A Heart to Fear the Lord
IT wiiu put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me,” Jer. xxxii.40. Ishall proceed to the opening of this by these steps; I shall show, I. That the Lord God is a dreadful God. II. That the
Lord hath put the dread of himself upon the hearts
“pf all the earth. III. That yet by sin the heart of man is much hardened from the fear of the Lord. IV. That God will recover his honour, and again put his
fear into the hearts of his people. V. What this
fear of the Lord is, that he will put into them., I. The Lord God is a dreadful God; he is dreadful in the excellency and glory of his majesty. “Shall not his excellency make you afraid, and his dread fall upon you?” Job xiii. 11. His power is dreadful; “Fear ye not me, saith the Lord? Will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sana for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it, and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet they cannot prevail; ‘though they roar, yet can they not passiover it?” Fear ye not me, saith the Lord? He that did this, what can he not do? His wrath ‘is a dreadful wrath; “At his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation,” Jer. x. 10. Yea, his holiness, his truth, his righteousness, and: all his name. ‘ That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God,” Deut. xxvill, 58. The Lord God is a dreadful God.
II. The Lord God hath put the dread of himself upon the hearts of all the earth. Not the best only, but the worst of the sons of men.. “IT am a great king, saith the Lord, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.” This dread.of the Lord breaks forth upon them.
1. From the impress of ‘God upon the natures of all men. As the law, so the being of God is written in their hearts; he hath his witness in their consciences. If the atheists of the earth could answer all the arguments from without, proving that there is a God; yet they can never-confute their own consciences, If the works of God do not, their reins shall ‘instruct them; if they will not see, whether they will or not, they shall feel that there is a God; and wherever God is felt, he is feared; even when their mouth speaketh proud things, their heart shall meditate terror; and when nothing else is, they shall bea terror to themselves.
2, It is increased by the great works of God, his wonders that he doth in the world; his thunder and his hail, his wind and his waves, his earthquakes, make: an earthquake in hearts.
8. It is further heightened by his judgments,
which he executeth on the earth. The judgments of
i God, are God revealing himself from heaven, against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, and do,
then strike most terror, 1. When he smites suddenly, and. makes quick work with sinners: as when Herod was smote by an angel of God, Nadab and Abihu consumed by fire from God, immediately upon their sin. Sudden strokes shake secure hearts. 2. When he executes. strange judgments, makes a new thing, as’ in the case of Korah and his company, he made the earth to open her mouth upon them,
and swallow them up; so he made the flies, and
the frogs, and the lice, &c. to be the executioners of
his wrath on Pharach. 3. When he executes great
wrath for little sins, as men account them; as the case of Uzzah, whom he struck dead, for but touching the ark when it shook. 4. When he exercises. great severity on his own, on those that are near him. If he spareth not his sons, what — will he do with his enemies! “If these things be done on the green tree, what shall be done on the dry!”
‘s Yet further; by their conscience of guilt, and
their binding over to the judgment to come. The
sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, with the point of a diamond it is graven upon the tables of
their heart. The sin of Judah is written; yea, and
the sin of the Gentiles also. “Their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while
aceusing,” Rom. ii. 15. And where their. sin 1s
Ph ° WIE: written, there their judgment is written, which even nature itself will teach, doth inevitably follow upon sin; and this is the great dread that is upon them. The very mention of judgment to come, made a Felix tremble at the face of a poor prisoner. This is the terror of the Lord mentioned by the apostle, “We must all appear before the judgment seat. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord we persuade men,” 2 Cor. v. 10, 11. Death is said to be the king of terrors; and this is the terror of death, after that the judgment. All these, the impress of God upon their hearts, the wonders of God in the world, the vengeance of God executed on sin, the sense of guilt, and of a judgment to come; do preach to the consciences of sinners, that ‘ it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
IIT. Yet by sin the heart of man is much hardened from the fear of the Lord. ‘Sin blinds the eye and hardens the heart, brings into danger and puts out of fear. Who in such danger, and yet who so bold as the blind sinner? When the understanding is darkened, the next word we read is, ‘‘ Past feeling,” Eph. iv. 19. There is included in the very nature of sin a slighting of God; and by once slighting we learn to slight him more... Slight the command, and you will quickly slight the curse. Laugh at duty, and it will not be long ere you laugh at fear. And when sin hath thus hardened, God will also harden, — lets the sinner alone, suspends his judgments, smites the sinner with judicial blindness, and gives him up to a reprobate mind, Rom. i. 28. - And when once they come to this, then hell is broke loose: for what — follows? ‘* Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malicions- —
