Works of John Bunyan: A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD. 445

 

Quest. Can you give me further reason yet to convict me of the truth of what you say?

Answ. Yes.

1. Because the Spirit cannot give himself the lie, he cannot overthrow his own order of working nor contradict that testimony that his servants, by his inspiration, hath given of his order of working with them. But he must do the first if he saith to us—and that after we have received his own testimony, we are under grace—that yet we are under sin, the law, and wrath.

And he must do the second, if—after he hath gone through the first work on us as a spirit of bondage, to the second as a spirit of adoption—he should overthrow as a spirit of bondage again what before he had built as a spirit of adoption.

And the third must therefore follow, that is, he overthrows the testimony of his servants; for they have said, that now we receive the spirit of bondage again to fear no more; that is, after that, we by the Holy Ghost are enabled to call God Father, Father.

2. This is evident also because the covenant in which now the soul is interested abided and is everlasting, not upon the supposition of my obedience, but upon the unchangeable purpose of God, and the efficacy of the obedience of Christ, whose blood also hath confirmed it. It is "ordered in all things, and sure," said David; and this, said he, "is all my salvation" (2 Sam 23:5). The covenant then is everlasting in itself, being established upon so good a foundation, and therefore stand in itself everlastingly bent for the good of them that are involved in it. Hear the tenor of the covenant and God's attesting of the truth thereof—"This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people; and they shall not teach every man his Neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest; for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more" (Heb 8:10-12). Now if God will do thus unto those that he hath comprised in his everlasting covenant of grace, then he will remember their sins no more, that is, unto condemnation—for so it is that he doth forget them; then cannot the Holy Ghost, who also is one with the Father and the Son, come to us again, even after we are possessed with these glorious fruits of this covenant, as a spirit of bondage, to put us in fear of damnation.

3. The Spirit of God, after it has come to me as a spirit of adoption, can come to me no more as a spirit of bondage, to put me in fear, that is, with my first fears, because, by that faith that he, even he himself, hath wrought in me, to believe and call God "Father, Father," I am united to Christ, and stand no more upon mine own legs, in mine own sins, or performances; but in his glorious righteousness before him, and before his Father; but he will not cast away a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones; nor will he, that the Spirit of God should come as a spirit of bondage to put him into a grounded fear of damnation, that stand complete before God in the righteousness of Christ; for that is an apparent contradiction.

Quest. But may it not come again as a spirit of bondage to put me into my first fears for my good?

Answ. The text is contrary, for we "have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear." Nor is God put to it for want of wisdom, to say and unsay, do and undo, or else he cannot do good. When we are sons and have received the adoption of children, he doth not use to send the spirit after that to tell us we are slaves and heirs of damnation, also that we are without Christ, without the promise, without grace, and without God in the world; and yet this he must do if it comes to us after we have received him as a spirit of adoption, and put us, as a spirit of bondage, in fear as before.

[This ungodly fear wrought by the spirit of the devil.]

Quest. But by what spirit is it then that I am brought again into fears, even into the fears of damnation, and so into bondage?

Answ. By the spirit of the devil, who always labors to frustrate the faith, and hope, and comfort of the godly.

Works of John Bunyan: A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD. 444

 

Thus far, this fear is godly, and the reason it is godly is because its groundwork is good. I told you before what this fear is; namely, it is the fear of damnation. Now, the ground for this fear is good, as is manifest by these particulars. 1. The soul feared damnation, and that rightly, because it is in its sins. 2. The soul feared damnation rightly because it has no faith in Christ but is now under the law. 3. The soul feared damnation rightly now because, by sin, the law, and for want of faith, the wrath of God abides on it. But now, although thus far this fear of God is good and godly, yet after Christ by the Spirit in the word of the gospel is revealed to us, and we are made to accept of him as so revealed and offered to us by a true and living faith; this fear, to wit, of damnation, is no longer good, but ungodly. Nor doth the Spirit of God ever work it in us again. Now, we do not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, that is to say, to fear damnation, but we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Father, Father. But I would not be mistaken when I say this fear is no longer godly. I do not mean concerning the essence and habit of it, for I believe it is the same in the seed which shall afterward grow up to a higher degree and into a more sweet and gospel current and manner of working, but I mean reference to this act of fearing damnation, I say it shall never by the Spirit be managed to that work; it shall never bring forth that fruit more. And my reasons are,

[Reasons why the Spirit of God cannot work this ungodly fear.]

1. Because the soul, by closing through the promise by the Spirit, with Jesus Christ, is removed from that foundation upon which it stood when it justly feared damnation. It hath received no forgiveness of sin, it is now no more under the law, but in Jesus Christ by faith; there is "therefore now no condemnation to it" (Acts 26:18; Rom 6:14, 8:1). The groundwork, therefore, being now taken away, the Spirit worketh that fear no more.

2. He cannot, after he hath come to the soul as a spirit of adoption, come again as a spirit of bondage to put the soul into his first fear, to wit, a fear of eternal damnation, because he cannot say and unsay, do and undo. As a spirit of adoption, he told me that my sins were forgiven me, that I was included in the covenant of grace, that God was my Father through Christ, that I was under the promise of salvation, and that this calling and gift of God to me is permanent, and without repentance. And do you think, that after he hath told me this, and sealed up the truth of it to my precious soul, that he will come to me, and tell me that I am yet in my sins, under the curse of the law and the eternal wrath of God? No, no, the word of the gospel is not yea, yea; nay, nay. It is only yea and amen; it is so, "as God is true" (2 Cor 1:17-20).

