March 10

Fear God.—1 Peter 2:17.

ALL the rules of equity and charity among men flow from a higher principle, and depend upon it; and there is no right observing of them without due regard to that: therefore this word, which expresses that principle of obedience, is fitly inserted among these rules; the first obligation of man being to the sovereign majesty of God who made him, and all the mutual duties of one to another being derived from that. A man may indeed, from moral principles, be of a mild, inoffensive carriage, and do civil right to all men; but this answers not the divine rule even in these same things, after the way that it requires them. The spiritual and religious observance of these duties toward men, springs from a respect to God, and terminates there too; it begins and ends in him. And generally, all obedience to his commands, both such as regulate our behavior toward himself immediately, and such as relate to man, doth arise from a holy fear of his name. Therefore this fear of God, upon which follows necessarily the keeping of his commandments, is given us by Solomon as the total sum of man's business and duty, and so, the way to solid happiness: he pronounces it the whole of men. After he had made his discoveries of all things besides under the sun, gone the whole circuit, and made an exact valuation, he found all besides this to amount to nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit. The account he gives of all other things, was only for this purpose, to illustrate and establish this truth the more, and to make it the more acceptable; to be a repose after so much weariness, and such a tedious journey, and so, as he speaks, a word of delight as well as a word of truth; that mind might sit down and quiet itself in this, from the turmoil and pursuit of vanity, that keep it busy to no purpose in all other things. But whereas there was emptiness and vanity, that is, just nothing, in all other things, there was not only something to be found, but every thing in this one, this fear of God, and that keeping of his commandments, which is the proper fruit of that fear. All the repeated declaring of vanity in other things, both severally and altogether in that book, are but so many strokes to drive and fasten this nail, this word of wisdom, which is the sum of all, and contains all the rest.

Under this fear is comprehended all religion, both inward and outward, all the worship and service of God, and all the observance of his commandments, which is in Eccl. xii. and elsewhere expressly joined with it, and therefore is included in it, when it is not expressed. So Job, To depart from evil is understanding; The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil, that is understanding. It hath in it all holiness and obedience, they grow all out of it. It is the beginning, and it is the top or consummation of wisdom, for the word signifies both.

Think it not, then, a trivial, common matter to speak or hear of this subject; but take it as our great lesson and business here on earth. The best proficient in it have yet need to learn it better, and it requires our incessant diligence and study all our days.

This fear hath in it chiefly these things: 1. A reverential esteem of the majesty of God, which is a main, fundamental thing in religion, and moulds the heart most powerfully to the obedience of his will. 2. A firm belief of the purity of God, and of his power and justice, that he loves holiness, and hates all sin, and can and will punish it. 3. A right apprehension of the bitterness of his wrath, and the sweetness of his love; that his incensed anger is the most terrible and intolerable thing in the world, absolutely the most fearful of all evils; and, on the other hand, his love, of all good things the best, the most blessed and delightful, yea, the only blessedness. Life is the name of the sweetest good we know, and yet, his loving-kindness is better than life, says David. 4. It supposes, likewise, sovereign love to God, for his own excellency and goodness. 5. From all these springs a most earnest desire to please him in all things, and an unwillingness to offend him in the least; and because of our danger through the multitude and strength of temptations, and our own weakness, a continual self-suspicion, a holy fear lest we should sin, a care and watchfulness that we sin not, and deep sorrow, and speedy returning and humbling before him when we have sinned.