husbands, that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the
word be won by the conversation of the wives, while they behold your
chaste conversation, coupled with fear” (1 Peter 3:1,2). So then, if
wives and children, yea, if husbands, wives, children, servants, &c.,
did but better observe this general rule of Peter, to wit, of letting
their whole conversation be coupled with fear, they might be made
instruments in God’s hand of much more good than they are. But the
misery is, the fear of God is wanting in actions, and that is the cause
that so little good is done by those that profess. It is not a
conversation that is coupled with a profession—for a great profession
may be attended with a life that is not good, but scandalous; but it is
a conversation coupled with fear of God—that is, with the impressions
of the fear of God upon it—that is convincing and that ministereth the
awakenings of God to the conscience, in order to saving the unbeliever.
O they are a sweet couple, to wit, a Christian conversation coupled
with fear.
The want of this fear of God is that that has been a stumbling-block to
the blind oftentimes. Alas, the world will not be convinced by your
talk, by your notions, and by the great profession that you make, if
they see not, therewith mixed, the lively impressions of the fear of
God; but will, as I said, rather stumble and fall, even at your
conversation and at your profession itself. Wherefore, to prevent this
mischief, that is, of stumbling of souls while you make your profession
of God, by a conversation not becoming your profession, God bids you
fear him; implying that a good conversation, coupled with fear,
delivers the blind world from those falls that otherwise they cannot be
delivered from. “Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a
stumbling-block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the
Lord” (Lev 19:14). But shalt fear thy God, that is the remedy that will
prevent their stumbling at you, at what else soever they stumble.
Wherefore Paul says to Timothy, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the
doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save
thyself and them that hear thee” (1 Tim 4:16).
Twelfth. Another motive to fear, and to grow in this fear of God is,
This is the way to engage God to deliver thee from many outward
dangers, whoever falls therein (Psa 34:7). This is proved from that of
the story of the Hebrew midwives. “The midwives,” said Moses, “feared
God,” and did not drown the men-children as the king had commanded, but
saved them alive. And what follows? “Therefore God dealt well with the
midwives; and it came to pass because the midwives feared God, that he
made them houses” (Exo 1). That is, he sheltered them and caused them
to be hid from the rage and fury of the king, and that perhaps in some
of the houses of the Egyptians themselves for why might not the
midwives be there hid as well as was Moses even in the king’s
court?[31] And how many times are they that fear God said to be
delivered both by God and his holy angels? as also I have already
showed.
Thirteenth. Another motive to fear and to grow in this fear of God is,
This is the way to be delivered from errors and damnable opinions.
There are some that perish in their righteousness, that is an error;
there be some that perish in their wickedness, and that is an error
also. Some again prolong their lives by their wickedness, and others
are righteous over-much, and also some are over-wise, and all these are
snares, and pits, and holes. But then, sayest thou, how shall I escape?
Indeed that is the question, and the Holy Ghost resolves it thus, “He
that feareth God shall come forth of them all” (Eccl 7:18).
Fourteenth. Another motive to fear, and to grow in this fear of God,
is, Such as have leave, be they never so dark in their souls, to come
boldly to Jesus Christ, and to trust in him for life. I told you
before, that they that fear God have in the general a license to trust
in him; but now I tell you, and that in particular, that they, and they
especially, may do it, and that though in the dark; you that sit in
darkness and have no light, if this grace of fear be alive in your
hearts, you have this boldness—“Who is among you that feareth the
Lord,” mark, that feareth the Lord, “that obeyeth the voice of his
servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in
the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God” (Isa 50:10). It is no
small advantage, you know, when men have to deal in difficult matters,
to have a patent or license to deal; now to trust in the Lord is a
difficult thing, yet the best and most gainful of all. But then, some
will say, since it is so difficult, how may we do without danger? Why,
the text gives a license, a patent to them to trust in his name, that
have his fear in their hearts—“Let him trust in the name of the Lord,
and stay upon his God.” [32]
Fifteenth. Another motive to fear and grow in this grace of fear, is,
God will own and acknowledge such to be his, whoever he rejecteth. Yea
he will distinguish and separate them from all others, in the day of
his terrible judgments. He will do with them as he did by those that
sighed for the abominations that were done in the land—command the man
that hath his ink-horn by his side “to set a mark upon their
foreheads,” that they might not fall in that judgment with others (Eze
9). So God said plainly of them that feared the Lord, and that thought
upon his name, that they should be writ in his book—“A book of
remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and
that thought upon his name; and they shall be mine, saith the Lord of
hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a
man spareth his own son that serveth him” (Mal 3:16,17). Mark, he both
acknowledges them for his, and also promises to spare them, as a man
would spare his own son; yea, and moreover, will wrap them up as his
chief jewels with himself in the bundle of life. Thus much for the
motives.
