A treatise of the fear of God showing what it is, and how distinguished…A treatise of the fear of God shewing what it is, and how distinguished…

This God himself suggesteth as a means to make us fear him. Hence he commands the false Prophet to be stoned: That all Israel might hear, and fear. Hence also he commanded that the rebellious Son should be stoned: That all Israel might hear and fear. False Witness was also to have the same judgment of God executed upon him: That all Israel might hear and fear. The man also that did ought presumptuously was to die: That all Israel might hear and fear, Deut. 13.11. Chap. 21.21. Chap. 17.13. Chap. 19.20.

There is a natural tendency in judgments, as judgments to beget a fear of God in the heart of man as man: but when the observation of the judgments of God, is made by him that hath a principle of true grace in his soul, that observation being made, I say, by a gracious heart, produceth a fear of God in the soul, of its own nature, to wit, a gracious or godly fear of God.

8. This godly fear it also flows from a godly remembrance of our former distresses, when we were distressed with our first fears; for though our first fears were begotten in us by the spirits working as a spirit of bondage, and so are not always to be entertained as such, yet even that fear leaveth in us, and upon ⟨p. 105⟩our spirits, that sense and relish of our first awakenings and dread, as also occasioneth, and produceth this godly fear. Take heed, says God, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things that thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life, but teach them thy Sons, and thy Sons Sons. But what was the things that their eyes had seen, that would so damnify them, should they be forgotten? The answer is, The things which they saw at Horeb; to wit, the Fire, the Smoke, the Darkness, the Earthquake, their first awakenings by the Law, by which they were brought into a bondage fear; yea they was to remember this especially. Especially, saith he, the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord thy God said unto thee, gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my Words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the Earth, Dut. 4.9, 10, 11. The remembrance of what we saw, felt, feared and trembled under the sense of, when our first fears were upon us, is that which will produce in our hearts this godly filial fear.