soul, with all our actions, with all recreations, is so good and laudable, that whosoever is most frequent in it shall pass with me, for most devout, and most conversant in heaven. But the most proper and pregnant proof of this fear of God, is the Fear of Offending Gods; in which regard, it is perfectly filial. The good child is afraid of displeasing his father, though he were sure not to be beaten; whereas, the slave is only afraid of stripes, not of displeasure. Out of this dear awe to his Father in Heaven, the truly regenerate trembles to be but tempted; and yet, resolves not to yield to any assault: whether proffers of favour, or violence of battery, all is one. The obfirmed soul will hold out, and scorns so much as to look of what colour the flag is; as having learned, to be no less afraid of sin, than of hell: and, if the option were given him, whether he would rather sin without punishment, or be punished without sin, the choice would not be difficult: any torment were more easy, than the conscience of a divine displeasure. It was good Joseph's just question, How shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Gen. xxxix. 9. Lo, it is the sin, that he sticks at; not the judgment: as one, that would have feared the offence, if there had been no hell. carried. But, if it fall out that the renewed person, as it is incident to the most dutiful children of God, be, through a How we are violent temptation and his own infirmity, miscarried affected after into a known sin; how much warm water doth it we have miscost him, ere he can recover his wonted state! what anxiety; what strife; what torture; what self-revenge; what ejaculations and complaints; what unrepining subjection to the rod! I have sinned; what shall I do to thee, O thou preserver of men? Job vii. 20. So I have seen a good natured child, that, even after a sharp whipping, could not be quieted, till he had obtained the pardon, and evened the brows, of a frowning parent. And now, as it is with little ones that have taken a knock with a late fall, the good man walk's hereafter with The holy Jeaso much the more wary foot; and is the more fear- lousy and Susfully Jealous of his own infirmity: and, finding in picion of God's himself but the very inclinations towards the first children. motions of evil, he is careful, according to that wholesome rule of a strict votary, Cogitationes malas mox ad Christum allidere, "Instantly to dash his new-born evil thoughts against the rock Christ." And henceforth, out of a Suspicion of the danger of excess, he dares not go to the further end of his tether; but, in a wise and safe rigour, abridges himself of some part of that scope, which he might be allowed to take; and will stint himBenedict. Reg. cap. iv. 5 Ἵνα γὰρ δεὸς ἔνθα καὶ αἰδως. Plat. Euthyphr. self, rather than lash out. Indeed, right reason teacheth us, to keep aloof from offending that power, which we adore. The ancient Almains', holding their rivers for gods, durst not wash their faces with those waters, lest they should violate those deities and the Jews were taught, not to dare to come near an idolatrous grove; though the way were never so direct and commodious. No wise man, however he might have firm footing upon the edge of some high rocky promontory, will venture to walk within some paces of that downfall; but, much more, will his sense and judgment teach him, to refrain from casting himself headlong, like that desperate barbarian in Xenophon, from that steep precipice. Sin. The fear of God, therefore, is a strong Retentive from Sin; This Fear a neither can possibly consist, in whatsoever soul, Retentive from with a resolution to offend. As, then, the Father of the Faithful, when he came into Gerar, a Philistine city, could strongly argue, that those heathens would refrain from no wickedness, because the fear of God was not in that place; Gen. xx. 11: so, we may no less irrefragably infer, where we see a trade of prevalent wickedness, there can be no fear of God. Woe is me, what shall I say of this last age; but the same, Rifeness of sin, that I must say of mine own? As this decrepit an argument of body, therefore, by reason of the unequal temper the want of this of humours, and the defect of radical moisture and Fear. heat, cannot but be a sewer of all diseases; so it is, so it will be, with the decayed old age of this great body of the world, through want of the fear of the Everliving God: Rivers of waters, O God, shall run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy law; Ps. cxix. 136. must have ter But what do I suggest to the obdured hearts of wilful sinners, the sweet and gracious remedies of a loving Wicked hearts fear? This preservative is for children: sturdy rible remedies. rebels must expect other recipes. A frown is a heavy punishment, to a dutiful son; scourges and scorpions are but enough, for a rebellious vassal. I must lay before such, a hell of vengeance; and shew them the horrible Topheth, prepared of old, even that bottomless pit of perdition and tell them of rivers of brimstone; of a worm ever gnawing; of everlasting burnings; of weeping, wailing, and gnashing, when the terrible Judge of the World shall come, in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them, that know not God, and obey him not; 2 Thess. i. 8. And, certainly, if the sinner had not an Infidel in his bosom, the expectation of so direful a condition, to be inflicted and continued upon him Mart. Dorza. Sab. post dominic. 4 Quadrag. Xenoph. De Exped. Cyri. unto all eternity, without possibility of any intermission, or of any remission, were enough to make him run mad with fear: only unbelief keeps him from a frantic despair, and a sudden leap into his hell. And, if the custom and deceit of sin have wrought an utter senselessness in those brawny hearts, I must leave them over to the woeful sense of what they will not fear; yea, to the too-late fear of what they shall not be able, either to bear or avoid. Certainly, the time will come, when they shall be swallowed up with a dreadful confusion; and shall no more be able not to fear, than not to be. Oftentimes, even in the midst of all their secure jollity, God writes bitter things against them; such as make their knees to knock together, their lips to tremble, their teeth to chatter, their hands to shake, their hearts to fail within them, for the anguish of their souls. Were they as insensate as the earth itself, Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke, saith the Psalmist: The mountains saw thee, and they trembled, saith Habakkuk; chap. iii. 10. But, if their fear be respited, it is little for their ease; it doth but forbear a little, that it may overwhelm them, at once, for ever. Woe is me, for them! in how heavy and deplorable case are they, and feel it not! They lie under the fierce wrath of the Almighty, and complain of nothing but ease. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence: who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him; saith the prophet Nahum ; chap. i. 5, 6. Yet, oh, what a grief it is to see, that so dreadful a power should carry away no more fear from us, wretched men; yea, even from those, that are ready to fear where no fear is! Pains of body, frowns of the great, restraint of liberty, loss of goods, who is it that fears not? But, alas! to The Misplaced avoid these, men fear not to venture upon the dis- Fear of propleasure of him, whose anger is death; and who fane men. is able to cast body and soul into hell fire: so we have seen fond children, that, to avoid a bug-bear, have run into fire or water: so, we have seen a starting jade, that, suddenly flying from a shadow, hath cast himself into a ditch. We can but mourn in secret for those, that have no tears to spend upon themselves; and tremble for them that will needs gnash. If those, that are filthy, will be filthy still; if secure men will set up a trade of sinning; every good heart will take up Nehemiah's resolution, But so did not I, because of the fear of the Lord: Neh. v. 15: and the practice of Holy Habakkuk: I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble; Hab. iii. 16. It is wise Solomon's good experiment, which he loved to repeat;. By the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil; Prov. xvi. 6. iii. 7 for they say one to another, as the Tremelian version hath it, in Malachi, The Lord hearkeneth and heareth; Mal. iii. 16: and how dare they, how can they, do amiss, in that presence? For, as the Saints say, after the Song of Moses, and the Song of the Lamb; Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints: who shall not fear thee, and glorify thy Name? for thou only art holy; Rev. xv. 3, 4. Shortly then, that we may put these two together, which are Of the Filial not willing to be severed: whosoever is duly Endeavour of affected with a true filial fear of the Almighty canObedience, in not, by allurements, be drawn to do that, which particular call- may offend so sweet a Mercy; cannot, by any difings, arising ficulties, be