108 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIIJ. [SeR. XXII.
iJie heir difFereth nothing, or nothing to speak of, from a servant, yet in time he behavcth liimself as a son, and is treated as a son; and they get more comfort and joy in the service of God. But the pre- dominant legality is in the carnal ; it may be known hy the governing principle, — fear or love ; the inseparable companion of the spirit of bondage is fear; and love and sonsliip, the spirit of adoption, go together. Where slavish fear prevailetli and influenceth our religion, it may be known by these two things : —
[1.] By their imwillingness and reluctancy to what they do for God. The good they do, they would not ; and the evil they do not, they would do ; that is, they would fain live in a sinful life if they durst, and be excused from religious duties, except that little outward part which their custom and credit engages them to perform ; like birds that in a sunshine day sing in the cage, though they had rather be in the woods. They live not an holy life, though some of the duties whicli belong to it they observe, OTit of a fear to be damned ; if they had their freest choice, they had rather live in the love of the creature than in the love of God ; and the pleasures of the flesh than the heavenly life. But now they that have the spirit of adoption, and are inclined to tlie love of God and holiness, have hearts suited to their work : Ps. xl. 8, ' Thy law is in my heart ; ' and Heb. viii. 10, ' I will put my law into their minds, and write them upon their hearts.' They obey, not from the urgings of the law from without, but from the poise and inclina- tion of the new natiire ; not barely as enjoined, but as inclined. They do not say, 0 that this were no duty, or this sinful cour.se lawful ! but, 0 how I love thy law ! Ps. cxix. 97. ' 0 that my ways were directed ! ' Ps. cxix. 5. They do not groan and complain of the strictness of the law, but of theremaiuders of corruption, Rom. vii. 24. Not, who will free me from the law ? but who will free me from this body of death ? Their will is to serve God more and better, not to be excused from the duties of holiness, or serving him at all.
[2.] By the cause of their trouble about what they have done, or left undone. They are not troubled for the offence done to God, but their own danger; not for sin, but merely the punishment; as Esau sought the blessing with tears, when he had lost it, Heb. xii. 17. He was troubled, but why ? Non quia vendiderat, sed quia perdiderat. Not because he sold it, which was his sin ; but lost the privileges of the birthright, which was his misery. So many carnal men, whose hearts are in a secret love and league with their lusts, yet are troubled about their condition, not because they are afraid to sin, but afraid to be damned ; it is not God's displeasure they care for, but their own safety. The young man went away sad and grieved, Mark x. 22, because he had great possessions ; because he could not reconcile his covetous mind with Christ's counsel and direction. Felix trembled, being con- vinced of sins, which he was loath to discontinue and break off. Slavish fear, though it dotli not divorce the heart from its lusts, yet it raiscth trouble about them.
Use 3. Is to press you to get rid of this spirit of bondage, and to prevail upon it more and more. For motives, —
[1.] It is dishonourable to God, and supposeth strange prejudices and misrepresentations of God ; as if liis government were a kind of
VeB. 15.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 109
tyranny, grievous and hurtful to man ; and we think him a hard master whom it is impossible to please ; as the evil and slothful servant, Mat. XXV. 24, 25, ' I knew that thou wert an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sowed, and gathering where thou hast not strawed ; and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth.' His fear was the cause of his negligence and uufathfuluess ; which fear is begotten in us by a false opinion of God, which rendereth him dreadful, rigorous, and terrible to the soul. Wliile we look upon God through the ghiss of our guilty fears, we draw a strange picture of him in our minds, as if he were a rigid lawgiver, and a severe avenger, liarsh, and hard to be pleased, and we are therefore unwilling to submit to him.
[2] It is prejudicial to us, in many regards.
(1.) It hiudereth our free and delightful converse with God. Tlie legal spirit hath no boldness in his presence, but is filled with torment- ing fear and horror at the thoughts of him ; the spirit of adoption giveth us confidence and boldness in prayer, Heb. iv 16 ; and Eph. iii. 1 2 ; but on the contrary, the spirit of bondage maketh us hang off from God. As Adam was afraid, and ran to the bushes, Gen. iii. 8 ; and David had a dark and uncomfortable spirit, and grew shy of God after his sin, Ps. xxxii. 3, 4, fain to issue forth an injunction or practical de- cree in the soul to bring his backward heart into his presence, ver. 5. ' And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord of Hosts,' Gen. iv. 16, as unable to abide there, where the frequent ordinances of God might put him in remembrance of him. And Jam. ii. 19, ' The devils believe, and tremble;' they ablior their own thoughts of God, as reviv- ing terror in them. The Papists think it boldness to go to God without the mediation and intercession of the saints ; the original of that prac- tice was slavish fear, when God had opened a door of access to him- self.