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FEAR AND HOPE, OBJECTS OF THE DIVINE

COMPLACENCY.*

SERMON VII.

PSAL. cxlvii. 11.-The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in thofe that hope in his mercy.

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HERE are times of danger in which the event is very doubtful, but even then the fafety and fuccefs will always be on the fide the Lord cafts them. In confequence, it is an important question, How may we engage him on our fide? Certain it is, his pleasure lies not in created ftrength. Horfe and foot, courage and ftrength, may be on the fide which God will difown, and which shall be worsted: "By ftrength," fays he, fhall no man prevail,” 1 Sam. ii. 9. His pleasure is in the ftrength of grace: "He will keep the feet of his faints;" or, as it is expreffed in the text, The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy.-In which words we have,

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*Delivered July 27.1718..

1. The

1. The character of those whofe part the Lord will take in all their trials and troubles, and in all their encounters with their enemies. The first part of their character is, they are fearers of God. They have the awe of his majefty upon their fpirits. The fecond is, that they hope in, or rather for his mercy. They, in a becoming manner, wait and patiently feek for relief from God, and that in the way of mercy through Chrift, not for any thing in themfelves.-Obferve next the the mixture of thefe parts of their character: They do not only fear God, but hope in him; for fear without hope will fink into raging defpair. They not only hope, but fear, for hope without fear will turn into prefumption. These two God hath joined together, let not us put them asunder.

2. The privileges of these persons, whoever may be difpleafed with them, and however much they may be difpleafed with themselves, God takes pleafure in them. He accepts their perfons, and their fervices, and he will fhew himself to be on their fide. They fhall not hope in vain; however hape. Jefs their cafe be in itself, they fhall get a merciful relief in due time.

From thefe words, obferve this

DOCTRINE, The Lord takes pleasure in those, who, whatever cafe they be in, entertain a holy fear of him, with a kindly hope in his mercy.

IN difcourfing which, it is intended,

I. Shortly to describe this holy fear, that in all cafes ought to be entertained, with a hope of the Lord's mercy.

II. To defcribe that kindly hope of his mercy, to be entertained in all cafes, along with this holy fear.

III. To fhew the neceffity of keeping up this holy fear and kindly hope in all cafes together in the foul.

IV.

To fhew what is that pleasure the Lord takes in fuch.

V. To confirm the doctrine of the text.

VI. To make a practical improvement of the different parts of the fubject.

I AM, then,

I. Shortly to defcribe this holy fear, that in all cafes ought to be entertained, with a hope of the Lord's mercy. This fear of God is,

1. An awe and dread of his majesty and tranfcendent greatness: Pfal. lxxxix. 6. 7. " For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the fons of the mighty can be likened 'to the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the affembly of the faints, and to be held in reverence of all them that are about him." With this the lightness and vanity of the heart is to be repreffed. The foul must entertain high and honourable thoughts of God, as a fovereign of independent being, in whom all perfections do concenter, must look up to the clouds and behold him on his throne in heaven, and fo bring itself thereby to a profound reverence of his greatnefs.

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2. A reverence of his abfolute, his unlimited authority and power: "Fear him," faid Jefus, "who, after he hath killed, hath power to caft into hell yea, I fay unto you, fear him," Luke xii. 5..; he can command us whatsoever he will, and difpose of us as he pleaseth. Let us have a reverential regard to the uncontroulable fceptre he fways over all creatures. Since he doth in heaven and in earth what feemeth good unto him, and none can stay 13.

his

his hand, or fay unto him, What doft thou? we fhould filently fubmit to his difpofals.

3. A fear of offending him in any thing: Pfal. iv. 4. "Stand in awe, and fin not." This is a fear, and caution, and circumfpection, which we should always carry about and never lay afide. We walk amidst many fnares; Satan and a corrupt heart are ready to entangle us; but God cannot away with fin; it is the only offence we can give him. He is well pleased to see us afraid of offending him, to fee the poor finner affrighted at every thing that is provoking to him, and keeping up a holy tenderness this way.

4. A fear of imputing iniquity to him, or harbouring hard and unbecoming thoughts of his majefty, Job, i. 22. "In all this Job finned not, nor charged God foolishly." The proud heart cafting off the fear of God, arraigns and condemns the conduct of holy Providence as rigorous and unrighteous; and fo murmurs against the Lord. But holy fear filenceth the mutiny of these unruly paffions, and fays, "He does all things well, is holy and righteous in all his ways and works."

5. A dread of going out of his way for help, however hard the cafe be: Ifa. viii. 13. 14. "Sanctify the Lord of hofts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread; and he hall be for a fanctuary; but for a stone of ftumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the houfes of Ifrael; for a gin and for a fnare, to the inhabitants of Jerufalem; and many among them fhall ftumble, and fall, and be broken, and be taken." Holy fear takes off the wheels of the chariot of impatience and unfanctified hafte, which drives furiously to get out of that cafe in which infinite wisdom has placed us. The foul dare not

adventure

adventure to shake off the yoke, till the Lord p to his own hand and take it off.

Laftly, A dread of his holy hand in his judgements: Amos, iii. 8. "The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath fpoken, who can but prophecy?" This fear keeps the heart from flight thoughts of them, and furnishes awful thoughts of a finiting God, the weight of whose hand no man is able to bear. And there is here a dread of the hand of the Lord lying on their perfon for the paft: Heb. xii. 5. " My fon, defpife not thou the chaftening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." The man noticeth the stroke, and what impreffions of anger are engraven on it, and so he putteth his mouth in the duft, if fo there may be hope, Lam. iii. 29. Whatever he meets with, he takes it as from the Lord, and reverenceth the hand that fmiteth.There is, (2.) A dread of what the Lord may inflict upon him: Pfal. cxix. 120. " My flesh trem. bleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements." The fearer of the Lord fees, that whatever be his stroke, it is less than his deferving. They fay as Ezra, chap. ix. 13. "Thou, our God, has punished less than our iniquities deferve;" and therefore fubmits themselves, left the Lord makes the stroke greater, and punish us seven times more. -Let us now,

II. DESCRIBE that kindly hope of his mercy, to be entertained in all cafes along with this holy fear. It is,

1. A firm perfuafion of the good, gracious, and bountiful nature of God, who delights not in the mifery of his creatures: Pfal xxv. 8 "Good and upright is the Lord, therefore will he teach finners in the way." Ezek, xviii. 23. "Have I any pleasure

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