feared God. Perhaps this may be alleged as the true reason why his prayers for his three friends were accepted on their behalf; for we find him immediately before humbling himself in the presence of God with expressions of the most profound reverence. Cornelius also seems to have had his prayers, as well as his alms accepted because he feared God. A much stronger instance than these, the strongest indeed which can be supposed, is given us in Heb. v. 7, where it is said of Christ, Who, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard, in that he feared.' If this translation of the passage be admitted, as the natural meaning of the words requires, and as, notwithstanding the opinion of several commentators, seems reasonable; we are here taught that even Christ himself, on the great occasion referred to, was heard on account of the reverence with which his supplications were presented. Perhaps this extraordinary declaration was made especially to teach us, that without religious reverence no prayer can be accepted of God; and thus to render us peculiarly careful not to approach the throne of grace without emotions in a high degree reverential.

I will only add to these observations from the Scriptures, that a great part of the worship transcribed in them from the mouths of pious men, consists in reverential sentiments and expressions.

What the Scriptures thus teach is perfectly accordant with the dictates of our reason. No views, no emotions in us can be supposed to become the worship of God which are not either directly reverential, or such as flow from a generally reverential state of mind. If we remember how great a being God is; that he is self-existent and independent; that he is almighty and omnipresent; that he searches the hearts, and . tries the reins; that he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and cannot look upon sinners but with abhorrence;' if we think, at the same time, how dependent we are upon him, how little we are, how guilty, how exposed to his anger, how imperfect in our best services, and how undeserving of any acceptance; if we remember, that he is,' and that there is none beside him; and that not only we, but all nations, are as nothing before him;' that he is glorious in holiness, fear

ful in praises,' and transcendently awful in his purity; it cannot be possible for us to avoid feeling that no thoughts, affections, or conduct can become, those who worship him, but such as are accompanied by solemn awe, and profound reverence for his perfect character: that, as his name is Holy and Reverend,' so his worship should ever be celebrated with godly fear.'

2. Religious reverence is peculiarly the means of exciting, and keeping alive an abhorrence of sin.

1

6

The fear of the Lord,' says Solomon, or rather Christ speaking by Solomon, 'is to hate evil,' Prov. viii. 13; that is, it is a part of the very nature of religious reverence to hate evil. 'The transgression of the wicked saith in my heart, there is no fear of God before his eyes.' In this passage the psalmist declares, that the transgression of the wicked' proved to his satisfaction, that there was no fear of God before his, eyes.' Why? Plainly because the wicked, if he feared God, would cease to transgress. Of Job it is said, he feared God, and eschewed evil.' In this passage we are directly taught, that he eschewed evil because he feared God. After God appeared to him with awful glory and majesty, his views of the hatefulness and vileness of his sins, were exceedingly en-. hanced by the clear apprehensions which he entertained of the supreme greatness and excellency of his Maker. His reverential awe of God on the one hand, and his abhorrence of himself and his sins on the other, are very forcibly exhibited in his own language. Behold, I am vile! What shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.'

6

It hardly needs to be observed, that nothing can impress on our minds the odiousness of sin in such a manner, as clear and affecting views of the purity of Jehovah, and the reverence for him with which these views are attended; or, in better language, of which these views constitute an essential part. So entirely are mankind, at least those of them who speak our language, sensible of this, that in judicial processes against criminals, the law constantly assigns as a primary cause of their commission of crimes, that they "had not the fear of God before their eyes." This is the strongest of all human testi

mony, that the fear of God is the great and controlling cause of hating and abstaining from iniquity. Of course,

3. Religious reverence is the great source of reformation.

The fear of the Lord,' says Solomon, is to hate evil.' Prov. viii. 13. In this declaration we are taught, that reverence of God is so extensively the cause of departing from evil, that it was proper, in the view of the Spirit of God, to declare it to be the same thing with departure from evil.' Substantially in the same manner is this truth exhibited in the text; where the fear of the Lord' is declared to be wisdom, and departure from evil, understanding. By wisdom and understanding here, it is scarcely necessary to say, the same thing is intended; and this in the former part of the verse is declared to be the fear of the Lord;' and, in the latter, ⚫ departure from evil.' Fear the Lord,' says Solomon to his

son, Prov. iii. 7, and depart from evil.' And again, Prov. xiv. 27, The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.' And again, in language somewhat different, Prov. xiii. 14, The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.' Here religious reverence, styled in the former passage the fear of the Lord,' and in the latter the law of the wise,' is declared to be a fountain of life,' sending forth unceasing streams, of which he who drinks will be both enabled and inclined, to depart from the snares of death;' that is, from sins which are fatal snares to all who practise them.

