A Good Day Well Improved, Sermon 4
Walking in the fear of the Lord, &c.
VVHichWhich words have a double aſpect, and 4. Sermon preached in Pauls, April. 1655.look either
1. To the peace they had, as the happy fruit of it: having reſt they walked in the fear of the Lord, &c.
2. Or to their edification and multiplication, as the cauſe or means of them; ſo as the whole verſe may be thus expreſſed, Having peace they upon it walked in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Ghoſt, and thereupon it came to paſſe that they were edified and multiplied: which double reſpect that theſe words bear as coming between their peace and their edification and multiplication, as the effect of the one, and the cauſe or means of the other, in the handling of them will hold out unto us,
1. Our duty, viz. that upon our injoying of peace and reſt, we then eſpecially (then if ever, then more then ever) ſhould labour to walk in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Ghoſt.
2. An effectual argument to inforce it, becauſe thus doing will be the moſt effectual way and means to have the Churches of Chriſt edified and multiplyed.
I begin with the duty, and firſt with the firſt part of it, in thoſe words, walking in the fear of the Lord; and the Note thence is this.
That when God vouchſafeth to Doct. his Churches reſt and peace, it is their duty then eſpecially to walk in his fear.
And here I ſhall not need by way of explication to hint, that
1. By walking is meant their diligent and conſtant practiſe and courſe of life.
2. And by Gods fear,
Primarily and moſt properly is meant that ſanctified affection or ſanctifying grace, both in the habit and act of it, whereby out of a filial and ingenuous awfulneſs, we are afraid to offend God by ſinning againſt him.
And Tropically the whole Eccleſ. 12. 13. Deut. 6. 2. 13. See Cartwright on Prov. 1. 7.worſhip and ſervice of God, of which this fear as it is one great and eſpecial part, ſo alſo it awfully commandeth and putteth us upon all the reſt, and withholds us from the contrary.
So that this their walking in the fear of the Lord, was their diligent and conſtant courſe of obedience and ſervice, out of an awfull and reverential reſpect to him, and an ingenuous and filial fear to offend him. This was their practiſe when God had given them reſt, and it is the duty incumbent now on us, when the like mercy is vouchſafed to us: viz. now upon conſideration of it to Heb. 12. 28.ſerve him with reverence and godly fear: indeed it muſt be without unbeleeving and ſlaviſh fear of man, Luke 1. 74. but with as much, nay with more Reverential fear of God then ever; for although perfect love caſteth out fear, 1 John 4. 18. yet in true filial fear there is as much, nay more love then fear, and ſo, they who are ſaid to fear God, Pſal. 145. 19. are in the 20th verſe immediately following ſtyled ſuch as love him. To have fear and joy meet is a riddle to a carnal heart, yet to rejoyce with Pſal. 2. 11.trembling, is a peece of the myſtery of godlineſs, which Grace teacheth and a godly heart is acquainted with. And eſpecially upon the receipt of any greater mercy, as at the Reſurrection of our Saviour, it is ſaid of the two Maries, that they departed from the Sepulchre with fear and great joy. Matth. 28. 8. So in any other kinde of Reſurrection, wherein God pleaſeth to raiſe us (as it were) from the grave, ſuch a ſweet mixture of thoſe ſeemingly contrary graces ſhould be felt in our hearts, and expreſſed in our carriages; ſo as at the ſame time to rejoyce in his goodneſs, Nehe. 9. 25. & yet to fear him and his goodneſs, Hoſ. 3. 5. Slaviſh ſpirits may fear his greatneſs, but a good heart will fear him for his goodneſs, will fear when inlarged, Iſa. 60. 5. and with ſuch a Syſtole and Diaſtole doth it breathe and live.
This being a great part of that Tribute which our Soveraign Lord requireth for all his bounty and bleſſings; And now Iſrael what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God &c. Deut. 10. 12. and which a ſoul truly ſubjected to Chriſt doth moſt freely pay, from mercy takes an argument of fear, There is forgiveneſs with thee, that thou mayeſt be feared, Pſal. 130. 4. it ſaith, Let us fear the Lord who giveth unto us rain, and reſerveth to us the appointed weeks of the harveſt, Jer. 5. 24. fear's him for plenty, and fear's him for peace, as in a peaceable Solomons reign, when the mountains ſhall bring peace to the people, Pſal. 72. 3. and ſo you might think to find them moſt ſecure, it is added, that they ſhall fear him as long as the Sun and Moon indure, v. 5. the leſs that in their peace they fear their enemies, the more they fear their peaceable King. That in Solomon as a type, fore-propheſied what ſhould be under the more peaceable government of Jeſus Chriſt: and in this Text that prophecy was fulfilled, for when theſe his beſt ſubjects had reſt and were ſtill, even then they trembled, walking in the fear of the Lord.