3. The state, therefore, of the sinner being changed, and that, too, by the Spirit's changing his dispensation, leaving off to be now as a spirit of bondage to put us in fear and coming to our heart as the spirit of adoption to make us cry Father, Father, he cannot go back to his first work again; for if so, then he must gratify, yea, and also ratify, that profane and popish doctrine, forgiven to-day, unforgiven to-morrow—a child of God to-day, a child of hell to-morrow; but what saith the Scriptures? "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph 2:19-22).

Object. But this is contrary to my experience. Why, Christian, what is thy experience? Why, I was at first, as you have said, possessed with a fear of damnation and so under the power of the spirit of bondage. Well said, and how was it then? Why, after some time of continuance in these fears, I had the spirit of adoption sent to me to seal up to my soul the forgiveness of sins, and so he did and was also helped by the same Spirit, as you have said, to call God Father, Father. Well said, and what after that? After that, I fell into as great fear as ever before.

Answ. All this may be granted, and yet nevertheless what I have said will abide a truth; for I have not said that after the spirit of adoption comes, a Christian shall not again be in as great fears, for he may have worse than he had at first; but I say, that after the spirit of adoption has come, the spirit of bondage, as such, is sent of God no more, to put us into those fears. Mark, we "have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear." Let the word be true, whatever thy experience is. Dost thou not understand me?

After the Spirit of God has told me, and also helped me to believe it, that the Lord for Christ's sake hath forgiven mine iniquities: he tells me no more that they are not forgiven. After the Spirit of God has helped me, by Christ, to call God my Father, he tells me no more than the devil is my Father. After he hath told me that I am not under the law, but under grace, he tells me no more that I am not under grace, but under the law, and bound over by it, for my sins, to the wrath and judgment of God; but this is the fear that the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage, worketh in the soul at first.

Works of John Bunyan: A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD. 443

 

Second. By whom or by what is this fear wrought in the heart? I shall answer this in brief. The Spirit of God weds it in the heart, working there at first as a spirit of bondage to put us in fear. This Paul insinuated, saying, "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear" (Rom 8:15). He doth not say, Ye have not received the spirit of bondage; for that they had received, and that to put them in fear, which was at their first conversion, as by the instances made mention of before is manifest; all that he says is, that they had not received it again, that is, after the Spirit, as a spirit of adoption, is come; for then, as a spirit of bondage, it cometh no more. Then, the Spirit of God, even the Holy Ghost, convinces us of sin and our damnable state because of sin (John 16:8,9). For it cannot be that the Spirit of God should convince us of sin. Still, it must also show us our state to be damnable because of it, especially if it so convinced us, before we believe, and that is the intent of our Lord in that place, "of sin," and so of their damnable state by sin, because they believe not on me. Therefore the Spirit of God, when he worketh in the heart as a spirit of bondage, he doth it by working in us by the law, "for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom 3:20). And he, in this his working, is appropriately called a spirit of bondage.

1. Because by the law he shows us that indeed we are in bondage to the law, the devil, and death and damnation; for this is our proper state by nature, though we see it not until the Spirit of God shall come to reveal this our state of bondage unto our own senses by revealing to us our sins by the law.

2. He is called, in this his working, "the spirit of bondage," because he here also holds us; to wit, in this sight and sense of our bondage-state, so long as is meet we should be so held, which to some of the saints is a longer, and to some a shorter time. Paul was held in it three days and three nights, but the jailer and the three thousand, so far as can be gathered, are not above an hour; some in these later times are so held for days and months if not years. But, I say, let the time be longer or shorter, it is the Spirit of God that holds him under this yoke; and it is good that a man should be in HIS time held under it, as is that saying of the lamentation, "It is good for a man that he bears the yoke in his youth" (Lam 3:27). That is, at his first awakening; so long as seems good to this Holy Spirit to work in this manner by the law. Now, as I said, the sinner at first is by the Spirit of God held in this bondage, that is, hath such a discovery of his sin and of his damnation for sin made to him, and also is held so fast under the sense thereof, that it is not in the power of any man, nor yet of the very angels in heaven, to release him or set him free, until the Holy Spirit changed his ministration, and comes in the sweet and peaceable tidings of salvation by Christ in the gospel to his poor, dejected, and afflicted conscience.

Third. I now come to show you what this fear doth in the soul. Although this godly fear is not to always last with us, as I shall further show you, it dramatically differs from that which is wholly ungodly of itself, both because of the author and its effects. Of the author I have told you before; I now shall tell you what it doth.

1. This fear makes a man judge himself for sin and fall down before God with a broken mind under this judgment, which is pleasing to God because the sinner, by so doing, justifies God in his saying and clears him in his judgment (Psa 51:1-4).

2. This fear makes a man judge himself and cast down at God's foot. Hence, it makes him condole and bewail his misery before him, which is also well-pleasing in his sight: "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself," saying, "Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke," &c. (Jer 31:18,19).

