Two treatises the first of fear, from Isa. 8, v. 12, 13, and part…

3. The sinfulness of our Fears lies in the inordinacy of them; to fear it more than we ought is bad enough, but to magnify its power above the power of a creature; to exalt the power of any creature by our fears, and give it such an Ascendent over us, as if it had an Arbitrary and absolute dominion over us, or over our comforts, to do with them what it pleased; this is to put the creature out of its own Class and rank, into the place of God, and is therefore a very sinful and evil fear.

3. The sinfulness of our Fears lies in the inordinacy of them; to fear it more than we ought is bad enough, but to magnifie its power above the power of a creature; to exalt the power of any creature by our fears, and give it such an Ascendent over us, as if it had an Arbitrary and absolute dominion over us, or over our comforts, to do with them what it pleased; this is to put the creature out of its own Class and rank, into the place of God, and is therefore a very sinful and evil fear.

To trust in any creature as if it had the power of a ⟨p. 15⟩God to help us, or to fear any creature, as if it had the power of a God to hurt us, is exceeding sinful, and highly provoking to God. This inordinate trust is taxed and condemned in Isai. 31. 3. They would needs go down to Egypt for help, and trust in their horses and horsemen, because they were strong (i. e.) in their opinion they were able to secure them against all those dangers the Prophet from the Lords own mouth had threatened them with, but to take them off from this sinful and inordinate dependence on the creature he tells them, v. 3. Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses flesh, and not spirit, when the Lord shall stretch forth his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down; and they shall fail together, q. d.

To trust in any creature as if it had the power of a ⟨p. 15⟩