Works of John Bunyan
Chapter 129 : Also his name, I am, Jah, Jehovah, with several others, what is by them intended but h

Also his name, I am, Jah, Jehovah, with several others, what is by them intended but his nature, as his power, wisdom, eternity, goodness, and omnipotency, &c., might be expressed and declared.

The name of G.o.d is therefore the object of a Christian's fear. David prayed to G.o.d that he would unite his heart to fear his name (Psa 86:11). Indeed, the name of G.o.d is a fearful name, and should always be reverenced by his people: yea his "name is to be feared for ever and ever," and that not only in his church, and among his saints, but even in the world and among the heathen--"So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all kings thy glory"

(Psa 102:15). G.o.d tells us that his name is dreadful, and that he is pleased to see men be afraid before his name. Yea, one reason why he executeth so many judgments upon men as he doth, is that others might see and fear his name. "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun"

(Isa 59:19; Mal 2:5).

The name of a king is a name of fear--"And I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts" (Mal 1:14). The name of master is a name of fear--"And if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord" (v 6). Yea, rightly to fear the Lord is a sign of a gracious heart.

And again, "To you that fear my name," saith he, "shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (Mal 4:2). Yea, when Christ comes to judge the world, he will give reward to his servants the prophets, and to his saints, "and to them that fear his name, small and great" (Rev 11:18). Now, I say, since the name of G.o.d is that by which his nature is expressed, and since he naturally is so glorious and incomprehensible, his name must needs be the object of our fear, and we ought always to have a reverent awe of G.o.d upon our hearts at what time soever we think of, or hear his name, but most of all, when we ourselves do take his holy and fearful name into our mouths, especially in a religious manner, that is, in preaching, praying, or holy conference. I do not by thus saying intend as if it was lawful to make mention of his name in light and vain discourses; for we ought always to speak of it with reverence and G.o.dly fear, but I speak it to put Christians in mind that they should not in religious duties show lightness of mind, or be vain in their words when yet they are making mention of the name of the Lord--"Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim 2:19).

Make mention then of the name of the Lord at all times with great dread of his majesty upon our hearts, and in great soberness and truth. To do otherwise is to profane the name of the Lord, and to take his name in vain; and "the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." Yea, G.o.d saith that he will cut off the man that doth it; so jealous is he of the honour due unto his name (Exo 20:7; Lev 20:3). This therefore showeth you the dreadful state of those that lightly, vainly, lyingly, and profanely make use of the name, this fearful name of G.o.d, either by their blasphemous cursing and oaths, or by their fraudulent dealing with their neighbour; for some men have no way to prevail with their neighbour to bow under a cheat, but by calling falsely upon the name of the Lord to be witness that the wickedness is good and honest; but how these men will escape, when they shall be judged, devouring fire and everlasting burnings, for their profaning and blaspheming of the name of the Lord, becomes them betimes to consider of (Jer 14:14,15; Eze 20:39; Exo 20:7).[3]

But,

Third. As the presence and name of G.o.d are dreadful and fearful in the church, so is his wors.h.i.+p and service. I say his wors.h.i.+p, or the works of service to which we are by him enjoined while we are in this world, are dreadful and fearful things. This David conceiveth, when he saith, "But as for me, I will come into thy house in the mult.i.tude of thy mercy, and in thy fear will I wors.h.i.+p toward thy holy temple" (Psa 5:7). And again, saith he, "Serve the Lord with fear." To praise G.o.d is a part of his wors.h.i.+p. But, says Moses, "Who is a G.o.d like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" (Exo 15:11). To rejoice before him is a part of his wors.h.i.+p; but David bids us "rejoice with trembling" (Psa 2:11).

Yea, the whole of our service to G.o.d, and every part thereof, ought to be done by us with reverence and G.o.dly fear. And therefore let us, as Paul saith again, "Cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of G.o.d" (2 Cor 7:1; Heb 12).

1. That which makes the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d so fearful a thing, is, for that it is the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d: all manner of service carries more or less dread and fear along with it, according as the quality or condition of the person is to whom the wors.h.i.+p and service is done. This is seen in the service of subjects to their princes, the service of servants to their lords, and the service of children to their parents. Divine wors.h.i.+p, then, being due to G.o.d, for it is now of Divine wors.h.i.+p we speak, and this G.o.d so great and dreadful in himself and name, his wors.h.i.+p must therefore be a fearful thing.