How to grow in this fear of God.
Having given you these motives to the duty of growing in this fear of
God, before I leave this use, I will, in a few words, show you how you
may grow in this fear of God.
First. Then, if thou wouldest grow in this fear of God, learn aright to
distinguish of fear in general. I mean, learn to distinguish between
that fear that is godly, and that which in itself is indeed ungodly
fear of God; and know them well the one from the other, lest the one,
the fear that in itself indeed is ungodly, get the place, even the
upper hand of that which truly is godly fear. And remember the ungodly
fear of God is by God himself counted an enemy to him, and hurtful to
his people, and is therefore most plentifully forbidden in the Word
(Gen 3:15, 26:24, 46:3; Exo 14:13, 20:20; Num 14:9, 21:34; Isa
41:10,14, 43:1, 44:2,8; 54:4; Jer 30:10; Dan 10:12,19; Joel 2:21; Hagg
2:5; Zech 8:13).
Second. If thou wouldest grow in this godly fear, learn rightly to
distinguish it from that fear, in particular, that is godly but for a
time; even from that fear that is wrought by the Spirit, as a spirit of
bondage. I say, learn to distinguish this from that, and also perfectly
to know the bounds that God hath set to that fear that is wrought by
the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage; lest, instead of growing in the
fear that is to abide with thy soul for ever, thou be over-run again
with that first fear, which is to abide with thee but till the spirit
of adoption come. And that thou mayest not only distinguish them one
from the other, but also keep each in its due place and bounds,
consider in general of what hath already been said upon this head, and
in particular that the first fear is no more wrought by the Holy
Spirit, but by the devil, to distress thee, and make thee to live, not
like a son, but a slave. And for thy better help in this matter, know
that God himself hath set bounds to this fear, and has concluded that
after the spirit of adoption is come, that other fear is wrought in thy
heart by him no more (Rom 8:15; 2 Tim 1:7).
Again, before I leave this, let me tell thee that if thou dost not well
bestir thee in this matter, this bondage fear, to wit, that which is
like it, though not wrought in thee by the Holy Ghost, will, by the
management and subtlety of the devil, the author of it, haunt, disturb,
and make thee live uncomfortably, and that while thou art an heir of
God and his kingdom. This is that fear that the apostle speaks of, that
makes men “all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb 2:14,15). For
though Christ will deliver thee indeed at last, thou having embraced
him by faith, yet thy life will be full of trouble; and death, though
Jesus hath abolished it, will be always a living bugbear to thee in all
thy ways and thoughts, to break thy peace, and to make thee to draw thy
loins heavily after him.
Third. Wouldest thou grow in this godly fear? then, as thou shouldest
learn to distinguish of fears, so thou shouldest make conscience of
which to entertain and cherish. If God would have his fear—and it is
called HIS fear by way of eminency—“that his fear may be before you,
that ye sin not” (Exo 20:20; Jer 32:40)—I say, if God would have his
fear be with thee, then thou shouldest make conscience of this, and not
so lightly give way to slavish fear, as is common for Christians to do.
There is utterly a fault among Christians about this thing; that is,
they make not that conscience of resisting of slavish fear as they
ought; they rather cherish and entertain it, and so weaken themselves,
and that fear that they ought to strengthen.
And this is the reason that we so often lie grabbling[33] under the
black and amazing thoughts that are engendered in our hearts by
unbelief; for this fear nourisheth unbelief; that is, now it doth, to
wit, if we give way to it after the spirit of adoption is come, and
readily closeth with all the fiery darts of the wicked.
