A Difcourfe of the Feai of God 9' 1 , ~urtb!y, Modera~~~;E~~~tcll~vful thing~nothc:rProdu£t of~ God 's Fear, and t har upon a double Account. • ~ I. In rcfpea of the Stri£lnefs of the Law. z, In regard of the Deceitfulnefs of the Heart. I. Firjl, In refpea of t he Stri£tnefs of the Law. It is but a narrow Path, and we are very rt:ady to fwerve from it. As one t!~ at walks upon a Rope is very careful to poize himfelf, !o that his Body may not firp afide ; !o is one that hath a Son-lil<e Fear, he knows that there is but a little fiep between the Allowance of God and d1e. L: efires of our Lufls; and therefore he will not do all that he may, lefl he do more than he !hould. Such a Perfon when he tafh the Honey, w ill be careful of his Wincrs,' that they be not dipt in the Slime of it, that fo he may like the Bee kee1 ;his C<iurfe and Voyage to Heaven free. Such a Perfon confiders with himfelf that more perifih by Mea t, than by Poyfon; becaufe we are careful to keep our felves from Poyfon; but Meat is the Suftenance of our Lives. In /Kit is perimus omnn, We all perifh by the Abufe of things lawful, or mofll y do fo. z, SetondiJ, In refpea of the Deoeitfulnefs of the Heart : We are fo apt to tranf. grcfs thofe Limits which are prdcribed to us. Who is there among us bur is art tO abufe the Sweetnefs of Grace to Loofnefs, the Power ofGrace to Lazinefs, t he Affurance ofGrace to Security, and the Allowance of Grace to Licemioufilefs ? Ahd therer~::r~~ci~I~:r;u~~~~~~e f~et~:~r.·~r~~\~;~1ei;r,~~'g:.ncl ;h~~O~~: :~t:r:~~g~~f::k;,u~l~i~ is his Rule, he wrll ca t fo much as will neither unfit himfelf for Duty, nor difpofe himfelf to Sin; fo much as may neither diflemper Nature, nor difiurb Grace; fo much he will venture upon the EnJoyment of the Creature, as may be a Motive and Excitement to rai[e up his Soul to God. This is the proper Effea of Divine Fear. S· Fifthly, This is another Produl:l of Filial Fear; it caufeth in the Soul upon the leaf! Apprchenfion of God's Difpleafure a double Enquiry, , . How we have provoked God? 2. How we may appeafe him? 1. Firjl, flow we have provoked him? Such a Soul hath a very quick Eye to difcover the Lord's Anger; and when the Lord doth wi thdraw himfelf from it, this is the enquiry of !uch a Soul, how have I provoked the Lord ? Thus we read of 'jofb11•, when his Heart was flruck with the F~ar of the Lord, he doth by Lot make Enquiry alter the Offender, and never ceafed tdl he had fixed upon Achan, that was the Caufe of God's Anger. Thus doth a gracious Heart take the Candle of the Lord, and make an Enquiry what may be the Sin that eclipfeth the Light of his Countenance, that fhutteth up his Bowels, that interpofeth and interccpteth the In~ fluences of his Grace, and the Beams of Comfort that come from him. ,. z. SecondiJ, How he may be appeafed ? Oh the lamenting, the Defires, and the vi- · gorou> Motions of the Soul towards th~ Recovery of God's Spirit ! How doth it daily plead for It tn the Name of Chnfl! Whereas other Perfons when a Breach is made between God and their Souls, as they commit fin without Fear, fo they lie in it without Senfe ; they can bear the Guilt of Ten Thoufands of Sins, which fiand uncancelled in the Prefence of God ; they do not make it their defign to repair the Breach that is made between their Creator and themfelvcs; but it is othetwife with a Soul that fears the Lord. 6. Sixrhly, This Fear of God is the bell Correc.tive of the Fear of Man. As the Beams of the Sun difcouragc the burning of the Fire, fo doth this Fear of God correa and abate the Fea r of the Creature. As Aaron's Rod fwallowed up the Rods of the Magidans, fo cloth the Fear of the Lord taf<e the Heart off from an immoderate Fear of the Creature, Luk. 12 . 4, 5- FeAr not him that c4n kilt the BodJ, &c~ This is :he ground of all thnt finful Complyance that is in the World (I mean in reference to Fear) '11 / Z, Pcrfons fear the Anger of a Man, but prefume on the Mercy of God. Now therefore a gracious Spirit doth realize to himfelf what the Majefiy of God is, what his Purity, JuJlice, Power are::, and from hence he quencherh all the Fears of t he Creatures. And if it fi1ould happen at any t ime, that in fame fudden Temptation the !'car of Man fhould over· power him, yet nevcrthelefs by Confidera• A aaaa a :2 tio·a~
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