2. Besides, this glorious Majesty is himself present to behold his wors.h.i.+ppers in their wors.h.i.+pping him. "When two or three of you are gathered together in my name, I am there." That is, gathered together to wors.h.i.+p him, "I am there," says he. And so, again, he is said to walk "in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks"

(Rev 1:13). That is, in the churches, and that with a countenance like the sun, with a head and hair as white as snow, and with eyes like a flame of fire. This puts dread and fear into his service; and therefore his servants should serve him with fear.

3. Above all things, G.o.d is jealous of his wors.h.i.+p and service.

In all the ten words, he telleth us not anything of his being a jealous G.o.d, but in the second, which respecteth his wors.h.i.+p (Exo 20). Look to yourselves therefore, both as to the matter and manner of your wors.h.i.+p; "for I the Lord thy G.o.d," says he, "am a jealous G.o.d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children." This therefore doth also put dread and fear into the wors.h.i.+p and service of G.o.d.

4. The judgments that sometimes G.o.d hath executed upon men for their want of G.o.dly fear, while they have been in his wors.h.i.+p and service, put fear and dread upon his holy appointments. (1.) Nadab and Abihu were burned to death with fire from heaven, because they attempted to offer false fire upon G.o.d's altar, and the reason rendered why they were so served, was, because G.o.d will be sanctified in them that come nigh him (Lev 10:1-3). To sanctify his name is to let him be thy dread and thy fear, and to do nothing in his wors.h.i.+p but what is well-pleasing to him. But because these men had not grace to do this, therefore they died before the Lord. (2.) Eli's sons, for want of this fear, when they ministered in the holy wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d, were both slain in one day by the sword of the uncirc.u.mcised Philistines (see 1 Sam 2). (3.) Uzzah was smitten, and died before the Lord, for but an unadvised touching of the ark, when the men forsook it (1 Chron 13:9,10). (4.) Ananias and Sapphira his wife, for telling a lie in the church, when they were before G.o.d, were both stricken dead upon the place before them all, because they wanted the fear and dread of G.o.d's majesty, name, and service, when they came before him (Acts 5).

This therefore should teach us to conclude, that, next to G.o.d's nature and name, his service, his inst.i.tuted wors.h.i.+p, is the most dreadful thing under heaven. His name is upon his ordinances, his eye is upon the wors.h.i.+ppers, and his wrath and judgment upon those that wors.h.i.+p not in his fear. For this cause some of those at Corinth were by G.o.d himself cut off, and to others he has given the back, and will again be with them no more (1 Cor 11:27-32).[4]

This also rebuketh three sorts of people.

[Three sorts of people rebuked.]

1. Such as regard not to wors.h.i.+p G.o.d at all; be sure they have no reverence of his service, nor fear of his majesty before their eyes. Sinner, thou dost not come before the Lord to wors.h.i.+p him; thou dost not bow before the high G.o.d; thou neither wors.h.i.+ppest him in thy closet nor in the congregation of saints. The fury of the Lord and his indignation must in short time be poured out upon thee, and upon the families that call not upon his name (Psa 79:6; Jer 10:25).

2. This rebukes such as count it enough to present their body in the place where G.o.d is wors.h.i.+pped, not minding with what heart, or with what spirit they come thither. Some come into the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d to sleep there; some come thither to meet with their chapmen, and to get into the wicked fellows.h.i.+p of their vain companions.

Some come thither to feed their l.u.s.tful and adulterous eyes with the flattering beauty of their fellow-sinners. O what a sad account will these wors.h.i.+ppers give, when they shall count for all this, and be d.a.m.ned for it, because they come not to wors.h.i.+p the Lord with that fear of his name that became them to come in, when they presented themselves before him![5]

3. This also rebukes those that care not, so they wors.h.i.+p, how they wors.h.i.+p; how, where, or after what manner they wors.h.i.+p G.o.d. Those, I mean, whose fear towards G.o.d "is taught by the precept of men."

