Of the Knowledge of God's Dreadfulness or Terribleness
20. The last of God’s attributes which 1 shall now mention, is his dreadfulness or terribleness, to those that are the objects of his wrath. This is the result of his other attributes, especially pf his holmess, and governing justice, and truth in his commi nations. He is a great and dreadful God. Dan. ix. 4. A mighty God and terrible. Deut. vii. 21. A great and ter-Hble God. Nah. i. 5. With God is terrible 242 Of the Knotvledge of God,
mkjesty. Job xxxvii. 22. The Lord most high is terrible. Ps. xlvii. 22.
1. His children therefore must be kept in a holy awe. God is never to be approached or mentioned, but with the greatest reverence. We must sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and he must be our fear and dread. Isa. viii. 13. Even they that receive the unmoveable kingdom, must have grace in their hearts to serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear, because our God is a consuming fire. Heb. xii. 28, 29. When we come to worship in the holy assemblies, we should think, as Jacob, Gen. xxviii. 17. “How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’’ Especially when God seemeth to frOwn upon the soul, his servants must humble themselves before him, and deprecate his wrath, as Jeremiah did, Jer. xvii. 17. “Be not a terror unto me.” It ill becometh the best of men, to make light of the frowns and threatenings of God. Also when he dealeth with us in judginetit, and we feel the smart of his chastisements, though we must remember that he is a Father, yet withal we must consider that he sheweth himself an offended Father: and therefore true and deep humiliation hath ever been the course 6f afflicted saints, to turn away the wrath of a terrible God.
2. But above all, what cause have the ungodly to tremble at the dreadfulness of that God who is engaged in justice, (except they be converted) to use them everlastingly as his unpardoned enemies. As there is no felicity like the favor of God; and no joy comparable to his children’s joys; so is there no misery like the sense of his displeasure, nor any terrors to be compared to those, which his wrath inflictr eth everlastingly on the ungodly. O wretched isinner! what hast thou done to make God thine enemy? what could hire thee to offend him by thy wilful sin, and to do that which thou knewest he forbad and condemned in his word? What madness caused thee to make a mock at sin. and hell, and to play with the vengeance of the Almighty? What gain did hire thee to cast thy soul into the danger of damnation? canst thou save” by the match, if thou win the wovW and lose thy soul? Didst thou not know who it’ was thou hadst to do with? It had beea better for thee that all the world had been offended with thee, even men and angels, great and small, than the niost dreadful God! Dids,t thou not believe him when he told thee how hp was resolved to judge and punish the ungodly? Read it 2 Thes. i. 7 — 10. and ii. 10, 11. Matt. XXV. Jude 15. Ps. i. 8cc. What caused thee to venture upon the consuming fire? Didst thou not know that as he is merciful, so he is jealous, holy, just and terrible? In the name of God, I require and entreat thee, fly to his mercy in Jesus Christ; and hearken speedily to lii n2 grace, and turn at his reproof and warnings. To-day while it is called to-day, harden not thy heart, but hear his voice, lest he resolve in his wrath, that thou shalt never enter into his rest. There is no endurino;, there is no overcomino there is no contending with an angry, dreadful, holy God: repent therefore and turn to him, and obey the voice of mercy that thy soul may live.
3. The dreadfulness of God, doth tell both good and bad the great necessity of a Mediator. What an unspeakable mercy is it that God hath given us his Son! and that by Jesus Christ we may come with boldness and confidence into the presence of the dreadful God, that else would have been to us a greater terror than all
the world, yea than Satan himself. The more we are apprehensive of our distance from God, and of his terrible majesty, and his more terrible justice against such sinners as we have been, the more we shall understand the mystery of redemption, and highly value the mediation of Christ.
4. Lastly, let the dreadfulness of God, prevail with every believing soul, to pity the ungodly that pity not themselves. O pray for them, O warn them, exhort them, entreat them, as men that know the terrors of the Lord. 2 Cor. v. 11. If they knew as well as you do what sin is, and what it is to be children of wrath, and what it is to be unpardoned, unjustified, and unsanctified.
they would pity themselves, and cry for mercy, mercy, mercy, from day to day, till they were recovered into a state of life, and turned from the power of Satan unto God. Alas! they know not what it is to die, and to see the world to come, and to appear before a dreadful God! They know not what it is to be in hell fire; nor what it is to be glorified in heaven: they never saw or tried these things, and they want the faith by which they must be foreseen by those that are yet short of nearer knowledge: you, therefore, that have faith to foreknow these things, and are enlightened by the Spirit of God, O pity, and warn, and help the miserable! Tell them how much easier it is to escape hell, than to endure it: and how much easier a holy life on earth is, than the endless wrath of the most dreadful God. Tell them that unbelief, presumption, and security, are the certain means to bring their misery, but will do nothing to keep it off; though they may keep off the present knowledge and sense of it, which would have droven them to seek a cure. Tell them that death and judgment are at hand, and that when they laugh, or sport, or scorn, and jest at the displeasure of the dreadful God, it is posting toward them, and will be upon them before they are aware; and when they slumber, their damnation slumbereth not: but while unbelieving sinners say, peace, peace, sudden destruction will come upon them, as unexpected travail on a woman with child, and they shall not escape. O tell them how dreadful a thing it is, for a soul that is unregenerate and unsanctified, to go from that body which it pampered and sold its salvation to pleasure, and to appear at the tribunal of God; and how dreadful it is for such a soul, to fall into the hands of the living God. At least save your own souls, by the faithful discharge of so great a duty; and if they will take no warning, let them at last remember, when it is too late, that they were told in time, what they should see and feel at last, and what the latter end would prove; and that God and man did warn them in compassion, though they perish because they would have no compassion or mercy upon themselves. Thus let the terribleness of God provoke you to do your duty with speed and zeal, for the converting and saving of miserable souls.
And thus I have briefly set before you the glass in which you may see the Lord; and told you how he must be known; and how he must be conceived of in our apprehensions; and how the knowledge of God must be improved, and what impressions it must make upon the hearty and what effect it must have upon our lives.* Blessed and for ever blessed are those souls, that have the true and lively image of this God,
nd all these his attributes imprinted on them, (as to the creature they are communicable). And O that the veil were taken from our hearts, that we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, may be changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. iii. 18. and may increase and live in the knowledge of the trvie and only God, and of Jesus Christ, which, is eternal life. Amen.
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