we ‘nes’, and what not,” Rom. i. 29. “The trans-
‘gression of the wicked saith within my heart, there
is no fear of God before his eyes,” Psa. xxxvi. 1. ‘When Abraham had such a thought, “Surely the fear
of God is not in this place,” Gen.xx.11. what thought
he was there then? Murder, adultery, and all manner of villany. ‘ What sawest thou amongst us that thou hast done this thing?’ What hurt, what evil, didst thou see amongst us? What evil! Evil enough to make me afraid: I thought the fear of God was not here, and there needs no more to make me afraid. Say of any person, The fear of God is not in this man, and you therein say, The devil is in him: here dwells sin, and all manner of wickedness. Say of any place, The fear of God is not in this place; and if you find it an Egypt or Sodom for abominations, you will not wonder. ‘The fear of the Lord is clean,” Psa, xix. 9. that is, not only formally but effectively it cleanseth. Where this is not, every unclean thing may dwell. The reason why this world is such a world as it is, such a wicked world, such a treacherous, deceitful, ungodly world, why there is so little faith, or truth, or mercy, or charity, or sobriety, is, because there is so little of the fear of God. Sin hath cast out fear, and this hath brought forth sin in abundance. The law is nothing, threatenings are nothing, conscience is nothing, God is nothing to men, because he is not
their fear. Wickedness is as righteousness; villany
as honesty; prodigality, debauchery, as temperance and sobriety; yea, and hath gotten the start of it-it faceth the sun, it lifts up the head, it wears the garland; it paints itself virtue, generosity, gallantry, the beauty and ornament of the world, where the fear of God is departed.
God may promise, threaten, command, “Hearken to my voice, turn at my reproofs, cast away your transgressions.” Awake from your wine, be chaste, sober, be-humble; let your merriment be turned into mourning, your jollity into heaviness. Remember your Creator, remember your souls, why will you die? turn and live. God may speak thus once, and twice, and ten times, but is not regarded; his words have no weight, his counsels have no credit, his warnings are of no value with hardened, fearless hearts. If the devil speak but once, he is heard; ‘if lust speak but once, it is obeyed; if a proud companion speak but once, he is followed; whilst the ‘word of the God of glory is made a reproach, anda scorn. Oh the intolerable contempt that is poured out upon the Most High, by men that fear not God! ‘Make thy promises, and give thy gifts to whom thou wilt; give grace, and give glory where thou pleasest; the world for me; my pleasures, my honours, my liberty for me, this world for me, look after the other who will. Let the Lord threaten, Jet the day of the Lord come; let it hasten that we may see it; let the Almighty do his worst, I will not hearken nor turn. This is the blasphemy hardened, fearless hearts. lg us
IV. God will recover his honour in the hearts of his people. He will put his fear in their hearts; whilst others are hardened, they shall tremble; whilst others kick, they shall stoop; whoever despise me, of these will I be had in honour.
V. What this fear of the Lord is that he will put into their hearts. The fear of God is taken in scripture sometimes more largely, as it comprehends all
—geligion. Job was said, chap. i. to be a man fearing God; that is, a godly man: but in this sense I shall
a not here speak of it. Sometimes more strictly, as a distinct grace, as distinguished from faith, love, hope, and other graces of the Spirit. And being taken in this sense there are these two things included, in it: f
1. A reverence of God.
2. An abhorrence of evil for God’s sake. 1, A reverence of God. ‘To fear God is to have the awe of God abiding upon the heart, to be under a sense of the majesty and glory of the Lord, shining forth in all his attributes, especially in his holiness and omniscience; the glory of his holiness, and the sense of such a holy eye upon the soul strikes it with dread and consternation. This is expressed in scripture by sanctifying the Lord in the heart. ‘I will be sanctified in them that draw nigh me,” Lev.
x. 8.“Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let
him be your fear, and let him be your dread,” Isa. viii. 13. There is mention in scripture of a sanctifying of God, and a justifying of God. As God doth justify and sanctify his people, so they are te justify and sanctify God. .These two, the justifying and sanctifying of God, though they be much the same, yet there is some difference betwixt them. To sanctify God is to reverence him in our hearts, and to represent him in the glory of his holiness before men. To justify God, supposeth a sinful judging,
and foolish charging of God in the hearts of men, and is our vindicating him from such charges, Is
God righteous? How is it then that he is so partial
in his dealings with the righteous and unrighteous?
that he deals worse with those who fear him, than
with those who fear him not? Is God good? How
is it then that he is so hard, not only. in imposing,
but inflicting such hard things upon his own! Is
Q2
God true? How is it then that he fails his pecple so often when he hath said, I will never fail them nor forsake them? Our flesh hath failed, yea, and our heart hath failed, yea, and our God hath often failed us too; we have often called, and have had no answer; we have often trusted, and have had no deliverer. Yet God is righteous, yet God is good, yet God is true; he hath not been unrighteous, ne hath not been a hard master, he hath not failed no: forsaken; this is to justify God.
