A30211:699
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.
And hence again it is said concerning desires, true desires, The desire of a man is his kindness, Prov. 19.22. For a man shows his ⟨p. 228⟩heart, his love, his affections, and his delights, in his desires: and since the grace of fear of God, is a grace so pleasant in the sight of God; and of so sanctifying a nature in the soul where it is: a true sincere desire to be blessed with that grace, must needs flow from some being of this grace in the soul already.
And hence again it is said concerning desires, true desires, The desire of a man is his kindness, Prov. 19.22. For a man shews his ⟨p. 228⟩heart, his love, his affections, and his delights, in his desires: and since the grace of fear of God, is a grace so pleasant in the sight of God; and of so sanctifying a nature in the soul where it is: a true sincere desire to be blessed with that grace, must needs flow from some being of this grace in the soul already.
'True, desires, are lower, than higher acts of grace, but God will not look over desires: But now they DESIRE a better Country, that is an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a City. Mark, they desire a Country, and they shall have a City. At this LOW place, to wit, sincere desires, God will meet the soul and will tell him, that he hath accepted of his desires, that his desires are his kindness, and flow from grace it self, He will fulfil the desires of them that fear him. Therefore desires are not rejected of God, but they would, if they did not flow from a principle of grace already in the soul; therefore desires, sincere desires to fear God, flow from grace already in the soul.