Godly Fear, Application · Part 1
I. The Oppoſites of this Fear are;
1. Raſhneſs.
2. Audacity.
3. Security.
1. Raſhneſs, Haſtineſs or Headineſs in our way. Fear will make Men conſider. 'Twas good Counſel which the Town-Clerk gave in the Tumult, Acts 19.36. that they did nothing raſhly; Eccleſ. 5.2. Be not raſh with thy Mouth, neither let thy heart be haſty to utter any thing before God. The Apoſtle reckons haſty ones among the dangerous Perſons, 2 Tim. 3.4. Men ſhall be heady, precipites, running headlong on their courſe, acting not upon Counſel, but their ſuddain apprehenſions, or any ſtrong impulſes of their hearts; at all adventures, whether it be right or wrong. Fear will make Men wary, and adviſed what they do.
Chriſtians, if you would walk ſafely, look before you, ſpeak nothing raſhly, do nothing raſhly, weigh your Thoughts and Intentions before you let them paſs into action. How many Evils doth raſhneſs and headineſs run us upon? Thoſe words which in an heat we have let fly, ſome of our haſty Carriages and Actions have ſometimes coſt us many dayes ſorrow and repentance, which had we been cautelous, and a little better adviſed, might have been prevented. Sometimes a ſudden paſſion ariſes, and out it goes in angry and froward words, ſetting all in an uproar and combuſtion; by and by our hearts recur upon us, and then we wiſh, O that I had bit my Tongue, and not given it ſuch an unbridled liberty. Sometimes we break out into raſh cenſures of thoſe that it may be are better than our ſelves; whereupon when we reflect, we are aſhamed that the Fool's Bolt was ſo ſoon ſhot, and wiſh we had been judging our ſelves when we were cenſuring our Brethren. Take heed you miſtake not raſhneſs and headineſs, for Zeal; I would not cool Godly Zeal, there's too little of it in the World. We need the Spur more than the Bridle; the Bellows, nor the Bucket. We may not quench true Zeal, the Lord be merciful to us, there is not ſo much of it to be found; we had more need caſt on Oil than Water upon that Holy Fire; Zeal for Truth, Zeal for Righteouſneſs and Holineſs; how happy were it if there were more ſuch Flames, if all our ſhining were alſo burning Lights? But Zeal muſt be regular; as for the Matter of it, it muſt be alwayes in a good thing, Gal. 4.18. So it muſt be managed with good Counſel and Caution; miſtaken Zeal is a Fire that devours that good that it pretends to promote.
But as you may not run headlong upon that which hath the face of Good, much leſs upon that which is apparently evil. It's dangerous to be heady in the Matters of God, wherein, in caſe we are right, we can never over-do; but much more miſchievous to run headlong upon Sin; Jer. 8.6. Every one turned to his courſe, as the Horſe ruſheth into the Battel, without fear or wit. O the witleſs mad-headed multitude of Sinners in the World, how do they ruſh on upon their wickedneſs? they will neither ask Counſel nor take Counſel, but on they will at a venture, come of it what will.
Stand Sinner and fear, fear and conſider; what is it thou art doing? whither is it thou art running? thou wilt on thy Way, thou wilt after thy Luſts, and after thy Companions; thou wilt after theſe Riches, and theſe Pleaſures, there's no ſtopping thee, nor putting thee to pauſe upon it; thou art all in haſte, and impatient to be adviſed: But yet for all thy haſte, take heed of what comes after, thy Bargain is not like to be ſo good as to require ſuch haſte; haſty Bargains ſeldom want woe. What-ever is done raſhly, ſeldom comes to any other iſſue, but either Repentance or Ruine. Qui ante non cavet, &c. If thou wilt not Fear, thou wilt ſhortly find what 'tis to be thus headſtrong and precipitant.
