himself to the discharge of his ministerial function, by the fear of God's wrath. So that it is evident there may be a fear of God's wrath exciting unto duty; where yet there is a full assurance, beyond all doubting and hesitation, of escaping wrath. So that this is not that fear, that the Apostle excites them who have assurance unto.

(2) There is a fear of terror; a shivering in the soul, upon the apprehension of the greatness of the evil feared, but avoided too: and this is consistent with full assurance.

Thus the terror of past dangers sometimes causeth as much terror, as if we were again to encounter with them. So, when believers look back upon that wrath and fiery indignation, that they have narrowly escaped; upon that lake of brimstone, that boils and burns behind them, wherein thousands of others are for ever swallowed up; this cannot but affect them with a holy horror and fear of God's wrath against sinners, though they have full assurance of his love.

(3) There is also, in Fear, a flight and aversion from the evil feared and this, also, is consistent with full assurance.

Noah had full assurance, from the promise of God, for his preservation from the deluge; and yet it is said, that Noah, being moved with fear, built him an ark. Full assurance to escape evil is far from hindering, as some calumniate it, the use of means to prevent that evil: yea, the assurance, that we have to escape hell and wrath, is of the greatest and most effectual influence, to make us careful to use those means whereby we may escape it. See this in 2 Cor. vii. 1. Having these promises.....let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God: so, in Tit. ii. 11, 12, 13. The grace of God, that bringeth salvation.....teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts......Looking for that blessed hope, and "the glorious appearing of......our Lord Jesus Christ: so, in 1 John iii. 3. Every one, that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as God is pure.

Thus you see what fear it is, that the Apostle exhorts believers to, who have a kingdom: not a fear of perplexing doubtfulness, but such as is consistent with their full assurance: that is, so to fear the wrath of God, as to have our hearts affected with terror at the greatness and insupportableness of that wrath, though they have escaped it; and to fear so, as to avoid all sin,

and all that exposeth to that wrath. In these two senses, they, that are assured that God is their God, ought to fear him as a consuming fire.

2. Let us now see upon what Grounds and Considerations a believer, who is assured of God's love and favour to him, ought yet to fear him.

(1) As a Consuming Fire.

[1] The consideration of that mighty and dreadful power, that God puts forth in the punishing and afflicting of the damned, may strike fear into the hearts of those, that are fully assured of God's love and favour to them.

Such a fear as this, the holy angels themselves have: though they are secured by Christ in that blessed state and condition that they enjoy; yet, to see God stripping and making bare his arm, to lay on weighty strokes of everlasting vengeance upon their fellow angels that are fallen, makes them to tremble and stand astonished at the almighty power of God: and this keeps them at a due distance, in their thoughts and apprehensions of his dreadful majesty. And should it not much more make us to tremble with an awful respect of the power of God, to consider how he crusheth and breaks the damned in hell, by his own almighty arm stretched out, in the full power of his wrath, to their everlasting destruction? It is from this power of God, that Christ himself enforceth the fear of God: Mat. x. 28. Fear him, which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell: though God should assure you, that he would never destroy you in hell; yet, because he is able to do it, therefore you should fear him. [2] This fear may arise in the hearts of the children of God, who are most assured of his love, from the consideration of the wrath and dreadful severity of God, as well as of his power.

If a father corrects his slave in his wrath, this will cause fear and dread in the son, though he knows that wrath shall never fall upon him: so, a child of God, who is assured of the tender love and favour of God to himself, yet, when he sadly considers that wrath and indignation that is in God against the damned; when he sees his Heavenly Father angry, though it be not against him; this must needs strike a reverential fear and awe into his soul. Now this reverential fear will remain for ever: The fear of the Lord endureth for ever. Yea, when the children of God shall be made for ever happy in heaven, yet this fear shall be then increased, and not at all diminished: the more they see of the power of the wrath and severity of God executed upon the

damned, the more they fear and reverence this powerful, this sin-revenging God. And this kind of fear is no prejudice to their full assurance and joy, nor shall it be prejudicial to their complete and perfect happiness in heaven.

[3] The consideration of the desert of sin, should cause a holy fear of God, even in those, that are fully assured of his love.

When a child of God looks upon sin, and sees what wrath and torment he hath deserved by it, though he be assured by the testimony of the Spirit of God that he is pardoned; yet it cannot but fright him to consider, that he should deserve so great condemnation as a malefactor, though he be pardoned, yet if he be present at the execution of his fellow offenders, must needs be struck with fear and horror, that he should be guilty of the same crimes, for which they are to suffer such sharp and cruel punishments. What the thief on the cross said unto his fellow thief, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? the same may I say to believers: Do not you fear God, seeing you deserve, at least to be in the same condemnation with those wretches, that lie howling in hell?

[4] Another ground of fear is, that it is in itself possible, that all this wrath should be your portion for ever; even your's, who are most assured of glory.