They are hypocrites; their wors.h.i.+p also is vain, and a stink in the nostrils of G.o.d. "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid" (Isa 29:13,14; Matt 15:7-9; Mark 7:6,7).[6] Thus I conclude this first thing, namely, that G.o.d is called our dread and fear.

OF THIS WORD FEAR AS IT IS TAKEN FOR THE WORD OF G.o.d.

I shall now come to the second thing, to wit, to the rule and director of our fear.

SECOND. But again, this word FEAR is sometimes to be taken for THE WORD, the written Word of G.o.d; for that also is, and ought to be, the rule and director of our fear. So David calls it in the nineteenth Psalm: "the fear of the Lord," saith he, "is clean, enduring for ever." The fear of the Lord, that is, the Word of the Lord, the written word; for that which he calleth in this place the fear of the Lord, even in the same place he calleth the law, statutes, commandments, and judgments of G.o.d. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple: the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes: the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." All these words have respect to the same thing, to wit, to the Word of G.o.d, jointly designing the glory of it. Among which phrases, as you see, this is one, "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever." This written Word is therefore the object of a Christian's fear. This is that also which David intended when he said, "Come, ye children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Psa 34:11). I will teach you the fear, that is, I will teach you the commandments, statutes, and judgments of the Lord, even as Moses commanded the children of Israel--"Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deut 6:4-7).

That also in the eleventh of Isaiah intends the same, where the Father saith of the Son, that he shall be of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; that he may judge and smite the earth with the rod of his mouth. This rod in the text is none other but the fear, the Word of the Lord; for he was to be of a quick understanding, that he might smite, that is, execute it according to the will of his Father, upon and among the children of men. Now this, as I said, is called the fear of the Lord, because it is called the rule and director of our fear. For we know not how to fear the Lord in a saving way without its guidance and direction. As it is said of the priest that was sent back from the captivity to Samaria to teach the people to fear the Lord, so it is said concerning the written Word; it is given to us, and left among us, that we may read therein all the days of our life, and learn to fear the Lord (Deut 6:1-3,24, 10:12, 17:19). And here it is that, trembling at the Word of G.o.d, is even by G.o.d himself not only taken notice of, but counted as laudable and praiseworthy, as is evident in the case of Josiah (2 Chron 34:26,27). Such also are the approved of G.o.d, let them be condemned by whomsoever: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed" (Isa 66:5).

Further, such shall be looked to, by G.o.d himself cared for, and watched over, that no distress, temptation, or affliction may overcome them and destroy them--"To this man will I look," saith G.o.d, "even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." It is the same in substance with that in the same prophet in chapter 57: "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Yea, the way to escape dangers foretold, is to hearken to, understand, and fear the Word of G.o.d--"He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh, made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses," and they were secured; but "he that regarded not the word of the Lord, left his servants and his cattle in the field," and they were destroyed of the hail (Exo 9:20-25).

If at any time the sins of a nation or church are discovered and bewailed, it is by them that know and tremble at the word of G.o.d.

When Ezra heard of the wickedness of his brethren, and had a desire to humble himself before G.o.d for the same, who were they that would a.s.sist him in that matter, but they that trembled at the word of G.o.d?--"Then," saith he, "were a.s.sembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the G.o.d of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away" (Ezra 9:4). They are such also that tremble at the Word that are best able to give counsel in the matters of G.o.d, for their judgment best suiteth with his mind and will: "Now therefore," said he, "let us make a covenant with our G.o.d to put away all the (strange) wives,--according to the counsel of my Lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our G.o.d, and let it be done according to the law" (Ezra 10:3). Now something of the dread and terror of the Word lieth in these things.

First. As I have already hinted, from the author of them, they are the words of G.o.d. Therefore you have Moses and the prophets, when they came to deliver their errand, their message to the people, still saying, "Hear the word of the Lord," "Thus saith the Lord,"

and the like. So when Ezekiel was sent to the house of Israel, in their state of religion, thus was he bid to say unto them, "Thus saith the Lord G.o.d"; "Thus saith the Lord G.o.d" (Eze 2:4, 3:11).

