Many also at this day are possessed with this unG.o.dly fear; and you may know them by this,--they cannot abide conviction for sin, and if at any time the word of the law, by the preaching of the word, comes near them, they will not abide that preacher, nor such kind of sermons any more. They are, as they deem, best at ease, when furthest off of G.o.d, and of the power of his word. The word preached brings G.o.d nearer to them than they desire he should come, because whenever G.o.d 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 G.o.d through Christ, nor that grace that tendeth to bring them to him, they cannot but think of G.o.d 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 G.o.d beget in them this unG.o.dly fear; and again, this unG.o.dly fear doth maintain in them the continuance of these wrong and unworthy thoughts of G.o.d, 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 unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d that carried Cain from the presence of G.o.d 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 G.o.d against his sin, and so live the rest of his vain life in the more sinful security and fleshly ease. This unG.o.dly fear is that also which Samuel perceived at the people"s apprehension of their sin, to begin to get hold of their hearts; wherefore he, as Moses before him, quickly forbids their entertaining of it. "Fear not," said he, "ye have done all this wickedness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord." For to turn them aside from following of him, was the natural tendency of this fear. "But fear not," said he, that is, with that fear that tendeth 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 G.o.d, as shall incline thy heart to fly from him, thou art possessed with a fear of G.o.d that is unG.o.dly, yea, so unG.o.dly, 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 G.o.d; "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 unG.o.dly fear is that which you read of in Isaiah 2, and in many other places, and G.o.d"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.[8]
Third. There is a fear of G.o.d, which, although it hath not in it that power as to make men flee from G.o.d"s presence, yet it is unG.o.dly, because, even while they are in the outward way of G.o.d"s ordinances, their hearts are by it quite discouraged from attempting to exercise themselves in the power of religion. Of this sort are they which dare not cast off the hearing, reading, and discourse of the word as others; no, nor the a.s.sembly of G.o.d"s children for the exercise of other religious duties, for their conscience is convinced this is the way and worship of G.o.d. But yet their heart, as I said, by this unG.o.dly fear, is kept from a powerful gracious falling in with G.o.d. This fear takes away their heart from all holy and G.o.dly prayer in private, and from all holy and G.o.dly zeal for his name in public, and there be many professors whose hearts are possessed with this unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d; and they are intended by the slothful one. He was a servant, a servant among the servants of G.o.d, and had gifts and abilities given him, therewith to serve Christ, as well as his fellows, yea, and was commanded too, as well as the rest, to occupy till his master came. But what does he? Why, he takes his talent, the gift that he was to lay out for his master"s profit, and puts it in a napkin, digs a hole in the earth, and hides his lord"s money, and lies in a lazy manner at to-elbow all his days, not out of, but in his lord"s vineyard;[9] for he came among the servants also at last. By which it is manifest that he had not cast off his profession, but was slothful and negligent while he was in it. But what was it that made him thus slothful? What was it that took away his heart, while he was in the way, and that discouraged him from falling in with the power and holy practice of religion according to the talent he received? Why, it was this, he gave way to an unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d, and that took away his heart from the power of religious duties. "Lord," said he, "behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept, laid up in a napkin, for I feared thee."
Why, man, doth the fear of G.o.d make a man idle and slothful? No, no; that is, if it be right and G.o.dly. This fear was therefore evil fear; it was that unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d which I have here been speaking of. For I feared thee, or as Matthew hath it, "for I was afraid." Afraid of what? Of Christ, "that he was an hard man, reaping where he sowed not, and gathering where he had not strawed."
