A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Part 2 · Section 26 – Section 27
Sect. XXVI.
God terribleTO think alſo, but with all awfulneſs, of the Lord our God as God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, Deut. 10, 17a great God, a Mighty and terrible, which regardeth not perſons, nor taketh Rewards, Heb. 12, 29for even our God is a conſuming Fire, whoſe Name is DREADFUL among the very Heathen; Mal 1.14who maketh even the ends, Pſalm 65 8or uttermoſt parts of the earth affraid at his Tokens; who is terrible to the Kings thereof; Pſal 76, 12who putteth no truſt in his Servants, Job 4, 18and his Angels he chargeth with folly; who putteth no truſt in his Saints, Job 15, 15ye… the Heavens are not clean in his ſight, Before whom the holy Seraphims do cover both their feet and their faces, Iſaiah 6, 2(as coverings of old were uſed in token of Reverence and Subjection) They cover their feet,Gen. 24▪ 65 in token perhaps of their utter unworthineſs to be lookt upon by him, to whom it is a kind of humbling to behold even the things that are in Heaven; Pſal. 113, 6and their faces as unable to look upon him; Angels ſtand …aw of Godas the Stars in a morning do carry their Lights, as it were in dark Lanthorns, upon the Suns appearing,Job 38 … So alſo do theſe Morning Stars (as Scripture ſtiles them) though of excellent glory themſelves,Though terrible to men and ſuch as is terrifying to the Children of Men, to the beſt, as to Zechariah, to the worst and moſt obdurate, as th… Keepers of the Watch upon the Sepulchre, Lu 1, 11▪ 12who for fear of one Angel did ſhake and became as dead men; Mat. 28▪ 3, 4And no wonder, for he maketh his Angels Spirits, Hebr. 1, 7and his Ministers a flaming Fire. So that one of them is able to turn 185000 armed Men toIſaiah 37, 36 aſhes in a night. And yet as the very beams of the far diſtant Sun in the Firmament do bafflle, as it were, and non plus the Fire that flames on your hea…ths, (which, Oh how frightful is it to you, when it ſteals but a little out of its place, and begins to reach the bones of your buildings, and ride triumphantly on the tops of your houſes?) ſo, and infinitely more then ſo, doth the Dreadful Majeſty of GOD apale the Excelcellency of all Angelical glory. Job 15 15And if he Heavens (that were never ſtained) thinks the ſerious Soul,chap. 26 1… be not clean in his ſight, but the pillars thereof tremble, and are aſtoniſhed at his reproof; If the Angels that never ſinned are ſo affraid,Devils affraid of God How terrible is his preſence to that wicked one that is ſuch a terrour to poor miſerable mankind that ſome Nations worſhip Him (as 'tis ſaid of the Indians) that he may do them no harm, whoſe very Apparition (though in a viſible ſhape) is ſo confounding to poor Man, that he becomes like Saul before the W…ch of Endor,1 Sam. 28.2… or like Eliphaz when fear and trembling came upon him, wh…ch made all his bones to ſhake, a Spir…t …aſſed before his face, Job 4, 14, 15and the hair of his fleſh ſtood up. I is not needful to preſent purpoſe to determine what ſorts of Spirits thoſe were. This is certain that who ſhall not fear thee, O Lord? Rev. 15, 3 4is an Heavenly Ode, as Scripture calls it;foreign and as true, that as Saints and Angels do fear before him, ſo the Devils alſo believe and tremble. And therefore when the Soul thinks O I dare not pray, for the Devil tells me, that if I go alone, James …, 19 Job 1…, 4or retire my ſelf to pray, he will appear to me and affright me; It thinks again, O I dare leſs reſtrain Prayer from the Almighty, Job 33, 7for then his Terribleneſs will make me affraid: And if his ſlave be ſo terrible, how dreadful is he that hath him in his chain? who can reſtrain him if I go, God terrible to his Saintsand will ſooner or later let him looſe upon me for not going. Deſtruction from God was a terrour unto me (ſaith Holy Iob) and by reaſon of his Highneſs I could not endure; Job 31, 23Therefore I am troubled at his preſence, when I conſider, I am affraid of him, cap. 23, 15, 16,for God maketh my heart ſoft, and the Almighty troubleth me; When I CONSIDER, &c. Oh what high and awful Thoughts had this Holy Perſon of God!Jerem: 10 7 And indeed who woul… not fear thee, O thou King of