Part 1 cont'd

e. A fifth snare—if Satan cannot take a Christian off from duty, he will put him on too far in duty. Humiliation is a duty—but Satan suggests that the soul is not humbled enough: and indeed he never thinks it humbled enough, until it despairs. Satan comes thus to a man: "Your sins have been great—so your sorrow should be proportionate. But is it so? Can you say you have been as great a mourner—as you have been a sinner? What is a drop of your sorrow—compared to a sea of your sin? This is laid only as a snare. The subtle enemy would have a Christian weep himself blind, and in a desperate plight, throw away the anchor of hope. And if Satan has such fallacies, and as a decoy draws so many millions into his snares, is there not cause of jealous fear lest we should be trapped? The fear of God—will make us fear hell’s stratagems. Satan’s snares are worse than his darts!

2. The fear of God will make a man afraid of his own HEART. Luther used to say, that he feared his own heart more than the pope or cardinals! "The heart is deceitful above all things" (Jeremiah 17:9).

It is "deceitful". The word signifies, it is a "Jacob" or "supplanter". As Jacob supplanted his brother, and took away the blessing, so our hearts would supplant and beguile us.

"Above all things": there is deceit in weights, deceit in friends; but the heart has an art of deceiving beyond all. In the best hearts there is some fallaciousness. David was upright in all things, "except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite" (1 Kings 15:5). A godly man, knowing there is a measure of this deceit in his heart, fears himself! The flesh is a bosom-traitor. No man can fathom what evil is in his heart. "Is your servant a dog!" (2 Kings 8:13). Hazael could not believe his heart could give birth to such monsters. If one had come to Noah and said, "You will be drunk shortly"; he would have said, "Is your servant a dog?" No man knows the depth of evil which in his heart, or what scandal he may fall into—if God should leave him. Christ warns his own apostles to "take heed of surfeiting and drunkenness" (Luke 21:34). A godly man therefore fears his heart with a fear of caution and jealousy. The heart is not only stubborn—but subtle. Let us a little trace this impostor, and see if there is not cause to fear it. The heart shows its deceitfulness regarding sinful things—and sacred things. The heart shows its deceitfulness regarding SINFUL things, this deceit is in the hiding of sin, as Rahab hid the spies in the flax (Joshua 2:6). So the heart hides sin. And how does it hide sin? Just as Adam hid himself under fig leaves—so the heart hides sin under the fig leaves of rationalization and excuses. "It was done against my will; or done in a passion; or it was done along with others." Aaron blamed his sin in the making of the golden calf, upon the people: "The people are set on mischief" (Exodus 32:22). And Adam tacitly blamed his sin upon God himself: "The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate" (Genesis 3:12), as if to say, "If You had not given me this tempting woman—I would not have eaten!" The heart’s deceit is seen in flattering us. It will make us believe we are not so bad as we are. The physician deceives the patient when he tells him that his disease is not so dangerous, when he is falling into the hands of death! The heart will tell a man that he is free from theft, when yet he robs others of their good name. The heart will tell a man that he is free from drunkenness when, though he will not be drunk with wine, he will be drunk with passion. Thus the heart is a flattering mirror to make one look better than he is! Is there not cause to suspect this impostor!

Secondly, the heart shows its deceitfulness regarding SACRED things. It will be ready to put us off with counterfeit grace. Many have been deceived in taking false money; and many, it is to be feared, have been deceived in taking false grace. The heart is ready to deceive with a false repentance. A sinner is troubled a little for sin, or rather the consequences of it, and perhaps sheds a few tears, and now his heart soothes him—and tells him that he is a true penitent. But every legal terror is not true repentance: "They were pricked in their hearts" (Acts 2:37); yet after this, "Peter said unto them repent" (Acts 2:38). If every slight trouble for sin were true repentance—then Judas and Cain may be enrolled in the number of penitents. Evangelical repentance works a change of heart (1 Corinthians 6:11). It produces sanctity. But the false penitent, though he has trouble of spirit—yet has no transformation or change of heart and life. He has a weeping eye—but an adulterous heart. Ahab fasts and puts on sackcloth—but after this, he puts the prophet Micah in prison (1 Kings 22:27). The heart is apt to deceive with a false faith; it would put the dead child in the place of the living child. Those in the second chapter of John are said to believe; but Christ did not believe their faith (John 2:24). True faith, as it casts itself into Christ’s arms to embrace him, so it casts itself at Christ’s feet to serve him. But spurious faith, though it is forward to receive Christ’s benefits—yet it plucks the crown from his head—and will not submit to his authority! (Isaiah 9:6). It would have him a Priest to save him—but not as a King upon his throne to rule him (Zechariah 6:13).

