Lord of hosts” (Mal 1:14). The name of master is a name of fear—“And if
I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord” (v 6). Yea, rightly to
fear the Lord is a sign of a gracious heart. And again, “To you that
fear my name,” saith he, “shall the Sun of righteousness arise with
healing in his wings” (Mal 4:2). Yea, when Christ comes to judge the
world, he will give reward to his servants the prophets, and to his
saints, “and to them that fear his name, small and great” (Rev 11:18).
Now, I say, 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. I do not by
thus saying intend as if it was lawful to make mention of his name in
light and vain discourses; for we ought always to speak of it with
reverence and godly fear, but I speak it to put Christians in mind that
they should not in religious duties show lightness of mind, or be vain
in their words when yet they are making mention of the name of the
Lord—“Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity” (2 Tim 2:19).
Make mention then of the name of the Lord at all times with great dread
of his majesty upon our 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; and “the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in
vain.” Yea, God saith that he will cut off the man that doth it; so
jealous is he of the honour due unto his name (Exo 20:7; Lev 20:3).
This therefore showeth you the dreadful state of those that lightly,
vainly, lyingly, and profanely make use of the name, this fearful name
of God, either by their blasphemous cursing and oaths, or by their
fraudulent dealing with their neighbour; for some men have no way to
prevail with their neighbour to bow under a cheat, but by calling
falsely upon the name of the Lord to be witness that the wickedness is
good and honest; but how these men will escape, when they shall be
judged, devouring fire and everlasting burnings, for their profaning
and blaspheming of the name of the Lord, becomes them betimes to
consider of (Jer 14:14,15; Eze 20:39; Exo 20:7).[3]
But,
Third. As the presence and name of God are dreadful and fearful in the
church, so is his worship and service. I say his worship, or the works
of service to which we are by him enjoined while we are in this world,
are dreadful and fearful things. This David conceiveth, when he saith,
“But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy
mercy, and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple” (Psa
5:7). And again, saith he, “Serve the Lord with fear.” To praise God is
a part of his worship. But, says Moses, “Who is a God like unto thee,
glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exo 15:11).
To rejoice before him is a part of his worship; but David bids us
“rejoice with trembling” (Psa 2:11). Yea, the whole of our service to
God, and every part thereof, ought to be done by us with reverence and
godly fear. And therefore let us, as Paul saith again, “Cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1; Heb 12).
1. That which makes the worship of God so fearful a thing, is, for that
it is the worship of GOD: all manner of service carries more or less
dread and fear along with it, according as the quality or condition of
the person is to whom the worship and service is done. This is seen in
the service of subjects to their princes, the service of servants to
their lords, and the service of children to their parents. Divine
worship, then, being due to God, for it is now of Divine worship we
speak, and this God so great and dreadful in himself and name, his
worship must therefore be a fearful thing.
2. Besides, this glorious Majesty is himself present to behold his
worshippers in their worshipping him. “When two or three of you are
gathered together in my name, I am there.” That is, gathered together
to worship him, “I am there,” says he. And so, again, he is said to
walk “in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks” (Rev 1:13). That
is, in the churches, and that with a countenance like the sun, with a
head and hair as white as snow, and with eyes like a flame of fire.
This puts dread and fear into his service; and therefore his servants
should serve him with fear.
3. Above all things, God is jealous of his worship and service. In all
the ten words, he telleth us not anything of his being a jealous God,
but in the second, which respecteth his worship (Exo 20). Look to
yourselves therefore, both as to the matter and manner of your worship;
“for I the Lord thy God,” says he, “am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children.” This therefore doth also
put dread and fear into the worship and service of God.
4. The judgments that sometimes God hath executed upon men for their
want of godly fear, while they have been in his worship and service,
put fear and dread upon his holy appointments. (1.) Nadab and Abihu
were burned to death with fire from heaven, because they attempted to
offer false fire upon God’s altar, and the reason rendered why they
were so served, was, because God will be sanctified in them that come
nigh him (Lev 10:1-3). To sanctify his name is to let him be thy dread
and thy fear, and to do nothing in his worship but what is
well-pleasing to him. But because these men had not grace to do this,
therefore they died before the Lord. (2.) Eli’s sons, for want of this
fear, when they ministered in the holy worship of God, were both slain
in one day by the sword of the uncircumcised Philistines (see 1 Sam 2).
(3.) Uzzah was smitten, and died before the Lord, for but an unadvised
touching of the ark, when the men forsook it (1 Chron 13:9,10). (4.)
Ananias and Sapphira his wife, for telling a lie in the church, when
they were before God, were both stricken dead upon the place before
them all, because they wanted the fear and dread of God’s majesty,
name, and service, when they came before him (Acts 5).