Nations? For to thee doth it appertain … as the Prophet ſpeaks. Wouldſ… thou then be made ſoft, O mine heart, as Iob's was under rhe awful impreſſions of the moſt High? Wouldſt thou ſerve the Lord with fear, Pſalm 2, 11and converſe before him with tremhling? Go but to his Water-works, or Fire works, for many hard things are made ſoft by Fire & Water; And think of them a little ſeriouſly.God terrible in his Water works. ASK of them of Old times, when the Fountains of the great Deep were broken up, Ge… 7, 11and the Floud gates of Heaven opened in the ſame day, and let them tell thee if God be not terrible. Or if that be too far off, let them that go down into the Seas in Ships, Pſal 107, 23 25, 26that do buſineſs in the great waters, declare unto thee, when he commandeth, and raiſeth the stormy wind, which lifteth up …he waves thereof, they mount up to the Heaven, they go down again to …he depths, their Soul is melted be…auſe of trouble, 27they reel to and fro …nd ſtagger like a drunken man, and …re at their wits ends. FireworksOr let Sodom …y if God be not terrible,Gen. 19, 24 26 and …hat Pillar of Salt that was ſet like … Hand in the Margin of that Dreadful Text. Ask alſo of the trembling Iſraelites who ſaw the Mountain that burned with Fire; Deut. 10 16 18and ſo terrible was the ſight, that Moſes ſaid I exceedingly fear and quake. Heb. 12, 21Sport thy ſelf on the top of flaming AETNA, or lay thy hand upon the hole of raging Veſu…i… ▪ Bath thy ſelf in the melted M…nerals that flow in the bowels o… …he cold Earth; Cool thy skin with Cantharides, or with the cold leaves of that Plant in which one may feel ſo much of him that cal…s himſelf a Conſuming Fire, that the touch thereof doth bliſter the ski…, and burn the fleſh: Harden alſo thy Eye ſight againſt the lightening and ſtrengthen thine ears againſt the voice of Gods Thunder. ThunderAsk the Heathen why he ran under hi… Bed,Pſalm 29, 3 and that his Imperial Crow… was not thought by him a ſufficient ſecurity to his Head. A… Lebanon what it ails to skip like …, 8, 9Calf, and Syrion like a young Vnicorn? The Wilderneſs of Kadeſh why …t ſhakes, and the Hindes why they …aſt their Calves b…f…re their time? or why men more wild then the Wilderneſs, and Brui…iſh then …h Be ſts, do tremble when the God of glory Thundreth: …ſpecially wh… h… makes his Fire works and …ater works meet in One, when …e L…rd is upon many waters, Pſal, 29, 3, 7that …, the Ocean, And there the voice … the Lord divideth the flames of …ire, that is, the Lightenings; lightenings…hich Seafaring men find to be …oſt terrible in Nocturnal Tem…ſts. N…y ask Men why they …emble without Thunderings, …he ſtill voice of a poor deſpiſed …? Na… a Faelix, on the Bench,Faelix, Acts 24, 25 …ore a Pr…ſoner at the Bar? Nay Bold Belſhazzar without any …ſe or whiſper to affright him …he midſt of Merriment, BeiſhazzarDaniel …, …and …dleſs ſecurity, and that upon the firſt appearing (not of an Hand with a ſword in it) but the Fingers of a Mans Hand ſilently inſcribing a few words on the wall? PaſhurNay why ſo many are Magor Miſſabibs, Jerem 20:3fear round about, withou… voice or viſion, ſave what is within?Spira Ask poor Spira what he ailed and why he refuſed to be comforted▪ And the many of the preſent Ag… that have been hung up in Chain of the Spirit of Bondage, an… made terrours to themſelves, Verſe 4 Others under the Spirit of bondage,an… ſpectacles to all about them, A… one Dales Wife of Chelmesford i… Eſsex, that lived many years i… perpetual horrour to her ſelf and thoſe that ſaw her; and o… Maud a man that (through te… rours of Conſcience) ſtarved him ſelf to death, See alſo Mr. Brewers ſermon on Mr. Vere of He…eningham.being otherwiſe pr… vented in deſtroying himſelf b… Hanging and Drowning which … attempted, and in accuſing hi… ſelf that he might have be… diſpatcht out of the way by the hand of publick Juſtice, for an old Murther which he pretended, but intended it as a plot upon his own Life, which not taking, he never would admit any ſuſtenance down his throat (though forced …nto his mouth) till utterly fam…ſhed; both recent inſtances and within little more then twenty Miles each of other, and of both which I have been an eye witneſs; …nd other like might be added.
