Works of John Bunyan: A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD. 434

 

"BLESSED IS EVERYONE THAT FEARETH THE LORD."—PSALM 128:1

"FEAR GOD."—REVELATION 14:7

This exhortation is not only found here in the text but in several other places of the Scripture pressed, and with much vehemency upon the children of men, as in Ecclesiastes 12:13; 1 Peter 1:17, &c. I shall not trouble you with a long preamble or forespeech to the matter, nor shall I here so much as meddle with the context, but shall immediately fall upon the words themselves and briefly treat of the fear of God. The text, you see, presented us with the matter of the most significant moment, to wit, with God, and with the fear of him.

First, they present us with God, the true and living God, maker of the worlds, and upholder of all things by the word of his power: that incomprehensible majesty, in comparison to whom all nations are less than the drop of a bucket, and than the small dust of the balance. This is he that fills heaven and earth and is everywhere present with the children of men, beholding the evil and the good; for he hath set his eyes upon all their ways.

So, considering that by the text we have presented to our souls the Lord God and Maker of us all, who also will be either our Saviour or Judge, we are in reason and duty bound to give the more earnest heed to the things that shall be spoken, and be the more careful to receive them, and put them in practice; for, as I said, as they present us with the mighty God, so they exhort us to the highest duty towards him; to wit, to fear him. I call it the highest duty because it is, as I may call it, not only a duty in itself but, as it were, the salt that seasoned very duty. For there is no duty performed by us that can by any means be accepted by God if it is not seasoned with godly fear. The apostle said, "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear." Of this fear, I would discourse at this time. Still, because this word fear is variously taken in the Scripture, and because it may be profitable to us to see it in its variety, I shall therefore choose this method for the managing of my discourse, even to show you the nature of the word in its several, especially of the chiefs, acceptations. FIRST. Then, by this word fear, we are to understand even God himself, who is the object of our fear. SECOND. By this word, fear, we are to understand the Word of God, the rule and director of our fear. Now, to speak to this word fear, as it is thus taken.

THIS WORD FEAR IS TAKEN FOR GOD HIMSELF. FIRST. Of this word, "fear," IT RESPECTS GOD HIMSELF, who is the object of our fear.

By this word fear, as I said, we are to understand God himself, who is the object of our fear, For the Divine majesty goes often under this very name himself. This name Jacob called him when he and Laban chid together on Mount Gilead after Jacob had made his escape to his father's house; "Except," said he, "the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty." So again, a little after, when Jacob and Laban agree to make a covenant of peace with each other, though Laban, after the jumbling way of the heathen by his oath, puts the true God and the false together, yet "Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac" (Gen 31:42,53).[1]

By the fear, that is, by the God of his father, Isaac. And, indeed, God may well be called the fear of his people, not only because they have made him the object of their fear by his grace, but because of the dread and terrible majesty in him. "He is a mighty God, a great and terrible, and with God is terrible majesty" (Dan 7:28, 10:17; Neh 1:5, 4:14, 9:32; Job 37:22). Who knows the power of his anger? "The mountains quake at him, the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him" (Nahum 1:5,6). His people know him and have his dread upon them by which there is begot and maintained in them that godly awe and reverence of his majesty which is agreeable to their profession of him. "Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." Set his majesty before the eyes of your souls, and let his excellency make you afraid with godly fear (Isa 8:13).

There are these things that make God to be the fear of his people.

First. His presence is dreadful, and that is not only his presence in familiar but his unique, his most comfortable, and joyous presence. When God comes to bring a soul news of mercy and salvation, even that visit, that presence of God, is fearful. When Jacob went from Beersheba towards Haran, he met with God in the way by a dream, in which he apprehended a ladder set upon the earth, whose top reached heaven; now in this dream, from the top of this ladder, he saw the Lord, and heard him speak unto him, not threateningly; not as having his fury come up into his face; but most sweetly and graciously, saluting him with promise of goodness after promise of goodness, to the number of eight or nine; as will appear if you read the place. Yet I say, when he awoke, all the grace that discovered itself in this heavenly vision could not keep him from dread and fear of God's majesty. "And Jacob awoke out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not; and he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven" (Gen 28:10-17).

At another time, to wit, when Jacob had that memorable visit from God, in which he gave him power as a prince to prevail with him; yea, and gave him a name, that by his remembering it he might call God's favor the better to his mind; yet even then and there such dread of the majesty of God was upon him, that he went away wondering that his life was preserved (Gen 32:30). Man crumbles to dust at the presence of God; yea, though he shows himself to us in his robes of salvation. We have read how dreadful and terrible even the presence of angels have been unto men, and that when they have brought them good tidings from heaven (Judge 13:22; Matt 28:4; Mark 16:5,6). Now, if angels, which are but creatures, are, through the glory that God has put upon them, so fearful and terrible in their appearance to men, how much more dreadful and terrible must God himself be to us, who are but dust and ashes! When Daniel had the vision of his salvation sent him from heaven, for so it was, "O Daniel," said the messenger, "a man greatly beloved"; yet behold the dread and terror of the person speaking fell with that weight upon this good man's soul, that he could not stand, nor bear up under it. He stood trembling and cried, "O my lord, my sorrows are turned upon me by the vision, and I have retained no strength. How can the servant of this, my lord, talk with this? For as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me" (Dan 10:16-17). See you here if the presence of God is not dreadful and fearful; yea, his most gracious and merciful appearances; how much more then when he shows himself to us as one that dislikes our ways, as one that is offended with us for our sins?