GOD Calls upon us this Day to Stand in awe of Him; for He hath terribly shaken the Earth under us, and threatn'd to send us down quick into the Pit. At the same time, He also encourageth us to Hope in His Mercy. We might have been suddenly destroy'd, and that without remedy. Yesterday might have been the last Sabbath, and the last Opportunity of hearing GOD speaking to us in His Word; but Adored be the divine Patience & Long-suffering! Our gracious LORD hath chosen rather to Warn us by a very aw­ful Providence, and then to give a further space for Repentance. O that His Goodness might lead us to [...]. We are now Assembled in His Name and Fear, to humble our selves under GOD's Mighty Hand, to Cry to Him to turn from the Fierceness of His Angery, and to Praise Him for his wonderful Deliverance O that I could speak, and you Hear under the deep impres­sion of those Things!

The Penman of this Psalm was David; the Oc­casion of it is uncertain. It seems to have been made ‘when he was dissress'd either by Absalem, or Saul or by some other great and powerful [...]’ ^† [Page 2]The words of my Text are rendred and understood by learned Men with some variety. The Word, says a worthy Divine signifies any moving of the Heart; the Septuagint render it, Be angry, and Sin not. Which Words being us'd by the Apostle Paul, Eph. 4.26. are suppos'd by some to [...] a Quotation from this Psalm. Others render it by word which signi­fies to tremble or shake for fear Piscator gives the sense thus; Be mov'd with fear of the anger of GOD. Which is agreeable to our own Version, Stand in Awe. There is also some difference among Expositors re­specting the Persons to whom these words are directed. Some think they are directed to his Enemies, that they shou'd fear GOD and not Sin against Him by their opposition to David's Person and Government, who was anointed by GOD's especial Direction and Com­mand. Others rather understand the words as direct­ed to his Friends, that they shou'd stand in awe of GOD's terrible Majesty under their distressing troubles, and not sin by murmuring against GOD, or taking any forbidden Courses to Extricate themselves. However it is plain, that these words are spoken to a professing People in a time of Calamity, and I may from them observe this Doctrine,

IT is our Duty at all times to fear that glorious and fearful Name, the LORD our GOD, and especially when He displays his terrible Majesty in awful Judgments, we shou'd then look above Second Causes, and obey that word which GOD spake to his People in a time when their Hearts were ready to fail them for fear, Isa. 8.12, 13. Say ye not, a Confe­deracy,— Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. We [Page 3]must at such a time Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts — We must have our minds impress'd with an holy awe, a reverential fear of his terrible Majesty, and give him the Glory of his infinite Power, Justice, Holiness, Faithfulness and Mercy, and other admirable Perfecti­ons which shine forth in his judicial Dispensations; and in that seasonable help which he affords his Peo­ple under them; Instead of being Slavishly afraid of Evil, which fear brings a snare. We shou'd Exercise a religious filial fear of GOD as Job said, Job 23.15. When I consider, I am afraid of him. We should be deeply concern'd, and afraid at the tokens of GOD's displeasure, Even when his Wrath is kindled but a little, and begins to burn; when he gives us to sing both of Mercy and Judgment. And being mov'd with fear of GOD's displeasure, we shou'd put away our Sins which stir up his Anger, and are the ground of the Controversy between GOD and us. We should be afraid of offending GOD by breaking his Command­ments, and accordingly should Repent of, and put far away those Sins wereby we have transgressed his Law. Surely it is meet to be said unto GOD at such a time, I have born Chastisement, I will not offend any more. That which I see not, teach thou me; if I have done Iniquity, I will do no more, Job 34.31, 32. It is the Duty of a Person or a People thus to stand in Awe, and not Sin; to Fear the Lord and depart from Evil. Here, I wou'd in a practical way, and with a particular Application to our selves, Consider several Sins which a Person or People under threat­ning Judgments shou'd put away in the Exercise of an holy Awe of GOD, and dread of his righteous Displeasure.

