PROPOSITION II.

PROPOSITION II.

There should be a Gracious and a Devout FEAR in our Soul, to be the Spur of our Prayer to our God; a Fear that must not be Rejected. We have two things here to Think upon.

The First Question.

What is that Prayer-quickening Fear, which must not be Rejected?

What is that Prayer-quickning Fear, which must not be Rejected?

For Answer, What Fear, but the ⟨p. 22⟩Fear of God? even that Fear, which is in the Oracles of Wisdom, so ofte• Celebrated as, The Beginning of Wisdom? We read in Psal. 111. 10. The Fear of the Lord, is the Beginning of Wisdom, and a good Understanding have all they that do His Commandments. Among the Things Commanded by our God, there is none more Notable than that of Prayer•• now 'tis the Fear of God, which help men unto the Understanding, to […] such a Thing. When it is here said, Thou hast cast off Fear, it is by some Translated so, Thou hast cast off Religion. The Fear of God, is a• principle of Religion in the Heart of man; a principle of Respect unto the Commands and Praises of the Great God. It is an Old Testament Name, for the whole of Religion; but this Fear of God, includes a Love to God, a Faith on God, a Joy in God, as well as a Fear of Him. This is the Fear, that must not be Rejected. More particularly, This Fear imports, A dread of those Mischiefs that