SERMON XXXI.

ON THE FEAR OF GOD.

PSALM XXV. 14.

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.

MANY of those thoughts with which the soul of David had been quickened and refreshed, he records for the comfort of others; so that we may consider him as speaking not only by divine inspiration, but from his own experience. That which he had seen and tasted, felt and handled, of the word of life, he declared unto others. Thus, in my text, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him;" in which words we find stated, the character and privilege of the saint.

I. The saint's character. He is one that fears God. The fear of the Lord is as characteristic of a real saint, as faith, hope, love, joy, meekness, humility, sincerity, selfdenial, or any other grace of the Spirit. Thus, when Joseph's brethren expressed their uneasy apprehensions lest he should resent the injuries he had received at their hands, he removes that apprehension by saying, "I fear God." "So did not I," says Nehemiah, "because of the fear of the Lord:" that is, as others did, or I myself should have done, before that fear took possession of my heart. Thus Cornelius, the devout centurion, is said to have feared God with all his house; which words contain a

brief description of true and evangelical religion. This fear is sometimes opposed to vanity of spirit; hence David prays, "Unite my heart to fear thy name:" sometimes to formality and hypocrisy in worship; for those will sanctify the Lord of hosts in their hearts,-that is, serve him with uprightness, integrity, and singleness of mind,-who make him the object of their fear; and also to pride, vain-glory, and self-confidence; for the man that truly fears God, being sensible of his own helplessness, will walk humbly before him. In a word, it includes every branch of the christian temper and disposition, is comprehensive of every grace and duty, and is sometimes put for the whole both of experimental and practical piety. Now, this fear may be thus distinguished.

1. It is not a natural, but an implanted principle. We neither originate it in ourselves, nor can any creature impart it to us; we neither find it by chance, nor obtain it by industry; but it is such a fear as proceeds from the Spirit of Grace, is promised in the covenant of grace, and is one of the primary and most important blessings of it. It is true, God requires this fear of us; but in vain could he require it of us if he did not work it in us. As it is said of divine wisdom, so it may be said of this holy fear, it is from above; it comes from God and leads to him; it springs from a spiritual acquaintance with him, and increases in proportion to that acquaintance. Thus I have read of a good man, who, on his death-bed, expressing a great fear of God, a stander by said, "I wonder that you who know God so well should fear him so much;" to which he wisely replied, "If I knew him better, I should fear him more."

2. It is not a slavish, but filial principle. It is one thing to be afraid of God, and another thing, in the sense of my text, to fear him. The former is the case with devils, and with all wicked men. They fear God because they cannot help it; they would fain shake off this fear, but they cannot. The latter is the case with real saints; they make this fear their choice, and esteem it their treasure,

This is not a forced, but a voluntary affection; and those who have it are daily seeking to increase and improve it. The object of it may sometimes be the wrath of God. "My flesh," says David, "trembleth by reason of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments;" but it hath for its special and more immediate object the divine goodness. "There is forgiveness with thee," says the Psalmist," that thou mayest be feared." "They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days," says the prophet Hosea. "That thou mayest fear," says Moses, "this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God." He who is our God is absolutely perfect himself; and nothing can stand before him but perfection: he is also infinitely holy and just; and while he is a Saviour to the person, he will be a consuming fire to his lusts and corruptions. The saints fear God as a friend; wicked men, as an enemy. The former, as a deliverer and Saviour; the latter, as a judge and avenger.

3. It is a confiding, and not a distrustful fear. Other fear hath torment, but this hath not. Other fear drives from God;" I was afraid," says Adam, "and I hid myself; "this draws to him. It is a fear that arises from intimacy and friendship, and is blended with holy confidence. By faith, being moved with fear, Noah built an ark. It is productive of spiritual joy; thus it is said of the primitive Christians, that they walked " in the fear of the Lord, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost." When they enjoyed most fellowship with God, they entertained the most reverential awe of him, and were most fearful of offending against him. We seldom enjoy much comfort when we are either in a careless or a lethargic frame of mind, but our consolations from God generally abound in proportion to our fear of him.

4. It is not a discouraging and enfeebling, but an animating and enlivening principle. As it is a preservative from sin, so it is a spur to duty. Now," says the Lord to Abraham, "I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me."

What is said of the joy may be applied to the fear of God: it is our strength. When we serve our earthly masters with fear, we generally serve them the worst; but it is not so with respect to our divine and heavenly Master. He who truly fears God will do more for him, and suffer more for him, than others can. He will break through all discouragements and entanglements, cheerfully submit to the severest hardships, and defy the rage and fury of all his enemies; saying, with the blessed Apostle Paul, “None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, that I may finish my course with joy." Filial fear helps perseverance, whilst slavish fear leads to apostasy.

5. It is not a temporary, but permanent principle; not like a land-flood, which is soon gone, but an ever-flowing stream; not a transient passion, but an habitual and growing affection: it is so wrought into the Christian's heart that it will exist as long as he exists, and go up with him to heaven. The Israelites fear God one day, and make a golden calf the next. Jonah's mariners are terribly afraid whilst their lives are endangered; but when the storm is abated, their fears subside. But it is otherwise with the

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truly good man. His whole conduct, as far as he supports his character, is influenced, and all his actions regulated, by the delightful principle I have been describing. Ought ye not," says Nehemiah," to walk in the fear of the Lord?" not go a step or two, and then stop; but proceed forward and persevere to the end. All the graces of the spirit are to be exercised, all the duties of religion performed, and all the blessings of salvation received, with holy fear. We proceed to notice,

II. The saint's privilege. The secret of the Lord is with him. He will make him one of his associates; not keep him at a distance, as a servant, but treat him familiarly, as a friend. That which he hides from others he will make known to him. Thus Job speaks of the secret of the Lord being upon his tabernacle; that is, the secret blessing of his providence and grace. But, to be a little

more particular. By the secret of the Lord here spoken of, we are not to understand his secret nature, for that is, and ever will be, unsearchable and incomprehensible: men cannot understand their own nature, much less the nature of God. Nor are we to understand his secret councils and decrees, for these are impenetrable, the book that contains them being sealed with seven seals; nor that part of his conduct in the government of the world which he chooses to have concealed, for though some know more of these secrets than others, ("Shall I hide from Abraham," says God, "the thing that I do?") yet a partial ignorance belongs to all. But the things here intended may be,

1. The secrets of God's word, the wonders of his law, its wonderful extent, purity, spirituality; the wonders of his gospel-its doctrines, promises, and consolations, which are a secret to carnal men; for the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, but they are made known to the saints.

2. The secrets of his heart. As the saints spread their secret complaints before God, so he makes known the secret purposes of his grace and love to them: that love which was hid in the thought of his heart from all eternity, but is manifested in their regeneration, conversion, and progressive sanctification, which is shed abroad by his Spirit in this world, but will be more fully so in the world

to come.

3. Secret communion with him. This is "the hidden manna," the joy that a stranger intermeddleth not with. The saints" have meat to eat which the world knoweth not of;" the Lord hath his chambers, his secret places, into which he brings them, and in which he causes them to dwell. The gracious soul is entertained with many sweet manifestations of God; so that, ere it is aware, it finds itself amidst the anticipated joys of heaven.

4. The secret provision he has made for them in a future state, those beautiful mansions, those crowns of inestimable value and sparkling lustre. They have not only