that pretends to understand that there is a failure in the nature and execution of things, or from an envy and spite at the execution of them. Now, if murmurings arise from this pretended wisdom of the flesh, then, instead of fearing God, his actions are judged to be either rigid or ridiculous, which yet are done in judgment, truth, and righteousness. So that a murmuring heart cannot be a good one for the fear of God to grow in; alas! the heart where that grows must be a soft one, as Job says, "God maketh my heart soft," Job xxiii. 16; and a heart that will stoop, and be silent at the most abstruse of all his judgments: "I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it," Psa. xxxix. 9.

The heart in which this fear of God doth flourish, is such, that it bows, and is mute, if it can but espy the hand, wisdom, justice, or holiness of God in this or the other of his dispensations, and so stirs up the soul to fear before him. But if this murmuring ariseth from envy and spite, that looketh so like to the spirit of the devil, that nothing need be said to give conviction of the horrible wickedness of it.

(8.) Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of a high and captious spirit; for that is not good ground for the fear of God to grow in: a meek and quiet spirit is the best, and there the fear of God will flourish most; therefore, Peter puts meekness and fear together, as being most suited in their nature and natural tendency one to another, 1 Peter iii. 15.

Meekness of spirit is like that ground that hath depth of earth in it, in which things may take root and grow; but an high and captious spirit is like to the stony ground, where there is not depth of earth, and consequently where this grace of fear cannot

grow. Therefore, take heed of this kind of spirit, if thou wouldst that the fear of God should grow in thy soul.

(9.) Wouldst thou grow in the grace of fear? then take heed of an envious heart; for that is not a good heart for the fear of God to grow in. "Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long," Prov. xxiii. 17. To envy any is a sign of a bad spirit; and that man takes upon him, as I have already hinted, to be a controller and a judge, yea, and a malicious executioner too, and that of the fury that ariseth from his own lusts and revengeful spirit, upon, perhaps, the man that is more righteous than himself. But suppose he is a sinner that is the object of thine envy, why the text sets that envy in direct opposition to the fear of God: "Envy not sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord." These two, therefore, namely, envy to sinners and fearing of God, are opposites. Thou canst not fear God and envy sinners too. And the reason is, because he that envieth a sinner hath forgotten himself that he is as bad, and how can he then fear God? He that envies sinners rejects his duty of blessing of those that curse, and praying for those that despitefully use us; and how can he that hath rejected this fear God? He that envieth sinners, therefore, cannot be of a good spirit, nor can the fear of God grow in his heart.

(10.) Wouldst thou grow in this grace of fear? then take heed of hardening thy heart at any time against convictions to particular duties, as to prayer, alms, self-denial, or the like. Take heed, also, of hardening thy heart when thou art under any judgments of God, as sickness, losses, crosses, or the like. I bade you before to beware of a hard heart; but

now I bid you beware of hardening your soft ones; for to harden the heart is to make it worse than it is, harder, more desperate, and bold against God than at the present it is. Now, I say, if thou wouldst grow in this grace of fear, take heed of hardening thy heart, and especially of hardening it against convictions to good; for those convictions are sent of God, like seasonable showers of rain, to keep the tillage of thy heart in good order, that the grace of fear may grow therein; but this stifling of convictions makes the heart as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

Therefore, happy is he that receiveth conviction, for so he doth keep in the fear of God, and that fear is thereby nourished in his soul; but cursed is he that doth otherwise. "Happy is the man that feareth alway but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief," Prov. xxviii. 14.

III. I come now to a use of encouragement to those that are blessed with this grace of fear. The last text that was mentioned saith, "Happy is the man that feareth alway," and so doth 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 from me," Jer. xxxii. 40. Therefore, as here it saith, 'Happy is he," so it saith also," It shall be well with them,” that is, in time to come: "It shall be well with them that fear God," Eccles. viii. 12. 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 feareth the Lord shall abide for ever and ever.

This, therefore, is the first thing that I would propound for thy encouragement, O thou man that fearest the Lord.

This grace will dwell in thy heart, for it is a new covenant grace, and will abide with thee for ever. 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. xxxii. 40. That thou mayst never forsake God is his design, 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? Why, the answer is, the fear of God will keep them; "He that feareth God shall come forth of them all," Eccl. vii. 18.

Is it not, therefore, a wonderful mercy to be blessed with this grace of fear, that thou by it mayst be kept from final, which is damnable, apostasy? Bless God, therefore, thou blessed man, that hast this grace of fear in thy soul.

There are five things in this grace of fear that have a direct tendency in them to keep thee 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, 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 heart.” If a king would keep a town secure to himself, let him be sure to man sufficiently the main fort thereof. If he have twenty thousand men well armed, 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 town is more secure. What if a man had all the parts, yea, all the arts of men and angels, they would not keep the heart to God. But when the heart, this principal fort, is possessed with the fear of God, then he is safe, but not else.

2. As the heart in general, so the will in special, that chief and great faculty of the soul, is the principle that is actuated by this fear.

The will, which way that goes, all goes; if it be to heaven or hell. Now, the will, I say, is that main faculty that is governed by this fear that doth possess the soul, therefore, all is likely to go well with it.

This Samuel teacheth, where he saith, "If ye will fear the Lord," 1 Sam. xii. 14. Fearing 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 governeth, is led all the rest of the powers of the soul. In this will, then, is the 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 that does the whole man.

goes, and

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 thereof.

Now, this fear that we have been speaking of, is