A30211:597
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.
So then, if Wives and Children: yea if Husbands, Wives, Children, Servants, &c. did ⟨p. 194⟩but better observe this general rule of Peter, to wit, of letting their whole conversation be coupled with fear, they might be made instruments in Gods hand of much more good then they are. But the misery is, the fear of God is wanting in actions, and that is the cause that so little good is done by those that profess. 'Tis not a conversation, that is coupled with a profession (for a great profession may be attended with a life that is not good, but scandalous) but it is a conversation coupled with fear of God (that is, with the impressions of the fear of God upon it) that is convincing, and that ministereth the awakenings of God to the conscience, in order to saving the unbeliever. O they are a sweet couple, to wit, a Christian conversation, coupled with fear.
So then, if Wives and Children: yea if Husbands, Wives, Children, Servants, &c. did ⟨p. 194⟩but better observe this general rule of Peter, to wit, of letting their whole conversation be coupled with fear, they might be made instruments in Gods hand of much more good then they are. But the misery is, the fear of God is wanting in actions, and that is the cause that so little good is done by those that profess. 'Tis not a conversation, that is coupled with a profession (for a great profession may be attended with a life that is not good, but scandalous) but it is a conversation coupled with fear of God (that is, with the impressions of the fear of God upon it) that is convincing, and that ministreth the awakenings of God to the conscience, in order to saving the unbeliever. O they are a sweet couple, to wit, a Christian conversation, coupled with fear.
The want of this fear of God, is that that has been a stumbling block to the blind oftentimes. Alas, the World will not be convinced by your talk, by your notions and by the great profession that you make, if they see not, therewith mixed, the lively impressions of the fear of God: but will, as I said, rather stumble and fall, even at your conversation and at your profession itself. Wherefore, to prevent this mischief, that is of stumbling of souls while you make your profession of God, by a conversation not becoming your profession: