COVETOUS HEART, for neither is that which is such an one good ground
for this grace of fear to grow in. Therefore this covetousness and the
fear of God are as enemies, set the one in opposition to the other: one
that feareth God and hateth covetousness (Exo 18:21). And the reason
why covetousness is such an obstruction to the growth of this grace of
fear, is because covetousness casteth those things out of the heart
which alone can nourish this fear. It casteth out the Word and love of
God, without which no grace can grow in the soul; how then should the
fear of God grow in a covetous heart? (Eze 33:30-32; 1 John 2:15).
Fifth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of AN
UNBELIEVING HEART, for an unbelieving heart is not good ground for this
grace of fear to grow in. An unbelieving heart is called “an evil
heart,” because from it flows all the wickedness that is committed in
the world (Heb 3:12). Now it is faith, or a believing heart, that
nourisheth this fear of God, and not the other; and the reason is, for
that faith brings God, heaven, and hell, to the soul, and maketh it
duly consider of them all (Heb 11:7). This is therefore the means of
fear, and that which will make it grow in the soul; but unbelief is a
bane thereto.
Sixth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of A
FORGETFUL HEART. Such a heart is not a heart where the grace of fear
will flourish, “when I remember, I am afraid,” &c. Therefore take heed
of forgetfulness; do not forget but remember God, and his kindness,
patience, and mercy, to those that yet neither have grace, nor special
favour from him, and that will beget and nourish his fear in thy heart,
but forgetfulness of this, or of any other of his judgments, is a great
wound and weakening to this fear (Job 21:6). When a man well remembers
that God’s judgments are so great a deep and mystery, as indeed they
are, that remembrance puts a man upon such considerations of God and of
his judgments as to make him fear—“Therefore,” said Job, “I am afraid
of him.” See the place, Job 23:15. “Therefore am I troubled at his
presence; when I consider, I am afraid of him”—when I remember and
consider of the wonderful depths of his judgments towards man.
Seventh. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of A
MURMURING AND REPINING HEART, for that is not a heart for this grace of
fear to grow in. As for instance, when men murmur and repine at God’s
hand, at his dispensations, and at the judgments that overtake them, in
their persons, estates, families, or relations, that their murmuring
tendeth to destroy fear; for a murmuring spirit is such an one as seems
to correct God, and to find fault with his dispensations, and where
there is that, the heart is far from fear. A murmuring spirit either
comes from that wisdom that pretends to understand that there is a
failure in the nature and execution of things, or from an envy and
spite at the execution of them. Now if murmurings arise from this
pretended wisdom of the flesh, then instead of fearing of God, his
actions are judged to be either rigid or ridiculous, which yet are done
in judgment, truth, and righteousness. So that a murmuring heart cannot
be a good one for the fear of God to grow in. Alas! the heart where
that grows must be a soft one; as you have it in Job 23:15, 16; and a
heart that will stoop and be silent at the most abstruse of all his
judgments—“I was dumb, because THOU didst it.” The heart in which this
fear of God doth flourish is such, that it bows and is mute, if it can
but espy the hand, wisdom, justice, or holiness of God in this or the
other of his dispensations, and so stirs up the soul to fear before
him. But if this murmuring ariseth from envy and spite, that looketh so
like to the spirit of the devil, that nothing need be said to give
conviction of the horrible wickedness of it.
Eighth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of A
HIGH AND CAPTIOUS SPIRIT, for that is not good ground for the fear of
God to grow in. A meek and quiet spirit is the best, and there the fear
of God will flourish most; therefore Peter puts meekness and fear
together, as being most suited in their nature and natural tendency one
to another (1 Peter 3:15). Meekness of spirit is like that heart that
hath depth of earth in it in which things may take root and grow; but a
high and captious spirit is like to the stony ground, where there is
not depth of earth, and consequently, where this grace of fear cannot
grow; therefore take heed of this kind of spirit, if thou wouldest that
the fear of God should grow in thy soul.
