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.
