Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v8

Chap. 28. an 8vpotitian upon the Book of J o B. Vert. 28. 375 with them, that Iwill not turn awayfrom them, to doe themgood, but 1 will put my fear in their hearts, that they fhall not depart freno me. Here is fear twice mentioned, firff, as the defign of the Covenant, or that which the Covenant expe&s from us. Second- ly, as the prornife of the Covenant, or that which God in the Co- venant will beftow upon us. The Covenant puts it upon fear, not upon faith, Iwill put myfear into their hearts ; which is not at ail exclufve of faith for we can doe nothing of duty which the Covenant requires, nor can we receive any thing of mercy which the Covenant promifeth, without faith ; bur, becaufe fear might feem to be a grace leffe concerned in the Covenant then faith, therefore 'cis named rather then faith.All are ready to grant that faith will keep the heart clofe toGod (for asan evil heart of onbelei f is that by whichwe depart from the living God, (Heb.3. z.) So faith in the heart will not fuffer us to depart fromGod, all I fay are ready to grant this) but few think that fear bath fuch an effe& in it ; And therefore Lord as he often honours faith in this, fo here he honours fear, and doth not fay, I will put faith, but Iwill put my fear into their bearts, and theyfhall not de- part fromme. And we find inScripture, that thofe Saints which have been moll eminently noted for dole walking with God, are cryed up for their fear as much as for their faith. When Abraham had fpent many yeares as a probationer in the fchool of faith, and had given notable proofes of his proficiency in that grace, and in his lafi tryal, the facrificing of his fon 1faac had given the higbeft and firongeff proof of it, that ever any man before him did ; yet when God himfelf comes togive teffimony concerning that a&, He doth not fay, now I know that thou beleivefl on me; but now 1know that thou fearefl rase, feting thou haft not withheld+ thy fon,tbine only fon fromme (Gen. 22.12. Abraham received fo many markes of fpecial favour fromGod, and returned foma ay offices of real affr&ion unto God, that the Scripture doubts not to call him,The friendof God (amofl familiar title) (7am.2. 23.) yet whenhe was ready to offer God that tokenof his love ( a greater then which he had not among all his Jewels) His only fon, his fonIfaac whom heloveL. The Lord doth not fay, Abra- ham, now I know thou lovefl me, but now I know thou feareft me, So that, holy fear (we fee) carried the day both againfl faith and love, ina bufinefa, wherein boththeone and the other) evenboth tocg-

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