This his fear, being unG.o.dly, made him apprehend of Christ contrary to the goodness of his nature, and so took away his heart from all endeavours to be doing of that which was pleasing in his sight (Luke 19:20; Matt 25:24, 25). And thus do all those that retain the name and show of religion, but are neglecters as to the power and G.o.dly practice of it. These will live like dogs and swine in the house; they pray not, they watch not their hearts, they pull not their hands out of their bosoms to work, they do not strive against their l.u.s.ts, nor will they ever resist unto blood, striving against sin; they cannot take up their cross, or improve what they have to G.o.d"s glory. Let all men therefore take heed of this unG.o.dly fear, and shun it as they shun the devil, for it will make them afraid where no fear is. It will tell them that there is a lion in the street, the unlikeliest place in the world for such a beast to be in; it will put a vizard upon the face of G.o.d, most dreadful and fearful to behold, and then quite discourage the soul as to his service; so it served the slothful servant, and so it will serve thee, poor sinner, if thou entertainest it, and givest way thereto. But,
Fourth. This unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d shows itself also in this. It will not suffer the soul that is governed thereby to trust only to Christ for justification of life, but will bend the powers of the soul to trust partly to the works of the law. Many of the Jews were, in the time of Christ and his apostles, possessed with this unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d, for they were not as the former, to wit, as the slothful servant, to receive a talent and hide it in the earth in a napkin, but they were an industrious people, they followed after the law of righteousness, they had a zeal of G.o.d and of the religion of their fathers; but how then did they come to miscarry?
Why, their fear of G.o.d was unG.o.dly; it would not suffer them wholly to trust to the righteousness of faith, which is the imputed righteousness of Christ. They followed after the law of righteousness, but attained not to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. But what was it that made them join their works of the law with Christ, but their unbelief, whose foundation was ignorance and fear? They were afraid to venture all in one bottom, they thought two strings to one bow would be best, and thus betwixt two stools they came to the ground. And hence, to fear and to doubt, are put together as being the cause one of another; yea, they are put ofttimes the one for the other; thus unG.o.dly fear for unbelief: "Be not afraid, only believe," and therefore he that is overruled and carried away with this fear, is coupled with the unbeliever that is thrust out from the holy city among the dogs. But the fearful and unbelievers, and murderers are without (Rev 21:8). "The fearful and unbelieving," you see, are put together; for indeed fear, that is, this unG.o.dly fear, is the ground of unbelief, or, if you will, unbelief is the ground of fear, this fear: but I stand not upon nice distinctions. This unG.o.dly fear hath a great hand in keeping of the soul from trusting only to Christ"s righteousness for justification of life.
Fifth. This unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d is that which will put men upon adding to the revealed will of G.o.d their own inventions, and their own performances of them, as a means to pacify the anger of G.o.d.
For the truth is, where this unG.o.dly fear reigneth, 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 G.o.d of the land; but behold when they knew it, being taught it by the priest, yet their fear would not suffer them to be content with that worship only. "They feared the Lord," saith the text, "and served their own G.o.ds." 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, as the washing of cups, and beds, and tables, and basins, with abundance of such other like gear,[10]
none knows the many dangers that an unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d 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 unG.o.dly 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 of sackcloth, saying so many Pater-nosters, 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 unG.o.dly fear of G.o.d? For could they be brought to believe this doctrine, that Christ was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification, and to apply it by faith with G.o.dly boldness to their own souls, this fear would vanish, and so consequently all those things with which they so needlessly and unprofitably afflicted themselves, offend G.o.d, and grieve his people. Therefore, gentle reader, although my text doth bid that indeed thou shouldest fear G.o.d, yet it includeth not, nor accepteth of any fear; no, not of any [or every] fear of G.o.d. For there is, as you see, a fear of G.o.d that is unG.o.dly, and that is to be shunned as their sin. Wherefore thy wisdom and thy care should be, to see and prove thy fear to be G.o.dly, which shall be the next thing that I shall take in hand.
THIRD. The third thing that I am to speak to is, that there is a fear of G.o.d in the heart of some men that is good and G.o.dly, but yet doth not for ever abide so. Or you may take it thus--There is a fear of G.o.d that is G.o.dly 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 begetteth in the soul a sense of its right to eternal d.a.m.nation; 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 d.a.m.nable, he hath not this fear in his heart, but he that is under the powerful workings of the word of wrath, as G.o.d"s elect are at first conversion, he hath this G.o.dly fear in his heart; that is, he fears that that d.a.m.nation will come upon him, which by the justice of G.o.d 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 that with great trembling of soul, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 2, 16). The method of G.o.d 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 pa.s.sed 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 persecutest 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.