Our justifying God, hath some kinds of resemblance with God’s justifying us. God’s justification of us stands in his not imputing sin to us, and accepting us as righteous; and our justifying of God stands in our not imputing evil to him, and our acknowledging him to be true, just, and good. God hath justified me from, my sins, and that is enough to proclaim him good and faithful whatever his other dealings be. Let him afflict me, let him chastise me, since he will not judge me, nor condemn me with the world. God hath justified himself in my conscience. I have found that the Lord is gracious, I have found that God is faithful; he hath said he will not, and I must say he hath not forsaken. He hath not failed when he hath most failed me; when he hath been farthest off from my help, he hath even then been a present help in trouble. He hath answered when he hath been most silent; he hath been most good when he hath been most hard. I have never found more sweet than in his bitter cup. I must judge myself, not my God: I have sinned, I have sinned against him, and therefore I must justify him when he speaketh, and clear him when he judgeth. Hold thy peace, querulous heart, be silent all the earth before the Lord, for
y i; truly Ged is good to Israel, and to them that are of a clean heart. There are few among the worst of sinners, but, if conscience might be suffered to speak, it would justify God. It is lust that quarrels, not conscience. It is vain to serve the Lord, and
what profit is there to keep his ordinances. His
ways are unequal and hard; his promise fails, take one time with another, oftener than it is made good. Who is it that plagues, and disappoints, and crosseth, and vexeth us? This evil is of the Lord; why should I wait on the Lord any longer? Nay, whom doth he punish more than those that are nearest him? Who have sorrow, who have trouble in the flesh? who are reproached, scorned, hunted up and down the world but these? This they may thank God for, and their following him. It is better being the servant of sin than the servant of Christ, Thus lust blasphemes. But speak conscience; Is God unrighteous? Is God false to his word? Are the pleasures of sin better than the gain of godliness? Have the children of this world made a wiser choice than the children of light? Speak sinner, let thy conscience speak whether it be thus or not. God hath not Jeft himself without witness in the hearts of sinners, much more with his saints, when they do speak their hearts, speak good of his name. But this by the way. ate
To return to the matter in hand. To sanctifv God is especially to reverence him in the heart; to have such a high, and holy, and honourable esteem of him as commands an awe upon the heart; and that,
(1.) At all times: “My son, be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.” “My son;” it is not only for slaves but for sons to fear. ‘“‘ Be thou in the
Q 3
fear of the Lord;” it is not only, Let the fear of the Lord be in thee, habitually in thy heart; but actuate and stir up this holy fear, keep up a holy awe, a deep sense of God always upon thee; let the fear of the Lord be before thine eyes; be possessed and swallowed up of this fear “all the day long;” wherever thou art, with whomsoever thou hast to
do, remember thou hast still to do with God. A christian should stand always as before the tribunal; every day should be as the last day, the day of judgment to him. ‘ So speak ye, and so do as those that shall be judged,” Jam. ii. 12. The judge stands at the door, yea, and thou mayest see him through every window, yea, through every wall; every wall is a window, through which God may see and be seen, A christian, when he is as he should be, cannot wink God out of sight: can look nowhere, but he sees that eye which strikes an awe upon his spirit.
Pithis abiding reverence of God, what an influence will it have upon the whole course! we shall then serve God acceptably; when we fear, we shall please God. ‘“‘That we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” We shall then serve God universally, in every thing. When we fear we shall watch unto every duty, against every sin. ‘ This do and live, for I fear God,” Gen. xlii. 18. said Joseph to his brethren; as if he should have said, Do not you fear to find falsehood or any evil-dealing from me, for I fear God. I dare not be false to you; you may trust me, you may take my word, for I fear God We shall then walk before the Lord steadily. When we fear we shall fix, and hold in an even frame and course. Fear will be our ballast; whilst love fills our sails, fear
~enecen he ‘will ballast our vessel. How are slight and frothy spirits tossed up and down! whither do they wander. How many hearts, and faces, and frames have they -every day! What contradictions are they to themselves! The reverence of God upon them, would fix them, and hold them in a more even and equal poise. We should then serve the Lord more honourably. When we fear, we shall show forth the virtues of God before the world; so much of the reverence, so much of the holiness of God upon us. The presence of a christian walking in the fear of ‘the Lord, is as the presence of God; the reverence of God upon his heart, casts a beam of divine majesty into his face, and oftentimes begets an awe and reverence of him in the hearts of the worst of sinners; they reverence, even whilst they revile and persecute him.