But you will ſay, Is fear conſiſtent Queſt. with the ſecurity of peace? or rather is it not an aguiſh diſtemper to ſtand quaking and trembling in the Summers warm Sunſhine? The Pſalmiſt ſaith when the Sea-man when he Pſal. 107. 27.is toſſed and reeleth to and fro, and ſtaggers in a tempeſt, is like a drunken man, but is it not right out drunkenneſs, or rather madneſs to do ſo in a calme, and when gotten on the ſhoare?
To which I anſwer; It is ſo Anſw. indeed, to do ſo out of a ſlaviſh or unbelieving diſtraction or deſpondency, which yet the beſt of Gods ſervants are ſometimes overtaken with, yea and that ſometimes when both for inward and outward man, they have all cauſe of joy, and an holy confidence and ſecurity.
But (as the Schoole obſerveth) Biel.there is a double act of a chaſt and filial fear.
1. One when we avoid ſin for fear of offending God, and ſo of being in any meaſure ſeparated or eſtranged from him, and thereby of loſing of any either meaſure or manifeſtation of that good which we injoy through communion with him. And thus Auſtin Tractat. in Johan.defineth fear to be Fuga animi ne perdat quod diligit.
2. The other is an awfull Reverence of God, not as to any fear in us of our loſs of him, but onelyonly as in himſelf he is the moſt perfect and abſolute good, and ſo moſt worthy of all humble obſervance.
The firſt of theſe they truly ſay is only here in via, whileſt we are here travellers in our way becauſe when we come to our journies end, and confirmed in glory, there will be no danger, and therefore no fear of any ſuch offence, and loſs and disjunction. But the latter abideth, yea is perfected in heaven, and ſo is both of in via and in Patria. I am ſure both of them are (or at leaſt ſhould be) found in us whileſt we are here in the way, and that not only in the fouleſt, but even in the faireſt plat of it, where we ſhould not onelyonly be afraid of Gods judgements, Pſal. 119. 120. but alſo of his tendereſt mercies, not only in the time of our danger and trouble, but of our greateſt reſt and ſecurity: even then we ſhould walk in the fear of the Lord, and that upon a twofold ground, anſwerable to that forementioned double act of this godly fear.
1. In the time of our reſt and peace we have great need to put forth the firſt A…t of it in taking heed of offending God, and ſo of being eſtranged from him, becauſe Then we are in the greateſt danger of it.
2. And as great cauſe we have Then alſo to put forth that ſecond Act of a Reverential obſervance of him as the greateſt and chiefeſt good, as having then ſtrongeſt ingagements layd upon us, and we thereby being put upon the ſtrongeſt trial of our filial awfull ingenuity.
Firſt in time of peace, we have need to walk, and to go armed with Gods fear, not onelyonly becauſe of fear in the night, but alſo by reaſon of the danger of the brighteſt day of proſperity and peace; and that danger is double, both outward and inward.
1. Outward; for in that ſenſe we have ſomething to loſe, and are not out of all danger of loſing it. It is true, that through Go…s mercy▪ with theſe Churches in the Text, we have attained to ſome meaſure of reſt from ſome of our former troubles which we conflicted with in the height and heat of our former wars; but yet Fortunam reverenter habe, me thinks may yet be to us a good Memento. For as for your City, the very ſad fires which have ſo frequently broken out of late, may warn you that all the ſparks of Gods diſpleaſure are not quite extinguiſhed, and me thinks call loud upon you in way of publick humiliation, with Iſrael, to meet together, and draw water and poure it out before the Lord in prayers and tears, which will be more effectual then all your Engines to quench ſuch skarefires. And for the whole land, were we more ſetled then we are, we are not as yet arrived at that everlaſting reſt, which ſhall Heb. 4. 9.never be diſturbed or interrupted.
And beſides, our preſent peace is but very tender, and in a crazy condition.
At beſt, whileſt we are here in this lower Region, clouds may Eccleſ. ….return after rain, one miſery and miſchief after another; yea after the brighteſt Sunſhine.
A lightſome and calm day may and in a gloomy and ſtormy evening, Iſa. 21. 12.
Yea our Sun may go down at Noon, Amos, 8. 9. when we think it's gotten up to its full height.
Nay in the morning, Jer. 20. 16. when it's now but newly up; for at that time of the day, God rained down fire and brimſtone on Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 19. 23, 24. And all this may be the more poſſible, if not probable: Becauſe,
1. So unſtable and inconſtant are mens mindes, and all our beſt outward injoyments, a very ſhadow, Pſal. 39. 6. 1 Cor. 7. 31.a Scheme, a vain ſhow that paſſeth away, like the Sea which although (it may be) calm now, yet may ſuddenly prove boiſterous and tempeſtuous as ſoon as it ſhal be again blown upon. But I ſhall not here inlarge on this Argument.
2. So provoking may our ſins prove, that as they diſquiet God, ſo they may eaſily diſturb and diſcompoſe our peace, when we may think it beſt ſettled. Hic Davus perturbat omnia, as it is well obſerved Quo tempore maximè florueere Tribus decem, eodem Hoſeas praedicat horum internecionem Anonymi Annotat. in v. T. Cantabrig.by one upon Hoſ. 1. 1. that in the time of Jeroboam the ſecond when Iſrael or the ten Tribes were then in the moſt flouriſhing outward condition, even then for His and Their ſins, the Lord, by that his Prophet, threatens their utter deſtruction: That firſt verſe telleth you that he propheſied in his dayes, and how ſad and heavy that Propheſie was, you may read in the ſequel of it, and yet how outwardly proſperous for the preſent he and his times were, their ſtory will inform you, 2 Kin. 14. 23. ad finem. And ſhall we (as the Scriptures phraſe is) forſake Iob 6. 14.the fear of the Lord? Upon it, the Lord may yet ſo forſake us, that our awleſſe, fearleſſe miſcarriages may produce moſt fearful miſcarriages in our greateſt concernments.
3. And this the rather, becauſe God is wont to be very obſervant how we intertain newly vouchſafed or reſtored mercies, and then proveth more than ordinarily ſevere in puniſhing our unworthy and unthankful receiving or abuſe of them. Partly the better to remember us of our former ſins, which before deprived us of them.
And partly to make us the more wary for the future, that we do not in the like kinde abuſe them.
Inſtances of which we have in his dreadfull proceeding againſt Achan, at Iſraels firſt entrance Ioſh 7.into Canaan,
Againſt the Bethſhemites, at the 1 Sam. 6. 19.return of the Ark.
And againſt Ananias and Saphira in the firſt preaching of the Act. 51. to 12.Goſpel.
The Lord in mercy grant, that it may not be exemplified in us upon our unworthy returns for mercies newly either vouchſafed or reſtored to us. However for the preſent it may be with us, yet let us not ſay with Agag, that the bitterneſſe of death is paſt, and then take heart the more bitterly 1 Sam. 15. 32.to provoke God: for the bittereſt of the cup may yet be behind in the bottom. And therefore let the man that is now recovering out of a ſickneſſe, look well to himſelf, that he fall not into a relapſe, and ſo quite overthrow himſelf, which in that crazy condition of his is ſoon done: whileſt we ſtand, let us not be high minded, but fear; Rom. 11. 20.even when we reſt in peace, let us walk in fear and trembling, in our greateſt ſecurity let us fear God; for even then we lye at his mercy. Outward and temporall danger then may be great.
But inward and ſpirituall is then eſpecially far greater, and therefore calleth for our more watchfull fear and circumſpection: Becauſe if we ſhall be then ſo diſingenuous, and ingratefull as to provoke God by our ſins, our danger, becauſe Gods indignation, will be very great.
And yet (which is our both ſin and miſery) then we are moſt ſubject to do ſo, then as much, nay more then ever, to forget both our ſelves and him, and ſo by our ſins moſt bitterly to provoke him. As the man after a vein opened, at the turning of the blood is moſt ſubject to ſink down into a ſwoon, ſo we into ſin upon the return and our injoyment of a loſt mercy. The thorny ground is choaked with riches and pleaſures, which could not with the ſtony ground be beaten off by perſecutions; and therefore our Saviours laſt and Mat. 4.greateſt temptation was with the glory of the world; and Joſeph Gen. 39.was moſt put to it by the charmes of fleſhly allurements, who as to impriſonments and all other miſeries was impregnable.
When peace and plenty is reſtored and continued, God doth, and we may know how prone we are to grow
Looſe upon liberty When the priſon door is ſet open, and we got out of the deep miry lane, between the incloſures of the thorn hedges (which kept us from ſtarting out) into the open Common; how apt are we to run out of the way, and ſo to loſe our God, and our ſelves together? Job feared it Job 1. 5.in his children, leſt in their feaſts they ſhould blaſpheme God: and Agur feared it in himſelf, leſt in Prov. 30. 9his plenty he ſhould deny him: Rehoboam as ſoon as ever he felt his own legg…, and could ſtand on them, forſook God, as it's remarkably expreſſed, 2 Chron. 12. 1. and even Hezekiah himſelf did not make ſuch a return as might have well beſeemed him, 2 Chron. 32 25.
