asking and help you to find out your way to escape But oh how is it that there should be yet any pleading for or excusing sin in the world such fools there are every where found who are only afraid of their friends who are watching and fighting against their Remedy who fall foul with a friendly admonisher with a faithfull reprover so far from taking heed of sin that they can hardly take it well to be bid to take heed of it Let any one come and say to them Friend dost thou well to be angry dost thou well to be idle and vain to be thus heady and wilfull in thy way And it may be instead of an I thank you for your friendly warning this shall be all What 's that to you look to your self and meddle not with me Shame upon this folly and madness Fear Sin as you ought and you will never fly in the face of a faithfull reprover To conclude this direction if you wil but hearken to
Life becomes a Sacrifice to the rage of the cruel if he does but come off with the safety of his Soul that 's enough to make him abundant recompence for all As Christ saith Matth. 16.26 What shall it profit a Man to win the whole World and lose his own Soul So may it not be said What shall it prejudice a Man to lose all the World if he save his own Soul Thou knowest not what a Soul is what the Salvation of a Soul is thou knowest not what Eternity what that Life and Death means who canst not say Let me escape that Death let me obtain that Life and it is enough O study the World to come more secure to thy self the eternal Inheritance and then thou wilt say with the Psalmist what-ever thy condition be here I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for thou Lord makest me dwell in safety But more of this hereafter By what hath been said it appeareth that the Man that feareth is an happy Man and wherein his happiness lies It 's true that in this World he is but inchoatively and incompleatly happy but an happy Man he is As he that 's Heir to a great Estate even whilst he is under Age and hath little in possession may be said to be a Rich Man especially if he be under the care of a faithful Guardian no less may a Christian even in his non-age be said to be an happy Man There 's no happy Man in the World if this be not he When he is at lowest it 's better with him than with the best of Sinners Some Sinners will grant their Conscience tells them so that he that fears God will have the best of it in the other World but yet they conclude that themselves have the better of it here But they are mistaken even in this Life a Godly Man hath the better of Sinners He knows little of God he hath little understood the Joy of Faith the Pleasure of Love the Ease of Sincerity the Peace of Conscience the Gain of Godliness that would exchange lives with the best of Sinners here in this World The very hopes of the Saints fill them with more joy than the greatest possessions of the ungodly I had rather take my lot with Job on the Dunghil than with Nebuchadnezzar on his Throne with Lazarus in his Sores and Beggary than with Dives in his Purple and delicate Fare with Paul in his Bonds than with Agrippa and Bernice in their Pomp with that Prisoner at the Bar than his Judges at the Bench. He that is otherwise minded is guilty of one of these absurdities either to think that God is not better than Creatures or that the ungodly enjoy as much of God as those that are Godly If God be better than the World if God be the present Portion of the Godly and of them alone then he that feareth God is the happiest Man even in this Life But O what will his blessedness hereafter be What advantage will he have of Sinners in the other World When the comparison shall no longer be betwixt God and the Creatures betwixt the fulness of Heaven and the fatness of the Earth when the Question shall no longer be which is best peace of Conscience or the prosperity of the World the hopes of Glory or the pleasures of Sin the worst of Saints or the Sinners best But the question will then be Which is the best the Pleasures of the Saints or the Plagues of Sinners the Fruition of God or Reprobation from God the Joyes Above or the Pangs Beneath Then let it be considered then shall it be discerned who are the happy Persons those that Fear God or those that fear him not Vse The Application is that which I chiefly intend and this shall be by way of Information Exhortation and Direction I shall put them all together For the more effectual carrying on whereof I shall inform and warn you 1. Of the Opposites of this Fear 2. Of the Grounds or Reasons why men Fear not 3. Of the Reasons why you should Fear 4. What you should Fear 5. How you should improve this Holy Fear I. The Opposites of this Fear are 1. Rashness 2. Audacity 3. Security 1. Rashness Hastiness or Headiness in our way Fear will make Men consider 'T was good Counsel which the Town-Clerk gave in the Tumult Acts 19.36 that they did nothing rashly Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy Mouth neither let thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God The Apostle reckons hasty ones among the dangerous Persons 2 Tim. 3.4 Men shall be heady precipites running headlong on their course acting not upon Counsel but their suddain apprehensions or any strong impulses of their hearts at all adventures whether it be right or wrong Fear will make Men wary and advised