A20559:108
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The next duty that is here commanded, is the fear of God, a duty proceeding from knowledge also: for as the sight of Gods goodness, and mercy, and truth, will inflame the hart with a love of him: So if one behold and consider his greatness, and his power, and his excellency, over all his creatures, this will strike his hart with a wonderful reverence, & a great fear of his Majesty. As also he that knows Gods power that he can do what he will, and his mercy that he will do what is needful for the good of his children, this will make him trust wholly in God. But for this fear, an objection must first be answered. For 1. John. 4. he saith, Perfect love casteth out fear. And Luke. 1. We are delivered from all our enemies, that we might serve him without fear. To this we answer, that perfect love casteth out fear; namely a slavish fear, and such as is in the devils, who tremble before God, but so as they run from him, such as is in wicked men when the threatenings of God arrests their evil conscience, and summons their wicked harts, and draws them before Gods judgement seat, & makes them therefore not love Gods word and ministry, but hate it, & cast off all care of Godliness, and religion from them. But it is true that whosoever loves God, cannot choose but in the same measure also fear him: for the spirit of God that persuades them ⟨image 27⟩of his favour and worketh love, will declare his power and greatness, which will work a fear and awe of him. It casteth out the hellish fear that makes one fly from God, but it causeth that holy fear, that makes one more careful to come unto him, and to worship him. We must then love God with our whole harts, and souls, and minds, so that we fear nothing but in him and for him, and that with such a fear, as must draw us unto him, but terrifying our harts from committing all evil. It must be a fear mingled with love and confidence, that must be holy, and crucify, and restrain all ill affections and desires. This is commanded. Isai. 8. 13. Sanctify the Lord in your harts, and let him be your fear and your dread. The occasion of this precept was this. Before in the chap he shows that there were stirs and rumours of wars, in the land, the people and King and all did quake as leaves shaken with wind by reason of the great fear which was in them.