Twelfth. Another motive to fear and to grow in this fear of God is, This is the way to engage God to deliver thee from many outward dangers, whoever falls therein (Psa 34:7). This is proved by the story of the Hebrew midwives. “The midwives,” said Moses, “feared God” and did not drown the men-children as the king had commanded but saved them alive. And what follows? “Therefore God dealt well with the midwives; and it came to pass because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses” (Exo 1). That is, he sheltered them and caused them to be hidden from the rage and fury of the king, and that perhaps in some of the houses of the Egyptians themselves for why might not the midwives be there hid as well as was Moses even in the king’s court? And how many times are they that fear God said to be delivered by God and his holy angels? as I have already shown.
Thirteenth. Another motive to fear and grow in this fear of God is that this is the way to be delivered from errors and damnable opinions. Some perish in their righteousness, that is an error; some perish in their wickedness, and that is an error. Some again prolong their lives by their wickedness, others are righteous over much, and some are over-wise, and all these are snares, pits, and holes. But then, sayest thou, how shall I escape? Indeed, that is the question, and the Holy Ghost resolves it thus, “He that feareth God shall come forth of them all” (Eccl 7:18).
Fourteenth. Another motive to fear and grow in this fear of God is having left, be they never so dark in their souls, to come boldly to Jesus Christ, and to trust in him for life. I told you before that those who fear God have, in general, a license to trust in him. Still, now I tell you, and that in particular, that they, and they especially, may do it, and that though in the dark, you that sit in darkness and have no light, if this grace of fear is alive in your hearts, you have this boldness—” Who is among you that feareth the Lord,” mark, that feareth the Lord, “that obeyed the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God” (Isa 50:10). It is no slight advantage, you know when men have to deal in difficult matters, to have a patent or license to sell; now to trust in the Lord is a difficult thing, yet the best and most gainful of all. But then, some will say, since it is so difficult, how can we do it without danger? Why, the text gives them a license, a patent to trust in his name, that has his fear in their hearts—”Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.”
Fifteenth. Another motive to fear and grow in this grace of fear is that God will own and acknowledge such to be his, whoever he rejecteth. He will distinguish and separate them from all others in the day of his terrible judgments. He will do with them as he did by those that sighed for the abominations that were done in the land—command the man that hath his ink-horn by his side “to set a mark upon their foreheads,” that they might not fall in that judgment with others (Eze 9). So God said plainly of them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name, that they should be writ in his book—” A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serve him” (Mal 3:16,17). Mark acknowledges them for his and promises to spare them, as a man would spare his own son; yea, and moreover, will wrap them up as his chief jewels with himself in the bundle of life. Thus, much for the motives.
How to grow in this fear of God.
Having given you these motives to the duty of growing in this fear of God, before I leave this use, I will, in a few words, show you how you may grow in this fear of God.
First. Then, if you wouldest grow in this fear of God, learn how to distinguish fear in general. I mean, learn to differentiate between that fear that is godly, and that which in itself is indeed ungodly fear of God; and know them well the one from the other, lest the one, the fear that in itself indeed is ungodly, get the place, even the upper hand of that which truly is godly fear. And remember the ungodly fear of God is by God himself counted an enemy to him, and hurtful to his people, and is therefore most plentifully forbidden in the Word (Gen 3:15, 26:24, 46:3; Exo 14:13, 20:20; Num 14:9, 21:34; Isa 41:10,14, 43:1, 44:2,8; 54:4; Jer 30:10; Dan 10:12,19; Joel 2:21; Hagg 2:5; Zech 8:13).
Second. If thou wouldest grow in this godly fear, learn rightly to distinguish it from that fear, in particular, that is godly but for a time, even from that fear that is wrought by the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage. I say, learn to distinguish this from that, and also perfectly to know the bounds that God hath set to that fear that is wrought by the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage; lest, instead of growing in the fear that is to abide with thy soul for ever, thou be over-run again with that first fear, which is to abide with thee but till the spirit of adoption come. And that thou mayest not only distinguish them one from the other, but also keep each in its due place and bounds, consider in general of what hath already been said upon this head, and in particular that the first fear is no more wrought by the Holy Spirit, but by the devil, to distress thee, and make thee live, not like a son, but a slave. And for thy better help in this matter, know that God himself has set bounds to this fear, and has concluded that after the spirit of adoption comes, other fear is wrought in thy heart no more (Rom 8:15; 2 Tim 1:7).
Again, before I leave this, let me tell thee that if thou dost not well bestir thee in this matter, this bondage fear, to wit, that which is like it, though not wrought in thee by the Holy Ghost, will, by the management and subtlety of the devil, the author of it, haunt, disturb, and make thee live uncomfortably, and that while thou art an heir of God and his kingdom. This is the fear that the apostle speaks of, which makes men “all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb 2:14,15). For though Christ will deliver thee indeed at last, thou having embraced him by faith, yet thy life will be full of trouble; and death, though Jesus hath abolished it, will always be a living bugbear to thee in all thy ways and thoughts, to break thy peace, and to make thee to draw thy loins heavily after him.
