What is God's majesty to a sinful man, but a consuming fire? And
what is a sinful man in himself, or in his approach to God, but as
stubble fully dry?
What mean the tremblings, the tears, those breakings and shakings of
heart that attend the people of God, when in an eminent manner they
receive the pronunciation of the forgiveness of sins at his mouth,
but that the dread of the majesty of God is in their sight mixed
therewith? God must appear like himself, speak to the soul like
himself; nor can the sinner, when under these glorious discoveries
of its Lord and Saviour, keep out the beams of his majesty from the
eyes of its understanding.
Alas, there is a company of poor, light, frothy professors in the
world, that carry it under that which they call the presence of God,
more like to antics than sober, sensible Christians; yea, more like
to a fool of a play, than those who have the presence of God. They
would not carry it so in the presence of a king, nor yet of the lord
of their land, were they but receivers of mercy at his hand. They
carry it even in their most eminent seasons, as if the sense and
sight of God, and his blessed grace to their souls in Christ, had a
tendency in it to make men wanton: but indeed it is the most
humbling and heart-rending sight in the world; it is fearful.
OBJECTION. But would you not have us rejoice at the sight and sense
of the forgiveness of our sins?
ANSWER. Yes; but yet I would have you, and indeed you shall when God
shall tell you that your sins are pardoned indeed, "rejoice with
trembling;" for then you have solid and godly joy: a joyful heart
and wet eyes in this, will stand very well together; and it will be
so, more or less. For if God shall come to you indeed, and visit you
with the forgiveness of sins, that visit removeth the guilt, but
increaseth the sense of thy filth; and the sense of this, that God
hath forgiven a filthy sinner, will make thee both rejoice and
tremble. O, the blessed confusion which will then cover thy face,
while thou, even thou, so vile a wretch, shalt stand before God to
receive at his hand thy pardon, and so the first-fruits of thy
eternal salvation. "That thou mayest remember, and be confounded,
and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am
pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord
God." Jer. 33:8, 9; Ezek. 16:63.
Since the NAME of God is that by which his nature is expressed, and
since he naturally is so glorious and incomprehensible, his name
must needs be the object of our fear; and we ought always to have a
reverent awe of God upon our hearts at what time soever we think of
or hear his name; but most of all when we ourselves do take his holy
and fearful name into our mouths, especially in a religious manner;
that is, in preaching, praying, or holy conference.
Make mention then of the name of the Lord at all times with great
dread of his majesty on your hearts, and in great soberness and
truth. To do otherwise is to profane the name of the Lord, and to
take his name in vain.
Next to God's nature and name, his service, his instituted worship,
is the most dreadful thing under heaven. His name is upon his
ordinances, his eye is upon the worshippers, and his wrath and
judgment upon those that worship not in his fear.
His presence is dreadful; and not only his presence in common, but
his special, yea, his most comfortable and joyous presence. When God
comes to bring a soul news of mercy and salvation, even that visit,
that presence of God is fearful. When Jacoh went from Beersheba to
Haran, he met with God in the way by a dream, in the which he
apprehended a ladder set upon the earth, whose top reached to
heaven. Now in this dream, at the top of this ladder, he saw the
Lord, and heard him speak unto him, not threateningly, not as having
his fury come up into his face, but in the most sweet and gracious
manner, saluting him with promise of goodness after promise of
goodness, to the number of eight or nine. Yet, I say, when he awoke,
all the grace that discovered itself in this heavenly vision to him
could not keep him from dread and fear of God's majesty: "And Jacob
awoke out of his sleep and said, 'Surely the Lord was in this place,
and I knew it not;' and he was afraid, and said, 'How dreadful is
this place; this is none other but the house of God, and this is the
gate of heaven.'"
At another time, when Jacob had that memorable visit from God, in
which he gave him power as a prince to prevail with him; yea, and
gave him a name, that by his remembering it he might call God's
favor the better to his mind; yet, even then and there such dread of
the majesty of God was upon him, that he went away wondering that
his life was preserved. Man crumbles to dust at the presence of God;
yea, though he show himself to us in his robes of salvation. Gen.
28:10-17; 32:30.