John Bunyan
Another encouragement for those that are blessed with this blessed grace of fear is this: this fear does not fail to do this work2 for the soul, if it is truly there, no matter how small in measure. A little of this leaven “leaveneth the whole lump”. True, a little will not do, or help the soul to do, those worthy exploits in the heart or life as well as a bigger measure thereof will; nor indeed can a little of any grace do what a bigger measure will; but a little will preserve the soul from final apostasy and deliver it into the arms of the Son of God at the final judgement.
Wherefore, when God says, “I will put My fear in their hearts”, He does not say, I will put so much of it there, such a quantity, or such a degree; but, I will put My fear there. I do not say this in the least to tempt the godly man to be content with the least degree of the fear of God in his heart. True, men should be glad that God has put even the least degree of this grace into their souls, but they should not be content with that; they should earnestly covet more, pray for more, and use all lawful means – that is, all the means that God has appointed – that they may get more.
1An edited extract from Bunyan’s book, The Fear of God, which was recently republished by the Banner of Truth Trust. See the review on page 279 of the September 2019 issue of this Magazine.
2Bunyan seems to be referring to the work of opposing sin.
There are, as I have said already, several degrees of this grace of fear, and it is our wisdom to grow in it, as in all the other graces of the Spirit. The reasons why, I have shown you, and also the way to grow in it; but the least measure of it will do as I said: it will keep the soul from final apostasy. There are, as I have shown you, those that greatly fear the Lord, that fear exceedingly, or that fear Him more than many of their brethren do; but those who are small in this grace are saved, as well as those that are great in it: “He will bless”, or save, “them that fear the Lord, both small and great”.
The fear of the Lord is the pulse of the soul; and as some pulses beat stronger and some weaker, so is this grace of fear in the soul. They that beat best are a sign of best life, but they that beat worst show that life is present. As long as the pulse beats, we do not count that the man is dead, though weak; and where this fear is, it preserves him to everlasting life. There are pulses that are intermittent: they beat for a little time, and stop a little time, and then beat again; true, these are dangerous pulses, but yet they too are a sign of life. This fear of God also is sometimes like this intermittent pulse; there are times when it does not work, and then it works again. David had an intermittent pulse; Peter had an intermittent pulse, as also many other saints of God. I call that an intermittent pulse, with reference to the fear we speak of, when there is some obstruction by the working of corruptions in the soul – I say, some obstruction from, and hindrance of, the continual motion of this fear of God. Yet none of these are signs of death, but of life – though they vary, and some of them are signs of weakness. “I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me.”
Question. But you may say, How shall I know that I fear God?
Answer. If I should say that desires – true, sincere desires to fear Him – are fear itself, I should not say amiss (Neh 1:11). For although a desire to be or do something does not make a man to be what he desires to be in temporal or natural things – for a sick, or poor, or imprisoned man may desire to be well, to be rich, or to be at liberty, and yet continue as they are, sick, poor, or in prison – yet in spiritual things, a man’s desire to be good, to believe, to love, to hope and fear God flows from the nature of grace itself.
I said therefore that in temporal things a man could not properly be said to be what he was not; yet a man, even in natural or temporal things, shows his love to that thing that he desires, whether it is health, riches, or liberty. And in spiritual things, sincere desires, from love to this or that grace of God, flow from the root of the grace itself – “Thy servants, who desire to fear Thy name”. 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 heart, his love, his affections and his delights in his desires; and since the grace of the
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 of this grace which is in the soul already.
True desires are lower than higher acts of grace, but God will not overlook 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 will have a city. At this low place of sincere desires, God will meet the soul and will tell him that He has accepted his desires, that his desires are his kindness and they flow from grace itself. “He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him.” Therefore desires are not rejected by God, but they would be 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. Therefore, since you fear God, and it is evident by your desires that you do so, you are happy now in this your fear, and shall be happy for ever hereafter in the enjoyment of what God has laid up in another world for them that fear Him.