USE THIRD, of encouragement.
USE THIRD. I now come to A USE OF ENCOURAGEMENT to those blessed with this grace of fear. The last text mentioned saith, "Happy is the man that feared always," and so many more. Happy already, because blessed with this grace; and happy for time to come, because this grace shall abide, and continue till the soul that hath it is brought unto the mansion-house of glory. "I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart me." Therefore, as here it saith, Happy is he, so it saith also, It shall go well with him, that is, in time to come. "It shall be well with them that fear God" (Eccl 8:12).
First, had God given thee all the world, yet cursed hadst thou been, if he had not given thee the fear of the Lord; for the fashion of this world is a fading thing, but he that feared the Lord shall abide forever and ever. This, therefore, is the first thing that I would propound for thy encouragement, thou man that fears the Lord. This grace will dwell in thy heart, for it is a new covenant grace and will abide with thee forever. It is sent to thee from God, not only to join thy heart unto him, but to keep thee from final apostasy—"I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me" (Jer 32:40). That thou mayest never forsake God, is his design, and therefore, to keep thee from that wicked thing, he hath put his fear in thy heart. Many are the temptations, difficulties, snares, traps, trials, and troubles that the people of God pass through in the world, but how shall they be kept, how shall they be delivered, and escape? The answer is that the fear of God will keep them—"He that feared God shall come forth of them all."
Is it not a wonderful mercy to be blessed with this grace of fear, that thou mayest be kept from final, which is damnable apostasy? Bless God, therefore, thou blessed man, that hast this grace of fear in thy soul. Five things in this grace of fear have a direct tendency to keep them from final apostasy.
1. It is seated in the heart, and the heart is, as I may call it, the main fort in the mystical world of man. It is not placed in the head, as knowledge is; nor in the mouth, as utterance is, but in the heart, the seat of all, "I will put my fear in their hearts." If a king keeps a town secure to himself, let him be sure to man sufficiently the main fort. If he has twenty thousand men well armed, yet if they lie scattered here and there, the town may be taken for all that, but if the main fort be well manned, then the city is more secure. What if a man had all the parts, yea, all the arts of men and angels? That will not keep the heart of God. But when the heart, this principal fort, is possessed with the fear of God, he is safe, but not elsewhere.
2. The heart is general, so the will is special. That chief and outstanding faculty of the soul is the principle that is acted by this fear. The will, which way that goes, all goes, if it is to heaven or hell. Now the will, I say, is that leading faculty governed by this fear that doth possess the soul; therefore, all will likely go well with it. This Samuel insinuated when he said, "If ye will fear the Lord." Fearing of God is a voluntary act of the will, and that being so, the soul is kept from rebellion against the commandment because by the will where this fear of God is placed, and which it governed, is led all the rest of the powers of the soul (1 Sam 12:14). In this will, then, is this fear of God placed, that this grace may the better be able to govern the soul, and so by consequence the whole man; for as I said before, look what way the will goes, look what the will does, thither goes, and that does, the whole man (Psa 110:3). Man when his will is alienated from God, is reckoned rebellious throughout, and that not without ground, for the will is the principal faculty of the soul as to obedience, and therefore things done without the will are as if they were not done at all. The spirit is willing; if ye be willing; "she hath done what she could," and the like; by these and such-like sayings, the goodness of the heart and action is judged as to the subjective part. Now, this fear we have been speaking of is placed in the soul, and so consequently in the will, that the man may be better kept from final and damnable apostasy.
3. This fear, as I may say, even above every other grace, is God's well-wisher; hence, it is called, as I have shown you, his fear. He also says in the abovementioned text, "I will put my fear in their hearts." These words, his and my, are intimate and familiar expressions, speaking not only in great favor to man but also a great trust put in him. As who should say, this fear is my particular friend; it will subject and bow the soul, and the several faculties thereof, to my pleasure; it is my great favorite and subdue sinners to my pleasure. You shall rarely find faith, repentance, or parts and go under such familiar characters as this blessed fear of the Lord. Of all the counselors and mighty that David had, Hushai only was called the king's friend (2 Sam 15:37, 16:16). So of all the graces of the Spirit, this of the fear of God goes mostly, if not always, by the title of MY fear, God's fear, HIS fear, &c. I told you before if the king will keep a town, the main fort therein must be sufficiently manned, and now I will add that if he has not to govern those men, some trusty and special friend, such as Hushai, was to David, he may find it lost when it should stand him in greatest stead. If a soul should be possessed with all things possible, yet if this fear of God is wanting, all other things will give place in a time of rebellion, and the soul shall be found in, and under the conduct of hell, when it should stand up for God and his truth in the world. This fear of God is God's special friend, and therefore, it has given unto it the chief seat of the heart, the will, that the whole man may now be, and also be kept hereafter, in the subjection and obedience of the gospel. For,
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