what they do Christians if you would walk safely look before you speak nothing rashly do nothing rashly weigh your Thoughts and Intentions before you let them pass into action How many Evils doth rashness and headiness run us upon Those words which in an heat we have let fly some of our hasty Carriages and Actions have sometimes cost us many dayes sorrow and repentance which had we been cautelous and a little better advised might have been prevented Sometimes a sudden passion arises and out it goes in angry and froward words setting all in an uproar and combustion by and by our hearts recur upon us and then we wish O that I had bit my Tongue and not given it such an unbridled liberty Sometimes we break out into rash censures of those that it may be are better than our selves whereupon when we reflect we are ashamed that the Fool 's Bolt was so soon shot and wish we had been judging our selves when we were censuring our Brethren Take heed you mistake not rashness and headiness for Zeal I would not cool Godly Zeal there 's too little of it in the World We need the Spur more than the Bridle the Bellows nor the Bucket We may not quench true Zeal the Lord be merciful to us there is not so much of it to be found we had more need cast on Oil than Water upon that Holy Fire Zeal for Truth Zeal for Righteousness and Holiness how happy were it if there were more such Flames if all our shining were also burning Lights But Zeal must be regular as for the Matter of it it must be alwayes in a good thing Gal. 4.18 So it must be managed with good Counsel and Caution mistaken Zeal is a Fire that devours that good that it pretends to promote But as you may not run headlong upon that which hath the face of Good much less upon that which is apparently evil It 's dangerous to be heady in the Matters of God wherein in case we are right we can never over-do but much more mischievous to run headlong upon Sin Jer. 8.6 Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into
same course That which hath hindred doth hinder thee that which hath deceived doth deceive and will deceive thou canst never be secure from it whilst thou continuest in this World Wherefore O my Soul since I cannot be out of danger let me never be out of fear Let Fools be secure and at rest but as for me Let me pass the time of my Sojouring here in Fear 3. Another reason why we should Fear is because of the weight and importance of that work which we have to do in the World What is our Work here wherefore are we born and live upon this Earth 'T is to serve the Lord in the saving of our Souls The Lord that made us may and does require our whole Service as there is none besides him to whom we owe our Being so is there none other to whom we owe our Service Him only shalt thou serve Mat. 4.10 And God hath so ordered the matter that we cannot better serve our selves than by serving of him this is the Work of God which he requires of us to work out our own Salvation Phil. 2.12 The best Men are the greatest self-seekers 'T is a piece of self-denyal which God never requires of any Man To neglect his own Soul God would have all Men to be saved 1 Tim. 2.4 There are two Lords that are served in the World God and the Devil The great Service that the Devil hath to be done is to destroy Souls his Name is the Destroyer Rev. 9.11 and his work is to destroy and this is it which he imposes upon all his Servants to destroy every Man his own Soul God is the Saviour so call'd Isa 45.15 and his whole work that he has to be done by his is Salvation-work Friends the first and great Service that God hath for every one of you to do is to look well to those Souls of yours to recover your selves out of the Snares of the Devil that you may obtain everlasting Salvation if you can but acquit your selves so in this World that you get safe to Heaven when you die God will say to you Well done good and faithful Servant 'T is true we have every one of us more Souls than our own to look too I not only Ministers whose special work it is but every one should do what he can to save the Souls of others but our first Service is to look to our own Souls Our Charity and so our whole care must begin at home Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy self and keep thy Soul thine own Soul diligently As Christ sayes Luk. 16.12 He that will not be faithful in that which is anothers who shall trust him with that which is his own May we not much more say here he that is not faithful in that which is his own will be much less faithtul in that which is anothers He that serves the Devil in destroying his own Soul is not like to serve God in the saving of others Souls Well this is your work you have to do in the World To serve the Lord And this is the Service that God expects That you save your own Souls What-ever you are faithfully doing this way you are therein serving God You may be saving your Estates and therein serve the Devil you may save your Names and save your Lives and therein serve the Devil but when you are saving your Souls you are still serving the Lord. The working out of our Salvation is not only the business of our Religious Duties but of all the Actions of our whole course We are not only to Believe and Repent and Hear and Fast and Pray for our Lives but to be carrying on our Salvation-Work in every thing we do As we may say