A Commentary on 1 Peter 1-3, Exposition of chapter 3 · Exposition of verse 2

A Commentary on 1 Peter 1-3 · Exposition of chapter 3 · Exposition of verse 2

p. 596Verse 2.

While they behold your chaste conversation, coupled with feare.

IN these words is contained the second thing the Apostle chargeth upon wives in his exposition, viz. A chaste conversation with feare; so ordered, as their husbands may daily behold it, and observe it in them. Where the Apostle implies what the husbands will doe, viz. they will observe the conversation of the wives; and expresseth what the wives ought to doe, viz. in conversation to shew chastitie, coupled with feare. First then, we are to consider of that which is implied, viz. what the husband will doe: and this is imported in the word foreign, While they behold.

While they behold.] The originall word signifies to observe and prie into a thing, to finde out the secrets of it: and so it notes, That carnall men (such as these husbands were) doe watch and marke the conversation of such as be religious, to observe all they can in them that professe true religion. Thus they watched David, and Christ, and Daniel, and so doe they all the godly: and thus they imploy themselves in spying and marking the wayes of the godly; sometimes out of the naughtinesse of their hearts, supposing godly men to be like unto themselves, and therefore hope to find out wickednesse in their practise: sometimes out of malice, lying in wait to find out any fault in their carriage, of which they may accuse them, and vilifie them in the world:Note. and sometimes they doe thus, as compelled by the force of their naturall conscience, which gives glory to the graces of God, in the conversation of true Christians, while they observe in them that holinesse which they find not in themselves,Use. or other carnall men. And therefore the Use should be, to teach all that professe religion to looke carefully to their waies, and walke circumspectly, that they give not occasion of offence; but rather carry themselves so, as to make proofe of their sincerity and good conversation by their workes.

Secondly, from hence we may gather also, That a Christian must looke to his justification before men, as well as to his justification before God: for as God beholds his waies, so doe men; and he is bound to seeke his justification from men, as well as his justification from God. And therefore, as the Apostle Paul had taught the justification of a sinner before God, so the Apostle Iames urgeth the justification of the godly man before men: which this Apostle imports in this place, when he requires such a conversation as may compell carnall men to say they are just men. So our Saviour, Mat. 5.16.

p. 597Quest. What can carnall men see in the conversation of the godly to make them give glory to God or the truth?

Answ. By the good conversation of true Christians they gather the goodnesse of the law or religion which they professe. And besides, they thence gather, that they are not hypocrites, but are religious indeed: whence they see what power their religion hath over them in all their waies. And further, the scandall of reproaches cast upon the godly, is often, by the observation of their conversation, utterly removed in the hearts of such carnall men as set themselves throughly to observe and marke the course of the godly.

Your chaste conversation.] The word here translated Chaste, in all other places of the New Testament is translated Pure; and so shewes, that it ought to be accepted here in a larger sense than the word chaste doth import; yet so as chastity is a part of the purity of a Christian.

Doct. A pure conversation is required in all true Christians, yea, even in women as well as men. That purity is required, is manifest by divers Scriptures; yea, to be examples in purity, 1 Tim. 4.2. It is the chiefe fruit of the wisedome is from above, Iam. 3.17. A pure heart is required, 1 Tim. 1.5. and a pure conscience, 1 Tim. 3.9. and pure hands, 1 Tim. 2.8. And that it may be had, is apparent, for our Saviour saith, Yee are all pure, Iohn 15.3.

Quest. How can a man in this world be pure? can any man be without sinne?

Answ. No, there is no man that sinneth not: In many things wee sinne all, James 3.2. Who can say, I have made my heart cleane, and am pure from my sin? Pro. 20.9. And, If any man say he hath no sin, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 1 John 1.10. And yet though in that sense no man is pure, yet in other senses the godly man may be called pure, and is bound, even by the Gospel, to purity: as,

1. In respect of some particular offence.In what respects godly men are said to be pure. A godly man may be so pure as to abide the triall of God himselfe: as David wills God to judge him according to his righteousnesse, and the innocency of his hands; meaning, in that point of false or treacherous dealing against Saul, which was charged upon him, Psal. 3.4, 5. & 18.15.

