Chap.% Of the Fearof Gó15 a»d its con r2frrrs. ckti .t. i2 us , and when it is departed , fo that there's nothing left but fear; yet this fear will never leave us, or let us reft, till we have made our felves fit to receive it again fi deficit timar, defcis & ti , if fear decay , thou decayeft with it, -c. when we have recovered the grace that was loft, fear will preferve it ; for fear of a relapfewill make us more circtímfpcct. Saint I-crame calls it Ceffadem omniuM 'Virtarrnit. 3. Becaufe the excellent duty of love, thecffeft offear, might not fail and grow careless ; In theCanticles the Spoufe fell allcep with her Beloved inher Arms , and when theawoke her Beloved wasgone, in her Bed the fought him,but found him not, fo that if therebenot'a mixture of tear with love it will grow fecure, and fall afleep, and tote herBeloved. Therefore that we may be fore tokeep our love awake, when , we thinkwe haveChrift in our Arms , there mutt be a mixture of fear with it. So for there three reafons fear is neceffary, even for them that think themfetves in a perfcft citate. And withal Salomon tells us the fear of the Lord is thebeginning of Cánt.;. wifdom , fo did his Father before him. And the [aine Soloman concludes his Book ofPfov.'.7. the Preacher, with fear God and keep his Commandments, for this is the end ofall Ef.d 1.16 : and the whole duty of Man. And in another placehe faith, it isfono vite, The fear Prov 3' of the Lord is the Fountain of Life, to avoid the fnares of Death. As Faith is the be ginning of Chrifban Religion, as the lirft Principles are in every Science in ordine eeedendorom, fo is fear the hott work, or Mt beginnings in ordine agendorum, of things to bedote : and astimorfervili5,fervilefearisthehrftwork,fotimorcaftut,areve- rend.and filial fear isthe l ift work and conclufion of all things. Now we have Peen what is commanded, we are to fee what is for- bidden. That isfirftwantof fear , the effeft whereof is hardnefs of heart ; which is f t; two forts, the firft being a degree or way to the fecond. >. The firftarifeth from the profperity or prefent impunity ofthe wicked , which Eceleis. draweth with it anerroneous perfwafion ofour own freedom from danger. Becaufe Pfal.t -:.,. festeste ( faith the Preacher) againft an evil work is not executed fpeedify,Go..a,.ir.. therefore the heart of theSons of Men is fully fet in them to do evil. They harden Pfal. to uté their hearts; becaufe wicked Men efcapepunifhment,, and conclude with him in the Rom, 2.4. Pfalïnift, that God is like themfetves; and thus.the want of fear opens a way toall Pre' wickednefs, whereas they ought to have reafoned , as the Apoffle doth , that God deferreth his punifhnsent, that we fhould not defer our Repentance, and that he that hardeneth his neck, being rebuked,. fhall fuddenlybe defroyed; and that without re- medy, as the Wife-man faith. 2. The fecondis the abfolute want offear. There ought to beever a proportion, between the object and thepower apprehending. The Pfalmift faith, who regard Pfd.ge,ti eth the power of thy wrath, for thereafter as a Man feared] , fo is thy difpleafure. Our fear fhould beproportionable to Gods wrath. But though we cannot Fear in that proportion , eriamfi conteremer ad pulverem , though we fhould grind our felves to Powder, though we thould trem'ule till one Bone fall from another; yet fortemeal-me of fear ought to be in us, at leaf[ our fear ought to gobeyond the pre- cqatsofMen; nor be like thofe whole fear towards God was taught inertly by Ise preceptsofMen;;.Eflay,29.t3.Mat.tg.s.ifwe fear only when Mans Law punifhes,our featromes finally the:tiyal is,if;we make the likeConfcience ofthofe things towhich Mans Law reacheth not, as ofthole which are forbidden both by theLaws of God and Man, other wife we are void :of fear. NoW asstheWaiteof. fear is'forb)dden, fo on theother fide to fear that we fhould not is alto prohibited. The Pfalmili among other notes of the wicked, fees this down for one; theywere afraid whereno fearwas. And St. jtobn faith,that the fearful, P. ( that for fear have tranfgreffed) (hail have their part in the Lake which burneth withAp., Fireand Brimftöne. And our Saviour bids us not to fear them that can only Luke,ts.a. kill the Body. Pharaoh was afraid the I jraelires íhould grow into a greater number Exod 5.7 thanthe c/&gyptiens, and thereforemade Edifâs to kill the Male Children ofthe ='"a /Teach/1s. Soÿerobokm fearingthat the heartsof the Peoplewould return to Rehobokm t Ktn.rz.nÿe their trueLord, if they Mouldgo up to yerafalem to offer Sacrifice; and therefore fet up two GoldenCalves, and brought the People to Idolatry. Herodwas afraid thathe fhould lofe hisKingdom, and therefore commanded tokill all theMaleChit Mat.t.ro,' dreg
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