that the Fear of Man lays a greater Restraint upon us, than the Fear of God; because we dare not venture to do that in the Prefence of our FellowCreatures, which we presume to do in the Sight of our great Creator. Again, when we affect to appear to the World religious and virtuous, but, instead of taking Care to be what we appear, put on the Sheep's Cloathing only to hide the Wolf, or the Fox, or the Goat, that lurks within, we then fhew, that the Fear of Man has greater Efficacy upon us, than the Fear of God; fince the one is ftrong enough to make us Hypocrites, but the other has not Power to make us inwardly and fincerely good. Again, when we are afhamed of owning the Principles of our Religion, though we really do believe them, and, for fear of incurring the Cenfure of Precifenefs and Singularity, affect to appear worfe than we really are, we then likewife fhew, that the Fear of Men awes' us more, than the Fear of God; fince the former caufes us to fmother that open Profeffion, which the latter requires, but cannot prevail with us to make. Again, when we fall in with the unwarrantable Cuftoms of the World, and comply with the modif Follies and Vices of the Age, or Place, wherein we live, purely for Fear of being thought unfashionable, or ill-bred; this undue Compliance is another Proof of our fearing Men more than God; fince our Conformity to the World is the Effect of the one, whilft the other has not Efficacy enough to make us be transformed, by the renewing of our Mind, to do what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect Will of God. Once more; when Tribulation or Perfecution arifeth because of the Word, and, by and by, many are offended; when Men abjure their Religion, to fave their Fortunes, or their Lives, and, to avoid a prefent Trouble, run headlong into fuch pernicious Practices, as will render

them

them obnoxious to everlasting Perdition, it is undeniable, that, in this Inftance, they are under greater Apprehenfions from Man than God; fince bodily Death, which is the utmoft that Men can threaten, feems fo formidable, that, to escape it, they run the Rifque of that eternal Death, which shall be the final Lot of thofe, who, denying Chrift before Men, fhall be denied by him, before his Father, which is in Heaven.

As evident therefore as it is, that Men commit thofe Sins in fecret, which they dare not commit openly, and take more Care to appear, than really to be devout; that, in a loose and licentious Age, they chufe rather to break the Laws of God, than to be out of Fashion, and to difown themselves under the Influence of Religion, than incur the Imputation of Singularity; that, in Times of Per+ fecution, they fall away from the Truth, and make Shipwreck of their Faith, when Storms arife; fo evident it is, that, in the Conduct of their Lives, they are more fwayed by the Fear of Man, than they are by the Fear of God. But now what Reafon can be given for this unreasonable and extravagant Conduct? The beft that can be given, is but a bad one; but the beft, as I take it, is this,

That we generally look upon Men, as implacable in their Refentments, but God, as gracious, and merciful, and apt to forgive. "Should "we therefore offend Men by a stiff and unfeafon"able Virtue, we might incur the Effects of their

Displeasure, and, fhould they once be angry with

us, we might not be able, with all our Care, to "recover their good Graces; or fhould an ill "Opinion be formed, or an ill Character once "fpread abroad of us, it might, perhaps, be out "of our Power to regain a good one: The Danger therefore of offending Men being so great, and the Mischief of it so irretrievable, we can

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66 not

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not be too careful to avoid it. But, on the "other Hand, if we should, by any finful Compliance, offend God, befides that the Punish66 ment is at a greater Distance, we have fufficient "Grounds to believe, that we can prevent it by "Repentance: For he will not deal with us after our Sins, if we renounce them, nor reward us ac"cording to our Iniquities, if we are reclaimed from "them; as the Heaven is high above the Earth, fo great is his Mercy above the Mercy of Men: As far as the Eaft is from the West, fo far, upon our Repentance, will be remove our Tranfgreffions from 66 us:" And therefore, fince God is fo flow to Anger, and fo ready to forgive; fince Men are fo easy to be offended, and fo difficult to be intreated; this exceeding Mercy of God, which the Pfalmift thought a good Ground for his being feared, is often the Reason why Man is more dreaded than God.

..