This is the honour and majesty, then, that G.o.d hath put upon his written Word, and thus he hath done even of purpose, that we might make them the rule and directory of our fear, and that we might stand in awe of, and tremble at them. When Habakkuk heard the word of the Lord, his belly trembled, and rottenness entered into his bones. "I trembled in myself," said he, "that I might rest in the day of trouble" (Hab 3:16). The word of a king is as the roaring of a lion; where the word of a king is, there is power. What is it, then, when G.o.d, the great G.o.d, shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, whose voice shakes not only the earth, but also heaven? How doth holy David set it forth; "The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty,"

&c. (Psa 29).

Second. It is a Word that is fearful, and may well be called the fear of the Lord, because of the subject matter of it; to wit, the state of sinners in another world; for that is it unto which the whole Bible bendeth itself, either more immediately or more mediately.

All its doctrines, counsels, encouragements, threatenings, and judgments, have a look, one way or other, upon us, with respect to the next world, which will be our last state, because it will be to us a state eternal. This word, this law, these judgments, are they that we shall be disposed of by--"The word that I have spoken,"

says Christ, "it shall judge you (and so consequently dispose of you) in the last day" (John 12:48). Now, if we consider that our next state must be eternal, either eternal glory or eternal fire, and that this eternal glory or this eternal fire must be our portion, according as the words of G.o.d, revealed in the holy Scriptures, shall determine; who will not but conclude that therefore the words of G.o.d are they at which we should tremble, and they by which we should have our fear of G.o.d guided and directed, for by them we are taught how to please him in everything?

Third. It is to be called a fearful Word, because of the truth and faithfulness of it. The Scriptures cannot be broken. Here they are called the Scriptures of truth, the true sayings of G.o.d, and also the fear of the Lord, for that every jot and t.i.ttle thereof is for ever settled in heaven, and stand more steadfast than doth the world--"Heaven and earth," saith Christ, "shall pa.s.s away, but my words shall not pa.s.s away" (Matt 24:35). Those, therefore, that are favoured by the Word of G.o.d, those are favoured indeed, and that with the favour that no man can turn away; but those that by the word of the Scriptures are condemned, those can no man justify and set quit in the sight of G.o.d. Therefore what is bound by the text, is bound, and what is released by the text, is released; also the bond and release is unalterable (Dan 10:21; Rev 19:9; Matt 24:35; Psa 119:89; John 10:35). This, therefore, calleth upon G.o.d's people to stand more in fear of the Word of G.o.d than of all the terrors of the world.[7] There wanteth even in the hearts of G.o.d's people a greater reverence of the Word of G.o.d than to this day appeareth among us, and this let me say, that want of reverence of the Word is the ground of all disorders that are in the heart, life, conversation, and in Christian communion. Besides, the want of reverence of the Word layeth men open to the fearful displeasure of G.o.d--"Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed; but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded" (Prov 13:13).

All transgression beginneth at wandering from the Word of G.o.d; but, on the other side, David saith, "Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer"

(Psa 17:4). Therefore Solomon saith, "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings; let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart; for they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" (Prov 4:20-22). Now, if indeed thou wouldest reverence the Word of the Lord, and make it thy rule and director in all things, believe that the Word is the fear of the Lord, the Word that standeth fast for ever; without and against which G.o.d will do nothing, either in saving or d.a.m.ning of the souls of sinners. But to conclude this,

1. Know that those that have no due regard to the Word of the Lord, and that make it not their dread and their fear, but the rule of their life is the l.u.s.t of their flesh, the desire of their eyes, and the pride of life, are sorely rebuked by this doctrine, and are counted the fools of the world; for "lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?" (Jer 8:9). That there are such a people is evident, not only by their irregular lives, but by the manifest testimony of the Word. "As for the word of the Lord," said they to Jeremiah, "that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth"

(Jer 44:16). Was this only the temper of wicked men then? Is not the same spirit of rebellion amongst us in our days? Doubtless there is; for there is no new thing--"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun" (Eccl 1:9).

Therefore, as it was then, so it is with many in this day.

