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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2024 13:40:49 GMT -5
On the Fear of God by William Bates
And unto man he said, behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. - Job 28:28
Preface
And unto man he said, behold the fear of the Lord, that it
wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. - JOB 28:28.
IF you look back to the twelfth verse, you shall find an inquiry made
after wisdom; and in the following verses, there is a description of
the wisdom of God's providence, whereby he doth marshal and rank
the innumerable sorts of creatures that are in the world. This wisdom
of providence directs us to the wisdom of the law: this world being
the school of rational spirits, every part of it, every creature, reads
unto us a lecture of divinity. But the question is, what is that voice,
that is conveyed to us by all these things; the answer is, "the fear of
the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."
If you look into this great volume, the book of the creatures, which is
written within and without, written within with invisible essences,
the angels, &c. written without with corporeal substances, all the
visible objects of nature; and if you would know what is God's design
in all these, it is this, that man should learn to fear him, that being
the chiefest wisdom, and to depart from, evil, that being the most
eminent understanding. This is the connexion of the words. In that
part, which at the present, I intend to prosecute and treat of, you may observe first the subject, The fear of the Lord.
Secondly, The predicate, that is wisdom. The doctrine which I shall insist on is this, the fear of God is eminently wisdom.
I. Now in the opening of the first head, the fear of God, we will consider,
i. The nature of God's fear.
ii. The objects upon which it is terminated.
iii. Distinguish it from that degenerate fear that is in wicked men.
iv. Show you the products and effects of it.
v. Speak concerning those seeming contrary graces to which it is united, as faith, love, hope and joy, &c.
vi. Answer some questions, how far, and in what manner the threatening's of the word should work upon the fear of a converted person.
vii. And then exhort you to this fear of God.
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2024 13:48:09 GMT -5
CHAPTER I:
The Nature of the Fear of God
I. HEAD of discourse, The fear of God.
i. The nature of it. The fear of God in scripture is sometimes taken
more generally, and so it imports the whole circle of divine duties,
and of religious worship. Thus it is said, Eccl. 12:13. "fear God and
keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." And the
reason why fear is thus taken, is partly because the fear of God hath
an influx upon all the duties of godliness, it being, (if I may so speak)
the præpositus that guides and orders them, and therefore it may
well be put for the whole service that we owe to our Creator; and
partly, because the fear of God is an eminent piece of godliness, cue
of the prime parts of God's service. As an artificer receives his title
from that work about which he is most conversant. Upon this
account it is, you shall find in scripture, sometimes a godly man is
described by his fear. Job was a man "fearing God;" and so "blessed
is the man that feareth God," which is the description of a gracious
person.
2. This fear of God is taken in a more restrained and limited sense,
and so the fear of God imports, that sanctified affection and
sanctifying grace, whereby the soul doth solemnly and reverently
reflect upon God's perfections, and from thence is moved in all
things to promote God's honour.
CHAPTER II
The Objects of the Fear of God.
ii. NOW this fear will be further opened to you, if you consider its
objects, which are the perfections of God; and those I shall present to
you in this order.
1. The majesty of God, which appears in the works of nature and
providence. There is a beam of God's glorious essence, which shines
forth in all the parts of the creation, that should draw forth our fear.
The firmament over our heads is so great a body, that the earth is but
a prick or a point, if compared with it; yet that vast heaven, nay the
heaven of heavens, cannot contain God. This discovery of his
majesty, and of his immensity, should draw forth our fear, "who
would not fear thee thou King of nations?" When you look down and
consider that vast collection of waters that is in the sea; and that God
by one word, doth bound the raging seas, that he swathes them with
a girdle of sand, as a nurse doth a little infant; this should fill the soul
with a religious awe. The thunder is God's voice, whereby he
summons the world to dread and reverence him; nay (as little as you
think of it) the very clouds, which are the water-pots of heaven, when
they descend upon the earth, should move our fear: for God saith by
the prophet, "will you not fear me, that send the former and the
latter rain?" Jer. 5:24. All the works of the creation should draw forth
this grace. And certainly he that shall but consider with himself that
expression of scripture, that "man is but a worm, and the inhabitants
of the earth are as grasshoppers," &c. and make a comparison
between God and himself; between God's majesty, and man's
meanness, if then he doth not fear God, he acteth below his duty.
2. The purity of God is the object of our fear. This (which is revealed
in its glory in heaven) causeth the holy angels, and glorified saints, to
pay the tribute of reverence to God for ever, Isa. 6:1, 2, 3. There you
shall find the prophet's vision of the Lord sitting upon a throne high,
and his train lifted up, filling the temple. The seraphims stood about
him, and they cried out and said, "holy, holy, holy is the Lord of
hosts, the whole earth is rail of his glory." They had a sight and view
of God's holiness; and what is the effect of it? "They had six wings,
with twain they covered their faces," as being unworthy to behold the
glory of God's holiness; and "with twain they covered their feet," as
being unworthy to be beheld by that holy God; and "with two they
did fly." Rev. 15:4. "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy
name, for thou only art holy?" He that doth not fear God's majesty, I
told you he acts below his duty; but he that doth not fear God's
purity, doth not consider his sins. Because we have narrow thoughts
of God's holiness, therefore we fear him so little. If our
understandings were clarified so far, as to see the immaculateness of
his purity, we should then fear him more. When the Lord Jesus
Christ made a small discovery of his divinity, in a miracle, Peter
presently falls down, and cries out, "Lord, depart from me, for I am a
sinful man." Luke 5:8. Purity and majesty conjoined, strike a sinner
into consternation.
3. Another object of our fear is God's all seeing eye, Psal. 16:8. "I
have set the Lord always before me," how? I have set him before me
as my inspector, as my guide, as my pattern, and this doth raise and
excite fear towards God. There is a pure and a piercing eye that looks
upon our most retired actions. There is nothing that is a more
powerful motive to a man to walk as a christian than this, a certain
persuasion that God's eye is always open upon him. There is no
person that is any thing in religion, till the fear of God be written
upon all his actions. We read Deut. 23:14. God commanded the
Israelites, that "there should be no unclean thing in the camp, for the
Lord walked in the midst of the camp." Oh when you do but
apprehend this, that the eye of God is always upon you, and make
this the object of your fear, the influx of it will be powerful for the
regulating of your lives. Sometimes in scripture, the fear of God is
opposed to forgetfulness of him.
4. The power of God is also an object of our fear, for this makes him a
dreadful adversary, Psal. 90:11. "who knoweth the power of thine
anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath." It is impossible
for the most trembling conscience to enlarge its apprehensions, and
its fears answerable to the power of God's anger. You know that a
trembling conscience is able to fancy to itself the most direful
torments; the pouring out of hot oil into the tenderest parts of the
body; whatever torments either the power or the art of man can do:
but our apprehensions are finite and limited, and when you have
raised them to the utmost extent, they cannot reach any degree as it
were of God's power. The power of the creatures is a limited power;
for as they have a limited benignity, and can do us good but in part,
so likewise they have but a limited malignity to do us hurt but in
part; as you know there are some things that can clothe us, but not
feed us; some things can heal us, but not defend us from injuries: so
on the contrary, fire may burn us, but it cannot drown us; a serpent
may sting us, but not tear us. But now the power of God's anger is
such, that it doth eminently contain in it all sorts, all degrees of
torment; as the light of the sun doth eminently contain in it all the
torches and candles in the world, and therefore who would not fear,
as the treasures of his wrath, so the power of it. "Fear him," saith
Christ, "who is able to cast soul and body into hell." And by the way,
know the great reason why men do so much fear the great ones of the
earth, and so little fear the God of heaven is this, because we fancy to
ourselves a large power in a mortal creature, and have dark
apprehensions of the infinite power of the immortal God. The sinful
compliance which abounds so much in the world, proceeds from this,
because men fear the anger of the creature, but they presume on the
mercy of God, and fear the justice (as they call it) of man, but they
hope in the goodness of God.
5. The justice of God is another object of our fear. This attribute
excites his power, awakens his wrath, and causeth them to sparkle
forth against sinners. Now this is the ground of our fear, as we are
guilty creatures. All those attributes which I have already mentioned,
produce fear in us in respect of the contrary qualities that are in us,
as the majesty of God causeth our fear in respect of our meanness,
his purity in respect of our vileness, his power in respect of our
weakness, and so his justice in respect of our guilt, for we are guilty
creatures. The love that we exercise upon God, respects him as a
Father; but the fear that we fix upon God is referred to him as a
Judge; and if we do but seriously take a view of God's justice as it is
represented in the word, it is impossible but that the most
presumptuous spirit would be filled with trembling and horror at the
apprehension of it; that justice that will take notice of the number
and of the quality of all our sins; that justice that will spare no person
be he never so great, nor slight any person be he never so mean; that
justice that shall award and decide our everlasting state, who would
not fear it? Alas, the justice of man be it never so severe, can but
dispose of a few days, or a few years of our time; but the justice of
God doth award us for ever to glory, or to misery.
6. The mercy of God and his goodness are the objects of our fear.
Take this as a rule, the affections of a man are best discovered by his
reflection on mercy. The presuming sinner will argue from it thus,
there is mercy in God, therefore I may encourage myself in my evil
ways, and I may offend him; but the gracious soul argues thus, there
is mercy with God, therefore I will fear him. Now if you ask me how
can a person fear God's mercy, I answer (1.) An ingenuous soul fears
to displease it. (2.) He fears to lose it.
(1.) He fears to displease it. Itis a chaste, a filial and a grateful fear,
whereby the soul is very tender of displeasing the mercy of God. It is that fear which a child bears to
a parent, which a wife bears to her husband, which one friend bears
to another, he would not displease him. Oh remember there is a
dread in God's smiles, and his majesty is to be feared when it is most
serene.
(2.) The soul fears the loss of that mercy. For as a gracious spirit
prizeth the mercy of God more than life, so it fears the loss of it more
than death, Psal. 63:3. "thy loving-kindness is better than life;" and
thus St. Austin describes fear, it is fuga animœ, ne perdat quod
diligit, the flight of the mind, lest one lose what he enjoys. If you have
tasted how good the Lord is, there will be a fear lest you should
hazard the smallest degree of the manifestation of it.
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2024 13:51:51 GMT -5
CHAPTER III
The Difference Between Servile and Filial Fear.
iii. I proceed next to distinguish between servile and filial fear;
between that fear that is degenerate and slavish, and that which is
ingenuous and filial. The Latins distinguish these two sorts of fears
by two words, the one is called metus, the other is called timor;
metus is the fear which respects an object, that may be injurious to
me. Timor being derived from a word which signifies honour,
imports a reverence of another, because of his excellencies. One of
these is that fear which is slavish, and the other genuine and filial:
now there are several distinctions which I shall present to you of
those two fears, that so you may be able to judge whether you are a
partaker of this grace or no: you know there are many noxious weeds
which are very like to garden herbs; but although they be like in
appearance, yet the operations of them are very different. So there is
a similitude between this fear of God, and that slavish fear which is
in a carnal spirit; yet they are vastly different in their effects.
1. The fear that is slavish, is a forced act, but that which is ingenuous
is voluntary. A slavish fear proceeds from a judicial impression,
stamped upon the conscience; and so he that lies under it makes it
his design to break the chains, and get himself at liberty; but this
son-like fear is the desire of a saint, Nehem. 1:11. "we desire to fear
thy name," it is the treasure of a saint, Isa. 33:6. "the fear of the Lord
is his treasure." It is that to which he devotes himself, Psal. 119:33.
"thy servant who is devoted to thy fear." The fear of a wicked man is
a judicial impression; for when the spirit of bondage strikes upon the
conscience, then it is filled with fears and terrors. But now the fear of
a gracious person, proceeds from himself, he takes the threatenings
of God and endeavours to awe his own soul therewith, 2 Cor. 5:10.
"knowing the terrors of the Lord we persuade men;" and this is the
reason why a carnal spirit, (one that hath this slavish fear in him,)
his great design is to break the fetters of conscience, to loose those
ties, he would fain get out of that troublesome state. But now a
gracious spirit always cherisheth this fear of God: he labours to know
God more, that he may fear him more. And this is the reason likewise
that this slavish fear is in such a soul only at some times, there are
sometimes violent impressions of conscience, some zealous pangs
which move the soul; and these persons are just like the marble
pillars that will sweat in moist weather, but retain their hardness
still: whereas a gracious fear is not a violent passion, but a serious
constitution of spirit. Oh such a man fears God always, and this (by
the way) is one difference between the grace of love, and the grace of
fear; love is that grace, that when we exercise it, the soul spends itself
in violent ejaculations towards God. Therefore in its raptures it
cannot be always in us; although there is a love burning in the soul
always, yet not a love flaming always, that cannot be: but now the
fear of God is a grace, which you must exercise every moment so far
as it is possible.
2. That fear that is degenerate and servile, doth merely arise from
guilt. Guilt first brought fear into the world; when Adam was
convicted of his disobedience, then he feared and hid himself. See an
eminent example of this, Acts 24:25. When the apostle Paul was
called before the governor Felix, you shall find the prisoner at the
bar, by the help and advantage of conscience, made the governor to
tremble. "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance and
judgment to come, Felix trembled." But now a gracious soul, his fear
doth not arise merely from guilt, but it is a fear of reverence in
reference to God's perfections, it ariseth from the knowledge of God's
excellency, it shall continue in heaven itself, when we are confirmed
in glory; when there will not remain the least degree of guilt, then
shall we most fear God. As I have read a story of a person of most
eminent holiness when he was a dying, he was filled with great
tremblings and fears of God; there comes one to him and speaks to
him, I wonder (saith he) that you who know God do so fear him? 'If I
did know him more, I should fear him more;' that was his dying
answer. In heaven the fear of God shall be perfected; therefore it
doth not merely arise from guilt. When God is pleased to dart a fire
into the bones of a man, to cast stings into his conscience, then a
carnal man fears; when his heart is scorched with the estuations of
those lusts wherein formerly he delighted himself (as a fish
sometimes is boiled in that very water that formerly it sported itself
in) then doth a carnal spirit fear. But now a gracious man when there
is peace within, when there is a blessed serenity in the conscience,
then he fears the Lord; therefore it is said, "the churches walked in
the fear of God, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost," Acts 9:13.
there you see an union between fear and joy.