Ninth. Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of AN
ENVIOUS HEART, for that is not a good heart for the fear of God to grow
in. “Let not thine heart envy sinners; but be thou in the fear of the
Lord all the day long” (Prov 23:17). To envy any is a sign of a bad
spirit, and that man takes upon him, as I have already hinted, to be a
controller and a judge, yea, and a malicious executioner too, and that
of that fury that ariseth from his own lusts and revengeful spirit,
upon (perhaps) the man that is more righteous than himself. But suppose
he is a sinner that is the object of thine envy, why, the text sets
that envy in direct opposition to the fear of God; “Envy not sinners,
but be thou in the fear of God.” These two, therefore, to wit, envy to
sinners and fearing of God, are opposites. Thou canst not fear God, and
envy sinners too. And the reason is, because he that envieth a sinner,
hath forgotten himself, that he is as bad; and how can he then fear
God? He that envies sinners rejects his duty of blessing of them that
curse, and praying for them that despitefully use us; and how can he
that hath rejected this, fear God? He that envieth sinners, therefore,
cannot be of a good spirit, nor can the fear of God grow in his heart.
Tenth. Lastly, Wouldest thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed
of HARDENING THY HEART at any time against convictions to particular
duties, as to prayer, alms, self-denial, or the like. Take heed also of
hardening thy heart, when thou art under any judgment of God, as
sickness, losses, crosses, or the like. I bid you before to beware of a
hard heart, but now I bid you beware of hardening your soft ones. For
to harden the heart is to make it worse than it is; harder, more
desperate, and bold against God, than at the present it is. Now, I say,
if thou wouldest grow in this grace of fear, take heed of hardening thy
heart, and especially of hardening of it against convictions to good;
for those convictions are sent of God like seasonable showers of rain,
to keep the tillage of thy heart in good order, that the grace of fear
may grow therein; but this stifling of convictions makes the heart as
hard as a piece of the nether millstone. Therefore happy is he that
receiveth conviction, for so he doth keep in the fear of God, and that
fear thereby nourished in his soul; but cursed is he that doth
otherwise—“Happy is the man that feareth alway; but he that hardeneth
his heart shall fall into mischief” (Prov 28:14).
USE THIRD, of encouragement.
USE THIRD. I come now to A USE OF ENCOURAGEMENT to those that are
blessed with this grace of fear. The last text that was mentioned
saith, “Happy is the man that feareth alway,” and so doth many more.
Happy already, because blessed with this grace; and happy for time to
come, because this grace shall abide, and continue till the soul that
hath it is brought unto the mansion-house of glory. “I will put my fear
in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.” Therefore, as
here it saith, Happy is he, so it saith also, It shall go well with
him, that is, in time to come. “It shall be well with them that fear
God” (Eccl 8:12).
First. Had God given thee all the world, yet cursed hadst thou been, if
he had not given thee the fear of the Lord; for the fashion of this
world is a fading thing, but he that feareth the Lord shall abide for
ever and ever. This therefore is the first thing that I would propound
for thy encouragement, thou man that fears the Lord. This grace will
dwell in thy heart, for it is a new covenant grace, and will abide with
thee for ever. It is sent to thee from God, not only to join thy heart
unto him, but to keep thee from final apostasy—“I will put my fear in
their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Jer 32:40). That
thou mayest never forsake God, is his design, and therefore, to keep
thee from that wicked thing, he hath put his fear in thy heart. Many
are the temptations, difficulties, snares, traps, trials, and troubles
that the people of God pass through in the world, but how shall they be
kept, how shall they be delivered, and escape? Why, the answer is, The
fear of God will keep them—“He that feareth God shall come forth of
them all.”
Is it not therefore a wonderful mercy to be blessed with this grace of
fear, that thou by it mayest be kept from final, which is damnable
apostasy? Bless God, therefore, thou blessed man, that hast this grace
of fear in thy soul. There are five things in this grace of fear that
have a direct tendency in them to keep thee from final apostasy.
1. It is seated in the heart, and the heart is, as I may call it, the
main fort in the mystical world, man. It is not placed in the head, as
knowledge is; nor in the mouth, as utterance is, but in the heart, the
seat of all, “I will put my fear in their hearts.” If a king will keep
a town secure to himself, let him be sure to man sufficiently the main
fort thereof. If he have twenty thousand men well armed, yet if they
lie scattered here and there, the town may be taken for all that, but
if the main fort be well manned, then the town is more secure. What if
a man had all the parts, yea, all the arts of men and angels? That will
not keep the heart to God. But when the heart, this principal fort, is
possessed with the fear of God, then he is safe, but not else.