3. This fear makes a man lie at God's foot and put his mouth in the dust; if so, there may be hope. This also is well-pleasing to God because now is the sinner as nothing, and in his own eyes less than nothing, as to any good or desert: "He sit alone and keep silence," because he hath now this yoke upon him; "he put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope" (Lam 3:28,29).

4. This fear puts a man upon crying to God for mercy, and that in most humble manner; now he sensibly cries, now he dejectedly cries, now he feels and cries, now he smarts and cries out, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).

5. This fear makes a man who cannot accept support and succor, which others who are destitute will take up and be contented with. This man must be washed by God himself and cleansed from his sin by God himself (Psa 51).

6. Therefore, this fear will not go away until the Spirit of God changes his ministry as to this particular, leaving off to work now by the law, as afore, and coming to the soul with the sweet word of promise of life and salvation by Jesus Christ. Thus far, this fear is godly, that is, until Christ, by the Spirit in the gospel, is revealed and made over unto us, and no longer.

Works of John Bunyan: A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD. 442

 

Fifth. This ungodly fear of God will put men upon adding to the revealed will of God their own inventions and their own performances of them as a means to pacify the anger of God. The truth is, where this ungodly fear reigned, there is no end of law and duty. When those that you read of in the book of Kings were destroyed by the lions because they had set up idolatry in the land of Israel, they sent for a priest from Babylon that might teach them the manner of the God of the land, but behold when they knew it, being taught it by the priest. Yet, their fear would not cause them to be content with that worship only. "They feared the Lord," saith the text, "and served their own gods." And again, "So these nations feared the Lord and served their graven images" (2 Kings 17). It was this fear also that put the Pharisees upon inventing so many traditions, such as the washing of cups, beds, tables, and basins, with an abundance of such other like gear,[10] none knows the many dangers that an ungodly fear of God will drive a man into (Mark 7). How has it racked and tortured the Papists for hundreds of years together! For what else is the cause but this ungodly fear, at least in the most simple and harmless of them, of their penances, as creeping to the cross, going barefoot on pilgrimage, whipping themselves, wearing sackcloth, saying so many Paternosters, so many Ave-Marias, making so many confessions to the priest, giving so much money for pardons, and abundance of other the like, but this ungodly fear of God? Could they be brought to believe this doctrine, that Christ was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification, and to apply it by faith with godly boldness to their souls, this fear would vanish. So consequently, all those things with which they so needlessly and unprofitably afflicted themselves offend God and grieve his people. Therefore, gentle reader, although my text doth bid that thou shouldest fear God, it includes not, nor accepted of any fear; no, not of any [or every] fear of God. For there is, as you see, a fear of God that is ungodly and that is to be shunned as their sin. Wherefore thy wisdom and care should be, to see and prove thy fear to be godly, which shall be the next thing I shall take in hand.

THIRD. The third thing that I am to speak to is that there is a fear of God in the heart of some good and godly men, yet doth not forever abide so. Or you may take it thus—There is a fear of God that is godly but for a time. In my speaking to and opening of this to you, I shall observe this method. First, I shall show you what this fear is. Second. I shall show you by whom or what this fear is wrought in the heart. Third. I shall show you what this fear doth in the soul. And, Fourth, I shall show you when this fear is to have an end.

First, for the first, this fear is an effect of sound awakenings by the word of wrath which beget in the soul a sense of its right to eternal damnation; for this fear is not in every sinner; he that is blinded by the devil, and that is not able to see that his state is damnable, he hath not this fear in his heart. Still, he that is under the powerful workings of the word of wrath, as God's elect are at first conversion, he hath this godly fear in his heart; that is, he fears that that damnation will come upon him, which by the justice of God is due unto him because he hath broken his holy law. This is the fear that made the three thousand cry out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" and that made the jailer cry out, and with great trembling of soul, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 2, 16). The method of God is to kill and make alive, to smite and then heal; when the commandment came to Paul, sin revived, and he died, and that law which was ordained to life, he found to be unto death; that is, it passed a sentence of death upon him for his sins, and slew his conscience with that sentence. Therefore, from that time that he heard that word, "Why persecutes thou me?" which is all one as if he had said, Why dost thou commit murder? he lay under the sentence of condemnation by the law and under this fear of that sentence in his conscience. I say he lay under it until Ananias came to him to comfort him and preach unto him the forgiveness of sin (Acts 9). The fear, therefore, that now I call godly is that fear which is appropriately called the fear of eternal damnation for sin, and this fear, at first awakening, is excellent and godly because it arises in the soul from a true sense of its very state. Its state by nature is damnable because it is sinful and because he is not one that as yet believeth in Christ for the remission of sins: "He that believeth not shall be damned."—"He that believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of God abides on him" (Mark 16:16; John 3:18,36). When the sinner at first begins to see, he justly fears it; I say, he fears it justly, and therefore godly because by this fear, he subscribes to the sentence that is gone out against him for sin.