whether you Believe or Repent or Pray or Hear so also whether you Eat or Drink or whatsoever else you do do all to the Glory of God and your own Salvation Our future state whether we are for Life or for Death is not to be determined by some few of our better Deeds but by the tenour of our whole course look what thy Life is in this World so shall thy Judgment be We are here in this World upon our good behaviour for the other World and the short time we have here is all we have for Eternity our Everlasting Life or Death will be determined by this little inch of time Do in your day the Work you were sent into the World for and you live and are blessed for ever spend your time in idleness or impertinencies live in the neglect of God or your Souls let your great Work be left undone or but half-done and done deceitfully and you die without remedy die eternally And do you not yet see what cause you have to Fear If you were doing any thing of this World's Business and knew your Life lay upon it 't would make your hand shake Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with Fear Phil. 2.12 Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Why should we Fear why should we Trembie Why because there is so great a Work lying upon our hands What if this Work be done and well done Then you are made for ever What if you neglect or miscarry in this Work Then you are lost irrecoverably 'T is a matter of Life and Death that you are every day and hour upon how can you think such a thought without a trembling Heart What a mighty influence would this consideration have upon your Duties When you go to Pray whether in the Closet or in the Family or in the Congregation were you perswaded that your eternal state were so much concern'd in it would you not fear how you trifled in so great a Duty and would not this Fear command in all your Powers to joyn in so important a Service how would it stand at the door and keep out all those stragling thoughts that at such times use to be thrusting in Would such hasty and cursory Praying such a flat and formal Devotion which you ordinarily take up with then suffice you you would sooner sweat than sleep at Prayer your Hearts would burn within you and not freeze as they too often do Tongue-Prayers and Knee-Prayers and Eye-Prayers would be of as little account with you as they are with God all the Males in your Flock would be brought in you would not dare to offer to the Lord a corrupt thing You would take your best time and time enough you would put forth the utmost of your strength you would not make your Souls to wait the leisure of your Flesh or to take its leavings It must not then be what you can spare from the World what you can spare from your business or your pleasures that will do the turn your eating time your sleeping time your working time must be taken up this way rather than want time for God and your Souls Dost thou complain of sleepiness in Prayer of wandrings in Prayer of want of time for Prayer Think Man
of Christ may be right in your Eyes and yet your Hearts not be upright in his Eyes You may be perswaded in your Hearts concerning the Way of Godliness that this is the Good Way that this is the Right Way and an Excellent Way that the Life of a Christian led according to the Rules of the Gospel is an Excellent Life Rom. 2.18 Thou knowest his Will and approvest the things that are more Excellent And to this good Opinion Men may be wrought 1. From the Self-evidencing Light of that Holy Doctrine which prescribes and requires Godliness 2. From the convincing Lives of the Sincere Professors of Godliness 3. From the Self-condemnation that is to be observed in all other wayes 1. From the Self-evidencing Light of the Doctrine of Godliness The Doctrine of Christianity proves it self to be of God by that Divine Light that shines forth in it there is a stamp of Divinity imprinted upon it Is God an Holy God So is this Doctrine an Holy Doctrine Is God a Merciful and Gracious God So is this Doctrine a Doctrine of Mercy a Doctrine of Grace there is Grace and Mercy runs through the whole Body of it nay they are the very Soul and Life of it Is God a God of Wisdom The Doctrine of Christianity is the Wisdom of God in a Mystery Is God a God of Truth and of Righteousness Such is the Doctrine of the Gospel that not only is according to Truth and reveals the Righteousness of God but requires Truth and imposes Righteousness upon all that will embrace it What is more contrary to this Word of Truth than a Lye or than Hypocrisie and Guile What is more contrary to this Word of Righteousness than Unrighteousness Doth the Word of the Gospel allow any Iniquity Is there any guile found in it or any toleration whereof in its Professors Doth it not command all Righteousness and condemn all Unrighteousness even while it justifies the Sinner it condemns the Sin This Religion is pure Religion and undefiled before God Jam. 1.25 Teaching us that denying all ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live righteously soberly and godly in this present World Tit. 2.13 14. Now he that knows that God is an Holy and Wise God a God of Grace of Truth and of Righteousness and does but understand the Scriptures may without any great difficulty be led into a good opinion of that Godliness which is there held forth and required 2. From the Convincing