A Difco~trfe of the Fear of God. . _ 941 andarm~ower:~s~ttribute where!~reature~fidefeCl i\'e,~ and wherein God dvth m~ft excel; and therefore rhi~ Attr!butc .will. produce a F~ar~·~ of God. Do but argue with thy felf, that God whofc Hohncf; JS Ius Glory, before whom the Stars arc ndt clean, w ill that God 1mbrace thee with thy Lufis? Certain~ ly the Holincfs of God is mo re dear ro him than t he Salvation of Ten Thoufand Worlds . So confider God's Juflice, that Ju flice that mufl award and decide Men to their Eterna l State; that Juflice, that is fo Eagle-cy'd, as ro difcover all thy Crimes, with their Aggravations. Confider his Power, he that is able not only to refoJve thee in_co thy firfi Principles of nothing (for it were happy for thee, if that were t hy Pumfl1ment) but he that can cafl Bcdy and Soul into Hell-fire. Let thefe Confiderations raifc the Fear of God in thy Soul. There is fuch a Paffage in Scripture as this, 0 Ettrtb tremhtt 11t the PreftnuoftiJe Lord. If the Earth which is fo vallrrai. rr4: ~ and durable a Body, if the Earth which is incapable of Sin (oncly being llained with t he Impurities of Men) if this Earth fhould fear and tremble at God's Prefence; how much more fhould Sinful Man, who is lighter than Vani ty, finful Man, who hath provoked the Eyes of God's Glory; who hath brought a Curfe upon the whole Creation, what Reafon hath a Man to fear? Know thus much, there is no greater Cont empt of God in the World, than not to fear him. I do not wonder to fee a Supcriour to fligh t his Inferiour ; but to fee a Slave not to fear his Prince, this is wonderful ; {0 to !Cc a Worm of the Earth1 a little breathing Dufr, not eo fear an infinite God, this is ltupendous. Tl:~n~;:."'(~~; o1-t~nudr.~f)0~oae:c~;~]~~n~~~r~}nb~lin ~~n~~;ts~rt'fe~.~ ~?":o~: fefs I look upon nothing as more dangerous and deadly, than a General, foft and Toothlefs Minillry: But for the Minillry that is full of Life and Spirits, that Miniftry which is anfwerable to the Heart of God, this is the proper nieans whicli is dew figncd by the Lord for the raifing of this Fear in Men. niJg/:~f~;e~~'~c~;e:ra;~~ iTI~~;;~J.hreDt~~~sfa~;~i~~ei~1~o1r~~ufJ ~~fe~~;a~ of his Truth for the favmg of the World, as tf he would recede from the Sharpnefs :~~~,s~~·r::rt~~ ~f,r~.~~i~~~i~!fs;he If::';; ·~:d~·:~;:;,~:vt. awi~o:·tr::~ ;r:: 1E.~~ which was firft given in Fire, il1al1 be at the !aft required in Fire; and then fecure and prefumptuous Sinners fhall find all their Hopes and all their Bravadoes vanifh. To conclude, imprefs this upon your S[?iri ts, how infinitely dangerous ir is for a Per- ~~gc~0~~~~~~i: ~~~dfi~~t~Y~:.e~~ ~1 h?;r~ire~ufe'/ s':l;~:: i~e:~~!tlfbi; ~:~~i:af'i~ ~; when a Soul never fears God nil he feels h1m? Then Jt wdl be too late to have this P• ffion raifed in your Hearts. The Judgments of God to many Pcrfons, are like a llecping Lyon, that awakes and de/lroys at once; and therefore fear him that is able thus to deal with you. CHAP. XV. Opening Slavi/h Fear in rejpeEt of God, or Men, or our [elves ; which oppo; feth the Fear of God by way of Excefs- · I Now proceed to the next fort of Sins, that I fhall caution you aga inll, and they arc thofe wh1ch oppofe the Fear of God by way of Exctf;. The Fear of God fiands between thefe Sins, as a temp.erate Diet oppofcth. either an immoderate Repletion, or elfe an unneceffary and a preJudicial Abftinence: For as a modera te Dier keeps the Bo_dy in its Strength and Aai virr, ~hereas an immodl!rate Repletion producethSurfeJts, Fevers, a nd other fatal D1feafcs ; fo on the other fi de, tota l Abflinence HJ!lead of preventmg !JJiea f~s flar~eth t he Body , So doth the Foar of God, when tt IS m that !emper that tne S~npture requt rcs, ke·ep the Soul aB:ive) \' i~o· rous, and enlarged m the ways of .Obedience; but when this Fear D1all be exccffi:ve 1 then it produceth many deadly diflempets in the Soul; or whco this Fear is abfofoi utcfy
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