This therefore should teach us to conclude, that, 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. For this cause some of those at Corinth were by God
himself cut off, and to others he has given the back, and will again be
with them no more (1 Cor 11:27-32).[4]
This also rebuketh three sorts of people.
[Three sorts of people rebuked.]
1. Such as regard not to worship God at all; be sure they have no
reverence of his service, nor fear of his majesty before their eyes.
Sinner, thou dost not come before the Lord to worship him; thou dost
not bow before the high God; thou neither worshippest him in thy closet
nor in the congregation of saints. The fury of the Lord and his
indignation must in short time be poured out upon thee, and upon the
families that call not upon his name (Psa 79:6; Jer 10:25).
2. This rebukes such as count it enough to present their body in the
place where God is worshipped, not minding with what heart, or with
what spirit they come thither. Some come into the worship of God to
sleep there; some come thither to meet with their chapmen, and to get
into the wicked fellowship of their vain companions. Some come thither
to feed their lustful and adulterous eyes with the flattering beauty of
their fellow-sinners. O what a sad account will these worshippers give,
when they shall count for all this, and be damned for it, because they
come not to worship the Lord with that fear of his name that became
them to come in, when they presented themselves before him![5]
3. This also rebukes those that care not, so they worship, how they
worship; how, where, or after what manner they worship God. Those, I
mean, whose fear towards God “is taught by the precept of men.” They
are hypocrites; their worship also is vain, and a stink in the nostrils
of God. “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me
with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed
their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the
precept of men: therefore, behold I will proceed to do a marvellous
work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the
wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their
prudent men shall be hid” (Isa 29:13,14; Matt 15:7-9; Mark 7:6,7).[6]
Thus I conclude this first thing, namely, that God is called our dread
and fear.
OF THIS WORD FEAR AS IT IS TAKEN FOR THE WORD OF GOD.
I shall now come to the second thing, to wit, to the rule and director
of our fear.
SECOND. But again, this word FEAR is sometimes to be taken for THE
WORD, the written Word of God; for that also is, and ought to be, the
rule and director of our fear. So David calls it in the nineteenth
Psalm: “the fear of the Lord,” saith he, “is clean, enduring for ever.”
The fear of the Lord, that is, the Word of the Lord, the written word;
for that which he calleth in this place the fear of the Lord, even in
the same place he calleth the law, statutes, commandments, and
judgments of God. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple: the statutes
of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord
is pure, enlightening the eyes: the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring
for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”
All these words have respect to the same thing, to wit, to the Word of
God, jointly designing the glory of it. Among which phrases, as you
see, this is one, “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever.”
This written Word is therefore the object of a Christian’s fear. This
is that also which David intended when he said, “Come, ye children,
hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psa 34:11). I
will teach you the fear, that is, I will teach you the commandments,
statutes, and judgments of the Lord, even as Moses commanded the
children of Israel—“Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up”
(Deut 6:4-7).
That also in the eleventh of Isaiah intends the same, where the Father
saith of the Son, that he shall be of quick understanding in the fear
of the Lord; that he may judge and smite the earth with the rod of his
mouth. This rod in the text is none other but the fear, the Word of the
Lord; for he was to be of a quick understanding, that he might smite,
that is, execute it according to the will of his Father, upon and among
the children of men. Now this, as I said, is called the fear of the
Lord, because it is called the rule and director of our fear. For we
know not how to fear the Lord in a saving way without its guidance and
direction. As it is said of the priest that was sent back from the
captivity to Samaria to teach the people to fear the Lord, so it is
said concerning the written Word; it is given to us, and left among us,
that we may read therein all the days of our life, and learn to fear
the Lord (Deut 6:1-3,24, 10:12, 17:19). And here it is that, trembling
at the Word of God, is even by God himself not only taken notice of,
but counted as laudable and praiseworthy, as is evident in the case of
Josiah (2 Chron 34:26,27). Such also are the approved of God, let them
be condemned by whomsoever: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble
at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my
name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to
your joy, and they shall be ashamed” (Isa 66:5).
Further, such shall be looked to, by God himself cared for, and watched
over, that no distress, temptation, or affliction may overcome them and
destroy them—“To this man will I look,” saith God, “even to him that is
poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word.” It is
the same in substance with that in the same prophet in chapter 57: “For
thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name
is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a
contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to
revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Yea, the way to escape dangers
foretold, is to hearken to, understand, and fear the Word of God—“He
that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh, made
his servants and his cattle flee into the houses,” and they were
secured; but “he that regarded not the word of the Lord, left his
servants and his cattle in the field,” and they were destroyed of the
hail (Exo 9:20-25).
