A30211:259
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.
Ans. Then thou knowest what I say is true, but yet take heed of hearkening unto such temptations as would make thee believe thou art out of Christ, under the Law, and ⟨p. 79⟩a state of damnation: and take heed also that thou dost not conclude that the author of these fears, is the Spirit of God come to thee again as a spirit of bondage to put thee into such FEARS, lest unawares to thy self thou dost deify the Devil, dishonour thy Father, overthrow good doctrine, and bring thy self into a double temptation.
Ans. Then thou knowest what I say is true, but yet take heed of hearkning unto such temptations as would make thee believe thou art out of Christ, under the Law, and ⟨p. 79⟩a statte of damnation: and take heed also that thou dost not conclude that the author of these fears, is the Spirit of God come to thee again as a spirit of bondage to put thee into such FEARS, lest unawares to thy self thou dost deify the Devil, dishonour thy Father, overthrow good doctrine, and bring thy self into a double temptation.
Object. But if God deals thus with a man, how can he otherwise think, but that he is a reprobate, a Graceless, Christless and Faithless one.
Answ. Nay, but why dost thou tempt the Lord thy God? why dost thou sin and provoke the eyes of his glory? why doth the living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? (Lam. 3.39.) He doth not willingly afflict, nor grieve the Children of men, but if thou sinnest, though God should save thy soul, as he will if thou art an adopted Son of God, yet he will make thee know that sin is sin, and his rod that he will chastise thee with (if need be) shall be made of scorpions: read the whole book of the Lamentations, read Job's and Davids complaints: yea, read what happened to his Son, his well-beloved, and that when he did but stand in the room of sinners, being in himself altogether innocent, and then consider O thou sinning Child of God, if it is any injustice in God, yea if it be