2. In respect of imputation every beleever is perfectly pure: all his sins are as if they had never beene, and Christs righteousnesse is his; and in that righteousnesse of faith he is perfectly pure before God himselfe, Rev. 19.8.14.

3. In respect of men he may be pure in conversation, though not in respect of God; and so he is pure when he is unrebukeable and unblameable amongst men. And this ought to be found in the conversation of every Christian, to live without offence, and without rebuke. Phil. 2 15, 16.

4. There is a pure conversation in respect of God: not that we can converse without sin, but God is pleased, for Christ his sake, to account our conversation pure, when it hath divers prints and markes of his true grace in us. And so Christian purity hath in it many things:

1. Separation from impure men, Psal. 1.1. 2 Cor. 6.17.

2. The desire of purity in the perfection of it: God accounts his servants pure, because they desire to be as pure as he would have them to be.

3. Sound mortification and judging of our selves for what impurity we finde cleave to our workes: 'tis Christian perfection to judge our selves for our imperfections, 1 Iohn 3 3.

4. Freedome from the grosse impurities, and vices, and vanities of the time: God accounts us pure when our spot is not as the spots of the wicked, and when we are not infected with the corruptions which are usually in the world, 1 Tim. 5.22. 2 Pet. 1.4.

p. 5945. Freedome from the reigne of hypocrisie in the heart, and from hypocriticall courses in the life. Thus Saint Iames accounts the heart to be pure, when men are not double minded, Iames 4.8. And in conversation he is a pure man, that is (like Iacob) a plaine man, without fraud, trickes, or dissimulation.

6. Precisenesse, circumspection, or exactnesse of conversation; when a man sheweth respect to all Gods Commandements, and makes conscience to avoide lesser sins, as well as greater, Eph. 5.15. Mat. 5.19.

7. Devoutnesse and zeale in matters of religion, and Gods worship and glory; and so a pure conversation is a religious conversation, that expresseth zeale and conscience in the things of Gods service in a speciall manner, seeking Gods Kingdome first and above all other things, 2 Tim. 2.22. Titus 2.14.

8. Chastitie, in keeping the heart and life cleane from the impurities condemned in the seventh Commandement, is one great part of Christian purity. But before I come to entreat of chastity in particular, I would apply this doctrine of purity in generall, first, to the Text, and then to the times.

As for the Text, a pure conversation is here considered only so far as it may fall into the observation of carnall men: and so it comprehends, of the former senses, chiefly, inoffensivenesse, separation from impure men, freedome from grosse impurities, and dissimulation, a Christian and wise strictnesse of life, and devoutnesse and well ordered zeale in matters of religion.

Use. Now for the Use of it. If these be applied to these times, it shewes, first, how wicked and profane those sorts of people are, who reproach godly men for the care and practice of these things; as if to be a Puritane, even in these senses, were to be some vile man, not worthy to live amongst men. Secondly, it shewes that worlds of people that beare the name of Christians are not true Christians, because their conversations are not pure: for their swearing, or drunkennesse, or whoredomes, or sins of deceit, or dissimulation, or fashioning themselves to this world, or the liberty they take to live as they list, testifies against them to their faces, that their workes are not pure; and therefore unlesse they repent they will all perish, Rev. 3.1, 2. and the rather, because they cause by their evill lives, not only the hearts of the good to be grieved, but the mouthes of the enemies of religion to be opened to blaspheme. Thirdly, godly men that find these cares in them, should comfort themselves much in the testimonies of their owne consciences, and the gracious acceptation of God, who will shew himselfe pure with them that are pure, 2 Cor. 1.12. Psal. 18.

Thus of Purity in generall. Now of Chastity, as a part of a pure conversation; and it may well be that which is chiefly here intended.

Chastitie is either of the mind, or of the body: and it is a most certaine truth, that God requires a chaste minde as well as a chaste body, and doth forbid unchaste thoughts and desires, a… well as unchaste words or deeds. For unchaste thoughts and desires are, first, foolish and noisome, 1 Tim. 6.9. secondly, they hinder the power of religion, and true knowledge, and grace, 2 Tim ….4▪ thirdly, they fight against the soule, 1 Pet. 2.11. A man were as good have his body wounded with weapons, as his soule wounded with lusts: fourthly, they cause many times many and monstrous sins in the life, which arise at first from the nourishing of soule desires and thoughts in the heart. The wickednesse that was in the lives of the Gentiles did in many of them spring from the l…sts which they harboured in their hearts, Rom. 1. lastly, if men repent not of them in time they will drowne them in perdition, 1 Tim. 1.9. But it is the chastitie of the body which is especially here intended: & our p. 599Saviour Christ divides those chaste persons into three sorts: some are termed Eunuches from their mothers wombe, and so are disabled for bodily fornication; some are made so by other men, who by violence, for their owne service, made some men Eunuches. Now the third sort are they that made themselves Eunuches for the kingdome of Heavens sake. Of this third sort are all chaste persons, who by a godly care and watchfulnesse keepe themselves from the sinnes of filthinesse, as well as naturall Eunuches doe, Mat. 19.12. Now these persons that are made chaste for the kingdome of Heavens sake, are either single persons, or married persons: of chastity in single persons other Scriptures intreat, as, 1 Cor. 7. of chastity in married persons this place intreats. Now this vertue of chastity is of purpose imposed upon godly Christians by the Apostle, because the sins of fornication were so rife and common among the Gentiles, who oftentimes defended their filthinesse to be either no sin, or a very small sin. But before I come to speake of chastity in particular, some doctrines would be in generall observed: as first,

Doct. 1. A godly Christian must shew the proofe of his religion, especially in keeping himselfe free from the sins that are most common and rife in the world: and even the more sinne abounds in the world, the more strict they should be in resisting sinne; as here, even the more filthy the lives of others were, the more chaste should the conversation of godly Christians be; because their love to God should constraine them the more to be zealous for his glory, by how much the more God is dishonoured by other men; and because they are flatly forbidden to follow a multitude to sin; and because God hath chosen them out of all other sorts of men, to beare his name, and to hold forth the light of the Word in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; and because thereby the conscience of wicked men may be the more effectually convinced, and prepared to repentance. Thus Lot is righteous in Sodome, and Ioshua and his house will serve the Lord, though all the Nation serve Idols. This point, as it should inflame the zeale of the godly to contend for the truth the more earnestly, and to resist all the vices of the time; so it shewes, that they can hardly have any truth of grace in them, that are so easily borne downe with the streame of evill example, and are so apt to follow the fashion of the world.

Doct. 2. Chastity may be in married persons as well as in single persons: as here, wives are said to be chaste in conversation, though they with-hold not due benevolence from their husbands. God himselfe hath freed the comming together of man and wife from the aspersion of impurity, in that he hath said, that marriage is honourable, and the bed undefiled. And this shewes the wonderfull indulgence of God, that for the respect he beares to his owne institution of marriage, and for the necessitie of marriage for the propagation of mankind, and prevention of fornication, is pleased to beare with, and cover, and not impute the many frailties, follies, vanities, and wickednesses are found betweene man and wife. And withall, we may hence see reason to condemne their doctrine, as a doctrine of Devils, that forbid marriage as an impure thing, and such as hinders holinesse: and the blemish will never bee wiped away from some of the Ancients, who, to establish their owne Idol of I know not what virginity, have written most wickedly, and most basely against marriage.

Quest. But what then? doth God allow any kinde of comming together, so it be betweene man and wife?

Ans. No, he forbids comming together in the time of the womans separation for her courses, Ezech. 18.6. Nor doth he allow of brutish sensuality, p. 596though it passe betweene man and wife:Note. for though God beare with many things, yet the chastitie he imposeth doth not only restraine forraine beds, but moderateth even the excesses of concupiscence in married persons; so as in those things their conversation ought to be a conversation with feare.

Doct. 3. The practice of the duties of the second Table adorne religion as well as the duties of piety in the first Table.

