Godly Fear, Title page – Errata
Godly-Fear: OR, THE Nature and Neceſſity of FEAR, And its Uſefulneſs.
BOTH To the Driving Sinners to Chriſt, AND To the Provoking Chriſtians on in a Godly Life, through the ſeveral Parts and Duties of it, till they come to Bleſſedneſs.
By R. A. Author of Vindiciae Pietatis.
Heb. 12.28.
Let us have Grace, whereby we may ſerve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear.
LONDON, Printed for Samuel Sprint and Brabazon Aylmer, at the Bell in Little-Brittain; and at the three Pigeons in Cornhil, 1674.
To the Reader.
READER,
THe following Sermons, thô ſet together into one Treatiſe, were preached upon divers. Texts of Scripture; and therefore thou wilt the better bear it, if thou find not that exactneſs of Method, nor that evenneſs of Stile which thou doſt expect. All the Parts of it concenter in the ſame Deſign, thô ſome of them ſeem a little more remote from it. Such as it is, the Whole is offered thee for thy Uſe; accompanied with the Author's Prayers for a Bleſſing from Heaven upon it and thee.
Thine in Chriſt, R. A.
The Contents.
THe Text opened, Page 1
The Doctrine Propounded. Page 3
The Doctrine Expounded in two particulars, viz.
1. What that Fear is to which Bleſſedneſs is pronounced, and what there is in it. ibid.
1. It hath Ʋnderſtanding in it. Page 6
2. It hath Faith. Page 9
3. It hath Love. Page 11
4. Averſation from Evil. Page 13
5. It hath Foreſight. Page 14
6. It hath Forecaſt. Page 17
2. What that Bleſſedneſs is that is pronounced to this Fear. Page 24
The Man that feareth ſhall have
Sufficiency. Page 25
Security. Page 26
Uſe. Of Information, Exhortation, and Direction. For the carrying on whereof,
Ʋnderſtand,
I. The Oppoſites of this Fear; theſe are
1. Raſhneſs. Page 32
2. Audacity. Page 35
3. Security. Page 36
Amos 6.1.3. Wo be to them that are at eaſe in Zion, - that put far away the Evil Day, opened at large. Page 40
II. The Grounds or Reaſons why Men Fear not. Theſe are, their
1. Ignorance. Page 47
2. Ʋnbelief. Page 50
3. Preſumption. Page 53
A two-fold Preſumption;
1. Of the goodneſs of Mens preſent ſtate. ibid.
2. Of the happineſs of their future ſtate, what-ever their preſent ſtate be. Page 76
III. The Grounds or Reaſons why we ſhould Fear. Page 84
Theſe are,
1. Becauſe of our Ignorance. ibid.
2. Becauſe of the deceitfulneſs of our hearts. Page 92
3. Becauſe of the weight and importance of the Work we have upon our hands. Page 109
4. Becauſe of the great Treaſure we carry with us, whereof we are in danger of being rob'd and ſpoiled. Page 127
IV. What things we ſhould eſpecially Fear. Page 133
Theſe are,
1. Our Delilah's, or our Beloved Sins. ibid.
How the Beloved Sin may be known. Page 134
2. Our Jezebel's, or our painted Sins. Page 138
3. Our Iſaac's, or every Beloved Creature. Page 140
4. The Croſs or Affliction. Page 146
1. How the Croſs is not to be feared. Page 147
1. Not out of tenderneſs to the Fleſh. ibid.
2. Not out of faintneſs of Spirit. Page 151
Some Cordials to preſerve from fainting. Page 152
2. In what reſpects the Croſs is to be feared. Page 156
1. Fear a ſurpriſal by the Croſs. ibid.
2. Fear the Temptations of the Croſs. Page 158
5. The Curſe or Everlaſting Damnation. Page 159
The Fear of the Curſe will
1. Quicken our Fear of Sin. Page 164
2. Quench our ſinful Fear of the Croſs. Page 169
The Fear of the Curſe preſs'd in particular upon Ʋnconverted Sinners. Page 171
By ſhewing,
1. What the Curſe is. ibid.
2. That Ʋnconverted Sinners are at preſent under the Curſe. Page 177
3. That there is great hazard that they may never eſcape it. Page 178
V. How we ſhould improve this Fear. Page 193
Anſwered in three Directions.
