Two treatises the first of fear, from Isa. 8, v. 12, 13, and part of the 14 : the second, The righteous man's refuge in the evil day, from Isaiah 26, verse 20 / by John Flavell.

SECT. III.

3. There is an holy and laudable Fear, a Fear which is our treasure, not our torment, the chief ornament of the Soul, its beauty and perfection, not its infe∣licity or sin, viz. the awful filial fear of God; natu∣ral fear is a pure or simple passion of the Soul: Sinful fear is the disordered and corrupt passion of the soul; but this is the natural passion sanctified, and thereby changed and baptized into the name and nature of a Spiritual grace. This fear is also mentioned in my Text, and prescribed as an Antidote against sinful fears; it devours carnal fears as Moses serpent did those of the Enchanters. It's one of the sorest judg∣ments to be in the fear of man day and night, Deut. 28. 65, 66, 67. and one of the sweetest mercies to be in the fear of God all the day long, Prov. 23. 17. The fear of men shortens our days, Isaiah. 22. 34▪ but the fear of the Lord prolongeth our days, Prov. 10. 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life

Prov. 14. 27. But the fear of man a fountain of mischiefs and miseries. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil, Prov. 16. 6. but by the fear of man, men run themselves into evil Prov. 29. 25.

This Fear is a gracious habit or principle planted by God in the soul, whereby the soul is kept under an holy awe of the eye of God, and from thence is inclined to perform and do what pleaseth him, and to shun and avoid whatsoever he forbids and hates.

1. It is planted in the soul as a permanent and fix∣ed habit, it is not of the natural growth and produ∣ction of mans heart, but of supernatural infusion and implantation. Ier. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their inward parts. To fear man is natural, but to fear God is wholly supernatural.

2. This gracious fear puts the soul under the awe of Gods eye, Psal. 119. 161. my heart standeth in awe of thy word. 'Tis the reproach of the servants of men to be eye-servants, but it is the praise and honour of Gods servants to be so.

3. This respect to the eye of God inclines them to perform and do whatsoever pleaseth him, and is com∣manded by him; hence fearing God, and working righteousness are connected and linked together, Acts. 10. 35. If we truly fear God, we dare not but do the things he commands, and if his fear be exalted in our hearts to an high degree, it will enable us to obey him in duties accompanied with deepest self de∣nial, Gen. 22. 12. Now I know thou fearest God, see∣ing thou hast not with held thy son, thine only son from me.

4. This fear ingageth, and in some degree inableth the soul, in which it is to shun and avoid whatsoever is displeasing to God, and forbidden by him, in this Io•• discovered himself a true fearer of God, he would

not touch what God had forbidden, and therefore was honoured with this Excellent Character, He was one that feared God▪ and eschewed evil, Iob. 1. 3.

And thus of the several kinds of Fear.