Do You Hold to the Word? - No Matter What?

From this gracious disposition of the heart, trembling at the Word, you may learn why the servants of God are so obedient to God's Word and dare do nothing against it. God has put into them a trembling at His Word. They see in God's Word what others do not see. You wonder why some men are strict in their way, why they will suffer anything in the world rather than go against any one sentence in the Word. You wonder at. Why, because you do not see so much majesty and authority in God's Word; your hearts have not been struck with fear and trembling. But they see such a majesty and fear in the Word that they dare not go against it. They would rather endure any evil in the world than go against the Word. They dare not do as you dare.

In Revelation 6:9, it is said of some there that when the fifth seal was opened, "I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held." That is, they would rather be slain than go contrary to the Word of God. They would keep themselves close to the Word whatever became of their lives and of their estates. "I saw the souls of those and they were under the altar, they were under God's protection." Oh, surely they were such as trembled at the Word of God - and God looks at such souls. The soul of such a one shall lie under the altar, shall be in God's eye. That soul so trembles that it would rather lose life and all than do anything against God's Word.

Jeremiah Burroughs
June 2, 1644