1. WE shou'd stand in Awe of GOD, and not Sin by Impenitency & Unbelief.

THIS is a very comprehensive Head, however I shall give it a distinct Consideration. When GOD is coming out in Judgments against us, We should [Page 4]humble our selves under his mighty hand, loath our selves for our iniquities, and repent in dust and ashes. Thus GOD said to his People of old, Jer. 2.19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. Afflictions should teach us the evil of Sin, and make that most bitter which is the procuring cause of them. When GOD is threatning us we should open our ears to discipline, and from an affecting sight and sense of the evil and danger, the filthiness and odiousness of Sin, heartily grieve because we have offended GOD by breaking his Law, and putting away our Sin, shou'd turn to him. As Ephra­im bemoan'd himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, Surely after that I was turned I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confound­ed, because I did bear the reproach of my youth, Jer. 31.18, 19. Again, we shou'd stand in awe, and not Sin by Unbelief. This is a very heinous Sin, 1 John 5.10. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And it is highly displeasing to GOD, and upon the account of it GOD is provok'd to bring terrible Judgments upon a professing People. Thus when the Son of God was manifest in the flesh, and came to his own, they re­ceived him not. The Body of the Jewish Nation rejected the true Messiah, and then GOD cast them off, and poured out his Wrath upon them in a most terrible manner, Rom. 11.20. Because of unbelief they were broken off —. When GOD is come out in terrible Judgments against us, we should therefore be convinced of Sin, particularly of this great Sin of not believing in Jesus Christ, and take heed there be [Page 5]not in any of us an evil Heart of unbelief. We should give glory to GOD by receiving the record he hath given of his Son, as a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, and rest upon Christ and his righte­ousness as reveal'd and held forth in the word of the Gospel, for Justification and Eternal Life. Let us then stand in awe of GOD, while under the tokens of his displeasure, repent and turn from all our trans­gressions; so iniquity shall not be our ruin. Let us, being mov'd with fear fly to Jesus Christ who is the hope of his Israel and the Saviour thereof in times of trouble. Let us not give our gracious Lord reason to complain as of Jerusalem, Matt. 23.37. O Jeru­salem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not. But let us now fly to Christ and trust under his Shadow, who is an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest: Isa. 32.2.

WE shou'd stand in awe of GOD, and [...] by Neglecting, Corrupting, or Prophaning GOD's Worship and Ordinances.

THE Second Commandment strictly forbids [...] Neglect and Contempt of GOD's Worship; and [...] the Corrupting it by the mixture of humane [...]. And here GOD declareth himself to [...] Jealous GOD, visiting the iniquities of the [...] upon the Children. — GOD's Covenant People are joyned to Him in the bond of an holy Covenant and he Expresseth his Indignation against all false Worship, as against spiritual Whoredom, being the Violation of this Covenant. Ezek. 16.26. — And hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger. We should then when under GOD's afflictive Hand, stand in awe of Him, and take heed we do not use or approve any Religious Worship not Instituted by GOD [Page 6]Himself: That we use not any Visible Signs, as Means of Worship which GOD hath not appointed, lest GOD pour out his anger and his fury upon us, as He threatned, Jer. 7.20. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. And then let us take heed we do not neglect any of His Ordinances and Institutions: But look to it that we be in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the LORD blameless. Let us Pray to GOD daily in the Name of CHRIST, Read and Meditate on his Word, and carefully improve the Opportunities we have for Publick Worship. When GOD gives such, Let us not make light of them, as they who went one to his Farm, and another to his Merchandize, Matt. 22.5. Lastly, let us manifest a high esteem for the Seals of the New Testament. If there be any that have not been Baptised, let them obey that Word, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in [...] name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, — [...] 2.38. If any neglect to seek Baptism for their [...], Let them awfully consider of his anger [...] Moses, for not Circumcising his Child, Exod. [...] 25. — The Lord met him, and sought to kill [...]. Or if there are any who live in the neglect [...] Sacrament of the Lords Supper, who do not [...] and shew forth the Lord's Death at his [...], as GOD's Word requires. Let them be Ex­horted to prepare for, and come up to that Ordinance, Being moved with fear; for you may bring GOD's Judgments upon you by living in the neglect of this duty, as well as by attending it Unworthily.

Again, LET us stand in awe, and take heed we do not offend the glorious GOD, by a profane irreverent use of his Name, or any of his holy Ordinances; [Page 7]for GOD assure [...], He will not hold such guiltless, Thus when [...] and Abihu were slain by fire. GOD said, Lev. 10.3.— This is it which the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified by them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. If we wou'd not have GOD to be a consuming fire to us, We must glorifie Him in the Manner of our Attending on holy Ordinances. Heb. 12.28, 29. — Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God ac­ceptably, with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. If we allow our selves to come into GOD's presence without a due sense of the Majesty & Glory of GOD, & of our own meanness and vileness; without a due solemnity of Spirit, in a heed­less customary manner; we provoke GOD to Sanctify himself upon us by breaking out against us in terrible Judgments. 1 Cor. 11.29, 30. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth & drinketh ^‖ dam­nation to himself, not discerning the Lords body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

