A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

3. If we do not fear to offend, God will be served with every Affection. Love is of use in the spiritual Life, so is Fear; 2 Cor. 7.1. Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God: They are both of great Use; Love sweetens Duties, and Fear makes us watchful against Sin; Love is the doing Grace, and Fear is the conserving or keeping Grace: and therefore this is the Honour that God constantly expects from us, that we should always walk in his Fear: O think of the pure Eyes of his Glory that are upon us; Eccles. 12.13. Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole Duty of Man; that is, the Sum of all practical Godliness. The internal Root of all Duty and Worship is a holy filial Fear and reverent Awe of God, when as obedient Children, we dare not grieve God, nor affront him to his Face, as Ahasuerus said concerning Haman, Esther 7.8. Will he force the Queen also before me in the House? God is always a Looker on; and can we grieve our good God when he directly looks upon us? But now when you are secure and careless, and sin freely in Thought, and foully in Act, and without any Remorse, you deny God his Fear. Fear is a Grace of continual Use; we cannot be always praying or praising God, or employed in Acts of solemn Worship, and special Communion with him, but we must be always in the Fear of God. You have not done with God when you have left your Requests with him in the Morning, you must fear him all the Day long; Prov. 23.17. Be thou in the Fear of the Lord all the Day long. A Man hath done with his Devotion in the Morning, but he hath not done with God: A Man should think of him all the Day long, in the Shop, in the Streets; especially when Corruptions arise, and we are tempted to Folly and Filthiness, or any unworthy Act, remember God looks on. Thus must we be in the Fear of God continually, rise in Fear, walk in Fear, feed in Fear, and trade in Fear; it is a Grace never out of Season.

3. If we do not fear to offend, God will be served with every Affection. Love is of use in the spiritual Life, so is Fear;