But Christians are ready to do with this fear as the horse does when
the tines[34] of the fork are set against his side; even lean to it
until it entereth into his belly. We lean naturally to this fear, I
mean, after God has done good to our souls; it is hard striving against
it, because it has even our sense and feeling of its side. But I say,
if thou wouldest be a growing Christian—growing, I say, in the fear
that is godly, in the fear that is always so—then make conscience of
striving against the other, and against all these things that would
bring thee back to it. “Wherefore should I fear,” said David, “in the
day of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?”
(Psa 49:5).
What! not fear in the day of evil? What! not when the iniquity of thy
heels compasseth thee about? No, not then, saith he, that is, not with
that fear that would bring him again into bondage to the law; for he
had received the spirit of adoption before. Indeed, if ever a Christian
has ground to give way to slavish fear, it is at these two times, to
wit, in the day of evil, and when the iniquity of his heels compasseth
him about; but you see, David would not then, no, not then, give way
thereto, nor did he see reason why he should. “Wherefore should I,”
said he? Aye, wherefore indeed? since now thou art become a son of God
through Christ, and hast received the Spirit of his Son into thy heart,
crying, Father, Father.
Fourth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of godly fear? then grow in
the knowledge of the new covenant, for that is indeed the girdle of our
reins, and the strength of our souls. Hear what Zacharias saith: God,
says he, “hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of
his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which
have been since the world began.” But what was it? what was it that he
spake? Why, “That he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out
of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,” without this
slavish bondage fear, “in holiness and righteousness before him all the
days of our life.” But upon what is this princely fearless service of
God grounded? Why, upon the holy covenant of God, upon the oath that he
swore unto Abraham (Luke 1:69-74). Now in this covenant is wrapped up
all thy salvation; in it is contained all thy desire, and I am sure,
that then it containeth the complete salvation of thy soul; and I say,
since this covenant is confirmed by promise, by oath, and by the blood
of the Son of God, and that on purpose that thou mightest serve thy God
without slavish fear, then the knowledge and faith of this covenant is
of absolute necessity to bring us into this liberty, and out of our
slavish terrors, and so, consequently, to cause us to grow in that
son-like, godly fear, which became even the Son of God himself, and
becomes all his disciples to live in the growth and exercise of.
Fifth. Wouldest thou grow in this godly fear? then labour even always
to keep thine evidences for heaven and of thy salvation alive upon thy
heart; for he that loseth his evidences for heaven, will hardly keep
slavish fear out of heart; but he that hath the wisdom and grace to
keep them alive, and apparent to himself, he will grow in this godly
fear. See how David words it, “From the end of the earth,” saith he,
“will I cry unto thee; when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the
rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a
strong tower from the enemy: I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever.
For thou, O God, hast heard my vows; thou hast given me the heritage of
those that fear thy name” (Psa 61:2-5). Mark a little, David doth by
these words, in the first place, suggest that sometimes, to his
thinking, he was as far off of his God as the ends of the earth are
asunder, and that at such times he was subject to be overwhelmed,
afraid: [And] second, the way that he took at such times, to help
himself, was to cry to God to lead him again to Jesus Christ—“lead me
to the rock that is higher than I”; for indeed without faith in him,
and the renewing of that faith, there can be no evidence for heaven
made to appear unto the soul. This therefore he prays for first. Then
he puts that faith into exercise, and that with respect to the time
that was past, and also of the time that was to come. For the time
past, says he, “Thou hast been a shelter to me, and a strong tower from
the enemy”; and for the time to come, he said, “I will abide in thy
tabernacle,” that is, in thy Christ by faith, and in thy way of worship
by love, “forever.” And observe it, he makes the believing remembrance
of his first evidences for heaven the ground of this his cry and faith,
“For thou,” says he, “O God, hast given me the heritage of those that
fear thy name.” Thou hast made me meet to be a partaker of the mercy of
thy chosen, and hast put me under the blessing of goodness wherewith
thou hast blessed those that fear thee. Thus you see how David, in his
distresses, musters up his prayers, faith, and evidences for eternal
life, that he might deliver himself from being overwhelmed, that is,
with slavish fear, and that he might also abound in that son-like fear
of his fellow-brethren, that is not only comely, with respect to our
profession, but profitable to our souls.