3. WE shou'd stand in awe, and not Sin, by Pro­phaning the Lord's-Day.

THE Keeping of a Weekly Sabbath, or Day of holy Rest to the LORD is of Divine and Perpetual Obli­gation, as the Fourth Commandment declares. The First Day of the Week since CHRIST's Resurrection on that Day, is the Sabbath; as appears by the Practice of the Apostles who were divinely inspired, with respect to those Matters which were of general concern to the Church: Act. 20.7. And upon the first day of the week, when the Disciples came to­gether to break bread, 'Paul preached unto them —. 1 Cor. 16.1, 2. — Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him —. And this is agreably call'd, The [Page 8]Lord's Day, Rev. 1.10. Now GOD requires his People, to whom He gives his Sabbath as a Sign, to Sanctify it by Resting from all Unnecessary Worldly Business, and from Recreations lawful at other times, And then by spending the whole time, unless when works of Necessity or Mercy take us off, in the Secret, Private & Publick Worship of GOD. It is our Privilege that we have the Sabbath, and very strong are our Obligations to Remember, and keep it Holy: unless we do it, Religion will languish, and GOD will be provoked to bring terrible Judgments upon us. Jer. 17.21, 24, 27. Thus saith the LORD, Take heed to your selves, and bear no burden on the Sab­bath-day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this City on the Sabbath-Day, but hallow the Sabbath-Day, to do no work therein. But if ye will not hearken unto me, to hallow the Sabbath-Day, and not to bear a burden, even en­tring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath­Day: then will I kindle a Fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched. Let us then take care and Sanctify the Lords-Day. Blessed be GOD the strict observation of the Sabbath has been no small part of the glory of NEW-ENGLAND, and of BOSTON: O let us take heed and beware of every thing that would stain this glory! Let us therefore remember the Sabbath, and bear it in mind, especially when it draws nigh, that we may be disintangled from all Worldly Cares, and ready to enter into this holy Rest.

In the Scriptural Account of the Creation, the Darkness is reckon'd before the Light of the Natural Day. And the Evening and the Morning were the Second Day, Gen. 1.8. Agreable to this the Jewish Sab­hath was from Evening to Evening, Lev. 23.32. And Nehemiah commanded the Gates to be shut when it [Page 9]began to be dark before the Sabbath, Neh. 13.19. which by reason of the Mountains round about and near Jerusalem, seems to have been about Sun­setting at furthest. The Christian Sabbath is the first Day of the Week. And it must begin as other Days. As to the exact Time of CHRIST's Resurrection, it is not set forth in Scripture.

LET us then dispatch our Worldly Business towards the Evening, before the Sabbath Day. Such as are in Trade, shou'd take Care that their Shops be shut seasonably. Such as have Meat or any other things to buy, should take Care to do it before Night. Or whatever Secular Business is to be done, we ought to finish it so that we may not be cumber'd about it, when we should be keeping an holy Rest to the Lord. On the Lord's Day Morning, we should rise early, if our bodily Health will allow it, and take Care that we and our Housholds separate a whole Day for the Service of GOD; and that we do not thro' Covetousness allow them in any unnecessary worldly Labour. There must be no Burden born on the Sabbath, No! not so much as to setch or carry any wearing Apparel: yea on this Day the Beasts must Rest from Labor [...] ‘Thou shalt not do any Work, thou nor thy Cattle partly to teach us to exercise Mercy toward the brute Creatures, partly because the use of Cattle must have drawn along with it the Atten­dance or Employment of Men.’ The Rest of Man and Beast must not be interrupted without weighty Cause. We must look to it that it be a Work of Necessity or Mercy, or else we may not employ Men about it.

Again, As we must take Care that our Children and Servants be not Idle at home; so that they attend the Publick Worship. GOD requires that we & ours appear before him to do him Homage on this Day, and we must take Care to go up to the [Page 10]House of the Lord; and we must not neglect the Assembling our selves together on this Day: We must see to it that our Seat be not Empty; and that our Children & Servants do not absent themselves; unless when Sickness, the necessary Occasions of the Family, &c. require it. And tho' it be true, that the Sabbath is but one Day in the Week: yet there is Prudence to be used on the Evening after the Sabbath-Day, that we do not lose what we have wrought or got on the Lord's Day, by going Abroad into vain Company, by visits of meer Ceremony, &c. but rather Employ the Time in Catechising our Children & Servants, &c.

