(2d.) Christ never came to establish this liberty ; for he came to
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bring us back again in heart and life to God, from wliom we had fallen, to fit us to obey the law of God, by healing our natures : Heb. viii. 10, ' 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 minds, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.' The great blessing of the gospel is grace to keep the law, not liberty to break it ; and all new creatures are enabled to keep it, not in absolute perfection, yet with a sincere obedience : Eph. iv. 24, ' And that ye put on the new man, which after God is ■created in righteousness and true holiness ;' Luke i. 75, ' That we should serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives.'
(3d.) The more we set ourselves to keep the law, the more we enjoy Ood and ourselves.
First, The more we enjoy God ; for the more obedient we are, the more pleasing we are to him and amiable in his sight : Prov. xi. 20, ' They that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord ; but such as are upright in their way, are his delight ; ' Ps. xi. 7, ' The righteous God loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the ui)right.' God delighteth in us not so much as pardoned, but as sanc- tified. They have most communion with him : 1 John i. 7, ' If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another ; ' they have most of the favour of God, and fellowship with him.
Secondly, The more also we enjoy ourselves. Sin is a wounding thing; nature looketh upon it as a disorder, therefore where it is allowed it breedeth fear, which is a bondage the wicked are never freed from, though they do not always feel it : Heb. ii. 15, * And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.' But now the more we set ourselves to keep the law of Ood, the more happiness and serenity in our own souls : Ps. cxix. 165, ' Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall Joffend them ; ' partly from the consciousness of having done their ■duty, partly as their interest is more clear, and so their comfort more full and strong.
3. The doctrine of perseverance, ' Sin shall not have dominion over them,' whether they strive against it, yea or no ; and so, instead of a resolute resistance, they cherish presumptuous security. There is a holy confidence which the sincere cherish, not to slacken duty, but increase it ; such as that of Paul, 2 Tim. i. 12, ' For the which cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have com- mitted to him against that day.' This is trusting ourselves in God's liands, and keeping his way. But there is a presumptuous security also, when men think they are past all danger, and so look upon cautious watchfulness as a needless thing, whereas the scripture press- eth it everywhere. Now, to prevent this, consider —
[1.] The union of ends and means. The sincere convert shall be kept blameless to God's heavenly kingdom, but he is kept in God's way. All God's purposes are executed by fit means. God had assured Paul, ' That there should be no loss of any man's life among them, but
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only of the ship,' Acts xxvii, 22 ; yet afterwards he telleth them, ' Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved,' ver. 31. How- could that assurance given to Paul from God, and Paul's caution stand together ? God, that decrees the end, hath appointed means whereby he will execute his decree. Well, then, God having showed us in his word what means are necessary to such an end, there is a necessity of duty lying upon man to use those means, and not to expect the end without them. God intended to save all in the ship, yet the mariners must abide in the ship ; we must not pervert God's order. You shall not fall away and revert into your old slavery ; but you must remem- ber you have given up your bodies as instruments of righteousness- unto God.
[2.] Among other the means required by God, there are these two things to be considered — fear of falling, and the danger of back- sliding.
(1.) Fear of falling: Heb. iv. 1, ' Let us therefore fear, lest a pro- mise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should seem to come short of it;' 1 Peter i. 17, 'Pass the time of your sojourning here with fear;' Phil. ii. 12, ' Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.' Fear is careful and solicitous. What fear is this ? A fear of caution : 1 Cor. x. 12, ' Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.' Of reverence : Jer. xxxii. 40, ' I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.'