As for the Word of the Lord, it is nothing at all to them; their l.u.s.ts, and whatsoever proceedeth out of their own mouths, that they will do, that they will follow. Now, such will certainly perish in their own rebellion; for this is as the sin of witchcraft; it was the sin of Korah and his company, and that which brought upon them such heavy judgments; yea, and they are made a sign that thou shouldest not do as they, for they perished (because they rejected the word, the fear of the Lord) from among the congregation of the Lord, "and they became a sign." The word which thou despisest still abideth to denounce its woe and judgment upon thee; and unless G.o.d will save such with the breath of his word--and it is hard trusting to that--they must never see his face with comfort (1 Sam 15:22,23; Num 26:9,10).

2. Are the words of G.o.d called by the name of the fear of the Lord? Are they so dreadful in their receipt and sentence? Then this rebukes them that esteem the words and things of men more than the words of G.o.d, as those do who are drawn from their respect of, and obedience to, the Word of G.o.d, by the pleasures or threats of men. Some there be who verily will acknowledge the authority of the Word, yet will not stoop their souls thereto. Such, whatever they think of themselves, are judged by Christ to be ashamed of the Word; wherefore their state is d.a.m.nable as the other. "Whosoever,"

saith he, "shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of the Father, with the holy angels"

(Mark 8:38).

3. And if these things be so, what will become of those that mock at, and professedly contemn, the words of G.o.d, making them as a thing ridiculous, and not to be regarded? Shall they prosper that do such things? From the promises it is concluded that their judgment now of a long time slumbereth not, and when it comes, it will devour them without remedy (2 Chron 36:15). If G.o.d, I say, hath put that reverence upon his Word as to call it the fear of the Lord, what will become of them that do what they can to overthrow its authority, by denying it to be his Word, and by raising cavils against its authority? Such stumble, indeed, at the Word, being appointed thereunto, but it shall judge them in the last day (1 Peter 2:8; John 12:48). But thus much for this.

OF SEVERAL SORTS OF FEAR OF G.o.d IN THE HEART OF THE CHILDREN OF MEN.

Having thus spoken of the object and rule of our fear, I should come now to speak of fear as it is a grace of the Spirit of G.o.d in the hearts of his people; but before I do that, I shall show you that there are divers sorts of fear besides. For man being a reasonable creature, and having even by nature a certain knowledge of G.o.d, hath also naturally something of some kind of fear of G.o.d at times, which, although it be not that which is intended in the text, yet ought to be spoken to, that that which is not right may be distinguished from that that is.

There is, I say, several sorts or kinds of fear in the hearts of the sons of men, I mean besides that fear of G.o.d that is intended in the text, and that accompanieth eternal life. I shall here make mention of three of them. FIRST. There is a fear of G.o.d that flows even from the light of nature. SECOND. There is a fear of G.o.d that flows from some of his dispensations to men, which yet is neither universal nor saving. THIRD. There is a fear of G.o.d in the heart of some men that is good and G.o.dly, but doth not for ever abide so.

To speak a little to all these, before I come to speak of fear, as it is a grace of G.o.d in the hearts of his children, And,

FIRST. To the first, to wit, that there is a fear of G.o.d that flows even from the light of nature. A people may be said to do things in a fear of G.o.d, when they act one towards another in things reasonable, and honest betwixt man and man, not doing that to others they would not have done to themselves. This is that fear of G.o.d which Abraham thought the Philistines had destroyed in themselves, when he said of his wife to Abimelech, "She is my sister." For when Abimelech asked Abraham why he said of his wife, She is my sister; he replied, saying, "I thought surely the fear of G.o.d is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wife's sake" (Gen 20:11).

I thought verily that in this place men had stifled and choked that light of nature that is in them, at least so far forth as not to suffer it to put them in fear, when their l.u.s.ts were powerful in them to accomplish their ends on the object that was present before them. But this I will pa.s.s by, and come to the second thing, namely--

SECOND. To show that there is a fear of G.o.d that flows from some of his dispensations to men, which yet is neither universal nor saving. This fear, when opposed to that which is saving, may be called an unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d. I shall describe it by these several particulars that follow--

