2. Support. 3. Comfort of, 1. Our natural Life.

2. Our Spiritual Life, from Temptations, Corruptions.

3. Our Eternal Life.

Obf. 2. The confideration of GOD's being thus our Light, our Salvation, and the Strength of our Life, fhould keep us from being too forrowful for any thing that hath, and too fearful of any thing that may, happen in the World.

1. From being too forrowful, because whatsoever hath happened, ftill GOD is the fame to us that he was before, and fo we have loft nothing though we have loft all things.

2. From being too feaarful.

1. Do we fear going aftray from GOD? GOD himself is our Light.

2.The evil of Sin? GOD is our Salvation.

3.

4.

-Of Punishment? ftill GOD is our Salvation, who will fave us from the evil of the Punishment; he both will and can fave us.

-Death? He is the Strength of our Life Natural,

Corruptions? He is the Strength of our Life Spiritual.

6. Hell? He is the Strength of our Life Eternal.

USE I. Make him thy Light, Salvation, and the Strength of thy Life. Then,

2. Be humbled under all the manifeftations of this thy Father's and thy GOD's Displeasure.

3. Endeavour to find out the true Caufe of it: What eminent fin hath gone before: What fecret fin ftill remains: Or what Duty it is GOD points at that thou fhouldft do.

4. Yet all this while ftill refolve to let go neither thy hold of GOD, nor thy joy in him.

But,

5. Still live like one that hath GOD to be
his Light, &c.

1. By placing thy Affections on him.
2. By giving up thy felf unto him.

PSAL Xxxvi. i.

The tranfgreffion of the wicked faith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

IT is a great fin not to fear GOD.

I. What is it to fear GOD? fear in Scripture, 1. Is taken for the Object feared, Gen. xxxi.

and by him whom ודדחיל ליה יצחק 42 ברוחיל ליה אבוהי .3 .Ifaac feared, v

Pny Targ. Onkel. τειέςι τον θεὸν δ τόν φόβον ἐν τῇ ψυχῆ περιέφερεν. Theodoret.

2. The Law of GOD.

3. For the whole Duty of Man, Ecclef. xii. 13. Fob i. 8. fo always in Syriac, as for ευσέβεια, η Tim. ii. 2. έχοντες μόρφωσιν εν σεβείας.

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A 2

Pars

4. Particularly for the Affection or Paffion of fear placed upon GOD as its only Object.

II. What is it in GOD we should fear? 1. His Greatnefs and Glory, Gen. xxviii.

16, 17.

2. His Juftice and Equity.
3. His Goodness and Mercy.
4. Wisdom and Knowledge.
5. Power and Omnipotence.
6. His Aner.

7. His Life and Eternity.

III. How fhould we fear him?as póßG ἀγαθόν ἐςι καὶ σωτήριον, Bafil.

1. Neg.

1. Not fo as to run from him, Exod. xx.
18, 19. Gen. iii. 8, 10. Apoc. vi. 16.
2. Not only Punishment, fam. ii. 19.
Whether is it a fin to fear GOD for
his Punil.ments?

1. It is a fin to fear only Punishment.
2. To fear the Punishment fo as to look
principally for misery.

3. To fear Punishment in the fecond place,
and therefore only because it will fe-
parate us from the Prefence and Love
of GOD, is commendable, especially
that it makes us walk more circum
fpectly before him, Heb. xii. 28, 19.
Mat, x. 28, 29.

2. Pofitively, we are to fear GOD.

1

1. So as to fear nothing in comparison with
him, Mat. x. 28.
2. So as not willingly to do any thing that
may displease him, Prov. viii. 13. c. xvi.6.

Aliud eft timere quia peccaveris, aliùd
timere ne pecces. Ambrof. Eft mor ne
patiaris pænam eft a ius timor ne amit-
tas juftitiam, Aug. Spicy πu-

δευόμενΘ, διανει χαλινῷ τινι ἀνάκοπης τὴν
ψυχὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς τὰ φαῦλα ἐπιθυμίας,
Bafil.
3. So as ftill to love him, Deut. x. 12. It is
truc perfect love cafteth out a flavish
fear, 1 John i. 18. Ille de timore quo deo
quo timet anima ne damnetur. Ille (D.-
vid, Pfal. xx. 9.) de timore quo timet
anima ne deferatur, Aug.

4. So as itill to hope, Pfal. lvi. 3. Pfal. xxxi. 19. Pfal. cxv. II.

5. To delight in his Commandments, Pfal.

6. Conftantly, Prov. xxiii. 17. Deut. xiv. 23.

IV. How does it appear to be a great Sin?
1. It is a sin, Prov. xxiii. 17. Deut. vi. 13.
Levit. xxv. 17. and xix. 14. Ecclef. xii.
13. Mat. x. 28.

2. That it is a great Sin.

1. Because it is fo highly dishonourable to
GOD, Rev. xiv. 7.

2. Because it occafions other fins, Prov.xvi.6.
Αιτιονδε, ἡ τοιαύτης αναλγησίας τὸ μὴ δια
διέναι τὸν πάντα ἐφορῶν]α δεσπότην, Theo-
doret.

V. Who are guilty of this Sin?

1. Generally all that live in any known

Sin.

2. Particularly.

1. Such as never think of GOD.

2. Such as take his Name in vain, Deut. xxviii. 58.

3. Such as do not chufe the greatest suffering before the leaft fin.

4. Such as endeavour to please others or themselves more than GOD.

5. Such as do not endeavour to be reconciled to him.

6. Such as hate not fecret as well as open fins.

VI. MOTIVES.

1. He is the all-glorious Jehovah.

2. Our King, Pfal. xcix. 1. Jer. x. 7. 3. Our Maker, Mal. i. 6.

4. Our Preferver and Governor, Ifa. xxv.

I, 2, 3.

5. We lie at his Mercy.

6. The lefs we fear him, the more cause we have to fear him.

7.

Fear him, and ye need fear nothing else.

8. Unless you fear him in Time you must fear him to Eternity, Revel, vi. 15, 16.

9. The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, Pfal. cxi. 10. Job xxviii. 28.

10. GOD himself fets much by them that fear him.

1. So as to reveal his fecrets to them, Pfal.

XXV. 14.

2. Dwells with them, Ifa. lxvi. 2.

3. He hath laid up great goodness for them, Pfal. xxxi. 19.

4. He pittieth them, Pfal. ciii. 13, 17. 5. He delighteth in them, Pfal.cxlvii. 11. #1. Confider the Promises made to them.

1. They