care, which you look to be repaid to you, with interest, hereafter. And on the present occasion, and at all times, bear in mind, that real love to Christ and real faith in His promises, will lead all who possess these graces, to do what they can to please Him. So that, if you have made no sacrifices for the sake of Christ: if in looking back on all that you have done, in the way of charity, you see that it is as nothing, compared with what you might have done: then henceforth act in a more faithful manner: make manifest your love to your Saviour, and shew that you dare venture every thing upon His word, by being more ready to give for God's honour, than you are to receive for your own indulgence, and by not being forgetful "to do good and to distribute," proving that you do indeed believe that God is not unrighteous, that He should forget your works; and that you are possessed of some measure of that spirit, which would induce you, at your Saviour's call, to forsake all and follow Him.

SERMON XIX.

THE FEAR OF GOD.

LUKE xii. 4, 5.

"And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him which, after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him."

THERE are some who seem to have almost exploded from the Christian's creed, the article of the fear of God. It is thought that the love of God is the motive to be exclusively urged with the view of awakening the sinner from his guilty sleep, and of keeping within the limits of right and safety, such as have turned to God. Hence, it has been said, in praise of some mens' preaching, that they preferred to set before their people the love of God, rather than His terrors, and that they found this the more efficacious way of recovering the lost. But is it not-to say the least of it-misapprehension in man, to fancy himself able to find out a better way for reclaiming the wandering souls of men, than that which has

been graciously revealed in the word of truth? Those who are willing to be guided simply by the word of God, will find in that revelation of His will, that God appeals to our fears as well as to our gratitude and our hope. And whatever vain man may presume to think, it is clearly the safest and the wisest way to take the truth of God for our guidance, instead of setting up our own notions as the rule and standard of what is right.

Now, from the words of the text, it seems plain that we, under the gospel-dispensation, are to be influenced by the motive of the fear of God. It is an easy thing, no doubt, to depreciate this motive. It is easy to say, that fear is the symptom of a base and servile spirit. It is easy to boast, that it is a more noble and a more generous thing for a man to be won to obedience by the force of love, rather than by a sense of fear. But God knows what is in man, better than man himself does; and He has seen it to be good to appeal to our fears, and to enlist our feelings of self-interest on the side of that which is right. And, therefore, however well-intended it may be, it is a presumptuous thing to suppose that we can afford to dispense with this motive of fear, as if it were a motive, whose power and propriety, we have—so to speak-out-grown. It is, in fact, a motive which we can never depreciate or be regardless of,

without danger. And hence we find one of the holiest of God's people, whose praise may be said to be in all the churches, thus speaking: "To account all fear of the judgments and wrath of God a servile fear, or a fear improper to the children of God, I conceive is a wide mistake." And is not this the language of the Psalmist, "my flesh trembleth for fear of Thee?" and of the wise man, "happy is he that feareth always?"

But to appeal to your own experience also, I would ask, do you not find that you first cast the fear of God behind your backs, before you presume to sin? would not the fear of God effectually restrain you, not only from the outward commission of what is forbidden, but even from the secret desire of wrong? When temptation presents itself, bearing on its front the delusive semblance of good, are you not at once caught in its snare, when the fear of God is not before your eyes? This fear has been truly called, the guardian and keeper of our virtues, and it may be safely predicted of that man, who thinks himself so far advanced in grace, as no longer to stand in need of its salutary influence, that when temptation solicits him to sin, he will yield to the solicitation. I wish the rather to impress upon your minds the

1 Leighton.