Thus the heart is full of fallacies; he who fears God, fears his heart lest it should rob him of the blessing.

3. The fear of God—will make a man fear DEATH. We should fear death, first, because it is such a serious thing, it is the inlet to eternity and puts us into an unalterable state!

Secondly, because of its proximity. It is nearer to us than we are aware; it may be within a few hours march of us! God may this night say, "Give an account of your stewardship!" And what if death should come before we are ready?

Thirdly, because after death there is nothing to be done for our souls. There is no repenting in the grave: "In the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning" (Ecclesiastes 9:10). So death is to be feared with a holy and pious fear.

Question: How far may a child of God fear death?

Answer 1. So far as the fear of death is a curb bit, to keep him from sin. A believer may lawfully make use of all means to deter him from sin. There is no stronger antidote against sin—than the fear of death. "Am I sinning today—and tomorrow may be dying—and going to judgment!"

Answer 2. A child of God may so far fear death, as it makes him die to the world. The fear of death should sound a retreat and call us off from worldly vanities. What is the world? We must leave it shortly, and all we will then have, is our burying place (Genesis 49:30).

Answer 3. A child of God may so far fear death, as this fear fits him more for death. Jacob feared his brother Esau’s coming against him, and he prepared to meet him, addressing himself to prayer (Genesis 32:7, Genesis 32:24). So when we fear death’s coming, and we prepare to meet it—we set oh soul in order. This is a godly fear of death. But this fear of death in the godly must he mixed with hope. The nature of death to a believer, is quite changed. Death is in itself a curse—but God has turned this curse into a blessing. To a child of God, death is not a destruction, but a deliverance. When the mantle of his flesh drops off, he ascends in a fiery chariot to heaven!

4. The fear of God—will make a man fear JUDGMENT. Anselm spent most of his thoughts upon the Day of Judgment; and Jerome thought he always heard that voice sounding in his ears, "Arise you dead—and come to judgment!" That there shall be such a day is evident: a. From God’s veracity: he who is the Oracle of truth has asserted it: "For he comes—for he comes to judge the earth" (Psalms 96:13). There is duplication here, firstly, to show the certainty: "he comes, he comes". It is an indubitable maxim. Secondly, to show the speediness, "he comes, he comes", the time draws near—it is almost daybreak, and the judge is ready to take the bench! (James 5:9). God’s decree cannot be reversed! b. There shall he such a day for the vindication of God’s justice. Things seem to be done in the world, very unequally: the godly suffer, the wicked prosper. Atheists are ready to think God has thrown aside the government of the world—and does not mind how things are transacted here below. Therefore there must he a judicial process, that God may undeceive the world and set all things right. c. That there shall be such a day is evident by the principles engrafted in a natural conscience. When Paul reasoned of judgment to come, "Felix trembled" (Acts 24:25). The prisoner at the bar—made the judge tremble! That a wicked man dying is so surprised with terrors—from where does this arise, but from a secret apprehension of ensuing judgment!

It will be a great judgment. Never was the like seen! We must all appear before the judgement seat! (2 Corinthians 5:10). There is no fleeing, no absconding, no bribing, no appearing by a proxy—but all must make their personal appearance. Those who were above trial here, and the law could not reach them, must appear before the tribunal of heaven! Who shall be the Judge? Jesus Christ (John 5:22; Acts 17:31). "He has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world—by that man whom he has ordained." Christ the Judge, is called man because he shall judge the world in a visible shape. He must be both God and man: he must be God, that he may see men’s hearts—and he must be man, that he himself may be seen.

What a solemn day will this be, when Christ shall sit upon the bench of judicature! He will judge "righteously" (Psalms 9:8). Though he himself was wronged, he will do no wrong. And he will judge thoroughly: "Whose fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his floor" (Matthew 3:12). He will see what is wheat—and what is chaff; who have his image upon them—and who the mark of the beast. Surely, the fear of God will cause a holy trembling at the thoughts of this day!

Question: In what sense should those who fear God—fear the Day of Judgment?

