SERMON XVII. The Righteous Man the best Friend to the Community. PRO V. xii. 26. former Part. The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour. SERMON Page 355 XVIII. A prudent Conduct and Behaviour in Chriftians recommended and enforced. ROM. xii. 17. Provide Things honeft in the Sight of all Men. SERMON XIX. The Duty and Advantages of Truft in God. JEREM. xvii. 7. Bleed is he that trufteth in the Lord, and whofe Hope the Lord is. 399 SERMON SERMON I. The Nature and Influence of the Fear of GOD. PSALM XXXiii. 8. Let all the Earth fear the Lord: Stand in Awe of him, all ye that dwell in the World. UR Paffions are the Springs which actuate the Powers Oof our Nature: If these are either too weakly, or too ftrongly moved, or misled, by falfe Apprehenfions of the Object, the Productions must be proportionably defective or irregular. And fince the Fear of B God God is a Paffion of the first and principal Influence in Religion, it is of the greatest Importance, that it be formed upon fuch Views, as may give it a proper Force and Direction. I THEREFORE beg leave to enquire, I. WHAT is the proper Awe and Fear, which is due from Man to God. II. To fuggeft fome Confiderations which ought to poffefs our Souls with this Affection towards the Deity. III. To obferve the Influence this Affection will have on the Conduct of our Lives. I. FEAR in general is that Paffion of our Nature, whereby we are excited to provide for our Security upon the Approach of Evil. But when this Defcription is applied to the Fear of God, we are not to apprehend that God can be the Author of any Effect that is evil in itself, though it may by Accident be evil to us: His fevereft Inflictions are in themselves Acts of Justice and Righteoufnefs, and flow from the the Excellencies and Perfections of his Nature; though with refpect to us, they have the Evil of Punishment, and demand this Regard of our Fear to him. The frequent Mistakes of Men in forming their Apprehenfions of this Object of their Fear, and confequently of the Nature of that Respect which is due to him, has given Rise to that neceffary Diftinction of the Fear of God into a fervile or fuperftitious, and a filial or religious Fear. The former we are to avoid as a Difhonour to God; the latter we are obliged to as an indifpenfible Duty, the true Spring and Motive of our Chriftian Obedience. When Men reprefent the Divine Nature to their Minds as the Author of Evil; as a Being averse from their Happiness, and armed with Power only for their Destruction; as an austere and rigorous Mafter, eafily provok'd, and always lifting up his Hand to take Vengeance; fuch Conceptions muft unavoidably raise in our Minds the Paffion of Terror, a Dread of the Divine Nature, mixed with Abhorrence and Averfion, as from an Enemy whom we hate, but dare not refift. But this is fo far from that Fear which B 2 which is a Duty required by God, that even the Devils are conftrained to do this Homage to his Majefty, who believe and tremble. This is no other than that forced Respect a Captive pays to his Conqueror, a Slave to his Lord. And the Worfhip we are induced to offer from these miftaken Apprehenfions of the Divine Nature, is a blafphemous Affront to his Perfections; fince we worship him not as God, but as a cruel and tyrannical Being, the Idol of our Fears, and the Creature of our Superftition; and we might for the fame Reasons adore the Malice and Power even of Hell itself. THE Fear then which is acceptable to God, is a filial or religious Fear: An awful Reverence of the Divine Nature, proceeding from a juft Efteem and Regard to his Perfections, which produces in us an Inclination to his Service, and an Unwillingness to offend him. This is a Duty we owe, in fome Proportion, to all who ftand in a fuperior Relation to us, and is. in the fifth Commandment required towards our Prince and our Parent, under the Name of Honour; a Refpect which in the |