3. This degenerate and servile fear respects the dismal effects of sin,
but not its evil nature. They in whom this is non metuunt peccare,
sed metuunt ardere, they do not fear to sin, but they fear to burn; or
if they fear sin, it is merely in reference to burning. The one is timor
pœnœ, the other is timor offensœ, the one fixeth itself on the
punishment, the other regards the offence; the one is awakened by
the apprehension of those judgments to which a man is exposed, the
other regards the evil which a own hath done. A child may fear to
take up a burning coal, that doth not fear to take up a black coal,
which will soil and pollute it. A carnal wretch fears to meddle with
that sin that will create terrors in his conscience, but is not afraid to
meddle with that sin which will defile him. The wise man speaking
concerning this gracious fear, calls it, "the fear of the
commandment," Prov. 13:13. "but he that feareth the commandment
shall be rewarded." I deny not but servile fear may give a check to
our sins; but this doth not proceed from any halved of sin, but from
fear of hell. To illustrate this by a similitude, a dog although his
ravenous nature do prompt him to take hold of the meat, yet when
the staff is over his head he dares not touch it. A wicked man while
terrors of conscience are upon him, though he loves his sin, yet he
dares not venture upon it. What epicure is there that is such a slave
to his appetite, that when he is under a fit of the stone, will venture
on those meats that he knows will increase his paroxysm, and make
his pains more dolorous? and yet he may love the meat very well: so
it is here, such a person that hath this slavish fear, although he loves
his sin, yet he may possibly be kept from it for fear of hell, but this
fear is terminated only upon the punishment.
4. Another difference between these fears is drawn from the
continuance of them; this servile fear usually being a sudden passion,
but the ingenuous fear is a serious constitution of spirit. I shall apply
to this purpose that which Aristotle speaks concerning the colours of
men; there are some colours which proceed from complexion, there
are others which proceed from some sudden passion. Suppose the
question be, what complexion a man is of; if he be pale through fear,
or red for anger, we cannot say that man is of a pale or red
complexion, because that is a sudden thing: it is just so here, one that
is a, carnal wretch, sometimes when there are sharp pangs of
conscience upon him, he may fear to sin; but this fear remains no
longer than the paroxysm of the burning ague, it may be not so long,
for some few hours only; but the gracious spirit always maintains
this fear in him, "blessed is the man that feareth always;" the one is
but a sudden passion, the other is the complexion of the soul.
5. They vastly differ in their excitations to that which is good, and
that in two respects.
(1.) In respect of the extent of that good, to which carnal fear doth excite a man.
(2.) In respect of the manner of performance.
(1.) In respect of the extent of that good. He that is a slave, and fears
God servilely, his fear prompts him but to such a degree of good as
he judgeth to be absolutely necessary for his own peace; such a
person will give God but gold-weight; he will not perform those
duties to which natural conscience by some spear or goad doth not
excite him. But the fear that is ingenuous and filial, excites the soul
to a more liberal degree of service; therefore it is said, 2 Cor. 7:1.
"perfecting holiness in the fear of God." So Phil. 2:12. "work out your
own salvation with fear and trembling." Now reduce this to your
particular state, and make an inquiry, whether the fear that you bear
towards God, doth only excite you to some duties which the very
light of natural conscience discovers and commands; or whether or
no, doth it engage your hearts to all the duties of holiness?
(2.) In respect of the manner of performance. This is the usual
temper of servile fear, it excites a man to the bare act of the duty,
without regard to those qualities which should attend that act and
that duty. Thus he that is a slave and fears God merely for his wrath,
possibly he will pray and hear the word; but his prayers are but a
little motion of the lips, they are spiritless devotions. He prays like a
parrot, without a correspondency of his affections to that which he
prays; and what is the reason of it? Because natural conscience is
quiet for the act done. Whereas an ingenuous fear, causeth the soul,
in prayer, to labour that it may be in a flame, and endeavour to raise
the affections to the highest pitch and degree. He that fears as a
slave, though he makes God the object of his duty, he doth not make
him the end of his duty. And therefore saith the Lord, "when you
fasted, did you fast unto me?" Zech. 7:5. But this is the end of their
duties, to quiet conscience, that all might be peaceable within. But
ingenuous fear excites the soul to perform duties in such a manner,
as may be acceptable to the Father of spirits.
6. These fears differ in their restraints from evil, and that likewise in a double respect.
(1.) In respect of the nature of those evils from whence they are restrained.
(2.) In respect of the manner of their flight from them.
(1.) In respect of the nature of those evils from which they are
restrained. Servile fear checks the soul from those black sins which
stare in the face of a natural conscience, those sins which are of the
first magnitude, and of a crimson dye, which do vastare
conscientiam, waste the conscience, these sins slavish fear will keep a
man from; but for other sins, which (although they do not leave so
great a blot upon the name, yet they may leave a very great stain
upon the soul) they do not regard. To give you an instance; a natural
man that lies under this slavish fear, fears to kill a man, but not to
hate or bear a spleen against a man; and yet this is murder in a
degree. Such a man fears actually to defile himself with a woman; but
he cherisheth speculative wantonness, and gazeth on the image of
the lust, it may be whole days in his fancy; and yet this is the adultery
of the heart, but this he doth not regard: but where there is an
ingenuous fear, this causeth a person not only to fly sin, but the
appearance of it, to fly the smallest sin as well as the greatest; for as
there is the same reason of the roundness of a ball, as there is of a
globe, so there is the same reason he should fly the smallest sin as
the greatest. Thus an ingenuous child fears not only visible
disobedience, but declines the very colour of it. A chaste wife doth
not only fear to break the marriage knot, but flies every sign of
disloyalty, and will not bring upon herself the least suspicion of her
chastity; so that in respect of the nature of the evils declined, there is
a vast difference.
(2.) In respect of the manner of their flight: for that fear which is
degenerate and servile, although it may withdraw the soul from the
action, it doth not crucify the affection to sin; but now a gracious
spirit doth not only forbear sin, but abhor it; he doth not only leave
it, but loath it. In the one the faculties are bridled up, in the other the
will is healed; the one doth abscondere hide his sin, and keeps
himself from outward acts; but the other doth abscindere, he cuts off
sin by the roots.
7. Servile fear drives a man from God, but filial fear unites a man to
God. He that is a slave, his great care is how he may hide himself
from God; but he that is a son his great care is, that God do not hide
himself from him. A slave is afraid to find God, a son is afraid lest he
should lose him. St. Austin doth admirably explain this by the
different fear the harlot hath of her husband, from that which the
wife hath, who is loyal and virtuous. The harlot saith he, illa timet ne
veniat, she fears lest her husband should come home; but the
virtuous wife illa timet ne deserat, she fears lest he should depart.
The harlot fears lest her husband should chastise her, but the
virtuous wife lest he should forsake her. Thus it is here, he that is a
slave all his design is this, how he may hide himself from God; but a
gracious soul doth less fear God's blows, than his absence, he can
better brook his strokes than the withdrawing of his countenance.
8. Servile fear is an earnest of hell; filial fear is the beginning of
heaven. Servile fear is the fruit of the covenant of works, and
therefore the beginning of sorrow. Filial fear is the product of the
covenant of grace; for saith the Lord, "my fear I will plant and put in
their hearts," and so it is the initials of glory. Servile fear is one of the
black train of affections that shall accompany sinners to another
world; all the bright part of their affections shall leave them, their
joy, their hope, and their delight; but their fear, sorrow, despair and
horror, shall accompany them for ever: but now the fear of God
which is son-like and ingenuous, that doth endure for ever, that shall
be completed in glory. There are some graces in a saint that are
relative graces, that respect the present state, as repentance and the
justifying faith of a saint; but the fear of God, that is the eternal
homage and tribute which the creature mast pay to him, and
therefore it shall continue for ever.
CHAPTER IV
The Effects and Products of Filial Fear
iv. IT was next propounded to allow what are the effects and products of filial fear; they are these,
1. The fear of God produceth a flight from sin: this is so essential to
the fear of God, that it makes up its description, the fear of God is to
depart from evil. In the 19th Psalm ver. 9. you have an expression
there, "the fear of the Lord is clean;" it is dean formaliter, it is clean
in itself; it is dean effective, as it makes us clean; that person that
thus feats the Lord will not ordinarily neglect the least duty, nor
commit the least sin for the greatest good. The fear of God is animœ
vigil & custos, it is the sentinel and guard of the soul, which is very
vigilant that no temptation may enter in, nor no corruption may pass out.
2. Another effect or product of this fear of God, is a careful search
after the perfect knowledge of God's will, that so a man may not
offend him, (and this proceeds from the former) Psal. 86:11. "teach
me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in thy truth, unite my heart to
fear thy name." Here you see the conjunction of these two requests. A
man that is a stranger to this fear, makes it his design to preserve his
conscience from the command of the light of the word. Lazy persons
lie upon their beds of ease, and draw their curtains that no beam may
dart in upon them; they are afraid of the shining light, lest it should
scorch them; they are afraid conscience should know what is the will
of God lest it should perform its office of accusing them: but one that
fears God ingenuously, he tries what is the acceptable and good will
of God. Thus it was with Job, chap. 34:32. "that which I see not teach
thou me: if I have done iniquity I will do no more." This is the temper
of a person that fears God; and indeed you may carry this through all
relations. This is the fear of a son, who will inquire what is his
father's will that he may not displease him. The care of a wife is this,
she will inquire what her husband's disposition is, that she may not
contradict him: it is a necessary effect of fear to make a person full of
inquiries after the will of him whom he endeavours to please.
3. This fear hath a great influence upon our performance of the duties of worship.
(1.) It composeth the soul.
(2.) It makes it awful in the discharge of them.
(1.) It composes the soul, Psal. 86:11. "unite my heart to fear thy
name." There is a natural lightness in the spirits of men, and when
we come to religious duties our thoughts are like a bird in a cage, it
flutters the more because it is inclosed; our thoughts then are full of
such a light discurrency as chaff in the wind, or dust in the air; but
now the fear of God binds up the soul from flitting. The fear of God
brings the soul to a consistency when it awaits upon God in religious
duties. He that stops the sun in its flight, and the waves in their
course, doth bind up our thoughts by his fear. This is the grace that
unites our thoughts together. And therefore you may try yourselves
by this, whether or no when you approach the throne of grace doth
the fear of God compose your spirit, doth it cause you to endeavour
to get and keep your thoughts upon that, which then is required of you?
(2.) It renders the soul awful and solemn in the presence of God. We
read, Heb. 12:28, 29. "wherefore we receiving a kingdom which
cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming
fire;" such a person when he comes to any duty, sees him that is
invisible, and therefore fears before him. A gracious soul although he
be not always fervent as he should be, yet he will be always reverent,
(so it always is when grace hath any actings in the soul) for the lowest
degree of grace is this, to compose the spirit in the sight of God.
Therefore it is said, Eccl. 5:1. "keep thy foot when thou goest to the
house of God;" and certainly whensoever this grace doth exercise its
power in any degree, one of the first effects of it is this, to make the
soul reverent and solemn in the apprehension of God's perfections.
4. Moderation in the enjoyment of lawful things is another product of
God's fear, and that upon a double account.
(1.) In respect of the strictness of the law.
(2.) In regard of the deceitfulness of the heart.
(1.) In respect of the strictness of the law. It is but a narrow path, and
we are very ready to swerve from it. As one that walks upon a rope is
very careful to poise himself, so that his body may not slip aside; so is
one that hath a son-like fear, he knows that there is but a little step
between the allowance of God and the desires of our lusts; and
therefore he will not do all that he may, lest he do more than he
should. Such a person when he tastes the honey, will be careful of his
wings, that they be not dipped in the slime of it, that so he may like
the bee keep his course and voyage to heaven free. Such a person
considers with himself that more perish by meat, than by poison;
because we are careful to keep ourselves from poison; but meat is the
sustenance of our lives.we all perish by the abuse of things lawful, or mostly do so.
(2.) In respect of the deceitfulness of the heart: we are so apt to
transgress those limits which are prescribed to us. Who is there
among us but is apt to abuse the sweetness of grace to looseness, the
power of grace to laziness, the assurance of grace to security, and the
allowance of grace to licentiousness? And therefore because our
hearts are naturally so deceitful, and so prone to transgress, such a
person is very moderate in the use of lawful things. When he eats and
drinks, this is his rule, he will eat so much as will neither unfit
himself for duty, nor dispose himself to sin; so much as may neither
distemper nature, nor disturb grace; so much he will venture upon
the enjoyment of the creature, as may be a motive and excitement to
raise up his soul to God. This is the proper effect of divine fear.
5. This is another product of filial fear; it causeth in the soul upon the
least apprehension of God's displeasure a double inquiry,
(1.) How we have provoked God?
(2.) How we may appease him?
(1.) How we have provoked him? Such a soul hath a very quick eye to
discover the Lord's anger; and when the Lord doth withdraw himself
from it, this is the inquiry of such a soul, how have I provoked the
Lord? Thus we read of Joshua, when his heart was struck with the
fear of the Lord, he did by lot make inquiry after the offender, and
never ceased till he had fixed upon Achan, that was the cause of
God's anger. Thus doth gracious heart take the candle of the Lord,
and make an inquiry what may be the sin that eclipses the light of
his countenance, that shutteth up his bowels, that interposes and
intercepted the influences of his grace, and the beams of comfort that come from him.
(2.) How he may be appeased? Oh the lamenting, the desires, and the
vigorous motions of the soul towards the recovery of God's Spirit!
How doth it daily plead for it in the name of Christ! Whereas other
persons when a breach is made between God and their souls, as they
commit sin without fear, so they lie in it without sense; they can bear
the guilt of ten thousands of sins, which stand uncancelled in the
presence of God; they do not make it their design to repair the
breach that is made between their Creator and themselves; but it is
otherwise with a soul that fears the Lord6.
This fear of God is the best corrective of the fear of man. As the
beams of the sun discourage the burning of the fire, so doth this fear
of God correct and abate the fear of the creature. As Aaron's rod
swallowed up the rods of the magicians, so doth the fear of the Lord
take the heart off from an immoderate fear of the creature, Luke
12:4, 5. "Fear not him that can kill the body, &c." This is the ground
of all that sinful compliance that is in the world (I mean in reference
to fear) viz. Persons fear the anger of a man, but presume on the
mercy of God. Now therefore a gracious spirit doth realize to himself
what the majesty of God is, what his purity, justice, power are, and
from hence he quencheth all the fears of the creatures. And if it
should happen at any time, that in some sudden temptation the fear
of man should overpower him, yet nevertheless by consideration, he
brings himself to his fixed temper; as if you put water and oil in a
glass, if you shake the glass the water may get upon the oil; but let
the glass stand still, then the oil (as a triumphant conqueror) will
recover the supremacy: so here, although in a temptation, the fear of
man may overpower him, yet when he compares a mortal creature to
an immortal God, then doth the fear of God quench all other fears.
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2024 14:10:01 GMT -5
CHAPTER V
The Consistency Between the Fear of God, and Other Graces
The Consistency Between the Fear of God, and Faith, Hope, Love and Joy.
v. I Will now direct your attention to the consistency that is between
the fear of God, and faith, love, hope and joy; and before I show you
the particular agreement between these graces, let me premise these
three thingsFirst. Know that there is an absolute necessity of their union in the
soul of a gracious person upon this account, because although sin
and grace oppose one another, yet grace and grace doth not, they all
proceeding from the same root and cause which is the Spirit of God.
It is the opinion of some, that grace in the soul is but one habit, and
according to the variety of acts which it produceth, so it receives
several titles; as you know the ocean as it washeth several shores, so
it receiveth several names; so they think, that the habit of grace as it
believes in God is called faith, as it depends upon him for the
performance of some good it is hope, as it feareth him so it is thus
entitled; but granting this is not a truth, suppose that every grace is a
several habit, yet they all very well agree, and it must be so.
Secondly. There is a conveniency in this agreement of the graces of
the Spirit; as thus, one doth contemper and correct the exorbitances
which otherwise would be in another, as I shall particularly show you
when I come to the particular graces.
Thirdly. There is an actual existence of these graces in the soul; for as
they are joined together in scripture, so they are experienced by
every believer. These things being premised.
1. I shall begin with the first grace, Faith. There is an union between
faith and fear in the soul; for that consider, that the fear of God
although it doth weaken the security of the flesh, yet it never
weakens the certainty of faith. There is a distrustful fear which faith
expels, but there is an awful dread which faith cherisheth, and this is
that fear which we are speaking of; the fear of God and faith are
reciprocal causes of each other, for faith produceth fear, and fear
produceth faith, or improves it. First, faith produceth this fear, Heb.
11:7. "By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet,
moved with fear, prepared an ark, &c." where it is observable, Noah
did believe an hundred years before the flood came, that there would
be such a destruction, and he believed that he should be preserved
and rescued from that destruction (observe that) and yet Noah
feared; so that a believer that doth not only believe the power of the
threatener and the truth of the threatening, but believes he shall
escape that threatening, yet he fears it; this is Noah's case. If once
faith be quenched in the soul there will remain no fear. Indeed faith
is the eye that seeth all things in God; as to God all things are
present, and there is neither first nor last, so doth the eye of faith see
all things, in some sense, as present; and therefore a believing soul
looks upon the day of judgment to be as real as if it were this
moment, because he sees it in God, and this causeth him to fear.
Whereas take away this faith and the soul is then secure; it being
with the objects of our affections in distance of time, as it is with the
objects of sense in distance of place. When a thing is far distant from
mine eye, I cannot perceive it; so when that which is evil is at a great
distance from me, without the eye of faith, I shall never fear it; every
evil doth abate so much de terribili as in hath de futuro. But now
faith realizeth these things to the soul, and so produceth fear. This
fear doth improve faith. For there is a circle in these causes, as there
is a commerce between heaven and earth; the vapours that ascend
from the earth cause clouds, and those clouds descend in showers,
and so are the causes of vapours; so it is with the graces of the Spirit.
Faith produceth fear, and fear causeth the soul more to believe the
judgments of God and his threatening; for when once the mind
presages evil and fears it, it will the more strongly believe it. The
scripture unites these two graces, Psal. 64:9, 10. "All men shall fear,
&c. the righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in him;" here is
an union between these two graces.
2. This fear of the soul is consistent with hope. Fear and hope in the
soul of a christian, are like the cork and the lead to a net, the cork
keeps it from sinking and the lead keeps it from too much floating; so
it is here, fear keeps hope from degenerating into presumption, and
hope keeps fear from sinking into despair. If you do abstract fear
from hope, the soul will be lazy; and if you do abstract hope from
fear, the soul will sink into a despondency. Therefore there must be a
fear with hope, and that will appear, if your do consider these three
things. (1.) The author of that reward which hope respects. (2.) The
tenure of the conveyance of that reward. (3.) The quality of the
reward itself. These three show there must be fear with the hope of a
christian.
(1.) If you consider the author of that reward, it is the holy God; and
therefore wherever there is a hope to receive a crown from his hand,
there will be a fear to displease him. I will bring this down to a
temporal case, thus. It is a rational thing to imagine that a subject
doth hope to rise when he doth fear to displease his prince, for the
king is the fountain of honour; and therefore if he doth not fear to
displease him, he can never hope to rise by him. No, it is the loyal
subject that fears to displease his sovereign, that expects
advancement by him. A christian who doth not fear to displease God,
can never hope to be advanced by him.
(2.) If you respect the conveyance of this reward, and that is
expressed thus, Heb. 12:14. "Follow peace with all men and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord." This is the condition upon
which the reward is promised, and therefore it is said, 1 John 3:3.
"And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as
he is pure." What hope is that? That is, he that expects to be
conformed to Christ in glory, he will imitate Christ in purity.
(3.) Consider the very quality of the reward, and that likewise excites
fear. For what is the recompence of our hope but this, the vision of
God? Now what saith our Saviour, Mat. 5:8. "Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God," who is pure God; since the happiness
of a saint is the sight of the pure God, there must be purity of heart to
dispose him for it. The air above is so pure that no sin can live there.
And therefore wherever there is hope of heaven, there must be a fear
of sin, because heaven consists in an absolute freedom from it. Now
there must be hope with fear for these two reasons, for 1st. Fear
without hope defiles the soul. 2dly. Fear without hope ruins the soul.
1st. It defiles the soul; for it renders our guilt more omnipotent than
God's goodness; it makes sin to be as infinite an evil as God is an
infinite good. And what is this but to debase God? and thus stains the soul.
2dly. Fear without hope ruins the soul, and drives a man to a
wretched neglect of all the means of recovery, and to a dreadful flight
from God. As the front and cold in winter do so bind up the
influences of the earth, that it cannot produce its fruits; so these
affections of fear and despair do so bind up the soul that it cannot
exercise acts of dependence upon God; and therefore there must be a
mixture of these two graces in the soul, that so the repenting sinner
when he despairs in himself, may hope in God. When he sees nothing
within him, nothing below him to help him, yet he may see
something above him, that is, the mercy of God.
3. There is an union in the soul between fear and love. Love without
fear would become secure, and fear without love would become
slavish. Love is the dearest companion of this fear; there is nothing
more fearful than an ingenuous love, and nothing more loving than a
filial fear. These two graces do equally knit the soul to God. Love is
that grace which unites the soul to God, and fear keeps the soul from
departing from God. "I will put my fear into their hearts that they
shall not depart from me." These two graces have the same promises
made to them; so you shall find Psalm 145:19, 20. "He will fulfil the
desires of them that fear him, he also will hear their cry and will help
them, the Lord preserveth all them that love him." These two graces
do embrace and support each other.
Objection. Doth not the scripture tell us, there is no fear in love, 1
John 4:18. "but perfect love casteth out fear.
Answer. This fear that is here made irreconcileable with love, is not a
fear, of God's judgments, but a fear of persecution in the world; and
so indeed, when our love is perfected it conquers the fears of death.
Thus Tertullian of old understood this place, saith he, "What fear can
be understood here, but the author of our denial of Christ." Quem
amorem perfectum nisi fugam timoris? What perfect love must we
understand here, but that which puts fear to flight, and that which
animates us to a confession of Christ? And there are three reasons
which confirm this interpretation.
(1.) The first is drawn from that expression in the 17th verse, "Herein
is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of
judgment," which may be interpreted thus; herein is our love made
perfect and crowned, that we may have boldness in the day of
temporal judgment, when we are arranged before princes for the
cause of Christ.
(2.) Consider the parallel that is made between Christ and us,
"because as he is, so we are in the world;" what is the meaning of it?
That is, as Christ upon earth laid down his life to seal the truth, so
while we are in this world upon the call of God's providence, we
should lay down our lives for the confession of the truth.
(3.) Because it is said in the 18th verse, "He that feareth is not made
perfect in love, and fear hath torment in it," that is, there is a rack, a
pain, that is conveyed by the fear of death, as it is said, Heb. 2:15.
"who all their days were under a spirit of bondage through fear of
death." And wherever there is a fear of death there cannot be a
perfect love of Christ; for the person that is a coward is next to an
apostate. That person which fears death is ready to apostatize from
Christ, when his life is in danger: but when this perfect love of Christ
reigns and triumphs it is stronger than death. How formidable
soever death is, yet the love of Christ will cause the soul to embrace
it; if this interpretation be either novel to you, or if you think it not so
genuine, you may reconcile the text by my doctrine; for then
understand here, a slavish fear of God merely as of a judge, which is
inconsistent with love; but for ought I know the other sense may
comport well enough with the meaning of the spirit.
4. Another grace that is united in the soul with this holy fear is joy.
This is a riddle to a carnal spirit, and yet it is one part of the mystery
of godliness which grace teacheth, and which a holy soul is instructed
in. Hence it is said in scripture, that "they did rejoice in God's
goodness, and yet they feared his goodness."
(1.) Our fear qualifies joy.
(2.) This joy doth characterize and evidence our fear to be of the right kind.
(1.) This fear of God qualifies our joy. If you abstract fear from joy,
joy will become light and wanton; and if you abstract joy from fear,
fear then will become slavish. Hence it is said, Psalm 2:11. "Rejoice
with trembling." There is a sweet contemperation of these graces. In
heaven God is equally rejoiced in and feared, and while we are here
below we should aspire to that heavenly temper. Then doth the soul
most kindly rejoice in God, when it is filled with an awful admiration
of his goodness; for this fear doth not contract the heart as grief doth,
but enlargeth the heart in God's praises.
(2.) This joy doth characterize our fear, and evidence it to be of a
right stamp. So you shall find 112 Psal. 1. "Blessed is the man that
feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments."
CHAPTER VI
How Threatenings and Judgments Should Operate Upon the Fears of a Christian
Answering some questions, how far and in what manner the
threatenings of the word should work upon the fear of a converted person.
vi. THERE are some questions which I shall propound concerning
this grace, and so shall clear objections as I handle them.
Question 1. How fat should the threatenings of the word work upon
the fear of a converted person?
(1.) I answer. Every affection must be exercised upon its proper
object; for they were planted by the hand of God in the nature of the
reasonable creature, and therefore none of them must be eradicated,
but must be regularly exercised. Now as the love of God is the
loadstone of my love, so the justice of God is the object of my fear,
and therefore these threatenings must work upon the soul.
(2.) That these threatenings must work upon the soul, it appears by
this; because they are part of the medium whereby God doth bring
the soul to himself, and whereby he doth direct the soul in the way
that leads to life. There is an initial fear in the soul which prepares
the way for the Spirit of adoption, and sometimes is in the soul
before ever the Holy Spirit hath taken up his residence there. As you
know the sun before it riseth, darts forth some light into that part of
the heavens where it is not present. There is also a fear of God's
judgments which hath not only the Spirit for its original, but the
Spirit for its companion. This fear of God's threatenings is not only
from the Spirit but with the Spirit, and therefore the Spirit of God is
called the "Spirit of fear," Isa. 11:2. Now this fear the Spirit makes use
of while we live in this world, to direct us in the way to heaven.
Therefore since the terrors of the Lord are part of the Spirit's
discipline, certainly a gracious man should fear God's threatenings.
(3.) In the scripture the threatenings of God are frequently
propounded to believers, and certainly they should work upon their
fear. The fear of God's judgments is not too servile a passion to be in
a child of light. The apostle Paul certainly knew the mind of God and
the tenour of the gospel, and yet you shall find his chosen arguments
to excite us to serve God are many times drawn from the fear of his
judgments. There are two places very remarkable, one in the 12 Heb.
and the two last verses, "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which
cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God
acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a
consuming fire." Now observe, that the apostle speaks here to those
that had an interest in the "Kingdom which cannot be moved:" and
saith the apostle, "Let us have grace," that is, let us exercise grace so
as to approach and serve him with "Godly fear;" and why, "for our
God is a consuming fire." The other scripture is in Phil. 2:12. "Work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling," where you may
observe the apostle doth emphatically speak, not of doing it with
faith and love, but with fear and trembling; and this fear and
trembling is a posture fit for us till we come to the gate of heaven. To
conclude the question, know that our Saviour who was the author of
the gospel, preacheth it to his disciples, Luke 12:5. "Fear him which
after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you,
fear him." And therefore those wanton spirits that are all for oily
doctrines, that will endure to hear of nothing but the riches of grace,
cheat themselves; they flatter themselves into hell with vain hopes of
heaven. As I must rejoice in God for his goodness, so I must fear him
for his justice; therefore this is clear, the threatening of God must
work upon believers.
Question 2. In what manner must the fear of God's judgments work
upon believers? I answer in these propositions,
(1.) In the general all our religious acts must be ultimately
terminated upon God. Take that as a rule, as his commands must be
the principle to sway the conscience, so his glory must be the aim
and the design of a christian. God must be the beginning, the middle,
the end of all our actions; and therefore when I come to discourse
what influence fear must have, carry this with you.
(2.) Although the command of God must be the ground of my
obedience, yet the fear of God may be an excitation to it. The
command of God is the ratio formalis of the obedience of the
creature, the fear of God may be the ratio motiva. Take all rewards
and punishments and abstract them from the command of God, yet
the command of God obligeth us; but add these and they will more
powerfully enforce it. A cipher is nothing in itself, but odd it to a sum
and it increaseth the sum: rewards and punishments being added to
the command to enforce it.
(3.) The fear of God should work upon us in this manner, to be a
bridle to check and restrain us from sin. For you shall find this to be
the method of the gospel, where God persuades us to duties he
propounds reward; when he dissuades us from sin he presents and
urgeth judgments; therefore in this manner should fear work upon
the soul, Rom. 8:13. "For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die," there is
a check from sin; "but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of
the body, ye shall live," there is an encouragement to duty.
(4.) This fear of God's judgments, or of the threatenings of God, its
chiefest season is then, when some present temptation presseth upon
us, when conscience and the affections are divided, when conscience
doth withdraw a man from sin, and when his carnal affections draw
him forth to it, then should the fear of God come in. It is a holy
design for a christian to counterbalance the pleasures of sin with the
terrors of it, and thus to cure the poison of the viper by the flesh of
the viper. Thus that admirable saint and martyr bishop Hooper,
when he came to die one endeavoured to dehort him from death by
this, O Sir, consider, that 'Life is sweet, and death is bitter;' presently
he replied, 'Life to come is more sweet, and death to come is more
bitter,' and so went to the stake and patiently endured the fire. Thus
as a christian may sometimes outweigh the pleasures of sin by the
consideration of the reward of God, so sometimes he may quench the
pleasures of sin by the consideration of the terrors of God. We read
of our Lord Jesus, that he did outweigh the shame of the cross by the
glory of his exaltation, Heb. 12:2. He was not ashamed of the cross,
because of the glory that was set before him. So a christian may thus
consider with himself, that communion with God exceeds all the
gratifications of the senses; that there is more pleasure in one
minute's enjoyment of his love than in all the carnal dreggy delights
of the world for ever: and on the other side, he may make use of this
fear.
(5.) I conceive this, that the fear of God's threatenings doth more
ingenuously work when it respects the loss of heaven than the
casting into hell. For an ingenuous son doth not so much fear to be
cast into a house of correction, as he fears disinheriting; so a gracious
spirit doth more fear the loss of God's countenance, than all the
bodily pains that can be inflicted upon him; this is a fear that is more
ingenuous and filial.
(6.) The fear of God's judgments should so far, and in this manner
work upon every christian, as to render his pardon the more
welcome, and to make the grace and love of God to shine forth with a
brighter lustre. Oh such a person as fears the power and the terror of
God's wrath, how will he esteem Christ as the crown of his glory, as
the spring of his joy, and as his riches! Oh such a person will break
forth with the apostle, "God forbid that I should glory in any thing
but in the cross of Christ." There is no person that ever prizeth a
sanctuary or an asylum at such a high rate, as he that is pursued by
the avenger of blood; and no person will ever set a value upon the
righteousness of Christ, and upon the mercy of God till he doth fear
that wrath that is endless and remediless.
CHAPTER VII
An exhortation to the fear of God.
vii. LET me press upon you this eminent grace, a grace that in this
respect hath a special prerogative and singularity that attends it,
whereas many other graces of the christian life are but respective
graces, they only concern some persons, some conditions, and some
states of life; but the fear of God, shall I call it a single grace or rather
an universal grace, that respects all persons in all states, and at all
times. It is not a greater absurdity for a carpenter to be without his
rule, than for a christian to be without the fear of God. This is that
grace which is the director of all other graces, and therefore let us
fear him. But especially upon this account, fear the Lord because it is
the best preservative against sin; the love of God is that which
constrains us to service, the fear of God is that which checks and
restrains us from disobedience. This will preserve the soul in the
midst of snares; lay but this fear aside and you will fall in plain
ground. Thus we read of Lot, by the fear of God he was preserved in
the midst of defiled Sodom; but when he laid that aside he sinned
upon the mount. Therefore as you desire to keep yourselves spotless,
so let the fear of God reign in you. Remember our whole lives are a
continued temptation, we walk in the midst of snares. O consider,
that although the enemy be without us, yet the traitor is within us, I
mean our deceitful hearts; and therefore fear God with a fear of
reverence, and fear your hearts with a fear of jealousy: if this grace
do but take its regency in the soul, the devil may surround us, but he
cannot surprise us. It is then with the temptations of satan as it is
with casting fire upon a marble pavement, which can do no hurt; but
if you cast in but one spark into gunpowder it causeth a
conflagration; if the fear of God guards the heart, the temptations of
the devil are but like casting fire upon marble, there is no danger; but
remove this bridle once, and every temptation is like a spark in
gunpowder. The world without us prevails over us because of the
world within us, and it is only the fear of God that keeps the soul
always upon its watch and guard. And consider, it is as a duty which
you are obliged to now under the gospel. There are various attributes
in God, and as his justice doth not devour his mercy, so his mercy
doth not violate his justice; and there must be proportionable
affections in us to the attributes in God. As he is the God of mercy, so
I should love and fear him too; but as he is a just God, so our fear is
properly terminated upon him. Remember this, if every grace of the
soul should languish, yet the fear of God last of all remains; that is
the bond of the new covenant, "I will put my fear into their hearts
that they shall not depart from me;" this is that grace that is of most
universal use and influence in the christian's life; and therefore let us
exercise this duty, this affection, that so we may be truly wise, we
may be wise for ourselves, and wise towards God.
CHAPTER VIII
What Heavenly Wisdom Is.
II. GENERAL head of discourse—That the fear of the Lord is
eminently wisdom. Having opened the subject the "Fear of the Lord,"
the next thing to be opened is the predicate, 'that is wisdom.' It is
recorded, Prov. 1:7 that it is the 'beginning of wisdom,' as it is so in
point of order, so in point of excellency, this is the root, the fulness,
and the perfection of wisdom.
This fear of the Lord is that which will entitle a man wise for ever.
Now for the more clear discovery of this I will
i. Consider in the general what this heavenly wisdom is.
ii. Upon what account it is that the fear of the Lord is wisdom, the
most eminent wisdom, and without which fear, seraphical angelical wisdom is nothing.
i. For the first of these, consider there is a double wisdom, as Aristotle distinguished it.
1. There is that which he calls a wisdom universal.
2. A particular wisdom.
Now the particular wisdom is this, when we see a person excellent in
an art, we say that man is wise as to that profession. The universal
wisdom and that which is in perfection is this, when there is a
knowledge of those principles and means which have a tendency to a
man's absolute happiness. Now this is the wisdom that here I shall
treat of; and before I show you the connexion of God's fear with it, or
how the fear of God is this wisdom, we will consider
(1.) Wisdom in its causes.
(2.) Wisdom in its objects.
(3.) Wisdom in its acts.
(4.) Wisdom in its scope and aim.
(1.) The cause of this heavenly wisdom. This wisdom is a divine ray
or emanation which flows from the Father of lights. "There is a spirit
in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them
understanding." Job 32:8. Man hath the faculty, but God must
enlighten that faculty. A dial is capable to show us the hour of the
day, but the sun must first shine upon it: so the understanding of
man is capable of wisdom, but God must shine upon it, so that in
reference to its cause and original it is heavenly.
(2.) Consider the objects of this wisdom, and those principally are
two. 1st. God, and 2dly. A man's self. These are the two poles upon
which heavenly wisdom turns itself.
1st. God as he is glorious in himself and good to us, so he is the object
of spiritual wisdom. It is not the knowledge of the nature of
diamonds or pearls that can enrich us, but the knowledge of the wise
God makes us wise; this wisdom as it comes from God, so it returns
to him, as those rivers that proceed from the sea do empty
themselves into it.
2dly. There must be the knowledge of a man's self, and that in two respects.
1. In respect of his capacity.
2. In respect of his immortality.
First. In respect of his capacity. There is an unlimitedness in the
desires of a reasonable soul; our desires are not confined to those
degrees of goodness which are scattered in the variety of earthly
things, but reach forth towards the whole latitude of good, they can
never rest nor acquiesce till they come to the comprehensiveness that
is in God, and this is wisdom to know this capacity; for it is the
greatest folly in the world for a man to measure his capacity, in
respect of his senses.
Secondly. The knowledge of the immortality of the soul, so that all
mortal and perishable creatures are no more able to make the soul
happy, than the light of a candle to give day to the world.
(3.) What are the acts of this wisdom? They are principally three. 1st.
Deliberation. 2dly. Election. 3dly. Application.
1st. The first is deliberation. A consulting with ourselves how we may
advance ourselves to the fountain of goodness, how we may be really
and eternally happy, how we may secure our souls, which are our
jewel, with the loss of which the whole world would be but a specious
beggary: and this act of deliberation, considering how we may make
ourselves happy, is the peculiar excellency of a man; this is that
which distinguisheth him from the inferior order of creatures.
2. Election or a choice of those means which have an intrinsical
respect to the obtaining of that happiness, is another act of wisdom.
Hence it is said, Prov. 2:10. "When wisdom entereth into thine
heart," (observe the expression) bare knowledge enters into the head,
or it enters into the tongue, but wisdom enters into the heart; it
makes a man to choose those things which may promote his real
happiness.
3. Another act of this heavenly wisdom is an application of our light
to practice. When we honour our knowledge by conformable acts, it
is a fruit of spiritual wisdom; and this is the great difference between
mental knowledge and prudential judgment. Mental knowledge is
terminated in the bare speculation of an object; but that which is
practical judgment goes forth into the conversation. Hence it is said,
Prov. 12. "I wisdom dwell with prudence." What is prudence, but the
reduction of our knowledge to the various occurrences of our lives?
Divine wisdom always ends in a good conversation; it is better
known by the life, than by discourse. Naked knowledge is like the
light of the moon, men sleep by it; but this heavenly wisdom is like
the light of the sun, men work by it; and therefore it is said, Jam.
3:13. "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?
Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of
wisdom.
(4.) The aim and scope, and design of spiritual wisdom is, to enable a
person to glorify God and to enjoy him; to glorify God that so God
may be honoured by us, and to enjoy God that we may be honoured
by him. Thus you have the draught and scheme of that wisdom that
is heavenly.
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2024 14:28:14 GMT -5
CHAPTER IX
How the Fear of God is Wisdom.
ii. WHICH brings me nearer to the text. In what respects is the fear
of God this heavenly wisdom? And that I shall answer in these four
particulars.
The fear of God is the best wisdom, because
1. It manageth the highest business.
2. It advanceth the supreme interest.
3. It avoideth the most destructive dangers.
4. (In order to all these) It improves the best season.
1. The fear of God is wisdom, because it manageth the highest
business. Wisdom is not conversant about toys, but in the guiding of
the soul to its eternal rest; in that is wisdom expressed and exercised.
We look upon a man that spends his time in picking of straws, and
then in sticking them upon his clothes, as a madman; what is the
reason of it? Because these acts are below reason. So that man that
spends his time and strength in reference to the world only, is a
spiritual fool: what is the reason of it? Because these actions are
below a christian; and the one is as much spiritual folly as the other
is natural frenzy. Aristotle tells us, that wisdom is the knowledge of
the most honourable truths, and of those that are of the greatest
concernment: now the fear of God is conversant about these, and
that appears principally in this particular; this fear conforms our
greatest actions to that which is the greatest rule of wisdom, and that
is the law of God; which is a draught of his will. Now the will of God
as it is the rule of goodness, so it is the rule of wisdom; and this grace
of divine fear squares all our great actions according to the rule of the
word of God. This is that grace which deals with invisible sins, and
those that are not known to the eye of the world; this is that grace
which balanceth all our affections and corrects their excess. All
temptations are usually grounded in love of pleasures, profits, or
honours. Now it is this fear that crucifies the affections, is the mother
of obedience and devotion; and therefore certainly because it
manageth all our highest works, and conforms them to that rule that
is perfect wisdom: this fear of God is most eminently wisdom, upon
this account. There is no such fool in the world as the careless
christian, for that person is heedless in his main business; and
however this fear of God may be inconvenient to our worldly affairs;
however it may be troublesome to the flesh (for the world accounts it
but a fond scrupulosity, and the flesh accounts it but a weak folly) yet
know thus much (for I speak in answer to that objection) it is true
wisdom for a man to be esteemed a fool in the world. 1 Cor. 3:18. "If
any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become
a fool that he may be wise." This fear by thus conforming our greatest
acts to the rule of wisdom, certainly is wisdom eminently; when the
fear of God doth draw the line, a man's steps must be very straight.
2. This fear of God doth advance the supreme interest of the soul,
and therefore it must be the best wisdom. And here
First. Negatively, take all the blessings of the world these are not the
highest interest of the soul; the pursuit of earthly things is more
worth than the gain of them: that person that wastes himself in the
gain of worldly advantages, doth (if I may so speak) dig for iron with
a mattock of gold. Such a person is like some foolish children, which
with a great deal of toil and sweat run after a butterfly, and when
they have got it, what is the reward? A worm between their fingers;
alas, a great estate many times proves poison. But I am sure it is
never bread, it can never give satisfaction; therefore it is not wisdom
principally, or only to follow that. Consider, how many men of basest
spirits and lowest parts, have wrought themselves into worldly
estates. He that looks for happiness in this world, it is as if a man
should look for treasure in a coalpit, he is not likely to find it there;
therefore in the next place positively.
Secondly. The fear of God promotes that which is the supreme
interest of the soul. The soul is more noble than the body, and
therefore that which makes the soul happy must be our supreme
interest. Seneca hath written a whole epistle upon this subject, 'What
is true wisdom?' And after he hath removed all natural enjoyments
and excellencies, he doth resolve true wisdom to consist in this; this
is his expression, then a man is truly wise when he doth ad bonum
revertere suum, return to his own good. Now what is the good of the
creature? I answer, there is a double good or perfection, which
belongs to every creature.