More particularly, how ſubject are we in time of peace to grow
1. Secure and careleſſe, when we are now about taking our reſt to fall a ſleep, when we are (as we think) without danger, then to be without both fear and care, as they of Laiſh, Judg. 18. 7. Babylon, Iſa. 47. 8. and Nineveh, Zeph. 2. 25. in their peace and proſperity are all of them ſaid to dwell careleſly; Feaſting without fear, Jude v. 12. otherwiſe then we heard Job did. Becauſe they have not changes, therefore they fear not God, Pſal. 55. 19. Yet they fear not God, ſo we have it in the Margin, which implyeth their Duty, that then they ſhould moſt of all have feared God. But our tranſlators read it, Therefore they feared not God, which ſheweth their pract…ſe, and I wiſh it did not ours. Our peace makes us ſecure.
2. Worldly: as the man recovering from a ſickneſſe often groweth greedy, ſo the returned Jews, when at quiet in their own houſes ſo wholely minded them, that they neglected Gods; which is notoriouſly our ſin for the preſent, now that we are a little thruſt out of the ſtorm at ſea into the haven, we are ſo earneſt to make our own markets, that God and Religion, (and I wiſh none elſe) are very great loſers.
3. Nay proud and petulant, in our carriage towards men, yea and God too. This Nehemiah in his prayer complaineth of, that after they had reſt, they did evill; Neh 9. 28.and Moſes before makes it his complaint of the ſame people, that even Jeſhurun (which ſignifieth Deut. 32. 15.an upright people) when waxed fat, kicked, alluding in the ſenſe, and ſome think in the very word to foreign, an unbroken wanton Bullock, which the more fed, proves the more petulant; of the Seamans Religion, who proves more boiſterous Not as they Jona. 1. 15, 16.and outragious when got aſhore, then the ſea it ſelf was before in the tempeſt.
In generall, we are not wont to be the ſame men in peace and proſperity, that we were in our trouble and perplexity: Like Aeneas Sylvius when choſen Pope was called Pius 2. who before he was made Pope was very ſtrong and earneſt for the Councels authority and preheminency over the Pope, but when Pope once, he was as much againſt it, which gave ſome occaſion to ſay that Pius negavit, quod Aeneas probaverat. It is too often the ſin of better men, when God remembreth them, then moſt of all to forget him and themſelves; and this not from any defect in God, or his gift, but onelyonly from our abuſe of it: as Ambroſe ſaith, it is to be referred, non ad imprudentiam largientis, De Paradiſe, cap. 7.ſed ad malè utentis errorem. And therefore then in an eſpeciall manner we have need of this holy fear of God to ballaſt our vain light hearts, that they overſet not.
And if Fear in the generall nature of it be mali probabiliter futuri, as Biel conceiveth, or impendentis, as Tully expreſſeth it, foreign, as Ariſtotle defineth it, then according Rhetor. lib. 2. cap 5.to all thoſe expreſſions, in greateſt peace, we have greateſt need of this holy fear: This evil of ſin and thereby of miſery and miſchief, being not onelyonly probable and at a diſtance, but very near and imminent: which makes this firſt Argument to put forth the firſt forementioned act of filial fear in time of our greateſt pe…ce, becauſe our danger, both in point of ſin and miſery, is then very great.
But there was a ſecond Argument propounded which may then as much inforce that ſecond act of this godly fear: viz. moſt awfully to reverence him as the chiefeſt good; becauſe that his goodneſſe is very much then manifeſted, and thereby grace hath the ſtrongeſt ingagements laid upon it, and is put to the greateſt tryal of its awful ingenuity: chains of afflictions being changed into thick cords of love, to try which of them will more ſtrongly draw and binde us to obedience. In ſome kinde to fear God when we are in outward danger or miſery, is but naturall: As the good thief ſaid unto the bad, Doſt not even thou fear God? when he was now upon the croſſe, Luke 23. 40. A ſl…v…ſh fear in ſuch a caſe may aw us, and this onelyonly from ſelf love, out of which principle the Indians ſerve the D…vil, Ne noceat: But it is the love of God that conſtraineth us out of ingenuity to fear to offend him, when no terror either from him or man frighteth us. This, this is that wch they call Timor filialis, Amicalis, Caſtus, and as Valentia ſtyleth it, Gratus, quo Beneficiatus timet offendere Benefacientem. The fear of a dutifull childe, of a chaſt ſpouſe, and of a thank full friend, that is afraid to offend his Benefactor: and doth moſt awfully Reverence God, ex intuitu amoris, & divinae perfectionis, from conſideration of his infinite perfection in him ſelf, and bounty to us. This fear is greateſt in the holy Angels and Saints glorified, and in us here when we are got neareſt heaven, in a greateſt likeneſſe to them, and have received choiceſt mercies from God, as inward or outward peace, &c. Then it is that we are put upon the ſtrongeſt tryal, as when God rained down Manna from Heaven; He then ſaid, He would prove whether they would walk in his wayes, Exod. 16. 4 As a ſervant is not ſo well tryed whether he will obey his Maſter, if he be ſent on a journey in a wet ſtormy day, or be ſet to a hard peece of work without convenient tooles or materials, when he hath ſo much to plead for his excuſe; but if ſent on a fair day upon an eaſie journey, and hath all materials & conveniences for his work laid by him, if he now hang off, and do contrary, this will more fully try him, And ſo now doth God us, when in our time of peace and li…erty we have nothing beſides our own ſloathfull and ſinfull hearts to diſcourage and hinder, but all requiſites which may incourage and help us in his ſervice. And therefore ſeeing we are now upon this tryall, it concerneth us much to look to it how we acquit our ſelves, that now in this time of our peace, the leſſe that we fear man, the more we fear God, ſo as to receive this mercy with a trembling hand, as the Elders of Bethlehem did Samuel, 1 Sam. 16. 4. and Iſaac did Gods manifeſting his will to bleſſe his ſon Jacob, Gen. 28. 33.
