word, comes near them, they will not abide that preacher, nor such kind of sermons any more. They are, as they deem, best at ease when furthest off from God and of the power of his word. The word preached brings God nearer to them than they desire he should come, because, whenever God comes near, their sins by him are manifest, and so is the judgment that to them is due. Now, these not having faith in the mercy of God through Christ, nor that grace that tendeth to bring them to him, they cannot but think of God amiss; and their so thinking of him makes them say unto God, “ Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways," Job xxi. 14. Wherefore, their wrong thoughts of God beget in them this ungodly fear: and again, this ungodly fear doth maintain in them the continuance of these wrong and unworthy thoughts of God; and, therefore, through that devilish service wherewith they strengthen one another, the sinner, without a miracle of grace prevents him, is drowned in destruction and perdition.

It was this ungodly fear of God that carried Cain from the presence of God into the land of Nod, and that put him there upon any carnal worldly business, if, perhaps, he might by so doing stifle convictions of the majesty and justice of God against his sin, and so live the rest of his vain life in the more sinful security and fleshly ease.

This ungodly fear is that also which Samuel perceived at the people's apprehension of their sin, to begin to get hold of their hearts; wherefore he, as Moses before him, quickly forbids their entertaining of it. "Fear not," said he : " ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord," 1 Sam. xii. 20. For to turn them aside

from following of him, was the natural tendency of this fear. But fear not, said he, that is, with that fear that tendeth to turn you aside. Now, I say, 'the matter that this fear worketh upon (as in Adam, and the Israelites, mentioned before) was their sin. You have sinned, said he, that is true, yet turn not aside; yet fear not with that fear that would make you so do. Note by the way, sinner, that when the greatness of thy sins, being apprehended by thee, shall work in thee that fear of God as shall incline thy heart to flee from him, thou art possessed with a fear of God that is ungodly, yea, so ungodly, that not any of thy sins for heinousness may be compared therewith, (as might be made manifest in many particulars ;) but Samuel having rebuked this fear, presently set before the people another, to wit, the true fear of God; "Fear the Lord," said he, "and serve him in truth with all your heart," ver. 24; and he giveth them this encouragement so to do," for the Lord will not forsake his people," ver. 22.

This ungodly fear is that which you read of in many other places; and God's people should shun it as they would shun the devil, because its natural tendency is to forward the destruction of the soul in which it has taken possession.

(3.) There is a fear of God, which, although it hath not in it that power as to make men flee from God's presence, yet it is ungodly, because, even while they are in the outward way of God's ordinances, their hearts are by it quite discouraged from attempting to exercise themselves in the power of religion.

Of this sort are those that dare not cast off the hearing, reading, and discoursing of the word, as others no, nor the assembly of God's children for

the exercise of other religious duties, for their conscience is convinced this is the way and worship of God. But yet their heart by this ungodly fear, is kept from a powerful, gracious falling in with God. This fear takes away their heart from all holy and godly prayer in private, and from all holy and godly zeal for his name in public; and there be many professors whose hearts are possessed with this ungodly fear of God; and they are intended by the slothful servant. He was a servant, a servant among the servants of God, and had gifts and abilities given him, therewith to serve Christ, as well as his fellows, yea, and was commanded too, as well as the rest, to occupy till his master came. But what does he? why, he takes his talent, the gift that he was to lay out for his master's profit, and puts it in a napkin; digs a hole in the earth, and hides his Lord's money, and lies at a lazy manner all his days, not out of, but in his Lord's vineyard; for he came among the servants also at last. By which it is manifest, that he had not cast off his profession, but was slothful and negligent while he was in it. But what was it that made him thus slothful? what was it that took away his heart while he was in the way, and that discouraged him from falling in with the power and holy practice of religion according to the talent he received? Why, it was this, he gave way to an ungodly fear of God, and that took away his heart from the power of religious duties. Lord," said he,

“behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: for I feared thee." Why, man, doth the fear of God make a man idle and slothful? No, no; that is, if it be right and godly. This fear was, therefore, evil fear; it was that ungodly fear of God, of which I have here been speaking of. "For

I feared thee," or as Matthew hath it, "for I was afraid." Afraid of what? of Christ, that he was an hard man, reaping where he sowed not, and gathering where he had not strewed? This his fear, being ungodly, made him apprehend of Christ contrary to the goodness of his nature, and so took away his heart from all endeavours to be doing of that which was pleasing in his sight, Luke xix. 20—26; Matt. xxv. 24-30.

And thus do all those that retain the name and show of religion, but are neglecters as to the power and godly practice of it. These will live like dogs and swine in the house. They pray not, they watch not their hearts, they pull not their hands out of their bosoms to work, they do not strive against their lusts, nor will they ever resist unto blood, striving against sin; they will not take up their cross, or improve what they have to God's glory.

Let all men, therefore, take heed of this ungodly fear, and shun it, for it will make them afraid where no fear is. It will tell them that there is a lion in the street; the unlikeliest place in the world for such a beast to be in it will put a mask upon the face of God, most dreadful and fearful to behold, and then quite discourage the soul as to his service. So it served the slothful servant, and so it will serve thee, poor sinner, if thou entertainest it, and givest way thereto.

(4.) This ungodly fear of God shows itself also in this-it will not suffer the soul that is governed thereby to trust only to Christ for justification of life, but will bend the powers of the soul to trust partly to the works of the law. Many of the Jews were, in the time of Christ and his apostles, possessed with this ungodly fear of God; for they

were not as the former, namely, as the slothful servant, to receive a talent, and hide it in the earth in a napkin, but they were an industrious people, "which followed after the law of righteousness," Rom. ix. 31; they had a zeal of God, and of the religion of their fathers, but how then did they come to miscarry? Why, their fear of God was ungodly; it would not suffer them wholly to trust to the righteousness of faith, which is the imputed righteousness of Christ. They" followed after the law of righteousness," but attained not to the law of righteousness. "Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law," ver. 32. But what was it that made them join their works of the law with Christ, but their unbelief, whose foundation was ignorance and fear: they were afraid to venture all in one bottom, they thought two strings to one bow would be best, and thus betwixt two stools they came to the ground. And hence, to fear and to doubt are put together, as being the cause one of another; yea, they are put ofttimes the one for the other thus, ungodly fear for unbelief; "Be not afraid, only believe," Mark v. 36; and, therefore, he that is over-ruled and carried away with this fear, is coupled with the unbeliever that is thrust out from the holy city among the dogs. But the fearful, and unbelievers, and murderers, are without, Rev. xxi. 8. The fearful and unbelieving, you see, are put together, for, indeed, fear, that is, this ungodly fear, is the ground of unbelief; or, if you will, unbelief is the ground of this fear: but I stand not upon nice distinctions. This ungodly fear hath a great hand in keeping of the soul from trusting only to Christ's righteousness for justification of life.

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(5.) This ungodly fear of God is that which