He lay, I say, under it, until that Ananias came to him to comfort him, and to preach unto him the forgiveness of sin (Acts 9). The fear therefore that now I call G.o.dly, it is that fear which is properly called the fear of eternal d.a.m.nation for sin, and this fear, at first awakening, is good and G.o.dly, because it ariseth in the soul from a true sense of its very state. Its state by nature is d.a.m.nable, because it is sinful, and because he is not one that as yet believeth in Christ for remission of sins: "He that believeth not shall be d.a.m.ned."--"He that believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of G.o.d abideth on him" (Mark 16:16; John 3:18,36).
The which when the sinner at first begins to see, he justly fears it; I say, he fears it justly, and therefore G.o.dly, because by this fear he subscribes to the sentence that is gone out against him for sin.
Second. By whom or by what is this fear wrought in the heart? To this I shall answer in brief. It is wrought in the heart by the Spirit of G.o.d, working there at first as a spirit of bondage, on purpose to put us in fear. This Paul insinuateth, 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. It is then the Spirit of G.o.d, even the Holy Ghost, that convinceth us of sin, and so of our d.a.m.nable state because of sin (John 16:8,9). For it cannot be that the Spirit of G.o.d should convince us of sin, but it must also show us our state to be d.a.m.nable because of it, especially if it so convinceth us, before we believe, and that is the intent of our Lord in that place, "of sin," and so of their d.a.m.nable state by sin, because they believe not on me. Therefore the Spirit of G.o.d, 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 properly 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 d.a.m.nation; for this is our proper state by nature, though we see it not until the Spirit of G.o.d 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, not above an hour; but some in these later times are so held for days and months, if not years.[11] But, I say, let the time be longer or shorter, it is the Spirit of G.o.d that holdeth 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 bear 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 G.o.d held in this bondage, that is, hath such a discovery of his sin and of his d.a.m.nation 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 changeth 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.
Now, although this G.o.dly fear is not to last always with us, as I shall further show you anon, yet it greatly differs from that which is wholly unG.o.dly of itself, both because of the author, and also of the effects of it. 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 to fall down before G.o.d with a broken mind under this judgment; the which is pleasing to G.o.d, because the sinner by so doing justifies G.o.d in his saying, and clears him in his judgment (Psa 51:1-4).
2. As this fear makes a man judge himself, and cast himself down at G.o.d"s foot, so 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 G.o.d"s foot, and puts his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. This also is well-pleasing to G.o.d, because now is the sinner as nothing, and in his own eyes less than nothing, as to any good or desert: "He sitteth alone and keepeth silence," because he hath now this yoke upon him; "he putteth 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 G.o.d 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 criest out, "G.o.d be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).
5. This fear makes a man that he cannot accept of that for support and succour which others that are dest.i.tute thereof will take up, and be contented with. This man must be washed by G.o.d himself, and cleansed from his sin by G.o.d himself (Psa 51).
6. Therefore this fear goes not away until the Spirit of G.o.d doth change his ministration as to this particular, in 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 G.o.dly, that is, until Christ by the Spirit in the gospel is revealed and made over unto us, and no longer.
Thus far this fear is G.o.dly, and the reason why it is G.o.dly is because the groundwork of it is good. I told you before what this fear is; namely, it is the fear of d.a.m.nation. Now the ground for this fear is good, as is manifest by these particulars. 1. The soul feareth d.a.m.nation, and that rightly, because it is in its sins.
2. The soul feareth d.a.m.nation rightly, because it hath not faith in Christ, but is at present under the law. 3. The soul feareth d.a.m.nation rightly now, because by sin, the law, and for want of faith, the wrath of G.o.d abideth on it. But now, although thus far this fear of G.o.d is good and G.o.dly, yet after Christ by the Spirit in the word of the gospel is revealed to us, and we made to accept of him as so revealed and offered to us by a true and living faith; this fear, to wit, of d.a.m.nation, is no longer good, but unG.o.dly.
Nor doth the Spirit of G.o.d ever work it in us again. Now we do not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, that is to say, to fear d.a.m.nation, but we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Father, Father. But I would not be mistaken, when I say, that this fear is no longer G.o.dly. I do not mean with reference to the essence and habit of it, for I believe it is the same in the seed which shall afterwards 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 d.a.m.nation, 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 G.o.d cannot work this unG.o.dly fear.]
