Of ferving God; with hiO:? Yea, the Scriptur~ fets it down as a remarkable Matter, wi1en Hypocrites begm to fe~r God; !fa. 33· I 2,. 14· f-!ear. ye and ack.norvledge my Migh1 , fays God : Why ~hats th_e matter? The s,mur~ m Ston are a{rad,. fearfulncfs harh jUrpriz..ed the Hypo~ntes, It ts much cafier to ternfic afld daunt profhga.te Sinners than grofs Hy. pocrites; becaufe Hypocrites, by often dallying with God, wear off all Senfc and Dread of God, and arrive at length to a plain contempt and fcorn of him. lf ther~for.e yon w~>uld in every D.uty ~pprovc y~ur He~rts i11 Sinccricy unto God, nourdh m YOJI thts holy Fear of Ius MaJefty. TlusFear IS that which makes a Chriftian fingle-heartcd; and, a~ the Apojlle commands Ser".lant;, Col. 3· 22, to obey their Majfer! not aJ Mcn-pleajcrs , but in [:nglenefs of Heart, fearing God, So where this hol~ Fear of God poff~jfeth tl~e Soul, it will caufe all our Obedience to be pe[w formed m the Iinglenefi and llltegnty of our Hearts, not fo much to be fcen of Men as be accepted of God. It i~ a .rem.arka?le place, that in 'Jofo, :+ '4· Now therefore fear the Lord, And firve htm m Smcenty. The Fear of God IS of a mighty influence to Sincerity in all our Services and Performances that we render unto God. it is that that will make the Heart fincere in them. Fear the Lord, and {erve hi,:, in Sincerity. TJ:cFe4rof ~4.)_ Fourthly, .ThiJ hoLY. F:ar wili put UJ upon afJ Endeavoun to pleafe G11d, and to God will gam jat_rour w~th htm. T h1s Is the moft natural effect of Fear, to engaae us to propurusupo~ c~re their Lov~ whofe Powe: we dread. ~he. Devil knew no fuch0 way to. get dY En:ied lumfelf \VorOup and AdoratiOn, as by ternfymg the old H ear hem ; and frill he ;~~fo:;od ufeth the fame Artifice in thofe parts of the World where l1is Kingdom yet re- . mains, he appears in dreadful Shapes, and terrifies them on purpofe that he may extort from them a blind, fuperftitious \Vorlhip. So where the Soul is affefred with a holy Fear of God, it will engage it to pleafe him, and to avoid whatever may kindle his Anger. And therefore fays the Apoftle, 2 Cor. 5· 9, w. We labour that me may be accepted of him; and why fo? Ye;, fays he, for we muft be judged by him: The Fear of being judged by God at the Tribunal of Chrift at the !aft Day, enzaged the Apojlle to labour to plea re God and to be accepted by him. t'beFeltrof ()·)Fifthly, The. Ftar of f!od if an cxcellentCorrefli'<!c of the bll(c and d~g~nerous Fear Godiun of Men. Our SaVIOlll' fays, Luke 12. 4· Be not aj1·atd ~~them that can kt!l the Body, e~ eUt~f and after tiJdt have no more that they can do; but fear h1m1 who after he hath killed, C~rr;Et~v~ 1at!J Porver to caft into Hell; yea, I fay unto you, [ear him. It is well obfcr-ved by a :/nl d~g:. e l<:arncd Author, that Men may be confidered either as they bear upon them fame ne,all4fi~,z, refembbnce and imprefs of the divine Majefty, as they are invcfted with Autho· of M~n. rity and Power, and conftituted Magiftrates and Rulers over us: Thisrefemblance is fo great that the Scripture ftiles them Gods, I have {aid ye art GodJ; and fo we are to fear them with a Fear of Reverence and Obedience, and to obey them in that which is lawful. And they may be confidered alfo as ftanding in oppofition to God, abufing their Power by commanding things that arc unlawful, and by Perfecution endeavouring to terrific Men from the Ways and Service of God: And fo they may b~ feared with a Fear of flight and efchewal. When ye are per· fecutcd in one City, flee you to ,another, Marth. 10. 23. We may fo fear them as to labour to avoid their Rage, and to confhlt our own Safety. But the Fear that is here forbidden is, FrAr not them th,at c,an kill the Body; that is, with a diftruftful, pervcrtir.g Fear, fuch a Fear as cau~eth Me? fo: the fe:urine; of their temporal Life to defert the Profeffion and PraChce of Godlmefs; wi[h fuch a Fear, Fear not Men. He will not, that truly fears God, thus fear Men; no,. the Fear of God lays a check upon this finful Fear of Men, he that truly fears God wi!l not immoderately fear Men; for it is the property of holy Fear to reprefent the difpleafure. of God, as an infinitely greater Evil than the lofs of Eftate, Liberty, nay of Life It felf, or whatever the Rage and Power of Man can either inflict or threaten, and this makes them choofe Affliction rather than Sin. See this fearlcfs Spirit in thofe three Heroick Champions, DAn. 3· 16. who though they faw a burning, fiery Fuma~e before them into which they were threatned to be caft, yet all the Terrors of It did not frig'ht them to an ld~latrous Worfhip; with what a holy Contempt and Slighting did they anfwer Kmg Nebuchadnez...ar? We ~re not careful, fay they, tt' ~rnfwer thee in this matter. And whence proceeded tht'S undaunted Courage, but only becaufe they were more afraid of God, who is a confuming Fire, than they were of a fiery Fur..nace 1 A Man that truly fears God, reputes with himfelf, that tO
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