THE LIFE OF

But yet this is not enough, though for the Time Deum here in my Text:that there is such a thing as Fear ; and that it is now in a more liberal and son-like Condition than when Solomon Spake of it; and that the Mind of Manmay be, and ought to be entirely affected with it; and that God alone mustbe the Object of it. In Speculation indeed it comes to no more ; Timor Do-mini is but this, and these Particulars make up the full Theory of the Fear ofthe Lord.

But yet there goes somewhat more to the perfect Duty of it. For thisTime Deum , as a present and particular Precept, aims also at the practisingof it; it implies the Fact as well as the Mind, all actual and outward Ex-pressions of it, besides the inward and habitual Affection.

ExpreJJio Timoris.

So that is the next thing which here we must look at. If a Man’s Spiritbe right in the Fear of God, and the right Spirit of God’s Fear be upon him,what Demonstrance withal he must make of the lame, and how it must beacted, that it may appear God is thus feared.

For corpus autem uptajli mi hi, if ever ye mark it, ye know ’tis not omittedof our Saviour himself, that God having ordained him a Body, in that Bodyhe was to perform his Will. Heb. x. 9. And much more is it so with us, webeing Bodies also, and not only Spirits, the Spirit alone will not suffice us ; 'tisnot enough that our Minds and Affections are inwardly endowed with it,but such Expressions withal we must make, as that the Performance of theDuty may be witnessed : the Duty we acknowledge is, that we do fear God ;and by that which is to be read by our outward Deportment, neither Godnor Man will bear us Witness that we do fear him.

God nor Man, I lay. For Expressions, I shall (hew you, there are of bothKinds, both to God and to Man. so Man, that he may know it, and so(when Need is) acknowledge it, and glorify God for it, or profit himself byit: to God only, that he may be pleased to acknowledge it, though he knewit not long before j for he knows what is Man, better than Man himself.And for this ’tis brought in with a Nutic to Abraham (that Father not of theFaithful alone, but of the Fearful too ; for he is the first that is ever said to fearthe Lord) Gen. xxii. 12. Nunc cognovi quod timeas, Now 1 know that thoufcarejl God. What? Not till no>v Lord? Was Abraham's Mind unknownto thee before ? Could not God tell long ago whether Abraham feared him ?Yes; as St. Peter answered Christ’s third Question, whether he loved him,with Lord thou knowejl all Things ; thou knowejt that / love thee : and vet Christthe third 'l ime laid to him, Feed my Sheep , John xxi. As who should fay,never be sorry, Simon , that I ask thee so often ; and never doubt but I per-fectly know thee: but know it I will not, till thou thus exprels it; for how-ever God requires Truth in the inward Parts, yet the inward Parts alone arenot all he requires; he will not know that he is loved, unless that Love dooutwardly appear; and Expression we must make of our Fear, or else he willnot acknowledge that we do fear him.

Ipfi Deo.

Now what Expression of it can we make to God ? Abraham's Cafe, fore-named, shews us, that upon special Commands there may be special Ways otjt, even to the sacrificing of an only Son, if God so require. But the ordi-nary Way that lies open for all Men, the very Word itself here will shew u§»that we must express our Fear to God by Acts of Religion ; for so the WordFear ordinarily imports in Scripture.

When