A30211:392
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.
How doth the Lord charge the Children of Israel, and all their obedience, and that for seventy years together, with the want of singleness of heart towards him, when ye fasted, and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast to me, even to me. And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did you not eat for ⟨p. 119⟩your selves, and drink for your selves, Zech 7.5, 6.
How doth the Lord charge the Children of Israel, and all their obedience, and that for seventy years together, with the want of singleness of heart towards him, when ye fasted, and mourned in the fift and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast to me, even to me. And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did you not eat for ⟨p. 119⟩your selves, and drink for your selves, Zech 7.5, 6.
They wanted this singleness of heart, in their fasting, & in their eating, in their mourning, and in their drinking, they had double hearts in what they did. They did not as the Apostle bids, whether they eat or drink or what ever they did, do all to the glory of God. And the reason of their want of this thing, was, they wanted this fear of God; for that, as the Apostle here saith, effecteth singleness of heart to God, and makes a man, as John said of Gains, do faithfully what ever he doth, 3 John 5. And the reason is, as hath bin already urged, for that Grace of fear of God retaineth, and keepeth upon the heart a reverent, and awful sense of the Dread Majesty, and All-seeing eye of God, also a due consideration of the day of account before him; it likewise maketh his service sweet and pleasing, and fortifies the soul against all discouragements; by this means, I say, the soul in its service to God or man, is not so soon captivated, as where there is not this fear, but through and by it, its service is accepted, being single, sincere, simple and faithful; when others, with what they do are cast into Hell for their hypocrisy, for they mix not what they do with Godly fear.