The Prophet, however, has, in a very lively Manner, both confuted and expofed this wicked and unreasonable Conduct; Who art thou, that thou fhouldeft be afraid of Man, that shall die, and of the Son of Man, which shall be made as Grafs, and forgetteft the Lord thy Maker, that hath stretched forth the Heavens, and laid the Foundations of the Earth? Who art thou? If thou be a rational Creature, as God defigned thee, think if there be any Manner of Equality between the two Objects, between him,' that created the whole Universe out of nothing, and him, whofe Breath is in his Noftrils, and that Breath no longer there, than his Creator is pleafed to lend it; and, if thou art afhamed of the Comparison, then fear not the strongest Confederacy of Men, as the fame Prophet excellently exhorts, nor be afraid; but fanctify the Lord of Hofts himself, and let him be thy Fear, and let him be thy Dread,

The

The Obfervation, which Solomon has made, is a very true one, that the Fear of Man bringeth a Snare, expofes us to Temptations, and makes us liable to be feduced from our Duty; but whoso putteth his Truft in the Lord, shall be safe. For, how fhocking muft the Frowns and Menaces of great Men be to fuch, as are deftitute of this Armour of Proof, which fortifies the Mind, and works it to a Firmness, like that of the three Ifraelites in Babylon, who, when the Question was put, whether they would worship the Image, or be caft into the Furnace, replied, with all Compofednefs, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to anfwer thee about this Matter; i. e. in an Inftant we can refolve what we are to do in this Cafe, because we were refolved, long ago, to fuffer any Thing, rather than God's Displeasure? How galling must the Fears, about the Things of this Life, be to one, who carries no Eye to the Bleffings of another? How must every cross Accident grieve him, and every flight Affliction wound him to the Heart? But he, that fears God, has a Prefervative against every Thing of this Kind: Before they come, he fears them not, because he is fecure of the good Providence of God on his Side; and, when they are come, he has wherewithal to break their Blow, because he has Affurance of Recompence, at least, if not of Relief. But, above all, how amazing muft the Fear of Death be to him that fears not God? Death! that, like a dark Paffage to a comfortless Prison, puts an End to all that he would have, and a Beginning to all that he would not. What Agonies of Dread and Horror must every Reflection upon this inject into his guilty Soul? But he that lives under the Senfe and Fear of God, has prepared his Mind, before-hand, to meet the Prince of Terrors, and, feeing it is appointed for all Men once to die, pays this laft Debt of Nature with

Chear

Chearfulness, and leaves the Stage of Life, as one that is affured of his Paffage to a blessed Eternity.

Well therefore might holy Job fay, that the Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom; fince it not only makes us eafy, by curing our other Fears, while we are here, but happy likewife, by fecuring our chief Concern and Intereft hereafter. "This then is

Wisdom, not in Semblance, but in Deed; not "Parcel-Wisdom, but Wifdom entire; not Wif "dom for the bye, but Wisdom for the main ; "not Wisdom for a Day, but Wisdom for ever." All our other Attainments will avail us nothing. Our Knowledge of Arts and Sciences, of Laws and Policies, of Trade and Business, will never make us wife, till the Fear of God prefides over that Knowledge, and directs it to the Purposes of an holy Life. And therefore we may well be allowed to enquire, where is the Place of this Wisdom? And by what Means fhall we poffefs our Souls with this beneficial Paffion?

1. The Royal Pfalmift has told us his own Practice, and therein given us a very wholefome Admonition; I have fet the Lord always before me, had a continual Senfe of his Prefence with, and Infpection over me, and therefore, when I confider, I am afraid of him. And, indeed, if the Confideration of never fo mean a Perfon's being prefent with us is fometimes fufficient to reftrain us from a finful or indecent Action, how much more careful ought we to be of our Behaviour, before that Holy and Divine Majefty, who fills Heaven and Earth, and whofe Notice nothing can efcape? Do we then really confider what it is to have an eternal God a constant Witness and Obferver of all our Actions, and even of all our Thoughts and Intentions; that a perfect Account of them is kept, that they are entered down in a Book, which, we are told, will be opened at the great Day of Accounts, and out

of