A30211:244
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. Though God cannot, will not dissolve the relation which the spirit of adoption hath made 'twixt the Father and the sons, for any sin that such do commit: yet he can, and often doth take away from them the comfort of their adoption, not suffering Children, while sinning, to have the sweet and comfortable sense thereof on their hearts. He can tell how to let sinners be round about them, and sudden fear trouble them. He can tell how to send darkness that they may not see, and to let abundance of waters cover them, Job 22.10, 11.
2. God can tell how to hide his face from them, and so to afflict them with that dispensation, that it shall not be in the power of all the World to comfort them. When he hideth his face, who can behold him? Job. 23.8, 9. chap. 34.29.
3. God can tell how to make thee again to possess the sins that he long since hath ⟨p. 75⟩pardoned, and that in such wise that things shall be bitter to thy soul. Thou writest bitter things against me, says Job, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth. By this also he made once David groan, and pray against it as an unsupportable affliction, Job 13.26. Psal. 25.7.
3. God can tell how to make thee again to possess the sins that he long since hath