This fear of the Lord is the pulse of the soul; and as some pulses
heat stronger, some weaker, so is this grace of fear in the soul.
They that beat best are a sign of best life; but they that beat
worst, show that life is present. As long as the pulse beats, we
count not that the man is dead, though weak; and this fear, where it
is, preserves to everlasting life. Pulses there are also that are
intermitting; to wit, such as have their times of beating for a
little, a little time to stop, and beat again: true, these are
dangerous pulses, which, nevertheless, are a sign of life. This fear
of God also is sometimes like this intermitting pulse; there are
times when it forbears to work, and then it works again. David had
an intermitting pulse; Peter had an intermitting pulse, as also many
other of the saints of God. I call that an intermitting pulse, with
reference to the fear we speak of, when there is some obstruction by
the workings of corruption in the soul: I say, some obstruction from
and hinderance of the continual motion of this fear of God; yet none
of these--though they are various, and some of them signs of
weakness--are signs of death, but life. "I will put my fear in their
heart, and they shall not depart from me."
Where the fear of the Lord and sin are, it will be with the soul as
it was with Israel when Amri and Tibni strove to reign among them
both at once.
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