Reverence and godly Fear. fiain by an un·perceived Stroke, what running and crowding was there, think you, to get behin~ the Pri~ft? Why we are all in the fame Danger, but we have a more prevalent H;gh·Prirft: There are Thoufands dying and periJbing under the Wrath of God; and fh.11l not we then with Fear and· Trembling, prefs clofe behind our High Prieft, that by him we may be hid from this confuming Fire? Thirdly, The ruxt Vfe fludt be to exhort you to"" holy Fear and Reverence of this great Vfe 3· ~nd terrible God. I lately gave you feveral Confiderations, enough to daunt the boldeft Sinners,and to bring them at leaft to a OavifhFear: Be perfuaded now to advance it a Degree higher, and to over-awe your Hearts with a holy, filial £ea.,. of God. It is _the fame Exhortation that Solomon gives us, Prov. 23. 17· JJe thou in the Fear of the Lord all the Day lon,t· This is a true Chriftian's frame, when in all the Atfairi and ACtions of our Ltves, in what Company foever we are in, or whatever we are doing, the Fear of God is ftill upon us, when in all our Converfe in the World this Fear of God doth lli\1 fill and polfefs our Hearts. 1 Jha\1 only give you a few Particulars, and leave them to your ferious Confideration. (1.) Fidt, Thi; holy Fear of God wi!J keep you from a vain and frothy Spirit. The TbePo:r~f Heart of Man is the great Receptacle of Thoughts; the moft part of them are God ~t~iU light and feathery, they fly up and down as thick, and to as little purpofe, as fiup.7ou Moats iu a Sun-beam. It is ftrange to obferve what a giddy Thing the Mind of :::a~d Man is: As an empty Vefif:l rolls to and fro, and is to!fed up and down by every froth} Wave never failing fteadily; fo is the vain Mind of Man driven by every foolifu Spiriro and imperrinent Thought, till the fear of God, that is, the Ball aft of the Soul, poife it and makes its Courfc ficady and even. Cei'tainly if any thiug be afforce to compofe the Heart into a fober, ferious Frame, it is the confideration of God's great and dreadful Majefty, the fca~ of which will fill 11s with noble and fi1bftantial Thoughts how we may efcape his Wrath, and how we may fecure to our fclvcs eternal Happinefs. Thefe are important Thoughts, and they ought to be our great and onJyCare,that fa we may approve 011r felvcs toGod,and be at the laftDay found of him in well-doing. Before the Heart is ballafted with this Fear of God, it runs after every vagrant Thought that comes crofs us or fleets before us;· as Children run after every Feather that the Wind drives. But now the Fear of God fixeth this fleetinefs and brings the Heart to a holy c.ontiftenc.y and folidity in its Thoughts: It is this Fear that united the Helrt, and therefore David prays, 11al. 86. 11. Vnitt my Heart unto rhce, that I m•y fear thy Name. (2.) Secondly, The Fear of God U an exceliewt Prefervative agatlljf all Sin. Slavilh theFeuof Fear may keep wicked Men from committiBg grofs and flagitious Crimes; but this God il.an holy Fear ove·awcs the Heart from fecret and hiddeu Sins, yea, from the Sins of preUen, the Heart, that none can fee but only God, and a Man's own Confcicnce; and there.. ,;;'[~ .. "'J.t· fore it is faid, Pfai . I9. 9 · The Fear of the Lord is clean; that is, it keeps the Soul g.zilrftaU clean from the defilement of Sin. Now there are Defilements of two forts; Defile~ Sin. rnents of the Flefh, when Men wallow in grofs and fenfual Sins; and Defilements alfo of the Spirit, and fuch are they that nfide in the Heart, and break not forth into outward Act: Now from both thefe the Fear of God cleanfeth us. So in .l Car. 1· 1. Lu tu cle,:mfe our feive;, fays the Apoftle, from ail Filthinefs betb of Fle/h A!ld Spi· rit, per[rEfing Holinejj in the [tar of God. And indeed where·evcr the Fear of God is implanted, it will over·awe us, as well from offending God in our Thoughts as in our ACtions, and make us that we fuall be as afraid of Sinning againft him by Unbelief and lmpenitency, as well as by Murder and Blafphemy. (3.) Thirdly, 'This holy Fear of God iJ a moft fovcreign .Frcfervative againft Hjpo~ 'Jkp crifte. What is Hypocrifie, but only a mocking of God to his Face? lt is a dcfign Goil :.r 4 :of to put a folemn Cheat upon God. Certainly where the Fear of God over-awes •oft /(/Vt• thl! Heart, we fha11 not dare to abufe his holy and reverend Name as Hypocrites reign !'redo, in their making mention of him. When we fpeak of him with our Lips, but ftr-r;_.trn;. never think of him with our Hearts, this is to abufe the holy and reverend Name ~:;;~ fJ· of God ; and it is a fure Argument that they ftand in no dread of God, w hofe • Hearts meditate Vanity with Eyes and Hands lifced up to fleaven. Will any dare in the prefence of a Prince, while they pretend Reverence to him, to ufe an tick Gellures? Would not this jullly be interpreted a Contempt of him? Why all the religious Geftures of Hypocrites are but Antick; and while they move their Lips in Prayer, without the correfponding motion of the Heart, they do but make Mouths at God; and how can they fear him, that are thus audacious to fcoff at Ooooo hlm?
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