------A-Difcour{e of the Fear of God. 917 a Carn~~~h:;i~ath th~ilivifh Fea-;;;l~m,) his gteat delign ~reak~ the Fetters of Confcience, to loofe thofe tyes, he would fain get out of that trouble-~ fom flate. But now a gracious Spirit always cherifheth this fear of God : He labours to know God more, that he may fear him more. And this is the reafon likewife that this flavifh Fear is in filch aSoul only at fomc times, there are fometimes viol ent imprtffions of Confcience, fOme Zealous pangs which move the Soul; and rhefe Perfans are jufi like the Marble Pillars that will f\veat in moifi: weather, but retain their hardnefs fiill: whereas a gracious Fear is not a violent Paffion, but a fcrious Conftitution of Spirit. Oh filch a Mar. Fears God always, and this (by the way) is one difference between the Grace of Love, and the Grace of Fear; Love is that Grace, that when we exercife it, the Soul fpends its fCif in violent Ejaculations cowa rds God. Therefore in its Raptures it cannot be always in us; although there is a Love burning in the Soul always, yet not a Love flaming always, that cannot be :But n ow the Fear of God is a Grace, which you mull exercife every moment fo f ar as it is pollible. 2. Second!J, That Fear that is degenerate and fervile, doth merely arife from Guilt. Guilt firft brought Fear into the World; when Ad•m was convicted of his difobedience, then he feared and hid himfelf. See an eminent example of this, 24 .A'1s 25. When the Apoflle Paul was called before the Governour Felix, you fhall find thePrifoner at the Bar, by the help and advantage of Confi:ience, made the Governour to tremble. And 4S he reajoned ofRighteoufneft, Temperance and Judgment to come, Felix t rembled. But now a gracious Soul his Fear doth not arife merely from guilt, but it is a fear of reverence in reference to Gods PerfeEl:ions, it arifcth from the knowledge ofGod's excellency, it !hall continue in Heaven it !elf, when we are confirmed in Glory ; when there will not remain the leaf! degree of guilt, then fhall we moll fear God. As I have read a J.lory of a Perfon ofmoll eminent Holinefs when be was a dying, he was filled with great T remblings and Fears of God ; ther e comes one to him and fpeaks to him, I wonder (faith he) that you who know God do fo fear him ! Jf 1 did Know him more, I fhou!d fear him more; that was his dying anfwer. In Heaven the fear of God ihall be perfected ; therefore it doth nor merely arife from guilt . When God is pleafed to dart a Fire into the Bones of a Man, ro call Stings into ~1is Confcience, then a ca~nal ·Man fears; \~hen his .Heart is fcorched with the Eftuarrons of thofe Lufts wherern formerly he dehghted hrmfelf (a s a Fifh fomerimes is boiled in that very Water that formerly it fporred it felf in) t hen dorh a carnal Spirit fear. But no\\o' a gracious Man when there is Peace within, wh en there is a bleiTed Serenity in the Confcience, then he fears the Lord ; therefore it is fa id, The Churclm walked in the Fear of God, and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghojf,AIJ:s 9 . , 3 • there you fee an Union between Fear and Joy. ~. T;hird!y, This degenerate and fervile Fear refpefu the difmal Effells of Sin, bur not its'evil Nature. They in whom this is non metuunt peccare,jed metunt ardere, they do not fear to fin, but they ~ear to burn; or if they f~r Sin, it is merely in Reference to burning. The one is Ttmor pu:n4, the other is Ttmor offenf£, the one fixeth it felf on the Punifhment, the other regard~ the Oflence; the one is awa·kened by the Ap· prehenfion of thofe Judgments to whrch a Man rs expofed, the other regards the Evil which a Man hath done. A Child may fear to rake up a burning Coal, that doth not fear to take up a black Coal, which will foil and pollure it. A carnal Wretch fears to meddle with that Sin that will create Terrours in his Confi:ience, b ut i• not afraid to meddle with that Sin which will defile him. The wife Man [pea king concerning this gracious Fear, calls ir, The Fear of the Comm11ndment, Prov. 13. 13. but he that feareth the Comma11dment fba/1 be rewarded, I deny not but fervile Fear may !live a Check to our Sins; but this doth not proceed from any Hatred ofSin, bur from lear of Hell. To illuflrate this by a Similitude, a Dog although his rave nous Nature do prompt him to take hold ofthe Meat, yet when the Stall' is over his head he dares not touch it. A wicked Man while terrours of Confcience are upon h im, though he loves his Sin, yet he dares nor venture upon it. What Epicure is there that is fuch a Slave to his Appetite, that when he is under a Fit of the Stone, will venture on thofe Meats that he knows will increafe his Paroxifm, and make his Pa ins more dolorous? and yet he may love the meat very well: So it is here, fuch a Pe rfon that bath tlois llavifh Fear, although he loves his Sin, yet he may pollibly be kept from it for fear of Hell, but this Fear is terminated only upon the Punifhment. · 4· Fonrthlj,
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