Sixth. Wouldest thou grow in this fear of God? then set before thine
eyes the being and majesty of God; for that both begetteth,
maintaineth, and increaseth this fear. And hence it is called the fear
of God, that is, an holy and awful dread and reverence of his majesty.
For the fear of God is to stand in awe of him, but how can that be done
if we do not set him before us? And again, if we would fear him more,
we must abide more in the sense and faith of his glorious majesty.
Hence this fear and God’s name is so often put together: as fear God,
fear the Lord, fear thy God, do this in the fear of the Lord, and thou
shalt fear thy God, I am the Lord. For these words, “I am the Lord thy
God,” and the like, are on purpose put in, not only to show us whom we
should fear, but also to beget, maintain, and increase in us that fear
that is due from us to that “glorious and fearful name, the Lord our
God” (Deut 28:58).
Seventh. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then keep always
close to thy conscience the authority of the Word; fear the commandment
as the commandment of a God both mighty and glorious, and as the
commandment of a father, both loving and pitiful; let this commandment,
I say, be always with thine eye, with thine ear, and with thine heart;
for then thou wilt be taught, not only to fear, but to abound in the
fear of the Lord. Every grace is nourished by the Word, and without it
there is no thrift in the soul (Prov 13:13, 4:20-22; Deut 6:1,2).
Eighth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then be much in the
faith of the promise, of the promise that maketh over to thy soul an
interest in God by Christ, and of all good things. The promise
naturally tendeth to increase in us the fear of the Lord, because this
fear, it grows by goodness and mercy; they shall fear the Lord, and his
goodness; now this goodness and mercy of God, it is wrapt up in, and
made over to us by promise; for God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Therefore the faith and hope of the promise causeth this fear to grow
in the soul—“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1). “Perfecting
holiness in the fear of God”; therefore that fear by the promise must
needs grow mighty, for by, with, and in it, you see holiness is
perfected.
Ninth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then remember the
judgments of God that have, or shall certainly overtake, those
professors, that have either been downright hypocrites, or else
unwatchful Christians. For both these sorts partake of the judgments of
God; the one, to wit, the true Christian, for his unwatchfulness, for
his correction; the other, to wit, the hypocrite, for his hypocrisy, to
his destruction. This is a way to make thee stand in awe, and to make
thee tremble, and grow in the grace of fear before thy God.
Judgments! you may say, what judgments? Answ. Time will fail me here to
tell thee of the judgments that sometimes overtake God’s people, and
that always certainly overtake the hypocrite for his transgressions.
For those that attend God’s people, I would have thee look back to the
place in this book where they are particularly touched upon. And for
those that attend the hypocrite, in general they are these. 1.
Blindness of heart in this world. 2. The death of their hope at the day
of their death. 3. And the damnation of their souls at the day of
judgment (Matt 23:15-19; Job 8:13, 11:20, 18:14, 20:4-7, Matt 23:33,
24:51; Luke 20:47). The godly consideration of these things tend to
make men grow in the fear of God.
Tenth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then study the
excellencies of the grace of fear, and what profit it yieldeth to them
that have it, and labour to get thy heart into the love, both of the
exercise of the grace itself, and also of the fruit it yieldeth; for a
man hardly grows in the increase of any grace, until his heart is
united to it, and until it is made lovely in his eyes (Psa
119:119,120). Now the excellencies of this grace of fear have also been
discoursed of in this book before, where by reading thou shalt find the
fruit it bears, and the promises that are annexed to it, which, because
they are many, I refer thee also thither for thy instruction.
Eleventh. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then remember what
a world of privileges do belong to them that fear the Lord, as also I
have hinted; namely, that such shall not be hurt, shall want no good
thing, shall be guarded by angels, and have a special license, though
in never so dreadful a plight, to trust in the name of the Lord, and
stay upon their God.
