Ch Thethird point to be confidered , is, the caufe of the finne of Peter : and that was the feare of the offence of the Iewes. Here two queflions arc to be handled. The firfl , how Peters feare ibould be a finite ? i(irf. There is a naturall feare created by God, and placed in the heart ofman. This feareofit felfe is good. Ncuertheleffeby the corruption of nature it becomes cuill. And it is made euill two wales. One is, when men feare without caufe,as when thedifciplcs feare Chrifl walking vpon the fea, and feare drowningwhen Chriii was in the fhipwith thë.Theother is,whë there is no meafute in feare. As whë men 1e fo feare the creature, thatthey negleE;: their dutie to God. This was Peters feare,and it was a finne in him.For God is to be fea-' red, fimply becaufe he is Lord ofbodie and foule, and can de- flroy both : and he is to be feared for himfelfe , whereas cuery creature is tobe feared inpart oncly,and for God, Rom. i 3.3, ' t i 4. By this we are taught , daily to inure our 'cluesin our hearts to feareGod aboue all things. Thefecond queftion is, how Peter could haue the feare of God, confidering he feared men more then God , at the lcaf# in this one aetion?Anf There are three kinds of feare. One is, ' 20 without all finne : this was in Adam, and in Chrifl. The fe- cond is, altogether finnefull , in the wicked and vngodly, be- cattle it is feuered from faith ,and obedience: as when there is a feare of men , without the feare ofGod. The third is,a mixed feare, in them that are regenerate , inwhome the feare of God 2y is ioynedwith the corrupt feare of man. And in this mixture otherwhiles the one prcuailes,otherwhiles theother. And this feare was in Peter : in whosne at this time the carnall feare of man, preuailcd againft the true feare ofGod. Paul notes fearc tobe the cauCe ofPeters finite, that he may 36. thereby lignifie vnto vs, what kindof finne it was, namely, a finne not ofmurlice, but of infirmitie. A finne of infirmitie is, when there is a purpofein the heartnot to finne:and yet for all this,thc finne is committed, by reafon the will is ouercarried by temptation,or by violence ofaffeftion, as by feare, anger,lufl. 35 Thus Peter finned. And let it be remembred, that to finne of infirmitie is properly incident to fuch as be regenerate, as Pe- ter was. Euery wicked man makeshis finne his infirmitie : for- nication is the infirmitie ofthe fornicatour, drunkennes the in- firmitie of thedrunkard, &c. butit is falfc which they fay. For they__
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