A30211:35
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.
Alas! there is a company of poor, light, frothy professors in the world, that carry it under that which they call the presence of God, more like to Antics, than sober sensible Christians; yea more like to a fool of a Play, than those that have the presence of God. They would not carry it so in the presence of a King, nor yet of the Lord of their Land, were they but receivers of mercy at his hand: They carry it even in their most eminent seasons, as if the sense and sight of God, and his blessed grace to their souls in Christ, had a tendency in it to make men wanton: But indeed it is the most humbling and heart-breaking sight in the world; it is fearful.
Alas! there is a company of poor, light, frothy professors in the world, that carry it under that which they call the presence of God, more like to Anticks, than sober sensible Christians; yea more like to a fool of a Play, than those that have the presence of God. They would not carry it so in the presence of a King, nor yet of the Lord of their Land, were they but receivers of mercy at his hand: They carry it even in their most eminent seasons, as if the sense and sight of God, and his blessed grace to their souls in Christ, had a tendancy in it to make men wanton: But indeed it is the most humbling and heart-breaking sight in the world; it is fearful.
Object. But would you not have us rejoice at the sight and sense of the forgiveness of our sins?
Object. But would you not have us rejoyce at the sight and sense of the forgiveness of our sins?
Answer. Yes, But yet I would have you, and indeed you shall, when God shall tell you that your sins are pardoned indeed, Rejoice with trembling, Psal. 2.8. For then you have solid and Godly joy, a joyful heart, and wet eyes, in this will stand very well together, and it will be so more or less. For if God shall come to you indeed, and visit you with the forgiveness of sins, that visit removeth the guilt, but increaseth the sense of thy filth, and the sense of this that God hath forgiven a filthy sinner, will make thee both rejoice and tremble. O! the blessed confusion that will then cover thy face whiles thou, even thou so vile a wretch shalt stand before God to receive at his hand thy pardon, and so the first fruits of thy eternal salvation. That thou mayest remember, and be comforted, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame (thy filth) when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God,