S. MATT. X. 28. Fear not them which kill the Body, but are not able to kill the Soul: but rather, fear Him which is able to deStroy both Soul and Body in Hell. BSERVATION. Man hath two distinct Parts, a Soul and 1. The Body made of Earth, Gen. ii. 7. II. OBSERVATION. 1. The One of thefe is mortal, the Other not, Hebr. ix. 27. That the Soul is immortal, appears, 1. From Scripture, 2 Tim. i. 10. 2. From the Nature of the Soul. 3. From the Existence of God; for if God Be, He is Juft, Hebr. xi. 6. III. OBSERVATION. Man hath Power to kill the Body, but not the Soul. IV. OBSERVATION. God hath Power over Both, Pfal. xxiv. 1. V. OBSERVATION. But He will not exercise this Power to the Killing, but deftroying, i. e. punishing Both in the Perfons of the Wicked and Impenitent, Job vi. 9. 1. The 1. The Body, by the most exquifite Torments, as to all its Senfes, S. Luk. xvi. 24. 2. The Soul, 1. By Depriving it of His Prefence, S. Matt. xxi. 41. 2 Theff. i. 9. 2. Arming it against itself, Job vii. 20. and xiii. 26. 3. By Afflicting each Faculty with its proper Punishments. From whence, this VI. OBSERVATION. That we are not to fear Them which can only kill or hurt the Body; and that, 1. No Perfon. 1. Not Man, Ifa. ii. 22. 2. Not Satan, Job i. 12. S. Jam. iv. 7. 2. No Thing. 1. Not Want. 1. For God can fupply us extraordinarily, as he did the Ifraelites and Elijah. 2. No Creature can take or with-hold any Thing from us without Him. 3. God can make our Want better than Plenty, Rom. viii. 28. 4. It is His Will that we truft on Him, S. Matt. vi. 25, 33. 2. Not Difgrace. 1. Because it is no real Evil. 2. The more Men revile us, the more honourable we may be, S. Matt. v. II. 3. Not Death. 1. No Creature can bring it without God. 2. Its Sting is taken out by Christ, 1 Cor. xv. 55. 3. Hence it may be no real Evil, 1 Cor. 4. But iii. 22. と 4. But a freeing us from Evil. 5. And our Entrance into all Good, Phil i. 21. 2 Cor. V. I. 4. In what Senfe are we to fear no Creature? 1. Negatively. 1. Not but that we may ufe all lawful Means to prevent any Evil or Mifchief that we may receive from them. Timor eft fuga imminentis mali ardui, quod evitari poteft. 2. Not but that we may pray against any Evil from them, Pfal. lvi. 1. and lvii. 3,4 2. Pofitively. But, 1. Not fear them, fo as to perplex ourfelves about future Events from them, Dan. iii. 16. 2. Not fear them, fo as to despair of efchewing any Evil from them, 3. 4. 2 Chron. XX. 12. - nor fo as to make use of any unlawful Means for efchewing it. nor fo as to neglect our Duty to God, A&t. iv. 19, 20. 5. Why are we to fear no Creature, but GOD only? 1. Fear is a part of Divine Worfhip, Deut. vi. 13. Ifa. viii. 13. 2. No Creature can do us either Good or Harm, without God. 1. Not Good. 2. Not Harm, Daniel, Three Children, Rom. viii. 38. USE. If so, then lay afide all Fear of the Creature, confidering that it is, 1. Vain ᄉ 1. Vain and groundless. 2. A Dishonour to God. 3. The Caufe of our own Mifery. 1. Be often in Meditation upon God's Pro- 2. Truft only in God and in no Creature, 3. Live above the Temper of your Body. for, VII. OBSERVATION. That God only is to be fear'd. 1. Why is God fo defcrib'd, as here in the Text? 1. To fhew His Sovereignty over both Soul 2. That He alone hath Power over both, 3. Because this is the greatest Argument 2. What is it to fear God? There is a twofold Fear of Him, Exod. xx. 20. 1. Bad, Rev. xxi. 8. as, 1. When our Fear drives us from God, vi. 16. 2. When we fear only the Effects of God's 2. Good, Prov. xxviii. 14. which is, 1. To fear and reverence His Majesty and い 2. To fear to displease Him, Prov. xiii 13. Pfal. xc. II. 3. What are we to fear in God? 1. His Power, Job xxxvii. 23, 24. Fer. v. 226 2. His Providence in the Government of the World, and difpofing of all Things,' Pfal.xcix. 1. Jer. x.7. 3. His Anger and Threatnings against Sinners, 2 King. xxii. 19. 4. His Justice in Executing them, fer. XXV 14. Job xxxiv. 17. 5. His Judgments executed, Ifa. XXV. 1,2,3. Habak. iii. 16. Pfal. cxix. 118, 119, 120. 6. His Mercies, Hof. iii. 5. Fer. v. 24. Pfal. CXXX. 4. 7. His Omniprefence. 8. His Eternity. 4. Why is God alone to be fear'd, and above all Things? 1. Because He is the greatest Being. 2. Without Him no Hurt can fall upon us. 1. From Satan. 2. From Men. 4. From our Sins. 3. Because it is only by Him that we can come to any Good. 5. How are we to exprefs our Fear of Him? 1. By repenting of our former Sins, Foel ii. 13, 14. 2. By avoiding what he hath forbidden, Prov. iii. 7. and xvi. 6. 3. By doing what He hath commanded, Ecclef. xii. 13. USE |