And then alſo to follow God trembling as Hoſ. 11. 10, 11. in a reverentiall adoring of him for his goodneſſe, and in an awfull care that we do not ill requite him by any unworthy miſcarriages: that hence
1. Upon the tryall we may be found faithfull, and have this ſtrong evidence made out to us of our ingenuity.
2. We may in ſome meaſure anſwer to what is alwayes found in God, and in ſuch like diſpenſations, viz. That there is greateſt awfulneſſe in his ſmiles; and His is a dread when a moſt ſerene Majeſty. Dominion and fear is with Job 25. 2.him, even when he maketh peace in his high places. He never more kindly humbleth and aweth the creature, then when he draweth neareſt to it, in a way of mercy▪ So the Angels in heaven cover their faces, when in neareſt approaches they behold His; and the penitent ſinner is never more low and lowly on his knee, then when he proſtrateth himſelf at the throne of grace, and God holdeth out to him the golden ſcepter: God did ſo to Abraham, in his ready granting his petitions and then Abraham in his own eyes was duſt and aſhes, Geneſis 18. 27.
3. That hereby alſo we may come to have a more ſure and ſanctified injoyment of this our peace, and whatever other mercies are wrapped up in it; which we may with more conſidence expect, whileſt this holy Fear ſtands Sentinel, and is upon the watch, againſt ſecurity, pride, wantonneſſe, and all thoſe other exceſſes which Peace is ſubject to breed in our hearts (as vermin are wont to do in ſtanding waters) which may corrupt it, and at laſt again juſtly deprive us of it.
Which fitly leadeth me to the ſecond part of this point, which was, that this walking in the fear of God in time of peace, will be a ſpeciall meanes of both edifying and multiplying the Churches of Chriſt, as it was here in the Text, wch affordeth two other arguments more ſtrongly to inforce this duty.
Firſt, that walking in Gods fear helpeth much ho…e edifying of the Church.
1. Whether of the whole Church in ſetting and keeping up the Ordinances of God in their power and purity. For ſo Noah moved with fear built an Ark, Heb. 11. 7. And Nehemiah who was famous for building up Jeruſalems wall, was as eminent in Gods fear Chap. 5. 9. 15. and the like we read, Acts 13. 16. That thoſe that feared God gave audience to his word. And had we of late more feared God, we ſhould not have dared ſo boldly and impudently to have profaned his holy Ordinances.
2. Or of the particular members of the Church in grace and holineſſe, whileſt they ſerve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear, Heb. 12. 28. and not only work out their own ſalvation with for and trembling, Phil. 2. 12. but alſo do as much for others, even ſave them with fear, plucking them out of the fire, Jud. 23. and thus by theſe means the Churches of God being edified,
They will alſo be multiplied, according to that Iſa. 60. 5. Thou ſhalt ſee and flow together, thy heart ſhall fear and be inlarged, becauſe the abundance of the ſea ſhall be converted to thee, and the forces of the Gentiles ſhal come unto thee, expreſſing the great confluence of people to the Church upon the preaching of the Goſpel, as it was here when they walked in the fear of the Lord, they wanted not company of fellow-travellers, nor ſhould we, if we took the ſame courſe,
Partly by our carefull endevours labouring to gain ſtrangers and enemies over to Chriſt.
And partly by our holy examples (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of 1 Pet. 3. 1, 2.Chriſtian women) winning them to God, whileſt they behold our chaſt converſation coupled with fear.
