Learn from hence to fear the Lord, to tremble at his words, and seeing he will endure no uncleanness 1in his own people, stand in awe and sin not: labour to bring your hearts to such a constitution, to such an awful respect as to fear to omit any good duty, or commit the least sin, and this had need to be urged upon you, for it is the cause of all that laxiture and looseness in our profession, that we do not fear the Lord as we should. If we had ⟨p. 7⟩the fear of the Lord before our eyes (as the Apostles speaks Rom. 3.) that is, if we saw the Lord so as to fear him, we should walk warily and look how, and where we set every step, and the reason why you are so uneven and not like your selves, is from want of the fear of the Lord: Now the reason of that phrase of the Apostle that the fear of God is said to be before your eyes is from the nature of fear, Timor figit oculum, as if a man be busy about any thing, if there be any thing that he fears, he will still have an eye to that, and he watcheth least it should come with some by blow, when he thinks not of it, and so doth the fear of the Lord work where it is, it fasteneth our eyes on him: And if the Lord were thus before our eyes to fear him, it would make us walk more evenly and more constantly with him. And therefore when the holy Ghost in Scripture would choose to commend a man, he singles out this property, especially of fearing God, as that Job was an upright man fearing God, and so speaking of Cornelius, it is said that he was, a just man fearing God, and so Abraham when he would express the wickedness of the Court of Abimelech, he says, the fear of the Lord is not in this place, that is, there is no religion nor good men, God is not regarded there, and the more fear, the less sin, stand in awe 2and sin not.
Learne from hence to feare the Lord, to tremble at his words, and seeing he will endure no uncleannesse 1in his owne people, stand in aw and sin not: labour to bring your hearts to such a constitution, to such an awfull respect as to feare to omit any good duty, or commit the least sinne, and this had need to be urged upon you, for it is the cause of all that laxiture and loosenesse in our profession, that we doe not feare the Lord as we should. If we had ⟨p. 7⟩the feare of the Lòrd before our eyes (as the Apostles speakes Rom. 3.) that is, if we saw the Lord so as to feare him, we should walke warily and look how, and where wee set every step, and the reason why you are so uneven and not like your selves, is from want of the feare of the Lord: Now the reason of that phrase of the Apostle that the feare of God is said to bee before your eyes is from the nature of feare, Timor figit oculum, as if a man bee busie about any thing, if there be any thing that he feares, he wil still have an eye to that, and he watcheth least it should come with some by blow, when he thinks not of it, and so doth the feare of the Lord worke where it is, it fastneth our eyes on him: And if the Lord were thus before our eyes to feare him, it would make us walke more evenly and more constantly with him. And therefore when the holy Ghost in Scripture would chuse to commend a man, he singles out this propertie, especially of fearing God, as that Iob was an upright man fearing God, and so speaking of Cornelius, it is said that hee was, a just man fearing God, and so Abraham when hee would expresse the wickednesse of the Court of Abimelech, he sayes, the feare of the Lord is not in this place, that is, there is no religion nor good men, God is not regarded there, and the more feare, the lesse sin, stand in awe 2and sinne not.
- 1Use 1.Vse 1.
- 2Psal. 4.
