III. And thirdly, the benefit of it.

1. I would show, what is implied in "fearing the Lord from the youth."

It may include these four things, believing in God; worshipping him, and making an open profession of religion; observing the precepts of true religion, or making the will of God, so far as we are acquainted with it, the rule of our conduct; and doing this constantly from early age. 1. Fearing the Lord implies believing in God; or, that Jehovah, the Lord, is the one living and true God. "He that cometh to God," says the apostle to the Hebrews," must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him," Heb. xi. 6. So much Obadiah intends here to say of himself: that he always had a persuasion in his mind, that there is a God, and one God: which one God he believed to be the God of the patriarchs, the God who protected them, and whom they owned and served; the God that brought Israel out of Egypt, and delivered his laws and statutes to them by the hand of Moses.

He believed God to be the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the sea and all things that are therein. His own reason led him to conceive of God in this manner. The books of Moses, that great prophet of the people of Israel, and most eminent servant of the true God, confirmed the belief of this truth. The creation of the world is related at the beginning of the writings of that lawgiver. And this notion of God is inserted distinctly in one of the ten commandments, the fourth in order, delivered with so great solemnity. He therefore, who in the preface to those commandments says: "I am the Lord thy God, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt," is the Creator of the whole world, and consequently the rightful Lord and disposer of all things therein.

This one consideration of God, as Creator, would lead the thoughtful and pious person, here spoken of, to distinct apprehensions of every attribute and perfection, every notion and character, of the Deity, that renders him the proper object of worship, obedience, trust, and confidence. He was persuaded, that to God belongs power, and that he is able to do whatever he pleaseth in heaven and on earth. He knew what David inculcated upon his son Solomon, that God" searcheth all hearts, that if men seek him, he will be found of them, and that if they forsake him, he will cast them off for ever," 1 Chron. xxviii. 9; or, as the apostle in the words before cited," that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

2. In fearing God the Lord, is implied worshipping him,

or making an open profession of true religion. Obadiah so feared the Lord, as to worship him and no other. It was known to Ahab, and to all his people in general, especially those who were in the chief city, and at court, that he feared the Lord.

He worshipped and served God according to the rules of reason, and the directions of the law of Moses, the revelation that had been made to the people of Israel. It was the first of the principal commandments of that law. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The next commandment is "Thou shalt not make unto thyself a graven image, the likeness of any thing. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, and serve them." And according to those laws, given to the people of Israel by Jehovah, as their king and governor, he who worshipped any other god was to be cut off from his people. This person respected those laws, and the sanctions by which they were enforced; and though many did not regard them, he did. He was persuaded, that God was able to reward the obedient and punish transgressors.

In the following chapter Elijah, lamenting his case, says, he "only was left," I Kings xix. 14. But God assures him, that he had left to him seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that had not bowed unto Baal, ver. 18. Obadiah was one of these, but more known as a worshipper and servant of the true God, than many of that number.

3. Fearing the Lord implies observing the precepts of true religion, or making the will of God, so far as we are acquainted with it, the rule of our conduct.

This is an ordinary meaning of the fear of the Lord in scripture. It includes all religion in general. At least obedience is represented as so connected with fearing God, as to be a necessary concomitant, or immediate effect of it. For it is said, that "the fear of the Lord is to depart from evil," Prov. viii. 13. Again, " By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil," ch. xvi. 6. And "Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty," or concern, "of man," Ecc. xii. 13.

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So Moses instructed the people under his care: "Now these are the commandments, and statutes, and judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you; that thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and commandments, which I command thee," Deut. vi. 1, 2. For certain, religion, or the fear of God, is not a speculative science. It lies not barely in admiring thoughts and sublime conceptions of the Deity. God is not only a being

of great power and understanding, but he is also a righteous, holy being; true, gracious, merciful. And a true worshipper of God is led to an imitation of him in those perfections. All hopes of his favour depend upon a conformity to him therein. And truth, righteousness, and goodness, are the great things in those laws which have been delivered by his authority.

Such an one the person in the text evidently was. There was no one besides, in whom Ahab could so safely confide for an upright and conscientious discharge of any office and commission in which the welfare of his kingdom was concerned.

4. It is here also said of Obadiah, that he feared the Lord from his youth; that is, from very early age to that time. As soon as he was arrived to a full exercise of his reason, and came to be sensible of moral obligations, he had by his own voluntary and sedate judgment and choice signified his approbation of the great truths, and principles, and precepts of religion. From the beginning he had been persuaded, that the Lord Jehovah is God alone; and all his days he had worshipped and served him as the one true God, and loved him with all his heart and soul: esteeming his service the most honourable, the most delightful, and the most profitable service which any creature can be engaged in. He had likewise in the whole course of his life had a strict and conscientious respect to the great rules of right and wrong. Such had been his early resolution and practice; and the rest of his life to that time was of the

same tenor.