Works of John Bunyan: A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD. 441

 

Second. There is a fear of God that drives a man away from God—I speak not now of the atheist, nor of the pleasurable sinner, nor yet of these, and that fear that I spoke of just now—I speak now of such who through a sense of sin and of God's justice fly from him of slavish ungodly fear. This ungodly fear possessed Adam's heart in the day that he did eat of the tree concerning which the Lord has said unto him, "In the day that thou eat thereof, thou shalt surely die." For then, he feared God so much that he sought to hide himself from his presence. "I heard," said he, "thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid" (Gen 3:10). Mind it, he had a fear of God, but it was not godly. It was not that that made him afterward submit himself unto him; for that would have kept him from not departing from him, or else have brought him to him again, with bowed, broken, and contrite spirit. But this fear, as the rest of his sin, managed his departing from his God and pursued him to provoke him still so to do; by it, he kept himself from God; his whole man was carried away from him. I call it ungodly fear because it begat in him ungodly apprehensions of his Maker. After all, it confined Adam's conscience to the sense of justice only and consequently to despair.

The same fear also possessed the children of Israel when they heard the law delivered to them on Mount Sinai, as is evident, for it made them that they could neither abide his presence nor hear his word. It drove them back from the mountain. It made them, saith the apostle to the Hebrews, that "they could not endure that which was commanded" (Heb 12:20). Wherefore this fear Moses rebukes and forbids their giving way to that. "Fear not," said he, but had that fear been godly, he would have encouraged it and not forbid and rebuked it as he did. "Fear not," said he, "for God has come to prove you," but they thought otherwise. "God," saith he, "is come to prove you and that his fear may be before your faces." Therefore, that fear that had already taken possession of them was not the fear of God, but a fear that was of Satan, of their own misjudging hearts, and so a fear that was ungodly (Exo 20:18-20). Mark you, here is a fear and a fear, a fear forbidden, and a fear commended; a fear forbidden, because it engendered their hearts to bondage, and to ungodly thoughts of God and of his word; it made them that they could not desire to hear God speak to them anymore (vv 19-21).

Many also at this day are possessed with this ungodly fear, and you may know them by this—they cannot abide conviction for sin. If at any time the word of the law, by the preaching of the word, comes near them, they will not accept that preacher, nor such kind of sermons anymore. They are, as they deem, best at ease when furthest off of God and of the power of his word. The word preached brings God nearer to them than they desire he should come because whenever God comes near, their sins by him are manifest, and so is the judgment too that to them is due. Now these not having faith in the mercy of God through Christ, nor that grace that tends to bring them to him, they cannot but think of God amiss, and their so thinking of him makes them say unto him, "Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways" (Job 21:14). Wherefore their wrong thoughts of God beget in them this ungodly fear; and again, this ungodly fear doth maintain in them the continuance of these evil and unworthy thoughts of God, and therefore, through that devilish service wherewith they strengthen one another, the sinner, without a miracle of grace prevents him, is drowned in destruction and perdition. It was this ungodly fear of God that carried Cain from the presence of God into the land of Nod and that put him there upon any carnal, worldly business if perhaps he might, by so doing, stifle convictions of the majesty and justice of God against his sin, and so live the rest of his vain life in the more sinful security and fleshly ease. This ungodly fear is also what Samuel perceived at the people's apprehension of their sin, to begin to get hold of their hearts; therefore, as Moses before him, quickly forbids their entertaining it. "Fear not," said he, "ye have done all this wickedness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord." To turn them aside from following him was the natural tendency of this fear. "But fear not," said he, with that fear that tended to turn you aside. Now, I say, the matter that this fear worketh upon, as in Adam, and the Israelites mentioned before, was their sin. You have sinned, says he, that is true, yet turn not aside, yet fear not with that fear that would make you so do (1 Sam 12:20). Note by the way, sinner, that when the greatness of thy sins, being apprehended by thee, shall work in thee that fear of God, as shall incline thy heart to fly from him, thou art possessed with a fear of God that is ungodly, yea, so ungodly, that not any of thy sins for heinousness may be compared therewith, as might be made manifest in many particulars, but Samuel having rebuked this fear, presently sets before the people another, to wit, the true fear of God; "fear the Lord," says he, "serve him—with all your heart" (v 24). And he giveth them this encouragement so to do, "for the Lord will not forsake his people." This ungodly fear is that which you read of in Isaiah 2, and in many other places, and God's people should shun it, as they would shun the devil, because its natural tendency is to forward the destruction of the soul in which it has taken possession.

Works of John Bunyan: A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD. 440

 

OF SEVERAL SORTS OF FEAR OF GOD IN THE HEART OF THE CHILDREN OF MEN.

Having thus spoken of the object and rule of our fear, I should come now to talk about fear as it is a grace of the Spirit of God in the hearts of his people, but before I do that, I shall show you that there are divers sorts of fear besides. For man being a reasonable creature, and having even by nature a specific knowledge of God, hath also naturally something of some kind of fear of God at times, which, although it is not that which is intended in the text, yet ought to be spoken to, that that which is not suitable may be distinguished from that that is.

