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Second. There flows from this godly fear, watchfulness. As it is said of Solomon's servants, they "watched about his bed, because of fear in the night," so it may be said of them that they have this godly fear—it makes them watchful people. It makes them watch their hearts, and take heed to keep them with all diligence, lest they should, by one or another of its flights, lead them to do that which in itself is wicked (Prov 4:23; Heb 12:15). It makes them watch, lest some temptation from hell should enter into their heart to the destroying of them (1 Peter 5:8). It makes them watch their mouths, and keep them also, at sometimes, as with a bit and bridle, that they offend not with their tongue, knowing that the tongue is apt, being an evil member, soon to catch the fire of hell, to the defiling of the whole body (James 3:2-7). It makes them watch over their ways, look well to their goings, and to make straight steps for their feet (Psa 39:1; Heb 12:13). Thus this godly fear puts the soul upon its watch, lest from the heart within, or from the devil without, or from the world, or some other temptation, something should surprise and overtake the child of God to defile him, or to cause him to defile the ways of God, and so offend the saints, open the mouths of men, and cause the enemy to speak reproachfully of religion.

Third. There flows from this fear of a holy provocation to a reverential converse with saints in their religious and godly assemblies for their further progress in the faith and way of holiness. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another." Spake that is, of God, and his holy and glorious name, kingdom, and works, for their mutual edification; "a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name" (Mal 3:16). The fear of the Lord in the heart provoketh to this in all its acts, not only of necessity but of nature: it is the natural effect of this godly fear, to exercise the church in the contemplation of God, together and apart. All fear, good and bad, hath a natural propenseness in it to incline the heart to contemplate upon the object of fear. Though a man should labor to take his thoughts from the object of his fear, whether that object was men, hell, devils, &, etc., yet do what he could the next time his fear had any act in it, it would return to its object. And so it is with godly fear; that will make a man speak of, and think upon, the name of God reverentially (Psa 89:7); yea, and exercise himself in the holy thoughts of him in such sort that his soul shall be sanctified, and seasoned with such meditations. Indeed, sacred thoughts of God, such as you see this fear doth exercise the heart withal, prepare the heart to, and for God. This fear, therefore it is that David prayed for for the people when he said, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee" (1 Chron 29:18).

Fourth. There flows from this fear of God's great reverence of his majesty, in and under the use and enjoyment of God's holy ordinances. His ordinances are his courts and palaces, his walks and places, where he giveth his presence to those that wait upon him in them, in the fear of his name. And this is the meaning of that of the apostle: "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied" (Acts 9:31). "And walking"—that word intendeth their use of the ordinances of God. They walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. In Old Testament language, this is called treading God's courts and walking in his paths. This, saith the text, they did here, in the fear of God. That is, in a great reverence of that God whose ordinances they were. "Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am the Lord" (Lev 19:30, 26:2).

It is one thing to be conversant in God's ordinances and another to be conversant in them with a due reverence of the majesty and name of that God whose ordinances they are: it is common for men to do the first, but none can do the last without this fear. "In thy fear," said David, "will I worship" (Psa 5:7). It is this fear of God, therefore, from whence doth flow that great reverence that his saints have in them, of his majesty, in and under the use and enjoyment of God's holy ordinances; and, consequently, that makes our service in the performance of them acceptable to God through Christ (Heb 12). For God expects that we serve him with fear and trembling, and it is odious among men, for a man in the presence, or about the service of his prince, to behave himself lightly, and without due reverence of that majesty in whose presence and about whose business he is. And if so, how can their service to God have anything like acceptance from the hand of God that is done, not in, but without the fear of God? This service must be an abomination to him, and these servers must come off with rebuke.

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THIRD. Having shown you what godly fear flows from, I come now, I say, to show you what proceeds or flows from this godly fear of God, where it is seated in man's heart. And,

First, there flows from this godly fear a godly reverence of God. "He is great," said David, "and greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints." God, as I have already shown you, is the proper object of godly fear; it is his person and majesty that this fear always causeth the eye of the soul to be upon. "Behold," saith David, "as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us" (Psa 123:2). Nothing with the soul that feareth God so much as doth the glorious majesty of God. His person is above all things feared by them; "I fear God," said Joseph (Gen 42:18). That is, more than any other; I stand in awe of him, he is my dread, he is my fear, I do all mine actions as in his presence, as in his sight; I reverence his holy and glorious majesty, doing all things as with fear and trembling before him. This fear also gives them a great reverence of his Word; for that, I told you, was the rule of their fear. "Princes," said David, "persecuted me without a cause, but my heart standeth in awe," in fear, "of thy word." Therefore, this grace of fear flows from it, and it flows reverence of the words of God; of all laws, that man feareth the word; and no law that is not agreeing in addition to that (Psa 119:116). There flows from this godly fear tenderness of God's glory. This fear, I say, will cause a man to afflict his soul when he seeth that by professors dishonor is brought to the name of God and to his Word. Who would not fear thee, said Jeremiah, O king of nations, for to thee doth it appertain? He speaks it as being affected with that dishonor that by the body of the Jews was continually brought to his name, his Word, and ways; he also speaks it of a hearty wish that they once would be otherwise minded. The same saying in effect hath also John in the Revelation—"Who shall not fear thee, O Lord," said he, "and glorify thy name?" (Rev 15:4), clearly concluding that godly fear produces a godly tenderness of God's glory in the world, for that appertaineth unto him; that is, it is due unto him, it is a debt which we owe unto him. "Give unto the Lord," said David, "the glory due unto his name." Now if there be begotten in the heart of the godly, by this grace of fear, a godly tenderness of the glory of God, then it follows of consequence, that where they that have this fear of God do see his glory diminished by the wickedness of the children of men, there they are grieved and deeply distressed. "Rivers of waters," said David, "run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law" (Psa 119:136). Let me give you the following instances—