2. Audacity, or fool-hardineſs, or mad venturouſneſs upon known dangers. This is of kin to raſhneſs, but is not the ſame. It is the other extream to Cowardiſe; the mean betwixt both is Fortitude. The Fear we are now treating of, is not oppoſite to Fortitude as Cowardiſe is; 'tis not from puſillanimity, but from magnanimity that we thus fear. The moſt Heroick Spirits moſt fear to be baſe; Exod. 1.17. Thoſe worthy Midwives feared God, and feared to ſin againſt God, and therefore feared not the Wrath of the King.
And as this Holy Fear doth not argue faintheartedneſs, ſo neither doth that audacity argue fortitude. Is it valour or madneſs for a naked Man to run upon an Army of Enemies? Such Deſperadoes as kick againſt the pricks, and run upon the Pikes of Divine Vengeance, who knowing the Judgment of God againſt them that do ſuch things, will yet run their courſe of In quity, not fearing of Judgments, laughing at Reproofs, Threatnings and Warnings, and deriding thoſe trembling Hearts that dare not run on with them to the ſame exceſs of riot. What gallantry of Spirit do they count themſelves to have arrived unto? Gallantry of Spirit! what to dare the Almighty to his Face? to challenge Death and Hell to meet you in the Field? for the Briars and Thorns to gather themſelves to Battel againſt the devouring Fire? Sure if ever you come to your wits, you will underſtand how mad you have been.
Sinner, dareſt thou continue in thine unbelief and impenitency, when thou knoweſt that he that believeth not, ſhall be damned; he that repenteth not, ſhall periſh for ever? Dareſt thou to walk after thy Luſts, fulfilling the deſires of the Fleſh and of the Mind, when thou knoweſt that they that live after the fleſh, ſhall die? Thou knoweſt what the place and the portion of the Proud, of the Covetous, of the Liars, of the Hypocrites is, and yet dareſt thou continue in the number and the way of theſe Men?
Doſt thou dare to go down quick into the Pit, to take up thy dwelling in everlaſting Darkneſs, and thy lodging in the Eternal Fire? Awaken from this Folly, put away this madneſs from thee; Awake and tremble to think what a deſperate adventure thou haſt hitherto run.
If you ſhould ſee your Children in ſport jumping over a boyling Furnace, dancing on the Battlements of a Tower, or in a frolick, ſtanding on tip-toe on the Weather-cock of a Steeple, how would your Bowels turn, your Bones tremble, and all within you ſhake and ſhiver? And will you yet be more venturous and fool-hardy your ſelves? If ever you come to your ſelves, you will be your own Wonder and Fear.
3. Security, Carnal Security. Security is often taken for Safety. To have our Eſtates, or our Peace, or our Souls ſecured, is the ſame as to have them all in ſafety. Job 11.14, 15. If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, then ſhalt thou be ſecure, becauſe there is hope, and thou ſhalt take thy reſt in ſafety. This Carnal Security is a retchleſneſs or careleſneſs of Heart; to be without ſenſe of our danger, and without ſollicitude for our ſafety. The cares of this Life, and the Pleaſures of the Fleſh, do ſtupifie the Sinners of the Earth; do lay their Souls a-ſleep, and bind up their ſenſes, ſo that they neither fear nor mind what's like to come upon them. This was the caſe of the old World, in the dayes of Noah, Luke 17.27. They did eat, they drank, they married, and were given in marriage, till the day came that Noah entred into the Ark. Their ſenſuality laid them all a-ſleep, and they never dream't of that Flood that came and deſtroyed them all. It is ſaid of the Men of Laiſh, Judges 18.7. They dwelt careleſs, after the manner of the Zidonians, they were quiet and ſecure. They neither feared Enemies, nor made any proviſion againſt them, but left themſelves open to the mercy of any Invader. Secure Sinners lay themſelves open to all manner of miſchiefs; the Tempter may come, the Avenger may come upon them before they are aware; and he that may come will come; The Lord of that Servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in ſunder, and appoint him his portion with Ʋnbelievers, Luke 12.46.