Of John Baptist, who was a man of a just, holy, ‘and austere life, it is said, that Herod feared him, and observed him, Mark vi. 20. The austerity and holiness of his life, commanded a respect from a Herod’s heart, Such christians, their ways are a conviction, and their very countenances are a rebuke to the wanton world; they speak with authority, they exhort with authority, they reprove with authority; and sin often hides itself from them, even as from the face of God.
(2.) Especially in our drawing nigh to God: God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the ‘saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him,” Psa. Ixxxix.7. “I will be sanctified in them that draw nigh me,” Lev. x. 3. He that fears God trembles at the word of God; and God loves he should. “To this man will I look — that trembles at my word.” Isa. lxvi. 2. That which makes him tremble, is, that he sees the word carrying upon it the holiness and the authority of God. he: He reads the word as the epistle of God sent down to the world; his epistle commendatory; that sets forth the excellency and the glory of God, and his letters mandatory that charge subjection and ‘obedience upon him; he takes every word as ‘coming from the mouth of the Holy One of Israel; he lies prostrate before the Lord; his soul bows the knee, his heart falls down at the feet of the
Almighty. The word, by how much the more it is.
‘considered as the word of God, by so much the more awe it works upon him. Every look he casts upon his bible, is a looking into heaven. He that fears God, fears when he comes to worship, reve- -yences his sanctuary; “In thy fear will I worship,” Psa. v. 7. That which works this fear is, that he looks upon the duties and ordinances of worship, as the institutions of God and his application unto God.
This is that which the Lord hath sanctified; behold his image and superscription; here he hath
appointed me to wait for him; here he hath appointed to meet my soul; now I am going up to the mount of God, the mount of God is every where, where the worship of God is. My soul, where art thou? Iam before the Lord of the whole earth. “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, the place whereon ‘thou standest is holy ground.” I am before the high and Holy One, the God of all the earth; and upon transactions of eternal consequence, to do my homage to the everlasting King, to kneel before the Lord my Maker, to kiss the golden sceptre, to beg “my life at his hands, to behold his goings in his sanctuary, his wisdom, and his mercy, and his goodie Plness are all passing before me. How dreadful is this place! ‘This is none other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven,” Gen. xxviil. 17. How dreadful is this word! This is none other but the word of
God. How dreadful is this ordinance! This is none
other but the door of glory. Tremble thou heart at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. é res. 2. Abhorrence of evil for the Lord’s sake. Here
we shall consider, 1. Its object; 2. Its ground. 1.) The object of this abhorrence in general, is evil, ‘“* Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good,” Rom. xii. 9. Good is the object of love, evil of fear. Evil is twofold, present, or to come. The furmer is the object of grief, the latter of fear. Particularly, the. object of this abhorrenceis, 1. The wrong of God; 2. The loss of God. [1.] The wrong of God. The great and only wrong of God, is sin. Sin is the turning away of the heart from God. The great thing in all the world which God respects and requires as his own, is the heart. ‘‘ My son give me thine heart. Keep thine heart with all diligence,” Prov. iv. 23. Keep thy heart, that is, keep it for me; keep it clean for God, and keep it safe for God; see that it be not defiled nor carried away. When the heart is gone, all is gone with it. If the world hath gotten hearts, if Satan hath gotten hearts, let them take all, saith God; let me have either a heart, or nothing; and all they are like to have, that have the heart. The heart, wherever it goes, carries all with it. Where we bestow our hearts, we bestow all that we haye. Sin is the turning away of the heart. This is the very nature of sin, the heart’s departing from the living God, Heb. iii. 12. And therefore this is the great wrong of God. There is but one thing
in the world that God respects, and this sin steals —
away.: mea; Sin is the insurrection and rebellion of the heart
against God; it turns from him, and turns against.
him; it runs over to the camp of the enemy, and: there takes up arms against God. Sin is a running from God, and a fighting against God, it would spoil the Lord of all the jewels of his crown. It opposeth the sovereignty of God. A sinful heart would set up itself in God’s throne, it would be king in his stead, and have the command of all. Sinners would: be their own gods; our tongues are our own, who is Lord over us? God shall not. be God where sin is risen up as Lord. It assaults the wisdom of God. Vain man would -be wise, wiser than his Maker. It charges the Lord with folly, and proclaims itself the only wise. Sinners pretend to know how to choose for themselves, and order themselves to their advantage, better than God. If God would let me alone to myself, to be at my own finding, at my own ordering, it should quickly be better with me.. If every thing might be with me, as I would have it, my case would be wel: mended
from what it is now, that every thing must go as”
God will have it. All our quarrellings at Providence, all our murmurings and discontents at our lot, are our hearts charging the Lord with folly. It casts dirt on the holiness of God, it disparages the goodness of God; it abuseth mercy, violates his justice, despises his, power. In sum, it disgraces the throne of his glory, and lays his honour in the dust; sets the Almighty below the lowest of his creatures,
Every companion shall be respected more than God; every pleasure shall be loved more than God;
the devil shall be feared more than God. Where is his love? Where is his fear? Where is his honour?
