A .Difcour(e of the Fear of God. 939 CHAP. XIV. ~ Chap. 14. ~ An Exiiortation to beware of thofe Sins which quench the Grace ofGod'i Fear, by way of Def•ll. Vfe 5· LE T us from hence i. Be perfwaded to btware of thofc Sins which que~ch this Grace cif God's Fear. 2, Excited to the cheri!hing of this Grace in our Hearts. Firjl, Beware of thofe Sins which quench ihis Grace, and tbofe fali under a double Confideration, either 1 . Thof~ Sins which by way of Defe(} quench this Grace. 2. Thofe Sins which by way of Excefs, do likewife exterminate this Grace out of the Soul. For the firft of there, and that is Hardnefs of Heart, Prov. o8. 14 HappJ is the ~:o~;~ti~~~;h~;({;,;a~:'b~::::n~he7:."h;~~s h;;;:/n:f.~'/'H;:~t mifihief; there is He1a~t~~rJ~e~it~¥h7:~~~~; ~~!th:i~~~ i~t;~h~e~~~j~YwPt~r~~: -~ ~~~~~i~ ah~~n: der of Grace, if every one doth not carry it out _of d).c World with them. 2 • Second!J, Voluntary, acquired by frequent A as of Si~ ; . Men .firft wound their Confciences, and then they fear them by repeatc~ A~s of _Sm. As y.ou know that Ice which at firfr is fo tremulous and feeble that It Will not bear a Pebble, yet by a few days freezing will bear a Cart; fo it is ~ere, . of ~i2b~~!j; ;;,~iss~r~~~?t! ~fb~~~;; i~~~~~~s ~;' c~~~r~;~~\h~o~~Ir ~~eJ~~~G~; way of Defe~. The Scriptures reprefent this Hardnefs to us by three Similitudes; firft, fometimes by an Iron Smew in the Neck, and fu it connot"s an Inflextbility to God's Commands; fometimes by the Hardnefs of an Adamant, and fo it implies an Impenetrablenefs to the Motions of God's Spirit;. fometimes by a Brawn upon the Heart, by a Fatnefs, and fo" Imports an In!enfibihty of God's Threatnings. Now there are two parts of it wherein it oppofeth God's Fear; t. Security, which is a Privation of God's Fear. 2. l'refumption, when there is an AcceffionofBoldne.fs. For the firfr ofthefe, Security, it is one Branch ofHardnefs ofHeart; this is a Privation of God's Fear. I mean by Security, this, when a Sinner can flecp out all God's Thunder; when aN the Threatnings of the Word are to a Soul as Colours to a blind Man, For who is fo blind as he that will not fee? When they are as a Tale to a deaf Man ; and who is fo deaf as he that will not hear? When a perfon is like that fecure Empcrour, who whefi he was in the midft of his Enemies, yet he proclaimed altNm ftientium beUi, deep Glcnce of War, there muft be no Difcourfe of Arms : So it is with fuch a Soul, the denouncing of Judgments, and the Threatnings of the Word, and the Decifion of the great and terrible Day, are to fuch Spirits but as a 'wain Fancy, as if there was no Exiftence of thefe things but in the Brain of him that preacheth them. This is that fecure Wretch who wants the Fear of God. 2. Secondly, Prefumption, when there is not onely a meer Privation of Fear, but an Acceffion of ~oldne!s. Prefumption is Security ftrained up to the highefr pitch, it is SecuCity dipt m a Scarlet Die. Now there IS a three-fold Prefumpt!on. 1. It is either in the Thought, 2. Or in the Difcourfe, 3· ~~ £~~e AClions of Men; and it proportionably oppofcth the Fear 1. Firjf,
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