1. Because that the soul by closing through the promise, by the Spirit, with Jesus Christ, is removed off of that foundation upon which it stood when it justly feared d.a.m.nation. It hath received now 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 d.a.m.nation, 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 G.o.d was my Father through Christ, that I was under the promise of salvation, and that this calling and gift of G.o.d 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 G.o.d? No, no, the word of the gospel is not yea, yea; nay, nay. It is only yea, and amen; it is so, "as G.o.d 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 G.o.d to-day, a child of h.e.l.l 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 G.o.d; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of G.o.d 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 d.a.m.nation, 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 G.o.d Father, Father. Well said, and what after that? Why, after that I fell into as great fears as ever I was in before.[12]
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 is come, 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 is come, the spirit of bondage, as such, is sent of G.o.d no more, to put us into those fears. For, mark, for 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d has helped me, by Christ, to call G.o.d my Father, he tells me no more that 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 G.o.d; but this is the fear that the Spirit, as a spirit of bondage, worketh in the soul at first.
Quest. Can you give me further reason yet to convict me of the truth of what you say?
Answ. Yes.
1. Because as the Spirit cannot give himself the lie, so he cannot overthrow his own order of working, nor yet 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, that 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 needs follow, that is, he overthroweth 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 G.o.d Father, Father.
2. This is evident also, because the covenant in which now the soul is interested abideth, and is everlasting, not upon the supposition of my obedience, but upon the unchangeable purpose of G.o.d, 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 standeth in itself everlastingly bent for the good of them that are involved in it. Hear the tenor of the covenant, and G.o.d"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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d 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 d.a.m.nation.
3. The Spirit of G.o.d, 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 G.o.d "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 G.o.d should come as a spirit of bondage to put him into a grounded fear of d.a.m.nation, that standeth complete before G.o.d in the righteousness of Christ; for that is an apparent contradiction.[13]
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 saith the contrary; for we "have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear." Nor is G.o.d 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 d.a.m.nation, also that we are without Christ, without the promise, without grace, and without G.o.d 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 unG.o.dly 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 d.a.m.nation, and so into bondage?
Answ. By the spirit of the devil, who always labours to frustrate the faith, and hope, and comfort of the G.o.dly.
Quest. How doth that appear?
Answ. 1. By the groundlessness of such fears. 2. By the unseasonableness of them. 3. By the effects of them.
1. By the groundlessness of such fears. The ground is removed; for a grounded fear of d.a.m.nation is this--I am yet in my sins, in a state of nature, under the law, without faith, and so under the wrath of G.o.d. This, I say, is the ground of the fear of d.a.m.nation, the true ground to fear it; but now the man that we are talking of, is one that hath the ground of this fear taken away by the testimony and seal of the spirit of adoption. He is called, justified, and has, for the truth of this his condition, received the evidence of the spirit of adoption, and hath been thereby enabled to call G.o.d "Father, Father." Now he that hath received this, has the ground of the fear of d.a.m.nation taken from him; therefore his fear, I say, being without ground, is false, and so no work of the Spirit of G.o.d.
2. By the unseasonableness of them. This spirit always comes too late. It comes after the spirit of adoption is come. Satan is always for being too soon or too late. If he would have men believe they are children, he would have them believe it while they are slaves, slaves to him and their l.u.s.ts. If he would have them believe they are slaves, it is when they are sons, and have received the spirit of adoption, and the testimony, by that, of their sonship before.
And this evil is rooted even in his nature--"He is a liar, and the father of it"; and his lies are not known to saints more than in this, that he labours always to contradict the work and order of the Spirit of truth (John 8).
3. It also appears by the effects of such fears. For there is a great deal of difference betwixt the natural effects of these fears which are wrought indeed by the spirit of bondage, and those which are wrought by the spirit of the devil afterwards. The one, to wit, the fears that are wrought by the spirit of bondage, causeth us to confess the truth, to wit, that we are Christless, graceless, faithless, and so at present; that is, while he is so working in a sinful and d.a.m.nable case; but the other, to wit, the spirit of the devil, when he comes, which is after the spirit of adoption is come, he causeth us to make a lie; that is, to say we are Christless, graceless, and faithless. Now this, I say, is wholly, and in all part of it, a lie, and HE is the father of it.