Nay, where were the Lord, might sin carry it? Sin is the wrong of God, and this wrong is the especial object of this abhorrence. A gracious heart would
do no wrong, he would not wrong his neighbour,
he would not wrong his servant, his enemy, no not
his beast that he possesses. But oh! should I wrong my God? Hath he ever done meany wrong? Hath he not been just to me? Yea, hath he not been ever good to me? Kind, pitiful, patient, boun-
‘tiful? Who hath fed me, clothed me, kept me, succoured me, comforted me? What friend have I im all the world? What father, what portion, what
hope, but the Lord? What were I, what had I, but vanity, but woe and misery, had I not a God? I cannot wrong my God, but I wrong myself. ‘* He that sinneth against me, wrongeth his own soul,” ‘Prov. viii. 36. But if I did not, if my arrows would
not recoil, could I go out with all this injury, and suffer nothing by it: yet, he is God whom I wrong;
he is holy, he is righteous, he is good, he is glorious, he is excellent; he only is God, and shall I be injurious to him? He is worthy, he is worthy of all that I have, of all the service I can do, of all the
respect I can give, of all the praise I can offer up. If I had a thousand tongues, if I had a thousand hands, if [ had a thousand lives, if I had a thousand
souls, if I had all the earth for an offering to the Lord, all would be nothing to show forth the praise that is due unto his name, as he is God, and I his
‘creature. And when I owe so much, and have
nothing to pay, shall I steal from him? shall I rise — up against him? “Wast thou not afraid to lift up thy hand against the Lord’s anointed?” 2 Sami. 14. Shall I not be afraid to lift up my hand against the Lord himself? to kick against God? Oh the Lord forbid! What art thou, O my soul? What servest thou for? if thou canst not tremble, if thou dost not turn within me, if thou dost not start back at the very thought of such great wickedness?
[2.] The loss of God. As was said before, “He that sinneth against God, wrongeth his own soul.” His loss is thy loss, and more thine than his; though (no thanks to thee) the Lord will be no loser at last; when sinners have done their worst, he can get up his honour out of dishonour, he can recover his spoils out of the ashes; if he had lost all the world, he had lost nothing he is all things in himself. When earth and hell have spent all their malice, God will be God, holy, wise, glorious, blessed for ever. Though such be the malignity of sin, that it would not give over, till God ceaseth to be God; yet God is above, too high for sin to reach; its
darts fall short of its mark. God cannot, God will not sit down a loser by all that sin can do.
But what dost thou suffer, what dost thou lose who sinnest against God? The carnal world understand not what, nor would make much reckoning of it, did they understand it. The loss of two pence goes often nearer them, than the loss of God. But now a christian knows no other fear, fears no other Joss; let God be secure, and all is well. Sin will be the wrong of God, and the loss of God; it may be a total and eternal loss for aught he knows, at least if not assured; God lost, is the soul lost, the kingdom lost; this is hell, the loss of God. Better have no being; better be a dog, or toad, than a man without a God; or if he be not utterly lost, yet to his present sense, it will be all one as if he had no God; his peace is lost, his comfort is lost, and his soul is often given for lost, from whom
God is departed, though but for a season; he can take pleasure in nothing, he can find rest nowhere,
whose God is out of sight. He knows not what a ‘God means, who can spare him till death or judg- ‘ment. A christian cannot live a day without him; it is night, it is all dark, he knows no day while the sun is set upon him. How grievous do they find this loss, who have proved what it is? ‘ What wilt thou do for me, whilst I go childless”’ What can be done for me, whilst I go fatherless? here is my house, here are my friends and my lands, but where is my God? “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Now I see what this earth is without a heaven; now I see what ease, pleasure, and carnal friends are, and how little they can do for me! Yea, what is prayer? what are sabbaths? what are ser- ‘mons, sacraments, promises, whilst God looks not down? Oh I was wont to meet with God here! these glasses were my windows into heaven; and then how pleasant were they to me! Sabbaths were a delight, the word was a treasure, sacraments were the clusters of Canaan. But now, now all is dark and dry; ordinances are wells without water; promises are breasts without milk; ministers are stars without light; oh the stars are but clods, whilst the
sun is a cloud to me; woe is me, I had a God.