discouraged from doing that, which from this Fear. may be pleasing to so gracious a Majesty. The Magistrate, that fears God, dares not, cannot be partial to any wickedness; dares not, cannot be harsh to innocence: managing that sword, wherewith he is entrusted, so as God himself, if he were upon earth, would do it, for the glory of his own just mercy. The messenger of God, that fears him on whose errand he goes, dares not, cannot either smother his message or exceed it he will, he must lift up his voice like a trumpet; and tell Israel of her sins, and Judah of her transgressions; not fearing faces, not sparing offences. The ordinary Christian, that fears God, dares not, cannot but make conscience of all his ways; he dares not defraud nor lie, for an advantage : he dares not swear falsely, for a world; he dares not prostitute his body, to whatsoever filthiness; he dares not oppress his inferiors; he dares not turn away his own face from the poor, much less dares he grind theirs; in one word he dares rather die than sin and, contrarily, what blocks soever nature lays in his since his God calls him forth to this combat, he cannot but bid battle to his own rebellious corruptions; and offer a deadly violence to his evil and corrupt affections; and enter the lists with all the powers of darkness, resisting unto blood, and willingly bleeding, that he may overcome. Who now would not be in love with this fear? Oh, fear the Lord, ye his saints: he, that fears him shall lack nothing; Ps. xxxiv. 9: The Sun of Righteousness shall arise unto him, with healing in his wings; Mal. iv. 2. In the mean time, The secret of the Lord is with him; Psalm xxv. 14: The angels of the Lord are ever about him; Ps. xxxiv. 7: His soul shall dwell at ease here below; Psalm xxv. 13: and above, salvation is near unto him; Psalm lxxxv. 9: yea, he is already feoffed of life and glory; Prov. xxix. 25. way, The happy Ef fects and Issue of this Fear. III. Now, as some careful pilot, that takes upon him to direct a difficult sea-passage, which his long and of the Exwary observation hath discovered, doth not con- tremes of this tent himself to steer a right course in his own ves- Fear, on both sel, and to show the eminent sea-marks afar off; sides but tells, withal, what rocks or shelves lie on either side of the channel, which, upon the least deviation, may endanger the passengers: so must we do, here. Having, therefore, sufficiently declared wherein this fear of God consisteth, what it requireth of us, and how it is acted and expressed by us; it remaineth, that we touch at those EXTREMES, which, on both sides, must be carefully avoided: these are, SECURITY and PRESUMPTION, on the one hand; on the other, VICIOUS FEAR. 1. It was the word of the Wise Man, year rather of God, by him, Happy is the man, that feareth alway: whereof the but he, that hardeneth his heart, shall fall into first is Secumischief; Prov. xxviii. 14. Lo, an obdured SE- rity: CURITY is opposed to fear, both in the nature and issue of it. Fear intenerates the heart: making it fit for all gracious impressions security hardens it, and renders it uncapable of good. Fear ends in happiness; security, in an inevitable mischief. (1.) And these two, though contraries, yet arise -Whence from the same cause, contrarily applied: ariseth: it [1.] Like as the same sun hardens the clay, and softens the wax: it is heat, that doth both; causing dryness Of the Abuse in the one, and a dissolution in the other: even of God's Merso the same beams of divine mercy melt the cy, in giving good heart into a holy fear, (Great is thy mercy, and forgiving: that thou mayest be feared,) and harden the wicked heart in a state of security: for, upon the goodness of God to men, both in giving and forgiving, do men grow securely evil and rebellious to their God; as being apt to say, "I have sinned, and what harm hath happened unto me?" saith Siracides; Ecclus. v. 4. Lo, even forbearance obdureth; Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil; Eccl. viii. 11. how much more do the riches of God's goodness, (Rom. ii. 4.) which are the hottest beams of that sun, when they beat directly upon our heads! The ease of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them, saith Solomon; Prov. i. 32. Our philosophy tells us, that an extreme heat shuts up those pores, which a moderate openeth. It was a sore word of St. Ambrose'; That no man can, at once, embrace God's favour, 1 Nemo potest amplecti Dei gratiam simul et seculi. Ambros. lib. iv. Epist. 29. |