A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD;

SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS

NOT SO.

ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE

EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT

IN THEIR HEARTS.

London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the

Stocks market: 1679.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"—the

foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it

emanates. Upon a principle so vastly important, all the subtle malignity of Satan

has been directed, if possible to mislead the very elect; while the ungodly and

impenitent fall under his devices. To the mind enlightened by Divine truth, the

difference between a filial fear of offending God and the dread of punishment is

very plain. Still, by the devil's sophistry, some of the most pious Christians have

been puzzled and bewildered. Bunyan was not ignorant of Satan's devices, and

he has roused the energies of his powerful mind, guided by Divine truth, to

render this important doctrine so clear and easy to be understood, that the

believer may not err.

This rare volume, first published in 1679, soon became so scarce that Chandler,

Wilson, Whitefield, and others, omitted it from their editions of Bunyan's

works. At length it appeared in the more complete collection by Ryland and

Mason, about 1780. Since then, it has been reprinted, somewhat modernized, by

the Tract Society, from an original copy, discovered by that ardent lover of

Bunyan, the Rev. Joseph Belcher. Of this edition, four thousand copies have

been printed.

The great line of distinction that Bunyan draws is between that terror and dread

of God, as the infinitely Holy One, before whom all sin must incur the intensity

of punishment; and the love of God, as the Father of mercies, and fountain of

blessedness, in the gift of his Son, and a sense of adoption into his family; by the

influences of which the soul fears to offend him. This fear is purely evangelical;

for if the slightest dependence is placed upon any supposed good works of our

own, the filial fear of God is swallowed up in dread and terror—for salvation

depends upon the perfection of holiness, without which none can enter heaven,

and which can only be found in Christ.

Mr. Mason, on reading this treatise, thus expressed his feelings—"When the fear

of the Lord is a permanent principle, inwrought in the soul by the Divine Spirit,

it is an undoubted token of election to life eternal; for the most precious

promises are made to God's fearers, even the blessings of the everlasting

covenant. Such are sure to be protected from every enemy; to be guided by

unerring counsel; and what will crown all, to be beloved of God the Father, Son,

and Holy Ghost; till, by almighty and effectual grace, he will be translated to

those mansions of glory and blessedness prepared for him, where he will sing

the praises of his covenant-God while eternity endures."

May this be the blessed experience of all those who prayerfully read this

important treatise.

Geo. Offor.

A TREATISE ON THE FEAR OF GOD

"BLESSED IS EVERY ONE THAT FEARETH THE LORD."—PSALM 128:1

"FEAR GOD."—REVELATION 14:7

This exhortation is not only found here in the text, but is in several other places

of the Scripture pressed, and that with much vehemency, upon the children of

men, as in Ecclesiastes 12:13; 1 Peter 1:17, &c. I shall not trouble you with a

long preamble, or forespeech to the matter, nor shall I here so much as meddle

with the context, but shall immediately fall upon the words themselves, and

briefly treat of the fear of God. The text, you see, presenteth us with matter of

greatest moment, to wit, with God, and with the fear of him.

First they present us with God, the true and living God, maker of the worlds, and

upholder of all things by the word of his power: that incomprehensible majesty,

in comparison of whom all nations are less than the drop of a bucket, and than

the small dust of the balance. This is he that fills heaven and earth, and is

everywhere present with the children of men, beholding the evil and the good;

for he hath set his eyes upon all their ways.

So that, considering that by the text we have presented to our souls the Lord God

and Maker of us all, who also will be either our Saviour or Judge, we are in

reason and duty bound to give the more earnest heed to the things that shall be

spoken, and be the more careful to receive them, and put them in practice; for, as

I said, as they present us with the mighty God, so they exhort us to the highest

duty towards him; to wit, to fear him. I call it the highest duty, because it is, as I

may call it, not only a duty in itself, but, as it were, the salt that seasoneth every

duty. For there is no duty performed by us that can by any means be accepted of

God, if it be not seasoned with godly fear. Wherefore the apostle saith, "Let us

have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly

fear." Of this fear, I say, I would discourse at this time; but because this word

fear is variously taken in the Scripture, and because it may be profitable to us to

see it in its variety, I shall therefore choose this method for the managing of my

discourse, even to show you the nature of the word in its several, especially of

the chiefest, acceptations. FIRST. Then by this word fear we are to understand

even God himself, who is the object of our fear. SECOND. By this word fear we

are to understand the Word of God, the rule and director of our fear. Now to

speak to this word fear, as it is thus taken.

[THIS WORD FEAR AS TAKEN FOR GOD HIMSELF.]

FIRST. Of this word "fear," AS IT RESPECTETH GOD HIMSELF, who is the

object of our fear.

By this word fear, as I said, we are to understand God himself, who is the object

of our fear: For the Divine majesty goeth often under this very name himself.

This name Jacob called him by, when he and Laban chid together on Mount

Gilead, after that Jacob had made his escape to his father's house; "Except," said

he, "the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had been

with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty." So again, a little after,

when Jacob and Laban agree to make a covenant of peace each with other,

though Laban, after the jumbling way of the heathen by his oath, puts the true

God and the false together, yet "Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac"

(Gen 31:42,53).[1]

By the fear, that is, by the God of his father Isaac. And, indeed, God may well

be called the fear of his people, not only because they have by his grace made

him the object of their fear, but because of the dread and terrible majesty that is

in him. "He is a mighty God, a great and terrible, and with God is terrible

majesty" (Dan 7:28, 10:17; Neh 1:5, 4:14, 9:32; Job 37:22). Who knows the

power of his anger? "The mountains quake at him, the hills melt, and the earth is

burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand

before his indignation? who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is

poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him" (Nahum 1:5,6). His

people know him, and have his dread upon them, by virtue whereof there is

begot and maintained in them that godly awe and reverence of his majesty

which is agreeable to their profession of him. "Let him be your fear, and let him

be your dread." Set his majesty before the eyes of your souls, and let his

excellency make you afraid with godly fear (Isa 8:13).

There are these things that make God to be the fear of his people.

First. His presence is dreadful, and that not only his presence in common, but

his special, yea, his most comfortable and joyous presence. When God comes to

bring a soul news of mercy and salvation, even that visit, that presence of God,

is fearful. When Jacob went from Beersheba towards Haran, he met with God in

the way by a dream, in the which he apprehended a ladder set upon the earth,

whose top reached to heaven; now in this dream, from the top of this ladder, he

saw the Lord, and heard him speak unto him, not threateningly; not as having his

fury come up into his face; but in the most sweet and gracious manner, saluting

him with promise of goodness after promise of goodness, to the number of eight

or nine; as will appear if you read the place. Yet I say, when he awoke, all the

grace that discovered itself in this heavenly vision to him could not keep him

from dread and fear of God's majesty. "And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and

he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not; and he was afraid and

said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this

is the gate of heaven" (Gen 28:10-17).

At another time, to wit, when Jacob had that memorable visit from God, in

which he gave him power as a prince to prevail with him; yea, and gave him a

name, that by his remembering it he might call God's favour the better to his

mind; yet even then and there such dread of the majesty of God was upon him,

that he went away wondering that his life was preserved (Gen 32:30). Man

crumbles to dust at the presence of God; yea, though he shows himself to us in

his robes of salvation. We have read how dreadful and how terrible even the

presence of angels have been unto men, and that when they have brought them

good tidings from heaven (Judg 13:22; Matt 28:4; Mark 16:5,6). Now, if angels,

which are but creatures, are, through the glory that God has put upon them, so

fearful and terrible in their appearance to men, how much more dreadful and

terrible must God himself be to us, who are but dust and ashes! When Daniel

had the vision of his salvation sent him from heaven, for so it was, "O Daniel,"

said the messenger, "a man greatly beloved" ; yet behold the dread and terror of

the person speaking fell with that weight upon this good man's soul, that he

could not stand, nor bear up under it. He stood trembling, and cries out, "O my

lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no

strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as

for me, straightway there remained no strength in me" (Dan 10:16-17). See you

here if the presence of God is not a dreadful and a fearful thing; yea, his most

gracious and merciful appearances; how much more then when he showeth

himself to us as one that disliketh our ways, as one that is offended with us for

our sins?

And there are three things that in an eminent manner make his presence

dreadful to us.

1. The first is God's own greatness and majesty; the discovery of this, or of

himself thus, even as no poor mortals are able to conceive of him, is altogether

unsupportable. The man dies to whom he thus discovers himself. "And when I

saw him," says John, "I fell at his feet as dead" (Rev 1:17). It was this, therefore,

that Job would have avoided in the day that he would have approached unto

him. "Let not thy dread," says he, "make me afraid. Then call thou, and I will

answer; or let me speak, and answer thou me" (Job 13:21,22). But why doth Job

after this manner thus speak to God? Why! it was from a sense that he had of the

dreadful majesty of God, even the great and dreadful God that keepeth covenant

with his people. The presence of a king is dreadful to the subject, yea, though he

carries it never so condescendingly; if then there be so much glory and dread in

the presence of the king, what fear and dread must there be, think you, in the

presence of the eternal God?

2. When God giveth his presence to his people, that his presence causeth them to

appear to themselves more what they are, than at other times, by all other light,

they can see. "O my lord," said Daniel, "by the vision my sorrows are turned

upon me" ; and why was that, but because by the glory of that vision, he saw his

own vileness more than at other times. So again: "I was left alone," says he,

"and saw this great vision" ; and what follows? Why, "and there remained no

strength in me; for my comeliness was turned into corruption, and I retained no

strength" (Dan 10:8,16). By the presence of God, when we have it indeed, even

our best things, our comeliness, our sanctity and righteousness, all do

immediately turn to corruption and polluted rags. The brightness of his glory

dims them as the clear light of the shining sun puts out the glory of the fire or

candle, and covers them with the shadow of death. See also the truth of this in

that vision of the prophet Isaiah. "Wo is me," said he, "for I am undone, because

I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips."

Why, what is the matter? how came the prophet by this sight? Why, says he,

"mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isa 6:5). But do you think

that this outcry was caused by unbelief? No; nor yet begotten by slavish fear.

This was to him the vision of his Saviour, with whom also he had communion

before (vv 2-5). It was the glory of that God with whom he had now to do, that

turned, as was noted before of Daniel, his comeliness in him into corruption, and

that gave him yet greater sense of the disproportion that was betwixt his God

and him, and so a greater sight of his defiled and polluted nature.

3. Add to this the revelation of God's goodness, and it must needs make his

presence dreadful to us; for when a poor defiled creature shall see that this great

God hath, notwithstanding his greatness, goodness in his heart, and mercy to

bestow upon him: this makes his presence yet the more dreadful. They "shall

fear the Lord and his goodness" (Hosea 3:5). The goodness as well as the

greatness of God doth beget in the heart of his elect an awful reverence of his

majesty. "Fear ye not me? saith the Lord; will ye not tremble at my presence?"

And then, to engage us in our soul to the duty, he adds one of his wonderful

mercies to the world, for a motive, "Fear ye not me?" Why, who are thou? He

answers, Even I, "which have" set, or "placed the sand for the bound of the sea

by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof toss

themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over

it?" (Jer 5:22). Also, when Job had God present with him, making manifest the

goodness of his great heart to him, what doth he say? how doth he behave

himself in his presence? "I have heard of thee," says he, "by the hearing of the

ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust

and ashes" (Job 42:5,6).

And what mean the tremblings, the tears, those breakings and shakings of heart

that attend the people of God, when in an eminent manner they receive the

pronunciation of the forgiveness of sins at his mouth, but that the dread of the

majesty of God is in their sight mixed therewith? God must appear like himself,

speak to the soul like himself; nor can the sinner, when under these glorious

discoveries of his Lord and Saviour, keep out the beams of his majesty from the

eyes of his understanding. "I will cleanse them," saith he, "from all their

iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me, and I will pardon all their

iniquities whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed

against me." And what then? "And they shall fear and tremble for all the

goodness, and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it" (Jer 33:8,9). Alas!

there is a company of poor, light, frothy professors in the world, that carry it

under that which they call the presence of God, more like to antics, than sober

sensible Christians; yea, more like to a fool of a play, than those that have the

presence of God. They would not carry it so in the presence of a king, nor yet of

the lord of their land, were they but receivers of mercy at his hand. They carry it

even in their most eminent seasons, as if the sense and sight of God, and his

blessed grace to their souls in Christ, had a tendency in them to make men

wanton: but indeed it is the most humbling and heart-breaking sight in the

world; it is fearful.[2]

Object. But would you not have us rejoice at the sight and sense of the

forgiveness of our sins?

Answ. Yes; but yet I would have you, and indeed you shall, when God shall tell

you that your sins are pardoned indeed, "rejoice with trembling" (Psa 2:11). For

then you have solid and godly joy; a joyful heart, and wet eyes, in this will stand

very well together; and it will be so more or less. For if God shall come to you

indeed, and visit you with the forgiveness of sins, that visit removeth the guilt,

but increaseth the sense of thy filth, and the sense of this that God hath forgiven

a filthy sinner, will make thee both rejoice and tremble. O, the blessed confusion

that will then cover thy face whilst thou, even thou, so vile a wretch, shalt stand

before God to receive at his hand thy pardon, and so the firstfruits of thy eternal

salvation—"That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open

thy mouth any more because of thy shame (thy filth), when I am pacified toward

thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God" (Eze 16:63). But,

Second. As the presence, so the name of God, is dreadful and fearful: wherefore

his name doth rightly go under the same title, "That thou mayest fear this

glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD" (Deut 28:58). The name of

God, what is that, but that by which he is distinguished and known from all

others? Names are to distinguish by; so man is distinguished from beasts, and

angels from men; so heaven from earth, and darkness from light; especially

when by the name, the nature of the thing is signified and expressed; and so it

was in their original, for then names expressed the nature of the thing so named.

And therefore it is that the name of God is the object of our fear, because by his

name his nature is expressed: "Holy and reverend is his name" (Psa 111:9). And

again, he proclaimed the name of the Lord, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful

and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping

mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and that will

by no means clear the guilty" (Exo 34:6,7).

Also his name, I am, Jah, Jehovah, with several others, what is by them intended

but his nature, as his power, wisdom, eternity, goodness, and omnipotency, &c.,

might be expressed and declared. The name of God is therefore the object of a

Christian's fear. David prayed to God that he would unite his heart to fear his

name (Psa 86:11). Indeed, the name of God is a fearful name, and should always

be reverenced by his people: yea his "name is to be feared for ever and ever,"

and that not only in his church, and among his saints, but even in the world and

among the heathen—"So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all

kings thy glory" (Psa 102:15). God tells us that his name is dreadful, and that he

is pleased to see men be afraid before his name. Yea, one reason why he

executeth so many judgments upon men as he doth, is that others might see and

fear his name. "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his

glory from the rising of the sun" (Isa 59:19; Mal 2:5).

The name of a king is a name of fear—"And I am a great king, saith the Lord of

hosts" (Mal 1:14). The name of master is a name of fear—"And if I be a master,

where is my fear? saith the Lord" (v 6). Yea, rightly to fear the Lord is a sign of

a gracious heart. And again, "To you that fear my name," saith he, "shall the

Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (Mal 4:2). Yea, when

Christ comes to judge the world, he will give reward to his servants the

prophets, and to his saints, "and to them that fear his name, small and great"

(Rev 11:18). Now, I say, since the name of God is that by which his nature is

expressed, and since he naturally is so glorious and incomprehensible, his name

must needs be the object of our fear, and we ought always to have a reverent

awe of God upon our hearts at what time soever we think of, or hear his name,

but most of all, when we ourselves do take his holy and fearful name into our

mouths, especially in a religious manner, that is, in preaching, praying, or holy

conference. I do not by thus saying intend as if it was lawful to make mention of

his name in light and vain discourses; for we ought always to speak of it with

reverence and godly fear, but I speak it to put Christians in mind that they

should not in religious duties show lightness of mind, or be vain in their words

when yet they are making mention of the name of the Lord—"Let every one that

nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim 2:19).

Make mention then of the name of the Lord at all times with great dread of his

majesty upon our hearts, and in great soberness and truth. To do otherwise is to

profane the name of the Lord, and to take his name in vain; and "the Lord will

not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." Yea, God saith that he will

cut off the man that doth it; so jealous is he of the honour due unto his name

(Exo 20:7; Lev 20:3). This therefore showeth you the dreadful state of those that

lightly, vainly, lyingly, and profanely make use of the name, this fearful name of

God, either by their blasphemous cursing and oaths, or by their fraudulent

dealing with their neighbour; for some men have no way to prevail with their

neighbour to bow under a cheat, but by calling falsely upon the name of the

Lord to be witness that the wickedness is good and honest; but how these men

will escape, when they shall be judged, devouring fire and everlasting burnings,

for their profaning and blaspheming of the name of the Lord, becomes them

betimes to consider of (Jer 14:14,15; Eze 20:39; Exo 20:7).[3]

But,

Third. As the presence and name of God are dreadful and fearful in the church,

so is his worship and service. I say his worship, or the works of service to which

we are by him enjoined while we are in this world, are dreadful and fearful

things. This David conceiveth, when he saith, "But as for me, I will come into

thy house in the multitude of thy mercy, and in thy fear will I worship toward

thy holy temple" (Psa 5:7). And again, saith he, "Serve the Lord with fear." To

praise God is a part of his worship. But, says Moses, "Who is a God like unto

thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" (Exo 15:11). To

rejoice before him is a part of his worship; but David bids us "rejoice with

trembling" (Psa 2:11). Yea, the whole of our service to God, and every part

thereof, ought to be done by us with reverence and godly fear. And therefore let

us, as Paul saith again, "Cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and

spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor 7:1; Heb 12).

1. That which makes the worship of God so fearful a thing, is, for that it is the

worship of GOD: all manner of service carries more or less dread and fear along

with it, according as the quality or condition of the person is to whom the

worship and service is done. This is seen in the service of subjects to their

princes, the service of servants to their lords, and the service of children to their

parents. Divine worship, then, being due to God, for it is now of Divine worship

we speak, and this God so great and dreadful in himself and name, his worship

must therefore be a fearful thing.

2. Besides, this glorious Majesty is himself present to behold his worshippers in

their worshipping him. "When two or three of you are gathered together in my

name, I am there." That is, gathered together to worship him, "I am there," says

he. And so, again, he is said to walk "in the midst of the seven golden

candlesticks" (Rev 1:13). That is, in the churches, and that with a countenance

like the sun, with a head and hair as white as snow, and with eyes like a flame of

fire. This puts dread and fear into his service; and therefore his servants should

serve him with fear.

3. Above all things, God is jealous of his worship and service. In all the ten

words, he telleth us not anything of his being a jealous God, but in the second,

which respecteth his worship (Exo 20). Look to yourselves therefore, both as to

the matter and manner of your worship; "for I the Lord thy God," says he, "am a

jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children." This

therefore doth also put dread and fear into the worship and service of God.

4. The judgments that sometimes God hath executed upon men for their want of

godly fear, while they have been in his worship and service, put fear and dread

upon his holy appointments. (1.) Nadab and Abihu were burned to death with

fire from heaven, because they attempted to offer false fire upon God's altar,

and the reason rendered why they were so served, was, because God will be

sanctified in them that come nigh him (Lev 10:1-3). To sanctify his name is to

let him be thy dread and thy fear, and to do nothing in his worship but what is

well-pleasing to him. But because these men had not grace to do this, therefore

they died before the Lord. (2.) Eli's sons, for want of this fear, when they

ministered in the holy worship of God, were both slain in one day by the sword

of the uncircumcised Philistines (see 1 Sam 2). (3.) Uzzah was smitten, and died

before the Lord, for but an unadvised touching of the ark, when the men forsook

it (1 Chron 13:9,10). (4.) Ananias and Sapphira his wife, for telling a lie in the

church, when they were before God, were both stricken dead upon the place

before them all, because they wanted the fear and dread of God's majesty, name,

and service, when they came before him (Acts 5).

This therefore should teach us to conclude, that, next to God's nature and name,

his service, his instituted worship, is the most dreadful thing under heaven. His

name is upon his ordinances, his eye is upon the worshippers, and his wrath and

judgment upon those that worship not in his fear. For this cause some of those at

Corinth were by God himself cut off, and to others he has given the back, and

will again be with them no more (1 Cor 11:27-32).[4]

This also rebuketh three sorts of people.

[Three sorts of people rebuked.]

1. Such as regard not to worship God at all; be sure they have no reverence of

his service, nor fear of his majesty before their eyes. Sinner, thou dost not come

before the Lord to worship him; thou dost not bow before the high God; thou

neither worshippest him in thy closet nor in the congregation of saints. The fury

of the Lord and his indignation must in short time be poured out upon thee, and

upon the families that call not upon his name (Psa 79:6; Jer 10:25).

2. This rebukes such as count it enough to present their body in the place where

God is worshipped, not minding with what heart, or with what spirit they come

thither. Some come into the worship of God to sleep there; some come thither to

meet with their chapmen, and to get into the wicked fellowship of their vain

companions. Some come thither to feed their lustful and adulterous eyes with

the flattering beauty of their fellow-sinners. O what a sad account will these

worshippers give, when they shall count for all this, and be damned for it,

because they come not to worship the Lord with that fear of his name that

became them to come in, when they presented themselves before him![5]

3. This also rebukes those that care not, so they worship, how they worship;

how, where, or after what manner they worship God. Those, I mean, whose fear

towards God "is taught by the precept of men." They are hypocrites; their

worship also is vain, and a stink in the nostrils of God. "Wherefore the Lord

said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their

lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear

toward me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold I will proceed to do

a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for

the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their

prudent men shall be hid" (Isa 29:13,14; Matt 15:7-9; Mark 7:6,7).[6] Thus I

conclude this first thing, namely, that God is called our dread and fear.

OF THIS WORD FEAR AS IT IS TAKEN FOR THE WORD OF GOD.

I shall now come to the second thing, to wit, to the rule and director of our fear.

SECOND. But again, this word FEAR is sometimes to be taken for THE WORD,

the written Word of God; for that also is, and ought to be, the rule and director of

our fear. So David calls it in the nineteenth Psalm: "the fear of the Lord," saith

he, "is clean, enduring for ever." The fear of the Lord, that is, the Word of the

Lord, the written word; for that which he calleth in this place the fear of the

Lord, even in the same place he calleth the law, statutes, commandments, and

judgments of God. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the

testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple: the statutes of the Lord

are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening

the eyes: the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the

Lord are true and righteous altogether." All these words have respect to the

same thing, to wit, to the Word of God, jointly designing the glory of it. Among

which phrases, as you see, this is one, "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring

for ever." This written Word is therefore the object of a Christian's fear. This is

that also which David intended when he said, "Come, ye children, hearken unto

me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Psa 34:11). I will teach you the fear,

that is, I will teach you the commandments, statutes, and judgments of the Lord,

even as Moses commanded the children of Israel—"Thou shalt teach them

diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine

house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when

thou risest up" (Deut 6:4-7).

That also in the eleventh of Isaiah intends the same, where the Father saith of the

Son, that he shall be of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; that he may

judge and smite the earth with the rod of his mouth. This rod in the text is none

other but the fear, the Word of the Lord; for he was to be of a quick

understanding, that he might smite, that is, execute it according to the will of his

Father, upon and among the children of men. Now this, as I said, is called the

fear of the Lord, because it is called the rule and director of our fear. For we

know not how to fear the Lord in a saving way without its guidance and

direction. As it is said of the priest that was sent back from the captivity to

Samaria to teach the people to fear the Lord, so it is said concerning the written

Word; it is given to us, and left among us, that we may read therein all the days

of our life, and learn to fear the Lord (Deut 6:1-3,24, 10:12, 17:19). And here it

is that, trembling at the Word of God, is even by God himself not only taken

notice of, but counted as laudable and praiseworthy, as is evident in the case of

Josiah (2 Chron 34:26,27). Such also are the approved of God, let them be

condemned by whomsoever: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his

word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said,

Let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be

ashamed" (Isa 66:5).

Further, such shall be looked to, by God himself cared for, and watched over,

that no distress, temptation, or affliction may overcome them and destroy

them—"To this man will I look," saith God, "even to him that is poor and of a

contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." It is the same in substance with

that in the same prophet in chapter 57: "For thus saith the high and lofty One

that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place,

with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the

humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Yea, the way to escape

dangers foretold, is to hearken to, understand, and fear the Word of God—"He

that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh, made his

servants and his cattle flee into the houses," and they were secured; but "he that

regarded not the word of the Lord, left his servants and his cattle in the field,"

and they were destroyed of the hail (Exo 9:20-25).

If at any time the sins of a nation or church are discovered and bewailed, it is by

them that know and tremble at the word of God. When Ezra heard of the

wickedness of his brethren, and had a desire to humble himself before God for

the same, who were they that would assist him in that matter, but they that

trembled at the word of God?—"Then," saith he, "were assembled unto me

every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the

transgression of those that had been carried away" (Ezra 9:4). They are such also

that tremble at the Word that are best able to give counsel in the matters of God,

for their judgment best suiteth with his mind and will: "Now therefore," said he,

"let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the (strange) wives, -

according to the counsel of my Lord, and of those that tremble at the

commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the law" (Ezra 10:3).

Now something of the dread and terror of the Word lieth in these things.

First. As I have already hinted, from the author of them, they are the words of

God. Therefore you have Moses and the prophets, when they came to deliver

their errand, their message to the people, still saying, "Hear the word of the

Lord," "Thus saith the Lord," and the like. So when Ezekiel was sent to the

house of Israel, in their state of religion, thus was he bid to say unto them, "Thus

saith the Lord God" ; "Thus saith the Lord God" (Eze 2:4, 3:11). This is the

honour and majesty, then, that God hath put upon his written Word, and thus he

hath done even of purpose, that we might make them the rule and directory of

our fear, and that we might stand in awe of, and tremble at them. When

Habakkuk heard the word of the Lord, his belly trembled, and rottenness entered

into his bones. "I trembled in myself," said he, "that I might rest in the day of

trouble" (Hab 3:16). The word of a king is as the roaring of a lion; where the

word of a king is, there is power. What is it, then, when God, the great God,

shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, whose voice shakes

not only the earth, but also heaven? How doth holy David set it forth; "The

voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty," &c. (Psa

29).

Second. It is a Word that is fearful, and may well be called the fear of the Lord,

because of the subject matter of it; to wit, the state of sinners in another world;

for that is it unto which the whole Bible bendeth itself, either more immediately

or more mediately. All its doctrines, counsels, encouragements, threatenings,

and judgments, have a look, one way or other, upon us, with respect to the next

world, which will be our last state, because it will be to us a state eternal. This

word, this law, these judgments, are they that we shall be disposed of by—"The

word that I have spoken," says Christ, "it shall judge you (and so consequently

dispose of you) in the last day" (John 12:48). Now, if we consider that our next

state must be eternal, either eternal glory or eternal fire, and that this eternal

glory or this eternal fire must be our portion, according as the words of God,

revealed in the holy Scriptures, shall determine; who will not but conclude that

therefore the words of God are they at which we should tremble, and they by

which we should have our fear of God guided and directed, for by them we are

taught how to please him in everything?

Third. It is to be called a fearful Word, because of the truth and faithfulness of it.

The Scriptures cannot be broken. Here they are called the Scriptures of truth, the

true sayings of God, and also the fear of the Lord, for that every jot and tittle

thereof is for ever settled in heaven, and stand more steadfast than doth the

world—"Heaven and earth," saith Christ, "shall pass away, but my words shall

not pass away" (Matt 24:35). Those, therefore, that are favoured by the Word of

God, those are favoured indeed, and that with the favour that no man can turn

away; but those that by the word of the Scriptures are condemned, those can no

man justify and set quit in the sight of God. Therefore what is bound by the text,

is bound, and what is released by the text, is released; also the bond and release

is unalterable (Dan 10:21; Rev 19:9; Matt 24:35; Psa 119:89; John 10:35). This,

therefore, calleth upon God's people to stand more in fear of the Word of God

than of all the terrors of the world.[7] There wanteth even in the hearts of God's

people a greater reverence of the Word of God than to this day appeareth among

us, and this let me say, that want of reverence of the Word is the ground of all

disorders that are in the heart, life, conversation, and in Christian communion.

Besides, the want of reverence of the Word layeth men open to the fearful

displeasure of God—"Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed; but he that

feareth the commandment shall be rewarded" (Prov 13:13).

All transgression beginneth at wandering from the Word of God; but, on the

other side, David saith, "Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I

have kept me from the paths of the destroyer" (Psa 17:4). Therefore Solomon

saith, "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings; let them

not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart; for they are

life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" (Prov 4:20-22). Now,

if indeed thou wouldest reverence the Word of the Lord, and make it thy rule

and director in all things, believe that the Word is the fear of the Lord, the Word

that standeth fast for ever; without and against which God will do nothing, either

in saving or damning of the souls of sinners. But to conclude this,

1. Know that those that have no due regard to the Word of the Lord, and that

make it not their dread and their fear, but the rule of their life is the lust of their

flesh, the desire of their eyes, and the pride of life, are sorely rebuked by this

doctrine, and are counted the fools of the world; for "lo, they have rejected the

word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?" (Jer 8:9). That there are such a

people is evident, not only by their irregular lives, but by the manifest testimony

of the Word. "As for the word of the Lord,"said they to Jeremiah, "that thou hast

spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but we will

certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth" (Jer 44:16).

Was this only the temper of wicked men then? Is not the same spirit of rebellion

amongst us in our days? Doubtless there is; for there is no new thing—"The

thing that hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that

which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun" (Eccl 1:9).

Therefore, as it was then, so it is with many in this day.

As for the Word of the Lord, it is nothing at all to them; their lusts, and

whatsoever proceedeth out of their own mouths, that they will do, that they will

follow. Now, such will certainly perish in their own rebellion; for this is as the

sin of witchcraft; it was the sin of Korah and his company, and that which

brought upon them such heavy judgments; yea, and they are made a sign that

thou shouldest not do as they, for they perished (because they rejected the word,

the fear of the Lord) from among the congregation of the Lord, "and they

became a sign." The word which thou despisest still abideth to denounce its woe

and judgment upon thee; and unless God will save such with the breath of his

word—and it is hard trusting to that—they must never see his face with comfort

(1 Sam 15:22,23; Num 26:9,10).