O how ſick is this World of this Lethargick Diſtemper! We cannot ſay, as once 'twas ſaid, Iſa. 33.14. The Sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulneſs hath ſurprized the Hypocrites. Behold the Sinners all aſleep, and who is there among the Hypocrites that fears? But how is it with you Sinners, are you in no danger? Is there no Devil in the World? or is there no fear that he intends to hurt you? Is that Lion that us'd to walk up and down ſeeking whom to devour, is he now confin'd to his Den, ſo that he cannot hurt the Earth any more? Are your Luſts, thoſe Lion's Whelps, grown tame? Do they no longer war in your Members? Doth the World ceaſe to be a temptation and a ſnare, and are you out of danger of that Perdition and Deſtruction, in which it draws its Lovers? Is there no danger of your becoming Proud, or Covetous, or Senſualiſts, lovers of Riches, lovers of Pleaſures more than lovers of God; or is it no harm if you be ſo? Nay what woful Work hath been made upon you already? What inrodes and invaſions have been made, and are not your Souls already taken Captives? Behold that ignorance and folly, that impotence and weakneſs, that enmity and perverſneſs, that malice and envy wherewith your hearts are already filled, and that ſtupidity and ſenſleſneſs under all theſe evils that appear upon you; What doth all this portend? Doth it ſpeak good concerning you? Doth it ſay thus concerning you, theſe Men are in an happy ſtate, there's no fear to Men in ſuch a caſe? no fear of the Covetous, no fear of the Drunkards, and the Lyars, and the Scoffers, they are all happy Men. Conſider Man, whither doth Luſt lead but to Sin, and whither doth Sin lead but to Death and to Hell? Be not miſtaken, that's the Lake, that this whole Herd of Swine, being driven by the Devil, are running headlong into. Friends, this is the very caſe that the World is brought into, it lyeth in Wickedneſs, and runneth upon Vengeance. And yet, behold, all at quiet, all ſecure; no news, nor noiſe, nor fear of danger, but all in peace. Doſt thou not find, Sinner, that none of theſe things move thee, or put thee to any trouble or care. And is this ſleepy Evil, the Diſeaſe only of the World? Are there none to be found, in the Churches of God, ſick of the ſame Diſeaſe? Is there that watchfulneſs, that jealouſie that ſhould be upon thoſe that profeſs themſelves Chriſtians, and to have eſcaped the pollutions of the World, through the knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt? Do theſe Virgins alwayes ſtand with their Loins girded, and their Lights burning? Do not [our] Souls alſo lie open to the temptation? is not our foot often taken in the ſnare? What means the dimneſs of our Light, the damp that is upon our Love, the ſpots upon our Faces, the clouds that we ſometimes find upon all our Comforts? What means our poverty and leanneſs, our frequent decayes and backſliding? How hath this World crowded in with ſo much of its Cares and Luſts, and hath ſeated it ſelf ſo near the Throne of God? Are there no worldly Profeſſors, no covetous, greedy Profeſſors? Is it a ſign thou haſt ſtood upon thy Guard, that there are ſo many Thorns ſprung up, ſo many Thieves ſtollen in before thou wert aware? Doſt thou not ſee how thou art ſurprized daily, and met with at every turn? Doſt thou not often confeſs this to the Lord, and complain againſt thy ſelf, what an uneven, unſtable Soul thou art, and how many, and how great thy Falls and Corruptions are? and haſt thou not ſtill abundant matter of the ſame Complaints to make? Who would think 'twere poſſible, that ſuch a ſoul ſhould yet be ſecure and careleſs? Haſt thou catch'd ſo many a Fall for want of fear of falling, how then canſt thou but Fear? And yet after all this, after this ſinning and falling, and confeſſing, and complaining, how quickly is all forgotten, and about the World again we go to our Buſineſſes, to our Recreations, to this Company, to that, any whither, whither our Hearts or Occaſions lead us, leaving our ſelves as open to every Temptation that meets us, as if we had never ſuffered by it?