Doct. 4. Some observe, that a chaste conversation is especially charged upon the woman: which must be warily understood; for God hates whoredome in men as well as women. But yet it is true, that some sins, as they are abominable in any, so they are much more in women, as we see in swearing and drunkennesse: so it is true of filthinesse in the woman: and therefore the whorish woman is called a strange woman in the Proverbs. But I thinke it is not safe to restraine the sense of this place, or other the like places, so; but I take the meaning of the Apostle to be, so to commend chastitie in the wife, as that which is necessary in all, both men and women. And so I come to consider of Chastity, and so would shew, first, the motives to it: secondly, the meanes to preserve it: and thirdly, the way how Chastity may be manifested and made knowne to others.

Motives to chastity.For the first: many things should perswade with a Christian to preserve chastity, and to avoide whoredome and bodily lusts. First, it is the speciall will of God, and a speciall part of their sanctification, to avoid fornication, 1 Thes. 4.3. Secondly, the promises of God, all of them, should allure men to perfect their holinesse, and to avoid all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit, 2 Cor. 7.1. Thirdly, the hatefulnesse of the nature of the sin of fornication and whoredome should deter…e Christians from the committing of it. This is an hainous crime, an iniquity to be punished by the Judges, Iob 31.11. These lusts are lusts of the Gentiles, 1 Pet. 4.3. A sin not so much as to be named amongst Christians, Eph. 5.3. A sin that utterly corrupts naturall honesty, Pro. 6.27, 29. It is a sin not only against the soule, but against the body of a man; even that body that was bought with the bloud of Jesus Christ, and was made for God, and is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, and is a member of Christs mysticall body, 1 Cor. 6.15. to the end. Fourthly, the consideration of the cause of this sin should abash men: it is a worke of the flesh, even a fruit of a corrupted and filthy nature, Gal. 5.22. Fiftly, the effects of whoredome are very fearefull, for it is a sin that defiles a man, Mat. 15. and it makes a man unfit for the company of any Christian, 1 Cor. 5.9. It brings dishonour, and a wound can never be blotted out, Pro. 6.33. and it causes the fearefull curse of God upon men, Heb. 13 4. and that both upon their states and soules in this life. By meanes of a whorish woman a man may be brought to a morsell of bread, Pro. 6.26. It is a sin will root out all a mans increase, Iob 31.11, 12. And upon the soule it brings a fearefull senselesnesse and disability to make use of the means of salvation. Whoredome and wine take away the heart, Hos. 4.11. and God casts them many times into a reprobate sense, Rom. 1. so as they are past feeling, Eph. 4.18. so as the adulterous person goeth about like a Foole to the stockes, or like an Oxe to the slaughter, Pro. 7.…2. In a word, the adulterous person destroyeth his owne soule, Pro. 6.32. y…, which is worst of all, it deprives men of the kingdome of Heaven, 1 Cor. 6.9. and casts both body and soule into the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone, Pro. 9. ult. Rev. 21.8. & 22.15.

Preservatives of ch…stity.For the second: the meanes to preserve chastity in married persons are these: First, they must labour to excite and nourish matrimoniall love one to another, P…. ….18.19. Secondly, they must doe as Iob did, make a covenant with their eyes, and not carelesly give liberty to their senses, to wander p. 597about after vaine objects, Iob 31.1. Thirdly, they must store their heads and hearts with Gods word, especially such words of God as doe give reasons and motives to disswade from this sin, Pro. 2.1, 3, 4, 11, 12, 16, 17, Psal. 119.9. Fourthly, they must continually meditate of their mortality, and that they are but pilgrims and strangers here, and must come to judgement, 1 Pet. 2.11. Eccles. 11.9. Fiftly, they must, by confession, and godly sorrow, and prayer, crucifie these first risings of inward lusts; and so by repentance for the lust of the heart prevent the filthinesse of the flesh, Gal. 5.24. Sixthly, they must walke in love, that is, exercise themselves in a Christian and profitable society with such as feare God, Eph. 5.1, 3, 4. Lastly, they must with all care and conscience avoide all the occasions of this sin; such as are,

1. Idlenesse, that sin of Sodome,, Ezek. 46.49.

2. Fulnesse of bread, and drunkennesse, as is noted in the same place. They must beat downe their owne bodies, 1 Cor. 9.27.