2. Are the words of God called by the name of the fear of the Lord? Are they so

dreadful in their receipt and sentence? Then this rebukes them that esteem the

words and things of men more than the words of God, as those do who are

drawn from their respect of, and obedience to, the Word of God, by the

pleasures or threats of men. Some there be who verily will acknowledge the

authority of the Word, yet will not stoop their souls thereto. Such, whatever they

think of themselves, are judged by Christ to be ashamed of the Word; wherefore

their state is damnable as the other. "Whosoever," saith he, "shall be ashamed of

me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall

the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of the Father, with the

holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

3. And if these things be so, what will become of those that mock at, and

professedly contemn, the words of God, making them as a thing ridiculous, and

not to be regarded? Shall they prosper that do such things? From the promises it

is concluded that their judgment now of a long time slumbereth not, and when it

comes, it will devour them without remedy (2 Chron 36:15). If God, I say, hath

put that reverence upon his Word as to call it the fear of the Lord, what will

become of them that do what they can to overthrow its authority, by denying it

to be his Word, and by raising cavils against its authority? Such stumble, indeed,

at the Word, being appointed thereunto, but it shall judge them in the last day (1

Peter 2:8; John 12:48). But thus much for this.

OF SEVERAL SORTS OF FEAR OF GOD IN THE HEART OF THE

CHILDREN OF MEN.

Having thus spoken of the object and rule of our fear, I should come now to

speak of fear as it is a grace of the Spirit of God in the hearts of his people; but

before I do that, I shall show you that there are divers sorts of fear besides. For

man being a reasonable creature, and having even by nature a certain knowledge

of God, hath also naturally something of some kind of fear of God at times,

which, although it be not that which is intended in the text, yet ought to be

spoken to, that that which is not right may be distinguished from that that is.

There is, I say, several sorts or kinds of fear in the hearts of the sons of men, I

mean besides that fear of God that is intended in the text, and that accompanieth

eternal life. I shall here make mention of three of them. FIRST. There is a fear

of God that flows even from the light of nature. SECOND. There is a fear of

God that flows from some of his dispensations to men, which yet is neither

universal nor saving. THIRD. There is a fear of God in the heart of some men

that is good and godly, but doth not for ever abide so. To speak a little to all

these, before I come to speak of fear, as it is a grace of God in the hearts of his

children, And,

FIRST. To the first, to wit, that there is a fear of God that flows even from the

light of nature. A people may be said to do things in a fear of God, when they

act one towards another in things reasonable, and honest betwixt man and man,

not doing that to others they would not have done to themselves. This is that fear

of God which Abraham thought the Philistines had destroyed in themselves,

when he said of his wife to Abimelech, "She is my sister." For when Abimelech

asked Abraham why he said of his wife, She is my sister; he replied, saying, "I

thought surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my

wife's sake" (Gen 20:11). I thought verily that in this place men had stifled and

choked that light of nature that is in them, at least so far forth as not to suffer it

to put them in fear, when their lusts were powerful in them to accomplish their

ends on the object that was present before them. But this I will pass by, and

come to the second thing, namely—

SECOND. To show that there is a fear of God that flows from some of his

dispensations to men, which yet is neither universal nor saving. This fear, when

opposed to that which is saving, may be called an ungodly fear of God. I shall

describe it by these several particulars that follow—

First. There is a fear of God that causeth a continual grudging, discontent, and

heart-risings against God under the hand of God; and that is, when the dread of

God in his coming upon men, to deal with them for their sins, is apprehended by

them, and yet by this dispensation they have no change of heart to submit to God

thereunder. The sinners under this dispensation cannot shake God out of their

mind, nor yet graciously tremble before him; but through the unsanctified frame

that they now are in, they are afraid with ungodly fear, and so in their minds let

fly against him. This fear oftentimes took hold of the children of Israel when

they were in the wilderness in their journey to the promised land; still they

feared that God in this place would destroy them, but not with that fear that

made them willing to submit, for their sins, to the judgment which they fear, but

with that fear that made them let fly against God. This fear showed itself in

them, even at the beginning of their voyage, and was rebuked by Moses at the

Red Sea, but it was not there, nor yet at any other place, so subdued, but that it

would rise again in them at times to the dishonour of God, and the anew making

of them guilty of sin before him (Exo 14:11-13; Num 14:1-9). This fear is that

which God said he would send before them, in the day of Joshua, even a fear

that should possess the inhabitants of the land, to wit, a fear that should arise for

that faintness of heart that they should be swallowed up of, at their apprehending

of Joshua in his approaches towards them to destroy them. "I will send my fear

before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will

make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee" (Exo 23:27). "This day," says

God, "will I begin to put the dread of thee, and the fear of thee upon the nations

that are under the whole heaven who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble,

and be in anguish because of thee" (Deut 2:25, 11:25).

Now this fear is also, as you here see, called anguish, and in another place, an

hornet; for it, and the soul that it falls upon, do greet each other, as boys and

bees do. The hornet puts men in fear, not so as to bring the heart into a sweet

compliance with his terror, but so as to stir up the spirit into acts of opposition

and resistance, yet withal they flee before it. "I will send hornets before thee,

which shall drive out the Hivite," &c. (Exo 23:28). Now this fear, whether it be

wrought by misapprehending of the judgments of God, as in the Israelites, or

otherwise as in the Canaanites, yet ungodliness is the effect thereof, and

therefore I call it an ungodly fear of God, for it stirreth up murmurings,

discontents, and heart-risings against God, while he with his dispensations is

dealing with them.

Second. There is a fear of God that driveth a man away from God—I speak not

now of the atheist, nor of the pleasurable sinner, nor yet of these, and that fear

that I spoke of just now—I speak now of such who through a sense of sin and of

God's justice fly from him of a slavish ungodly fear. This ungodly fear was that

which possessed Adam's heart in the day that he did eat of the tree concerning

which the Lord has said unto him, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt

surely die." For then was he possessed with such a fear of God as made him

seek to hide himself from his presence. "I heard," said he, "thy voice in the

garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself" (Gen 3:10).

Mind it, he had a fear of God, but it was not godly. It was not that that made him

afterwards submit himself unto him; for that would have kept him from not

departing from him, or else have brought him to him again, with bowed, broken,

and contrite spirit. But this fear, as the rest of his sin, managed his departing

from his God, and pursued him to provoke him still so to do; by it he kept

himself from God, by it his whole man was carried away from him. I call it

ungodly fear, because it begat in him ungodly apprehensions of his Maker;

because it confined Adam's conscience to the sense of justice only, and

consequently to despair.

The same fear also possessed the children of Israel when they heard the law

delivered to them on Mount Sinai; as is evident, for it made them that they could

neither abide his presence nor hear his word. It drove them back from the

mountain. It made them, saith the apostle to the Hebrews, that "they could not

endure that which was commanded" (Heb 12:20). Wherefore this fear Moses

rebukes, and forbids their giving way thereto. "Fear not," said he; but had that

fear been godly, he would have encouraged it, and not forbid and rebuke it as he

did. "Fear not," said he, "for God is come to prove you" ; they thought

otherwise. "God," saith he, "is come to prove you, and that his fear may be

before your faces." Therefore that fear that already had taken possession of

them, was not the fear of God, but a fear that was of Satan, of their own

misjudging hearts, and so a fear that was ungodly (Exo 20:18-20). Mark you,

here is a fear and a fear, a fear forbidden, and a fear commended; a fear

forbidden, because it engendered their hearts to bondage, and to ungodly

thoughts of God and of his word; it made them that they could not desire to hear

God speak to them any more (vv 19-21).

Many also at this day are possessed with this ungodly fear; and you may know

them by this,—they cannot abide conviction for sin, and if at any time the word

of the law, by the preaching of the word, comes near them, they will not abide

that preacher, nor such kind of sermons any more. They are, as they deem, best

at ease, when furthest off of God, and of the power of his word. The word

preached brings God nearer to them than they desire he should come, because

whenever God comes near, their sins by him are manifest, and so is the

judgment too that to them is due. Now these not having faith in the mercy of

God through Christ, nor that grace that tendeth to bring them to him, they cannot

but think of God amiss, and their so thinking of him makes them say unto him,

"Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways" (Job 21:14).

Wherefore their wrong thoughts of God beget in them this ungodly fear; and

again, this ungodly fear doth maintain in them the continuance of these wrong

and unworthy thoughts of God, and therefore, through that devilish service

wherewith they strengthen one another, the sinner, without a miracle of grace

prevents him, is drowned in destruction and perdition.

It was this ungodly fear of God that carried Cain from the presence of God into

the land of Nod, and that put him there upon any carnal worldly business, if

perhaps he might by so doing stifle convictions of the majesty and justice of

God against his sin, and so live the rest of his vain life in the more sinful

security and fleshly ease. This ungodly fear is that also which Samuel perceived

at the people's apprehension of their sin, to begin to get hold of their hearts;

wherefore he, as Moses before him, quickly forbids their entertaining of it. "Fear

not," said he, "ye have done all this wickedness, yet turn not aside from

following the Lord." For to turn them aside from following of him, was the

natural tendency of this fear. "But fear not," said he, that is, with that fear that

tendeth to turn you aside. Now, I say, the matter that this fear worketh upon, as

in Adam, and the Israelites mentioned before, was their sin. You have sinned,

says he, that is true, yet turn not aside, yet fear not with that fear that would

make you so do (1 Sam 12:20). Note by the way, sinner, that when the greatness

of thy sins, being apprehended by thee, shall work in thee that fear of God, as

shall incline thy heart to fly from him, thou art possessed with a fear of God that

is ungodly, yea, so ungodly, that not any of thy sins for heinousness may be

compared therewith, as might be made manifest in many particulars, but Samuel

having rebuked this fear, presently sets before the people another, to wit, the true

fear of God; "fear the Lord," says he, "serve him - with all your heart" (v 24).

And he giveth them this encouragement so to do, "for the Lord will not forsake

his people." This ungodly fear is that which you read of in Isaiah 2, and in many

other places, and God's people should shun it, as they would shun the devil,

because its natural tendency is to forward the destruction of the soul in which it

has taken possession.[8]

Third. There is a fear of God, which, although it hath not in it that power as to

make men flee from God's presence, yet it is ungodly, because, even while they

are in the outward way of God's ordinances, their hearts are by it quite

discouraged from attempting to exercise themselves in the power of religion. Of

this sort are they which dare not cast off the hearing, reading, and discourse of

the word as others; no, nor the assembly of God's children for the exercise of

other religious duties, for their conscience is convinced this is the way and

worship of God. But yet their heart, as I said, by this ungodly fear, is kept from a

powerful gracious falling in with God. This fear takes away their heart from all

holy and godly prayer in private, and from all holy and godly zeal for his name

in public, and there be many professors whose hearts are possessed with this

ungodly fear of God; and they are intended by the slothful one. He was a

servant, a servant among the servants of God, and had gifts and abilities given

him, therewith to serve Christ, as well as his fellows, yea, and was commanded

too, as well as the rest, to occupy till his master came. But what does he? Why,

he takes his talent, the gift that he was to lay out for his master's profit, and puts

it in a napkin, digs a hole in the earth, and hides his lord's money, and lies in a

lazy manner at to-elbow all his days, not out of, but in his lord's vineyard;[9] for

he came among the servants also at last. By which it is manifest that he had not

cast off his profession, but was slothful and negligent while he was in it. But

what was it that made him thus slothful? What was it that took away his heart,

while he was in the way, and that discouraged him from falling in with the

power and holy practice of religion according to the talent he received? Why, it

was this, he gave way to an ungodly fear of God, and that took away his heart

from the power of religious duties. "Lord," said he, "behold, here is thy pound,

which I have kept, laid up in a napkin, for I feared thee." Why, man, doth the

fear of God make a man idle and slothful? No, no; that is, if it be right and

godly. This fear was therefore evil fear; it was that ungodly fear of God which I

have here been speaking of. For I feared thee, or as Matthew hath it, "for I was

afraid." Afraid of what? Of Christ, "that he was an hard man, reaping where he

sowed not, and gathering where he had not strawed." This his fear, being

ungodly, made him apprehend of Christ contrary to the goodness of his nature,

and so took away his heart from all endeavours to be doing of that which was

pleasing in his sight (Luke 19:20; Matt 25:24, 25). And thus do all those that

retain the name and show of religion, but are neglecters as to the power and

godly practice of it. These will live like dogs and swine in the house; they pray

not, they watch not their hearts, they pull not their hands out of their bosoms to

work, they do not strive against their lusts, nor will they ever resist unto blood,

striving against sin; they cannot take up their cross, or improve what they have

to God's glory. Let all men therefore take heed of this ungodly fear, and shun it

as they shun the devil, for it will make them afraid where no fear is. It will tell

them that there is a lion in the street, the unlikeliest place in the world for such a

beast to be in; it will put a vizard upon the face of God, most dreadful and

fearful to behold, and then quite discourage the soul as to his service; so it

served the slothful servant, and so it will serve thee, poor sinner, if thou

entertainest it, and givest way thereto. But,

Fourth. This ungodly fear of God shows itself also in this. It will not suffer the

soul that is governed thereby to trust only to Christ for justification of life, but

will bend the powers of the soul to trust partly to the works of the law. Many of

the Jews were, in the time of Christ and his apostles, possessed with this

ungodly fear of God, for they were not as the former, to wit, as the slothful

servant, to receive a talent and hide it in the earth in a napkin, but they were an

industrious people, they followed after the law of righteousness, they had a zeal

of God and of the religion of their fathers; but how then did they come to

miscarry? Why, their fear of God was ungodly; it would not suffer them wholly

to trust to the righteousness of faith, which is the imputed righteousness of

Christ. They followed after the law of righteousness, but attained not to the law

of righteousness. Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were

by the works of the law. But what was it that made them join their works of the

law with Christ, but their unbelief, whose foundation was ignorance and fear?

They were afraid to venture all in one bottom, they thought two strings to one

bow would be best, and thus betwixt two stools they came to the ground. And

hence, to fear and to doubt, are put together as being the cause one of another;

yea, they are put ofttimes the one for the other; thus ungodly fear for unbelief:

"Be not afraid, only believe," and therefore he that is overruled and carried away

with this fear, is coupled with the unbeliever that is thrust out from the holy city

among the dogs. But the fearful and unbelievers, and murderers are without

(Rev 21:8). "The fearful and unbelieving," you see, are put together; for indeed

fear, that is, this ungodly fear, is the ground of unbelief, or, if you will, unbelief

is the ground of fear, this fear: but I stand not upon nice distinctions. This

ungodly fear hath a great hand in keeping of the soul from trusting only to

Christ's righteousness for justification of life.

Fifth. This ungodly fear of God is that which will put men upon adding to the

revealed will of God their own inventions, and their own performances of them,

as a means to pacify the anger of God. For the truth is, where this ungodly fear

reigneth, there is no end of law and duty. When those that you read of in the

book of Kings were destroyed by the lions, because they had set up idolatry in

the land of Israel, they sent for a priest from Babylon that might teach them the

manner of the God of the land; but behold when they knew it, being taught it by

the priest, yet their fear would not suffer them to be content with that worship

only. "They feared the Lord," saith the text, "and served their own gods." And

again, "So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images" (2

Kings 17). It was this fear also that put the Pharisees upon inventing so many

traditions, as the washing of cups, and beds, and tables, and basins, with

abundance of such other like gear,[10] none knows the many dangers that an

ungodly fear of God will drive a man into (Mark 7). How has it racked and

tortured the Papists for hundreds of years together! for what else is the cause but

this ungodly fear, at least in the most simple and harmless of them, of their

penances, as creeping to the cross, going barefoot on pilgrimage, whipping

themselves, wearing of sackcloth, saying so many Pater-nosters, so many Ave-

marias, making so many confessions to the priest, giving so much money for

pardons, and abundance of other the like, but this ungodly fear of God? For

could they be brought to believe this doctrine, that Christ was delivered for our

offences, and raised again for our justification, and to apply it by faith with

godly boldness to their own souls, this fear would vanish, and so consequently

all those things with which they so needlessly and unprofitably afflicted

themselves, offend God, and grieve his people. Therefore, gentle reader,

although my text doth bid that indeed thou shouldest fear God, yet it includeth

not, nor accepteth of any fear; no, not of any [or every] fear of God. For there is,

as you see, a fear of God that is ungodly, and that is to be shunned as their sin.

Wherefore thy wisdom and thy care should be, to see and prove thy fear to be

godly, which shall be the next thing that I shall take in hand.

THIRD. The third thing that I am to speak to is, that there is a fear of God in the

heart of some men that is good and godly, but yet doth not for ever abide so. Or

you may take it thus—There is a fear of God that is godly but for a time. In my

speaking to, and opening of this to you, I shall observe this method. First. I shall

show you what this fear is. Second. I shall show you by whom or what this fear

is wrought in the heart. Third. I shall show you what this fear doth in the soul.

And, Fourth, I shall show you when this fear is to have an end.

First. For the first, this fear is an effect of sound awakenings by the word of

wrath which begetteth in the soul a sense of its right to eternal damnation; for

this fear is not in every sinner; he that is blinded by the devil, and that is not able

to see that his state is damnable, he hath not this fear in his heart, but he that is

under the powerful workings of the word of wrath, as God's elect are at first

conversion, he hath this godly fear in his heart; that is, he fears that that

damnation will come upon him, which by the justice of God is due unto him,

because he hath broken his holy law. This is the fear that made the three

thousand cry out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" and that made the

jailer cry out, and that with great trembling of soul, "Sirs, what must I do to be

saved?" (Acts 2, 16). The method of God is to kill and make alive, to smite and

then heal; when the commandment came to Paul, sin revived, and he died, and

that law which was ordained to life, he found to be unto death; that is, it passed a

sentence of death upon him for his sins, and slew his conscience with that

sentence. Therefore from that time that he heard that word, "Why persecutest

thou me?" which is all one as if he had said, Why dost thou commit murder? he

lay under the sentence of condemnation by the law, and under this fear of that

sentence in his conscience. He lay, I say, under it, until that Ananias came to

him to comfort him, and to preach unto him the forgiveness of sin (Acts 9). The

fear therefore that now I call godly, it is that fear which is properly called the

fear of eternal damnation for sin, and this fear, at first awakening, is good and

godly, because it ariseth in the soul from a true sense of its very state. Its state

by nature is damnable, because it is sinful, and because he is not one that as yet

believeth in Christ for remission of sins: "He that believeth not shall be

damned."—"He that believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of God

abideth on him" (Mark 16:16; John 3:18,36). The which when the sinner at first

begins to see, he justly fears it; I say, he fears it justly, and therefore godly,

because by this fear he subscribes to the sentence that is gone out against him

for sin.

Second. By whom or by what is this fear wrought in the heart? To this I shall

answer in brief. It is wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God, working there at

first as a spirit of bondage, on purpose to put us in fear. This Paul insinuateth,

saying, "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear" (Rom 8:15).

He doth not say, Ye have not received the spirit of bondage; for that they had

received, and that to put them in fear, which was at their first conversion, as by

the instances made mention of before is manifest; all that he says is, that they

had not received it again, that is, after the Spirit, as a spirit of adoption, is come;

for then, as a spirit of bondage, it cometh no more. It is then the Spirit of God,

even the Holy Ghost, that convinceth us of sin, and so of our damnable state

because of sin (John 16:8,9). For it cannot be that the Spirit of God should

convince us of sin, but it must also show us our state to be damnable because of

it, especially if it so convinceth us, before we believe, and that is the intent of

our Lord in that place, "of sin," and so of their damnable state by sin, because

they believe not on me. Therefore the Spirit of God, when he worketh in the

heart as a spirit of bondage, he doth it by working in us by the law, "for by the

law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom 3:20). And he, in this his working, is

properly called a spirit of bondage.

1. Because by the law he shows us that indeed we are in bondage to the law, the

devil, and death and damnation; for this is our proper state by nature, though we

see it not until the Spirit of God shall come to reveal this our state of bondage

unto our own senses by revealing to us our sins by the law.

2. He is called, in this his working, "the spirit of bondage," because he here also

holds us; to wit, in this sight and sense of our bondage-state, so long as is meet

we should be so held, which to some of the saints is a longer, and to some a

shorter time. Paul was held in it three days and three nights, but the jailer and the

three thousand, so far as can be gathered, not above an hour; but some in these

later times are so held for days and months, if not years.[11] But, I say, let the

time be longer or shorter, it is the Spirit of God that holdeth him under this yoke;

and it is good that a man should be in HIS time held under it, as is that saying of

the lamentation, "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth" (Lam

3:27). That is, at his first awakening; so long as seems good to this Holy Spirit to

work in this manner by the law. Now, as I said, the sinner at first is by the Spirit

of God held in this bondage, that is, hath such a discovery of his sin and of his

damnation for sin made to him, and also is held so fast under the sense thereof,

that it is not in the power of any man, nor yet of the very angels in heaven, to

release him or set him free, until the Holy Spirit changeth his ministration, and

comes in the sweet and peaceable tidings of salvation by Christ in the gospel to

his poor, dejected, and afflicted conscience.

Third. I now come to show you what this fear doth in the soul. Now, although

this godly fear is not to last always with us, as I shall further show you anon, yet

it greatly differs from that which is wholly ungodly of itself, both because of the

author, and also of the effects of it. Of the author I have told you before; I now

shall tell you what it doth.

1. This fear makes a man judge himself for sin, and to fall down before God

with a broken mind under this judgment; the which is pleasing to God, because

the sinner by so doing justifies God in his saying, and clears him in his judgment

(Psa 51:1-4).

2. As this fear makes a man judge himself, and cast himself down at God's foot,

so it makes him condole and bewail his misery before him, which is also well-

pleasing in his sight: "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself," saying,

"Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the

yoke," &c. (Jer 31:18,19).

3. This fear makes a man lie at God's foot, and puts his mouth in the dust, if so

be there may be hope. This also is well-pleasing to God, because now is the

sinner as nothing, and in his own eyes less than nothing, as to any good or

desert: "He sitteth alone and keepeth silence," because he hath now this yoke

upon him; "he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope" (Lam

3:28,29).

4. This fear puts a man upon crying to God for mercy, and that in most humble

manner; now he sensibly cries, now he dejectedly cries, now he feels and cries,

now he smarts and criest out, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).

5. This fear makes a man that he cannot accept of that for support and succour

which others that are destitute thereof will take up, and be contented with. This

man must be washed by God himself, and cleansed from his sin by God himself

(Psa 51).

6. Therefore this fear goes not away until the Spirit of God doth change his

ministration as to this particular, in leaving off to work now by the law, as afore,

and coming to the soul with the sweet word of promise of life and salvation by

Jesus Christ. Thus far this fear is godly, that is, until Christ by the Spirit in the

gospel is revealed and made over unto us, and no longer.

Thus far this fear is godly, and the reason why it is godly is because the

groundwork of it is good. I told you before what this fear is; namely, it is the

fear of damnation. Now the ground for this fear is good, as is manifest by these

particulars. 1. The soul feareth damnation, and that rightly, because it is in its

sins. 2. The soul feareth damnation rightly, because it hath not faith in Christ,

but is at present under the law. 3. The soul feareth damnation rightly now,

because by sin, the law, and for want of faith, the wrath of God abideth on it.

But now, although thus far this fear of God is good and godly, yet after Christ by

the Spirit in the word of the gospel is revealed to us, and we made to accept of

him as so revealed and offered to us by a true and living faith; this fear, to wit,

of damnation, is no longer good, but ungodly. Nor doth the Spirit of God ever

work it in us again. Now we do not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,

that is to say, to fear damnation, but we have received the spirit of adoption,

whereby we cry, Father, Father. But I would not be mistaken, when I say, that

this fear is no longer godly. I do not mean with reference to the essence and

habit of it, for I believe it is the same in the seed which shall afterwards grow up

to a higher degree, and into a more sweet and gospel current and manner of

working, but I mean reference to this act of fearing damnation, I say it shall

never by the Spirit be managed to that work; it shall never bring forth that fruit

more. And my reasons are,

[Reasons why the Spirit of God cannot work this ungodly fear.]

1. Because that the soul by closing through the promise, by the Spirit, with Jesus

Christ, is removed off of that foundation upon which it stood when it justly

feared damnation. It hath received now forgiveness of sin, it is now no more

under the law, but in Jesus Christ by faith; there is "therefore now no

condemnation to it" (Acts 26:18; Rom 6:14, 8:1). The groundwork, therefore,

being now taken away, the Spirit worketh that fear no more.

2. He cannot, after he hath come to the soul as a spirit of adoption, come again

as a spirit of bondage to put the soul into his first fear; to wit, a fear of eternal

damnation, because he cannot say and unsay, do and undo. As a spirit of

adoption he told me that my sins were forgiven me, that I was included in the

covenant of grace, that God was my Father through Christ, that I was under the

promise of salvation, and that this calling and gift of God to me is permanent,

and without repentance. And do you think, that after he hath told me this, and

sealed up the truth of it to my precious soul, that he will come to me, and tell me

that I am yet in my sins, under the curse of the law and the eternal wrath of

God? No, no, the word of the gospel is not yea, yea; nay, nay. It is only yea, and

amen; it is so, "as God is true" (2 Cor 1:17-20).

3. The state therefore of the sinner being changed, and that, too, by the Spirit's

changing his dispensation, leaving off to be now as a spirit of bondage to put us

in fear, and coming to our heart as the spirit of adoption to make us cry, Father,

Father, he cannot go back to his first work again; for if so, then he must gratify,

yea, and also ratify, that profane and popish doctrine, forgiven to-day,

unforgiven to-morrow—a child of God to-day, a child of hell to-morrow; but

what saith the Scriptures? "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and

foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and

are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself

being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together

groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together

for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph 2:19-22).

Object. But this is contrary to my experience. Why, Christian, what is thy

experience? Why, I was at first, as you have said, possessed with a fear of

damnation, and so under the power of the spirit of bondage. Well said, and how

was it then? Why, after some time of continuance in these fears, I had the spirit

of adoption sent to me to seal up to my soul the forgiveness of sins, and so he

did; and was also helped by the same Spirit, as you have said, to call God

Father, Father. Well said, and what after that? Why, after that I fell into as great

fears as ever I was in before.[12]

Answ. All this may be granted, and yet nevertheless what I have said will abide a

truth; for I have not said that after the spirit of adoption is come, a Christian

shall not again be in as great fears, for he may have worse than he had at first;

but I say, that after the spirit of adoption is come, the spirit of bondage, as such,

is sent of God no more, to put us into those fears. For, mark, for we "have not

received the spirit of bondage again to fear." Let the word be true, whatever thy

experience is. Dost thou not understand me?

After the Spirit of God has told me, and also helped me to believe it, that the

Lord for Christ's sake hath forgiven mine iniquities: he tells me no more that

they are not forgiven. After the Spirit of God has helped me, by Christ, to call

God my Father, he tells me no more that the devil is my father. After he hath

told me that I am not under the law, but under grace, he tells me no more that I

am not under grace, but under the law, and bound over by it, for my sins, to the

wrath and judgment of God; but this is the fear that the Spirit, as a spirit of

bondage, worketh in the soul at first.

Quest. Can you give me further reason yet to convict me of the truth of what you

say?

Answ. Yes.

1. Because as the Spirit cannot give himself the lie, so he cannot overthrow his

own order of working, nor yet contradict that testimony that his servants, by his

inspiration, hath given of his order of working with them. But he must do the

first, if he saith to us—and that after we have received his own testimony, that

we are under grace—that yet we are under sin, the law, and wrath.

And he must do the second, if—after he hath gone through the first work on us

as a spirit of bondage, to the second as a spirit of adoption—he should

overthrow as a spirit of bondage again what before he had built as a spirit of

adoption.

And the third must therefore needs follow, that is, he overthroweth the testimony

of his servants; for they have said, that now we receive the spirit of bondage

again to fear no more; that is, after that we by the Holy Ghost are enabled to call

God Father, Father.

2. This is evident also, because the covenant in which now the soul is interested

abideth, and is everlasting, not upon the supposition of my obedience, but upon

the unchangeable purpose of God, and the efficacy of the obedience of Christ,

whose blood also hath confirmed it. It is "ordered in all things, and sure," said

David; and this, said he, "is all my salvation" (2 Sam 23:5). The covenant then is

everlasting in itself, being established upon so good a foundation, and therefore

standeth in itself everlastingly bent for the good of them that are involved in it.

Hear the tenor of the covenant, and God's attesting of the truth thereof—"This is

the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the

Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I

will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people; and they shall not teach

every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for

all shall know me, from the least to the greatest; for I will be merciful to their

unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more"

(Heb 8:10-12). Now if God will do thus unto those that he hath comprised in his

everlasting covenant of grace, then he will remember their sins no more, that is,

unto condemnation—for so it is that he doth forget them; then cannot the Holy

Ghost, who also is one with the Father and the Son, come to us again, even after

we are possessed with these glorious fruits of this covenant, as a spirit of

bondage, to put us in fear of damnation.

3. The Spirit of God, after it has come to me as a spirit of adoption, can come to

me no more as a spirit of bondage, to put me in fear, that is, with my first fears;

because, by that faith that he, even he himself, hath wrought in me, to believe

and call God "Father, Father," I am united to Christ, and stand no more upon

mine own legs, in mine own sins, or performances; but in his glorious

righteousness before him, and before his Father; but he will not cast away a

member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones; nor will he, that the Spirit of

God should come as a spirit of bondage to put him into a grounded fear of

damnation, that standeth complete before God in the righteousness of Christ; for

that is an apparent contradiction.[13]

Quest. But may it not come again as a spirit of bondage, to put me into my first

fears for my good?

Answ. The text saith the contrary; for we "have not received the spirit of

bondage again to fear." Nor is God put to it for want of wisdom, to say and

unsay, do and undo, or else he cannot do good. When we are sons, and have

received the adoption of children, he doth not use to send the spirit after that to

tell us we are slaves and heirs of damnation, also that we are without Christ,

without the promise, without grace, and without God in the world; and yet this

he must do if it comes to us after we have received him as a spirit of adoption,

and put us, as a spirit of bondage, in fear as before.

[This ungodly fear wrought by the spirit of the devil.]

Quest. But by what spirit is it then that I am brought again into fears, even into

the fears of damnation, and so into bondage?

Answ. By the spirit of the devil, who always labours to frustrate the faith, and

hope, and comfort of the godly.

Quest. How doth that appear?

Answ. 1. By the groundlessness of such fears. 2. By the unseasonableness of

them. 3. By the effects of them.