This Evil, as 'tis a common, ſo it is a dreadful Evil; there's a Woe denounced againſt it, Amos 6.1. Wo to them that are at eaſe in Zion. [To them that are at eaſe] that is, to th m that are ſecure, as you have it in the Margin [In Zion] in the Church of God. Woe to the ſecure Iſraelites, to ſecure Profeſſors; there's no Priviledg, there's no Profeſſion that will ſecure the Secure from the Woe and Wrath of God.
'Tis a wretched thing to behold a ſecure Worldling, ſecure Aliens and Strangers from God, who know not the Judgments of God; but to ſee a company of ſecure Iſraelites, of ſecure Chriſtians, to whom it hath been ſaid, Awaken thou that ſleepeſt, ſtand up from the Dead, ſave thy ſelf from that miſery that is coming upon the World; this is indeed a woful and a wonderful thing. Thou that haſt been warned ſo often, that haſt been preached to, and prayed over, and haſt been as a Brand pull'd out of the Burning, and yet no more to dread the Fire; thou that haſt taſted of the bitterneſs of Sin, and felt the ſmart of it, and haſt had thine Eyes opened to ſee what it is preparing for thee; thou that canſt talk, ſometimes of tenderneſs, of watchfulneſs, of care and heedfulneſs, and of the conſtant neceſſity thereof; art thou a ſecure careleſs Soul? Wo be unto thee.
Verſ. 3. We have a particular Inſtance of one piece of this Security, [that put far away the evil day] which becauſe it hath an influence upon the maintaining of this whole Diſeaſe; I ſhall enlarge a little upon it.
By the Evil Day, underſtand the day of retribution or recompence; whether it be the day of tribulation in this World, or the day of Death and of Judgment.
There is a double putting this evil day afar off. There is a putting it,
1. Far from our Reins.
2. Far from our Loyns.
1. Far from our Reins; That is, from our Thoughts and Conſideration; as Jer. 12.2. Thou art near in their Mouth, and far from their Reins. Thou art much ſpoken of, but little thought on. Thus Men put the Evil Day far off, when they do not think of ſuch a day; it's out of ſight and out of mind with them; 'tis the leaſt of all their Thoughts, that there is an evil day coming. The thoughts of ſuch a day, would have the ſame effect, as that cry that was made at the coming of the Bridegroom, Matth. 25.6. At midnight there was a Cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; and this cry turn'd Midnight into Morning; all the Sleepers awakned, and aroſe, and trimmed their Lamps.
How is it Friends that there is not ſuch a Cry made every Day and every Night? How is it that your Hearts do not ſtill cry in your Ears, The Day of the Lord is near, the Judg is at the Door, the Avenger is at the Heels, Behold the Bridegroom cometh? O this ſeldom enters into our Hearts, this Day of the Lord is far from our Reins.
If the Evil Day were kept nearer us, 'twould make Evil Works keep farther off. If when Men are jolly, and merry, and mad after their Luſts, and drunken into a dead ſleep in their Sins; If whilſt others are idle and ſlothful, are retchleſs and ſupine in their Spirits and Ways, laying by all care and circumſpection over themſelves, giving themſelves up to the heedleſneſs of their ſluggiſh hearts; and hereby led out into thoſe ſins & vanities which are the Fruits of ſuch Security, if ſuch Thoughts ſhould ariſe in their Minds, and ſit cloſe upon their Hearts; How ſhall I anſwer for this in the Day of the Lord? Is not the Day of the Lord coming? Is it not near? May not the very next day be the Evil Day? And if it ſhould prove to be ſo indeed, what a caſe am I in if my Judg ſhould find me thus? How would ſuch Thoughts ſcatter away Iniquity, and ſcare ſuch drowſie Souls out of all their eaſe and ſlothfulneſs?
