Chap. 25. An Expofttion upon the Book of J a s. VerL z. at had finned. (gem, 3. i o.) Iheard thy voyce in the Garden and l Pm afraid, becaufe Iware naked andIbid my¡elf. Hence Obferve. Firft, God u in himfelfevery dreadful!, he to befeared. God is fo much to be feared, that not onlyfeare is with Ora, but be rd feare. As becaufe God is fo full oflove, therefore the Scripture predicates love directlyofGod,god it love(' Joh.4 8,) fo becaufe God is greatly to be feared,therefore he is calledfears ( Gen. 3'. 4z. 53.) Except the god ofmy father, the g.dof A- braham, and thefear of Ifaack( that ìs, the Godwhom my father Ifaac feared)badbeen withnte, furely thou hadfPent meaway emp. ry, fay'd 7acob in his conceit with Laban. And at the 53d verfe of-the fameChapter he faith again to Laban; the god of Abra.. ham, andthe GodofNabor, the Godoftheirfather, judge betwixt we: and ?seed! [ware by thefear: of hie father Ifaac ; that is, he (wareby God ; for by him only can we fweare in a holy man.. tier, An oath being a part or an adofdivine worfhip. The do- minion and feare of God are put together (Mal. I. 14. 1am a great King ( ther: is dominion) and myname ie dreadful! among the Heathen ( there is fear. ) Even Heathens who knowGod on- ly by the light of nature ( which is fo im.perfcd a wat of know- ingGod, that theHeathen are raid net to knewhim, jer. t o- 25. yet I fay, the Heathen who know God only thus) doe feare him; they fear him in proportion toor according to theway of their knowledgeofhim. Howmuch more then is the Lord to be feared, and how dreadful) is he to and among his own people, who knowhim ravingly, who knowhim by Gofpel light. G' d ie greatly to befeared in theofemily ofthe Saints : and to be had in reverenceof all them that are about him ( Pfal. 89. 7. ) He is ter- ribly dreadful! amongft the Heathen, he is awfully or rcverenti. ally dreadful! amongtt the Saints. Fear is with him. flit, In reference to the greatneffe of h ;s power ; confider what God can doe, and that renders him dreadful!. We feare thofe that can-doe great things, thole efpecially that can dogreat thing' againft us. For this reafon Chrift exhorts his Disci pies to fear God, when he taw them in danger ofa furprifal by the feare of what men could doe againft them ( Luke 12.4, 5.) I fay untoyou myfriends, be not afraidof them that kill the body, andal: ter :bat have no more that they can d.e. But Iwillforewarn you S f i f whim
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