(1.) The absolute good and perfection
wherein it was created, and that is the perfection of its beauty.
(2.) There is a respective perfection and good for which it was created,
and that is the perfection of its use. And therefore if you would know
what is the supreme interest of the soul? In one word it is this, when
a soul doth arrive to the image of God, which is the perfection of its
beauty, and to communion with God, which is the perfection of its
use.
(1.) When a soul arrives to the image of God, which is the perfection
of its beauty. Thus we read, that man was created after God's image
in righteousness and true holiness: now this grace of all others, hath
the most powerful influx upon the conversation of a saint, and
therefore is most necessary to repair the ruins and decays of God's
image.
(2.) As for the enjoyment of God and communion with him, this
grace likewise of all others hath the most excellent power to bring us
to that. The fear of God is that grace which makes God our friend,
and therefore it promotes our highest interest. Suppose a man were
to live for ever in the world, I should then esteem it a piece of
wisdom for him to make the great ones of the world his friends. But
alas we must appear before God as our judge, and therefore to ensure
God and get his image, and enjoy his favour, is the highest and best
wisdom. Yet let me add this by the way, that the person that fears
God drives on a double interest, Prov. 16:7 "When a man's ways
please the Lord, he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him."
Take this therefore as a rule, that a religious constancy will sooner
gain men to be your friends than a base compliance; therefore he
that fears God best promotes that interest too. But however, suppose
he doth not, the attaining of God's image and his favour are the
supreme interest of the soul. The fear of God will bring to the soul
both perfection and satisfaction, and therefore it is the best wisdom.
3. The fear of God enables the soul to avoid the most destructive
dangers. All the wisdom of the world is exercised upon one of these
two points, either to obtain some good that a man desires, or to
decline some evil that a man fears. Now the fear of God as it enables
a man to attain to that which is an infinite good, so to avoid that
which is an infinite evil. By how much the more excellent and more
difficult the good is that we would obtain, and how much the more
perilous and imminent an evil is that he would avoid, by so much
greater is the wisdom that doth obtain the one, and avoid the other.
Now the wisdom of God's fear teacheth us to obtain the highest good,
and to avoid the worst and highest evil. What is the greatest danger
in the world? It is not the loss of external goods; for alas these things
are of a perishing nature, riches take wings and fly away, honour
depends upon the fancy of another, pleasure dies in the very
enjoyment of it; therefore the loss of these things cannot be the
greatest danger. Nor can the enduring of the most sharp afflictions in
this life be the greatest evil: for consider how many of those that have
been dear in God's affections have lain under the greatest
corrections; nay, they have triumphed over them; therefore that is
not the greatest danger. Bat the loss of the soul, that precious jewel,
that is more worth than the world, is the greatest loss, and to endure
the terrors of God in conscience is the greatest misery. Now the fear
of God doth enable the soul to decline this loss, and to escape these
terrors, therefore it must be the greatest wisdom.
4. (In order to all these things) the fear of God doth improve the best
seasons. We esteem it a great piece of wisdom in the world, for a
person to improve his time. There is no person but hath his
particular season and his time. Now the fear of God teacheth us to
improve that season and time for our eternal good, and that upon a
double account.
(1.) In regard of the gales of the spirit's motions, which are very
transient. For we cannot command the clock of mercy, to strike when
we please, therefore a man should improve every season: for it is
said, Phil. 2:12. "Work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling," it follows, verse 13. "For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure." It is the fear of the Lord
which excites a man to blow up every spark into a flame, and cherish
every motion of the spirit, for he knows not how long this breath of
the spirit will remain. Such a person doth improve opportunities.
Now opportunity is ἄνθος καιροῦ the flower of time. As a flower may
wither and decay, yet the stalk remain; so a man may lose his
opportunity, and yet enjoy time. The day of God's patience is longer
than the day of his grace; there are many persons that live under
ordinances, but find them altogether lifeless and powerless as to
their souls; for they have lost their opportunity, and God withdraws
his Spirit, and strives no more with them. Now the fear of God
enables the soul to improve every season, lest his Spirit should
withdraw itself. The fear of God doth impress this truth upon the
soul, that as the purchasing of our salvation depends upon the
satisfaction of Christ, so the obtaining of that salvation depends upon
the improvement of the day of grace, 2 Cor. 6:2. "Behold, now is the
accepted time, now is the day of salvation."
(2.) This fear of God causeth the soul to improve the season that it
enjoys, in respect of the brittleness and frailty of life, our time being
certainly short and uncertainly continued. He that is the sovereign
Lord of our persons, is the disposer of our time. Death doth not
follow the course of nature, but the order of God's decree; therefore it
cuts off some in their sins before they come to the flower. Now the
fear of God impresseth upon the soul these apprehensions, I cannot
command the motions of the Spirit, I cannot lengthen out the thread
of life; therefore I will improve the present season. This is that grace
which causeth the soul to consider, because eternity depends upon
my time, it is most precious, and therefore I will improve it. As a
piece of parchment which in itself is not worth a shilling, may be
worth ten thousand pounds, in respect of what it conveys; so this
start life which thou enjoyest, which in itself is of little worth, yet
eternity depends upon it, therefore it is most valuable. The sum is
this, do but put these three questions to yourselves, whether or no it
is not the highest reason in the world for a man to manage all his acts
in the fear of God, who is his judge; to design all his acts for the glory
of God, who is his Creator; to conform all his ways according to the
will of God, who is his great master; if you would but resolve these
things by the judgment of renewed reason, certain I am, you would
esteem the fear of God to be the best wisdom. If Solomon could tell
us, that he is wise that wins other men's souls, how much more is he
wise that saves his own? Now it is the fear of God which is the
instrument of our salvation; therefore let that be your principle to
govern and order your whole lives, let this be your great engine, and
the spring of all your actions to have the fear of God as your director
and governor. Certain I am, when at the last day we shall appear
before him who is the wisdon of the Father, then shall only those
who have followed this course be justified by him. There is good
reason therefore that a wicked man, should be esteemed the greatest
fool, and the holy man, the only wise person.
CHAPTER X
Opening the Several False Wisdoms of the World.
NOW I come to the use of the whole. This doctrine gives a check to
the false wisdoms of the world: you may as in a glass see the extreme
difference of those principles of wisdom in the managemement of all
affairs which the world lays down, and those principles of spiritual
wisdom which are laid down in the word. He is a wise man in the
world's account that can spin a web of vanity, who can drive on his
carnal designs to the best advantage; but the worldly wise man is a
fool in religion, Jer. 8:9. "Lo they have rejected the word of the Lord,
and what wisdom is in them?" That soul that trembles at God's word,
hath more true wisdom than all the sophies of the world. For the
opening of this more fully to you, I will discuss it in this method; I
will consider
1. What are the designs and ends of worldly wise men.
2. What are those means which they use to achieve those ends.
3. I will show you that that which they account wisdom in the
management of those means, for the attainment of those ends, is
perfect folly.
1. For the first of these, the ends of carnal men in the general, are
worldly happiness, that which the world can afford them. This is ever
(by the corrupt judgment of man) formed as his happiness, and into
this all the motions of his soul are ultimately resolved: there is, since
the fall, not only a maim in the sensual appetite, but in the
intellectual and highest power of the soul. All the acts of an
unsanctified understanding are foolish; and this is the first ground of
the world's folly, an act of the understanding whereby they look upon
something as their end, and as their happiness, which is not so. The
scripture doth diversify it into three things, into pleasures, profits,
and honours, for thus much the world affords. Now the means
whereby the world de signs to attain these ends proportionably are
three, 1 John 2:16. "for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," &c. "is of the world." The
world doth design to purchase these three ends by these three
means; the pleasures of the world by the lust of the flesh; the profits
of the world by the lust of the eyes, and the honours of the world by
the pride of life. These are the means it useth for the attainment of
these ends. Now there is a worldly wisdom which is employed in the
using those means to that end, and this wisdom is likewise divided
into three heads, James 3:15. "that wisdom which descendeth not
from above, is earthly, sensual, devilish."
(1.) It is an earthly wisdom because it is exercised upon earthly objects, for earthly ends: this respects the gain of the world.
(2.) It is called a sensual wisdom because it aims at the satisfaction of
our flesh; the bent of nature runs that way, for the gratifying of our
senses, which are common between us and beasts, and thus it doth
aim at pleasures.
(3.) It is called a devilish wisdom upon this account, because pride
which is the instrument whereby it would advance itself to glory,
doth not only proceed from the devil as its author, but is in the devil
as in its subject. There are some sins which make men the devil's
slaves, but there are other sins which make men the devil's sons.
Men are slaves to the devil when they commit such sins which the
devil is not capable of, as all those sins which are merely acted by the
body: but men are the devil's sons when they commit such sins which
the devil is capable of, as pride, malice, and such other spiritual sins;
for these render a man as like the devil as an incorporated soul can
be like an incorporeal spirit. Thus in general I have laid down the
scheme and draught of that which I will open particularly to you: for the
1st of these, The ends and designs of those persons that are wise
according to the world. In the general know thus much, there is no
greater mistake in the world, than when a man mistakes his end: this
I lay down as a principle which will carry me through all the
discourse. For as it is direct folly for a man to propound to himself no
end in his actions (this is as if a man should strike a ball into the
open air, there will be no return of it to him again) so it is the next
degree of madness and folly for a man to mistake his end; and the
reason of it is this, the last end of a man is happiness, and the best
that he can design for himself. Now can there be a greater mistake
than about our happiness? Pleasures, honours, and profits, the devil
makes use of as his engines to destroy and undermine us; therefore
that man is lost, the very first step that he takes, who makes these
things his end. According to this method did the devil manage his
first temptation; for so you shall find, Gen. 3:6. "when the woman
saw that the tree was good for food (there is the lust of the flesh) and
that it was pleasant to the eyes (there is the lust of the eyes) and a
tree to be desired to make one wise" (there is the pride of life) then
she was taken and foiled. And satan found this temptation was so
successful, that he hath formed all his snares ever since according to
this first model; therefore, when a man shall once propound these
things to be his end, it is folly, the devil hath outwitted him. Let us
consider the more particular reasons why the propounding of these
things as our end is the folly of a rational creature; for the opening of
that I must lay down this previous proposition. The soul of man is his
better part: the soul is the angel, and therefore that must only be
propounded as my end which can bring that to perfection and
satisfaction, because therein consists the happiness of the creature.
Now consider the soul under these three notions.
1. Consider the soul in reference to its nature, and so it is immaterial.
2. Consider the soul in reference to its capacity, and so it is infinite
(in some sense.)
3. Consider the soul in reference to its continuance and duration, and
so it is eternal.
Now by the opening of these you will see what madness it is for a
reasonable creature to propound any worldly thing to himself as his
end. Consider,
First, The nature of the soul, which is immaterial: and therefore it
can neither receive perfection nor satisfaction from the world.
Whatsoever doth convey either of these things, must have some
commensurateness, some suitableness to the nature of the soul: to
give you an instance, consider the bodily senses, whenever they
receive delight, it springs from the proportion that is between the
object and the senses. The eye when it receives pleasure, it is because
there is a suitableness between the visive faculty, and the colour of
the thing seen. Natural reason receives delight from considering the
contexture and concatenation that is between natural productions
and their causes, here is a commensurateness between them; but
now the upper part of the soul cannot receive any perfection or
satisfaction, but from God, because there is nothing suitable to its
nature besides him. As it was breathed from God, and inspired by
him into the body, so it can only be perfected in him.
Secondly. If you consider the capacity of the soul, and that (in some
degree) is infinite. The soul of man is capable of the image of God, of
righteousness and holiness to renew him; it is capable of the peace of
God to delight him; it is capable of the wrath of God, which is
infinitely above the fears of man. Now can the world satisfy this soul
which is capable of these things? We use to say, that a well or the
brain of a man is empty, when the one wants water and the other
wants wit, although the one be full of air and the other full of
vapours; the reason of it is this, because wherever there is a want of
that which should be of any thing, we say that it is empty. If the
whole world were put into the heart of man, yet the heart would be
empty without God, because it wants that of which it is capable, and
which it should have. There must always be a conformity between
the ingredients and the receptivity of the subject that takes them in.
Is it not a folly then to make the world your end? A man may as soon
fill a vessel with virtue, or learning, as fill the soul with the world.
Thirdly. Consider the continuance of the soul. It is of an immortal
duration; it shall continue as long as God is merciful to save, as long
as God is just to punish. Then certainly the propounding the world as
our aim or design is a great folly; for these are all lying delights and
perishing vanities. Would you not esteem that man a very fool who
should make a journey for a year, and provide victuals but for one
day? Thus foolish is he who makes a journey for eternity with the
things of mortality. All the things here below may be compared to the
diurnal river (that I have read of) which runs in the day, but is dry in
the night; the reason they give of it is this, because it springs from
the melting of snow, which lies on the top of the mountains. Now the
beams of the sun dissolving that snow in the day, there is a current
and stream, but the snow being congealed in the night, then is the
channel dry. So it is with the world, all the things here below run in
the day for the time (possibly) of life, or of prosperity; but when the
night of death comes, then those rivers are dry; and therefore
certainly it cannot but be the greatest folly and madness for a person
to make these things his end. It is a rule the heathen gives, it is a note
of folly for a man to make an ill bargain; I know not what worse
bargain can be made, than for a man to exchange his soul for the
world, therefore he is the greatest fool that doth so. But on the other
side, consider that God is an object that is able to bring both
perfection and satisfaction to the soul; he is able to bring perfection,
because in him there is a transcendency of all good; he is able to
bring satisfaction, because once God being enjoyed there is no fear of
the loss of him. He brings perfection to the soul in its chiefest
faculties; to the understanding he brings in perfection as he is the
first and the highest in generi veri, as he is the first truth; to the will
he brings perfection, as he is the last and chiefest in genere boni, as
he is the chiefest good. Thus the understanding is perfected in its
knowledge, and the will is perfected in its love; therefore for the soul
to make sure of him, (as it doth by the fear of God) to make God its
friend, certainly it is the best wisdom. The sum is this, in God there is
a fulness of perfection, and a perpetuity of fruition, and therefore the
soul once attaining him is made really and perfectly happy; whereas
all the things of the world fall short as to the conveyance of these
two.