2. As the heart in general, so the will in special. That chief and
great faculty of the soul is the principle that is acted by this fear.
The will, which way that goes, all goes; if it be to heaven or hell.
Now the will, I say, is that main faculty that is governed by this fear
that doth possess the soul, therefore all is like to go well with it.
This Samuel insinuateth, where he saith, “If ye will fear the Lord.”
Fearing of God is a voluntary act of the will, and that being so, the
soul is kept from rebellion against the commandment, because by the
will where this fear of God is placed, and which it governeth, is led
all the rest of the powers of the soul (1 Sam 12:14). In this will,
then, is this fear of God placed, that this grace may the better be
able to govern the soul, and so by consequence the whole man; for as I
said before, look what way the will goes, look what the will does,
thither goes, and that does, the whole man (Psa 110:3). Man, when his
will is alienate from God, is reckoned rebellious throughout, and that
not without ground, for the will is the principal faculty of the soul
as to obedience, and therefore things done without the will are as if
they were not done at all. The spirit is willing; if ye be willing;
“she hath done what she could,” and the like; by these and such-like
sayings the goodness of the heart and action is judged, as to the
subjective part thereof. Now this fear that we have been speaking of,
is placed in the soul, and so consequently in the will, that the man
may thereby the better be kept from final and damnable apostasy.
3. This fear, as I may say, even above every other grace, is God’s
well-wisher; and hence it is called, as I also have showed you, his
fear. As he also says in the text mentioned above, “I will put my fear
in their hearts.” These words, his and my, they are intimate and
familiar expressions, bespeaking not only great favour to man, but a
very great trust put in him. As who should say, this fear is my special
friend, it will subject and bow the soul, and the several faculties
thereof, to my pleasure; it is my great favourite, and subdueth sinners
to my pleasure. You shall rarely find faith or repentance, or parts, go
under such familiar characters as this blessed fear of the Lord doth.
Of all the counsellors and mighties that David had, Hushai only was
called the king’s friend (2 Sam 15:37, 16:16). So of all the graces of
the Spirit this of the fear of God goes mostly, if not always, by the
title of MY fear, God’s fear, HIS fear, &c. I told you before, if the
king will keep a town, the main fort therein must be sufficiently
manned: and now I will add, that if he have not to govern those men
some trusty and special friend, such as Hushai was to David, he may
find it lost when it should stand him in greatest stead. If a soul
should be possessed with all things possible, yet if this fear of God
be wanting, all other things will give place in time of rebellion, and
the soul shall be found in, and under the conduct of hell, when it
should stand up for God and his truth in the world. This fear of God,
it is God’s special friend, and therefore it has given unto it the
chief seat of the heart, the will, that the whole man may now be, and
also be kept hereafter, in the subjection and obedience of the gospel.
For,
4. This grace of fear is the softest and most tender of God’s honour of
any other grace. It is that tender, sensible, and trembling grace, that
keepeth the soul upon its continual watch. To keep a good watch is, you
know, a wonderful safety to a place that is in continual danger because
of the enemy. Why, this is the grace that setteth the watch, and that
keepeth the watchmen awake (Can 3:7,8). A man cannot watch as he
should, if he be destitute of fear: let him be confident, and he
sleeps; he unadvisedly lets into the garrison those that should not
come there. Israel’s fault when they came to Canaan was, that they made
a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, to wit, the Gibeonites,
without asking counsel of God. But would they have done so, think you,
if at the same time the fear of God had had its full play in the soul,
in the army? no, they at that time forgot to fear. The grace of fear
had not at that time its full stroke and sway among them.
5. This grace of fear is that which, as I may so say, first affects the
hearts of saints with judgments, after we have sinned, and so is as a
beginning grace to bring again that to rights that by sin is put out of
frame. O it is a precious grace of God! I know what I say in this
matter, and also where I had been long ago, through the power of my
lusts, and the wiles of the devil, had it not been for the fear of God.
Second. But secondly, another encouragement for those that are blessed
with this blessed grace of fear is this,—this fear fails not to do this
work for the soul, if there in truth, be it never so small in measure.
