iio S KM O N S upon the SERM. XIV. (t.) In the Prejudice: Chrift imperfonateth our natural thoughts and the fecret werk,n,s of our minds; we date not fay fò, but many think fo : as if God were an hail and morofe Mailer, whom 'cis impofftble to pleafe. The Servant in the Parab'. had as little caufe for his pretence, as we have for our hard thoughts of God : He knew the contrary ; if he would confult his own experience, he might have found his Majter to be good and kind, who had taken him into his Fami- ly, intrufted him with a Talent, waited long for his Improvement: But this is the nature of man, Self love will rather blame God, than acknowledge our own Fault, and Sin ; tax his Severity, than confefs its own Negligence. (2.) In the Servant: being afraid, Chrift would teach us, that ill Opinions of God beget Pufllanimity and flavifh fear. And Lathy, In his Non- improvement, but rendring the Talent as he received it, That Puf /larimiry or flavifhi fear and floath, go together ; or thofe that are afraid of God will never do him Hearty fervice. I cannot handle all the Points that will arife from this Paragraph, yet I (hall difcufs one, that will tak &itishe Subftance and Eftcfh of all. And that is, Doat. That flavifh Fear is a great binderance to the faithfid difcharge of our Duty to God. Firil, Let me obferve to you, that there is a twofold fear ; Filial and Servile : Child like and Slavifh. The one is a lawful and neceffary fear, filch as quickneth us to Duty ; Phil. 2. 12. And is either the fear of Reverence, or the fear of Cau- tion. The fear of Reverence is nothing elk but that awe we are to have of the divine Maid-1y as Creatures, or our humble fenfe of the condition, place and duty of a Creature towards its Creator. The fear of Caution, is a due fenf -of the I.mportance, and Validity of the bufinefs we are engaged in, in order to Sal- vation : certainly, none can confider the danger we are to efcape, and the blef. fidnefs we aim at, but will fee a need to be ferious. And therefore tells fear is good and holy. (1.) But there is betides this, a flavifh fear, which Both not further, but extreamly hinder our work. For though we are to fear God, yet we are not to be afraid of God ; This is that which the, Apoffle called), oppo- fite to the Spirit of Adoption_ Rom. 8. 15. and a cowardly fearful Spirit, oppofite to that Spirit of Power and Love, and of a found Mind, which is the principle of all faithful Service to God. They that, are under the Spirit of 'bondage, fèrve not God as Children ferve a Father, but as Slaves ferve an hard and cruel Ma- iler. Fear is the inlèperable Companion of this Spirit, which muff needs be a great hinderance to our Duty; becaufe it begets hatred to God, and the torment it bringeth to our Pelves : As it breedeth Hatred to God ; Oderunt quem metuunt; guem odimus periife cupimos; when we only dread God for his Vengeance, we keep off from him, as a diffolute fervant hateth that Matter who would fcourge him for his, Debaucheries : The Nature of this fear is to drive us from God. Gen. 3. 7, ro. I leas afraid. So becitufe of the Torment it bringeth to us. Eph. 4, 18. For the legal Spirit, 'Lis called a Spirit of bondage, Rom. 8. 15. It bath fear and torment in it, and is an Enemy to us, for it banifheth all thole fweet Princi- ples which fhould enliven our Service ; as Love to God, and Delight in our work ; which loth enliven and infpire every thing that we do with an earnelt Spirit; But where Love is wanting, and all the Comfort that fhould accompany our du- ties, 'tis loft ; either a man Both nothing, or all that he doth, is in a compulfory manner, by meer force ; and fo our hands muff needs be weakned in Gods Service, if we be not totally difcouraged : For often it endeth in a Defpair of pleating, or being accepted with God. There is a lazy fottif% Defpair, as well as a raging tormenting Defpair : er. 18. 12. There is no hope, we will walk in the Imagination of our own Hearts; Caft off all care of the Souls Welfare. This was the fear of the floathful Servant in the Text, and fuels a fear have many others in the bofom of their hearts, by which they can never do any thing cffeftually in the bufnefs of Religion; by reafon of their thong Prejudices, occalioned by their oan tormenting fear. (2 ) That this fear is begotten in us by a faife opinion of God, that rendereth him dreadful, rigorous, and terrible to the Soul. The Servant in the Text doth nGC
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