A30211:330
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
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.
I will give them an heart to fear me, there must in all actions be heart, and without heart no action is good, nor can there be faith, love or fear, from every kind of heart; these must flow from such an one, whose nature is to produce, and bring forth such fruit; Do men gather Grapes of thorns, or Figs of thistles? so from a corrupt heart there cannot proceed such fruit as the fear of God as to believe in God, and love God, Luke 6.43, 44, 45.
The heart naturally is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, how then should there flow from such an one, the fear of God? it cannot be. He therefore that hath not received at the hands of God, a new heart, cannot fear the Lord.
3. This fear of God, it flows from an impression, a sound impression that the word of God maketh on our souls; for without an impress of the word, there is no fear of God. Hence it is said that God gave to Israel good laws, statutes and judgements, that they might learn them, and in learning them, learn to fear the Lord their God. Therefore saith God in another place, Gather the people together, men, women and children, and the stranger that is within thy gates, that ⟨p. 100⟩they may hear, and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God, Deut. 6.1, 2. Chap. 31.12.