Lives of the Sincere Professors of Christianity I do not say from the Lives of all Professors some Professors of Christianity there are who are not Christians Some such there are amongst Professors who are disorderly walkers whose Wayes are so evidently contrary to their Profession as if the Devil had led them into their Christianity on purpose to disgrace the Gospel and 't is like enough 't was his doing indeed to make Professors of them This Tempter may tempt Men into Religion as far as may sewe his own ends and Mens Lusts may make them Disciples Such I mean who while they pretend to the Spirit do walk after the Flesh who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Rom. 1.18 who are proud self-conceited self-willed heady giddy wandring and unstable Souls like crooked Lines that in some points touch with the Rule but for the most part do swerve from it on this hand and on that Who are scrupulous about some smaller Matters which they fancy to have an appearance of evil and yet allow themselves in apparent Evils straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel insisting much on some Circumstances and neglecting the weightier Matters of the Law like those Mat. 23.23 24. 'T is but little that Godliness is beholden for the good Opinion it hath obtained to such as these But to the sincere and single-hearted Professors whose Lives are a Copy or Pattern of wholsom Doctrine holding forth the Word of Life exemplifying the Holy Rules laid down in Scripture and shewing forth the Vertues of Christ before the World Who are in the World as he was in the World who live by Faith and walk in Love being humble meek peaceable merciful temperate true righteous and holy in all manner of Conversation These are the Persons whose Lives do commend Godliness to the World and force their very Hearts many of them to acknowledg Sure this is the Way of God that these Men walk it cannot be but God is in them of a very truth sure these are the Servants of the Living God this is Religion indeed if there be any way of Life this is the way It 's true this way is every-where spoken against by the malicious but the more like to be of God for that So 't was in the Apostles dayes Acts 28.22 As for this Sect we know it is every-where spoken against Mark it Christianity was counted by the malicious but a Sect or a Faction and Christians but Sectaries so they were counted and called about 1600 years ago and therefore 't is no disparagement if they be counted so still But sayes the considering Sinner let them be called what Men please Sectaries Seducers Hypocrites or what else malice can invent yet as it was said of Christ John 10.21 These are not the words of him that hath a Devil so it may be said of his Followers Call them what you will yet these are not the Lives of Schismaticks or Hypocrites these Men are the Servants of the most High God and their way is the way of Life 3. From the Self-condemnation that all other wayes carry in them If this be not the way of Life there 's none if these be not the Servants of God there are none such in the World For where are they else to be found Are the Ignorant and the Earthly and the Irreligious are these the Religious Are the Carnal and the Formal and the out-side Worshippers that will give Christ the Cap and the Knee and yet can Drink and Riot and Swear and Scoff are these the sincere Worshippers of God This must be the Good Way or which else can it with any tolerable probability be imagined to be Surely if this be not it we must even all count to be damn'd for there is no other that so much as looks like the Path of Life The Atheist must say I am not in the way to God this Fool hath said in his Heart There is no God The Pope with his Doctrine must say I am not the Way I am Antichrist 't is Christ only that brings us to God Formality must say I am not the Way for God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth John 4.24 Profaneness must say I am not the Way to God I am the Way of Death and my steps lead down to Hell If there be any Way of Death in the World profaneness is it Drunkards and Swearers and Revellers and Rioters if their Consciences may but have the priviledg of their
2. The pleasures of Religion are the portion of the grown They lye deep they are some of those deep things of God which the Spirit of God will reveal 2. Cor. 2.10 't is not every one that hath a little Religion that is gotten down so deep as its pleasure lyes It is with the pleasure of Religion as with the Plagues of Sinners they both lye at the bottom The best of sin is at top Sinners first draughts are the sweetest when they have drank down to the bottom of their cup then they taste the dregs Beware Sinner of what comes after thy pleasant dayes thou hast yet tasted but the best of Sin thou art not come to the bottom of thy cup there the gall and the wormwood lyes And so on the other side the top and the outside of Godliness hath more harshness in it 't is the inside and the bottom of it that is most pleasant there its sweetness lyes Young beginners and smatterers in Religion seem to have made a bad exchange they have lost the sweetness of sin and pleasures of the flesh and are not come at the sweetness of Religion their pleasant dayes are gone and what have they in exchange Behold for peace they have great bitterness for ease weariness