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Third Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? he will open his secret unto thee, even that which he hath hid and keeps close from all the world, to wit, the secret of his covenant and of thy concern therein—"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant" (Psa 25:14). This, then, further confirmeth what was said but just above; his secret shall be with them, and his covenant shall be showed unto them. His secret, to wit, that which hath been kept hid from ages and generations; that which he manifesteth only to the saints, or holy ones; that is, his Christ, for he is that is hidden in God, and that no man can know but he to whom the Father shall reveal him (Matt 11:27).

But O! What is there wrapped up in this Christ, this secret of God? why, all treasures of life, heaven, and happiness—"In him have hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." And "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col 2).

This also is that hidden One, that is so full of grace to save sinners and so full of truth and faithfulness to keep promise and covenant with them, that their eyes must needs convey, even by every glance they make upon his person, offices, and relation, such affecting ravishments to the heart, that it would please them that see him, even to be killed with that sight. This secret of the Lord shall be, nay is, with them that fear him, for he dwelleth in their heart by faith. "And he will shew them his covenant." That is, the covenant confirmed by God in Christ, that everlasting and eternal covenant, and show him that he is wrapped up therein, as in a bundle of life with the Lord his God. These are God's thoughts, purposes, and promises to those who fear him.

Fourth Privilege. Dost thou fear the Lord? His eye is always over thee for good, to keep thee from all evil—"Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine" (Psa 33:18,19). His eye is upon them; that is, to watch over them for good. He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. His eyes are upon them, and he will keep them as a shepherd doth his sheep; that is, from those wolves that seek to devour them and to swallow them up in death. His eyes are upon them, for they are the object of his delight, the rarities of the world, in whom, saith he, is all my delight. As I said before, his eye is upon them to teach and instruct them—"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye" (Psa 32:8; 2 Chron 7:15,16). The eye of the Lord, therefore, is upon them, not to take advantage of them, to destroy them for their sins, but to guide, to help, and deliver them from death; from that death that would feed upon their souls—"To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine." Take death here, for death is spiritual and death eternal. The famine here, not for that is for want of bread and water, but for that which comes on many for want of the Word of the Lord (Rev 20:14; Amos 8:11,12); and then the sense is this, the man that feareth the Lord shall neither die spiritually nor eternally; for God will keep him with his eye from all those things that would in such a manner kill him. Again, should there be a famine of the Word; should there want both the Word and them that preach it in the place that thou dost dwell, yet bread shall be given thee, and thy water shall be sure; thou shalt not die of the famine, because thou fearest God. I say that man shall not behold he shall not, because he feareth God, and this the next head doth yet more fully manifest.

Fifth Privilege. Dost thou fear God? Fear him for this advantage more and more—"O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord," that fear him, "shall not want any good thing" (Psa 34:9,10). Not anything that God sees good for them shall those men want that fear the Lord. If health will do them good, if sickness will do them good if riches will do them good, if poverty will do them good, if life will do them good, if death will do them good, then they shall not want them, neither shall any of these come nigh them, if they will not do them good. The lions, the wicked people of the world that fear not God, are not made sharers in this great privilege; all things fall out to the contrary because they fear not God. Amid their sufficiency, they want that good that God puts into the worst things that the man that feareth God doth meet within the world.

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OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THEM THAT THUS DO FEAR THE LORD.

Having thus briefly handled in particular thus far this fear of God, I shall now show you certain of the excellent privileges of them that fear the Lord, not that they are not privileges that have been already mentioned; for what greater privileges than to have this fear producing in the soul such excellent things so necessary for us for good, both regarding this world and that which is to come? But because those fourteen above-named flow instead from this grace of fear where it is, then from a promise to the person that hath it. Therefore, I have chosen instead to discourse of them as the fruits and effects of fear rather than otherwise. Now, besides all these, there is entailed by a promise to the man that hath this fear many other blessed privileges, which I shall now in a brief way lay open unto you.

First Privilege, then. That man that feareth the Lord has a grant and a license "to trust in the Lord," with an affirmation that he is their help and their shield—"Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield" (Psa 115:11). Now what a privilege is this! An exhortation in general to sinners, as sinners, to trust in him is a privilege, tremendous and glorious. Still, for a man to be singled out from his neighbors, for a man to be spoken to from heaven, as it were by name, and to be told that God hath given him a license, a unique and peculiar grant to trust in him, this is abundantly more; and yet this is the grant that God hath given that man! He hath, I say, a license to do it—a license indicted by the Holy Ghost and left upon record for those to be born that shall fear the Lord, to trust in him. And not only so, but as the text affirms, "he is their help and their shield." They help under all their weaknesses and infirmities and a shield to defend them against all the assaults of the devil and this world. So then, the man that feareth the Lord is licensed to make the Lord his stay and God of his salvation, the succor and deliverer of his soul. He will defend him because his fear is in his heart. O ye servants of the Lord, ye that fear him, live in the comfort of this; boldly make use of it when you are in straits, and put your trust under the shadow of his wings, for indeed he would have you do so because you do fear the Lord.

