The fourth (and last) volume of discourses, or sermons, on several scriptures

Secondly, Consider the way and method that God takes with us when he becomes our God, and that is most dreadful, and must needs make the most confirmed Heart to shake with Fear and Trembling. Indeed ⟨p. 260⟩God deals not with us in such Rigour as he dealt with Jesus Christ his Son; but yet usually when he becomes our God, when he enters upon us as his Possession; first, he shakes all the Foundations of our Hearts, breaths in Flames of Fire into our very Marrow, cramps our Consciences and unjoints our Souls; O the Tempests and Storms of Wrath that God pours into a wounded Conscience, when it is under searching Convictions! O the Smart and Anguish of a wounded Spirit, when God instead of Balm shall only chafe it with Brimstone! And yet this is the common method that God useth to prepare Souls for himself; he seems to arm himself in all his Terrors against them, singling them out to the Conflict, and when they give up themselves for lost, lying gasping for Hope scarcely, at length is administered some few reviving Comforts. It is with these as it was with the Children of Israel upon Sinai, first they were astonished with a confused noise of Thunder, the Air full of Lightning, the Mountains all on a Flame, and the Earth trembling under them, before they heard that comfortable Voice in Exod. 20.2. I am the Lord thy God. So ⟨p. 261⟩is it with convinced Sinners: God dischargeth his Threatenings against them that speak more dreadfully to them than a Voice of Thunder; he speaks to them out of the midst of Flames, and every Word scorcheth up their Hearts; and when they stand trembling and despairing, once at length they hear those reviving Words, I am the Lord thy God. What Hearts are there now that such a dreadful Mercy as this is, would not over-awe? Those Discoveries of Gods Love that break in upon the Soul in the midst of a doleful and gloomy Night of Despair and Despondency, work naturally a sweet kind of Terror and a shivering Joy; and that's the first Consideration. The dreadful method that God takes to procure Mercy for us, even by the death of his Son, and to apply Mercy to us, even by the Terrors of a convinced Conscience, is a sufficient Ground to affect our Hearts with Fear,¹