And now ask ſuch as theſe,Heb. 10.3… if … be not a fearful thing to fall into …he hands of the living God. Terrible it praiſesHe in…eed is fearful in his very praiſes, …nd his Goodneſs to be feared: His …race by no means to be turned into …antoneſs, Exod. 15, …but the forgiveneſs that … with him is that he may be feared. …e that ſpared not the Angels that …oned, but cast them down into hell, Goodneſs…at ſpared not the old World, Hoſea 35 Forgiveneſsbring…g in the Flond upon the World of the ungodly, Pſal 130, 4 S ar…d not …ng…ls 2 … 2 4 Old …orld Verſe 5 Sodom V, 6 Natural branchesand turning the City… of Sodom & Gomor…h… into Aſh… condemning them with an overthro… making them an Example un…o thoſ… that ſhould live ungo…ly; that ſpare… not the Natural Branches, O tak… heed leaſt he alſo ſpare n…t thee. … by terrible things in Righteouſneſ… God will anſwer them to whom he is God of Salvation; Rom. 11.21Surely his J… ſtice will be very terrible to th… Sons of Perdition; If God ſpare not his own Son, his own Sonbut it ple…ſed th… Lord to bruiſe him, Iſaia. 53, 10and to put hi… to grief who knew no ſin, but had ſ… onelyonly imputed to him;Rejoicing in the deſtruction of the wicked. Iſaaah 1, 24 O ho… terrible, thinks the Soul, is G… when he cryes out Ah I will e… me of mine Adverſaryes, and … venge me of mine Enemyes; I w… rejoyce over you to deſtroy you, Deut 38, 63a… to bring you to naught; I will laug… at your Calamity, P… 1, 26, 27and mock whe… your fear cometh, when your fe… cometh as deſolation, and your D… ſtruction cometh as a Whirlwind, when distreſs and anguiſh cometh upon you; Thus ſhall mine anger be accompliſhed, and I will cauſe my fury to reſt upon them, Ezek. 5, 1…and I will be comforted. And oh how awful a thought it is that it ſhould be both eaſing and pleaſing to God to deſtroy ſinners?2 Cor. 1, 3 That the God of all comforts, as Scripture calls him, ſhould be Comforted in the Perdition of ungodly Men? and laugh at their fear, Job 6.14who forſake the fear of the Almighty? And Oh how fearful is He in his puniſhments, who is ſo in his praiſes? How terrible in his Righteouſneſs, who is to be feared for his Goodneſs? 1 Pet 1, 1…If they that Call on the Father muſt paſs their time in fear, becauſe without reſpect of perſons, he judgeeth every one according to his works, Iſaia. 33, 14O how may the Sinners in Zion be affraid, what fearfulneſs may ſurprize the Hypocrites? If they be unable to Contend with his burning Agues, God terrible in preſent puniſhment,Plagues and Feavers, How will they dwell with Everlasting burnings? Oh what will they do in the ſwellings of Jordan?Jerem 12, 5 when the breath of the Lord as a River of Brimstone ſhall kindle upon them thoſe Eternal Flames that none ſhall be able to quench? Iſaia 30, 33for the Lord is jealous an… Revengeth; chap. 66, 24The Lord Revengeth and is furious; The Lord will take vengeance on his Adverſaryes, Nahum 1, 2and he Reſerveth wrath for his Enemy…s. Reſerves of wrath terrible.O thoſe RESERVES of Wrath, how dreadful are they? That, when Millions of Ages are expired, they remain unexhauſted; There is ſtill a certain fearful expectation, and looking for, of Iudgement and Fiery Indignation ſtill, Hebr. 10, 27ſtill. Ah Lord! who knows the power of thine Anger?Pſalm 90, 11 according to thy fear ſo is thy wrath. God corrects who… he loves.Thou Correcteſt whom thou loveſt, what wilt thou do with them thou hatest? If Iudgement muſt begin at the Houſe of God, what, Hebr. 12, 6O what ſhall be the end of them that obey