Second Privilege. God hath also proclaimed concerning the man that feareth the Lord, that he will also be his teacher and guide in the way that he shall choose, and hath moreover promised concerning such, that their soul shall dwell at ease—"What man is he that feareth the Lord?" says David, "him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose" (Psa 25:12). Now, to be taught of God, what like it? Yea, what like to be taught in the way that thou shalt choose? Thou hast chosen the way to life, God's way, but perhaps thy ignorance about it is so great, and those that tempt thee to turn aside so many and so subtle, that they seem to outwit thee and confound thee with their guile. Well, but the Lord whom thou fearest will not leave thee to thy ignorance, nor yet to thine enemies' power or subtlety, but will take it upon himself to be thy teacher and thy guide, and that in the way that thou hast chosen. Hear, then, and behold thy privilege, O thou that fearest the Lord; and whoever wanders, turns aside, and swerveth from the way of salvation, whoever is benighted, and lost in the midst of darkness, thou shalt find the way to the heaven and the glory that thou hast chosen.

Further, He doth not only say that he will teach them the way, for that must of necessity be supplied, but he also says that he will teach such in it—"He shall he teach in the way that he shall choose." This argueth that, as thou shalt know, so the way shall be made, by the communion that thou shalt have with God therein, sweet and pleasant to thee. For this text promiseth unto the man that feareth the Lord, the presence, company, and discovery of the mind of God, while he is going in the way that he hath chosen. It is said of the excellent scribe, that he is instructed unto, as well as into, the way of the kingdom of God (Matt 13:52). Instructed unto; that is, he hath the heart and mind of God still discovered to him in the way that he hath chosen, even all the way from this world to that which is to come, even until he shall come to the very gate and door of heaven. What the disciples said was the effect of the presence of Christ, to wit, "that their hearts did burn within them while he talked to them by the way," shall also be fulfilled in thee, he will meet with thee in the way, talk with thee in the way; he will teach thee in the way that thou shalt choose (Luke 24:32).

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Twelfth. There floweth from this godly fear of God an honest and conscientious use of all those means which God ordained that we should be conversant in for our attaining salvation. Faith and hope in God's mercy secure our justification and hope; as you have heard, they flow from this fear. But now, besides faith and hope, there is a course of life in those things in which God ordained us to have our conversation, without which there is no eternal life. "Ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life"; and again, "without holiness, no man shall see the Lord." Faith and hope are not deficient if they are correct, but they are both counterfeit when not attended with a reverent use of all the means: upon the respectful use of which the soul is put by this grace of fear. "Wherefore, beloved," said Paul, "as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in mine absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Rom 6:22; Heb 12:14; Phil 2:11).

There is a faith and hope of mercy that may deceive a man (though the faith of God's elect, and the hope that purifies the heart never will) because they are alone and not attended with those companions that accompany salvation (Heb 6:3-8). But now this godly fear carries in its bowels not only a moving of the soul to faith and hope in God's mercy but an earnest provocation to the holy and reverent use of all the means that God has ordained for a man to have his conversation in, to his eternal salvation. "Work out your salvation with fear." Not that work is meritorious or such that can purchase eternal life, for eternal life is obtained by hope in God's mercy. Still, this hope, if it is correct, is attended with this godly fear, which fears putteth the soul upon a diligent use of all those means that may tend to the strengthening of hope and so to the making of us holy in all manner of conversation, that we may be meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Hope purifies the heart if fear of God shall be its companion, and so maketh a man, a vessel of mercy prepared unto glory. Paul bids Timothy to fly pride, covetousness, doting about questions, and the like, and to "follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience; to fight the good fight of faith, and to lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim 6).

So Peter bids that we "add to our faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity"; adding, "for if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall have ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-11). The sum of all which is that which was mentioned before; to wit, "to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." None of these things can be conscientiously done, but by and with the help of this blessed grace of fear.