6

Moral

But to depart from evil is, necessarily, to do good. beings are by their nature always employed in obedience or disobedience. He therefore who ceases to do evil,' invariably learns to do well;' is invariably employed in the great business of reforming his life, and endeavouring to glorify his Creator.

4. Religious reverence is peculiarly the source of rectitude in our dispositions and conduct towards mankind.

'There was,' saith our Saviour, in a certain city, a judge, who neither feared God, nor regarded man.' This account of the subject is metaphysically and universally just. He who does not fear God, will not regard man, in any such manner as reason acknowledges to consist with moral rectitude, and as all men declare to be due from man to man. indeed, like the unjust judge in this parable, for the sake of

He may

freeing himself from importunity and trouble, for the sake of reputation, convenience, gain, or some other selfish object, act with propriety in his external conduct; but he will never possess any real rectitude, and cannot therefore act under its influence.

When Jehoshaphat set judges in the land, he said unto them, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed, and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.' These are obviously the best rules ever given to judicial officers for the direction of their moral conduct; and such judges and such rulers as have accorded with them have undoubtedly been the best, when prejudice has not operated in a peculiar manner, which the world has ever seen. In all these the fear of God was the controlling principle. Concerning those rulers whose conduct is recorded in the Scriptures, the subject does not admit of a doubt; for the divine writers have remarked each case so strongły, as to put it wholly out of question. Concerning such men as Moses, Samuel, Josiah, and Nehemiah, no man is at a loss. There is as little uncertainty concerning Alfred the Great, Sir Matthew Hale, and many others in later times. All these, and all other men of a similar character, were supremely controlled in their conduct by the fear of God; the great thing insisted on by Jehoshaphat in these directions.

Nehemiah particularly informs us concerning this subject, as it respected himself. The former governors,' says he, 'who have been before me, were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels; Yea, even their servants bear rule over the people; but so did not I, because of the fear of God.'

Of Hananiah, the ruler of the palace, this eminently worthy man says, chapter vii. 2, that he gave him charge over Jerusalem, because he was a faithful man, and feared God above many?' Of Cornelius it is said,' he feared God, and gave much alms to the people.' Of Obadiah, the governor of Ahab's house, it is declared, that he feared the Lord greatly ;' and that he had thus feared him from his youth.' As a proof, as well as consequence, of this spirit, we are informed, that,

when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, he took an hundred and fifty of them, and hid them in caves, where he kept, and fed them, at the daily hazard of his life. By St. Paul, religious reverence is alleged as the ground and directory of Christian submission to lawful authority, Eph. v. 21 ; and by Malachi, chapter iii. 16, as the cause of Christian fellowship.

Thus we find this spirit extending its benign influence to the various branches of Christian duty; and proving a peculiarly efficacious cause of zeal and exemplariness, in all those parts of a religious life which contribute immediately to the well-being of our fellow-men.

5. Religious reverence is the foundation of peculiar blessings in the present world.

He hath given meat to them There is no want to them that

The secret of the Lord,' says the Psalmist, is with them that fear him,' Psalm xxv. 14. that fear him,' Psalm cxi. 5. fear him,' Psalm xxxiv. 9. By the fear of the Lord are riches and honour,' Prov. xxii. 4. The angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear him,' Psalm xxxiv. 7. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him, Psalm cxlv. 19. These promises and these declarations furnish complete security to those who fear God, that they shall really want no good thing that their circumstances shall be so ordered, as that all things shall work together for their good.' They may indeed be troubled, and persecuted, and even cut off by a violent death. But these evils will take place only when they become necessary; and when they themselves, as well as others, will become more happy in the end by means of them, than they could be without them. Ordinarily, they will find, in times both of adversity and prosperity, ways, and those very numerous, in which God will show himself more attentive to their real good than they themselves were; and, even in this life, will often see that the most untoward events, as they seemed while passing, are such as they themselves, while taking a retrospective view, would choose to have had befal them. At the same time, all their enjoyments are blessings; and not, like those of the wicked, enjoyments merely. At the same time also, while the sufferings of the wicked are punishments and curses, the afflictions of such as fear God are only blessings in disguise.