A30211:224
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.
Answ. So far forth as such wickedness ⟨p. 68⟩was in thy heart, so far did the Devil and thine own heart seek to drive thee to despair, and drown thee there, but thou hast forgot the question, the question is not whether then thou wast troubled with such iniquities, but whether thy fears of damnation at that time were not just and good, because grounded upon thy present condition, which was, for that thou wast out of Christ in thy sins, and under the curse of the Law, and whether now, since the spirit of adoption is come unto thee, and hath thee, and hath done that for thee as hath been mentioned, I say, whether thou oughtest for any thing whatsoever to give way to the same fear, from the same ground of damnation; it is evident thou oughtest, not because the ground, the cause is removed.
Answ. So far forth as such wickedness ⟨p. 68⟩was in thy heart, so far did the Devil and thine own heart seek to drive thee to despair, and dround thee there, but thou hast forgot the question, the question is not whether then thou wast troubled with such iniquities, but whether thy fears of damnation at that time were not just and good, because grounded upon thy present condition, which was, for that thou wast out of Christ in thy sins, and under the curse of the Law, and whether now, since the spirit of adoption is come unto thee, and hath thee, and hath done that for thee as hath been mentioned, I say, whether thou oughtest for any thing whatsoever to give way to the same fear, from the same ground of damnation; it is evident thou oughtest, not because the ground, the cause is removed.
Object. But since I was sealed to the day of redemption, I have grievously sinned against God, have not I therefore cause to fear, as before? may not therefore the spirit of bondage be sent again to put me in fear as at first? sin was the first cause, and I have sinned now.