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2024 14:30:11 GMT -5
CHAPTER XI.
The Folly of Worldly Wise Men in their Pursuits
The folly of worldly wise men in particular, in pursuing the
pleasures, profits and honours of the world.
2. CONSIDER these things in particular; we will take them asunder,
and so show you how every carnal man is the greatest fool, by
pursuing worldly things.
1st. Consider pleasures. This is one end for which many persons do
rack their understandings and employ their knowledge; and the souls
of very many serve them for no other use but to be (if I may so speak)
as cooks to provide sauces for their bodies. Certainly this must needs
be a very great folly; for do you think the candle of the Lord was
enlightened in a man merely to search after earthly satisfactions? Do
you think the understanding (which is the excellency of the
reasonable creature) was given merely to be conversant about these
things, which are common between us and beasts? (for sensual
pleasures are the happiness of a beast) it cannot be. The folly
therefore of pursuing of this, will appear to you in two things.
(1.) Suppose you could squeeze all the pleasures of the world into one
draught, yet they will deceive your expectations, and therefore it is a
folly to search after them. Take all the pleasures of the world, and
they cannot satisfy your empty senses, much less are they able to fill
the expanded desires of your souls. All the glory of the world cannot
satisfy the desires of one eye, much less can it fill the desires and
vacuities of the heart. Worldly pleasures are a sum in our desires,
they are but a cipher in our enjoyment; they are Junos in the pursuit,
but they are clouds in the embracement. All the pleasures of the
world are but an earnest of grief, if not of ruin: take them all and
bring them to a person that lies under a troubled conscience, how
suddenly are they extinguished? They are no more able to give case
to a wounded spirit, than a drop of wine is able to sweeten a large
vessel of water; and therefore certainly it must be a folly to make
these your end and happiness, because they deceive your
expectations. Whereas the pleasures which the soul obtains from
communion with God, they do not cloy us but they satisfy us; the
things of the world cannot satisfy our senses, but the peace of God
passeth all understanding; and therefore there is a vast difference
between them, and consequently that wisdom is more excellent that
pursues the one, than that which pursues the other. Those pleasures
which come from religious exercises are generous, and more conatural to spirits,
they do not degrade the reasonable creature, they
do not sink a man beneath his species as bodily pleasures do. As that
heat which is conveyed to the body by exercise, is far more natural
and whole some than that which is conveyed by fire; so those
pleasures which the soul that fears God obtains by religious duties,
are far more excellent than those dreggy delights which are conveyed
by the things of this world.
(2.) As pleasures do deceive our expectations, so they draw forth our
corruptions, and consequently render us miserable; and therefore
the pursuit of them is the greatest folly. There is nothing more
dangerous in the world than sin mingled with pleasure; it is like
poison in sweet wine, which suddenly destroys, which presently
strikes to the brain and heart, and so conveys death more speedily.
And therefore that person who now makes it his design to taste the
pleasures of sin, or rather to wallow in them; to drink them in as a
fish doth water, as Tertullian speaks, post pauca libidinum momenta
evaporate, after a few moments of lust which are evaporated, what
will remain in the soul? The body will fail the lust, the lust will fail
the satisfaction, and all will fail the man; and then what is become of
his pleasure? What remains of it but the worm and the fire? And is it
not a folly then? Oh do but consider, do you think the images of these
pleasures which are enjoyed in this world are able to refresh the soul
of a damned person? No. They are all extinguished there, they will
rather increase the torment.
2dly. Consider the profits of this world being made our end, whether
they can make us happy, or consequently whether a man is wise in
pursuing of them. As the scripture tells us, that "laughter is
madness," so it tells us, that "riches are vanity;" and therefore the
pursuit of them cannot purchase to a man the title of a wise man,
Prov. 21:26. "the getting of riches by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed
to and fro of them that seek death." All the riches of the world are not
able to convey that happiness upon which wisdom is exercised, in
respect of those considerations which were before laid down.
Certainly you would say, that if a man should lie under a paroxysm of
the gout or stone, that this man would esteem it a very foolish thing
in another, to tell him that a piece of gold would heal him. There is
no suitableness between that and his disease; it is just so here, there
is a vast unsuitableness between the soul and earthly treasures.
Besides, impress this upon yourselves; when the soul shall take its
farewel of the world, it can carry none of these things with it; and this
renders it to be a most egregious folly to pursue them. Would you not
account that man a very fool that when he comes to an inn, should
spend all his time there to furnish and adorn a room with curious
hangings, when he must stay but for a night, and leave it the next
day? Oh consider, what is our life! Is it not a vapour? Is it not a
bubble? Is it not sometimes shorter than a night? And shall we spend
our time and our thoughts, which are the noblest offspring of our
souls, about the pursuit of that which is like the hanging of a room
for a night? Is not this folly and madness?
3dly. To come to the honors of the world. And as the scripture tells
us, that "laughter is madness," and "riches are vanity;" so it tells us,
that "honour is but a fancy." What is the glory of the world? It is a
phantasm, a shadow, a mere reflection, that which hath no reality in
it. There is a notable expression in Psalm 62:9. "surely men of low
degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie." They are the
greater lie of the two upon this account, because greatness promiseth
something, and performs nothing: and therefore for a person to
make this his aim, certainly it must be an argument of the greatest
folly. Do but a little realize to yourselves this, when the wise men of
the world, those that are wise in their generation, shall appear before
God, when they shall reflect upon all earthly objects, and consider
the vanity and the vexation of them, how will they befool themselves?
What furious reflections will the soul make upon itself, when it shall
consider for that which is not, the treasures of the world, for a mere
fancy, for that which is madness in itself; I have hazarded and lost
the enjoyment of an infinite good for ever. To conclude, there is no
fool like the sinning fool, who ventures his soul at every turn, and to
obtain the world runs blindfold into endless ruin.
CHAPTER XII
That All Human Knowledge is Not
Sufficient to Make a Man Wise.
FROM hence we may learn, that those persons which please
themselves only with human knowledge, are not wise in scripture
account. If it were possible for a man to unravel nature from the
cedar to the hyssop, if he had such a judgment as to penetrate into all
natural conclusions, and to resolve all effects into their proper
causes; yet if this man be without the fear of God (as Jerom said
concerning worldly-wise men in the general, sapientur in infernum
descendunt) he doth but wisely go to hell. Now that I may show you,
that all human knowledge without the fear of God cannot render a
man truly wise; consider it in these three respects.
1. In respect of its insufficiency to repair the ruins of the fall, or to
perfect that which is amiss. Experienced Solomon tells us, that "that
which is crooked cannot be made straight;" Eccles. 1:15. I shall apply
it thus, there is an impossibility in natural knowledge to rectify the
spirit of man, which is fallen from its primitive rectitude, or to
restore the image of God to the soul, which is so much distorted by
reason of sin. Rom. 1:21. The apostle speaking concerning the wisest
heathens, "because that when they knew God, they glorified him not
as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened," 22. v.
"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools," all this is
spoken of the wiset heathens. Seneca in a letter of his, where he
makes an inquiry after wisdom, resolves it to be this, 'for a man to
have his soul pure, and an imitator of God.' Now this human
knowledge cannot attain unto; so that in respect of its insufficiency,
it cannot make us happy.
2. If you consider its malignancy against the truths of God, either
against the sublimity of the gospel, or against the simplicity of it; it
will appear, that it cannot render a man wise.
(1.) If you consider that malignancy that there is in human
knowledge against the sublimity of the gospel. Those truths which
reason cannot comprehend, it will not embrace. Hence we find, that
the Socinians reject several of the fundamentals of christianity,
because they are above the flight of our reason. We read of the
philosophers, Acts 17:32. that "they mocked at the resurrection:" and
we read of Julian, that he did upbraid christians as persons that were
captives to a blind belief. Such kind of truths carnal reason in its
elevations opposeth.
(2.) And the simplicity of the gospel human knowledge is opposite
and repugnant to, and is malignant against it. Thus we read, that the
doctrine of Christ was esteemed foolishness by the wise men of the
world, because it was not conveyed to them in the blandishments of
rhetoric, and because the very matter of the gospel was such, as their
pride and lust would not stoop unto. Experience tells us, that the
gospel is above natural, and against corrupt reason. Now since
human knowledge (when it is alone without the fear of God) is thus
malignant, since it puts sin into armour (as I may so speak) certainly
this can never render a man truly wise.
(3.) Consider its vicinity to corruption; when it is in its lustre, it then
draws near to its period; that death that doth attend a person, will
bury all his learning in the same grave with him. Intellectual
differences shall shortly cease, and then moral differences shall take
place; one moment shall equal the learned and the unlearned, the
knowing and ignorant person, they shall at last stand upon equal
ground, but then good and bad men shall be differenced for ever.
Now since death so suddenly approacheth, certainly this cannot be
that which maketh us wise.
CHAPTER XIII.
Mere Speculation of Divine Truths Also Insufficient
The naked theory, or speculation of divine truths, not sufficient to
make a man wise. Sinful craft is folly.
FROM hence I shall draw this conclusion also, that the naked theory,
or speculation of divine truths, is not sufficient to make a man wise.
If knowledge be only confined to the brain, if it be a naked
illumination, if there be only a model of divine truths in thy head,
without the fear of God, thou mayest have a curious knowledge, but
thou wantest a saving knowledge. Now that I may show this the more
clearly to you, I will lay down this rule, and so measure the bare
knowledge of divine things by it; all knowledge of what nature
soever, is to be valued according to the end for which it is. Now the
knowledge of divine things hath a double end, the glory of God and
the rest of the soul and its salvation; the bare knowledge of divine
things without an answerable practice, is defective in these two ends,
where it is separated from the fear of God; and this I shall evince and
evidence to you.
1. For the glory of God, our Saviour hath told us, that his Father is
such an husbandman, as esteems himself glorified in the fruits of our
obedience. That person that is able to draw a map of the divinity to
us, that can deduce one attribute from another in the divine essence;
this man unless he doth practise what he knows he glorifies God no
more than a painter doth him whose picture he draws: God is not
glorified in lifeless painted words, but in our works, when we bear his
image and are conformed to his law; when we are renewed in our
minds; as towardly children reflect a glory upon their parents, by
expressing their persons and imitating their virtues; so doth a soul
that fears God. The devils that are intelligent essences, know more by
the subtilty of their natures than any man in this life, yet are far
distant from glorifying of God. And in this respect, the smallest
degree of practical knowledge is infinitely more valuable than the
greatest measure of that which is merely terminated in speculation.
Take a christian that trembles at God's word, that looks heavenward,
this man doth understand more or better of divine truths, than
the most subtle schoolmen, than the greatest Rabbins in the world.
To give it you by instance, as a husbandman who knows what part of
his ground is fit for meadow, what part is fit for pasture, and what
part is fit for corn; although this man doth not know how to survey
his ground, or how to draw an exact platform of it, yet he shall bring
more advantage from this ground to the owner of it, than the most
skilful mathematician that is able to survey it exactly, according to
the rules of art, but wants knowledge in the tillage and manuring of
it: so that christian which reduceth his knowledge to practice by a
holy life, reflects a greater glory upon God, than the most exact and
skilful person in the points of divinity without the fear of God;
therefore certainly the naked illumination of divine truths cannot
make a man wise.
2. This cannot save the soul and bring it to its rest. Bare knowledge
can never reach to heaven; it must be accompanied with the fear of
God, and with other graces, 2 Pet. 1:8. "for if these things be in you,
and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren, nor
unfruitful," &c. That knowledge is barren that is without solid and
saving grace. Take a man that is able to delineate to you a system of
divinity, that hath in his head the most sublime notions; yet if this
man hath not the fear of God, that knowledge is no more able to
satisfy his soul, than the picture of a great feast is able to satisfy the
appetite of one that is almost starved with hunger; this can never
render a man happy. We read of Dives when he was in hell, he had a
heaven and a blessedness in his eye, but they did him no good; so it
is here. It is just with such a person as with an ignorant physician,
though possibly he may know the shape and the colour of an herb as
it is set down in an herbal, yet he neither knows its virtue nor its
operation, nor how to prepare it for a medicine: so many persons
among us, who know in general what the truths of religion are; as to
their practice, as to the virtue and operation of them, they are utterly
strangers. Psal. 95:10. there is a notable expression, "it is a people
that do err in their hearts, and they have not known my ways." A
strange expression, that the Israelites should not know the ways of
God, who had received instructions miraculously from heaven; the
meaning of it I conceive to be this, this people do err in their hearts,
and they have not my ways (in their hearts) they had such a
knowledge of God's ways, as a man hath of a country by a map, but
they had not the experimental knowledge of God's ways. Now you
know a person that is to walk into a strange country, it is far better
for him to have a beaten path, and the directions of an ordinary
traveller, than to have the most accurate geographical description of
it, and he shall sooner come to his journey's end; so that person that
desires to attain everlasting rest, let him walk in the steps of those
before him that have attained the place, and let him experience those
truths they have practised in the fear of God, and so he shall attain it.
So that in respect of the glory of God, and the rest of the soul, it is not
the bare knowledge of divine truths that can make us wise: but let me
annex
3. A third thing, which is this; the bare knowledge of divine truths is
so far from attaining this double end, that where it is disjoined from
the fear of God, it aggravates the ruin of a person; and therefore this
can never render a man wise. This knowledge will light a man to a
brighter damnation. There are many persons that are right in their
opinions, but have vile affections; and the knowledge of these
persons will increase their sorrow; they are like the Ethiopians that
have a bright eye in a dark body, so they have much knowledge while
they walk in the ways of sin: but in conclusion, this knowledge of
theirs will be like a talent of gold to a man that is in the sea, it will
drown him the sooner, and sink him the deeper; so it is here, their
knowledge of divine things will sink them deeper in the wrath of
God, an ignorant wretch shall have a cooler hell than these
sublimated christians that are without the fear of the Lord. The sum
is this, put it thus to yourselves; what a folly is it for men to be
disputing of religion and heaven, while others that are less knowing
surprise it, like that person that was gazing on the moon till he fell
into a pit, or as a lark that flies up into heaven for a time, but at last
falls into the net of the fowler. Thus it is with many men.
This consideration, that the fear of God is wisdom, shows unto us the
falseness of that sinful craft which is so much used in the world;
when men design by the slight of brain to over-reach their
neighbours, and this they esteem their glory. There are many among
us that live according to that hell-bred proverb, that 'plain dealing is
a jewel, but he that useth it shall die a beggar;' I confess, if this
proverb were true, it is a wonder, since we have so many dishonest
men among us, that so many die beggars: but know thus much, that
that person that employs his understanding to deceive his neighbour,
that person which doth affect the glory of acuteness in the ways of
sin, doth but the more conform himself to the devil, who is a spirit of
great knowledge, but of greater wickedness. Happy are those souls
that do not enter into sin's secrets; I will only say thus much to these
persons, those that now employ their parts in the ways of sin, God
will hereafter employ his wisdom to contrive a punishment for them;
and when the infinite wisdom of God shall contrive a punishment,
and the infinite power of God inflict it, there will be a proportionable
recompence for all their guilt. So much to discover those several
sorts and degrees of false wisdoms that are in the world.
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2024 14:31:53 GMT -5
CHAPTER XIV.
Warning against hardness of heart, and presumption, which quench the fear of God
An exhortation to beware of those sins which quench the grace of
God's fear, by way of defect.
LET us from hence;—be persuaded to beware of those sins which
quench this grace of God's fear;—excited to the cherishing of this
grace in our hearts. Beware of those sins which quench this grace,
and those fall under a double consideration, either; those sins which
by way of defect quench this grace; or those sins which by way of
excess, do likewise exterminate this grace out of the soul.
i. Those sins which by way of defect quench this grace, and here I
would mention, hardness of heart, Prov. 28:14. "happy is the man
that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into
mischief;" there is the opposition that is made between them. This
hardness of heart
1. Is either natural, that which is an hereditary disease: all men have
a heart of stone. This every one brings into the world with him; and it
is a wonder of grace, if every one doth not carry it out of the world
with them.
2. Voluntary, acquired by frequent acts of sin; men first wound their
consciences, and then they sear them by repeated acts of sin. As you
know that ice which at first is so tremulous and feeble that it will not
bear a pebble, yet by a few days freezing will bear a cart; so it is here,
3. This hardness is penal, inflicted by God himself, not by the
infusion of sin, but by the suspension of grace; and this is contrary to
the fear of God, by way of defect. The scriptures represent this
hardness to us by three similitudes; first, sometimes by an iron sinew
in the neck, and so it connotes an inflexibility to God's commands;
sometimes by the hardness of an adamant, and so it implies an
impenetrableness to the motions of God's Spirit; sometimes by a
brawn upon the heart, by a fatness, and so it imports an insensibility
of God's threatenings. Now there are two parts of it wherein it
opposeth God's fear;—security, which is a privation of God's fear;—
presumption, when there is an accession of boldness.
Security, is one branch of hardness of heart; this is a privation of
God's fear. I mean by security, this, when a sinner can sleep out all
God's thunder; when all the threatenings of the word are to a soul as
colours to a blind man: for who is so blind as he that will not see?
When they are as a tale to a deaf man; and who is so deaf as he that
will not hear? When a person is like that secure emperor, who when
he was in the midst of his enemies, yet he proclaimed altum
silentium belli, deep silence of war, there must be no discourse of
arms: so it is with such a soul, the denouncing of judgments, and the
threatenings of the word, and the decision of the great and terrible
day, are to such spirits but as a vain fancy, as if there was no
existence of these things but in the brain of him that preacheth them.
This is that secure wretch who wants the fear of God.
Allow me next to mention presumption, when there is not only a
mere privation of fear, but an accesion of boldness. Presumption is
security strained up to the highest pitch, it is security dipped in a
scarlet dye. Now there is a three-fold presumption;—It is either in
the thought;—Or in the discourse;—Or in the actions of men; and it
proportionably opposeth the fear of God.
1. In the thoughts. There are verba mentalia, whispers of the soul,
which are not intelligible by the world. There are presumptuous
principles according to which men live, and this in scripture is the
voice of the heart, Psalm 50:21. "Thou thoughtest that I was
altogether such a one as thyself;" what is the meaning of that? The
principle that governs the life of a wicked man is this, that God is like
unto himself, he draws such a pattern of God as is conformed to his
own fancy, he makes a God all of mercy, and sets up this idol in his
soul, and bows down himself to it; he robs one attribute to enrich
another; he takes away God's justice and holiness, that he may
enlarge his goodness; this is presumption in thought, such a person
doth not fear God.
2. There is a presumption in our discourses, and that principally in
two things:
(1.) When the sinner after his commission of sin justifies
it; he is not only an actor of sin, but a defender of it. That man enters
into the lists with God that doth defend what he hates; or
(2.) when a person is arrived to such a degree of presumption as to boast of his
sin. And yet how many are there among us who are thus presumers,
that boast how many pliant souls they have drawn to their snares,
how many weak brains they have conquered by their cups? These are
persons that venture upon a double damnation, first far committing
sin, and then for boasting of it. What an irrational thing is it for a
man to boast of his sins? It is as if an imprisoned felon should boast
of his fetters, as if an infected person should boast of his plaguesores,
as if a possessed person should boast of his devil; yet we have a
number of those persons amongst us, who are heirs to those
prostitutes, the very naming of whom drew tears from St. Paul's eyes,
who 'glory in their shame.'
3. There are those who are presumptuous sinners in their actions.
Now of these there are two sorts;
(1.) Such as venture upon sins
notwithstanding all those flashes of brimstone which are cast upon
their faces; such as run to the forbidden fruit, notwithstanding those
angels (I mean the preachers) who stand with flaming swords in
their mouths, threatening God's judgments against those that
venture upon them. These are the presuming wretches who look
upon themselves, or at least-wise demean themselves, as if they were
stronger than God, as if they were able with an army of lusts, to
oppose God with millions of angels; these want this fear. We read in
the scripture concerning some persons, who had brows of brass, and
faces harder than a rock, who were impenetrable against all God's
threatenings; and we have a generation of such among us, who will
tear the blessed name of God, and dismember his Son between their
teeth: and notwithstanding all the threatenings of the word, yet they
venture upon their lusts as if they were unconcerned in these things;
these are they which have conquered conscience, that have frustrated
all the methods of grace, and when ministers excite them to use the
reason of men and the faith of christians, they turn all into a mock
and a jeer. These certainly are eminently void of the fear of God, and
in their kind they are worse than the devils themselves; for the
"devils tremble" under the apprehension of this truth, that "God will
come to judge them," Jam. 2:19. but these daring wretches venture
upon their lusts, notwithstanding all warnings that are given to
them.
(2.) The presumer in his actions, is he that doth encourage
himself in sin, by the patronage of grace; who discourseth thus in his
heart, though not with his tongue (notwithstanding those various
judgments and threatenings which are made known by the ministers
of the gospel) certainly there is mercy with God, and he that made
them will save them; certainly the rule of the last day's account is not
so strict as ministers would make it, there will be a greater liberty;
and thus they venture upon the ways of sin, and spiders as they are,
draw poison from the flowers of mercy itself; this is the presuming
wretch that wants the fear of God. Now to such persons, let me only
by way of antidote and cure, present these few directions.
First. Seriously reflect upon those representations which the
scripture makes of God, as a God of immaculate holiness, of
impartial justice, of infinite power; and press these upon your souls.
As a God of immaculate holiness. In that attribute all other terrible
attributes are rooted; it is the holiness of God that excites his justice,
and arms his power: this is that attribute wherein the creature is
most defective, and wherein God doth most excel; and therefore this
attribute will produce a fear of God. Do but argue with thyself, that
God whose holiness is his glory, before whom the stars are not clean,
will that God embrace thee with thy lusts? Certainly the holiness of
God is more dear to him than the salvation of ten thousand worlds.
So consider God's justice, that justice that must award and decide
men to their eternal state; that justice, that is so eagle-eyed, as to
discover all thy crimes, with their aggravations. Consider his power,
he that is able not only to resolve thee into thy first principles of
nothing (for it were happy for thee, if that were thy punishment) but
he that can cast body and soul into hell-fire. Let these considerations
raise the fear of God in thy soul. There is such a passage in scripture,
as this, "O earth tremble at the presence of the Lord." Psal. 114:7. If
the earth which is so vast and durable a body, if the earth which is
incapable of sin (only being stained with the impurities of men) if
this earth should fear and tremble at God's presence, how much
more should sinful man, who is lighter than vanity, sinful man, who
hath provoked the eyes of God's glory; who hath brought a curse
upon the whole creation, what reason hath a man to fear? Know thus
much, there is no greater contempt of God in the world, than not to
fear him. I do not wonder to see a superior to slight his inferior; but
to see a slave not to fear his prince, this is wonderful; so to see a
worm of the earth, a little breathing dust, not to fear an infinite God,
this is stupendous.
Secondly. Attend upon as awakening ministry. Ministers should be
sons of thunder (not of music) to excite the fear of God in the hearts
of men. I confess I look upon nothing as more dangerous and deadly,
than a general, soft and toothless ministry: but for the ministry that
is full of life and spirits, that ministry which is answerable to the
heart of God, this is the proper means which is designed by the Lord
for the raising of this fear in men.
Thirdly. Exercise faith in God's threatenings. Believe the truth of the
threatenings, and the power of the threatener. Do not fancy as if God
would lose a dram of his truth for the saving of the world, as if he
would recede from the sharpness and severity of his threatenings.
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not one jot or tittle" of all the
threatenings of the "law of God shall pass away." Know that the law
which was first given in fire, shall be at the last required in fire; and
then secure and presumptuous sinners shall find all their hopes and
all their bravadoes vanish. To conclude, impress this upon your
spirits, how infinitely dangerous it is for a person not to fear God
until he feels his displeasure? What a sad thing it is for a man, when
death is the first symptom of his disease? So how inexpressibly
tragical is it when a soul never fears God till he feels him? Then it will
be too late to have this passion raised in your hearts. The judgments
of God to many persons, are like a sleeping lion, that awakes and
destroys at once; and therefore fear him that is able thus to deal with you.
CHAPTER XV.
On the Evil of Slavish Fear
Opening slavish fear in respect of God, or men, or ourselves; which
opposeth the fear of God by way of excess.
ii. I Now proceed to the next sort of sins, that I shall caution you
against, and they are those which oppose the fear of God by way of
excess. The fear of God stands between these sins, as a temperate
diet opposeth either an immoderate repletion, or else an unnecessary
and a prejudicial abstinence: for as a moderate diet keeps the body in
its strength and activity, whereas an immoderate repletion produceth
surfeits, fevers, and other fatal diseases; so on the other side, total
abstinence instead of preventing diseases starveth the body: so doth
the fear of God, when it is in that temper that the scripture requires,
keep the soul active, vigorous, and enlarged in the ways of obedience;
but when this fear shall be excessive, then it produceth many deadly
distempers in the soul; or when this fear is absolutely lost, the soul (if
I may so speak) is starved, and loseth its life and strength. Now in the
excess there is a two-fold fear, which opposeth the fear of God. First.
Slavish fear; Secondly. Superstitious fear.
First. Let us consider slavish fear, which is of three sorts;—That
slavish fear which merely terminated upon the wrath of God;—That
which respects the power of man;—That which I may call
pusillanimity, that proceeds from the apprehensions of the
insuperable difficulties which do attend a religious state.
These are the three sorts of slavish fear, which I shall endeavour to
depress; in respect of God, men, and ourselves.
1. A slavish fear in respect of God is this, when the soul is only taken
up with the apprehensions of those treasures of wrath which God is
able to pour forth upon it. A fear that looks upon God as an
irreconcileable enemy, or as an implacable judge; this fear I would
endeavour to eradicate, by presenting these considerations.
(1.) It springs from infidelity, when faith is not exercised upon those
representations of God, which the scripture makes known. In the
gospel the mercy of God is represented to us as that which is his
glory, his delight, his treasure. As his mercy must not violate his
justice, so his justice must not devour his mercy. His mercy is an
attribute as essential as his righteousness. But now when the soul
disbelieves this, then it fears God as a slave fears his master.
(2.) This slavish fear it is accompanied with dishonorable thoughts
of God. It is a disparagement to his essence; such a person represents
God to himself under the notion of a tyrant, he draws him with a
black coal, and this is no less than blasphemy. For a despondent
sinner to think thus with himself, that God will exact perfection from
a man answerable to the measure of an angel, or that God will
triumph in the mere torments of his creatures, or that he delights in
their ruin, it is a sin equal to atheism; yea, it is in some respects
worse than atheism. Atheism is a denial of the Deity; but for one to
entertain such apprehensions of God, it is the reproach of the Deity. I
remember what I read of Plutarch (saith he) 'I had rather posterity
should say there never had been such a man as Plutarch, than to say,
there had been one Plutarch that was so cruel, that he would devour
his own children.' I know it is an inexpressible sin for a man to deny
a Deity; on the other side, to grant a Deity, and to entertain such
thoughts of him ariseth to the same degree of wickedness. Such a
person doth absolutely discharge the gospel, as if there were no
chancery or moderation for the lapses and unavoidable infirmities of
the best men.