And is not this just cause of fear; if not of expectation, yet at least of terror? Indeed, as God hath been graciously pleased to bind himself in a covenant of grace and mercy to you, so it is impossible that this wrath should fall upon you: but, yet, such a supposition as this is enough to cause fear in the most assured heart; to think, that, if God had not engaged himself by promise to deliver him from that wrath, what then would have been his condition to all eternity? Would not such thoughts as these make you tremble? Suppose a man were fast chained to the top of some high rock, hanging over a, bottomless gulf; though he knew and was assured that he should not fall into it, being immoveably fastened there, yet, when he looks down that deep and dangerous precipice, and sees the gulf foaming and' raging under him, will not a cold fear thrill through his heart to think, "O! if I were not here fastened by a strong chain to this immoveable rock, what would become of me?" even so, Believers, you, that are most assured to escape hell, this is your condition you are fastened to the Rock of Ages by the unchangeable promise of God, that will ever hold you fast; but

yet, every time you look down into the bottomless gulf that is under you, where thousands are swallowed up to all eternity, doth not such a thought as this is fright you, "O! if I were not fastened to this immoveable rock; if God had not made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things and sure; I should also have been swallowed up with the rest of the world, and have gone down quick into hell?" Alas! we are all of us held over the lake of fire and brimstone in the hands of God: some, he holds in the left-hand of his common providence; and others, he holds in the right-hand of his special grace: those, whom he holds only in the hands of his providence, he lets fall and drop, one after another, into hell, where they are swallowed up and lost eternally: those, that he holds in the hands of his grace, it is true it is impossible upon that supposition that ever they should fall into hell; yet, when they think, “ Q! if we were not upheld!" yea, how possible it was that they should not have been upheld; this apprehension must, needs strike them with fear and terror: though not with a perplexing doubtfulness, concerning the safety of their condition; yet with a doubtful apprehension of the possibility of what would have been their condition, if God had held them over hell only, by the hand of his common providence.

[5] Though you are assured that you shall escape this eternal death, yet it will be a narrow escape: and that may cause fear.

It will be an escape with very much labour and difficulty. Though you are held in the hands of God, yet he leads you along to heaven by the gates of hell: and this is sufficient to cause fear. Our way to heaven is so strait, the rubs in it so many, our falls by them so frequent, our enemies so potent: that, though our assurance may make us not to fear but that, in the end, we shall escape hell; yet it will be high presumption for us, not to fear how we may escape it. The Apostle brings. in the salvation of the elect themselves with a scarcely: 1 Pet. iv. 18. If the righteous scarcely be saved. Now this scarcely doth not imply that there is any uncertainty in the end, but only the great difficulty in the means of obtaining it. So, then, the end is certain; that is, a believer's salvation from hell: and that is. just cause of rejoicing. But the means are very difficult and laborious and that is just cause of fear.

Briefly, then, to apply it, in one word. Though you are assured, through faith, of the pardon of your sins, yet tremble.

at the thought of that wrath and hell, that you have escaped. It is observed, that those are the fixed stars, that tremble most. So Christians, who are fixed immoveably in the unchangeable love of God, as stars fixed to the heavens in their orbs: yet they are most of all in trepidation and trembling, when they reflect upon themselves; and think, that, instead of being stars in heaven, they might have been firebrands in hell. Those, to me, are suspicious professors, that make a great blaze with their joys, in the apprehensions of their right to heaven; but never tremble, under the apprehensions of their deserts of hell.

(2) Having shewed you upon what account God is to be feared as he is a consuming fire, in the next place I shall shew you what there is in the consideration of God, as our God, that may enforce a holy awe and fear of him.

And, indeed, if ever it was necessary to press men to a due fear and awe of God, it is so now: since, on the one hand, the open profaneness of ungodly men, and, on the other hand, the pert sauciness of some notional professors who are apt to think that communion with God consists in a familiar rudeness, do plainly testify to all the world, that there is little fear or reverence of him in their hearts. And now, whilst I am shewing what reason there is, that God's dearest children should fear him as a Reconciled Father, let wicked men, in the mean while, sadly consider with themselves, what great cause then they have to fear him, who is their sworn enemy: if God's smiles are tempered with that majesty, that makes them awful; surely his frowns then must needs carry in them an astonishing terror, that makes them insupportable. We may observe how unexpectedly, sometimes, from the goodness and mercy of God, that is, the sweetest and most natural attractive of loves the Scripture draws an inference to fear God: Ps. cxxx. 4. There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared: not only a sin-revenging, but a sin-pardoning God, is here set before us as the object of our fear these two sister-graces, fear and love, are nourished in the soul by the same attribute, God's pardoning mercy: the great sinner in the Gospel is said to love much, because much was forgiven her; and, here, much fear, as well as much love, is the result and issue of God's pardoning grace. And so you have it, in Hos. iii. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness. And, in Exod. xv. 11. Moses, describing the most glorious attributes of God, tells us, that he is glorious in holiness, fearful in praises: even then, when we are to praise God for his mercy;