There are, I say, several sorts or kinds of fear in the hearts of the sons of men besides that fear of God that is intended in the text and that accompanies eternal life. I shall mention three of them here. FIRST. A fear of God flows even from the light of nature. SECOND. There is a fear of God that flows from some of his dispensations to men, which yet is neither universal nor saving. THIRD. There is a fear of God in the heart of some good and godly men, but doth not forever abide so. To speak a little to all these before I come to talk about fear, as it is a grace of God in the hearts of his children, And,

FIRST. To the first, to wit, there is a fear of God that flows even from the light of nature. People may be said to do things in fear of God when they act one towards another in things reasonable and honest between man and man, not doing that to others they would not have done to themselves. This is that fear of God that Abraham thought the Philistines had destroyed in themselves when he said of his wife to Abimelech, "She is my sister." For when Abimelech asked Abraham why he said of his wife, She is my sister; he replied, saying, "I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wife's sake" (Gen 20:11). I thought verily that in this place men had stifled and choked that light of nature that is in them, at least so far forth as not to suffer it to put them in fear, when their lusts were powerful in them to accomplish their ends on the object that was present before them. But this I will pass by and come to the second thing, namely—

SECOND. To show that a fear of God flows from some of his dispensations to men, which is neither universal nor saving. This fear, when opposed to that which is saving, may be called an ungodly fear of God. I shall describe it by these several particulars that follow—

First, there is a fear of God that caused a continual grudging, discontent, and heart-risings against God under the hand of God; and that is, when the dread of God in his coming upon men, to deal with them for their sins, is apprehended by them, and yet by this dispensation, they have no change of heart to submit to God thereunder. The sinners under this dispensation cannot shake God out of their mind, nor yet graciously tremble before him; but through the unsanctified frame that they now are in, they are afraid with ungodly fear, and so in their minds let fly against him. This fear often took hold of the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness on their journey to the promised land; still, they feared that God in this place would destroy them, but not with that fear that made them willing to submit, for their sins, to the judgment which they fear, but with that fear that made them let fly against God. This fear showed itself in them, even at the beginning of their voyage, and Moses rebuked them at the Red Sea. Still, it was not there, nor yet at any other place, so subdued, but that it would rise again in them at times to the dishonor of God, and the anew making of them guilty of sin before him (Exo 14:11-13; Num 14:1-9). This fear is that which God said he would send before them, in the day of Joshua, even a fear that should possess the inhabitants of the land, to wit, a fear that should arise for that faintness of heart that they should be swallowed up of, at their apprehending of Joshua in his approaches towards them to destroy them. "I will send my fear before thee and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee" (Exo 23:27). "This day," says God, "will I begin to put the dread of thee, and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee" (Deut 2:25, 11:25).

Now this fear is also, as you here see, called anguish, and in another place, a hornet; for it, and the soul that it falls upon, do greet each other, as boys and bees do. The hornet puts men in fear, not to bring the heart into sweet compliance with his terror, but to stir up the spirit into acts of opposition and resistance, yet withal they flee before it. "I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite," &c. (Exo 23:28). Now this fear, whether it be wrought by misapprehending of the judgments of God, as in the Israelites, or otherwise as in the Canaanites, yet ungodliness is the effect thereof, and therefore I call it an ungodly fear of God, for it stirred up murmurings, discontents, and heart-risings against God, while he with his dispensations is dealing with them.

Works of John Bunyan: A TREATISE OF THE FEAR OF GOD. 439

Second. It is a Word that is fearful and may well be called the fear of the Lord because of the subject matter of it; to wit, the state of sinners in another world, for that is it unto which the whole Bible bent itself, either more immediately or more mediately. All its doctrines, counsel, encouragements, and threatening judgments have a look, one way or another, upon us concerning the next world, which will be our last state because it will be to us a state eternal. This word, this law, these judgments, are they that we shall be disposed of by—"The word that I have spoken," says Christ, "it shall judge you (and so consequently dispose of you) in the last day" (John 12:48). Now, if we consider that our next state must be eternal, either eternal glory or eternal fire and that this eternal glory or this eternal fire must be our portion, according as the words of God, revealed in the holy Scriptures, shall determine; who will not but conclude that therefore the words of God are they at which we should tremble, and they by which we should have our fear of God guided and directed, for by them we are taught how to please him in everything?

Third. It is to be called a fearful Word because of the truth and faithfulness of it. The Scriptures cannot be broken. Here they are called the Scriptures of truth, the true sayings of God, and also the fear of the Lord, for that every jot and tittle thereof is forever settled in heaven and stand more steadfast than doth the world—"Heaven and earth," saith Christ, "shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matt 24:35). Those, therefore, that are favored by the Word of God, those are favored indeed, and that with the favor that no man can turn away. Still, those that are condemned by the word of the Scriptures can no man justify and set quit in the sight of God. Therefore, what is bound by the text is bound, and what is released by the text is released; also, the bond and release are unalterable (Dan 10:21; Rev 19:9; Matt 24:35; Psa 119:89; John 10:35). This, therefore, calleth upon God's people to stand more in fear of the Word of God than of all the terrors of the world.[7] There wanted even in the hearts of God's people a greater reverence of the Word of God than to this day appeared among us, and this let me say that want of reverence of the Word is the ground of all disorders that are in the heart, life, conversation, and in Christian communion. Besides, the want of reverence of the Word lay men open to the fearful displeasure of God—"Whoso despised the word shall be destroyed, but he that feared the commandment shall be rewarded" (Prov 13:13).