Thirteenth. There flows from this godly fear a great delight in the holy commands of God, that is, a delight to be conformable unto them. "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments" (Psa 112:1). This confirmeth that which was said before, to wit, that this fear provoketh to a holy and reverent use of the means; for that cannot be, when there is not a sacred, yea, a great delight in the commandments. Therefore, this fear makes the sinner abhor that which is sin because that is contrary to the object of his delight. A man cannot delight himself simultaneously in things directly opposite to another, as sin and the holy commandment are; therefore, Christ saith of the servant, he cannot love God and mammon—"Ye cannot serve God and mammon." If he cleaves to the one, he must hate and despise the other; simultaneously, there cannot be service to both because they are at enmity with the other. So is sin and the commandment. Therefore, if a man delighteth himself in the commandment, he hateth that which is opposite, which is sin: how much more when he greatly delighteth in the commandment? This holy fear of God takes the heart and affections from sin and setteth them upon the sacred commandment. Therefore, such a man is rightly esteemed and blessed. No profession makes a man blessed, but that which is accompanied by an alienation of the heart from sin, nor doth anything do that when this holy fear is wanting. It is from this fear that loves to, and delight in, the sacred commandment floweth, and so by that, the sinner is kept from those falls and dangers of miscarrying that other professors are so subject to he greatly delights in the commandment.

Fourteenth. Lastly, There floweth from this fear of God, enlargement of heart. "Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged" (Isa 60:5). "Thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged," enlarged to God-ward, enlarged to his ways, enlarged to his holy people, enlarged in love after the salvation of others. Indeed, when this fear of God is wanting, though the profession is never so famous, the heart is shut up and straitened, and nothing is done in that princely free spirit, which is called "the spirit of the fear of the Lord" (Psa 51:12; Isa 11:2). But with grudging, legally, or with the desire of vain-glory, this enlargedness of heart is wanting, for that flows from this fear of the Lord.

Thus, I have shown you what this fear of God is, what it flows from, and what doth flow from it. I will come now to show you some.

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Tenth. There floweth from this godly fear humility of mind. This is evident because when the apostle cautions the Romans against the venom of spiritual pride, he directs them to exercise this blessed grace of fear as its antidote. "Be not high-minded," saith he, "but fear" (Rom 11:20). Pride, spiritual pride, which is here set forth by the word "high-minded," is a sin of a very high and damnable nature; it was the sin of the fallen angels, and is that which causeth men to fall into the same condemnation—"Lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil." Pride, I say, it damns a professor with the damnation of devils, with the damnation of hell, and therefore it is a deadly, deadly sin. Now against this deadly sin is set the grace of humility; that comely garment, for so the apostle calls it, saying, "Be clothed with humility." But the question is how we should attain and live in the exercise of this blessed and comely grace? to which the apostle answers, Fear; be afraid with godly fear, and thence will flow humility—"Be not high-minded, but fear." That is, Fear, or be continually scared and jealous of yourselves and your own naughty hearts, also fear lest, at some time or other, the devil, your adversary, should have the advantage of you. Fear, lest by forgetting what you are by nature, you also forget the need that you have for continual pardon, support, and supplies from the Spirit of grace, and so grow proud of your own abilities or of what you have received from God, and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Fear that will make you little in your own eyes, keep you humble, put you upon crying to God for protection, and upon lying at his foot for mercy; that will also make you have low thoughts of your own parts, your own doings, and cause you to prefer your brother before yourself, and so you will walk in humiliation, and be continually under the teachings of God, and under his conduct in your way. The humble, God will teach—"The meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he teach his way." From this grace of fear flows this excellent and comely thing, humility; yea, it is also maintained by this fear. Fear takes a man from trusting himself, prevents a man from trying all things, prevents a man desiring counsel and help from heaven, makes a man ready and willing to hear instruction, and makes a man walk slowly, softly, and so securely in the way.

Eleventh. There flows from this grace of fear, hope in the mercy of God—"The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy" (Psa 147:11). The latter part of the text is an explanation of the former: as if the psalmist had said, They be the men that fear the Lord, even they that hope in his mercy; for true fear produceth hope in God's mercy. And it is further manifest thus. Fear, true fear of God inclineth the heart to a serious inquiry after that way of salvation which God himself hath prescribed; now the way that God hath appointed, by the which the sinner is to obtain the salvation of his soul, is his mercy as so and so outlined in the Word. Godly fear hath particular regard to the Word. To this way, therefore, the sinner with this godly fear submits his soul, rolls himself upon it, and so is delivered from that death into which others, for want of this fear of God, do headlong fall.

As I also hinted before, it is the nature of godly fear to put the soul upon the inquiry, which is, and is not, the thing approved of God, and accordingly embrace it or shun it. Now I say, this fear had put the soul upon a strict and severe inquiry after the way of salvation, at last it finds it to be by the mercy of God in Christ; therefore, this fear putteth the soul upon also hoping in him for eternal life and blessedness; by which hope he doth not only secure his soul but becomes a portion of God's delight—"The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy."