1. By the groundlessness of such fears. The ground is removed; for a grounded

fear of damnation is this—I am yet in my sins, in a state of nature, under the

law, without faith, and so under the wrath of God. This, I say, is the ground of

the fear of damnation, the true ground to fear it; but now the man that we are

talking of, is one that hath the ground of this fear taken away by the testimony

and seal of the spirit of adoption. He is called, justified, and has, for the truth of

this his condition, received the evidence of the spirit of adoption, and hath been

thereby enabled to call God "Father, Father." Now he that hath received this, has

the ground of the fear of damnation taken from him; therefore his fear, I say,

being without ground, is false, and so no work of the Spirit of God.

2. By the unseasonableness of them. This spirit always comes too late. It comes

after the spirit of adoption is come. Satan is always for being too soon or too

late. If he would have men believe they are children, he would have them

believe it while they are slaves, slaves to him and their lusts. If he would have

them believe they are slaves, it is when they are sons, and have received the

spirit of adoption, and the testimony, by that, of their sonship before. And this

evil is rooted even in his nature—"He is a liar, and the father of it" ; and his lies

are not known to saints more than in this, that he labours always to contradict

the work and order of the Spirit of truth (John 8).

3. It also appears by the effects of such fears. For there is a great deal of

difference betwixt the natural effects of these fears which are wrought indeed by

the spirit of bondage, and those which are wrought by the spirit of the devil

afterwards. The one, to wit, the fears that are wrought by the spirit of bondage,

causeth us to confess the truth, to wit, that we are Christless, graceless, faithless,

and so at present; that is, while he is so working in a sinful and damnable case;

but the other, to wit, the spirit of the devil, when he comes, which is after the

spirit of adoption is come, he causeth us to make a lie; that is, to say we are

Christless, graceless, and faithless. Now this, I say, is wholly, and in all part of

it, a lie, and HE is the father of it.

Besides, the direct tendency of the fear that the Spirit of God, as a spirit of

bondage, worketh in the soul, is to cause us to come repenting home to God by

Jesus Christ, but these latter fears tend directly to make a man, he having first

denied the work of God, as he will, if he falleth in with them, to run quite away

from God, and from his grace to him in Christ, as will evidently appear if thou

givest but a plain and honest answer to these questions following.

[This fear driveth a man from God.]

Quest. 1. Do not these fears make thee question whether there was ever a work

of grace wrought in thy soul? Answ. Yes, verily, that they do. Quest. 2. Do not

these fears make thee question whether ever thy first fears were wrought by the

Holy Spirit of God? Answ. Yes, verily, that they do. Quest. 3. Do not these fears

make thee question whether ever thou hast had, indeed, any true comfort from

the Word and Spirit of God? Answ. Yes, verily, that they do. Quest. 4. Dost thou

not find intermixed with these fears plain assertions that thy first comforts were

either from thy fancy, or from the devil, and a fruit of his delusions? Answ. Yes,

verily, that I do. Quest. 5. Do not these fears weaken thy heart in prayer? Answ.

Yes, that they do. Quest. 6. Do not these fears keep thee back from laying hold

of the promise of salvation by Jesus Christ? Answ. Yes; for I think if I were

deceived before, if I were comforted by a spirit of delusion before, why may it

not be so again? so I am afraid to take hold of the promise. Quest. 7. Do not

these fears tend to the hardening of thy heart, and to the making of thee

desperate? Answ. Yes, verily, that they do. Quest. 8. Do not these fears hinder

thee from profiting in hearing or reading of the Word? Answ. Yes, verily, for

still whatever I hear or read, I think nothing that is good belongs to me. Quest. 9.

Do not these fears tend to the stirring up of blasphemies in thy heart against

God? Answ. Yes, to the almost distracting of me. Quest. 10. Do not these fears

make thee sometimes think, that it is in vain for thee to wait upon the Lord any

longer? Answ. Yes, verily; and I have many times almost come to this

conclusion, that I will read, pray, hear, company with God's people, or the like,

no longer.

Well, poor Christian, I am glad that thou hast so plainly answered me; but,

prithee, look back upon thy answer. How much of God dost thou think is in

these things? how much of his Spirit, and the grace of his Word? Just none at

all; for it cannot be that these things can be the true and natural effects of the

workings of the Spirit of God: no, not as a spirit of bondage. These are not his

doings. Dost thou not see the very paw of the devil in them; yea, in every one of

thy ten confessions? Is there not palpably high wickedness in every one of the

effects of this fear? I conclude, then, as I began, that the fear that the spirit of

God, as a spirit of bondage, worketh, is good and godly, not only because of the

author, but also because of the ground and effects; but yet it can last no longer as

such, as producing the aforesaid conclusion, than till the Spirit, as the spirit of

adoption, comes; because that then the soul is manifestly taken out of the state

and condition into which it had brought itself by nature and sin, and is put into

Christ, and so by him into a state of life and blessedness by grace. Therefore, if

first fears come again into thy soul, after that the spirit of adoption hath been

with thee, know they come not from the Spirit of God, but apparently from the

spirit of the devil, for they are a lie in themselves, and their effects are sinful and

devilish.

Object. But I had also such wickedness as those in my heart at my first

awakening, and therefore, by your argument, neither should that be but from the

devil.

Answ. So far forth as such wickedness was in thy heart, so far did the devil and

thine own heart seek to drive thee to despair, and drown thee there; but thou hast

forgot the question; the question is not whether then thou wast troubled with

such iniquities, but whether thy fears of damnation at that time were not just and

good, because grounded upon thy present condition, which was, for that thou

wast out of Christ, in thy sins, and under the curse of the law; and whether now,

since the spirit of adoption is come unto thee, and hath thee, and hath done that

for thee as hath been mentioned; I say, whether thou oughtest for anything

whatsoever to give way to the same fear, from the same ground of damnation; it

is evident thou oughtest not, because the ground, the cause, is removed.

Object. But since I was sealed to the day of redemption, I have grievously

sinned against God, have not I, therefore, cause to fear, as before? may not,

therefore, the spirit of bondage be sent again to put me in fear, as at first? Sin

was the first cause, and I have sinned now.

Answ. No, by no means; for we have not received the spirit of bondage again to

fear; that is, God hath not given it us, "for God hath not given us the spirit of

fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim 1:7). If, therefore,

our first fears come upon us again, after that we have received at God's hands

the spirit of love, of power, and of a sound mind, it is to be refused, though we

have grievously sinned against our God. This is manifest from 1 Samuel 12:20;

"Fear not; ye have done all this wickedness." That is, not with that fear which

would have made them fly from God, as concluding that they were not now his

people. And the reason is, because sin cannot dissolve the covenant into which

the sons of God, by his grace, are taken. "If his children forsake my law, and

walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my

commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their

iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take

from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail" (Psa 89:30-33). Now, if sin doth not

dissolve the covenant; if sin doth not cast me out of this covenant, which is

made personally with the Son of God, and into the hands of which by the grace

of God I am put, then ought I not, though I have sinned, to fear with my first

fears.

Sin, after that the spirit of adoption is come, cannot dissolve the relation of

Father and son, of Father and child. And this the church did rightly assert, and

that when her heart was under great hardness, and when she had the guilt of

erring from his ways, saith she. "Doubtless thou art our Father" (Isa 63:16,17).

Doubtless thou art, though this be our case, and though Israel should not

acknowledge us for such.

That sin dissolveth not the relation of Father and son is further evident—"When

the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,

made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might

receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the

Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, [Abba, or] Father, Father." Now mark,

"wherefore thou art no more a servant" ; that is, no more under the law of death

and damnation, "but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ"

(Gal 4:4-7).

Suppose a child doth grievously transgress against and offend his father, is the

relation between them therefore dissolved? Again, suppose the father should

scourge and chasten the son for such offence, is the relation between them

therefore dissolved? Yea, suppose the child should now, through ignorance, cry,

and say, This man is now no more my father; is he, therefore, now no more his

father? Doth not everybody see the folly of such arguings? Why, of the same

nature is that doctrine that saith, that after we have received the spirit of

adoption, that the spirit of bondage is sent to us again to put us in fear of eternal

damnation.

Know then that thy sin, after thou hast received the spirit of adoption to cry unto

God, Father, Father, is counted the transgression of a child, not of a slave, and

that all that happeneth to thee for that transgression is but the chastisement of a

father—and "what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" It is worth your

observation, that the Holy Ghost checks those who, under their chastisements

for sin, forget to call God their Father—"Ye have," said Paul, "forgotten the

exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou

the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." Yea,

observe yet further, that God's chastising of his children for their sin, is a a sign

of grace and love, and not of his wrath, and thy damnation; therefore now there

is no ground for the aforesaid fear—"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,

and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" (Heb 12). Now, if God would not

have those that have received the Spirit of the Son, however he chastises them,

to forget the relation that by the adoption of sons they stand in to God, if he

checks them that do forget it, when his rod is upon their backs for sin, then it is

evident that those fears that thou hast under a colour of the coming again of the

Spirit, as a spirit of bondage, to put thee in fear of eternal damnation, is nothing

else but Satan disguised, the better to play his pranks upon thee.

I will yet give you two or three instances more, wherein it will be manifest that

whatever happeneth to thee, I mean as a chastisement for sin, after the spirit of

adoption is come, thou oughtest to hold fast by faith the relation of Father and

son. The people spoken of by Moses are said to have lightly esteemed the rock

of their salvation, which rock is Jesus Christ, and that is a grievous sin indeed,

yet, saith he, "Is not God thy Father that hath bought thee?" and then puts them

upon considering the days of old (Deut 32:6). They in the prophet Jeremiah had

played the harlot with many lovers, and done evil things as they could; and, as

another scripture hath it, gone a-whoring from under their God, yet God calls to

them by the prophet, saying, "Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My

Father, thou art the guide of my youth?" (Jer 3:4). Remember also that eminent

text made mention of in 1 Samuel 12:20, "Fear not; ye have done all this

wickedness" ; and labour to maintain faith in thy soul, of thy being a child, it

being true that thou hast received the spirit of adoption before, and so that thou

oughtest not to fall under thy first fears, because the ground is taken away, of

thy eternal damnation.

Now, let not any, from what hath been said, take courage to live loose lives,

under a supposition that once in Christ, and ever in Christ, and the covenant

cannot be broken, nor the relation of Father and child dissolved; for they that do

so, it is evident, have not known what it is to receive the spirit of adoption. It is

the spirit of the devil in his own hue that suggesteth this unto them, and that

prevaileth with them to do so. Shall we do evil that good may come? shall we

sin that grace may abound? or shall we be base in life because God by grace

hath secured us from wrath to come? God forbid; these conclusions betoken one

void of the fear of God indeed, and of the spirit of adoption too. For what son is

he, that because the father cannot break the relation, nor suffer sin to do it—that

is, betwixt the Father and him—that will therefore say, I will live altogether

after my own lusts, I will labour to be a continual grief to my Father?

[Considerations to prevent such temptations.]

Yet lest the devil (for some are "not ignorant of his devices" ), should get an

advantage against some of the sons, to draw them away from the filial fear of

their Father, let me here, to prevent such temptations, present such with these

following considerations.

First. Though God cannot, will not, dissolve the relation which the spirit of

adoption hath made betwixt the Father and the Son, for any sins that such do

commit, yet he can, and often doth, take away from them the comfort of their

adoption, not suffering children while sinning to have the sweet and comfortable

sense thereof on their hearts. He can tell how to let snares be round about them,

and sudden fear trouble them. He can tell how to send darkness that they may

not see, and to let abundance of waters cover them (Job 22:10,11).

Second. God can tell how to hide his face from them, and so to afflict them with

that dispensation, that it shall not be in the power of all the world to comfort

them. "When he hideth his face, who then can behold him?" (Job 23:8,9, 34:29).

Third. God can tell how to make thee again to possess the sins that he long since

hath pardoned, and that in such wise that things shall be bitter to thy soul. "Thou

writest bitter things against me," says Job, "and makest me to possess the

iniquities of my youth." By this also he once made David groan and pray against

it as an insupportable affliction (Job 13:26; Psa 25:7).

Fourth. God can lay thee in the dungeon in chains, and roll a stone upon thee, he

can make thy feet fast in the stocks, and make thee a gazing-stock to men and

angels (Lam 3:7,53,55; Job 13:27; Nahum 3:6).

Fifth. God can tell how to cause to cease the sweet operations and blessed

influences of his grace in thy soul, and to make those gospel showers that

formerly thou hast enjoyed to become now to thee nothing but powder and dust

(Psa 51; Deut 28:24).

Sixth. God can tell how to fight against thee "with the sword of his mouth," and

to make thee a butt for his arrows; and this is a dispensation most dreadful (Rev

2:16; Job 6:4; Psa 38:2-5).

Seventh. God can tell how so to bow thee down with guilt and distress that thou

shalt in no wise be able to lift up thy head (Psa 40:12).

Eighth. God can tell how to break thy bones, and to make thee by reason of that

to live in continual anguish of spirit: yea, he can send a fire into thy bones that

shall burn, and none shall quench it (Psa 51:8; Lam 3:4, 1:13; Psa 102:3; Job

30:30).

Ninth. God can tell how to lay thee aside, and make no use of thee as to any

work for him in thy generation. He can throw thee aside "as a broken vessel"

(Psa 31:12; Eze 44:10-13).

Tenth. God can tell how to kill thee, and to take thee away from the earth for thy

sins (1 Cor 11:29-32).

Eleventh. God can tell how to plague thee in thy death, with great plagues, and

of long continuance (Psa 78:45; Deut 28).

Twelfth. What shall I say? God can tell how to let Satan loose upon thee; when

thou liest a dying he can license him then to assault thee with great temptations,

he can tell how to make thee possess the guilt of all thy unkindness towards him,

and that when thou, as I said, art going out of the world, he can cause that thy

life shall be in continual doubt before thee, and not suffer thee to take any

comfort day nor night; yea, he can drive thee even to a madness with his

chastisements for thy folly, and yet all shall be done by him to thee, as a father

chastiseth his son (Deut 28:65-67).

Thirteenth. Further, God can tell how to tumble thee from off thy deathbed in a

cloud, he can let thee die in the dark; when thou art dying thou shalt not know

whither thou art going, to wit, whether to heaven or to hell. Yea, he can tell how

to let thee seem to come short of life, both in thine own eyes, and also in the

eyes of them that behold thee. "Let us therefore fear," says the apostle,—though

not with slavish, yet with filial fear—"lest a promise being left us of entering

into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it" (Heb 4:1).

Now all this, and much more, can God do to his as a Father by his rod and

fatherly rebukes; ah, who know but those that are under them, what terrors,

fears, distresses, and amazements God can bring his people into; he can put

them into a furnace, a fire, and no tongue can tell what, so unsearchable and

fearful are his fatherly chastisements, and yet never give them the spirit of

bondage again to fear. Therefore, if thou art a son, take heed of sin, lest all these

things overtake thee, and come upon thee.

Object. But I have sinned, and am under this high and mighty hand of God.

Answ. Then thou knowest what I say is true, but yet take heed of hearkening

unto such temptations as would make thee believe thou art out of Christ, under

the law, and in a state of damnation; and take heed also, that thou dost not

conclude that the author of these fears is the Spirit of God come to thee again as

a spirit of bondage, to put thee into such fears, lest unawares to thyself thou dost

defy the devil, dishonour thy Father, overthrow good doctrine, and bring thyself

into a double temptation.

Object. But if God deals thus with a man, how can he otherwise think but that he

is a reprobate, a graceless, Christless, and faithless one?

Answ. Nay, but why dost thou tempt the Lord thy God? Why dost thou sin and

provoke the eyes of his glory? Why "doth a living man complain, a man for the

punishment of his sins?" (Lam 3:39). He doth not willingly afflict nor grieve the

children of men; but if thou sinnest, though God should save thy soul, as he will

if thou art an adopted son of God, yet he will make thee know that sin is sin, and

his rod that he will chastise thee with, if need be, shall be made of scorpions;

read the whole book of the Lamentations; read Job's and David's complaints;

yea, read what happened to his Son, his well-beloved, and that when he did but

stand in the room of sinners, being in himself altogether innocent, and then

consider, O thou sinning child of God, if it is any injustice in God, yea, if it be

not necessary, that thou shouldest be chastised for thy sin. But then, I say, when

the hand of God is upon thee, how grievous soever it be, take heed, and beware

that thou give not way to thy first fears, lest, as I said before, thou addest to thine

affliction; and to help thee here, let me give you a few instances of the carriages

of some of the saints under some of the most heavy afflictions that they have

met with for sin.

[Carriages of some of the saints under heavy afflictions for sin.]

First. Job was in great affliction and that, as he confessed, for sin, insomuch that

he said God had set him for his mark to shoot at, and that he ran upon him like a

giant, that he took him by the neck and shook him to pieces, and counted him for

his enemy; that he hid his face from him, and that he could not tell where to find

him; yet he counted not all this as a sign of a damnable state, but as a trial, and

chastisement, and said, when he was in the hottest of the battle, "when he hath

tried me I shall come forth as gold." And again, when he was pressed upon by

the tempter to think that God would kill him, he answers with greatest

confidence, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (Job 7:20, 13:15, 14:12,

16, 19:11, 23:8-10).

Second. David complained that God had broken his bones, that he had set his

face against his sins, and had taken from him the joy of his salvation: yet even at

this time he saith, "O God, thou God of my salvation" (Psa 51:8,9,12,14).

Third. Heman complained that his soul was full of troubles, that God had laid

him in the lowest pit, that he had put his acquaintance far from him, and was

casting off his soul, and had hid his face from him. That he was afflicted from

his youth up, and ready to die with trouble: he saith, moreover, that the fierce

wrath of God went over him, that his terrors had cut him off; yea, that by reason

of them he was distracted; and yet, even before he maketh any of these

complaints, he takes fast hold of God as his, saying, "O Lord God of my

salvation" (Psa 88).

Fourth. The church in the Lamentations complains that the Lord had afflicted

her for her transgressions, and that in the day of his fierce anger; also that he had

trodden under foot her mighty men, and that he had called the heathen against

her; she says, that he had covered her with a cloud in his anger, that he was an

enemy, and that he had hung a chain upon her; she adds, moreover, that he had

shut out her prayer, broken her teeth with gravel stones, and covered her with

ashes, and in conclusion, that he had utterly rejected her. But what doth she do

under all this trial? doth she give up her faith and hope, and return to that fear

that begot the first bondage? No: "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul,

therefore will I hope in him" ; yea, she adds, "O Lord, thou hast pleaded the

causes of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life" (Lam 1:5, 2:1,2,5, 3:7,8,16,

5:22, 3:24,31,58).

These things show, that God's people even after they have received the spirit of

adoption, have fell foully into sin, and have been bitterly chastised for it; and

also, that when the rod was most smart upon them, they made great conscience

of giving way to their first fears wherewith they were made afraid by the Spirit

as it wrought as a spirit of bondage; for indeed there is no such thing as the

coming of the spirit of bondage to put us in fear the second time, as such, that is,

after he is come as the spirit of adoption to the soul.

I conclude then, that that fear that is wrought by the spirit of bondage is good

and godly, because the ground for it is sound; and I also conclude, that he comes

to the soul as a spirit of bondage but once, and that once is before he comes as a

spirit of adoption: and if therefore the same fear doth again take hold of thy

heart, that is, if after thou hast received the spirit of adoption thou fearest again

the damnation of thy soul, that thou art out of Christ and under the law, that fear

is bad and of the devil, and ought by no means to be admitted by thee.

[How the devil worketh these fears.]

1. Quest. But since it is as you say, how doth the devil, after the spirit of

adoption is come, work the child of God into those fears of being out of Christ,

not forgiven, and so an heir of damnation again?

Answ. 1. By giving the lie, and by prevailing with us to give it too, to the work

of grace wrought in our hearts, and to the testimony of the Holy Spirit of

adoption. Or, 2. By abusing of our ignorance of the everlasting love of God to

his in Christ, and the duration of the covenant of grace. Or, 3. By abusing some

scripture that seems to look that way, but doth not. Or, 4. By abusing our senses

and reason. Or, 5. By strengthening of our unbelief. Or, 6. By overshadowing of

our judgment with horrid darkness. Or, 7. By giving of us counterfeit

representations of God. Or, 8. By stirring up, and setting in a rage, our inward

corruptions. Or, 9. By pouring into our hearts abundance of horrid blasphemies.

Or, 10. By putting of wrong constructions on the rod, and chastising hand of

God. Or, 11. By charging upon us, that our ill behaviours under the rod, and

chastising hand of God, is a sign that we indeed have no grace, but are

downright graceless reprobates. By these things and other like these, Satan, I

say, Satan bringeth the child of God, not only to the borders, but even into the

bowels of the fears of damnation, after it hath received a blessed testimony of

eternal life, and that by the Holy Spirit of adoption.

[The people of God should fear his rod.]

Quest. But would you not have the people of God stand in fear of his rod, and be

afraid of his judgments?

Answ. Yes, and the more they are rightly afraid of them, the less and the

seldomer will they come under them; for it is want of fear that brings us into sin,

and it is sin that brings us into these afflictions. But I would not have them fear

with the fear of slaves; for that will add no strength against sin; but I would have

them fear with the reverential fear of sons, and that is the way to depart from

evil.

Quest. How is that?

Answ. Why, having before received the spirit of adoption; still to believe that he

is our father, and so to fear with the fear of children, not as slaves fear a tyrant. I

would therefore have them to look upon his rod, rebukes, chidings, and

chastisements, and also upon the wrath wherewith he doth inflict, to be but the

dispensations of their Father. This believed, maintains, or at least helps to

maintain, in the heart, a son-like bowing under the rod. It also maintains in the

soul a son-like confession of sin, and a justifying of God under all the rebukes

that he grieveth us with. It also engageth us to come to him, to claim and lay

hold of former mercies, to expect more, and to hope a good end shall be made of

all God's present dispensations towards us (Micah 7:9; Lam 1:18; Psa 77:10-12;

Lam 3:31-34).[14]

Now God would have us thus fear his rod, because he is resolved to chastise us

therewith, if so be we sin against him, as I have already showed; for although

God's bowels turn within him, even while he is threatening his people, yet if we

sin, he will lay on the rod so hard as to make us cry, "Woe unto us that we have

sinned" (Lam 5:16); and therefore, as I said, we should be afraid of his

judgments, yet only as afore is provided as of the rod, wrath, and judgment of a

Father.

[Five considerations to move to child-like fear.]

Quest. But have you yet any other considerations to move us to fear God with

child-like fear?

Answ. I will in this place give you five. 1. Consider that God thinks meet to have

it so, and he is wiser in heart than thou; he knows best how to secure his people

from sin, and to that end hath given them law and commandments to read, that

they may learn to fear him as a Father (Job 37:24; Eccl 3:14; Deut 17:18,19). 2.

Consider he is mighty in power; if he touch but with a fatherly touch, man nor

angel cannot bear it; yea, Christ makes use of that argument, he "hath power to

cast into hell; Fear him" (Luke 12:4,5). 3. Consider that he is everywhere; thou

canst not be out of his sight or presence; nor out of the reach of his hand. "Fear

ye not me? saith the Lord." "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall

not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord" (Jer

5:22, 23:24). 4. Consider that he is holy, and cannot look with liking upon the

sins of his own people. Therefore, says Peter, be "as obedient children, not

fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as he

which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation,

because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who

without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time

of your sojourning here in fear." 5. Consider that he is good, and has been good

to thee, good in that he hath singled thee out from others, and saved thee from

their death and hell, though thou perhaps wast worse in thy life than those that

he left when he laid hold on thee. O this should engage thy heart to fear the Lord

all the days of thy life. They "shall fear the Lord, and his goodness in the latter

days" (Hosea 3:5). And now for the present, I have done with that fear, I mean

as to its first workings, to wit, to put me in fear of damnation, and shall come, in

the next place, to treat

OF THE GRACE OF FEAR MORE IMMEDIATELY INTENDED IN

THE TEXT.

I shall now speak to this fear, which I call a lasting godly fear; first, by way of

explication; by which I shall show, FIRST. How by the Scripture it is described.

SECOND. I shall show you what this fear flows from. And then, THIRD. I shall

also show you what doth flow from it.

[How this Fear is described by the Scripture.]

FIRST. For the first of these, to wit, how by the Scripture this fear is described;

and that, First. More generally. Second. More particularly.

First. More generally.

1. It is called a grace, that is, a sweet and blessed work of the Spirit of grace, as

he is given to the elect by God. Hence the apostle says, "let us have grace,

whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear" (Heb

12:28). For as that fear that brings bondage is wrought in the soul by the Spirit

as a spirit of bondage, so this fear, which is a fear that we have while we are in

the liberty of sons, is wrought by him as he manifesteth to us our liberty; "where

the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," that is, where he is as a spirit of

adoption, setting the soul free from that bondage under which it was held by the

same Spirit while he wrought as a spirit of bondage. Hence as he is called a

spirit working bondage to fear, so he, as the Spirit of the Son and of adoption, is

called "the Spirit of the fear of the Lord" (Isa 11:2). Because it is that Spirit of

grace that is the author, animater, and maintainer of our filial fear, or of that fear

that is son-like, and that subjecteth the elect unto God, his word, and ways; unto

him, his word, and ways, as a Father.

2. This fear is called also the fear of God, not as that which is ungodly is, nor yet

as that may be which is wrought by the Spirit as a spirit of bondage, but by way

of eminency; to wit, as a dispensation of the grace of the gospel, and as a fruit of

eternal love. "I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from

me" (Jer 32:38-41).

3. This fear of God is called God's treasure, for it is one of his choice jewels, it

is one of the rarities of heaven, "The fear of the Lord is his treasure" (Isa 33:6).

And it may well go under such a title; for as treasure, so the fear of the Lord is

not found in every corner. It is said all men have not faith, because that also is

more precious than gold; the same is said about this fear—"There is no fear of

God before their eyes" ; that is, the greatest part of men are utterly destitute of

this godly jewel, this treasure, the fear of the Lord. Poor vagrants, when they

come straggling to a lord's house, may perhaps obtain some scraps and

fragments, they may also obtain old shoes, and some sorry cast-off rags, but they

get not any of his jewels, they may not touch his choicest treasure; that is kept

for the children, and those that shall be his heirs. We may say the same also of

this blessed grace of fear, which is called here God's treasure. It is only

bestowed upon the elect, the heirs and children of the promise; all others are

destitute of it, and so continue to death and judgment.

4. This grace of fear is that which maketh men excel and go beyond all men, in

the account of God; it is that which beautifies a man, and prefers him above all

other; "Hast thou," says God to Satan, "considered my servant Job, that there is

none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God,

and escheweth evil?" (Job 1:8, 2:3). Mind it, "There is none like him, none alike

him in the earth." I suppose he means either [that Job was the only most perfect

and upright man] in those parts, or else he was the man that abounded in the fear

of the Lord; none like him to fear the Lord, he only excelled others with respect

to his reverencing of God, bowing before him, and sincerely complying with his

will; and therefore is counted the excellent man. It is not the knowledge of the

will of God, but our sincere complying therewith, that proveth we fear the Lord;

and it is our so doing that putteth upon us the note of excelling; hereby appears

our perfection, herein is manifest our uprightness. A perfect and an upright man

is one that feareth God, and that because he escheweth evil. Therefore this grace

of fear is that without which no part or piece of service which we do to God, can

be accepted of him. It is, as I may call it, the salt of the covenant, which

seasoneth the heart, and therefore must not be lacking there; it is also that which

salteth, or seasoneth all our doings, and therefore must not be lacking in any of

them (Lev 2:13).

5. I take this grace of fear to be that which softeneth and mollifieth the heart, and

that makes it stand in awe both of the mercies and judgments of God. This is

that that retaineth in the heart that due dread, and reverence of the heavenly

majesty, that is meet should be both in, and kept in the heart of poor sinners.

Wherefore when David described this fear, in the exercise of it, he calls it an

awe of God. "Stand in awe," saith he, "and sin not" ; and again, "my heart

standeth in awe of thy word" ; and again, "Let all the earth fear the Lord" ; what

is that? or how is that? why? "Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of

him" (Psa 4:4, 119:161, 33:8). This is that therefore that is, as I said before, so

excellent a thing in the eyes of God, to wit, a grace of the Spirit, the fear of God,

his treasure, the salt of the covenant, that which makes men excel all others; for

it is that which maketh the sinner to stand in awe of God, which posture is the

most comely thing in us, throughout all ages. But,

Second. And more particularly.

1. This grace is called "the beginning of knowledge," because by the first

gracious discovery of God to the soul, this grace is begot: and again, because the

first time that the soul doth apprehend God in Christ to be good unto it, this

grace is animated, by which the soul is put into an holy awe of God, which

causeth it with reverence and due attention to hearken to him, and tremble

before him (Prov 1:7). It is also by virtue of this fear that the soul doth inquire

yet more after the blessed knowledge of God. This is the more evident, because,

where this fear of God is wanting, or where the discovery of God is not attended

with it, the heart still abides rebellious, obstinate, and unwilling to know more,

that it might comply therewith; nay, for want of it, such sinners say rather, As

for God, let him "depart from us," and for the Almighty, "we desire not the

knowledge of his ways."

2. This fear is called "the beginning of wisdom," because then, and not till then,

a man begins to be truly spiritually wise; what wisdom is there where the fear of

God is not? (Job 28:28; Psa 111:10). Therefore the fools are described thus, "For

that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord" (Prov 1:29).

The Word of God is the fountain of knowledge, into which a man will not with

godly reverence look, until he is endued with the fear of the Lord. Therefore it is

rightly called "the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and

instruction" (Prov 1:7). It is therefore this fear of the Lord that makes a man

wise for his soul, for life, and for another world. It is this that teacheth him how

he should do to escape those spiritual and eternal ruins that the fool is overtaken

with, and swallowed up of for ever. A man void of this fear of God, wherever he

is wise, or in whatever he excels, yet about the matters of his soul, there is none

more foolish than himself; for through the want of the fear of the Lord, he leaves

the best things at sixes and sevens, and only pursueth with all his heart those that

will leave him in the snare when he dies.