Friend conſider, thou knoweſt what a life 'tis thou ordinarily liveſt; Art not thou one of thoſe that art at eaſe in Zion? art not thou the Man that dwelleſt careleſs, that art quiet and ſecure? haſt not thou left thy Soul, like that City that hath neither Gates nor Bars? is not that heart of thine left open Night and Day? let the Tempter come when he will, he may find eaſie entrance? Is not thine heart open to Temptations, yea, and open to Wrath and Vengeance? Wouldſt thou be content the Day of the Lord ſhould find thee thus? Art thou ſure but that Day may find thee thus? Would not ſuch a Voice from Heaven, Thy Day is come, ſtrike thee into horror and amazement, and ſtrike through thy eaſie lazie Soul, as a Dart through thy Liver? O why wilt thou not try, what ſome thoughts of that Day might do, whether it would not perſwade thee to a wiſer courſe, and put thee into a better caſe, againſt it comes indeed?
It is a ſtrange thing that it ſhould be poſſible for Sinners, (that believe the Scriptures) not to think of a day of recompence. Haſt thou not heard? doſt thou not read, that the Wages of Sin is Death? doſt thou not know that every working day muſt have its pay-day? Canſt thou be Sowing daily, and never think of Reaping? And haſt thou not learned, That as thy Sowing is, ſuch muſt thy Reaping be? that an evil Seed-time, will bring forth an evil Harveſt? Canſt thou be Sowing Tares, and either not think of Reaping at all, or think of Reaping Wheat? Is this all the wit thou haſt? Be not deceived, as Men Sow ſo ſhall they alſo Reap; he that Soweth to the Fleſh, ſhall Reap Corruption; he that Soweth to the Spirit, ſhall Reap Life Everlaſting, Gal. 6.7, 8. Know it in time, and throughout thy Sowing, think of thy Reaping-Day.
2. Men put the Evil Day far from their Loyns. That is, though they do think of the Judgments of God, and as ſuch, as both may overtake them, and if they fall, will fall heavy upon them, and grind them to Pouder; yet they count 'twill be a great while firſt, there may be time enough to prevent them, or at leaſt the diſtance they apprehend of them, from them, makes them the leſs to be feared or regarded; Eccleſ. 1.8. Becauſe Sentence againſt an evil work, is not executed ſpecdily, therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully ſet in them to do evil. Becauſe Judgment is ſo long a-coming, therefore they grow bold in their Sin, as if 'twould never come. Not till after a long time, is almoſt the ſame with them, as never at all. As if becauſe the Bench and the Gibbet, ſtand not both together, becauſe the Sin and its Sentence, the Sentence and its Execution are not on the ſame day, therefore there will be no Sentence, no Execution; as if becauſe it's Sun-ſhine to day, there were no fear of a Storm for many dayes after.
The Thoughts of Sinners, are like thoſe words of Rebellious Iſrael, Ezek. 12.27. The Viſion that he ſeeth is for many dayes to come, and he Propheſieth of the Times that are far off. Thoſe Scoffers who walk after their own Luſts, 2 Pet. 3.4. demand, in deriſion, Where is the Promiſe of his coming? Where is the Promiſe, that is, where is the Threatning of his coming? The ſame word that is a Promiſe to the Saints, is often a Threatning to Sinners. Where is the Threatning of his coming? There hath been much Preaching and Talking of the Day of the Lord, of a Black Day that's coming to pay all our Scores; this hath been foretold a long time agone, even in the dayes of our Fore-fathers, who are yet gone to their Graves in peace; and behold to this day, after the revolution of ſo many Ages, we ſee no ſign of it, but all things are ſtill as they were, and Men may ſin at as cheap rates now as they did then. Thoſe Rebel Jews, Iſa 5.19. That drew Iniquity with Cords of Vanity, and Sin as it were with Cart-ropes, are ſo bold as to ſay, Let the Day of the Lord come, let it haſten that we may ſee it; let the Counſel of the Holy One of Iſrael draw nigh that we may know it. Such Infidels were theſe Rebels become, that they made the Threatnings of the Lord a meer Mock, or a Dream, or a lying Viſion, that would never come to paſs.