LET us then be Exhorted to Keep the Sabbath holy. Let us turn away our foot from the Sabbath, from doing our Pleasure on GOD's holy Day. Let us call the Sabbath our delight, the holy of the Lord honourable, and honour him, not doing our own ways, nor finding our own pleasures, nor speaking our own words. And let us be awakened to great Diligence & Care herein from the Warnings GOD hath given us, and by the shakes of his Rod over us. GOD lately Visited us with a terrible Storm on the Evening before the Sabbath Day-light; And [...] with an amazing Shock of an Earthquake, on the Evening after it. O let it not be said that GOD spake once, yea twice, and yet we regarded it not!

4. WE shou'd stand in aw, and not Sin by the Neglect of Family 'Duties.

IT is our Duty to resolve with Joshua, As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord, Josh. 24.15. And with David, Psa. 101.2. I will walk within my House with a perfect Heart., We must walk as in the fight of GOD, and approve our Hearts to him by a conscientious discharge of Family Duties, par­ticularly when his Judgments have an especial threat­ning Aspect on our Houses. We shou'd be moved [Page 11]with an holy Fear to put all Iniquity far from our Tabernacles, and to serve GOD in them. For GOD threatens the Wicked, Job 27, 28, 29. The heaven shall reveal his iniquity: and the earth shall rise up against him. The increase of his house shall de­part, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

Now then, that GOD hath caused our Houses to shake under us, and threaten'd to bury us in the Ruins of them; let us be excited to Worship GOD constantly in and with our Families. Let us offer to him the Morning & Evening Sacrifice of Prayer. For surely, If it be a Duty, to Pray always in every thing, at all times, and with all Prayer, we can't neglect Family Prayer without great Sin. Let us not then practically deny that GOD who sets the Soli­tary in Families, by refusing this part of Social Wor­ship, for which we have daily Occasion as well as Op­portunity. Let us with David, Bless our Houshold. Let us thus Fear God with all our House, and ex­press our religious Fear by Praying always, as Cor­nelius did Acts 10.2. Lest we provoke GOD to Consume us in his Wrath according to that dreadful Imprecation, Jer. 10.25. Pour out thy Fury upon the Heathen that know thee not, and upon the Fa­milies that call not upon thy Name. If the word Family be here taken in a large sense, it includes par­ticular Housholds. O let us join together in asking GOD's Protection and Blessing on our Houses, in seeking the Pardon of our Family Sins, and in Prai­sing GOD for Family Mercies, lest we provoke GOD to consume us together. Again, Let us Read the holy Scriptures in and with our Houses, and teach our Children & Servants the good know­ledge of the Lord. Let us as 'twas said of Abraham, Gen. 18.19. Command our Children and Houshold [Page 12]after us,— that they may keep the way of the Lord. Let us set them Examples of Sobriety, Righteousness and Godliness: and then use our Authority to Restrain them from all Sin. GOD threaten'd Eli, that he would judge his House, i.e. Condemn, Punish it — for the ini­quity he knew, because his Sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not, &c. 1 Sam. 3.13. O let us then take heed we do not connive at Sin in our Children or Servants; but do our utmost by seasona­ble Admonitions & Corrections when needed, to Reclaim them, left GOD be provok'd to enter into Judgment with us, and Punish us for the Sins of our Houses. Let us bring up our Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. And let us do our Duty towards our Servants also, even the meanest of them, considering we have a Master in Heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him. Job 31.13, 15. If I did despise the cause of my man­servant, or of my maid servant, when they conten­ded with me: What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

BEFORE I dismiss this Head, I wou'd say, We must stand in aw, and not Sin by being Unjust in our Family Business, or by taking any indirect Cour­ses to Provide for our Families. We must take heed there be no Fraud, Unrighteousness or Oppression in our Trading; the Eighth Commandment requires Justice in Commerce between Man & Man, our ren­dring to every one his due; and forbids "whatever may unjustly hinder our own or our Neighbour's Wealth & outward Estate." There is a flying Roll which is call'd the Curse, and GOD says, it is for every one that Steals, and threatens to bring it into the House of the Thief, and that it shall consume it, Zech. 5.2 — 4.

