The Riches of Bunyan | Page 8

the Lord, and to take his
name in vain.
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.

His presence is dreadful; and not only his presence in common, but his
special, yea, 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 Jacoh went from Beersheba to Haran,
he met with God in the way by a dream, in the which he apprehended a
ladder set upon the earth, whose top reached to heaven. Now in this
dream, at 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 in the most sweet and gracious manner, saluting him with
promise of goodness after promise of goodness, to the number of eight
or nine. Yet, I say, when he awoke, all the grace that discovered itself
in this heavenly vision to him could not keep him from dread and fear
of God's majesty: "And Jacob awoke out of his sleep and said, 'Surely
the Lord was 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.'"
At another time, 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. Man crumbles to dust at the presence of God; yea, though he
show himself to us in his robes of salvation. Gen. 28:10-17; 32:30.
JUSTICE OF GOD.
You may see a few of the sparks of the justice of God against sin and
sinners, by his casting off angels for sin from heaven and hell, by his
drowning the old world, by his burning of Sodom and Gomorrah to
ashes.
God is resolved to have the mastery. God is merciful, and is come forth
into the world by his Son, tendering grace unto sinners by the gospel,
and would willingly make a conquest over them for their good by his
mercy. Now he being come out, sinners like briars and thorns do set
themselves against him, and will have none of his mercy. Well, but
what says God? Saith he, "Then I will march on. I will go through them,
and burn them together. I am resolved to have the mastery one way or
another; if they will not bend to me and accept of my mercy in the
gospel, I will bend them and break them by my justice in hell-fire."

HOLINESS OF GOD.
The holiness of God makes the angels cover their faces, and crumbles
Christians, when they behold it, into dust and ashes.
SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
The will of God is the rule of all righteousness, neither knoweth he any
other way by which he governeth and ordereth any of his actions.
Whatsoever God doeth, it is good because he doeth it; whether it be to
give grace or to detain it, whether in choosing or refusing. The
consideration of this made the holy men of old ascribe righteousness to
their Maker, even when yet they could not see the reason of his actions;
they would rather stand amazed and wonder at the heights and depths
of his unsearchable judgments, than quarrel at the most strange and
obscure of them.
SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN CONVERSION.
Mercy may receive him that we have doomed to hell, and justice may
take hold on him whom we have judged to be bound up in the bundle
of life. We, like Joseph, are for setting of Manasseh before Ephraim;
but God, like Jacob, puts his hands across, and lays his right hand upon
the worst man's head and his left hand upon the best, Gen. 48, to the
amazement and wonderment even of the best of men.
PROVIDENCE OF GOD IN CONVERSION.
Doth no man come to Jesus Christ by the will, wisdom, and power of
man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father? Then here is
room for Christians to stand and wonder at the effectual working of
God's providence, that he hath made use of as means to bring them to
Jesus Christ.
What was the providence