and justice, as is sweetly allayed and tempered by a fenfe of his goodnefs; that is, if it be an evan gelic and filial fear, compofed of an equal mixture of awe and delight of love and reverence for to fuch a fear as this the moft eminent faints of God were no ftrangers, fince they " ferved the Lord with fear" (as good David fpeaks), "and rejoiced before him with reverence.”

But alas! this is altogether a legal and a fervile fear; a sullen, gloomy paffion, without the least mixture of any thing joyous and delightful; á mere dread of omnipotence, armed with vengeance, which presents the rod to him as lifted up, and makes him tremble at the fight of it; and forces him on towards his duty, without, and against inclinations, merely as beasts of facrifice are dragged to the horns of the altar. This is his wretched cafe; no 'glimfe of light appears in any corner of his foul; no comfortable réflexions on the goodness and mercy of God fhine inwards, ly upon him; but the face of his mind is all covered with darknefs, diftruft, and horror. And how can the fervices that flow from fuch a temper as this, be acceptable to that God, who is all love and light, and is pleafed only with a willing mint, and a cheerful giver? This is the fad account which fome men give of themselves without caufe. To rectify it, let them confider

ft, Hath this principle, which they thus blame, done the work of a better? Hath it made them charitable, humble, temperate, devout? Hath it enabled them to purify themfelves from all fpot and blenifh,', and to "adorn the doctrine of their God and Saviour in all things? Tit. ii. 10 VOL. IV. G

I

If it hath, they may put what odious names upon it, and drefs it up in what frightful fhapes they pleafe; but it is certainly fuch a principle, as will bear the teft, and, if they continue to be directed by it, will at laft carry them to heaven. Be not deceived, "He that doth righteoufnefs, is righteous;" 1 John iii. 7. and as fuch, fhall receive a recompence at the great day of of account, though he became fo upon the lowest and leaft valuable confiderations: The meannefs of the motive, which induced him to obey, fhall not rob him of the rewards which are due to obedience. And therefore the distinction between a legal and a fervile fear is hear miftaken and mifapplied. For a fervile fear (in the true notion of it) is fuch a dread of divine vengeance, as hath no faving influence upon men's lives and converfations; fuch as malefactors are feized with, when under the fentence of execution, and without hopes of escaping it; fuch as ill men feel, who go on obftinately in their ill courfes, notwithstanding it; and fuch, under which the devils themfelves bow and tremble, though without altering, in the leaft their diabolical natures by the means of it. But this is far from being the cafe of that man, who "works out his own falvation with fear and trembling :" And therefore, we mifcall fuch fears as thefe, when we term them fervile; For that is always, in the accounts of right reafon, and will be efteemed in the fight of God, a true filial fear, which works by a true filial obedience. But,

2dly, It is further probable, that these melancholy perfons do not represent their own inward fenfe of things worfe than it deferves; and per

fuade

fuade themfelves into an opinon, that they love God lefs, and dread him more, than perhaps they really do. For (as I hinted at the beginning of this difcourfe) it is fcarce conceivable that any men, who are not fincerely good, fhould difquiet themselves with fuch fcruples about the ends and motives which inclined them to goodnefs. It is their fear of not loving God. as much as they ought to do, which makes them apprehend that they do not love him at all. And therefore, inftead of turning their eyes inwardly upon the ideas, which they have lodged in their frightful imagination, let them direct them upon the outward effects of their fears; inftead of puzzling themselves about the true principle of holiness, let them take a comfortable profpect of the genuine fruits of it, which abound in their life and practice. And then their doubts will all difappear, their fcruples will vanith; and they will be fatisfied, that the love of God hath that place which it ought to have in their hearts, in as much as they obey him: "For in this we know that we love God, if we keep his commandments." John xiv. 15. But,

3dly and laftly, Let the men who are under thefe appprehenfions, make a right ufe of them; not disturb and terrify themselves with fuch thoughts, but take occafion from thence to gain ground upon themselves, and to advance fafter in the ways of religion; and to excite in their hearts fuch a fervent and exalted love of God, as fhall leave no room for any doubts and mifgivings. It is true, that perfect love cafteth out fear, but fuch à degree of divine love is fcarce attainable here: how

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however, we may afpire and approach ftill nearer and nearer towards this perfection. How much foever we have conquered our dread of God, and improved our love of him, we may go on ftill to dread him lefs, and to love him more, till we come at last to be " rooted and grounded "in love, and be able to comprehend with all "faints, what is the breadth, and length, and "depth, and height, and to know the love of "Chrift which paffeth all knowledge." Ephef. iii. 17, 18, 19.

"To him, together with the Father, and the Holy Ghoit, c.

SER

A

SER MON

Preached at

St. PAU L'S

Before the

LORD MAYOR,

May 30, 1703.

The Terrors of Confcience.

MATTH. xiv. 1, 2, 3.

At that time Herod the Tetrarch heard of the fame. of Jefus, and faid unto bis fervants, This is John the Baptift, ne is rifen from the dead; and there fore mighty works do fhew forth themfelves in him. For Herod had laid hold on John. and bound him, and put him in prifon, &c.

T

HE wicked" (fays the prophet)" are like: the troubled fea, when it cannot reft, whofe waters caft up mire and dirt," If lvii. 20. That is, men of flagitious lives are fubject to great un

cafinefs: