916 A Di[cour(e aJ the Fear of God. ::::::::;::__..--;;;ous Spirit woul d be fi lled with trembling-;;;;;! horrour~ Appr~n-;;;:;;- . Chap. 3· that J ull ice that will rake notice of the Number and of the Q!laliry of all our fins~ ~that J uflice that w ill fpare no. Perfon be he never fo great,, ri or flight any Pe rfon b~ he never fo mean; t hat Jullrce that ·lhall award and decrde our Everlalling State who would nor fear it? Alas, the Juftice of Man be it never fo fevere, can bur diC pofe of a few Days, or a few Years of our time; but the Jullice of God cloth award us for ever to Glory, or to Mifery. 6 . Sixthly, The Mercy of God and his Goodnefs are the ObjeCts of our Fear. Take this as a Rul e, the Affeaions of a Man are beft difcovered by his Reffea ion on ~;,r~ro·re !!::~~o~:~~es:;rc:r"i~1 ~;g~:/~~si,t a~~u~, ~~~~~en~~:z; ;bu~~~ gracious Soul ar~ues thus, there is Mercy with God, therefore I wi ll fear him, Now if you ask me how can a Perfon fear God's Mercy, I an{wer 1. An ingenuous Soul fears to difpleafe it. 2. He .fears to lofe it. ch:ft, F~r~iaF;:~·;s.~~a~!?u\e~a;,t.wT,;';.by.':f!e"'so~i~o;e~ 1:~n~~;~t gd~r;l~afi~~ i~h~ Me rcy of God. It rs that Fear whrch a Cluld bears to a Parent, wluch a W ife bears eo her Husband, which one Friend bears to another, )le would not difpleale him. Oh remember there is Dread in God's Smiles, and his MaJel!y is to be fea red when it is mofl:ferene. 2 . Secondly, The Soul fears the lofs of that Mercy . For as a g rac'ous Spirit prizetlt the Mercy of God more than Life, fo it fears the lofs of it more t han Death, Pfal. 6 3. 3· Tby Loving·kindnefi rs better than life; nnd thus St. A«fltn defcrrbes Fea r, It is Fuga anim£, ne perd41 quod diligit, The Fiighc of the Mind, Jell one Iofe what he enjoys. If you have tafted how good the Lord is, there will be a Fear left you lhould hazard the fmalleft degree of the Manifeftation of it. C HA P. III. The Difference between Servile and Filial Fear. TH E Third general propounded is to difiinguilh between Servile and Filial Fear ; between that Fear that is de~enerate and llavilh, and that which is ingenuous and Filia l. The L<tines drftinguilh. thefe two forts of Fears by tW<> Words, the one is called Metu>, the other is called T rmor; Mew is the Fear wh ich },~~~~a~~~~~·f~a;:;::~~i!~,~~~~~tfa~~;~r7°~e~~~fc ~~r~~:~~~~~e~c~s~rd~;;~f thefe is that Fear which is llavilh, and the other genuine and fili al: Now there are feveral diftinaions which !hall I prefent to you of thofe two Fears, that fo you may be able to judge whether you are a partaker of this Grace or no : You ksow there are many noxious Weeds which are yery like to Garden He_rbs; but although they be like tn appearance, yet thc·operauons of them are ~ery dr!lerent. So there ts a Stmilitude between this Fear of God, and that llavilh Fear which is jn a Carnal Spirit ; yet they are vaftly different in their effeas. r. Firft, The Fear that is llavilh it is a Forced aa, but that which is ingenuous is Voluntary. A llavilh Fear proceeds from a JUd~cial Imprellion, fiamped upon the Confcience; and fo he that !yes under rt makes 1t Ius defign to break the Charns, and get himfelf at liberty ; but this Son-like Fear is the defire of a Sarnt, Nehem. I. 11. Wedeftretofear th; Nam;, it is the ~reafure of a Saint, Ifa. Jl · 6. The fear of the Lsrd is his Treafim. · It ts that to which hede.votc• h1mfc!f, Pjai:II 9)l· Thy Servant 111bo is devoted to lhJ Fear, The Fear of a WICked Man IS a JUd tcJal 1mpreffion ; for when the Spirit of Bondage ftrikes upon the Confcience, t hen it is filled with fears and rerrours. But now the Fear of a gracious Pel'fi:rn, proceeds from himfclf,. he takes the threarnings of God and endeavours to awe his own Soul therewith, 2 Cor.s .co.l(;;owingthtterrorsoftht Lord we perfwadeMen ; and thJSJS the reafon ":hy a Car...
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