All transgression begins at wandering from the Word of God, but, on the other side, David saith, "Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer" (Psa 17:4). Therefore, Solomon saith, "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings; let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them amid thine heart; for they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh" (Prov 4:20-22). Now, if indeed thou would reverence the Word of the Lord and make it thy rule and director in all things, believe that the Word is the fear of the Lord, the Word that stands fast forever; without and against which God will do nothing, either in saving or damning of the souls of sinners. But to conclude this,

1. Know that those that have no due regard to the Word of the Lord, and that makes it, not their dread and their fear, but the rule of their life is the lust of their flesh, the desire of their eyes, and the pride of life, are sorely rebuked by this doctrine, and are counted the fools of the world; for "lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?" (Jer 8:9). That there are such people is evident, not only by their irregular lives but by the manifest testimony of the Word. "As for the word of the Lord," said they to Jeremiah, "that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goes forth out of our own mouth" (Jer 44:16). Was this only the temper of wicked men then? Is not the same spirit of rebellion amongst us today? Doubtless, there is, for there is no new thing—"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun" (Eccl 1:9). Therefore, as it was then, so it is with many in this day.

As for the Word of the Lord, it is nothing to them; their lusts, and whatever proceeded out of their mouths, that they will do and follow. Now, such will certainly perish in their own rebellion; for this is as the sin of witchcraft; it was the sin of Korah and his company, and that which brought upon them such heavy judgments; yea, and they are made a sign that thou shouldest not do as they, for they perished (because they rejected the word, the fear of the Lord) from among the congregation of the Lord, "and they became a sign." The word which thou despise still abided to denounce its woe and judgment upon thee; and unless God will save such with the breath of his word—and it is hard trusting to that—they must never see his face with comfort (1 Sam 15:22,23; Num 26:9,10).

2. Are the words of God called by the name of the fear of the Lord? Are they so dreadful in their receipt and sentence? Then this rebukes them that esteem the words and things of men more than the words of God, as those do who are drawn from their respect of, and obedience to, the Word of God, by the pleasures or threats of men. Some will acknowledge the authority of the Word but will not stop their souls to it. Whatever they think of themselves, they are judged by Christ to be ashamed of the Word, wherefore their state is damnable as the other. "Whosoever," saith he, "shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of the Father, with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

3. And if these things be so, what will become of those that mock at and professedly contemn the words of God, making them ridiculous and not to be regarded? Shall they prosper that do such things? From the promises, it is concluded that their judgment now, which has been slumbered for a long time, has not. When it comes, it will devour them without remedy (2 Chron 36:15). If God, I say, hath put that reverence upon his Word as to call it the fear of the Lord, what will become of them that do what they can to overthrow its authority, by denying it to be his Word, and by raising cavils against its authority? Such stumble, indeed, at the Word, being appointed thereunto, but it shall judge them in the last day (1 Peter 2:8; John 12:48). Thus, much for this.

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OF THIS WORD FEAR AS IT IS TAKEN FOR THE WORD OF GOD.

I shall now come to the second thing, to wit, to the rule and director of our fear.

SECOND. But again, this word FEAR is sometimes to be taken for THE WORD, the written Word of God, for that also is, and ought to be, the rule and director of our fear. So David calls it in the nineteenth Psalm: "The fear of the Lord," saith he, "is clean, enduring forever." The fear of the Lord, that is, the Word of the Lord, the written word; for that which he calleth in this place the fear of the Lord, even in the same place he calleth the law, statutes, commandments, and judgments of God. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple: the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes: the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." All these words have respect to the same thing, to wit, to the Word of God, jointly designing the glory of it. Among these phrases is one, "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever." This written Word is, therefore, the object of a Christian's fear. This is that also which David intended when he said, "Come, ye children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Psa 34:11). I will teach you the fear, that is, I will teach you the commandments, statutes, and judgments of the Lord, even as Moses commanded the children of Israel—"Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sit in thine house, and when thou walks by the way, and when thou lies down, and when thou rises up" (Deut 6:4-7).

Also, in the eleventh of Isaiah, the same is intended, where the Father saith of the Son that he shall be of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; that he may judge and smite the earth with the rod of his mouth. This rod in the text is none other but the fear, the Word of the Lord; for he was to be of a quick understanding, that he might smite, that is, execute it according to the will of his Father, upon and among the children of men. As I said, this is called the fear of the Lord because it is called the rule and director of our fear. For we know not how to fear the Lord in a saving way without its guidance and direction. As it is said of the priest that was sent back from captivity to Samaria to teach the people to fear the Lord, so it is said concerning the written Word; it is given to us, and left among us, that we may read therein all the days of our life, and learn to fear the Lord (Deut 6:1-3,24, 10:12, 17:19). And here it is that, trembling at the Word of God, is even by God himself not only taken notice of but counted as laudable and praiseworthy, as is evident in the case of Josiah (2 Chron 34:26,27). Such also are approved of God, let them be condemned by whomsoever: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my name's sake said, Let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed" (Isa 66:5).

Further, such shall be looked to, by God himself cared for, and watched over, that no distress, temptation, or affliction may overcome them and destroy them—"To this man will I look," saith God, "even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembled at my word." It is the same in substance as that in the same prophet in chapter 57: "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabited eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Yea, the way to escape dangers foretold is to hearken to, understand, and fear the Word of God—"He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh, made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses," and they were secured; but "he that regarded not the word of the Lord, left his servants and his cattle in the field," and they were destroyed of the hail (Exo 9:20-25).