5. WE must stand in aw, and not Sin by Quar­relling & Contending one with another. When there [Page]is reason to say, What means the heat of GOD's Anger? Then GOD's People should avoid all unchristian Heats, Heart-burnings & Animosities one against another, and endeavour to unite as one Man, in seeking to turn away GOD's Anger from them. It's dreadful indeed for Men to be casting fire Brands, Arrows & Death. For them to seek in their Wrath, in any sort to hurt & wound their Neighbour, either by bitter Words, or injurious Actions. Instead of this, we should do our utmost to extinguish the Fire of Contention; that we may lift up pure hands to GOD without Wrath in servent Supplications, and unite hearts and hands in the great Work of Re­formation. Let us then obey that word, Eph. 4.31, 32. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and clamour, and evil-speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

6. WE should stand in aw, and avoid the Sins of Drunkenness & Uncleanness.

I put these together, and indeed they often go together, the former being an especial Provocation to the latter, and therefore forbidden in the seventh Commandment. Prov. 23.31, 32. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red —. At the last it biteth like a Serpent, and stingeth like an Adder. Thine Eyes shall behold strange women. Now that GOD hath fulfilled that word, Isa. 24.20. The Earth shall reel to & fro like a Drunkard; let us avoid this Sin, and obey that word, Eph. 5.18. Be not drunk with wine — but be filled with the Spirited. Let us take the Warning, and not inflame our selves with strong Drink: Let us not indulge this Sin in our selves, or connive at it in others; but avoid all Temptations to it, and be ready in our several Places to bear our Testimony against it. Let the Civil [Page 14] Authority be intreated to take Care that Taverns, and other Houses for Retailing strong Drink, do not grow so numerous as to become a publick Scandal and hurt to the Religion, and the Morals of our People: And then to keep a strict watch over them, that good Orders may be maintain'd in them. Let such as sell Strong Drink, take heed & beware of being par­takers with others in this Sin, by suffering Persons to drink to Excess. O do not make a gain of the Sins of others, lest you be drowned with them in Per­dition. In a word, Let the Inhabitants of the Town be Exhorted to avoid all needless frequenting of Ta­verns! O do not accustom yourselves to go to such Places when you have no Call to it! O do not spend your precious Time, and your Estates there! O do not tarry long at the Wine, to the dishonour of GOD and the hurt of the Religion and good Order of your Families; lest GOD be provoked to make your Houses desolate.

Again, LET us stand in aw and not Sin by burn­ing with Unclean Lusts, and gratifying our carnal In­clinations.

SODOM was infamous for the Sins of Unclean­ness, and the Lord rained upon them Fire & Brim­stone from the Lord out of Heaven, Gen. 19.24. Yea they suffered the Vengeance of eternal Fire, Jude ver. [...]. As Sodom & Gomorrah giving them­selves over to Fornication, &c. are set forth for an Example, suffering the Vengeance of eternal Fire. O let us then fly all degrees and kinds of Unclean­ness, all Temptations and Provocations thereunto! For Whoremongers & Adulterers God will judge, Heb. 13.4.

7. WE shou'd stand in aw, and fly the Sin of Pride.

EVERY one that is proud in Heart, is an abo­mination to the Lord, Prov. 16.5. Pride, whereby [Page 15]Men entertain too high tho'ts of themselves, and seek to exalt themselves above their Fellow-Creatures, yea above GOD himself, is a very provoking Sin, which GOD threatens with terrible Judgments, Isa. 3.5. — The Child shall behave himself proudly against the Ancient.— ver.8. Jerusalem is ruin'd, & Judah is fallen. ver. 16. Moreover, the Lord saith, Be­cause the daughters of Zion are haughty. ver. 17. Therefore the Lord will smite —. Let us then bring every proud Imagination into subjection to the Will of GOD. Now that GOD threatens to level us with the ground, yea to lay us under it, let us lie low in deep Abasement before him. 1 Pet. 5.6. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. Hath not this Sin been declar'd by many, in their high Looks and haughty Carriage, in their ambiti­ous pursuits of the great things of this World, and the Excess of their Apparel and the like, whereby they have sought to make a greater Appearance than their Estates wou'd allow? The Lord subdue this Lust, which is set first where the Sins of Sodom are nam'd, Ezek. 10.49. GOD now speaks aloud, and says to us, Rom. 11.20. Be not high-minded, but seer.

THUS I have in weakness and fear, mention'd some of those Sins from which an holy Aw of GOD, should deter us.