3. This fear of the Lord is to hate evil. To hate sin and vanity. Sin and vanity,

they are the sweet morsels of the fool, and such which the carnal appetite of the

flesh runs after; and it is only the virtue that is in the fear of the Lord that

maketh the sinner have an antipathy against it (Job 20:12). "By the fear of the

Lord men depart from evil" (Prov 16:6). That is, men shun, separate themselves

from, and eschew it in its appearances. Wherefore it is plain that those that love

evil, are not possessed with the fear of God.

There is a generation that will pursue evil, that will take it in, nourish it, lay it up

in their hearts, hide it, and plead for it, and rejoice to do it. These cannot have in

them the fear of the Lord, for that is to hate it, and to make men depart from it:

where the fear of God and sin is, it will be with the soul, as it was with Israel

when Omri and Tibni strove to reign among them both at once, one of them

must be put to death, they cannot live together (see 1 Kings 16): sin must down,

for the fear of the Lord begetteth in the soul a hatred against it, an abhorrence of

it, therefore sin must die, that is, as to the affections and lusts of it; for as

Solomon says in another case, "where no wood is, the fire goeth out." So we

may say, where there is a hatred of sin, and where men depart from it, there it

loseth much of its power, waxeth feeble, and decayeth. Therefore Solomon saith

again, "Fear the Lord, and depart from evil" (Prov 3:7). As who should say, Fear

the Lord, and it will follow that you shall depart from evil: departing from evil is

a natural consequence, a proper effect of the fear of the Lord where it is. By the

fear of the Lord men depart from evil, that is, in their judgment, will, mind, and

affections. Not that by the fear of the Lord sin is annihilated, or has lost its being

in the soul; there still will those Canaanites be, but they are hated, loathed,

abominated, fought against, prayed against, watched against, striven against, and

mortified by the soul (Rom 7).

4. This fear is called a fountain of life—"The fear of the Lord is a fountain of

life, to depart from the snares of death" (Prov 14:27). It is a fountain, or spring,

which so continually supplieth the soul with variety of considerations of sin, of

God, of death, and life eternal, as to keep the soul in continual exercise of virtue

and in holy contemplation. It is a fountain of life; every operation thereof, every

act and exercise thereof, hath a true and natural tendency to spiritual and eternal

felicity. Wherefore the wise man saith in another place, "The fear of the Lord

tendeth to life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited

with evil" (Prov 19:23). It tendeth to life; even as of nature, everything hath a

tendency to that which is most natural to itself; the fire to burn, the water to wet,

the stone to fall, the sun to shine, sin to defile, &c. Thus I say, the fear of the

Lord tendeth to life; the nature of it is to put the soul upon fearing of God, of

closing with Christ, and of walking humbly before him. "It is a fountain of life,

to depart from the snares of death." What are the snares of death, but sin, the

wiles of the devil, &c. From which the fear of God hath a natural tendency to

deliver thee, and to keep thee in the way that tendeth to life.

5. This fear of the Lord, it is called "the instruction of wisdom" (Prov 15:33).

You heard before that it is the beginning of wisdom, but here you find it called

the instruction of wisdom; for indeed it is not only that which makes a man

begin to be wise, but to improve, and make advantage of all those helps and

means to life, which God hath afforded to that end; that is, both to his own, and

his neighbour's salvation also. It is the instruction of wisdom; it will make a

man capable to use all his natural parts, all his natural wisdom to God's glory,

and his own good. There lieth, even in many natural things, that, into which if

we were instructed, would yield us a great deal of help to the understanding of

spiritual matters; "For in wisdom has God made all the world" ; nor is there

anything that God has made, whether in heaven above, or on earth beneath, but

there is couched some spiritual mystery in it. The which men matter no more

than they do the ground they tread on, or than the stones that are under their feet,

and all because they have not this fear of the Lord; for had they that, that would

teach them to think, even from that knowledge of God, that hath by the fear of

him put into their hearts, that he being so great and so good, there must needs be

abundance of wisdom in the things he hath made: that fear would also

endeavour to find out what that wisdom is; yea, and give to the soul the

instruction of it. In that it is called the instruction of wisdom, it intimates to us

that its tendency is to keep all even, and in good order in the soul. When Job

perceived that his friends did not deal with him in an even spirit and orderly

manner, he said that they forsook "the fear of the Almighty" (Job 6:14). For this

fear keeps a man even in his words and judgment of things. It may be compared

to the ballast of the ship, and to the poise of the balance of the scales; it keeps all

even, and also makes us steer our course right with respect to the things that

pertain to God and man.

What this fear of God flows from.

SECOND. I come now to the second thing, to wit, to show you what this fear of

God flows from.

First. This fear, this grace of fear, this son-like fear of God, it flows from the

distinguishing love of God to his elect. "I will be their God," saith he, "and I

will put my fear in their hearts." None other obtain it but those that are enclosed

and bound up in that bundle. Therefore they, in the same place, are said to be

those that are wrapt up in the eternal or everlasting covenant of God, and so

designed to be the people that should be blessed with this fear. "I will make an

everlasting covenant with them" saith God, "that I will not turn away from them

to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart

from me" (Jer 32:38-40). This covenant declares unto men that God hath, in his

heart, distinguishing love for some of the children of men; for he saith he will be

their God, that he will not leave them, nor yet suffer them to depart, to wit,

finally, from him. Into these men's hearts he doth put his fear, this blessed grace,

and this rare and effectual sign of his love, and of their eternal salvation.

Second. This fear flows from a new heart. This fear is not in men by nature; the

fear of devils they may have, as also an ungodly fear of God; but this fear is not

in any but where there dwelleth a new heart, another fruit and effect of this

everlasting covenant, and of this distinguishing love of God. "A new heart also

will I give them" ; a new heart, what a one is that? why, the same prophet saith

in another place, "A heart to fear me," a circumcised one, a sanctified one (Jer

32:39; Eze 11:19, 36:26). So then, until a man receive a heart from God, a heart

from heaven, a new heart, he has not this fear of God in him. New wine must not

be put into old bottles, lest the one, to wit, the bottles, mar the wine, or the wine

the bottles; but new wine must have new bottles, and then both shall be

preserved (Matt 9:17). This fear of God must not be, cannot be found in old

hearts; old hearts are not bottles out of which this fear of God proceeds, but it is

from an honest and good heart, from a new one, from such an one that is also an

effect of the everlasting covenant, and love of God to men.

" I will give them one heart" to fear me; there must in all actions be heart, and

without heart no action is good, nor can there be faith, love, or fear, from every

kind of heart. These must flow from such an one, whose nature is to produce,

and bring forth such fruit. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? so

from a corrupt heart there cannot proceed such fruit as the fear of God, as to

believe in God, and love God (Luke 6:43-45). The heart naturally is deceitful

above all things, and desperately wicked; how then should there flow from such

an one the fear of God? It cannot be. He, therefore, that hath not received at the

hands of God a new heart, cannot fear the Lord.

Third. This fear of God flows from an impression, a sound impression, that the

Word of God maketh on our souls; for without an impress of the Word, there is

no fear of God. Hence it is said that God gave to Israel good laws, statutes, and

judgments, that they might learn them, and in learning them, learn to fear the

Lord their God. Therefore, saith God, in another place, "Gather the people

together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy

gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God"

(Deut 6:1,2, 31:12). For as a man drinketh good doctrine into his soul, so he

feareth God. If he drinks it in much, he feareth him greatly; if he drinketh it in

but little, he feareth him but little; if he drinketh it not in at all, he feareth him

not at all. This, therefore, teacheth us how to judge who feareth the Lord; they

are those that learn, and that stand in awe of the Word. Those that have by the

holy Word of God the very form of itself engraven upon the face of their souls,

they fear God (Rom 6:17).[15]

But, on the contrary, those that do not love good doctrine, that give not place to

the wholesome truths of the God of heaven, revealed in his Testament, to take

place in their souls, but rather despise it, and the true possessors of it, they fear

not God. For, as I said before, this fear of God, it flows from a sound impression

that the Word of God maketh upon the soul; and therefore,

Fourth. This godly fear floweth from faith; for where the Word maketh a sound

impression on the soul, by that impression is faith begotten, whence also this

fear doth flow. Therefore right hearing of the Word is called "the hearing of

faith" (Gal 3:2). Hence it is said again, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of

things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his

house, by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the

righteousness which is by faith" (Heb 11:7). The Word, the warning that he had

from God of things not seen as yet, wrought, through faith therein, that fear of

God in his heart that made him prepare against unseen dangers, and that he

might be an inheritor of unseen happiness. Where, therefore, there is not faith in

the Word of God, there can be none of this fear; and where the Word doth not

make sound impression on the soul, there can be none of this faith. So that as

vices hang together, and have the links of a chain, dependence one upon another,

even so the graces of the Spirit also are the fruits of one another, and have such

dependence on each other, that the one cannot be without the other. No faith, no

fear of God; devil's faith, devil's fear; saint's faith, saint's fear.

Fifth. This godly fear also floweth from sound repentance for and from sin;

godly sorrow worketh repentance, and godly repentance produceth this fear—

"For behold," says Paul, "this self-same thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly

sort, what carefulness it wrought in you! yea, what clearing of yourselves! yea,

what indignation! yea, what fear!" (2 Cor 7:10,11). Repentance is the effect of

sorrow, and sorrow is the effect of smart, and smart the effect of faith. Now,

therefore, fear must needs be an effect of, and flow from repentance. Sinner, do

not deceive thyself; if thou art a stranger to sound repentance, which standeth in

sorrow and shame before God for sin, as also in turning from it, thou hast no

fear of God; I mean none of this godly fear; for that is the fruit of, and floweth

from, sound repentance.

Sixth. This godly fear also flows from a sense of the love and kindness of God to

the soul. Where there is no sense of hope of the kindness and mercy of God by

Jesus Christ, there can be none of this fear, but rather wrath and despair, which

produceth that fear that is either devilish, or else that which is only wrought in

us by the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage; but these we do not discourse of now;

wherefore the godly fear that now I treat of, it floweth from some sense or hope

of mercy from God by Jesus Christ—"If thou, Lord," says David, "shouldest

mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that

thou mayest be feared" (Psa 130:3,4). "There is mercy with thee" ; this the soul

hath sense of, and hope in, and therefore feareth God. Indeed nothing can lay a

stronger obligation upon the heart to fear God, than sense of, or hope in mercy

(Jer 33:8,9). This begetteth true tenderness of heart, true godly softness of spirit;

this truly endeareth the affections to God; and in this true tenderness, softness,

and endearedness of affection to God, lieth the very essence of this fear of the

Lord, as is manifest by the fruit of this fear when we shall come to speak of it.

Seventh. This fear of God flows from a due consideration of the judgments of

God that are to be executed in the world; yea, upon professors too. Yea further,

God's people themselves, I mean as to themselves, have such a consideration of

his judgments towards them, as to produce this godly fear. When God's

judgments are in the earth, they effect the fear of his name, in the hearts of his

own people—"My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am," said David,

"afraid of thy judgments" (Psa 119:120). When God smote Uzzah, David was

afraid of God that day (1 Chron 13:12). Indeed, many regard not the works of

the Lord, nor take notice of the operation of his hands, and such cannot fear the

Lord. But others observe and regard, and wisely consider of his doings, and of

the judgments that he executeth, and that makes them fear the Lord. This God

himself suggesteth as a means to make us fear him. Hence he commands the

false prophet to be stoned, "that all Israel might hear and fear." Hence also he

commanded that the rebellious son should be stoned, "that all Israel might hear

and fear." A false witness was also to have the same judgment of God executed

upon him, "that all Israel might hear and fear." The man also that did ought

presumptuously was to die, "that all Israel might hear and fear" (Deut 13:11,

21:21, 17:13, 19:20). There is a natural tendency in judgments, as judgments, to

beget a fear of God in the heart of man, as man; but when the observation of the

judgment of God is made by him that hath a principle of true grace in his soul,

that observation being made, I say, by a gracious heart, produceth a fear of God

in the soul of its own nature, to wit, a gracious or godly fear of God.

Eighth. This godly fear also flows from a godly remembrance of our former

distresses, when we were distressed with our first fears; for though our first fears

were begotten in us by the Spirit's working as a spirit of bondage, and so are not

always to be entertained as such, yet even that fear leaveth in us, and upon our

spirits, that sense and relish of our first awakenings and dread, as also

occasioneth and produceth this godly fear. "Take heed," says God, "and keep

thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and

lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life, but teach them thy sons,

and thy son's sons." But what were the things that their eyes had seen, that

would so damnify them should they be forgotten? The answer is, the things

which they saw at Horeb; to wit, the fire, the smoke, the darkness, the

earthquake, their first awakenings by the law, by which they were brought into a

bondage fear; yea, they were to remember this especially—"Specially," saith he,

the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said

unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words,

that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth"

(Deut 4:9-11). The remembrance of what we saw, felt, feared, and trembled

under the sense of, when our first fears were upon us, is that which will produce

in our hearts this godly filial fear.

Ninth. This godly fear flows from our receiving of an answer of prayer, when we

supplicated for mercy at the hand of God. See the proof for this—"If there be in

the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be

caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatsoever

plague, whatsoever sickness there be: what prayer and supplication soever be

made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the

plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: then hear

thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man

according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, even thou only,

knowest the hearts of all the children of men). That they may fear thee all the

days of their life, that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers"

(1 Kings 8:37-40).

Tenth. This grace of fear also flows from a blessed conviction of the all-seeing

eye of God; that is, from a belief that he certainly knoweth the heart, and seeth

every one of the turnings and returnings thereof; this is intimated in the text last

mentioned—"Whose heart thou knowest, that they may fear thee," to wit, so

many of them as be, or shall be convinced of this. Indeed, without this

conviction, this godly fear cannot be in us; the want of this conviction made the

Pharisees such hypocrites—"Ye are they," said Christ, "which justify yourselves

before men, but God knoweth your hearts" (Luke 16:15). The Pharisees, I say,

were not aware of this; therefore they so much preferred themselves before those

that by far were better than themselves, and it is for want of this conviction that

men go on in such secret sins as they do, so much without fear either of God or

his judgments.[16]

Eleventh. This grace of fear also flows from a sense of the impartial judgment of

God upon men according to their works. This also is manifest from the text

mentioned above. And give unto every man according to his works or ways,

"that they may fear thee," &c. This is also manifest by that of Peter—"And if ye

call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every

man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear" (1 Peter 1:17). He

that hath godly conviction of this fear of God, will fear before him; by which

fear their hearts are poised, and works directed with trembling, according to the

will of God. Thus you see what a weighty and great grace this grace of the holy

fear of God is, and how all the graces of the Holy Ghost yield mutually their

help and strength to the nourishment and life of it; and also how it flows from

them all, and hath a dependence upon every one of them for its due working in

the heart of him that hath it. And thus much to show you from whence it flows.

And now I shall come to the third thing, to wit, to show you

What flows from this godly fear.

THIRD. Having showed you what godly fear flows from, I come now, I say, to

show you what proceedeth or flows from this godly fear of God, where it is

seated in the heart of man. And,

First. There flows from this godly fear a godly reverence of God. "He is great,"

said David, "and greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints." God, as I

have already showed you, is the proper object of godly fear; it is his person and

majesty that this fear always causeth the eye of the soul to be upon. "Behold,"

saith David, "as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as

the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the

Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us" (Psa 123:2). Nothing aweth the

soul that feareth God so much as doth the glorious majesty of God. His person is

above all things feared by them; "I fear God," said Joseph (Gen 42:18). That is,

more than any other; I stand in awe of him, he is my dread, he is my fear, I do

all mine actions as in his presence, as in his sight; I reverence his holy and

glorious majesty, doing all things as with fear and trembling before him. This

fear makes them have also a very great reverence of his Word; for that also, I

told you, was the rule of their fear. "Princes," said David, "persecuted me

without a cause, but my heart standeth in awe," in fear, "of thy word." This

grace of fear, therefore, from it flows reverence of the words of God; of all laws,

that man feareth the word; and no law that is not agreeing therewith (Psa

119:116). There flows from this godly fear tenderness of God's glory. This fear,

I say, will cause a man to afflict his soul, when he seeth that by professors

dishonour is brought to the name of God and to his Word. Who would not fear

thee, said Jeremiah, O king of nations, for to thee doth it appertain? He speaks it

as being affected with that dishonour, that by the body of the Jews was

continually brought to his name, his Word, and ways; he also speaks it of a

hearty wish that they once would be otherwise minded. The same saying in

effect hath also John in the Revelation—"Who shall not fear thee, O Lord," said

he, "and glorify thy name?" (Rev 15:4); clearly concluding that godly fear

produceth a godly tenderness of God's glory in the world, for that appertaineth

unto him; that is, it is due unto him, it is a debt which we owe unto him. "Give

unto the Lord," said David, "the glory due unto his name." Now if there be

begotten in the heart of the godly, by this grace of fear, a godly tenderness of the

glory of God, then it follows of consequence, that where they that have this fear

of God do see his glory diminished by the wickedness of the children of men,

there they are grieved and deeply distressed. "Rivers of waters," said David,

"run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law" (Psa 119:136). Let met

give you for this these following instances—

How was David provoked when Goliath defied the God of Israel (1 Sam 17:23-

29,45,46). Also, when others reproached God, he tells us that that reproach was

even as "a sword in his bones" (Psa 42:10). How was Hezekiah afflicted when

Rabshakeh railed upon his God (Isa 37). David also, for the love that he had to

the glory of God's word, ran the hazard and reproach "of all the mighty people"

(Psa 119:151, 89:50). How tender of the glory of God was Eli, Daniel, and the

three children in their day. Eli died with fear and trembling of heart when he

heard that "the ark of God was taken" (1 Sam 4:14-18). Daniel ran the danger of

the lions' mouths, for the tender love that he had to the word and worship of

God (Dan 6:10-16). The three children ran the hazard of a burning fiery furnace,

rather than they would dare to dishonour the way of their God (Dan 3:13,16,20).

This therefore is one of the fruits of this godly fear, to wit, a reverence of his

name and tenderness of his glory.

Second. There flows from this godly fear, watchfulness. As it is said of

Solomon's servants, they "watched about his bed, because of fear in the night,"

so it may be said of them that have this godly fear—it makes them a watchful

people. It makes them watch their hearts, and take heed to keep them with all

diligence, lest they should, by one or another of its flights, lead them to do that

which in itself is wicked (Prov 4:23; Heb 12:15). It makes them watch, lest some

temptation from hell should enter into their heart to the destroying of them (1

Peter 5:8). It makes them watch their mouths, and keep them also, at sometimes,

as with a bit and bridle, that they offend not with their tongue, knowing that the

tongue is apt, being an evil member, soon to catch the fire of hell, to the defiling

of the whole body (James 3:2-7). It makes them watch over their ways, look

well to their goings, and to make straight steps for their feet (Psa 39:1; Heb

12:13). Thus this godly fear puts the soul upon its watch, lest from the heart

within, or from the devil without, or from the world, or some other temptation,

something should surprise and overtake the child of God to defile him, or to

cause him to defile the ways of God, and so offend the saints, open the mouths

of men, and cause the enemy to speak reproachfully of religion.

Third. There flows from this fear a holy provocation to a reverential converse

with saints in their religious and godly assemblies, for their further progress in

the faith and way of holiness. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to

another." Spake, that is, of God, and his holy and glorious name, kingdom, and

works, for their mutual edification; "a book of remembrance was written before

him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name" (Mal 3:16).

The fear of the Lord in the heart provoketh to this in all its acts, not only of

necessity, but of nature: it is the natural effect of this godly fear, to exercise the

church in the contemplation of God, together and apart. All fear, good and bad,

hath a natural propenseness in it to incline the heart to contemplate upon the

object of fear, and though a man should labour to take off his thoughts from the

object of his fear, whether that object was men, hell, devils, &c., yet do what he

could the next time his fear had any act in it, it would return again to its object.

And so it is with godly fear; that will make a man speak of, and think upon, the

name of God reverentially (Psa 89:7); yea, and exercise himself in the holy

thoughts of him in such sort that his soul shall be sanctified, and seasoned with

such meditations. Indeed, holy thoughts of God, such as you see this fear doth

exercise the heart withal, prepare the heart to, and for God. This fear therefore it

is that David prayed for, for the people, when he said, "O Lord God of

Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination

of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee" (1

Chron 29:18).

Fourth. There flows from this fear of God great reverence of his majesty, in and

under the use and enjoyment of God's holy ordinances. His ordinances are his

courts and palaces, his walks and places, where he giveth his presence to those

that wait upon him in them, in the fear of his name. And this is the meaning of

that of the apostle: "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and

Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord, and

in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied" (Acts 9:31). "And

walking"—that word intendeth their use of the ordinances of God. They walked

in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. This, in Old

Testament language, is called, treading God's courts, and walking in his paths.

This, saith the text, they did here, in the fear of God. That is, in a great reverence

of that God whose ordinances they were. "Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and

reverence my sanctuary; I am the Lord" (Lev 19:30, 26:2).

It is one thing to be conversant in God's ordinances, and another to be

conversant in them with a due reverence of the majesty and name of that God

whose ordinances they are: it is common for men to do the first, but none can do

the last without this fear. "In thy fear," said David, "will I worship" (Psa 5:7). It

is this fear of God, therefore, from whence doth flow that great reverence that

his saints have in them, of his majesty, in and under the use and enjoyment of

God's holy ordinances; and, consequently, that makes our service in the

performance of them acceptable to God through Christ (Heb 12). For God

expects that we serve him with fear and trembling, and it is odious among men,

for a man in the presence, or about the service of his prince, to behave himself

lightly, and without due reverence of that majesty in whose presence and about

whose business he is. And if so, how can their service to God have anything like

acceptation from the hand of God, that is done, not in, but without the fear of

God? This service must needs be an abomination to him, and these servers must

come off with rebuke.

Fifth. There flows from this godly fear of God, self-denial. That is, a holy

abstaining from those things that are either unlawful or inexpedient; according

to that of Nehemiah, "The former governors that had been before me, were

chargeable unto the people, that had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty

shekels of silver, yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did

not I, because of the fear of God" (Neh 5:15).[17]

Here not was self-denial; he would not do as they did that went before him,

neither himself, nor should his servants; but what was it that put him upon these

acts of self-denial? The answer is, the fear of God: "but so did not I, because of

the fear of God."

Now, whether by the fear of God in this place be meant his Word, or the grace

of fear in his heart, may perhaps be a scruple to some, but in my judgment the

text must have respect to the latter, to wit, to the grace of fear, for without that

being indeed in the heart, the word will not produce that good self-denial in us,

that here you find this good man to live in the daily exercise of. The fear of God,

therefore, that was the cause of his self-denial, was this grace of fear in his heart.

This made him to be, as was said before, tender of the honour of God, and of the

salvation of his brother: yea, so tender, that rather than he would give an

occasion to the weak to stumble, or be offended, he would even deny himself of

that which others never sticked to do. Paul also, through the sanctifying

operations of this fear of God in his heart, did deny himself even of lawful

things, for the profit and commodity of his brother—"I will eat no flesh while

the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend" ; that is, if his eating of it

would make his brother to offend (1 Cor 8:13).

Men that have not this fear of God in them, will not, cannot deny themselves—

of love to God, and the good of the weak, who are subject to stumble at

indifferent things—but where this grace of fear is, there follows self-denial;

there men are tender of offending; and count that it far better becomes their

profession to be of a self-denying, condescending conversation and temper, than

to stand sturdily to their own liberty in things inexpedient, whoever is offended

thereat. This grace of fear, therefore, is a very excellent thing, because it

yieldeth such excellent fruit as this. For this self-denial, of how little esteem

soever it be with some, yet the want of it, if the words of Christ be true, as they

are, takes quite away from even a professor the very name of a disciple (Matt

10:37,38; Luke 14:26,27,33). They, says Nehemiah, lorded it over the brethren,

but so did not I. They took bread and wine, and forty shekels of silver of them,

but so did not I; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people, "but so did

not I, because of the fear of God."

Sixth. There flows from this godly fear of God "singleness of heart" (Col 3:22).

Singleness of heart both to God and man; singleness of heart, that is it which in

another place is called sincerity and godly simplicity, and it is this, when a man

doth a thing simply for the sake of him or of the law that commands it, without

respect to this by-end,[18]

or that desire of praise or of vain-glory from others; I say, when our obedience

to God is done by us simply or alone for God's sake, for his Word's sake,

without any regard to this or that by-end or reserve, "not with eye-service, as

men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God." A man is more subject to

nothing than to swerve from singleness of heart in his service to God, and

obedience to his will. How doth the Lord charge the children of Israel, and all

their obedience, and that for seventy years together, with the want of singleness

of heart towards him—"When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh

month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And

when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink

for yourselves?" (Zech 7:5,6).

They wanted this singleness of heart in their fasting, and in their eating, in their

mourning, and in their drinking; they had double hearts in what they did. They

did not as the apostle bids; "whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all

to the glory of God." And the reason of their want of this thing was, they wanted

this fear of God; for that, as the apostle here saith, effecteth singleness of heart

to God, and makes a man, as John said of Gaius, "do faithfully whatsoever he

doth" (3 John 5). And the reason is, as hath been already urged, for that grace of

fear of God retaineth and keepeth upon the heart a reverent and awful sense of

the dread majesty and all-seeing eye of God, also a due consideration of the day

of account before him; it likewise maketh his service sweet and pleasing, and

fortifies the soul against all discouragements; by this means, I say, the soul, in

its service to God or man, is not so soon captivated as where there is not this

fear, but through and by it its service is accepted, being single, sincere, simple,

and faithful; when others, with what they do, are cast into hell for their

hypocrisy, for they mix not what they do with godly fear. Singleness of heart in

the service of God is of such absolute necessity, that without it, as I have hinted,

nothing can be accepted; because where that is wanting, there wanteth love to

God, and to that which is true holiness indeed. It was this singleness of heart that

made Nathanael so honourable in the eyes of Jesus Christ. "Behold," said he,

"an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile" (John 1:47). And it was the want

of it that made him so much abhor the Pharisees. They wanted sincerity,

simplicity, and godly sincerity in their souls, and so became an abhorrence in his

esteem. Now, I say, this golden grace, singleness of heart, it flows from this

godly fear of God.

Seventh. There flows from this godly fear of God, compassion and bowels to

those of the saints that are in necessity and distress. This is manifest in good

Obadiah; it is said of him, "That he took an hundred" of the Lord's "prophets,

and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water," in the days

when Jezebel, that tyrant, sought their lives to destroy them (1 Kings 18:3,4).

But what was it that moved so upon his heart, as to cause him to do this thing?

Why, it was this blessed grace of the fear of God. "Now Obadiah," saith the text,

"feared the Lord greatly, for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the

Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave,

and fed them with bread and water." This was charity to the distressed, even to

the distressed for the Lord's sake.

Had not Obadiah served the Lord, yea, had he not greatly feared him, he would

not have been able to do this thing, especially as the case then stood with him,

and also with the church at that time, for then Jezebel sought to slay all that

indeed feared the Lord; yea, and the persecution prevailed so much at that time,

that even Elijah himself thought that she had killed all but him. But now, even

now, the fear of God in this good man's heart put forth itself into acts of mercy

though attended with so imminent danger. See here, therefore, that the fear of

God will put forth itself in the heart where God hath put it, even to show

kindness, and to have compassion upon the distressed servants of God, even

under Jezebel's nose; for Obadiah dwelt in Ahab's house, and Jezebel was

Ahab's wife, and a horrible persecutor, as was said before: yet Obadiah will

show mercy to the poor because he feared God, yea, he will venture her

displeasure, his place, and neck, and all, but he will be merciful to his brethren

in distress. Cornelius, also, being a man possessed with this fear of God, became

a very free-hearted and open-handed man to the poor—"He feared God, and

gave much alms to the people." Indeed this fear, this godly fear of God, it is a

universal grace; it will stir up the soul unto all good duties. It is a fruitful grace;

from it, where it is, floweth abundance of excellent virtues; nor without it can

there be anything good, or done well, that is done. But,

Eighth. There flows from this fear of God hearty, fervent, and constant prayer.

This also is seen in Cornelius, that devout man. He feared God; and what then?

why, he gave much alms to the people, "and prayed to God alway" (Acts

10:1,2).

Did I say that hearty, fervent, and constant prayer flowed from this fear of God?

I will add, that if the whole duty, and the continuation of it, be not managed with

this fear of God, it profiteth nothing at all. It is said of our Lord Jesus Christ

himself, "He was heard in that he feared." He prayed, then, because he feared,

because he feared God, and therefore was his prayer accepted of him, even

because he feared—"He was heard in that he feared" (Heb 5:7). This godly fear

is so essential to right prayer, and right prayer is such an inseparable effect and

fruit of this fear, that you must have both or none; he that prayeth not feareth not

God, yea, he that prayeth not fervently and frequently feareth him not; and so he

that feareth him not cannot pray; for if prayer be the effect of this fear of God,

then without this fear, prayer, fervent prayer, ceaseth. How can they pray or

make conscience of the duty that fear not God? O prayerless man, thou fearest

not God! Thou wouldest not live so like a swine or a dog in the world as thou

dost, if thou fearest the Lord.

Ninth. There floweth from this fear of God a readiness or willingness, at God's

call, to give up our best enjoyments to his disposal. This is evident in Abraham,

who at God's call, without delay, rose early in the morning to offer up his only

and well-beloved Isaac a burnt-offering in the place where God should appoint

him. It was a rare thing that Abraham did; and had he not had this rare grace,

this fear of God, he would not, he could not have done to God's liking so

wonderful a thing. It is true the Holy Ghost also makes this service of Abraham

to be the fruit of his faith—"By faith Abraham offered up Isaac, and he that had

received the promises offered up his only-begotten son" (Heb 11; James 2). Aye,

and without doubt love unto God, in Abraham, was not wanting in this his

service, nor was this grace of fear; nay, in the story where it is recorded. There it

is chiefly accounted for the fruit of his godly fear, and that by an angel from

heaven—"And the angel called out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham.

And he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do

thou anything unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast

not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me" (Gen 22:11,12). Now I know it;

now, now thou hast offered up thine only Isaac, thine all, at the bidding of thy

God. Now I know it. The fear of God is not presently discerned in the heart and

life of a man. Abraham had long before this done many a holy duty, and showed

much willingness of heart to observe and do the will of God; yet you find not, as

I remember, that he had this testimony from heaven that he feared God till now;

but now he has it, now he has it from heaven. "Now I know that thou fearest

God." Many duties may be done—though I do not say that Abraham did them—

without the fear of God; but when a man shall not stick at, or withhold, his

darling from God, when called upon by God to offer it up unto him, that

declareth, yea, and gives conviction to angels, that now he feareth God.