How was David provoked when Goliath defied the God of Israel (1 Sam 17:23-29,45,46). Also, when others reproached God, he tells us that that reproach was even as "a sword in his bones" (Psa 42:10). How was Hezekiah afflicted when Rabshakeh railed upon his God (Isa 37). David also, for the love that he had for the glory of God's word, ran the hazard and reproach "of all the mighty people" (Psa 119:151, 89:50). How tender of the glory of God was Eli, Daniel, and the three children in their day. Eli died with fear and trembling of heart when he heard that "the ark of God was taken" (1 Sam 4:14-18). Daniel ran the danger of the lions' mouths for his tender love for God's word and worship (Dan 6:10-16). The three children ran the hazard of a burning fiery furnace, rather than they would dare to dishonor the way of their God (Dan 3:13,16,20). This, therefore, is one of the fruits of this godly fear, to wit, a reverence of his name, and tenderness of his glory.

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Fifth. This godly fear also floweth from sound repentance for and from sin; godly sorrow worketh repentance, and godly repentance produceth this fear—"For behold," says Paul, "this self-same thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you! yea, what clearing of yourselves! yea, what indignation! yea, what fear!" (2 Cor 7:10,11). Repentance is the effect of sorrow, and sorrow is the effect of faith's brilliant and intelligent impact. Therefore, fear must be an effect of and flow from repentance. Sinner, do not deceive thyself; if thou art a stranger to sound repentance, which standeth in sorrow and shame before God for sin, as also in turning from it, thou hast no fear of God; I mean none of this godly fear; for that is the fruit of, and floweth from, sound repentance.

Sixth. This godly fear also flows from a sense of the love and kindness of God to the soul. Where there is no sense of hope of the compassion and mercy of God by Jesus Christ, there can be none of this fear. Still, rather a wrath and despair, which produceth that fear that is either devilish or else that which is only wrought in us by the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage; but these we do not discourse of now; wherefore the godly fear that now I treat of, it floweth from some sense or hope of mercy from God by Jesus Christ—"If thou, Lord," says David, "shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared" (Psa 130:3,4). "There is mercy with thee"; this the soul hath sense of, and hope in, and therefore feareth God. Indeed, nothing can lay a more vital obligation upon the heart to fear God than a sense of hope in mercy (Jer 33:8,9). This begetteth genuine tenderness of heart, the true godly softness of spirit; this truly endureth the affections to God; and in this genuine tenderness, softness, and endearedness of affection to God, lieth the very essence of this fear of the Lord, as is manifest by the fruit of this fear when we shall come to speak of it.

Seventh. This fear of God flows from a due consideration of the judgments of God that are to be executed in the world, yea, upon professors, too. Yea, further, God's people themselves, I mean as to themselves, have such a consideration of his judgments towards them as to produce this godly fear. When God's judgments are on earth, they affect the fear of his name in the hearts of his own people—"My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am," said David, "afraid of thy judgments" (Psa 119:120). When God smote Uzzah, David was afraid of God that day (1 Chron 13:12). Indeed, many regard not the works of the Lord, nor take notice of the operation of his hands, and such cannot fear the Lord. But others observe and regard, and wisely consider, his doings and the judgments that he executed, making them fear the Lord. This God himself suggested as a means to make us fear him. Hence, he commands the false prophet to be stoned "that all Israel might hear and fear." Hence, he also commanded that the rebellious son should be stoned "that all Israel might hear and fear." A false witness was also to have the same judgment of God executed upon him "that all Israel might hear and fear." The man also that did ought presumptuously was to die, "that all Israel might hear and fear" (Deut 13:11, 21:21, 17:13, 19:20). There is a natural tendency in judgments, as judgments, to beget a fear of God in the heart of man, as man; but when the observation of the judgment of God is made by him that hath a principle of true grace in his soul, that observation being made, I say, by a gracious heart, produceth a fear of God in the soul of its own nature, to wit, a gracious or godly fear of God.

