I appeal to you, suppose you did so depend upon any one man in the world, that your life lay at his mercy, and if he should but speak a word you were a dead man or woman, would you not when you come into his presence come with fear, lest you should displease him? would you say, what do I care for him? let him be pleased or not pleased, what is that to me? you would not dare to do it: Now, shall we have less fear, because he with whom we have to do is the Lord? if we had dependence upon any man in the world, as we have upon God, we would fear him: Now I say, shall God have the less fear, because he is a God? he should have the more fear; Fear him, saith Christ, that when he hath killed the body, can likewise kill the soul; Yea I say unto you, fear him; Christ puts an I say upon that; and truly, that soul begins to be in a way of salvation, that begins to have the fear of the great God to fall upon him. Most people in the world they walk boldly, and presumptuously in the presence of God, as if God had nothing to do with them, and as if they had nothing to do with God. Alas! these go on in the ways of death and destruction: but that soul that God hath a purpose to save, he begins to reveal his glory to it, and to shine upon it, as he did upon Saul, when he did shine from Heaven in a glorious manner, and stopped him in his way when he was riding post unto Hell and destruction; he cries to him, I am he that thou hast sinned against, I am he that thou persecutest, then Saul falls down trembling, and saith, Lord, What wi•t thou have me to do? as if Saul should say, Lord, I did not know thee, but I see thee now to be a great and a dreadful God, I see that I am in thy hands to save or destroy, as thou pleasest; and therefore Saul comes with a trembling ⟨p. 316⟩heart, and cries to God, Lord, What wilt thou have me to do? I, he was in a good way of salvation; and so when a vile sinner that hath gone on without the fear of God upon him, shall now come in trembling, beholding the dreadfulness of the Infinite God, that eternal first-being that it hath to deal withal, and now shall have his fear strike into it, this soul is in a good way of salvation, it is stopped in the way of destruction, and it is in a good way of salvation;
I appeal to you, suppose you did so depend upon any one man in the world, that your life lay at his mercy, and if hee should but speak a word you were a dead man or woman, would you not when you come into his presence come with fear, lest you should displease him? would you say, what do I care for him? let him bee pleased or not pleased, what is that to mee? you would not dare to do it: Now, shall wee have less fear, because hee with whom wee have to do is the Lord? if wee had dependence upon any man in the world, as wee have upon God, wee would fear him: Now I say, shall God have the less fear, because hee is a God? hee should have the more fear; Fear him, saith Christ, that when hee hath killed the body, can likewise kill the soul; Yea I say unto you, fear him; Christ puts an I say upon that; and truly, that soul begins to bee in a way of salvation, that begins to have the fear of the great God to fall upon him. Most people in the world they walk boldly, and presumptuously in the presence of God, as if God had nothing to do with them, and as if they had nothing to do with God. Alas! these go on in the waies of death and destruction: but that soul that God hath a purpose to save, hee begins to reveal his glory to it, and to shine upon it, as hee did upon Saul, when hee did shine from Heaven in a glorious manner, and stopt him in his way when hee was riding post unto Hell and destruction; hee cries to him, I am hee that thou hast sinned against, I am hee that thou persecutest, then Saul falls down trembling, and saith, Lord, What wi•t thou have mee to do? as if Saul should say, Lord, I did not know thee, but I see thee now to bee a great and a dreadful God, I see that I am in thy hands to save or destroy, as thou pleasest; and therefore Saul comes with a trembling ⟨p. 316⟩heart, and cries to God, Lord, What wilt thou have mee to do? I, hee was in a good way of salvation; and so when a vile sinner that hath gone on without the fear of God upon him, shall now come in trembling, beholding the dreadfulness of the Infinite God, that eternal first-beeing that it hath to deal withall, and now shall have his fear strike into it, this soul is in a good way of salvation, it is stopt in the way of destruction, and it is in a good way of salvation;