A little of this leaven “leaveneth the whole lump.” True, a little will
not do, or help the soul to do those worthy exploits in the heart or
life as well as a bigger measure thereof; nor, indeed, can a little of
any grace do that which a bigger measure will; but a little will
preserve the soul from final apostasy, and deliver it into the arms of
the Son of God at the final judgment. Wherefore, when he saith, “I will
put my fear in their hearts,” he says not, I will put so much of it
there, such a quantity, or such a degree; but, “I will put my fear
there.” I speak not this in the least to tempt the godly man to be
content with the least degree of the fear of God in his heart. True,
men should be glad that God hath put even the least degree of this
grace into their souls, but they should not be content therewith; they
should earnestly covet more, pray for more, and use all lawful, that
is, all the means of God’s appointing, that they may get more.
There are, as I have said already, several degrees of this grace of
fear, and our wisdom is to grow in it, as in all the other graces of
the Spirit. The reasons why, I have showed you, and also the way to
grow therein; but the least measure thereof will do as I said, that is,
keep the soul from final apostasy. There are, as I have showed you,
those that greatly fear the Lord, that fear exceedingly, and that fear
him above many of their brethren; but the small in this grace are saved
as well as those that are great therein: “He will bless” or save “them
that fear him, both small and great.” This fear of the Lord is the
pulse of the soul; and as some pulses beat stronger, some weaker, so is
this grace of fear in the soul. They that beat best are a sign of best
life, but they that beat worst show that life is [barely] present. As
long as the pulse beats, we count not that the man is dead, though
weak; and this fear, where it is, preserves to everlasting life. Pulses
there are also that are intermitting; to wit, such as have their times
for a little, a little time to stop, and beat again; true, these are
dangerous pulses, but yet too a sign of life. This fear of God also is
sometimes like this intermitting pulse; there are times when it
forbears to work, and then it works again. David had an intermitting
pulse, Peter had an intermitting pulse, as also many other of the
saints of God. I call that an intermitting pulse, with reference to the
fear we speak of, when there is some obstruction by the workings of
corruptions in the soul; I say, some obstruction from, and hindrance
of, the continual motion of this fear of God; yet none of these, though
they are various, and some of them signs of weakness, are signs of
death, but life. “I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall
not depart from me.”
Quest. But you may say, How shall I know that I fear God?
Answ. If I should say that desires, true sincere desires to fear him,
is fear itself, I should not say amiss (Neh 1:11). For although a
desire to be, or do so and so, makes not a man to be in temporal or
natural things what he desires to be—for a sick, or poor, or imprisoned
man may desire to be well, to be rich, or to be at liberty, and yet be
as they are, sick, poor, or in prison—yet in spirituals, a man’s desire
to be good, to believe, to love, to hope, and fear God, doth flow from
the nature of grace itself.
I said before, that in temporals a man could not properly be said to be
what he was not; yet a man, even in naturals or temporals, shows his
love to that thing that he desires, whether it be health, riches, or
liberty; and in spirituals, desires of, from love to this or that grace
of God, sincere desires of it flow from the root of the grace
itself—“Thy servants who desire to fear thy name.” Nehemiah bore
himself before God upon this, “that he desired to fear his name.” And
hence again it is said concerning desires, true desires, “The desire of
man is his kindness” (Prov 19:22). For a man shows his heart, his love,
his affections, and his delights, in his desires; and since the grace
of the fear of God is a grace so pleasant in the sight of God, and of
so sanctifying a nature in the soul where it is, a true sincere desire
to be blessed with that grace must needs flow from some being of this
grace in the soul already.
True desires are lower than higher acts of grace, but God will not
overlook desires—“But now they desire a better country, that is, an
heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he
hath prepared for them a city.” Mark, they desire a country, and they
shall have a city. At this low place, to wit, sincere desires, God will
meet the soul and will tell him that he hath accepted of his desires,
that his desires are his kindness, and flow from grace itself: “He will
fulfil the desire of them that fear him.” Therefore desires are not
rejected of God; but they would, if they did not flow from a principle
of grace already in the soul; therefore desires, sincere desires to
fear God, flow from grace already in the soul. Therefore, since thou
fearest God, and it is evident by thy desires that thou dost so do,
thou art happy now in this thy fear, and shalt be happy for ever
hereafter in the enjoyment of that which God in another world hath laid
up for them that fear him.
