A30211:387
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.
Men that have not this fear of God in them, will not, cannot deny themselves, (of love to God, and the good of the weak, who are subject to stumble at indifferent things) but where this grace of fear is, there follows Self-denial; there men are tender of offending; and count, that it far better becomes their profession to be of a Self denying, condescending conversation, and temper, them to stand sturdily to their own liberty in things inexpedient who even is offended thereat.
Men that have not this fear of God in them, will not, cannot deny themselves, (of love to God, and the good of the weak, who are subject to stumble at indifferent things) but where this grace of fear is, there follows Selfdenial; there men are tender of offending; and count, that it far better becoms their profession to be of a Self denying, condesending conversation, and temper, them to stand sturdily to their own liberty in things inexpedient who even is offended thereat.
This grace of fear therefore is a very excellent thing, because it yieldeth such excellent fruit as this. For this Self-denial, of how little esteem soever it be with some, yet the want of it, (if the words of Christ be true, as they are) takes quite away from even a professor, the very name of a disciple. Mat. 10.37, 38. Luke 14 ver. 26, 27.33.
They, says Nehemiah, Lorded it over the Brethren. but so did not I. They took Bread ⟨p. 118⟩and Wine, and forty Shekels of Silver of them, but so did not I yea even their Servants bare rule over the people, but so did not I because of the fear of God.