Direct. 1. Fear and Search. ibid.
Search,
1. What good thing there is in you, whether there be ſincerity in your Hearts towards God. Page 196
1. How by ſearching to work to this Fear. Page 200
Five Conſiderations to make afraid. Page 201
1. There are preparations for Grace, which are not Grace. ibid.
2. There are Images of Grace, which are not Grace. Page 208
3. There are ſome properties of gracious Perſons, which are no certain Evidences of Grace. Page 209
4. There is no one Grace, which is really ſo, which will put us out of doubt. Page 212
5. What-ever you have ſhort of Saving-Grace, it may go back, and you may be reduced to a worſe State than ever you were in before. Page 213
Objection againſt putting Chriſtians in Fear anſwered. Page 218
2. How this Fear will work towards a farther ſearch. Page 221
Three infallible Marks of Sincerity, to ſettle the fearing Soul.
1. A reſolved choice of God for our Portion and Happineſs. Page 257
Five Marks to prove the ſincerity of our chuſing God. Page 260
2. An actual embracing of Chriſt, as he that ſhall bring us to God. Page 272
The ſincerity of our cloſe with Chriſt evidenced by our hearty conſent to him. Diſcovered;
1. By our approbation of him and his way of Salvation. Page 273
2. By our acceptation of him. Page 275
3. By our dedication of our ſelves to him. Page 276
3. A giving up our ſelves to the practice of a Godly Life; endeavouring to follow God in Holineſs, without
1. Allowing our ſelves in any known ſin. Page 281
2. Allowing our ſelves in the neglect of any known duty. Page 283
2. Search what evils there are found in you. Page 292
Direct. 2. Fear and beware, Page 297
1. Fear and hide. ibid.
1. What we are to hide.
1. Our Sins. ibid.
2. Our Souls. Page 303
2. Where we are to hide, viz. in Chriſt. Page 304
3. How we may hide our ſelves in Chriſt. ibid.
2. Fear and flee. Page 309
1. Flee out of a ſtate of Sin. Page 310
2. Flee all ſinful practices. Page 315
Direct. 3. Fear and follow after. Page 305
Applyed,
1. To Ʋnbelievers; to whom the general Direction is, Follow after True and Saving-Grace, in fear of falling ſhort of it. Page 306
Two particular Directions. ibid.
2. To Believers; to them the general Direction is, Follow on towards Perfection, in fear of falling back from, or walking unworthy of that Grace wherein you ſtand. Page 313
Particular Directions.
1. Follow on the Work of Mortification in Fear, leſt whatſoever Wound Sin hath received, it ſhould recover and get head again. Page 314
2. Nurſe up the Grace that is in you, and let it have its perfect Work, in Fear of receiving the Grace of God in vain. Page 343
That you may not receive the Grace of God in vain, but may grow up to fruitfulneſs therein; Follow after,
1. Power. Page 352
2. Activity. Page 354
3. Severity. Page 356
4. Simplicity. Page 365
5. Ingenuity. Page 370
6. Spirituality. Page 372
7. Pleaſure. Page 376
ERRATA.
There are ſome Literal and Verbal Miſtakes, and ſome miſ-pointings, which by reaſon of the Author's abſence, the Reader is deſired to correct with his Pen. Beſides theſe,
P. 343. at the beginning of l. 26. add the Figure (2). But the chief faults are in the paging, viz. After p. 224. inſtead of 225. is 257. and after p. 320. is p. 305. and after p. 320 again is 337. But in the Book it ſelf there is not any thing out of its proper place, but all comes in in its order, the only error herein being in the Figures of the Pages.