I presume I do not put too much into the description of this property, fearing the Lord; or the character of the person here spoken of. I have studiously avoided so doing. We are not obliged to conceive of Obadiah, as perfect, or without sin but he was upright, he truly feared God, and sincerely respected all his laws. He had been free from great transgressions; and the failings or offences of a lesser kind, which he had been surprised into, were not allowed of, nor persisted in.

This is what is implied in fearing God from the youth. II. In the next place we are to observe the virtue of this. 1. It was partly owing to a quick discernment of the truth and value of things. The things of religion were controverted in his time. The grounds and reasons of the worship of Jehovah and Baal were debated. Or if the idolatrous worship of Baal was not begun in Israel, in his carly youth, it is, nevertheless, likely that there were some ques

tions put concerning the high places set up by Jeroboam, who had been followed in some measure by all or most of the succeeding kings of Israel. Obadiah soon discerned the merits of the controversy. By the help of a good understanding he readily perceived who ought to be worshipped as the true God, and what is the most acceptable way of worshipping, and wherein true religion principally consists.

2. He gave a serious attention to the things of religion, and carefully weighed and examined them. His right choice was not solely owing to a quick understanding and ready apprehension. But he used diligence and application. He perceived religion to be a weighty concern, and he bestowed many serious thoughts upon it. He was early sensible, that a right determination at first would have a great effect on the rest of his life.

If he had the advantage of good instructions from the beginning, he did not neglect them, but attended to them, meditated upon them, and let those things which appeared reasonable sink down in his heart. Moreover, as he had opportunity, he studied the laws of God, recorded in those scriptures, which were in the hands of the people of Israel. And he read with a mind open to conviction, resolving to receive what appeared to be the will of God, and act according to it; whether it should be for his own present interest, and tend to his promotion and advancement in the world, or not. By this means his judgment was well informed, and his resolutions settled upon a firm foundation.

I make no scruple of mentioning this particular here; for I think there is good ground for it. Without this, it is not easy to conceive how Obadiah's conduct should have been such as it was.

sons.

And certainly this ought to be observed by young perIt is desirable to understand some art or business by which men may subsist in the world. It is also desirable to understand the things of religion. They who have a quick apprehension, have a great advantage, provided they apply their thoughts this way. Nevertheless, there are few or none but may attain to a competent knowledge of the great truths and obligations of religion, and the grounds of them, if they are attentive, and seriously inquisitive about them. Moses reminds the people of Israel: "The commandment, which I command thee this day, is not hidden from thee, neither is it afar off: but it is nigh thee, that thou mayest hear it and do it," Deut. xxx. 11, 12. The revelation of the gospel, superadded to that of the law, is not de

signed to make the principles of religion more abstruse and difficult but more easy, more intelligible, more affecting, which must be for the good of all men.

3. Obadiah's fearing the Lord from his youth was partly owing to a fixed purpose and resolution of acting according to the rule of right, and that no temptations of any kind should induce him to act contrary to his sedate judg

ment.

We may well put this into the character we are observing. In the course of his life there had offered to him temptations of various kinds: some suited to youthful affections, others more especially suited to the common and prevailing passions of mature age. But in every stage of life his conduct had been uniformly religious; and though he lived at a time when multitudes did evil, he had not followed them. Though the way of religion was then a strait path, and almost deserted, his feet had not declined from the way of it. We cannot but conclude from hence, that the resolution of Obadiah was very firm.

4. We do also reasonably suppose, that this steady good conduct was not without constant circumspection and watchfulness. Indeed, we are all encompassed with snares, which makes it needful to be upon our guard. Undoubtedly this person had " kept his heart with diligence," Prov. iv. 23. He had attended to the frame of his mind. He used his best endeavours to maintain the fervour of his love to God, and a sincere respect for his laws. His mind was carefully kept free from ambition and covetousness: and he looked with a jealous eye upon every thing and person, that tended to abate his zeal for God and religion, and lessen his abhorrence for that which is evil.

This temper of watchfulness he had preserved always, by which means he had been greatly assisted in fearing God from his youth.

III. In the third place I should show the benefit of so fearing the Lord. But I need not enlarge, having had frequent occasions to touch upon this point.

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1. They who fear the Lord from their youth up, enjoy the pleasure and comfort of a religious life: which is no small advantage. For, as Solomon says of wisdom, "her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace,' Prov. iii. 17. Such have the satisfaction of approving themselves to God, and doing the things that please the Sovereign of the world. Their minds are rightly disposed, and their conduct approves itself to their own judgment. And they avoid the bitterness of that repentance which is