3. The desire to be rich: for the love of money breeds noisome lusts, 1 Tim. 6.9.

4. Ignorance of God and his truth, Eph. 4.17, 18.

5. Evill company, especially the society of such as are filthy.

6. Lascivious attire, and filthy dressing; such as are strange colours, and naked breasts: this is whoredome betweene the breasts, Hos. 2.

7. Lascivious pictures, and profane representations of filthy practises; such as are exprest by those wicked stage-players, against which the very light of nature pleadeth.

8. Chambering and wantonnesse, and all provocations to lusts, Rom. 13.13.

For the third point;How a chaste wife may be discerned. if you aske how those husbands could behold the chaste conversation of the wives: I answer, they might know that they were chaste, both by their modesty in secret in the use of the marriage bed, and by their strict care to behave themselves modestly and soberly abroad, in the family, or in other places, by their great conscience to avoide all occasions of evill, when they discerned that they did abhorre the society and presence of light and vaine persons, and detested all the provocations to lust, of what kind soever. The next verse shewes one way how they may know they were chaste, even by their care to avoide pride and vanity in attire. Such men as have wives that are proud, and follow the fashion of the world in attire, or delight in vaine company, and haunt stage-plaies, are fooles if they be over-confident of their wives chastity, unlesse it be in case of necessitie, where they want either beauty, or temptation, or opportunity. And it is a probable argument of a chaste minde in the wife, when she keepes house, and is diligent, and carefull, and painefull in the businesse of the family, and desires to please her husband in all things, and willing to be subject to his will.

Thus of a chaste conversation. A conversation with feare followes.

Some refer this feare to the carnall husbands, and make the sense thus: While they with feare behold your chaste conversation. It is true, that wicked men feele a great deale of feare many times in themselves, when they looke upon the godly, and get the feare, as the fruit of their watching, and prying, and observing. That wicked men are smitten many times with feare many Scriptures shew, as, Deut 28.10. 1 Sam. 18.15. Psal. 102.15. The reasons why they are afraid are divers:

1. Naturall conscience doth homage to the image of God stamped upon the natures and workes of the godly:Reasons why wicked men are sinitten with a servi…e feare. when they see in them that which is above the ordinary nature of men, or their expectation, they p. 598are affraid of the name of God, which is called upon by them, Deut. 28.9, 10.

2. They feare, when they see that they behave themselves wisely and religiously, and that God is with them, and they prosper, notwithstanding all the oppositions are made against them, 1 Sam. 18.12, 15, 29. Neh. 6.16. Psal. 48.4. Zach. 9.5.

3. They feare, because the good conversation of the godly doth rebuke their ill conversation; the chaste conversation of the wives amazeth the hearts of the husbands, when they thinke of their owne unchaste conversation: so the piety, patience, mercy, and goodnesse exprest by godly men, makes the hearts of wicked men ake within them.

4. They feare extreamly, because the goodnesse of the conversations of the godly is to them a very token of their owne perdition, if they continue in the state they are in, Phil. 1.28.

Quest. But what doe wicked men doe, when they feele these feares?

Answ. Either they strive to drive them out, and forget them; or else they strive to imagine scandalous and vile things, to oppose their wicked surmises, or false accusations, against the glory of the godly life of such as are good, as the Pharisees did against Christ, and the wicked Courtiers against David: or else they use all meanes to remove the godly further oft from them, as Amaziah did to Amos, and Saul to David, in the place quoted before: or else they increase in hatred and malice, as their observation of the good hand of God upon his servants doth increase, 1 Sam. 18.15, 29. or else, as men conquered by the truth, they give glory to God, and confesse the wickednesse of their owne estate, and be won, as the husbands here, by the conversation of the wives. The use should be, to stirre up godly Christians to looke to their owne salvation the more: and to hold on, and doe good still, and walke wisely towards them that are without, and keepe their way: for hereby they shall not only convince and confute carnall persons, but so daunt them, as their good lives will often make their very hearts to ake within them, and the rather because this effect may follow the conversation of women as well as men, and servants as well as masters, inferiours as well as superiours. Thus of feare, as it is referred to the Husbands. But the most Divines doe referre this feare to the Wives, as they were Christians; and so thereby is noted a second thing in their conversations, which did much affect their unbeleeving husbands, and that was their holy feare which they exprest in their lives.