Eighth. This godly fear also flows from a godly remembrance of our former distresses, when we were distressed with our first fears; for though our first fears were begotten in us by the Spirit's working as a spirit of bondage, and so are not always to be entertained as such. Yet, even that fear leaveth in us, and upon our spirits, that sense and relish of our first awakenings and dread also occasioned and produced this godly fear. "Take heed," says God, "and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life, but teach them thy sons, and thy son's sons." But what were the things their eyes had seen that would so damnify them should they be forgotten? The answer is the things which they saw at Horeb; to wit, the fire, the smoke, the darkness, the earthquake, their first awakenings by the law, by which they were brought into a bondage fear; yea, they were to remember this especially—"Especially," saith he, "the day that thou stood before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth" (Deut 4:9-11). The remembrance of what we saw, felt, feared, and trembled under the sense of when our first fears were upon us is that which will produce in our hearts this godly filial fear.

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SECOND. I come now to the second thing, to wit, to show you what this fear of God flows from.

First, this fear, this grace of fear, this son-like fear of God, flows from God's distinguishing love to his elect. "I will be their God," saith he, "and I will put my fear in their hearts." None else obtain it but those enclosed and bound up in that bundle. Therefore, in the same place, they are said to be those who are wrapped up in the eternal or everlasting covenant of God and so designed to be the people who should be blessed with this fear. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them," saith God, "that I will not turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me" (Jer 32:38-40). This covenant declares unto men that God hath, in his heart, distinguishing love for some of the children of men; for he saith, he will be their God, that he will not leave them, nor yet suffer them to depart, to wit, finally, from him. Into these men's hearts, he doth put his fear, this blessed grace, and this rare and effectual sign of his love and of their eternal salvation.

Second. This fear flows from a new heart. This fear is not in men by nature; the fear of devils they may have, as also an ungodly fear of God; but this fear is not in any but where there dwelleth a new heart, another fruit and effect of this everlasting covenant, and of this distinguishing love of God. "A new heart also will I give them"; a new heart, what a one is that? Why, the same prophet saith in another place, "A heart to fear me," a circumcised one, a sanctified one (Jer 32:39; Eze 11:19, 36:26). So then, until a man receives a heart from God, a heart from heaven, a new heart, he has not this fear of God in him. New wine must not be put into old bottles, lest the one, to wit, mar the wine, or the wine the bottles. Still, new wine must have new bottles, and then both shall be preserved (Matt 9:17). This fear of God must not be, cannot be found in old hearts; old hearts are not bottles out of which this fear of God proceeds, but it is from an honest and good heart, from a new one, from such a one that is also an effect of the everlasting covenant, and love of God to men.

" I will give them one heart" to fear me; there must be heart in all actions; without heart, no action is good, nor can there be faith, love, or fear from every kind of heart. These must flow from such a one, whose nature is to produce and produce such fruit. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? So from a corrupt heart, there cannot proceed such fruit as the fear of God, as to believe in and love God (Luke 6:43-45). The heart naturally is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; how should the fear of God flow from such a one? It cannot be. He, therefore, that hath not received a new heart at the hands of God, cannot fear the Lord.

Third. This fear of God flows from an impression, a sound impression, that the Word of God maketh on our souls; without an impress of the Word, there is no fear of God. Hence, it is said that God gave Israel good laws, statutes, and judgments that they might learn and, in understanding them, learn to fear the Lord their God. Therefore, saith God, in another place, "Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God" (Deut 6:1,2, 31:12). For as a man drinketh sound doctrine into his soul, so he feareth God. If he drinks it in much, he feareth him greatly; if he drinketh it in but little, he feareth him but little; if he drinketh it not in at all, he feareth him not at all. This, therefore, teaches us how to judge who feareth the Lord; they are those who learn and who stand in awe of the Word. Those that have by the holy Word of God the very form of itself engraved upon the face of their souls fear God (Rom 6:17).[15]

But, on the contrary, those that do not love sound doctrine, that gives not the place to the wholesome truths of the God of heaven, revealed in his Testament, to take place in their souls, but rather despise it, and the true possessors of it, they fear not God. For, as I said before, this fear of God it flows from a sound impression that the Word of God maketh upon the soul; therefore,

Fourth. This godly fear floweth from faith; for where the Word maketh a sound impression on the soul, by that impression is faith begotten, whence also this fear doth flow. Therefore right hearing of the Word is called "the hearing of faith" (Gal 3:2). Hence it is said again, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith" (Heb 11:7). The Word, the warning that he had from God of things not seen as yet, wrought, through faith therein, that fear of God in his heart that made him prepare against unseen dangers and that he might be an inheritor of unseen happiness. Where, therefore, there is no faith in the Word of God, there can be none of this fear; where the Word does not make a sound impression on the soul, there can be none of this faith. So that as vices hang together and have the links of a chain, dependence one upon another, even so, the graces of the Spirit also are the fruits of one another, and have such dependence on each other, that the one cannot be without the other. No faith, no fear of God; devil's faith, devil's fear; saint's faith, saint's fear.