Twelfth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then be much in
prayer to God for abundance of the increase thereof. To fear God is
that which is according to his will, and if we ask anything according
to his will, he heareth us. Pray therefore that God will unite thy
heart to fear his name; this is the way to grow in the grace of fear.
Lastly, Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then devote thyself
to it (Psa 119:38). Devote myself to it, you will say, how is that? I
answer, why, give thyself to it, addict thyself to it. Solace thyself
in the contemplation of God, and of a reverence of his name, and word,
and worship. Then wilt thou fear, and grow in this grace of fear.
What things they are that have a tendency in them to hinder the growth
of the fear of God in our hearts.
And that I may yet be helpful to thee, reader, I shall now give thee
caution of those things that will, if way be given to them, hinder thy
growth in this fear of God, the which, because they are very hurtful to
the people of God, I would have thee be warned by them. And they are
these which follow:
First. If thou wouldest grow in this grace of fear, take heed of A HARD
HEART, for that will hinder thy growth in this grace. “Why hast thou
hardened our heart from thy fear?” was a bitter complaint of the church
heretofore; for it is not only the judgment that in itself is dreadful
and sore to God’s people, but that which greatly hindereth the growth
of this grace in the soul (Isa 63:17). A hard heart is but barren
ground for any grace to grow in, especially for the grace of fear:
there is but little of this fear where the heart is indeed hard;
neither will there ever be much therein.
Now if thou wouldest be kept from a hard heart, 1. Take heed of the
beginnings of sin. Take heed, I say, of that, though it should be never
so small; “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” There is more in
a little sin to harden, than in a great deal of grace to soften.
David’s look upon Bathsheba was, one would think, but a small matter;
yet that beginning of sin contracted such hardness of heart in him,
that it carried him almost beyond all fear of God. It did carry him to
commit lewdness with her, murder upon the body of Uriah, and to
abundance of wicked dissimulation; which are things, I say, that have
direct tendency to quench and destroy all fear of God in the soul.
2. If thou hast sinned, lie not down without repentance; for the want
of repentance, after one has sinned, makes the heart yet harder and
harder. Indeed a hard heart is impenitent, and impenitence also makes
the heart harder and harder. So that if impenitence be added to
hardness of heart, or to the beginning of sin which makes it so, it
will quickly be with that soul, as is said of the house of Israel, it
will have a whore’s forehead, it will hardly be brought to shame (Jer
3:3).
3. If thou wouldest be rid of a hard heart, that great enemy to the
growth of the grace of fear, be much with Christ upon the cross in thy
meditations; for that is an excellent remedy against hardness of heart:
a right sight of him, as he hanged there for thy sins, will dissolve
thy heart into tears, and make it soft and tender. “They shall look
upon me whom they have pierced,—and mourn” (Zech 12:10). Now a soft, a
tender, and a broken heart, is a fit place for the grace of fear to
thrive in. But,
Second. If thou wouldest have the grace of fear to grow in thy soul,
take heed also of A PRAYERLESS HEART, for that is not a place for this
grace of fear to grow in. Hence he that restraineth prayer is said to
cast off fear. “Thou castest off fear,” said one of his friends to Job.
But how must he do that? Why the next words show, “Thou restrainest
prayer before God” (Job 15:4). Seest thou a professor that prayeth not?
that man thrusteth the fear of God away from him. Seest thou a man that
prays but little, that man feareth God but little; for it is the
praying soul, the man that is mighty in praying, that has a heart for
the fear of God to grow in. Take heed, therefore, of a prayerless
heart, if you would grow in this grace of the fear of God. Prayer is as
the pitcher that fetcheth water from the brook, therewith to water the
herbs; break the pitcher, and it will fetch no water, and for want of
water the garden withers.
Third. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of A
LIGHT AND WANTON HEART, for neither is such a heart good ground for the
fear of God to grow in. Wherefore it is said of Israel, “She feared
not, but went and played the harlot also.” She was given to wantonness,
and to be light and vain, and so her fear of God decayed (Jer 3:8). Had
Joseph been as wanton as his mistress, he had been as void of the fear
of God as she; but he was of a sober, tender, godly, considerate
spirit, therefore he grew in the fear of God.