A20559:124
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 third and last note of the true fear of God is, to delight in Gods commandments, to walk in his ways, as he saith, Blessed is the man that feareth God, and delighteth greatly in his commandments. He that hath no delight to walk in gods ways, but in his own, & hath all the pleasure in talking of his own commodity and profit, not of Gods laws: as though himself were the god to be served, and lust had the sovereignty and command of his hart and not God; such an one hath not the fear of God, but if one delight to confer of gods law, and take his greatest pleasure in speaking and thinking of Gods commandments, such an one may conclude with him self assuredly, that he hath that fear of God in his hart, which will keep him to everlasting life, so long as he keeps and embraceth it.
The third and last note of the true feare of God is, to delight in Gods commandements, to walke in his wayes, as he saith, Blessed is the man that feareth God, and delighteth greatly in his commandements. He that hath no delight to walk in gods waies, but in his owne, & hath all the pleasure in talking of his owne commoditie and profit, not of Gods lawes: as though himselfe were the god to be serued, and lust had the soueraintie and command of his hart and not God; such an one hath not the feare of God, but if one delight to conferre of gods law, and take his greatest pleasure in speaking and thinking of Gods commandements, such an one may conclude with him selfe assuredly, that he hath that feare of God in his hart, which will keepe him to euerlasting life, so long as hee keepes and embraceth it.
Hence then the best man in this world may learn to confess his own weakness, and to acknowledge the wants and defects of this fear of God; for that so much fear of death and of poverty, and of disgrace, and of men, shows a great emptiness of the fear of God. This trembling at mens threatenings so much, & at gods threatenings so little, that is in all men by nature, the great fear of loosing earthly things, and little fear to loose heavenly things, the much delight we have in matters of this world, and little delight in the law of God, testifies to our faces, & shows plainly that we have but a very ⟨p. 26⟩