The application of redemption

Labour to possess thy heart aright with a dreadful fear of thy sinful and desperate condition: maintain it alive in thy self, that it may go along with thee, that will keep thy Meditation alive also, and mightily prevailing. Where a mans fears are, his thoughts will be, they carry a mans consideration uncontrollably with them. Fear is a faithful Watch-man, it sends post between the head and heart, it calls up our consideration and thoughts, and carries them along with them, as the occasion is presented; and it's beyond all a mans skill, either to prevent the coming, or gainsay the power and overbearing force of fears. If once Satan get the heart fearless, it becomes careless and thoughtless, as I may so speak. Eliphas couples them together, Job, 15. 14. Thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer; thou hast taken off the activity of fear: fear hath fallen from his authority, and then it follows thou restrainest prayer. Fear keeps Sentinel, gives the […] daily to the soul of the approaching plagues, as the deserts of our sins, calls up the best ability of our minds, and strength of our thoughts to attend the […], so that there is no sleeping nor idling under such a watch-man. What will be the Judgments which your sins deserve, who can conceive? and how soon they may come, who can tell? Come they will, that's certain; but when they will come, that's uncertain: think, and ever be inusing how to prevent those evils, that ye are never able to avoid, nor bear: Job compares fear to an Army of mighty force, that commands where it comes; Job, 30. 15. Terrors are turned in ⟨p. 278⟩upon me, they pursue me […] the wind; therefore by an over-ruling command they call for attendance of the strength of the mind and man, and they cannot be put off, or laid aside, or silenced, but press a man to his most serious consideration, to be exercised with all diligence, how to foresee and prevent the evils expected, Psal. 48. 6. Fear is said to seize and lay hold upon the sinner, as travel upon a woman with child. We know when the appointed time of Travel comes on, there is no preventing or delaying of the work, as that the party can stay till the […] day, or week, or hour; nor yet can she put off her work to another, as she may do her other occasions, as a friend may go this way for her, a servant may do that which she desires;