Chap. 4.. Ait Expafitidnupon the Gook of fOB. Vert& Will not, or would not thy fee- be thy'coAftdence ?andthe upright- nefs of thy wayes thy hope? As if Eliphaz had thus laid unto him; }ob,thou haft pretended much holinefs and religion, fear and up- rightnefs : why art thou fo difquieted,now,th:at the hand of God is upon thee? why art thou fo amazed under thefe Cuferings ? would not that fear be thy confidence ? and would not that up- rightnefs ofthy wayes be thy hype ? Cutely it would,ifthou hadlt any loch fear as thou pret it : this fear would be thy conli- dence,and this uptightiaefsW hope ; thou wouldeftbe very bold, and by hope caft Anchor upon the goddnefs and faithfulnefs of God, in the midlt of all this-f}orm.::. thy heart would be poifed, Ceded and eliablifhed, notwithflanding all thefe Makings. Would not thy fear be thy confidence ? It would. Hence obferve; Fir1t, That t6cywhofear m,Jt in timer of peace, have moll reafon rmfdumjpad to be confident in times of trouble. They who fear moil: (in one. male parrand:r fenfe) fear leait ; they who fear Godmofr,fcar creatures: Ieaft, and genus eß jnrj. creature- troubles leapt. We have this point in fo many words, rrrdntii&fjidu- (Prov. 14. 26' In thefear of _the Lord is ft-04g confidence. The `Le' fear of the Lord is the cure of all other fears. They who are molt fearful of the evil of fin, are molt courageous among the evils of fuffering. To be fearful thus, raifeth the highetî acts of confidence, PJàI. 112. 7,8.. We read of one that mill not be afraid for any evil tidings, his heart isfixed ; Who ih this confident man?. this fearlefs man ? It is this divinecoward(as we may call him,) you (hall find him fo exprefs'd, verfe i. Blefi'ed is the man that feareth Gad, hefhal not be afraidfor any evil tidingr. Exod. 20. ao. When the people of 'five' were much athazed and.alloni(hed at the giving of the Law, bY&fes came to cure them of that fear ; but what is the medicine? Fear not,for God is- c one to prove you, and that hisfear .nay b e bef.re your faces, thatyefin net. As ifhe had faid, when God bath put his fear into your hearts, fuch fears as thefe will be removed and vanilla : when your hearts are filled with this fear of Gad, youwill have confidence to hear, and fee the thunder and lightning of Mount Sinai,,you (ball not fear, no not this terrible tçmpeft, in which the Law it fell- isgi- ven: So when the people were in a fear another time SImaeel thus befp°aks them in that Making fit, 1 Sam. 12. 20. Fearslot, onlyfear the Lord. If you will be confident in fuch a time as this (for by :prayer he procured thunder and rain in that time of Wheat- harvclè fear the Lord. The fear of the Lord will be cur F 2 confi- M
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