Feare two ….Now this conversation with feare may two waies be considered; the one, as it was common to these women with other Christians, and so it belongs to other Christians as well as to them; and the other was, as it was particularly required in them as wives.

For the first, a conversation with feare is required in all the godly: so saith Salomon, Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies. And Paul saith, Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling, Phil. 2. and againe, Bee not high minded, but feare Rom. 12.3. This conversation with feare was in Paul, 1 Cor. 2.3. It is required, that the mighty men of the earth should serve the Lord in trembling, Psal. 2.11. this is a fruit of godly sorrow, 2 Cor. 7.11. Now in our conversations we are to expresse both the feare of men, and the feare of God. There is a feare of men to bee shewed by other Christians, as well as wives, in their conversation: as children must feare their parents. L…vit. …9.3. and subjects must converse with feare, and shew it in their car…age towards their rulers; and so all inferiours must expresse a conversation with feare towards their superiours. Hence the Apostle p. 599saith, Give feare to whom feare belongeth, Rom. 13.7. so such as have lesser gifts, must submit themselves to such as have greater gifts, in feare, Ephs. 5.21.

But the speciall feare we should shew in our conversation should bee the feare of God; and so a conversation with feare doth import more than barely to feare God: for it imports, that it must be by such a feare as doth appeare to the view of others, and such a feare as is continuall. Wee reade of a Spirit of the feare of God, Esa. 11.3. and there bee other phrases of Scripture that expresse this conversation with feare: as where wee are charged to bee in the feare of God all the day long, Pro. 23.17. and the godly are said to walke in the feare of God, Acts 11.31. God was said to bee the feare of the Patriarchs, Gen. 31.42, 53. so also Eccles. 8.12. Mal. 2.5.

Quest. But what cause have Christians to shew so much feare in their conversations?

Answ. They have reason to feare alwaies,

1. Because of their owne insufficiency to performe those holy duties are required of them, in such a holy manner as they desire, or ought to doe:Reasons why we ought to expresse this f…re of God in our conversation. this made Paul so fearefull, 1 Cor. 2.3.

2. Because of the danger that the godly themselves are in, if this feare be not in them; as we see by the miserable instance of the Apostle Peter, who fell shamefully when he shooke off this feare, and grew bold and confident of his owne strength: and therefore they that stand are charged to fear… lest they fall, Rom. 11.

3. Because of the many and fearefull adversaries our soules and religion have in this world. Wee bee to wrestle with principalities, and powers, and spirituall wickednesses, Eph. 6.10. 2 Cor. 11.3. and our taske is, to overcome the world and the flesh: which hath many difficulties in it, considering the multitudes of evill examples and scandals are in the world, and the great treachery of our owne flesh.

4. Because of the lamentable reproach of the Heathen, and such as are without God and Christ, of all sorts, and in all places; which would be powred out, if wee should misse it in our conversation, if our foot should but slip, Neh. 5.9.

5. Because of the dreadfull relation in which wee stand unto God, who hath authority over us, and is our Master and Father, Mal. 1.6. and is able to kill both body and soule, Mat. 10.28. and is the Lord God Almighty, and the Kings of Saints; and hee is onelyonly holy, and of most pure eyes, and hath power over all Nations, Revel. 15.3, 4. and doth wondrous things. Hee hath placed the sand for the bounds of the sea, by a perpetuall decree, that it cannot passe it: though the waves thereof tosse themselves and roare, yet they cannot prevaile, Ier. 5.22. Hee is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall trembl…, and the Nations shall not bee able to abide his indignation, Ier. 10.7, 10. so Iob 31.23. David said his flesh trembled for feare of God, Psalm. 119, vers. 120.