Answer: Not with a fear of dread or despondency, for the Day of Judgment will be a Jubilee—a blessed comfortable day to them! The thrush sings at the approach of rain—and so may believers at the approach of Judgment. Christ who is their Judge is also their Redeemer and Advocate. But, a. The godly should so fear judgment as every day to renew their sorrow for sin. They have sins which creep upon them daily—and they must with Peter weep bitterly. They must steep their souls in the salty tears of repentance. It would be sad to be found at the last day, in any sin unrepented of. b. The godly should so fear the Day of Judgment as to make them afraid of sins of omission. Not dressing a wound brings death. Not discharging duty may bring damnation. You may read the solemn process at the last day: "I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you didn’t take Me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of Me" (Matthew 25:42). The charge here brought in, is for sins of omission. Christ does not say, "You took away my food from me"—but "You gave me nothing to eat"; He does not say, "You put me in prison"—but "You did not visit me." The sins of omission condemned them. Not praying in the family, not attending the means of grace, not giving alms, will be the fatal indictment. c. The godly should so far fear the Day of Judgment as to make them afraid of pretending in religion. For at that day, false hearts will be unmasked. Why did Paul walk with such integrity? "You are witnesses and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblamably we behaved ourselves among you" (1 Thessalonians 2:10). What was the cause of this? Surely a fear of the approaching Judgment Day: "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ!" (2 Corinthians 5:10). The word in the original means we must be made manifest, our hearts must be laid open before men and angels. Such is the witchcraft of hypocrisy, that it is hard in this life, to know who is a false professor, and who is sincere. But shortly there will be a full revealing. It is good for God’s people so to fear judgment, as to make them strive against deceit and hypocrisy; for then the hypocrite will be found out.

5. The fear of God—makes a man fear HELL. Hell is called the "place of torment" (Luke 16:28). Not only notoriously wicked sinners—but such as fear God, ought to fear hell: "I say unto you my friends, Fear him who has power to cast into hell!" (Luke 12:4).

Question: How far should God’s people fear hell?

Answer: Not so far, as to let go their hope. A mariner fears a storm—but not so as to throw away his anchor. Such as fear God—should fear hell in four ways. a. Those who fear God ought to fear hell—as that which they have deserved. Their sins have merited hell. Woe to the holiest man alive—if God should weigh him in the balance of his justice! b. Those who fear God ought to fear hell—insofar as this is a means to make them shake off spiritual sloth. This sleeping disease is apt to seize upon God’s own people; "the wise virgins slumbered" (Matthew 25:5). Now, so far as the fear of hell is an alarm or a warning-bell to awaken the godly out of security, and make them run faster to heaven, so far it is a godly and blessed fear. c. The fear of hell is good in the godly—insofar as it makes them afraid of being in the number of those who shall go to hell. There are certain people who are in danger of hell:

First, those who have their heaven in this life: "You who are given to pleasure" (Isaiah 47:8). Epicures swim in sensual delights; they would rather displease God—than deny the flesh. These shall take up their quarters in hell. "The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. But see, there is joy and revelry, eating of meat and drinking of wine! "Let us eat and drink," you say, "for tomorrow we die!" The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: "Until your dying day this sin will not be atoned for," says the Lord, the Lord Almighty!" (Isaiah 22:12-14) That is, this sin shall not be done away by any sacrifice.

Second, they are in danger to be cast into hell who live in the sin of adultery (Proverbs 22:12). Those who burn in lust—shall burn in hell! "Lord knows how to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, especially those who follow the polluting desires of the flesh." (2 Peter 2:9-10). See the corruption of man’s nature! Instead of drinking water out of his own cistern, he loves stolen waters (Proverbs 9:17). The same Latin word signifies a stable and a whore-house—both are for beasts!

Third, they are likely to go to hell who, by giving bad example, cause others to sin. Bad example, like the plague, is contagious. Great men are mirrors—by which the common people dress themselves. Such as give bad example, have not only their own sins, but the sins of others to answer for. That doubtless was the reason why the rich man entreated Abraham that one might go from the dead to preach to his brethren (Luke 16:27), and not that he had love to their souls, but because, while he was alive, he had occasioned his brethren’s sins by his wicked example, and knew that their coming to hell would increase his torment!

Fourth, they are likely to go to hell who live and die in the contempt of God’s Word. Ministers have preached until their lungs are exhausted—but men stop their ears and harden their hearts! "They made their hearts as an adamant stone" (Zechariah 7:12). Hardness of heart lies in the insensibility of the conscience (Ephesians 4:19), and the inflexibility of the will (Jeremiah 44:16-17). Obdurate sinners shake out the arrow of conviction and scorn all godly reproof. When the prophet cried to the altar of stone, it broke apart (1 Kings 13:2). But sinners hearts do not break! These are likely to have the wrath of God flame about their ears! "This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels, taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of everlasting destruction, away from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength!" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8).