I am pained, I am pained, my head is sick, my
heart is faint, my bowels are turned, my liver is
poured out, the light of mine eyes is gone from me
I am weary of my groaning, I am full of tossings
and turnings, there is no soundness in my flesh, no
rest in my bones, while my soul says daily to me, R ‘Where is thy God? And if the sense of this loss ‘worketh such grief, what wonder if the hazard of it worketh fear? Now sin divides, breaks the peace, makes God and the soul two; sin alienates, produces a distance and estrangement betwixt God and the soul. That soul can either not see him at all, or not as a friend, whom sin hath drawn away. Sin will either cloud the face of God, or clothe him with fury; will cause him either to turn his back upon the soul, or set his face against it. He who knows what it is to enjoy God will dread his loss; he who hath seen his face will fear to see his back; he loves, and therefore would not lose. ye
(2.) The ground and reason of this abhorrence, that is twofold. 1. God’s jealousy; 2. His people’s ingenuousness.
[1.] God’s jealousy. ‘‘ The Lord thy God is a jealous God,” Exod. xx. 5. The same arguments which the Lord useth to keep up and enforce his authority upon the consciences of his people, the same arguments they do, and ought to make use of, to press it upon themselves. ‘I am a jealous God,” saith the Lord; It is true, saith conscience, the Lord is jealous; and therefore take heed to thyself, soul, how thou fallest into his hands. “It is a ae thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
The jealousy of the Lord includes in it his tenderness of his honour, and terribleness in case of dishonour. He 3
His tenderness of his honour. The honour of God is very tender to him, he will not lose a tittle of it; “My glory will I not give to another, nor my praise to graven images,” Isa. xli. 8. I will not, and look you to it, that you do not give away my glory. What was the reason that God dealt so severely with Eli and with Herod? What was Eli’s sin? Why, that he gave away the honour of God to his sons. ‘Thou honourest thy sons above me,”
1 Sam. ii. 29. He was so tender to his sons, that though they were become sons of Belial, and dealt “go wickedly before the Lord, yet they must be dealt,
gently with; ‘‘ Nay, my sons, it is no good thing that I hear of you.” Such a slight reproof must serve in so dreadful a case; he was afraid to displease his sons by a sharper reproof; this the Lord interprets an honouring of his sons above him. Indulgent. parents, stand and tremble, you that can see your children sin, and let them go out with a ‘‘ Nay, my sons, it is not good,” a slight or cold: reproof; this is no other but your honouring your
sons above your God. What was Herod’s sin?
Acts xii. 22, 23. that he gave not God the glory. He made an eloquent oration, and the people there-. upon made him a god: “The voice of God and not of man,” and he accepted of the applause; and. thereupon the angel of the Lord smote him, that he died. Eli sinned in giving the honour of God to: his sons, and Herod in taking it to himself; but God taught them both how dear his glory is to him. - The jealousy of the Lord also includes his terribleness in case of his dishonour. The mentioned instances speak him both tender and terrible; “The
- Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous
God,” Deut. iv. 24. The jealousy of a man is the rage of a man, Prov. vi, 34. And the jealousy of
Godiis the rage and fury of a God. “Our God is
a consuming fire,” that is, the fire of his jealousy. The wrath of a king is as the roaring of a lion;
when the lion roareth, the beasts of the field tremble ;,
R 2 what then are the terrors of the Lord? The threatenings of the Lord are terrible, “Consider this, ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver,’ Psa. 1.22. ‘“I, even I, will tear and go away,” Hos. v.14. Tearing, and tearing in pieces, the very expectation of it is enough to tear the heart in pieces. I will tear them, saith God; I myself will do it; I, even [, will tear. It is terrible to be torn of men or of wild beasts; but take heed of God’s tearing. I will tear in pieces; I will not tear off their hair, or their garments, or their ornaments; I will tear their flesh from their. pones, limb from limb, yea, soul from body; I will’ tear them in pieces, I will tear them and go away, tear them, and leave them; wound, and not heal.’ I will tear them, and deliver them who can; yea,’ I will tear them, and trample upon them; “I will’ tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury,” Isa. lxiii. 3. Trampling denotes contempt and indignation. I will make them as the dirt in the’ streets; the mark of my scorn and fury. His judgments are terrible, he doth terrible things: in righteousness. Go to Jerusalem and mount Sion, and behold the monuments of his fury there. “Go to Shiloh,” saith God, “and see what I did to it,” Jer. vii. 12. But if you go down to Sodom, or look down to Tophet, and behold the terrors of the Lord there; or if you look on particular persons, let Nadab and Abihu, Korah, Dathan and Abiram, Uzzah,. Uzziah, Ananias and Sapphira, Herod, &e, be for instances of his dreadfulness and severity. This jealous God, this terrible God, is the God whom his people fear; and they, therefore, fear him, because he is such a jealous God. Who would not fear thee, thou King of nations? Who can stand rs
ry
before thee when thou art angry? My flesh
trembles for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy
judgments.
