Secondh', This fecir must be serious. It must work a kind of trembling, by reason of the dangers that we meet withal, which are like to be many and great.
Thirdly, This fear must be total, in the whole man. For that the image of God is in the body, even as in the soul, and as in other affections a proud man is known by his proud eye and careless carriage, even so the countenance will be wray whether the heart be humble, loving, careful, and the like. It is an idle speech that many have, they will say their heart is good. Let such know, where grace is, it works a change, and that thoroughly in body and soul. David therefore joins prostration with calling on the Lord : Ps. xcv. 6, ' Let us fall down ; ' and in other places, casting up of the eye, and extending of the hands. '"^ Means to this duty ; observe,
[1.] First, AVe must consider God's love to us. It is the first and main thing in reverence. This will breed fearfulness in us; for the more assured we are, the more fearful will we be of offending.
[2.] Secondly, Set before your eyes the other attributes of God, as his justice. AVhat though it be true, he revenges not the sin of his children, so as it were better for him that he had not offended, for he will not suffer sin to dwell in his children.
[3.] Thirdly, Add the examples of those that have felt his justice, especially of the best servants of God. Moses, for a few words, never entered the land of promise. David, for a proud conceit in numbering the people, lost seventy thousand men of the pestilence. The Corinthians, for un- worthy receiving of the Lord's supper, many of them died. And if it be thus with his dearest children, have not we cause to fear? Yes, assuredly. God will be honoured in all those that come near him.
Obj. It will be said that there are no examples of late of God's justice in this kind, as to strike with sudden death.
Ans. 1 answer, true. But God strikes with hardness of heart, which is far more worse. And God doth strike men with temporal judgments, although they think not of it, even for those sins they think not of. And if it were not thus, let such men know there is a judgment to come, and that God is the same God now that he was ever, a powerful, just, and all- * Cf. Ps. cxlv. 15 and Ps. sxviii. 2 ; Ixiii. 4.— G.
14 THE CHRISTIAN WORK.
seeing God. And it will make them, if tboy belong to God, to set them- selves in the presence of God even in their most secret closets. This is, notwithstanding, forgotten everywhere. And many sins are committed which sinners would be loath that a child should see, yet are they not afraid of God, that sees them and sets them down in a book. Well then, a Christian after conversion ouglit to fear with a fear of reverence.
It follows, in the second and third place, a Christian must have a fear of jealousy and watchfulness, and thus ' work out his salvation.' For by this means we keep ourselves from displeasing God, it being a carefulness wrought in us by the Spirit of God, causing us to take heed how we oflfend God in any thing. For a Christian, knowing the falseness of his own heart, is jealous thereof, there being a spiritual marriage between Christ and us, lest it should oliend. And this is the ground of this spirit of jealousy, and therefore none deceives another, but he also deceives himself; for his corrupt heart is as a traitor in his own bosom. Another ground ia Satan, that ever joins with our corruptions ; for so long as there is a false heart there will be a fawning devil. Now this should make us to examine ourselves, and to fear our hearts, and to ' try our thoughts,' Ps. cxxxix. 23, before they come out into word or action.* For sin is like Elijah his cloud, at the first small, but afterward covers the whole heaven. See it in David. One eye-glance ! What a world of sins followed. And therefore we must take heed of beginnings. And then look that thou drawest not the guilt of other men's sins on thyself. Take heed of ' scandal. 'f See how Jeroboam is branded ; ever mention being made of him, ' Jeroboam that made Israel to sin,' 1 Kings xiv. 16. Then again, labour to set thy corruptions in thine eye continually, and to stir up our hearts to hate them. For they trouble us more than the devil, although most men study to gratify their enemy, and how to satisfy the lusts of the flesh. And who are their enemies but such as tell them and bid them beware of their enemies ? Now to the reason.
VEESE 13.
For it is God that workeih in you to ivill and to do according to his good
pleasure.
It is as much as if he should say, because God works, therefore work you, lest he should take both the power of working from you and also the act. For he gives both 'to will and to do,' not only the power to will and to do, but the very act of willing and doing ; and this he doth out of his free grace and pleasure. In the opening of which words, observe w4th me these things. First, that a Christian hath a power in him to will and to do good ; secondly, that God works this in him ; thirdly, this work is a power- ful work ; fourthly, it is an inward work ; fifthly, this work is entire ; sixthly, observe how this work is a ground of fear and trembling.