A30211:622
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.
Fourthly, wouldest thou grow in this grace of Godly fear? then grow in the knowledge of the new covenant, for that is indeed the girdle of our reins and the strength of our souls. Hear what Zechariah saith, God, says he, hath raised up to us an horn of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of all the Holy Prophets which have been since the world began. But what was it? what was it that he spake? Why, That he would grant us that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, (without this slavish bondage fear) in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. But upon what is this princely fearless service of God grounded? Why upon ⟨p. 203⟩the holy covenant of God, upon the oath that he swore unto Abraham, Luk. 1.69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75.
Fourthly, wouldest thou grow in this grace of Godly fear? then grow in the knowledge of the new covenant, for that is indeed the girdle of our reins and the strength of our souls. Hear what Zacharias saith, God, saies he, hath raised up to us an horn of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of all the Holy Prophets which have been since the world began. But what was it? what was it that he spake? Why, That he would grant us that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, (without this slavish bondage fear) in holiness and righteousness before him all the daies of our life. But upon what is this princely fearless service of God grounded? Why upon ⟨p. 203⟩the holy covenant of God, upon the oath that he swore unto Abraham, Luk. 1.69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75.
Now in this covenant is wrapped up all thy salvation: in it is contained all thy desire, and I am sure that then it containeth the complete salvation of thy Soul: and, I say, since this covenant is confirmed by promise, by oath, and by the blood of the son of God, and that on purpose that thou mightest serve thy God without slavish fear, Then the knowledge and faith of this covenant, is of absolute necessity to bring us into this liberty, and out of our slavish terrors, and so, consequently, to cause us to grow in that son-like, Godly fear, which became even the Son of God himself, and becomes all his Disciples to live in the growth and exercise of.