Christians, let none say, this fear is not the fear of his children; this be to his enemies and slaves, not his children: fear ye not their fear. But are
‘not all these things written for our learning? Is
this written only for their sakes? Or saith he not also for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt this is written, saith the apostle in another case. Consider that full scripture to this purpose, ‘“Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted; neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them, as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand, Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore Jet him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall,” 1 Cor. x. 6 — 12.; aries Mark, these things are our examples. Are they
examples to us, and not warnings too? Are they warnings to us, and must we not by them learn to fear and beware? “Let him that thinketh he standeth,
take heed lest he fall”. My soul standeth in a sure
‘place, my mountain is so strong, that I shall never be moved; I am safe enough; I am in Christ, and
shall not come into condemnation. But whatever
tho thinkest, as sure as thou thinkest thou standest. ‘ =
rR3 take heed, take heed lest thou fall; that is, not only into the same sins, but into the same condemnation; that is the sense of the place. “Because of unbelief they are broken off; thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear,” Rom. xi. 20. No need of fear! No need of threatenings! What! may we burn half our bibles? Can we spare so great a part of what is written? Have we out-grown the use of judgment, as soon as ever we are partakers of mercy? Have we out-grown the use of the scourge, as soon as ever we are entered into Christ’s school? Do we find all too little, mercies, threatenings, judgments, to keep our hearts in order? and yet is it more than needful? There are two parties in us; we are flesh as well as spirit, and must not the flesh be frighted? Will love prevail with just? This slave sure, this son of the bond-woman, must be kept in awe. Hath God no disobedient children, no rebellious children? and must these have no other discipline but strokings and dandlings?
Believe it, christians, God will not have his terrors lost, nor lost to you; God will sometimes make his children feel that he is a terrible God. He is terrible out of his holy place. Beware you be not presumptuous children. There is a threefold presumption. 1. A presumption upon temptation, in confidence of strength. 2. Upon sin, in confidence of mercy. ‘8. Upon sin, in contempt of mercy and justice. ‘1, A presumption upon temptation, in confidence of strength. Some unwary souls, not knowing what spirit they are of, supposing themselves too hard for the devil, will be venturing within his reach; as if they would dare him to try his skill and power; who, having forgotten this prayer ‘‘ Lead us not into % temptation,” put themselves into the tempter’s hand:. the falls of such will teach them to understand their folly. 2. Presumption on sin, in confidence of mercy. And that either in confidence of mercy already obtained — I am in Christ, and my sin shall not separate me from him; whatever I do, I have a pardon in my hand: or in hope of mercy at last — I have to do with a merciful God, and therefore may venture on a little further; hereafter I will repent, and then I need not doubt of remission. 3. Presumption on sin, in contempt of mercy and justice — I will have my sin, though I never find mercy; I will have my will and my way, and run the hazard of what follows; I will take my course, and come on me what will.