But even among thoſe that do believe that there is ſuch a day a-coming, wherein the Lord will confirm the Word of his Servants, and perform the Counſel of his Meſſengers; even amongſt them there are who ſay, Yet the Lord may delay his coming; I may have time enough to repent before it comes; not conſidering that though to day it be ſaid, [Time enough], yet to morrow the word may be [Too late, too late], though now the word be [My Lord delayeth his coming], the next word may be [He is come], the Day of the Lord is come, and I muſt no longer eſcape. O my fooliſh Soul, thou thoughteſt ſuch a day might come, but didſt thou think it ſo near? Wo, wo, unto me, the Day of Vengeance is come, in a day that I thought not of, in an hour that I was not aware, He is come, he is come, to cut me in ſunder, and to give me my Portion with Hypocrites. It is fallen unto me, as to ſome Women with Child, my Time is come before my Reckoning was out.
Friends, Is there nothing of this kind of Security alſo to be found, even among thoſe that take themſelves to be wiſer than this Bedlam-World? How is it with many Profeſſors of Religion? Do we live in hourly expectation of the Day of Retribution? Are we ſo vigilant, and ſo circumſpect in our daily courſe, as Men that do believe that the Day of the Lord is at hand? How didſt thou live yeſterday? didſt thou carry it ſo as if that ſhould have been thy laſt day? How doſt thou behave thy ſelf to day? Doſt thou now carry it ſo, as if thou expectedſt to hear, This night ſhall thy Soul be taken away? Doſt thou hear daily, as if thou wert hearing thy laſt Sermon? Doſt thou pray daily, as if thou wert making thy laſt Prayer? Doſt thou not ſleep daily, and ſin daily, as a Man that preſumeth on many dayes to come? Doſt thou never venture on a little ſin, or on remiſneſs in thy Duty with this thought, it will but be repenting of it after? Wouldſt thou dare to do what ſometimes thou doſt, wouldſt thou dare to neglect what ſometimes thou doſt neglect, wert thou ſure there would be no time for repentance? Wouldſt thou be ſo proud as thou art, or ſo covetous as thou art, or ſo vain or ſo ſlothful as thou art, if thou didſt not count upon more day before thee? Dareſt thou never lie down one night in an unrepented Sin, for fear of what may be before the morning? O what Holy-Dayes, what Sabbath-Dayes would every day be, did we but daily think this may be my Judgment Day!] But doſt thou uſe to think ſo? Thou haſt thy fleſhly deſigns already laid for to morrow, and next day, and next year; to morrow thou ſayeſt, thou wilt go to ſuch a City, to buy, and to ſell, and to get gain; next day to ſuch a Fair, next day to ſuch a Feaſt, to make merry with thy Friends; and there thou goeſt, and eateſt, and drinkeſt, and tradeſt, and ſo thou meaneſt to go on from Year to Year; and all this, it may be, without ſuch a thought [if the Lord will], or [what if I ſhould not live till to morrow]. Doſt thou go up and down with thy Reckoning in thy Boſom? Is thine Account made ready? and doſt thou carry it upon thine Heart where-ever thou goeſt? Doſt thou charge it upon thy ſelf to do nothing, but what thou wouldſt be found doing? To go no whither, but where thou wouldſt that thy Lord at his coming ſhould find thee? Doſt thou uſe to ſay to thy ſelf, I would be loath to be found among the ſluggiſh and ſlothful Servants, among the Hypocrites and deceitful workers, among the looſe and prophane ones; and therefore take heed, O my Soul, how thou be of that number, or Companion with them. How can I be ſure, but if I venture to lie, or play the ſluggard or the hypocrite, but I may be found ſo doing? How can I be ſure, if I venture to have fellowſhip with the Ungodly, but I may be found among them? Thou wilt ſay, it may be, 'Tis poſſible I may be found there, but 'tis not likely I ſhall, I hope I ſhall not, and ſo for once thou wilt venture it. Why this is thy Security, thou art one of them who put the evil day from them.
Well now theſe are the Oppoſites of this Fear, Raſhneſs, Audacity, and Security.