If at any time the sins of a nation or church are discovered and
bewailed, it is by them that know and tremble at the word of God. When
Ezra heard of the wickedness of his brethren, and had a desire to
humble himself before God for the same, who were they that would assist
him in that matter, but they that trembled at the word of God?—“Then,”
saith he, “were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words
of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had
been carried away” (Ezra 9:4). They are such also that tremble at the
Word that are best able to give counsel in the matters of God, for
their judgment best suiteth with his mind and will: “Now therefore,”
said he, “let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the
(strange) wives,—according to the counsel of my Lord, and of those that
tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to
the law” (Ezra 10:3). Now something of the dread and terror of the Word
lieth in these things.
First. As I have already hinted, from the author of them, they are the
words of God. Therefore you have Moses and the prophets, when they came
to deliver their errand, their message to the people, still saying,
“Hear the word of the Lord,” “Thus saith the Lord,” and the like. So
when Ezekiel was sent to the house of Israel, in their state of
religion, thus was he bid to say unto them, “Thus saith the Lord God”;
“Thus saith the Lord God” (Eze 2:4, 3:11). This is the honour and
majesty, then, that God hath put upon his written Word, and thus he
hath done even of purpose, that we might make them the rule and
directory of our fear, and that we might stand in awe of, and tremble
at them. When Habakkuk heard the word of the Lord, his belly trembled,
and rottenness entered into his bones. “I trembled in myself,” said he,
“that I might rest in the day of trouble” (Hab 3:16). The word of a
king is as the roaring of a lion; where the word of a king is, there is
power. What is it, then, when God, the great God, shall roar out of
Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, whose voice shakes not only
the earth, but also heaven? How doth holy David set it forth; “The
voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of
majesty,” &c. (Psa 29).
Second. It is a Word that is fearful, and may well be called the fear
of the Lord, because of the subject matter of it; to wit, the state of
sinners in another world; for that is it unto which the whole Bible
bendeth itself, either more immediately or more mediately. All its
doctrines, counsels, encouragements, threatenings, and judgments, have
a look, one way or other, upon us, with respect to the next world,
which will be our last state, because it will be to us a state eternal.
This word, this law, these judgments, are they that we shall be
disposed of by—“The word that I have spoken,” says Christ, “it shall
judge you (and so consequently dispose of you) in the last day” (John
12:48). Now, if we consider that our next state must be eternal, either
eternal glory or eternal fire, and that this eternal glory or this
eternal fire must be our portion, according as the words of God,
revealed in the holy Scriptures, shall determine; who will not but
conclude that therefore the words of God are they at which we should
tremble, and they by which we should have our fear of God guided and
directed, for by them we are taught how to please him in everything?
Third. It is to be called a fearful Word, because of the truth and
faithfulness of it. The Scriptures cannot be broken. Here they are
called the Scriptures of truth, the true sayings of God, and also the
fear of the Lord, for that every jot and tittle thereof is for ever
settled in heaven, and stand more steadfast than doth the world—“Heaven
and earth,” saith Christ, “shall pass away, but my words shall not pass
away” (Matt 24:35). Those, therefore, that are favoured by the Word of
God, those are favoured indeed, and that with the favour that no man
can turn away; but those that by the word of the Scriptures are
condemned, those can no man justify and set quit in the sight of God.
Therefore what is bound by the text, is bound, and what is released by
the text, is released; also the bond and release is unalterable (Dan
10:21; Rev 19:9; Matt 24:35; Psa 119:89; John 10:35). This, therefore,
calleth upon God’s people to stand more in fear of the Word of God than
of all the terrors of the world.[7] There wanteth even in the hearts of
God’s people a greater reverence of the Word of God than to this day
appeareth among us, and this let me say, that want of reverence of the
Word is the ground of all disorders that are in the heart, life,
conversation, and in Christian communion. Besides, the want of
reverence of the Word layeth men open to the fearful displeasure of
God—“Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed; but he that feareth
the commandment shall be rewarded” (Prov 13:13).
All transgression beginneth at wandering from the Word of God; but, on
the other side, David saith, “Concerning the works of men, by the word
of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer” (Psa 17:4).