6. Because of the fearefull falling away, and rejecting of many Churches and particular persons, that yet have befor… flourished, for a time, in the professing of true religion, Ier. 3.8. Rom. 11.20.21.

7. Because of the many precious things, and spirituall treasures may bee lost in deed, or in shew, if wee doe not attend diligently, and with great eare and feare, Heb. 2.1. & 4.1.

Quest. But how must wee shew this feare in our conversation?

Answ. It must be shewed many waies, both in the ordering of our lives towards God, and in the disposing of our conversation towards men.

Towards God, we expresse this feare,

p. 600By what waies we must shew this feare of God.1. By the sobriety of our minds, resting in his revealed will, and not daring to meddle with his secrets, Rom. 12.3.

2. By receiving his messengers with feare and trembling, 2 Cor. 7.15. not daring to contest with them, or stand upon our private conceits and opinions, but rather to make haste to beseech God, and to repent, when they reprove us, or threaten us, Ier. 29.19. Exod. 14.31. Ezra 9.4. & 10.1, 2, 3. at the best mistrusting our selves, and our owne wisdome and conceits, and shewing our selves carefull to come to the light, that it may be manifest our deeds are wrought in God, Iob 37. ult. Pro. 3.7.

3. By shewing all awefull care and devotion in Gods service and worship, expressing all reverence, Psal. 2.11. & 5.7. and striving to make glorious conceptions of God in our hearts, Rev. 15.4. & 14.7. not daring to omit any time or opportunity of serving God, Acts 10.2. and avoiding all rashnesse, and vaine behaviour, in words, or vowes, or carriage, Eccles. 5.2. to the eighth verse; not mentioning the very names or titles of God, without great reverence, Deut. 28.58. and remembring Gods presence, especially at the times and in the places of his worship, Mal. 2.5. Eccles. 8.12, 13.

4. By shewing respect to all Gods Commandements, endeavouring to keepe not one, or some few, but all the statutes of our God, Deut. 6.2. & 31.12. When our consciences are affraid, even for the respect we beare to God, to bawke one of the least Commandements, or to be corrupted with any filthinesse, either in flesh or spirit, or to come short of any goodnesse is required of us, 2 Cor. 7.1. being afraid to commit those sins are committed without feare, either by persons neere to us, or by the most men of all sorts, Ezek. 18.14. Mal. 3.16. And for the manner of our obedience to Gods will, this feare expresseth it self… notably in two things: first, that it doth not onelyonly make us avoide or leave evill, (which in some cases wicked men may doe) but it makes us loathe and hate evill, Pro. 8.13. & 16.6. causing us to eschew it, as we would any thing we account poisonfull or deadly, Psal. 34. Secondly, it makes us not onelyonly doe good duties, but it makes us worke hard at them; afraid to omit any thing injoyned us, or to have our taske undone when God should call us to a reckoning, Acts 10. 35. Phil. 2.12.

Towards men we expresse this feare of God also divers waies: as,

By what waies we are to expresse this feare of God towards men.1. By a continuall care of innocency, avoiding all courses of injurie, though they might be committed with any colour of right; as oppression, Levit. 25.17. usury, Lev. 25.36.

2. By pity and mercy to Gods creatures indistresse: so Cornelius is said to be a man fearing God, because he gave much almes, Acts 10.12. Iob 6.14.

3. By reverence to Gods image in his creatures, even in the lowest kinde: as by rising up before the hoare head, and honouring the face of the old man, Levit. 19.32. not daring to curse the deafe, or put a stumbling blocke before the blind, Lev. 19.14.

4. By all possible care of the faithfull discharge of the particular callings they are set in, for the good of others, as is required in servants, Col. 3.22. especially, Eph. 6.5. and Magistrates, 2 Sam, 23.3. 2 Cor. 19.6, 7.

5. By a tender and compassionate care to recover such as are spiritually fallen, and to preserve such as are in danger to fall, from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus, 2 Cor. 11.3. Iude 23.

