The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

The last means to obtain this holy fear of God, is often to think and meditate upon Gods fearful judgements, which he hath executed upon sinners, for this will breed in our harts a sense & awe of his Majesty: as to think that God did not spare the Angels, being more excellent creatures, and far exceeding us in glory and strength, but when they forsook their place that their creator had set them in, & rebelled against him, he cast them into hell, into extreme & miserable torments; & keeps them fast linked and tied in chains of darkness, for a wonderful great addition of pain, for all their sins at the last day. So upon the old world, when they forsook God, and the law of God, and grew to be earthly minded, and to set their harts altogether on the world, not regarding God nor religion. In this general apostasy and departing from God, he sent a general flood, which did overwhelm and drown them all, so that they could not escape his hand of justice. So on Sodom and Gomorrah, when they grew filthy & profane, and were full of idleness, and abusing the good benefits of God, he rained fire & brimstone from heaven upon them, and devoured them all. And in all times, what city, or particular person, or country did grow sinful & stubborn against him, he grew terrible and showed himself terrible, by his fearful vengeance and plagues upon them. Thus the often meditation and diligent pondering on Gods threatenings and curses, and the most certain & fearful execution of them upon impenitent persons, will soften our harts, & draw them more & more to stand in fear of this great God. And if we will thus deny our selves, and our fleshly reason, and pray unto God for his fear, and labour to kindle his fear in our harts, by calling to remembrance his fearfulness, and just, and terrible vengeance upon those that have not feared him: this will at length bring our profane harts, to some dread and reverence of Gods holy Majesty.

The last meanes to obtaine this holy feare of God, is often to thinke and meditate vpon Gods fearefull iudgements, which he hath executed vpon sinners, for this will breed in our harts a sence & awe of his Magestie: as to thinke that God did not spare the Angels, being more excellent creatures, and farre exceeding vs in glory and strength, but when they forsooke their place that their creator had set them in, & rebelled against him, he cast them into hell, into extreame & miserable torments; & keepes them fast linked and tied in chaines of darknesse, for a wonderfull great addition of paine, for all their sinnes at the last day. So vpon the olde world, when they forsooke God, and the law of God, and grew to be earthly minded, and to set their harts altogether on the world, not regarding God nor religion. In this generall apostacie and departing from God, hee sent a generall floud, which did ouerwhelme and drowne them all, so that they could not escape his hand of justice. So on Sodom and Gomorah, when they grew filthie & prophane, and were full of idlenesse, and abusing the good benefites of God, he rayned fire & brimstone from heauen vpon them, and deuoured them all. And in all times, what cittie, or perticuler person, or countrie did grow sinfull & stubborne against him, hee grew terrible and shewed himselfe terrible, by his feareful vengeance and plagues vpon them. Thus the often meditation and dilligent pondering on Gods threatnings and curses, and the most certaine & fearefull execution of them vpon impenitent persons, will soften our harts, & draw them more & more to stand in feare of this great God. And if we will thus deny our selues, and our fleshly reason, and pray vnto God for his feare, and labour to kindle his feare in our harts, by calling to remembrance his fearefulnesse, and just, and terrible vengeance vpon those that haue not feared him: this will at lenght bring our prophane harts, to some dread and reuerence of Gods holy Magestie.