Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_500.lzh/D_524.TXT

Text File | 1994-08-24 | 6KB | 132 lines

5~4                                               OF THE FEAR OF GOD.                                                         Book L

grace, Eph. ii. 8. as he that believes with the heart
unto righteousness, so he that truly repents of sin
shall be saved, Mark xvi. 16.

CHAP. V.

OF THE FEAR OF GOD.

THE fear of God has so great a concern in divine
worship, that it is sometimes put for the whole of it;
.and a worshipper of God is frequently described in
scripture by one that fears him; and particularly in-
ternal worship, or experimental religion, as distin-
guished from an external observance of the divine
commands, is expressed by it; for, according to the
wise man, the whole of religion, experimental and
practical religion, lies in these two things, to fear God
and keep his comm, andnzents, Eccl. xii. 13. and as wor-
ship itself is expressed by the fear of God, sr the
manner in which it is to be performed is directed to
be in it and with it, .for God is to be served with reve-
rence and godly fear; see Psalm ii. 11. and v. 7. and
lxxxix. 7. Heb. xii. 28. concerning which may be ob-
served,
I. The object of fear, not the creature, but God the
Creator. There is a fear due to men, fear to whom
fear; that is, it should be rendered to whom it is due,
Rom. xiii. 7. there is a fear and reverence due to pa-
rents from their children, Lev. xix. 3. Heb. xii. 9.
which is shewn by the henour and respect paid unto
them, and the obedience yielded them, Eph. vi. 1,
and the argument from hence is strong to the fear
and reverence of God the Father of spirits, Heb. xii.
9. 1 Pet. i. t4, 17. there is a fear and reverence in
the conjugal state, due fi'om wives to their husbands,
Eph. v. 33. I Pet. iii. 5, 6. and this relation affords a
reason and argument why the church should fear and
serve the Lord her God, because he is her husband,
Psalm xlv. I 1. there is a fear and reverence which ser-
vants should show to their masters, Eph. vi. 5. and if
such masters are to be obeyed with fear, much more
our Master which is in heaven; and this is the argu-
ment the Lord himself uses, If I be a Master, where
is my fear :t Mal. i. 6. there is a fear and reverence
which ministers of the word should be had in by those
to whom they minister, 1 Sam. xii. 18. this is one
part of that double henour they are worthy of, to be
esteemed very highly for their work sake. Herod,
though a wicked man,feared John, that is, not dreaded
him, but respected him, for he heard him gladly,
Mark vi. 20. There is a fear and reverence to be
rendered to magistrates, Rom. xiii. 7. and especially
to the king, the chief magistrate, Prey. xxiv. 21. and
if an earthly king is to be feared and revereneed,
much more the King of kings and Lord of lords,
Who would not fear thee, 0 king of nations
But then men are not so to be feared by the people
of God, let them be in what character, relation, and
station secret, as tO be deterred by them from the ser-
vice of God; the fear of man too often brings a snare

Targum Jerus. in Dent. xxxii. !5. et Targ. Jon. in v. 18.
Dictum volunt \~yeon\~ alii a nomh:e \~deov\~, i.e. metus, Scapula.

in this respect. God is to be hearkened to, served,
and obeyed rather than men of the highest class and
rank; they are not to be afraid of losing their fay our
and esteem, and of gaining their ill will thereby, as
the Pharisees, who, though convinced that Jesus was
the Christ, confessed him not, lest they should be put
out of the synagogue, loving the praise of men more
than the praise of God: nor should they be afraid of
the revilings and reproaches of men, and be intimi-
dated by them from serving the Lord their God, but
with Moses should esteem reproach for the Lord's sake
greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; nor should
they be frightcued from a profession of religion, and
from an attention to it, by the threats and menaces of
men, and by all the persecution they may endure
from them. They are not to be 'feared who can kill
the body, but God is to be feared who can destroy
both body and soul in hell; and such who fear men,
so as to neglect the worship of God, are the fearful
ones, who shall have their part in the lake of fire and
brimstone, Matt. x. 28. Rev. xxi. 8. if God is on the
side of his people, as he most certainly is, they have
no reason to fear what man can do unto them.
God only is the object of fear, Thou shalt fear the
Lord thy God, and serve him; that is, him only, De'ut.
vi. 13. and x. 20. this is the principal thing God re-
quires of his people, and they are bound in duty to
render to him; Now, 0 Israel, what doth the Lord thy
God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God ?
this is the first thing, others follow, Dent. x. 12. hence
because he is so much the object of the fear of good
men, he is ca!led fear itself; so the fear of Isaac is used
/br the God of Isaac, Gen. xxxi. 42. and by whom
Jacob swore, v 53. who could be no other than the
God of his father Isaac. In the Chaldee paraphrase {}
the word \^alxr\^ fear, is sometimes put for the true God,
as well as used' of idols; and with some \~yeov\~, the Greek
word for God, is by them derived from \~deov\~, fear";
and by the Lacedemonians fear was worshippeal as a
deity, and had a temple for it {3}; as Pavor and Pallor,
fearfulhess and paleness, were by Tullus Hostilius
among the Romans {4}; but none but the true God is
the object of fear. And,
1st, He is to be feared because of his name and na-
ture; tloly and reverend is his name, particularl.y his
name Jehovah, expressive of his essence and r, ature;
that thou mayest fear this fearful and glorious name,
The Lord thy God, Psalm cxii. 9. Dent. xxviii. 58. a
name peculiar to him; there is no name of God but
is to be revered; and that by which he is commonly
spoken of ought always to be used in a reverend
manner, and not upon slight and trivial occasions,
and with great irreverence, as it too often is, and
when at every turn men are apt to say, 0 Lord ! O
God!good God! &c. especially men professing the
fear of God should be careful of such language, for
it is no other than taking the name of God in vain.
2dly, God not only essentially but personally con-
sidered is to be feared, God, Father, Son, and Spirit;
it is said of the Jews in the latter day, that they shall

Plutarch in Cleomone, p. 808. vol. 1.
Lactant, Institut. 1.1. c. 2-0.