Tenth. There floweth from this godly fear humility of mind. This is evident,

because, when the apostle cautions the Romans against the venom of spiritual

pride, he directs them to the exercise of this blessed grace of fear as its antidote.

"Be not high-minded," saith he, "but fear" (Rom 11:20). Pride, spiritual pride,

which is here set forth by the word "high-minded," is a sin of a very high and

damnable nature; it was the sin of the fallen angels, and is that which causeth

men to fall into the same condemnation—"Lest being lifted up with pride, he

fall into the condemnation of the devil." Pride, I say, it damns a professor with

the damnation of devils, with the damnation of hell, and therefore it is a deadly,

deadly sin. Now against this deadly sin is set the grace of humility; that comely

garment, for so the apostle calls it, saying, "be clothed with humility." But the

question is now, how we should attain to, and live in, the exercise of this blessed

and comely grace? to which the apostle answers, Fear; be afraid with godly fear,

and thence will flow humility—"Be not high-minded, but fear." That is, Fear, or

be continually afraid and jealous of yourselves, and of your own naughty hearts,

also fear lest at some time or other the devil, your adversary, should have

advantage of you. Fear, lest by forgetting what you are by nature, you also

forget the need that you have of continual pardon, support, and supplies from the

Spirit of grace, and so grow proud of your own abilities, or of what you have

received of God, and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Fear, and that will

make you little in your own eyes, keep you humble, put you upon crying to God

for protection, and upon lying at his foot for mercy; that will also make you have

low thoughts of your own parts, your own doings, and cause you to prefer your

brother before yourself, and so you will walk in humiliation, and be continually

under the teachings of God, and under his conduct in your way. The humble,

God will teach—"The meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he teach

his way." From this grace of fear then flows this excellent and comely thing,

humility; yea, it also is maintained by this fear. Fear takes off a man from

trusting to himself, it puts a man upon trying of all things, it puts a man upon

desiring counsel and help from heaven, it makes a man ready and willing to hear

instruction, and makes a man walk lowly, softly, and so securely in the way.

Eleventh. There flows from this grace of fear, hope in the mercy of God—"The

Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy" (Psa

147:11). The latter part of the text is an explanation of the former: as if the

psalmist had said, They be the men that fear the Lord, even they that hope in his

mercy; for true fear produceth hope in God's mercy. And it is further manifest

thus. Fear, true fear of God inclineth the heart to a serious inquiry after that way

of salvation which God himself hath prescribed; now the way that God hath

appointed, by the which the sinner is to obtain the salvation of his soul, is his

mercy as so and so set forth in the Word, and godly fear hath special regard to

the Word. To this way, therefore, the sinner with this godly fear submits his

soul, rolls himself upon it, and so is delivered from that death into which others,

for want of this fear of God, do headlong fall.

It is, as I also hinted before, the nature of godly fear to be very much putting the

soul upon the inquiry which is, and which is not, the thing approved of God, and

accordingly to embrace it or shun it. Now I say, this fear having put the soul

upon a strict and serious inquiry after the way of salvation, at last it finds it to be

by the mercy of God in Christ; therefore this fear putteth the soul upon hoping

also in him for eternal life and blessedness; by which hope he doth not only

secure his soul, but becomes a portion of God's delight—"The Lord takes

pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy."

Besides, this godly fear carrieth in it self-evidence that the state of the sinner is

happy, because possessed with this happy grace. Therefore, as John saith, "We

know we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (1

John 3:14). So here, "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in them

that hope in his mercy." If I fear God, and if my fearing of him is a thing in

which he taketh such pleasure, then may I boldly venture to roll myself for

eternal life into the bosom of his mercy, which is Christ. This fear also

produceth hope; if therefore, poor sinner, thou knowest thyself to be one that is

possessed with this fear of God, suffer thyself to be persuaded therefore to hope

in the mercy of God for salvation, for the Lord takes pleasure in thee. And it

delights him to see thee hope in his mercy.

Twelfth. There floweth from this godly fear of God an honest and conscientious

use of all those means which God hath ordained, that we should be conversant in

for our attaining salvation. Faith and hope in God's mercy is that which secureth

our justification and hope, and as you have heard, they do flow from this fear.

But now, besides faith and hope, there is a course of life in those things in which

God hath ordained us to have our conversation, without which there is no eternal

life. "Ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life" ; and again,

"without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Not that faith and hope are

deficient, if they be right, but they are both of them counterfeit when not

attended with a reverent use of all the means: upon the reverent use of which the

soul is put by this grace of fear. "Wherefore, beloved," said Paul, "as ye have

always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in mine

absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Rom 6:22; Heb

12:14; Phil 2:11).

There is a faith and hope of mercy that may deceive a man (though the faith of

God's elect, and the hope that purifies the heart never will), because they are

alone, and not attended with those companions that accompany salvation (Heb

6:3-8). But now this godly fear carries in its bowels, not only a moving of the

soul to faith and hope in God's mercy, but an earnest provocation to the holy

and reverent use of all the means that God has ordained for a man to have his

conversation in, in order to his eternal salvation. "Work out your salvation with

fear." Not that work is meritorious, or such that can purchase eternal life, for

eternal life is obtained by hope in God's mercy; but this hope, if it be right, is

attended with this godly fear, which fear putteth the soul upon a diligent use of

all those means that may tend to the strengthening of hope, and so to the making

of us holy in all manner of conversation, that we may be meet to be partakers of

the inheritance of the saints in light. For hope purifieth the heart, if fear of God

shall be its companion, and so maketh a man a vessel of mercy prepared unto

glory. Paul bids Timothy to fly pride, covetousness, doting about questions, and

the like, and to "follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience; to

fight the good fight of faith, and to lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim 6).

So Peter bids that we "add to our faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to

knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity" ; adding,

"for if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be

barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore the

rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye

do these things, ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto

you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus

Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-11). The sum of all which is that which was mentioned

before; to wit, "to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." For

none of these things can be conscientiously done, but by and with the help of

this blessed grace of fear.

Thirteenth. There flows from this fear, this godly fear, a great delight in the holy

commands of God, that is, a delight to be conformable unto them. "Blessed is

the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments"

(Psa 112:1). This confirmeth that which was said before, to wit, that this fear

provoketh to a holy and reverent use of the means; for that cannot be, when

there is not an holy, yea, a great delight in the commandments. Wherefore this

fear maketh the sinner to abhor that which is sin, because that is contrary to the

object of his delight. A man cannot delight himself at the same time in things

directly opposite one to another, as sin and the holy commandment is; therefore

Christ saith of the servant, he cannot love God and mammon—"Ye cannot serve

God and mammon." If he cleaves to the one, he must hate and despise the other;

there cannot at the same time be service to both, because that themselves are at

enmity one with the other. So is sin and the commandment. Therefore if a man

delighteth himself in the commandment, he hateth that which is opposite, which

is sin: how much more when he greatly delighteth in the commandment? Now,

this holy fear of God it taketh the heart and affections from sin, and setteth them

upon the holy commandment. Therefore such a man is rightly esteemed blessed.

For no profession makes a man blessed but that which is accompanied with an

alienation of the heart from sin, nor doth anything do that when this holy fear is

wanting. It is from this fear then, that love to, and delight in, the holy

commandment floweth, and so by that the sinner is kept from those falls and

dangers of miscarrying that other professors are so subject to: he greatly delights

in the commandment.

Fourteenth. Lastly, There floweth from this fear of God, enlargement of heart.

"Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be

enlarged" (Isa 60:5). "Thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged," enlarged to God-

ward, enlarged to his ways, enlarged to his holy people, enlarged in love after

the salvation of others. Indeed when this fear of God is wanting, though the

profession be never so famous, the heart is shut up and straitened, and nothing is

done in that princely free spirit which is called "the spirit of the fear of the Lord"

(Psa 51:12; Isa 11:2). But with grudging, legally, or with desire of vain-glory,

this enlargedness of heart is wanting, for that flows from this fear of the Lord.

Thus have I showed you both what this fear of God is, what it flows from, and

also what doth flow from it. I come now to show you some

OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THEM THAT THUS DO FEAR THE LORD.

Having thus briefly handled in particular thus far this fear of God, I shall now

show you certain of the excellent privileges of them that fear the Lord, not that

they are not privileges that have been already mentioned; for what greater

privileges than to have this fear producing in the soul such excellent things so

necessary for us for good, both with reference to this world, and that which is to

come? But because those fourteen above named do rather flow from this grace

of fear where it is, than from a promise to the person that hath it, therefore I

have chosen rather to discourse of them as the fruits and effects of fear, than

otherwise. Now, besides all these, there is entailed by promise to the man that

hath this fear many other blessed privileges, the which I shall now in a brief way

lay open unto you.

First Privilege, then. That man that feareth the Lord, has a grant and a license

"to trust in the Lord," with an affirmation that he is their help, and their shield—

"Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield" (Psa

115:11). Now what a privilege is this! an exhortation in general to sinners, as

sinners, to trust in him, is a privilege great and glorious; but for a man to be

singled out from his neighbours, for a man to be spoken to from heaven, as it

were by name, and to be told that God hath given him a license, a special and

peculiar grant to trust in him, this is abundantly more; and yet this is the grant

that God hath given that man! He hath, I say, a license to do it—a license

indicted by the Holy Ghost, and left upon record for those to be born that shall

fear the Lord, to trust in him. And not only so, but as the text affirmeth, "he is

their help and their shield." Their help under all their weaknesses and

infirmities, and a shield to defend them against all the assaults of the devil and

this world. So then, the man that feareth the Lord is licensed to make the Lord

his stay and God of his salvation, the succour and deliverer of his soul. He will

defend him because his fear is in his heart. O ye servants of the Lord, ye that

fear him, live in the comfort of this; boldly make use of it when you are in

straits, and put your trust under the shadow of his wings, for indeed he would

have you do so, because you do fear the Lord.

Second Privilege. God hath also proclaimed concerning the man that feareth the

Lord, that he will also be his teacher and guide in the way that he shall choose,

and hath moreover promised concerning such, that their soul shall dwell at

ease—"What man is he that feareth the Lord?" says David, "him shall he teach

in the way that he shall choose" (Psa 25:12). Now, to be taught of God, what

like it? yea, what like to be taught in the way that thou shalt choose? Thou hast

chosen the way to life, God's way; but perhaps thy ignorance about it is so great,

and those that tempt thee to turn aside so many and so subtle, that they seem to

outwit thee and confound thee with their guile. Well, but the Lord whom thou

fearest will not leave thee to thy ignorance, nor yet to thine enemies' power or

subtlety, but will take it upon himself to be thy teacher and thy guide, and that in

the way that thou hast chosen. Hear, then, and behold thy privilege, O thou that

fearest the Lord; and whoever wanders, turns aside, and swerveth from the way

of salvation, whoever is benighted, and lost in the midst of darkness, thou shalt

find the way to the heaven and the glory that thou hast chosen.

Further, He doth not only say, that he will teach them the way, for that must of

necessity be supplied, but he says also that he will teach such in it—"Him shall

he teach in the way that he shall choose." This argueth that, as thou shalt know,

so the way shall be made, by the communion that thou shalt have with God

therein, sweet and pleasant to thee. For this text promiseth unto the man that

feareth the Lord, the presence, company, and discovery of the mind of God,

while he is going in the way that he hath chosen. It is said of the good scribe,

that he is instructed unto, as well as into, the way of the kingdom of God (Matt

13:52). Instructed unto; that is, he hath the heart and mind of God still

discovered to him in the way that he hath chosen, even all the way from this

world to that which is to come, even until he shall come to the very gate and

door of heaven. What the disciples said was the effect of the presence of Christ,

to wit, "that their hearts did burn within them while he talked to them by the

way," shall be also fulfilled in thee, he will meet with thee in the way, talk with

thee in the way; he will teach thee in the way that thou shalt choose (Luke

24:32).

Third Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? he will open his secret unto thee, even

that which he hath hid and keeps close from all the world, to wit, the secret of

his covenant and of thy concern therein—"The secret of the Lord is with them

that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant" (Psa 25:14). This, then,

further confirmeth what was said but just above; his secret shall be with them,

and his covenant shall be showed unto them. His secret, to wit, that which hath

been kept hid from ages and generations; that which he manifesteth only to the

saints, or holy ones; that is, his Christ, for he it is that is hid in God, and that no

man can know but he to whom the Father shall reveal him (Matt 11:27).

But O! what is there wrapped up in this Christ, this secret of God? why, all

treasures of life, of heaven, and happiness—"In him are hid all the treasures of

wisdom and knowledge." And "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead

bodily" (Col 2).

This also is that hidden One, that is so full of grace to save sinners, and so full of

truth and faithfulness to keep promise and covenant with them, that their eyes

must needs convey, even by every glance they make upon his person, offices,

and relation, such affecting ravishments to the heart, that it would please them

that see him, even to be killed with that sight. This secret of the Lord shall be,

nay is, with them that fear him, for he dwelleth in their heart by faith. "And he

will shew them his covenant." That is, the covenant that is confirmed of God in

Christ, that everlasting and eternal covenant, and show him too that he himself is

wrapped up therein, as in a bundle of life with the Lord his God. These are the

thoughts, purposes, and promises of God to them that fear him.

Fourth Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? his eye is always over thee for good,

to keep thee from all evil—"Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear

him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to

keep them alive in famine" (Psa 33:18,19). His eye is upon them; that is, to

watch over them for good. He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.

His eyes are upon them, and he will keep them as a shepherd doth his sheep; that

is, from those wolves that seek to devour them, and to swallow them up in death.

His eyes are upon them; for they are the object of his delight, the rarities of the

world, in whom, saith he, is all my delight. His eye is upon them, as I said

before, to teach and instruct them—"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the

way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye" (Psa 32:8; 2 Chron

7:15,16). The eye of the Lord, therefore, is upon them, not to take advantage of

them, to destroy them for their sins, but to guide, to help, and deliver them from

death; from that death that would feed upon their souls—"To deliver their soul

from death and to keep them alive in famine." Take death here for death

spiritual, and death eternal; and the famine here, not for that that is for want of

bread and water, but for that which comes on many for want of the Word of the

Lord (Rev 20:14; Amos 8:11,12); and then the sense is this, the man that feareth

the Lord shall neither die spiritually nor eternally; for God will keep him with

his eye from all those things that would in such a manner kill him. Again, should

there be a famine of the Word; should there want both the Word and them that

preach it in the place that thou dost dwell, yet bread shall be given thee, and thy

water shall be sure; thou shalt not die of the famine, because thou fearest God. I

say, that man shall not, behold he shall not, because he feareth God, and this the

next head doth yet more fully manifest.

Fifth Privilege. Dost thou fear God? fear him for this advantage more and

more—"O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him.

The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord," that

fear him, "shall not want any good thing" (Psa 34:9,10). Not anything that God

sees good for them shall those men want that fear the Lord. If health will do

them good, if sickness will do them good, if riches will do them good, if poverty

will do them good, if life will do them good, if death will do them good, then

they shall not want them, neither shall any of these come nigh them, if they will

not do them good. The lions, the wicked people [19] of the world that fear not

God, are not made sharers in this great privilege; all things fall out to them

contrary, because they fear not God. In the midst of their sufficiency, they are in

want of that good that God puts into the worst things that the man that feareth

God doth meet with in the world.

Sixth Privilege. Dost thou fear God? he hath given charge to the armies of

heaven to look after, take charge of, to camp about, and to deliver thee—"The

angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth

them" (Psa 34:7). This also is a privilege entailed to them that in all generations

fear the Lord. The angels, the heavenly creatures, have it in commission to take

the charge of them that fear the Lord; one of them is able to slay of men in one

night 185,000. These are they that camped about Elisha like horses of fire, and

chariots of fire, when the enemy came to destroy him. They also helped

Hezekiah against the band of the enemy, because he feared God (2 Kings 6:17;

Isa 37:36; Jer 26:19). "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them" ;

that is, lest the enemy should set upon them on any side; but let him come where

he will, behind or before, on this side or that, the angel of the Lord is there to

defend them. "The angel." It may be spoken in the singular number, perhaps, to

show that every one that feareth God hath his angel to attend on him, and serve

him. When the church, in the Acts, was told that Peter stood at the door and

knocked; at first they counted the messenger mad, but when she did constantly

affirm it, they said, It is his angel (Acts 12:13-15). So Christ saith of the children

that came unto him, "their angels behold the face of my Father which is in

heaven." Their angels; that is, those of them that feared God, had each of them

his angel, who had a charge from God to keep them in their way. We little think

of this, yet this is the privilege of them that fear the Lord; yea, if need be, they

shall all come down to help them and to deliver them, rather than, contrary to

the mind of their God, they should by any be abused—"Are they not all

ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of

salvation?" (Heb 1:14).

[Quest.] But how do they deliver them? for so says the text—"The angel of the

Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." Answ.

The way that they take to deliver them that fear the Lord, is sometimes by

smiting of their enemies with blindness, that they may not find them; and so

they served the enemies of Lot (Gen 19:10,11). Sometimes by smiting of them

with deadly fear; and so they served those that laid siege against Samaria (2

Kings 7:6). And sometimes by smiting of them even with death itself; and thus

they served Herod, after he had attempted to kill the apostle James, and also

sought to vex certain others of the church (Acts 12). These angels that are

servants to them that fear the Lord, are them that will, if God doth bid them,

revenge the quarrel of his servants upon the stoutest monarch on earth. This,

therefore, is a glorious privilege of the men that fear the Lord. Alas! they are,

some of them, so mean that they are counted not worth taking notice of by the

high ones of the world; but their betters do respect them. The angels of God

count not themselves too good to attend on them, and camp about them to

deliver them. This, then, is the man that hath his angel to wait upon him, even he

that feareth God.

Seventh Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? salvation is nigh unto thee—"Surely

his salvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory may dwell in our land" (Psa

85:9). This is another privilege for them that fear the Lord. I told you before,

that the angel of the Lord did encamp about them, but now he saith, "his

salvation is also nigh them" ; the which although it doth not altogether exclude

the conduct of angels,[20] but include them; yet it looketh further. "Surely his

salvation," his saving, pardoning grace, "is nigh them that fear him" ; that is, to

save them out of the hand of their spiritual enemies. The devil, and sin, and

death, do always wait even to devour them that fear the Lord, but to deliver

them from these his salvation doth attend them. So then, if Satan tempts, here is

their salvation nigh; if sin, by breaking forth, beguiles them, here is God's

salvation nigh them; yea, if death itself shall suddenly seize upon them, why,

here is their God's salvation nigh them.

I have seen that great men's little children must go no whither without their

nurses be at hand. If they go abroad, their nurses must go with them; if they go

to meals, their nurses must go with them; if they go to bed, their nurses must go

with them; yea, and if they fall asleep, their nurses must stand by them. O my

brethren, those little ones that fear the Lord, they are the children of the highest,

therefore they shall not walk alone, be at their spiritual meats alone, go to their

sick-beds, or to their graves alone; the salvation of their God is nigh them, to

deliver them from the evil. This is then the glory that dwells in the land of them

that fear the Lord.

Eighth Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? hearken yet again—"The mercy of

the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his

righteousness unto children's children" (Psa 103:17). This still confirms what

was last asserted, that is, that his salvation is nigh unto them. His salvation, that

is, pardoning mercy, that is nigh them. But mind it, there he says it is nigh them;

but here it is upon them. His mercy is upon them, it covereth them all over, it

encompasseth them about as with a shield. Therefore they are said in another

place to be clothed with salvation, and covered with the robe of righteousness.

The mercy of the Lord is upon them, that is, as I said, to shelter and defend

them. The mercy, the pardoning preserving mercy, the mercy of the Lord is

upon them, who is he then that can condemn them? (Rom 8).

But there yet is more behind, "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to

everlasting upon them." It was designed for them before the world was, and

shall be upon them when the world itself is ended; from everlasting to

everlasting it is on them that fear him. This from everlasting to everlasting is

that by which, in another place, the eternity of God himself is declared—"From

everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Psa 90:2). The meaning, then, may be

this; that so long as God hath his being, so long shall the man that feareth him

find mercy at his hand. According to that of Moses—"The eternal God is thy

refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and he shall thrust out the

enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them" (Deut 33:27).

Child of God, thou that fearest God, here is mercy nigh thee, mercy enough,

everlasting mercy upon thee. This is long-lived mercy. It will live longer than

thy sin, it will live longer than temptation, it will live longer than thy sorrows, it

will live longer than thy persecutors. It is mercy from everlasting to contrive thy

salvation, and mercy to everlasting to weather it out with all thy adversaries.

Now what can hell and death do to him that hath this mercy of God upon him?

And this hath the man that feareth the Lord. Take that other blessed word, and O

thou man that fearest the Lord, hang it like a chain of gold about thy neck—"As

the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear

him" (Psa 103:11). If mercy as big, as high, and as good as heaven itself will be

a privilege, the man that feareth God shall have a privilege.

Ninth Privilege. Dost thou fear God?—"Like as a father pitieth his children, so

the Lord pitieth them that fear him" (Psa 103:13).

" The Lord pitieth them that fear him" ; that is, condoleth and is affected, feeleth

and sympathizeth with them in all their afflictions. It is a great matter for a poor

man to be in this manner in the affections of the great and mighty, but for a poor

sinner to be thus in the heart and affections of God, and they that fear him are

so, this is astonishing to consider. "In his love and in his pity he redeemed

them." In his love and in his pity! "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the

angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them,

and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old" (Isa 63:9). I say, in that

he is said to pity them, it is as much as to say, he condoleth, feeleth, and

sympathizeth with them in all their afflictions and temptations. So that this is the

happiness of him that feareth God, he has a God to pity him and to be touched

with all his miseries. It is said in Judges, "His soul was grieved for the misery of

Israel" (Judg 10:16). And in the Hebrews, he is "touched with the feeling of our

infirmities," and can "succour them that are tempted" (4:15, 2:17,18).

But further, let us take notice of the comparison. "As a father pitieth his

children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Here is not only pity, but the

pity of a relation, a father. It is said in another place; "Can a woman," a mother,

"forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her

womb? yea, they may, yet will not I forget thee." The pity of neighbours and

acquaintance helpeth in times of distress, but the pity of a father and a mother is

pity with an over and above. "The Lord," says James, "is very pitiful, and of

tender mercy." Pharaoh called Joseph his tender father,[21] because he provided

for him against the famine, but how tender a father is God! how full of bowels!

how full of pity! (James 5:11; Gen 41:43). It is said, that when Ephraim was

afflicted, God's bowels were troubled for him, and turned within him towards

him. O that the man that feareth the Lord did but believe the pity and bowels

that are in the heart of God and his father towards him (Jer 31:18-20).

Tenth Privilege. Dost thou fear God?—"He will fulfil the desire of them that

fear him; he also will hear their cry, and will save them" (Psa 145:19). Almost

all those places that make mention of the men that fear God, do insinuate as if

they still were under affliction, or in danger by reason of an enemy. But I say,

here is still their privilege, their God is their father and pities them—"He will

fulfil the desire of them that fear him." Where now is the man that feareth the

Lord? let him hearken to this. What sayest thou, poor soul? will this content

thee, the Lord will fulfil thy desires? It is intimated of Adonijah, that David his

father did let him have his head and his will in all things. "His father," says the

text, "had not displeased him at any time in (so much as) saying, Why hast thou

done so?" (1 Kings 1:6). But here is more, here is a promise to grant thee the

whole desire of thy heart, according to the prayer of holy David, "The Lord

grant thee, according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel." And again,

"The Lord fulfil all thy petitions" (Psa 20).

O thou that fearest the Lord, what is thy desire? All my desire, says David, is all

my salvation (2 Sam 23:5), so sayest thou, "All my salvation" is "all my desire."

Well, the desire of thy soul is granted thee, yea, God himself hath engaged

himself even to fulfil this thy desire—"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear

him, he also will hear their cry, and will save them." O this desire when it

cometh, what a tree of life will it be to thee! Thou desirest to be rid of thy

present trouble; the Lord shall rid thee out of trouble. Thou desirest to be

delivered from temptation; the Lord shall deliver thee out of temptation. Thou

desirest to be delivered from thy body of death; and the Lord shall change this

thy vile body, that it may be like to his glorious body. Thou desirest to be in the

presence of God, and among the angels in heaven. This thy desire also shall be

fulfilled, and thou shalt be made equal to the angels (Exo 6:6; 2 Peter 2:9; Phil

3:20,21; Luke 16:22, 20:35,36). O but it is long first! Well, learn first to live

upon thy portion in the promise of it, and that will make thy expectation of it

sweet. God will fulfil thy desires, God will do it, though it tarry long. Wait for it,

because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Eleventh Privilege. Dost thou fear God?—"The Lord taketh pleasure in them

that fear him" (Psa 147:11). They that fear God are among his chief delights. He

delights in his Son, he delights in his works, and takes pleasure in them that fear

him. As a man takes pleasure in his wife, in his children, in his gold, in his

jewels; so the man that fears the Lord is the object of his delight. He takes

pleasure in their prosperity, and therefore sendeth them health from the

sanctuary, and makes them drink of the river of his pleasures (Psa 35:27). "They

shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make

them drink of the river of thy pleasures" (Psa 36:8). That or those that we take

pleasure in, that or those we love to beautify and adorn with many ornaments.

We count no cost too much to be bestowed on those in whom we place our

delight, and whom we make the object of our pleasure. And even thus it is with

God. "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people," and what follows? "he will

beautify the meek with salvation" (Psa 149:4).

Those in whom we delight, we take pleasure in their actions; yea, we teach

them, and give them such rules and laws to walk by, as may yet make them that

we love more pleasurable in our eyes. Therefore they that fear God, since they

are the object of his pleasure, are taught to know how to please him in

everything (1 Thess 4:1). And hence it is said, that he is ravished with their

looks, that he delighteth in their cry, and that he is pleased with their walking

(Can 4:9; Prov 15:8, 11:20).

Those in whom we delight and take pleasure, many things we will bear and put

up that they do, though they be not according to our minds. A man will suffer

that in, and put up that at, the hand of the child or wife of his pleasure, that he

will not pass by nor put up in another. They are my jewels, says God, even them

that fear me; and I will spare them, in all their comings-short of my will, "even

as a man spareth his own son that serveth him" (Mal 3:16,17). O how happy is

the man that feareth God! His good thoughts, his good attempts to serve him,

and his good life pleases him, because he feareth God.

You know how pleasing in our eyes the actions of our children are, when we

know that they do what they do even of a reverent fear and awe of us; yea,

though that which they do amounts but to little, we take it well at their hands,

and are pleased therewith. The woman that cast in her two mites into the

treasury, cast in not much, for they both did but make one farthing; yet how doth

the Lord Jesus trumpet her up,[22] he had pleasure in her, and in her action (Mark

12:41-44). This, therefore, that the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, is

another of their great privileges.

Twelfth Privilege. Dost thou fear God? the least dram of that fear giveth the

privilege to be blessed with the biggest saint—"He will bless them that fear the

Lord, small and great" (Psa 115:13). This word small may be taken three

ways—1. For those that are small in esteem, for those that are but little

accounted of (Judg 6:15; 1 Sam 18:23). Art thou small or little in this sense, yet

if thou fearest God, thou art sure to be blessed. "He will bless them that fear

him, small and great," be thou never so small in the world's eyes, in thine own

eyes, in the saints' eyes, as sometimes one saint is little in another saint's eye;

yet thou, because thou fearest God, art put among the blessed. 2. By small,

sometimes is meant those that are but small of stature, or young in years, little

children, that are easily passed by and looked over: as those that sang Hosanna

in the temple were, when the Pharisees deridingly said of them to Christ,

"Hearest thou what these say?" (Matt 21:16). Well, but Christ would not despise

them, of them that feared God, but preferred them by the Scripture testimony far

before those that did contemn them. Little children, how small soever, and

although of never so small esteem with men, shall also, if they fear the Lord, be

blessed with the greatest saints—"He will bless them that fear him, small and

great." 3. By small may sometimes be meant those that are small in grace or

gifts; these are said to be the least in the church, that is, under this consideration,

and so are by it least esteemed (Matt 25:45). Thus also is that of Christ to be

understood, "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not

to me" (1 Cor 6:4).

Art thou in thine own thoughts, or in the thoughts of others, of these last small

ones, small in grace, small in gifts, small in esteem upon this account, yet if thou

fearest God, if thou fearest God indeed, thou art certainly blessed with the best

of saints. The least star stands as fixed, as the biggest of them all, in heaven. "He

will bless them that fear him, small and great." He will bless them, that is, with

the same blessing of eternal life. For the different degrees of grace in saints doth

not make the blessing, as to its nature, differ. It is the same heaven, the same

life, the same glory, and the same eternity of felicity that they are in the text

promised to be blessed with. That is observable which I mentioned before,

where Christ at the day of judgment particularly mentioneth and owneth the

least—"Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least." The least then was there,

in his kingdom and in his glory, as well as the biggest of all. "He will bless them

that fear him, small and great." The small are named first in the text, and are so

the first in rank; it may be to show that though they may be slighted and little set

by in the world, yet they are much set by in the eyes of the Lord.

Are great saints only to have the kingdom, and the glory everlasting? Are great

works only to be rewarded? works that are done by virtue of great grace, and the

abundance of the gifts of the Holy Ghost? No: "Whosoever shall give to drink

unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple,

verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his (a disciple's) reward." Mark,

here is but a little gift, a cup of cold water, and that given to a little saint, but

both taken special notice of by our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 10:42). "He will give

reward to his servants the prophets, and to his saints, and to them that fear his

name, small and great" (Rev 11:18). The small, therefore, among them that fear

God, are blessed with the great, as the great, with the same salvation, the same

glory, and the same eternal life; and they shall have, even as the great ones also

shall, as much as they can carry; as much as their hearts, souls, bodies, and

capacities can hold.

Thirteenth Privilege. Dost thou fear God? why, the Holy Ghost hath on purpose

indited for thee a whole psalm to sing concerning thyself. So that thou mayest

even as thou art in thy calling, bed, journey, or whenever, sing out thine own

blessed and happy condition to thine own comfort and the comfort of thy

fellows. The psalm is called the 128th Psalm; I will set it before thee, both as it

is in the reading[23] and in the singing Psalms—

" Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. For thou

shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with

thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house; thy

children, like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man

be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion; and thou

shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy

children's children, and peace upon Israel."

AS IT IS SUNG.

Blessed art thou that fearest God,

And walkest in his way:

For of thy labour thou shalt eat;

Happy art thou, I say!

Like fruitful vines on thy house side,

So doth thy wife spring out;

Thy children stand like olive plants

Thy table round about.

Thus art thou blest that fearest God,

And he shall let thee see

The promised Jerusalem,

And her felicity.

Thou shalt thy children's children see,

To thy great joy's increase;

And likewise grace on Israel,

Prosperity and peace.[24]

And now I have done with the privileges when I have removed one objection.

Object. But the Scripture says, "perfect love casteth our fear" ; and therefore it

seems that saints, after that a spirit of adoption is come, should not fear, but do

their duty, as another Scripture saith, without it (1 John 4:18; Luke 1:74,75).

Answ. Fear, as I have showed you, may be taken several ways. 1. It may be

taken for the fear of devils. 2. It may be taken for the fear of reprobates. 3. It

may be taken for the fear that is wrought in the godly by the Spirit as a spirit of

bondage; or, 4. It may be taken for the fear that I have been but now discoursing

of.

Now the fear that perfect love casts out cannot be that son-like, gracious fear of

God, that I have in this last place been treating of; because that fear that love

casts out hath torment, but so has not the son-like fear. Therefore the fear that

love casts out is either that fear that is like the fear of devils and reprobates, or

that fear that is begot in the heart by the Spirit of God as a spirit of bondage, or

both; for, indeed, all these kinds of fear have torment, and therefore may be cast

out; and are so by the spirit of adoption, which is called the spirit of faith and

love, when he comes with power into the soul; so that without this fear we

should serve him. But to argue from these texts that we ought not to fear God, or

to mix fear with our worship of him, is as much as to say that by the spirit of

adoption we are made very rogues; for not to fear God is by the Scripture

applied to such (Luke 23:40). But for what I have affirmed the Scripture doth

plentifully confirm, saying, "Happy is the man that feareth alway." And again,

"It shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him." Fear,

therefore; the spirit of the fear of the Lord is a grace that greatly beautifies a

Christian, his words, and all his ways: "Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord

be upon you; take heed, and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God,

nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts" (2 Chron 19:7).

I come now to make some use and application of this doctrine.

THE USE OF THIS DOCTRINE.

Having proceeded thus far about this doctrine of the fear of God, I now come to

make some use and application of the whole; and my

[USE FIRST, of Examination.]

FIRST USE shall be a USE OF EXAMINATION. Is this fear of God such an

excellent thing? Is it attended with so many blessed privileges? Then this should

put us, every soul of us, upon a diligent examination of ourselves, to wit,

whether this grace be in us or not, for if it be, then thou art one of these blessed

ones to whom belong these glorious privileges, for thou hast an interest in every

of them; but if it shall appear that this grace is not in thee, then thy state is

fearfully miserable, as hath partly been manifest already, and will further be

seen in what comes after. Now, the better to help thee to consider, and not to

miss in finding out what thou art in thy self-examination, I will speak to this—

First. In general. Second. In particular.

First. In general. No man brings this grace into the world with him. Every one

by nature is destitute of it; for naturally none fear God, there is no fear of God,

none of this grace of fear before their eyes, they do not so much as know what it

is; for this fear flows, as was showed before, from a new heart, faith, repentance

and the like; of which new heart, faith, and repentance, if thou be void, thou art

also void of this godly fear. Men must have a mighty change of heart and life, or

else they are strangers to this fear of God. Alas, how ignorant are the most of

this! Yea, and some are not afraid to say they are not changed, nor desire so to

be. Can these fear God? can these be possessed with this grace of fear? No:

"Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God" (Psa 55:19; Psa

36:1; Rom 3:18).

Wherefore, sinner, consider whoever thou art that art destitute of this fear of

God, thou art void of all other graces; for this fear, as also I have showed,

floweth from the whole stock of grace where it is. There is not one of the graces

of the Spirit, but this fear is in the bowels of it; yea, as I may say, this fear is the

flower and beauty of every grace; neither is there anything, let it look as much

like grace as it will, that will be counted so indeed, if the fruit thereof be not this

fear of God; wherefore, I say again, consider well of this matter, for as thou shalt

be found with reference to this grace, so shall thy judgment be. I have but briefly

treated of this grace, yet have endeavoured, with words as fit as I could, to

display it in its colours before thy face, first by showing you what this fear of

God is, then what it flows from, as also what doth flow from it; to which, as was

said before, I have added several privileges that are annexed to this fear, that by

all, if it may be, thou mayest see it if thou hast it, and thyself without it if thou

hast it not. Wherefore I refer thee thither again for information in this thing; or if

thou art loath to give the book a second reading, but wilt go on to the end now

thou art gotten hither; then

Second and particularly, I conclude with these several propositions concerning

those that fear not God.

1. That man that is proud, and of a high and lofty mind, fears not God. This is

plain from the exhortation, "Be not high-minded, but fear" (Rom 11:20). Here

you see that a high mind and the fear of God are set in direct opposition the one

to the other; and there is in them, closely concluded by the apostle, that where

indeed the one is, there cannot be the other; where there is a high mind, there is

not the fear of God; and where there is the fear of God, the mind is not high but

lowly. Can a man at the same time be a proud man, and fear God too? Why,

then, is it said God beholdeth every one that is proud, and abases him? and

again, He beholds the proud afar off? He therefore that is proud of his person, of

his riches, of his office, of his parts, and the like, feareth not God. It is also

manifest further, for God resisteth the proud, which he would not do, if he

feared him, but in that he sets him at such a distance from him, in that he

testifies that he will abase him and resist him, it is evident that he is not the man

that hath this grace of fear; for that man, as I have showed you, is the man of

God's delight, the object of his pleasure (Psa 138:6; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Mal

4:1).

2. The covetous man feareth not God. This also is plain from the Word, because

it setteth covetousness and the fear of God in direct opposition. Men that fear

God are said to hate covetousness (Exo 18:21). Besides, the covetous man is

called an idolater, and is said to have no part in the kingdom of Christ and of

God. And again, "The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the

covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth" (Eze 33:31; Eph 5:5; Psa 10:3). Hearken to

this, you that hunt the world to take it, you that care not how you get, so you get

the world. Also you that make even religion your stalking-horse to get the

world, you fear not God. And what will you do whose hearts go after your

covetousness? you who are led by covetousness up and down, as it were by the

nose; sometimes to swear, to lie, to cozen, and cheat and defraud, when you can

get the advantage to do it. You are far, very far, from the fear of God. "Ye

adulterers and adulteresses," for so the covetous are called, "know ye not that

the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever, therefore, will be a

friend of the world, is the enemy of God" (James 4:4).

3. The riotous eaters of flesh have not the fear of God. For this is done "without

fear" (Jude 12). Gluttony is a sin little taken notice of, and as little repented of

by those that use it, but yet it is odious in the sight of God, and the practice of it

a demonstration of the want of his fear in the heart: yea, so odious is it, that God

forbids that his people should so much as company with such. "Be not," saith

he, "among wine-bibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh" (Prov 23:20). And he

further tells us, that they that are such, are spots and blemishes to those that keep

them company, for indeed they fear not God (2 Peter 2:13; Rom 13:13; 1 Peter

4:4). Alas! some men are as if they were for nought else born but to eat and to

drink, and pamper their carcasses with the dainties of this world, quite forgetting

why God sent them hither; but such, as is said, fear not God, and so

consequently are of the number of them upon whom the day of judgment will

come at unawares (Luke 21:34).

4. The liar is one that fears not God. This also is evident from the plain text,

"Thou hast lied," saith the Lord, "and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy

heart: have not I held my peace even of old," saith the Lord, "and thou fearest

me not?" (Isa 57:11). What lie this was is not material; it was a lie, or a course

of lying that is here rebuked, and the person or persons in this practice, as is

said, were such as feared not God; a course of lying and the fear of God cannot

stand together. This sin of lying is a common sin, and it walketh in the world in

several guises. There is the profane scoffing liar, there is the cunning artificial

liar, there is the hypocritical religious liar, with liars of other ranks and degrees.

But none of them all have the fear of God, nor shall any of them, they not

repenting, escape the damnation of hell—"All liars shall have their part in the

lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev 21:8). Heaven and the New

Jerusalem are not a place for such—"And there shall in no wise enter into it

anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie"

(v 27). Therefore another scripture says that all liars are without—"For without

are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and

whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" (Rev 22:15). But this should not be their

sentence, judgment, and condemnation, if they that are liars were such as had in

them this blessed fear of God.

5. They fear not God who cry unto him for help in the time of their calamity,

and when they are delivered, they return to their former rebellion. This, Moses,

in a spirit of prophecy, asserteth at the time of the mighty judgment of the hail.

Pharaoh then desired him to pray to God that he would take away that judgment

from him. Well, so I will, said Moses, "But as for thee and thy servants, I know

that ye will not yet fear the Lord God" (Exo 9:30). As who should say, I know

that so soon as this judgment is removed, you will to your old rebellion again.

And what greater demonstration can be given that such a man feareth not God,

than to cry to God to be delivered from affliction to prosperity, and to spend that

prosperity in rebellion against him? This is crying for mercies that they may be

spent, or that we may have something to spend upon our lusts, and in the service

of Satan (John 4:1-3). Of these God complains in the sixteenth of Ezekiel, and in

the second of Hosea—"Thou hast," saith God, "taken thy fair jewels of my gold

and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images" &c.

(Eze 16:17). This was for want of the fear of God. Many of this kind there be

now in the world, both of men, and women, and children; art not thou that

readest this book of this number? Hast thou not cried for health when sick, for

wealth when poor, when lame for strength, when in prison for liberty, and then

spent all that thou gottest by thy prayer in the service of Satan, and to gratify thy

lusts? Look to it, sinner, these things are signs that with thy heart thou fearest

not God.

6. They fear not God that way-lay his people and seek to overthrow them, or to

turn them besides the right path, as they are journeying from hence to their

eternal rest. This is evident from the plain text, "Remember," saith God, "what

Amalek did unto thee by the way when ye were come forth out of Egypt; how he

met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble

behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary, and he feared not God" (Deut

25:17,18). Many such Amalekites there be now in the world that set themselves

against the feeble of the flock, against the feeble of the flock especially, still

smiting them, some by power, some with the tongue, some in their lives and

estates, some in their names and reputations, by scandals, slanders, and

reproach, but the reason of this their ungodly practice is this, they fear not God.

For did they fear him, they would be afraid to so much as think, much more of

attempting to afflict and destroy, and calumniate the children of God; but such

there have been, such there are, and such there will be in the world, for all men

fear not God.

7. They fear not God who see his hand upon backsliders for their sins, and yet

themselves will be backsliders also. "I saw," saith God, "when for all the causes

whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I had put her away, and given

her a bill of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and

played the harlot also" (Jer 3:8, 2:19). Judah saw that her sister was put away,

and delivered by God into the hands of Shalmaneser, who carried her away

beyond Babylon, and yet, though she saw it, she went and played the harlot

also—a sign of great hardness of heart, and of the want of the fear of God

indeed. For this fear, had it been in her heart, it would have taught her to have

trembled at the judgment that was executed upon her sister, and not to have gone

and played the harlot also: and not to have done it while her sister's judgment

was in sight and memory. But what is it that a heart that is destitute of the fear of

God will not do? No sin comes amiss to such: yea, they will sin, they will do

that themselves, for the doing of which they believe some are in hell-fire, and all

because they fear not God.

But pray observe, if those that take not warning when they see the hand of God

upon backsliders, are said to have none of the fear of God, have they it, think

you, that lay stumbling-blocks in the way of God's people, and use devices to

cause them to backslide, yea, rejoice when they can do this mischief to any? and

yet many of this sort there are in the world, that even rejoice when they see a

professor fall into sin, and go back from his profession, as if they had found

some excellent thing.

8. They fear not God who can look upon a land as wallowing in sin, and yet are

not humbled at the sight thereof. "Have ye," said God by the prophet to the

Jews, "forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings

of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, which they have committed in the

land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? They are not humbled to this day,

neither have they feared, nor walked in my law" (Jer 44:9,10). Here is a land full

of wickedness, and none to bewail it, for they wanted the fear of God, and love

to walk in his law. But how say you, if they that are not humbled at their own

and others' wickedness are said not to fear, or have the fear of God, what shall

we think or say of such that receive, that nourish and rejoice in such

wickedness? Do they fear God? Yea, what shall we say of such that are the

inventors and promoters of wickedness, as of oaths, beastly talk, or the like? Do

they, do you think, fear God? Once again, what shall we say of such that cannot

be content to be wicked themselves, and to invent and rejoice in other men's

wickedness, but must hate, reproach, vilify and abuse those that they cannot

persuade to be wicked? Do they fear God?

9. They that take more heed to their own dreams than to the Word of God, fear

not God. This also is plain from the Word—"For in the multitude of dreams,

there are also divers vanities, but fear thou God" ; that is, take heed unto his

Word (Eccl 5:7; Isa 8:20). Here the fearing of God is opposed to our overmuch

heeding dreams: and there is implied, that it is for want of the fear of God that

men so much heed those things. What will they say to this that give more heed

to a suggestion that ariseth from their foolish hearts, or that is cast in thither by

the devil, than they do to the holy Word of God? These are "filthy dreamers."

Also, what shall we say to those that are more confident of the mercy of God to

their soul, because he hath blessed them with outward things, than they are

afraid of his wrath and condemnation, though the whole of the Word of God

doth fully verify the same? These are "filthy dreamers" indeed.

A dream is either real, or so by way of semblance, and so some men dream

sleeping, and some waking (Isa 29:7). And as those that a man dreams sleeping

are caused either by God, Satan, business, flesh, or the like; so are they that a

man dreams waking, to pass by those that we have in our sleep. Men, when

bodily awake, may have dreams, that is, visions from heaven; such are all they

that have a tendency to discover to the sinner his state, or the state of the church

according to the Word. But those that are from Satan, business, and the flesh, are

such—especially the first and last, to wit, from Satan and the flesh—as tend to

embolden men to hope for good in a way disagreeing with the Word of God.[25]

These Jude calls "filthy dreamers," such whose principles were their dreams, and

they led them "to defile the flesh," that is, by fornication and uncleanness; "to

despise dominion," that the reins might be laid upon the neck of their lusts; "to

speak evil of dignities," of those that God had set over them, for their governing

in all the law and testament of Christ, these dreamt that to live like brutes, to be

greedy of gain, and to take away for it, as Cain and Balaam did by their wiles,

the lives of the owners thereof, would go for good coin in the best of trials.

These also Peter speaks of (2 Peter 2). And he makes their dreams, that Jude

calls so, their principle and errors in life and doctrine; you may read of them in

that whole chapter, where they are called cursed children, and so by

consequence such as fear not God.

10. They fear not God, who are sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, and that

oppress the hireling of his wages. It is a custom with some men to keep back by

fraud from the hireling that which by covenant they agreed to pay for their

labour; pinching, I say, and paring from them their due that of right belongs to

them, to the making of them cry in "the ears of the Lord of sabaoth" (James 5:4).

These fear not God; they are reckoned among the worst of men, and in their day

of account God himself will bear witness against them. "And I," saith God, "will

come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the

adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the

hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the

stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord" (Mal 3:5).

11. They fear not God, who instead of pitying of, rail at God's people in their

affliction, temptations, and persecutions, and rather rejoice and skip for joy, than

sympathize with them in their sorrow. Thus did David's enemies, thus did

Israel's enemies, and thus did the thief, he railed at Christ when he hanged upon

the cross, and was for that, even by his fellow, accounted for one that feared not

God (Luke 23:40; Psa 35:1,22-26. Read Oba 10-15; Jer 48:2-6). This is a

common thing among the children of men, even to rejoice at the hurt of them

that fear God, and it ariseth even of an inward hatred to godliness. They hate

you, saith Christ, because they hated me. Therefore Christ takes what is done to

his, in this, as done unto himself, and so to holiness of life. But this falls hard

upon such as despise at, and rejoice to see, God's people in their griefs, and that

take the advantage, as dogged Shimei did, to augment the griefs and afflictions

of God's people (2 Sam 16:5-8). These fear not God, they do this of enmity, and

their sin is such as will hardly be blotted out (1 Kings 2:8,9).

12. They fear not God, who are strangers to the effects of fear. "If I be a master,

where is my fear?" That is, show that I am so by your fear of me in the effects of

your fear of me. "You offer polluted bread upon mine altar." This is not a sign

that you fear me, ye offer the blind for sacrifices, where is my fear? ye offer the

lame and the sick, these are not the effects of the fear of God (Mal 1:6-8).

Sinner, it is one thing to say, I fear God, and another to fear him indeed.

Therefore, as James says, show me thy faith by thy works, so here God calls for

a testimony of thy fear by the effects of fear. I have already showed you several

effects of fear; if thou art a stranger to them, thou art a stranger to this grace of

fear. Therefore, to conclude this, it is not a feigned profession that will do;

nothing is good here, but what is salted with this fear of God, and they that fear

him are men of truth, men of singleness of heart, perfect, upright, humble, holy

men; wherefore, reader, examine, and again, I say examine, and lay the Word

and thy heart together, before that thou concludest that thou fearest God.

What! fear God, and in a state of nature? fear God without a change of heart and

life? What! fear God and be proud, and covetous, a wine-bibber, and a riotous

eater of flesh? How! fear God and a liar, and one that cries for mercies to spend

them upon thy lusts? This would be strange. True, thou mayest fear as devils do,

but what will that profit? Thou mayest by thy fear be driven away from God,

from his worship, people, and ways, but what will that avail? It may be thou

mayest so fear at present, as to be a little stopped in thy sinful course; perhaps

thou hast got a knock from the Word of God, and are at present a little dazzled

and hindered from being in thy former and full career after sin; but what of that?

if by the fear that thou hast, thy heart is not united to God, and to the love of his

Son, Word, and people, thy fear is nothing worth.[26] Many men also are forced

to fear God, as underlings are forced to fear those that are by force above them.

If thou only thus fearest God, it is but a false fear; it flows not from love to God:

this fear brings not willing subjection, which indeed brings the effect of right

fear; but being over-mastered like an hypocrite, thou subjected thyself by

feigned obedience, being forced, I say, by mere dread to do it (Psa 66:3).

It is said of David, "that the fame of him went out into all lands, and the Lord

brought the fear of him upon all nations" (1 Chron 14:17). But what, did they

now love David? did they now choose him to be their king? no verily; they,

many of them, rather hated him, and, when they could, made resistance against

him. They did even as thou dost—feared, but did not love; feared, but did not

choose his government that ruled over them. It is also said of Jehoshaphat, when

God had subdued before him Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that "the fear of

God was on all the kingdoms of these countries, when they had heard that the

Lord fought against the enemies of Israel" (2 Chron 20:29). But, I say, was this

fear, that is called now the fear of God, anything else, but a dread of the

greatness of power of the king? No verily, nor did that dread bring them into a

willing subjection to, and liking of his laws and government; it only made them

like slaves and underlings, stand in fear of his executing the vengeance of God

upon them.

Therefore still, notwithstanding this fear, they were rebels to him in their hearts,

and when occasion and advantage offered themselves, they showed it by rising

in rebellion against Israel. This fear therefore provoked but feigned and forced

obedience, a right emblem of the obedience of such, who being still enemies in

their minds to God, are forced by virtue of present conviction to yield a little,

even of fear to God, to his Word, and to his ordinances. Reader, whoever thou

art, think of this, it is thy concern, therefore do it, and examine, and examine

again, and look diligently to thy heart in thine examination, that it beguile thee

not about this thy so great concern, as indeed the fear of God is.

One thing more, before I leave thee, let me warn thee of. Take heed of deferring

to fear the Lord. Some men, when they have had conviction upon their heart that

the fear of God is not in them, have through the overpowering of their

corruptions yet deferred and put off the fear of God from them, as it is said of

them in Jeremiah: "This people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are

revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord" (Jer

5:23,24). They saw that the judgments of God attended them because they did

not yet fear God, but that conviction would not prevail with them to say, "Let us

now fear the Lord." They were for deferring to fear him still; they were for

putting off his fear from them longer. Sinner, hast thou deferred to fear the

Lord? is thy heart still so stubborn as not to say yet, "Let us fear the Lord?" O!

the Lord hath taken notice of this thy rebellion, and is preparing some dreadful

judgment for thee. "Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord; shall not my

soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" (v 29). Sinner, why shouldest thou

pull vengeance down upon thee? why shouldest thou pull vengeance down from

heaven upon thee? Look up, perhaps thou hast already been pulling this great

while, to pull it down upon thee. O! pull no longer; why shouldest thou be thine

own executioner? Fall down upon thy knees, man, and up with thy heart and thy

hands to the God that dwells in the heavens; cry, yea cry aloud, Lord, unite mine

heart to fear thy name, and do not harden mine heart from thy fear. Thus holy

men have cried before thee, and by crying have prevented judgment.

[A few things that may provoke thee to fear the Lord.]

Before I leave this use, let me give thee a few things, that, if God will, may

provoke thee to fear the Lord.

1. The man that feareth not God, carrieth it worse towards him than the beast,

the brute beast, doth carry it towards that man. "The fear of you, and the dread

of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth," yea, "and upon every fowl of the

air," and "upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea"

(Gen 9:2).

Mark, all my creatures shall fear you, and dread you, says God. None of them

shall be so hardy as to cast of all reverence of you. But what a shame is this to

man, that God should subject all his creatures to him, and he should refuse to

stoop his heart to God? The beast, the bird, the fish, and all, have a fear and

dread of man, yea, God has put it in their hearts to fear man, and yet man is void

of fear and dread, I mean of godly fear of him, that thus lovingly hath put all

things under him. Sinner, art thou not ashamed, that a silly cow, a sheep, yea, a

swine, should better observe the law of his creation, than thou dost the law of

thy God?

2. Consider, he that will not fear God, God will make him fear him whether he

will or no. That is, he that doth not, will not now so fear him, as willingly to bow

before him, and put his neck into his yoke. God will make him fear him when he

comes to take vengeance on him. Then he will surround him with terror, and

with fear on every side, fear within, and fear without; fear shall be in the way,

even in the way that thou goest when thou art going out of this world; and that

will be dreadful fear (Eccl 12:5). "I will bring their fears upon them," saith the

Lord (Isa 66:4).

3. He that fears not God now, the Lord shall laugh at his fears then. Sinner, God

will be even with all them that choose not to have his fear in their hearts: for as

he calls and they hear not now, so they shall cry, yea, howl then, and he will

laugh at their fears. "I will laugh," saith he, "at their destruction; I will mock

when their fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation and your

destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you;

then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer: they shall seek me early, but

they shall not find me, for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the

fear of the Lord" (Prov 1:27-29).

Sinner! thou thinkest to escape the fear; but what wilt thou do with the pit? Thou

thinkest to escape the pit; but what wilt thou do with the snare? The snare, say

you, what is that? I answer, it is even the work of thine own hands. "The wicked

is snared in the work of his own hands," he is "snared by the transgression of his

lips" (Psa 9:16; Prov 12:13).

Sinner! what wilt thou do when thou comest into this snare; that is, into the guilt

and terror that thy sins will snaffle[27] thee with, when they, like a cord, are

fastened about thy soul? This snare will bring thee back again to the pit, which is

hell, and then how wilt thou do to be rid of thy fear? The fear, pit, and the snare

shall come upon thee, because thou fearest not God.

Sinner! art thou one of them that hast cast off fear? poor man, what wilt thou do

when these three things beset thee? whither wilt thou fly for help? And where

wilt thou leave thy glory? If thou fliest from the fear, there is the pit; if thou

fliest from the pit, there is the snare.

[USE SECOND, an exhortation to fear God.]

SECOND USE. My next word shall be AN EXHORTATION TO FEAR GOD. I

mean an exhortation to saints—"O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no

want to them that fear him." Not but that every saint doth fear God, but as the

apostle saith in another case, "I beseech you, do it more and more." The fear of

the Lord, as I have showed you, is a grace of the new covenant, as other saving

graces are, and so is capable of being stronger or weaker, as other graces are.

Wherefore I beseech you, fear him more and more.

It is said of Obadiah, that he feared the Lord greatly: every saint fears the Lord,

but every saint does not greatly fear him. O there are but few Obadiahs in the

world, I mean among the saints on earth: see the whole relation of him (1 Kings

18). As Paul said of Timothy, "I have none like-minded," so it may be said of

some concerning the fear of the Lord; they have scarce a fellow. So it was with

Job, "There is none like him in the earth, one that feareth God," &c. (Job 1:8).

There was even none in Job's day that feared God like him, no, there was not

one like him in all the earth, but doubtless there were more in the world that

feared God; but this fearing of him greatly, that is the thing that saints should do,

and that was the thing that Job did do, and in that he did outstrip his fellows. It is

also said of Hananiah, that "he was a faithful man, and feared God above many"

(Neh 7:2). He also had got, as to the exercise of, and growth in, this grace, the

start of many of his brethren. He "feared God above many." Now then, seeing

this grace admits of degrees, and is in some stronger, and in some weaker, let us

be all awakened as to other graces, so to this grace also. That like as you abound

in everything, in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, and in all diligence, and in

your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. I will labour to enforce this

exhortation upon you by several motives.

First. Let God's distinguishing love to you be a motive to you to fear him

greatly. He hath put his fear in thy heart, and hath not given that blessing to thy

neighbour; perhaps not to thy husband, thy wife, thy child, or thy parent. O what

an obligation should this consideration lay upon thy heart greatly to fear the

Lord! Remember also, as I have showed in the first part of this book, that this

fear of the Lord is his treasure, a choice jewel, given only to favourites, and to

those that are greatly beloved. Great gifts naturally tend to oblige, and will do

so, I trust, with thee, when thou shalt ingeniously consider it. It is a sign of a

very bad nature when the contrary shows itself; could God have done more for

thee than to have put his fear in thy heart? This is better than to have given thee

a place even in heaven without it. Yea, had he given thee all faith, all

knowledge, and the tongue of men and angels, and a place in heaven to boot,

they had all been short of this gift, of the fear of God in thy heart. Therefore love

it, nourish it, exercise it, use all means to cause it to increase and grow in thy

heart, that it may appear it is set by at thy hand, poor sinner.

Second. Another motive to stir thee up to grow in this grace of the fear of God

may be the privileges that it lays thee under. What or where wilt thou find in the

Bible, so many privileges so affectionately entailed to any grace, as to this of the

fear of God? God speaks of this grace, and of the privileges that belong unto it,

as if, to speak with reverence, he knew not how to have done blessing of the

man that hath it. It seems to me as if this grace of fear is the darling grace, the

grace that God sets his heart upon at the highest rate. As it were, he embraces

the hugs, and lays the man in his bosom, that hath, and grows strong in this

grace of the fear of God. See again the many privileges in which the man is

interested that hath this grace in his heart: and see also that there are but few of

them, wherever mentioned, but have entailed to them the pronunciation of a

blessing, or else that man is spoken of by way of admiration.

Third. Another motive may be this: The man that groweth in this grace of the

fear of the Lord will escape those evils that others will fall into. Where this

grace is, it keepeth the soul from final apostasy, "I will put my fear in their

hearts, that they shall not depart from me" (Jer 32:40). But yet, if there be not an

increase in this grace, much evil may attend, and be committed notwithstanding.

There is a child that is healthy, and hath its limbs, and can go, but it is careless;

now the evil of carelessness doth disadvantage it very much; carelessness is the

cause of stumblings, of falls, of knocks, and that it falls into the dirt, yea, that

sometimes it is burned, or almost drowned. And thus it is, even with God's

people that fear him, because they add not to their fear a care of growing more

in the fear of God, therefore they reap damage; whereas, were they more in his

fear, it would keep them better, deliver them more, and preserve them from

these snares of death.

Fourth. Another motive may be this: To grow in this grace of the fear of God, is

the way to be kept always in a conscientious performance of Christian duties.

An increase in this grace, I say, keeps every grace in exercise, and the keeping

of our graces in their due exercise, produceth a conscientious performance of

duties. Thou hast a watch perhaps in thy pocket, but the hand will not as yet be

kept in any good order, but does always give the lie as to the hour of the day;

well, but what is the way to remedy this, but to look well to the spring, and the

wheels within? for if they indeed go right, so will the hand do also. This is thy

case in spiritual things; thou art a gracious man, and the fear of God is in thee,

but yet for all that, one cannot well tell, by thy life, what time of day it is.[28]

Thou givest no true and constant sign that thou art indeed a Christian; why, the

reason is, thou dost not look well to this grace of the fear of God. Thou dost not

grow and increase in that, but sufferest thy heart to grow careless, and hard, and

so thy life remiss and worldly: Job's growing great in the fear of God made him

eschew evil (Job 1, 2:3).

Fifth. Another motive is: This is the way to be wise indeed. A wise man feareth

and departeth from evil. It doth not say a wise man hath the grace of fear, but a

wise man feareth, that is, putteth this grace into exercise. There is no greater

sign of wisdom than to grow in this blessed grace. Is it not a sign of wisdom to

depart from sins, which are the snares of death and hell? Is it not a sign of

wisdom for a man yet more and more to endeavour to interest himself in the

love and protection of God? Is it not a high point of wisdom for a man to be

always doing of that which lays him under the conduct of angels? Surely this is

wisdom. And if it be a blessing to have this fear, is it not wisdom to increase in

it? Doubtless it is the highest point of wisdom, as I have showed before,

therefore grow therein.

Sixth. Another motive may be this: It is seemly for saints to fear, and increase in

this fear of God. He is thy Creator; is it not seemly for creatures to fear and

reverence their Creator? He is thy King; is it not seemly for subjects to fear and

reverence their King? He is thy Father; is it not seemly for children to reverence

and fear their Father? yea, and to do it more and more?

Seventh. Another motive may be: It is honourable to grow in this grace of fear;

"When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel" (Hosea 13:1).

Truly, to fear, and to about in this fear, is a sign of a very princely spirit; and the

reason is, when I greatly fear my God, I am above the fear of all others, nor can

anything in this world, be it never so terrible and dreadful, move me at all to fear

them. And hence it is that Christ counsels us to fear—"And I say unto you, my

friends," saith he, "be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no

more that they can do." Aye, but this is a high pitch, how should we come by

such princely spirits? well, I will forewarn you whom you shall fear, and by

fearing of him, arrive to this pitch, "Fear him, which after he hath killed, hath

power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him" (Luke 12:4,5). Indeed this

true fear of God sets a man above all the world. And therefore it saith again,

"Neither fear ye their fear," - but "sanctify the Lord God" in your hearts, "and

let him be your fear, and let him be your dread" (Isa 8:12,13).

Your great ranting, swaggering, roysters,[29] that are ignorant of the nature of the

fear of God, count it a poor, sneaking, pitiful, cowardly spirit in men to fear and

tremble before the Lord; but whoso looks back to jails and gibbets, to the sword

and burning stake, shall see, that there, in them, has been the most mighty and

invincible spirit that has been in the world!

Yea, see if God doth not count that the growth of his people in this grace of fear

is that which makes them honourable, when he positively excludeth those from a

dwelling-place in his house, that do not honour them that fear him (Psa 15:4).

And he saith moreover, "A woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

If the world and godless men will not honour these, they shall be honoured some

way else. Such, saith he, "that honour me I will honour," and they shall be

honoured in heaven, in the churches, and among the angels.

Eighth. Another motive to grow in this fear of God may be: This fear, and the

increase of it, qualifies a man to be put in trust with heavenly and spiritual

things, yea, and with earthly things too.

1. For heavenly and spiritual things. "My covenant," saith God, "was with

[Levi] of life and peace, and I gave them to him, for the fear wherewith he

feared me, and was afraid before my name" (Mal 2:5).

Behold what a gift, what a mercy, what a blessing this Levi is intrusted with; to

wit, with God's everlasting covenant, and with the life and peace that is wrapped

up in this covenant. But why is it given to him? the answer is, "for the fear

wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name." And the reason is

good, for this fear of God teaches a man to put a due estimation upon every gift

of God bestowed upon us; also it teaches us to make use of the same with

reverence of his name, and respect to his glory in most godly-wise, all which

becomes him that is intrusted with any spiritual gift. The gift here was given to

Levi to minister to his brethren doctrinally thereof, for he, saith God, shall teach

Jacob my statutes and Israel my law. See also Exodus 18:21 and Nehemiah 7:2,

with many other places that might be named, and you will find that men fearing

God and hating covetousness; that men that fear God above others, are intrusted

by God, yea, and by his church too, with the trust and ministration of spiritual

things before any other in the world.

2. For earthly things. This fear of God qualifies a man to be put in trust with

them rather than with another. Therefore God made Joseph lord of all Egypt;

Obadiah, steward of Ahab's house; Daniel, Mordecai, and the three children,

were set over the province of Babylon; and this by the wonderful working hand

of God, because he had to dispose of earthly things now, not only in a common

way, but for the good of his people in special. True, when there is no special

matter or thing to be done by God in a nation for his people, then who will (that

is, whether they have grace or no) may have the disposal of those things; but if

God has anything in special to bestow upon his people of this world's goods,

then he will intrust it in the hands of men fearing God. Joseph must now be

made lord of Egypt, because Israel must be kept from starving; Obadiah must

now be made steward of Ahab's house, because the Lord's prophets must be hid

from and fed in despite of the rage and bloody mind of Jezebel; Daniel, with his

companions, and Mordecai also, they were all exalted to earthly and temporal

dignity, that they might in that state, they being men that abounded in the fear of

God, be serviceable to their brethren in their straits and difficulties (Gen 42:18,

41:39; 1 Kings 18:3; Esth 6:10; Dan 2:48, 3:30, 5:29, 6:1-3).

Ninth. Another motive to grow in this grace of fear is, Where the fear of God in

the heart of any is not growing, there no grace thrives, nor duty done as it

should.

There no grace thrives, neither faith, hope, love, nor any grace. This is evident

from that general exhortation, "Perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor

7:1). Perfecting holiness, what is that? but as James says of patience, let every

grace have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing

(James 1:4).

But this cannot be done but in the fear of God, yea, in the exercise of that grace,

and so consequently in the growth of it, for there is no grace but grows by being

exercised. If then you would be perfect in holiness, if you would have every

grace that God has put into your souls, grow and flourish into perfection; lay

them, as I may say, a-soak in this grace of fear,[30] and do all in the exercise of it;

for a little done in the fear of the Lord is better than the revenues of the wicked.

And again, the Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous, the soul that liveth

in the fear of the Lord, to famish, but he casteth away the abundance of the

wicked. Bring abundance to God, and if it be not seasoned with godly fear, it

shall not be acceptable to him, but loathsome and abominable in his sight; for it

doth not flow from the spirit of the fear of the Lord.

Therefore, where there is not a growth in this fear, there is no duty done so

acceptably. This flows from that which goes before, for if grace rather decays

than grows, where this grace of fear is not in the growth and increase thereof,

then duties in their glory and acceptableness decay likewise.

Tenth. Another motive to stir thee up to grow in the increase of this grace of fear

is, It is a grace, do but abound therein, that will give thee great boldness both

with God and men. Job was a man a none-such in his day for one that feared

God; and who so bold with God as Job? who so bold with God, and who so bold

with men as he? How bold was he with God, when he wishes for nothing more

than that he might come even to his seat, and concludes that if he could come at

him, he would approach even as a prince unto him, and as such would order his

cause before him (Job 23:3-7, 31:35-37). Also before his friends, how bold was

he? For ever as they laid to his charge that he was an hypocrite, he repels them

with the testimony of a good conscience, which good conscience he got, and

kept, and maintained by increasing in the fear of God; yea, his conscience was

kept so good by this grace of fear, for it was by that that he eschewed evil, that it

was common with him to appeal to God when accused, and also to put himself

for his clearing under most bitter curses and imprecations (Job 13:3-9, 18,

19:23,24, 31).

This fear of God is it that keeps the conscience clean and tender, and so free

from much of that defilement that even a good man may be afflicted with, for

want of his growth in this fear of God. Yea, let me add, if a man can with a good

conscience say that he desires to fear the name of God, it will add boldness to

his soul in his approaches into the presence of God. "O Lord," said Nehemiah,

"I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and

servants, who desire to fear thy name" (Neh 1:11). He pleaded his desire of

fearing the name of God, as an argument with God to grant him his request; and

the reason was, because God had promised before "to bless them that fear him,

both small and great" (Psa 115:13).

Eleventh. Another motive to stir you up to fear the Lord, and to grow in this fear

is, By it thou mayest have thy labours blessed, to the saving of the souls of

others. It is said of Levi, of whom mention was made before, that he feared God

and was afraid before his name—that he saved others from their sins. "The law

of truth was in his mouth, and he walked with me in peace and equity, and did

turn away many from iniquity" (Mal 2:6). The fear of God that dwelt in his

heart, showed its growth in the sanctifying of the Lord by his life and words, and

the Lord also blessed this his growth herein, by blessing his labours to the

saving of his neighbours.

Wouldest thou save thy husband, thy wife, thy children, &c., then be greatly in

the fear of God.

This Peter teaches, "Wives," saith he, "be in subjection to your own husbands,

that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the

conversation of the wives, while they behold your chaste conversation, coupled

with fear" (1 Peter 3:1,2). So then, if wives and children, yea, if husbands,

wives, children, servants, &c., did but better observe this general rule of Peter,

to wit, of letting their whole conversation be coupled with fear, they might be

made instruments in God's hand of much more good than they are. But the

misery is, the fear of God is wanting in actions, and that is the cause that so little

good is done by those that profess. It is not a conversation that is coupled with a

profession—for a great profession may be attended with a life that is not good,

but scandalous; but it is a conversation coupled with fear of God—that is, with

the impressions of the fear of God upon it—that is convincing and that

ministereth the awakenings of God to the conscience, in order to saving the

unbeliever. O they are a sweet couple, to wit, a Christian conversation coupled

with fear.

The want of this fear of God is that that has been a stumbling-block to the blind

oftentimes. Alas, the world will not be convinced by your talk, by your notions,

and by the great profession that you make, if they see not, therewith mixed, the

lively impressions of the fear of God; but will, as I said, rather stumble and fall,

even at your conversation and at your profession itself. Wherefore, to prevent

this mischief, that is, of stumbling of souls while you make your profession of

God, by a conversation not becoming your profession, God bids you fear him;

implying that a good conversation, coupled with fear, delivers the blind world

from those falls that otherwise they cannot be delivered from. "Thou shalt not

curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling-block before the blind, but shalt fear thy

God: I am the Lord" (Lev 19:14). But shalt fear thy God, that is the remedy that

will prevent their stumbling at you, at what else soever they stumble. Wherefore

Paul says to Timothy, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue

in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee" (1

Tim 4:16).

Twelfth. Another motive to fear, and to grow in this fear of God is, This is the

way to engage God to deliver thee from many outward dangers, whoever falls

therein (Psa 34:7). This is proved from that of the story of the Hebrew

midwives. "The midwives," said Moses, "feared God," and did not drown the

men-children as the king had commanded, but saved them alive. And what

follows? "Therefore God dealt well with the midwives; and it came to pass

because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses" (Exo 1). That is,

he sheltered them and caused them to be hid from the rage and fury of the king,

and that perhaps in some of the houses of the Egyptians themselves for why

might not the midwives be there hid as well as was Moses even in the king's

court?[31] And how many times are they that fear God said to be delivered both

by God and his holy angels? as also I have already showed.

Thirteenth. Another motive to fear and to grow in this fear of God is, This is the

way to be delivered from errors and damnable opinions. There are some that

perish in their righteousness, that is an error; there be some that perish in their

wickedness, and that is an error also. Some again prolong their lives by their

wickedness, and others are righteous over-much, and also some are over-wise,

and all these are snares, and pits, and holes. But then, sayest thou, how shall I

escape? Indeed that is the question, and the Holy Ghost resolves it thus, "He that

feareth God shall come forth of them all" (Eccl 7:18).

Fourteenth. Another motive to fear, and to grow in this fear of God, is, Such as

have leave, be they never so dark in their souls, to come boldly to Jesus Christ,

and to trust in him for life. I told you before, that they that fear God have in the

general a license to trust in him; but now I tell you, and that in particular, that

they, and they especially, may do it, and that though in the dark; you that sit in

darkness and have no light, if this grace of fear be alive in your hearts, you have

this boldness—"Who is among you that feareth the Lord," mark, that feareth the

Lord, "that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath

no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God" (Isa

50:10). It is no small advantage, you know, when men have to deal in difficult

matters, to have a patent or license to deal; now to trust in the Lord is a difficult

thing, yet the best and most gainful of all. But then, some will say, since it is so

difficult, how may we do without danger? Why, the text gives a license, a patent

to them to trust in his name, that have his fear in their hearts—"Let him trust in

the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." [32]

Fifteenth. Another motive to fear and grow in this grace of fear, is, God will

own and acknowledge such to be his, whoever he rejecteth. Yea he will

distinguish and separate them from all others, in the day of his terrible

judgments. He will do with them as he did by those that sighed for the

abominations that were done in the land—command the man that hath his ink-

horn by his side "to set a mark upon their foreheads," that they might not fall in

that judgment with others (Eze 9). So God said plainly of them that feared the

Lord, and that thought upon his name, that they should be writ in his book—"A

book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and

that thought upon his name; and they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in

that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his

own son that serveth him" (Mal 3:16,17). Mark, he both acknowledges them for

his, and also promises to spare them, as a man would spare his own son; yea,

and moreover, will wrap them up as his chief jewels with himself in the bundle

of life. Thus much for the motives.

How to grow in this fear of God.

Having given you these motives to the duty of growing in this fear of God,

before I leave this use, I will, in a few words, show you how you may grow in

this fear of God.

First. Then, if thou wouldest grow in this fear of God, learn aright to distinguish

of fear in general. I mean, learn to distinguish between that fear that is godly,

and that which in itself is indeed ungodly fear of God; and know them well the

one from the other, lest the one, the fear that in itself indeed is ungodly, get the

place, even the upper hand of that which truly is godly fear. And remember the

ungodly fear of God is by God himself counted an enemy to him, and hurtful to

his people, and is therefore most plentifully forbidden in the Word (Gen 3:15,

26:24, 46:3; Exo 14:13, 20:20; Num 14:9, 21:34; Isa 41:10,14, 43:1, 44:2,8;

54:4; Jer 30:10; Dan 10:12,19; Joel 2:21; Hagg 2:5; Zech 8:13).

Second. If thou wouldest grow in this godly fear, learn rightly to distinguish it

from that fear, in particular, that is godly but for a time; even from that fear that

is wrought by the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage. I say, learn to distinguish this

from that, and also perfectly to know the bounds that God hath set to that fear

that is wrought by the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage; lest, instead of growing in

the fear that is to abide with thy soul for ever, thou be over-run again with that

first fear, which is to abide with thee but till the spirit of adoption come. And

that thou mayest not only distinguish them one from the other, but also keep

each in its due place and bounds, consider in general of what hath already been

said upon this head, and in particular that the first fear is no more wrought by

the Holy Spirit, but by the devil, to distress thee, and make thee to live, not like

a son, but a slave. And for thy better help in this matter, know that God himself

hath set bounds to this fear, and has concluded that after the spirit of adoption is

come, that other fear is wrought in thy heart by him no more (Rom 8:15; 2 Tim

1:7).

Again, before I leave this, let me tell thee that if thou dost not well bestir thee in

this matter, this bondage fear, to wit, that which is like it, though not wrought in

thee by the Holy Ghost, will, by the management and subtlety of the devil, the

author of it, haunt, disturb, and make thee live uncomfortably, and that while

thou art an heir of God and his kingdom. This is that fear that the apostle speaks

of, that makes men "all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb 2:14,15). For

though Christ will deliver thee indeed at last, thou having embraced him by

faith, yet thy life will be full of trouble; and death, though Jesus hath abolished

it, will be always a living bugbear to thee in all thy ways and thoughts, to break

thy peace, and to make thee to draw thy loins heavily after him.

Third. Wouldest thou grow in this godly fear? then, as thou shouldest learn to

distinguish of fears, so thou shouldest make conscience of which to entertain

and cherish. If God would have his fear—and it is called HIS fear by way of

eminency—"that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not" (Exo 20:20; Jer

32:40)—I say, if God would have his fear be with thee, then thou shouldest

make conscience of this, and not so lightly give way to slavish fear, as is

common for Christians to do.

There is utterly a fault among Christians about this thing; that is, they make not

that conscience of resisting of slavish fear as they ought; they rather cherish and

entertain it, and so weaken themselves, and that fear that they ought to

strengthen.

And this is the reason that we so often lie grabbling[33] under the black and

amazing thoughts that are engendered in our hearts by unbelief; for this fear

nourisheth unbelief; that is, now it doth, to wit, if we give way to it after the

spirit of adoption is come, and readily closeth with all the fiery darts of the

wicked.

But Christians are ready to do with this fear as the horse does when the tines[34]

of the fork are set against his side; even lean to it until it entereth into his belly.

We lean naturally to this fear, I mean, after God has done good to our souls; it is

hard striving against it, because it has even our sense and feeling of its side. But

I say, if thou wouldest be a growing Christian—growing, I say, in the fear that is

godly, in the fear that is always so—then make conscience of striving against the

other, and against all these things that would bring thee back to it. "Wherefore

should I fear," said David, "in the day of evil, when the iniquity of my heels

shall compass me about?" (Psa 49:5).

What! not fear in the day of evil? What! not when the iniquity of thy heels

compasseth thee about? No, not then, saith he, that is, not with that fear that

would bring him again into bondage to the law; for he had received the spirit of

adoption before. Indeed, if ever a Christian has ground to give way to slavish

fear, it is at these two times, to wit, in the day of evil, and when the iniquity of

his heels compasseth him about; but you see, David would not then, no, not

then, give way thereto, nor did he see reason why he should. "Wherefore should

I," said he? Aye, wherefore indeed? since now thou art become a son of God

through Christ, and hast received the Spirit of his Son into thy heart, crying,

Father, Father.

Fourth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of godly fear? then grow in the

knowledge of the new covenant, for that is indeed the girdle of our reins, and the

strength of our souls. Hear what Zacharias saith: God, says he, "hath raised up

an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the

mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began." But what

was it? what was it that he spake? Why, "That he would grant unto us, that we,

being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,"

without this slavish bondage fear, "in holiness and righteousness before him all

the days of our life." But upon what is this princely fearless service of God

grounded? Why, upon the holy covenant of God, upon the oath that he swore

unto Abraham (Luke 1:69-74). Now in this covenant is wrapped up all thy

salvation; in it is contained all thy desire, and I am sure, that then it containeth

the complete salvation of thy soul; and I say, since this covenant is confirmed by

promise, by oath, and by the blood of the Son of God, and that on purpose that

thou mightest serve thy God without slavish fear, then the knowledge and faith

of this covenant is of absolute necessity to bring us into this liberty, and out of

our slavish terrors, and so, consequently, to cause us to grow in that son-like,

godly fear, which became even the Son of God himself, and becomes all his

disciples to live in the growth and exercise of.

Fifth. Wouldest thou grow in this godly fear? then labour even always to keep

thine evidences for heaven and of thy salvation alive upon thy heart; for he that

loseth his evidences for heaven, will hardly keep slavish fear out of heart; but he

that hath the wisdom and grace to keep them alive, and apparent to himself, he

will grow in this godly fear. See how David words it, "From the end of the

earth," saith he, "will I cry unto thee; when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to

the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong

tower from the enemy: I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever. For thou, O God,

hast heard my vows; thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name"

(Psa 61:2-5). Mark a little, David doth by these words, in the first place, suggest

that sometimes, to his thinking, he was as far off of his God as the ends of the

earth are asunder, and that at such times he was subject to be overwhelmed,

afraid: [And] second, the way that he took at such times, to help himself, was to

cry to God to lead him again to Jesus Christ—"lead me to the rock that is higher

than I" ; for indeed without faith in him, and the renewing of that faith, there can

be no evidence for heaven made to appear unto the soul. This therefore he prays

for first. Then he puts that faith into exercise, and that with respect to the time

that was past, and also of the time that was to come. For the time past, says he,

"Thou hast been a shelter to me, and a strong tower from the enemy" ; and for

the time to come, he said, "I will abide in thy tabernacle," that is, in thy Christ

by faith, and in thy way of worship by love, "forever." And observe it, he makes

the believing remembrance of his first evidences for heaven the ground of this

his cry and faith, "For thou," says he, "O God, hast given me the heritage of

those that fear thy name." Thou hast made me meet to be a partaker of the mercy

of thy chosen, and hast put me under the blessing of goodness wherewith thou

hast blessed those that fear thee. Thus you see how David, in his distresses,

musters up his prayers, faith, and evidences for eternal life, that he might deliver

himself from being overwhelmed, that is, with slavish fear, and that he might

also abound in that son-like fear of his fellow-brethren, that is not only comely,

with respect to our profession, but profitable to our souls.

Sixth. Wouldest thou grow in this fear of God? then set before thine eyes the

being and majesty of God; for that both begetteth, maintaineth, and increaseth

this fear. And hence it is called the fear of God, that is, an holy and awful dread

and reverence of his majesty. For the fear of God is to stand in awe of him, but

how can that be done if we do not set him before us? And again, if we would

fear him more, we must abide more in the sense and faith of his glorious

majesty. Hence this fear and God's name is so often put together: as fear God,

fear the Lord, fear thy God, do this in the fear of the Lord, and thou shalt fear

thy God, I am the Lord. For these words, "I am the Lord thy God," and the like,

are on purpose put in, not only to show us whom we should fear, but also to

beget, maintain, and increase in us that fear that is due from us to that "glorious

and fearful name, the Lord our God" (Deut 28:58).

Seventh. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then keep always close to thy

conscience the authority of the Word; fear the commandment as the

commandment of a God both mighty and glorious, and as the commandment of

a father, both loving and pitiful; let this commandment, I say, be always with

thine eye, with thine ear, and with thine heart; for then thou wilt be taught, not

only to fear, but to abound in the fear of the Lord. Every grace is nourished by

the Word, and without it there is no thrift in the soul (Prov 13:13, 4:20-22; Deut

6:1,2).

Eighth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then be much in the faith of

the promise, of the promise that maketh over to thy soul an interest in God by

Christ, and of all good things. The promise naturally tendeth to increase in us the

fear of the Lord, because this fear, it grows by goodness and mercy; they shall

fear the Lord, and his goodness; now this goodness and mercy of God, it is

wrapt up in, and made over to us by promise; for God gave it to Abraham by

promise. Therefore the faith and hope of the promise causeth this fear to grow in

the soul—"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse

ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear

of God" (2 Cor 7:1). "Perfecting holiness in the fear of God" ; therefore that fear

by the promise must needs grow mighty, for by, with, and in it, you see holiness

is perfected.

Ninth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then remember the judgments

of God that have, or shall certainly overtake, those professors, that have either

been downright hypocrites, or else unwatchful Christians. For both these sorts

partake of the judgments of God; the one, to wit, the true Christian, for his

unwatchfulness, for his correction; the other, to wit, the hypocrite, for his

hypocrisy, to his destruction. This is a way to make thee stand in awe, and to

make thee tremble, and grow in the grace of fear before thy God.

Judgments! you may say, what judgments? Answ. Time will fail me here to tell

thee of the judgments that sometimes overtake God's people, and that always

certainly overtake the hypocrite for his transgressions. For those that attend

God's people, I would have thee look back to the place in this book where they

are particularly touched upon. And for those that attend the hypocrite, in general

they are these. 1. Blindness of heart in this world. 2. The death of their hope at

the day of their death. 3. And the damnation of their souls at the day of judgment

(Matt 23:15-19; Job 8:13, 11:20, 18:14, 20:4-7, Matt 23:33, 24:51; Luke 20:47).

The godly consideration of these things tend to make men grow in the fear of

God.

Tenth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then study the excellencies of

the grace of fear, and what profit it yieldeth to them that have it, and labour to

get thy heart into the love, both of the exercise of the grace itself, and also of the

fruit it yieldeth; for a man hardly grows in the increase of any grace, until his

heart is united to it, and until it is made lovely in his eyes (Psa 119:119,120).

Now the excellencies of this grace of fear have also been discoursed of in this

book before, where by reading thou shalt find the fruit it bears, and the promises

that are annexed to it, which, because they are many, I refer thee also thither for

thy instruction.

Eleventh. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then remember what a world

of privileges do belong to them that fear the Lord, as also I have hinted; namely,

that such shall not be hurt, shall want no good thing, shall be guarded by angels,

and have a special license, though in never so dreadful a plight, to trust in the

name of the Lord, and stay upon their God.

Twelfth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then be much in prayer to

God for abundance of the increase thereof. To fear God is that which is

according to his will, and if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.

Pray therefore that God will unite thy heart to fear his name; this is the way to

grow in the grace of fear.

Lastly, Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then devote thyself to it (Psa

119:38). Devote myself to it, you will say, how is that? I answer, why, give

thyself to it, addict thyself to it. Solace thyself in the contemplation of God, and

of a reverence of his name, and word, and worship. Then wilt thou fear, and

grow in this grace of fear.

What things they are that have a tendency in them to hinder the growth of the

fear of God in our hearts.

And that I may yet be helpful to thee, reader, I shall now give thee caution of

those things that will, if way be given to them, hinder thy growth in this fear of

God, the which, because they are very hurtful to the people of God, I would

have thee be warned by them. And they are these which follow:

First. If thou wouldest grow in this grace of fear, take heed of A HARD

HEART, for that will hinder thy growth in this grace. "Why hast thou hardened

our heart from thy fear?" was a bitter complaint of the church heretofore; for it

is not only the judgment that in itself is dreadful and sore to God's people, but

that which greatly hindereth the growth of this grace in the soul (Isa 63:17). A

hard heart is but barren ground for any grace to grow in, especially for the grace

of fear: there is but little of this fear where the heart is indeed hard; neither will

there ever be much therein.

Now if thou wouldest be kept from a hard heart, 1. Take heed of the beginnings

of sin. Take heed, I say, of that, though it should be never so small; "A little

leaven leaveneth the whole lump." There is more in a little sin to harden, than in

a great deal of grace to soften. David's look upon Bathsheba was, one would

think, but a small matter; yet that beginning of sin contracted such hardness of

heart in him, that it carried him almost beyond all fear of God. It did carry him

to commit lewdness with her, murder upon the body of Uriah, and to abundance

of wicked dissimulation; which are things, I say, that have direct tendency to

quench and destroy all fear of God in the soul.

2. If thou hast sinned, lie not down without repentance; for the want of

repentance, after one has sinned, makes the heart yet harder and harder. Indeed a

hard heart is impenitent, and impenitence also makes the heart harder and

harder. So that if impenitence be added to hardness of heart, or to the beginning

of sin which makes it so, it will quickly be with that soul, as is said of the house

of Israel, it will have a whore's forehead, it will hardly be brought to shame (Jer

3:3).

3. If thou wouldest be rid of a hard heart, that great enemy to the growth of the

grace of fear, be much with Christ upon the cross in thy meditations; for that is

an excellent remedy against hardness of heart: a right sight of him, as he hanged

there for thy sins, will dissolve thy heart into tears, and make it soft and tender.

"They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, - and mourn" (Zech 12:10).

Now a soft, a tender, and a broken heart, is a fit place for the grace of fear to

thrive in. But,

Second. If thou wouldest have the grace of fear to grow in thy soul, take heed

also of A PRAYERLESS HEART, for that is not a place for this grace of fear to

grow in. Hence he that restraineth prayer is said to cast off fear. "Thou castest

off fear," said one of his friends to Job. But how must he do that? Why the next

words show, "Thou restrainest prayer before God" (Job 15:4). Seest thou a

professor that prayeth not? that man thrusteth the fear of God away from him.

Seest thou a man that prays but little, that man feareth God but little; for it is the

praying soul, the man that is mighty in praying, that has a heart for the fear of

God to grow in. Take heed, therefore, of a prayerless heart, if you would grow in

this grace of the fear of God. Prayer is as the pitcher that fetcheth water from the

brook, therewith to water the herbs; break the pitcher, and it will fetch no water,

and for want of water the garden withers.

Third. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of A LIGHT

AND WANTON HEART, for neither is such a heart good ground for the fear of

God to grow in. Wherefore it is said of Israel, "She feared not, but went and

played the harlot also." She was given to wantonness, and to be light and vain,

and so her fear of God decayed (Jer 3:8). Had Joseph been as wanton as his

mistress, he had been as void of the fear of God as she; but he was of a sober,

tender, godly, considerate spirit, therefore he grew in the fear of God.

Fourth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of A

COVETOUS HEART, for neither is that which is such an one good ground for

this grace of fear to grow in. Therefore this covetousness and the fear of God are

as enemies, set the one in opposition to the other: one that feareth God and

hateth covetousness (Exo 18:21). And the reason why covetousness is such an

obstruction to the growth of this grace of fear, is because covetousness casteth

those things out of the heart which alone can nourish this fear. It casteth out the

Word and love of God, without which no grace can grow in the soul; how then

should the fear of God grow in a covetous heart? (Eze 33:30-32; 1 John 2:15).

Fifth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of AN

UNBELIEVING HEART, for an unbelieving heart is not good ground for this

grace of fear to grow in. An unbelieving heart is called "an evil heart," because

from it flows all the wickedness that is committed in the world (Heb 3:12). Now

it is faith, or a believing heart, that nourisheth this fear of God, and not the other;

and the reason is, for that faith brings God, heaven, and hell, to the soul, and

maketh it duly consider of them all (Heb 11:7). This is therefore the means of

fear, and that which will make it grow in the soul; but unbelief is a bane thereto.

Sixth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of A

FORGETFUL HEART. Such a heart is not a heart where the grace of fear will

flourish, "when I remember, I am afraid," &c. Therefore take heed of

forgetfulness; do not forget but remember God, and his kindness, patience, and

mercy, to those that yet neither have grace, nor special favour from him, and that

will beget and nourish his fear in thy heart, but forgetfulness of this, or of any

other of his judgments, is a great wound and weakening to this fear (Job 21:6).

When a man well remembers that God's judgments are so great a deep and

mystery, as indeed they are, that remembrance puts a man upon such

considerations of God and of his judgments as to make him fear—"Therefore,"

said Job, "I am afraid of him." See the place, Job 23:15. "Therefore am I

troubled at his presence; when I consider, I am afraid of him"—when I

remember and consider of the wonderful depths of his judgments towards man.

Seventh. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of A

MURMURING AND REPINING HEART, for that is not a heart for this grace

of fear to grow in. As for instance, when men murmur and repine at God's hand,

at his dispensations, and at the judgments that overtake them, in their persons,

estates, families, or relations, that their murmuring tendeth to destroy fear; for a

murmuring spirit is such an one as seems to correct God, and to find fault with

his dispensations, and where there is that, the heart is far from fear. A

murmuring spirit either comes from that wisdom that pretends to understand that

there is a failure in the nature and execution of things, or from an envy and spite

at the execution of them. Now if murmurings arise from this pretended wisdom

of the flesh, then instead of fearing of God, his actions are judged to be either

rigid or ridiculous, which yet are done in judgment, truth, and righteousness. So

that a murmuring heart cannot be a good one for the fear of God to grow in.

Alas! the heart where that grows must be a soft one; as you have it in Job 23:15,

16; and a heart that will stoop and be silent at the most abstruse of all his

judgments—"I was dumb, because THOU didst it." The heart in which this fear

of God doth flourish is such, that it bows and is mute, if it can but espy the hand,

wisdom, justice, or holiness of God in this or the other of his dispensations, and

so stirs up the soul to fear before him. But if this murmuring ariseth from envy

and spite, that looketh so like to the spirit of the devil, that nothing need be said

to give conviction of the horrible wickedness of it.

Eighth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of A HIGH

AND CAPTIOUS SPIRIT, for that is not good ground for the fear of God to

grow in. A meek and quiet spirit is the best, and there the fear of God will

flourish most; therefore Peter puts meekness and fear together, as being most

suited in their nature and natural tendency one to another (1 Peter 3:15).

Meekness of spirit is like that heart that hath depth of earth in it in which things

may take root and grow; but a high and captious spirit is like to the stony

ground, where there is not depth of earth, and consequently, where this grace of

fear cannot grow; therefore take heed of this kind of spirit, if thou wouldest that

the fear of God should grow in thy soul.

Ninth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of AN

ENVIOUS HEART, for that is not a good heart for the fear of God to grow in.

"Let not thine heart envy sinners; but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day

long" (Prov 23:17). To envy any is a sign of a bad spirit, and that man takes

upon him, as I have already hinted, to be a controller and a judge, yea, and a

malicious executioner too, and that of that fury that ariseth from his own lusts

and revengeful spirit, upon (perhaps) the man that is more righteous than

himself. But suppose he is a sinner that is the object of thine envy, why, the text

sets that envy in direct opposition to the fear of God; "Envy not sinners, but be

thou in the fear of God." These two, therefore, to wit, envy to sinners and

fearing of God, are opposites. Thou canst not fear God, and envy sinners too.

And the reason is, because he that envieth a sinner, hath forgotten himself, that

he is as bad; and how can he then fear God? He that envies sinners rejects his

duty of blessing of them that curse, and praying for them that despitefully use

us; and how can he that hath rejected this, fear God? He that envieth sinners,

therefore, cannot be of a good spirit, nor can the fear of God grow in his heart.

Tenth. Lastly, Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of

HARDENING THY HEART at any time against convictions to particular

duties, as to prayer, alms, self-denial, or the like. Take heed also of hardening

thy heart, when thou art under any judgment of God, as sickness, losses, crosses,

or the like. I bid you before to beware of a hard heart, but now I bid you beware

of hardening your soft ones. For to harden the heart is to make it worse than it is;

harder, more desperate, and bold against God, than at the present it is. Now, I

say, if thou wouldest grow in this grace of fear, take heed of hardening thy heart,

and especially of hardening of it against convictions to good; for those

convictions are sent of God like seasonable showers of rain, to keep the tillage

of thy heart in good order, that the grace of fear may grow therein; but this

stifling of convictions makes the heart as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

Therefore happy is he that receiveth conviction, for so he doth keep in the fear

of God, and that fear thereby nourished in his soul; but cursed is he that doth

otherwise—"Happy is the man that feareth alway; but he that hardeneth his heart

shall fall into mischief" (Prov 28:14).

USE THIRD, of encouragement.

USE THIRD. I come now to A USE OF ENCOURAGEMENT to those that are

blessed with this grace of fear. The last text that was mentioned saith, "Happy is

the man that feareth alway," and so doth many more. Happy already, because

blessed with this grace; and happy for time to come, because this grace shall

abide, and continue till the soul that hath it is brought unto the mansion-house of

glory. "I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me."

Therefore, as here it saith, Happy is he, so it saith also, It shall go well with him,

that is, in time to come. "It shall be well with them that fear God" (Eccl 8:12).

First. Had God given thee all the world, yet cursed hadst thou been, if he had

not given thee the fear of the Lord; for the fashion of this world is a fading thing,

but he that feareth the Lord shall abide for ever and ever. This therefore is the

first thing that I would propound for thy encouragement, thou man that fears the

Lord. This grace will dwell in thy heart, for it is a new covenant grace, and will

abide with thee for ever. It is sent to thee from God, not only to join thy heart

unto him, but to keep thee from final apostasy—"I will put my fear in their

hearts, that they shall not depart from me" (Jer 32:40). That thou mayest never

forsake God, is his design, and therefore, to keep thee from that wicked thing, he

hath put his fear in thy heart. Many are the temptations, difficulties, snares,

traps, trials, and troubles that the people of God pass through in the world, but

how shall they be kept, how shall they be delivered, and escape? Why, the

answer is, The fear of God will keep them—"He that feareth God shall come

forth of them all."

Is it not therefore a wonderful mercy to be blessed with this grace of fear, that

thou by it mayest be kept from final, which is damnable apostasy? Bless God,

therefore, thou blessed man, that hast this grace of fear in thy soul. There are

five things in this grace of fear that have a direct tendency in them to keep thee

from final apostasy.

1. It is seated in the heart, and the heart is, as I may call it, the main fort in the

mystical world, man. It is not placed in the head, as knowledge is; nor in the

mouth, as utterance is, but in the heart, the seat of all, "I will put my fear in their

hearts." If a king will keep a town secure to himself, let him be sure to man

sufficiently the main fort thereof. If he have twenty thousand men well armed,

yet if they lie scattered here and there, the town may be taken for all that, but if

the main fort be well manned, then the town is more secure. What if a man had

all the parts, yea, all the arts of men and angels? That will not keep the heart to

God. But when the heart, this principal fort, is possessed with the fear of God,

then he is safe, but not else.

2. As the heart in general, so the will in special. That chief and great faculty of

the soul is the principle that is acted by this fear. The will, which way that goes,

all goes; if it be to heaven or hell. Now the will, I say, is that main faculty that is

governed by this fear that doth possess the soul, therefore all is like to go well

with it. This Samuel insinuateth, where he saith, "If ye will fear the Lord."

Fearing of God is a voluntary act of the will, and that being so, the soul is kept

from rebellion against the commandment, because by the will where this fear of

God is placed, and which it governeth, is led all the rest of the powers of the

soul (1 Sam 12:14). In this will, then, is this fear of God placed, that this grace

may the better be able to govern the soul, and so by consequence the whole man;

for as I said before, look what way the will goes, look what the will does, thither

goes, and that does, the whole man (Psa 110:3). Man, when his will is alienate

from God, is reckoned rebellious throughout, and that not without ground, for

the will is the principal faculty of the soul as to obedience, and therefore things

done without the will are as if they were not done at all. The spirit is willing; if

ye be willing; "she hath done what she could," and the like; by these and such-

like sayings the goodness of the heart and action is judged, as to the subjective

part thereof. Now this fear that we have been speaking of, is placed in the soul,

and so consequently in the will, that the man may thereby the better be kept

from final and damnable apostasy.

3. This fear, as I may say, even above every other grace, is God's well-wisher;

and hence it is called, as I also have showed you, his fear. As he also says in the

text mentioned above, "I will put my fear in their hearts." These words, his and

my, they are intimate and familiar expressions, bespeaking not only great favour

to man, but a very great trust put in him. As who should say, this fear is my

special friend, it will subject and bow the soul, and the several faculties thereof,

to my pleasure; it is my great favourite, and subdueth sinners to my pleasure.

You shall rarely find faith or repentance, or parts, go under such familiar

characters as this blessed fear of the Lord doth. Of all the counsellors and

mighties that David had, Hushai only was called the king's friend (2 Sam 15:37,

16:16). So of all the graces of the Spirit this of the fear of God goes mostly, if

not always, by the title of MY fear, God's fear, HIS fear, &c. I told you before,

if the king will keep a town, the main fort therein must be sufficiently manned:

and now I will add, that if he have not to govern those men some trusty and

special friend, such as Hushai was to David, he may find it lost when it should

stand him in greatest stead. If a soul should be possessed with all things

possible, yet if this fear of God be wanting, all other things will give place in

time of rebellion, and the soul shall be found in, and under the conduct of hell,

when it should stand up for God and his truth in the world. This fear of God, it is

God's special friend, and therefore it has given unto it the chief seat of the heart,

the will, that the whole man may now be, and also be kept hereafter, in the

subjection and obedience of the gospel. For,

4. This grace of fear is the softest and most tender of God's honour of any other

grace. It is that tender, sensible, and trembling grace, that keepeth the soul upon

its continual watch. To keep a good watch is, you know, a wonderful safety to a

place that is in continual danger because of the enemy. Why, this is the grace

that setteth the watch, and that keepeth the watchmen awake (Can 3:7,8). A man

cannot watch as he should, if he be destitute of fear: let him be confident, and he

sleeps; he unadvisedly lets into the garrison those that should not come there.

Israel's fault when they came to Canaan was, that they made a covenant with the

inhabitants of the land, to wit, the Gibeonites, without asking counsel of God.

But would they have done so, think you, if at the same time the fear of God had

had its full play in the soul, in the army? no, they at that time forgot to fear. The

grace of fear had not at that time its full stroke and sway among them.

5. This grace of fear is that which, as I may so say, first affects the hearts of

saints with judgments, after we have sinned, and so is as a beginning grace to

bring again that to rights that by sin is put out of frame. O it is a precious grace

of God! I know what I say in this matter, and also where I had been long ago,

through the power of my lusts, and the wiles of the devil, had it not been for the

fear of God.

Second. But secondly, another encouragement for those that are blessed with

this blessed grace of fear is this,—this fear fails not to do this work for the soul,

if there in truth, be it never so small in measure. A little of this leaven "leaveneth

the whole lump." True, a little will not do, or help the soul to do those worthy

exploits in the heart or life as well as a bigger measure thereof; nor, indeed, can

a little of any grace do that which a bigger measure will; but a little will preserve

the soul from final apostasy, and deliver it into the arms of the Son of God at the

final judgment. Wherefore, when he saith, "I will put my fear in their hearts," he

says not, I will put so much of it there, such a quantity, or such a degree; but, "I

will put my fear there." I speak not this in the least to tempt the godly man to be

content with the least degree of the fear of God in his heart. True, men should be

glad that God hath put even the least degree of this grace into their souls, but

they should not be content therewith; they should earnestly covet more, pray for

more, and use all lawful, that is, all the means of God's appointing, that they

may get more.

There are, as I have said already, several degrees of this grace of fear, and our

wisdom is to grow in it, as in all the other graces of the Spirit. The reasons why,

I have showed you, and also the way to grow therein; but the least measure

thereof will do as I said, that is, keep the soul from final apostasy. There are, as I

have showed you, those that greatly fear the Lord, that fear exceedingly, and that

fear him above many of their brethren; but the small in this grace are saved as

well as those that are great therein: "He will bless" or save "them that fear him,

both small and great." This fear of the Lord is the pulse of the soul; and as some

pulses beat stronger, some weaker, so is this grace of fear in the soul. They that

beat best are a sign of best life, but they that beat worst show that life is [barely]

present. As long as the pulse beats, we count not that the man is dead, though

weak; and this fear, where it is, preserves to everlasting life. Pulses there are

also that are intermitting; to wit, such as have their times for a little, a little time

to stop, and beat again; true, these are dangerous pulses, but yet too a sign of

life. This fear of God also is sometimes like this intermitting pulse; there are

times when it forbears to work, and then it works again. David had an

intermitting pulse, Peter had an intermitting pulse, as also many other of the

saints of God. I call that an intermitting pulse, with reference to the fear we

speak of, when there is some obstruction by the workings of corruptions in the

soul; I say, some obstruction from, and hindrance of, the continual motion of

this fear of God; yet none of these, though they are various, and some of them

signs of weakness, are signs of death, but life. "I will put my fear in their hearts,

that they shall not depart from me."

Quest. But you may say, How shall I know that I fear God?

Answ. If I should say that desires, true sincere desires to fear him, is fear itself. I

should not say amiss (Neh 1:11). For although a desire to be, or do so and so,

makes not a man to be in temporal or natural things what he desires to be—for a

sick, or poor, or imprisoned man may desire to be well, to be rich, or to be at

liberty, and yet be as they are, sick, poor, or in prison—yet in spirituals, a man's

desire to be good, to believe, to love, to hope, and fear God, doth flow from the

nature of grace itself.

I said before, that in temporals a man could not properly be said to be what he

was not; yet a man, even in naturals or temporals, shows his love to that thing

that he desires, whether it be health, riches, or liberty; and in spirituals, desires

of, from love to this or that grace of God, sincere desires of it flow from the root

of the grace itself—"Thy servants who desire to fear thy name." Nehemiah bore

himself before God upon this, "that he desired to fear his name." And hence

again it is said concerning desires, true desires, "The desire of man is his

kindness" (Prov 19:22). For a man shows his heart, his love, his affections, and

his delights, in his desires; and since the grace of the fear of God is a grace so

pleasant in the sight of God, and of so sanctifying a nature in the soul where it

is, a true sincere desire to be blessed with that grace must needs flow from some

being of this grace in the soul already.

True desires are lower than higher acts of grace, but God will not overlook

desires—"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore

God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city."

Mark, they desire a country, and they shall have a city. At this low place, to wit,

sincere desires, God will meet the soul and will tell him that he hath accepted of

his desires, that his desires are his kindness, and flow from grace itself: "He will

fulfil the desire of them that fear him." Therefore desires are not rejected of

God; but they would, if they did not flow from a principle of grace already in the

soul; therefore desires, sincere desires to fear God, flow from grace already in

the soul. Therefore, since thou fearest God, and it is evident by thy desires that

thou dost so do, thou art happy now in this thy fear, and shalt be happy for ever

hereafter in the enjoyment of that which God in another world hath laid up for

them that fear him.

Third. Another encouragement for those that have this grace of fear is this; this

grace can make that man, that in many other things is not capable of serving of

God, serve him better than those that have all without it. Poor Christian man,

thou hast scarce been able to do anything for God all thy days, but only to fear

the Lord. Thou art no preacher, and so canst not do him service that way; thou

art no rich man, and so canst not do him service with outward substance; thou

art no wise man, and so canst not do anything that way; but here is thy mercy,

thou fearest God. Though thou canst not preach, thou canst fear God. Though

thou hast no bread to feed the belly, nor fleece to clothe the back of the poor,

thou canst fear God. O how "blessed is the man that feareth the Lord" ; because

this duty of fearing of God is an act of the mind, and may be done by the man

that is destitute of all things but that holy and blessed mind.

Blessed therefore is that man, for God hath not laid the comfort of his people in

the doing of external duties, nor the salvation of their souls, but in believing,

loving, and fearing God. Neither hath he laid these things in actions done in their

health nor in the due management of their most excellent parts, but in the

receiving of Christ, and fear of God. The which, good Christian, thou mayest do,

and do acceptably, even though thou shouldest lie bed-rid all thy days; thou

mayest also be sick and believe; be sick and love, be sick and fear God, and so

be a blessed man. And here the poor Christian hath something to answer them

that reproach him for his ignoble pedigree, and shortness of the glory of the

wisdom of the world. True, may that man say, I was taken out of the dunghill, I

was born in a base and low estate, but I fear God. I have no worldly greatness,

nor excellency of natural parts, but I fear God.

When Obadiah met with Elijah, he gave him no worldly and fantastical

compliment, nor did he glory in his promotion by Ahab the king of Israel, but

gravely, and after a gracious manner, said, "I thy servant fear the Lord from my

youth." Also when the mariners inquired of Jonah, saying, "What is thine

occupation, and whence comest thou? what is thy country, and of what people

art thou?" This was the answer he gave them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the

Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land" (Jonah

1:8,9). Indeed this answer is the highest, and most noble in the world, nor are

there any, save a few, that in truth can thus express themselves, though other

answers they had enough; most can say, I have wisdom, or might, or riches, or

friends, or health, or the like; these are common, and are greatly boasted in by

the most; but he is the man that feareth God, and he that can say, when they say

to him, What art thou? "I thy servant fear the Lord," he is the man of many, he is

to be honoured of men: though this, to wit, that he feareth the Lord, is all that he

hath in the world. He hath the thing, the honour, the life, and glory that is

lasting; his blessedness will abide when all men's but his is buried in the dust, in

shame and contempt.[35]

A word to hypocrites.

Hypocrites, my last word is to you; the hypocrite is one that would appear to be

that in men's eyes that is nothing of in God's—thou hypocrite, that wouldest be

esteemed to be one that loves and that fears God, but does not; I have this to say

to thee, thy condition is damnable, because thou art a hypocrite, and seekest to

deceive both God and man with guises, vizards, masks, shows, pretences, and

thy formal, carnal, feigned subjection to the outside of statutes, laws, and

commandments; but within thou art full of rottenness and all excess.

Hypocrite, thou mayest by thy cunning shifts be veiled and hid from men, but

thou art naked before the eyes of God, and he knoweth that his fear is not in thy

heart (Luke 16:15).

Hypocrite, be admonished that there is not obedience accepted of God, where

the heart is destitute of this grace of fear. Keeping of the commandments is but

one part of the duty of man, and Paul did that, even while he was a hypocrite

(Phil 3). To "fear God and keep his commandments, this is the whole duty of

man" (Eccl 12:13). This—fear God—the hypocrite, as a hypocrite, cannot do,

and therefore, as such, cannot escape the damnation of hell.

Hypocrite, thou must fear God first, even before thou dost offer to meddle with

the commandments, that is, as to the keeping of them. Indeed, thou shouldest

read therein, that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord, but yet, "fear God" goes

before the command to keep his commandments. And if thou dost not fear God

first, thou transgressest, instead of keeping of the commandments.

Hypocrite, this word, FEAR GOD, is that which the hypocrite quite forgets,

although it is that which sanctifies the whole duty of man. For this is that, and

nothing without it, that can make a man sincere in his obedience; the hypocrite

looks for applause abroad, and forgets that he is condemned at home, and both

these he does because he wanteth the fear of God.

Hypocrite, be admonished that none of the privileges that are spoken of in the

former part of the book belongs to thee, because thou art a hypocrite; and if thou

hope, thy hope shall be cut off, and if thou lean upon thy house, both thou and it

shall fall into hell-fire. Triumph then, thy triumph is but for awhile. Joy then, but

the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment (Job 8:13,15, 20:4-6).

Perhaps thou wilt not let go now, what, as a hypocrite, thou hast got; but "what

is the hope of the hypocrite, when God taketh away his soul?" (Job 27:8).

Hypocrite, thou shouldest have chosen the fear of God, as thou hast chosen a

profession without it, but thou hast cast off fear, because thou art a hypocrite;

and because thou art such, thou shalt have the same measure that thou metest;

God will cast thee off, because thou art a hypocrite. God hath prepared a fear for

thee because thou didst not choose the fear of God, and that fear shall come

upon thee like desolation, and like an armed man, and shall swallow thee up,

thou and all that thou art (Prov 1:27).

Hypocrite, read this text and tremble—"The sinners in Zion are afraid,

fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the

devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" (Isa

33:13,14).

Hypocrite, thou art not under the fatherly protection of God, because thou art a

hypocrite, and wantest his fear in thine heart. The eyes of the Lord are upon

them that fear him, to deliver them. But the fearless man or hypocrite is left to

the snares and wiles of the devil, to be caught therein and overcome, because he

is destitute of the fear of God.

Hypocrite, thou art like to have no other reward of God for thy labour than that

which the goats shall have;[36] the hypocrite, because he is a hypocrite, shall not

stand in God's sight. The gain of thy religion thou spendest as thou gettest it.

Thou wilt not have one farthing overplus at death and judgment.

Hypocrite, God hath not intrusted thee with the least dram of his saving grace,

nor will he, because thou art a hypocrite: and as for what thou hast, thou hast

stolen it, even every man of you from his neighbour; still pilfering out of their

profession, even as Judas did out of the bag. Thou comest like a thief into thy

profession, and like a thief thou shalt go out of the same. Jesus Christ hath not

counted thee faithful to commit to thee any of his jewels to keep, because thou

fearest him not. He hath given his "banner to them that fear him, that it may be

displayed because of the truth" (Psa 60:4).

Hypocrite, thou art not true to God nor man, nor thine own soul, because thou

art a hypocrite! How should the Lord put any trust in thee? Why should the

saints look for any good from thee? Should God give thee his Word, thou wilt

sell it. Should men commit their souls to thee, thou wilt destroy them, by

making merchandise of them, for thy own hypocritical designs. Yea, if the sun

waxes hot, thou wilt throw all away, and not endure the heat, because thou art a

hypocrite!

FOOTNOTES:

[1]This is a very remarkable illustration of godly fear. Jacob does not swear by

the omnipresence or omniscience of God—nor by his omnipotence—nor by his

love or mercy in his covenant—nor by the God of Abraham, but by the "fear of

his father Isaac"—the sole object of his adoration. A most striking and solemn

appeal to Jehovah, fixing upon our hearts that Divine proverb, "The fear of the

Lord is the beginning of wisdom"—the source of all happiness, both in time and

in eternity.—Ed.

[2] It is of solemn importance that we feel the vast difference between holy and

unholy familiarity with God. Has he adopted us into his family? Can we, by a

new birth, say "Our Father?" Still he is in heaven, we on earth. He is infinite in

purity; Holy, Holy, Holy is his name. We are defiled, and can only approach his

presence in the righteousness of the Saviour and Mediator. Then, O my soul, if it

is thy bliss to draw near to the throne of grace with holy boldness, let it be with

reverence and godly fear.—Ed.

[3] It is an awful thing to appeal to God for the truth of a lie! All appeals to God,

not required by law, are worse than useless; they are wicked, and cast a doubt on

the veracity of those who make them—Ed.

[4]"To give the back" ; to forsake, to depart, to treat with contempt. See Imperial

Dictionary, vol. i. p. 145.—Ed.

[5]The genuine disciple "who thinketh no evil" will say, Can this be so now?

Yes, reader, it is. Some go to God's house to worship their ease and

forgetfulness in sleep; some for worldly purposes; some to admire the beauty of

the frail body; but many to worship God in spirit and in truth. Reader, inquire to

which of these classes you belong.—Ed.

[6] They worshipped God, not according to his appointment, but their own

inventions—the direction of their false prophets, or their idolatrous kings, or the

usages of the nations round about them. The tradition of the elders was of more

value and validity with them than God's laws by Moses. This our Saviour

applies to the Jews in his time, who were formal in their devotions, and wedded

to their own inventions; and pronounces concerning them that in vain do they

worship God. How many still in worship regard the inventions of man, and

traditions of the church, more than the commands of God.—Ed.

[7] The Word is the decree upon which we must depend or perish. In vain, poor

sinner, is any reliance upon churches or men; neither Papist nor Protestant have

any power "committed unto them" to forgive sins. If they claim it, believe them

not, but pity their pride and delusion. Christ is the Rock, and not poor erring

Peter, as some have vainly imagined. Peter is dead, awaiting the resurrection of

his body, and the great day of judgment; but Christ ever liveth at all times, and

in all places, able to save unto the uttermost. Put no trust in man, but in thy

broken spirit seek the blessing of Christ, that he may pardon thy sins.—Ed.

[8] The fear of the wicked arises from a corrupt, sinful, self-condemning

conscience; they fear God as an angry judge, and therefore consider him as their

enemy. As they love and will not part with their sins, so they are in continual

dread of punishment.—Mason.

[9] "To-elbow all his days in his lord's vineyard" ; to sit or stand idly resting

upon his elbows, instead of labouring in the vineyard. "A sovereign shame so

elbows him."—King Lear, Act iv, Scene 3.—Ed.

[10] "Gear" ; apparel, furniture, implements. "The apostles were not fixed in their

residence, but were ready in their gears to move whither they were called."—

Barrow.—Ed.

[11] God does not limit himself as to his mode of calling poor sinners. The three

thousand he convinced at one hour, and they immediately made a profession, but

Bunyan was for years in a state of alarming uncertainty; some are driven by

fiery terrors, others by a still small voice. Reader, our anxious inquiry should be,

Have we entered in by Christ the gate? Are our fruits meet for repentance? Let

no one vaunt of his experience, because he go well bedaubed with the dirt of the

slough. Every soul that enters the gate is equally a miracle of grace.—Ed.

[12] This is remarkably instanced in Bunyan's Grace Abounding.—Ed.

[13] Those who are adopted into the family of heaven are "justified from all

things" ; being delivered from sin, the curse, and wrath, "there is now no

condemnation for them" ; and trusting to Jesus' precious blood of pardon, to his

righteousness for acceptance, and to his grace for sanctification, they are, by the

indwelling of the Spirit which adopted them, possessed of that love which

casteth out fear, and rejoiceth in hope of the glory of God. And to those who,

through their manifold infirmities and departures, are often beset with

unbelieving fears, the Lord says, for their encouragement, "Fear thou not, for I

am with thee; I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my

righteousness" (Isa 41:10).—Mason.

[14] Effectual grace in the soul is accompanied by doubts and fears, owing to the

remains of indwelling corruption; hence arises a continual warfare. Believer,

how needful is it ever to retain your confidence and assurance of your Lord's

love to you! Rely on his faithfulness, persevere steadfastly in the way of duty,

looking to Jesus, and living upon his fulness.—Mason. How does all this

reasoning remind us of Bunyan's own experience, recorded in his Grace

Abounding; he was not ignorant of Satan's devices.—Ed.

[15] Alas! how few attain to this most blessed state. To delight so in the Word—

to make it so much our daily study, and the object of our meditations at night, as

to have "its very form engraven upon the face of our souls." Happy is the man

that is in such a case. O my soul, why is it not thy case?—Ed.

[16] The filial fear of God is most prevalent when the heart is impressed with a

lively sense of the love of God manifested in Christ. As a dutiful and obedient

child fears to offend an affectionate parent, or as a person of grateful heart

would be extremely careful not to grieve a kind and bountiful friend, who is

continually loading him with favours and promoting his true happiness; so, and

much more, will the gracious soul be afraid of displeasing the Lord, his

bountiful and unwearied benefactor, who is crowning him with loving kindness

and tender mercies.—Mason.

[17] It is no new thing for those who are in public places, to seek themselves more

than the public welfare; nay, and to serve themselves by the public loss.—

Henry.

[18] How does this remind us of the character of By-ends in the "Pilgrim's

Progress" !—Ed.

[19] So Ainsworth understands, p. 134, vol. 10. He renders it, "lurking lions,

which are lusty, strong-toothed, fierce, roaring, and ravenous. And hereby," says

he, "may be meant the rich and mighty of the world, whom God often bringeth

to misery." "They that are ravenous, and prey on all about them, shall want, but

the meek shall inherit the earth; they shall not want who, with quiet obedience,

work and mind their own business; plain-hearted Jacob has pottage enough,

when Esau, the cunning hunter, is ready to perish." Henry.—Ed.

[20] "The conduct of angels" means not merely their guiding pilgrims in the way,

but also, in a military sense, a guard, or what is now called a convoy.—Ed.

[21] See margin, Genesis 41:43, and 40:8.—Ed.

[22] To publish by sound of trumpet, to trumpet good tidings. In Bunyan's time it

was never used ironically.—Ed.

[23] This if from the Bible, and not from the inferior version in the Book of

Common Prayer, commonly called the reading Psalms.—Ed.

[24] Sternhold and Hopkin's edit. 1635.—The propriety of singing in public

worship was strongly debated by some of the Nonconformists. There were very

weighty reasons, in persecuting times, for meetings being held as quietly as

possible. The Quakers to this day do not admit singing in their assemblies. The

introduction of this psalm proves that Bunyan was acquainted with the "singing"

Psalms, and, in all probability, practised singing in public worship. When James

I. improved this version for church use, called the Psalms of KING David,

translated by KING James, his last four lines are—

Thou of Jerusalem shalt see

While as thou liv'st the good,

Thou shalt thy children's children see,

And peace on Israel's brood.

How blessed are we in our day with the poetry of Watts, Wesley, and a host of

others, who have supplied the church with beautiful soul-inspiring compositions,

without fear to restrain us in using them.—Ed.

[25] No one can charge Bunyan with a superstitious notion of dreams, whether

asleep or as if asleep. Such a mode of interpretation as he recommends is both

rational and scriptural. To dream awake is thus explained—"They dream on in a

course of reading without digesting."—Locke.—Ed.

[26] Whoever thou art, beseech the Lord to weigh thee in the balances of the

sanctuary. No fear of God—no grace in the soul. Of this class is the proud, the

covetous, the glutton, the liar, the apostate, the perverter of God's people from

the right way; obstinate and incorrigible backsliders; those who neither mourn

nor sigh for the wickedness of the land; they that prefer their own fancies,

dreams, frames, and feelings, to the Word of God; swearers, adulterers, perjured

persons, and oppressors of the poor; they that insult the godly, and rejoice at

their sufferings; they that have no love, gratitude, nor sense of duty to God, as

the fountain of their unmerited mercies. O reader, give God no rest until, by his

Word and Spirit, he imparts to thee this holy fear as the earnest of glory

hereafter; without it you are perishing.—Mason.—Ed.

[27] "Snaffle" ; a loose bridle with a curb. "To snaffle" ; to be easily led.

" The third o' the' world is yours, which with a snaffle,

You may pace easy, but not such a wise."

Antony and Cleopatra.—Ed.

[28] How familiar but striking an illustration. Reader, look well to the mainspring,

and see also that the wheels are not clogged. We ought to be living epistles,

known and read of all men.—Ed.

[29] "A royster" ; a violent, riotous, blustering, turbulent, fellow—a species of

men now much out of date, as are jails and gibbets, sword and burning stake.

How great and true that courage which could look at, and expect, such trials,

without shrinking, when they were threatened as a reward for love to Christ and

holy obedience to his gospel!—Ed.

[30] This is a very strong and striking expression. "To soak," means to imbibe as

much as we can contain; and as to the influence of godly fear, happy shall we be

in proportion as we are enabled to follow Bunyan's advice.—Ed.

[31] The words, "he made them houses," we humbly suggest, may not only mean

that these God-fearing women had safe dwelling-places, but, in a more extensive

sense, God made them the heads of honourable families, see 1 Samuel 2:35; 2

Samuel 7:11, 13, 27, 29; 1 Kings 2:24, 11:28. So David's prayer was, "Let my

house be established before thee; thou, O my God, wilt build me an house" (1

Chron 17:24,25).—Ed.

[32] Royal patents, in Bunyan's time, were lucrative but most oppressive,

conferring upon favourites, or their nominees, an exclusive right to deal in any

article of manufacture. But the patent to God's fearers, to trust in him when

involved in darkness and distress, is a blessed privilege, injurious to none.—Ed.

[33] "Grabbling"; sprawling along, drawing the body, by the hands, through a

small aperture in a mine.—Ed.

[34] "Tines"; from the Saxon; the teeth or spikes in the rowel of a spur.—Ed.

[35] "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord." Blessedness shall attend him all

the way to heaven, in proportion as that fear abounds. It is a heaven on earth to

live in the constant fear of God—to have a reverential awe and fear of his

majesty immovably fixed and implanted in the soul. The grace of fear has an

eminent influence in a Christian's sanctification; it is a powerful restraint from

sin. A holy fear of God, and a humble fear of ourselves, which are alike of

Divine operation, will preserve us from sin and engage us to obedience. God

will be our protector and instructor, our guide and our everlasting deliverer from

all evil. Let us not rest satisfied with the greatest attainments short of "perfecting

holiness in the fear of God."—Mason.

[36] By the goats we are to understand the hypocrites and the finally impenitent,

who will depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; see

Matthew 25:32, 33-41.—Ed.