Besides, this godly fear carrieth in its self-evidence that the sinner's state is happy because possessed with this happy grace. Therefore, as John saith, "We know we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). So here, "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy." If I fear God, and if my fearing of him is a thing in which he taketh such pleasure, then may I boldly venture to roll me for eternal life into the bosom of his mercy, which is Christ. This fear also produceth hope; if therefore, poor sinner, thou know thyself to be possessed with this fear of God, suffer thyself to be persuaded thus to hope in the mercy of God for salvation, for the Lord takes pleasure in thee. And it delights him to see the hope in his mercy.

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Seventh. There flows from this godly fear of God, compassion, and bowels to those of the saints in need and distress. This is manifest in good Obadiah; it is said of him, "That he took a hundred" of the Lord's "prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water," in the days when Jezebel that tyrant sought their lives to destroy them (1 Kings 18:3,4). But what moved so upon his heart as to cause him to do this thing? Why, it was this blessed grace of the fear of God. "Now Obadiah," saith the text, "feared the Lord greatly, for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water." This was charity to the distressed, even to the distressed, for the Lord's sake.

Had not Obadiah served the Lord, yea, had he not greatly feared him, he would not have been able to do this thing, especially as the case then stood with him, and also with the church at that time, for then Jezebel sought to slay all that indeed feared the Lord; yea, and the persecution prevailed so much at that time, that even Elijah himself thought that she had killed all but him. But now, even now, the fear of God in this good man's heart put forth itself into acts of mercy though attended with such an imminent danger. See here, therefore, that the fear of God will put forth itself in the heart where God hath put it, even to show kindness, and to have compassion upon the distressed servants of God, even under Jezebel's nose; for Obadiah dwelt in Ahab's house, and Jezebel was Ahab's wife, and a horrible persecutor, as was said before: yet Obadiah will show mercy to the poor because he feared God, yea, he will venture her displeasure, his place, and neck, and all, but he will be merciful to his brethren in distress. As a man possessed this fear of God, Cornelius became a very free-hearted and open-handed man to the poor—"He feared God, and gave much alms to the people." Indeed, this fear, this godly fear of God, is a universal grace; it will stir up the soul unto all suitable duties. It is a fruitful grace; from it, where it is, floweth abundance of excellent virtues; nor without it can there be anything good, or done well, that is done. But,

Eighth. There flows from this fear of God hearty, fervent, and constant prayer. This is also seen in Cornelius, the devout man. He feared God, and what then? Why, he gave much alms to the people "and prayed to God always" (Acts 10:1,2).

Did I say that hearty, fervent, and constant prayer flowed from this fear of God? If the whole duty and its continuation are not managed with this fear of God, it profits nothing. It is said of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, "He was heard in that he feared." He prayed, then, because he feared, because he feared God, and therefore was his prayer accepted of him, even because he feared—"He was heard in that he feared" (Heb 5:7). This godly fear is so essential to right prayer, and right prayer is such an inseparable effect and fruit of this fear, that you must have both or none; he that prayeth not feareth not God, yea, he that prayeth not fervently and frequently feareth him not; and so he that feareth him cannot pray; for if prayer is the effect of this fear of God, then without this fear, prayer, fervent prayer, ceaseth. How can they pray or make conscience of the duty that fear not God? O, prayerless man, thou fearest not God! Thou wouldest not live so like a swine or a dog in the world as thou dost if thou fearest the Lord.

Ninth. There floweth from this fear of God a readiness or willingness, at God's call, to give up our best enjoyments to his disposal. This is evident in Abraham, who, at God's call, without delay, rose early in the morning to offer up his only and well-beloved Isaac a burnt offering in the place where God should appoint him. It was a rare thing that Abraham did, and had he not had this rare grace, this fear of God, he would not, he could not have done to God's liking so wonderful a thing. It is true the Holy Ghost also makes this service of Abraham the fruit of his faith—"By faith, Abraham offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only-begotten son" (Heb 11; James 2). Aye, and without doubt love unto God, in Abraham, was not wanting in this his service, nor was this grace of fear; nay, in the story where it is recorded. There, it is chiefly accounted for the fruit of his godly fear, and that by an angel from heaven—"And the angel called out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him, for now, I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me" (Gen 22:11,12). Now I know it; now, thou hast offered up thine only Isaac, thine all, at the bidding of thy God. Now I know it. The fear of God is not presently discerned in the heart and life of a man. Abraham had long before this done many a holy duty and showed much willingness of heart to observe and do the will of God; yet you find not, as I remember, that he had this testimony from heaven that he feared God till now; but now he has it, now he has it from heaven. "Now I know that thou fearest God." Many duties may be done—though I do not say that Abraham did them—without the fear of God; but when a man shall not stick at, or withhold, his darling from God when called upon by God to offer it up unto him, that declareth, yea, and gives conviction to angels, that now he feareth God.