If at any time the sins of a nation or church are discovered and bewailed, it is by them that know and tremble at the word of God. When Ezra heard of his brethren's wickedness and desired to humble himself before God for the same, who were they that would assist him in that matter, but they that trembled at the word of God?—"Then," saith he, "were assembled unto me everyone that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away" (Ezra 9:4). They are such also that tremble at the Word that are best able to give counsel in the matters of God, for their judgment best suited with his mind and will: "Now therefore," said he, "let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the (strange) wives,—according to the counsel of my Lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the law" (Ezra 10:3). Now something of the dread and terror of the Word lieth in these things.

First, as I have already hinted from their author, they are God's words. Therefore, you have Moses and the prophets, when they came to deliver their errand, their message to the people, still saying, "Hear the word of the Lord," "Thus saith the Lord," and the like. So when Ezekiel was sent to the house of Israel, in their state of religion, thus was he bid to say unto them, "Thus saith the Lord God"; "Thus saith the Lord God" (Eze 2:4, 3:11). This is the honor and majesty, then, that God hath put upon his written Word. Thus he hath done even of purpose, that we might make them the rule and directory of our fear, and that we might stand in awe of, and tremble at them. When Habakkuk heard the word of the Lord, his belly trembled, and rottenness entered into his bones. "I trembled in myself," said he, "that I might rest in the day of trouble" (Hab 3:16). The word of a king is as the roaring of a lion; where the word of a king is, there is power. What is it, then, when God, the great God, shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem, whose voice shakes not only the earth but also heaven? How doth holy David set it forth; "The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty," &c. (Psa 29).

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1. That which makes the worship of God so fearful a thing is, for that it is the worship of GOD: all manner of service carries more or less dread and fear along with it, according to the quality or condition of the person is to whom the worship and service is done. This is seen in the service of subjects to their princes, the service of servants to their lords, and the service of children to their parents. Divine worship, then, being due to God, for it is now of Divine worship we speak, and this God so great and dreadful in himself and name, his worship must therefore be a fearful thing.

2. Besides, this glorious Majesty is himself present to behold his worshippers in their worshipping him. "When two or three of you are gathered together in my name, I am there." That is, gathered together to worship him, "I am there," says he. And so, again, he is said to walk "in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks" (Rev 1:13). That is, in the churches, and with a countenance like a sun, with a head and hair as white as snow, and with eyes like a flame of fire. This puts dread and fear into his service, so his servants should serve him with fear.

3. Above all things, God is jealous of his worship and service. In all the ten words, he tells us not anything of his being a jealous God, but in the second, which respects his worship (Exo 20). Look to yourselves, therefore, both as to the matter and manner of your worship; "for I the Lord thy God," says he, "am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children." This, therefore, doth also put dread and fear into the worship and service of God.

4. The judgments that sometimes God hath executed upon men for their want of godly fear while they have been in his worship and service put fear and dread upon his holy appointments. (1.) Nadab and Abihu were burned to death with fire from heaven because they attempted to offer false fire upon God's altar, and the reason rendered why they were so served was because God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him (Lev 10:1-3). To sanctify his name is to let him be thy dread and fear and to do nothing in his worship but what pleases him. But because these men had not grace to do this, therefore they died before the Lord. (2.) Eli's sons, for want of this fear, when they ministered in the holy worship of God, were both slain in one day by the sword of the uncircumcised Philistines (see 1 Sam 2). (3.) Uzzah was smitten and died before the Lord, for but an unadvised touching of the ark, when the men forsook it (1 Chron 13:9,10). (4.) Ananias and Sapphira, his wife, for telling a lie in the church when they were before God, were both stricken dead upon the place before them all because they wanted the fear and dread of God's majesty, name, and service, when they came before him (Acts 5).

This, therefore, should teach us to conclude that, next to God's nature and name, his service, his instituted worship, is the most dreadful thing under heaven. His name is upon his ordinances, his eye is upon the worshippers, and his wrath and judgment upon those that worship not in his fear. For this cause, some of those at Corinth were cut off by God himself, and to others, he has given back and will again be with them no more (1 Cor 11:27-32).

This also rebuked three sorts of people.

[Three sorts of people rebuked.]

1. Regarding not worshipping God at all, be sure they have no reverence of his service nor fear of his majesty before their eyes. Sinner, thou dost not come before the Lord to worship him; thou dost not bow before the high God; thou neither worship him in thy closet nor in the congregation of saints. The fury of the Lord and his indignation must in a short time be poured out upon thee and the families that call not upon his name (Psa 79:6; Jer 10:25).

2. This rebukes such as count it enough to present their body where God is worshipped, not minding with what heart or spirit they come thither. Some go into the worship of God to sleep there; some come thither to meet with their Chapman and to get into the wicked fellowship of their vain companions. Some come thither to feed their lustful and adulterous eyes with the flattering beauty of their fellow sinners. O, what a sad account will these worshippers give when they shall count for all this and be damned for it because they come not to worship the Lord with that fear of his name that became them to come in when they presented themselves before him!