Therefore Solomon saith, “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear
unto my sayings; let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the
midst of thine heart; for they are life unto those that find them, and
health to all their flesh” (Prov 4:20-22). Now, if indeed thou wouldest
reverence the Word of the Lord, and make it thy rule and director in
all things, believe that the Word is the fear of the Lord, the Word
that standeth fast for ever; without and against which God will do
nothing, either in saving or damning of the souls of sinners. But to
conclude this,
1. Know that those that have no due regard to the Word of the Lord, and
that make it not their dread and their fear, but the rule of their life
is the lust of their flesh, the desire of their eyes, and the pride of
life, are sorely rebuked by this doctrine, and are counted the fools of
the world; for “lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what
wisdom is in them?” (Jer 8:9). That there are such a people is evident,
not only by their irregular lives, but by the manifest testimony of the
Word. “As for the word of the Lord,” said they to Jeremiah, “that thou
hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto
thee, but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our
own mouth” (Jer 44:16). Was this only the temper of wicked men then? Is
not the same spirit of rebellion amongst us in our days? Doubtless
there is; for there is no new thing—“The thing that hath been, it is
that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be
done; and there is no new thing under the sun” (Eccl 1:9). Therefore,
as it was then, so it is with many in this day.
As for the Word of the Lord, it is nothing at all to them; their lusts,
and whatsoever proceedeth out of their own mouths, that they will do,
that they will follow. Now, such will certainly perish in their own
rebellion; for this is as the sin of witchcraft; it was the sin of
Korah and his company, and that which brought upon them such heavy
judgments; yea, and they are made a sign that thou shouldest not do as
they, for they perished (because they rejected the word, the fear of
the Lord) from among the congregation of the Lord, “and they became a
sign.” The word which thou despisest still abideth to denounce its woe
and judgment upon thee; and unless God will save such with the breath
of his word—and it is hard trusting to that—they must never see his
face with comfort (1 Sam 15:22,23; Num 26:9,10).
2. Are the words of God called by the name of the fear of the Lord? Are
they so dreadful in their receipt and sentence? Then this rebukes them
that esteem the words and things of men more than the words of God, as
those do who are drawn from their respect of, and obedience to, the
Word of God, by the pleasures or threats of men. Some there be who
verily will acknowledge the authority of the Word, yet will not stoop
their souls thereto. Such, whatever they think of themselves, are
judged by Christ to be ashamed of the Word; wherefore their state is
damnable as the other. “Whosoever,” saith he, “shall be ashamed of me
and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also
shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of the
Father, with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).
3. And if these things be so, what will become of those that mock at,
and professedly contemn, the words of God, making them as a thing
ridiculous, and not to be regarded? Shall they prosper that do such
things? From the promises it is concluded that their judgment now of a
long time slumbereth not, and when it comes, it will devour them
without remedy (2 Chron 36:15). If God, I say, hath put that reverence
upon his Word as to call it the fear of the Lord, what will become of
them that do what they can to overthrow its authority, by denying it to
be his Word, and by raising cavils against its authority? Such stumble,
indeed, at the Word, being appointed thereunto, but it shall judge them
in the last day (1 Peter 2:8; John 12:48). But thus much for this.
OF SEVERAL SORTS OF FEAR OF GOD IN THE HEART OF THE CHILDREN OF MEN.
Having thus spoken of the object and rule of our fear, I should come
now to speak of fear as it is a grace of the Spirit of God in the
hearts of his people; but before I do that, I shall show you that there
are divers sorts of fear besides. For man being a reasonable creature,
and having even by nature a certain knowledge of God, hath also
naturally something of some kind of fear of God at times, which,
although it be not that which is intended in the text, yet ought to be
spoken to, that that which is not right may be distinguished from that
that is.
There is, I say, several sorts or kinds of fear in the hearts of the
sons of men, I mean besides that fear of God that is intended in the
text, and that accompanieth eternal life. I shall here make mention of
three of them. FIRST. There is a fear of God that flows even from the
light of nature. SECOND. There is a fear of God that flows from some of
his dispensations to men, which yet is neither universal nor saving.
THIRD. There is a fear of God in the heart of some men that is good and
godly, but doth not for ever abide so. To speak a little to all these,
before I come to speak of fear, as it is a grace of God in the hearts
of his children, And,
FIRST. To the first, to wit, that there is a fear of God that flows
even from the light of nature. A people may be said to do things in a
fear of God, when they act one towards another in things reasonable,
and honest betwixt man and man, not doing that to others they would not
have done to themselves. This is that fear of God which Abraham thought
the Philistines had destroyed in themselves, when he said of his wife
to Abimelech, “She is my sister.” For when Abimelech asked Abraham why
he said of his wife, She is my sister; he replied, saying, “I thought
surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for
my wife’s sake” (Gen 20:11). I thought verily that in this place men
had stifled and choked that light of nature that is in them, at least
so far forth as not to suffer it to put them in fear, when their lusts
were powerful in them to accomplish their ends on the object that was
present before them. But this I will pass by, and come to the second
thing, namely—
SECOND. To show that there is a fear of God that flows from some of his
dispensations to men, which yet is neither universal nor saving. This
fear, when opposed to that which is saving, may be called an ungodly
fear of God. I shall describe it by these several particulars that
follow—