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SECT. 1. OF NEEDFUL HOLY FEAR.

There is an holy fear and despair wrought in man, when God first convinces his heart and conscience of sin; whereupon, through sense of God's wrath and heavy displeasure, together with a sense of his own disability in himself to satisfy and appease God's wrath, he is in great perplexity; being out of all hopes to obtain God's favour, or to escape the vengeance of hell by any thing which he of himself can do or procure. This is wrought more or less in every man of years before conversion, as in those which were pricked to the heart at Peter's sermon, Acts ii. 37, and in Paul himself, Acts ix. 9, and in the jailor, Acts xvi. 29. This is a good necessary fear, serving to prepare a man to his conversion. For in God's order of working, he first sends the spirit of bondage to fear, before he sends the spirit of adoption to enable a man to cry, Abba, Father, Rom. viii. 15. This fear, and trouble of conscience arising from it, is good; and makes way to true peace.

Moreover, after that a man is converted, though he have no cause to fear damnation, yet he has much matter of fear, for as much as he is yet subject unto many evils both of sin and pain; as, lest he offend God, and cause his angry countenance, and his judgments; also, lest he should fall back from some degrees of grace received, and lest he fall into some dangerous sin, and so lose his evidence of heaven, and comforts of the Spirit. Wherefore we are commanded to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, Phil. ii. 12, and to pass the whole time of our sojourning here in fear, 1 Peter i. 17.

This fear, while it keeps due measure, causes a man to be circumspect and watchful lest he fall; it excites him to repent, and quickens him to ask pardon and grace to recover, when he is fallen; yea, is an excellent means to prevent trouble, and to procure peace of conscience. But the fear of which I am to