Chap. 41. anExpofition upon the Booker J o a. Verf. 3 3 777 Hence note, Thirdly; The lefs fear, the more perfection, ostlers it h of that fear which is oar perfeilion, thefear of God : then indeed the more fear themore perfeaion. Wemaydi(tinguifh of fear : There is godly fear, and natu- ral fear. The lefs natural fear, the more perfe&ion ; but the more godly fear: The more perfe&ion ; the mo:e we fear God, the more perfe& we are ; but the lefs of natural fear, or fear of the creature we have , the more perfe& we are. The perfe&ion of the godly is often exprefi by being above, or by being delivered from fear (Pfal. 91. g.) Thou (halt not h afraid for the terreur by night, nor for the arrow that fiyetb br day. The Lord faith tomany, fear;but there arebut few of whom he faith, and for whom he undertakes, that they (hall not fear ; efpecially, in a time of fuch great fear, as is fpoken of in that 91(1 Pfalm, a time of Plague, and that in the heat, when the [lain of the Lord are many, and men fall by thoufands on the one hand, and on the other. Trutt in God is the fpecial qualification of the perfon, who funds under the prote&ion of that promife in the Pfalm lafl mentioned. And the fame promife is made co a man fearing God (Pfal. r 12.7.) .?Jo evil tidings ¡hall make himafraid. David profeffed this gracious fearlefsnefs (Pfal.46. a.) Al- though the earth be removed, and the hills be carried into the midit of the fea, yet will not I fear. And again (Pfal.a3.4.)Tkougb I walk tbrotegb thevalley of the fhadow of death, I will fear no evil. 'Tis the perfe&ion of a man not to fear outward dangers ; therefore Chrift rebuked his Difciples (Mat. 8. 28.) wherefore did ye fear, O ye, of littlefaith ? Theirfaith was very little,elfe their fear would not have been fo great. Nowas is is thus in man ; the lefs of natural fear, the greater is his perfe&ion : fo alfo among other creatures, it is a note of their perfe&ion, to be made without fear ; for it (hews the greatnefs of their courage, as alfo of their ftrength. And, this is abfolutely the perfection of God, whole infinite infuperable power and f}rength, is an- fwered with a molt conitant ferenity and immutability of mind, who as he wants nothing, fo he fears nothing. Thus our tranfla- tion carrieth the verfe; I (hall touch upon a fecond, before Iparc with it. Ggggg Rif
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