Third. Another encouragement for those that have this grace of fear is
this; this grace can make that man, that in many other things is not
capable of serving of God, serve him better than those that have all
without it. Poor Christian man, thou hast scarce been able to do
anything for God all thy days, but only to fear the Lord. Thou art no
preacher, and so canst not do him service that way; thou art no rich
man, and so canst not do him service with outward substance; thou art
no wise man, and so canst not do anything that way; but here is thy
mercy, thou fearest God. Though thou canst not preach, thou canst fear
God. Though thou hast no bread to feed the belly, nor fleece to clothe
the back of the poor, thou canst fear God. O how “blessed is the man
that feareth the Lord”; because this duty of fearing of God is an act
of the mind, and may be done by the man that is destitute of all things
but that holy and blessed mind.
Blessed therefore is that man, for God hath not laid the comfort of his
people in the doing of external duties, nor the salvation of their
souls, but in believing, loving, and fearing God. Neither hath he laid
these things in actions done in their health nor in the due management
of their most excellent parts, but in the receiving of Christ, and fear
of God. The which, good Christian, thou mayest do, and do acceptably,
even though thou shouldest lie bed-rid all thy days; thou mayest also
be sick and believe; be sick and love, be sick and fear God, and so be
a blessed man. And here the poor Christian hath something to answer
them that reproach him for his ignoble pedigree, and shortness of the
glory of the wisdom of the world. True, may that man say, I was taken
out of the dunghill, I was born in a base and low estate, but I fear
God. I have no worldly greatness, nor excellency of natural parts, but
I fear God.
When Obadiah met with Elijah, he gave him no worldly and fantastical
compliment, nor did he glory in his promotion by Ahab the king of
Israel, but gravely, and after a gracious manner, said, “I thy servant
fear the Lord from my youth.” Also when the mariners inquired of Jonah,
saying, “What is thine occupation, and whence comest thou? what is thy
country, and of what people art thou?” This was the answer he gave
them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which
hath made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:8,9). Indeed this answer
is the highest, and most noble in the world, nor are there any, save a
few, that in truth can thus express themselves, though other answers
they had enough; most can say, I have wisdom, or might, or riches, or
friends, or health, or the like; these are common, and are greatly
boasted in by the most; but he is the man that feareth God, and he that
can say, when they say to him, What art thou? “I thy servant fear the
Lord,” he is the man of many, he is to be honoured of men: though this,
to wit, that he feareth the Lord, is all that he hath in the world. He
hath the thing, the honour, the life, and glory that is lasting; his
blessedness will abide when all men’s but his is buried in the dust, in
shame and contempt.[35]
A word to hypocrites.
Hypocrites, my last word is to you; the hypocrite is one that would
appear to be that in men’s eyes that is nothing of in God’s—thou
hypocrite, that wouldest be esteemed to be one that loves and that
fears God, but does not; I have this to say to thee, thy condition is
damnable, because thou art a hypocrite, and seekest to deceive both God
and man with guises, vizards, masks, shows, pretences, and thy formal,
carnal, feigned subjection to the outside of statutes, laws, and
commandments; but within thou art full of rottenness and all excess.
Hypocrite, thou mayest by thy cunning shifts be veiled and hid from
men, but thou art naked before the eyes of God, and he knoweth that his
fear is not in thy heart (Luke 16:15).
Hypocrite, be admonished that there is not obedience accepted of God,
where the heart is destitute of this grace of fear. Keeping of the
commandments is but one part of the duty of man, and Paul did that,
even while he was a hypocrite (Phil 3). To “fear God and keep his
commandments, this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl 12:13). This—fear
God—the hypocrite, as a hypocrite, cannot do, and therefore, as such,
cannot escape the damnation of hell.
Hypocrite, thou must fear God first, even before thou dost offer to
meddle with the commandments, that is, as to the keeping of them.
Indeed, thou shouldest read therein, that thou mayest learn to fear the
Lord, but yet, “fear God” goes before the command to keep his
commandments. And if thou dost not fear God first, thou transgressest,
instead of keeping of the commandments.