3. This also rebukes those that are not, so they worship, how they worship, how, where, or after what manner they worship God. Those, I mean, whose fear towards God "is taught by the precept of men." They are hypocrites; their worship also is vain and a stink in the nostrils of God. "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid" (Isa 29:13,14; Matt 15:7-9; Mark 7:6,7). Thus, I conclude that God is called our dread and fear.

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Object. But would you not have us rejoice at the sight and sense of the forgiveness of our sins?

Answ. Yes; but yet I would have you, and indeed you shall, when God shall tell you that your sins are pardoned indeed, "rejoice with trembling" (Psa 2:11). For then you have solid and godly joy; a joyful heart, and wet eyes, in this will stand very well together; and it will be so more or less. For if God shall come to you indeed, and visit you with the forgiveness of sins, that visit removed the guilt but increased the sense of thy filth, and the sense of this that God hath forgiven a filthy sinner, will make thee both rejoice and tremble. O, the blessed confusion that will then cover thy face while thou, even thou, so vile a wretch, shalt stand before God to receive at his hand thy pardon, and so the first fruits of thy eternal salvation—"That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame (thy filth), when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God" (Eze 16:63). But,

Second. As the presence, so the name of God, is dreadful and fearful: wherefore his name doth rightly go under the same title, "That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD" (Deut 28:58). The name of God, what is that, but that by which he is distinguished and known from all others? Names are to distinguish by; so man is distinguished from beasts, and angels from men; so heaven from earth, and darkness from light; especially when by the name, the nature of the thing is signified and expressed; and so it was in their original, for then names expressed the nature of the thing so named. And therefore it is that the name of God is the object of our fear because by his name his nature is expressed: "Holy and reverend is his name" (Psa 111:9). And again, he proclaimed the name of the Lord, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty" (Exo 34:6,7).

Also, his name, I am, Jah, Jehovah, with several others, is what they intended. Still, his nature, as his power, wisdom, eternity, goodness, and omnipotence, &c., might be expressed and declared. Therefore, the name of God is the object of a Christian's fear. David prayed to God that he would unite his heart to fear his name (Psa 86:11). Indeed, the name of God is fearful and should always be reverenced by his people: yea, his "name is to be feared forever and ever," and that not only in his church, and among his saints, but even in the world and among the heathen—"So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all kings thy glory" (Psa 102:15). God tells us that his name is dreadful and that he is pleased to see men be afraid before his name. Yeah, one reason why he executed so many judgments upon men as he did is that others might see and fear his name. "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun" (Isa 59:19; Mal 2:5).

The name of a king is a name of fear—"And I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts" (Mal 1:14). The name of the master is a name of fear—"And if I am a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord" (v 6). Right, to fear the Lord is a sign of a gracious heart. And again, "To you that fear my name," saith he, "shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (Mal 4:2). Yeah, when Christ comes to judge the world, he will give reward to his servants the prophets, and to his saints, "and to them that fear his name, small and great" (Rev 11:18). Now, I say since the name of God is that by which his nature is expressed, and since he naturally is so glorious and incomprehensible, his name must need to be the object of our fear. We ought always to have reverent awe of God upon our hearts at whatever time we think of or hear his name. Still, most of all, when we ourselves do take his holy and fearful name into our mouths, especially in a religious manner, that is, in preaching, praying, or holy conference. I do not by thus saying intend as if it was lawful to make mention of his name in light and vain discourses, for we ought always to speak of it with reverence and godly fear, but I tell it to put Christians in mind that they should not in religious duties show lightness of mind, or be vain in their words when yet they are making mention of the name of the Lord—"Let every one that name the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim 2:19).

Make mention then of the name of the Lord at all times with great dread of his majesty upon our hearts and in great soberness and truth. To do otherwise is to profane the Lord's name and take his name in vain, and "the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." Yea, God saith that he will cut off the man that doth it; so jealous is he of the honor due unto his name (Exo 20:7; Lev 20:3). This, therefore, showed you the dreadful state of those that lightly, vainly, lyingly, and profanely make use of the name, this fearful name of God, either by their blasphemous cursing and oaths, or by their fraudulent dealing with their neighbor; for some men have no way to prevail with their neighbor to bow under a cheat, but by calling falsely upon the name of the Lord to be witness that the wickedness is good and honest; but how these men will escape, when they shall be judged, devouring fire and everlasting burnings, for their profaning and blaspheming of the name of the Lord, becomes them betimes to consider of (Jer 14:14,15; Eze 20:39; Exo 20:7).[3]

But, Third. As the presence and name of God are dreadful and fearful in the church, so is his worship and service. I say his worship, or the works of service to which we are by him enjoined while we are in this world, are dreadful and fearful things. This David conceived, when he saith, "But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy, and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple" (Psa 5:7). And again, saith he, "Serve the Lord with fear." To praise God is a part of his worship. But, says Moses, "Who is a God like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" (Exo 15:11). To rejoice before him is a part of his worship, but David bids us "rejoice with trembling" (Psa 2:11). Yea, the whole of our service to God, and every part thereof, ought to be done by us with reverence and godly fear. Therefore, as Paul saith again, let us, "Cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor 7:1; Heb 12).