Whereas on the contrary, our fearfull impieties fright away ſtrangers from our communion, are an offence to Jewes and Gentiles, as well as to the Church of God. The abominable practiſes of Chriſtians are a ſtumbling block in the way to Jews and Turks, and Infidels without, as the unworthy and unchriſtian carriages of Profeſſors are to thoſe that are eſtranged from the wayes of grace within the pale of the Church: And hence in part it is, that the wayes of Zion mourn, and her gates are deſolate, and the high wayes are unoccupied, Lam. 1. 4. Judg. 5. 6. This was a great part of their lamentation then, as being a fruit of the enemies violence in time of war; but how much more ſadly ſhould it now be lamented by us, when it is the effect of our moſt unworthy walking in theſe times of reſt and peace? we have reſt, as they here had, but we do not walk in the fear of the Lord as they did, and therefore it is that the Churches of God, are not now as they were then, edified, and multiplied.
Which may ſhew us our ſin, and Ʋſe 1 call upon us earneſtly to be deeply humbled for it: Let us therefore remember our fault this day; for Gen. 41. 9.God hath been graciouſly pleaſed to come out to us in mercy and peace, but we have forgotten to walk with him, in reverence and godly fear. Indulſiſti Genti Domine, indulſiſti genti, nunquid glorificatus es? So the Vulgar readeth that in Iſai. 26. 15. He ſaid it of that Nation, and we may as fitly apply it to ours. Lord thou haſt increaſed, (or indulged) this Nation, thou haſt indulged this our Nation with peace and plenty; but nunquid glorificatus es? art thou thereby glorified? Nay, gravatus es, as Piſcator readeth it, (and the word foreign there uſed will bear it) Lord, thou art burdened, and preſſed by our ſins, as the cart is with ſheaves. In ſtead of walking Amos 2. 13.in Gods fear, we are boldly and preſumptuouſly riſen up againſt God, and that in moſt horrid blaſphemies, and m…ſt fearfull, nay fearleſs daring ranting impieties. Our reſt hath made us ſecure, and our plenty petulant, nay rampant, and that againſt God himſelf. We do not ſay in our hearts, Let us now fear the Lord our God, who giveth us rain, the former and the latter, in his ſeaſon, and reſerveth Ier. 5. 24.to us the appointed weeks of the harveſt, that eſtabliſheth peace in our borders, &c. Pſal. 147. 13, 14. And therefore the leſſe that we fear man, the more let us now reverence and fear God. No, but our greater plenty ſerveth us the more to fulfill our luſts, and occaſioneth even our murmurings at his overflowing bounty, which may conſtrain him to bring us to a low ebb in the turning of the tide, that we may be puniſhed with ſcarcity, who reſt not ſatisfied with his plenty, and by our peace and reſt, we take the more liberty to look about for our ſelves, and to oppreſſe others. Such a requitall this is, as if any in the time of our former ſtraits ſhould have told us that we would make, in caſe God ſhould deliver us, we ſhould have been ready to ſpit in his face, and defied both him and it, with Hazaels words, but are we dogs that we ſhould do theſe things? 1 Kings 8. 13.But it appeareth now that our hearts are dec…itfull above all Jer. 17. 9.things, and deſperately wicked, we did not know them, nor that bottomleſſe depth of abominable wickedneſſe that was in them: Well, but our ſin hath found us Num. 3…. 23. Pſal. 36. 2.out, or rather God hath found it out, and that to be very hatefull. He hath diſcovered to us as the moſt baſe and unworthy ingratitude and diſingenuity of our Spirits, ſo our invincible perverſneſs, when neither mourning to us will make us weep, nor piping dance.Mat. 11. 17.
He expected that our former peace ſhould have quited our luſts, at leaſt that our after wars ſhould have ſubdued them, as Auſtine obſerveth, quae ſolit corruptos hominum De civit. Dei, lib. 1. cap. 1.mores bello emendare, &c. But both he and we find that war cannot mend us, and peace maketh us worſe. O fooliſh people and unwiſe! Deut. 32. 6.But do we thus requite the Lord? by waging open war againſt him, when he hath made peace for us with our neighbours. Do we turn ſpiritual grace into wantonneſſe, and temporall peace Jude v. 4.into rebellion? but what in the cloſe of all will come of this? or as the Prophet ſaid, What ſhall we do in the end of it? Unleſſe we betimes Ier. 5. 31.bethink our ſelves and repent, will not God be provoked Pſal. 18. 26.with the froward to deal frowardly?
