A Difcourfe of the Fear of God. 945 ~~fi is the~itiousFear, which many Perfo~xercifeinrefere~ to thofe Eclipfes, or Natural Changes which may be in the Heavens. We haveChap. J6. , ;:~. :~. 0:.r ~r..~f:i,}:~%~ z:r~r1~~;n ",!.,t;%, ~!J'~{ ~~' ~~;,'he~~":!d t t~:: ~if:.~d _,. _, at the Signs of Heaven, for the Heathen are difmaJed at ;hem. When the Children of fttt~ ~hc~fet~~~~~t~f~~~~~rt~~ ~~~ fo:~~; ~~~~~gta~~rF'J~~~~i:i ~vJ~~~~;;~ ~~: ~7~~ them not to be difmayed at the Signs of the Heavens. I confefS, this is an Heathcnifh ;~a:n;g bcl~c ag~w~a~a~~d~n~';~:it~0fta~~~~eg~l~~{c ~~~~~~~s ~~~:;sh~~~ ~~~~ c~~~~11 a~~~ againfi it. And what IS the reafon of It? It is this:, becaufc thofC Perfons look upon thefe Eclip!Cs and ConjunB:ions of the Heavenly Bodies to be prodigious, and to portend and import fome difaftrous and fad Events: I fhall onely fay thus much; all fi1ch Eclipfes proceeding from natural Caufcs, are not in the lea Cl: prodigious. It i~ natural, that the Sun and Moon fhould meet at determinate Seafons ; and it is na- ~'fal that when they do meet, the opacous Body of the MooQ .fhould make a partial ]folipfe of the Sun. It were prodigious indeed, if in the ConJunction of thefe rwo fu~tier~~t~~~; 1~0~1~y ~~~ t~~~1a~~ ~~~ro~h%~~of:J~v~n~~r~~~/;P~i~~~~0~h~~ ~~~:s: becaufe then the Sun is eclipfed from us by the Interpofition of the Earth; and there- ~~~ept~~~~ ~rr~~~r~~llf~r t~e~nt~~~s~o:~swaa;~~~if:c~~f~~A~o~0~vi~h:sb~~ri:e~~~~~ ~~;;,i:~~if~; ~~~e~u~a~s~0~~~ ~~~1a %~~f~r~hi~~~~~~hte~~ ;~~~~r~r~~~etfr~~ ~~= Concatenation that is between Caufes and Effeas, there is no reafon to tremble. And therefore God, in Scripture, cloth fornetimes deride this Fear, and fometimes dilfwades fi·om it, fornctimes derides it as matter of Scorn and greatefi: Vanity, and fometirnes di!fwades from it and condemns it, as here in the Text recited to you. z. Secondly, There is a Superftitious Fear in reference to Natural things, and that principally upon the accou~t of Dreams; for there. are many among us.whof~ Fears commence from their Fanctes, who do not reft wlule they fleep, but while the1r Reafan is afleep their Fears are awake : There arc the Perrons that have no Dteams but what are accompanied with an Jnterl?retation, Ol' with a PrediEl:ion; and if one Event happens to be true, it is a Rule for an Hundred with them. Now the Vanity of fuch Perfons the Scripture takes notice of, and as an Antidote againft it, take thefe t\~o things. r. Firft, Thofe that make ufe of their Dreams as a Rule for their Afls, give the greatefr Advantage to Satan; the reafon is this, bccaure he then is able to exercife his Power when the Creature is unabl_e to refill him. ~f once you grant that there may be Imprcflions upon your Fancy (m Dreams) . oftlungs that arc to come, the Devil then tak~s the Reins into his own hands, and he will tempt you when you cannot oppofc h1m. 2. Secondly, As you give Advantage to Satan, fo it is the greateft Injury tO a Man's felf; for fuch a Soul is under perpetual Fear, and makes himfclf miferable. ~· Seco»d!J, There is a Superftitious Fear in reference to Cafual things (and this is beneath a Se\mor., but yet nece!lary for fome perfons) fome are tranfported w1th every tnflmg Contmgency. ; 1f the Salt falls towards them, or if a Hare croffcth them in the way, prefently they grow pale or red upon it, as if there werefome Evil that mull: enfue; this is the Q!!inteffence of Folly. 3· Tlurdly, And principally, There is a Superfti.tious Fear in reference to Religious tlungs, and thiS oppofeth the Fear of God, and 1t confiflcth ufually in one of there two things. •· Firft, When a Perfon is afraid to do that which God allows, or which Go& commands; and thus MeB make more fins than the Ten Commandments. So we read o.f the 'J.'""• they fancied the Name 'Jehovah was not to be expreft but onely by the H1gh-Pneft, and that one~ a Year, and that onely in the Ho!J of Holies; and we read ot th~ Pnm1ttve Chnfl:tans, they were ~cmpulous about Days, Months, and Meats, ?S 1f there were fome Tye upon Confc,ence which did retrench them from thele thmgs. Dddddd ~ ~.Secondly,
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