Of {erving God, . roith (1.) Firft, ~Vhat [ea.f of God it u that a Believer ought lllroays to ovtr-awe IJis Heartroith. (2.) Secondly, Vpon what Gromul.s and Conftderarions he is thuS to do it, , \Vhat there is in a reconciled God that may be a Ground and Motive to over-awe our Heans with a fear of his Majefty. W6.tt Fear Fidt, What fear~~ God it is that a BClieveY ought to over-aw~ his Ht4rt with. Fear in it. general is dcfcribed to be a Pa~on or an Aftection of, the Mind, arifing from the apprehenfion of fame great Ev1l difficultly avoidable: And1 as it is obferved by fome, it ufually carries in it three Things. (I.) There is in Fear a doubtfulnefs and uncertainty of the Event what it may prove, and this is always a Tormant to theMind. ( 2.) There is in it aTerror that fprings and ariH:th from the gre3.tnefs oftheEv1l apprehended and feared. (3.) There is in it a careful flight and averfion of it. !lbree (1.) There U in F~ar a doubtfulnefs and uncertainty of the Event; and this is a things in Torment when a Mao i• wrackt in Sufpenfe and DoUbt what to expefr, whether Fear. or no the Vengeance of God will not fall heavy upon him, whether or no he be Adc~bt. notFuelon whichthisconfumingFire willforever prey. Now this is not; that fuln efsof Fear to wh~d1 the Apoftlt in this Text_ exhorts us to .ferv~ God withal; no, to the Event. SerJe God Wtth Reverence and godly Fear, Is not to ferve htm vnth a doubtful, anxious and folicitous Fear of what the Event may provq nay, fuch a Fear as this is, is inconfiftent with atl:ual Affurancc, and thofe who arC perplexed with it cannot fay we have a Kingdom, nor cannot fear their God as a confuming Fire. There may be a genuine, awful Fear of God as a confuming Fire, where there is not the leaft doubt remaining concerning our final State, y.rhere the Soul is fully aJTured that God will be to him not a Fire to confumc him, but a Sun to cherifu him for ever. I will give you one or two remarkable Scriptures to this purpofe. In Heb. 4 . 1. Let m fear, fays the Apoflle, l~ft a Promife being left m .of entring into his Reft, an} of you fhould fcem to colm jl10rt of tt. Here the Apoftle qmckens them to the cxercife of Holinefs, from the fear of falling !hart of Heaven; yea, though they had affu· . ranee by God's Promife of it ; left a Promife being Iefl! ns of entring into his Refr, yet you Jhould fall Jhort of it. And fo the Apojtle triumphs in his Affurance, in 2 Cor. s. I. We know thllt we have an Houfe eternal in the Heavens; and yet inVerfe 1 I. he quickens himfelf to the difcharge of his Minifterial Office, from' the Fear of God's Wrath, Knowing the Terrors 8f tht Lotd we perfuade Men. Though he was allUred of Glory, yet he quicken himfelf to the difcharge of his Minifterial Funtlion, by the Fear of God's Wrath. So that it is evident there may be a Fear of God'$ Wrath exciting unto Duty, where yet there is a fullAfT'urancc beyond all doubting and hefitation of efcapinr, \tVrath. So that this is not that Fear. that the Apoftle excites them that have afrurance unto. 2. (2.) There is a Fc14r of Terrour, a Jhiveri1fg in the Soul upon the <tpprehenjion of the "fhere is in greatnefi of the Evil feared, but avoided too; and this _is confiftent with full Aifu- ~~a::J;,:· ranee. Thu~ the Terror of p~ft Dangers fometimes ca~1feth as much Terror as if fr~m the 8 we were agaiD to encounter with t hem. So when Believers look back upon that Evil Wrath and fiery Indignation that they have narrowly efcaped, upon that Lake of · feared. Brimftone that boils and burns behind them, where in t houfands of others are for ever fwallowed up, this cannot but affect them with a holy Horror and Fear of God's Wrath againft Sinners, though they have full affura'nce of his Love. 3• (3.) Thtre iJ alfo in Fear a flight and averfation from the Evil feared; and this alfo Tbere is is confiftent with full affnrance. Noeh had full aflUrance from the Promife of i~ ~ear: God for his prefervation from the Deluge, and yet it is fa id, Th11t Noah being mo· !~~rfo~fon ved with fear built him an .Ark. Full affurance to efcape Evil is far from hindring o{th~Evil (as fame cahlmniate it) the ufe of means to prevent th.at Evil; yea, the affurance feared. that we have to efcape Hell and Wrath is of the greateft and moft effeCtual influ· ence to make us careful to ufe thofe means whereby we may efcape it. See this in 2 Cor. 7• 1. Hat~ing thefe promifeJ, let U5 c/ea»Je our febeJ from all Jilthiru[s both of Fl(./h and Spirit, perfeUing Holinefs in the fear of G~d. So in Tit. 2. I 1 1 J 2. The G:ace of · God that bringeth Salvathm, teacheth UJ to deny Vngodlirnefs and worldlj LujfJ, looRtnJ f8r that bleffid hope and glorious appearing of our Lord ']efuJ Chrift. So in I c:John 3· 3• Every one that hath this Hope in him, purifieth himfolf .u God U p,urt. T hus you fee what Fear it is the Apople exhorts Believers to, who have a Kingdom;
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