1. With ſuch diſingenuous ones, not to deal (may I with reverence ſo ſpeak?) ſo ingenuouſly? Ingenuity doth not uſe to upbraid courteſies vouchſafed, nor doth God, (who giveth to all foreign liberally) upbraid any, for often either asking or receiving, Jam. 1. 5. But yet ſuch unworthy and baſe ingratitude doth inforce him, and ſo he did often to Iſrael, and not Deut. 32. 26. Iudg 2. 1, 2, 3. 6. 8, 9. 10. 11, 12 1 Sam. 10 18, 19.onelyonly to Baaſha, 1 King. 16. 2. and Jeroboam, 1 Kings 14. 7, 8. and Saul, 2 Sam. 15. 17. but alſo to David himſelf, who was more ingenuous, and therefore ſuch upbraiding of him could not but be very grievous, and yet He had it, 2 Sam. 12. 7, 8, 9. and when he ſo inculcateth his mercies & favours to Eli and his houſe, and aith Did I appear to the houſe of thy Father? and did I chooſe him out of all the tribes of Iſrael? and did 1 Sam. 2. 27, 28.I give him all the offerings? Every ſuch queſtion, eſpecially ſo reiterated, Did I, and Did I, and Did I? had a ſharpned point, and no doubt gave a deep thruſt and wound in Elies tender heart; told him, that whereas God had done ſo, and ſo, and ſo for him, he did not expect that he ſhould have done ſo, and ſo, and ſo againſt him, for which he thus ſadly upbraided him; And may not God more often, and more ſadly repeat over and over the ſame or like words to us of this Nation? But did I not in anſwer to the Martyrs prayers and hopes after the popery and perſecution of thoſe dayes, reſtore the Goſpel once more agan to England, and gave peace and plenty with it?
And when upon your wantonneſſe, ſome Task maſters grew corrupt, and cruell, did I not hear your cries, and eaſed you of thoſe burdens?
And when in thoſe changes your dangers grew greater, did I not make bare my arm in the ſight of all Nations, to pluck you as brands out of the fire, and to reſerve you to be a people, nay a praiſe, as at this day? This I have done, and what have you done? Have you not, as the Lord ſaid there to Eli, 1 Sam. 2. 29.kicked at my ſacrifice? trampled under foot all my holy Things, Truth, Worſhip, Ordinances, All? and do you murder, commit adulteoy, Ier. 7. 9, 10and ſwear falſly, &c. as though you were delivered to do all theſe abominations? And is this my requitall? As it's ſaid of Abimelechs ſpeech to Sarah, thus ſhe was reproved. So truly with ſuch Gen. 20. 16.like as theſe, if we have any ingenuity in us, we may be even conſounded, and all this, becauſe that with our moſt unworthy carriage, we inforce God to upbraid us with his mercies, which an ingenuous Chriſtian ſhould bluſh at.
2. Nay, to deprive us of them, which a more ſervile ſpirit may tremble at: & this we may the rather fear, becauſe the faithfull and true God hath in good earneſt threatned it, that becauſe they ſerved him not for the abundance of all things, they ſhould ſerve their enemies in Deut. 28. 47, 48.hunger, and thirſt, and nakedneſs, and in the want of all things; and truly then, why may we not juſtly fear, becauſe in this our peace and reſt, we will not fear God, that worſe times will come, in which we ſhall fear and feel ſomething elſe which will be more uncomfortable? And to this purpoſe let me end this with theſe two concluſions.
1. As on the one ſide, our fear of God is our ſecurity, our treaſure, Iſa. 33. 6. and the beſt meanes to ſecure it. According to that of Auſtin, Homo time Deum, & minantem mundum ridebis: Man fear God, and then thou mayeſt laugh at a threatning of a perſecuting world; or if you will, according to that of Moſes, Exod. 20. 20. When at Sinai it ſo terribly thundred and lightned, &c. He then ſaith to the People, Fear not, for God is come to prove you, that his fear may be before your face, that you ſin not, as though he had ſaid, Fear not other things that you may fear God, and fear but him and then you need not fear any thing elſe; fear God, and fear not thu…der, which ſome of the great Emperours were ſo terrified with. As Gods fear (I ſay) on the one hand, is our great ſecurity,
2. So on the other the want of Gods fear hath theſe two undoing miſchiefs accompanying it.
It makes way for all the moſt fearfull evils, for by this daring impudence we inforce God to ſhew himſelf that he may aſſert his ſoveraignity which by ſuch Braves is affronted.
And it alſo maketh them moſt terrible and overwhelming when they come, as not feared to be either prevented or provided for: And ſo this careleſs ſecurity (as that of Laiſh) when ſuch unexpected evills do indeed come, it Iudg. 18. 7. 28.makes them more aſtoniſhing and dreadful.
Which therefore ſhould alarm Ʋſe 2 and awaken us out of this ſupinity, and calleth loud upon us in the words of the Pſalmiſt, Stand in awe and ſin not; our wars Pſal. 4. 4.have made us ſouldiers, and ſo leſs afraid of dangers from men, but let them not withall make us Rebells in hardning us againſt God, but let us be ſo wiſe, as in good earneſt to be afraid of thoſe terrible judgements which God uſeth to inflict for mercies abuſed, nay let us prove more ingenuous, and with theſe in the Text, let us walk in the fear of the Lord, for theſe favours vouchſafed and injoyed; for at the ſame time God is fearful in praiſes, as well for Exod. 15. 11.peace and deliverance vouchſafed to his people, as for vengeance taken on his enemies.