First. There is a fear of G.o.d that causeth a continual grudging, discontent, and heart-risings against G.o.d under the hand of G.o.d; and that is, when the dread of G.o.d in his coming upon men, to deal with them for their sins, is apprehended by them, and yet by this dispensation they have no change of heart to submit to G.o.d thereunder. The sinners under this dispensation cannot shake G.o.d out of their mind, nor yet graciously tremble before him; but through the unsanctified frame that they now are in, they are afraid with unG.o.dly fear, and so in their minds let fly against him. This fear oftentimes took hold of the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness in their journey to the promised land; still they feared that G.o.d in this place would destroy them, but not with that fear that made them willing to submit, for their sins, to the judgment which they fear, but with that fear that made them let fly against G.o.d. This fear showed itself in them, even at the beginning of their voyage, and was rebuked by Moses at the Red Sea, but it was not there, nor yet at any other place, so subdued, but that it would rise again in them at times to the dishonour of G.o.d, and the anew making of them guilty of sin before him (Exo 14:11-13; Num 14:1-9). This fear is that which G.o.d said he would send before them, in the day of Joshua, even a fear that should possess the inhabitants of the land, to wit, a fear that should arise for that faintness of heart that they should be swallowed up of, at their apprehending of Joshua in his approaches towards them to destroy them. "I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee" (Exo 23:27). "This day," says G.o.d, "will I begin to put the dread of thee, and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee"

(Deut 2:25, 11:25).

Now this fear is also, as you here see, called anguish, and in another place, an hornet; for it, and the soul that it falls upon, do greet each other, as boys and bees do. The hornet puts men in fear, not so as to bring the heart into a sweet compliance with his terror, but so as to stir up the spirit into acts of opposition and resistance, yet withal they flee before it. "I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite," &c. (Exo 23:28).

Now this fear, whether it be wrought by misapprehending of the judgments of G.o.d, as in the Israelites, or otherwise as in the Canaanites, yet unG.o.dliness is the effect thereof, and therefore I call it an unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d, for it stirreth up murmurings, discontents, and heart-risings against G.o.d, while he with his dispensations is dealing with them.

Second. There is a fear of G.o.d that driveth a man away from G.o.d--I speak not now of the atheist, nor of the pleasurable sinner, nor yet of these, and that fear that I spoke of just now--I speak now of such who through a sense of sin and of G.o.d's justice fly from him of a slavish unG.o.dly fear. This unG.o.dly fear was that which possessed Adam's heart in the day that he did eat of the tree concerning which the Lord has said unto him, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." For then was he possessed with such a fear of G.o.d as made him seek to hide himself from his presence. "I heard," said he, "thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself" (Gen 3:10). Mind it, he had a fear of G.o.d, but it was not G.o.dly. It was not that that made him afterwards submit himself unto him; for that would have kept him from not departing from him, or else have brought him to him again, with bowed, broken, and contrite spirit. But this fear, as the rest of his sin, managed his departing from his G.o.d, and pursued him to provoke him still so to do; by it he kept himself from G.o.d, by it his whole man was carried away from him. I call it unG.o.dly fear, because it begat in him unG.o.dly apprehensions of his Maker; because it confined Adam's conscience to the sense of justice only, and consequently to despair.

The same fear also possessed the children of Israel when they heard the law delivered to them on Mount Sinai; as is evident, for it made them that they could neither abide his presence nor hear his word. It drove them back from the mountain. It made them, saith the apostle to the Hebrews, that "they could not endure that which was commanded" (Heb 12:20). Wherefore this fear Moses rebukes, and forbids their giving way thereto. "Fear not," said he; but had that fear been G.o.dly, he would have encouraged it, and not forbid and rebuke it as he did. "Fear not," said he, "for G.o.d is come to prove you"; they thought otherwise. "G.o.d," saith he, "is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces." Therefore that fear that already had taken possession of them, was not the fear of G.o.d, but a fear that was of Satan, of their own misjudging hearts, and so a fear that was unG.o.dly (Exo 20:18-20). Mark you, here is a fear and a fear, a fear forbidden, and a fear commended; a fear forbidden, because it engendered their hearts to bondage, and to unG.o.dly thoughts of G.o.d and of his word; it made them that they could not desire to hear G.o.d speak to them any more (vv 19-21).