not the Goſpel of God? 1 Pet: 17.18and If the Righteous ſcarcely be ſaved, What the … ſhall be the end of the wickedwhere ſhall the ungodly and ſinner appear? thou gathereſt a Rod for every Son thou Receivest, nay the Holy Child Ieſus was not excepted, nor exempted, who though he were a Son, Zech, 13.7thine Equal, a Man thy fellow, yet did thy Sword awake againſt him, Hebr, 5, 8and He …earnt obedience by the things that he ſuffered. Luke 23 32And if theſe things were done in the Green Tree, O what ſhall become of the Drie? What Scorpions are prepared to be ſcour…es for the wicked?Pſalm … 23 ſurely God hath prepared for him the inſtruments of death, and ordained his Arr…ws againſt the perſecutors. VponUpon the Wicked he ſhall Rain ſnares, Pſalm 8…, 6Fire and Brimstone, and an horrible tempeſt, this ſhall be the portion of their Cu… ▪ Wherefore, O God, My Fleſh trembleth for fear of thee, Pſ. 119, 120and I am affraid of thy Iudgements, for all the ways of the Lord are Iudgement, a God of Truth, Deut. 32, 4and without Iniquitie, just and Right is he; with Him is terrible Majeſty, He is excellent in power, Job 37.22 23, 24and in Iudgement, and in plenty of Iuſtice, Men do therefore fear him, and well they may. Be thou therefore in the fear of the Lord, Prov. 23, 14Neh. 5, 15O my Soul, all the day long; and however others may dare to preſume upon him, yet ſo do not thou, becauſe of the fear of the Lord.
Sect. XXVII.
THe Lord thou heareſt, O my Soul!God of truth is a God of TRUTH as well as Righteouſneſs, O Tremble at his word as well as works, Iſaiah 66, 5and be thou affraid of the Iudgements of his mouth as well as of his Hands, For the Lord confirmeth the word of his Servants, Iſaiah 64, 26and performeth the Counſels of his Meſsengers, Matth. 5 18neither is there any Iota of his Threatenings any more then of his Promiſes, that ſhall paſs away untill all be fulfilled; for the ſtrength of Iſrael will not lie nor Repent, 1 Sam. 15 29Iſaiah 11, 5for he is not as Man that he ſhould Repent. The truth is, Gods TRUTH is as the Girdle of his Loins. What ever God is,In all He is He is in TRUTH. As God is TRUE ſaith the Apoſtle,1 Tim. 1, 18 Our word towards you was not yea and nay, The Lord is the true God, ſaith Ieremiah, Jerem 10 10the God of TRUTH (ſaith the Margin with the Hebrew) at his Wrath ſhall the Earth tremble, &c. Whatever God ſaith, He ſaith in Truth,In all he ſaith Thy Word is true (ſaith David) from the beginning, Pſ…. 19, 160and every one of thy Righteous Iudgements endureth for ever. Pſalm 19 9The Iudgements of the Lord are truth (ſaith the Hebrew) Theſe are the true ſayings of God. Whatever God doth.Revel: 19, 9 In all he dothHe doth it in Truth, All his work; are done in Truth, Pſalm 33 4The works of his hands are verity and Iudgement, they ſtand faſt for ever and ever, Pſa. 111 7, 8and are done in truth and uprightneſs. Pſal. 80, 7, 8Therefore God is greatly to be feared in the Aſsembly of the Saints, and to be had in Revere…ce of all them that are about him, It follows, O Lord God of Hosts who is like unto thee, or to thy FAITHFVLNES round about thee? So that as the Girdle goes round about All, and encomp…ſſeth and encloſeth All, ſo Gods Truth & Faithfulneſs doth ſurround all the reſt of his Excellencyes, and therefore if our Thoughts of God be Right, We ſhall have moſt awful and Reverend Impreſsions on our Hearts, not onelyonly from the SEVERITY but from the VERITY of God, not onelyonly from his Iuſtice and Righteouſneſs, but alſo from his TRUTH and Faithfulneſs.