for mirth heaviness If Christians that are come but to the entry of Christ should hope for no more than they taste or see they would be ready to wish themselves back in the tents of wickedness It is really a blessed exchange that they make who with Moses Heb. 11.25 choose the afflictions of Religion rather than the pleasures of sin The very sufferings of the Saints are a better portion than the rejoycings of Sinners the Winter of Godliness hath more Sun-shine than the Summer of Sin honest poverty is better than the Mammon of unrighteousness and honest labour and travail than wicked ease and idleness He whose carnal laughter is turn'd into Godly sorrow his sorrow will end in Godly joy This joy though the entrance of Godliness be the way to it yet the Infants in Religion do seldom taste of it God uses to do as Christ at that feast Joh. 2.10 he keeps the best wine till last The pleasures of Religion are the portion of those that have gotten up to the power of Religion Whil'st the weaker Christians feed themselves on their fears and sorrows and the most of their Religion lyes in their humblings and mournings for sin those that are grown up to be strong in the Lord do feel the joy of the Lord to be their strength and when we have experience of this pleasure of Religion it is both a sign of our growth and will be our sail to carry us on with more vigour and swiftness 3. What the pleasures of Religion are I shall mention but these four 1. The pleasure of Sincerity 2. The pleasure of Success 3. The pleasure of Ease 4. The pleasure of Love 1. The pleasure of Sincerity Sincerity hath such sweetness in it as no man knows but he that hath it a stranger shall not intermeddle with this joy This pleasure is not known by every Christian that is sincere Where is sincerity in every real Christian but he hath little of the pleasure of it that hath not the knowledge of it Weak Christians are in doubt whether they be sincere or not those that are but one degree above hypocrites are still in fear that they are but hypocrites they that know themselves upright can rejoyce with that joy of the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience that in all simplicity and Godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world O the galls and stings of a guileful heart whatever specious shews there may be of Religion without whatever approbation or applause the hypocrite may obtain from men whatever tickling delight in a great repute for an eminent Christian he may feel for a while whatever pleasure his gifts and commendable performances may feed him with yet the Conscience of hypocrisie and guile within after the flush of that carnal pleasure is over will sting him into bitterness and anguish Much good may do hypocrites with all their applauses and self-exaltations a plain honest upright heart hath more serenity and sweetness than comes in by all the admirings and Euge's in the world Friends would you live a voluptuous life get you an upright heart would you have all within you to be sweetness beware of the leaven of hypocrisie would you prove your selves no hypocrites then be improving daily let sincerity be growing up towards perfection and then it will be known what it is Nichodemas will in a while appear to be Nathaniel an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile Let it be thus with thee and then thou mayest take up the Psalmists words Psal 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in mine heart more than in the time when their corn and wine increased 2. The pleasure of success 'T is a comfort to see something coming in when the desire cometh it is a tree of life disappointment is distress To ask and not to have to sow and not to reap to work and not to have to eat to buy and sell and travail and trade and never to prosper in any thing but to be as poor and low as those that are idle I need not tell you how sad and uncomfortable it is To take upon us to be the Servants of Christ to take up the professing trade the praying trade and the hearing trade and to find all we do to come to just nothing I have been praying and hearing and hoping and yet still I am where I was Lust holds up the head Grace hangs the wing doubts and fears dulness and darkness still abide upon me as heretofore I am as carnal and earthly and barren as very a child in Religion as I was many years since O what a weary and uncomfortable life is this to have so many things a doing and nothing done O how heartless a thing is it When we have good success when we see our Souls prospering this will wash our steps with butter and strew our wayes with rose-buds and make pleasant all our paths One of the great joyes of the world is the joy of the Harvest and the joy of the Saints is express'd by that Isa 9.3 They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest The Harvest is the success of mens labours and that 's their joy to see they have not laboured in vain Christians though they are never like in this life to see the Harvest in the sheaf yet 't is a joy to them to see an Harvest in the blade to perceive that the seed is not dead and rotten under the clods but springing up to the Harvest this is a pleasant sight It is not such a pleasure to the Husbandman to walk through his fields where he hath been ploughing and sowing and to behold the thriving beginnings of