A30211:158
A treatise of the fear of God showing what it is, and how distinguished…A treatise of the fear of God shewing what it is, and how distinguished…
A treatise of the fear of God showing what it is, and how distinguished from that what is not so : also whence it comes, who has it, what are the effects, and what the privileges of those that have it in their hearts / by John Bunyan.A treatise of the fear of God shewing what it is, and how distinguished from that what is not so : also whence it comes, who has it, what are the effects, and what the priviledges of those that have it in their hearts / by John Bunyan.
London: printed for N. Ponder, 1679
Of several sorts of fear of God in the heart of the Children of men.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. The soul feareth damnation, and that rightly, because it is in its sins. 2. The soul feareth damnation rightly, because it hath not faith in Christ, but is at present under the Law. 3. The soul feareth damnation rightly now, because by sin, the Law, and for want of faith, the wrath of God abideth on it.
But now, although thus far, this fear of God, is good and godly, yet after Christ by the Spirit in the word of the Gospel is revealed to us, and we made to accept of him as so revealed and offered to us by a true and living faith; this fear, to wit, of damnation, is no longer good, but ungodly. Nor doth the Spirit of God ever work it in us again. Now we do not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, that is to say, to fear damnation, but we have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry father, father.
But I would not be mistaken, when I say, that this fear is no longer godly. I do not mean with reference to the essence and habit of it, for I believe it is the same in the feed which shall afterwards grow up to an higher degree, and into a more sweet and gospel currant, and manner of working, but I ⟨p. 56⟩mean reference to this act of searing damnation, I say it shall never by the spirit be managed to that work, it shall never bring forth that fruit more.
But I would not be mistaken, when I say, that this fear is no longer godly. I do not mean with reference to the essence and habit of it, for I believe it is the same in the feed which shall afterwards grow up to an higher degree, and into a more sweet and gospel currant, and manner of working, but I ⟨p. 56⟩mean refference to this act of searing damnation, I say it shall never by the spirit be managed to that work, it shall never bring forth that fruit more.