A29368:227
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference…
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridge ...The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridg ...
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1671
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.
Thirdly, The word and works of God call for our fear; For the word of the Lord is mighty, and his works are wonderful; For it is said of God, That he is fearful in praises, working wonders. Thus if you ask me what this filial fear is, I say it is a fear whereby we fear him, because of his love, because of his greatness, and because of his word and works. That is the first.
Secondly, A man that truly fears God, cannot do as others can do; for in the Text we find that Nehemiah had an opportunity in his hand, to make himself, to raise himself, to make himself rich, as to outward things: But you see what he saith, But so did not I, as others did, because ⟨p. 88⟩I feared God; where the true fear of God is planted in a mans heart, he cannot, he will not do, as other men can and will do: I shall clear this to you by instancing in some particulars.
Secondly, A man that truly fears God, cannot do as others can do; for in the Text we find that Nehemiah had an opportunity in his hand, to make himself, to raise himself, to make himself rich, as to outward things: But you see what he saith, But so did not I, as others did, because ⟨p. 88⟩I feared God; where the true fear of God is planted in a mans heart, he cannot, he will not do, as other men can and will do: I shall cleer this to you by instancing in some particulars.
First, He that fears God, cannot do as others do in the matter of his choice; you know how it was with the Damsel, the daughter of Herodias, Mat. 14.7, 8. when she had danced before Herod, He was so delighted with her, that he gave her this privilege, to choose what she would, to the half of his Kingdom, and she asked the Head of John the Baptist. She was bad, and her choice was bad; not having the fear of God in her heart. But when Fsther had her choice, she chose the contrary, for she chose the freedom of John the Baptist, in the freedom of the Jews: she acted not as the other did, because of the fear of God; They that fear the Lord cannot do as others do. I may instance in Moses also, he would not do as others; for saith he, I will choose rather to suffer Afflictions with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season,