The Fatherhood of God (3)

The word father is a word of relation. It binds God to us and us to God. We are to honour him as our Father. This one word is sufficient to express our duty to a father: reverence; for it includes a mixed affection of fear and love. Reverence is an affection of an inferior to a superior. He is great, therefore we ought to fear him. He is good, therefore we ought to love him. There is with him beams of majesty and a heart of compassion. As there are beams of majesty, we ought to fear him; as a heart of compassion, we ought to love him. If we tremble and are afraid to go to him, we know not he is loving. If we go to him over-boldly and saucily, we forget that he is great. Therefore, we must think of his greatness, that we forget not his goodness. We must so think of his goodness, that we forget not his greatness.
In the word 'Father,' there is more saving power than in ten thousand. If God be our Father, go to him boldly; but with reverence go with trust. What cannot we look for from him, that majesty that has condescended to be called 'Father,' and to be a Father to us in all our necessities? Either we will have what we want and lack, or else we will have that which is better. He is a wise Father. He answers not always according to our wills, but always according to our good. Come to him boldly therefore, under the name of a Father, that he may move, and he surely will hear us. For in Psalm 27:10, when all forsook me, 'My father and mother forsook me, but the Lord took me up.’ He is an eternal Father. He was our Father before we had a father in the world, and he will be our Father when we will cease to be in the world. Therefore, never be disconsolate, but remember, he was our Father from eternity in election; he will be our Father to eternity in glorification.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
A Heavenly Conference, pp. 86-89
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