(3.) Wherever this slavish fear is, it doth corrupt all the services
which proceed from him in whom it is. For the bane of all the
religion in the world is either mercinariness, or slavishness; when a
man serves God merely that he may obtain worldly blessings, or
when a man serves God as the heathens served the devil, ne noceat,
lest he should hurt them. Christians should be led by sanctified
affections; but this fear kills all delight. They come to the duties of
religion as bears to a stake, and they go from them as birds out of a
snare; what is the reason of it? Because they have such
apprehensions, and such a slavish fear of God.
(4.) When it riseth to extremity, it produceth hatred against him,
both in respect of his essence and attributes. A felon wisheth that
there was no judge, no law; so doth this person that slavishly fears
God, he wisheth that God were not omnipotent, that he might not
have power to torment him; that he were not omniscient, that he
might not know the evil of his heart and ways. Hatred always strikes
at the being of that which is hated; when fear degenerates into
despair, and that despair causeth hatred, that hatred at the last will
cause a person to curse the fountain of blessedness: for thus it is in
hell.
(5.) This slavish fear renders a sinner completely miserable in this
world. All errors about the nature of God are pernicious and
dangerous; but those errors which are accompanied with fear, they
are like a wound which hath an inflammation in it, it will bring death
more painful and more speedy; so it is here, those errors concerning
the nature of God, which are accompanied with such a fear of his
justice, as if there were no reserves of mercy for relenting and
reforming sinners; these beget an hell upon earth, bring a soul into
the very suburbs of hell, into the confines of eternal darkness; and
therefore labour against this fear. I do not speak against the fear of
God's justice all this while, I would only rectify that fear, not abolish
it; let us so fear God's justice as to hate sin, and yet still so as to love
his mercy and goodness. The sum is this, the fear of God should have
for its circumference the reverence of God and all his attributes, for
its centre it should have godliness and practical holiness; the limit of
our fear should be an awful regard of God's excellencies and
perfection, and the end of our fear should be a constant obedience to
him; then our fear is angelical when it is kept within its bounds. So
much for the first branch, that slavish fear which is terminated upon
God's justice.
2. There is a servile fear which respects the power of man, when the
soul is so possessed with the fears of the power of the creature, that it
draws back to destruction, that it dares not own its faith in the face of
a tyrant: and to such persons, that they may correct their fear, I shall
present three considerations.
(1.) Consider, as the throne endures no rivals, so that fear which is a
homage and tribute which we should pay only to the Sovereign
Creator of the world, should not be given to the creature. He that
doth immoderately fear the creature, dethrones God and deifies man.
It is no less than sacrilege to alienate the affections from God; and it
is no less than idolatry, to place our affections inordinately upon the
creature, Isa. 8:12, 13. "Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid;
sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let
him be your dread." As the beams of the sun discourage the fire, and
will not suffer it to burn; so will the fear of God swallow up all our
fear of the creature; the greater fear will devour the less.
(2.) Consider, this immoderate fear of the creature is the root of
apostacy. Such a man will rather save his life than his soul, such a
person carries his faith about him at the mercy of every one that
threatens to kill him: for this is a maxim, he that is a coward will be
an apostate. That man doth not fear God, that dares not die for him;
that man that hath not got above the love of life, and above the fear
of death, will never be a martyr, he will never hold out for God;
therefore such a person is in the very next degree to an apostate.
(3.) Consider the unreasonableness of this fear. To fear the sentence
of a man when God is our Judge; to fear the power of man, when God
is our defence; to fear death, which is but the entrance into an
eternal life; what is this, but as little children, to fear the vizard more
than the man that wears it? Austin speaks excellently concerning this
temper, saith he, these persons Timent carcerem, non timent
gehennam; timent cruciatum temporalem, non pœnas ignis æterni;
timent modicum mori, non æternum mori; that is, they fear the
prison, but they fear not hell; they fear temporal torments, but they
fear not the flames of unquenchable fire; they fear the first, but not
the second death; and is not this an unreasonable thing? There is one
scripture which I shall desire to press upon such persons, Rev. 21:8.
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers,
and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall
have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone,
which is the scond death." Here the fearful are placed in front of
those which shall be cast into the lake, which burns with fire and
brimstone for ever. This is the second sort of slavish fear, which I
would depress.
3. Another sort of slavish fear which should be eradicated, is this,
that fear which some persons take up from the apprehension of
insuperable difficulties that attend a religious state; like the Israelites
that would not venture upon the paradise of Canaan, because it was
defended by giants. So there are many persons among us, that if you
could look into their hearts you would find this principle; they
consider the weakness of their natures, the slipperiness of their
places, and the instability of their wills; the rage of their affections,
and the frequency of temptations, and from thence they thus argue, I
shall never be able to conquer all these; therefore since I shall not be
able to attain the prize, I will venture no charges; and since I cannot
finish a religious course, I will not begin it; and thus they waste and
melt away their days in discouraging fears or worldly business.
Sometimes possibly they will make a trial, but they find if they are
resolute one day, they are staggering the next; if they are strong one
day they are weak another, and at best like Peter, when he was
walking upon the water, he slipped with one foot and sunk with the
other: therefore they are of the temper of those in the prophet
Jeremiah, "they said there was no hope, and therefore they will
follow their own ways;" Jer. 2:25. I shall never conquer these lusts,
never be able to perform these duties, therefore I will sit still, and go
no further. To such persona I would offer these three considerations.
(1.) Do you not believe that there are degrees of torments in hell?
And therefore, supposing this granted, that you cannot attain to that
perfection which God requires, will you therefore loosen the reins to
all wickedness? A cooler hell is a kind of heaven; there are some
lashed with scorpions, others whipped but with rods, I speak as to
the degrees of torment.
(2.) Was ever the Spirit of God defective to those that sincerely
endeavoured? Hath not God promised to give his Spirit to those that
ask it?
(3.) Is not divine grace strong enough to conquer the power of hell,
and the deceitfulness of our hearts? Is not the efficacy of the divine
nature sufficient to repel temptations, and to resist corruptions?
Consider, will a small candle when it is enlightened scatter all the
darkness that is about us; and will not a beam of grace in the soul
scatter and triumph over temptations and corruptions? Sure I am
that sin is not an infinite evil in itself; but grace hath an infinite
power, there is an omnipotency goes along with it. And therefore it is
very great madness for a person to say thus, I will not endeavour
against my corruptions, because I fear I shall never get the victory
over them; it is just as if a man in the midst of a great storm, for fear
of it should leap into the sea, this you know were madness: so for a
man, because he fears he cannot by his own power and strength, get
victory over his corruptions; therefore he will leave himself to the
swing of them. Suppose a man when he is half a mile distant from his
enemy, should draw his sword and brandish and flourish it in the air,
as if he would wound him by these flourishing, you would look upon
this man as mad: but if this man should mount an ordnance, and
level it against his enemy, and then should shoot at him, you would
think this were but reasonable; although the act of shooting be the
man's, the force of the act proceeds from the powder, fire, and
cannon, which discharge the bullet. So for a man indeed to resolve
against his lusts by his own power, and by the strength of his own
resolutions, this can do no good: but for a man by the sword of the
Spirit, and by the strength of Christ, to go out against his
corruptions; this is as the discharging of a cannon, there is some
reason to expect that exception should be done, because such a
person is carried forth by the power of God. Thus I have opened the
first head of those sins which oppose the fear of God by way of
excess, and that is slavish fear.
CHAPTER XVI.
On the Evil of Superstitious Fear
Of superstitions fear, is respect of things natural, casual, and
religions, which do oppose the fear of God by way of excess.
Secondly. THERE is a superstitious fear, which likewise by way of
excess, doth oppose the fear of God. I shall rank this under three
heads;—Superstitious fear in respect of things natural;—
Superstitious fear in respect of things casual;—Superstitious fear in
respect of things religious.
1st. In respect of things natural: and here I shall principally touch
upon two things, both which are evident to experience.
1. The superstitious fear, which many persons do exercise in
reference to those eclipses, or natural changes which may be in the
heavens. We have had in our times a large experience of the vanity of
men's fears in that respect. Jer. 10:2. "Thus saith the Lord, learn not
the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven,
for the heathen are dismayed at them." When the children of Israel
were to be transported into Babylon among the Chaldeans, who were
most skilful in those arts, then doth God fortify them against judicial
astrology, and bids them not to be dismayed at the signs of the
heavens. I confess, this is an heathenish fear; but alas we find, that
for these many hundred years this hath continued among the
christians, notwithstanding those antidotes that have been prepared
against it. And what is the reason of it? It is this, because those
persons look upon these eclipses and conjunctions of the heavenly
bodies to be prodigious, and to portend and import some disastrous
and sad events: I shall only say thus much, all such eclipses
proceeding from natural causes, are not in the least prodigious. It is
natural, that the sun and moon should meet at determinate seasons;
and it is natural that when they do meet, the opacous body of the
moon should make a partial eclipse of the sun. It were prodigious
indeed, if in the conjunction of these two bodies there should be no
eclipse; and therefore for a person superstitiously to fear such things,
he may upon the same reason fear sad events every night that
ensues, because then the sun is eclipsed from us by the interposition
of the earth; and therefore this is a great folly. I confess it was a
prodigy, that the sun was darkened at the passion of Christ, for then
the moon was not in conjunction with, but in opposition against the
sun: and it was a prodigy, when there was darkness among the
Egyptians for three days. But here, since all things in this manner
proceed from the concatenation that is between causes and effects,
there is no reason to tremble. And therefore God, in scripture, doth
sometimes deride this fear, and sometimes dissuades from it,
sometimes derides it as matter of scorn and greatest vanity, and
sometimes dissuades from it and condemns it, as here in the text
recited to you.
2. There is a superstitious fear in reference to natural things, and
that principally upon the account of dreams; for there are many
among us whose fears commence from their fancies, who do not rest
while they sleep, but while their reason is asleep their fears are
awake: these are the persons that have no dreams but what are
accompanied with an interpretation, or with a prediction; and if one
event happens to be true, it is a rule for an hundred with them. Now
the vanity of such persons the scripture takes notice of, and as an
antidote against it, take these two things.
(1.) Those that make use of their dreams as a rule for their acts, give the greatest advantage to
satan; the reason is this, because he then is able to exercise his power
when the creature is unable to resist him. If once you grant that there
may be impressions upon your fancy (in dreams) of things that are to
come, the devil then takes the reins into his own hands, and he will
tempt you when you cannot oppose him.
(2.) As you give advantage to satan, so it is the greatest injury to a man's self; for such a soul is
under perpetual fear, and makes himself miserable.
2dly. There is a superstitious fear in reference to casual things (and
this is beneath a sermon, but yet necessary for some persons) some
are transported with every trifling contingency; if the salt falls
towards them, or if a hare crosseth them in the way, presently they
grow pale or red upon it, as if there were some evil that must ensue;
this is the quintessence of folly.
3dly. And principally, there is a superstitious fear in reference to
religious things, and this opposeth the fear of God, and it consisteth
usually in one of these two things.
1. When a person is afraid to do that which God allows, or which God
commands; and thus men make more sins than the ten
commandments. So we read of the Jews, they fancied the name
Jehovah was not to be expressed but only by the high-priest, and that
once a year, and that only in the "holy of holies;" and we read of the
primitive christians, they were scrupulous about days, months, and
meats, as if there were some tie upon conscience which did retrench
them from these things.
2. As they are abstemious from what God allows, so they are exact in
that which God doth not require, and this is eminently among the
papists at this day. I might largely speak of this sin, I will only say
thus much of it;—All the services of a superstitious person are
unacceptable to God;—All the services of a superstitious person are
odious to him.
(1.) A superstitious person's services are unacceptable to God. When
a man is carver of his own obedience, he doth enter upon God's right,
and so his services are unacceptable. There is an expression in Col.
2:18. "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility
and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath
not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind." There are two things
which we may observe there, one is from that expression, a voluntary
humility; the word in the Greek Εμβατεύ ων is a voluntary in
humility, one that is a volunteer that offers up will-worship to God,
the apostle saith he doth intrude into those things which he hath not
seen. The word which we translate, intrude may (with a great
correspondency to the original notation of the word) be rendered
thus, invading; that is, such a person doth invade God's right, and
insolently set foot upon God's possession, as actors in a tragedy,
where they went in a lofty and strutting manner; from thence the
Greek word signifies to enter upon the right of another; such a
person invades God's right, and thereby renders all his services
unacceptable.
(2.) The services of a superstitious person are odious to God. There is
one scripture which is most convincing, where the Lord speaks
concerning the sacrifices of the Jews, and shows how he doth dislike
them, "he that offers a sacrifice is as if he cut off a dog's neck, and he
that makes an offering as if he offered swine's blood;" Isa. 66:3.
where the Lord declares, that he looked upon their sacrifices to be no
other than mere slaughter, and their priests to be the butchers; for
although the substance of their sacrifices were ordained by God, yet
because they innovated in the form, all these sacrifices as they were
thankless, so they were hateful to God. Certainly this is one of the
profundities of satan, to lead a soul by superstitious fear into these
practices. And usually you shall observe, that profane youth is turned
into a superstitious old age; so that sin which was let out at the gate,
returns in at the postern, and poor men work the work of death and
hell when they fancy that they are in the way to heaven. As you shall
see sometimes a poor dove, when its eyes are sealed and dark, it will
mount up to heaven, but alas it is with an undiscerning wing, with
fear and trembling; the dove doth not consider that this flight of her's
is made as a trail for the hawk to prevail over her. So here, many
blind ignorant souls mount up to heaven in their superstitious
devotions (as they think) but they are made but a trail for satan.
Superstition is the ivy of religion, that seems to embrace it, but it
dispirits it, and eats out its sap and moisture: therefore learn to
quench and cast this out of the soul. The sum of all is, let us labour to
keep alive in our souls an ingenuous and filial fear of God, let us fear
his goodness that we may not displease him, let us fear his justice, so
as we may not provoke him; let us fear him in all his perfections, let
us fear him as the angels fear him, as he is the holy and the pure
God; and he that fears God thus, that fear from the imperfection of a
man, shall at last be raised to the perfection of an angel; that fear
shall be like the sun, whose light breaks forth into greater clearness,
till it arrives to perfect day.
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