Reverc!Jce a11d godly Fear. do m 1 not a Fear of perplexing Doubtfulnefs, but fuch as 1s conhftent with their full a!IUrance; that is, fo to fear the Wrath of God, as to have our Hearts affe~ fl:ed with Terror at the greatnefs and infupportablenefs of that Wrath though they have efcaped it, and w fear fo, as to avoid all .Sin1 and all th~t exp.ofeth to that Wrath ; in thcfc two Senfes they that are affured that God 1s thc1r God, ought to fear him as a confuming Fire. (2.) Secondly, Let us now fee upon what Grounds and Confiderattons a Belie- Wh F vcr who is afii.!red of God)s love and favour w him, ought yet to fear h1m as a va~, r_::;; confuming Fire. 4re11j{urerl of G11d's lr;ve, ougbc t~ fear ~im 4! 4 Cfmfuming Fire. (1.) And Firft, 7'/;e confdtration of that mighty and dreadful Powerth4tGod puts Bcraufe if forth in tht pmiijhing tind ajJi1ffhg of the damned; this may jir1~t Ftdr into the Hcttrts :tar Power of tho(e that are fully trj[ured of G'od,s love and fa1.1our to them. Such a Fear :t.$ t his tbJtj., is, the holy Angels thcmfelves have; t~ough they are fecured. b~ Chrifr in t~at ~;';u::,P,~ biefled State and Condition t~at they en1oy, yH to fee _God frnpp;,ng and ma~1~3 il.g of rl:~ bare his Arm, to lay on wetghty ftrokts of everlafbng Vengeance upon tnetr damned. Fellow .Angels t hat are fallen, makes them to Tremble arid frand afionifb<'d at the Almi~hty Power of God ; and this keeps them at a· due dtftanc,c in rhdr fbonghts and Apprehenlions of his dreadful Majetty ~ And fhould it not much marc make us to tremble with an awful refpet\: of the Power of God, to coalider how he crullieth and breaks the Damned in Hell by his own Almi ghty Arm ll:retched out in the full Power of his Wrath to their everlaftinf'_; Deftrudion. It is from this Power of God that Chrift himfelf enforceth the Fear of God, Mat. 20. 28. Fear him who is able to drjlroy both Body ar,d Soul in HeJI. Though God fhould afiUre you that he would uever dcltroy you in Hell, yet becaufc he is able to do it, therefore you fhould fear him. (2.) Secondly, This Fear may ari{e in the Hearts of the Ch.'!drm of God, who are B:c,:u(e mcft ajfured of his Love, from the corifider.ttion of the W'rath an~ dreadful Scvcr:ry of of God's God as rvc/J 11s of his PoJPer. If a Father corrects his Slave in his Vlrath, this Wrarb.and will' caufc Fear and Dread in the Son, though he knows that Wrath fha\1 llcver Scvmty , fan upon him. So when a Child of God, who is afrurcd of the tender love and favour of God to himlelf, yet when he fadly confiders that Wrath and Jndignation that is in God againft the damned ; when he fees his. heavenly Father angry, though it be not ag3inft him; yet this muft needs fh~ke a reverential Fear and Awe into his Soul. Now this reverential Fear ~\ill. remain for ever, The Frarof the Lord cndurtth for t'i.Jcr; yra, when the Children of God fh 1ll be made for ever happy in Heaven, yet this Fear fh dl then be encreas'd, and not at all diminilhed ; the more they fee of the Power of the \Vrath and Scveri'Y of God executed upon tpe damntd, th more they fear and revere!1ce this powerful, this Sin· revenging God; and this kind of Fear is no prejudice to their full Affi1~ r·ance and Joy, nor fhall it be prejudicial to thtir compleat and perfect Happinefs in Heaven . (3.) Thi_rdly, The c~nfidtration of the defcrt of Sin, {hou/d cnu{e 11 holy Fe11r of Bmufeof God, e11111 m thofe that 11re fully ~tffurcd of Jm Lo~;e . When a Ch1ld of God looks 1 /J: dl'fort upon Sin, and fees what Wrath and Torment he hath defer\'Cd by it, though cf :b6r he be affured by the Tdl::imony of the Spirit of God rhJt he is pardoned, yet Shu. it cannot but fright him to confider [hat he fhould defervc fo great Ct)ndemnation. As a Mah),.Uor though he be pardoned, yet if be be preiCnt at the Execution of I. is l'e llow Otrcndcrs, it muft needs fhike him with Fear and Horror, that he il10uld be guilty of the fame Crimes that they are to fufiCr fuch fharp and cruel Punifhments for. \Vh'at the 'Thief on the Crofs faid nnto his Fellow Thief, J)ofl thou not ftar God, f eeing thou art in the fame Condemnation? The fame may I fay. to Believers; Do no~ you fear God, feeing you deferve at leaft to be in the fame Conderr.nation with thofe Wretches that lie frying and howling in Hell ? • (4.) Fourthly, .AMlher Ground of fear is, that il is in· it [elf poffible that aU this Btf.tll/t: in· ~rathfbo.u{~ be your P.omon for .. e'l!er, even you, rvh_o Are moft"ffured of Glor)'• And it{dfitil Is not this }uft caufe of Fear, 1f not of ExpeCtation yet at leaft of Terror? Jn- r'ffibJe aU deed as God hath been graciouOy pleafed to bind himfelf in a Covenant of •b~sWl'arb Grace and Men:y to you, fo it is impoffible that this Wrath fhould fall upon you; mrgh:h":10 but yet fucb a Suppofition as this is, is enough to caufe Fear in the moft aH'ured ~e~.~~~,,. Heart, to think that if God had not engaged himfelf by Promifc to deliver him or 10 ' Mmm~m2 ~m
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