This last sort, who presume to sin in contempt of mercy and judgment; who are so drunken with their sensual delights, and given over to the hardness of their hearts, that they neither value mercy, nor fear wrath: — What do you talk to me of mercy and judgment to come? Give me my pleasures, and my liberties, and my mirth, and my money: think not to make me such a fool, to let go the pleasure and comfort of my life, for, I know not what, uncertain fears or hopes. Such as these have one foot already in hell. If it be not yet thus with thee, thou darest not contemn either mercy or judgment, ‘also beware thou be not presumptuous in the former sense. Be not bold upon temptations; think ‘not that thou art strong to overcome a temptation, when thou art so weak as not to fear it; he that fears not a temptation, understands not it, or himself, But especially beware thou presume not upon sin, in consequence of mercy, Grow not over bold upon love or patience. God loves me, therefore [
200° A HEARS TO FEAR THE LORD,
may be bold to take the more liberty, the less care; the less watchfulness, the less fear, because so much love! Spit in thy Father’s face, because he weeps over thy neck! Smite him on the face, because thou hopest he will not: strike again! Tear his vowels, because they are so tender towards thee! Be froward, stubborn, wanton, and idle, because thou hast found him so indulgent!: Christians, consider whether such wickedness hath not sometimes been found in some of our hearts: But take heed; you will find, though he be a tender; yet he will not be a fond* father; where he loves, he will be feared. Some as bold:and as confident as. you, have felt to their cost, what it is to abuse patience and kindness; his arrows in their hearts, his terrors in their souls, have made them to know that the God of love is a terrible God. And look to it if thou yet wilt adventure, wilt be a wanton still, froward, or idle, or heedless still, he will either lash thee into better manners, or cast thee out as no-child of his, but a bastard and rebel. If thou wilt not take warning by others, take heed lest he make thee a warning to them which shall come after. ais Christians know, that though God be tender of his saints, yet he is jealous for his name; he tenders them as the apple of his eye, but not above the least tittle of his honour. As God will have us love our neighbour, so he will love his child, but as himself: first himself, and then his child. He will not abate an iota of his glory, to save a world. As little offences done to his little ones, so little sins allowed by them, are as mill-stones about the neck. If the allow it in themselves, yet heaven and earth shail pass away, and fall to nothing, ere he allow it in * Injudiciously indulgent, foolish. Ss a them. God will not, and therefore his children dare not indulge themselves in little sins. They therefore fear, because he whom they serve is a jealous God.
[2.] Their own ingenuousness. This fear is from Jove and good nature, and is most properly the fear of children. Children fear, because God is jealous, and so do slaves; but only children because God is good. Children fear, because they love; slaves fear,
although they hate. Children fear to be unworthy; slaves only to be unhappy and miserable. There is nothing more contrary to an ingenuous nature, than to abuse goodness and kindness; to abuse goodness hath as black an aspect with him, as to provoke wrath. “They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days,” Hos. iii. 5. But how can goodness be the object of fear? We fear evil and not good.
The meaning is, they shall fear to wrong or abuse goodness. They shall fear to wrong the Lord, because he is good, “‘in the latter days.” These latter days that this promise refers to, shall be days of -more grace; wherein there shall be not only a more clear revelation of the goodness of God, (they shall know the Lord and his goodness,) but a more plentiful communication and diffusion of the goodness of God: they shall love the Lord and his goodness. They shall see themselves both more obliged by — goodness, and shall feel themselves more seasoned with goodness. By grace they shall be better natured. Religion doth not make morose, but more generous, free, and ingenuous. There is nothing more abhorrent to an Ingenuous spirit, than to be base and unworthy. Abuse of goodness is aa unworthiness, which an ingenuous nature abhors as death to be guilty of; it is its destruction, it is disingenuousness. The abuse of the goodness of God is disingenuousness. ‘ font Call me unthankful, and you call me all that is bad. Call me any thing else but unthankful. Indeed, were I all thanks, I should still be unthankful; I should still be behindhand with the good-. ness of the Lord; my debt is greater than I can ay, yea, greater than I can acknowledge; but shald Tene evil for good? If I cannot pay, should 1 deny my debt? He that is unthankful, whatever-God requires of him, says wickedly, This is more: than I owe to thee. God, I owe thee nothing, I care not for thee. Oh this is dreadful to a gracious heart. ey If this be in sin, (for all sin is unthankfulness,) if; this be sin, if this be the signification of all my neglects of God, and my daty to him; then the Lord: forbid, whatever I suffer, that I should yield to sin.. How shall I do this wickedness ?. How shall I neglect this duty, and sin against God 2 How shall. I look my God, or my own soul in the face, should: I be so worthy? For thy sake, Lord, let me not, sin against thee; thou art good, thou art kind, thou art gracious, thou art holy; O let me not be a devil ;. what heart, where a devil is not, but such goodness, will charm it intolove? Shall I sin ?. shall Lrebel? For thy sake, Lord, I will not do it; I will not for: my own sake; for where then shall I appear? In. smning against God, I sin against my own soul; I dare not for my life; sin and death, sin and hell are linked together; but were it not so, might I sin. and escape, sin and not die, yet for thy sake, Lord, I will not do it. Thou art good, good in thyself, good to me; thou art my God, thou art my Father; — love, care, tenderness, compassion, kindness, is all
great unthankfulness; and unthankfulness is great ‘that. is in thy heart towards me; what I am, what I have, what I hope for, that I breathe, that I live, all is thy goodness, thy bounty to me. Oh let me
‘not rise up against the womb that bare me, and the
‘paps that gave me suck. — [ would not to my child,
‘to my servant, to my friend; but oh let me never te
amy Father, to my God, return “evil for good, and hatred for his good will.” Let not this evil which I fear, ever come upon me; put thy fear into my heart, O Lord, that I may not sin against thee.