642 The I2ezfonablenefs of vol.IL Some are fo tender, that they cannot bear any other Arguments but fuck as are taken from the free Grace ofGod, and the free Love ofChrifl. If we mention to them the Wrath of God , and the Torments of Hell, we grate upon them ; but if we confider the Primitive preaching of Chrift and his Apofllcs , and will be concluded by their Pattern , we mutt allow the neceffity and ufefulnefs of thefe Arguments. And indeed, if we confider the nature and reafon of things, nothing is more apt to work upon finners , than Arguments of Fear. Hence it is that the wifdom of Mankind hath thought fit to fecure the obfervance of human Laws by the fear of Punifhrent. Fear is deeply rooted in our nature , and immediately flows from that Principle of felf-prefervation which is planted in every Man ; 'tis the molt wakeful Paflion in the Soul of and fo foon as any thing that is dreadful and terrible is prefented to us, it alarms us to flee from it: and this Paflion doth natu. rally fpring up in our minds from the apprehenfion of a Deity, becaufe the notion of a God doth include in it Power and Juflice both which are terrible to guilty Creatures; fo that fear is intimate to our being, and God hath hid in every Man's Confciencea fecret awe and dread of his Prefence, of his infinite Power and eternal Juftice. Now Fear being one of the firfl things that is imprintedupon us from the appre- henfion ofa Deity, it is thatPafliion, which above all other gives the greatest ad- vantage to Religion, and is the eafieft to be wrought upon. Hence the wife Man does fo often call thefear ofthe Lord, thebeginning of wifdom, becaufe here ufu- ally Religion begins, and firit takes hold of this Paflion, Prey. 16. 6. By thefear of the Lord men depart from evil. Fear is a good fure Principle, and one of the beft guards and fecurities againft fin, other Pallions are fickle and inconftant, but we cannot (hake off our Fears, nor quit our felves of them, fo long as we believe the reality of the Objet; there will be fear and terror in aguiltyConfcience, fo long as it believes a Holy, andJuft, and Omnipotent God , and that it is afearful thing to fall into the hands ofthe living God. Other Paffìons are more under the Government of Reafon, as our Love, and Hope, andAnger; but Fear is themolt natural, and moil deeply rooted in the fen- fitive nature, and therefore is common to us with all other Creatures, who have any confiderable degree ofSenfe, or any other Paflion ; and we may obferve thofe Creatures, who fcarce betray any other Paflion, to be fearful ofdanger, and toflee from it. Now Fear having lefs to do with Reafon, the Effets of it are lefs to be hinder'd. All the Reafon in the world cannot commanddown our Fears, unlefs the danger be removed, or fore probable way (hewn of avoiding or mattering it; and therefore arguments ofFear are great Eloquence, and havea mightyforce andPow- er ofPerfuafion. Knowing therefore the terrors of the Lord, faith St. Paul, weper- fitade men. One of thebeft fort ofarguments to fright Men from fin, and to bring them to their duty, are the terrors ofthe Lord. Thefe take the faileft and fureft hold ofMen, even ofthe molt obftinate and obdurate finners; for Arguments of Love and Kindnefs will work but littleupon fuch Perfons, fore ingenuity is requi- red to be fwayed by fuch Confiderations ; but the perverfeft Creatures love them- felves, and may be wrought upon by arguments ofFear: fo that it is agreeable both to the nature of Man and of Religion, to propound fuch arguments to our Confideration. III. The Fear of God is the bet Antidote againft the Fear ofMen. We are very apt to be awed'by Men, and to tart from our duty for fear of temporal Evils and Sufferings. This fear feìfed upon St. Peter, and made him deny his Mater. Andwhere the Fear of Men does not prevail fo far, yet it will many times make Men fhie and timorous in the owning of Religion in the times of danger. This made Nicodemus to come to our Saviour by night, fohn 3. a. So likewife many ofthe Rulers who believed in Chrf, durit not make open confeffion of him, left they liscold have beenput out of the Synagogue, yobn t O. 42. Some Men that have good inclinations to theTruth, and are inwardly convinced of it, yet in times of danger they love to be wife and cautious, they have an Eye to a retreat, and are loath to venture too far. But if we give way to thefefears, and fuffer them to poffefs us, we shall
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