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by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

Fifth. There flows from this godly fear of God, self-denial. That is, a holy abstaining from those things that are either unlawful or inexpedient; according to Nehemiah, "The former governors that had been before me, were chargeable unto the people, that had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver, yea, even their servants' bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God" (Neh 5:15).[17]

Here, there was no self-denial; he would not do as they did that went before him, neither himself nor his servants, but what put him upon these acts of self-denial? The answer is the fear of God: "But so did not I, because of the fear of God."

Whether the fear of God in this place means his Word or the grace of fear in his heart, it may be a scruple to some. Still, in my judgment, the text must have respect to the latter, to wit, to the grace of fear, for without that being indeed in the heart, the word will not produce that good self-denial in us that here you find this good man to live in the daily exercise of. The fear of God, therefore, was the cause of his self-denial, and this grace of fear was in his heart. This made him to be, as was said before, tender of the honor of God, and of the salvation of his brother: yea, so tender, that rather than he would give an occasion to the weak to stumble, or be offended, he would even deny himself of that which other never stuck to do. Paul also, through the sanctifying operations of this fear of God in his heart, did deny himself even of lawful things for the profit and commodity of his brother—"I will eat no flesh while the world stands, lest I make my brother offend"; that is if his eating of it would make his brother offend (1 Cor 8:13).

Men that have not this fear of God in them will not, cannot deny themselves—of love to God, and the good of the weak, who are subject to stumble at indifferent things—but where this grace of fear is, there follows self-denial; their men are tender of offending; and count that it far better becomes their profession to be of a self-denying, condescending conversation and temper than to stand sturdily to their own liberty in things inexpedient, whoever is offended thereat. Therefore, this grace of fear is excellent because it yields such wonderful fruit. For this self-denial, of how little esteem soever it be with some, yet the want of it, if the words of Christ be accurate, as they are, takes quite away from even a professor the very name of a disciple (Matt 10:37,38; Luke 14:26,27,33). They, says Nehemiah, lorded it over the brethren, but so did not I. They took bread and wine, and forty shekels of silver of them, but so did not I; yea, even their servant's bare rule over the people, "but so did not I, because of the fear of God."

Sixth. There flows from this godly fear of God "singleness of heart" (Col 3:22). Singleness of heart both to God and man; singleness of heart, that is it which in another place is called sincerity and godly simplicity, and it is this, when a man doth a thing simply for the sake of him or of the law that commands it, without respect to this by-end,[18]

or that desire of praise or of vain glory from others; I say, when our obedience to God is done by us simply or alone for God's sake, for his Word's sake, without any regard to this or that by-end or reserve, "not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God." A man is more subject to nothing than to swerve from singleness of heart in his service to God and obedience to his will. How doth the Lord charge the children of Israel and all their obedience, and that for seventy years together, with the want of singleness of heart towards him—"When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not you eat and drink for yourselves?" (Zech 7:5,6).

They wanted this singleness of heart in their fasting, and in their eating, in their mourning, and in their drinking; they had double hearts in what they did. They did not do as the apostle bids; "whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." And the reason for their want of this thing was, they wanted this fear of God; for that, as the apostle here saith, effected singleness of heart to God, and makes a man, as John said of Gaius, "do faithfully whatsoever he doth" (3 John 5). And the reason is, as hath been already urged, for that grace of fear of God retained and keep upon the heart a reverent and awful sense of the dread majesty and all-seeing eye of God, also due consideration of the day of account before him; it likewise maketh his service sweet and pleasing, and fortifies the soul against all discouragements; by this means, I say, the soul, in its service to God or man, is not so soon captivated as where there is not this fear, but through and by it its service is accepted, being single, sincere, simple, and faithful; when others, with what they do, are cast into hell for their hypocrisy, for they mix not what they do with godly fear. Singleness of heart in the service of God is of such absolute necessity that without it, as I have hinted, nothing can be accepted because where that is wanting, there wanted love to God, and to that which is true holiness indeed. This singleness of heart made Nathanael so honorable in the eyes of Jesus Christ. "Behold," said he, "an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile" (John 1:47). And it was the want of it that made him so much abhor the Pharisees. They wanted sincerity, simplicity, and godly sincerity in their souls, which became an abhorrence in his esteem. Now, I say, this golden grace, singleness of heart, flows from this godly fear of God.

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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.