Fifth, they shall go to hell who fall away (Matthew 13:6). Because they had no root—they withered. Flowers in a waterpot will keep green and fresh a while—but having no root, they wither. Demas made a fair show a while—but ended as the silkworm which, after all her fine spinning, at last becomes a common fly. "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God!" (Hebrews 10:26-27).

Thus we see who are likely to be thrown into hell. Now it is good for the godly so to fear hell—as to fear to be in the number of those who shall go to hell. d. The fear of hell is good in the godly—insofar as it is a fear mixed with rejoicing. "Rejoice with trembling" (Psalms 2:11). A believer’s fear of hell must he like the fear of the two Marys going from the sepulcher: "They departed from the sepulcher with fear and great joy" (Matthew 28:8). With fear, because they had seen an angel; and with joy, because Christ was risen! So must the godly look on hell, with fear and joy. With fear, because of the fire; and with joy, because Christ has freed them from hell. A man who stands upon a high rock, fears when he looks down into the sea—yet rejoices that he is not there drowning in the waves. So a child of God, when he looks down into hell by contemplation, may fear because of the dreadfulness of the torment; yet this fear should be mingled with joy, to think he shall never come there! Jesus has delivered him "from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

6. The fear of God will make a man fear HEAVEN. You may say, "that is strange—we should rather hope for heaven." No, a regenerate person is to fear heaven—lest he fall short of it. "Therefore, while the promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear so that none of you should miss it!" (Hebrews 4:1). It is a metaphor taken from athletes who, growing weary and lagging behind, come short of the prize. Who had more hope of heaven than Paul? Yet he was not without his fears: "I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:27). And well may he who shall go to heaven, fear less he miss it, if you consider: a. It is possible for many who make a splendid profession, to lose heaven. What do you think of the foolish virgins? They are called virgins because they were not tainted with any gross sin; yet these virgin-professors were shut out of heaven! (Matthew 25:10). Balaam, a prophet; and Judas, an apostle—were both shut out of heaven! We have seen some ships which had glorious names given them, the Good-speed, the Hope, the Safeguard—which were lost at sea. b. It is possible to come near to heaven—yet fall short of it: "You are not far from the kingdom of God" (Mark 12:34); yet he was not near enough! Men may commend the ministry of the Word, have their affections moved at an ordinance, and in outward show out-do the children of God (Numbers 23:1-2); yet, not having the oil of sincerity in their vessels, they will fall short of eternal happiness. And how dismal is that—to lose God, to lose their souls, to lose their hopes! The millions of tears shed in hell—are not sufficient to bewail the loss of heaven! Well may such as have heaven in them, fear their coming short of it. So much, then, for this sixth use, trial.

Question. How shall we arrive at this blessed fear?

Answer.

1. Let us set God ever in our eye—study his immensity! He is God Almighty (Genesis 17:1). He gives laws to the angels, binds the consciences of men, cuts off princes "He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth." (Psalms 76:12). The thoughts of God’s incomprehensible greatness, should strike a holy awe in our hearts! Elijah wrapped his face in a mantle when God’s glory passed by. The reason men do not fear God—is because they entertain slight thoughts of him! "You thought that I was altogether like you!" (Psalms 50:21).

2. Let us pray for this fear of God, which is the root of all holiness, and the mother of all wisdom. "Give me an undivided heart—that I may fear your name" (Psalms 86:11). The Lord has promised to put his fear in our heart (Jeremiah 32:40). Let us pray over this promise. While some pray for riches, and others for children—let us pray for a heart to fear God! To conclude this, you who have this fear planted in your souls—bless God for it! "You who fear the Lord—bless the Lord" (Psalms 135:20). God has done more for you than if he had made you kings and queens—and caused you to ride upon the high places of the earth! He has enriched you with that jewel which he bestows only upon the elect.

Oh, stand upon Mount Gerizim, blessing. The fear of God is an immortal seed springing up into glory! "You who fear the Lord—praise him!" (Psalms 22:23). Begin the work of heaven now. Be spiritual choristers! Sound forth holy doxologies and triumphs! Say, as David, "My mouth is full of praise and honor to You all day long!" (Psalms 71:8).

God has but little praise in the world. Who should thus pay that which is due to him—if not those who fear him?