A30211:513
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.
But pray observe, if those that take not warning when they see the hand of God upon backsliders, are said to have none of the fear of God, have they it, think you, that lay stumbling blocks in the way of Gods people, and use devices to cause them to backslide, yea rejoice when they can do this mischief to any? And yet many of this sort there are in the world, that even rejoice when they see a professor fall into sin and go back from his profession, as if they had found some excellent thing.
But pray observe, if those that take not warning when they see the hand of God upon backsliders, are said to have none of the fear of God, have they it, think you, that lay stumbling blocks in the way of Gods people, and use devices to cause them to backslide, yea rejoyce when they can do this mischief to any? And yet many of this sort there are in the world, that even rejoyce when they see a professor fall into sin and go back from his profession, as if they had found some excellent thing.
8. They fear not God who can look upon a Land as wallowing in sin, and yet are not humbled at the sight thereof. Have ye, said God by the Prophet to the Jews, forgot the wickedness of your Fathers, and the wickedness of the Kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their Wives, which they have committed in the Land of Judah, and streets of Jerusalem? They are not humbled to this day, neither have they FEARED, ⟨p. 169⟩nor walked in my Law, Jer. 44.8, 9, 10.
Here is a Land full of wickedness, and none to bewail it, for they wanted the fear of God, and love to walk in his Law. But how say you, if they that are not humbled at their own and others wickedness are said not to fear, or have the fear of God what shall we think, or say of such, that receive, that nourish and rejoice in such wickedness? do they fear God? yea, what shall we say of such, that are the inventors and promoters of wickedness as of oaths beastly talk, or the like? Do they, do you think, fear God?