6. By an awefull endeavour to give no offence, neither to them that are without, nor to any of the godly, 1 Cor. 10.3. avoiding all waies of provocation or contention, even in civill life, Psal. 34.12.

Now it must be remembred, that of all those wayes by which feare should p. 601be shewed in our conversation, in this Text those only can be intended which are subject to the observation of others.

The Uses may be, first, to shew how miserably the lives of all sorts of men are faulty in the want of this feare: for hereby it is apparent, that these sorts of men following have not this feare of God in their conversations: as,

1. Such as be masters of opinions,What sorts of men have not Gods feare. and dare boldly and securely obtrude their erroneous conceits and new opinions upon the Church of God, straining their wits, for applause, to goe beyond Gods revealed will, Rom. 12.3.

2. Such as are usually well pleased with themselves and their doings, and are not troubled at their owne insufficiency and infirmities: God cannot abide such as are wise in their owne eyes, Iob 37. ult.

3. Such as live securely in knowne sins, and blesse themselves in their hearts, when their iniquity is found worthy to be hated, Ps. 36.1. Ier. 44.10. Mal. 3.5.

4. Such as goe on in vicious courses, in the abuse of their liberty in things indifferent, notwithstanding the frequent admonitions of godly and grave Divines; and seeme rather willing to forsake their owne mercies, than leave their foolish vanities, Exod. 14.31. Iob 28.28. Pro. 13.13. & 14. 16. & 1, 29 30.

5. Such as take no notice of Gods great judgements which are in the world, and will not declare his workes, Psal. 64.9.

6. Such as are carelesse of prayer, and see not need to seeke unto God, but restraine prayer, Iob 15.4. And so it is of the constant and wilfull omission of all the service of God.

7. By not pitying the a…flicted, Iob 6.14.

I omit to reckon up more particulars, because by the contrary conversation to that which is required in the former rules, men may see that they are farre out of the way. Yet it is the more lamentable, that this conversation with feare is not so usually found even amongst the godly themselves, neither in their awefull reverence of behaviour and continuance in Gods service, nor by their humble, and carefull, and mortified behaviour towards men.

Againe, by the serious consideration of the former explication we may gather, that there are divers feares ought not to be found in our conversations; as the feare of crosses in our callings, or of the reproaches and oppositions of men for well-doing, or a superstitious feare of transgressing where there is no Law but meerely the wills of men; and such as that feare which through unbeliefe is conceived in the hearts of many weake Christians, and doth much oppresse them, and that is the feare of Gods acceptation of their best workes; so judging themselves, as they withall judge of God unrighteously, while they remember not his promises made to his servants, concerning his acceptation of their desires and endeavours.

Lastly, such as have attained to this conversation with feare should much rejoice, and labour to preserve it with all care, because it is a thing which is not only lovely in the sight of God, but is very amiable, and of a winning quality amongst men, as this Text imports.

And thus of this conversation with feare, as it concernes those women as they were Christians. Now there is another kinde of feare which is required of them as they are wives: for so it is expressely charged upon all wives, that they should feare their husbands,Wherein wives shew their fear of their husbands. Eph. 5. ult. And this feare they must shew,

1. By giving reverent terms and titles, as Sarah did to Abraham.

p. 6022. By avoiding all things by wisedome she can ghesse, or by experience she can find to be crosse to the nature or desire of her husband: even striving to avoid what might provoke his very infirmities, giving soft answers when he is angry, and forbearing passion and unquietnesse, even with others, if he be present.

3. By a care to shew all faithfulnesse, diligence, care, and tender respect of him, and his good, in all things in their power and charge. And so it appeareth in the negative, what wives doe not feare their husbands, viz. such as care not to be daily guilty of such faults as crosse, or grieve, or vexe their husbands; such as give them unseemely titles, out of the rudenesse of their familiarity, or the distemper of their passions; such whose feet will not keep their owne house, to attend their callings; such as blaze abroad their husbands infirmities, whereas they should have beene the glory of the man; such as are apt to make the worst constructions of the doubtfull actions of their husbands; and such as are inquisitive, and still desirous to have accounts given them of all their husbands doe.