Never ſhould an ingenuous and heavenly ſpirited Chriſtian be more in the fear of the Lord, as Prov. 23. 17.Solomons Phraſe is, or as in the Phraſe of the Text, walk in it, then when we moſt walk in his Sunſhine, never maintain a more reverential awe of him, then when we receive moſt mercy from him, when we are moſt freed & looſed from the fears of men, we are then moſt ingaged and obliged to God: He well ſaid, In magna fortuna, minima licentia eſt; what ever a looſe heart doth, yet a gracious ſpirit in greateſt freedome taketh leaſt liberty to prove licentious, as looking at himſelf by ſuch cords of love bound the faſter to a moſt awfull obſervance. And therefore ſeeing we now are in the very ſame caſe and circumſtances, ſhould we not joyn with Nehemiah in ſaying with him the very ſame words; and happy we, were it with the ſame ſpirit! and they are the very words of this Text: Ought we not to walk in the fear Nehem. 5. 9.of the Lord? if we well conſider all, but ought we not?
If Danger eſcaped; thoughts of it, though paſt, naturally and uſually are wont to ſtrike us with trembling.
If mercies and deliverances vouchſafed; as we ſhould fear God, that it may be well, Deut. 5. 29. ſo much more, when, and becauſe it is well with us; we ſhould not with the Diſciples fear only when we are entring into the cloud, Luke 9. 34.but it will be moſt ingenuous if we fear God moſt when we are got out of it: If I be a Father, where is my honour? (ſaith God) and if I be a Maſter, (eſpecially if Mal. 1. 6.ſo good a Maſter as thus to protect, deliver and maintain you) where is my fear? Servatus ſhould be Servus, let every ſuch birth of Gods goodneſs, be named Obed, i. e. a ſervant, a Gotteſchalck, i. e. a ſervant of God: Beneficium officium, let every mercy be an obligation to duty, and let every prodigal Son received into favour, make good Abſaloms name, but not practiſe his Rebellion: but when not worthy to be called a Son, let him Luke 15. 19.deſire his Father to make him foreign one of his hired ſervants, not as a mercenary ſlave to ſerve for hire, but to be wholly at his diſpoſe, though in the loweſt place or imployment, as thoſe hired ſervants were wont to be. And in a word, when God hath ſhowen us ſo much grace, let us have grace to ſerve him foreign foreign, i…e. on Gods Heb. 12. 28.part, ſo as that we may pleaſe him, and on ours, with an holy ſhamefacedneſs as the word is, to bluſh at the leaſt unſeemlyneſs and unworthineſs; and with godly fear,
With a cautelous fear of loſing and forfeiting that mercy we have received.
But eſpecially with an holy godly fear of offending that God who hath vouchſafed it.
And therefore with an anſwerable care to walk worthy of it, which would be a greater mercy, then the peace it ſelf vouchſafed to us.
And therefore when ever ſuch a gift, proveth a bleſſing indeed, you ſhall find theſe two meet both in Gods gifts, and his peoples deſire and indevour:
1. When God in mercy giveth the one, he alſo addeth the other as 2 Chron. 32. 22. He did not only deliver Hezekiah and Jeruſalem from their enemies, but it is alſo added, that He guided them on every ſide, Nor did he only bring up David out of the horrible pit, and ſet his feet on a rock, but alſo then ordered his goings, Pſal. 40. 2. Guiding mercy is as neceſſary as delivering mercy, to make the bleſſing complete, and therefore in that caſe God giveth it.
2 And his ſervants do as much deſire and indevour after it. So David when he prayeth that God would deliver him from the oppreſſion of man, promiſeth then to keep his precepts, Pſal. 119. 134. and when God had kept his feet from falling, Pſal. 116. 8. he will not ſtumble again more dangerouſly, (as ſometimes after a recovery both we and our horſes do) but he will then walk uprightly, and therefore immediately adde's in v. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Now the Lord who hath upheld us of this Nation in ſo many foul and dangerous ſtumbles, and to this day hath kept us on out feet, keep us from proudly ſtrutting it, with Nebuchadnezzar, ſtanding ſtifly on our own leggs, and ſaying Is not this great Babel, &c. leſt Dan. 4. 30.it prove a Babel indeed, and at laſt end in confuſion: But He help us with David there to walk humbly and uprightly before God, and with theſe here in the Text, who when they had peace, walked in the fear of the Lord.